2 year plateau and confused about differences in calories
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I feel for you, in general, OP. I've got some severe thyroid issues. I am very rigid in weighing and measuring my food. I've been in recovery from an eating disorder.
I know what it's like to look in the general forums and realize I can't apply most advice to myself, because I am different. I can become very angry towards myself for being different, or for expecting forums to solve problems that even my endo laughingly puts "We're all still trying to figure out ourselves."
But here's the thing.
You have options. Have you had your thyroid levels checked? You mentioned a family history of hypothyroidism, but a family history doesn't mean you're doomed to have it (thank goodness!) or that you've been tested. If you haven't had them checked, perhaps get them done for you and your doctor to eliminate (or consider) a cause.
But here's the other thing: weighing and measuring your food is key. If you're not doing it, you're not aware of what you eat. You've been here awhile, I see, but not active on the forums. I cannot tell you HOW many people have come in with a VERY similar story to you, and 9 times out of 10, they're eating more than they think. "Making good choices" is fine for health, but not necessarily weight loss.
You seem to have fallen into the "bad" vs. "good" food trap as well. I've seen it firsthand; someone eats salad and chicken and thinks they're superior to others for their food, healthier for their food or "should be losing weight." Except they don't measure the dressing they put on the salad. An 8 oz. chicken breast becomes a 4 oz. chicken breast to them. "I'm eating yogurt and don't eat fried foods!" but eating 10 cups of yogurt and having a tub of nuts for snacks.
All of this could still be fine... provided someone is aware of exactly how many calories/portions they're ingesting vs. what they're putting out.
I do have to say, that assuming anything of your "skinny" doctor's experience doesn't put you in a good light. You have no idea what she may have gone through as a child, as a young adult, etc. She may have had an eating disorder. She may have lost weight before. She might have struggled with weight during her residency when she couldn't be bothered to focus on her weight.
Most of all? If she's thin, why would you discount anything she says? She's doing something you want, correct... to be a lower weight, a healthier weight?
Again I say about my doctor...I HAVE TALKED ABOUT IT WITH HER. She even said she couldn't know how I felt.
OMG...before you all jump my case, read the posts
I never said I wasn't going to weigh my food.
Most of the people think I'm trying to starve myself because I eat so little.
I appreciate all of you who have given me advisement. I'm not being defensive, but rather trying to explain that I"m not a novice at this and am really stuck. Some of you seem to not care about anything but being heard. That's fine.
I didn't get on your case, yet for someone who claims to not be defensive... why would you interpret my post in anyway like that?
I read all your posts on here. I didn't see anywhere where you specifically got thyroid tests or asked for a blood panel. I could assume your statement that "She keeps saying it's food" means you might have asked that and your doctor hasn't given you the bloodwork, but if I've learned one thing about these forums, it's not to assume things. Provide us with more detail if you want us to know the intimate details of your journey. Plus, the fact that a gyno wouldn't be the doctor to go to for thyroid advice at all, a GP or (better yet) an endo would be.
Unfortunately, I'm seeing "The lady doth protest too much"--you interpreted attacks by page 2, you "assume" responses before they're said, and now lengthy posts full of as much objective advice as possible (with doses of empathy in many of them) get dubbed as "People only care about being heard" and passive-aggression.
Well, it's a forum. People want to be heard when they share advice with you, a forum is designed for different voices *to* be heard; the issue here is that you don't appear to want to hear what so many are saying, and seem to be hearing things that no one is doing (a.k.a, attacks).
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The problem is, someone else even said they could see how I would feel attacked. I didn't say YOU attacked me.
I've had a thyroid test...she said it was fine and refused to dig further, insisting it was just food.
I'm not defensive, just trying to explain, and before you fuss at me for something, go back and read the other posts.
Okay, it really seems like you're only focusing on the negative here. It seems like you are doing this as a way of avoiding looking at what's really wrong. There have been lots of suggestions to weigh your food and be more accurate - all of which have been met with excuses:
I know the calories in my food because it's packaged or the cafeteria at work is exact
I don't eat a lot of salt
I measure with a measuring cup
You've said yourself that "it's not the food, something else has to be wrong..." yet, your doctor has told you that your problem is your food and many of the people on here have told you the same thing. Yet, instead of responding to the suggestions in a manner that says that it's given you something to think about, you respond in a manner that says that you're not willing to change.
