My numbers don't add up

jamiesmartypants

I'm wondering if anyone can help me out here.
I'm 46yo male, 5'10", 270#.
Based on my stats, the MFP app semms to be recommending more calories than I am able to consume in a day without resorting to foods that would be considered bad for me (in which case, I'd typically go over the recommended limit!).
I believe it recommends somewhere around 3200 calories a day for me, though I lowered it to 2800 max. But even that seems high. I budget my calorie intake for 1800 calories a day, and eating actual healthy foods, it is still more than enough for me in the course of a day.
The problem with the numbers adding up seems to even extend to my macros. To balance the right amount of nutrients through the day, going over 1800 calories seems to throw off the balance of my macros.
And I don't seem to be losing any weight. I'm not "entirely" surprised because as busy as my job keeps me, my step goals are usually met just with work, and I seldom have time to go over that.
My diet largely consists of either lowfar cottage cheese, fruit, and whole grain toast in the AM, or cereal and fruit, or a breakfast smoothie with probiotics.
Lunches are generally a salad with some protein, or a home made soup and some steamed vegetables.
Dinner is mostly steamed veggies, usually a whole bag of spinach steamed with about 6oz of grilled chicken, sometimes with whole wheat penne if I am running a little short on carbs.
Even with larger portions of protein, and enormous portions of veggies, unless I add some butter or salad dressing, I seem to fall short of calories.
Anyone have any advise on what I should do here. I always believed in "staying the course" when it came to health advise on weight loss, but a healthy diet doesn't seem to be helping me much, unless I'm looking at this wrong.
For the record, my primary adjustments to my diet have been no soda, no fast or fried food, and no cheese except sparing amounts of goat cheese, cotija, and Parmesan.
I eat a lot of chicken and turkey, usually around 8oz portions. I feel like that should be less, but I won't meet my protein or calorie goals unless I up my portion sizes.
Same thing with butter and salad dressings. I AM able to cook without butter, oils, or dressings, but even with eating 2# of veggies a day, without them I fall way short of calories, even though my fat intake might be higher than it should be.
I spend my whole day on my feet. Becaus of this, I frequently talk myself out of the gym after work, and I am a night owl, so getting up early for the gym basically isn't going to happen.
The last time I lost a significant amount of weight and kept it off was about 12 years ago. My diet was essentially 2 bags of spinach, with steamed or grilled chicken, and two bowls of special K cereal with skim milk. I dropped 45# in about 2 months, through 2 hours of cardio and some weight training and swimming, 4-6 days a week.

size102b

Why do you class any food as bad ? No foods are bad in moderation yes we should eat healthy as its better for us but you lose weight eating any foods as long as you keep in your amount to lose weight
Not eating foods you like in moderation will lead to falling off plan and yoyoing
Life's too short for foods that make you feel bored stressed and fed up with
I don't watch my macros I lost 71lbs in 11 months I'm just mindful of what I eat and have treats

Silentpadna

Just plugging your numbers into one of many TDEE calculators, I would find you with 2533 calories/day at maintenance just for sedentary. BMR = 2111 (which you should not eat less than).

For comparison, I'm 54, 5'11", started at 240 - my BMR is 1951, which is where MFP starts me. Since I am not in a coma, my actual TDEE is closer to 3100 calories/day (based on between moderate and heavy exercise). This is where my Fitbit estimates as well. I exercise 6 times per week of 1hour + and get plenty of steps at work. So, for me to lose 2 lbs/wk target, I've generally eaten between 1980 and 2100. I should probably eat more.

Like you, I try to eat healthy foods with a protein goal of about 160g. However, I let the fat and carbs come out to what they may. Also, like you, if I am "strict", I have a hard time eating enough in a day. My weight loss has averaged 2.05 lbs/week since I started carefully logging and measuring.

As long as your calories out > calories in, you should lose weight. They biggest thing for me is just controlling what's going in. BTW, I use butters, oils, eat some cookies and stuff. Mostly in moderation, but I am not super strict about that stuff. My body is doing just what it's supposed to for now. My vice was sugared soda (Coca-Cola) - upwards of 5-7 cans per day. I've mostly given those up. Down to 1-2 cans per week, they'll be gone soon.

Silentpadna

Would also add that you don't need to go to the gym to lose weight. That, of course, will benefit you in other ways. I work out because I want to be able to do active things again, but I know I would lose weight more from food choices (I don't call them limits because I can eat a LOT of food) than from workouts.

StealthHealth

Silentpadna wrote: »

Just plugging your numbers into one of many TDEE calculators, I would find you with 2533 calories/day at maintenance just for sedentary.

^^My calcs agree with this.

OP - based on maintain cals - you should be looking at taking in about 1500 cals per day for 2lb per week loss. If you do any gym/cardio/exercise, log those cals and eat back half.

Also as @size102b states, your categorisation of some foods being "good" and others "bad" is part of your problem.

Whilst, I'd agree that there are good/bad diets I don't agree that there are foods which are good/bad - this means that, as long as I get my cals and macros right for the day/week, I can indulge in foods that others may deem "bad" and still maintain my weight and good health.

Think about this - a diet made up exclusively of chicken breast, spinach and Special K cereal (both of which I assume you classify as "good" foods: Is that a good or bad diet? It's certainly missing a whole heap of fat (essential for good health) and probably many micro nutrients.