If calories in vs. calories out is what matters, why no weight loss?

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Replies

  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,268 Member
    Psychgrrl wrote: »
    You're eating 1200 calories a day, but exercising 2200-2300? I really hope those numbers are incorrect. You're not giving your body enough fuel and nutrients and in the long run, doing yourself more harm than good. If you do that daily, you'll lose lean body mass--not the weight you want to see come off.

    That being said, if those numbers were happening you would be losing weight. I just want to address the idea of being in the red by the end of the day--it's not healthy.

    2200-2300 is my total calories burned for the day INCLUDING exercise.

    If you are 1k below maintenance everyday based on your log and you have 5lbs left to lose how are you standing? I am not joking...

    at 1200 gross calories I would be falling down due to hunger.

    My only question is this...are you choosing correct entries when logging...weighing and logging are important but if the entries aren't correct you are doing it all for nothing.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,372 Member
    SezxyStef wrote: »
    Psychgrrl wrote: »
    You're eating 1200 calories a day, but exercising 2200-2300? I really hope those numbers are incorrect. You're not giving your body enough fuel and nutrients and in the long run, doing yourself more harm than good. If you do that daily, you'll lose lean body mass--not the weight you want to see come off.

    That being said, if those numbers were happening you would be losing weight. I just want to address the idea of being in the red by the end of the day--it's not healthy.

    2200-2300 is my total calories burned for the day INCLUDING exercise.

    If you are 1k below maintenance everyday based on your log and you have 5lbs left to lose how are you standing? I am not joking...

    at 1200 gross calories I would be falling down due to hunger.

    My only question is this...are you choosing correct entries when logging...weighing and logging are important but if the entries aren't correct you are doing it all for nothing.

    Ditto.
  • MeanderingMammal
    MeanderingMammal Posts: 7,866 Member
    edited April 2016
    SezxyStef wrote: »
    When I plateau, it is usually cause I am not eating enough calories. When I increase it by 100, my weight starts dropping again. Just a suggestion- I see you have many, but that is what works for me

    eating more food is never the answer to "why can't I lose weight"

    The observation I would make is that when I was netting about 1600 cals I was pretty listless, I'd choose to email ather than walk up three flights of stairs and talking face to face, stuff like that. The low fueling was manifesting as generally being less active, except in intentional exercise. When I did raise my goal to about 1900 per day I was quickly back to my old self and moving around a lot more.

    Eating more was a solution to the problem of being significantly underfueled, which led me to lose again. I'm under no illusions about what the problem was, and eating more wasn't in itself the solution, but it certainly contributed to not feeling like cr*p all the time.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 27,883 Member
    Sometimes women with little to lose only do so once a month - after their menstrual cycle.

    See also this video, which is long; I watched it while doing yoga warmups:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6846ZTBu08k&index=4&list=PLUXvX9BaxgqG9yO5XWB3gA_QshvrrcjVr
  • Colorscheme
    Colorscheme Posts: 1,179 Member
    Hornsby wrote: »
    Any device that uses algorithms based on averages of the population are going to be inaccurate for some and not for others. Not sure why this is shocking.

    Well when you get a fitbit you should do the following:

    -input height
    -input weight
    -input age
    -input stride length
    -put the fitbit on the non dominant wrist and also make sure the settings on the app reflect that

    I wonder if maybe too many people are putting it on their dominant wrist and the fitbit records steps when it's not supposed to because of that.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 27,883 Member
    Since you've mentioned that you weigh and log everything, I would ask how often you wor out? Are you giving yourself rest days? Also please realize that the last 5 lbs will be the hardest to lose. You'll have to be incredibly patient.

    I workout 6 days a week. I lift weights, do circuit training, and a mix of HIIT and speed walking. I do take a rest day for recovery.

    Are you lifting heavy and have you been taking progress pictures? One can look better at a higher weight:

    wxy1lxqvbhdn.jpg

    http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2011/07/21/meet-staci-your-new-powerlifting-super-hero/
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,388 MFP Moderator
    SezxyStef wrote: »
    When I plateau, it is usually cause I am not eating enough calories. When I increase it by 100, my weight starts dropping again. Just a suggestion- I see you have many, but that is what works for me

    eating more food is never the answer to "why can't I lose weight"

    The observation I would make is that when I was netting about 1600 cals I was pretty listless, I'd choose to email ather than walk up three flights of stairs and talking face to face, stuff like that. The low fueling was manifesting as generally being less active, except in intentional exercise. When I did raise my goal to about 1900 per day I was quickly back to my old self and moving around a lot more.

    Eating more was a solution to the problem of being significantly underfueled, which led me to lose again. I'm under no illusions about what the problem was, and eating more wasn't in itself the solution, but it certainly contributed to not feeling like cr*p all the time.

    I saw similar results and have worked with a lot of people with similar results. I struggle with weight loss at 1800 calories but at 2300 to 2500 calories i have had no issues.


    I would suggest to the OP to increase to probably 1600 but also look at the entries to ensure they are correct. I recently scanned a package for seasoning that came up at 250 calories for the whole thing.... the actual calories for the entire package was 75. So even scanned entries can be wrong.
  • Gamliela
    Gamliela Posts: 2,468 Member
    so some women here lose more weight when they start eating more calories than before then. Wow!

    revolution time? or what is next?
  • shadow2soul
    shadow2soul Posts: 7,692 Member
    edited April 2016
    Gamliela wrote: »
    so some women here lose more weight when they start eating more calories than before then. Wow!

    revolution time? or what is next?

    It's more than just an increase usually.

