If I am at a deficit, why am I not losing weight?

acorsaut89

She is not the only person who is trying to lose weight unsuccessfully. It can be incredibly frustrating! I keep hoping for a magic pill but ... ;-)

I've been on MFP for just a few weeks now. I've logged every bite that I've put in my mouth. I have gone over my allowed limit 3 times, but am usually under by 100+ each day. Some days I am closer to my limit. I am exercising regularly. I haven't lost much - less than MFP says I should have.

My general day is: breakfast is fiber and flax seed whole grain toast (2). I was having peanut butter and a sugar free preserve, but to cut calories, I have now switched to Nutella chocolate hazelnut spread. I measure out the spread to be sure I am eating what I log. And coffee (black). ~300-400 cal.

Lunch is typically a Chobani yogurt, apple and sparking ice beverage, eaten at my desk (I use an insulated lunch bag and ice block). I will often eat a 2nd apple before or shortly after lunch, which I log in with my lunch. Sometimes I'll have a protein bar (190 cal.) as well. Then I usually only have 1 apple. ~300 cal.

Dinner varies quite a bit...if I eat at McDonald's, it is generally a classic grilled chicken sandwich, no mayo and a diet coke. At home, it can be any type of meat, veggies and a starch. I try to measure my quantities to be sure I am logging the correct amount. ~350-500 cal.

Snacks are ice cream or Chick-a-boom popcorn. The popcorn is only 37 cal. per cup, so that's not bad. The ice cream is only when I have calories left over.

I'm allowed 1460 per day without counting exercise. I try my best to stay at that level or below, even when I exercise (but some days I am just HUNGRY and eat some of my exercise calories as well). I've floated between 2-4 lbs lost...generally closer to the 2 lb lost for the last 1.5 weeks. I'm also 50 yrs old.

Any idea what I'm doing wrong?

Lynn

how is Nutella any better than pb???

Also - you mention a lot about calories but it isn't just calories really, it's carbs and fat and sodium. If you're anything like me and you eat too much sodium you'll balloon right up. There's a lot more to food than just calories.

Things that tend to be "lower calories" or "fat free" have additives (especially sodium!!!!!) to still make them taste great - salad dressings are especially bad and there's usually a ton of sodium in them too.

GypsieFlower94

LOTTA answers.

I'll try answer them all.

Basically, I log everything I eat besides water, which I have about 1.2l a day. since it has cups on the app, and I am not sure what the measurements are in comparison, I leave it.

I rarely drink alcohol, maybe once a month, but I log it when I do.

I log every meal, but usually I only have the one meal. For convenience and because I don't have time during the day anyway.

I want to eat healthier to feel and be healthier, not to lose weight. I could lose weight on junk food if I wanted, but my aim is more to be healthy than lose weight. I did really good at first, and the last month I have slipped a lot because of extra stresses and stuff, which isn't an excuse, it's just the reason this month was so terrible.

This week so far I've been pretty good, and I've got my partner to help me which hs been really great too.

I don't feel hungry. I have this problem with my stomach I have had since I was a child. I rarely feel hungry, and I don't know what full is until it's stuffed. I have been checked out for it many times. I eat because I know I have to, and before dieting, I would eat what I liked whenever I saw it because I wasn't usually hungry at any particular point in the day, unless I skipped more than three meals( yes its happened, went about 1.5 - 2 days without eating at all coz I wasn't hungry and I was distracted with other things, and I didn't have anyone near me reminding me to eat). I know its retarded, but if my partner didn't get me to eat with him, I wouldn't have. I would have told myself I will eat later when I am not busy or when I feel hungry, and it could be at leats a day before that happens.
I can't remember the name of the disorder, but it's something or other. I eat coz I know I should, not because I feel hungry.

Also, in case none of you noticed, I did actually weigh in in the last 2 days and I have lost quite a bit of weight, even through all the junk food and whatever else. So it may have been because of the contraceptive pill I was on previously, as I recently switched.


I have done all the BMR and TDEE tests I could find, and found an average out of all of them. 1400 is what I have set myself through this research.
I have a BMR of about 1550-1600 on average and a TDEE of 2100. So 1400 is pretty low, and it's probably why I have lost weight even through all the junk food.

My job is sometimes physically demanding, lifting, running around, etc. so that probably helped, since I didn't log that.

When I log calories burnt, I underestimate. if I did 20 mins on the elliptical, I say I did 10, etc. so yeah I probably did a killer work out when I lose 1000. Sometimes when my partner is at work, Ill go to the gym for like 3 hours coz I can't sleep.

