It’s all about calorie deficit, got it! But....
ellie7187
Posts: 83 Member
I’m sure you’ve all seen countless threads like this before but, please, hear me out.
I’ve been religiously logging for 6 weeks now and haven’t seen a (lasting) change on the scale. Side note: the majority of my weight loss indicated in my profile was from years ago (I’ve been stuck at this weight for some time now, which is why I decided to really commit to logging, measuring food, exercising, etc, now).
I have about 15 pounds to lose until I’m finally in the “healthy” weight range. I was eating 1200-1300 calories a day (logging everything, promise!), exercising moderately 4-5 times a week but not eating calories back, and I can not have a lasting weight loss. What I mean by that is if I saw a 1.5 pound weight loss one week, I’d gain by 2 pounds the next week. Etc. Also had my basic blood work checked (unrelated to weight loss) and all came back within normal range.
Thoughts? I have a feeling I’ll get a lot of “give it more time” posts but after 6 consistent weeks I would hope to see at least *some* results.
I’ve been religiously logging for 6 weeks now and haven’t seen a (lasting) change on the scale. Side note: the majority of my weight loss indicated in my profile was from years ago (I’ve been stuck at this weight for some time now, which is why I decided to really commit to logging, measuring food, exercising, etc, now).
I have about 15 pounds to lose until I’m finally in the “healthy” weight range. I was eating 1200-1300 calories a day (logging everything, promise!), exercising moderately 4-5 times a week but not eating calories back, and I can not have a lasting weight loss. What I mean by that is if I saw a 1.5 pound weight loss one week, I’d gain by 2 pounds the next week. Etc. Also had my basic blood work checked (unrelated to weight loss) and all came back within normal range.
Thoughts? I have a feeling I’ll get a lot of “give it more time” posts but after 6 consistent weeks I would hope to see at least *some* results.
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Replies
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1. Tighten up your logging
2. Open your food journal so people can see what you're doing that's holding you back9 -
Start using a food scale, for everything except liquids, and using accurate entries.
Most people go through a learning curve when starting, and often need to review or tighten their logging periodically as they continue.
Cheers, h.11 -
What do you do at the gym, and what is your calorie burn?6
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I currently use a scale and I measure out all liquids as well, for meals that I plan. I use a meal service (they send you the recipe and all ingredients pre-portioned to prep and you cook the meal) and I’ve wondered if maybe their calorie labels for the meals are wayyyyy off.
At the gym I do group exercise classes - 3 times a week the weight training class, 2 times a week cardio, and occasionally a yoga class as well if I have time. I log these calories (via MFP pre-set logging) but I know it’s inaccurate so I don’t eat them back on the majority of days.
I do go off the rails by a couple hundred calories here and there, but I always make sure to log it. And then I’m still under my weekly calorie goal.
I think what I’m mostly (prematurely) worried about is when I do finally hit my goal weight...will I have to eat as if I’m trying to lose weight just to maintain given that I’m at a significant deficit now and basically maintaining.1 -
If you put your numbers into a weight trending app, is the trend up, down or maintaining?5
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TavistockToad wrote: »If you put your numbers into a weight trending app, is the trend up, down or maintaining?
I use “happy scale” for almost daily weight tracking (I was curious about seeing trends) and it shows right now a trend of “0.18 pounds per week weight loss”. So I guess I’m losing...but my CICO indicates it should be at a much greater rate.
ETA: I just noticed it also shows a trend of “0.4 gain over last 7 days”.0 -
TavistockToad wrote: »If you put your numbers into a weight trending app, is the trend up, down or maintaining?
I use “happy scale” for almost daily weight tracking (I was curious about seeing trends) and it shows right now a trend of “0.18 pounds per week weight loss”. So I guess I’m losing...but my CICO indicates it should be at a much greater rate.
Then something is potentially off. Have you only been dieting for the last 6 weeks?1 -
I currently use a scale and I measure out all liquids as well, for meals that I plan. I use a meal service (they send you the recipe and all ingredients pre-portioned to prep and you cook the meal) and I’ve wondered if maybe their calorie labels for the meals are wayyyyy off.
