Not seeing expected results

shuggaloaf

I'm a 36 year old male, 6'5" height and 240 lbs. I've been on a diet for about 6 weeks and have only lost about 5 lbs. I know some would say that's an ok amount but here's my concern. I have a light to sedentary activity level and I've been eating on average about 1500-1700 cals per day. All healthy, fresh, non-processed foods. I would expect to be losing about 2.5-3 lbs per week. Last year i dieted the same and was losing about twice that weight per week pretty quicky (maybe too fast).

Why am I not seeing these results? Could my metabolism just be very low? How would i raise it? I know more exercise would help but what I'm seeing is that for my age/height/weight/activity level I have a deficit of at least 1000 cals per day and should be losing more weight. Any ideas?


Edit: as I said in the first paragraph I know some of you will say this is a fine amount or "that expectations are too high". That's not what I'm asking. What I'm saying is that EVERY calculator I'm using is saying that at the calorie level I'm taking in I SHOULD be losing more. So I'm not asking if anyone thinks I'm expecting too much or for opinions like that. I'm asking why my results are not meshing with what I'm finding by using calculators based on my age/height/weight/activity level.


I do plan on starting to increase working out (cardio as well as lifting) but I was hoping to cut about 15-20 lbs first by dieting and then begin working out. I know if I start now it would help accelerate things. I'm just unsure why I'm getting lesser results than I was before when I'm basically doing the same things I was before.

AlongCame_Molly

You are not seeing expected results because your expectations are set unrealistically high. 1-2 pounds a week is optimal. It's not safe or sustainable to lose much faster than that.

Adjust your expectations.

usmcmp

Your expectations are too high.

If you're worried about your metabolism being slow start lifting. Building muscle is the best way to boost metabolism.

CooperSprings

You are not seeing expected results because your expectations are set unrealistically high. 1-2 pounds a week is optimal. It's not safe or sustainable to lose much faster than that.

Adjust your expectations.

I agree with that, especially because of your body height. I don't know about others, but I can eat less all I want but if I'm not exercising a lot then I lose nothing. Perhaps this is your issue?

cwolfman13

Dude...you should eat more. I'm 5'10" and 180. I lose about 1 Lb per week grossing about 2,150 calories per day. A 2 Lb per week deficit is likely too large for you. Also, start lifting weights and make sure you're getting enough protein to protect your LBM (thus protecting your metabolism and looking better in the process).

Also, this whole thing isn't linear. Most likely the quick weight you lost before was mostly water...especially if you were doing any kind of low carb type of diet. The vast majority of the early weight loss on most of those programmed diets are water.

shuggaloaf

Thanks Cwolfman for your response. I wasn't on any low-carb or odd-ball diets. I just lowered my caloric intake and cut out all junk foods, sodas, etc. I guess I shouldn't have said "quick weight" what I meant was I lost about 35 pounds (I doubt that was all water) in about 2 months. Or about 5 lbs per week. I was eating the same type of food I am now and was at the same activity level.

I do plan on starting to increase working out (cardio as well as lifting) but I was hoping to cut about 15-20 lbs first by dieting and then begin working out. I know if I start now it would help accelerate things. I'm just unsure why I'm getting lesser results than I was before when I'm basically doing the same things I was before.

Again thanks for your constructive advice. Btw I am getting about 30% protein per day (50% carbs / 20% fat)




Others please see my edit in the first post.




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shuggaloaf

I agree with that, especially because of your body height. I don't know about others, but I can eat less all I want but if I'm not exercising a lot then I lose nothing. Perhaps this is your issue?

I'm not sure what you mean with "body height", I'm 6 foot 5 inches. If anything at my height and weight I'd expect a more than average weight loss. 5 lbs for me is like 2 for most I don't mind going with the slower loss I'm just wondering why the exact diet a year ago produced more weight loss. I do plan on starting to exercise (cardio/lifting) I was just looking to shed a few pounds 1st.

shuggaloaf

You are not seeing expected results because your expectations are set unrealistically high. 1-2 pounds a week is optimal. It's not safe or sustainable to lose much faster than that.

