Something does not add up, any idea's?

john062

OK first off
34 yr old
6'1"
Male
Start weight 270
Current weight 234

Yes, I log everything
Yes, it is measured/weighed
Calorie burn is measured from a body media arm band

OK, question for those who have been doing this longer than me.
I started back in December and things have been going OK till about the last few months

I keep track of everything in a spreadsheet daily calorie burn and intake etc.. So I know what is actually going on and not guessing what I've done in the past.

About 12 weeks in I noticed that despite eating at a deficit my weight was staying the same about a month passed and i dropped a few lbs then stalled about for about a month.

I only weigh my self once a week Monday morning before i jump in the shower. So it's consistent every time.
I drink a lot of water so it should not be water retention.

While I'm don't worry about a few weeks here and there, a pattern over the last few months does start to get my attention.

Over the last 115 days
My average daily calorie burn is 3,080 per day
My average daily calorie intake was 1700 per day but in the last few weeks I've upped it to 2,000 as I thought I might be eating to little. 1700 was TDEE -45% (I had enough to loose) 2000 is ~TDEE - 35%

This should ~2lbs a week.
I've also taken measurements and while they have gone down I know i'm also loosing muscle mass since i'm not lifting.
My calf and forearm measurements are going down and I had little to no fat on those two area's of my body.
I know its not a case of the body recomp.

My goal was to get down to 200 then start lifting/bulking and cutting till i'm back to about 220.

My diary is open and my question is does this seem right or am i missing something?

And here is some of the weekly info I was talking about

Burned Consumed Deficit Weight
wk01 22,717 _10,462 _12,255 _270
wk02 22,821 _10,770 _12,051 _260
wk03 24,580 _10,235 _14,345 _257
wk04 22,741 _13,616 _9,125 _254
wk05 22,245 _13,464 _8,781 _252
wk06 22,107 _12,796 _9,311 _249
wk07 20,948 _11,362 _9,586 _246
wk08 21,482 _11,200 _10,282 _244
wk09 21,209 _12,390 _8,819 _238
wk10 20,870 _11,170 _9,700 _242
wk11 21,450 _13,069 _8,381 _243
wk12 20,535 _14,157 _6,378 _242
wk13 21,676 _11,009 _10,667 _243
wk14 20,435 _15,197 _5,238 _234
wk15 20,270 _14,625 _5,645 _236
wk16 19,934 _13,664 _6,270 _235


Start Current
Date 12/9/2013 3/31/2014
Weight 270 236

Measurements
Neck 18 _17
Chest 47.5 _44
Waist 44 _41.5
Belly 46.75 _43
Hips 46 _44
Wrist 7.875 _7.5
Forearm 13.125 _12.5
Calf 18.125 _17
Thigh 27.375 _26


Thanks for any input

karmasays

The closer you get to your goal, the slower the lbs come off.

Change your goals to lose .5 to 1lb a week as it's a more reasonable amount then the 2lbs+

Also make sure you start measuring yourself every monday along with logging the weight on the scale, you may be losing inches.

Tabithas_Transformation

Give it more time and be patient. As long as you know that you're doing the right things (accurate logging etc) then the weight loss will happen. Certainly one thing that I've learned on this journey is that weight loss is not, and will never be, predictable. It's not linear. A deficit large enough to 'lose 2lbs a week' doesn't necessarily mean your body will lose that 2lb on demand.

Have patience! You've already lost so much at 35lb in 16 weeks which averages to about 2.1lb. You're right on track, keep at it!

john062

Thanks, and I do measure monthly,

However I would think that 35 lbs away from goal is a little to soon to see a drop off?
Especially since my goal would in no way make me skinny/thin, I'm sure a BMI at 200 lbs would still put me at overweight at least.

deksgrl

You need to decrease the % deficit you are taking. At 6'1, I presume you are now within perhaps around 50-60 pounds of goal weight? 20% would be reasonable.

Shelgirl001

What types of workouts do you do? Do you vary them? Sometimes it might just be from the body assimilating and not getting what it used to get from the workout done. Just a thought.

deksgrl

Thanks, and I do measure monthly,

However I would think that 35 lbs away from goal is a little to soon to see a drop off?
Especially since my goal would in no way make me skinny/thin, I'm sure a BMI at 200 lbs would still put me at overweight at least.

35 from goal - definitely aim for 1 pound per week loss.

_Zardoz_

Weightloss isn't linear you need patience and every now and then to redo you goals.

