11 Reasons You’re Failing To Lose Fat
Replies
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I've been eating around 900 calories (sometimes less) for almost a month,
Oh yeah?
Open your diary.
We have a mr skeptic. It's open now, but I didn't record the whole month and I use another website to count calories (mostly because english is not my native language and I'm not going to pick up the dictionary everytime I log in food here). So, you won't find the specific food I ate.
It is not open.
Perhaps you can link us to the diary on the other site?
Frankly, it's virtually impossible to believe you have averaged 900 calories for a month with no weight loss, unless you are 4' tall, 50 lbs, and in a coma.
I suspect you are doing something very wrong in terms of logging food, and I would like to - for your benefit as well as ours - peruse your diary in an attempt to identify where you're messing up.
I don't know how this work. http://www.myfitnesspal.com/food/diary/likeaslidingrock
Maybe I'm doing wrong the food logging, but months ago I was logging the same way, with different results. Even without logging at all, I know I'm eating much less. That's my point and my frustration
edit: the other site I use is only to count calories (www.calorie.it) , not to track them. this is the only diary I have0 -
Bumping to read later.0
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I've been eating around 900 calories (sometimes less) for almost a month,
Oh yeah?
Open your diary.
We have a mr skeptic. It's open now, but I didn't record the whole month and I use another website to count calories (mostly because english is not my native language and I'm not going to pick up the dictionary everytime I log in food here). So, you won't find the specific food I ate.
It is not open.
Perhaps you can link us to the diary on the other site?
Frankly, it's virtually impossible to believe you have averaged 900 calories for a month with no weight loss, unless you are 4' tall, 50 lbs, and in a coma.
I suspect you are doing something very wrong in terms of logging food, and I would like to - for your benefit as well as ours - peruse your diary in an attempt to identify where you're messing up.
900 calories??????????????????? GTFOH!!!0 -
I've been eating around 900 calories (sometimes less) for almost a month,
Oh yeah?
Open your diary.
We have a mr skeptic. It's open now, but I didn't record the whole month and I use another website to count calories (mostly because english is not my native language and I'm not going to pick up the dictionary everytime I log in food here). So, you won't find the specific food I ate.
It is not open.
Perhaps you can link us to the diary on the other site?
Frankly, it's virtually impossible to believe you have averaged 900 calories for a month with no weight loss, unless you are 4' tall, 50 lbs, and in a coma.
I suspect you are doing something very wrong in terms of logging food, and I would like to - for your benefit as well as ours - peruse your diary in an attempt to identify where you're messing up.
I don't know how this work. http://www.myfitnesspal.com/food/diary/likeaslidingrock
Maybe I'm doing wrong the food logging, but months ago I was logging the same way, with different results. Even without logging at all, I know I'm eating much less. That's my point and my frustration
You're hardly logging anything. Quick Add Calories all over the place and they're all nice round whole numbers like 50 and 300, so you're obviously not weighing food and portions and being strict with logging. Some days are obviously missing entire meals, or several meals. Most days that have what appear to be a full day's worth of food logged are well over 900.
Long story short: your diary makes it obvious you are not eating 900 calories a day.0 -
I've been eating around 900 calories (sometimes less) for almost a month, I've done 40 minutes (sometimes up to an hour) of stationary bike every morning before breakfast and in the last week I've done 4 days of the 30 day shred.
I'm also 40 kg overweight.
Haven't lost a pound. So, I guess I'm still eating too much. Will 800 calories do it?
Re-read the article.
Either you are under estimating how much you are actually eating (use a kitchen scale for solid foods (pre-cooked), and measuring cups for liquids), over estimating your caloric burn, or have a medical issue.0 -
At first, it's a guesstimate. But after a month or so you have some good data to go by -- average calories/week and average weight loss/week. That's really all you need. Most websites claim the difference is going to be minimal though -- on the order of 10-20% -- assuming you account for everything you eat and do correctly.How does one know with any accuracy how many calories their body uses a day? There is only one way to know what your metabolic rate is, and even the RMR test isn't very accurate.If someone is unable to shed pounds, yet is accurately tracking calories and is eating at a deficit every day, I recommend that person get a RMR test done. They may just have a very efficient metabolism and need to eat a lot less than would be considered the norm for their age and gender.
