About to quit!
Replies
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yeah no kidding!!!!!!!!
I eat 200ish grams of carbs and about 80 grams of protein. Weight loss is about calories in vs calorie out, NOT about macros.
Weight loss, yes. MFP is full of skinnyfat people who will cite 'cals in vs cals out' all day long. NOT that I'm saying that's you or anything...I'm just sayin'.
Pure FAT loss however requires a *bit* more precision.0 -
The issue is WHAT your eating, not how much. Cut out the processed boxed additive stuff and go for fresh, organic and lean. I eat Paleo, which is hard for most because its so restrictive, but most of the time people dont read lables!! that the BIGGEST issue...sometimes "healthy" stuff has more additive sugar and other ingredients that you cant even pronounce than just plain old ice cream and cake! Read your lables and go FRESH. Fruits, veggies and lean protein. you can use as many spices you can get your hands on to flavor!
of course the issue is how much. You can eat the healthiest food on the planet, and if you are eating more calories than you are burning, you will still gain weight. You can eat the most processed crap on the planet, and if you are eating fewer calories than you are burning, you will still lose weight. That doesn't mean that you will be healthy and you won't have high cholesterol or be pre-diabetic, but you will lose weight.
I believe both are pretty important.. however in my understanding you could eat 1200 cals in twinkies and still lose weight.. not be healthy... but lose weight.
For the record I wouldnt recommend a twinkie diet! Lol.0 -
"Add heavy compound lifts. They have made a HUGE difference for me. My weight hasn't changed a whole lot but man have I lost inches and I have never looked better. "
Can you explain compound lifts? I used to be all cardio, lifting and weights are all new to me. New World lol.
Didn't see this, lack of strength training probably means you lose more muscle during your weight loss and now have a BMR lower than what MFP would estimate based on age, weight, gender, etc.
I suggest you check out the books starting strength, and/or new rules of lifting for women. both programs focus on compound movements with heavy lifting (heavy as in lower reps and heavy for you)0 -
Addi n some weight training. Any professional will tell you that the more muscle you build, the faster the fat will burn! If your doing all cardio and no weight training, you could even be damaging your muscle! Gotta get in those weight training days!
It's not possible to build muscle while eating at a calorie deficit.
Yes, but by not strength training a larger % of the weight loss will come from lean muscle, meaning less muscle at your goal weight = burning less cals at your goal weight.
True, but the post I was responding to said "the more muscle you build".0 -
Addi n some weight training. Any professional will tell you that the more muscle you build, the faster the fat will burn! If your doing all cardio and no weight training, you could even be damaging your muscle! Gotta get in those weight training days!
It's not possible to build muscle while eating at a calorie deficit.
It is, at least for some demographics, but probably not for the OP.
The biggest thing I can think of is for the OP to start weighing/measuring everything, if she isn't already. From the sound of things, you're doing what you're supposed to be doing and just need to stick with it - just be as precise with your caloric intake and your burn as you possibly can.0 -
Yes it did, just wanted OP to get why you would lift though.Addi n some weight training. Any professional will tell you that the more muscle you build, the faster the fat will burn! If your doing all cardio and no weight training, you could even be damaging your muscle! Gotta get in those weight training days!
It's not possible to build muscle while eating at a calorie deficit.
Yes, but by not strength training a larger % of the weight loss will come from lean muscle, meaning less muscle at your goal weight = burning less cals at your goal weight.
True, but the post I was responding to said "the more muscle you build".0 -
I'm sorry, english is not my first language: I meant, many people here who lost 100 + pounds will tell you to never ever eat under your BMR, so to not even think to net under 1200 calories!
That doing this long term will mess up your metabolism. That doing only cardio and no strenght training will result in losing muscle mass, because your body is very smart and will always choose to reduce expenditure before letting go of fat. It is way more logical to let go of a pound of muscle that use more calories to be maintain then a pound of fat. So if your body has to burn something it will burn the thing that "cost" the more, so muscle. This is a downward spiral : your metabolism will get slower and slower and you will have to reduce your calorie intake even more until it will be more damageable to lose weight for your health (nutritional deficit long term is dangerous)...
