Not losing - don't know why
MsWax
Posts: 32 Member
So for the past month I've been tracking ALL my food, and eating what I consider to be pretty well. I'm certainly not perfect, but with all my hard work I'm only down 1.6 lbs! My diary is open if anyone wants to take a look and give suggestions. I'm open to them all (even if I choose not to follow them).
A few things to note:
A few things to note:
- I have desk job but usually do 3-6000 steps during the work day, even though I've input my lifestyle as sedentary.
- I changed my diary last week to include more detail, so the meals that food is listed under from before that aren't correct (but all the food is still there)
- I exercise multiple times/week and eat some or all of my exercise calories (depending on how hungry I am
- I've got a good 20lbs to lose, but would feel much better if I was even 10 lbs lighter.
1
Replies
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4 weeks, 1.6 lbs. So your calorie deficit isn't as big as you think it is. Do you use a food scale to weigh everything?
https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10634517/you-dont-use-a-food-scale
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Likely culprits are:
* Calories creeping in with things like cooking oil, sauces, dips, drinks, etc. Be sure to log everything.
* Misjudging portions - especially with things like nuts, nut butters, and other high calorie foods. Do you have a food scale? I've got one for $20 off Amazon that's reasonably accurate.
* Using overestimations of calories burned during exercise - try not eating back your exercise calories.
On a more subtle note - how much water are you drinking daily? Biologically we need a sufficient amount of water to metabolize fat - whether that be dietary or body fat. The 8 glasses isn't really sufficient for our purposes - try to aim for an ounce for each pound of body weight, spread out throughout the day.50 -
If there is only 20 pounds or so to lose, you are pretty much right on track - or at least what you should be targeting.
That said, if you set a target for a quicker rate (which would be a mistake IMO), you probably have some logging errors or you just haven't analyzed results for a long enough time period.10 -
So with 20lbs to lose a good rate would be 0.5lb a week. In 4 weeks that should be 2lb and you're at 1.6lb so you're only 0.4lb shy. That could easily be hidden in natural weight fluctuations due to salt or water retention or time of month (if applicable). I'd give it a couple more weeks at least. Maybe use a weight trending app to help see past the fluctuations.16
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Likely culprits are:
* Calories creeping in with things like cooking oil, sauces, dips, drinks, etc. Be sure to log everything.
* Misjudging portions - especially with things like nuts, nut butters, and other high calorie foods. Do you have a food scale? I've got one for $20 off Amazon that's reasonably accurate.
* Using overestimations of calories burned during exercise - try not eating back your exercise calories.
On a more subtle note - how much water are you drinking daily? Biologically we need a sufficient amount of water to metabolize fat - whether that be dietary or body fat. The 8 glasses isn't really sufficient for our purposes - try to aim for an ounce for each pound of body weight, spread out throughout the day.
you were doing good up until all the woo about water.36 -
Likely culprits are:
* Calories creeping in with things like cooking oil, sauces, dips, drinks, etc. Be sure to log everything.
* Misjudging portions - especially with things like nuts, nut butters, and other high calorie foods. Do you have a food scale? I've got one for $20 off Amazon that's reasonably accurate.
* Using overestimations of calories burned during exercise - try not eating back your exercise calories.
On a more subtle note - how much water are you drinking daily? Biologically we need a sufficient amount of water to metabolize fat - whether that be dietary or body fat. The 8 glasses isn't really sufficient for our purposes - try to aim for an ounce for each pound of body weight, spread out throughout the day.
I measure (but don't weigh) portions, only drink water or alcohol (don't judge) and that's pre-packaged, and I feel like the calories are close to accurate, and I usually don't eat them all. I drink between 100-150 oz of water daily, so no shortage there.
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Silentpadna wrote: »If there is only 20 pounds or so to lose, you are pretty much right on track - or at least what you should be targeting.
That said, if you set a target for a quicker rate (which would be a mistake IMO), you probably have some logging errors or you just haven't analyzed results for a long enough time period.
If I netted my calorie goals spot on I should be losing 1lb/week, and I'm losing less than half that. The really frustrating part is I can usually lose more during the first week or 2 of being back "on-track," but this time around my body is fighting me every step of the way!
1 -
Likely culprits are:
* Calories creeping in with things like cooking oil, sauces, dips, drinks, etc. Be sure to log everything.
* Misjudging portions - especially with things like nuts, nut butters, and other high calorie foods. Do you have a food scale? I've got one for $20 off Amazon that's reasonably accurate.
* Using overestimations of calories burned during exercise - try not eating back your exercise calories.
On a more subtle note - how much water are you drinking daily? Biologically we need a sufficient amount of water to metabolize fat - whether that be dietary or body fat. The 8 glasses isn't really sufficient for our purposes - try to aim for an ounce for each pound of body weight, spread out throughout the day.
