How am I NOT losing weight?!
Replies
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TavistockToad wrote: »charlireah wrote: »rhtexasgal wrote: »Also, I cannot always go by the nutritional information on a food package. They are notoriously inaccurate. You have to weigh that food too! I have eaten a package of crackers before that said the entire package was 150 calories and 35 grams. However, when I weighed that package it was actually 48 grams! It is very easy to think you are eating that 150 calories when you are actually eating more like 205 calories. Little things like that add up quickly.
That's terrifying! I really can't weigh every single thing, it would definitely encourage unhealthy eating habit but thank you for that information
Do you have a history of disordered eating habits?
Yes. I do not have an eating disorder but have been very close to it so I must be wary. I am quite obsessive about losing these few pounds. I don't want to be underweight.0 -
charlireah wrote: »I just want to lose a couple of pounds and they are not.shifting. I don't know if it's because I'm already quite a healthy weight and very short but it's rather frustrating.
I've always hovered between 7st 10 and 7st 12 but I'm closer to 7st12 to 8st now and as specific as that sounds, I'd rather be lower than this due to my petite frame.
I'm 5ft 2, with a BMI of 20 and I am aware that's healthy but I want to look a little leaner for my frame. I'm 24 years old.
I eat 1500 calories daily, I'm not rigourously strict with it but that's my target. I exercise via fast walking 5 days a week. I eat well. I'm vegetarian so my diet is good and I only drink sparkling water.
Can someone please explain why I simply cannot shift a few pounds? Thanks.
Could try upping protein & fat a little and decreasing carb intake to compensate for calories added. Sometimes a shift in macronutrients can move a stubborn pound or two...since you are vegetarian, I suspect you eat a diet somewhat higher in carbs(?) Also, someone mentioned to me that calculating tdee using one of the online calculators might be useful in determining optimal calories for safe weight loss. For your height, perhaps 1400 calories would be safe and help you accomplish your goals. Good Luck!0 -
KarenHatch1 wrote: »charlireah wrote: »I just want to lose a couple of pounds and they are not.shifting. I don't know if it's because I'm already quite a healthy weight and very short but it's rather frustrating.
I've always hovered between 7st 10 and 7st 12 but I'm closer to 7st12 to 8st now and as specific as that sounds, I'd rather be lower than this due to my petite frame.
I'm 5ft 2, with a BMI of 20 and I am aware that's healthy but I want to look a little leaner for my frame. I'm 24 years old.
I eat 1500 calories daily, I'm not rigourously strict with it but that's my target. I exercise via fast walking 5 days a week. I eat well. I'm vegetarian so my diet is good and I only drink sparkling water.
Can someone please explain why I simply cannot shift a few pounds? Thanks.
Could try upping protein & fat a little and decreasing carb intake to compensate for calories added. Sometimes a shift in macronutrients can move a stubborn pound or two...
Decreasing carbs will just lead to losing a bit of water weight not fat?0 -
Sorry, but if you aren't losing weight you are not in a deficit. It's simple physics.
Tighten up your tracking and you will most likely find that you were underestimating how much you were eating. Humans are very bad at estimating how much we have eaten.
Thank you for that. I might up my exercise. I can't be too strict with my food counting asit has promoted unhealthy eating in the past. Thanks though.0 -
charlireah wrote: »TavistockToad wrote: »charlireah wrote: »rhtexasgal wrote: »Also, I cannot always go by the nutritional information on a food package. They are notoriously inaccurate. You have to weigh that food too! I have eaten a package of crackers before that said the entire package was 150 calories and 35 grams. However, when I weighed that package it was actually 48 grams! It is very easy to think you are eating that 150 calories when you are actually eating more like 205 calories. Little things like that add up quickly.
That's terrifying! I really can't weigh every single thing, it would definitely encourage unhealthy eating habit but thank you for that information
Do you have a history of disordered eating habits?
Yes. I do not have an eating disorder but have been very close to it so I must be wary. I am quite obsessive about losing these few pounds. I don't want to be underweight.