I have several friends that have lost well over 100 lbs, one even over 200 lbs, and they all have netted under 1200.
It depends on many factors- age, starting weight, body com, height, etc. You can't make generalized statements to cover everyone!
I agree that very large deficits over time CAN BE harmful to some people. But for some people, netting under 1200 is not a very large deficit.0 -
I'll open it.. I don;t log every day, I try!
Aha! I think I've found the problem.
Also, when you do log, how are you logging? I hope it's with a measuring cups (for liquids) and a scale (for everything else).
(Now to read five pages of what I expect will be people saying the same thing...or, more entertainingly, OP arguing that this isn't the reason.)0 -
I'm sorry, english is not my first language: I meant, many people here who lost 100 + pounds will tell you to never ever eat under your BMR, so to not even think to net under 1200 calories!
That doing this long term will mess up your metabolism. That doing only cardio and no strenght training will result in losing muscle mass, because your body is very smart and will always choose to reduce expenditure before letting go of fat. It is way more logical to let go of a pound of muscle that use more calories to be maintain then a pound of fat. So if your body has to burn something it will burn the thing that "cost" the more, so muscle. This is a downward spiral : your metabolism will get slower and slower and you will have to reduce your calorie intake even more until it will be more damageable to lose weight for your health (nutritional deficit long term is dangerous)...
I have several friends that have lost well over 100 lbs, one even over 200 lbs, and they all have netted under 1200.
It depends on many factors- age, starting weight, body com, height, etc. You can't make generalized statements to cover everyone!
I agree that very large deficits over time CAN BE harmful to some people. But for some people, netting under 1200 is not a very large deficit.
Might not be too large for some, but it is very difficult to get the required micro (vitamins and minerals) and macros (fat and protein) on less than 1200. so eating 1200 net or more and having a smaller deficit is a much better/safer approach.0 -
I highly highly doubt you're burning THAT much per day. MFP grossly overestimates cardio burn.
^^That may not be true. I aim for at least 1000 cals burned per workout on most days...and it's usually 1.5 to 2.5 hrs worth of work. According to my HRM (and my level of hunger afterwards lol), I am definitely burning that much! MFP usually overestimates by default, but you are able to adjust the calorie count to the correct one once you select the type of exercise.
I'm beginning to see a commonality with people who are over-estimating their calorie burns. I don't want to say the name because I don't want to take the fun out of other people figuring it out too, but I'll say the initials:
H.R.M.0 -
I'll open it.. I don;t log every day, I try!
Aha! I think I've found the problem.
Also, when you do log, how are you logging? I hope it's with a measuring cups (for liquids) and a scale (for everything else).
(Now to read five pages of what I expect will be people saying the same thing...or, more entertainingly, OP arguing that this isn't the reason.)
I'm not arguing with anyone. I have already stated that I missed like two days this month. I measure, but I do need to buy myself a scale for my food.0 -
I highly highly doubt you're burning THAT much per day. MFP grossly overestimates cardio burn.
^^That may not be true. I aim for at least 1000 cals burned per workout on most days...and it's usually 1.5 to 2.5 hrs worth of work. According to my HRM (and my level of hunger afterwards lol), I am definitely burning that much! MFP usually overestimates by default, but you are able to adjust the calorie count to the correct one once you select the type of exercise.
I'm beginning to see a commonality with people who are over-estimating their calorie burns. I don't want to say the name because I don't want to take the fun out of other people figuring it out too, but I'll say the initials:
H.R.M.
I guess there is no way to really know what you are burning since everything is estimated.
I just recently bought a Polar HRM and have all my stats set up. Maybe it way over estimates, maybe not. I guess I just have to make sure I eat well enough and just keep working out. Eventually I will see the results I used to get so long I just keep at it.0 -
I highly highly doubt you're burning THAT much per day. MFP grossly overestimates cardio burn.
