Eating 1500 calories a day, exercising and still not losing

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Replies

  • ironanimal
    ironanimal Posts: 5,922 Member
    when I say I look and feel better - I mean since I have decided to lose some pounds to reach an ideal target weight of 182 pounds.

    I am eating within what I thought was a good weight loss target calorie limit for the day and I am so much more active on an daily basis than I have been.

    However I have all your suggestions to contend with!!
    Then energy is likely not a concern in your case and you can ignore me :D One less suggestion to contend with.

    If you're looking and feeling better, the weightloss will come along with it.
  • 007FatSlayer
    007FatSlayer Posts: 132 Member
    Almost all of your foods are white starches. Add more color to your diet-- fruits, vegetables, etc. This will add fiber to your diet and most importantly, nutrients! Try switching from soy milk to almond milk; soy milk can cause a lot of bloating. Also, don't forget to lift weights. Add some variety to life :smile: (I say this b/c of your majority white-starch/carb based diet and you only mentioned cardio). A lot of other good advice has already been mentioned.
  • piggler65
    piggler65 Posts: 54 Member
    thanks - regarding weights - I and do not want to lift heavy weight and change my shape as such but I do have them and lifted weights in the past.

    I was thinking of lower weights but higher reps - what do you do when you say lift weights?
  • ncmedic201
    ncmedic201 Posts: 540 Member
    I increased my calories for a few days and then brought them back down and it broke my plateau. It is definitely more difficult to lose 2 lbs a week once you get closer to your goal.
  • ironanimal
    ironanimal Posts: 5,922 Member
    thanks - regarding weights - I and do not want to lift heavy weight and change my shape as such but I do have them and lifted weights in the past.

    I was thinking of lower weights but higher reps - what do you do when you say lift weights?
    Lifting heavy in of itself won't dramatically change your shape. Low reps, high weight - i.e. <5 reps mainly causes a stronger neuromuscular response over time, causing you to get stronger without gaining any size or anything.

    Mid rep ranges, 6-12, with a suitable weight create a stronger hypertrophy response if conditions are right; anabolic environment, calorie surplus etc.

    High rep ranges, with lower weight, 12+ reps, doesn't really do much of anything except improve muscular endurance.
  • deksgrl
    deksgrl Posts: 7,237 Member
    Ok - so with me wanting 2 lbs a week weight loss and therefore MFP setting my target at 1280 calories why are people suggesting I eat so much more was my question and what you alluded to in your last post.

    I never realised that I was to eat my colories I exercised away - although i have always seemed to eat most of them anyway.

    MFP bases your calorie needs on the amount your body needs that you expend in everyday life NOT counting exercise. So just what you need for moving around, going to work or school or whatever it is you do all day. It figures out your calorie needs for that, but then when you choose "i want to lose x amount per week", it subtracts a flat amount from that calorie need. So if you choose 2 pounds a week, it will deduct 1,000 calories per day from your projected calorie needs. And remember that DOES NOT include exercise. They call this a NEAT method calculator. Non-exercise activity thermogenesis (NEAT) is the energy expended for everything we do that is not sleeping, eating or sports-like exercise.

    People who do not have a lot of pounds to lose should not choose 2 pounds a week, because subtracting 1,000 calories a day is too much of a cut. When you then also do not eat additional calories to fuel your exercise, you are eating way too low.

    So, for example, MFP calculates that your calorie needs not including exercise is 2200 per day. You say "I want to lose 2 pounds per week". It says okay, 2200 minus 1000 is 1200. Eat 1200 a day. Then you do some intense cardio for an hour and burn off say 500 calories of that. 1200 minus 500 is 700 calories. You are expecting your body to run all of its processes on 700 net calories per day. That is way too low for most people, especially a man of your size.

    This is why you have to add calories for exercise with the MFP method, the person in this example should eat 1200 PLUS 500. (Assuming that losing 2 pounds per week is appropriate, but in your case, it is not).
  • piggler65
    piggler65 Posts: 54 Member
    thanks for that info - i was going to consider high rep low weight but think the 5 rep heavy weight might be better! How often ? I would to train every day - not for a long time though.

