Calories: Intake/Burn ratio

Remaking_Me

Would like to hear if your trainer tells you to eat differently than MFP tells you to log,
or if you have heard different nutrition experts say different things about your burn/intake ratio?

I have been told so many different things right now that Im fuming. I was doing everything wrong,
not losing weight, made a change, and now Im losing. But someone new told me again today that
what Im doing is all wrong even if its working for me.

I have been losing different amounts of weight each week, and this person claims I can and should be
always losing 1-2lbs per week, without exception, if Im eating the right way.
Im a female.....my body fluctuates.

Im pissed off right now... someone tell me what you've been taught, what works for you-
or shoot me links online to learn more about the latest and greatest wisdom on calories in, verses calories burned.

THANKS!

Kalikel

Visit the doctor, follow that advice, ignore the rest.

maidentl

I have been losing different amounts of weight each week, and this person claims I can and should be
always losing 1-2lbs per week, without exception, if Im eating the right way.

I haven't found that to be true at all. I regularly go two weeks or more with no loss to report and then will lose enough to "catch me up."

una2282

Is your intake changing? Are you eating salty things? What about your exercise? Do you keep it varied so that your body doesn't get used to things? In all technicality if you are doing things right, you should be losing 1-2 lbs a week safely. That of course only comes with proper diet and exercise. I think someone here suggested for you to speak to your physician and that might be a very good idea. An other good idea would be to speak to a nutritionist and see what they think about your daily habits. Good luck with it all!

Remaking_Me

I do not trust or use doctors, and dont plan to, unfortunately.

Remaking_Me

Thats why Im ticked

---

a nutritionist and my previous trainer told me one thing, and 2 trainers at my new gym are saying something else. If I talked to all these people (5 in total) I believe they each have something different to say

Ive been having success and felt like I found something that, in general when I stick to it, works for me (losing about 5-7lbs a month)
But INCHES are more important to me than pounds anyway.

Remaking_Me

YES! I didnt lose a whole pound for 3 weeks, eating a perfectly as Im humanly able. (following nutritionist guidelines and eating 'cleaner') and then, I lost 5.6lbs in one week suddenly.

This is how its been going, losing different amounts, but almost always losing SOMETHING.

I just dont know what to think right now.

Jhellman84

You technically could be losing 1-2 lbs per week if you maintain a very stable diet and exercise schedule. Try not to look at all the little spikes and dips in your weight loss chart and focus on the larger picture over 1-3 months.

I aim for a little over 1 lb per week myself but I end up averaging about 0.8lbs because I fall off the wagon occasionally and go out drinking with friends (woops!) I notice after a night of drinking I will be up about 3-4 lbs...which is more or less IMPOSSIBLE to gain that much in a night. Small fluctuations like that will happen as your body is introduced to abnormal foods or a heavy influx of carbohydrates. Your body will retain allot more water temporarily. Once you are back to your "normal" diet you will level out again after a couple of days.

That's my two cents. Look at the big picture. If your graphs aren't consistently going down over time then some dietary or exercise adjustments need to be changed so you can hit your 1-2lbs per week.

maidentl

Well, I really wish more people with similar loss patterns would chime in right now. It's completely normal and I understand your frustration with the implication that it's not and you are doing something wrong. I'd encourage you to peruse this forum. You'll see a lot of people say that weight loss is NOT linear and off-weeks are to be expected.

GiveMeCoffee

Thats why Im ticked

---

a nutritionist and my previous trainer told me one thing, and 2 trainers at my new gym are saying something else. If I talked to all these people (5 in total) I believe they each have something different to say

Ive been having success and felt like I found something that, in general when I stick to it, works for me (losing about 5-7lbs a month)
But INCHES are more important to me than pounds anyway.

If you are looking for information about nutrition you want to speak with a dietitian, they would be the experts. Nutritionist is not regulated.

Now weight will fluctuate, you won't always lose the same amount every week. Since you haven't stated what the differing advice was can't help. But to lose weight it boils down to Calories in vs calories out. Doesn't have to be "clean" whatever the hell that means, you don't have to give up carbs, sugar isn't the devil.. or any of the other crap that is told.

