2 year plateau and confused about differences in calories

_HeartsOnFire_

I was thinking about the one. Mostly because I don't want something on my wrist if it won't tell time, and my friend also had some strange problems. Like clapping after an opera, it thought she was telling it she was going to sleep.

My one does have the time on it. And it has a wrist thing, but after awhile the velcro wears out a bit. Fitbit has great customer service though, I know a couple people who lost theirs, their kid threw it in a pool, etc and Fitbit sent them a new one free.

auddii

I had a day like that last Saturday - with both a graduation party and bridal shower in the same day. Next day, no real impact, but two days later - things were creeping up! It's taken me all week to get back down to my normal weight and I'm sure this weekend will produce similar results. That's ok - I accept that things are going to fluctuate. Plus I'm super excited for tonight - we are trying a new restaurant and then hitting up the neighborhood gelato place. Yeah for gelato!

Gelato makes the world go round. Talenti was on sale, and the sign said if you buy 4, you save $4. I HAD TO!!! Now, I just need to actually work it into my calories.

And OP, you do seem to be afraid of "unhealthy foods". Many of us have found ways to fit treats into our diets and within our calories. I don't think you should be afraid of opening your diet for that reason. But, I think the better solution at this point is the one that you agreed was a good idea; since you are estimating amounts, estimate everything a little higher and see what happens.

Also, stick with any changes for at least a month. Good luck!

auddii

Also, I don't know if anyone mentioned it, but you said you eat a lot of prepackaged foods. The FDA allows for a 20% error rate on calories. So, a lean cuisine that says it has 400 calories could actually have 480. That can add up over large amounts of food. It's another reason that overestimating with logging might help you.

jrose1982

OP: A couple years ago I tried 1200 cal/day and, like you, was hungry and exhausted most of the time. The days that were good were the days that I exceeded my fat allowance. I've since learned that carbs (specifically those that come from grains) can actually make you hungry because they cause you to produce insulin and insulin prevents your body from burning fat. I've found that the advice of low carb diets and paleo diets both make sense and make calorie limits easier to stick with. My current limit is 1500, but I usually have about 1300 just because I'm not hungry for more.

So, take a look at what you are eating, not just how much. More fat will make you feel more satisfied.

I suggest you read this article to determine if you are getting enough protein:
http://www.marksdailyapple.com/how-much-protein-should-you-be-eating/#axzz30aqfzCCz)

And read this one for some insight on reasonable carbohydrate consumption:
http://www.marksdailyapple.com/the-primal-carbohydrate-continuum/#axzz30aqyqiQ7.

The rest of your calories should come from fat (avoid trans-fat, it's poison).

Hope this helps! Good luck!

WinoGelato

I had a day like that last Saturday - with both a graduation party and bridal shower in the same day. Next day, no real impact, but two days later - things were creeping up! It's taken me all week to get back down to my normal weight and I'm sure this weekend will produce similar results. That's ok - I accept that things are going to fluctuate. Plus I'm super excited for tonight - we are trying a new restaurant and then hitting up the neighborhood gelato place. Yeah for gelato!

Gelato makes the world go round. Talenti was on sale, and the sign said if you buy 4, you save $4. I HAD TO!!! Now, I just need to actually work it into my calories.

I had never even tried Talenti before that Gelato Cleanse thread was posted - once I found out it was available at Target I was all over that! I've only tried a few flavors so far... We are going to Florence next month - I am so excited to EAT GELATO EVERY DAY!!!!

PikaKnight

I had a day like that last Saturday - with both a graduation party and bridal shower in the same day. Next day, no real impact, but two days later - things were creeping up! It's taken me all week to get back down to my normal weight and I'm sure this weekend will produce similar results. That's ok - I accept that things are going to fluctuate. Plus I'm super excited for tonight - we are trying a new restaurant and then hitting up the neighborhood gelato place. Yeah for gelato!

Gelato makes the world go round. Talenti was on sale, and the sign said if you buy 4, you save $4. I HAD TO!!! Now, I just need to actually work it into my calories.