You definitely want to ditch the scales and look at recomp then0 -
TavistockToad wrote: »charlireah wrote: »rhtexasgal wrote: »Also, I cannot always go by the nutritional information on a food package. They are notoriously inaccurate. You have to weigh that food too! I have eaten a package of crackers before that said the entire package was 150 calories and 35 grams. However, when I weighed that package it was actually 48 grams! It is very easy to think you are eating that 150 calories when you are actually eating more like 205 calories. Little things like that add up quickly.
That's terrifying! I really can't weigh every single thing, it would definitely encourage unhealthy eating habit but thank you for that information
Do you have a history of disordered eating habits?
There are double standards in OP's responses. I am a bit confused now and wondering the same..
If you want to loose weight and need to know that you are consuming what you think you are consuming, you must weight ALL the food!
Don't eat back exercise calories??? Means eating more food than what is being logged!
BTW weighing food does not promote unhealthy habits, it promotes weight loss!!1 -
OP, lots of us weigh our portions without becoming obsessive or developing a disorder. But if for whatever reason you aren't willing to be more strict, then you either need to aim for a lower calorie total, or exercise more. If you aren't losing weight, that means you are consuming the same amount of calories you are burning, so you either need to consume less or burn more.
It isn't hopeless, but it is difficult and requires patience and discipline. As someone else mentioned, you might want to consider a heavy lifting program. It might make you happier with your shape & body composition without losing lbs. Good luck!0 -
OP, lots of us weigh our portions without becoming obsessive or developing a disorder. But if for whatever reason you aren't willing to be more strict, then you either need to aim for a lower calorie total, or exercise more. If you aren't losing weight, that means you are consuming the same amount of calories you are burning, so you either need to consume less or burn more.
It isn't hopeless, but it is difficult and requires patience and discipline. As someone else mentioned, you might want to consider a heavy lifting program. It might make you happier with your shape & body composition without losing lbs. Good luck!
Thank you.for that, I will try that! I have been prone to an eating disorder in the past, I simply cannot risk going down that path again by weighing my foods meticulously but thank you.0 -
charlireah wrote: »cerise_noir wrote: »I didn't see a mention of how you count your calories. Do you weigh all your solid and semi solid food with a food scale? Also, how do you estimate the exercise calories? Do you eat those back?
Also...since you have so little to lose, the weight is going to come off much slower. Have you lost any weight since you've been calorie counting?
Instead of losing weight, you may want to try and eat at maintenance and lift very heavy with a progressive heavy lifting program such as stronglifts 5x5 or strongcurves instead of walking.
Some things can mask weight loss such as the time of the month and high sodium.
I never take the calories off the exercise I do. I just eat 1500 no matter how much I've exercised and don't compensate for it. I also use the packages to know what calories I'm consuming, I rarely estimate. I don't weigh good usually because it's already been done. Pasta and. cereal are so I estimate.
Pasta and cereal are very easy to overeat if you just estimate. The first time I weighed a serving of pasta I was shocked by how much smaller a true serving was vs what I thought it was.
If you don't want to weigh your food, though, then perhaps just try a bit more exercise, or eating a little less throughout the day (one less snack, for example, or a little less cereal...something that will decrease your calorie intake a little.)
Best of luck!0 -
Track everything with a food scale. Lift heavy weights. Don't worry about the number on the scale...go by body fat %, tape measure, how your clothes fit, etc.0
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charlireah wrote: »OP, lots of us weigh our portions without becoming obsessive or developing a disorder. But if for whatever reason you aren't willing to be more strict, then you either need to aim for a lower calorie total, or exercise more. If you aren't losing weight, that means you are consuming the same amount of calories you are burning, so you either need to consume less or burn more.
It isn't hopeless, but it is difficult and requires patience and discipline. As someone else mentioned, you might want to consider a heavy lifting program. It might make you happier with your shape & body composition without losing lbs. Good luck!
Thank you.for that, I will try that! I have been prone to an eating disorder in the past, I simply cannot risk going down that path again by weighing my foods meticulously but thank you.
