eating back some of my exercise calories, not losing

nebakanessa

I was wondering if anyone had a suggestion for me. My daily calorie allotment is 1270, I exercise a lot (300 to 600+ calories of cardio 5 days a week, + strength training on 3 days) , so MFP tells me to eat back most of those calories. I usually don't eat them all back, i try not to go over 1500 calories. I was losing steadily (1 to 2 pounds a week, occasionally 3 pounds) , now I am stuck! Scale is not budging. Should I not eat back my exercise calories? Or am I over-exercising? From what I'm reading, "starvation mode" is a myth, and from that perspective, I am not eating too little. So confused!

LucyKreczak

Try and change the way you work out, your body plateaus when you get into a routine of dieting and exercising and you need to mix it up after a while to keep seeing improvements. What kind of workouts are you doing? Muscle weighs more than fat too so maybe the more your working out the more your staying the same due to muscle/fat ratio. Try measure yourself and go from measurements rather than the scales or take photographs as your body shape may be changing due to muscle mass. Don't be disheartened and I wouldn't think going under 1500 calories a day was healthy. Keep up the hard work!

Hildy_J

Hey there,

It might be an idea to open your food diary so people can work out what the discrepancy is. But only if you're comfortable with that. Do you log everything and is it all weighed and measured?

Well done for all that exercising btw - you must be as fit as a flea! :-)

sloNsteady

Not eating your cardio calories back would bring your net calories under 1000k per day. That sounds very low. Sometimes it takes me a 2 week period of daily weight averages to get a good picture before I can make adjustments to my plan if i'm stalled.. It is indeed a marathon.. I would keep at it but don't be afraid to get your 1300 daily calories if thats your number...And you are not "over exercising", very few of us on this site ever come close to that, more towards the elite athletes..

nebakanessa

I do tend to do the same things at the gym. I will try mixing it up more. (I usually do the arc trainer or elliptical, then i do some machines like the lat pulldown, chest press, leg press, abs). I do measure 95% of my food, occasionally I estimate when I'm eating at work for example. Maybe I am eating more than I think? I guess that would make sense if I have been consistently under-reporting, that when I was heavier I would lose despite the under-reported calories, but now that I am a bit lighter it's not working anymore. And I'm going to go find a tape measure! Thanks for your ideas/encouragement!

Francl27

Stalls are a normal part of weight loss. As long as you're logging your food accurately, you will lose weight. I'd also make sure you're not overestimating your exercise calories in the first place.

lisapr123

I'd suggest mixing it up. When I'm at a plateau I normally switch exercise up (go from running to spin, or lifting weights to kettle bells) and/or mess with my food. Sometimes all it takes is me eating a couple hundred extra calories to kick my metabolism into high gear and I start lo lose again.

p_e_t_e

Adding to the suggest tape measure, try to find a scale that shows body fat. Maybe your gym has one or you buy one online. Following your body fat probably gives you a better indication of where you are going and if you are really plateauing, or if you are just building more muscle.

igotabulletproofheart

Whoever researched the info that MFP give to everyone should research again. Starvation mode has been proven to be big BS for the vast majority of us (see here: http://fitnessblackbook.com/main/starvation-mode-why-you-probably-never-need-to-worry-about-it/) and you don't have to eat your calories back. The whole point of a "calorie deficit" is exactly that -- a deficit..

janicelo1971

losing 1-3 pounds a week is a LARGE amount of weight loss...I guess it depends on your size and amount of weight needed to lose...I am happy losing 3 pounds a month! Anyway, yes, I would change up your work up and realize your gaining muscle also which weighs more then fat...try to go by body measurements verses the scale....

nebakanessa

I was just being impatient and silly. I overestimated the time that the scale was not moving. I have lost a lb in a week. I think I had become accustom to larger losses, and panicked when I didn't see anything in a week. I really appreciate all of the feedback though!

3dogsrunning

A great read on "starvation mode". Regardless of either it exists or not there are downfalls of eating too little.

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1077746-starvation-mode-adaptive-thermogenesis-and-weight-loss


Opening your diary would be really helpful.

Ninkyou

Definitely give it more time. It'll take longer than a week to adjust.