Need advice please...
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Sevio
Posts: 181 Member
Okay so my name is Faith and I have lost at total of 54 lbs since starting a weight lost journey in 2007. My lowest weight was couple of years ago when I was 132 lbs in 2014. I was losing and losing and losing. I was going to Curves for about 5 years until they closed and in 2014 I started Planet Fitness. Since then I have gained about 10 lbs. And since last year July of 2015 my scale just moves up and down 3 to 5 lbs. I can't get it below 143 lately. For an entire year.
I have a fitbit, I go to Planet Fitness Monday thru Friday with about 45 minutes or so of cardio machines and some weight lifting for about 30 minutes. I walk for 30 minutes at work during the day on breaks and I walk my dog in the evening. No real workouts on the weekend.
An average day of eating is about 1800 Monday thru Friday. Friday nights may end up more and Saturdays typically too. Probably close to 2400 to 2500. There's always takeout or some party to go to...
So I am wondering: What in the world am I doing wrong?
My Fitbit tells my average TDEE is 2285 per day.
Any advice I will take. Am I eating too much or too little.
I have a fitbit, I go to Planet Fitness Monday thru Friday with about 45 minutes or so of cardio machines and some weight lifting for about 30 minutes. I walk for 30 minutes at work during the day on breaks and I walk my dog in the evening. No real workouts on the weekend.
An average day of eating is about 1800 Monday thru Friday. Friday nights may end up more and Saturdays typically too. Probably close to 2400 to 2500. There's always takeout or some party to go to...
So I am wondering: What in the world am I doing wrong?
My Fitbit tells my average TDEE is 2285 per day.
Any advice I will take. Am I eating too much or too little.
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Replies
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I have heard fit bit could be inaccurate, especially for weight lifting. Maybe try upping your calories.
Also, why are your calories higher on the weekend? Do you know?0 -
Usually the weekends I don't workout, maybe just a dog walk so I don't have any exercise calorie burn and then it's always some gathering to go to or out to eat or takeout or something on the weekends. Or a treat of some sort.0
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Welcome Faith! Without knowing more about your stats and activity level (even though you mention tpwhat the fitbit gives you), it's hard to tell. Check the EM2WL calculator to have a starting point http://eatmore2weighless.com/weight-loss-calculator/
I'm not sure how you weight lifting sessions go, but I would assume that you wouod hugely benefit from a more structured lifting plan and increasing those weights. That's what will help your metabolism and change how you look. Usually after we start seeing changes in our body compositions and how it looks, we forget the scale. A specific number will not guarantee you a certain look.
I don't workout in the weekends and like to enjoy eating out, but I keep my calories steady throughout the week, I hate eating less in some days, I like to have all my calories every day, lol. Now, looking at what the fitbit gives you and the deficit you are creating by eating about 500 cals less in the weekdays, even though you go iver on the weekends, that could be a big culprit. Since you are coming from a huge weight loss, I'd suspect your metabolism has suffered from it.
Check out our free quick start guide if you haven't done so: http://training.eatmore2weighless.com/get-your-quick-start-guide
Tereza
Team EM2WL
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@TerezaToledo Thank you for the Friend Request. BTW you look amazing!! My Stats are this: I am almost 42 years old, 143 lbs 5 foot 5 inches and I work out at Planet Fitness Monday thru Friday starting at 4:30 AM I do 30 minutes on the Elliptical or Arc Trainer and about 20 minutes walking on the treadmill typically various inclines between 3 and 4 miler per hour. My weight lifting is typically a dumb bell workout with weights between 10 lbs and 15 lbs. I change the weights up daily some days are dumb bells, some days cable pulley machines (higher weights than dumb bells) and some days we do the universal machines. Do around 6 different things focusing that day on shoulders or biceps or back etc.
I also will walk on my breaks at work and walk my dog about a mile each evening.
As far as eating I typically eat less during the week about 1800 calories. More on the weekends. You are probably correct about me trying to focus not overeating on the weekends. That is probably where I am falling short and it's turning into a bad habit.
