I dont know what im doing wrong

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I lost 50 pounds in 10 months really easily, and then moved and gained 8 pounds back. I have since then (2 months now) been eating consistantly 1600 calories per day net. I stalled once before, and people told me I wasnt eating enough (1400 calories per day at the time.)

My calorie ratio was as follows: Carbs 35% Protein 50% fats 15%. I switched it to Carbs 25% (100g) Protein 35% (140g) fats 40% (71g) to attempt to budge the weight. no success so far.

I measure every food I eat in grams, so I am not "eating more than I think," and I wear a polar HRM to measure my burn. I always net around 1600 because every calculator I have tried says my BMR is around 1600 and my TDEE is around 2200. (I m 24, female, 190 pounds) I have spent more hours than I could count over the last year studying any and all info I can find, so its not like I didnt try to help myself first, trust me.

I know threads like these seem to attract the trolls who just want to be mean, but thats not going to help... I cant find consistent information ANYWHERE on the internet and all I want is to NOT be 190 pounds anymore... so please, before any heartless troll hops in here with their snarky know-it-all attitude, educate me! I am confused and contradictory info found all over the internet isnt helping.

Here is my question: there is more mixed info on netting below BMR than I ever thought I would find. Everyone has a mixed opinion. Total calories vs net calories... etc. I cant find any source that would support a woman of my credentials having a BMR of LESS than about 1600 (my initial answer was to assume i should eat LESS if I am not losing weight, and if eating more made me gain the 8 pounds.) What am I doing wrong? Weight loss is a science, this shouldnt be so difficult to figure out...

Replies

  • Sarie_Bronish
    Sarie_Bronish Posts: 255 Member
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    To add, I have a deficit of about 6,000 per week from exercise and eating at 1600 net calories total per day. That SHOULD be an almost 2 pound loss per week... yet im not dropping. at. all.
  • LeanButNotMean44
    LeanButNotMean44 Posts: 852 Member
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    1) Open your diary
    2) How much and how often are your exercising? How are you measuring the calorie burn?
  • scubasuenc
    scubasuenc Posts: 626 Member
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    Have you had your blood work checked? You could have some endocrine imbalance like thyroid or insulin resistance going on.

    The other possibility is that your deficit is too high. Have you tried increasing your calories consumed so that your deficit is only a 1lb per week loss? That might be a better deficit for you at this stage of the game.
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,268 Member
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    logging accurately...you weigh which is great...what about your entries are they the correct ones? I've seen some really wonky entries...

    and your HRM is it setup correctly? what do you do for exercise? is it steady state cardio? have you started new exercise?


    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1058378-oh-noes-i-am-eating-below-my-bmr

    I don't personally subscribe to never eating below your BMR...

    If you are choosing correct entries, HRM is setup correctly etc I would visit my doctor and get thyroid checked to be frank.
  • smn76237
    smn76237 Posts: 318 Member
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    I would question the accuracy of the HRM, to be honest. If you're eating back all your exercise calories as recorded by your HRM, you could just be eating at your TDEE due to inaccurate HRM calories burned. What is your gross calorie intake? What do you do for exercise?
  • Sarie_Bronish
    Sarie_Bronish Posts: 255 Member
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    my exercise is steady cardio. I run, walk, hike, etc.

    I used to lift but currently that isnt an option as I moved and the gyms here dont have a daycare.
  • WBB55
    WBB55 Posts: 4,131 Member
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    (1) If you're fairly consistently active, if it were me, I'd think about just eating the same amount every day. As in, just eat exactly 1800 (or something like that) every day. Unless you find that you wouldn't go to the gym unless it earned you extra food that day.

    If you've lost 42 lbs., then you're doing something right, and I hate to suggest you make a change. But this is what I personally would do, since it means there's only one side of the "weightloss equation" I have to worry about.

    (2) NOW FOR MY HISTORICAL EXPERIENCE, FWIW
    As I was losing 100 lbs back in 2006-08 (I put on muscle from my lowest weight since then) about every 30-40 lbs I'd stall out, and the thing that worked for ME (so this is just my experience, you don't need to take this as advice, per se) is to change my eating style or exercise style. Just for fun, really. Since I'd be stuck at the same weight for a couple months, and I'd just be bored. So, like, I would not specifically change my calorie goals, but I'd do something like give up cheese (and it sure was hard at the time!). And do that for a couple months. And then switch it up and do something different. I'm not saying I lost weight faster, it just gave me a new goal. Something new to think about besides a scale that wasn't moving.