Right Choices, Wrong Results?
Replies
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To those who keep asking -- YES, I agree that MFP overestimates exercise -- which is why I don't eat back all those exercise calories.
The point about not logging meals on occasion is well-taken and it is an area that perhaps I need to be more diligent about -- and more honest with myself about.
On measuring -- I feel that I have been doing this correctly. I use a food scale and measuring cups ALL the time. BUT, I also find myself often having to convert my measurements to whatever measurement is being shown in the MFP food database. If I measure something in grams or ounces, but when I pull the food up in the database, it only gives me the option to log in cups, I use a calculator to convert my grams to cups or tablespoons. I refuse to believe that my not taking the time to create new entries in the food database to allow for my measurement is the problem. It may lead to being off a couple calories -- and I realize that accrued this could amount to maybe 100 calories in a day -- but I don't think this is significant enough to lead to the stalled weight loss.
Again -- thyroid and blood sugar have been checked. I have a full blood panel taken every 3 months -- lipids, blood sugar, thyroid, etc. I last had blood drawn on Feb. 14th and blood sugar and thyroid were normal.
I do appreciate the comments coming in so far. Thank you.0 -
Just a few observations by looking at your food diary:
1. I didn't see dinner listed on some days. Do you not eat after mid-afternoon? You may be throwing your body off by not having several consistent smaller meals throughout the day. If you're not that hungry, maybe just go for a banana or something right when you get home from work. If I'm not hungry, I at least try to make myself have some yogurt to prevent late night cravings.
2. It's interesting that you track protein and potassium, but you seem to be getting less than your daily amounts of them. You should be striving to max those out, while minimizing the sodium and calories. If you are doing weights, your body is not getting the fuel it needs to take full advantage of the weight training that you are doing. Protein helps to build muscle, and potassium helps to flush lactic acid away from them. Combine that with plenty of water, and you have a great combo for building muscle!
Eating often throughout the day is NOT necessary for health or weight loss.
Too much potassium can be as dangerous as too little. Eating too little is not likely to slow weight loss. It's also nearly impossible to accurately track potassium on MFP as a good number of the entries do not have potassium content included.0 -
Just a few observations by looking at your food diary:
1. I didn't see dinner listed on some days. Do you not eat after mid-afternoon? You may be throwing your body off by not having several consistent smaller meals throughout the day. If you're not that hungry, maybe just go for a banana or something right when you get home from work. If I'm not hungry, I at least try to make myself have some yogurt to prevent late night cravings.
2. It's interesting that you track protein and potassium, but you seem to be getting less than your daily amounts of them. You should be striving to max those out, while minimizing the sodium and calories. If you are doing weights, your body is not getting the fuel it needs to take full advantage of the weight training that you are doing. Protein helps to build muscle, and potassium helps to flush lactic acid away from them. Combine that with plenty of water, and you have a great combo for building muscle!
3. It's also interesting that you aren't tracking fiber. In my opinion (for what it's worth), having a high fiber diet is one of the easiest ways to lose weight. You feel fuller longer, and it's great for your GI health. One of my favorite recipes is slow cooked black beans cooked with chipotle peppers and a bunch of seasonings. The best part is, if you mash it up you'd have no idea it isn't taco beef (trust me- I fed it to my guy and he never knew) and it's packed with protein and fiber. Low cal, high fiber and protein, and it keeps you full for hours!
And as others are saying, don't fret. You've lost 68 lbs, which is a huge accomplishment! I struggle to lose weight too, but the worst thing you can do is get discouraged. If you plateau, mix it up.I just recently lost 9 lbs and then gained 4 of them back in 2 days (wtf?!), but it told me I had to mix things up. Last night I quit the treadmill for a bit and got on the rowing machine. Fingers crossed for more progress!