At the gym I do group exercise classes - 3 times a week the weight training class, 2 times a week cardio, and occasionally a yoga class as well if I have time. I log these calories (via MFP pre-set logging) but I know it’s inaccurate so I don’t eat them back on the majority of days.
I do go off the rails by a couple hundred calories here and there, but I always make sure to log it. And then I’m still under my weekly calorie goal.
I think what I’m mostly (prematurely) worried about is when I do finally hit my goal weight...will I have to eat as if I’m trying to lose weight just to maintain given that I’m at a significant deficit now and basically maintaining.
Something is not quite right.....if you are at - and using your words - a significant deficit and you are maintaining your weight then you are not at a significant caloric deficit - all things being equal.
And, not being argumentative with you. I would suggest - and you likely do not want to hear this - that there is potentially something that you are missing with your measurements. I know that when I first started doing this some two years ago I went through no fewer than three "check and double check what I am doing....oh, I missed this" periods. Just about all of us experience that (maybe not three times....but once or twice for sure).
What I ended up doing was going old school and literally writing everything down with pen and paper for a full week. And, no - I am indeed 51 but..... - I work in IT (and have for 21 years) and am not technologically-challenged. It usually ends up being the "little thing" that is throwing you off. For me, it was the almond butter or the cashew butter or the sunflower seeds. I was eating more than I thought (even though I was measuring them) and with 190 calories per serving if you are off it is a bigger issue than one might initially think. Talk about calorie-dense foods (which was the point for me....but a simple error on my part led to about 400 calories a day more consumption than I thought).
Not saying that you are measuring incorrectly......but if you are in a significant caloric deficit and the scale is staying put....all things being equal, there is something not quite right going on.19 -
I currently use a scale and I measure out all liquids as well, for meals that I plan. I use a meal service (they send you the recipe and all ingredients pre-portioned to prep and you cook the meal) and I’ve wondered if maybe their calorie labels for the meals are wayyyyy off.
At the gym I do group exercise classes - 3 times a week the weight training class, 2 times a week cardio, and occasionally a yoga class as well if I have time. I log these calories (via MFP pre-set logging) but I know it’s inaccurate so I don’t eat them back on the majority of days.
I do go off the rails by a couple hundred calories here and there, but I always make sure to log it. And then I’m still under my weekly calorie goal.
I think what I’m mostly (prematurely) worried about is when I do finally hit my goal weight...will I have to eat as if I’m trying to lose weight just to maintain given that I’m at a significant deficit now and basically maintaining.
You might try logging some of the meal service recipes in the recipe builder here if you're worried they're off.14 -
I’m going to try logging the meal service meals individually next week because it’s the only things I currently do not measure out before logging (I measure out the oil, etc, that it tells me to add but I also wonder if their calorie calculations takes those “small things” into account). In my mind it HAS TO be this because, as everyone has said, from a CICO standpoint nothing else makes sense. Hence my frustrations lately.
I’ll also keep going with it because 6 weeks isn’t that long of a sample period. Logically, to me at least, I should see some weight loss (that actually stays off) given how meticulous I’ve been these past 6 weeks.
I was “trying to lose weight” previously by just eyeballing and “making better food choices” but I’ve only been truly logging properly for 6 weeks. So I only count it as 6 weeks of dieting.8 -
Take a close look at portions. I've never used a meal service but I expect that their portion sizes are much larger than what I would choose to stay within my goal. If anything is pre-mixed, that's going to be like restauranting. A wlid guess.6
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I’m going to try logging the meal service meals individually next week because it’s the only things I currently do not measure out before logging (I measure out the oil, etc, that it tells me to add but I also wonder if their calorie calculations takes those “small things” into account). In my mind it HAS TO be this because, as everyone has said, from a CICO standpoint nothing else makes sense. Hence my frustrations lately.
I’ll also keep going with it because 6 weeks isn’t that long of a sample period. Logically, to me at least, I should see some weight loss (that actually stays off) given how meticulous I’ve been these past 6 weeks.
I was “trying to lose weight” previously by just eyeballing and “making better food choices” but I’ve only been truly logging properly for 6 weeks. So I only count it as 6 weeks of dieting.