SezxyStef

by all appearances in your diary you don't weigh your food...based on the entries (4slices of ham, 2 scoops of protien powder, 3 cookies etc)

I see days where you are over your goals significantly (1200 over, 2000 over)

As you get closer to goal you have to tighten up logging. That means weighing food (solids), measuring liquids and choosing correct entries.

mschicagocubs

The closer you get to your goal, the slower the lbs come off.

Change your goals to lose .5 to 1lb a week as it's a more reasonable amount then the 2lbs+

Also make sure you start measuring yourself every monday along with logging the weight on the scale, you may be losing inches.

THIS!

john062

by all appearances in your diary you don't weigh your food...based on the entries (4slices of ham, 2 scoops of protien powder, 3 cookies etc)

I see days where you are over your goals significantly (1200 over, 2000 over)

As you get closer to goal you have to tighten up logging. That means weighing food (solids), measuring liquids and choosing correct entries.

Food that can be weighted is such as chicken, steak etc.
The prepackaged stuff i've weighed in the past and found to be within the an acceptable variance of the listed per slice pkg. That's why i always use the same brands.

Yeah, March sucks with St. Patty's day and my birthday lol Hence the big days over.
I'll deal with a few days like that since i'm changing the way I eat not a temporary diet.
I didnt get to 270 from a few days over just like I wont get to 200 by a few days under.


In the last 115 days I've only consumed more calories once then I burned 3 times.

mojohowitz

I am in a very similar situation. I am very diligent recording all my food and portions sizes. I also use a HRM to calculate my calories burned. The math says I should be DOWN about 5 pounds this year. I have gained around 15. I would like to say it is salt and water weight but it is not. My BMR is 2000 calories and I've only exceeded that a few times. I have went down to 1500 calories for an extended period but it did nothing.

Its not muscle as I do not lift.

If anyone mentions "starvation mode" or "metabolic damage" I am going to kick them in the junk.

I even had my doctor look at my MFP reports and he sent me to an endocrinologist. Dead end.

Greenrun99

I've also taken measurements and while they have gone down I know i'm also loosing muscle mass since i'm not lifting.
My calf and forearm measurements are going down and I had little to no fat on those two area's of my body.
I know its not a case of the body recomp.

My goal was to get down to 200 then start lifting/bulking and cutting till i'm back to about 220.


Burned Consumed Deficit Weight
wk01 22,717 _10,462 _12,255 _270
wk02 22,821 _10,770 _12,051 _260
wk03 24,580 _10,235 _14,345 _257
wk04 22,741 _13,616 _9,125 _254
wk05 22,245 _13,464 _8,781 _252
wk06 22,107 _12,796 _9,311 _249
wk07 20,948 _11,362 _9,586 _246
wk08 21,482 _11,200 _10,282 _244
wk09 21,209 _12,390 _8,819 _238
wk10 20,870 _11,170 _9,700 _242
wk11 21,450 _13,069 _8,381 _243
wk12 20,535 _14,157 _6,378 _242
wk13 21,676 _11,009 _10,667 _243
wk14 20,435 _15,197 _5,238 _234
wk15 20,270 _14,625 _5,645 _236
wk16 19,934 _13,664 _6,270 _235

Surprised nobody mentioned this but these are 2 things you should really be worried about.. your losing muscle, and your not lifting.. its harder to gain muscle back then maintain that muscle.. so there is really no reason why you shouldn't be lifting now to keep what your losing.. because gaining it back is way harder..

Second from your weigh in's you have drastic reductions some weeks by 4+ lbs.. that is your muscle going bye bye.. Depending on what your end result is, and if its how you look.. then you want to keep that muscle or you won't be happy at whatever weight you think is your goal.

deksgrl

I am in a very similar situation. I am very diligent recording all my food and portions sizes. I also use a HRM to calculate my calories burned. The math says I should be DOWN about 5 pounds this year. I have gained around 15. I would like to say it is salt and water weight but it is not. My BMR is 2000 calories and I've only exceeded that a few times. I have went down to 1500 calories for an extended period but it did nothing.

Its not muscle as I do not lift.

If anyone mentions "starvation mode" or "metabolic damage" I am going to kick them in the junk.

I even had my doctor look at my MFP reports and he sent me to an endocrinologist. Dead end.