^^That may not be true. I aim for at least 1000 cals burned per workout on most days...and it's usually 1.5 to 2.5 hrs worth of work. According to my HRM (and my level of hunger afterwards lol), I am definitely burning that much! MFP usually overestimates by default, but you are able to adjust the calorie count to the correct one once you select the type of exercise.
I'm beginning to see a commonality with people who are over-estimating their calorie burns. I don't want to say the name because I don't want to take the fun out of other people figuring it out too, but I'll say the initials:
H.R.M.
I guess there is no way to really know what you are burning since everything is estimated.
I just recently bought a Polar HRM and have all my stats set up. Maybe it way over estimates, maybe not. I guess I just have to make sure I eat well enough and just keep working out. Eventually I will see the results I used to get so long I just keep at it.
I take my own HR several times during a workout and then average it out. I then calculate my VO2 max and figure calorie burn from there. There are some calculators on the web to use for that. It's not perfectly accurate but closer than most machines or MFP.0 -
I highly highly doubt you're burning THAT much per day. MFP grossly overestimates cardio burn.
^^That may not be true. I aim for at least 1000 cals burned per workout on most days...and it's usually 1.5 to 2.5 hrs worth of work. According to my HRM (and my level of hunger afterwards lol), I am definitely burning that much! MFP usually overestimates by default, but you are able to adjust the calorie count to the correct one once you select the type of exercise.
I'm beginning to see a commonality with people who are over-estimating their calorie burns. I don't want to say the name because I don't want to take the fun out of other people figuring it out too, but I'll say the initials:
H.R.M.
It's a damned if you do, damned if you don't type of thing. Most will agree MFP's estimates of your caloric expenditure are not accurate, at least not for most people. Likewise, there is a ton of variation in the caloric burn as given by machines at the gym. About the best you can do is buy a quality HRM, feed it your metadata, and trust it to be as accurate as possible. I rarely eat 100% of my calories back from cardio since a slightly greater deficit won't hurt me, but a HRM is about the best you can do.
All that said, the HRM may not be to blame here, given that the OP doesn't actually have a food scale yet. Buying a food scale is probably the best thing you can do to increase your accuracy in logging what you eat.0 -
I'm a broken record but I ran into a zero progress spell that lasted a YEAR. And I log every day with over 500 consecutive days.
Logging didin't do it. Eating per the plan of Dr. Joel Fuhrman did. High fiber nutritionally dense foods did the trick. I adopted ANDI style eating. I can stuff myself with satisfying foods and control my calories. (You can eat a bunch of broccoli and consume less than 100 calories) I recommend "Eat to Live" by Dr. Joel Fuhrman. You can do this for LIFE. I don't diet. The first three letters of DIEt will kill you. Diets don't work but life style changes that let you buy in certainly will.
ANDI Scoring System ANDI stands for Aggregate Nutrient Density Index.
Fuhrman, Dr. Joel (2013-05-07). Nutritarian Handbook & ANDI Food Scoring Guide (Kindle Locations 335-337). Gift Of Health Press. Kindle Edition.0 -
buy the scale ASAP...weigh things. shocking how much a Tbs of peanut butter can be off if you dont weight it in grams.I'll open it.. I don;t log every day, I try!
Aha! I think I've found the problem.
Also, when you do log, how are you logging? I hope it's with a measuring cups (for liquids) and a scale (for everything else).
(Now to read five pages of what I expect will be people saying the same thing...or, more entertainingly, OP arguing that this isn't the reason.)
I'm not arguing with anyone. I have already stated that I missed like two days this month. I measure, but I do need to buy myself a scale for my food.0 -
I'm a broken record but I ran into a zero progress spell that lasted a YEAR. And I log every day with over 500 consecutive days.
Logging didin't do it. Eating per the plan of Dr. Joel Fuhrman did. High fiber nutritionally dense foods did the trick. I adopted ANDI style eating. I can stuff myself with satisfying foods and control my calories. (You can eat a bunch of broccoli and consume less than 100 calories) I recommend "Eat to Live" by Dr. Joel Fuhrman. You can do this for LIFE. I don't diet. The first three letters of DIEt will kill you. Diets don't work but life style changes that let you buy in certainly will.