I Looked at the calorie counter for EM2WL and its got me for about 1950 calories per day for a 10% cut at a moderate exercise range. Do you think what I do above is moderate? Should I eat 1950 per day even on Saturdays and Sundays?
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It doesn't hurt to increase calories. If you've been eating this level for a long time and aren't seeing progress you may need to reset. Over time, your body adjusts to your calorie level and it no longer views 1800 as a deficit- it has become maintainence now. See more at em2wl.com/start1
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Thanks for the compliments! I'm 41 and 5'4", probably weight somewhere close to you (haven't stepped on the scale in the last three months).
@saranharm Is perfectly right. When things are not moving, increasing is a good way to go. I would also say that you need to go above moderate, specially since youR fitbit does give you more. Try increasing about 100 cals a day per week, until you reach your tdee, before you cut again. Also on your lifting session, try to go above the 10/15 lbs dbs. I am not as worried about you eating more in the weekends as about you not eating enough during the week.
This is a great article on metabolism http://eatmore2weighless.com/cant-fix-metabolism-without-addressing-this/, check it out.
Tereza
Team EM2WL0 -
@TerezaToledo Thank you for the Friend Request. BTW you look amazing!! My Stats are this: I am almost 42 years old, 143 lbs 5 foot 5 inches and I work out at Planet Fitness Monday thru Friday starting at 4:30 AM I do 30 minutes on the Elliptical or Arc Trainer and about 20 minutes walking on the treadmill typically various inclines between 3 and 4 miler per hour. My weight lifting is typically a dumb bell workout with weights between 10 lbs and 15 lbs. I change the weights up daily some days are dumb bells, some days cable pulley machines (higher weights than dumb bells) and some days we do the universal machines. Do around 6 different things focusing that day on shoulders or biceps or back etc.
I also will walk on my breaks at work and walk my dog about a mile each evening.
As far as eating I typically eat less during the week about 1800 calories. More on the weekends. You are probably correct about me trying to focus not overeating on the weekends. That is probably where I am falling short and it's turning into a bad habit.
I Looked at the calorie counter for EM2WL and its got me for about 1950 calories per day for a 10% cut at a moderate exercise range. Do you think what I do above is moderate? Should I eat 1950 per day even on Saturdays and Sundays?
I just plugged in your info into the calculator and I dont believe you are putting in the right activity level. Based on what you have said above, your activity level should be strenuous, not moderate. You are working out in excess of 60 mins a day, five days a week. 50 mins of that is cardio, every day, and you say you do about 30 mins of weights. You are well above the 3-5 hours that the moderate category gives you, so you arent getting your correct calorie level.
Dont let the strenuous title fool you. It does not mean you need to be sweating profusely during that time. It means your actively moving your body in some form of exercise more than an hour a day.
The other option is to lower the amount of cardio you are doing. 50 mins a day 5x a week is a lot. If its what you enjoy doing, and dont want to, by all means, keep doing it.. But if you are doing that much because you think it will help with your fat loss goals, you may want to read about how much cardio is too much
http://eatmore2weighless.com/how-much-cardio-is-too-much/
Your fitbit is telling you about 2300.. But it cannot account for the strength training you are doing, which will automatically boost your TDEE higher. As Tereza said, concentrate on getting your weekly cals up higher and shoot for your TDEE which should be above 2300.
As for the weights. How many reps are you doing with those 10-15lbs? If you have been using those weights for a long while, you are likely not lifting heavy enough anymore. Whatever weight you pick up, you should be able to only do however many reps you are setting out do to and no more.. So lets say you are doing 10lb bicep curls, and you are doing 10 reps. If after those 10 reps, you could do more reps, then you need to be lifting a heavier weight for those 10 reps. Reevaluate your weights and really pay attention to how many reps you are doing with them. You might also benefit from some of our weight training programs to help you focus on what you are doing in the gym, rather than only doing one muscle group each day.
http://eatmore2weighless.com/category/workouts/
Hope this helps out.. We are here to help!
Kelly
EM2WL Ambassador and Moderator2 -
@Raynn1 Thank you for your feedback. I am definitely going to take all of your advice and try upping those calories as well concentrate on the weights and lifting heavier. I typically do about 3 sets 10 reps of each exercise. I try and get in about 6 different moves each day in that 30 minutes. And I try to increase.
