Is MFP Broken or is it just me?

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I am stuck at the 40 lbs lost point. I am 8 pounds from my goal and I am stuck like chuck.

For the past 6 weeks the scales keep moving between 192 - 194 ibs. I have continues to exercise, even changed up my plan, and have consistently stayed under my calorie goal. Every night after I log in my food the little screen on my Droid says - "if every day was like this for the next 5 weeks you would weigh ...." Every night it says I should weigh somewhere between 182 - 187 lbs. Not ... I got on this moringing and I was 193 - WTF!

I am really starting to get P*^&ed!

Replies

  • rbryntes
    rbryntes Posts: 710 Member
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    You may want to start tracking your sodium and sugar levels more sloely. I notice from your diary you drink a lot of Diet Pepsi and eat some sugary foods. These things can hold you back a little.
  • engineman312
    engineman312 Posts: 3,450 Member
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    have you updated your fitness settings?? go to setting on top of the page, and then click 'Update diet/fitness profile' and just update your goals. it will re-evalute your calorie setting, and help you keep losing.
  • loseatonlady
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    Agree with watching some of your totals - maybe try and bring down your carb# too ... Hang in there & make sure you're drinking lots of water!
  • dsckrc
    dsckrc Posts: 194 Member
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    it's not only you. everyday, MFP tells me I should weigh between 118-121 and I have been stuck at 125-127 for the past 3 months. my only thought is that you are stuck in a plateau. it happens to everyone. some suggest eating more and working out less as a way to jumpstart your system. i have a hard time following this advice since I've worked so diligently to lose this weight. advice of the day - be patient and stay strong. THE WEIGHT WILL COME OFF!!! good luck to you.
  • BigDaddyBRC
    BigDaddyBRC Posts: 2,395 Member
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    have you updated your fitness settings?? go to setting on top of the page, and then click 'Update diet/fitness profile' and just update your goals. it will re-evalute your calorie setting, and help you keep losing.

    This as well as making some "refinements" to your diet will help you achieve.

    Worse case...your body is comfortable and happy now.
  • kmbrooks15
    kmbrooks15 Posts: 941 Member
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    Keep in mind, MFP is going on an estimate based on what would happen in a perfect world. It can't take into account water retention, too much sodium, etc., because it doesn't know how your individual body reacts. I pretty much ignore that because it really can't take into account every variable that can affect your weight loss. Just keep eating healthy and exercising, and the weight will come off in time. Remember, it's a marathon, not a sprint!

    Hang in there!
  • AnneGenevieveS
    AnneGenevieveS Posts: 436 Member
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    Are you logging "one bite" things, nibbles, or small candies? That stuff creeps up on me!

    PLus, are you eating your exercise calories? The smaller you get the more your body is going to become very finicky about having the correct amount of calories, not too many, and not too few.

    gross subject, but are you constipated from changes in eating habits? that can lead to holding on to false weight.

    Increase the exercise and intensity (AND eat those calories)

    If you are doing everything right, its a plateau, and you will bust through with a big loss when your body gives up!
  • H_Factor
    H_Factor Posts: 1,722 Member
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    I looked at your food diary and even though those types of entries may have gotten great results so far, I think its time to change things up to see if you can re-charge your system. with that in mind, I recommend:

    1. cut out, or greatly reduce the processed foods. start cooking for yourself (or have a loved one cook healthy meals for you). at some point, I do believe it matters how you are getting your calories and simply creating a caloric deficit (which you may or may not be doing recently) is not as helpful.

    2. aim for finishing below your calorie goal each day.

    3. reduce carbs to the 120ish range and increase your lean proteins and healthy fats (increasing lean proteins more). you will be able to achieve this range if you focus more on healthy home-cooked meals rather than processed foods that are higher in sugars. great sources of lean proteins are nuts, fish, chicken, ground turkey and chicken, bison. start cooking some of that. eat more veggies.

    4. when you do exercise, are you relying on MFP estimates for calories burned or are you using a heart rate monitor? if you are relying on MFP, you are probably getting a number that is 30-50% higher than the actual calories burned. thus, when you do exercise, if you rely on MFP estimates, eat back only half of those calories.

    5. there are some types of exercise that would help fire up the fat burning in your body. HIIT is one of those types of exercises and I describe it in my workout blog below (in addition, you can find a lot of information about it by searching the web).

    I think if you make these changes, you will achieve your goal.
  • ki4idb
    ki4idb Posts: 114
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    have you updated your fitness settings?? go to setting on top of the page, and then click 'Update diet/fitness profile' and just update your goals. it will re-evalute your calorie setting, and help you keep losing.

    Thanks ... just did that and it reduced my calories by about 2oo. I have also had people say that the soda is killing me so I will cut that back to one a day.
  • engineman312
    engineman312 Posts: 3,450 Member
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    have you updated your fitness settings?? go to setting on top of the page, and then click 'Update diet/fitness profile' and just update your goals. it will re-evalute your calorie setting, and help you keep losing.

    Thanks ... just did that and it reduced my calories by about 2oo. I have also had people say that the soda is killing me so I will cut that back to one a day.

    i do it every time i lose 2 pounds. it lowers it by about 50 calories. a small change, but significant enough so that i feel it, but not so big that i go hungry.
  • ki4idb
    ki4idb Posts: 114
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    Increase the exercise and intensity (AND eat those calories)

    I try not to eat the calories ... I assumed that would help me loose faster. Am I wrong?
  • H_Factor
    H_Factor Posts: 1,722 Member
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    Increase the exercise and intensity (AND eat those calories)

    I try not to eat the calories ... I assumed that would help me loose faster. Am I wrong?

    you should eat back the exercise calories...but only the accurate calories burned. that's why I suggested if you are relying on MFP estimates, eat back only 50% of that number.

    of course, this only works if you are staying very close to your calorie target each day.
  • engineman312
    engineman312 Posts: 3,450 Member
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    Increase the exercise and intensity (AND eat those calories)

    I try not to eat the calories ... I assumed that would help me loose faster. Am I wrong?

    you should eat back the exercise calories...but only the accurate calories burned. that's why I suggested if you are relying on MFP estimates, eat back only 50% of that number.

    of course, this only works if you are staying very close to your calorie target each day.

    i eat when i'm hungry. sometimes i re-eat all those exercise calories. sometimes only 50%, and others i don't. just depends how our body feels that day. and i am defietly losing weight, and becoming more toned and athletic.
  • Jennyzfit
    Jennyzfit Posts: 175 Member
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    Increase the exercise and intensity (AND eat those calories)

    I try not to eat the calories ... I assumed that would help me loose faster. Am I wrong?

    Agreed