What am I doing wrong!?!?!?!?

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  • GiveMeCoffee
    GiveMeCoffee Posts: 3,556 Member
    Too low a calorie intake (below 1200) can actually slow your metabolism down and make it harder to lose weight. Try increasing your calories and easing off on the exercise a bit. You might see an initial weight gain, but it should help kickstart things.

    No you aren't kickstarting anything. Logging is off, exercise is over estimated.
  • olganade
    olganade Posts: 4 Member
    If you weight 150 pounds and are wearing size 5 & 6 pants and when your size small and extra small tops are sometimes large for you, might this not suggest that possibly your 150 pounds might be muscle? (I weigh 150 pounds but my clothes size are 10 and 12 ) You might not have any more fat to lose. Your picture looks great.
  • _Zardoz_
    _Zardoz_ Posts: 3,987 Member
    Too low a calorie intake (below 1200) can actually slow your metabolism down and make it harder to lose weight. Try increasing your calories and easing off on the exercise a bit. You might see an initial weight gain, but it should help kickstart things.
    If she doesn't know what she's eating now, which she doesn't looking at her diary increasing her calories to another fictitious number will do what? OP as Sonic said are you actually weighing your food? eg do you put the food on a food scale and read that number and put that number into mfp?

    She's also not a car and doesn't need kickstarting

    Have a look at this OP

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1234699-logging-accurately-step-by-step-guide
  • inneedofanap
    inneedofanap Posts: 63 Member
    My clothes size is 5-6 in jeans, sometimes a size 4. Tops I wear a small or extra small. Or sometimes for most brands even an extra small is too big for me.

    This is a recent profile picture by the way.

    Like I said, I think you look great. Don't focus on the number on the scale.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    I don't really see where you want to lose weight either, but my guess is that 1) you're eating more than you think... buy a food scale and weigh your food, 2) you're way overestimating your calorie burns. Unless you run 12 miles a day or something.
  • __freckles__
    __freckles__ Posts: 1,238 Member
    Just took a quick glance at your diary. Correct me if I'm wrong but it appears you don't weigh your food. Everything is too perfect in there. I don't see any odd numbers that would result from you weighing things in grams or ounces.

    Also, I'm not sure what you're doing for exercise but those are huge calorie burns.

    You're probably eating more than your think and overestimating calorie burns.

    OP, I'm not sure if you're reading every single post cuz you skipped over my questions a few times and glossed over the above too. It appears you don't weigh your portions and are probably using MFP's calorie burn estimates, which are grossly overestimated.

    If you want to be accurate with your food intake, you should get a food scale and weigh everything.

    As far as calorie burned, I use the TDEE method so I don't worry about it. But I've read many members that use the MFP calorie burns only eat half their exercise calories back. Or you can use a fitbit or HRM chest strap, etc.

    TL;DR - see above in bold.
  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,942 Member
    So I am trying to lose the last fifteen pounds. I workout and stay active everyday, eat healthy, stay within my calorie deficit. So what am I doing wrong here? The number won't go down no matter how hard I try!
    What you're doing wrong is not having patience.

    I notice by your ticker that you have lost 3 pounds, and you say you are trying to lost the last 15 pounds. How long have you been on your diet (how long did it take you to lose that 3 pounds)?

    At first glance, I think you need patience. Weight loss is not linear and it does not all come off at once.

    Also, since you have so little to lose, your goals should be set for .5 pounds per week. You should weigh your food and ensure that you are using correct entires. If you are using MFP to estimate your calorie burns, don't eat all those exercise calories back because they are greatly overestimated.

    Other than that, patience is a virtue. :smile:

    ETA: Yep, those calorie burns are very overestimated, which tells me you are using MFP, gym machine, or other internet/phone app sources. Also, don't count housecleaning duties or walks to and from the store (or just those short walks where you don't really get up a sweat). Put weight lifting down as 1 calorie only, and count cardio calorie burns only.
  • You're probably not doing anything wrong. You've hit a plateau and it's normal. Decrease your carbs and kick up your cardio for a few days to a week. Hang in there and try not to be discouraged.
  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,942 Member
    You're probably not doing anything wrong. You've hit a plateau and it's normal. Decrease your carbs and kick up your cardio for a few days to a week. Hang in there and try not to be discouraged.
    Plateau is just another word for eating too much.

    Decreasing carbs is a temporary fix and will decrease water weight but not fat. If you look at her diary, she is already excessively exercising.
  • You're probably not doing anything wrong. You've hit a plateau and it's normal. Decrease your carbs and kick up your cardio for a few days to a week. Hang in there and try not to be discouraged.
    Plateau is just another word for eating too much.

    Decreasing carbs is a temporary fix and will decrease water weight but not fat. If you look at her diary, she is already excessively exercising.