I measure (but don't weigh) portions, only drink water or alcohol (don't judge) and that's pre-packaged, and I feel like the calories are close to accurate, and I usually don't eat them all. I drink between 100-150 oz of water daily, so no shortage there.
This is where the problem is, I'd guess. Read the thread titled, "So you don't use a food scale?". Very enlightening. Also, I didn't see your diary open.19 -
Silentpadna wrote: »If there is only 20 pounds or so to lose, you are pretty much right on track - or at least what you should be targeting.
That said, if you set a target for a quicker rate (which would be a mistake IMO), you probably have some logging errors or you just haven't analyzed results for a long enough time period.
If I netted my calorie goals spot on I should be losing 1lb/week, and I'm losing less than half that. The really frustrating part is I can usually lose more during the first week or 2 of being back "on-track," but this time around my body is fighting me every step of the way!
If you should be losing a pound a week but are only hitting half of that, you're eating more than you think. Invest in a food scale and start weighing everything.13 -
Likely culprits are:
* Calories creeping in with things like cooking oil, sauces, dips, drinks, etc. Be sure to log everything.
* Misjudging portions - especially with things like nuts, nut butters, and other high calorie foods. Do you have a food scale? I've got one for $20 off Amazon that's reasonably accurate.
* Using overestimations of calories burned during exercise - try not eating back your exercise calories.
On a more subtle note - how much water are you drinking daily? Biologically we need a sufficient amount of water to metabolize fat - whether that be dietary or body fat. The 8 glasses isn't really sufficient for our purposes - try to aim for an ounce for each pound of body weight, spread out throughout the day.
While true about logging and weighing what's eaten - 3rd point ....
While there may be inaccuracy potential on some database exercises (low calorie burn items done for a long time - while accurate estimate probably, application by MFP causes problems actually) - there is 1 number that is absolutely wrong ....
Your suggestion of not counting them at all, meaning giving a value of 0 to the exercise.
Not a good idea.
Especially since it was explained Sedentary was selected, but by steps is above sedentary - so already underestimated there.
And the water aspect - where is this science that such a great quantity of water is needed to metabolize fat?8 -
Likely culprits are:
* Calories creeping in with things like cooking oil, sauces, dips, drinks, etc. Be sure to log everything.
* Misjudging portions - especially with things like nuts, nut butters, and other high calorie foods. Do you have a food scale? I've got one for $20 off Amazon that's reasonably accurate.
* Using overestimations of calories burned during exercise - try not eating back your exercise calories.
On a more subtle note - how much water are you drinking daily? Biologically we need a sufficient amount of water to metabolize fat - whether that be dietary or body fat. The 8 glasses isn't really sufficient for our purposes - try to aim for an ounce for each pound of body weight, spread out throughout the day.
I measure (but don't weigh) portions, only drink water or alcohol (don't judge) and that's pre-packaged, and I feel like the calories are close to accurate, and I usually don't eat them all. I drink between 100-150 oz of water daily, so no shortage there.
Start weighing. You'll be surprised at what you find.9 -
quiksylver296 wrote: »
I'll move it down here. Maybe then OP will check it out?8 -
Silentpadna wrote: »If there is only 20 pounds or so to lose, you are pretty much right on track - or at least what you should be targeting.
That said, if you set a target for a quicker rate (which would be a mistake IMO), you probably have some logging errors or you just haven't analyzed results for a long enough time period.
If I netted my calorie goals spot on I should be losing 1lb/week, and I'm losing less than half that. The really frustrating part is I can usually lose more during the first week or 2 of being back "on-track," but this time around my body is fighting me every step of the way!
Your body is going to fight it because if have only 20 lbs. to lose--1 lb. per week is agressive if you are already close to the goal weight. Some people on MFP say it takes them a year to lose that last 10-20 lbs.14 -
Silentpadna wrote: »If there is only 20 pounds or so to lose, you are pretty much right on track - or at least what you should be targeting.
That said, if you set a target for a quicker rate (which would be a mistake IMO), you probably have some logging errors or you just haven't analyzed results for a long enough time period.
If I netted my calorie goals spot on I should be losing 1lb/week, and I'm losing less than half that. The really frustrating part is I can usually lose more during the first week or 2 of being back "on-track," but this time around my body is fighting me every step of the way!
Your body doesn't "fight you". It behaves according to the laws of nature.
It also does a multitude of different things - all at varying rates. This makes it almost impossible to measure in the short term. You cannot weigh in identical conditions because of those variables. Being "on track" doesn't show up on the scale day to day or even week to week.