You didn't gain 4 pounds back in 2 days, unless you at 7,000 extra calories in those 2 days. It's water weight fluctuation and it happens to everyone. Hormones, dietary changes like sodium and carbohydrates, and exercise that causes slight muscle damage that needs to be repaired all cause water retention. It's not about mixing things up, it's about patience.0 -
You have done an excellent job so far - give yourself some credit!
Stop comparing yourself to others - we all have our individual weight loss journies, and we all lose at different rates.
It does not come off nice and steadily, sometimes your body needs a week or 2 to re-set.
Patience, you'll get there. I wish you all the best.0 -
Im not sure what all could be the problem however, if you dont eat back you workout calories then it can slow your metabolism. You body needs it. Also 2026 seems alittle high. I didnt think a woman should ever be over 2000 calories a day and that is still alot. Maybe check with your doctor.0
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You aren't proud of losing over a pound a week? Your problem isn't your results, your problem is unrealistic expectations.
Extrapolated over time, yes, it comes out to a pound a week, which is wonderful, I agree. However, I'm looking at 12 weeks with no loss -- not looking at it as having lost 3-4 pounds a week the first 6 weeks as contributing to an average of 1 pound a week. Perhaps I do need to change the way I am looking at it.0 -
It took me a year and a week to reach my goal, and that involved a 70 pound loss. I averaged a loss of 1-1.5 pounds a week, but there were frequent long plateaus. You are doing fine by my measure. I do understand your frustration but I wonder some things:
Are you measuring every bite? We used food scales for some things and measuring cups or dishers for things like rice, potatoes, soups and stews. Now that I'm on maintenance I'm STILL MEASURING EVERY BITE and swallow.
Why aren't you recording everything in your food log? Can you solve that problem with technology or paper lists? I started MFP with a phone app and didn't even know about the website for several weeks. I still do all of my logging on my phone, and since it goes with me when I travel there have been no gaps.
Regardng sodium: My husband had a stroke last year and it brought the relationship between sodium and blood pressure to the top of our worry list. We made some changes that were a significant help in the fight against salt. We stopped salting things while cooking and added salt at the table, instead. He adds salt substitute and I add salt. My sodium intake dropped significantly and I have less swelling in my hands and fingers, where I notice water retention first. If I'm eating out somewhere that I don't have control over salt, I drink more water to help wash it out of my system.
Be patient, and keep doing the right things. You will reach your goal if you don't give up.0 -
You aren't proud of losing over a pound a week? Your problem isn't your results, your problem is unrealistic expectations.
Extrapolated over time, yes, it comes out to a pound a week, which is wonderful, I agree. However, I'm looking at 12 weeks with no loss -- not looking at it as having lost 3-4 pounds a week the first 6 weeks as contributing to an average of 1 pound a week. Perhaps I do need to change the way I am looking at it.
Ah, then you lost quickly at first? That's what happened to me. I lost fast in the first few months and now it has slowed down. BUT - when you look at my ticker - I have still lost the 109 pounds. I haven't lost but 2 pounds since before Christmas. But this week, I lost a couple more. Here is a blog that a friend posted and it's good for a laugh & absolutely the truth!
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/ihad/view/the-path-of-success-6314370 -
I had a quick look at your diary and you do sometimes measure in cups. I would recommend measuring everything using kitchen scales. They are much more accurate.
I dont always agree with the calorie allowance that MFP gives you. I use the TDEE method. Check out IIFYM.com and it will tell you what you resting metabolic rate is and what you tdee is - you simply deduct 20% from you tdee and that is the amount of calories you eat every day, whether you exercise or not. I use this and it allows me to eat much more than what MFP gave me, but it may allow you to eat less.
There is nothing worse than a platuea but yours seems to have gone on quite a while to make it a stall, sounds like you have stopped, you need to shake it up a bit.
Agree with this. The only thing I would add is that you are allowed a greater deficit than TDEE -20%. There's medical research out there (that's even been posted here that I can't find at the moment, ugh) that says that someone who is your weight can start with a TDEE -35%. If you know your body fat percent (or have a good guess as to what it is, the Katch-McCardle calculator on the IIFYM site is probably your most accurate one. Based solely on body fat guestimates (quick internet research based on your weight, age and height), Katch-McCardle gives me a TDEE for you of 2857+/-, which puts your TDEE-25% at 2142 a day.
