Why am I not losing weight at the pace I calculated?

twnorii
twnorii Posts: 10 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi guys, new to MFP. I've been on my fitness + diet plan for almost 3 weeks now, yet I'm not losing my weight at a pace I expected. I weight myself everyday, sometimes it goes down, sometimes it go up. (within 1~1.5 lb range) Here are my info and macro, hope that someone can shine some light on it.

age: 27
Height: 5'7
start weight: 152.6
current weight: 150.2
Body Fat %: about 16~18%
Target: 10% body fat or 140 lbs
TDEE: 1900
BMR: 1600
Daily calorie deficit: 1000~1300 (I eat about 1400~1700, but according to my fitbit I burn at least 1000 calorie a day from my excercises)
at least 150 g protein (1g per lb), 67.5 fat (.45 g per lb) rest goes to more protein, fat, or carbs
3 Cardio days a week
2 weight training days a week
light cardio outside of cardio day (I walk to work, about 45 min one way)

I've been maintaining the 1000 calorie deficit for almost 3 week, theoretically that means that I should lost 5~6 pound by now. so What's going on?

Replies

  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,432 MFP Moderator
    Because weight loss isn't linear and doesn't follow a mathematical equation precisely. Also, at that low of weight, you shouldn't be having a 1000 calorie deficit. That is a little aggressive for that little weight to lose.
  • editorgrrl
    editorgrrl Posts: 7,060 Member
    Open your diary for personalized advice, but you're probably underestimating your food &/or overestimating your burns.

    Read the Sexypants post: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-Sexypants
  • twnorii
    twnorii Posts: 10 Member
    should I reduce the deficit to 500 cal? Also, should I eat back the calorie burnt from exercising?
  • Tedebearduff
    Tedebearduff Posts: 1,155 Member
    Hi guys, new to MFP. I've been on my fitness + diet plan for almost 3 weeks now, yet I'm not losing my weight at a pace I expected. I weight myself everyday, sometimes it goes down, sometimes it go up. (within 1~1.5 lb range) Here are my info and macro, hope that someone can shine some light on it.

    age: 27
    Height: 5'7
    start weight: 152.6
    current weight: 150.2
    Body Fat %: about 16~18%
    Target: 10% body fat or 140 lbs
    TDEE: 1900
    BMR: 1600
    Daily calorie deficit: 1000~1300 (I eat about 1400~1700, but according to my fitbit I burn at least 1000 calorie a day from my excercises)
    at least 150 g protein (1g per lb), 67.5 fat (.45 g per lb) rest goes to more protein, fat, or carbs
    3 Cardio days a week
    2 weight training days a week
    light cardio outside of cardio day (I walk to work, about 45 min one way)

    I've been maintaining the 1000 calorie deficit for almost 3 week, theoretically that means that I should lost 5~6 pound by now. so What's going on?


    I would not count the calories you burn from your Fitbit as exercise or something you should be eating back, fitbit is made to get you more active it just also tracks calories. If you want to track calories burned then get a HRM and only track when you are actually exercising don't wear it to walk to work ... your body is already use to this doesn't really count as exercise.

    Outside of that I would ask what do your calories consist of, can't see your diary so it's hard to say... maybe you are not measuring and weighing everything and are just guessing? make sure you weigh and measuring everything.
  • editorgrrl
    editorgrrl Posts: 7,060 Member
    Set your goal to .5 lb. per week (a 250-calorie deficit), and log everything you eat & drink accurately & honestly. Get a digital food scale, and weigh everything you eat—even packaged foods, protein powder & peanut butter.

    Edited to add that MFP has a Fitbit Users group: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/forums/show/1307-fitbit-users

    Connect your accounts: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/apps/show/30

    Enable negative calorie adjustments: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/account/diary_settings

    Do not log step-based activity—your Fitbit tracks it for you. Log non-step exercise (like swimming or biking) in Fitbit or MFP—never both. Follow your MFP calorie goal, eating back your Fitbit adjustments.
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,432 MFP Moderator
    should I reduce the deficit to 500 cal? Also, should I eat back the calorie burnt from exercising?

    Honestly, I would use the TDEE -20% method. It's easier to manage and less likely to make mistakes when calculating exercise calories.

    Set your calories to 1950 calories, macros around 40% carbs, 30% protein and fats. Monitor for a month. And adjust intake a necessary. But if you are losing a more than 1 lb a week, you can increase your calories slightly to give you more energy for workouts.
  • twnorii
    twnorii Posts: 10 Member
    Open your diary for personalized advice, but you're probably underestimating your food &/or overestimating your burns.

    Read the Sexypants post: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-Sexypants

    Ok I opened it up. I recently just switched from calorie count to MFP so I don't have too many entries here yet.
  • WalkingAlong
    WalkingAlong Posts: 4,926 Member
    What does Fitbit say your total burn is, or is that the source of your TDEE est. of 1900?

    If you're burning 1900 a day and eating 1400-1700, that's not 1000 calories a day in deficit. Are you using TDEE to refer to pre-exercise burn (BMR+NEAT only)?
  • twnorii
    twnorii Posts: 10 Member
    FYI, I'm already measuring the weight of the food I eat. So what I don't understand is, why should I be reducing my calorie deficit when I have smaller amount of weight to lose?

    Also, how does your body "get used" to an exercise? Isn't the basic formula that you lose 100 calories for every 2000 steps you make? How does your body "get used" to that?
  • bunnylion
    bunnylion Posts: 265 Member
    Did you exercise regularly before or just started? Starting a new exercise program or intensifying your workouts can cause water retention and thus 'hide' the weight loss on the scale.

