HELP-About to give up!

socajam

3 wks and no loss. 193 lbs and only 4'10. 35 yrs old. I normally workout from home-treadmill and some free weights on my arms and burn about 150-170 calories in 30-40 min. I get light headed etc..after anything over 30 min. I do and will cont to make Fri my days where I can splurge some. Meaning 1 cheat meal that day and IF I want to have a few drinks, that will be my only day to do so. With all that being said, I am not sure if I shld be eating less to lose this weight or eating more to lose this week. Was at 1500 cal for months when starting mfp and stopped losing, then dropped to 1300 cal and stopped loosing, then tried Tdee-20% method which was about 1700 cal for 3 mnths and lost the first 2 wks and then stopped. I am thinking (and I could be wrong) that because I do give myself a little leadway on Friday's, that during the week I need to be low. I am currently set at 1470 cal per mfp for lightly active because when I did it at desk job level it gave me 1320 cal when I did 1300 cal before I was sooo hungry! I also am trying out a new gym by my house and haven't joined just yet, but having more equipment has actually made my cal burns into more like 280-300 in 30-40 min instead of the 150-170 burned normally at home. I will cont to work out 3-5 times a wk but nothing strenuous for health reasons...Because I workout 4-5 times a week and will be burning about 250-300 cal each time, shld I be eating more than 1470..even with a cheat meal or day on Friday's? POSITIVE replies only please! I am serious about not knowing what my calories shld be anymore. I am scared to go back to eating the tdee-20% deficit because it is like 1700 a day and with me having a splurge on Friday's I think that is just too much

If you are really interested in getting an honest opinion, open your diary and let people help you, otherwise it is a waste of time.

Capt_Apollo

did you graduate high school in three weeks?

themedalist

Are you tracking sodium?

auntiemsgr8

My suggestion would be to eat at the TDEE - 20% and like others say have this be your weekly average.

I would not give up the cheat days or spread out the extra calories across the week.

What is your water intake like? It is a key component to losing weight. Aim for a minimum of 8 glasses a day or better half your body weight

Watch sodium and if you can have less than 2000 mg per day- easier said than done sometimes

Continue the daily exercise of 30 minutes or more if your body allows. Change up what you do every few weeks

Take your measurements. Maybe you are losing inches and not weight. The scales should not tell the whole story


I know it can be frustrating trying to figure out what works best for your body. Decide on a plan and stick to it for two or three weeks. If you don't see results change only one thing then wait another two to three weeks. Continue making small changes until the scale/measurements respond.

Best of luck. Hang in there.

Hildy_J

If you are really interested in getting an honest opinion, open your diary and let people help you, otherwise it is a waste of time.

And THERE it is. Line crossed.

PikaKnight

If you are really interested in getting an honest opinion, open your diary and let people help you, otherwise it is a waste of time.

And THERE it is. Line crossed.

No line was crossed. An option was given in regards to trying to figure out how best to help the OP. Please stop trying to cause issues/bait an argument. Thank you.

emmanap91

If you're splurging on Fridays, you want your weekly average to be your TDEE-20%... So log your Fridays and decrease the other days to make up for it. Maybe eat a bit less than lightly active too... 3-5 workouts of 150-170 calories might not even be considered lightly active.

This. I find I don't need cheat days BECAUSE I eat TDEE - 15-20% and follow my weekly average rather than stressing over my daily. I'm over some days and under others, but my week averges out to my goal. it's much less restrictive and (for me) more successful. If you eat 1600 calories during the week, that will give you 2300 calories on Friday to play with. Surely that is enough for a "splurge".

Do you log everything, every day, and use a food scale?

Do you even log on the cheat day? Perhaps the cheat day could be cancelling out the deficit, as someone else said. If you go back to 1,700 (I know it sounds a lot but it will shrink as YOU shrink :bigsmile:) you could eat a little under it for 6 days a week, say 1,500.. then on Saturday - enjoy yourself with 1,200 in the bank!

Alcohol has so many calories you would not believe btw - just 3 Margeritas adds up to about 750.

I totally agree with these two posts - I originally monitored my daily intake and stressed like crazy if I went over, but now I look at the weekly and overall calories, and it's okay to go over one day if you make up for it the next day (or over the next two days or whatever is necessary).

And yeah, alcohol - particularly mixed drinks and beer - has an obscene amount of calories. Save up some of those extra calories from the beginning of the week to splurge on fridays, but LOG EVERYTHING every day, including your cheat day!

PetulantOne

I loved tdee-20% method but at 1700 calories, that just seems like a lot of food for me when I have so much to lose.

Hello!