Don't measure the oil. Weigh the oil. Weigh all the very calorie dense things (nut butter, etc.).
One needn't be off by much with these calorie-dense foods for it to add up. And they're easy to weigh: Put the jar/bottle on the scale, zero it, remove your portion, read the negative.
lTavistockToad wrote: »If you put your numbers into a weight trending app, is the trend up, down or maintaining?
I use “happy scale” for almost daily weight tracking (I was curious about seeing trends) and it shows right now a trend of “0.18 pounds per week weight loss”. So I guess I’m losing...but my CICO indicates it should be at a much greater rate.
ETA: I just noticed it also shows a trend of “0.4 gain over last 7 days”.
I agree that at your size, you should be losing weight if your intake logging is accurate, or close.
That said, I'm reading something into the bolded that I want to comment on: It seems to be implying the idea that the calorie "calculators", like the one built into MFP, are accurate. But they don't calculate, they estimate. They spit out the average calorie needs for someone of your characteristics, based on formulas that are themselves based on large-group population studies. We aren't all average. Most people are close to average (small standard deviation) but there is variation. The estimate can be misleading. Your own results are the gold standard, after pinning down logging as tightly as you can.
Shifting topics a bit, one thing that can make a difference is NEAT (non-exercise activity thermogenesis), how much we move in daily life. Generalizing, very placid, calm people burn fewer calories than very fidgety, lively people. Research has show that fidgeting can burn up to a few hundred calories per day, in extreme cases. While I'm not suggesting that you become deliberately twitchy, it's worth thinking about whether there are ways you can introduce more non-exercise movement into your days, and maintain a happy life balance at the same time. Maybe there aren't, but it's worth a thought.
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10610953/neat-improvement-strategies-to-improve-weight-loss/
Best wishes!10 -
I’m going to try logging the meal service meals individually next week because it’s the only things I currently do not measure out before logging (I measure out the oil, etc, that it tells me to add but I also wonder if their calorie calculations takes those “small things” into account). In my mind it HAS TO be this because, as everyone has said, from a CICO standpoint nothing else makes sense. Hence my frustrations lately.
I’ll also keep going with it because 6 weeks isn’t that long of a sample period. Logically, to me at least, I should see some weight loss (that actually stays off) given how meticulous I’ve been these past 6 weeks.
I was “trying to lose weight” previously by just eyeballing and “making better food choices” but I’ve only been truly logging properly for 6 weeks. So I only count it as 6 weeks of dieting.
This makes me wonder if maybe their calorie counts don't include the items you need to add to complete the recipe and things like oil are very calorie dense so if you do multiple meals a week this way you could be missing out on a significant amount of calories.
Could you call the service and ask them if their calorie counts include those things? And I'd ask to speak to someone higher up in the company and not necessarily take the word of the person who answers the phone who likely doesn't really know.
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I also use a meal kit service and I still weigh out every ingredient I use to make my meals. I would HIGHLY recommend that you do the same! My self generated nutrition info for nearly every meal varies greatly from what is on the provided nutrition card.
A real meal kit game changer for me was when I stopped following their portions. I can usually divvy up my meal kit meals into 3 portions instead of the intended 2. I sometimes plan ahead and add extra veggies for a low cal way to bulk up the smaller portions, or I’ll add meat to a vegetarian meal and divide it in thirds. I keep a small notepad and pencil by my scale so that I can jot down the weight of all my ingredients as I cook, and then I add them to the MFP recipe builder once I’m done to see if I need to make 2 or 3 portions before I dig in.
Definitely weigh your olive oil to see how much you’re using. Just because a recipe says to use X tsp of it here or there, it doesn’t mean that much is necessary. Just use a little and your food will cook the same. My meal kit recipes frequently want me to dress things with a drizzle of olive oil or mix olive oil into dips/sauces, but my food still tastes great without the extra “empty” calories. Nothing says you need to follow every recipe to a T!
