Am I doing something wrong??

SMarie10

no. that is unhealthy advice especially for women.

It's totally healthy and safe actually (1200-1600 calories per day), recommended, tried and tested, Doctors even recommend it, the problem is it isn't the "MFP Way" so must be wrong! lol

Sorry FK - It may have worked in your circumstance, but IMHO, this is poor advice. The MFP site and recommendations for eating back exercise calories is tried and true and more important, it is sustainable in the long run for Most people (you may be the exception, which is great for you, but not so great for everyone else).

mkennedym

no. that is unhealthy advice especially for women.

It's totally healthy and safe actually (1200-1600 calories per day), recommended, tried and tested, Doctors even recommend it, the problem is it isn't the "MFP Way" so must be wrong! lol

1200 to 1600 NET calories, not 1200 calories before exercise calories are added.

erickirb

Don't eat what you burn. Stick to the 1200 calories and it will melt off.

^This, I never have and never will eat exercise calories. 107lbs lost in 6 months shows what works lol :laugh:

Sorry, I don't agree at all. and 107 is 6 months is not considered healthy weight loss, that is way more than the 2lbs/week that is considered safe and healthy.

Most doctors or nutritionist knowing you workout will not give you so few calories. Most likely if you workout 4 days per week a nutritionist will give you 1600 ish calories/day to lose weight. MFP will give you 1200 and tell you to eat your calories back. If on those 4 days you burn 600/day MFP will give you 10,800 cals for the week (1200*3 + 1800*4) and your nutritionist will give you 11200 (1600*7) which is pretty close after taking into account exercise 10,800 vs 11,200. Which is why MFP tells you to eat your exercise calories.

On days you workout if you only ate 1200 and burned the 600 you would net 600, which would be like eating 600 calories and not working out. this is not enough calories at all.

FK1983

107 is 6 months is not considered healthy weight loss, that is way more than the 2lbs/week that is considered safe and healthy.

My Doctor and Dietitian are very happy with my results as are 99% of everyone else I have ever spoken too, thanks for your concern though lol :happy:

bizco

Are you using a food scale to weigh everything you eat? Most people drastically underestimate how much food they're eating. Even using measuring cups and food labels can be misleading. For example, I eat Quaker old-fashioned oatmeal for breakfast. The nutrition panel says "1/2 cup (40 grams) per serving." However, when I use a food scale to weigh a leveled (not heaping) 1/2 cup measuring cup, it actually weighs 54 grams. There are many other instances where I find even greater differences using measuring cups instead of actually weighing the food. Just a thought.

muth3rluvx2

Are you using a food scale to weigh everything you eat? Most people drastically underestimate how much food they're eating. Even using measuring cups and food labels can be misleading. For example, I eat Quaker old-fashioned oatmeal for breakfast. The nutrition panel says "1/2 cup (40 grams) per serving." However, when I use a food scale to weigh a leveled (not heaping) 1/2 cup measuring cup, it actually weighs 54 grams. There are many other instances where I find even greater differences using measuring cups instead of actually weighing the food. Just a thought.

Raw or cooked? Many confuse the two. Often, the measuring is cooked and the weight is raw, hence the drastic differences. You'll note it most on pastas. Although, eating the raw amt once cooked is alot less so you're consuming alot less cals..so not necessarily a bad mistake - but it can be a frustrating one.

bcattoes

If you just added the exercise, it's possible your body is in the process of building muscle which wieghs more than fat. Likely you will begin to lose again soon as your muscle building evens out but your fat loss continues.

BBBgettingfit

I'm experiencing the same thing! Argh. I've been really good about logging my food and exercising a few days per week and eating the exercise calories, but all I've managed to do is gain half a pound of the few initial pounds I lost in the first two weeks back. I am telling myself that since it's only been a short time, I'll up the ol' water intake and hang in there. I don't know if I've worked out enough to gain muscle, but I'm hoping that muscle gain is canceling out the fat loss and causing this situation.

Cytherea

I have a Polar HRM so I put in what it shows for calories burned. Then I eat the calories it shows. (my 1200 plus what I've burned) But the last 2 weeks I seem to have not budged really. Am I doing something wrong?? I don't get it.