It's easy to play the victim card - my skinny doctor doesn't understand me, my family is all big and we're not meant to be skinny, there has to be something wrong because I'm doing everything right. There is a very slight chance that maybe there is a medical issue, however instead of ruling out the other options, you are complaining that nothing's working when you're not willing to even SEE if there's another problem.
In one of your defensive responses, I see that you finally said that you "never said you weren't going to use a food scale" yet every other excuse of a response indicates that you have no intention of using a food scale. Being so defensive about everything (and I did not see anything attacking you in the first couple of pages) makes it seem to me like you KNOW what your problem is and aren't willing to do what it takes to fix it. If you don't want to, that's fine, you aren't ready, but life gets a lot easier when you stop being a victim and start being in control.
FWIW, here are the problems I'm guessing (which are only guesses since you still haven't opened your food diary or even given a run down of what you typically eat).
1) Not logging your food regularly
2) Eating more than you think you are - if you aren't weighing your food, you have no clue, even when using a measuring cup - yeah, sometimes your estimates might only be off by 10-20%, but that could be several hundred calories a day depending on density
3) You don't know how most of your food is really made - even if the kitchen at work is "healthy", it doesn't mean that the chef doesn't use extra oil or butter on stuff - it also doesn't mean that they are cooking low calorie - healthy =/= calorie controlled
4) You are using the wrong entries for what you do eat - even if you know what you are eating, calories vary by brand and item type. Entries in the database are also often VERY wrong. I was logging fajita meat yesterday - one entry listed a 4 oz portion of cooked chicken fajita meat as 110 calories. There's really no possible way that's accurate - 4 oz of cooked chicken (by the NI for what I buy) is closer to 180 calories and that doesn't even take in to account the marinade/oil. I've seen much bigger errors on some entries, even for some name brand products.
5) You have binges or "cheat" meals that you don't accurately account for. These can add up to thousands of calories - yes THOUSANDS. Last night I had a medium shake from Sonic - I figured based on a medium blizzard it would be between 500-1000 calories - I logged it and it was over 1200! A lot of people I know would have probably guessed it as 500 calories. Have a few items like this per week/month and it's enough to make you gain.
My suggestions:
1) Cook for yourself and weigh everything
2) If you won't cook for yourself, then do a couple of weeks Jenny Craig style - only eat pre-packaged meals from home, no restaurant or cafeteria food. This will probably be much more accurate than what you are currently doing. It won't be fun, but it will probably get the scale moving in the right direction.
3) Try a different "diet". It sounds like you are burnt out on calorie counting. Maybe try Weight Watchers? It's the same concept, but different. Or, maybe look at something like Intermittent Fasting - just do something different. Maybe having a fresh perspective will help you get the weight loss going again.
4) Find a new goal that's not weight loss related. Set a fitness goal and up your exercise to be better. Do you know that there are some recommendations that in order to lose weight and keep it off we need 60-90 minutes of exercise MOST days of the week? Three days of 45 minutes isn't burning a ton of calories and obviously isn't boosting your loss. Maybe, if you aren't willing to change the food, then changing the exercise will make a difference. You can find time to do it, you just have to want to.
Finally, be honest with yourself. If you aren't in the right frame of mind to lose weight right now, then focus on maintaining and stop stressing yourself out. It's okay. Yes, losing weight is going to be beneficial, but not gaining back what you've already lost will be more beneficial than giving up and gaining it all back.
I'm not opening my diary because there are rude people on here.
I'll give you an example of what I eat.
Breakfast: Regular oatmeal and 1 egg.
Lunch: fresh pineapple, a small dark greens salad with honey french dressing on the side.
Snack: a fiber one peanut butter brownie.
Dinner: A grand turkey club from Arby's, no mayo.
I do not binge. I log even my snacks. I have learned the calories of just about everything I like and so it deterrs me from eating it. Hahaha.
My workouts are Leslie Sansone workouts and according to my meter I'm burning 400-600 calories depending on if I do 3 or 4 miles.