Adjust your expectations.

1-2 lbs is acceptable but 2.5-3 is too high? That makes no sense. I'm 6 foot 5 inches at my height and weight an extra 0.5-1 lb a week is not a "high expectation" 1-2 lbs a week is an accepted guideline for sure but not everyone is the same height and weight. By your logic 2000 cals a day is the recommended American allowance so everyone should eat that regardless of height/weight? We all know that's not true.

Besides your missing the point of try post. Please re-read if you feel the need to post again.

born2drum

I'm a 36 year old male, 6'5" height and 240 lbs. I've been on a diet for about 6 weeks and have only lost about 5 lbs. I know some would say that's an ok amount but here's my concern. I have a light to sedentary activity level and I've been eating on average about 1500-1700 cals per day. All healthy, fresh, non-processed foods. I would expect to be losing about 2.5-3 lbs per week. Last year i dieted the same and was losing about twice that weight per week pretty quicky (maybe too fast).

Why am I not seeing these results? Could my metabolism just be very low? How would i raise it? I know more exercise would help but what I'm seeing is that for my age/height/weight/activity level I have a deficit of at least 1000 cals per day and should be losing more weight. Any ideas?


Edit: as I said in the first paragraph I know some of you will say this is a fine amount or "that expectations are too high". That's not what I'm asking. What I'm saying is that EVERY calculator I'm using is saying that at the calorie level I'm taking in I SHOULD be losing more. So I'm not asking if anyone thinks I'm expecting too much or for opinions like that. I'm asking why my results are not meshing with what I'm finding by using calculators based on my age/height/weight/activity level.

Dude why are you eating to little? Start working out because I did not see anything about working out. Someone your height should be lifting and doing cardio and eating around 2200 kcals at least.

N17com

I would advise you to buy a food scales, maybe your not measuring your portions properly. I know this was my problem when i first started dieting. Hope this helps.

shuggaloaf

Dude why are you eating to little? Start working out because I did not see anything about working out. Someone your height should be lifting and doing cardio and eating around 2200 kcals at least.

I do plan on starting to increase working out (cardio as well as lifting) but I was hoping to cut about 15-20 lbs first by dieting and then begin working out. I know if I start now it would help accelerate things. I'm just unsure why I'm getting lesser results than I was before when I'm basically doing the same things I was before. (also wasn't exercising before)

usmcmp

I calculate (based on height, weight, age and a sedentary lifestyle) that your BMR (probably the lowest you should eat) is 2130. Your Total Daily Energy Expenditure is roughly 2550. You aren't eating enough.

At least raise it to 2000 calories, eat protein, work on strength training.

You said you did it before, so there's a chance you burned up some lean mass which would slow your metabolism. I also calculated that you are roughly only 30 pounds overweight for your height. While you may like to get lower than just hitting the healthy weight it becomes important to improve overall fitness to achieve those goals.

usmcmp

Dude why are you eating to little? Start working out because I did not see anything about working out. Someone your height should be lifting and doing cardio and eating around 2200 kcals at least.

I do plan on starting to increase working out (cardio as well as lifting) but I was hoping to cut about 15-20 lbs first by dieting and then begin working out. I know if I start now it would help accelerate things. I'm just unsure why I'm getting lesser results than I was before when I'm basically doing the same things I was before. (also wasn't exercising before)

Why wait? The reason you aren't getting the same results is the yo-yo effect. Burning up muscle with severe restriction causing you to need to restrict further the next time.

shuggaloaf

I would advise you to buy a food scales, maybe your not measuring your portions properly. I know this was my problem when i first started dieting. Hope this helps.

I do have one and use it religiously, my wife thinks I'm a little nuts with how much I weigh and measure things. (along with tracking with the myfitnesspal app).

shuggaloaf

I calculate (based on height, weight, age and a sedentary lifestyle) that your BMR (probably the lowest you should eat) is 2130. Your Total Daily Energy Expenditure is roughly 2550. You aren't eating enough.

