Opinions on my struggle.. please

erinhugo

Just wondering if a few of you more experienced people wouldn’t mind having a quick look through my food diary..?
I’ve been tracking my meals and snacks for about the last 6 weeks and been going to the gym 3-5 times a week. Mostly doing the les mills type classes of body pump, attack, combat and RPM.
In this 6 weeks I have noticed no change in myself, and the scales have gone up not down!! I’ve been telling myself its muscle or water weight.

I know that the most of weight loss comes from eating but I was almost sure my diet wasn’t bad enough to hold me back as I have been maintaining my current weight for the last few years with no dieting, calorie counting or gyming at all…
About 4 years ago I lost 15kgs from a lifestyle change of breaking up with current bf and moving back to the parentals and having home cooked meals rather than take-aways, when I started losing I joined the gym and kept it up until I was at a comfortable weight, this is where I have been for the last few years… now I want change and I cannot get it!!

I keep forcing myself to not give up but it it’s very disappointing and un motivating to work so hard at the gym and see no results…
And I find dieting impossible =/

Keen to hear your thoughts…

beckademic

how are your clothes fitting? have you taken measurements?

EmmaOnTrack

How much are you eating (what's your calorie limit)? How much are you hoping to loose?

erinhugo

how are your clothes fitting? have you taken measurements?

Clothes fit the same… I took my own measurements about 4 weeks ago and then re-did them earlier this week and there was a bit of change but I did a real rough job the first time so unsure I can rely on that… made sure I did it properly this time so next time will be more accurate..

erinhugo

How much are you eating (what's your calorie limit)? How much are you hoping to loose?

Calorie limit is 1200 – this is what MFP gave me, I was eating back my exercise calories for the first 4 or so weeks which I have not been aiming to do now as I thought maybe that could be it?
I would like to lose about 5kgs so about 11 pounds, but judging it more on how I look than what I weigh…

jarrettd

The problem with no progress usually comes down to A) underestimating calories consumed or overestimating calories burned.

Are you using a food scale? Are you counting every single bite you eat, including coffee creamers and condiments? Are you using a heart rate monitor to estimate your calorie burn?

If you aren't measuring EVERYTHING, you could be spinning your wheels.

R4eBro

Eat breakfast, more protein, less sugar,perhaps you are not eating enough. How active are you daily?? MFP is notorious for placing people's calories too low. You need to fuel your body in order for it to work properly and efficiently. Good luck!! Keep working out it is great for you and the benefits are more than what the scale will show.

erinhugo

The problem with no progress usually comes down to A) underestimating calories consumed or overestimating calories burned.

Are you using a food scale? Are you counting every single bite you eat, including coffee creamers and condiments? Are you using a heart rate monitor to estimate your calorie burn?

If you aren't measuring EVERYTHING, you could be spinning your wheels.

I defiantly think I am guilty of both of these..
I do not use a scale and guess on things I’m not sure of but I do track everything I eat/drink (just not on the weekends), and just use the already entered exercise classes for my gym work.
However my confusion comes from being able to maintain my weight while not exercising and not watching what I eat but not being able to losing any from going to the gym 3-5 times a week and being far more conscious of what goes in my mouth…
Am I completely wrong in thinking that adding exercise to my lifestyle is enough?
I’m really hopeless when it comes to knowing what is good and what is bad =/

erinhugo

Eat breakfast, more protein, less sugar,perhaps you are not eating enough. How active are you daily?? MFP is notorious for placing people's calories too low. You need to fuel your body in order for it to work properly and efficiently. Good luck!! Keep working out it is great for you and the benefits are more than what the scale will show.

Thank you!!
I have tried the breakfast thing but I find it a struggle to eat early, don’t enjoy it and feel I waste those calories in the morning.. for about a month awhile ago I forced myself to eat breakfast and felt no change so gave up..
I am quite active I guess, I have a horse so I’m out charging around the paddocks most days – which all farm type people will know is not easy. Not so keen on feeding my face anymore though lol

I find “clean eating” as such very difficult although if that’s what the majority of the feed back is then ill give it a real good go…

I do worry though that once I start eating my normal foods again I will just gain all the weight back…?

fivethreeone

First, 1200 calories is not enough for you. It may be what MFP gave you, but it is most likely below your BMR (basal metabolic rate--the number of calories it would take to sustain you in a coma) and your body is trying to keep from starving. Find your TDEE and subtract 20% from it using this calculator. This is the number of calories you will need on a daily basis. TDEE includes your exercise activity, so no need to eat back those calories. http://scoobysworkshop.com/accurate-calorie-calculator/

Second, forget "clean" eating. You obviously don't enjoy it and it isn't necessary for weight loss. All you need is the right number of calories, logged consistently and accurately. Get your protein up. And that's it.

