Need some advice/ideas on what to do differently
angelaypolite
Posts: 63 Member
Hello all,
I am trying to lose 50 pounds and it seems like the scale isn't moving. I do Orangetheory classes 3-4 days a week, since mid April. My bodyfat went down from 45% to 40%, but I notice in the last week, my bodyfat is creeping back up (it's at 41.6 today). According to my Fitbit, I burn an average of about 2600 calories a day, and my net calories I eat are about 1600 a day. I eat within my calories, but I do like to have my wine with dinner, I do save calories for that.
Since beginning (4/1/17), I've only lost 4 pounds. I also am hypothyroid and on medication.
Any ideas on what I should do differently?
I am trying to lose 50 pounds and it seems like the scale isn't moving. I do Orangetheory classes 3-4 days a week, since mid April. My bodyfat went down from 45% to 40%, but I notice in the last week, my bodyfat is creeping back up (it's at 41.6 today). According to my Fitbit, I burn an average of about 2600 calories a day, and my net calories I eat are about 1600 a day. I eat within my calories, but I do like to have my wine with dinner, I do save calories for that.
Since beginning (4/1/17), I've only lost 4 pounds. I also am hypothyroid and on medication.
Any ideas on what I should do differently?
1
Replies
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How are you measuring your body fat?
If you open your diary, you may get some more helpful advice.0 -
I use my Fitbit scale.0
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angelaypolite wrote: »I use my Fitbit scale.
They generally aren't considered to be very accurate.2 -
are you logging your weight in a trends app (happy scale or similar) - you could have a downward trend without it being as obvious1
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How are you measuring your calorie intake? Food scale, measuring cups/spoons, eyeballing?1
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deannalfisher wrote: »are you logging your weight in a trends app (happy scale or similar) - you could have a downward trend without it being as obvious
I never heard of that app.0 -
Sounds like you might be underestimating your calories in/out. Do not believe FitBit (it has a reputation for measuring high), go to an online calculator and find out your BMR, multiply it by 1.2 and that's your minimum per day, you could try 1.4 though since you're doing exercises weekly.
From there, you'll have to really pay attention to your food logging, perhaps get a kitchen scale. Make sure that MFP is giving you the right calorie information, many entries are not correct so until you get a real handle on which ones you most use are accurate and which aren't you'll want to check with a second source like googleing the nutritional information just as a check.3 -
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angelaypolite wrote: »
If you're able to, get a food scale and start weighing your food.3 -
angelaypolite wrote: »
If you're using measuring cups/spoons, you may want to consider switching to a scale. Many people find that they were eating way more than they thought they were once they begin weighing food.3 -
janejellyroll wrote: »angelaypolite wrote: »I use my Fitbit scale.
They generally aren't considered to be very accurate.
Well, I've heard that too. But we have a challenge at Orangetheory, and I had my bodyfat measured there too (with the device you hold in your hands), and it was very close to what my scale said.0 -
Can you please open your food diary?
It's in settings/diary settings, down at the bottom, change to "public"1 -
If you've only lost 4 pounds in almost 3 months, you're only creating a very small deficit. That could be because of inaccuracies in your tracking, or over-estimating your exercise calories, or crazy water retention (this is less likely, but I guess it would still be possible). Your task now is to figure out what is introducing the inaccuracies so you can make changes.2
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Logging daily things like walking or cleaning your house should not be logged as exercise or calories burned. Measure everything that goes in your mouth, including beverages, gum, bites/tastes of food.2
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If you've only lost 4 pounds in almost 3 months, you're only creating a very small deficit. That could be because of inaccuracies in your tracking, or over-estimating your exercise calories, or crazy water retention (this is less likely, but I guess it would still be possible). Your task now is to figure out what is introducing the inaccuracies so you can make changes.
I have a Fitbit (Blaze) synced on MFP, would that be over-estimating my calories burned? I also am hypothyroid.0 -
I had a similar problem and as soon as I started drinking more water, added more protein and exercise more. The weight has started losing again. I'm using Fitbit with my Aria too. I'm eating protein bars and drinking a lot of water at least 100 oz because my weight is 200 lbs. Good Luck!!2
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angelaypolite wrote: »If you've only lost 4 pounds in almost 3 months, you're only creating a very small deficit. That could be because of inaccuracies in your tracking, or over-estimating your exercise calories, or crazy water retention (this is less likely, but I guess it would still be possible). Your task now is to figure out what is introducing the inaccuracies so you can make changes.
I have a Fitbit (Blaze) synced on MFP, would that be over-estimating my calories burned?
Yes, absolutely. Any tracker or wearable tech will only give you an estimate. Your real-world results are telling you that you are only creating a very small deficit. Three months is a good amount of time -- if you said it had only been a few weeks, the better advice would be to wait and see -- so you should listen to the results you're seeing.2 -
All of the devices you mention (scale for body fat, the handheld devices for body fat, and the FitBit) have a margin of error. Measuring cups are also inaccurate for measuring foods. Something in your numbers isn't adding up. As mentioned already, you need to consider where the likely inaccuracies are, and adjust for those.1
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angelaypolite wrote: »If you've only lost 4 pounds in almost 3 months, you're only creating a very small deficit. That could be because of inaccuracies in your tracking, or over-estimating your exercise calories, or crazy water retention (this is less likely, but I guess it would still be possible). Your task now is to figure out what is introducing the inaccuracies so you can make changes.