This is just what works for me, but hopefully some of these tips are helpful for you, too. I know what it’s like to be stuck in a weight loss rut despite all the hard work you’re putting in. Best of luck to you!!12 -
I also use meal kits, and I also find that the nutritional info on the card differs - sometimes wildly - from what I get based on the individual ingredients used.3
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I’ve started to measure myself as well as weigh (I use happy scales too) because my cloths fit differently but the scales are not moving very much at all. I can’t say any more than everyone else about weighing foods because they are all the things that I also did when my weight loss stalled and it made a HUGE difference. Ive also chosen a less aggressive weight loss per week for a while to see if it helps. Good luck!
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You have gotten great advice for what you were asking, so I just want to comment on this: Yes, you will have to eat as if losing weight, if you want to keep the weight off. It's good to think about this before you reach goal weight. You're at your final lap now, so when you reach goal weight, the ideal transition is seamless, you'll want to lose weight the same way you want to maintain weight. What you don't have to, however, and possibly should try not to, is worry. Pieces will fall into place over time, you will figure things out for yourself as you run into and discover and solve your own personal challenges.I think what I’m mostly (prematurely) worried about is when I do finally hit my goal weight...will I have to eat as if I’m trying to lose weight just to maintain given that I’m at a significant deficit now and basically maintaining.
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kommodevaran wrote: »
You have gotten great advice for what you were asking, so I just want to comment on this: Yes, you will have to eat as if losing weight, if you want to keep the weight off. It's good to think about this before you reach goal weight. You're at your final lap now, so when you reach goal weight, the ideal transition is seamless, you'll want to lose weight the same way you want to maintain weight. What you don't have to, however, and possibly should try not to, is worry. Pieces will fall into place over time, you will figure things out for yourself as you run into and discover and solve your own personal challenges.I think what I’m mostly (prematurely) worried about is when I do finally hit my goal weight...will I have to eat as if I’m trying to lose weight just to maintain given that I’m at a significant deficit now and basically maintaining.
I would consider a slight clarification because so many of us attempt to "diet" by making choices we don't intend to continue making when we maintain.
You SHOULD want to "eat as if losing weight" because you SHOULD be losing weight at this stage the same way that you are planning to maintain.
As to the rest of it... well, first of all your weight is not going up. So that's a bonus!!! If you're not losing weight (yet) and you have a larger "paper" deficit and you've been using a kitchen scale and verified entries... just continue doing the same thing and be patient.
If you haven't been using a kitchen scale... well there you go.4 -
Hmm your carbs are high. Yes its about calories in vs calories out, but the macros play a part too. Personally, I count calories and count my macros. Granted I probably had alot more weight to lose than you, but I have lost 1-1.5kg (2.2-3.3 lbs) per week for the last 15 weeks using this method. I set my macros to 40% fat, 35% protein and 25% carbs. I would try this seeing as though you are not seeing any results after 6 weeks.51
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I would say tweak your logging, and weigh everything. I see in your diary you log as cups, or 1 portion and your donuts you just log as 1 donut rather than weighing it.3
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bulldozer1984 wrote: »Hmm your carbs are high. Yes its about calories in vs calories out, but the macros play a part too. Personally, I count calories and count my macros. Granted I probably had alot more weight to lose than you, but I have lost 1-1.5kg (2.2-3.3 lbs) per week for the last 15 weeks using this method. I set my macros to 40% fat, 35% protein and 25% carbs. I would try this seeing as though you are not seeing any results after 6 weeks.
The biggest role macros have to play is satiety, which is highly individual. OP hasn't complained about overeating due to hunger so they likely aren't relevant here.13 -
Studies have shown that eating say 100 grams of protein and 50g carbs is better for weight loss than the other way around. Carbs trigger more insulin release than protein or fat. Fat triggers the least insulin release. Insulin is the hormone that shuttle carbs into the muscles and liver, but it also stores fat and stops fat burning. Macros absolutely play a part in weight loss. Yes everyone is different. Typically skinny people AKA ectomorphs burn carbs very efficiently, whereas endomorphs like myself do not.