Have you considered eating a straight 2100-2200 calories a day and not eating back exercise calories? With the TDEE method, you need to recalculate it periodically (every 5-10 pounds lost, and when your body fat percent decreases), but this might kick you out of your plateau.
LIke everyone else says, make sure you are weighing your food. That was a huge deal for me, particularly when I learned that I could put 2 servings of ice cream into a half cup measuring cup and was eating twice as much as I thought. Target and Bed Bath & Beyond both have inexpensive food scales that weigh in grams (that's very important). Make sure you're getting adequate protein and foods dense in micronutrients. Give it a month.0 -
Here is a blog that a friend posted and it's good for a laugh & absolutely the truth!
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/ihad/view/the-path-of-success-631437
This is great! Thanks for sharing!0 -
Eating often throughout the day is NOT necessary for health or weight loss.
Too much potassium can be as dangerous as too little. Eating too little is not likely to slow weight loss. It's also nearly impossible to accurately track potassium on MFP as a good number of the entries do not have potassium content included.
I agree- but for someone with blood sugar issues, eating throughout the day will help prevent cravings and blood sugar spikes. What I meant is that if I get home and I'm not hungry at 6pm, I'm much better off having some yogurt than waiting til I'm hungry at 9pm and having some chocolate because I'm having a sweet craving. Also, I wasn't suggesting eating more, but spreading it out over the day. For example, I'm trying for 1200-1400 kcal/day, so I usually try for 300 breakfast, 100 morning snack, 300 lunch, 100 afternoon snack, and 400-600 for dinner.
And I agree that MFP is not great at having potassium. But, I had issues with this before. Bananas are a great source of potassium and I HATE them- won't even eat anything that has touched them. Messed with my workouts, according to my dr.0 -
Im not sure what all could be the problem however, if you dont eat back you workout calories then it can slow your metabolism. You body needs it. Also 2026 seems alittle high. I didnt think a woman should ever be over 2000 calories a day and that is still alot. Maybe check with your doctor.
2026 isn't high when she started out at over 400 pounds. I'm 5'9" and started at 343, and I lost eating 2200 calories a day with my activity level on sedentary.
Since you seem to be logging all your food on a fairly regular basis (and weighing), I'm going to reiterate the comment about too many exercise calories. MFP is great for things like walking or running, but outside of that it's downright awful. I would only log half of the calories MFP gives you for swimming. You can do this by entering the time, and then changing the calories that they give you to something else. I'm not sure if you have joint problems, but maybe try adding in walking so you can get some more accurate MFP calorie counts.
Also, if you haven't already, talk to a nutritionist. They might tell you a lot of things you already know, but this is their job. They'll be able to help you get started. Just make sure to log your food and exercise as consistently as possible for a couple weeks before your appointment so they can see what your days look like. It really helped me to talk to a nutritionist when I started. Even if it's just one or two visits, it'll help you on your way.
One pound a week, overall, is great, but I understand your frustration. When you're 300+ pounds, you kind of expect things to go a little faster and then slow down later on. It's frustrating to see things slow down when you still have a long way to go.0 -
While many of the comments have been helpful/useful, many of them also confirm what I have always suspected. There are a LOT of theories out there about what is right and what is wrong. What works for one person, doesn't always work for another. There are certainly some basics that are true for everyone -- but the variations, the ways to count calories -- and then the individual variables such as height, age, metabolism, genetics, personality, stress level -- also need to factor in. The struggle for me I guess is finding the right formula, the right combination, that works for me. I thought I had found it -- but it seems to have stopped working. Some of the comments have been almost berating, and no one appreciates that. Some of the comments appear to have completely ignored information or follow-up I've shared. And That isn't helpful either. But to those that have given sound advice and encouragement and taken the time to read through -- I thank you.0
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Im not sure what all could be the problem however, if you dont eat back you workout calories then it can slow your metabolism. You body needs it. Also 2026 seems alittle high. I didnt think a woman should ever be over 2000 calories a day and that is still alot. Maybe check with your doctor.