I have a Fitbit (Blaze) synced on MFP, would that be over-estimating my calories burned?
Yes, absolutely. Any tracker or wearable tech will only give you an estimate. Your real-world results are telling you that you are only creating a very small deficit. Three months is a good amount of time -- if you said it had only been a few weeks, the better advice would be to wait and see -- so you should listen to the results you're seeing.
Maybe I'll start by not eating my exercise calories back and see if that makes a difference.
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angelaypolite wrote: »If you've only lost 4 pounds in almost 3 months, you're only creating a very small deficit. That could be because of inaccuracies in your tracking, or over-estimating your exercise calories, or crazy water retention (this is less likely, but I guess it would still be possible). Your task now is to figure out what is introducing the inaccuracies so you can make changes.
I have a Fitbit (Blaze) synced on MFP, would that be over-estimating my calories burned? I also am hypothyroid.
It's not hypothyroid. It's calorie deficit.
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krushal8880 wrote: »I had a similar problem and as soon as I started drinking more water, added more protein and exercise more. The weight has started losing again. I'm using Fitbit with my Aria too. I'm eating protein bars and drinking a lot of water at least 100 oz because my weight is 200 lbs. Good Luck!!
I was thinking that I might not be getting enough protein, I have it set to 40%, but it's very hard to do. I need to drink more water too!1 -
Of your 2600 calorie baseline, how much of that is related to exercise? You may be drastically overestimating the amount you're burning as a baseline or when working out.
For reference, I'm a 6'3" male, 210 pounds. According to some of the more conservative calorie calculators on the internet, my maintenance calories are just about 2350 before any adjustment for exercise, or a little more than 2500 per day assuming I work out to my average each week (30 minutes of light running or cardio intervals 5-6 times per week). Your baseline of 2600 seems really high.
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angelaypolite wrote: »krushal8880 wrote: »I had a similar problem and as soon as I started drinking more water, added more protein and exercise more. The weight has started losing again. I'm using Fitbit with my Aria too. I'm eating protein bars and drinking a lot of water at least 100 oz because my weight is 200 lbs. Good Luck!!
I was thinking that I might not be getting enough protein, I have it set to 40%, but it's very hard to do. I need to drink more water too!
You're on the right track with the protein, trying to keep it high like that is indeed very hard, but it definintely will help satiate you. It costs a few more calorie to digest too, but that's minor.
Any luck on making your diary public?
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Get your thyroid levels rechecked to make sure the amount of medicine you are taking is correct. I am also hypothyroid. Make sure you also get adequate sleep, at least 7 hours.0
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Track everything you put in your mouth, gum, diet soda, coffee, tea and any additives. Be honest, not tracking something because it seems inconsequential is only going to delay your results. The goals tool within MFP are pretty good. Your diary is for you to help you figure out what works and doesn't work for you. Don't share you diary with everyone, just people who will really be able to help you or with whom you really want to share. Don't let others judgement of your diary derail you. It is easy for people to say you shouldn't eat something, but you have to be the one to decide when removing something from your diet is right for you. I have been tracking since about January faithfully and I have lost 20 lbs. I am amazed at how my food choices have changed and even more amazing is how when I eat something I used to think I would never give up, I don't even like any more.
For example, I used to love chips, especially bbq and sour cream & onion type chips. I had a handful the other day and afterwards I was wishing I just eaten some strawberries.
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nicolelarocca9765 wrote: »Get your thyroid levels rechecked to make sure the amount of medicine you are taking is correct. I am also hypothyroid. Make sure you also get adequate sleep, at least 7 hours.
Yes! I have an appointment tomorrow morning. I feel sometimes that I'm not where I should be medication-wise.0 -
If your thyroid is well controlled it shouldn't make a dramatic difference. Macro splits don't make a difference. Water doesn't make a difference (beyond water retention).
As said, there's something wrong with the numbers somewhere. After three months I'd be investing in a food scale to properly get some accurate numbers and start adjusting from there.
Some people get inflated numbers from Fitbit, some underestimated and then everything in between. It's especially hard to measure something like Orangetheory. I know I can eat all of my adjustments from my Garmin regardless or workout but that's because I have always made sure my intake tracking is accurate to be able to assess that over time.3 -
ElizabethBorden wrote: »Track everything you put in your mouth, gum, diet soda, coffee, tea and any additives. Be honest, not tracking something because it seems inconsequential is only going to delay your results. The goals tool within MFP are pretty good. Your diary is for you to help you figure out what works and doesn't work for you. Don't share you diary with everyone, just people who will really be able to help you or with whom you really want to share. Don't let others judgement of your diary derail you. It is easy for people to say you shouldn't eat something, but you have to be the one to decide when removing something from your diet is right for you. I have been tracking since about January faithfully and I have lost 20 lbs. I am amazed at how my food choices have changed and even more amazing is how when I eat something I used to think I would never give up, I don't even like any more.
For example, I used to love chips, especially bbq and sour cream & onion type chips. I had a handful the other day and afterwards I was wishing I just eaten some strawberries.
Thank you for your input (I don't plan on opening my dairy)
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Do you have PCOS or any other hormonal issues that you know of?
It took a long time to get my levels right and there are certain times that i feel like they still aren't right.
With hoshimoto's it can go up and down. I'd talk with your dr about it and if they can't really help try to find an endocrinologist in your area if possible.
For sure, de stressing is top priority. Try some yoga0
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