Weight loss seems more difficult because of exercise

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  • chandanista
    chandanista Posts: 986 Member
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    Tracking your input is absolutely vital to the process. If you don't know how much you are eating, or how much you are burning, you really have no way to logically plan any possible changes or pinpoint where the "problem" is.

    I will say, I have eaten at maintenance and done a ton of exercise this month; my goal was to increase my endurance so I'll continue to be strong as I get closer to goal weight. There is nothing wrong with doing that, if you want to. However, if I had not been tracking my intake, I am willing to bet I would have gained a few pounds back as I am very hungry the morning after a workout. So far, my weight fluxes between .5-2 pounds higher than it was when I went onto maintenance. If I wasn't tracking, I wouldn't be able to see where my sodium was high, or of course my muscles are recuperating from yesterday's burn.

    TL;DR Track your calories or you won't be able to reach your goal.
  • 81Katz
    81Katz Posts: 7,074 Member
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    A site that bases its premise of success on calorie/exercise tracking won't work for you if you don't ever plan on tracking the amount of food your consume.

    Just saying ... :wink:
  • elsdonward
    elsdonward Posts: 81 Member
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    If you cannot track your calories - suggest you watch the type of food that you eat - avoiding greasy or fatty foods, junk and processed foods and artificial sweeteners. Also reduce dairy and butter/cheese products - no pastries, cakes, crisps etc - find really lightweight alternatives. Make sure that you fuel up on starches, rice and potatoes before your exercise

    Good lock spacehopper!!
  • slim4health56
    slim4health56 Posts: 439 Member
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    Weight loss is 75% diet, 25% exercise. You track your exercise (7 hours a week is commendable, by the way) so there is 25% of the puzzle. If you'd like to complete the puzzle and plug in the remaining 75% of this mystery you've got going, you'll need to track your food. Wishing you success!
  • LoraF83
    LoraF83 Posts: 15,694 Member
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    Don't be surprised by the results you don't get for the work you didn't do.


    If you're trying to lose weight using MFP, this program requires you to log all of your food and exercise. If you're unwilling to do that, then you probably won't be losing weight. Tracking only takes a few minutes a day. Somehow you had time to post this thread, but no time to enter your breakfast? Does not compute.

    Try again in a few months when you can make it a priority to do the work required to lose weight using MFP.
  • healthy4life4mykids
    healthy4life4mykids Posts: 84
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    In the time it took you to write this post, you could have logged your entire day. It takes me less than 5 minutes every day.

    I disagree. It takes me a lot of time, though I still do it because I know I'll over do my calories if I don't. But it takes me a looong time. The food database is so vast, its hard sometimes to find the items that I eat, in the proper measurements. Often I can find the food, but not in ounces or I'm looking for grams and its in cups, etc. It can be really frustrating, not to mention if you eat more or plans change you have to go and re-do things. Maybe OP just doesn't want to deal with it.

    To OP- If I know I'm putting in a good work out I try to eat a decent meal before, if I'm still hungry after I'll eat a small portion of protein and some fruits or veggies to fill me up.
  • ArroganceInStep
    ArroganceInStep Posts: 6,239 Member
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    I don't track calories and I won't start doing that now.

    Can't help you.
  • QuietBloom
    QuietBloom Posts: 5,413 Member
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    For me, walking is the best exercise for losing weight, because it doesn't create a huge increase in hunger. I also do limited muscle work - just enough to keep everything where it is and active, so that it doesn't get cannibalized. Once the weight is off, then I can increase my exercise levels and not gain the weight back. Again, this is just my experience.
  • RGv2
    RGv2 Posts: 5,789 Member
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    How can you say you keep yourself from overeating, but than say you're not sure if you're in a deficit?

    Not sure what "athletics" is, but if it's a sport of some sort it is probably helping you maintain muscle mass. When you diet without some sort of routine to help maintain muscle mass, the lbs can come off quicker because you're losing both fat and muscle. When you mix a caloric deficit with exercise that helps maintain muscle mass you will lose WEIGHT slower, but inches faster because you're only losing fat. But if you're just guessing at what your intake is vs calories burned, weight loss stops, and you don't lose inches....you're probably not guessing very well.
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
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    If you're trying to lose weight using MFP, this program requires you to log all of your food and exercise. If you're unwilling to do that, then you probably won't be losing weight. Tracking only takes a few minutes a day. Somehow you had time to post this thread, but no time to enter your breakfast? Does not compute.

    I've been on MFP for over 2 years. In that time I have lost weight, maintained the loss, now losing a bit more. I've never logged all my food or exercise. I do log most of my exercise but logging all my food does take too much time. And, quite frankly, a lot of guessing because of all the multiple listings for food, unable to get accurate counts when not eating food I prepared.

    Due to the multiple listings in the MFP database it's almost always necessary to go to other sites to confirm which entry is correct. That is very time consuming.
  • thesophierose
    thesophierose Posts: 754 Member
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    Tracking takes maybe 5 minutes per day. How do you not have time for that, but you have time to come and post here?

    I was thinking the same thing.

    If you are not wanting to count you have to be mindful of portion and density. But really counting on here especially doesn't take much time at all!
  • 1princesswarrior
    1princesswarrior Posts: 1,242 Member
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    I agree you need to log your food. If you can't/won't just fill up on veggies for the next two months after a workout and eat like you did before you added exercise. But you also need to make sure you are getting enough protein and carbs to fuel your workouts - i.e. you need to track what you are eating
  • Queen8shaq
    Queen8shaq Posts: 46
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    Well.. come back in 2 months when you're ready to log and I'm sure we can be a lot more helpful. If you aren't willing to track your calories, then I guess you really don't want to lose weight. It takes me about 5 minutes MAX per day to log everything, I know you have that amount of time to spare. Hell, go to bed 5 minutes later and log.

    Exactly!
  • SteveHunt113
    SteveHunt113 Posts: 648 Member
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    It's been said before, but I gotta join the crowd:

    If you have no idea how many calories you are taking in (or burning), you are unlikely to be successful. I'm pretty devoted to tracking my food intake. I spend maybe 10 minutes per day doing it. I have a scale at work and a scale at home. From week to week, I pretty much eat the same thing with the variable on how much of something I eat. It's very easy to find the food I'm looking for and modify the quantity.

    At diner time, I spend about an extra minute weighing my food as I put it on my plate. After dinner, I log the meal. Even in situations like corn on the cob where I have to double weigh to get an accurate reading of how much corn I ate, it's still not that much time.

    You can continue to make excuses, or you can take the 10 minutes to log and know what you are up against.
  • Hildy_J
    Hildy_J Posts: 1,050 Member
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    Ahem. I know it goes against the current, here, but it IS possible to lose weight without ever tracking calories.

    There's more than one way to skin a cat. And (for the vegetarians among you) there's more than one way to peel a carrot.

    Just sayin'... :wink:
  • jofjltncb6
    jofjltncb6 Posts: 34,415 Member
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    BTW: I don't track calories and I won't start doing that now.

    :huh:
    Any thoughts on this / advice?

    Nope.

    Good luck with all of your health and fitness goals. :flowerforyou:




    ETA:
    Ahem. I know it goes against the current, here, but it IS possible to lose weight without ever tracking calories.

    Just sayin'... :wink:

    *Possible*, sure...

    ...but if you ever find yourself dissatisfied with your results, an obvious first thing to consider will be tracking calories. Wishing that wasn't the answer won't make it less so.
  • LoraF83
    LoraF83 Posts: 15,694 Member
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    If you're trying to lose weight using MFP, this program requires you to log all of your food and exercise. If you're unwilling to do that, then you probably won't be losing weight. Tracking only takes a few minutes a day. Somehow you had time to post this thread, but no time to enter your breakfast? Does not compute.

    I've been on MFP for over 2 years. In that time I have lost weight, maintained the loss, now losing a bit more. I've never logged all my food or exercise. I do log most of my exercise but logging all my food does take too much time. And, quite frankly, a lot of guessing because of all the multiple listings for food, unable to get accurate counts when not eating food I prepared.

    Due to the multiple listings in the MFP database it's almost always necessary to go to other sites to confirm which entry is correct. That is very time consuming.

    So what would your advice be to the OP?
  • silken555
    silken555 Posts: 477 Member
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    You're either committed to weight loss or you're merely interested. You alone can decide which you are.

    Meanwhile, without tracking, no one here can really help you.
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
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    Continue to eat the way you are, chances are you are over eating but the only way you will ever know if you are in a deficit is to actually count calories. Why even come to MFP if you aren't going to use the tools?

    Stop making excuses and suck it up.

    re: "the only way you will ever know if you are in a deficit is to actually count calories" :huh:

    So ... fat loss would not be a clue that one was in a deficit?
  • Hildy_J
    Hildy_J Posts: 1,050 Member
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    Ahem. I know it goes against the current, here, but it IS possible to lose weight without ever tracking calories.

    Just sayin'... :wink:
    *Possible*, sure...

    ...but if you ever find yourself dissatisfied with your results, an obvious first thing to consider will be tracking calories. Wishing that wasn't the answer won't make it less so.

    The dude's lost 40lb without tracking a mouthful. Which is more than most of the people replying to him.

    I think he's just saying it's harder to lose weight when you're exercising really hard. Which I agree with.

    ALL the people posting 'STOP MAKING EXCUSES SUCK IT UP' are a bit much, tbh. Relax. Live and let live.

    Peace out.

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