Best of luck with all your health and fitness goals. :flowerforyou:
(Now where is that "unsubscribe" button?)0 -
There is nothing wrong with your food choices. The problem is with "cups", "slices", "spears", "pat", "serving". If you aren't losing, use grams and ounces, not all of those other pseudo measurements.
This.
Weigh your food or maintain.
Pick one.0 -
Okay, so here is two days from my diary....
GOAL 1740 per day.
Tuesday
Breakfast
Aramark Cafeteria Scrambled Eggs ½ cup 120 Cals
Pillsbury White Chocolate Raspberry Chunk Scone 440
560
Coffee black.
Lunch
Kellogg’s Special K Deluxe Egg and Cheese Flatbread Sandwich 120 Cals
Red Plum 30 Cals
Fiber One Brownie 90
Cals
310
Dinner
Fazoli’s Chicken Parm 870 cals
2 breadsticks 300
TOTAL
Remaining 64
Wednesday
Breakfast
Aramark Cafeteria Scrambled Eggs ½ cup 120 Cals
Raspberry Pastry (yeah, I know, was going bad) 340
460
Coffee black.
Lunch
Food Lion Blueberry Bagel (per website) 270 cals
Smucker’s Peanut Butter 1.5 oz tub 240
510
Dinner
Cracker Barrel Dinner: 2 scrambled eggs, 1 slice Colby cheese, 2 slices sourdough bread, 1 serving hashbrown casserole, 1 pat butter, 1 grape jam.
791
Water unless coffee specified.
Snack
Costco Pineapple Spears..2 cups 148
217 remaining after 420 exercise cals.
I have no comment on what you are choosing to eat (see my comment about the 1200 calorie shake last night), but here's what's jumping out at me:
Cafeteria scrambled eggs - how do you know it's only 1/2 cup? Are they dense or fluffy? This is not an accurate logging at all. IME, 1/2 C of scrambled eggs would be more than 2 full eggs...that's definitely more than 120 calories without adding in any oil or fat for cooking and I can almost guarantee that some is used. Even places that serve "healthy" egg white only omelettes and eggs will cook them in butter or some type of fat. Say what you think is 1/2 C is actually 1/2 heaping cup which is equal to 10 T instead of 8. This automatically is 125% of your original calculation, so would be 150 calories instead of 120. Now, say they add just a bit of oil...1/2 t only (which is pretty much nothing). That's another 20 calories, making you now off by 50 calories on your one food item. Now, say that it takes 2 large eggs to make 1/2 C scrambled eggs. This means that it's 140 calories instead of 120. Do the math with the other scenarios, and you're now at 195 calories instead of 120 and that's with only 1/2 t oil used for cooking.
What's a raspberry pastry? What was the size? How much did it weigh? Did it come from a labelled package? This is where a food scale would be a great help, even if you have the package it came in. Say 1 serving is supposed to weigh 75 grams. You weigh it and it weighs 100 grams. Instead of 340 calories you've had 450 calories. Or, if you don't have the NI for that exact item and you pick what you think is a close approximation, there is absolutely no way to know if you are off by hundreds of calories or not. Knowing the weight will help (you can choose the 100 gram option instead of just saying 1 large pastry), but there's no way to really accurate if you are eating a fresh made food not made by you. Same for the bagel. Sure, the website says 1 bagel is 270 calories and 112 grams but is it really? Maybe the baker was generous and it weighs 150 grams. There's another 90 calories added to your day.
The cracker barrel? They don't post NI so anything you find is just going to be an estimate. I know they use butter/oil to make the scrambled eggs - have you noticed that they glisten? You could be off by a couple hundred calories at Cracker Barrel, easily, even if the 790 is accurate for what you are supposed to get. If the chef used a bit more oil for the eggs and they were extra generous with your serving of hashbrown casserole, there's calories you haven't accounted for.
Your pineapple spears? Well, depending on how you chunk them, you can fit more or less in a C than is accounted for. Maybe you actually had 3 cups worth? Who knows. Using a food scale eliminates this - if you weigh 100 grams, then you are having 100 grams.0 -
How do you track all you eat? Do you use a digital food scale for everything (except liquids)?
HOw long eating at 1740?