    I still can't access your diary...
  • twnorii
    twnorii Posts: 10 Member
    What does Fitbit say your total burn is, or is that the source of your TDEE est. of 1900?

    If you're burning 1900 a day and eating 1400-1700, that's not 1000 calories a day in deficit. Are you using TDEE to refer to pre-exercise burn (BMR+NEAT only)?

    Fitbit said my total burn is between 2800 to 3300. (after all the exercise, weight training, and walking)
    my BMR is 1600
  • twnorii
    twnorii Posts: 10 Member
    Did you exercise regularly before or just started? Starting a new exercise program or intensifying your workouts can cause water retention and thus 'hide' the weight loss on the scale.

    I still can't access your diary...

    Sorry I changed the wrong thing, the diary is open now.

    I didn't do ANY exercise for a LONGG time before this started (possibly a year?)
  • bunnylion
    bunnylion Posts: 265 Member
    How does the fit bit calorie adjustment work? How are these calories measured?

    Either you really are not losing weight because you
    - overestimate the calories burnt
    - underestimate the calories eaten

    But you say that's not the case. So maybe as mentioned before your weight loss might just be hidden for example because of water retention. Low calories and high (new) exercise can cause the body to cling to more water than usual. You're losing fat but you don't see the numbers on the scale change until the water normalizes a bit. Google it or check this:
    www.leangains.com/2010/01/how-to-deal-with-water-retention-part.html
  • twnorii
    twnorii Posts: 10 Member
    I believe fitbit calculate calorie burnt by doing BMR + calorie burnt from exercising and walking

    Thanks for the great article! Wow I think it might really be water retention.. what he is describing is totally familiar to me
  • WalkingAlong
    WalkingAlong Posts: 4,926 Member
    FYI, I'm already measuring the weight of the food I eat. So what I don't understand is, why should I be reducing my calorie deficit when I have smaller amount of weight to lose?

    Also, how does your body "get used" to an exercise? Isn't the basic formula that you lose 100 calories for every 2000 steps you make? How does your body "get used" to that?
    It probably is water retention from the new workout intensity.

    That advice to run smaller deficits with less weight to lose is just popular here. There's no reason you really have to. If you have excess body fat, you can aim for 1000/day safely, especially since most of us underestimate our intake by 25% (at best). Sure, it's not good to run steep deficits LONG TERM without excess fat but no one's suggesting you do it long term, past a reasonable goal weight and body fat percentage.

    100 calories/per mile (or 2000 steps) is a very rough estimate. You might take 2200 steps per mile and burn 80 calories walking it and take 1600 per mile running and burn 140 calories, e.g. You do adapt to exercise and get better at it but you're never going to be so good at walking you don't burn 75-150 calories per mile, in my opinion.
  • bunnylion
    bunnylion Posts: 265 Member
    So you're wearing a wristband or something for fitbit to track you calories? Sadly no such device can actually measure the calories used, also heart rate monitors can only give you an estimate. The quality of that estimate varies and depends on several factors. For a lot of people this estimate is actually off by 30%!

    I hope you'll see success soon! Try to measure cals in and out as accurately as possible and hang in there. Be patient :flowerforyou:
  • Liftng4Lis
    Liftng4Lis Posts: 15,151 Member
    Your calories are most likely off; for example : you have for Chicken Breast, 10.9 oz. 300, when there are:460 to 470 calories in 10 ounces of chicken breast (that's only 10 oz., you ate 10.9., more like 500 calories. There is a difference of 200 calories. I only looked at that one item, as it stood out, but if you were doing that often, you would be eating WAY more than you are accounting for.
  • editorgrrl
    editorgrrl Posts: 7,060 Member
    FYI, I'm already measuring the weight of the food I eat. So what I don't understand is, why should I be reducing my calorie deficit when I have smaller amount of weight to lose?
    Measuring is inaccurate. Weigh everything you eat. And learn to identify accurate database entries—there's a whole lot of junk data in there. The first time you log anything, verify the entry against the label. Then always use the verified entry from your recent/frequent lists. If there's no label, search for USDA entries.

    The less you have to lose, the more slowly it comes off. That's just the way the human body works. At your size, a healthy loss is .5 lb. per week. Even if you were to eat at a 1,000-calorie deficit, you would not lose 2 lbs. per week. So set an appropriate goal and be patient.
    Fitbit said my total burn is between 2800 to 3300. (after all the exercise, weight training, and walking)
    Your Fitbit burn is your TDEE—way more accurate than any online calculator.

    Edited to add that I explained above how to connect your Fitbit & MFP accounts. Once you do that, MFP uses your Fitbit burn rather than your activity level to calculate your daily calorie goal.
  • twnorii
    twnorii Posts: 10 Member
    Thank you all for the info, I'm going to increase my calorie intake to see if I can get rid of those retained water. Additionally, I will do more weight training to maintain muscle
  • yarwell
    yarwell Posts: 10,477 Member
    FYI, I'm already measuring the weight of the food I eat. So what I don't understand is, why should I be reducing my calorie deficit when I have smaller amount of weight to lose?

    If you only have 30 lbs of fat it can deliver about 900 calories a day at best, if you try to use more from reserves something will have to slow down so the deficit will be smaller than you think.

    If you aim for a smaller deficit compatible with what you can supply there's a better chance of it all working out.

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