What I do if I'm not weighing food is go with a smaller portion.
Say your cereal says a serving is 1/3 cup. Make an effort to leave part of the cup empty. Don't fill all the way to the top.
That may be enough to offset inaccuracies
~Lyssa2 -
TavistockToad wrote: »charlireah wrote: »rhtexasgal wrote: »Also, I cannot always go by the nutritional information on a food package. They are notoriously inaccurate. You have to weigh that food too! I have eaten a package of crackers before that said the entire package was 150 calories and 35 grams. However, when I weighed that package it was actually 48 grams! It is very easy to think you are eating that 150 calories when you are actually eating more like 205 calories. Little things like that add up quickly.
That's terrifying! I really can't weigh every single thing, it would definitely encourage unhealthy eating habit but thank you for that information
Do you have a history of disordered eating habits?
There are double standards in OP's responses. I am a bit confused now and wondering the same..
If you want to loose weight and need to know that you are consuming what you think you are consuming, you must weight ALL the food!
Don't eat back exercise calories??? Means eating more food than what is being logged!
BTW weighing food does not promote unhealthy habits, it promotes weight loss!!
How am I eating more food than is being logged if when I exercise, I still eat the same amount and not overeating because I exercised?
Also if you have seen that post about eating disorders then you will know I cannot weigh my food as it will send me back to an unhealthy path and I mustn't risk it.0 -
Go down to 1200 and add 2 hours of exercise a week. 1500 is barely a deficit for you, if it is at all.2
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Since a lot of people have mentioned recomp to the OP, I'll drop this here: http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10177803/recomposition-maintaining-weight-while-losing-fat2
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TavistockToad wrote: »charlireah wrote: »TavistockToad wrote: »charlireah wrote: »rhtexasgal wrote: »Also, I cannot always go by the nutritional information on a food package. They are notoriously inaccurate. You have to weigh that food too! I have eaten a package of crackers before that said the entire package was 150 calories and 35 grams. However, when I weighed that package it was actually 48 grams! It is very easy to think you are eating that 150 calories when you are actually eating more like 205 calories. Little things like that add up quickly.
That's terrifying! I really can't weigh every single thing, it would definitely encourage unhealthy eating habit but thank you for that information
Do you have a history of disordered eating habits?
Yes. I do not have an eating disorder but have been very close to it so I must be wary. I am quite obsessive about losing these few pounds. I don't want to be underweight.
You definitely want to ditch the scales and look at recomp then
Thank you I will do that!1 -
quiksylver296 wrote: »charlireah wrote: »rhtexasgal wrote: »Also, I cannot always go by the nutritional information on a food package. They are notoriously inaccurate. You have to weigh that food too! I have eaten a package of crackers before that said the entire package was 150 calories and 35 grams. However, when I weighed that package it was actually 48 grams! It is very easy to think you are eating that 150 calories when you are actually eating more like 205 calories. Little things like that add up quickly.
That's terrifying! I really can't weigh every single thing, it would definitely encourage unhealthy eating habit but thank you for that information
I do this, and do not have any type of unhealthy eating habits. Do you have prior eating disorders, @charlireah?
Yes I do.0 -
I'm 127 lbs at 5'0 and I have a BMI of 24.8. <- would all say I am .2 away from being overweight, but I wear a US size 2.
It's all about muscle to fat ratios. The scale is a lying *kitten*. It really just proves gravity exists, not how healthy you are. How do you feel? Are your clothes fitting better? Do you sleep well? etc. etc. should determine your health. I encourage you to go for fat loss instead of weight loss.
I lift as heavy as I can and I can definitely tell the difference in my body composition. I am seeing more muscle definition and less (bad) jiggle. I agree with everyone that says you should work on recomposition. The more muscle you have, the more calories you burn at rest. 1 -
Krisstastic_ wrote: »to get the results you want, you have to put the effort in, you cant expect to get more by doing the exact same thing you've always done... that would be like me, binge eating myself to 300lbs and wondering why im not just getting skinny doing the same thing i always do. cant lose if you dont put the effort in.
