Constructive Diary Criticism Requested

kimberlymarie30

Hello all, I'm new to the forum but not to myfitnesspal. I am 5'3", 180 lbs 32 year old female. I've gained about 8 lbs this year from a low of 172 last year. I've been logging my food, and I just started a new fitness schedule with running and strength training. I'm seeing a 0 sum loss on the scale. I gain 2 lbs then lose 4 lbs then gain those 4 lbs back. If you can see my weigh-in chart you will see what I mean. What am I doing wrong? I have my goal set at 1600 calories a day because I've read on here not to eat too little. My diary is public. I would love some constructive ideas on how to get my weightloss back on track. As of right now, none of the jeans I bought last year fit and it's almost fall.

Phoenix_Warrior

I highly suggest reading http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/975025-in-place-of-a-road-map-short-n-sweet?hl=in+the+place+of+a+road+map

As far as your diary, if you arent, I would highly suggested making sure you are weighing and measuring everything. The difference of using measuring cups for solids (and even some dense foods such as peanut butter and hummus) and using a food scale can make a huge difference. Scales will be much more accurate.

Make sure you're drinking plenty of water as some of what you are seeing gain wise could be water retention from picking up a new work out routine.

Make sure you log everything, even condiments or things that may sem trivial, as these do add up. I would also try to maybe eat more nutrient rich things. You dont have to ditch all the fun stuff, but moderation is key.

I'm sorry, I'm no expert. I've only just begun my own weight loss journey, but this is what I have seen and personally had work for me so far. I hope this helps and good luck!

Greenrun99

As LadyDeadPool suggested, read that In Place of a Road map link.. make sure you have a digital scale and you measure everything you eat.
Eat your calories instead of drinking them. Plus eat the calories you are given but try not eating exercise calories (at this stage) and eat as much protein as you can at the expense of carbs.. You should definitely try to max out your protein macro everyday and then let the carbs and fat fall in line after that.

Hildy_J

Hi there,

I just popped your weight and height into one of the calculators (given in the link by the poster above) and according to that you should be aiming for 1440 calories/day, if you're lightly active.

Your diary looks really thorough, but the weighing and measuring is crucial - so if you're eating a tbsp. of peanut butter - use those little measuring spoons and make sure it's level not heaped! Same with weighing, use a scale for everything.

It's just a case of a little tweaking and you'll be on your way! Your little girl is gorgeous, btw. :-)

Good luck!

1princesswarrior

Hi,

I looked through a few days of your diary. From what I briefly saw I would suggest trying to better equal out your protein and carbs, especially with starting a new exercise routine you will need both. Maybe add some more chicken or fish or a protein shake??

Also, you are not logging your water and are often a little over in sodium, that will cause water fluctuations as well. I drink a gallon of water a day to make sure my muscles are satisfied and I'm hydrated. But too much sodium will cause me to still retain water.

Are you also taking measurements? That will help reassure you are making progress when the scale doesn't move the way you are expecting.

Good luck!

GymRatGirl13

Hi there. I went back two days in your diary and didn't need to go any further. In two days you had the following items:

Cheesecake 2 times
Pizza
sausage bun (no clue what that is....ugh)
hot dog
frappe
lemonade

These items made up the majority of your food choices in two days.
Don't drink your calories. They are empty calories that supply your body with nothing but fat cells.

Limit your processed food items. Pizza, hot dogs, sausage buns, etc are fun, but they aren't foods that are going to supply your body with nutrients and sustained energy; and they definitely aren't going to help you lose any amount of fat off of your body.

Sugar and simple carbs: limit these, too if you are serious about losing fat. Complex carbs like oatmeal, sweet potatoes (not crinkle cut fries like you have in your diary, but actual yams or sweet potatoes), quinoa, brown rice, etc are great carb sources that should be eaten in smaller quanitites throughout the day to help with energy and to prevent you from binge eating. Protein should be consumed in every meal as well. This keeps you full and satisfied and provides your body with amino acids to sustain muscle while eating at a deficit.

It has been my experience as a figure competitor experienced in cutting body fat, that there is more to fat loss than counting calories. What you eat matters to a degree. I hope this helps and good luck!

bigdaddyjbo

Good evening,
I looked back through about 3 days of your logs and here are a few observations
1. Your sugars are very high. I would recommend replacing the cheesecake snack with something high protein (jerky, egg whites, etc)
2. Based on the last 3 days, the foods you are eating do not really provide a good deal of fiber. I would recommend upping your veggie intake.