At least raise it to 2000 calories, eat protein, work on strength training.

You said you did it before, so there's a chance you burned up some lean mass which would slow your metabolism. I also calculated that you are roughly only 30 pounds overweight for your height. While you may like to get lower than just hitting the healthy weight it becomes important to improve overall fitness to achieve those goals.

Where are you getting this? Myfitnesspal's own calculator shows I should be eating about 2600 cals per day to MAINTAIN weight. At 1900 cals per day it projects that I will lose about 1.5 lbs per week. Which is even in your acceptable limit. I do aim for 1900 now (down from 2000 as of yesterday). But I'm eating a lot more vegetables and I find that most days I'm full around 1700 cals at most. Are you saying that even though I'm full I should force myself to eat a few hundred more calories?

My ratios are 50% carbs / 30% protein / 20% fat

usmcmp

I calculate (based on height, weight, age and a sedentary lifestyle) that your BMR (probably the lowest you should eat) is 2130. Your Total Daily Energy Expenditure is roughly 2550. You aren't eating enough.

At least raise it to 2000 calories, eat protein, work on strength training.

You said you did it before, so there's a chance you burned up some lean mass which would slow your metabolism. I also calculated that you are roughly only 30 pounds overweight for your height. While you may like to get lower than just hitting the healthy weight it becomes important to improve overall fitness to achieve those goals.

Where are you getting this? Myfitnesspal's own calculator shows I should be eating about 2600 cals per day to MAINTAIN weight. At 1900 cals per day it projects that I will lose about 1.5 lbs per week. Which is even in your acceptable limit. I do aim for 1900 now (down from 2000 as of yesterday). But I'm eating a lot more vegetables and I find that most days I'm full around 1700 cals at most. Are you saying that even though I'm full I should force myself to eat a few hundred more calories?

My ratios are 50% carbs / 30% protein / 20% fat

www.1percentedge.com/ifcalc/

I am saying if you are full you should make sure you are feeding your body so it doesn't resort to using muscle as fuel....like it did last time you under-ate. I'm female, 5'9", 152 pounds and I lose a pound a week eating 1600 calories six days a week and 2000 calories one day a week. I have a desk job, but I workout for 45 minutes 6 days a week (all strength training).

usmcmp

Where are you getting this? Myfitnesspal's own calculator shows I should be eating about 2600 cals per day to MAINTAIN weight. At 1900 cals per day it projects that I will lose about 1.5 lbs per week. Which is even in your acceptable limit. I do aim for 1900 now (down from 2000 as of yesterday). But I'm eating a lot more vegetables and I find that most days I'm full around 1700 cals at most. Are you saying that even though I'm full I should force myself to eat a few hundred more calories?

My ratios are 50% carbs / 30% protein / 20% fat

Many of us who are successful use the TDEE (the number you maintain at) minus 20% method. If you maintain at 2600 and I was your trainer I would set your calorie goal at 2080 with macros at a 40/40/20 split. I'd also put you on a program with strength training plus a little cardio.

shuggaloaf

Where are you getting this? Myfitnesspal's own calculator shows I should be eating about 2600 cals per day to MAINTAIN weight. At 1900 cals per day it projects that I will lose about 1.5 lbs per week. Which is even in your acceptable limit. I do aim for 1900 now (down from 2000 as of yesterday). But I'm eating a lot more vegetables and I find that most days I'm full around 1700 cals at most. Are you saying that even though I'm full I should force myself to eat a few hundred more calories?

My ratios are 50% carbs / 30% protein / 20% fat

Many of us who are successful use the TDEE (the number you maintain at) minus 20% method. If you maintain at 2600 and I was your trainer I would set your calorie goal at 2080 with macros at a 40/40/20 split. I'd also put you on a program with strength training plus a little cardio.