2026 isn't high when she started out at over 400 pounds. I'm 5'9" and started at 343, and I lost eating 2200 calories a day with my activity level on sedentary.
Since you seem to be logging all your food on a fairly regular basis (and weighing), I'm going to reiterate the comment about too many exercise calories. MFP is great for things like walking or running, but outside of that it's downright awful. I would only log half of the calories MFP gives you for swimming. You can do this by entering the time, and then changing the calories that they give you to something else. I'm not sure if you have joint problems, but maybe try adding in walking so you can get some more accurate MFP calorie counts.
Also, if you haven't already, talk to a nutritionist. They might tell you a lot of things you already know, but this is their job. They'll be able to help you get started. Just make sure to log your food and exercise as consistently as possible for a couple weeks before your appointment so they can see what your days look like. It really helped me to talk to a nutritionist when I started. Even if it's just one or two visits, it'll help you on your way.
One pound a week, overall, is great, but I understand your frustration. When you're 300+ pounds, you kind of expect things to go a little faster and then slow down later on. It's frustrating to see things slow down when you still have a long way to go.
Thank you! I do think that I'm going to ask my doctor when I see her this week to refer me to a nutritionist.0 -
Im not sure what all could be the problem however, if you dont eat back you workout calories then it can slow your metabolism. You body needs it. Also 2026 seems alittle high. I didnt think a woman should ever be over 2000 calories a day and that is still alot. Maybe check with your doctor.
Hey...she weighs 380...that means she naturally burns a lot more than someone who weighs 180. Sheesh!
Cheese and rice! The only thing here worth reading is the "maybe check with a doctor "...but, as you have already described, you do that every 3 months (awesome!).
I hear ya about the frustration level. I've seen my weight loss slow down the last two months and the other day lowered my calories. Then today, after calculating my BMR and TDEE on three differenst sites, I raised it again becasue I just don't want to lower my cals and according to the avg from my BMR #s I should actually be eating more because I work out regularly. Anyhow, what so many are saying IS true: you've done a great job already and have made many changes towards a healthier you. Congrats. Oh, and the link that someone above posted to the blog post with the "graph" is funny, so I hope you check it out.0 -
Which were berating? I didn't see any?0
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Im not sure what all could be the problem however, if you dont eat back you workout calories then it can slow your metabolism. You body needs it. Also 2026 seems alittle high. I didnt think a woman should ever be over 2000 calories a day and that is still alot. Maybe check with your doctor.
Hey...she weighs 380...that means she naturally burns a lot more than someone who weighs 180. Sheesh!
Cheese and rice! The only thing here worth reading is the "maybe check with a doctor "...but, as you have already described, you do that every 3 months (awesome!).
I hear ya about the frustration level. I've seen my weight loss slow down the last two months and the other day lowered my calories. Then today, after calculating my BMR and TDEE on three differenst sites, I raised it again becasue I just don't want to lower my cals and according to the avg from my BMR #s I should actually be eating more because I work out regularly. Anyhow, what so many are saying IS true: you've done a great job already and have made many changes towards a healthier you. Congrats. Oh, and the link that someone above posted to the blog post with the "graph" is funny, so I hope you check it out.
Thank you, thank you, thank you!0 -
Sometimes the simplest fix is to forget about it for a while. Your body can get exhausted from such a strict diet for so long. Try to not make your entire life revolve around losing weight. Just continue to be healthy by eating right and exercising! You are doing great! You will get there it's just a matter of time! I understand where you are coming from, because I am trying to lose those last 20 pounds and it is really hard!!! I know I'm young but I'm always here if you need to talk! You got this girl!!!!