Several months. I don't use a digital scale but when I eat at work I ask them what the measurements are...it's a cafeteria so that's pretty easy for them. The rest is a pretty good estimate, and I know I tend to overestimate the portions because I'm afraid to underestimate.
I'd suggest you get a good food scale and measuring cups/spoons and start weighing/measuring everything. You are OVER ESTIMATING by a lot if you haven't lost weight in two years. Get yourself to a good nutritionist and get on a different plan. Make time for your workouts. Make time for yourself.0 -
Breakfast: Regular oatmeal and 1 egg.
Lunch: fresh pineapple, a small dark greens salad with honey french dressing on the side.
Snack: a fiber one peanut butter brownie.
Dinner: A grand turkey club from Arby's, no mayo.
Breakfast - How much oatmeal? Prepared in what manner? No sweetener?
Lunch - How much pineapple? What exactly is on your salad? How much dressing?
Dinner - nothing else? Not even a bite of french fries?
Why don't you post several days worth of your exact food diary listings? Where's this "cafeteria" food you talk about? Where's your restaurant meals? Let us see more. I know you think people are rude on here, but I didn't really see much rudeness until every valid suggestion was met with an excuse.
So, are you going to get a food scale and try it out? A food scale is MUCH cheaper than a Bodymedia fit device. If something *really* is wrong with you, the Bodymedia device isn't likely to be accurate for you anyway. If you are really that odd person who's BMR is much lower than average, the Bodymedia device isn't going to show that. It has a lot of complex calculations it does based on averages and if you are really as different as you think, this device will be useless. The food sale on the other hand will give you more accurate information which will help you arm yourself for your next doctor's visit.
1 cup oatmeal.
2 tsp light brown sugar
prepared the old fashioned way.
Two large sections of pineapple.
Salad has greens, black olives, 1 tsp of bleu cheese crumbles, 1 tsp of cranberries.
1 tbs of honey french dressing on the side.
I don't eat fries.
No, I am not opening up my diary because people will be rude and mention every time I ate something questionable...like a piece of fried fish or something...or a Russel Stover egg.
What you wouldn't find would be cheeseburgers, fries, and junk like that.
My diary is open. I accept and encourage people to pick it apart and share their thoughts on it. What you *will* find are cheeseburgers, fries (occasionally) and "junk" like that...except that I don't call the food I eat "junk"...and I consistently and accurately weigh and measure a significant portion of my diet...and my years of food, exercise, and weight logs lead me to an understanding that my weight is directly related to my total calories consumed and burned. (My data is not influenced in any way by the "mean" people...and yes, I have been called out on specific parts of my food log along the way.) I can actually set a goal weight far enough in the future, calculate the numbers necessary to reach it, and then reach it consistently (+/- a margin of error) and have done so several times along the way. It is very liberating and empowering. What many of us here want is for you to experience this level of control over your results too.
While my numbers are mine and mine alone, you too (with an appropriate amount of consistency, effort, and diligence) could have your own data that supports your specific situation...but without the consistency, effort, and diligence, you have nothing but a vague idea of what might or might not be going on.0 -
Okay, so here is two days from my diary....
GOAL 1740 per day.
Tuesday
Breakfast
Aramark Cafeteria Scrambled Eggs ½ cup 120 Cals
Pillsbury White Chocolate Raspberry Chunk Scone 440
560
Coffee black.
Lunch
Kellogg’s Special K Deluxe Egg and Cheese Flatbread Sandwich 120 Cals
Red Plum 30 Cals
Fiber One Brownie 90
Cals
310
Dinner
Fazoli’s Chicken Parm 870 cals
2 breadsticks 300
TOTAL
Remaining 64
Wednesday
Breakfast
Aramark Cafeteria Scrambled Eggs ½ cup 120 Cals
Raspberry Pastry (yeah, I know, was going bad) 340
460
Coffee black.
Lunch
Food Lion Blueberry Bagel (per website) 270 cals
Smucker’s Peanut Butter 1.5 oz tub 240
510
Dinner
Cracker Barrel Dinner: 2 scrambled eggs, 1 slice Colby cheese, 2 slices sourdough bread, 1 serving hashbrown casserole, 1 pat butter, 1 grape jam.
791
Water unless coffee specified.