Is that 40 carb / 40 pro / 20 fat I'm assuming? I did plan on raising my calories when I start lifting. I was just hoping to cut some fat before I started. Just makes the exercising a bit easier to stick with, for me at least, if I've already dropped some weight. Guess I'll go ahead and get started now.

usmcmp

Is that 40 carb / 40 pro / 20 fat I'm assuming? I did plan on raising my calories when I start lifting. I was just hoping to cut some fat before I started. Just makes the exercising a bit easier to stick with, for me at least, if I've already dropped some weight. Guess I'll go ahead and get started now.

Yes, 40% carb/ 40% protein/ 20% fat. It may not be the perfect ratio for you, but it's a great starting point.

It might take a little extra effort to workout with extra weight, but it's only going to improve your progress. I started interval running at 217 pounds, but saw the most progress when I started lifting at 185 pounds.

deksgrl

Dude, I'm a 5'6", 50 year old female, and I lose weight on 1800 cals a day.

For god's sake why does everybody want to freaking starve themselves???????

shuggaloaf

Dude, I'm a 5'6", 50 year old female, and I lose weight on 1800 cals a day.

For god's sake why does everybody want to freaking starve themselves???????

Who's starving themselves?

I eat a lot of fruits and veggies which are low calorie and fill me up. Besides that, even being a larger guy I've never really had a huge appetite. So if I make healthy food choices and I'm full at 1700 cals I'm not going to eat something just to have a higher daily cal intake. Your metabolism may be different than mine. There could be other factors.

Here's a challenge for you. Eat 4 oz. of lettuce with a salad (which is freaking huge, ~4 cups) and tell me your not full. And that's only like 30 cals (not counting toppings). And NO that's not all I'm eating.

Yesterday I had for breakfast I had eggs, bacon, toast & jam, cottage cheese.
For lunch I had 2 cups minestrone, and 2 rolls
Snack I had a peach
Dinner I had a HUGE taco salad (filling to the point I struggled finishing it)
I had 24 oz soda
I had an eclair bar for dessert.

This was a pretty indulgent day for me (with the dinner, soda and ice cream) and yet that was ony 1775 cals. Ratios we're 50/25/25

So I think that's an ignorant comment to make to just assume that someone is starving theirselves.

msparks1957

I feel your frustration! Been working on this religiously for 6 mos. Started out loosing a little a week and as of late although I feel so much better and I am at the gym a minimum of 4 days a week doing cardio and weights, I have not lost pounds in weeks. I am 56 and know that my metabolism is wacky but it can be hard to continue with little or no results.

LorinaLynn

Last year i dieted the same and was losing about twice that weight per week pretty quicky (maybe too fast).

And that might be part of the problem. Each time you yo-yo, it gets harder and harder. What "worked" last time really didn't work or you wouldn't have gained it back.

retirehappy

I do have one and use it religiously, my wife thinks I'm a little nuts with how much I weigh and measure things. (along with tracking with the myfitnesspal app).

Open your diary so others can see what you are eating. Maybe then comments will be more relevant to your situations?

shuggaloaf

Last year i dieted the same and was losing about twice that weight per week pretty quicky (maybe too fast).

And that might be part of the problem. Each time you yo-yo, it gets harder and harder. What "worked" last time really didn't work or you wouldn't have gained it back.

Well I'd like to blame that but in reality I stopped eating healthy and starting eating crap food again and way too much of it at that. I also had a bit of a soda addiction (which I've pretty much kicked) and was drinking waaaay too much everyday. Prob half the cals I should've been taking in daily were coming from soda on top of all the junk, processed foods and too big portions. This time I've decided that I'm not dieting but changing the way I eat from here out. Once I hit my target weight I'll adjust my cals and have an occasional cheat day. Now that I've learned a lot more about healthy food choices and how bad all the processed crap is I wont be going back.

retirehappy

Yesterday I had for breakfast I had eggs, bacon, toast & jam, cottage cheese.
For lunch I had 2 cups minestrone, and 2 rolls
Snack I had a peach
Dinner I had a HUGE taco salad (filling to the point I struggled finishing it)
I had 24 oz soda
I had an eclair bar for dessert.

