Why don't I lose weight as quickly as MFP says I should?

vim_n_vigor

Why don't I lose weight as quickly as MFP says I should?

taso42

There can be any number of reasons for this. First, weight loss is not necessarily a linear process. For some people, it goes pretty much like clockwork. But others hit plateaus along the way. Stalling for a few weeks here and there is normal. Just stay the course. This assumes everything is set up just right.

Here are some possible things that might not be going right, which might hinder your progress:

- You are not logging food accurately. Best way to remedy this is to get a food scale and some measuring cups and spoons. Scales are superior to measuring cups/spoons because food might be compact when we measure it. For example, try this experiment: A serving of oats is 1/2 cup (40g). Measure out a half a cup and put it on your scale. I'll bet it comes out to more than 40g.

- You are not logging exercise accurately. If you are using MFP's estimates or a 3rd party online calculator, you may be overestimating or underestimating exercise. A better way would be to use an HRM (Heart Rate Monitor) or a BodyMedia or BodyBugg device.

- You may not be hitting your targets. MFP is designed to work when you hit your calorie target. This means getting as close as you can - NOT staying as far below if you can. Rule of thumb - if you are within about 50 calories under OR over, you are doing it right. If you are constantly way over OR way under, you are doing it wrong.

- Your prescribed calorie target might be wrong. Ways this can happen is if you are trying to lose weight faster than you should be. For example, if you need to lose only 10 lbs, you should not be targeting 2 lbs of week. The closer you are to goal, the less you should attempt to lose per week. If you have more than 50 lbs to lose, then 2 lbs a week is ok. Under 50 lbs, it's probably better to switch to 1 lb per week. Under 15 or so, and you should be aiming for .5 lbs per week.

- If your weight loss settings are correct, take a look at your activity level - Sedentary, Lightly Active, Active, Very Active. Pick a reasonable activity level for your lifestyle.

- In many cases, even if your weight loss target and activity level seem correct, MFP still gives you too few calories. It's best to get a 2nd and 3rd opinion of what your TDEE is, subtract a calorie deficit, and compare with what MFP is prescribing. If necessary, manually adjust the calorie target. Here is an example link of where you can calculate your daily energy expenditure http://www.webmd.com/diet/healthtool-metabolism-calculator

cmriverside

:flowerforyou:

tameko2

I think it's worth adding that almost no one is "sedentary" unless they are literally unable to do anything but sit for 12 hours a day

LorinaLynn

I think it's worth adding that almost no one is "sedentary" unless they are literally unable to do anything but sit for 12 hours a day

Word!

"I'm sedentary because I have a desk job, but I bike five miles to work each way, then spend an hour at the gym, walk the dog for 45 minutes, clean the entire house, coach Little League, and practice parkour every weekend. But I sit for 8 hours, so I'm totally, like, sedentary, you know."

tameko2

I think it's worth adding that almost no one is "sedentary" unless they are literally unable to do anything but sit for 12 hours a day

Word!

"I'm sedentary because I have a desk job, but I bike five miles to work each way, then spend an hour at the gym, walk the dog for 45 minutes, clean the entire house, coach Little League, and practice parkour every weekend. But I sit for 8 hours, so I'm totally, like, sedentary, you know."

Heck, I figured I really was sedentary because I go to work, sit at a desk, come home, play video games, read, or watch TV. But it turns out I also get up to get water, get up to pee, go to meetings, chat with coworkers at their cubicles, walk to get coffee or lunch, hug my cats and pick up anything that's actually messy enough to annoy me. The only day my BMF told me I was actually sedentary was the day I played video games all day and only stopped to eat drive through or delivery and hardly drank any water because I forgot and thus hardly went to the bathroom. THAT day I was sedentary.

So barring a physical disability or an intense dedication to laziness, everyone is at LEAST lightly active. and the people who think they are lightly active are probably active.