Snack
Costco Pineapple Spears..2 cups 148
217 remaining after 420 exercise cals.
I have no comment on what you are choosing to eat (see my comment about the 1200 calorie shake last night), but here's what's jumping out at me:
Cafeteria scrambled eggs - how do you know it's only 1/2 cup? Are they dense or fluffy? This is not an accurate logging at all. IME, 1/2 C of scrambled eggs would be more than 2 full eggs...that's definitely more than 120 calories without adding in any oil or fat for cooking and I can almost guarantee that some is used. Even places that serve "healthy" egg white only omelettes and eggs will cook them in butter or some type of fat. Say what you think is 1/2 C is actually 1/2 heaping cup which is equal to 10 T instead of 8. This automatically is 125% of your original calculation, so would be 150 calories instead of 120. Now, say they add just a bit of oil...1/2 t only (which is pretty much nothing). That's another 20 calories, making you now off by 50 calories on your one food item. Now, say that it takes 2 large eggs to make 1/2 C scrambled eggs. This means that it's 140 calories instead of 120. Do the math with the other scenarios, and you're now at 195 calories instead of 120 and that's with only 1/2 t oil used for cooking.
What's a raspberry pastry? What was the size? How much did it weigh? Did it come from a labelled package? This is where a food scale would be a great help, even if you have the package it came in. Say 1 serving is supposed to weigh 75 grams. You weigh it and it weighs 100 grams. Instead of 340 calories you've had 450 calories. Or, if you don't have the NI for that exact item and you pick what you think is a close approximation, there is absolutely no way to know if you are off by hundreds of calories or not. Knowing the weight will help (you can choose the 100 gram option instead of just saying 1 large pastry), but there's no way to really accurate if you are eating a fresh made food not made by you. Same for the bagel. Sure, the website says 1 bagel is 270 calories and 112 grams but is it really? Maybe the baker was generous and it weighs 150 grams. There's another 90 calories added to your day.
The cracker barrel? They don't post NI so anything you find is just going to be an estimate. I know they use butter/oil to make the scrambled eggs - have you noticed that they glisten? You could be off by a couple hundred calories at Cracker Barrel, easily, even if the 790 is accurate for what you are supposed to get. If the chef used a bit more oil for the eggs and they were extra generous with your serving of hashbrown casserole, there's calories you haven't accounted for.
Your pineapple spears? Well, depending on how you chunk them, you can fit more or less in a C than is accounted for. Maybe you actually had 3 cups worth? Who knows. Using a food scale eliminates this - if you weigh 100 grams, then you are having 100 grams.
Yep.
Overestimating daily calorie burn by 300 calories
Underestimating cals by 300 or more
What you thought your net was: 1740
What your actual net was: 2340 or more
There goes your deficit. Done.
Ask me how I know this? Been there. Many of us have. We aren't just talking out of our *kitten* here.
Well, maybe we are, but not about this topic, right at this moment :flowerforyou:0 -
Thank you all for your comments.
I do use a meter when I work out, so I am not overestimating that. I sweat like no one's business and I know what a 500 calorie burn feels like as opposed to a 100 or 200 calorie one.
Yes, I'm sure my good estimates are off. Yes, to quote someone else, apparently I suck at this.
My one question is, why are some of you so aggressive with your comments? It's really not necessary.0 -
Thank you all for your comments.
I do use a meter when I work out, so I am not overestimating that. I sweat like no one's business and I know what a 500 calorie burn feels like as opposed to a 100 or 200 calorie one.
Yes, I'm sure my good estimates are off. Yes, to quote someone else, apparently I suck at this.
My one question is, why are some of you so aggressive with your comments? It's really not necessary.
The only aggressive comments I've read on this thread are yours.0 -
Thank you all for your comments.
I do use a meter when I work out, so I am not overestimating that. I sweat like no one's business and I know what a 500 calorie burn feels like as opposed to a 100 or 200 calorie one.
Yes, I'm sure my good estimates are off. Yes, to quote someone else, apparently I suck at this.
My one question is, why are some of you so aggressive with your comments? It's really not necessary.
The only aggressive comments I've read on this thread are yours.
