Back Again.... I am stuck

oakster69
oakster69 Posts: 78 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I started my weight loss journey about 6 months ago. I wanted to lose 200 pounds. I am 52 years old, 6' 4" and was about 440 pounds at my highest. I was 432 when I got back onto MFP. I started by tracking calories and eating more home cooked meals. I was losing about a pound a day at first and it slowed to about 4 pounds a week. I knew that pace wouldnt last. In 3 months I dropped right at 50 pounds. That was October 1st, when I went elk hunting. I lost a few pounds over the 5 days I was hunting but since that time, I have not lost a pound. I am keeping my calories at 2300 a day. I mostly eat the same thing when I am at home and I am pretty good with my calorie tracking. When I travel for work, I track everything the best I can. Sometimes I have to use estimates to compare a similar food to estimate calories. This last week I added treadmill time for walking (its icy outside) and I have been burning between averaging 450 calories a day. I understand a week isnt long, but I was hoping it would change things up and get the needle moving again. The scale is just stuck between 378 and 380... with daily variations being the minor change. I am starting to get very disappointed... having watched 2.5 months go by without progress.

Any ideas on how to get the needle moving again?

Replies

  • JBanx256
    JBanx256 Posts: 1,479 Member
    oakster69 wrote: »
    I am pretty good with my calorie tracking

    That's what jumps out at me first. If you're not accurately weighing & measuring, you're really just guessing. Tighten that up and work from there.

    Also, understand that the calories whatever piece of equipment (meaning the treadmill itself or your smartwatch or whatever) says you are burning, is not necessarily very accurate, so take that with a grain of salt. If you're overestimating your CO, but underestimating your CI, it would be pretty easy to inadvertently just hover in maintenance. Regardless though, it's great that you've added some physical activity!

  • oakster69
    oakster69 Posts: 78 Member
    I thought about the estimating too, and being an Engineer, its easy to reduce it to calories in and calories out. I have rebalanced my calories, and rounded down to the next hundred. I am pretty sedentary with a desk job. What doesnt make sense is to go from great progress to no progress. I do need to tighten up my recording, but I should be at 1000+ deficit and it is hard to believe that I am missing it by that amount, which is 50% of what I take in each day.
  • callsitlikeiseeit
    callsitlikeiseeit Posts: 8,626 Member
    Without an open diary, the only thing i will pretty much ever say, is that it is entirely possible you are eating more than you think you are, especially if you are eating back any exercise calories (are you, how are you calculating those and how many are you eating back?)

    let me tell you a story of my people. or just me.

    i used to weigh 378 pounds. that was 2014. today, im in the 160ish range. depends on the day.

    2014.

    2021 (almost 22).

    I will say, I lost the majority of that in a TWO YEAR time frame, maintained for a long time, and restarted this year (which has been about a 50 some pound loss). about 30 to go and it will come off as it comes of. im maintaining this month because i need a freaking break.

    In any case, If you want us to help you, open your diary. Its really the only way we CAN help, is to actually SEE whats going on. You admit your logging isnt accurate, so I'd bet a whole lot of weight I've lost, thats where the problem is... somewhere in there.
  • Walkywalkerson
    Walkywalkerson Posts: 456 Member
    Like everyone has said it's all about correct calorie tracking.
    With a food scale - guesstimates don't work.
    It's really easy to go way over your calories with drinks and condiments too or if you're picking at food throughout the day.
    At your weight you should definitely be losing at 2300 cals a day.
    Tweak the calorie counting, its the only way!
    It's nearly always the calories that prevent weight loss.
    Maybe you're overestimating your exercise calories too.
    Congrats on the first 50lbs though 😊
  • oakster69
    oakster69 Posts: 78 Member
    Sounds good guys. I will try to do better at weighing everything. I will also open my food diary. I did not know it was closed.
  • mrmota70
    mrmota70 Posts: 533 Member
    Be ready for plateaus along your journey to a lifestyle that is sustainable for the long term. Don’t be solely concerned with the number on the scale. I use to be in your weight range. I’m 6 ft at 51. I’ve been in a plateau with the same 10 lbs since August. Up and down. In that time frame I’ve continued to increase to longer jogs and even managed to go for a 10 mile one. In that time frame I’ve managed to get into size 30 pants. So while weight isn’t coming off it’s likely I’ve been adding some muscle here and there. You need to keep all the additional wins in mind. You’ll get there just keep at it. Good thing you took up the walking. I walked for close to a year before I started jogging in earnest. Being older I cannot ask for the body to do what I was able to do when I was half my age. On occasion old injuries and new ones may pop up and I revert back to walking while I recover. You’ve done a good job so far keep at it brother.
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 34,223 Member
    oakster69 wrote: »
    Update... everyone was right! I started tracking closer, using the food scale, etc. I also cut out the snacking a bit. I was never doing what I thought was much, but I was using the Smartfood White Cheddar Popcorn like potato chips and having a serving or a serving and a half every day (unmeasured) and even though it fit into my calorie number, it wasnt as good as eating better, cleaner food to fill my calorie number. Also, being able to eat a few more homeprepped meals allowed me to get more food from vegetables etc. It is amazing how one big salad a day in one meal with chicken etc, helps make all my macro numbers fit so much better. When I eat a salad for part of my lunch or dinner, my macros seem to come in all together, close to the goals. When I dont, I normally get protien close, but the other two not as much. Thanks for the help all

    Hooray! Thanks for coming back to let the Community know how you were able to work through the problem, and move toward your goals more effectively. Keep up the good efforts, success is ahead!
  • JBanx256
    JBanx256 Posts: 1,479 Member
    oakster69 wrote: »
    Update... everyone was right! I started tracking closer, using the food scale, etc. I also cut out the snacking a bit. I was never doing what I thought was much, but I was using the Smartfood White Cheddar Popcorn like potato chips and having a serving or a serving and a half every day (unmeasured) and even though it fit into my calorie number, it wasnt as good as eating better, cleaner food to fill my calorie number. Also, being able to eat a few more homeprepped meals allowed me to get more food from vegetables etc. It is amazing how one big salad a day in one meal with chicken etc, helps make all my macro numbers fit so much better. When I eat a salad for part of my lunch or dinner, my macros seem to come in all together, close to the goals. When I dont, I normally get protien close, but the other two not as much. Thanks for the help all

    AWESOME!!! Glad you got it sorted and are back on track :)
  • dontlikepeople
    dontlikepeople Posts: 142 Member
    "I understand a week isnt long,"

    That's 100% of this.

    Don't freak out because the scale doesn't move for a week or two. It is never going to be fully linear. If you're eating at a deficit and being active, the weight will come off in time, but it is never going to be like clock work. Think in terms of months and years, not days and weeks.

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