Slowed down? Plateau? Try Taso's way!! :)

kelika71

It's been a little over a year since I started on MFP. Like so many here, I was of the mindset that eating exercise calories was absurd. How in the world are you going to lose weight eating like that?! There were so many preaching this concept that I thought for sure they were just trying to get me to fail.

Well, that couldn't have been further from the truth!

Here's MY story and do with it as you will. I am up against a lot of health issues, so losing weight has been detrimental for me. The first 8 months here, I did what any normal person does. They eat what's allotted to them, exercise, go to bed and do it all over again. I never ate those so-called earned calories. I didn't need to, I convinced myself. The scale was moving. Sometimes, it was 3-4 lbs a week. Pffffffft I'll show all them, I thought!

8 months later, things started slowing down. I didn't think much of it until after the holidays when I hit that dreaded plateau. Ugh!!! As so many of us know, it's frustrating having to eat right, bust your butt and look at the scale to see no victory. I did it all: changing the way I was eating, calorie cycling, changing exercises...more and less. I was barely able to move the scale. "Try the tape measure," some would say. Yeah, yeah...I'm neurotic with numbers and I like the scale better.

Well, here's where success comes in!! Taso, a good friend who purchased a Body Media Fit gadget, did some testing, calculations and more and figured out that settings on MFP could be off for some of us. When he told me this, I'll admit, I laughed. Seriously, me?? Above sedentary?? I don't think so!!

He sent me some links and upon doing some of those calculations myself, I started wondering if there was some truth to this. So, I figured, what have I got to lose now?! The scale is barely budging. I took his advice and changed my setting above sedentary. I even added a few more calories due to what the calculations were in the links he had sent me. Then, I started eating more of my exercise calories.

The results: My official weigh-in isn't for another two days, on Friday. I'm already showing I'm down 2 lbs!!

Need help moving that scale? Try checking out what my friend posted! Also, to let you know, he reached his goal, as well!! This does have merit. Check it out and good luck!!

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/184243-fitness-profile-labels-are-wrong-misleading

kelika71

No one is on a plateau or has slowed down?!?!

HerBravado

LOL. I have !!

I've been at a plateau since New Year's! I actually lost a lot of weight during the holidays, but right after it slowed to a stop. I'm very grateful for this post--I'm going to change things around & see if it works!

kelika71

I was skeptical of it working. My shock today on the scale proved to me that his work is spot on. This is the most I've lost in months. He figured out what others couldn't.

Good luck, HerBravado!!

KTNemo

I am just now getting into the forums, and while I totally understand that I need to eat my exercise points (and I ofter eat most/all of them), I didn't understand that I wasn't getting enough calories to begin with!

I have only been using MFP for 15 days. My first week, I lost 6 lbs. Then, I didn't lose any. In fact, I gained a half pound this week. The problem is, I don't lead a sedintary life, and I work out more than 3 days/week for an hour. I was burning enough calories to lose a pound a week exercising alone. 1200 calories was not enough for me to function with the amount of exercise that I do. Not to mention the calories I burn taking care of my very active 2-year old all day. So I went into my settings today and changed both the exercise and activity level. I am hoping that this will jumpstart my weight loss again. Thanks for posting threads like this.

and, just for good measure:

http://shouldieatmyexercisecalories.com

kelika71

Most people will lose weight pretty fast and more than expected in the beginning due to changes and water retention. It's when it's "real" weight loss that it can be a struggle, especially if settings aren't right.

I'm only trying to help. Taso's the one that deserves the credit...which you did beautifully by posting his link!!! Love it and I'm sure he will, too! lol

Good luck, KTNemo!!

taso42_DELETED

oh my, i think you made me blush :blushing:

KTNemo

I just got done reading the thread "what is the point of exercising":

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/189647-what-s-the-point-of-exercising?page=3

So Taso's website was fresh in my head. I love it!

kelika71

oh my, i think you made me blush :blushing:

Oops! lol Well, you got the gadget and did the work . Only right that you get the credit.