You are 20 pounds from goal weight, why are you eating LESS than BMR?

mojohowitz

I am in a very similar situation. I am very diligent recording all my food and portions sizes. I also use a HRM to calculate my calories burned. The math says I should be DOWN about 5 pounds this year. I have gained around 15. I would like to say it is salt and water weight but it is not. My BMR is 2000 calories and I've only exceeded that a few times. I have went down to 1500 calories for an extended period but it did nothing.

Its not muscle as I do not lift.

If anyone mentions "starvation mode" or "metabolic damage" I am going to kick them in the junk.

I even had my doctor look at my MFP reports and he sent me to an endocrinologist. Dead end.

You are 20 pounds from goal weight, why are you eating LESS than BMR?

I typically do not. I just tried it for a few weeks to see what would happen.

EvanKeel

I experienced something like that. It was definitely annoying. You and I have similar stats: I'm 35, 5'9", and 202lbs, according to my activity monitor, I burn about 2900-3000 calories per day. I was 260ish when I started losing weight and stalled around the 195-200 range and then crept back to 212. I was trying for a 1 lb/week loss, which meant I was eating at around 2400-2500 calories per day. Nothing.

I dropped my goal to 2250 per day and started being as consistent as I could and the weight has started to come off again. I don't know if it was just a slight reduction in calories that got things moving along, or my increased adherence to my food logging, but something kicked in.

I don't know if the same thing would work for you or not. 1700 calories does seem low to me; I know that my gym performance and overall energy would suffer.

peleroja

by all appearances in your diary you don't weigh your food...based on the entries (4slices of ham, 2 scoops of protien powder, 3 cookies etc)

I see days where you are over your goals significantly (1200 over, 2000 over)

As you get closer to goal you have to tighten up logging. That means weighing food (solids), measuring liquids and choosing correct entries.

This! The lighter you are, the smaller your TDEE (all other factors remaining the same) and therefore the greater the need to log really accurately so you're not eating away your deficit.

ElliottTN

Keep doing what you are doing. It may not be going down as fast as you would like it to be but if you look at it from a month to month perspective then you are actually continuously trending downwards. It ain't easy or quick but you are doing it.

Nice2BFitAgain

by all appearances in your diary you don't weigh your food...based on the entries (4slices of ham, 2 scoops of protien powder, 3 cookies etc)

I see days where you are over your goals significantly (1200 over, 2000 over)

As you get closer to goal you have to tighten up logging. That means weighing food (solids), measuring liquids and choosing correct entries.

This! The lighter you are, the smaller your TDEE (all other factors remaining the same) and therefore the greater the need to log really accurately so you're not eating away your deficit.

++
Have you adjusted your TDEE as you go along with updated weight?
over 16 weeks you've lost 2.18 pounds per week on average...
Pick up some weights so you don't lose even more muscle
Keep working, as you've said it's about the lifestyle change.
Weigh EVERY solid

john062

OK so second question then.

Since as I get closer to goal I need to adjust calorie seems to be a popular response.

The goal is an non specific amount a guess.
If it was a goal of % body fat then I can see how that would make sense.

based of the calculators which i know are not accurate my avg body fat was 25-30%
at goal it would be i'm guess 20-25%?

Until you get down in the 10-15% range i would not think that the body slow down as much considering the daily burned/consumed ratio.

Like I said I don't know, but I'm trying to learn and understand.
Blame it on me thinking like a engineer but a goal weight of still being big/fat would not behave the same as a goal of thin/fit.

My plan was to get down to 200 I know what i used to look like at that amount and I was not skinny lol
But from there start the heavy lifting and cutting.

deksgrl

I am in a very similar situation. I am very diligent recording all my food and portions sizes. I also use a HRM to calculate my calories burned. The math says I should be DOWN about 5 pounds this year. I have gained around 15. I would like to say it is salt and water weight but it is not. My BMR is 2000 calories and I've only exceeded that a few times. I have went down to 1500 calories for an extended period but it did nothing.

Its not muscle as I do not lift.

If anyone mentions "starvation mode" or "metabolic damage" I am going to kick them in the junk.

I even had my doctor look at my MFP reports and he sent me to an endocrinologist. Dead end.

You are 20 pounds from goal weight, why are you eating LESS than BMR?

I typically do not. I just tried it for a few weeks to see what would happen.

What were you doing before that? Assuming you are weighing your food with a scale and logging accurately, try eating at TDEE for a month, then take a reasonable cut, 15-20%.

supermodelchic

Looked at your diary, you are not eating enough fresh whole foods, way to much processed crap, try eating some lean chicken , brown rice, green veggies, ect.. Your body will reflect what you put into it. if you eat clean, your body will start to look like it. goodluck

EvanKeel

OK so second question then.