So, considering she has been at a significant deficit (her words), she needs to make a change. I think adjusting her macros is a good place to start.56 -
bulldozer1984 wrote: »Hmm your carbs are high. Yes its about calories in vs calories out, but the macros play a part too. Personally, I count calories and count my macros. Granted I probably had alot more weight to lose than you, but I have lost 1-1.5kg (2.2-3.3 lbs) per week for the last 15 weeks using this method. I set my macros to 40% fat, 35% protein and 25% carbs. I would try this seeing as though you are not seeing any results after 6 weeks.
Is the op failing to keep to her calories and so you're proposing a more satiating mix?
I don't recall the OP saying that this is the case.
Are you suggesting that if she drops some glycogen related water weight she will trick herself into believing that she has achieved rapid progress?
This doesn't sound *that* useful because as soon as she strays off plan she will immediately regain the temporary loss.
Do you believe that your macro split has some special mojo beyond, perhaps, allowing you the opportunity to correctly control your calories?
You would be wrong.
The size of deficit you create over time is what counts.
If the OP is having trouble keeping to her deficit with her current macro split then trying a different one might be a good idea.
But before she can decide that she does needs to be sure that she's actually hitting the deficit she believes she is!!!
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Maybe it's the meal delivery service. Perhaps their measurements are inaccurate.5
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bulldozer1984 wrote: »Studies have shown that eating say 100 grams of protein and 50g carbs is better for weight loss than the other way around. Carbs trigger more insulin release than protein or fat. Fat triggers the least insulin release. Insulin is the hormone that shuttle carbs into the muscles and liver, but it also stores fat and stops fat burning. Macros absolutely play a part in weight loss. Yes everyone is different. Typically skinny people AKA ectomorphs burn carbs very efficiently, whereas endomorphs like myself do not.
So, considering she has been at a significant deficit (her words), she needs to make a change. I think adjusting her macros is a good place to start.
please post said studies (and not the regurgitation of the old 1993 low-carb studies that prove nothing)....7 -
Lots of great advice on here already. Just another thing to add: Are you tracking your body circumference measurements as well as your scale weight? Over time you might see some changes on there even if your actual weight stays the same.2
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bulldozer1984 wrote: »Studies have shown that eating say 100 grams of protein and 50g carbs is better for weight loss than the other way around. Carbs trigger more insulin release than protein or fat. Fat triggers the least insulin release. Insulin is the hormone that shuttle carbs into the muscles and liver, but it also stores fat and stops fat burning. Macros absolutely play a part in weight loss. Yes everyone is different. Typically skinny people AKA ectomorphs burn carbs very efficiently, whereas endomorphs like myself do not.
So, considering she has been at a significant deficit (her words), she needs to make a change. I think adjusting her macros is a good place to start.
I had a higher carb day yesterday but I was still at a deficit just like I have been all week. I am burning fat right now. You know how I know? I was able to get up this morning and function. That energy has to come from somewhere and right now it is definitely coming from fat stores.
Insulin levels rise for carb intake but they don't stay high and they can't, by themselves, produce energy preventing fat from being used in a deficit.
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A side note, you say your blood works are, "within normal range". Have you ever been told if you are at the low end or the higher end of these "normal" numbers. Pardon me if I assume you are referring to thyroid numbers.
One of the thyroid support sites, sorry I can't remember which one gave the details of the testing which was done to achieve these numbers. Over a period of time, in one hospital, a second test was performed on a sample taken for another test. This sample was devoid of any information about the donation. The sample could have been from a person with a hypothyroid diagnosis, or someone diagnosed hyper. It could also be from an individual who has no person in the genetic family with thyroid endocrine issues, alternatively this person could be someone previously not diagnosed from a family with a long history of thyroid conditions. The total value of each sample was not known. So by the time they have woked the magic averages, established value bands and the like, what can they tell you, from this sample of x persons the numbers they identified came between this and that and from this we consider this is the "normal range" .......... full of problematic assumptions.
Op it is possible for a person such as you or myself to function at our personal level which could be high or low on their scale but we will never know because we are only ever told we are within NORMAL range, one size fits all. Someone at the low end might feel better at a higher level. Little if any interest is take of the list of symptoms an undiagnosed person with endocrine issues will present with, their combination of 300 recognised symptoms, other than the "I can't loose weight" which as everyone above agrees can contain so many variables of, correct activity level, correct/accurate logging and the rest.
