So I said I'd come back after 4 weeks of logging properly!

lilacinfinity

Thanks.
That's what I seem to prefer to do as well, but every so often I feel "bad" and try eating breakfast more often. I usually end up way over goal when I do.




I've also bought some new scales today, on the off chance the ones I was using are the problem.

SherryTeach

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!

Agree. I'd go to 1700 calories a day and you will survive on that. It takes more planning but if you actually want to lose weight it's what you'll probably need to learn to eat. If you think that sucks, my BMR is 1194 and I maintain now on 1500 or a bit less. You aren't much taller than I am so if you do get down to a normal weight that's probably going to be your life.

I can relate. My BMR is 1094. On maintenance I can eat about 1400. And that is my life. I've learned to be very creative with my calories.

Hildy_J

I *think* there are too many variables here. To simplify it - forget the fitbit etc, forget logging exercise completely as I suspect that is where the error lies. Just use TDEE-10% set to lightly active and weigh every. last. little. morsel. I can TELL you're estimating stuff cos it's all broccoli 40g, sweetcorn 30g, 50g, 80g. Too neat. Weigh those potatoes, weigh that butter!

And you don't need to 'start lifting' - you're already lifting more weight than most on here do, in a day's work.

I swear on MY DOG'S LIFE that this will work. Really. :bigsmile:

See you in four! xx

ereck44

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!

Agree. I'd go to 1700 calories a day and you will survive on that. It takes more planning but if you actually want to lose weight it's what you'll probably need to learn to eat. If you think that sucks, my BMR is 1194 and I maintain now on 1500 or a bit less. You aren't much taller than I am so if you do get down to a normal weight that's probably going to be your life.

I agree. I am your height, and I set my daily calorie to 1700 per day, and have been losing 0.8 pounds per week. I have a broken toe and haven't been able to get much exercise in, can't even wear a shoe on that foot, and shocked, shocked that I am losing weight. Now I try to get as close to 1700 without going over and some days are pretty tough. I try to eat 85 gm of protein or more per day.

If you can get a little extra exercise, that would be great! She's correct that your body is accustomed to your activity at work and even though it is exercise, it isn't enough.

Good luck!

nicoleisme

You're only 5'4" and a 30 year old female (Where your metabolism naturally is starting to slow down.) My thought is go to 1700 calories, try it for a few weeks. See if you lose weight after that and adjust if not!
Great job keeping up and continuing to keep track though! Keep full on fiber like other people have mentioned, I'm trying to eat better food to keep me fuller longer but I know it can be hard, one day at a time though!:)

jeffpettis

I didn't go back and read every post but the simple fact is if you are not losing weight you are not in a deficit. I did read some of the earlier posts and you said you have no medical issues so something is off in your logging. Either you are consuming more than you think or you are not burning as much as you think. One way or the other if you are not losing weight you have to take a step back and figure out why you are not in a deficit. That must be correct before anything else will matter. Good luck!

EvgeniZyntx

Well like I said. If you didn't see a change in inches, then it doesn't sound like this program is increasing your lean body mass. I still recommend you have your thyroid checked out a little closer, and consider a new strength training program. Also, tracking your electrolytes will help.

These are the same recommendations I made earlier in the thread. Best of luck! I have nothing else to offer.

OK.

Well I've only been doing YAYOG for 6 weeks or so, so I'm going to see it through before I quit :happy:

Right attitude.^^

I'm going to suggest something a little different since you mentioned that lowering your calories was difficult.
So, currently you seem to be close to maintenance and are not losing at the rate you want (but you are slowly losing)

so 4 options
a) stay at current loss rate and work with your exercise regimen (YAYOG) until weight loss occurs - this is called spinning your wheels, not very satisfactory.
b) lower calories, get hungry, will result in greater loss but hunger, morale might result in quitting.
c) increase activity with all else the same - take YAYOG to the next level as soon as possible. Push yourself to that, add a day. Whatever you need to increase your activity level. No need to cut further, activity can make the surplus sufficient to lose 1/2 lb a week. (Note initial increases in activity will not result in weight loss as swelling will mask it - expect 3-4 weeks before changes really appear)
d) Add a new activity to the YAYOG - a one time a week increase in activity will make a difference at this cusp point. (see c) )

BTW -- some errors from the previous posters.
- metabolism isn't "naturally slowing down at 30" - this is incorrect none of the metabolic studies show this.
- you are at a deficit, since you are losing (albeit slowly), saying you are not jsut doesn't serve the evidence
- you don't need to forget the fitbit if you don't want to (looking at your diary, the adjustments it is providing are minimal) but can go to a fixed TDEE if that idea is something you want to try. A fixed TDEE just happens to include an exercise component. precalculated.