Are you eating the entire amount that your HRM tells you your burned? Because if you are, you're doing it wrong, lol. You definitely *should* be eating back your exercise calories- but first, you have to do some math. You can't just input the number that the HRM gives you. What you need to do is subtract the number of calories that you would have burned anyways, at rest, and then only eat back what is leftover. Wear your HRM someday while you are lounging on the couch and doing nothing for 10 minutes. It will vary, so you can do it a few times over the course of different days and average the results, if you want. When you see how many calories you burn in 10 minutes doing nothing, then you'll need to do some math when it comes to calculating how many of your exercise calories you can eat back. Let's say you worked out for an hour. 60 / 10 (because we're calculating in 10 minutes intervals) = 6. Then multiply that number by however many calories you normally burn at rest (for me, it is about 18). So 6 * 18 = 108. Now, take the total amount of calories your HRM told you that you burned during your workout and subtract your resting calories from that. Let's say it was 300 calories. 300 - 108 = 192. So ONLY eat back that 192. If you eat back the full 300, you will be overeating which could definitely account for your slowed weight loss.

You should also remember that if you've just added the workouts, your body is (hopefully!) building muscle. So it may be the case that you are still losing fat, but gaining muscle, and that is why you haven't seen a loss. Now, this doesn't happen overnight, it takes time, but it is a possibility that may be happening. Which is why it would be good to take your measurements and record those too, not just your weight, so you get a better/more accurate picture.

I also agree with the posters who asked about how you are measuring your food. Get a cheap food scale, if you don't have one already... it just takes the guesswork out. This way, you'll definitely know that what you logged is completely accurate. You may be going over without realizing it.

Believeth64

Well this is what i've experienced when i was exercising and i was an advocate for exercise faithfully worked out when i would stick to my daily calories i had a hard time losing so i started eating some of the extra calories but i try my best to make healthy choices rather than junk foods what i did was say most of the time on my ellipticle i burned 1,200 to 1,300 calories for my 60 mins workout 4 days a week then my stationary bike 30 mins 4 days a week and then i would do strength training 2 to 3 days a week i found that i was putting out a lot of energy and burning calories and wasn't eating enough so my body went into a protection mode some call it starvation mode so i had to keep messing with my calories until i started losing however when you exercise the scale is not always fair but the results of working out means more than just the scale i was losing a lot of inches and i was getting smaller and smaller the clothes size was going down like the titanic so while exercising start calculating measurements also then you will feel better well for me it made me :laugh: so give it some time and keep what you are doing i know we want those numbers on the scale fall each week because i do too at least you can exercise i can't until i heal from ankle surgery and learn how to walk again so if i don't lose weekly even thou i stay right on my daily calories i know i am going to feel :brokenheart: because i found that my body is use to moving not total bed rest everyday right now i am waiting for a bone graft stimulator from my insurance it is used to promote faster healing for some reason maybe due to the fact the surgeon had to break my ankle and reposition my foot which is my third ankle surgery same ankle it is taking a long time for the break to heal but keep doing what you are doing it adds up

Dawntodusk

When you first start a new exercise regime, it is NORMAL to gain a couple of pounds or even more. Just stick to it, and you will lose in a couple of weeks at the most. It's the body's way of protecting the muscles that are working. Follow the MFP calorie guidelines, and don't worry about it for 2 weeks.

beastmode_kitty

Don't always go on pds lost on a scale, go with how your clothes feel. If they feel looser, then hey ya lost weight. I go on both but I always make sure I have eaten 1200 NET calories at the end of the day, whether it be on a day I've exercised or a rest day. I used to at first burn as much as I could and not eat that much after and got NO WHERE. Then after talking with some friends I started eating at least the 1200 and low and behold the weight started coming off.

We can sit here and argue back and forth what is right and what is wrong, but that's not helping now is it. My suggestion is just keep doing what you're doing, and take into consideration that your TOM came so you are going to weigh a lil more and the clothes are going to feel a bit more snug. Just don't ever give up!

LovelySnugs

When you first start a new exercise regime, it is NORMAL to gain a couple of pounds or even more. Just stick to it, and you will lose in a couple of weeks at the most. It's the body's way of protecting the muscles that are working. Follow the MFP calorie guidelines, and don't worry about it for 2 weeks.

to add to this point: my understanding is that your body is retaining water to help with the healing process while your muscles get used to the new regimen. but look that up, cuz i might be misunderstanding it.

also, do you have rest days? the reason i'm asking is, when i was working out 7 days a week, i was barely losing. but when i took one day off and (healthily) went over my calories, i started seeing losses again. your body might just be freaking out over what you're doing to it, and may need a chance to rest and recover.