6 weeks in - no weight shifted - please help!

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Replies

  • Strudders67
    Strudders67 Posts: 989 Member
    The only thing that will make a difference, weight wise, is a calorie deficit. It doesn't matter WHAT you eat, just how many calories. If you like ryvita, go for it.

    400 calories seems a lot for 40 mins on an exercise bike, unless you've got a high resistance and are pedalling like mad. However, you're also burning SOME calories, not none, so should be eating some back. Perhaps try eating 50% to start with.
  • Avidkeo
    Avidkeo Posts: 3,204 Member
    lizw1xx wrote: »
    Hi!
    Thanks for your replies :)
    I've been using other apps for calorie counting, so sharing my diary won't be of much help, I mainly joined because of the forums. I'll definitely try and fill out my diary more on here as well.
    I never eat back my calories, it's hard to tell what I really burn calorie wise. My stationary exercise bike says 400 calories for 40 minutes though I feel like that might be a bit too high.
    I also tend to have a cheat day once a week on a Saturday (after I've had my weigh day), I won't be so strict on calorie counting and have a couple of slices of pizza, or have a nice dessert instead. Is once a week too often? Probably! I'll probably be more around the 1800-2000 calories on those days.
    I'm thinking of having 1 boiled egg and maybe one ryvita for breakfast instead of a toast or cereal. Do you guys reckon that would make a difference? Xx

    You need to log EVERYTHING even if you go over your calories for the day intentionally.

    If you are like me and only aiming for a 250 calorie deficit a day - so a slow sustainable weight loss, that's only 1750 calories in a Week. You can easily eat that in a day if you aren't tracking without knowing it, therefore causing a plateau. I know. I've done it. So I track everything, even treat days.
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 34,184 Member
    lizw1xx wrote: »
    Hi!
    Thanks for your replies :)
    I've been using other apps for calorie counting, so sharing my diary won't be of much help, I mainly joined because of the forums. I'll definitely try and fill out my diary more on here as well.
    I never eat back my calories, it's hard to tell what I really burn calorie wise. My stationary exercise bike says 400 calories for 40 minutes though I feel like that might be a bit too high.
    I also tend to have a cheat day once a week on a Saturday (after I've had my weigh day), I won't be so strict on calorie counting and have a couple of slices of pizza, or have a nice dessert instead. Is once a week too often? Probably! I'll probably be more around the 1800-2000 calories on those days.
    I'm thinking of having 1 boiled egg and maybe one ryvita for breakfast instead of a toast or cereal. Do you guys reckon that would make a difference? Xx

    Zero for the exercise calorie estimate is for sure wrong. ;)

    If MFP set your calorie goal, and you set activity level based on pre-exercise activity as per directions, eat back at least some of the exercise calories.

    If that breakfast is more filling for its calories, or gives you more perceived energy vs. your current breakfast, or helps you hit your protein/fat minimums more consistently, it's a better breakfast. Calorie balance overall determines weight loss, what we eat and when is for nutrition, feeling full, energy level, etc.

    As far as the cheat days (or whatever term you prefer): Log them, even if you have to estimate (err on the high side when guessing ;) ), and look at your average daily calories for the week. Then you'll have more realistic data to judge from.

    It's fine that you don't log here . . . it's just that it closes off the community here from helping refine your logging. It's totally your call where to log. Make sure you're including bites, licks, tastes (BLT), condiments, sauces, oils in cooking or on foods, beverages that have calories, etc. Log pre-packaged foods by weight (not package estimate), don't use compound entries other people created ("Lasagna, 1 piece": Whose lasagna? What was in it?). Make your own entries based on the ingredients you use. Here, you can save those as a meal or recipe to reuse in future. Use a food scale like it was religion.

    That level of detail may not be necessary for everyone, or forever, but that attention to detail for a couple of weeks can highlight what's really going on, especially in a case where someone feels like they should be losing faster.

    Best wishes!

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