I have thinking about everything these past few days....maybe I have been undereating so much and that is why I am simply exhausted by 6 PM. I get up at 4 AM and head off to the gym by 4:30 M-F. At work by 7:30 AM until 5:00 PM and then am pooped out. I have a pretty stressful job (desk work but am up and down to the copy machine 50 times a day...) but perhaps I will notice a change in my energy if I am feeding my body more.
On a side note, I dropped weight this week even though I have not been to the gym since Tuesday morning and haven't been really walking all that much. Started coming down with a cold Tuesday night. Sore throat and then boom. Didn't knock me out completely but I knew I needed a break. Still ate about 1600+ calories those days and this morning jumped on the scale and had lost something.
I am going to do some trial and error over the course of the next few weeks and see where the scale goes. It's not even really about the scale. It's really about my clothes loosening up and getting back into jeans that I wore 2 years ago. They are simply too tight around my waist and but. Its like the weight I put on went right to my saddlebags and thighs. I am happy with my top half, it's the bottom half that kills me. I measure my butt around my saddlebags and it's 41 inches or flab! Yuck!!0 -
Sounds like you have a bit of a plan going forth. Yes on the energy. Eating more will definitely show a gain in your energy and should be noted and praised. Its a main reason why a lot of people are so sedentary and dont do anything.. no energy.
As for your weights. Try changing up your rep set... if you have done nothing but 3 set for 10 reps, then your body can adjust wholly to that and will not yield in the same results. If you stay at 10 reps, then monitor your weights.. if 10 feels easy and you could do more, then increase the weight. Alternatively if you lower the reps down to say 8, then your weight will increase. its important to change up the rep ranges so the muscles build and strengthen..
For now, concentrate on increasing your cals. Thats the most important thing to deal with now. The rest can do be done in time. Hopefully within a short time you will see a major change in your energy levels.
Kelly
EM2WL Ambassador and Moderator1 -
Thank you for all of your help. I definitely will keep everyone posted over the next couple of weeks and let know how things are going!0
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I am going to do some trial and error over the course of the next few weeks and see where the scale goes.
As a woman whose BMR literally changes through the month - a few weeks won't even be an honest story to discern anything. And trial and error over those few weeks not long enough either.
You'll need 4 weeks minimum doing the same thing - and if you have a change in exercise routine getting harder during that time, storing more water for repair - even that won't be a full story. Or if you drop some of your cardio and may drop water weight there.
Be prepared for more time to discern anything.
And indeed as you comment - the tape will likely show more progress than the scale.1 -
@heybales. I have read a lot of your posts throughout here and you seem very knowledgeable. I know I need to give it more time. It's just very scary. I have weighed myself on Sunday and taken down measurements. Sunday morning I will check things out and see where they are.
I am feeling more energy in the evening this week so I can already see that eating a bit more is making me a happier camper thus far. I did hop on the scale this morning and am up a couple pounds but you know: My scale was jumpy before eating less calories. So I am not going to panic. Just trust this process everyone keeps telling me!0 -
I am going to do some trial and error over the course of the next few weeks and see where the scale goes.
As a woman whose BMR literally changes through the month - a few weeks won't even be an honest story to discern anything. And trial and error over those few weeks not long enough either.
You'll need 4 weeks minimum doing the same thing - and if you have a change in exercise routine getting harder during that time, storing more water for repair - even that won't be a full story. Or if you drop some of your cardio and may drop water weight there.
Be prepared for more time to discern anything.
And indeed as you comment - the tape will likely show more progress than the scale.
Yes, and pictures too!
Don't forget the progress pics!
Sometimes measurements don't change or may even go up as muscle changes shape, but the pics don't lie! Best thing I did since I started was to take progress pics every 4 weeks, same clothes, same lighting, same position. And learn to look at them with a non judge-mental eye, just from an anatomy perspective! (this took me a little longer!)
Ichel
EM2WL Ambassador and Moderator2 -
Hi Everyone: Here is my 1st week of eating more update.