    Low calories -> low energy levels -> moving less & lower intensity workouts -> burning less from decreased movement
    Add a few calories
    More calories -> more energy -> moving more & being able to push harder during workouts -> burning more calories

    Granted it only works for people who increase activity and intensity in workouts. Some people even increase the accuracy of their logging when they increase. I've noticed a similar effect in myself. Days my calories are low I tend to end up napping mid day and I'm less likely to find myself wanting a nap if my calories are higher.
    For me low translates to under 1700 and high while still in a deficit is in the 1800 - 2000 range. My maintenance though is 2200-2300 on average.

    Edit: I however do recommend that people check their logging as the first culprit. I don't tend to suggest eating more, because I feel if it's the problem you would notice the fatigue and being less fidgety (or at least I hope a person would).
  • gataman3000
    gataman3000 Posts: 55 Member
    Sorry to get everyone all riled up, its just reading these boards the general theme is calories in calories out only when that's just simply not true. When people say they want to lose weight, most people actually want to lose weight and body fat. I don't think anyone will be happy losing 40 or 50 pounds and still having that 40 inch waist. And I get it that it really is calories in calories out but this is for a lifestyle change not for just a number on the scale to move and that's what cico will do, make a number move. But when you actually focus on what you eat is when your body changes and you start to look how you want to look. One person said generic protein shakes, those generic protein shakes are the building blocks of muscle which contain amino acids and are a complete protein unlike that Twinkie diet everyone loves to cite. If me telling someone to have a protein shake and chicken breast over a Twinkie is making me the bad guy, so be it, but I'm sure one person will read it and it will change their diet and their life.
  • Heirgreat
    Heirgreat Posts: 262 Member
    Macros mattered for me. I had a bad plateau for a couple of months and yes I weighed everything and I exercised and I did weights and I did cardio.. Changed my macros lower carbs higher fat higher protein & the scale finally started to move. It's individual
  • ArmyofAdrian
    ArmyofAdrian Posts: 177 Member
    Tweak your macros. Probably need more fat. Too little screws with your hormones.
  • pcpop7
    pcpop7 Posts: 161 Member
    To counter the macro tweakers. CICO worked perfectly for me all the way to goal. The only time I plateaued was when I thought I could cheat the system and not log so accurately cause of all that hard gym stuff and I could sneak this and that. My 38 inch waist also shrank to 28 inch without caring much about macros so I'm not sure what sources gataman has. Perhaps some starvation study folk had huge waists or something ? Eh gataman ?
  • ArmyofAdrian
    ArmyofAdrian Posts: 177 Member
    pcpop7 wrote: »
    To counter the macro tweakers. CICO worked perfectly for me all the way to goal. The only time I plateaued was when I thought I could cheat the system and not log so accurately cause of all that hard gym stuff and I could sneak this and that. My 38 inch waist also shrank to 28 inch without caring much about macros so I'm not sure what sources gataman has. Perhaps some starvation study folk had huge waists or something ? Eh gataman ?

    CICO isn't working for the OP.
  • pcpop7
    pcpop7 Posts: 161 Member
    pcpop7 wrote: »
    To counter the macro tweakers. CICO worked perfectly for me all the way to goal. The only time I plateaued was when I thought I could cheat the system and not log so accurately cause of all that hard gym stuff and I could sneak this and that. My 38 inch waist also shrank to 28 inch without caring much about macros so I'm not sure what sources gataman has. Perhaps some starvation study folk had huge waists or something ? Eh gataman ?

    CICO isn't working for the OP.

    Too much magic ?
  • MeanderingMammal
    MeanderingMammal Posts: 7,866 Member
    pcpop7 wrote: »
    To counter the macro tweakers. CICO worked perfectly for me all the way to goal. The only time I plateaued was when I thought I could cheat the system and not log so accurately cause of all that hard gym stuff and I could sneak this and that. My 38 inch waist also shrank to 28 inch without caring much about macros so I'm not sure what sources gataman has. Perhaps some starvation study folk had huge waists or something ? Eh gataman ?

    CICO isn't working for the OP.

    Something isn't working, and from whats been described it looks like the CO side of the equation is the most likely culprit.
  • stevencloser
    stevencloser Posts: 8,911 Member
    Sorry to get everyone all riled up, its just reading these boards the general theme is calories in calories out only when that's just simply not true. When people say they want to lose weight, most people actually want to lose weight and body fat. I don't think anyone will be happy losing 40 or 50 pounds and still having that 40 inch waist. And I get it that it really is calories in calories out but this is for a lifestyle change not for just a number on the scale to move and that's what cico will do, make a number move. But when you actually focus on what you eat is when your body changes and you start to look how you want to look. One person said generic protein shakes, those generic protein shakes are the building blocks of muscle which contain amino acids and are a complete protein unlike that Twinkie diet everyone loves to cite. If me telling someone to have a protein shake and chicken breast over a Twinkie is making me the bad guy, so be it, but I'm sure one person will read it and it will change their diet and their life.

    I wonder where you think the 40-50 Pound Loss would come from If not mostly fat.
    Also more protein on top of what is needed will do absolutely nothing.
  • msf74
    msf74 Posts: 3,498 Member
    pcpop7 wrote: »
    To counter the macro tweakers. CICO worked perfectly for me all the way to goal. The only time I plateaued was when I thought I could cheat the system and not log so accurately cause of all that hard gym stuff and I could sneak this and that. My 38 inch waist also shrank to 28 inch without caring much about macros so I'm not sure what sources gataman has. Perhaps some starvation study folk had huge waists or something ? Eh gataman ?

    CICO isn't working for the OP.

    I think its more accurate to say calorie counting isn't working for the OP rather than the energy balance equation (CICO).