In the UK, the powers which be have decided, a person with adequate t4, the least active for of thyroid hormones will automatically be able to convert them into the active t3. We are not tested for the active form t3. Some people have a genetic presidpositon not to be able to perform this coungering act. Some are creating inverted t3 known as reverse t3 which are unable to fit the cell receptors and simply can not work, total t3 does not take this anomaly into account, you have t3, what are you twittering about! Others may have a diet, through no fault of their own which is low in the required vitamins and minerals to achieve this transformation or require a higher amount.
You may have heard of tsh, this is the thyroid stimulating hormone it is produced in one of the other endocrine glands to prompt the thyroid to make t4 starting the cycle but is that gland working? they don't seem to care. Our over lords, decided all everyone requires is a supliment of t4, which they supply in pill form with fillers like dairy extracts and may be other allergens; the liquid form is full of preservatives too. To add insult to injury all this product is, is iodine, without any of the componants to aid conversion. Our diet should provide, something like 150 microns of iodine, if we do not use dairy, milk we are loosing 15microns for every 100 ml, if you use a full milk youghurt the number doubles add fruit to the weight and the microns drop. A medium egg has may be 24 micron per egg. Some fish species do contain more micron per gram of food weight. Say someone has 150 ml of milk at breakfast, and 2 eggs, we have 45+48= 93 if we use no more iodine rich foods we are automatically lacking.
Coming back to the blood test numbers game. Autoimmune conditions are only diagnosed when antibody tests are carried out. Its is almost on principal UK persons are not generally tested for antibodies, in part because the treatment is the same, but also because, it is not accepted that foodparticles can contribute to the problems by molicule mimicry, entering the body in too large sizes and then are mistaken for, most commonly the thyroid cells its the Hashimotos antibodys head for the thyroid and set about decreasing the volume of the thyroid so there is less to do the required thyroid thing balancing most enzymes and other functions in the body. In some people these antibodies attach other organs or glands, even in some the inner ear causing tinnitus. Its easier for the medics to prescribe t4 and if you do not achieve better health, its all in your head.
they forget the mental health symptoms some experience, others have diabeties, or, digestive problems, even reproductive difficulties or respiritory or cardiac issues, it seems to matter not that treated aprpriately the dibeties would deminish, the reproductive issues would evaporate and the number of colisystectomies would deminish no end. Please don't forget the cancers, in the same way as thyroid hormones regulate human reproduction systems they also impact on the reproduction of each and every cell. and please don't forget allergies and intolerances can be attributed to the endocrine system.
A thyroid condition is much much more than the "I can't loose weight".
If anyone has any interest, please referr to any of the many national and internations thyroid support sites you will find chapter and verse in these. (I referr to Thyroid UK, and Stop the thyroid Madness. there is the Hypothyroid Mom. and many many more reprutable books and sites. Teaching Hospitals also publish.
OP, I sincerely hope this is not you and personally calculating portion size for your self really does work. The last icondition I would want for anyone is anything related to the thyroid, promise.7 -
As soon as I get my meal service for the week tomorrow I’m going to start weighing out the ingredients (including liquids) as I make it. I’ve wondered for a while if this was the culprit but I naively thought “they can’t just make up info!” After reading a few posts from those who have tested meal service calories I’m also positive it’ll be WAY off. Which is super frustrating but will be GREAT if I finally find the answer!
As for macros, I’m almost never hungry so I don’t usually pay attention to macros. My body has become very used to IF (not for dieting, I feel physically sick if I eat too early in the AM) and over the past 9 months or so I’ve managed to *mostly* cut out all snacking at night (yay for small victories!).
For the blood test...I saw my results online when they first came in and everything was more or less in the middle of the “recommended ranges” indicated by the lab. I got tested because I have a really hard time sleeping (doc was thinking iron or B12 etc) but those all came back normal. And my thyroid did get tested as well but due to a family history with thyroid cancer (not weight loss related) and my T4 came back mid “normal range” as well.8
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