FlaxMilk

Are you including the low days with your dental surgery in your average? Did you by any chance weigh prior to your surgery? Looking through your diary, I would say the days where you are way over your targets are offsetting the other days.

Good news is that you have found your maintenance for this weight. Bad news is that trimming back your calories is probably the answer. Since you struggle with hunger, try looking around for meal plans for 1600-1700 calories a day. You may be surprised. You mentioned that it's hard for you to get a chance to eat at work-make preportioned baggies of things like nuts and seeds or protein bars to keep in your pocket and grab when you have a second. You can portion the protein bar into chunks and keep in a baggie if you don't have a minute to eat the whole thing at once.

Putting your info in to MFP with the setting active, to lose 1 lb a week, it recommends 1300 calories. I'm sorry! I know that stinks. But Very Active is probably overstating your activity level. Keep in mind that's construction worker levels. As busy and active as you are at work, it doesn't sound like it quite reaches the very active level. If you were to set 1300 as your target, and then eat back exercise calories, you'd probably end up at around 1600-1700 calories (no exercise calories for work since you are on the active setting.) Studies show that many of us overestimate our output, so it's not that anyone thinks you are lying.

If you struggle with eating less than 1900 calories, don't stress about trying to do 1300 on your off days. Just keep in mind that eating 1600 or so on days you are not as active may cause tiny delays, but overall its probably more beneficial and will help with long-term success.

FlaxMilk

- you are at a deficit, since you are losing (albeit slowly), saying you are not jsut doesn't serve the evidence

Now I'm confused--did I do the math wrong? It looked like OP said she lost .5 lbs over the course of the month. The last week she has eaten at a for sure deficit due to her surgery, but that was an anomaly to the rest. .5 lbs could be just water fluctuation.

arabianhorselover

I'm not very good at getting in my vegetables, either. May I ask what sort of vegies you are eating? Is it mostly salad?

I'm no nutritionist, but two things caught my attention--you mentioned your mildly lactose intolerant but I see you drink alot of whole milk and consume a decent amount of dairy on a daily basis. Have you considered switching to a lower %milkfat in your dairy consumption?

Secondly, you are not filling up on enough dark leafy greens and other types of vegetables. My nutritionist recommends at the very least two cups of dark greens daily--four would be better. You'd be surprised how they can help you feel full.

EvgeniZyntx

- you are at a deficit, since you are losing (albeit slowly), saying you are not jsut doesn't serve the evidence

Now I'm confused--did I do the math wrong? It looked like OP said she lost .5 lbs over the course of the month. The last week she has eaten at a for sure deficit due to her surgery, but that was an anomaly to the rest. .5 lbs could be just water fluctuation.

If she lost, she lost.
Water flucuation can also be the reason why her loss isn't visible.

The loss is small but it is still there and water flucuation (over a month) could affect things either way.

Will_Thrust_For_Candy

First off, I think it's super admirable that you are following up on your original thread with this one. It seems like you are committed to this

Unfortunately, IMO, you are simply eating too much. Weight loss is calories in vs calories out and somewhere along the way your overall burn is being overestimated. It seems like you do stay relatively active, albeit "lightly" active at most. Unless you are able to increase your activity your only option is really to lower your calories. You are simply eating too much for your activity level. It is also advisable to ensure that you are weighing and measuring everything and that you are being honest about what you are putting in your mouth.

Often we get caught up in what all of the online calculators *say* should be our TDEE and so on and so forth, but ultimately those are are just estimations. I got caught up in that for a very long time. I also overestimated my activity level for a long time even while doing the StrongLifts program and cardio. This process really is trial and error, but once you find your sweet spot, you're golden! Good luck!

EvgeniZyntx

Cutting calories often results in crash and burn adherence issues.

So for every "you are eating too much" post please, please consider keeping your current, slight deficit and driving the deficit by increasing your activity level. The fitness value of that is greater than "just cut calories".

smc864

I had no idea that you could change the carb/protein/fat ratios for the daily log... I too prefer a higher protein goal for the day so I made the change to my settings. Thanks for the tip!

