Eating Too Much Or Too Little?

Trudii22

5'6", currently 185 lbs, started about 13 months ago at 231 lbs. Need to be 156 to be "normal" weight.

I have hovered back and forth around the same 4 lbs for the past 4 months. My question is, am I eating too little and I've shut my fragile metabolism down or am I eating too much and I need to drop further?

Complications: T2DM, eat mostly low carb. Hypothyroid, so metabolism is largely shot to begin with.

I eat 1400 calories / 35 g carbs / 60 g protein / whatever is left fat - per day every day but Saturday. Saturday I eat 1600 calories and have about 150 g carbs. I weigh everything I eat obsessively. There is little variety and I do not enjoy anything but Saturday's dinner, and that was fine while I was losing 1 lb per week.

I exercise 6 days per week, 45 minutes on elliptical - 15 min before work and 30 after work. Currently burning about 425 calories between the two based on HRM.

My MBR based on my scale and most calculations is ~1575. TDEE would then be ~1890.

Per week deficits:
Calories Eaten (10,000) - MBR (11,025) - Exercise (2,550) = -3,575 == ~1 lb
Calories Eaten (10,000) - TDEE (13,230) - Exercise (2,550) = -5,780 == ~1.5 lb

Normal per day net calories:
Calories Eaten (1400) - Exercise (425) = 975


In the past 4 months, I have tried a number of things for multiple weeks at a time, but with no change. I dropped my Saturday carbs for 6 weeks which made my hair fall out among other fun hypothyroid side effects, but no weight loss. I dropped my calories to 1200 at my Endo's recommendation but I only lasted for 3 weeks, no weight change and my mood was horrible. I changed exercise from all at once to split between morning and evening a couple weeks ago, no change so far.

So I'm not sure what is wrong - am I eating too much and need to drop down further? Down to 1000 and stay there longer than I did when I tried 1200? Or am I eating too little? I know I should be doing weight based exercise as well and I'm working on adding that in. Any advice would be appreciated.

Francl27

There is no way your TDEE is 1890. I'm a bit smaller than you, one year older, 50 pounds lighter, and my TDEE is 2100-2200 and I don't exercise that much more (1.5 hour a day, but walking/biking).

Go to http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/ and calculate your TDEE again (I'd use moderately active).

psuLemon

There is no way your TDEE is 1890. I'm a bit smaller than you, one year older, 50 pounds lighter, and my TDEE is 2100-2200 and I don't exercise that much more (1.5 hour a day, but walking/biking).

Go to http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/ and calculate your TDEE again (I'd use moderately active).

it is possible her TDEE is that low based on medical conditions/diet history. Medications can also affect weight loss too. And considering she has hypothyroidism, I wouldn't be surprised if her real BMR was 300-500 calories lower than the norm.


OP, can you change your diary to public? Also, I would recommend dropping some of the cardio and picking up some resistance training. But generally, the majority of people with diabetes seem to have success with LCHF. But before anyone can make a recommendation, we have to see all the facts.

Francl27

There is no way your TDEE is 1890. I'm a bit smaller than you, one year older, 50 pounds lighter, and my TDEE is 2100-2200 and I don't exercise that much more (1.5 hour a day, but walking/biking).

Go to http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/ and calculate your TDEE again (I'd use moderately active).

it is possible her TDEE is that low based on medical conditions/diet history. Medications can also affect weight loss too. And considering she has hypothyroidism, I wouldn't be surprised if her real BMR was 300-500 calories lower than the norm.


OP, can you change your diary to public? Also, I would recommend dropping some of the cardio and picking up some resistance training. But generally, the majority of people with diabetes seem to have success with LCHF. But before anyone can make a recommendation, we have to see all the facts.

I agree, but I guess it depends where she got her TDEE from.

psuLemon

There is no way your TDEE is 1890. I'm a bit smaller than you, one year older, 50 pounds lighter, and my TDEE is 2100-2200 and I don't exercise that much more (1.5 hour a day, but walking/biking).

Go to http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/ and calculate your TDEE again (I'd use moderately active).

it is possible her TDEE is that low based on medical conditions/diet history. Medications can also affect weight loss too. And considering she has hypothyroidism, I wouldn't be surprised if her real BMR was 300-500 calories lower than the norm.


OP, can you change your diary to public? Also, I would recommend dropping some of the cardio and picking up some resistance training. But generally, the majority of people with diabetes seem to have success with LCHF. But before anyone can make a recommendation, we have to see all the facts.

I agree, but I guess it depends where she got her TDEE from.

It would appear she got her TDEE from BMR (from her scale) * sedentary multiplier.

Trudii22

I did use my MBR * 1.2 for sedentary because other than the forced elliptical, the rest of my day is on my tush behind a computer, on a couch or blissfully asleep. I cannot think of anything more sedentary than that. Add the fact that my thyroid is crap, I actually wonder if my MBR is even close to being right in the first place.

Like I said I know I need to add resistance exercise, but I have a hard enough time getting on the elliptical each day and I find resistance exercises to be far more frustrating because I'm convinced I'm doing them wrong. My goal is to start in earnest next week, or once my TOM ends which could actually be a few more days or a few more months at this rate, its already been 2 weeks.

I made my profile public although I'll caution you I'm not exactly religious about updating everything. I eat literally the same thing each day of the week and everything is precisely measured so it does seem rather pointless at times.

Francl27

Can you see a nutritionist and have your BMR checked? It's the first thing I would do I think, with your thyroid issues.

psuLemon

I tried to look at your diary but it still has a password. But if you arent consistent then I would suggest thats the issue. Also, do you have a food scale? And have you considered body weight training such as programs like on fitnessblender.com? The there issues with doing the same exercise daily. Your body will become used to it and becomes efficient at it which in turns burns less calories. Also resistance training increases lean body mass retention which cardio doesnt.