Where's the support??

MyNameIsNotBob

I am usually around 1200-1300 calories....are you guys saying I need to eat more calories than what I have been? MFP has set up my calorie limit a 1200...

EATING 1200 calories is different from NETTING 1200 calories. You need to try to NET 1200 calories. That means, that if you burn 500 calories exercising, you should actually EAT 1700 calories to NET 1200. That's the beauty of exercise + calorie deficit... if you exercise you get to eat more!

veganjeanie

You don't want your body to go into starvation mode, then it really holds on to that weight, so do make sure you eat your net calories, or close to it. That net calories thing is what keeps me exercising, the more I work out the more I get to eat. Sometimes you just have to have faith that the weight WILL come off in the long run, you just have to stick with it and not pay attention to the results of one or two weeks. I'm telling myself that too, because I've been so good but my weight went up 3 lb at last weigh-in. Just keep your eyes on the prize. If you give in and eat those subs it will definitely not help your progress. Give the subs away.

keepsiejess

I think:

you may be overestimating your exercise (gadgets lie, and get a REAL good one that you can trust, then corroborate with internet estimates) for the time being- dont count cleaning. not until you are sure of what you are burning.

everything you eat comes from a box. you need to make more food from scratch so you can get nutrient rich meals. too much salt in them, no control over content are just two good reasons to think ahead and make food you know is good for you/ is going to fuel you on this journey. Dont get me wrong, im a newbie too and i love me some chicken wings, and will eat them when i can afford them. but lean cuisine combined with subs and regularly skipping breakfast. no good.

if you have earned those exercise cals: eat them back! I will refer you to The URL: shouldieatmyexercisecalories.com

look at other successful folks' diaries to get an idea of how/what they eat and how/what they do for exercise.

good luck!

mikeyml

If you're not seeing the results you want, then it's time to switch up the strategy. Here are some suggestions based on looking over the past month of your food diary:

1. Try eating your exercise calories. It looks like you have been using the "don't eat exercise calories" strategy which is fine for some people, but maybe you should try to eat them. I noticed that you have a lot of days where you have over 500 - 1000 calories left for the day. Try to keep the number closer to 100-200 calories left for the day.

2. Do not over estimate calories burned. I read that you're using a HRM which is a great tool. But I saw you had a day where you logged 420 minutes of walking at a 3.0 pace. That's 7 hours of walking! It's possible to do but most people don't get that kind of walking in unless it's for a job. If that is a normal part of your daily activity then maybe you should change your lifestyle activity to active. It also looks like you're logging some exercise that is..how do I put this...maybe part of your normal daily activity that shouldn't be counted. To switch things up try to log cardio or strength training only when you're doing actual exercise and don't count everything you do in a normal day.

3. Try to lower the sodium. I wouldn't be surprised if you're holding on to 5-10 pounds of water weight due to the sodium levels.

4. Try to eat consistently. I can't tell from your diary if you are skipping meals often or if you just forgot to log it in. But get your body used to a routine so it's not guessing when it will get more fuel. Try to eat 3 balanced meals a day: breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

That's all I have. I'm not an expert or a nutritionist or in any way certified to give professional advice. But from my experience with this stuff and what's working for me, this is what I would suggest. It's worth a try if your current tactics aren't working. Hope that helps!

anubis609

I think:

you may be overestimating your exercise (gadgets lie, and get a REAL good one that you can trust, then corroborate with internet estimates) for the time being- dont count cleaning. not until you are sure of what you are burning.

everything you eat comes from a box. you need to make more food from scratch so you can get nutrient rich meals. too much salt in them, no control over content are just two good reasons to think ahead and make food you know is good for you/ is going to fuel you on this journey. Dont get me wrong, im a newbie too and i love me some chicken wings, and will eat them when i can afford them. but lean cuisine combined with subs and regularly skipping breakfast. no good.

if you have earned those exercise cals: eat them back! I will refer you to The URL: shouldieatmyexercisecalories.com

look at other successful folks' diaries to get an idea of how/what they eat and how/what they do for exercise.

good luck!

You referred The URL! Bwahahaha :devil: Excellent...

mkingraham

my $.02- you aren't eating enough and you are eating to much processed foods. I would recommend checking out the clean eating magazine which has a lot of healthy fresh meals that are quick, easy, and delicious. Also- when you post a topic it isn't that people don't want to respond- I know I look at the recent posts and if something is there I read and respond, but if it doesn't get hit in the recent posts I probably don't see it. Don't be discouraged- you can do it!

keepsiejess

I think:

you may be overestimating your exercise (gadgets lie, and get a REAL good one that you can trust, then corroborate with internet estimates) for the time being- dont count cleaning. not until you are sure of what you are burning.

everything you eat comes from a box. you need to make more food from scratch so you can get nutrient rich meals. too much salt in them, no control over content are just two good reasons to think ahead and make food you know is good for you/ is going to fuel you on this journey. Dont get me wrong, im a newbie too and i love me some chicken wings, and will eat them when i can afford them. but lean cuisine combined with subs and regularly skipping breakfast. no good.

if you have earned those exercise cals: eat them back! I will refer you to The URL: shouldieatmyexercisecalories.com

look at other successful folks' diaries to get an idea of how/what they eat and how/what they do for exercise.

good luck!

You referred The URL! Bwahahaha :devil: Excellent...

The URL is gonna take over MFP!!!