I think that more often than not, people think they're tracking things accurately but aren't.0 -
I've done all those things. Four years without a real loss. I finally stopped gaining when I got rid of my IUD. But still can't lose. Never had a problem before that.If you are accurately logging your calories (measuring your portions, etc) and accurately logging your exercise (from a HRM), and still not losing, I would consult with a physician.
I always knew I was special, though.0 -
Okay, but I actually do have thyroid problems that hinder my weight loss from time to time. I'm down 129lbs, but it's taking a longer time for me to get to where I want to be then it would for someone without thyroid or metabolic issues.
andI have to second (third?) this statement. As a woman with PCOS I can tell you that it's very frustrating to be told - "Just eat less" all the time. I am eating less and I am losing weight - just much more slowly than I would like.
<snipped>
The with these two statements is...Longer time/just more slowly but you still lose weight at a reasonable deficet....0 -
What a silly thing to write. Surely if your using My Fitness it tells you when you complete your diary that your consuming to few calories. By eating such a minimal amount your actually putting your body into starvation mode which is why your probably putting on weight. Before you start dieting maybe you should do research rather than asking silly questions. Faddy diets don't help all you need to acheive the best results is a well balanced nutrional and exercise plan.
"starvation mode" does not make you gain. You will just lower your BMR/RMR/maintenance, meaning your deficit is smaller than you think it is, meaning slower weight loss, not weight gain, can't gain in a deficit, unless its water weight or build up of poop in your digestive tract.0 -
I've been eating around 900 calories (sometimes less) for almost a month,
Oh yeah?
Open your diary.
We have a mr skeptic. It's open now, but I didn't record the whole month and I use another website to count calories (mostly because english is not my native language and I'm not going to pick up the dictionary everytime I log in food here). So, you won't find the specific food I ate.
It is not open.
Perhaps you can link us to the diary on the other site?
Frankly, it's virtually impossible to believe you have averaged 900 calories for a month with no weight loss, unless you are 4' tall, 50 lbs, and in a coma.
I suspect you are doing something very wrong in terms of logging food, and I would like to - for your benefit as well as ours - peruse your diary in an attempt to identify where you're messing up.
I don't know how this work. http://www.myfitnesspal.com/food/diary/likeaslidingrock
Maybe I'm doing wrong the food logging, but months ago I was logging the same way, with different results. Even without logging at all, I know I'm eating much less. That's my point and my frustration
You're hardly logging anything. Quick Add Calories all over the place and they're all nice round whole numbers like 50 and 300, so you're obviously not weighing food and portions and being strict with logging. Some days are obviously missing entire meals, or several meals. Most days that have what appear to be a full day's worth of food logged are well over 900.
Long story short: your diary makes it obvious you are not eating 900 calories a day.
As I said, I use another website to count the calories, then I log an approximation. If it says 43 calories, I log in 50. . Because I'm always afraid of underestimating the calories I'm eating. I DO WEIGHT THE FOOD. EVERY SINGLE PIECE OF FOOD. I eat with a piece of paper next to me, I write the food and the exact amount, I look at the calories on calorie.it then I quickly log them here.
And as I said, I do often skip breakfast (I sometimes also mistakenly log the lunch as " breakfast"). I did fail to log a couple a meals, but I didn't overeat (one time I remember I ate a sandwich a beer).
As I said, I restarted logging here only a couple of weeks ago, where, yes, I ate over 1200 calories per day twice. But I also ate less than 900 more than once, especially in the first weeks, where I was even more strict with myself.0 -
As I said, I use another website to count the calories, then I log an approximation. If it says 43 calories, I log in 50. . Because I'm always afraid of underestimating the calories I'm eating. I DO WEIGHT THE FOOD. EVERY SINGLE PIECE OF FOOD. I eat with a piece of paper next to me, I write the food and the exact amount, I look at the calories on calorie.it then I quickly log them here.
And as I said, I do often skip breakfast (I sometimes also mistakenly log the lunch as " breakfast"). I did fail to log a couple a meals, but I didn't overeat (one time I remember I ate a sandwich a beer).
As I said, I restarted logging here only a couple of weeks ago, where, yes, I ate over 1200 calories per day twice. But I also ate less than 900 more than once, especially in the first weeks, where I was even more strict with myself.
If you actually start logging your food accurately and consistently, you'll be able to more easily see why you're not making progress. Quick Add Calories of round numbers, unlogged meals, and long periods of time without logging are not going to cut it.
You're not losing weight because you're not accurately monitoring what you're consuming. Which is kind of the point of the OP.0 -
I've been eating around 900 calories (sometimes less) for almost a month, I've done 40 minutes (sometimes up to an hour) of stationary bike every morning before breakfast and in the last week I've done 4 days of the 30 day shred.
I'm also 40 kg overweight.
Haven't lost a pound. So, I guess I'm still eating too much. Will 800 calories do it?
a lot of your calories are quick add calories and most weekend days you don't completely log at all. That makes it extremely difficult to try and help.0 -
I've been eating around 900 calories (sometimes less) for almost a month, I've done 40 minutes (sometimes up to an hour) of stationary bike every morning before breakfast and in the last week I've done 4 days of the 30 day shred.
I'm also 40 kg overweight.
Haven't lost a pound. So, I guess I'm still eating too much. Will 800 calories do it?
The article actually addresses you specifically:
"So then what about that girl who claims to be “eating 800 calories per day and still isn’t losing weight?” Simple… she’s wrong. In reality, she’s miscalculating, underestimating and/or under-reporting her calorie intake and is consuming more than the 800 or whatever calories she claims to be. (Or, eating 800 calories most days is causing her to binge like crazy on other days, thus creating a wonderful scenario where she’s starving herself with very low calories some days, and then binge eating very high calories on others. In the end, the ‘binge calories’ beat the ‘starvation calories’ and no deficit exists.)"
I noticed you have a significant amount of Quick Added Calories in your food diary. Underestimating is definitely your problem.0 -
I believe I do count calories with a good approximation, and I know I'm eating much less than moths ago, when I was actually losing weight and having the same life, same workout. But I guess these are useless information, if I can't prove it with an accurate daily log on My Fitness Pal.0
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Now THIS should be stickied. We'd have something to refer to.0
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I've gained, lost, and maintained, and I've never once wondered why, so maybe I'm not the target market for this.
That said, this is an insulting smug self-satisfied article that irritates more than educates.
The solid and true points like people underestimating consumption and overestimating exertion are lost in the attitude.0 -
I believe I do count calories with a good approximation
No, you don't. If you did, you wouldn't be complaining of zero progress.and I know I'm eating much less than moths ago, when I was actually losing weight and having the same life, same workout. But I guess these are useless information, if I can't prove it with an accurate daily log on My Fitness Pal.
By all means, continue with the "I'm doing everything right and still not losing" attitude that's been so successful for you. Admitting you messed up would be tough on the ego, so don't bother. Just tell yourself we're all wrong and stupid and Just Don't Understand and continue to fail.0 -
http://www.acaloriecounter.com/blog/why-am-i-not-losing-weight/
Found this interesting article. Gotta say, I agree.
Summary: 99% of the time, when people say they can't lose weight it's simply because they are eating too much and no longer in a calorie deficit. Nothing else. No starvation mode, no thyroid problems,no hormonal imbalances. Just too many calories.
A lot of the time I see people around here making things way too complicated. Quit giving yourselves ulcers from stress, people! :laugh:
Some people just have to have an excuse as to why it's not their fault. Losing weight is simple. It's not easy, but it's simple.
Not easy but simple??? That makes a lot of sense!
And please do not judge unless you have been there with thyroid issues or homornal imbalances - once you've gone through anything health related repost your thread with FACTS!
Simple because weight loss is calories in < calories out. Not a hard concept to compute.
My husband has a thyroid imbalance and he's never been overweight in his life. It should not be used as a crutch.0 -
"6. “But I’m NOT Eating Too Many Calories, I Swear!” Yes, You Are.
I know, I know. You’re counting calories and eating healthy and you know for sure that you’re eating the right amount that you need to eat in order to lose weight. Yet, you’re somehow still not losing weight.
Well, guess what? You’re wrong."
