Please help me

tonileighsteele

I was very silly and started to diet and exercise regularly around 5 months ago. I dropped 26lbs quickly. Then my weight loss stalled. I was eating around 1000 cals a day so I dropped it even lower. (500 one day, 1000 the next)
It still didnt work and I kept losing and gaining the same 4lbs every day.
Since then ive upped my calories slowly and now alternate between 1300-1700 depending on my exercise.
I burn around 3450 cals a day, 3000 minimum. But im Gaining weight.
Ive added a little bit of light strength training 3 x a week and walk around 20000 steps a day with my fitbit.
I have 20lbs to go till my next goal and 40lbs till im at ideal weight.
Will my body adjust to the increased cals soon? Im ready to give up and just go back to the way I was. I was so much happier.

Liftng4Lis

How are you tracking your calories? Weighing and measuring?

cj778449

Definitely don't go back to eating ONLY 500-1000 cals a day. That's extremely low for someone that is working out and/or has an active lifestyle. Sure, it'll get the weight off but it's NOT sustainable in the long run which is why you keep gaining the weight back. The last few pounds are always the hardest to lose for everyone (your body adjusts to exercise, stress can interfer with weight loss, hormonal imbalances can stall it, water retention can cause temporary gain etc)

My advice?

1) If you haven't already get a food scale and make sure you're weighing things out and are logging accurately.

2) If you are burning over 3000 cals a day (keeping in mind that HRM guestimate what you burn) you should be eating more than what you are. Use calculators to find out your TDEE then figure out a deficit from that.

3) think about implementing a new workout, maybe your body has gotten used to it.

4) get measuring tape. Pounds may not move but inches might be melting off

5) Be patient and give it time! And focus on implementing changes that you can continue in the long run to keep the weight off.

Good luck!!

tonileighsteele

How are you tracking your calories? Weighing and measuring?

I weight EVERYTHING that goes in my mouth! I log religiously!

yc4king

Lets assume your calorie burn from exercising is accurate (although I really doubt it is).

So you're burning 3000+ calories a day exercising, lets use a round number and say another 2000 a day just being alive, so 5000 total.

Then you eat 1700/day. 5000 - 1700 = 3300 calorie deficit PER DAY.

You need to eat more. A lot more.

Make your diary public and you'll be able to get better advice.

MKEgal

"Most weight loss occurs because of decreased caloric intake.
However, evidence shows the only way to maintain weight loss is to be engaged in regular physical activity."
http://www.cdc.gov/healthyweight/physical_activity/index.html

Then my weight loss stalled. I was eating around 1000 cals a day so I dropped it even lower. (500 one day, 1000 the next)

Ai yi yi yi yi!!!
Unless you are very short (under 5') or under a doctor's care for weight loss, don't go under 1200 cal.
What my doctor & dietician told me was to eat 10x my healthy goal weight in calories.
Here's a BMI chart: http://www.shapeup.org/bmi/bmi6.pdf
Find a number in the green range, for starters aim for the top, and eat 10x that to get there.
Once you're in a healthy range, maybe you want to lose a little more, maybe you're feeling fine where you are.

Since then ive upped my calories slowly and now alternate between 1300-1700 depending on my exercise.
I burn around 3450 cals a day, 3000 minimum. But im Gaining weight.

Decide on a goal weight, & eat that many calories.
Ignore "net", ignore exercise calories, just eat your goal. (Again, this is what my doctor told me.)
If you're really hungry at the end of the day once in a while, eat 1/3 to 1/2 of your exercise calories.
Most people underestimate what they eat & overestimate what they burn (machines & MFP do too).

I have 20lbs to go till my next goal and 40lbs till im at ideal weight.

Wtih 40 lb to go, losing 1 lb per week should be reasonable. That's a 500 cal deficit.
By 20 lb, you'll probably slow to 0.5 lb per week, a 250 cal deficit.

**********************

Helpful threads:

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/819925-the-basics-don-t-complicate-it

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

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/872212-you-re-probably-eating-more-than-you-think

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/833026-important-posts-to-read

********************

Eat a large breakfast.