ShannonMK9

What to do is hard to say - if you are not going to make a permanent lifestyle change in how you eat, then it would be better to find the balance in food that you are eating that you can and will keep with - being fit isn't a get were I want and stop - it is get were I want and maintain.
Food is hard - try and make the healthiest choices you can, but at the same time think about what you will stick with - the weight you have gained is probably from muscle since your clothes still fits the same and this is good as lean muscles help in weight reduction.
If you are really active and working out then you will probably need more than 1200 calories - to low of calorie count is just as bad as to high in the long run as you can put your body in starvation mode.
Since you are out with your horse a lot - pack yourself a snack box - fresh fruit and veggies that can be eaten raw, nuts and other things you can eat on the run.
I also do not like to eat breakfast, but have something light first thing in the morning to give me energy while I workout - like a trail mix bar.

RaggedyPond

You are not being consistent. There are days you aren't logging, days you are going way over, days you didn't eat enough.

brityn

Eat 2-3 times more lean protein and less carbs and sugar

cwgrl_vsg

Muscle weighs more than fat, you may be gaining muscle. You may also be in a platue in your weight loss. Adjust your workout to a higher intensity and maintain your diet. I have the same problem I weigh less than I did my freshman year of high school when I was playing softball. I still have more weight to lose but I am slowly but surely breaking through it. Stick with it and when you see results again keep pushing yourself you will make your goal.

EmmaOnTrack

How much are you eating (what's your calorie limit)? How much are you hoping to loose?

Calorie limit is 1200 – this is what MFP gave me, I was eating back my exercise calories for the first 4 or so weeks which I have not been aiming to do now as I thought maybe that could be it?
I would like to lose about 5kgs so about 11 pounds, but judging it more on how I look than what I weigh…

As others have said, I suspect 1200 is too low. It's what MFP gave me as well, and I stuck with it for 4 weeks before upping to 1300 after reading many posts on the subject here. I should probably go even higher but am giving it time to work.

Consistency is the key. If you're not logging at weekends you may potentially be undoing all the good work you've done during the week. I find it easier to plan my day's food and log everything I'm going to eat in the morning (or even the night before if I want to try out some new recipes the next day). Takes the guesswork out of menu planning, and you can also log when you have time to do so (our busy lives often mean we forget/don't bother).

Follow the guidelines of the clever folks here and it WILL work - but some of us take longer than others to see results. This is my 7th week and I've only lost 3.5kgs, but I'm so in the MFP zone now that I know I can do this long term and get to my goal.

Oh, and kia ora from Masterton!

Surreal2You

your Fitness pal seems okay to me. Except all I gotta say is just to be safe torch more calories and then you will be able to eat more. Although you are trying to lose weight, don't consume as much sugar as well as try to decrease sodium levels. Although I may get blasted for saying this... watch the carbs. I am not saying do not eat carbs, I am merely saying consuming quite a bit of carbs will fluctuate weight, as well as with sodium. Otherwise try eating lighter in the morning and majority of the meal after your finished with your workouts, and etc. Lastly this may not be relating to your fitnesspal or eating habits, but if you find yourself to be stressed out this might be the problem to your dilemma. Best of luck to you on your fitness goals!

morethanthis0

I feel the same way!

snazzyjazzy21

Muscle weighs more than fat, you may be gaining muscle.

Ehhhh, no it doesn't. A lb of fat weights the same as a lb of muscle. Muscle just takes up less room than fat.

mahanaibu

Breakfast is not necessary. Don't worry about it. There was just another study out debunking that myth.

Your diary is pretty inconsistent. There are days you don't log, and I didn't sit there and figure out the numbers, but it looks as though the amounts you're eating on your "over" days more than compensate for the days you're "under."

Weight and measuring is very important, as is keeping a pretty faithful diary. I know because when I joined MFP and finally started doing those things faithfully, I was stunned at the difference between what I was eating and what I THOUGHT I had been eating.

You might like to look into a 5-2 eating plan, where you eat somewhat more five days a week, but twice a week eat only dinner at about 500-600 calories. I started doing that recently, with my nutritionist's approval, and have been very happy. It breaks up routines, gives you a higher calorie allowance on the days when you want it, and it seems to jump-start my weight loss a little more, though I'm pretty new to it. Research backs up the value of interrmittent fasting (which doesn't mean going an entire day without eating, just 24 hours) because once the body uses up its glycogen stores (after about 12 hours of not eating), it begins using fat stores. Here's a link to an NPR story on it:

http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/2013/07/29/205845319/two-day-diets-how-mini-fasts-can-help-maximize-weight-loss

msflynnbly

Definitely invest in some kitchen scales and measure! I never used to measure but was shocked when started weighing food especially potatoes and pasta!

astartig

buy a food scale. and Log EVERYTHING. Even on teh weekends. go by grams and ounces instead of cups and estimation. the backs of packages have both. go by grams not their other standard of measurement because very often it's not precise.

