Frustrated doesn't even begin to cover it

trogalicious

I read you shouldn't eat below your BMR. Mine is in the 1800 range.

That is very unlikely. I'm a 6'1" male and mine is only 1900ish.

It all comes back to the same thing - if you're not losing weight, you're not eating at a deficit.

just quoting this for good measure, since that what it boils down to.

luvmypuggle

The only way I knew to figure is through the many calculators online. They all put me in that range. I am 5'10, so I am tall for a girl. I also weigh 229, so I am a bit ahead of you on the scale.

luvmypuggle

There is no way I am not creating a deficit between cutting calories and exercising. There is just no way. I am too careful with calories and workout 5-6 days a week.

luvmypuggle

I am starting to add in interval training to see if that helps. I do a solid 15 minute run because I am training for races. Then I rest for a couple minutes and start adding in faster runs for shorter durations.

trogalicious

There is no way I am not creating a deficit between cutting calories and exercising. There is just no way. I am too careful with calories and workout 5-6 days a week.

okay, so.. you're just gonna disagree all day about not having a calorie deficit. That's cool.

So here's my suggestion.

Since weight loss is effectively an equation, and you aren't getting the result you want. Change the variables. At this point, EVERYTHING is an estimate, right? You say you've checked all of these online calculators, which we all recommend. That's cool. But if you aren't losing, then you're not at a deficit. Somehow. Someway.

So try this.

4 weeks. Stop working out. Count your calories as religiously as you say you are now. At the end of 4 weeks. Measure your loss. If you've lost, take that number and use your intake for the 4 weeks. Get an average of how much you lost per week and go from there.

Right now, your equation is something like this (ridiculously accurate food measurement) + (estimation of calories burned) = no loss.

So simplify.

(ridiculously accurate food measurements) + (patience and time) = expected loss.

If you don't lose at the end of that timeframe, guess what... you now know your maintenance calories. Subtract appropriately from there to get a deficit for loss. Start working out, add an estimate back in to accommodate.

madhatter2013

The only way I knew to figure is through the many calculators online. They all put me in that range. I am 5'10, so I am tall for a girl. I also weigh 229, so I am a bit ahead of you on the scale.

I got this one. I am 5'9" and started my weight loss at 231 lbs back in Sept of 2013. Now, 5 months later, I am down to 200 lbs and half way to my goal. I lost 10 lbs my first month, then nothing for 2 weeks after that. Ever since then (with the exception of a couple weeks off and on) I've lost a steady pound or so a week. Here's how: I have my daily calorie intake goal set at 1610, I work out 6 days a week buring between 240-320 calories a day and I make sure that if I burn it, I eat half of it back so I never eat more than 1720 calories a day. My work out consists of a little strength every other day and cardio every day for a half hour. THis has been working for me. I know I've posted some topics about my scale not budging, but as soon as I get down on myself for it, I weigh myself the next day and I'm down 2 lbs so it all evens out. Everyone else is right, somehow you are not counting your calories right. I use the mobile app and I barcode everything, then verify it with the label. If I'm eating at a resturant, I use their website to determine what I have left for calories and what I can order before I go. I find that the pressure looking at a menu and ordering while the wait staff is standing there tends to annoy me and I make poor decisions. You sound like me a few months ago so here's my 2 cents worth. Hope it helps. Dont give up.

1princesswarrior

It may be a pain to enter all of your food into the database but you need to do if you are going to track accurately. And you need to use a food scale to weigh all of your solids, measuring cups and spoons are off, sometimes by a lot. I even weight liquids that have grams in the serving size. And if I can't find any entry in the database that goes by weight I add one. I may be anal about it but I am also finding a lot of success, more than the 1000000 times I tried to lose weight before.

And do take measurements, start now. I weigh daily but I now have 8 months of data so I know when to change the batteries in my scale or when I need to adjust my calories or macros. My chart looks like a saw blade that goes downhill. I measure weekly. You are not gaining muscle if you are eating at a deficit, you will be lucky to maintain the muscle you have. Your water weight will fluctuate depending on countless factors.

Also, to accurately track your calorie burns, especially for cardio you need a heart rate monitor with a chest strap. MFP will overestimate your burn as will gym machines. That's why a lot of people only eat 50-75% of their exercise calories back.

Remember this is a marathon, not a sprint. Slow and steady weight loss increases the odds of keeping it off. Good luck.

parkscs

I wouldn't stop working out just because you're plateauing. It sounds to me like you're changing too much and expecting instant results. Introducing an exercise regimen almost always results in your muscles retaining some additional water and you've given it so little time to work that it's very possible that water retention is offsetting any fat losses you've seen over the past few weeks. Give it more time to work before you start making a bunch of additional changes.

I would also stop using quick add calories if you're going off the label, find the food that matches that label and enter it that way. It's literally no more work than punching in quick add calories, so there's no excuse not to add the item itself. I would also skip cheat meals for now - I personally see no reason you need to break your diet to "cheat", especially if you're not seeing the results you want. Finally, buy a food scale. Every item you eat will not be individually wrapped with a label (or at least I hope not) and at some point you'll need to know how much something weighs. Forget measuring unless it's a necessity (which it almost never is) - buy a food scale and use it.

luvmypuggle

I started at 238 and we are about the same height so our stats are very similar. Great job on the weightloss. I also strength train every other workout. I work out usually 5 days a week. Sometimes 6. I hit the weights pretty hard on Saturday because I am not rushed to get to work. I do the treadmill about 40-45 mins on strength training day and 60 on just cardio. According to the treadmill I burn about 400 on training days and 500-560 on just cardio days. I rarely eat back exercise cals except on cheat day. I know you guys all think I am not tracking carefully enough, but I assure you I am. I am doing everything I need to. The scale just isn't budging.

wilsoje74

The "quick add cals" is a dead giveaway that you aren't logging accurately, hence your problem.