    At the moment I am training to press 100 press ups in one go - just for the hell of it! Thats all the resistance training I am doing at the moment
  • lithezebra
    lithezebra Posts: 3,670 Member
    You might be slowing down your daily activity to compensate for that drastic calorie deficit, walking less, sitting more. Maybe eating a little more, like 1800 calories, doing some strength training, and making sure that you don't exhaust yourself with cardio, would help. Also, it looks like you eat pretty well when it comes to carbs, so if you do choose to eat more, you might consider adding more protein, and meeting your minimum for fat.
  • piggler65
    piggler65 Posts: 54 Member
    Gotcha - understand could do with eating much more!
  • 007FatSlayer
    007FatSlayer Posts: 132 Member
    Whichever you prefer :smile:
    •1-5 Reps Per Set = Mostly Strength
    •5-8 Reps Per Set = Strength AND Muscle Equally
    •8-10 Reps Per Set = Muscle With Some Strength
    •10-12 Reps Per Set = Muscle With Some Endurance
    •12-15 Reps Per Set = Endurance With Some Muscle
    •15-20 Reps Per Set = Mostly Endurance


    Just make sure to challenge yourself. Working out should never be "easy," unless you're injured or ill at the time. There's a lot of stuff on the internet that you can search for; if you look online, make sure get your sources of information from more than one site (so the information isn't biased).

    Good Luck Piggler, dedication and hard work will always pay off-- even if you're having a temporary set back.
  • lithezebra
    lithezebra Posts: 3,670 Member
    Gotcha - understand could do with eating much more!

    I've spent a year, or more, losing 6 pounds. If you're close to your goal, it can take much much longer than MFP projections of a 1/2 pound of loss per week would suggest. Not noticing a loss after 3 weeks is not a very long time at all, and for your height, a 5 pound gain is well within normal fluctuations of water retention, and food in various stages of digestion that happens to be in your GI tract at the time that you weigh yourself. A small deficit, and a determination to stick with your plan, will get you there.
  • piggler65
    piggler65 Posts: 54 Member

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/3047-700-calories-a-day-and-not-losing

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/6556-the-answers-to-the-questions

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/9433-expectations

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/10589-for-those-confused-or-questioning-eating-your-exercise-calo

    -Banks

    I have just been reading this posts and am beginning to realise what many have posters have been trying to say during this topic!
  • robin52077
    robin52077 Posts: 4,383 Member
    Those are all excellent links! I refer people to them all the time.
  • prkns1
    prkns1 Posts: 1 Member
    some people are gluten sensitive, have you tried cutting down on grains??
  • HerbertNenenger
    HerbertNenenger Posts: 453 Member
    I stalled a few weeks in too, it is normal. With another plateau at around 5 or 6 months. Speaking for myself, I am carb intolerant so as soon as I lowered my carb intake and upped my protein the scale started to move again, and very nicely too. Again, I am eating 1300 cal a day in 5 or 6 mini meals which the pros recommend but I am a 5'4 woman, so take others' advice with a little more cals and more frequent meals with more protein. Follow back up with us in a couple wks to tell us how it worked
  • bobf279
    bobf279 Posts: 342 Member
    I have chosen to follow the TDEE-20% route which for me is around 2200 calories a day at 5' 6" and 184 lbs and I am losing weight slowly but steadily. I still record on MFP and use that as a guide for the calories I eat, my exercise calories go in too but I am not concerned about the net as I am only interested in consumption.
  • piggler65
    piggler65 Posts: 54 Member
    some people are gluten sensitive, have you tried cutting down on grains??

    Am a vegan and believe in 80:10:10 rations for macros so cutting down grains is hard - I have solved my problem now in not understanding why I needed to eat more to lose!
  • piggler65
    piggler65 Posts: 54 Member
    I have chosen to follow the TDEE-20% route which for me is around 2200 calories a day at 5' 6" and 184 lbs and I am losing weight slowly but steadily. I still record on MFP and use that as a guide for the calories I eat, my exercise calories go in too but I am not concerned about the net as I am only interested in consumption.
    ]

    How can you not be concerned about the net?