ANDI Scoring System ANDI stands for Aggregate Nutrient Density Index.
Fuhrman, Dr. Joel (2013-05-07). Nutritarian Handbook & ANDI Food Scoring Guide (Kindle Locations 335-337). Gift Of Health Press. Kindle Edition.
So essentially you lost weight by eating fewer calories.0 -
Don't take the advice to eat more, try logging and weighing more.
I think I missed like 2 days this month.
You are one who told me at 1500-1800 ( bad days) I eat too much..
If I eat on a bad day, 1800 calories.. spend 2 hrs at the gym, burn 1000.. that means I net 800. Is this accurate or am I missing something. Would this be healthy? I'm not trying out for any body building comps. I am just an average grl who used to be 280 lbs. Lost 100 lbs on her own terms.. and now Is having a really difffcult time while switching up my routine.
Well, we've already established that your logging is lax. So quit sweating the hypotheticals, log accurately and continue your journey. I think you already know that you need to meet your NET calorie requirements.
I'm sorry, but I think I missed something... she has missed two days out of the last 30 (give or take). How is a log ratio of 28/30 (93%) lax?
If she were to come in and say... I'm netting 800 calories a day and am still gaining... half the people here would scream "starvation mode"!
If she is weighing her food and logging accurately - which she says she IS (and I refuse to call her a liar)... then that's not the problem.
She may be taking in more than she is burning... but even still 1700 cals a day is not a bad amount for the average woman who is exercising to consume. Hell. I don't exercise every day and still consume close to 2000 cals a day.
She has indicated she has just started a super intense workout, so some of the gain may be water weight.
Hell, if she has an electronic scale, it could be the scale too!
Or TOM.
There could be a NUMBER of reasons why she has gained some weight.
She has been listening to everyone, and she isn't arguing with you... she is trying to make sure that you understand what it is she is saying. I agree... I don't think people are hearing her.
That said... she has gotten some really good advice and there isn't probably anything new to be said here that will help more.
Oh.. and btw... look at her profile pic. She looks freaking hot right now... it could be possible that she doesn't NEED to lose another 35
Yes Mirey, you missed something:I'll open it.. I don;t log every day, I try!
Also, she is wondering why she gained 15 lbs. I certainly never told her she needs to lose weight.
ETA: She also doesn't use a food scale. Both that and the inconsistent logging (admitted to by herself, and then back peddled on) are why I said her logging is lax.0 -
I highly highly doubt you're burning THAT much per day. MFP grossly overestimates cardio burn.
^^That may not be true. I aim for at least 1000 cals burned per workout on most days...and it's usually 1.5 to 2.5 hrs worth of work. According to my HRM (and my level of hunger afterwards lol), I am definitely burning that much! MFP usually overestimates by default, but you are able to adjust the calorie count to the correct one once you select the type of exercise.
I'm beginning to see a commonality with people who are over-estimating their calorie burns. I don't want to say the name because I don't want to take the fun out of other people figuring it out too, but I'll say the initials:
H.R.M.
It's a damned if you do, damned if you don't type of thing. Most will agree MFP's estimates of your caloric expenditure are not accurate, at least not for most people. Likewise, there is a ton of variation in the caloric burn as given by machines at the gym. About the best you can do is buy a quality HRM, feed it your metadata, and trust it to be as accurate as possible. I rarely eat 100% of my calories back from cardio since a slightly greater deficit won't hurt me, but a HRM is about the best you can do.
All that said, the HRM may not be to blame here, given that the OP doesn't actually have a food scale yet. Buying a food scale is probably the best thing you can do to increase your accuracy in logging what you eat.
The key to success is to get everything as accurate as you can, and then adjust according to observed results.
The part that everyone forgets is adjust according to observed results.
It's pretty easy to be accurate with food logging. Get a scale and some measuring cups, use them religiously, and log everything.