Since as I get closer to goal I need to adjust calorie seems to be a popular response.

The goal is an non specific amount a guess.
If it was a goal of % body fat then I can see how that would make sense.

based of the calculators which i know are not accurate my avg body fat was 25-30%
at goal it would be i'm guess 20-25%?

Until you get down in the 10-15% range i would not think that the body slow down as much considering the daily burned/consumed ratio.

Like I said I don't know, but I'm trying to learn and understand.
Blame it on me thinking like a engineer but a goal weight of still being big/fat would not behave the same as a goal of thin/fit.

My plan was to get down to 200 I know what i used to look like at that amount and I was not skinny lol
But from there start the heavy lifting and cutting.

I think I'm confused by different uses of the word "goal" here. If you have a goal weight, then you have a goal weight. That doesn't change. If you have a BF% for a goal, that too doesn't change as you lose weight. Once you get to that goal you may decide that you want something different, but that's another story.

If you're talking about your daily intake goal for calories, then that could potentially vary based on your TDEE, which could also be impacted by body composition, but I would think that would be more of complication for very lean individuals, who happen to have a fair bit of muscle mass.

deksgrl

OK so second question then.

Since as I get closer to goal I need to adjust calorie seems to be a popular response.

The goal is an non specific amount a guess.
If it was a goal of % body fat then I can see how that would make sense.

based of the calculators which i know are not accurate my avg body fat was 25-30%
at goal it would be i'm guess 20-25%?

Until you get down in the 10-15% range i would not think that the body slow down as much considering the daily burned/consumed ratio.

Like I said I don't know, but I'm trying to learn and understand.
Blame it on me thinking like a engineer but a goal weight of still being big/fat would not behave the same as a goal of thin/fit.

My plan was to get down to 200 I know what i used to look like at that amount and I was not skinny lol
But from there start the heavy lifting and cutting.

I think you are confusing body fat % with calorie deficit %?

When you take too aggressive of a calorie deficit, you are burning up bigger quantities of Lean Body Mass (muscle and everything else in your body that is not fat), unless you are getting a lot of protein and lifting (this can preserve LBM while you eat at a smaller calorie deficit). By burning up bigger quantities of LBM, you can arrive at your goal weight with a correspondingly large body fat % in comparison to when you started.

As a rule of thumb, the following weekly targets would give a balance between minimizing negative side effects and seeing a reasonable weekly weight loss:
More than 75 lbs: 2 lbs/week
40-75 lbs: 1.5 lbs/week
10-40 lbs: 1 lb/week
Less than 10 lbs: 0.5 lb/week

At this point, wishing to lose 30 more pounds, you should be in the "lose 1 pound per week" category. This is a 500 calorie a day deficit. Not sure what your TDEE is to determine what % calorie deficit that is but I'm guessing it would be in the TDEE - 20% range.

john062

I've also taken measurements and while they have gone down I know i'm also loosing muscle mass since i'm not lifting.
My calf and forearm measurements are going down and I had little to no fat on those two area's of my body.
I know its not a case of the body recomp.

My goal was to get down to 200 then start lifting/bulking and cutting till i'm back to about 220.


Burned Consumed Deficit Weight
wk01 22,717 _10,462 _12,255 _270
wk02 22,821 _10,770 _12,051 _260
wk03 24,580 _10,235 _14,345 _257
wk04 22,741 _13,616 _9,125 _254
wk05 22,245 _13,464 _8,781 _252
wk06 22,107 _12,796 _9,311 _249
wk07 20,948 _11,362 _9,586 _246
wk08 21,482 _11,200 _10,282 _244
wk09 21,209 _12,390 _8,819 _238
wk10 20,870 _11,170 _9,700 _242
wk11 21,450 _13,069 _8,381 _243
wk12 20,535 _14,157 _6,378 _242
wk13 21,676 _11,009 _10,667 _243
wk14 20,435 _15,197 _5,238 _234
wk15 20,270 _14,625 _5,645 _236
wk16 19,934 _13,664 _6,270 _235

Surprised nobody mentioned this but these are 2 things you should really be worried about.. your losing muscle, and your not lifting.. its harder to gain muscle back then maintain that muscle.. so there is really no reason why you shouldn't be lifting now to keep what your losing.. because gaining it back is way harder..