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I just recently lost 9 lbs and then gained 4 of them back in 2 days (wtf?!), but it told me I had to mix things up. Last night I quit the treadmill for a bit and got on the rowing machine. Fingers crossed for more progress!
You didn't gain 4 pounds back in 2 days, unless you at 7,000 extra calories in those 2 days. It's water weight fluctuation and it happens to everyone. Hormones, dietary changes like sodium and carbohydrates, and exercise that causes slight muscle damage that needs to be repaired all cause water retention. It's not about mixing things up, it's about patience.
Clearly. I was just empathizing with her, and patience can be difficult. But- your determination to make a change needs to be greater than your impatience with your progress. And it IS about mixing things up, even if it's cranking up that treadmill from 3.5 to 3.6 or 5.0 to 5.2. Your body needs to continue to be challenged so that it can continue burning calories.0 -
Whatever you do --- DO NOT GIVE UP0
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Weight loss is a simple formula (assuming nothing to severe is wrong with you medically)
Calories Burned - Calories Eaten= Calorie Deficit
You have to eat less food than you burn each and every day.
Thats it. Nothing more and nothing less.
Do you use a digital food scale for your meals?0 -
While many of the comments have been helpful/useful, many of them also confirm what I have always suspected. There are a LOT of theories out there about what is right and what is wrong. What works for one person, doesn't always work for another. There are certainly some basics that are true for everyone -- but the variations, the ways to count calories -- and then the individual variables such as height, age, metabolism, genetics, personality, stress level -- also need to factor in. The struggle for me I guess is finding the right formula, the right combination, that works for me. I thought I had found it -- but it seems to have stopped working. Some of the comments have been almost berating, and no one appreciates that. Some of the comments appear to have completely ignored information or follow-up I've shared. And That isn't helpful either. But to those that have given sound advice and encouragement and taken the time to read through -- I thank you.
There is only one theory that is tried and true for weight loss and that is a calorie deficit. You can use the MFP method (eat back at least a portion of exercise calories) or the TDEE method (exercise is included in the number and you eat the same amount everyday). However, it still comes back to a calorie deficit. If you are not losing, you do not have a deficit. Be proud of your 68 pound loss and keep pushing forward.0 -
- your determination to make a change needs to be greater than your impatience with your progress.
I like this!0 -
I agree that your "calories burned" is probably off, at least for the swimming. I can swim for an hour, cover between a mile and a mile and a half in that time, and only burn about 500-600 calories (granted, I'm about 125 pounds, so the burn is considerably less). It's tough to pick the right MPF exercise if you don't know what your pace is, or what they consider "fast". I had no idea when I first started.
Try using this site to get a more accurate count: http://www.swimmingcalculator.com/swim_calories_calculator.php. It's nice because it uses time and distance covered to find your pace, then uses your weight to calculate calories burned at that pace--so there's no need for an HRM. Obviously it's not going to be 100% accurate, but it seems to work fairly well for me--I was losing weight, even though it was telling me I was burning *more* calories than MFP said I was. I just pick the closest MPF exercise, log the amount of time I swam, then manually adjust the calories.
For walking, if you have a smartphone, you can use an app like Map My Walk (which now syncs beautifully with MFP) to calculate your calorie burn more accurately, based on your exact pace and elevation for that walk. I find that I often guess wrong about my walking speed!
Since I've had my FitBit, I've had success by syncing it to MFP and setting my activity level to "sedentary". Then I let my FitBit add back any "lifestyle" calories I burn each day, and I log any focused exercise sessions separately. This has been a good way to account for the days I don't manage to do anything but drive to work and sit in front of a computer, but I do get "extra credit" on the days I walk my daughter to school or run errands on foot. So I get an extra handful of nuts in the afternoons when I'm running around all day, or a bigger snack when I go for a long walk, or a larger breakfast if I swim early in the morning. This way I'm eating in response to what I'm asking my body to do--it makes it so much easier when you can think of calories as fuel for your life, rather than just an abstract number.