If your observed results don't at least somewhat closely match 1 pound lost per 3500 calorie deficit over two month period, then it's pretty obvious that you can point to your calorie burn. It's only when you are not consistent with logging that it becomes a mystery.
Last year when summer rolled around, I had a stall. Because I logged my food accurately, I could look back on my exercise diary and see what changed. I had started swimming. Because I had my kids with me in the pool, I couldn't consistently swim laps. I had tried to adjust down for this, but when I was honest with myself it was apparent I didn't adjust down enough. I fixed it and BOOM - the weight started falling off again.
It's not rocket science - but it is science.0 -
I'll open it.. I don;t log every day, I try!
Aha! I think I've found the problem.
Also, when you do log, how are you logging? I hope it's with a measuring cups (for liquids) and a scale (for everything else).
(Now to read five pages of what I expect will be people saying the same thing...or, more entertainingly, OP arguing that this isn't the reason.)
Careful, you are going to get yelled at for noting the obvious!0 -
buy the scale ASAP...weigh things. shocking how much a Tbs of peanut butter can be off if you dont weight it in grams.I'll open it.. I don;t log every day, I try!
Aha! I think I've found the problem.
Also, when you do log, how are you logging? I hope it's with a measuring cups (for liquids) and a scale (for everything else).
(Now to read five pages of what I expect will be people saying the same thing...or, more entertainingly, OP arguing that this isn't the reason.)
I'm not arguing with anyone. I have already stated that I missed like two days this month. I measure, but I do need to buy myself a scale for my food.
I measure in dry/wet cups and measuring spoons for now. Seemed to work. But maybe I am just eating too much. It's more than I used to eat. But I also work out more so I just thought upping my calories wouldn't be bad.. Body is taking some time to adjust I gather.. I guess it's part of a weightloss journey.. seeing what works for me vs what doesn't. Some people had great sucess eating more. Some had great success eating less. For me, so far what has worked the best is 1200 a day, with 4 mile walks 4-5 times a week. So far since joining a gym and having new tools, I haven't done so well. Maybe I need to fight my new found extreme hunger after the gym.. lol.. OR.. just eat mor proteins as already mentioned by a few earlier.0 -
I'll open it.. I don;t log every day, I try!
Aha! I think I've found the problem.
Also, when you do log, how are you logging? I hope it's with a measuring cups (for liquids) and a scale (for everything else).
(Now to read five pages of what I expect will be people saying the same thing...or, more entertainingly, OP arguing that this isn't the reason.)
Careful, you are going to get yelled at for noting the obvious!
I'm not sure that anyone has actually yelled at you. If anything just disagreed. We all do that.. it's a forum..Sorry if you felt attacked somehow.0 -
Uhm no, that is VERY wrong. your body processes different foods in different ways. If your eating processed crap and what have you, your body isnt going to burn it efficiently when you work out. You can work out as much as you want, and if you think "oh ill just take the single patty instead of the big mac" your not going to lose anything because the minute you put a real meal in your mouth, youre body is going to store it because you havent been feeding it properly. Lets say you eat cheeseburgers all day and your calorie intake is 1200, but you burn 1600 in workouts. The next day when you go and eat your cheeseburgers again, your just going to gain the weight right back because your body is starving for HEALTHY food and better nutrition. It cant run on processed crap, and your certainly NOT going to see results. Itll just be a weight teeter-totter..0
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I'll open it.. I don;t log every day, I try!
Aha! I think I've found the problem.
Also, when you do log, how are you logging? I hope it's with a measuring cups (for liquids) and a scale (for everything else).
(Now to read five pages of what I expect will be people saying the same thing...or, more entertainingly, OP arguing that this isn't the reason.)
Careful, you are going to get yelled at for noting the obvious!
I'm not sure that anyone has actually yelled at you. If anything just disagreed. We all do that.. it's a forum..Sorry if you felt attacked somehow.
Oh, we get used to it. The thanks we get for trying to help.0 -
I'll open it.. I don;t log every day, I try!
Aha! I think I've found the problem.
Also, when you do log, how are you logging? I hope it's with a measuring cups (for liquids) and a scale (for everything else).
(Now to read five pages of what I expect will be people saying the same thing...or, more entertainingly, OP arguing that this isn't the reason.)
Careful, you are going to get yelled at for noting the obvious!
I'm not sure that anyone has actually yelled at you. If anything just disagreed. We all do that.. it's a forum..Sorry if you felt attacked somehow.
Oh, we get used to it. The thanks we get for trying to help.
I have been on the other end, I know how it feels.. so I apologize.0 -
Uhm no, that is VERY wrong. your body processes different foods in different ways. If your eating processed crap and what have you, your body isnt going to burn it efficiently when you work out. You can work out as much as you want, and if you think "oh ill just take the single patty instead of the big mac" your not going to lose anything because the minute you put a real meal in your mouth, youre body is going to store it because you havent been feeding it properly. Lets say you eat cheeseburgers all day and your calorie intake is 1200, but you burn 1600 in workouts. The next day when you go and eat your cheeseburgers again, your just going to gain the weight right back because your body is starving for HEALTHY food and better nutrition. It cant run on processed crap, and your certainly NOT going to see results. Itll just be a weight teeter-totter..
What, that is so wrong. you can lose weight eating just Twinkies all day as long as your cals are below what you need to maintain weight.0 -
I'll open it.. I don;t log every day, I try!
Aha! I think I've found the problem.
Also, when you do log, how are you logging? I hope it's with a measuring cups (for liquids) and a scale (for everything else).
(Now to read five pages of what I expect will be people saying the same thing...or, more entertainingly, OP arguing that this isn't the reason.)
Careful, you are going to get yelled at for noting the obvious!
I'm not sure that anyone has actually yelled at you. If anything just disagreed. We all do that.. it's a forum..Sorry if you felt attacked somehow.
Oh, we get used to it. The thanks we get for trying to help.
I have been on the other end, I know how it feels.. so I apologize.
Thank you. I appreciate it. :flowerforyou: However, you were not the one attacking.0 -
Uhm no, that is VERY wrong. your body processes different foods in different ways. If your eating processed crap and what have you, your body isnt going to burn it efficiently when you work out. You can work out as much as you want, and if you think "oh ill just take the single patty instead of the big mac" your not going to lose anything because the minute you put a real meal in your mouth, youre body is going to store it because you havent been feeding it properly. Lets say you eat cheeseburgers all day and your calorie intake is 1200, but you burn 1600 in workouts. The next day when you go and eat your cheeseburgers again, your just going to gain the weight right back because your body is starving for HEALTHY food and better nutrition. It cant run on processed crap, and your certainly NOT going to see results. Itll just be a weight teeter-totter..
That is complete and otter* rot that is dis-proven by so many people on MFP it's barely worth responding.
Sincerely,
Someone who, while eating processed foods on ocassion has -
Lost 65lbs (then bulked some back on in muscle-weight)
Gone from being unable to run to a 26 minute 5k, 58 minute 10k, and 7 minute mile.
Increased strength
Improved my cholesterol and blood sugar numbers well into the healthy range.
Dropped my resting heart rate into the high 50s.
Progressed to a VO2 max in the 'athletic' range.
Dropped my body fat percentage from 45% to 12%.
Should I continue, or are you getting the picture?
Edit : *utter. Damn you autocorrect.0 -
I highly highly doubt you're burning THAT much per day. MFP grossly overestimates cardio burn.
^^That may not be true. I aim for at least 1000 cals burned per workout on most days...and it's usually 1.5 to 2.5 hrs worth of work. According to my HRM (and my level of hunger afterwards lol), I am definitely burning that much! MFP usually overestimates by default, but you are able to adjust the calorie count to the correct one once you select the type of exercise.
I'm beginning to see a commonality with people who are over-estimating their calorie burns. I don't want to say the name because I don't want to take the fun out of other people figuring it out too, but I'll say the initials:
H.R.M.