I have started doing improving my nutrition the last few days, hopefully it works.

But it just goes to show, I ate that much more than my goal, and I still lost just under a kilo, so about one and a half pounds, in a month. Imagine how much I am gonna lose this month!

a_stronger_me13

LOTTA answers.

I'll try answer them all.

Basically, I log everything I eat besides water, which I have about 1.2l a day. since it has cups on the app, and I am not sure what the measurements are in comparison, I leave it.

I rarely drink alcohol, maybe once a month, but I log it when I do.

I log every meal, but usually I only have the one meal. For convenience and because I don't have time during the day anyway.

I want to eat healthier to feel and be healthier, not to lose weight. I could lose weight on junk food if I wanted, but my aim is more to be healthy than lose weight. I did really good at first, and the last month I have slipped a lot because of extra stresses and stuff, which isn't an excuse, it's just the reason this month was so terrible.

This week so far I've been pretty good, and I've got my partner to help me which hs been really great too.

I don't feel hungry. I have this problem with my stomach I have had since I was a child. I rarely feel hungry, and I don't know what full is until it's stuffed. I have been checked out for it many times. I eat because I know I have to, and before dieting, I would eat what I liked whenever I saw it because I wasn't usually hungry at any particular point in the day, unless I skipped more than three meals( yes its happened, went about 1.5 - 2 days without eating at all coz I wasn't hungry and I was distracted with other things, and I didn't have anyone near me reminding me to eat). I know its retarded, but if my partner didn't get me to eat with him, I wouldn't have. I would have told myself I will eat later when I am not busy or when I feel hungry, and it could be at leats a day before that happens.
I can't remember the name of the disorder, but it's something or other. I eat coz I know I should, not because I feel hungry.

Also, in case none of you noticed, I did actually weigh in in the last 2 days and I have lost quite a bit of weight, even through all the junk food and whatever else. So it may have been because of the contraceptive pill I was on previously, as I recently switched.


I have done all the BMR and TDEE tests I could find, and found an average out of all of them. 1400 is what I have set myself through this research.
I have a BMR of about 1550-1600 on average and a TDEE of 2100. So 1400 is pretty low, and it's probably why I have lost weight even through all the junk food.

My job is sometimes physically demanding, lifting, running around, etc. so that probably helped, since I didn't log that.

When I log calories burnt, I underestimate. if I did 20 mins on the elliptical, I say I did 10, etc. so yeah I probably did a killer work out when I lose 1000. Sometimes when my partner is at work, Ill go to the gym for like 3 hours coz I can't sleep.

I have started doing improving my nutrition the last few days, hopefully it works.

But it just goes to show, I ate that much more than my goal, and I still lost just under a kilo, so about one and a half pounds, in a month. Imagine how much I am gonna lose this month!

So was the point of this thread just to ask why you aren't losing and then ignore the very straightforward posts that stated you are probably overestimating your calorie burn and underestimating how much you are eating?

Asks for advice. Replies with detailed post about how she has it all figured out while throwing out the real reasons why she isn't losing weight.

mommyrunning

So was the point of this thread just to ask why you aren't losing and then ignore the very straightforward posts that stated you are probably overestimating your calorie burn and underestimating how much you are eating?

Asks for advice. Replies with detailed post about how she has it all figured out while throwing out the real reasons why she isn't losing weight.

If you look over the previous posts you can see she has slowly started evolving her habits and has been able to pick out some issues based on the feedback we are giving her. So she is listening. This post has been going on for a few days. Not to mention she recently suffered a miscarriage. Give the girl a break. She is listening and making changes.

acorsaut89

I want to eat healthier to feel and be healthier, not to lose weight. I could lose weight on junk food if I wanted, but my aim is more to be healthy than lose weight. I did really good at first, and the last month I have slipped a lot because of extra stresses and stuff, which isn't an excuse, it's just the reason this month was so terrible.

went about 1.5 - 2 days without eating at all coz I wasn't hungry and I was distracted with other things, and I didn't have anyone near me reminding me to eatI feel hungry.).

When I log calories burnt, I underestimate. if I did 20 mins on the elliptical, I say I did 10, etc. so yeah I probably did a killer work out when I lose 1000. Sometimes when my partner is at work, Ill go to the gym for like 3 hours coz I can't sleep.

But you don't go to the gym because it's so far away and don't have time, but you go when your partner works because you can't sleep? So you do go, you're just choosy about going. I work at least 60 hours every week and I go to the gym 5 days/week. If you want it, you'll do it.

