Stagnant Scale

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DevSanchez
DevSanchez Posts: 314 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi! I'm hoping I can gain some help from people who KNOW WHAT THEY ARE TALKING ABOUT. The scale isnt moving the way I want it to and its very irritating! I work out 3-5 times weekly and try to focus on a 1500 cal 150g carb, 50g fat, 113g pro. daily. I try to get as close as I can to this goal without my macros or calories going over. Problem is I usually intake about 1100-1300 and am unsure if this is ok. I have trouble eating more because I feel satisfied eating this amount. Im not making the headway I would like to though. Any advice? I have used several macro calculator all of which tell me different numbers. I feel satisfied eating this amount so when I calculator tells me eat 1800-2000 sometimes I get thrown off and worried I may gain as I feel perfectly full eating 1300 calories. Any advice appreciated. I am 5'3

SW 259
CW 235
GW 140

Replies

  • diannethegeek
    diannethegeek Posts: 14,776 Member
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    How do you want the scale to be moving compared to how it's moving now? What are your goals and what kind of progress are you currently seeing?

    If the question is just whether or not you should eat more, then it depends. Remember that if you're using MFP's numbers then the site expects you to log your exercise and eat back at least a portion of the extra calories you earn. Usually this brings the numbers in line with other calculators (which are including your exercise calories into their calculations from the beginning).
  • DevSanchez
    DevSanchez Posts: 314 Member
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    The scale was moving down for awhile but I feel like Im stuck in place. I used several different calorie and macro calculators to see what the best fit is, they usually tell me to lose weight I should range between 1800-1500 calories. I chose my macro breakdown as I read an article and felt it would suit me good. I end up hardly ever eating more than 1300 calories with the exception of some weekends. I don't have much of an appetite. (Gained all this weight not from the amount of food I was eating but the type of food.) Im just wondering if my lack of calories is somehow causing me to not lose the weight. Im afraid to eat the 1800 calories some of the calculators say to because I fear gaining. I just wonder how accurate they can be if each and every one tells me a different number.
  • diannethegeek
    diannethegeek Posts: 14,776 Member
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    The reason that I asked what kind of progress you're seeing is to get an idea of your expectations. I don't know if your goal is aggressive weight loss or normal weight loss. I don't know if you're seeing any weight loss or just not as much as you'd like. I don't know if you've been stuck for a couple of weeks or a couple of months. All of these things would change the sort of advice I would give.

    All calorie goals are simply going to be an estimate. You have to do your research, pick one or take an average of them, and see if your weight loss matches expectations. Give it several weeks (water weight fluctuations can make the results a little wonky at first) and adjust as necessary.

    1200 calories is the bare minimum recommended for a sedentary woman. That has less to do with weight loss and more to do with your nutrition. The less you eat the more carefully you have to watch your various vitamins, minerals, fat, protein, etc. to be sure you're getting enough. People who work out should be eating more, which is why MFP will add calories to your goal as you log exercise.

    The other thing to take into account at this level is muscle mass. The larger your deficit from your TDEE the more you risk losing some of your lean muscle mass. Some dieters find that they aren't as happy with their bodies once they reach their goal weight because of this. That's why many people here recommend a less aggressive goal as you near your goal weight.

    Remember that hunger isn't always the best indicator that you're getting enough to eat. Our hunger cues are controlled by hormones in our bodies and these can be suppressed by various factors. You have to look at a whole host of factors, including gym performance, energy levels, mood, concentration, and things like healthy skin and nails.

    Would 1800 calories make you gain weight? I don't know. Probably not unless your metabolism is being affected by medical issues. Would 1800 calories help you to lose weight faster? Again, probably not. But it might help you lose weight healthier, depending again on your goals.

    This is a post that I really like that will walk you through the two most popular ways of setting your calorie target and might help to explain some things along the way: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/819055-setting-your-calorie-and-macro-targets

    And these are three more posts that I recommend to most people because they're packed with really good information:
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1235566-so-you-re-new-here
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1234699-logging-accurately-step-by-step-guide

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