I had never even tried Talenti before that Gelato Cleanse thread was posted - once I found out it was available at Target I was all over that! I've only tried a few flavors so far... We are going to Florence next month - I am so excited to EAT GELATO EVERY DAY!!!!

I love Gelato. 90% of my "ice cream" is gelato from Haagen Dazs or Talenti. The great thing about it, is I'm lactose intolerant but I'm able to handle gelato way better than ice cream. To the point I don't have to take the lactaid for it :bigsmile:

jofjltncb6

I haven't bought a fitbit because I think they're excessively priced.

So the answer is no, you can't buy a FitBit.

Whoa, time out here. I read her answer entirely differently. What I heard is that she doesn't believe they provide enough benefit to justify the cost.

Perhaps I should edit it to say "So the answer is no, you WON'T buy a FitBit." OP isn't in a good place right now. I'm trying to find out what she really is able and willing to do. She's very upset and the tiniest criticism sends her into a self-loathing spiral where she imagines people hate her. She doesn't HAVE to buy a FitBit. I just made a suggestion. She doesn't feel like it's something she needs, so I moved onto my next suggestion.

Fair point. I appreciate your angle on this and see where you were going with it. The pedantic side of me just couldn't let that "can't" stand unchallenged/uncorrected.

But yes, your approach to this was solid (even if I had a small issue with your particular choice of words).

jofjltncb6

I haven't bought a fitbit because I think they're excessively priced.

So the answer is no, you can't buy a FitBit.

Next question:
Can you change the way you log all of your food, so if the label says 100 calories, you put 133 in your log?

Whoa, time out here. I read her answer entirely differently. What I heard is that she doesn't believe they provide enough benefit to justify the cost. While everyone's CBA differs on the value, this may be $100 well spent especially in this case. Now if she *can't* buy one for whatever reason, then they certainly aren't *necessary*...but I have heard many experiences where a fitbit (or similar device) was the impetus to make a meaningful change.

All that said, until OP figures out her food tracking, having better insight into her calorie burns/activity level will likely be entirely meaningless.

I had not been losing as consistently as I wanted, and so my friend suggested I try to increase my activity throughout the day. Simple things. My work gave us all pedometers, and even that low tech gadget has been eye opening. They cost $5-10. It's nothing fancy and doesn't give you calories burned, but it can give you an idea of how active/sedentary you are. Plus, I find myself wanting to add in more steps here and there. I've taken to wandering around my condo while brushing my teeth. Or going to the kitchen at work to start warming up food, then walking back to my desk for my glass of water that needs filling. It can be motivational even without providing some more data that the fancier devices do. It's actually kind of strange how that works.

I like on Fitbit you can add friends, and I have a few MFP friends and my sister on there. I like kicking their a$$es in steps. I love it motivates me to walk more.

I drop fitbit friends who consistently get more steps than me.

(You hear me fitbit friends who are ahead of me on the leaderboard!?!? Your days are numbered!!! (Yes, all 8-11 of you!))

_HeartsOnFire_

I drop fitbit friends who consistently get more steps than me.

(You hear me fitbit friends who are ahead of me on the leaderboard!?!? Your days are numbered!!! (Yes, all 8-11 of you!))

Uh oh...well you might be able to catch me this weekend. With all my quad DOMS I might not walk much this weekend.

jofjltncb6

I drop fitbit friends who consistently get more steps than me.

(You hear me fitbit friends who are ahead of me on the leaderboard!?!? Your days are numbered!!! (Yes, all 8-11 of you!))

Uh oh...well you might be able to catch me this weekend. With all my quad DOMS I might not walk much this weekend.

If my piriformis wasn't stopping me, I'd crush all of you!!! (Well, okay, maybe not *all* of you...but at least a few more of you.)

WinoGelato

I haven't bought a fitbit because I think they're excessively priced.

So the answer is no, you can't buy a FitBit.

Next question:
Can you change the way you log all of your food, so if the label says 100 calories, you put 133 in your log?

Whoa, time out here. I read her answer entirely differently. What I heard is that she doesn't believe they provide enough benefit to justify the cost. While everyone's CBA differs on the value, this may be $100 well spent especially in this case. Now if she *can't* buy one for whatever reason, then they certainly aren't *necessary*...but I have heard many experiences where a fitbit (or similar device) was the impetus to make a meaningful change.

