Logging for 115 days. nothing to show for it...

shamansa

I think most of you have a decent point.


Looking back at my diary I can do much better.

I was mistaken in thinking that being 200-300 calories over board some days is alright.


I'll try and be very specific with the food now. Thanks.

ILiftHeavyAcrylics

I think most of you have a decent point.


Looking back at my diary I can do much better.

I was mistaken in thinking that being 200-300 calories over board some days is alright.


I'll try and be very specific with the food now. Thanks.

Sometimes, sure. Just make sure you're hitting your calorie goal 6 days out of 7 and you should be fine.

sloth3toes

I think most of you have a decent point.


Looking back at my diary I can do much better.

I was mistaken in thinking that being 200-300 calories over board some days is alright.


I'll try and be very specific with the food now. Thanks.

You might want to enlighten us with a few stats.... so we can help you be a bit more accurate.

But, here's the thing. If you set up your goal weight loss as 1/2 lb per week, that's a 250 calorie per day deficit. So, if you go over an average of 250 calories per day, you'd stay at the same weight. And that's not accounting for inaccuracy, which is most likely not to go in your favor. So, if you're set for 1/2 lb per week, and you log it as if you're going 250 calories over, on average per day.... and you are actually going 500 calories over... then, you're gaining 1/2 lb per week.

I'd like to draw your attention to a post ( not mine ) that helps to explain why no matter how accurately you attempt to log... there's always gonna be a margin of error.

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1119567-accuracy-of-the-you-d-weigh-xxx-in-5-weeks?page=2

There is a reason it isn't accurate and it's simple. Measurements of any kind involve an error, normally modeled with a statistical distribution around the true measure. Let's say your logging is off by 5% and your TDEE is off by 15%. Then you're off by 20% for the day. Specific numbers: TDEE estimated at 2800 kcals; logs estimate intake of 1400 kcals. The number it'll tell you for 5 weeks is 35 * 1400 / 3500 = 14lbs lost. But your actually TDEE Is 2380 and your actual intake is 1470, so your actual deficit is 910, and the real value for 5 week is is 35 * 910 / 3500 = 9.1lbs. These error rates are totally reasonable even if you weigh and measure your food and use something sophisticated like a bodymedia device or other tracker to estimate your TDEE.

And, the errors you make are different every day. Take any 100 calorie error and multiply it by 35 days and you're off by a whole pound.

It simply can't be accurate, it isn't averaging together enough data to be accurate.

Osric

carolina822

I think you should be proud of the fact that you haven't gained over that time period. No, it's not moving the other way yet and if that's important to you you'll have to tighten up a bit, but you've obviously made a change from at least some of what you were doing before and that's a step in the right direction.

Mr_Knight

If I ate all carbs, all day long, I would not lose weight.

If you ate *anything* all day long, you would not lose weight.