If someone needs to remind you to eat, I think 2 things a) you need some help or b) you want the attention of reminding you to eat and that still requires some help . . . . so either way, get help.

And if you underestimate, you're saying on the day it says you burned 1100 you burned more?
That's a lot of working out, especially for someone who has such a busy schedule . . . . hmmmmm

acorsaut89

So was the point of this thread just to ask why you aren't losing and then ignore the very straightforward posts that stated you are probably overestimating your calorie burn and underestimating how much you are eating?

Asks for advice. Replies with detailed post about how she has it all figured out while throwing out the real reasons why she isn't losing weight.

If you look over the previous posts you can see she has slowly started evolving her habits and has been able to pick out some issues based on the feedback we are giving her. So she is listening. This post has been going on for a few days. Not to mention she recently suffered a miscarriage. Give the girl a break. She is listening and making changes.

I get that she is going through some stress, and it happens for all of us, maybe different events trigger it but stressful life events happen for everyone.

She has said though, that she needed to be reminded (before this stressful life event) the eat and she doesn't go to the gym because it's so far away, and she doesn't eat because she's so busy at work, and she only goes to the gym when her partner is working and can't sleep, and she doesn't cook or can't cook because of sharing a house with x number of other people, and they have such strict rules about noise and living and yada yada.

These are excuses to not make a lifestyle change - if I am paying to rent a space, paying money I work for, why the heck would I let someone dictate to me when I can cook my food and what time I can wake up at? If these are really important factors and you WANT to be able to live your life on your terms, which I would think most people want to, then why not look for another spot to rent? I get money is tight - we have student loans, car loans, credit cards, whatever to pay off too. But realistically, it just seems to me like she can make a change and just doesn't want to work for it, or is milking the fact that this is the way her life is and she just has to play the hand she was dealt.

She said she wants to be healthier . . . but originally, she wanted to know why she wasn't losing weight. And her topic is "if I am at a deficit . . ." when she isn't at a deficit. Honestly, I am good for people getting information, trying to figure out the things they don't know but this, this isn't education - this is I want to live the way I want to live AND lose weight by really changing nothing.

GypsieFlower94

Actually i do make time to go to the gym, don't know what gave you the idea i didn't, before the last week and a bit i went at least 3 times a week, as you'd be ab;e to see in my diary

Also, when my partner is at work is around 3am, I leave for the gym when he leaves for work so I don't make any more noise, and come home around 6-7 when I know I won't disturb anyone.

The times I have gone for around 3 hours or so and burnt that much have usually been when he is at work or on the weekend, usually also while he is at work since due to our alternating schedules, we don't get very much time together.

Thats another thing You're telling me, if you woke up at 6am every day, with your partner already being gone for wok at 4 most mornings, went to work for 9-10 hours, got home around 7ish, needed to sleep by 9 to get enough solid rest due to sleep issues, you would spend the 2 hours you have awake with the person you love (sometimes he isn't even there when i get home if he did a double shift) 3/4 at the gym and the other 1/4 eating? especially if there is a high chance at around 10ish that night he is about to leave for work to do a graveyard shift? if you honestly say yes, your either a horrible girlfriend or single.

During the week we try go together for about an hour and a half, as soon as I get home from work, so by the time we finish hopefully the kitchen is free when we get home. Usually still isn't but i know there is no way i would get in the kitchen straight after work, so.

I have openly said I know I am in the wrong, in almost all of my posts, and have done my best to give all the information about my situation so it can be understood better.

Yes the title should have been more like if I am at a deficit why am I not losing weight faster, since as you could see if you checked my progress, I have lost weight.

Also, I have sought help, thank you. That is how i know i have a disorder. It isn't for attention, I don't tell anyone I haven't eaten or make a big deal of it or wait to be asked. Don't see how that has anything to do with attention. Plus the only three people who know about and have had to deal with this is my partner, my partner before him, and my mother. Why would I be seeking extra attention from any of them? They were all people who gave me plenty of just attention.

Also, that is all well and good in writing, about my living arrangement, but rent is cheap and we are on a lease for another 6 months and we are buying a house soon. There is no point in us moving right now, saving money is a bit more important right now, plus we can't just break our lease and lose $800 we would pretty badly need from bond return. We also may be moving interstate, so getting somewhere else here to rent would be stupid if we do end up moving in the next few weeks.

I never made excuses, I was pointing out all the factors that lead to this lifestyle I lead, and never ONCE did I ever say that i am doing nothing wrong, or I don't need to change anything, or that I am perfect and do everything right and am still not losing weight, at all.

