Frustrated doesn't even begin to cover it
Replies
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Then your body defies all science? You are eating too much or overestimating your exercise burns.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.0 -
okay, so.. you're just gonna disagree all day about not having a calorie deficit. That's cool.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.
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.
QFT0 -
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?0 -
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.0 -
ok then why did you ask? Everyone is telling you great advice. You obviously are eating too much or overestimating your burns. Period.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.0 -
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.0
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ok then why did you ask? Everyone is telling you great advice. You obviously are eating too much or overestimating your burns. Period.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.
Definitely quoting this for truth.0 -
I have the goal of 1800
Then why are you netting less than 900 calories for the last 4 days?0 -
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.0
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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.0 -
So you say:I know slow and steady wins the race.
but then say...It is just frustrating to put this much work in and not see results. Patience isn't a virtue of mine in this arena.
work on that.0 -
I was out of town this past weekend, so I didn't log like I should have. Got busy and forgot sometimes. MFP has me at 1920 calories a day. I will only max at 1800. Most days not even that though. 1800 is just a number to stay under.0
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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.
You say that you are reading and taking all the advice and experience in but then when people try to give you good advice you immediately shoot it down and say that can't be it.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.
You should be eating above your BMR, which you admit you do not do, you eat less. If in reality you are only netting 900 calories a day, then that's a huge part as to why you may not be losing. At the very least you should net at least 1200 - minimum.0 -
I know, easier said that done. I am trying to mentally think it is more about my health and not get caught up in numbers. It is taking some time to come to grips with that though. Work in progress.0
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I was out of town this past weekend, so I didn't log like I should have. Got busy and forgot sometimes. MFP has me at 1920 calories a day. I will only max at 1800. Most days not even that though. 1800 is just a number to stay under.
....why? If you're using the app, why are you willingly not doing what it says?
and if
is actually how you feel, then why are you frustrated about numbers on a scale?I know, easier said that done. I am trying to mentally think it is more about my health and not get caught up in numbers. It is taking some time to come to grips with that though. Work in progress.0 -
MFP has me at 1920 calories a day.
In my experience, a caloric deficit greater than 1000 total calories is counter productive to sane, healthy, predictable weight loss. If you have MFP set to "lose 2 lbs per week" and it gave you 1920 calories per day, that means your TDEE is 2920. If all of these numbers are true, and you're truly diligent and accurate with your intake and exercise (buy a heart rate monitor or/and a FitBit to get closer to accurate, if you like) then you should not eat less than 1920 every day, if you want reliable, predictable weightloss.
Here, plug your numbers into this calculator, and tell us what it says your BMR and TDEE is.
http://scoobysworkshop.com/accurate-calorie-calculator/0 -
Weekends I do tend to not log as consistently if I am out of town. I am staying aware though. During the week I am pretty consistent. I am going to work on logging every food and not quick adding since so many of you are recommending it. I am not looking for a quick fix. I know it takes hard work. That is why I get up at 5:30 every morn and bust my tail in the gym. I have lost a large amount of weight before. I know the sacrifice it takes. It just has never been this difficult to get off or at least to get in a steady groove of dropping weight.0
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BMR of 1983
TDEE of 30740 -
I do pretty good at tracking most times but I do admit ( to myself ) lol that when I don't lose weight it's because my cheerios were probably 2 servings instead of one and my oatmeal too , then I probably ate a 7 oz steak not a 4 oz steak ... Sigh, I bought a scale and havent used it yet hahaha.
I know deep down that I am probably underestimating my calories because when I don't do that - I lose weight .
I hope this helps because you can document till you are blue in the face- but If you aren't weighing it you may be wrong and it's obviously upsetting you .
Good luck , I know it's hard ,but we can all do it !!0 -
bust my tail in the gym.
You don't have to work out to lose weight. Maybe you should just relax for a while and stress out less about it. Don't get me wrong, exercise is great for the heart. But weightloss? Meh. Lifting weights help maintain the muscles you have. But a bunch of cardio at the gym? Why do more than 20 min/day or so? (Unless you're building your endurance for a 5k or something.)I know the sacrifice it takes.
I'd say it takes consistency more than sacrifice, in the long run. It took me 2 years to lose 100 lbs. Patience and consistency helped more than anything else did.0 -
I meant I am trying to get to the mentality just think of it as getting healthy, but we all want to see that scale drop. It will take time to get past not getting hung up on the scale.
I use it to track calories. I figure if drop calories lower than they do I will lose more weight and/or should I over estimate calories somewhere I would be ok because I am eating less. Make sense?0 -
BMR of 1983
TDEE of 3074
so start there. ACCURATELY log your food. Weigh it. Don't just quick add everything to death.