This, how do you know you are eating 1500?

wilsoje74

I started at 238 and we are about the same height so our stats are very similar. Great job on the weightloss. I also strength train every other workout. I work out usually 5 days a week. Sometimes 6. I hit the weights pretty hard on Saturday because I am not rushed to get to work. I do the treadmill about 40-45 mins on strength training day and 60 on just cardio. According to the treadmill I burn about 400 on training days and 500-560 on just cardio days. I rarely eat back exercise cals except on cheat day. I know you guys all think I am not tracking carefully enough, but I assure you I am. I am doing everything I need to. The scale just isn't budging.

Then your body defies all science? You are eating too much or overestimating your exercise burns.

_HeartsOnFire_

There is no way I am not creating a deficit between cutting calories and exercising. There is just no way. I am too careful with calories and workout 5-6 days a week.

okay, so.. you're just gonna disagree all day about not having a calorie deficit. That's cool.

So here's my suggestion.

Since weight loss is effectively an equation, and you aren't getting the result you want. Change the variables. At this point, EVERYTHING is an estimate, right? You say you've checked all of these online calculators, which we all recommend. That's cool. But if you aren't losing, then you're not at a deficit. Somehow. Someway.

So try this.

4 weeks. Stop working out. Count your calories as religiously as you say you are now. At the end of 4 weeks. Measure your loss. If you've lost, take that number and use your intake for the 4 weeks. Get an average of how much you lost per week and go from there.

Right now, your equation is something like this (ridiculously accurate food measurement) + (estimation of calories burned) = no loss.

So simplify.

(ridiculously accurate food measurements) + (patience and time) = expected loss.

If you don't lose at the end of that timeframe, guess what... you now know your maintenance calories. Subtract appropriately from there to get a deficit for loss. Start working out, add an estimate back in to accommodate.

QFT

WBB55

For the last 4 days, you have netted on average under 900 calories per day.

Are you sure you're tracking your food and activity accurately?

wilsoje74

I do not cheat outside of my cheat day. It is really just a cheat meal. Usually it is a weekend night and I eat well all day up until the cheat meal. I know a lot are against cheat days, but it is a good way for me not to feel deprived. I am pretty anal on my calorie tracking. I am dedicated to making this life change. I read you shouldn't eat below your BMR. Mine is in the 1800 range. I was eating 1500 when I bumped up. What are your thoughts on BMR and TDEE? I know this first month is the fastest as far as dropping pounds, but stalling out this early seems crazy.

It's not anal to use quick cals, sorry. Maybe be a little more anal.

wilsoje74

There is no way I am not creating a deficit between cutting calories and exercising. There is just no way. I am too careful with calories and workout 5-6 days a week.

ok then why did you ask? Everyone is telling you great advice. You obviously are eating too much or overestimating your burns. Period.

luvmypuggle

The treadmill tells me I burn more than MFP. I go with MFP. I rarely eat exercise cals back. MFP has me eating 1920 cals to lose two pounds a week. That seems high. I have the goal of 1800 cause that is the ballpark my BMR is in. However, I usually do not eat that many. Usually in the 1600-1700 range. I was looking at getting a Fitbit Flex, but heard it wasn't very accurate. It counts hand movements as steps. I know slow and steady wins the race. It is just frustrating to put this much work in and not see results. Patience isn't a virtue of mine in this arena.

_HeartsOnFire_

There is no way I am not creating a deficit between cutting calories and exercising. There is just no way. I am too careful with calories and workout 5-6 days a week.

ok then why did you ask? Everyone is telling you great advice. You obviously are eating too much or overestimating your burns. Period.

Definitely quoting this for truth.

WBB55

I have the goal of 1800

Then why are you netting less than 900 calories for the last 4 days?

luvmypuggle

I asked to see if anyone was in the same phase as me. I don't need sarcastic comments. I am reading all the advice and experience and taking it in. I just know that I do watch my calories carefully. Maybe the treadmill and MFP are overestimating me. That I can't control. I don't eat those back anyway though.

wilsoje74

The treadmill tells me I burn more than MFP. I go with MFP. I rarely eat exercise cals back. MFP has me eating 1920 cals to lose two pounds a week. That seems high. I have the goal of 1800 cause that is the ballpark my BMR is in. However, I usually do not eat that many. Usually in the 1600-1700 range. I was looking at getting a Fitbit Flex, but heard it wasn't very accurate. It counts hand movements as steps. I know slow and steady wins the race. It is just frustrating to put this much work in and not see results. Patience isn't a virtue of mine in this arena.

Well if you have close to 100 lb to lose then you kind of have to be patient. Your diary does not look complete at all, you are missing dinner most nights and everything is quick add. Do you know you can scan the packages if you have a smart phone?? You need to watch your protein, fats, sodium etc. Too much sodium can make you hold onto fluids. You have to put in the effort. Seems like you want the easy fix.