There is no such thing as being "spot on" with respect to calorie goals because we deal in estimates both on the intake side and the burn side of the energy balance. With the magnitude of fluctuations that most people have daily, even a 1lb/week goal can be easily hidden (or exaggerated) in a 4-6 week window.
I would again say that if you have 20 pounds to lose, even a pound a week might be too aggressive. In any case, you may have already lost a pound (of fat) per week over your short (so far) time window. It still seems to me that you have nothing to worry about. If your rate (after about 8 weeks using a trending scale app) isn't where you want it to be then look at tightening up logging or making an adjustment.8 -
quiksylver296 wrote: »quiksylver296 wrote: »
I'll move it down here. Maybe then OP will check it out?
In the meantime, check out quiksylver's link. Should be the first thing out of your drawer before every meal or meal prep.3 -
You said you eat all or most of your exercise calories. How are you measuring your calories burned during workouts?
If I were betting I’d say you are eating a little more than you think because you aren’t weighing, and also you’re likely eating back a little more than you e actually burned through workouts too. Most people I see who are successful eating exercise calories given through MFP recommend eating back only half because the site over estimates burns.8 -
One perhaps mistake I made - I started using a protein powder (Elevation by Millville - Whey Protein Chocolate Powder Blend) to get me more protein during the day to not get that peckish feeling while on a 1600 calorie diet. Before i started using it, every day / week I was losing weight. However the last two days since I started using that powder, while remaining on the same food intake pattern for other foodstuffs, i gained 4 lbs. Creatine seems to be doing that to me, since it makes the body retain water?
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC155510/
Maybe something you are eating in something as well?
(i know, anecdotal. But i will stop using this powder, and see after a week or so if the downward trend resumes. i guess that's why you want to log everything as precise as possible :-) )12 -
If you're not losing as you expect to lose AND you're not using a food scale, then you're almost certainly eating more than you think you're eating.
Depending on how you calculate your exercise calories, you may be overestimating how many calories you burned.
If this level of exercise is new for you, then you're likely retaining water as your muscles repair themselves.
The rate of weight loss you've seen so far is perfectly reasonable for your goals. With 20 pounds to lose, a 0.5 lb/week rate of loss is recommended, and that's close to what you've actually seen.11 -
Is the exercise new? My scale went up 7 pounds when I started weight lifting again. Took a few weeks to come off.
If applicable, are you at the point in your cycle when you are ovulating or premenstrual?
If neither of these applies, get a food scale - you are probably eating more than you think. Scales have the added benefit of being quicker than using measuring cups, and there's less to wash.3 -
I weigh I log daily and have since May 2016 but I quit losing months ago.. just stuck and in fact gained 5 pounds the past two months!! My menu choices have been the same for two years but something must have changed for sure as I totally quit my swift weight loss trajectory I WAS on. I keep at it but fear my Celebrex is the culprit. If I continue to gain I will stop taking it and just suffer the painful, debilitating arthritis as I will not be fatter again, so be it.0
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I weigh I log daily and have since May 2016 but I quit losing months ago.. just stuck and in fact gained 5 pounds the past two months!! My menu choices have been the same for two years but something must have changed for sure as I totally quit my swift weight loss trajectory I WAS on. I keep at it but fear my Celebrex is the culprit. If I continue to gain I will stop taking it and just suffer the painful, debilitating arthritis as I will not be fatter again, so be it.
That's just water weight though - unless it's caused you to be notably more inactive as side effect.
Likely during that "swift weight loss trajectory" you lost the common 20% LBM, including muscle mass - which spells difficulty for reaching and maintaining goal.
That's the reason you'll see so many advocate for reasonable weight loss rate - usually better all around.
Rate should slow as you get closer to goal weight - purposely by smart decisions.
Not because the body forced it on you out of stress and adapting.
You weigh all the foods that go in your mouth to confirm eating level?4 -
As evidence of the need to use a food scale, here is my crinkle cut fries experience from last week (which I am still bitter about, by the way ... )
The package says one serving is 85 grams, 3 oz, about 23 pieces. I put a bowl on my food scale and put a few fries in, then a few more. You know how many fries made the 85 grams? Six. SIX!!!!!! Most of the fries in the package were about the same size. If I had counted and not weighed, I would actually have eaten 4 servings when I only counted one. Six stinkin’ stupid fries. #ThatWasJustMean49 -
Did you weigh frozen or cooked? It would be interesting to see if maybe the manufacturer calculations were the other.As evidence of the need to use a food scale, here is my crinkle cut fries experience from last week (which I am still bitter about, by the way ... )
The package says one serving is 85 grams, 3 oz, about 23 pieces. I put a bowl on my food scale and put a few fries in, then a few more. You know how many fries made the 85 grams? Six. SIX!!!!!! Most of the fries in the package were about the same size. If I had counted and not weighed, I would actually have eaten 4 servings when I only counted one. Six stinkin’ stupid fries. #ThatWasJustMean
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snemberton wrote: »
Did you weigh frozen or cooked? It would be interesting to see if maybe the manufacturer calculations were the other.As evidence of the need to use a food scale, here is my crinkle cut fries experience from last week (which I am still bitter about, by the way ... )
The package says one serving is 85 grams, 3 oz, about 23 pieces. I put a bowl on my food scale and put a few fries in, then a few more. You know how many fries made the 85 grams? Six. SIX!!!!!! Most of the fries in the package were about the same size. If I had counted and not weighed, I would actually have eaten 4 servings when I only counted one. Six stinkin’ stupid fries. #ThatWasJustMean
Excellent point - I was wondering how there would be such a great difference between estimate and reality.