15% of your TDEE is 2613. That's STILL at a deficit.
So here it comes. WEIGH and ACCURATELY log EVERYTHING. Eat up to that amount, but not 3000 calories.
Give it 4-6 weeks.
Reassess at that point. Then since you've ACCURATELY logged everything, you'll have more data to use for comparison.
...or you can take my advice from earlier, since you seem to be arguing about the calculators online too. Don't work out and go nuts, find your maintenance/tdee pick your own deficit and go from there.0 -
I do several races a year, so that is why I run consistently. I am doing the Color Run in March. I also do several mud/obstacle runs a year. Hoping to be fit enough to do a Spartan Sprint this year. That is one of my goals.0
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Thanks!0
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Thank you for the advice!0
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Hoping to be fit enough to do a Spartan Sprint this year. That is one of my goals.
Netting under 900 calories won't help you reach that goal. Eating less than your BMR won't help you reach that goal. Eating at a caloric deficit greater than 1000 calories under your TDEE will not help you reach that goal. I don't know a single human being who can train for a run by eating on average less than their BMR.0 -
OP. I'm right where you are. I am 62 days in.
8 lbs down the first 30 days and now as of this am I'm up 3 of those 8. I too started working out a month in, and have been very diligent about logging (I do weigh and measure everything and enter everything.)
I would be more discouraged than I am right now except I took pics and measured at the beginning. I have lost 10 inches since I started, 5 inches per month, and the pictures and my clothes tell me what I'm doing is working. I can tell you that I am sore...everywhere, but I keep exercising 5-6 days a week because I really want to lose this this time, AND be strong, not just skinny fat like I was in a previous life (late teens).
It's frustrating AS HELL that I can't say HEY! I LOST 20 lbs in 2 months! or whatever numbers you probably (as I do) see your friends losing on the home page. It's frustrating AS HELL to have everyone saying, "well, you're eating more than you think or overestimating your burns or you need to see a Dr." or whatever it is (Sorry to all of you out there, I know you're just speaking the truth, because it probably really is that simple, it's just hard to swallow when you THINK you're doing everything you're supposed to and the scale is NOT budging.)
The only thing I've gotten encouraging from this thread this far is maybe we haven't given it enough time, especially since we radically changed the exercise routine. THAT makes me want to keep going. I know that I personally don't drink enough water and so I'm working on that for the next couple of weeks to see if that makes a difference in the scale.
As a side note, I have a fitbit flex. It's telling me my daily average burn over the last 30 days has been 2367 and intake has been 1581. That is a deficit of 786 per day for 30 days, I should have lost 6.7 lbs. I am up 3. AGAIN, I weigh and measure ALL of my food.
Anyway, OP, feel free to friend me if you want. I intend to keep on keepin on.0 -
BMR of 1983
TDEE of 3074
so start there. ACCURATELY log your food. Weigh it. Don't just quick add everything to death.
15% of your TDEE is 2613. That's STILL at a deficit.
So here it comes. WEIGH and ACCURATELY log EVERYTHING. Eat up to that amount, but not 3000 calories.
Give it 4-6 weeks.
Reassess at that point. Then since you've ACCURATELY logged everything, you'll have more data to use for comparison.
...or you can take my advice from earlier, since you seem to be arguing about the calculators online too. Don't work out and go nuts, find your maintenance/tdee pick your own deficit and go from there.
THIS. x321657453211230 -
The only thing I've gotten encouraging from this thread this far is maybe we haven't given it enough time.
There has been lots of info given on this thread. About finding your TDEE (which I have done that on my own and I no longer stress or worry about my calories burned via exercise, I log it as 1 calorie burned and call it a day - because the burns are already calculated into that number).
Weight loss does take time, you will have times where it goes up and down, and sometimes it won't move at all. With any changes sometimes you have to realize your body takes time and needs to adjust and during those times you may not lose at all. I know it can be discouraging, but weight loss that is lasting takes time.0 -
...I am 62 days in. ...8 lbs down the first 30 days and now as of this am I'm up 3 of those 8. .... It's telling me my daily average burn over the last 30 days has been 2367 and intake has been 1581. That is a deficit of 786 per day for 30 days,
Math...
62 days x 786 = 48,732
Projected loss = 13.9 lbs
Actual loss = 5 lbs
Error rate = +/-282 per day
Hmmm. If this trend continues for another 30 days, I personally would go into my FitBit settings and change my stride length. By tweaking my settings, I've been able to get my error rate to +/- 70 over the long term.0
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