I'm aware of that, that's why I'm asking for advice???0 -
amyrebeccah wrote: »macgurlnet wrote: »charlireah wrote: »OP, lots of us weigh our portions without becoming obsessive or developing a disorder. But if for whatever reason you aren't willing to be more strict, then you either need to aim for a lower calorie total, or exercise more. If you aren't losing weight, that means you are consuming the same amount of calories you are burning, so you either need to consume less or burn more.
It isn't hopeless, but it is difficult and requires patience and discipline. As someone else mentioned, you might want to consider a heavy lifting program. It might make you happier with your shape & body composition without losing lbs. Good luck!
Thank you.for that, I will try that! I have been prone to an eating disorder in the past, I simply cannot risk going down that path again by weighing my foods meticulously but thank you.
What I do if I'm not weighing food is go with a smaller portion.
Say your cereal says a serving is 1/3 cup. Make an effort to leave part of the cup empty. Don't fill all the way to the top.
That may be enough to offset inaccuracies
~Lyssa
And it may not. You might think you're overestimating but you're really underestimating. Let me tell you, I would find that much more "obsessive" to be worrying about that than to just know what I'm eating. And if you're actually overestimating, then you are not eating what you think you are, and may be hungry, may find it harder to keep your nutrients, etc.
I felt like the scale *freed* me from obsession because I understood exactly what I was eating and no longer had to worry about whether or not my "medium" apple was really a "large" apple. Not saying that is OP's situation, but for some of us, the scale is a useful tool even with a history of disordered eating.3 -
dragon_girl26 wrote: »charlireah wrote: »cerise_noir wrote: »I didn't see a mention of how you count your calories. Do you weigh all your solid and semi solid food with a food scale? Also, how do you estimate the exercise calories? Do you eat those back?
Also...since you have so little to lose, the weight is going to come off much slower. Have you lost any weight since you've been calorie counting?
Instead of losing weight, you may want to try and eat at maintenance and lift very heavy with a progressive heavy lifting program such as stronglifts 5x5 or strongcurves instead of walking.
Some things can mask weight loss such as the time of the month and high sodium.
I never take the calories off the exercise I do. I just eat 1500 no matter how much I've exercised and don't compensate for it. I also use the packages to know what calories I'm consuming, I rarely estimate. I don't weigh good usually because it's already been done. Pasta and. cereal are so I estimate.
Pasta and cereal are very easy to overeat if you just estimate. The first time I weighed a serving of pasta I was shocked by how much smaller a true serving was vs what I thought it was.
If you don't want to weigh your food, though, then perhaps just try a bit more exercise, or eating a little less throughout the day (one less snack, for example, or a little less cereal...something that will decrease your calorie intake a little.)
Best of luck!
Thank you, yes I love my carbs, clearly one of the causes! I will be more careful!0 -
tbh - you don't need to lose weight from the stats you posted, which is why you aren't losing weight at 1500. I don't lose weight at 1500 either because that is my maintenance intake.
If you want to lose you will have to eat less, plain and simple. But it isn't' really clear to me why you do want to lose more weight. You are slim and in shape.4 -
I'm 127 lbs at 5'0 and I have a BMI of 24.8. <- would all say I am .2 away from being overweight, but I wear a US size 2.
It's all about muscle to fat ratios. The scale is a lying *kitten*. It really just proves gravity exists, not how healthy you are. How do you feel? Are your clothes fitting better? Do you sleep well? etc. etc. should determine your health. I encourage you to go for fat loss instead of weight loss.
Thank you, that's a great way of looking at it.I must admit I take the scales very seriously. I am a UK size 6 so yes US size 2 I think? I am pleased with my body but just obsessive about my weight. I am much better than I was 0 -
diannethegeek wrote: »Since a lot of people have mentioned recomp to the OP, I'll drop this here: http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10177803/recomposition-maintaining-weight-while-losing-fat
Thank you!0 -
eveandqsmom wrote: »Go down to 1200 and add 2 hours of exercise a week. 1500 is barely a deficit for you, if it is at all.