    Why do you call a plateau that? I'm honestly curious because I've never heard that definition before. People will tell me when dieting that its normal to hit a plateau and just keep doing what you're doing.
  • __freckles__
    __freckles__ Posts: 1,238 Member
    I give up. Maybe I'm on ignore. :laugh:
  • You're probably not doing anything wrong. You've hit a plateau and it's normal. Decrease your carbs and kick up your cardio for a few days to a week. Hang in there and try not to be discouraged.
    Plateau is just another word for eating too much.

    Decreasing carbs is a temporary fix and will decrease water weight but not fat. If you look at her diary, she is already excessively exercising.

    I don't know about that. I hit 2 plataues during my weight loss journey before. Stood still for a month. I never decreased calories. I just switched them up day to day instead of eating the same everyday, but my deficit remained the same...and after a month of doing that I started losing again. On the same deficit. And no I didn't exercise more because back then I was too out of shape to survive it. And yes I weigh everything. Even my coffee granules to make sure they are 10grams.

    But hey. I'm a special snowflake :wink:

    ETA: Or maybe I just had water retention for a month... :tongue:
  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,942 Member
    You're probably not doing anything wrong. You've hit a plateau and it's normal. Decrease your carbs and kick up your cardio for a few days to a week. Hang in there and try not to be discouraged.
    Plateau is just another word for eating too much.

    Decreasing carbs is a temporary fix and will decrease water weight but not fat. If you look at her diary, she is already excessively exercising.

    Why do you call a plateau that? I'm honestly curious because I've never heard that definition before. People will tell me when dieting that its normal to hit a plateau and just keep doing what you're doing.
    Because, in general people use plateau to describe any time they are not losing weight for any period of time. Setting any medical conditions aside, the reason we've stopped losing weight is because we have stopped eating at a calorie deficit. This happens when we overestimate calorie burns and underestimate food intake, or when we simply become a little lax and stop logging food.

    I've been there too. :smile:

    Also, weight loss is not linear. Some weeks we gain, some weeks we lose, success is all about the downward movement (or upward if you're trying to gain weight, or the straight line if you're trying to maintain).
  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,942 Member
    You're probably not doing anything wrong. You've hit a plateau and it's normal. Decrease your carbs and kick up your cardio for a few days to a week. Hang in there and try not to be discouraged.
    Plateau is just another word for eating too much.

    Decreasing carbs is a temporary fix and will decrease water weight but not fat. If you look at her diary, she is already excessively exercising.

    I don't know about that. I hit 2 plataues during my weight loss journey before. Stood still for a month. I never decreased calories. I just switched them up day to day instead of eating the same everyday, but my deficit remained the same...and after a month of doing that I started losing again. On the same deficit. And no I didn't exercise more because back then I was too out of shape to survive it. And yes I weigh everything. Even my coffee granules to make sure they are 10grams.

    But hey. I'm a special snowflake :wink:

    ETA: Or maybe I just had water retention for a month... :tongue:
    Well, none of us get to be special snowflakes. :wink: :bigsmile: Weight loss is not linear, water retention is normal, and weight naturally fluctuates.

    A calorie deficit causes weight loss, a surplus causes weight gain, and no deficit or surplus causes maintenance. It's science.
  • trogalicious
    trogalicious Posts: 4,584 Member
    You're probably not doing anything wrong. You've hit a plateau and it's normal. Decrease your carbs and kick up your cardio for a few days to a week. Hang in there and try not to be discouraged.
    Plateau is just another word for eating too much.

    Decreasing carbs is a temporary fix and will decrease water weight but not fat. If you look at her diary, she is already excessively exercising.

    I don't know about that. I hit 2 plataues during my weight loss journey before. Stood still for a month. I never decreased calories. I just switched them up day to day instead of eating the same everyday, but my deficit remained the same...and after a month of doing that I started losing again. On the same deficit. And no I didn't exercise more because back then I was too out of shape to survive it. And yes I weigh everything. Even my coffee granules to make sure they are 10grams.

    But hey. I'm a special snowflake :wink:

    ETA: Or maybe I just had water retention for a month... :tongue:
    Well, none of us get to be special snowflakes. :wink: :bigsmile: Weight loss is not linear, water retention is normal, and weight naturally fluctuates.

    A calorie deficit causes weight loss, a surplus causes weight gain, and no deficit or surplus causes maintenance. It's science.
    tumblr_lptp0wk3TW1qc9ljx.gif

    so, long story short, OP, you're not logging accurately/correctly. Because of that, you're not eating the correct amount to allow weight loss.

    You're not gaining muscle.
    You're not replacing fat with muscle.
    You're not a special snowflake.

    You're just not measuring your calories in and matching the calories out.