It's a damned if you do, damned if you don't type of thing. Most will agree MFP's estimates of your caloric expenditure are not accurate, at least not for most people. Likewise, there is a ton of variation in the caloric burn as given by machines at the gym. About the best you can do is buy a quality HRM, feed it your metadata, and trust it to be as accurate as possible. I rarely eat 100% of my calories back from cardio since a slightly greater deficit won't hurt me, but a HRM is about the best you can do.
All that said, the HRM may not be to blame here, given that the OP doesn't actually have a food scale yet. Buying a food scale is probably the best thing you can do to increase your accuracy in logging what you eat.
The key to success is to get everything as accurate as you can, and then adjust according to observed results.
The part that everyone forgets is adjust according to observed results.
It's pretty easy to be accurate with food logging. Get a scale and some measuring cups, use them religiously, and log everything.
If your observed results don't at least somewhat closely match 1 pound lost per 3500 calorie deficit over two month period, then it's pretty obvious that you can point to your calorie burn. It's only when you are not consistent with logging that it becomes a mystery.
Last year when summer rolled around, I had a stall. Because I logged my food accurately, I could look back on my exercise diary and see what changed. I had started swimming. Because I had my kids with me in the pool, I couldn't consistently swim laps. I had tried to adjust down for this, but when I was honest with myself it was apparent I didn't adjust down enough. I fixed it and BOOM - the weight started falling off again.
It's not rocket science - but it is science.
I agree, but that doesn't mean HRM's are necessarily inaccurate as you seem to suggest above. In my experience, it's the opposite and a HRM is the best way to get an estimate your burn.0 -
I highly highly doubt you're burning THAT much per day. MFP grossly overestimates cardio burn.
^^That may not be true. I aim for at least 1000 cals burned per workout on most days...and it's usually 1.5 to 2.5 hrs worth of work. According to my HRM (and my level of hunger afterwards lol), I am definitely burning that much! MFP usually overestimates by default, but you are able to adjust the calorie count to the correct one once you select the type of exercise.
I'm beginning to see a commonality with people who are over-estimating their calorie burns. I don't want to say the name because I don't want to take the fun out of other people figuring it out too, but I'll say the initials:
H.R.M.
It's a damned if you do, damned if you don't type of thing. Most will agree MFP's estimates of your caloric expenditure are not accurate, at least not for most people. Likewise, there is a ton of variation in the caloric burn as given by machines at the gym. About the best you can do is buy a quality HRM, feed it your metadata, and trust it to be as accurate as possible. I rarely eat 100% of my calories back from cardio since a slightly greater deficit won't hurt me, but a HRM is about the best you can do.
All that said, the HRM may not be to blame here, given that the OP doesn't actually have a food scale yet. Buying a food scale is probably the best thing you can do to increase your accuracy in logging what you eat.
The key to success is to get everything as accurate as you can, and then adjust according to observed results.
The part that everyone forgets is adjust according to observed results.
It's pretty easy to be accurate with food logging. Get a scale and some measuring cups, use them religiously, and log everything.
If your observed results don't at least somewhat closely match 1 pound lost per 3500 calorie deficit over two month period, then it's pretty obvious that you can point to your calorie burn. It's only when you are not consistent with logging that it becomes a mystery.
Last year when summer rolled around, I had a stall. Because I logged my food accurately, I could look back on my exercise diary and see what changed. I had started swimming. Because I had my kids with me in the pool, I couldn't consistently swim laps. I had tried to adjust down for this, but when I was honest with myself it was apparent I didn't adjust down enough. I fixed it and BOOM - the weight started falling off again.
It's not rocket science - but it is science.
I agree, but that doesn't mean HRM's are necessarily inaccurate as you seem to suggest above. In my experience, it's the opposite and a HRM is the best way to get an estimate your burn.
If you are doing steady state cardio, sure.
But many people use HRMs for things like weight training, or even just wear them all day. That's what causes the problem.0
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