Keep training hard AND DO NOT GET DISCOURAGED!. A good healthy weight loss goal is around 2.5 pounds per week. Make sure you are weighing yourself at the same time under the same conditions (in the morning, soon after waking, naked, etc). Ones bodyweight can fluctuate a lot during the day.

good luck

WhiteRabbit1313

I suggest, that if you're not going to do any majorly strenuous fitness training program, or it's equivalent, I wouldn't track exercise. I really think those numbers are inflated on MFP and they allow you to "earn" calories, which could be a pitfall for some of us. (Like ME!) Personally, I'm sedentary to moderately active and have my goal set at 1300 calories/day, and that seems to satisfy me pretty well. (At first, I set my goal at 1200, but was having trouble not going over, so I raised it to 1300, and that seemed to help.)

sobriquet84

i would suggesting seeing about getting a metabolic panel done by your doc. you could be sensitive to certain macros. i did notice that your diet is very carb heavy and you're not getting that much protein. i would strongly suggest increasing your protein (while obviously keeping your daily total calories the same.) my net carbs (total carbs minus fiber) to protein ratio is around 1:1.

WhiteRabbit1313

As for the naysayers on processed foods (which I prefer not to eat most of the time, either). You CAN lose weight on pizza, lemonade, sausage buns, cheesecake, etc. (I've DONE it!), BUT you won't be allowed to eat as much, quantity-wise, and you're not doing your body any favors. Try finding healthier, more nutrient dense substitutes. Cheesecake, imo, is totally fine, but eat 3-4 bites, not a full slice. Try flavored teas without artificial sweeteners to replace your lemonade, etc., when water isn't cutting it. Personally, I prefer more solid food to drinking my calories, so aside from alcoholic beverages (high cal!) and tomato juice (low cal!), I don't really waste calories there. Lastly, veggies. Learn how to prepare and enjoy your veggies. Sautéed spinach, cauliflower, and green beans are favorites of mine. Use herbs, spices, oils, and butter (small portions on oil and butter), because they greatly enhance the flavor AND fats help you absorb the nutrients better.

Remember, this is about progress, not perfection, and the one thing I've learned from all of my diet research is that the bottom line truly is calories in vs. calories out. Don't waste your time, or sanity, counting carbs, etc. BTDT and it sucked! Just count calories.

kimberlymarie30

Thanks everyone. The last couple of days are not necessarily representative of the way I've been eating the last few months, but that's okay. We went to a festival over the weekend and I refuse to deny myself when everyone else is having fun. If it was truly calories in/calories out then I should be losing at least a little and I'm just not. I also drink 4 16 oz tumblers of water at work every day. Then I have more water when I'm at home during the evening and when I work out.
I've read the Roadmap. The TDEE I calculated a few months ago was 2196 I took 27% of that and came to 1600 calories a day. If I'm eating at a deficit then I should be losing according to the many forums I've read here.
And for those who think I'm just someone who can't be dedicated to lose weight. I'm actually down 70 lbs since having my daughter almost 5 years ago. I got sidetracked last year because I had poison ivy over half of my upper body and the doctors put me on Prednisone which made me gain and I haven't been able to take it off again.

Phoenix_Warrior

Thanks everyone. The last couple of days are not necessarily representative of the way I've been eating the last few months, but that's okay. We went to a festival over the weekend and I refuse to deny myself when everyone else is having fun. If it was truly calories in/calories out then I should be losing at least a little and I'm just not. I also drink 4 16 oz tumblers of water at work every day. Then I have more water when I'm at home during the evening and when I work out.
I've read the Roadmap. The TDEE I calculated a few months ago was 2196 I took 27% of that and came to 1600 calories a day. If I'm eating at a deficit then I should be losing according to the many forums I've read here.
And for those who think I'm just someone who can't be dedicated to lose weight. I'm actually down 70 lbs since having my daughter almost 5 years ago. I got sidetracked last year because I had poison ivy over half of my upper body and the doctors put me on Prednisone which made me gain and I haven't been able to take it off again.

Do you weigh and measure your food?

kimberlymarie30

I think that weighing and measuring is probably my downfall here. However, how did I lose 70 lbs without measuring my food? I've eaten processed foods the whole time, and I still lost 70 lbs. I work full time and run a photography business on the side so I don't have a lot of time to prepare food at home.

silken555

If you only have 8lbs you want to lose then you need to recalculate your TDEE to -10%. The less you need to lose or the closer to goal you get, the more your body resists loss.

-27% is a LOT. Even if you want to lose 20lbs or more, a percentage that high is really only recommended for obese people with 100lbs+ to lose. It's better for your body to stay within the 10-20% range depending on where you are in your journey.

wilsoje74

If you are no longer losing then you probably need to either lower your calories or increase your exercise. You don't need a lot of time to make healthy meals. But salad ingredients, add a protein, lots of fruits and veggies. You can have some processed foods but make it a treat not daily. And you said you don't want to deprive yourself when everyone else is eating. However you do need to change some habits. Eat one treat or smaller portions.