    Out of interest - if you eat around 2200 calories and you exercise you go lower than your BMR - how is it you still lose weight?

    When I ate 1200-1500 calories I was eating less than my BMR and exercising so it was even lower than I thought and I was not losing. So now with advice from this board I am upping my target to just over my BMR which is 2000. If I exercise and do not net 2000 I will be in effect eating the same as before.

    How do you still lose weight and how do you explain not worrying about net calories?
  • spookygoldfish
    spookygoldfish Posts: 10 Member
    As he is older & shorter than you his BMR is around 1600 so I doubt that he is netting below it.
  • piggler65
    piggler65 Posts: 54 Member
    As he is older & shorter than you his BMR is around 1600 so I doubt that he is netting below it.

    understood. Thanks
  • Kirsten2304
    Kirsten2304 Posts: 27 Member
    Looking at your diary, I would definitely lower the amount of carbs you eat in a day. Eating less carbs has always been the best way to lose weight for me. :)
  • bobf279
    bobf279 Posts: 342 Member
    My BMR is 1607 if I exercise 6/7 times a week my TDEE comes out as 2772 which would keep me at maintenance, to lose weight I take off 20% giving me 2218 calories per day to eat. I use MFP to keep a tally of my intake and exercise the net on MFP doesn't matter as the TDEE calculation incorporates BMR and exercise. Interestingly the net does tend to match my goal most days.
  • piggler65
    piggler65 Posts: 54 Member
    That makes sense.
  • jacqueliner15
    jacqueliner15 Posts: 5
    I really need help. I have been trying to just eat healthier and work out 5 days a week. Usually cardio and weights. Or a day of squats and strength training. I eat around 1500 calories a day and I am 5 foot 11 inches and use to weight 227 and now weigh 189 and can't seem to get pass this block! It's been almost 3 weeks I have been at this block. Should I decrease my calories intake? Or I am loss with what to do help
  • deksgrl
    deksgrl Posts: 7,237 Member
    I really need help. I have been trying to just eat healthier and work out 5 days a week. Usually cardio and weights. Or a day of squats and strength training. I eat around 1500 calories a day and I am 5 foot 11 inches and use to weight 227 and now weigh 189 and can't seem to get pass this block! It's been almost 3 weeks I have been at this block. Should I decrease my calories intake? Or I am loss with what to do help

    Are you weighing/measuring all of your food and logging accurately? Are you set for a loss of 1 pound per week? Are you eating at least some of your exercise calories? You may need to increase calories, not decrease them. You are young, and tall and active so you should be able to eat more and still lose weight.
  • jacqueliner15
    jacqueliner15 Posts: 5
    If anything I feel I need to decrease my calorie intake and work out more
  • deksgrl
    deksgrl Posts: 7,237 Member
    If anything I feel I need to decrease my calorie intake and work out more

    Do you understand that MFP does not include exercise in its calculations for the amount of calories you need? You could work out more but then you would also need to eat more.
  • jacqueliner15
    jacqueliner15 Posts: 5
    I am sorry I am just so confused. Many people tell me to cut my intake then people tell me to eat more. I really don't get it and I am getting confused. All I want is to see that scale move again. It's frustrating waking up every morning at 4:30 to go workout and on top of it not see results.
  • deksgrl
    deksgrl Posts: 7,237 Member
    I am sorry I am just so confused. Many people tell me to cut my intake then people tell me to eat more. I really don't get it and I am getting confused. All I want is to see that scale move again. It's frustrating waking up every morning at 4:30 to go workout and on top of it not see results.

    Okay, well, what is your height, weight, age. What is your goal weight. What is your workout routine? How much have you been eating? Do you weigh/measure all of your food?

    Eating too little and working out more isn't always better, it can cause too much stress on your body which will cause hormonal issues that will prevent weight loss.
  • jacqueliner15
    jacqueliner15 Posts: 5
    I am 22 and am 5 foot 11 inches and weight 189 and fluctuate. My goal is 160. Started from 227 but I lost that over steady time. I run about a mile a day. And switch to legs or arms. Ab workout. And sometimes squats

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