The bolded is the issue. If you want to drop another pound or two, you'll need to eat a little less, exercise a little more, or both. Then be patient because you're not likely to drop more than a pound per month.
Or, do the recomposition others are suggesting. It'll help with appearance and you don't need to make dietary adjustments.
**OP, I do not think you should drop to 1200 cals or add in 2 hours of exercise since you've had issues with disordered eating in the past.**1 -
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eveandqsmom wrote: »Go down to 1200 and add 2 hours of exercise a week. 1500 is barely a deficit for you, if it is at all.
Oh gosh is that safe to eat that little?0 -
charlireah wrote: »dragon_girl26 wrote: »charlireah wrote: »cerise_noir wrote: »I didn't see a mention of how you count your calories. Do you weigh all your solid and semi solid food with a food scale? Also, how do you estimate the exercise calories? Do you eat those back?
Also...since you have so little to lose, the weight is going to come off much slower. Have you lost any weight since you've been calorie counting?
Instead of losing weight, you may want to try and eat at maintenance and lift very heavy with a progressive heavy lifting program such as stronglifts 5x5 or strongcurves instead of walking.
Some things can mask weight loss such as the time of the month and high sodium.
I never take the calories off the exercise I do. I just eat 1500 no matter how much I've exercised and don't compensate for it. I also use the packages to know what calories I'm consuming, I rarely estimate. I don't weigh good usually because it's already been done. Pasta and. cereal are so I estimate.
Pasta and cereal are very easy to overeat if you just estimate. The first time I weighed a serving of pasta I was shocked by how much smaller a true serving was vs what I thought it was.
If you don't want to weigh your food, though, then perhaps just try a bit more exercise, or eating a little less throughout the day (one less snack, for example, or a little less cereal...something that will decrease your calorie intake a little.)
Best of luck!
Thank you, yes I love my carbs, clearly one of the causes! I will be more careful!
Me too! If anyone tried to take my carbs away, I'd turn mean really quickly! Haha0 -
seekingdaintiness wrote: »tbh - you don't need to lose weight from the stats you posted, which is why you aren't losing weight at 1500. I don't lose weight at 1500 either because that is my maintenance intake.
If you want to lose you will have to eat less, plain and simple. But it isn't' really clear to me why you do want to lose more weight. You are slim and in shape.
Me either. it's an obsessive issue for me, stemmed from my past eating disorder.0 -
charlireah wrote: »
But you can't be sure if you're not weighing everything, all the time. I'm sorry if it's disappointing but that is indeed the answer. You sound active, which is great, but fat loss happens with a caloric deficit.
Take a week and measure everything, even packaged food. I can't tell you how many times I have been surprised when I weigh a packaged item. It's a small example, but just last night I weighed my tortilla from the package. 70g was a serving and the tortilla was 75g. I removed 5g of edge piece before eating it. It takes one minute, and doing this for all packaged food saves me plenty of excess calories. I didn't do the math to figure out how many calories were in that extra 5g but I'm absolutely positive that if all food is off by even a small amount it would add up and could definitely wipe out any small deficit you have.
This is especially important because you don't have a lot of excess fat, your body needs fewer calories also because of your small frame. Don't get all angry and reject good advise just because you are being shown a mistake! I kind of did the other day, I wanted to give up because someone told me I wasn't losing at the expected rate because my fitbit lies to me. I was irrationally angry, but that person was probably right and now I'm just focusing on the MFP numbers and lowering my exercise estimate because it's seeming to hold me back.
Give it a try at least, I bet you'll find success in a few weeks.0 -
this may have been mentioned..my 2 cents is to make sure you are eating snacks in between meals with 2-3oz protein, you are drinking adequate water and to implement weight training with yoga. .
Hi.I rarely snack but I try to eat as much protein as possible. If I do snack, it's nuts, fruit and the occasional bag of crisps (oops) i drink 1-2 litres of water a day0
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