Take a deep breath, don't worry, we'll sort it. What's your logging like - do you weigh everything? It might be an idea to log your cheat day too - still have the food but log every last little thing so you can work out what your weekly average calorie intake is.

TDEE - 20% tends to be easier than the MFP method and if you use that, you don't need to log exercise.

Keep going!

I lose at 2,100 cals at 120 pounds 5' 3". TDEE- a percentage works. You have to log accurately though, and look at averages. Cheat meals/days can add up.

PetulantOne

per http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/

my tdee to maintain is 2196
bmr is 1597
tdee-20% is 1757

that is with me being 58 inches (4ft 10), 193 lbs, 1-3 hrs exercise a week, macros at 40% carb, 30% protein and 30% fat & 35 yrs old

So with tdee-20% I was told to eat over bmr of 1597 and close to tdee-20% of 1757 so that is why I chose 1700 in the past...with the amnt of weight I need to lose, I feel 1700 is just too much food...I cld be wrong..especially with a cheat day thrown in there.

If you throw in cheat days you have to account for them. I put all of my cals for the month on a spreadsheet, figure out my average daily intake, add on cals for whatever loss I had, and that's my average TDEE. I make adjustments from there based on what I'm trying to do at that time. After almost a year and a half, I've got it dialed in to almost exactly .5 pound per week loss consistently. I started with the scooby calculator, but adjusted from there based on results.

Allup2Me78

Lightly active is per mfp..scooby calculator (tdee) goes by hrs u wrk out and my range wld be 1-3 hrs. So it wld still put me at abt 1700 a day

If you're splurging on Fridays, you want your weekly average to be your TDEE-20%... So log your Fridays and decrease the other days to make up for it. Maybe eat a bit less than lightly active too... 3-5 workouts of 150-170 calories might not even be considered lightly active.

Allup2Me78

Fri wld be the day I splurge so I wld have the extra 1200 on Fri & that wld be plus 1500 correct?

Do you log everything, every day, and use a food scale?

Do you even log on the cheat day? Perhaps the cheat day could be cancelling out the deficit, as someone else said. If you go back to 1,700 (I know it sounds a lot but it will shrink as YOU shrink :bigsmile:) you could eat a little under it for 6 days a week, say 1,500.. then on Saturday - enjoy yourself with 1,200 in the bank!

Alcohol has so many calories you would not believe btw - just 3 Margeritas adds up to about 750.

Allup2Me78

I like this idea.

If you're splurging on Fridays, you want your weekly average to be your TDEE-20%... So log your Fridays and decrease the other days to make up for it. Maybe eat a bit less than lightly active too... 3-5 workouts of 150-170 calories might not even be considered lightly active.

This. I find I don't need cheat days BECAUSE I eat TDEE - 15-20% and follow my weekly average rather than stressing over my daily. I'm over some days and under others, but my week averges out to my goal. it's much less restrictive and (for me) more successful. If you eat 1600 calories during the week, that will give you 2300 calories on Friday to play with. Surely that is enough for a "splurge".

Allup2Me78

I agree also but how do I average the weekly??

If you're splurging on Fridays, you want your weekly average to be your TDEE-20%... So log your Fridays and decrease the other days to make up for it. Maybe eat a bit less than lightly active too... 3-5 workouts of 150-170 calories might not even be considered lightly active.

This. I find I don't need cheat days BECAUSE I eat TDEE - 15-20% and follow my weekly average rather than stressing over my daily. I'm over some days and under others, but my week averges out to my goal. it's much less restrictive and (for me) more successful. If you eat 1600 calories during the week, that will give you 2300 calories on Friday to play with. Surely that is enough for a "splurge".

Do you log everything, every day, and use a food scale?

Do you even log on the cheat day? Perhaps the cheat day could be cancelling out the deficit, as someone else said. If you go back to 1,700 (I know it sounds a lot but it will shrink as YOU shrink :bigsmile:) you could eat a little under it for 6 days a week, say 1,500.. then on Saturday - enjoy yourself with 1,200 in the bank!

Alcohol has so many calories you would not believe btw - just 3 Margeritas adds up to about 750.

I totally agree with these two posts - I originally monitored my daily intake and stressed like crazy if I went over, but now I look at the weekly and overall calories, and it's okay to go over one day if you make up for it the next day (or over the next two days or whatever is necessary).

And yeah, alcohol - particularly mixed drinks and beer - has an obscene amount of calories. Save up some of those extra calories from the beginning of the week to splurge on fridays, but LOG EVERYTHING every day, including your cheat day!

gigglesinthesun

http://www.acaloriecounter.com/blog/why-am-i-not-losing-weight/

_Zardoz_

Do this and you *will* lose weight:

1) Eat mostly to get the nutrition your body needs, and less for enjoyment. Establish a healthful diet and learn to enjoy healthful foods, and make eating less a part of your life.