    Get a digital food scale, use the generic (non-user created) entries in the diary.

    Or just eat a little less, I guess.
  • WombatHat42
    WombatHat42 Posts: 192 Member
    Perhaps get your BF% checked, if you are really low you may not be able to lose any more without losing muscle.

    How do you work out? I prefer, and find that doing intervals helps burn more as opposed to running for a couple miles straight.
  • Perhaps get your BF% checked, if you are really low you may not be able to lose any more without losing muscle.

    How do you work out? I prefer, and find that doing intervals helps burn more as opposed to running for a couple miles straight.

    My workouts involve running, walking fast pace, cycling, strength training.
  • logg1e
    logg1e Posts: 1,208 Member
    Do you realise that you are ignoring the most important two points, that have been repeatedly made? Can't figure out if you're just skim-reading the thread or deliberately ignoring them!
  • Do you realise that you are ignoring the most important two points, that have been repeatedly made? Can't figure out if you're just skim-reading the thread or deliberately ignoring them!

    What?
  • trogalicious
    trogalicious Posts: 4,584 Member
    Do you realise that you are ignoring the most important two points, that have been repeatedly made? Can't figure out if you're just skim-reading the thread or deliberately ignoring them!

    What?
    you aren't accurately logging your intake or calorie burns.
    because of that, you're eating more than you think / not burning as much as you think.
    That's why you aren't losing weight.

    It's been said like a dozen times. This is my second attempt at saying the same thing again.
  • SonicDeathMonkey80
    SonicDeathMonkey80 Posts: 4,489 Member
    Do you realise that you are ignoring the most important two points, that have been repeatedly made? Can't figure out if you're just skim-reading the thread or deliberately ignoring them!

    What?

    YGBFSM

    Do you use this? If not, it's a big part of your problem.
    14012995.jpg

    Do you use this? If not, it's another part of your problem.
    prem_chest_transmitter-web.jpg
  • skippygirlsmom
    skippygirlsmom Posts: 4,433 Member
    I'm amazed someone has 3 - 6 hours a day to exercise.
  • moniker_74
    moniker_74 Posts: 16 Member
    You could try getting an on-body fitness tracker (like fitbit or bodymedia) to get a better idea what your actual calorie burn is.

    Beyond that, I agree with everyone else that you need to log everything accurately.
  • lindustum
    lindustum Posts: 212 Member
    I give up. Maybe I'm on ignore. :laugh:
    *hugs*
  • Kalikel
    Kalikel Posts: 9,603 Member
    OP, you are gorgeous. I'd give up a finger to look like you! I think that if you lost fifteen pounds, you might start looking sick, but that's for you to judge, of course!

    The only ways to lose, as you know, are to eat less, exercise more or both.

    Good luck!!
    Do you realise that you are ignoring the most important two points, that have been repeatedly made? Can't figure out if you're just skim-reading the thread or deliberately ignoring them!

    What?

    YGBFSM

    Do you use this? If not, it's a big part of your problem.
    14012995.jpg

    Do you use this? If not, it's another part of your problem.
    prem_chest_transmitter-web.jpg
    I know what the scale is. I don't use one, but I know what it is.

    What the heck is the belt-looking thing?
  • tracymayo1
    tracymayo1 Posts: 445 Member
    Do you realise that you are ignoring the most important two points, that have been repeatedly made? Can't figure out if you're just skim-reading the thread or deliberately ignoring them!

    What?

    Basically, what you are entering in your diary is WRONG.
    Get a FOOD scale.
    WEIGH all your food and enter the WEIGHT.
    Don't use Cups/teaspoons/tablespoons.
    Don't use size (small banana/ medium apple / etc...)

    Weight is your friend. only use that to log ANYTHING that goes in your mouth.

    For the exercise - what amount of calories you are showing as burning based on the time you spent doing said exercise CANNOT be real.
    If you rely on MFP to input the calories burned then please make sure if you are eating back your calories ONLY EAT ABOUT HALF. This is because the calculator MyFitnessPal uses is known to OVERSHOW what you burn for all exercises.

    THIS is the only reason why you are not losing any more weight. You are NOT eating what you think you are, and you are NOT burning what you think you are.
  • Happymelz
    Happymelz Posts: 536 Member
    Since I last lost weight was senior year of high school. And I'm nineteen how. Calorie intake is usually around 1300 to 1400 and with my workouts I typically burn around 1200 or 1400.

    Are you eating back your exercise calories to make sure you net at minimum 1200+ calories?

    If you are eating 1300-1400 and buring 1200-1400 your body is only effectively getting 0-100 net calories per day, so you would need to add MORE calories.
  • I'm amazed someone has 3 - 6 hours a day to exercise.

    Not really that hard to workout that much. Really easy actually. Just takes dedication.