Hildy_J

I think that weighing and measuring is probably my downfall here. However, how did I lose 70 lbs without measuring my food? I've eaten processed foods the whole time, and I still lost 70 lbs. I work full time and run a photography business on the side so I don't have a lot of time to prepare food at home.

According to your TDEE calculation, you put the setting as 'moderately active' - I think that's for people who run 30 miles a week, from what I can remember of the roadmap post. Perhaps switch it down to 'lightly active' if that'll paint a truer picture.

You're doing great! Just keep that scale out in the kitchen and get one for work, too. xx

sobriquet84

I think that weighing and measuring is probably my downfall here. However, how did I lose 70 lbs without measuring my food? I've eaten processed foods the whole time, and I still lost 70 lbs. I work full time and run a photography business on the side so I don't have a lot of time to prepare food at home.

the more you have to lose, the easier/faster you're going to lose it.

i appreciate you making yoru diary public and asking for honest feedback, but there's only so much advice we can give you if you're going to make excuses. i applaud you on your 70lb weight loss, that's huge and a great acheivement. but i sense you making excuses so that you don't "really" have to make any changes. measure your food, its not that hard. "preparing" foods isn't that hard either. for breakfast, take a couple hard boiled eggs and an apple with you (I hard boil eggs for the week every Sunday night). snack on things like almonds, string cheese, yogurt, vegetables and fruits, heck go out and buy a box of protein bars (I recommend Quest bars ONLY) and throw one in your purse. these things literally take SECONDS to do in the morning.

xoeva

Hi... I looked at your food diary and would recommend you not drink any of your calories (unless it's non fat milk). Maybe try water with a squirt of lemon in a fancy glass instead of lemonade. Also try eating twice as many vegetables cooked or raw ... really measure your portions... and most imporatanly try eating natural/whole foods. Try to eat food that looks like what it looked like when it was grown. For examplem an apple, an egg look like what they look like when the chicken lays it or the tree grows it...not so much with cheese cake and hotdogs. Maybe have a one meal out of the 21 meals a week that you can indulge (in moderation). My meal is Friday night's dinner.

kimberlymarie30

It's pretty obvious that no one is actually looking at my diary and are only going back the last couple of days. That's okay, I live in the real world where people work and don't have all day everyday to obsess about what they are eating. I stay within my calories and am not losing. Like I said, if it was truly calories in/calories out I would be losing. I'm not. You people have no explanation for that in your little world, so you start attacking me for one bad day over the weekend. My husband bought me a Sara Lee cheesecake for our anniversary. We've been having the exact serving for almost a week now. It's taken that long to eat the whole thing between the two of us.
This just makes me want to cry because I refuse to be one of those people that is constantly thinking about everything I eat. Those people are so annoying to me. I've been told time and time again that it is calories in/calories out. Is that wrong?
I'm taking this challenge. I'm going to measure everything I eat from now on. Maybe that's where this is going wrong, although I don't think I'm eating 2196 or over a day, so I shouldn't be at maintenance. This makes no sense.

Hildy_J

Forget the people telling you 'cheesecake is evil' or whatever, they're just bringing their own stuff to the party. Yes it is purely about calories in and calories out, for weight loss.

I'd cry if I'd had poison ivy and then I was slammed for eating cheesecake. Seriously. Anyway I have cake every day - otherwise what would be the point in living?

Like I said, wind your activity level down a notch on your TDEE from 'moderate' to 'lightly' active, take off 20% and you'll be good to go.

Don't be discouraged - stick with it. You can do this. You will do this. Come on! xx

sobriquet84

It's pretty obvious that no one is actually looking at my diary and are only going back the last couple of days. That's okay, I live in the real world where people work and don't have all day everyday to obsess about what they are eating. I stay within my calories and am not losing. Like I said, if it was truly calories in/calories out I would be losing. I'm not. You people have no explanation for that in your little world, so you start attacking me for one bad day over the weekend. My husband bought me a Sara Lee cheesecake for our anniversary. We've been having the exact serving for almost a week now. It's taken that long to eat the whole thing between the two of us.
This just makes me want to cry because I refuse to be one of those people that is constantly thinking about everything I eat. Those people are so annoying to me. I've been told time and time again that it is calories in/calories out. Is that wrong?
I'm taking this challenge. I'm going to measure everything I eat from now on. Maybe that's where this is going wrong, although I don't think I'm eating 2196 or over a day, so I shouldn't be at maintenance. This makes no sense.

lol, well, i looked at several weeks worth of your diary.

if you're going to throw a tantrum, then don't ask for advice.

by the way, i'm pretty sure most, if not all, the other people on this thread work too. you're not the only one with a job. i have a career and a family too.