Maybe actually read my whole comments, instead of taking bits and pieces, and then judging me on them. I have taken everyone's comments into consideration, and look at that! I have started improving! Wow, weird for someone who apparently is ignoring everyones suggestions huh?

acorsaut89

Well then stop saying my partner has to make me eat.

Good on you for being able to take all this into consideration and figure out what you can do vs can't.

If you're partner gets up around 3 am and you leave when he does, then you don't leave at 6 am, you leave at 3. And I get up at 4 in the morning go to the gym, go to work and come home so that I can spend time with my partner. We both work long weeks, sometimes I am not home until 7, sometimes he isn't home until 9 . . . depending on how the day goes. It happens but I get up at that time, do my thing so that we do have time together. I am in a relationship too - it takes work and I get that. I never once said don't spend time with your partner.


In my experience (not personally, but close friends), those who need to be reminded to eat usually want to eat, because they're hungry, but they've psychologically blocked it for whatever reason . . . and I don't know how many, but I am sure there's lots.

No one is perfect. . . I'm not - I struggle every day to make sure all the work I've done is not going to waste. And I am not tiny - as obvious from my picture - but I've come a long way.

I apologize if you took it any other way than honesty, but your original posting says you're not against criticism. When I read your posts, it's very similar to the same thing over and over. I get it - you're busy, you work a lot, you have stuff going on, we all do.


I think if you're getting/have got help, fantastic! I don't know what's involved in that because, as I said, I haven't been in it. But long story short, this is how I see it. I am not a doctor, not a professional, not a source for anything but what's worked for me. If you go to a public forum for advice you're going to get a lot of variation. I don't know you personally but I think you have to want to do this, LONG TERM, and you have to do the research, digging, education to figure out what's going to work best for you. Everyone on here has it down for themselves. I was overweight for a long time and it wasn't until I wanted this that I did it - no one could talk me into it.

Anyways - I've said how I feel, and it's how I feel. You've said your thoughts, and I respect them though they may be different from mine. I wish you the best of luck and hopefully you can stick to it long term.

Prahasaurus

Hello Lynn,

This thread is getting a bit confusing, as there are two ladies here asking for help. In your case, I would just add a few points:

1 - In general, be very conservative with portions, exercise calories, etc. Always assume you ate a bit more, exercised a bit less. Studies have shown that calorie counts are often 30% off, so it's definitely not an exact science.

2 - It's not just absolute numbers, but relative numbers. You wrote you've only been doing this for three weeks. Are you eating less now or not? Forget about absolute numbers for a second, although of course they are important. But just think about how your daily diet has changed. Is the difference significant? Are we talking 400 calories per day less than before, 100 calories?

3 - Three weeks is not a lot of time, especially considering how much weight can fluctuate. I would recommend staying off the scales for a while. It's counterproductive. If you are eating less than before, if you are being more active, you're going to see positive results over time. Keep tracking, of course, but don't fixate on the weight so soon. Wait a couple of months, my guess if you'll see real results then.

tolynkenl

Nutella spreads more thinly, so I can use less of it. It is fewer calories than the peanut butter. Is it any better for me? NO! Absolutely not. But...it saves me about 100 calories or so at breakfast and I feel satisfied.

tolynkenl

Thank you, Prahasaurus!

I finally got myself a food scale, so I'm weighing my food in grams now to be sure I am eating what I think I am eating...but I guess you are right. It is noIt an exact science on everything.

I am eating differently. I changed my breakfast. I am trying to avoid snacking while at work. I am making healthier choices at restaurants. My snacking in the evening is limited to lower calorie foods or in measured quantities so I don't eat too much.

I am walking nearly every day for at least 2.5 miles - up to 4 miles. I am taking exercise classes three days/week now. The walking is all new and the third class/week is new.

I will stick with it. Thank you for your input! One of these days, the weight has to start coming off.

Lynn

tolynkenl

I lost another pound...so I'm now down 4 pounds. Not huge, but better than the way things were going! I've been on MFP now since May 14th, so that's 1 lb./week, which is exactly what I targeted when I set up my plan. I guess I shouldn't be discouraged. I'm on target. :-)

Lynn

missdibs1

I agree ! I also was not losing I used the IIFYM calculator and I actually plateaued I have slowly dropped my calories and found my "sweet spot" 1400-1500 calories

You log your calories and weight yes? Use this information Slowly decrease calories/ play with macro ratios and find what works for YOU we are all different.

I also have begun to pay attention to my (sorry folks) water intake.

jam34jam

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