Find a reasonable deficit for you, log your food accurately and honestly, learn patience, portion control and moderation. Be consistent.... and be patient. good luck

ETA: Track the overall trend of your weight loss, not a specific weigh in. If the trend is moving in a downward pattern you are on the right track if not look closely at what might be going wrong.

Commander_Keen

Would like to hear if your trainer tells you to eat differently than MFP tells you to log,
or if you have heard different nutrition experts say different things about your burn/intake ratio?

I have been told so many different things right now that Im fuming. I was doing everything wrong,
not losing weight, made a change, and now Im losing. But someone new told me again today that
what Im doing is all wrong even if its working for me.

I have been losing different amounts of weight each week, and this person claims I can and should be
always losing 1-2lbs per week, without exception, if Im eating the right way.
Im a female.....my body fluctuates.

Im pissed off right now... someone tell me what you've been taught, what works for you-
or shoot me links online to learn more about the latest and greatest wisdom on calories in, verses calories burned.

THANKS!

To eat their own.. Some people will drop the weight using CI vs CO
Others will loose better on the Atkins diet ( High protein, High Fat, almost no carbs).

What ever works for you may not work for me..

nosebag1212

you don't need to go to a bloody doctor lol, just calculate your tdee from this: http://iifym.com/iifym-calculator/

eat 500-1000 cals less than that each day, adjust cals depending on how much you lose each week till you hit the sweet spot, ignore what your trainer says and ignore mfp's calculations I have found they are way too low

thefiley

Hi there. First of all: Chill out, weight loss is not a linear process - especially not in women since most of us have significant weight fluctuations due to retaining water because of our menstrual cycle.

If you are exercising as well, fluctuation can also be muscle gain - or even more retained water- which will mask your 'true' fat loss even further.

I mainly agree with what jwhited71 said. Find a reasonable (=sustainable, not too low) deficit and keep at it. Be patient. Wait at least 4-6 weeks to assess results before drastically changing your diet. Don't trust your scale, take weekly/monthly pictures or measurements or whatever.

Edit:

Concerning what method works for me:

I calculated my BMR (= 1362) and my TDEE with exercise (=2050) using this http://iifym.com/iifym-calculator/. My BMR is my guideline what I should at least eat on any day of the week, TDEE is what I need to eat to maintain my current weight. To lose weight, I try to eat a certain percentage below my TDEE, which at the moment is 20% below, averaging out to 1650 calories a day. 35% of that from Carbohydrates (144g), 30% from Protein (124g) 35% of that from fat (64g).

Since my exercise is already figured into my TDEE (TDEE without exercise would be about 1650 to maintain) I only eat exercise calories back if I burned a significant amount doing either some extra cardio (going out for an extra run because I feel like it) or if something unusual comes up (martial arts training seminars that last the whole weekend, where you train 6-8hours a day, for example )

I've been seeing some slow weight loss - which is normal, since I'm weight training at the same time and generally don't have much to lose - while still upping my weights in the gym - so I'd say I'm doing fine. I don't feel tired and I have enough energy to work for uni and to go out.

xmichaelyx

Anyone can call themselves a nutritionist (in most states). It takes zero knowledge of nutrition to become a trainer.

Learn to read the medical research yourself, and you'll have all the answers you want. Asking random internet strangers is no better than asking the homeless guy in front of Starbucks for nutrition advice.

WalkingAlong

Well, I really wish more people with similar loss patterns would chime in right now. It's completely normal and I understand your frustration with the implication that it's not and you are doing something wrong. I'd encourage you to peruse this forum. You'll see a lot of people say that weight loss is NOT linear and off-weeks are to be expected.

Chiming in. I think women, and especially women who exercise their muscles, are more prone to the wonky loss charts.

It really is a divisive field. I personally would ignore the trainers and even nutritionists and just pick up a couple good, respected books or just go with common sense: Eat less overall, move more, and don't expect your body weight to respond like a machine that isn't composed largely of water that fluctuates based on moon phases and god knows what all else. If over 6-12 weeks you're happy with your progress, carry on.

TeaBea

you don't need to go to a bloody doctor lol, just calculate your tdee from this: http://iifym.com/iifym-calculator/

eat 500-1000 cals less than that each day, adjust cals depending on how much you lose each week till you hit the sweet spot, ignore what your trainer says and ignore mfp's calculations I have found they are way too low

This^ - look at a few on-line TDEE (total daily energy expenditure) calculators. This will include exercise, so you need to eat less than this number.