Beginning Weight: 142.3 Body Fat: 27.8 Weight Watchers Digital Scale
Current Weight: 145.6 Body Fat: 28.4
Sunday 9/4 Burned 1926 Ate 2497 20 Active Minutes Went to a cookout grazed a bit and had some wine
Monday 9/5 Burned 2389 Ate 1859 90 Active Minutes
Tuesday 9/6 Burned 2826 Ate 1918 94 Active Minutes
Wednesday 9/7 Burned 2412 Ate 2035 70 Active Minutes
Thursday 9/8 Burned 2450 Ate 2000 55 Active Minutes
Friday 9/9 Burned 2555 Ate 2220 92 Active Minutes Mexican Restaurant and a Glass of Peach Sangria (VERY Salty Mexican; taste buds were like "WOW"!)
Saturday 9/10 Burned 1833 Ate 2166 No real active minutes. Too hot to do anything! Made homemade calzone with cheese, shrimp and imitation crab. Not great for you!
So my scale is up 3.3 lbs with a 1696 deficit. The burned and active minutes are based on my Fitbit Charge HR.
According to measurements and I am sure there's measurement error I may have lost .50 inches in my belly button area and .50 inches in my saddlebags.
Another change I noticed mentally was I wasn't as tired by 7 pm each night during the week as I was prior and I really haven't felt that bloated feeling looking like I am three months pregnant. I actually "felt" smaller.
I also bought some of that Halo Top Ice Cream and it was delicious. Split my Pint into two servings and was really impressed with it. At $5.79 a pint my husband was like what in the world...but he's been known to go to the local corner store and pay that price for a pint of Ben and Jerry's so it's a wash! Plus he eats the ENTIRE pint in one sitting. At least I have two servings!
Anyone want to chime in if I am on the right track with this? How do my calories look? Do I continue this same sort of pattern next week and see what happens?1 -
Interesting reading your story, I have no clue what it all means but I'm hoping eventually I will understand. Where do you get the deficit number from?? Carol0
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I added ate my calories burned and added up calories ate and subtracted the numbers.dejavuohlala wrote: »Interesting reading your story, I have no clue what it all means but I'm hoping eventually I will understand. Where do you get the deficit number from?? Carol
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I added ate my calories burned and added up calories ate and subtracted the numbers.dejavuohlala wrote: »Interesting reading your story, I have no clue what it all means but I'm hoping eventually I will understand. Where do you get the deficit number from?? Carol
I meant to say I added up my calories. . Not ate! Too early on a Sunday morning!0 -
Lol thanks I'm getting there1
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Another change I noticed mentally was I wasn't as tired by 7 pm each night during the week as I was prior and I really haven't felt that bloated feeling looking like I am three months pregnant. I actually "felt" smaller.
This is a big deal! Dont let it fool you that its a small thing. Not being tired is a HUGE sign you are eating more and your body needs it. Awesome!!!
Kelly
EM2WL Ambassador and Moderator2 -
empressichel wrote: »I am going to do some trial and error over the course of the next few weeks and see where the scale goes.
As a woman whose BMR literally changes through the month - a few weeks won't even be an honest story to discern anything. And trial and error over those few weeks not long enough either.
You'll need 4 weeks minimum doing the same thing - and if you have a change in exercise routine getting harder during that time, storing more water for repair - even that won't be a full story. Or if you drop some of your cardio and may drop water weight there.
Be prepared for more time to discern anything.
And indeed as you comment - the tape will likely show more progress than the scale.
Yes, and pictures too!
Don't forget the progress pics!
Sometimes measurements don't change or may even go up as muscle changes shape, but the pics don't lie! Best thing I did since I started was to take progress pics every 4 weeks, same clothes, same lighting, same position. And learn to look at them with a non judge-mental eye, just from an anatomy perspective! (this took me a little longer!)
Ichel
EM2WL Ambassador and Moderator
And remember not to accidentally wash that set of clothing in hot water, only wearing for progress pics.
Nothing worse than putting on something that the last pic was starting to feel lose in and wondering why it's so tight now.2