When I see people post this, I'm eating 500 calories, running a mile every day and not losing weight, I want to answer it this way but I don't. I just keep on moving and don't answer them.0 -
Logic dictates that if a person is accurately tracking/logging and at a "deficit" but not losing then they aren't at a deficit. No calculator online is going to give the exact right number and most people will need to tweak up or down to make it fit, but that doesn't change that the answer is "reduce intake."
I did my TDEE and the number to lose a pound a week had be losing more, so I adjusted up. That part was even simpler than the "eat less." Part.
So by your logic you would tell people to eat less than 800 calories because they aren't losing weight and yet they are at a deficit.
I would tell someone to strap weights onto their ankles if they started floating when they left their house.
Doubt it will happen though.0 -
I've been eating around 900 calories (sometimes less) for almost a month,
Oh yeah?
Open your diary.
We have a mr skeptic. It's open now, but I didn't record the whole month and I use another website to count calories (mostly because english is not my native language and I'm not going to pick up the dictionary everytime I log in food here). So, you won't find the specific food I ate.
It is not open.
Perhaps you can link us to the diary on the other site?
Frankly, it's virtually impossible to believe you have averaged 900 calories for a month with no weight loss, unless you are 4' tall, 50 lbs, and in a coma.
I suspect you are doing something very wrong in terms of logging food, and I would like to - for your benefit as well as ours - peruse your diary in an attempt to identify where you're messing up.
I don't know how this work. http://www.myfitnesspal.com/food/diary/likeaslidingrock
Maybe I'm doing wrong the food logging, but months ago I was logging the same way, with different results. Even without logging at all, I know I'm eating much less. That's my point and my frustration
You're hardly logging anything. Quick Add Calories all over the place and they're all nice round whole numbers like 50 and 300, so you're obviously not weighing food and portions and being strict with logging. Some days are obviously missing entire meals, or several meals. Most days that have what appear to be a full day's worth of food logged are well over 900.
Long story short: your diary makes it obvious you are not eating 900 calories a day.
Also, eating much less is not the same thing as eating less calories.0 -
AGREEDI've gained, lost, and maintained, and I've never once wondered why, so maybe I'm not the target market for this.
That said, this is an insulting smug self-satisfied article that irritates more than educates.
The solid and true points like people underestimating consumption and overestimating exertion are lost in the attitude.0 -
And I bet you were told those hormones were "localized" and couldn't be causing the side effects you were experiencing...
I've done all those things. Four years without a real loss. I finally stopped gaining when I got rid of my IUD. But still can't lose. Never had a problem before that.If you are accurately logging your calories (measuring your portions, etc) and accurately logging your exercise (from a HRM), and still not losing, I would consult with a physician.
I always knew I was special, though.0 -
I believe I do count calories with a good approximation
No, you don't. If you did, you wouldn't be complaining of zero progress.and I know I'm eating much less than moths ago, when I was actually losing weight and having the same life, same workout. But I guess these are useless information, if I can't prove it with an accurate daily log on My Fitness Pal.
By all means, continue with the "I'm doing everything right and still not losing" attitude that's been so successful for you. Admitting you messed up would be tough on the ego, so don't bother. Just tell yourself we're all wrong and stupid and Just Don't Understand and continue to fail.
Don't worry, my ego is doing great. I've suffered from depression and anxiety for the past 25 years. I haven't left the house for 4 years (or maybe 5). I've never had friends and my parents pay for the food I eat and weight. I'm not doing anything right. Nothing at all. I'm the stupid one, I'm actually much worse than that: I'm weird, broken and a loser. There are so many wrong things with me. You have no idea how I regret writing here, I never write anywhere and don't talk to anyone, execpt my sister, because I have social anxiety and I'm sure I'll regret this response.0 -
Block jonnythan and be done with it.I believe I do count calories with a good approximation
No, you don't. If you did, you wouldn't be complaining of zero progress.and I know I'm eating much less than moths ago, when I was actually losing weight and having the same life, same workout. But I guess these are useless information, if I can't prove it with an accurate daily log on My Fitness Pal.
By all means, continue with the "I'm doing everything right and still not losing" attitude that's been so successful for you. Admitting you messed up would be tough on the ego, so don't bother. Just tell yourself we're all wrong and stupid and Just Don't Understand and continue to fail.
Don't worry, my ego is doing great. I've suffered from depression and anxiety for the past 25 years. I haven't left the house for 4 years (or maybe 5). I've never had friends and my parents pay for the food I eat and weight. I'm not doing anything right. Nothing at all. I'm the stupid one, I'm actually much worse than that: I'm weird, broken and a loser. There are so many wrong things with me. You have no idea how I regret writing here, I never write anywhere and don't talk to anyone, execpt my sister, because I have social anxiety and I'm sure I'll regret this response.0 -
I believe I do count calories with a good approximation
No, you don't. If you did, you wouldn't be complaining of zero progress.and I know I'm eating much less than moths ago, when I was actually losing weight and having the same life, same workout. But I guess these are useless information, if I can't prove it with an accurate daily log on My Fitness Pal.
By all means, continue with the "I'm doing everything right and still not losing" attitude that's been so successful for you. Admitting you messed up would be tough on the ego, so don't bother. Just tell yourself we're all wrong and stupid and Just Don't Understand and continue to fail.
Don't worry, my ego is doing great. I've suffered from depression and anxiety for the past 25 years. I haven't left the house for 4 years (or maybe 5). I've never had friends and my parents pay for the food I eat and weight. I'm not doing anything right. Nothing at all. I'm the stupid one, I'm actually much worse than that: I'm weird, broken and a loser. There are so many wrong things with me. You have no idea how I regret writing here, I never write anywhere and don't talk to anyone, execpt my sister, because I have social anxiety and I'm sure I'll regret this response.
In all seriousness, I think you need to see a psychologist or counselor instead of the MFP forums.0 -
I won't leave the house, I'd rather die. I'm a freak0
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I won't leave the house, I'd rather die. I'm a freak
I don't think you're a freak, but you definitely need the help of a professional. The MFP forums are not the right place for you.0 -
Okay, but I actually do have thyroid problems that hinder my weight loss from time to time. I'm down 129lbs, but it's taking a longer time for me to get to where I want to be then it would for someone without thyroid or metabolic issues.
You're missing the point. You ARE losing, despite yourthyroid problems, because you are eating at a deficit. Yes, at a slower pace, but you ARE losing! The point is that PCOS, thyroid problems, pre-diabetes or whatever, does not keep you from losing weight. PERIOD.0 -
Block jonnythan and be done with it.I believe I do count calories with a good approximation
No, you don't. If you did, you wouldn't be complaining of zero progress.and I know I'm eating much less than moths ago, when I was actually losing weight and having the same life, same workout. But I guess these are useless information, if I can't prove it with an accurate daily log on My Fitness Pal.
By all means, continue with the "I'm doing everything right and still not losing" attitude that's been so successful for you. Admitting you messed up would be tough on the ego, so don't bother. Just tell yourself we're all wrong and stupid and Just Don't Understand and continue to fail.
Don't worry, my ego is doing great. I've suffered from depression and anxiety for the past 25 years. I haven't left the house for 4 years (or maybe 5). I've never had friends and my parents pay for the food I eat and weight. I'm not doing anything right. Nothing at all. I'm the stupid one, I'm actually much worse than that: I'm weird, broken and a loser. There are so many wrong things with me. You have no idea how I regret writing here, I never write anywhere and don't talk to anyone, execpt my sister, because I have social anxiety and I'm sure I'll regret this response.
Blocking jonnythan does not make his responses (blunt as they may be) any less true or his advice any less valid.
@likeaslidingrock - I'm sorry to hear that you are struggling with so much right now, but I would suggest that you begin to log your food and exercise accurately and consistently so that you can truly see how many calories you are taking in each day, every day. Once you have been logging accurately for one or two months, you will then be able to use the reports available here on MFP to find an average intake that you can then make adjustments from. I think you will find that your inconsistent logging (you said yourself that you had stopped logging for at least a month) of what is actually an INCREASED caloric intake is the culprit for you weight loss stalling out.
If, however, you find that your caloric intake is as low as you state it to be (after logging accurately and consistently for a month or two), and you are still not losing weight, a visit to a physician is in order to find the underlying condition that has your metabolism so low.
As for the OP? It is spot on!0
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