2) Three meals a day: breakfast, lunch, and dinner. That's it. No snacks, and no "in between" meals.

3) Give up sugar. No sugar in coffee, soda, or on cereal. Give up fruit juice -- it's mainly just another form of sugar. Water is the only liquid you need.

4) In the beginning, establish a very regulated moderate calorie diet. Don't follow any sort of fad. Just pick a selection of foods that add up to a normal balanced diet -- whole grains, veggies, fruit, dairy, a little meat, etc. But start out by having exactly the same three meals each day -- the same foods and the same amounts. Weigh the portions on a scale. Consider frozen dinners. Healthy Choice, Lean Cuisine, Kashi, Smart Ones, and probably other brands have several that are low in calories and saturated fat, 25% daily value or less of sodium, and high in fiber -- no need to weigh these.

5) Weigh yourself every day on a 0.2 lb. accuracy scale. Your weight will fluctuate, but with a constant diet it should trend down over every two or three days. If it doesn't, eliminate items from your diet or reduce the size of portions until your weight does go down. (If you don't have a 0.2 lb. accuracy scale, I'd recommend the EatSmart Precision Plus Digital Scale, which is sold on Amazon.) Don't obsess over the scale — let it be your friend and point the way to a weight losing diet.

6) When you have achieved a weight losing diet, then you can start making adjustments to add variety, but make sure that you keep losing weight.

7) Maintain your exercise program.

I weep for you.

Me too. Thats not living

lord_lethris

I apologise if anyone has already said this, I haven't read anyone else's reply's yet.

You MUST Include your "splurge " day in the diary. that way you'll really see how it affects your intake of Calories, and maybe motivate you into "re-thinking" your "splurge" amount.

Some people wont see a change in weight for a month, it depends on how well your metabolism adjusts to the diet. if it doesn't take to well, then your body will retain fat rather than burn it.

Also, remember, if your lifting/using the wrong weights or doing the wrong exorcize, then you may actually be putting on Muscle weight, so again, you wont see a difference. (this happened to my partner). Cardio workouts, like fast pace walking for 30min or a jog is the best way to burning fat without gaining too much muscle.

HOWEVER, That said. Judging by your profile photo (if indeed that is true), you've done well to look like that after 7 months Well done you..!!! But this could also be another reason your not seeing any more weight loss. Your metabolism has all ready adjusted to your lifestyle and weight loss, so you WILL find it harder to lose the weight without the right exorcize... and dare I say it, you might have to re-think that "splurge" day - Your metabolism might be relying on that day to re-charge your fat cells

Chin up girl! keep going, and you can ALWAYS consult your doctor (and don't be afraid too) if you have a genuine worry. xx

Hildy_J

Fri wld be the day I splurge so I wld have the extra 1200 on Fri & that wld be plus 1500 correct?

Yup, 2,700 calories for Friday. Go nuts. :bigsmile:

PS Log the splurge

Boogage

Weight loss is not linear and often weight drops off in chunks. 3 weeks is not a plateau so just keep going and see if you've lost in another 3 weeks or so. Don't cut calories to harshly as your body needs enough fuel to function and burn fat. I find when I am working out a lot I don't lose much weight and its only when I stop working out that the weight falls off. I think this is because my body has been holding onto a lot of water for repairs and when I don't workout it doesn't need the water anymore. This also means that I was really losing weight while working out but it just wasn't showing on the scale

bitty_401

Try to keep different diet plans every 2 wks.Your body gets used to a diet very easy and you get stuck by no losing weight. Let me say it this way.I'm on a metabolism diet of 3 X 1 now; but I began my diet by eating protein only(eggs, cheese and meat).Then the next 2 wks you add 20 g carbs. Then I supposed to add up to 40 g carb.Adding this amount of carbs daily, not in every meals. and so is with exercise too.You could exercise one wk jogging/trotting; then next wk, you add another: you jog/trot and jump. and so on. Your body will never have the a fixed rate.Different diets and different exercise will make you lose weight that won't be back when you reach your goal.You just have to keep it that way. If you are out of new ways, you go back to your first wk of diet and exercises.And if you have cravings for anything in particular, eat a piece or eat it.Pick one day OFF. no diet And eat whatever you want.That will boost your metabolism the next day.

bitty_401

and don't forget to log everything you do and eat or drink.No matter how many calories you eat, remember to log it.