^Agree with this.0 -
Are you doing just cardio? or are you doing weight training as well. Keep in mind that muscle weighs more and if you are weight training then it would look like you are gaining weight but is muscle.0
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Here's an honest suggestion:
Based on the things we've learned about you, if you're unwilling to change your lifestyle (i.e. cook food yourself more, so you know exactly what's going into it, and use a digital scale), I think you'll find more weightloss success if you assume that everything you calculate is about 33% off. So like if a package says 100 calories, then you should log 133. You could try that for a couple months and see if you start to lose weight. This will mean you're eating less than you are right now, but you can continue to eat out the way you enjoy. Is that something you'd try?0 -
If you're not able to increase the quantity of exercise, try quality. A lot of people find cardiovascular (walking, jogging, bike riding, aerobics, Zumba, etc.) exercise works really well at first, but eventually becomes less effective when it comes to weight loss. Strength training (even body weight exercises like assisted push ups or tricep dips on a chair) can make a difference. Muscle burns more calories than fat, so the higher the percentage of muscle and lower the percentage of fat in your body's composition, the more calories you'll burn at rest.
Above all else - keep the faith! Plateau's happen, but you've done AMAZING things already, and I just know that more good things and progress are in your future if YOU KEEP THE FAITH! We believe in you!!!0 -
I think this might be enlightening. Hopefully the OP is still reading.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JVjWPclrWVY 0 -
Thank you all for your comments.
I do use a meter when I work out, so I am not overestimating that. I sweat like no one's business and I know what a 500 calorie burn feels like as opposed to a 100 or 200 calorie one.
Yes, I'm sure my good estimates are off. Yes, to quote someone else, apparently I suck at this.
My one question is, why are some of you so aggressive with your comments? It's really not necessary.
The only aggressive comments I've read on this thread are yours.
^Agree with this.
This. It's quite troubling.0 -
Thank you all for your comments.
I do use a meter when I work out, so I am not overestimating that. I sweat like no one's business and I know what a 500 calorie burn feels like as opposed to a 100 or 200 calorie one.
Yes, I'm sure my good estimates are off. Yes, to quote someone else, apparently I suck at this.
My one question is, why are some of you so aggressive with your comments? It's really not necessary.
No, sorry, I doubt it. I THOUGHT that I knew what a 100 calorie versus a 500 calorie burn felt like, until I got in better shape. HRMs are not 100% accurate for calorie burns. Again, ask me how I know?
You asked for help, we are trying to help. But, in all honesty, until you do some soul searching and really try to get your data accurate, you are going to keep spinning your wheels.
Try weighing solid foods and measuring liquids, don't eat out, eat 1/2 of the burn your HRM says you had. Do this for a month and see what happens. It's not going to hurt anything. Well, maybe your pride (it did mine, but briefly), but if that is all then it's really a small price to pay to get back to losing.
And with that, I'm pulling a Jof and saying:
Best of luck with all your health and fitness goals. flowerforyou0 -
Thank you all for your comments.
I do use a meter when I work out, so I am not overestimating that. I sweat like no one's business and I know what a 500 calorie burn feels like as opposed to a 100 or 200 calorie one.
Yes, I'm sure my good estimates are off. Yes, to quote someone else, apparently I suck at this.
My one question is, why are some of you so aggressive with your comments? It's really not necessary.
I didn't see anyone being too aggressive, but I did see some snark after tons of good suggestions were shot down. I didn't see anyone say you "suck at this"...again, that's making yourself a victim. People aren't attacking you or trying to put you down. People are offering you very good advice based on real life experiences. You are a normal human being...completely normal. Did you know that overweight people can underestimate what they are eating on a daily basis by 30% or more? Most of the posts on here have been trying to help you understand this. You are not unique - there's nothing wrong with you and you don't suck. You have a problem and people offered solutions. You still have a problem based on your comments. Instead of acknowledging the help you have been given and coming up with a plan of action, you are focusing on the fact that everyone says you suck and people are being mean/aggressive.