FlaxMilk

If she lost, she lost.
Water flucuation can also be the reason why her loss isn't visible.

The loss is small but it is still there and water flucuation (over a month) could affect things either way.

I guess we disagree on that. It sounds like maintenance. But I am interested to know if OP was weighing every day or weekly, because it's actually possible she gained weight in the first three weeks and then lost it in the last week of being on a deficit.

I will agree that if OP can adjust her output, she doesn't need to cut calories, but I think crash and burn adherence issues can apply there too.

nicoleisme

BTW -- some errors from the previous posters.
- metabolism isn't "naturally slowing down at 30" - this is incorrect none of the metabolic studies show this.

I've read a few studies that say your metabolism slows down with age.

"Metabolism’s Role in Age-Related Weight Gain

It turns out that for most people, age-related weight gain is due in large part to a dramatic decrease in calories burned. While lower levels of physical activity play a large role in the decreased energy expenditure, an age-related decline in metabolic rate is also to blame.

A study evaluating total energy expenditure (TEE) – the sum of calories burned from the basal metabolic rate (metabolism), the energy required to digest and absorb food, and physical activity – confirmed what most people already know: energy expenditure decreases with age.

Basal metabolic rate, which accounts for about 50 to 70 percent of TEE, is thought to decrease about one to two percent per decade. That is, after a person reaches 20 years old, daily energy expenditure decreases about 150 calories per decade. The decline is probably due to decreased muscle mass (which is highly metabolically-active) and increased fat mass (which is relatively metabolically-inactive).

Some studies have also found that, even when controlling for fat-free mass, basal metabolic rate is five percent lower in older compared with younger adults. It is not clear why, but some researchers speculate that it may be due to an unavoidable loss of very metabolically-active organ tissue, or a decreased metabolic rate within muscle tissues. Decline seems to be most rapid after 40 years old in men and 50 years old in women.

In sum, the number of calories burned per day decreases with age. This reality is widely accepted and is even built in to formulas that estimate resting energy expenditure. The age-related decline in energy expenditure is largely due to decreased metabolic rate — which results from decreased lean mass and increased fat mass — and decreased levels of physical activity.

While a small decrease in daily energy expenditure is probably inevitable, with a committed fitness program, "aging" adults (anyone over 20 years old) can avoid sizeable decreases in metabolic rate."

Not that you couldn't counter balance it with a good workout regimen but I still think it's a real thing.

upscalelifedownscalebutt

You eat Cadbury Bubblies very frequently, and similar low nutrient, high calorie foods. That may be an easy calorie cut, or replace half those calories with fruit and veg.

lilacinfinity

Are you including the low days with your dental surgery in your average? Did you by any chance weigh prior to your surgery? Looking through your diary, I would say the days where you are way over your targets are offsetting the other days.

Unfortunately, because I have reduced my goal on people's suggestion, it has kinda screwed my diary for anything prior to the beginning of this week

lilacinfinity

I'm not very good at getting in my vegetables, either. May I ask what sort of vegies you are eating? Is it mostly salad?

No, I really like salad though! We're only coming into summer vegetable season here so lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber etc has really been too expensive until recently. I balk at $4 for a head of lettuce about the size of my fist, so just do without unless I want it for a specific purpose like a burger.
I usually buy broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, peas, kumara (sweet potato), regular potato, pumpkin (squash?), sometimes some sweetcorn but I'm not so keen on it, sometimes beans if they're not too expensive, onions, beets, cabbage...
Now we're coming into summer all the yummy ones are getting in season. Over summer I usually have lettuce, cucumber, tomatoes, bell peppers on hand as well.

lilacinfinity

A few people have asked about weighing:

I weighed most days. I don't usually do this, I'm usually every week or two weeks, but I wanted to keep an eye on it.
There was a 1.4kg drop the day after my surgery which came back the next day when I was re-hydrated again, and kept steady for the next. I didn't think to drink up big beforehand, and afterwards was too numb and my jaw was too stiff to manage more than a few sips. I couldn't use a straw because it was a lower jaw extraction (it increases the risk of dry socket)
I started the 4 weeks at 83.25kg, it held pretty consistently until the day following the surgery when it went to 81.85 then went back up to 83.1 and held there until I posted


I went and got new scales yesterday though, and I'm at 83.6 on those this morning, so will go from that figure to see if there's any loss over the coming weeks.