And congrats on your success so far--I'm sure you didn't gain the weight in a single year, so there's no reason to expect to lose it in one. In fact, I'd bet you're losing it much faster than you gained it! And you're doing it in a healthy and sustainable way, which is even better. You're in it for health, and for the long haul, and that's awesome.0 -
Thank you for that swimming calculator site -- that is really interesting!0
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Im not sure what all could be the problem however, if you dont eat back you workout calories then it can slow your metabolism. You body needs it. Also 2026 seems alittle high. I didnt think a woman should ever be over 2000 calories a day and that is still alot. Maybe check with your doctor.
2026 isn't high when she started out at over 400 pounds. I'm 5'9" and started at 343, and I lost eating 2200 calories a day with my activity level on sedentary.
Since you seem to be logging all your food on a fairly regular basis (and weighing), I'm going to reiterate the comment about too many exercise calories. MFP is great for things like walking or running, but outside of that it's downright awful. I would only log half of the calories MFP gives you for swimming. You can do this by entering the time, and then changing the calories that they give you to something else. I'm not sure if you have joint problems, but maybe try adding in walking so you can get some more accurate MFP calorie counts.
Also, if you haven't already, talk to a nutritionist. They might tell you a lot of things you already know, but this is their job. They'll be able to help you get started. Just make sure to log your food and exercise as consistently as possible for a couple weeks before your appointment so they can see what your days look like. It really helped me to talk to a nutritionist when I started. Even if it's just one or two visits, it'll help you on your way.
One pound a week, overall, is great, but I understand your frustration. When you're 300+ pounds, you kind of expect things to go a little faster and then slow down later on. It's frustrating to see things slow down when you still have a long way to go.
Thank you! I do think that I'm going to ask my doctor when I see her this week to refer me to a nutritionist.
Ask your doctor to refer you to a dietitian instead. The terms are often used interchangeably, but there is a difference.0 -
Good carbs count. Vegetables, some fruits, and whole grains. These don't spike your blood sugar like "bad" carbs, such as white bread, white rice, white sugar. You could try just for a trial to eliminate the "white carbs", replace with veggies and whole wheat, and brown rice in moderation. Increase your protein, and add in good fats like avocado, walnuts, and almonds. Just remember serving size. 1/3 of an avocado, 5-6 nuts, 1/2 cup of rice. Do this in the calorie range you have set for yourself and see if it helps. Just my suggestion. You have done a great job so far! Don't give up! But I do agree that you might be eating a little too much. You could also add in another exercise, like walking 10 minutes a couple times a day. Small things go a long ways.0
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Thank you for clarifying about bad carbs vs. good carbs. I have tried to buy whole grain pasta and bread and stay away from white flour whenever possible. I think I need to keep doing what I'm doing but increase my attention to detail and make some small changes here and there. Maybe my doctor will have some suggestions when I see her Thursday.0
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Yes, thyroid and blood sugar have been checked are all normal.
Carbs/protein -- I guess I could think about this, but this is one of those radical food exclusion changes that I am wary of. Also, there is a risk of higher protein amounting to higher fats/cholesterol, which I need to watch.
I don't mean radically low carbs. I still get 100 to 125 carbs per day. I just focus on getting protein. I do use protein supplements to get extra protein without adding a lot of fat or cholesterol. For example 1 cup non-fat plain greek yoghurt + 1 scoop vanilla protein powder is 44 grams of protein with no fat.
I still eat carbs, it isnt about eliminating a group, just shifting the mix a little.0 -
Ask your doctor to refer you to a dietitian instead. The terms are often used interchangeably, but there is a difference.
^^^This! Seek a consult from a Registered Dietician (RD). An RD has had years of education in nutrition science and has passed a rigorous licensing exam in their state. Anyone can call themself a "nutritionist" and many poorly trained people do exactly that.0
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