Now, on to your calorie burns...your tracker can very well be off. Is it a HRM? If so, even that's not going to be accurate, especially for walking, etc - it's all based on formulas based on averages. Say your HRM is at 165 doing the Leslie Sansone DVDs and mine is at 135, but I'm the same height and age as you and weigh 250 instead of 230, yet your HRM says you've burned more calories than me because your heart rate was higher. Is that accurate? No, I have more mass to move and moving more mass burns more calories. Just because I'm fitter than you doesn't move I burn less calories than you. It's all based on estimates and averages. Why are you so quick to jump so quickly on blindly believing your HRM calorie burns, but not on getting accurate intake records? FWIW - I am heavier than you and I know from experience that my heart rate and sweatiness do not dictate my calorie burn. I can walk on a treadmill with an incline with a fan blowing on me and barely get a sweat on, but then go walking outside in the heat and my heart rate and body temperature will go up. I won't burn more calories just because I'm sweatier or even just because my heart rate is 10 BPM faster. Also, I am heavier than you, taller than you and younger than you and if I put some effort in to walking up hills/speed intervals, I can burn about 500 calories in 3 miles, but not doing a DVD inside on completely level ground...0 -
Thank you all for your comments.
I do use a meter when I work out, so I am not overestimating that. I sweat like no one's business and I know what a 500 calorie burn feels like as opposed to a 100 or 200 calorie one.
Yes, I'm sure my good estimates are off. Yes, to quote someone else, apparently I suck at this.
My one question is, why are some of you so aggressive with your comments? It's really not necessary.
What meter do you use? an HRM? Amount of sweat means nothing. It just means the gym should turn the AC lower. Please tell me you are not logging your exercise by what you feel like is the calorie burn. Please take everyone's advice and weigh your food, don't estimate.0 -
Whenever I am not losing weight like I think I should, I focus all my efforts on accuracy. I weigh everything that goes into my mouth on my food scale. I log every morsel - good, bad or ugly. I have an open diary to my friends and it ask them to call me out when I've slipped up. And they do. I don't consider it being mean, they are friends.
I eat most of my exercise calories back, not always, but usually. I use a heart rate monitor for calories burned, not the MFP estimates.
Sometimes, you just have to reevaluate what you are doing and make changes.
If everything is accurate, then you know that to lose weight you need to eat less than 1740. I'd start taking it down 100 cals at a time but not less than my BMR.
Good luck.0 -
Now, OP, I'm going to ask you - what are you going to do with what has happened here today? I'm asking this in all seriousness. You can be upset and annoyed with any/all of the talk and suggestions given, but in the end all that matters is what you do with it. Are you going to ignore it like you have ignored your doctor? If you really are committed to losing the weight, you will have to accept responsibility for your life and your weight loss. Maybe you're not ready to do that.
IMHO, you sound like you would benefit more by working on your mental space than your physical right now. Many of your responses tend to indicate that you feel like you are a victim in a lot of your life. When we feel victimized, we don't feel or accept the power that we have over our own lives. You have to accept that you are in control and you are not a victim (of your genetics, some unknown medical issue or even the responses on this post). If you choose to not do what needs to be done to lose weight, accept that and acknowledge it. Give yourself credit for what you have accomplished and celebrate your accomplishments. Stop feeling like you are powerless to do more because if you believe it, then you are powerless to your own thoughts.
You know, there's nothing wrong with maintaining your weight if that's all you feel like you can do right now. If your mind and heart aren't in it, maybe it's just too much for you. Take a break, relax, keep doing what you are doing. When you are ready to progress, be honest with yourself and move forward from there.0 -
Okay, I really am done with this.
I have not shot down anyone's advice and I am sure that a food scale would help.
My snark was because people were being nasty and making (I thought) incorrect judgements about me as people have done my entire life.
One doctor, insistent that I was a diabetic only because I was overweight, put me on Metformin. Grossly incorrect with her diagnosis, I ended up sick for two years and hypoglycemic as a result. Again, a judgement about me that was wrong.
I am sorry if I seemed snarky, but I am immensely frustrated and the same old, "you're eating too much" is how I ended up here in the first place.
I was eating so little when I was in my last production I couldn't even fight off a virus.
My apologies to everyone who thought I was shunning their recs, because I'm not. I was merely trying to explain my situation.
I'm very busy, very involved, and do not have the time to sit and measure out everything I consume. It's just not practical.
I'm out. Think what you want to of me.0
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