It is very easy to underestimate what you're eating and the types of things you eat, if they are underestimated add up quickly.

I also think cutting back on the sugar and carbs would be good for you. You're young still but if you keep eating that way as you get older as your metabolism slows, you'll end up much more than 11 pounds overweight and on your way to diabetes. Now is the time to train yourself to better habits.

I do recommend clean eating. yeah, at the end of the day it's calories in and calories out but health is important and you're going to be healthier eating clean. Start cooking a home made meal once a week or something. Start small in the long run eating your vegetables and lean proteins is so much better for you than take away. the salt content in processed food is also outrageous. you very well could be holding more than a few pounds in water weight.

as far as your diet went.. how long did you maintain without gaining at all? you are trying to lose some now it must have slipped on at some point?

erinhugo

Thanks for all your feedback, sure gives me a lot more to think about..
I will get a food scale so I can log more accurately and see if that makes a change…
I will try try try to log on the weekends and cut back on the carbs and sugars (not natural sugars though right?)
The whole process is rather frustrating trying to find the right balance between eating what I enjoy and exercising…
Just this week ive starting adding on some extra cardio work after the classes to see if that helps with making a change.. time will tell..

erinhugo

First, 1200 calories is not enough for you. It may be what MFP gave you, but it is most likely below your BMR (basal metabolic rate--the number of calories it would take to sustain you in a coma) and your body is trying to keep from starving. Find your TDEE and subtract 20% from it using this calculator. This is the number of calories you will need on a daily basis. TDEE includes your exercise activity, so no need to eat back those calories. http://scoobysworkshop.com/accurate-calorie-calculator/

Second, forget "clean" eating. You obviously don't enjoy it and it isn't necessary for weight loss. All you need is the right number of calories, logged consistently and accurately. Get your protein up. And that's it.

So my BMR is 1493 and my TDEE is 2315.
So my calorie intake should be 1852…?
That seams soooo high!!
I feel like I could eat as much as I want and whatever I want without even having to think twice about it… how can that be?

erinhugo

as far as your diet went.. how long did you maintain without gaining at all? you are trying to lose some now it must have slipped on at some point?

Unsure, I guess the physical work with horses was enough to keep me in check.
Nope never slipped back on, I gained about 5kgs when I quit smoking a few years ago but that disappeared once I stopped replacing cigarettes with lollies lol
Sometimes when I got on the scales ild be a few kgs up but the next time would be normal again so never worried about it.
I just want the change now to see if I can better when I am at.

michellekicks

First, 1200 calories is not enough for you. It may be what MFP gave you, but it is most likely below your BMR (basal metabolic rate--the number of calories it would take to sustain you in a coma) and your body is trying to keep from starving. Find your TDEE and subtract 20% from it using this calculator. This is the number of calories you will need on a daily basis. TDEE includes your exercise activity, so no need to eat back those calories. http://scoobysworkshop.com/accurate-calorie-calculator/

Second, forget "clean" eating. You obviously don't enjoy it and it isn't necessary for weight loss. All you need is the right number of calories, logged consistently and accurately. Get your protein up. And that's it.

^ This. Completely. You only have 11 lbs to lose.

I'd like to lose another 5 lbs. I also work out 5 times a week and I eat 2300 calories/day for recomp. A weight loss goal of 2 lbs/week is ridiculous unless you have over 50-60 lbs of fat to lose.

cmriverside

First, 1200 calories is not enough for you. It may be what MFP gave you, but it is most likely below your BMR (basal metabolic rate--the number of calories it would take to sustain you in a coma) and your body is trying to keep from starving. Find your TDEE and subtract 20% from it using this calculator. This is the number of calories you will need on a daily basis. TDEE includes your exercise activity, so no need to eat back those calories. http://scoobysworkshop.com/accurate-calorie-calculator/

Second, forget "clean" eating. You obviously don't enjoy it and it isn't necessary for weight loss. All you need is the right number of calories, logged consistently and accurately. Get your protein up. And that's it.

So my BMR is 1493 and my TDEE is 2315.
So my calorie intake should be 1852…?
That seams soooo high!!
I feel like I could eat as much as I want and whatever I want without even having to think twice about it… how can that be?

You're not losing because you have set your goals too aggressively. With 11 pounds to lose, you should use MFP's setting of "Lose 1/2 pound per week" - I suspect you chose, "Lose 2 pounds per week." and then you didn't even eat your Exercise calories. This site is designed to be used in a certain way, and you decided to ignore all those instructions. It instructed you to choose "Lose 1 pound per week" most likely.

The suggestion to look at the Scooby calculator is right on.

Yes. Eat around 1800 a day. If you do that, don't add back in any exercise calories.

If you decided instead to reset your goals here on MFP, you would likely get around 1600. If you exercise, you would eat a little more so averaged out over the week, it would be about 1800. Same/same, just a different way to calculate.

You cannot expect to have fast weight loss with so little weight to lose. It doesn't work like that.

erinhugo

I had picked the lose .5kgs a week option..
Although looking at it when I first filled it out I wanted to lose 9 kgs…

Re doing it I find it now tells me to eat 1550 calories…

The idea of eating more worries me… but I guess what im doing isn’t exactly working so I might as well try…

I sure don’t expect fast weight loss, but I did expect some weight loss, even 1 kg, in the 6 weeks..

michellekicks

Did you tell MFP you're sedentary? Most people aren't. Most people are, at worst, lightly active. I stay home with my kids, drive around, cook dinner, take naps and go on MFP and I burn more than the "Very Active" setting according to MFP. So that could be lowering your calories more.

The reason why more is better than less is that the body can only support so much calorie deficit before adapting with hormonal and metabolic changes. The less weight you have to lose, the less of a calorie deficit it can support without jumping into those adaptations. Your calorie deficit should be probably no more than about 300 calories daily... or MFP's 1/2 lb per week loss option (.25kg or so?).

In fact, to look at you, I'd say you should just look at re-comp. Eat at maintenance and lift heavy weights 3 times a week. Cut back on the pure cardio and just lift. The body pump classes and the like aren't going to put on any significant muscle for you... especially if you're cutting calories. But increase intake and reduce reps to the 6-15 range and you'll be laughing in 6 months when you're down 2 dress sizes or more.

cmriverside

I had picked the lose .5kgs a week option..
Although looking at it when I first filled it out I wanted to lose 9 kgs…

Re doing it I find it now tells me to eat 1550 calories…

The idea of eating more worries me… but I guess what im doing isn’t exactly working so I might as well try…

I sure don’t expect fast weight loss, but I did expect some weight loss, even 1 kg, in the 6 weeks..

Awesome! So if you are choosing to use the 1550 that MFP suggests, you need to add back in and EAT More on those days you do actual exercise above just your normal job/school/home life.

So if you are riding horses or mucking stalls every day, you count that as part of your Activity Level (so you would use the highest "Active" level.)

Any additional exercise, like running or a dance class, or swimming, add in an additional 300-400 extra calories that day.

Doone33

Oh GOodness you got lots of great advice....

I agree

measure your foods and drinks and track everything... Get some scales... that not really too expensive.. WalMart has a cheap set that will work. DO NOT GUESS

Get a HRM to be sure your counting your calories correctly and not been overeating for the past four weeks

Exercise is not enough.... I have been up and down on my weight my whole life... I think I have been pretty hot and pretty fat.... LOL... I have ALWAYS exercised... so no a person can get pretty heavy if they are not watching their diet.. no matter how much they exercise!

Consider that you may not be eating enough.. but first weigh and track your diet and use your HRM before you up your calorie intake.

Are you feeling hungry? I know some people say they don't feel hungry.... I could not imagine never feeling hungry... But I always thought feeling hungry was a clue that my metabolism is working and I am loosing weight! (this is not scientific! )

Talk to your doctor about this or your gym instructor! With hands on most likely they will be able to help much more than an internet community!

Good LUCK!

erinhugo

Did you tell MFP you're sedentary? Most people aren't. Most people are, at worst, lightly active. I stay home with my kids, drive around, cook dinner, take naps and go on MFP and I burn more than the "Very Active" setting according to MFP. So that could be lowering your calories more.

The reason why more is better than less is that the body can only support so much calorie deficit before adapting with hormonal and metabolic changes. The less weight you have to lose, the less of a calorie deficit it can support without jumping into those adaptations. Your calorie deficit should be probably no more than about 300 calories daily... or MFP's 1/2 lb per week loss option (.25kg or so?).

In fact, to look at you, I'd say you should just look at re-comp. Eat at maintenance and lift heavy weights 3 times a week. Cut back on the pure cardio and just lift. The body pump classes and the like aren't going to put on any significant muscle for you... especially if you're cutting calories. But increase intake and reduce reps to the 6-15 range and you'll be laughing in 6 months when you're down 2 dress sizes or more.

Yeah I think I did actually because I have an office job..
I’ve just changed it to lightly active and a loss of .25kgs a week and now it’s put me at 1690 calorie intake.

I don’t really understand the calorie deficit stuff so I will do some research on this, me not understanding it won’t be helping lol

I will try this thanks!
Well here’s hoping that’s the outcome lol