This study compared eating a small breakfast, medium lunch, and large dinner, [200, 500, 700 cal]
with eating a large breakfast, medium lunch, and small dinner [700, 500, 200 cal].
"The [large breakfast] group showed greater weight loss and waist circumference reduction ... fasting glucose, insulin [&] triglycerides ... decreased significantly to a greater extent in the [large breakfast] group."
In addition, hunger was less and satiety was greater.
Abstract: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23512957
Full text:
http://genetics.doctorsonly.co.il/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/Jakubowicz-at-al-Obesity-2013-oby20460.pdf

"subjects assigned to high caloric intake during breakfast lost significantly more weight than those assigned to high caloric intake during the dinner"
Abstract: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24467926
Full text: http://www.tradewindsports.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Nutrient-Timing-and-Obesity-2014.pdf

"data suggest that a low-calorie Mediterranean diet with a higher amount of calories in the first part of the day could establish a greater reduction in fat mass and improved insulin sensitivity than a typical daily diet."
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24809437

MKEgal

Here's a post I did about motivation & encouragement.
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/MKEgal/view/2014-07-24-motivation-encouragement-680938

The basic points are:
- Set small intermediate goals & celebrate every one.

- Take measurements.

- Take pictures.

- Weigh yourself regularly.

- Be flexible; forgive yourself.

- Celebrate the non-scale victories (NSV's)

- Don't give up!!!!
This woman lost 124 lb, and describes herself as a "not-stopper".
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1411868-i-ve-been-here-2-5-years-and-have-lost-124-pounds
"I'm a not-stopper. I'm not a go-getter or a great organizer or planner or more committed than anyone else. I probably didn't even work harder than lots of folks who eventually quit. All I am is a not-stopper."

- Don't make any food forbidden.

tonileighsteele

Lets assume your calorie burn from exercising is accurate (although I really doubt it is).

So you're burning 3000+ calories a day exercising, lets use a round number and say another 2000 a day just being alive, so 5000 total.

Then you eat 1700/day. 5000 - 1700 = 3300 calorie deficit PER DAY.

You need to eat more. A lot more.

Make your diary public and you'll be able to get better advice.

No, I should have been clearer. I burn around 3450 all up, exercise and living!!

meshashesha2012

I was very silly and started to diet and exercise regularly around 5 months ago. I dropped 26lbs quickly. Then my weight loss stalled. I was eating around 1000 cals a day so I dropped it even lower. (500 one day, 1000 the next)
It still didnt work and I kept losing and gaining the same 4lbs every day.
Since then ive upped my calories slowly and now alternate between 1300-1700 depending on my exercise.
I burn around 3450 cals a day, 3000 minimum. But im Gaining weight.
Ive added a little bit of light strength training 3 x a week and walk around 20000 steps a day with my fitbit.
I have 20lbs to go till my next goal and 40lbs till im at ideal weight.
Will my body adjust to the increased cals soon? Im ready to give up and just go back to the way I was. I was so much happier.

sorry but if your TDEE is 3000-3450 calories a day and you're only eating 1300-1700 calories and you arent losing weight then something is off with your numbers. i'd wager a guess that it's a mix of burning much less than you think you are and eating more than you think

ETA: we're also assuming that you dont have any hormonal or adrenal issues

ninabanks84

I'm of no help, just wanted to let you know that you aren't alone in your frustration! I've done WW for a year and I've lost 34 lbs. But the last 3 months I've really kicked it up with my workouts, track/weigh religiously, and still the stupid scale won't move! I know I look like a much different person than I did even a few months ago, and I've dropped a size, but yet still weigh the same. Trying MFP to hopefully change it up and see if I can figure out what is going on. Good luck and let's stick with it!

kimny72

It sounds like you just have numbers flying around all over the place! Read the threads mentioned above, and it might help to find a TDEE calculator on line and start from scratch figuring out how many calories you need to eat. Even as a total burn for the day, 3,000 sounds super high. Like serious athlete high.

You will lose weight if you over-exercise and undereat, but you will do a lot of damage to your body in the process, so please don't go back. Take a deep breath, read everything over, and keep moving forward taking care of yourself!

tonileighsteele

Thanks for your help everyone.
Ive read through everything and calculated my TDEE. Its still really high.
Ill do some more research and follow this method for a while and see if it helps.