This was a pretty indulgent day for me (with the dinner, soda and ice cream) and yet that was ony 1775 cals. Ratios we're 50/25/25

Several of those items, bacon, cottage cheese, minestrone and soda probably have a lot of sodium. Was it sugar filled soda or diet soda? I can't lose drinking diet drinks, I've proved it to myself time and time again but I give into the siren song.

And I too have lost a lot of weight doing an eating plan only to have it fail me the next time I needed it because I have not mastered the art and science of maintaince. Welcome to the yo-yoers world
Are you tracking anything besides your protein, carbs, & fats? And according to my diary that eclair would blow away a lot of my cals for the day.

deksgrl

So I think that's an ignorant comment to make to just assume that someone is starving theirselves.

To assume I am also not eating healthy most of the time is also ignorant.

Iron_Feline

Dude, I'm a 5'6", 50 year old female, and I lose weight on 1800 cals a day.

For god's sake why does everybody want to freaking starve themselves???????

Who's starving themselves?

I eat a lot of fruits and veggies which are low calorie and fill me up. Besides that, even being a larger guy I've never really had a huge appetite. So if I make healthy food choices and I'm full at 1700 cals I'm not going to eat something just to have a higher daily cal intake. Your metabolism may be different than mine. There could be other factors.

Here's a challenge for you. Eat 4 oz. of lettuce with a salad (which is freaking huge, ~4 cups) and tell me your not full. And that's only like 30 cals (not counting toppings). And NO that's not all I'm eating.

Yesterday I had for breakfast I had eggs, bacon, toast & jam, cottage cheese.
For lunch I had 2 cups minestrone, and 2 rolls
Snack I had a peach
Dinner I had a HUGE taco salad (filling to the point I struggled finishing it)
I had 24 oz soda
I had an eclair bar for dessert.

This was a pretty indulgent day for me (with the dinner, soda and ice cream) and yet that was ony 1775 cals. Ratios we're 50/25/25

So I think that's an ignorant comment to make to just assume that someone is starving theirselves.

Just because you are full doesn't mean you are giving your body enough energy. I could just eat 1000 cals a day of salad with protein and be full but I'd still be starving my body.

You totally missed the point of the original comment.

BTW I'm 5'2 and lose on 1600 a day.

salladeve

I feel your frustration! Been working on this religiously for 6 mos. Started out loosing a little a week and as of late although I feel so much better and I am at the gym a minimum of 4 days a week doing cardio and weights, I have not lost pounds in weeks. I am 56 and know that my metabolism is wacky but it can be hard to continue with little or no results.

I am experiencing this same thing. I'm eating at exactly my macros, cardo 4/5 times per week, and the weight loss just stops. It is really frustrating when you are doing everything you should and don't see results.

I sure don't have any advice, I'm just trying to hang on and not give up. I do understand the frustration, I'm there with you.

usmcmp

Last year i dieted the same and was losing about twice that weight per week pretty quicky (maybe too fast).

And that might be part of the problem. Each time you yo-yo, it gets harder and harder. What "worked" last time really didn't work or you wouldn't have gained it back.

Part of what she was trying to say is that last time you lost weight, not fat. There's a difference. You lost lean mass as well as fat because your body turned to muscle for fuel since you didn't give it enough calories. Now your metabolism is slower and your dramatic calorie cutting isn't going to work as good because you aren't burning as much as you used to.

You are going to do one of two things this time:
1. You keep slashing calories until your body burns up more weight (fat and muscle) then go back to eating junk and gain it quicker. You'll come back and try all that again. Yo-yo dieting.
2. You'll realize that maybe some of us are onto something and you'll increase calories, start lifting and you'll actually lose mostly fat. You'll keep doing that and see changes. Sustained weight loss.