You can eat high carb/low carb, high protein/low protein, high fat/low fat.......it's all about creating a deficit. Eat a diet that you can stick to. You know you have a deficit if you are very careful in measuring/weighing foods.....and you are conservative with exercise calories. A TDEE calculator tends to be less generous with exercise calculations, whereas MFP is generous.

This is a great thread for logging foods..........http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1234699-logging-accurately-step-by-step-guide

thepandapost

Concerning what method works for me:

I calculated my BMR (= 1362) and my TDEE with exercise (=2050) using this http://iifym.com/iifym-calculator/. My BMR is my guideline what I should at least eat on any day of the week, TDEE is what I need to eat to maintain my current weight. To lose weight, I try to eat a certain percentage below my TDEE, which at the moment is 20% below, averaging out to 1650 calories a day. 35% of that from Carbohydrates (144g), 30% from Protein (124g) 35% of that from fat (64g).

Since my exercise is already figured into my TDEE (TDEE without exercise would be about 1650 to maintain) I only eat exercise calories back if I burned a significant amount doing either some extra cardio (going out for an extra run because I feel like it) or if something unusual comes up (martial arts training seminars that last the whole weekend, where you train 6-8hours a day, for example )

I've been seeing some slow weight loss - which is normal, since I'm weight training at the same time and generally don't have much to lose - while still upping my weights in the gym - so I'd say I'm doing fine. I don't feel tired and I have enough energy to work for uni and to go out.

I also follow IIFYM. Has worked amazingly for me, almost effortless (getting on MFP doesn't feel like effort to me). Gave me different numbers than MFP.

Branstin

As a rule of thumb, the following weekly targets would give a balance between minimizing negative side effects and seeing a reasonable weekly weight loss:

More than 75 lbs. 2 lbs./week
40-75 lbs. 1.5 lbs./week
10-40 lbs. 1 lb./week
Less than 10 lbs. 0.5 lb./week

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/819055-setting-your-calorie-and-macro-targets
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants

nicsflyingcircus

Pfft... I dropped to 309.4 four days before my period hit. By 2 days before I was 311.2. The day it ended, I was 309.8. Today (4 days later) I am 306.2.

Weight fluctuates based on any number of factors, especially for women and weight loss is sure as heck not linear. I didn't lose a single speck the week of my period, but in the 4 days since, over 3 lbs have dropped off. (What I really mean is retention masked the weight loss while I was on my period, heh.)

Branstin

I have been losing different amounts of weight each week, and this person claims I can and should be
always losing 1-2lbs per week, without exception, if Im eating the right way.

I haven't found that to be true at all. I regularly go two weeks or more with no loss to report and then will lose enough to "catch me up."

I agree with you. The weight loss rate varies from week to week for many people. This is the reason it is important to look at the average loss over periods of 4-6 weeks at a time.

sakuya3834

I usually lose only 0-1 lbs a week, but every 4 or so weeks I will suddenly have a huge loss of 4-8 lbs. When I was on the BC pill, it was timed with my cycle. Now even though I don't get my period (implanon) the pattern still repeats. Just look at the overall trends and if they average out correctly to your weight loss goal, it's fine.

thetellos

1-2 pounds of weight lost per week is the recommended safe amount to avoid complications. It's not a golden number you're going to see every weigh in. Fecal matter, water retention from periods, sodium, creatine, and glycogen stores will all fluctuate daily. If you're losing 4-8 pounds per month that means you're already in the safe range.
An example would be a few weeks ago when i ate Chinese takeout the night before my weigh in. my sodium was way high at 5g (I knew better) so i was a 1.5 lbs heavier the next day despite low calorie. the following day it was back to normal.
No one will do exactly what the calculators and estimators say because they are taken from averages, and that's what you should be looking at, your averages.

Remaking_Me

Thats how I feel, and what Im seeing.... yet Im being told to change things.

I have an assessment with a trainer and nutritionist on Wed next week. I will listen openly, but if they tell me
stuff that doesnt jive with my body's success, I'll leave the advice at the table!

Remaking_Me

Thanks everyone for the feedback. I really appreciate your time and comments.


XOXO
Emily