beating a dead horse but what am I doing wrong?

BITEME_GRRR

I had the same problem. You are eating too little. Eat like 1800 cals and let your body get back to normal just excersice more.

Squamation

What other measurements are you using to track progress?

Weight means NOTHING.

Are you tape measurements down? Up?

How about progress photos- see any difference?

Mr_Knight

Depends how hungry I am, but I never net below 1200. Because I drink coffee and some soda, I like to leave some cals as a cushion. But maybe this is bad, idk

The "net" is what I'm asking about - how are you figuring out your exercise burn? You're probably not working with a big deficit to begin with, so if you're eating back exercise, the burn estimate needs to be spot on to avoid eating into it.

Plus if you are already using "active" in your settings, you may well be eating the exercise calories twice.

RachelGrace1

What other measurements are you using to track progress?

Weight means NOTHING.

Are you tape measurements down? Up?

How about progress photos- see any difference?

I quickly measure my waist and hips after I weigh myself to see if there's any change, but nothing substantial

Francl27

1500 seems too little for your activity. I'm 149 lbs and I've been losing great at 1600, I'm nowhere as active as you are and 11 years older (and just 1 inch taller). But you should still be losing, I'd think.

Do you weigh and log all your food?

BarbellApprentice

I am 23, a female, 5'4 and 150 lbs with a goal weight of 125. My activity level is active, as I am a student who also works at a restaurant serving about 32 hrs per week. I was eating about 1200 cals per day and it was not manageable. I was losing, but I'd be super hungry on the weekends after working a double or whatever that I would binge. I have been eating about 1500 cals and lost 2 lbs right away, then gained it back, and now nothing for almost a month. I work out, running or elliptical or stair stepper or something, about 4xs a week and always eat my cals back. Sometimes I go over, but sometimes I'm over. I'm just not sure what to do now. I feel good, not hungry, not deprived. I am active and rarely get to be lazy. The only thing I can think of is coffee or soda, I do drink coffee with cream and splenda daily, and my work has cone cups, which I drink soda more often than water. But could that stop weight loss for a month?

You are simply not creating a calorie deficit. Log everything. Weigh and measure your food.

RachelGrace1

So I should be eating at 1200 cals? I was absolutely exhausted doing this, and it was horrible. If my BMR is 1400 then how can I eat lower than that? I had the understanding that this was a big no no

kgreenRDLDN

So I should be eating at 1200 cals? I was absolutely exhausted doing this, and it was horrible. If my BMR is 1400 then how can I eat lower than that? I had the understanding that this was a big no no

If you are too tired and feel horrible at 1200 calories then do not eat 1200 calories. the starting point is to log everything including coffee whether its black or not, and all soda in your food log. This will give a better idea of what you are taking in and where you need to change.

RachelGrace1

Black coffee won't be anything but I'll cut out soda completely and start again I suppose. Should my activity be active and eat back exercise cals? I've posted about this before and everyone said I should be active because I am a student and server but idk

princesshoagie

Taking a look at your diary, I think you might be underestimating your calories. Yesterday you logged a chicken fajita egg white omelet but you said it had completely 0 calories, and 0 nutrition. How is that possible? Even egg whites have calories. The same with the sweet potato fries, you put down you ate them but they have 0 calories attributed. Again, sweet potatoes have calories. Some days it looks like you either aren't eating enough or you aren't logging everything you eat. Not eating enough will slow your metabolism waaaaaaaaaaaay down and you won't lose weight because your body will hold onto everything you eat. Not logging everything means you are probably underestimating how much you are actually eating. You need to be realistic and make sure you are tracking every single thing that passes your lips. Are you drinking enough water too? You don't show it in the log, but I never log my water either. I'm all for everything in moderation and sometimes that means junk food and ice cream, but maybe you could try cooking more food at home and eating real, unprocessed food. If you like bacon, egg, and cheese sandwiches at McDonald's, you can make the same thing at home with low sodium bacon, fry your own eggs, throw a slice of cheese on there and put it on an english muffin for a fraction of the calories. You can do that with lots of restaurant foods, take what you like and find a recipe to cook it for yourself at home with healthier cooking methods. You'll save calories and still get to eat yummy things without it feeling like a "diet."

RachelGrace1

Sometimes I will plan a meal and end up changing it, thats what the zero means, I added it but didn't eat it

jason3miles

Try to not eat all your calories back after exercising. Weight loss requires a deficit in calories. If you eat back your calories there is no deficit.

RachelGrace1

I don't drink enough water, which j will try to combat to help the sodium intake. Eating at home just isn't possible much, I am barely ever at home. I was eating oatmeal every morning, I am gonna start doing that again

RachelGrace1

Try to not eat all your calories back after exercising. Weight loss requires a deficit in calories. If you eat back your calories there is no deficit.

I think everyone will disagree with this

natalyau

I would recommend less Burger King and McD's to start with. Any time I have a meal from a fast food place I pretty much am not allowed anything else. In this case I will pick and snack uncontrollably through out the day which I don't always log in. All adds up in the end and walla.. the scales don't move. Make a healthy lunch and breakfast, only takes ten mins and is a great habit to get into.

RachelGrace1

That's why I've been so optimistic about weight loss lately, I could eat a fast food meal and not ruin my diet. I haven't felt so in control of my diet and good in years. Which makes the stall so much worse. Breakfast I can eat at home, along with taking granola bars. But some days I'm gone from 9am till 11pm, a lot of days actually. So that makes cooking a bit difficult

soupandcookies

I only looked at a few days of your diary, but it looks like you eat out A LOT. The thing is, the nutritional info on restaurant websites are estimates. Typically, the chef is not weighing and measuring everything he/she puts in your meal. You may be eating much more than you think... Just a thought.

RachelGrace1

I only looked at a few days of your diary, but it looks like you eat out A LOT. The thing is, the nutritional info on restaurant websites are estimates. Typically, the chef is not weighing and measuring everything he/she puts in your meal. You may be eating much more than you think... Just a thought.

yeah I kinda thought that. Usually I try to leave some on my plate, take off a bun, etc

RachelGrace1

I would love to cook, but everything I try to make is so tasteless and boring. I'm the worst cook lol

natalyau

Also your at a restaurant right? I would hope they provide a meal for free for you for such long shifts, maybe ask the chefs to make you a special dinner with a nice big fresh salad with a few bits of meat. I used to cook the girls all sorts of yummy healthy meals when I was a chef. You could bring a bag of wholegrain wraps and keep it in the chiller and get the chefs to fill it with some goodies.