All that said, until OP figures out her food tracking, having better insight into her calorie burns/activity level will likely be entirely meaningless.

I had not been losing as consistently as I wanted, and so my friend suggested I try to increase my activity throughout the day. Simple things. My work gave us all pedometers, and even that low tech gadget has been eye opening. They cost $5-10. It's nothing fancy and doesn't give you calories burned, but it can give you an idea of how active/sedentary you are. Plus, I find myself wanting to add in more steps here and there. I've taken to wandering around my condo while brushing my teeth. Or going to the kitchen at work to start warming up food, then walking back to my desk for my glass of water that needs filling. It can be motivational even without providing some more data that the fancier devices do. It's actually kind of strange how that works.

I like on Fitbit you can add friends, and I have a few MFP friends and my sister on there. I like kicking their a$$es in steps. I love it motivates me to walk more.

I drop fitbit friends who consistently get more steps than me.

(You hear me fitbit friends who are ahead of me on the leaderboard!?!? Your days are numbered!!! (Yes, all 8-11 of you!))

Now I'm going to have to FR you on FitBit too. We can have a step off.

_HeartsOnFire_

Now I'm going to have to FR you on FitBit too. We can have a step off.

Bring it!!! I'm always up for crushing more people!

Strokingdiction

I drop fitbit friends who consistently get more steps than me.

(You hear me fitbit friends who are ahead of me on the leaderboard!?!? Your days are numbered!!! (Yes, all 8-11 of you!))

Uh oh...well you might be able to catch me this weekend. With all my quad DOMS I might not walk much this weekend.

I always wind up walking way more when I have DOMS. It makes it so much better for me.

_HeartsOnFire_

I drop fitbit friends who consistently get more steps than me.

(You hear me fitbit friends who are ahead of me on the leaderboard!?!? Your days are numbered!!! (Yes, all 8-11 of you!))

Uh oh...well you might be able to catch me this weekend. With all my quad DOMS I might not walk much this weekend.

I always wind up walking way more when I have DOMS. It makes it so much better for me.

I've been trying that, it's kinda working. I also bought a foam roller...

ETA: Thanks!

Charlottesometimes23

These are my thought OP, if you ever come back

1. Invest in a Fitbit. I know you said you felt it wasn't worth the money, and I felt the same until I finally gave in and bought one. Now I think it's the best $127 (in Australia) I ever spent.

2. Either take your own lunch or overestimate the cafeteria food.

3. Take the time to weigh your food, even if it's a short term thing. It should give you a more accurate picture of what you're consuming.

4. Write down the pros and cons of making the extra effort and time that will be required to get back on track (eg. More food prep, time spent weighing vs feeling better, fitting into clothes etc.) and then decide whether it's really worth it to you in your situation. At the moment, I think you see more cons, but perhaps writing it down will help you see the positives as well.

wilsoje74

Sorry, I don't. I take care of a disabiled mother and there just aren't enough hours in the day.

Life has NOT been good to me and I've worked like a dog all my life and gotten nothing in return.

So yes, I feel like a victim.

Are y'all happy?

what a sad sad way to view life and live. You also keep apologizing,not sure to who or what for. You are no busier than most people here. You either want it or you don't, but with your outlook I don't believe you really want it. You need to love yourself enough to do it.

FlaxMilk

I don't think I've ever suggested this, as it's really not practical for most. But if I am reading your posts right, it's workable for you.

Go on a microwave meal plan. If you believe your cut is at 1740, buy 1700 calories worth of microwave meals for the day, and only eat those. Nothing else. If you don't lose weight, you can try upping each meal's calorie count by 20%, since that's what the company is allowed to be off by on the label. If you still don't lose weight, try this at 1500.

Some microwave meals are expensive, but there are brands that are just as cheap as buying a fast food meal or cafeteria meal. If you have a cafeteria, there should be a microwave.

You don't have to even think about food then. You buy it, you microwave it, you eat it. As some here would say, profit.

:flowerforyou: