So I said I'd come back after 4 weeks of logging properly!
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I second the weighing instead of measuring cups,etc.
I have had a very frustrating nine months with painfully slow loss. Started weighing fruits and veggies and what do you know I had been off by about 200-300 calories per day. For example I may have chosen medium apple, but when I weighed by grams it actually came out to large and so on.
I dropped two pounds in about 10 days after I started weighing everything.
Just a thought.
Good luck.0 -
IMO your FitBit is exaggerating your burn by around 200 calories/day, average. This is a based on the details you provided, plus 6 hours a day of "light activity". With an actual deficit of around 200 calories, four weeks would lead to....well, not very much loss, well within the error margin of a scale.
IMO, you're simply eating too much for your activity level. I know it sucks - most of us have been in that same place, and can totally sympathize. Drop your intake by 300 calories a day for a month, and you'll have your definitive answer.
Good luck!
Auddi
I love my fitbit one it is working for me.
Ask about this in the fitbit groups.
That makes me tempted to just ditch the fitbit entirely. Is not crediting me for my activity at work hardly at all and even then is overestimating?0 -
Asking again, as you haven't answered the question yet - are you weighing your food? If you're not, it's probably your problem.0
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If I ate what my Fitbit suggests I eat every day I can guarantee I'd be gaining weight. These things do over-estimate so I take no notice of what the Fitbit says I need to consume and simply use it as motivation to get in the 10,000 steps a day...plus the sleep logger is handy.0
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Have you considered upping the intensity of your walks?
I'd much rather run for 30 minutes than walk for 3 hours. And as much fun as walking is- there is a point of let's call it diminishing returns. You are going to get to a point where it's going to take more time and effort to aid in your calorie deficit than upping the intensity would.
I also agree about resetting the TDEE... if you haven't lost- then set your TDEE at where it is now- and start cutting from there- I was "cutting" at 1900... and realized I stalled- I had to drop it to get any gains- fortunately for me my drop was on a specific time line and I could maintain it- but not indefinitely. Eating at a huge deficit is NOT always better- mostly for moral reasons.0 -
S'all about diet.
No it's not.0 -
Asking again, as you haven't answered the question yet - are you weighing your food? If you're not, it's probably your problem.
^^0 -
Everyone seems to think I'm lying/over-exaggerating my occupational activity so it's actually really hard to explain :laugh:
Thanks
I don't think anyone thnks you are lying at all. I think most of us think we burn more than we do until we learn. Sometimes I go for a run and come home and think....ugh that was only 300 calories?! All that work and I've barely earned myself a serving if ice cream! :sad: I've gotten used to it now, but I always thought physical activity burned a lot more calorie than it actuall does, and I never realized the level of exertion needed to push our calorie burn high enough to make a difference.0 -
Asking again, as you haven't answered the question yet - are you weighing your food? If you're not, it's probably your problem.
Sorry I said in my original post that I weigh/measure as applicable.
The only thing I generally "guess" is a banana when I have one. I don't know whether to weigh it skin on or off, so just go with the length measurement.
I get out the tablespoon measure when I make a cup of tea, for the milk. I'll put my cup on scales and weigh the amount of pre-mix coffee I'm putting in it. I weigh a slice of bread before and after spreading whatever on it.
I don't weigh where something is already packaged in a portion (eg a tub of yoghurt)0 -
Please choose one of the three options
1. You are not weighing your food and are guestimating...Start weighing your food, keep intake the same and review in 4 weeks
2. You are weighing your food, but its possible water retention/some other factor is temporarily hiding weight loss....Maintain for 4 more weeks and review results
3. You are weighing your food, but you are not eating in a deficit, reduce by 250, continue for 4 weeks and evaluate results
ETA: If you feel mentally its hard to go lower calorie wise, consider upping your excercise level instead, or a combination of the two.0 -
If you haven't lost any weight at the calorie intake you're at now, I'd say that it's pretty close to your TDEE. Take a cut from that number and try again for four weeks and see what happens. So much of figuring your actual calorie burn is guess work and takes trial and error to get it right.0
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If you're not having any hormonal issues, then your intake is still too high.
I'm mid-cycle so yeah, it shouldn't be a factor.
Are you sure it's not your thyroid? I didn't think I was having issues with my thyroid, but apparently, I've had a problem for the last 3 years or so, and didn't realize it because the hormonal balance scales have only just started to tip far enough to make a difference. My doctor still hasn't bought in to the possibility. Some thyroid conditions can be hard to diagnose.
Other than that, I would recommend incorporating a lifting program into your regular regimen. Personally, I found New Rules of Lifting for Women to be very effective.0 -
Also, you aren't tracking your sodium or potassium intake. These are the two primary electrolytes that maintain water balance in the body. If you are over in one or deficient in the other, then water retention will mask any actual weight loss.0
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Have you considered upping the intensity of your walks?
I'd much rather run for 30 minutes than walk for 3 hours. And as much fun as walking is- there is a point of let's call it diminishing returns. You are going to get to a point where it's going to take more time and effort to aid in your calorie deficit than upping the intensity would.
I also agree about resetting the TDEE... if you haven't lost- then set your TDEE at where it is now- and start cutting from there- I was "cutting" at 1900... and realized I stalled- I had to drop it to get any gains- fortunately for me my drop was on a specific time line and I could maintain it- but not indefinitely. Eating at a huge deficit is NOT always better- mostly for moral reasons.
Moral reasons? I'm not making my kids 'diet' with me or anything, I'm not sure what other moral reasons could be?
The walks outside are @ 7km/h on hills. I actually don't think I could go any faster without it being a jog, because of my stride length. I'm not sure what the Leslie Sansone ones are.
I could try adding in some jogging (running is beyond me right now). Either way the dog still needs to walk so it will have to be additional. Lucky summer is coming up so there's more daylight to squish it in.0 -
Have you considered upping the intensity of your walks?
I'd much rather run for 30 minutes than walk for 3 hours. And as much fun as walking is- there is a point of let's call it diminishing returns. You are going to get to a point where it's going to take more time and effort to aid in your calorie deficit than upping the intensity would.
I also agree about resetting the TDEE... if you haven't lost- then set your TDEE at where it is now- and start cutting from there- I was "cutting" at 1900... and realized I stalled- I had to drop it to get any gains- fortunately for me my drop was on a specific time line and I could maintain it- but not indefinitely. Eating at a huge deficit is NOT always better- mostly for moral reasons.
I just knew there was a reason I didn't like skinny people!0 -
Other than that, I would recommend incorporating a lifting program into your regular regimen. Personally, I found New Rules of Lifting for Women to be very effective.
Sadly, I don't have the money, space, access or equipment to be able to do that. Unless you count the 60-100 lb stuff I have to lift/move at work. I do YAYOG, as mentioned, which is certainly working the muscles that I don't work day-to-day.0 -
Also, you aren't tracking your sodium or potassium intake. These are the two primary electrolytes that maintain water balance in the body. If you are over in one or deficient in the other, then water retention will mask any actual weight loss.
I can't track potassium as it's not labelled here, much like my fibre problem. Fibre labelling is getting better, but you don't see potassium on a label unless it's a sports drink.
I was doing sodium but switched it to iron. We really need more columns!0 -
I'm sure she meant morale...0
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If you've determined your maintenance calories through trial and error, why not just use that number as your TDEE and then calculate your cut from there? Has your activity level changed since you were maintaining?
I'm def. more active now. I wasn't doing any exercise then.
I was using the number as my baseline, but didn't lose. last month, I was told that I was sedentary and my average at the time (around 2100) was actually my TDEE, or some were suggesting even that was still too high because I'm apparently sedentary.
Oh well, I'll carry on and see!0 -
Also, you aren't tracking your sodium or potassium intake. These are the two primary electrolytes that maintain water balance in the body. If you are over in one or deficient in the other, then water retention will mask any actual weight loss.
I can't track potassium as it's not labelled here, much like my fibre problem. Fibre labelling is getting better, but you don't see potassium on a label unless it's a sports drink.
I was doing sodium but switched it to iron. We really need more columns!
I actually only eat products that have potassium on the label. Or I eat fresh fruits and veggies to ensure I meet that micro-goal. Of course, I don't nail it all the time, but I'm very sensitive to electrolyte imbalance, and find it a necessary evil. If I really want to know where my iron and fiber are, then I will pull up my daily nutrient detail on the phone app.0 -
BTW, to the OP...props/respect on following through on the logging commitment.0
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Other than that, I would recommend incorporating a lifting program into your regular regimen. Personally, I found New Rules of Lifting for Women to be very effective.
Sadly, I don't have the money, space, access or equipment to be able to do that. Unless you count the 60-100 lb stuff I have to lift/move at work. I do YAYOG, as mentioned, which is certainly working the muscles that I don't work day-to-day.
You need a progressive program in which you continue to challenge your muscles and not just work them. There are ways to strength train without weights. I really didn't see any loss in inches until I began that program.0 -
Ok so after skimming through all the replies, I'm guessing you need to cut down your calories. I'd cut down by 100 to start and see again in a couple weeks. Sorry
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You need a progressive program in which you continue to challenge your muscles and not just work them. There are ways to strength train without weights. I really didn't see any loss in inches until I began that program.
I'm like 99% certain that it is progressive. I'm only on the beginner level right now.
What other methods are there? I'm open to suggestions.0 -
Will watch responses with interest.
Ditto0 -
Have you considered upping the intensity of your walks?
I'd much rather run for 30 minutes than walk for 3 hours. And as much fun as walking is- there is a point of let's call it diminishing returns. You are going to get to a point where it's going to take more time and effort to aid in your calorie deficit than upping the intensity would.
I also agree about resetting the TDEE... if you haven't lost- then set your TDEE at where it is now- and start cutting from there- I was "cutting" at 1900... and realized I stalled- I had to drop it to get any gains- fortunately for me my drop was on a specific time line and I could maintain it- but not indefinitely. Eating at a huge deficit is NOT always better- mostly for moral reasons.
Moral reasons? I'm not making my kids 'diet' with me or anything, I'm not sure what other moral reasons could be?
The walks outside are @ 7km/h on hills. I actually don't think I could go any faster without it being a jog, because of my stride length. I'm not sure what the Leslie Sansone ones are.
I could try adding in some jogging (running is beyond me right now). Either way the dog still needs to walk so it will have to be additional. Lucky summer is coming up so there's more daylight to squish it in.
morale
sorry- LOL spell check doesn't catch the wrong words if they are spelled properly.
morale.
like when i was eating for my photoshoot- I ate at 1200 for about 6 weeks. my moral was obscenely low- it was mentally hard to do it. it's depressing to think about eating ONLY 1200 calories for my height weight and activity level. Seriously- depressing. Even 1700 is depressing to me- but to go from 1900 down to 1200 literally put my attitude in the tank. But I had a very specific determine goal and I was not going to be swayed no matter how down in the dumps I got. I can tell you eating at 1200 was not sustainable.
So you have to pick a cut that' sustainable and not overwhelming.0 -
You need a progressive program in which you continue to challenge your muscles and not just work them. There are ways to strength train without weights. I really didn't see any loss in inches until I began that program.
I'm like 99% certain that it is progressive. I'm only on the beginner level right now.
What other methods are there? I'm open to suggestions.
Progressive means that you lift more weight as the exercise becomes easier.
I'm sorry... not trying to be mean here, but you seem to be making a lot of excuses. You asked for advice, and when it was given, you retorted with reasons why you can't. But this is the advice that works. So when you have the will to try, you will find a way to make it work.
Best of luck!0 -
BTW, to the OP...props/respect on following through on the logging commitment.
Thanks0 -
I have a very physical job too, I didn't read every single thing so I don't know what your job is. But I can tell you this, some days I way, way more active than others. If I based my TDEE on my busiest day, it would be 300-500 higher than my actual reality, but not every day is as intense as my busiest day -- so I have to average. .0
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S'all about diet.
Indeed it is0
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