Second from your weigh in's you have drastic reductions some weeks by 4+ lbs.. that is your muscle going bye bye.. Depending on what your end result is, and if its how you look.. then you want to keep that muscle or you won't be happy at whatever weight you think is your goal.

I figured the large jumps were just water weight flux and I take the numbers with a grain of salt.
It's the over all or monthly that I try to focus on. Which is why i'm starting to wonder after a few months of the same.

I do agree with you after my last measurements and noticed that my calf and forearms were going down I figured it had to be muscle loss. I'm in the process of trying get some free weights and Power Rock to lift at my house to start lifting now vs waiting.
Soon as the $$$ allows I should have something to work with.

peleroja

OK so second question then.

Since as I get closer to goal I need to adjust calorie seems to be a popular response.

The goal is an non specific amount a guess.
If it was a goal of % body fat then I can see how that would make sense.

based of the calculators which i know are not accurate my avg body fat was 25-30%
at goal it would be i'm guess 20-25%?

Until you get down in the 10-15% range i would not think that the body slow down as much considering the daily burned/consumed ratio.

Like I said I don't know, but I'm trying to learn and understand.
Blame it on me thinking like a engineer but a goal weight of still being big/fat would not behave the same as a goal of thin/fit.

My plan was to get down to 200 I know what i used to look like at that amount and I was not skinny lol
But from there start the heavy lifting and cutting.

It has nothing to do with muscle/fat ratio or BF%. No matter what your body composition is, lighter body weight means fewer calories to sustain it (taking activity levels etc out of the equation.) If you have two people, one who weighs 120 lbs and one who weighs 150 lb, both with 15% body fat, the lighter person will need fewer calories to maintain weight if their activity levels are exactly the same.

As you lose weight, your body requires fewer calories to fuel itself from a BMR perspective, no matter what else is happening.

john062

OK so second question then.

Since as I get closer to goal I need to adjust calorie seems to be a popular response.

The goal is an non specific amount a guess.
If it was a goal of % body fat then I can see how that would make sense.

based of the calculators which i know are not accurate my avg body fat was 25-30%
at goal it would be i'm guess 20-25%?

Until you get down in the 10-15% range i would not think that the body slow down as much considering the daily burned/consumed ratio.

Like I said I don't know, but I'm trying to learn and understand.
Blame it on me thinking like a engineer but a goal weight of still being big/fat would not behave the same as a goal of thin/fit.

My plan was to get down to 200 I know what i used to look like at that amount and I was not skinny lol
But from there start the heavy lifting and cutting.

I think you are confusing body fat % with calorie deficit %?

When you take too aggressive of a calorie deficit, you are burning up bigger quantities of Lean Body Mass (muscle and everything else in your body that is not fat), unless you are getting a lot of protein and lifting (this can preserve LBM while you eat at a smaller calorie deficit). By burning up bigger quantities of LBM, you can arrive at your goal weight with a correspondingly large body fat % in comparison to when you started.

As a rule of thumb, the following weekly targets would give a balance between minimizing negative side effects and seeing a reasonable weekly weight loss:
More than 75 lbs: 2 lbs/week
40-75 lbs: 1.5 lbs/week
10-40 lbs: 1 lb/week
Less than 10 lbs: 0.5 lb/week

At this point, wishing to lose 30 more pounds, you should be in the "lose 1 pound per week" category. This is a 500 calorie a day deficit. Not sure what your TDEE is to determine what % calorie deficit that is but I'm guessing it would be in the TDEE - 20% range.

Sorry I was not clear.

I don't have the goals mixed up or anything.

I was trying to make a point that the goal on the tickers is lbs. Which everyone picks the value they put in.
I very easily could of put 175 as my goal and then i would not be close to my goal so I wouldnt get the your close to your goal adjust to 1 lb per week.

My example was using Body Fat% since that would seem to be more of a direct relation to how the body looks.

I do not have a Body Fat% goal
The calorie deficit % was based on what was needed to average ~2lbs loss a week.


My 200lb goal was picked just because I know what I used to look like at that weight.
With tracking my TDEE I've been able to see if it changes and so far there is not really a change in it maybe 100 per day.
The amount of activity has the greater effect obviously.

deksgrl

OK so second question then.

Since as I get closer to goal I need to adjust calorie seems to be a popular response.