But a frozen 85g should have lost water weight as they cooked, actually going the other direction.
But this could have been the rare time they gave cooked weight, not frozen weight.0 -
snemberton wrote: »
Did you weigh frozen or cooked? It would be interesting to see if maybe the manufacturer calculations were the other.As evidence of the need to use a food scale, here is my crinkle cut fries experience from last week (which I am still bitter about, by the way ... )
The package says one serving is 85 grams, 3 oz, about 23 pieces. I put a bowl on my food scale and put a few fries in, then a few more. You know how many fries made the 85 grams? Six. SIX!!!!!! Most of the fries in the package were about the same size. If I had counted and not weighed, I would actually have eaten 4 servings when I only counted one. Six stinkin’ stupid fries. #ThatWasJustMean
Frozen. Weigh raw or uncooked as that is the standard unless the packaging says otherwise. Foids typically lose weight in the cooking process and then we overeat.0 -
snemberton wrote: »
Did you weigh frozen or cooked? It would be interesting to see if maybe the manufacturer calculations were the other.As evidence of the need to use a food scale, here is my crinkle cut fries experience from last week (which I am still bitter about, by the way ... )
The package says one serving is 85 grams, 3 oz, about 23 pieces. I put a bowl on my food scale and put a few fries in, then a few more. You know how many fries made the 85 grams? Six. SIX!!!!!! Most of the fries in the package were about the same size. If I had counted and not weighed, I would actually have eaten 4 servings when I only counted one. Six stinkin’ stupid fries. #ThatWasJustMean
Excellent point - I was wondering how there would be such a great difference between estimate and reality.
But a frozen 85g should have lost water weight as they cooked, actually going the other direction.
But this could have been the rare time they gave cooked weight, not frozen weight.
Oddly enough, the total number of 85 gram servings equaled the approximate number on the package. It’s possible they changed the size of the fries but neglected to change all the labeling.4 -
It's your choice whether you want to weigh your food. I personally don't. I use volume as a measure. I also accept the knowledge that my diary entries will be somewhat inaccurate.
With only 20 lbs. left to lose, IMO you sound like you are on track given the scenario you've described.
If you'd like more accuracy in estimating your calories in, a scale is a good purchase. If you prefer to keep measuring how you currently do, just know that the calories won't be quite as precise. And that's ok if that's what you prefer. There will be weeks that you have a loss, weeks that you have a gain, and weeks where nothing happens. Weight fluctuations happen. 4 weeks is not really enough data to determine how you are doing overall.
Try to take each week to look at your diary and give yourself a chance to find one item you could have done better, or one thing you'd like to try differently. Sometimes for me, I decide I'd like to try more variety in my meals, add more vegetables, try a different exercise, find a new recipe, etc. Shaking things up each week doesn't necessarily give me a greater loss, but it does help me stay focused and motivated.5 -
You know the water thing, chug as much as you can, do a water challenge until you blather and foam at the mouth.. reminds of several individuals who've won the water challenge but expired from drinking too much water in a short amount of time. Just chugging for the sake of getting it all in is counterproductive. Over-hydration and doing all kinds of things in the name of weight loss does not make it go faster. There's the brain weight vs. the dream weight. The body has its own ideas about the optimum setpoint.19
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You need to weigh your food. I know it's a pain in the *kitten* and can be more time consuming than using measuring cups/spoons. But it is the only way to accurately gauge what you are actually putting in vs burning. My guess is that your calories in are exceeding what you think/document.
Actually, weighing is much faster and easier than measuring cups plus no scraping and washing.17 -
You need to weigh your food. I know it's a pain in the *kitten* and can be more time consuming than using measuring cups/spoons. But it is the only way to accurately gauge what you are actually putting in vs burning. My guess is that your calories in are exceeding what you think/document.
Actually, weighing is much faster and easier than measuring cups plus no scraping and washing.
and once you get the hang of it its faster and easier IMO.and I can put the package on the scale ,tare it out,take out a serving and Im done.7
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