Gadget meaning the Body Media Fit and work meaning calculations.
Had to edit...too many dirty minds around here lately. lol

EricJonrosh

More confusion!

Just when I finally decide to eat 1/4 to 1/3 of my workout calories. It doesn't help that MFP estimates on leisure cycling is like 700 cals per half hour, which it can't be. When a stationary bike says 181 and MFP says 689 for the same thing, something is awry. I can barely eat the calories I'm allotted sometimes. Lately I've been eating when I'm hungry and keeping to my daily goal. None of this was around when I lost 70 pounds 20 years ago. I must have been doing everything wrong, haha. (in 6 months, btw)

anubis609

shouldieatmyexercisecalories.com
:devil: :laugh: :smokin: :drinker:

KTNemo

More confusion!

It doesn't help that MFP estimates on leisure cycling is like 700 cals per half hour, which it can't be. When a stationary bike says 181 and MFP says 689 for the same thing, something is awry.

This has been been bugging me a lot lately. MFP says that Spinning for an hour only burns 568 calories, but walking at a brisk pace for 60 minutes burns 650. I know for a fact that Spinning burns more calories than walking by the way I sweat and by the absolute muscle failure I feel after each class. Every other exercise calculator says that it burns between 700 and 1000 calories, more if you are overweight. What is up with MFP's exercise calculator?

kelika71

MFP is far too generous with what it says you burn doing things. When I started out here, I think a half hour for riding a bike vigorously was like 700+ calories. I got a HRM and wow!! That was quite a shock.

After what I found out with Taso's experimenting, I'm strongly leaning towards getting a Body Media Fit or Body Bugg. HRM's are only good during a workout. The other 2 I mentioned are good for wearing all day.

kelika71

shouldieatmyexercisecalories.com
:devil: :laugh: :smokin: :drinker:

lol You are such a rebel!

EricJonrosh

MFP is far too generous with what it says you burn doing things. When I started out here, I think a half hour for riding a bike vigorously was like 700+ calories. I got a HRM and wow!! That was quite a shock.

So what did the hrm say? I'm really curious what I'm burning. I mountain biked last weekend and it was vigorous, for 70 minutes. MFP said 1,300 cals, and for the first time, I agreed. But the same thing on flat land was close to the same calories. Grrrr!

ladyhawk00

Taso. A legend in his own mind... Wait, TIME, I mean a legend in his own TIME.

Kidding, of course. Taso is the bomb, and am so glad you're making progress again. Yay!

kelika71

MFP is far too generous with what it says you burn doing things. When I started out here, I think a half hour for riding a bike vigorously was like 700+ calories. I got a HRM and wow!! That was quite a shock.

So what did the hrm say? I'm really curious what I'm burning. I mountain biked last weekend and it was vigorous, for 70 minutes. MFP said 1,300 cals, and for the first time, I agreed. But the same thing on flat land was close to the same calories. Grrrr!

It was more like 200-300+...talk about grotesquely exaggerating!!

kelika71

Taso. A legend in his own mind... Wait, TIME, I mean a legend in his own TIME.

Kidding, of course. Taso is the bomb, and am so glad you're making progress again. Yay!

lmao His head might swell too much to ever leave this place.
Thank you.

Rockin23

Woohoo for Taso! And you too of course!

kelika71

Woohoo for Taso! And you too of course!

Thanks...but, it's really Taso that deserves the credit. He did the research and work.

gbmabley

MFP is far too generous with what it says you burn doing things. When I started out here, I think a half hour for riding a bike vigorously was like 700+ calories. I got a HRM and wow!! That was quite a shock.

So what did the hrm say? I'm really curious what I'm burning. I mountain biked last weekend and it was vigorous, for 70 minutes. MFP said 1,300 cals, and for the first time, I agreed. But the same thing on flat land was close to the same calories. Grrrr!

It was more like 200-300+...talk about grotesquely exaggerating!!

I would agree with MFP overshooting the calories burnt in exercise. Best way to know what YOU are burning is through a HRM. Everyone is different and may exercise at different intensity. Vigorous for some might be moderate for others.