The goal is an non specific amount a guess.
If it was a goal of % body fat then I can see how that would make sense.

based of the calculators which i know are not accurate my avg body fat was 25-30%
at goal it would be i'm guess 20-25%?

Until you get down in the 10-15% range i would not think that the body slow down as much considering the daily burned/consumed ratio.

Like I said I don't know, but I'm trying to learn and understand.
Blame it on me thinking like a engineer but a goal weight of still being big/fat would not behave the same as a goal of thin/fit.

My plan was to get down to 200 I know what i used to look like at that amount and I was not skinny lol
But from there start the heavy lifting and cutting.

I think you are confusing body fat % with calorie deficit %?

When you take too aggressive of a calorie deficit, you are burning up bigger quantities of Lean Body Mass (muscle and everything else in your body that is not fat), unless you are getting a lot of protein and lifting (this can preserve LBM while you eat at a smaller calorie deficit). By burning up bigger quantities of LBM, you can arrive at your goal weight with a correspondingly large body fat % in comparison to when you started.

As a rule of thumb, the following weekly targets would give a balance between minimizing negative side effects and seeing a reasonable weekly weight loss:
More than 75 lbs: 2 lbs/week
40-75 lbs: 1.5 lbs/week
10-40 lbs: 1 lb/week
Less than 10 lbs: 0.5 lb/week

At this point, wishing to lose 30 more pounds, you should be in the "lose 1 pound per week" category. This is a 500 calorie a day deficit. Not sure what your TDEE is to determine what % calorie deficit that is but I'm guessing it would be in the TDEE - 20% range.

Sorry I was not clear.

I don't have the goals mixed up or anything.

I was trying to make a point that the goal on the tickers is lbs. Which everyone picks the value they put in.
I very easily could of put 175 as my goal and then i would not be close to my goal so I wouldnt get the your close to your goal adjust to 1 lb per week.

My example was using Body Fat% since that would seem to be more of a direct relation to how the body looks.

I do not have a Body Fat% goal
The calorie deficit % was based on what was needed to average ~2lbs loss a week.


My 200lb goal was picked just because I know what I used to look like at that weight.
With tracking my TDEE I've been able to see if it changes and so far there is not really a change in it maybe 100 per day.
The amount of activity has the greater effect obviously.

Even at a goal of 175 pounds, that would be reasonable for a 1.5 pound loss, not 2 pounds. 2 pounds is too aggressive for you, it will result in probably being less happy with your look at goal weight, and harder work down the road to develop the look you want after you have burned up too much LBM. Just because you don't have a body fat % goal doesn't mean that you shouldn't try to preserve LBM, for HEALTH reasons if nothing else.

freezerburn2012

Calorie burn is measured from a body media arm band

Body media arm bands are not 100% accurate. After months and months of using the device and logging 100% of my food and not losing anything, I made a spreadsheet and found that my BMF band is overestimating my burn by 12%. Since I was aiming for a 10-15% deficit based on on the BMF, I was actually at maintenance the whole time! How frustrating! I have now adjusted my activity and food intake based on this new information and the fat is starting to slowly come off.

john062

Calorie burn is measured from a body media arm band

Body media arm bands are not 100% accurate. After months and months of using the device and logging 100% of my food and not losing anything, I made a spreadsheet and found that my BMF band is overestimating my burn by 12%. Since I was aiming for a 10-15% deficit based on on the BMF, I was actually at maintenance the whole time! How frustrating! I have now adjusted my activity and food intake based on this new information and the fat is starting to slowly come off.

Good to know, I assumed it was +-5%
12% would be a big adjustment

Since i have a spreadsheet going i'll have to keep an eye on it.

Thanks

EvanKeel

Calorie burn is measured from a body media arm band

Body media arm bands are not 100% accurate. After months and months of using the device and logging 100% of my food and not losing anything, I made a spreadsheet and found that my BMF band is overestimating my burn by 12%. Since I was aiming for a 10-15% deficit based on on the BMF, I was actually at maintenance the whole time! How frustrating! I have now adjusted my activity and food intake based on this new information and the fat is starting to slowly come off.

Good to know, I assumed it was +-5%
12% would be a big adjustment

Since i have a spreadsheet going i'll have to keep an eye on it.

Thanks

It brings up a good point. It might not be a bad idea to work your way back to up maintenance, eat at maintenance for awhile (6-weeks maybe) and then see just how close to maintenance you are--that assumes reasonably accurate and consistent logging of course. You'd probably also want to weigh everyday just to have more granular data to view trends with.