PLEA 4 HELP :-D I get that dieting is a Science/Math, but I

p8oenix

I'm trying to make sense out of this. I've been doing this for about 3 months now and have loss only 12 pounds, which I am grateful for, but it isn't "adding up". I'm trying to loose a total of 45 pounds. So, this is becoming VERY frustrating to me because based on what I'm doing, I think I should have lost more. To the point, I've taken this whole weight loss thing to a science/math level with the following as a basis of my reasoning for what I'm doing:

(1) CALORIES : 3,500 calories = 1 pound : Meaning, if I want to lose 2 pounds per week, I must "bank" 7,000 each week. In other words, if I consume 8,400 calories per week (1,200 per day), then, I should burn or excerise 7,000 per week (1,000 per day).

(2) STARVATION MODE : If you don't eat at least 1,200 per day, your body will go into starvation mode and store fat instead of burn it.

(3) VARIETY, FOOD : It is good idea to try and meet all four food groups using the "My Plate" (new food pyrmaid). see: http://www.choosemyplate.gov/ so, I'm eating a nice mix of fruit, vegetables, dairy, meat, & grains.

(4) VITAMINS/NUTRIENTS/MINERALS : On MFP, I'm mainly tracking Protein & Carbohydrates as well as Calcuim & Fiber (b/c I'm a 43 female). So, I ensure that pretty darn close to the "recommended" intake for a 1,200 diet.

(5) EXCERISE : Muscle weighs more than fat. More than 90 minutes of excerise during a routine is counter-productive (meaning, you will loose muscle tissue).

(6) FOOD DIARY (intregrity of the data) : In order for MFP to be accurate & work for you, you HAVE to log EVERYTHING you eat including a bite of a cookie or a piece of gum. On that note, the information must be accurate. So, I watch to see how many confirmations of data an item has before I add it or I use bar scanner to add items to my MFP diary.

(7) SCALES : Not all scales are accurate. So, I'm using a variety of scales on a weekly basis - the one at the gym, the one in the nurse's office, the one at home, etc.

******************

So, I've armed myself with the above information and have implemented the following plan for myself:

(1) CALORIES / VARIETY / VITAMINS / FOOD DIARY: I fill out my diary the day before with what I plan on eating so I can adjust the foods to accomodate the nutrients/minerals that I need, ensure I meet the MyPlate requirements, and still stay right at or slightly above 1,200 calories per day. I also do not eat fast food, drink sodas, or eat out of vending machines. We eat fresh fruits/vegetables, whole-wheat breads, and alot of "home-cooked" meals. I mainly drink plain water (8+ cups per day), black coffee, and sometimes decaf-tea w/ a 1/2 tsp of splenda.

(2) EXCERISE : I do not have a very sedentary lifstyle. I'm on my feet most of the time when I'm at home (meaning, I watch little to no TV). We do alot of home-cooking and play with our boys as well as do housework. I am also on my feet a good bit of the day as well at work. WORKOUT #1, I've been going to the gym 3 times per week for several months. I have a strength training routine (75 minutes) that includes barbell, pullovers, chin-ups, sit-ups, etc. Afterwards, I hit the Racquetball court for about 45 minutes and play. WORKOUT #2, Over the past week, I added going to the gym 3 more times to use the elpitical/EFX machine for 45 minutes.

(3) SLEEP : I go to bed about 9:30 pm and get up about 5:00 am after hitting the snooze for about 30 minutes.

I am 5'7", 43 years old female, currently weigh 173 (which is "overweight" by "the powers-to-be"). I started out at 185 (which is "obese" by the "power-to-be") and am trying to reach 145 (which is in the middle of the "healthy" range via "the-powers-to-be"). I am also on a thyroid medication, which is monitored by a doc for "hypothyroidism" see: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0000684/

On average, each night when I lay my head down to sleep, via my MFP diary I have anywhere from 1,200 to 1,600 to the "good". Meaning, I am well exceeding the 1,000 per day needed to lose 2 pounds per week. (ie: burnt 2,700 calories MINUS ate 1,200 calories EQUALS 1,500 left) So, what the heck??

Can anyone PLEASE tell me what I'm doing wrong?? Any suggestions on what to change or do differently?? Any help would be greatly appreciated because I'm soOooOOOOooo frustrated!?!?!?

morganadk2_deleted

As said by many in your prevoius post you need to eat more!

Generally someone with a BMI over 32 can do a 1000 calorie a day (2 lbs a week) deficit
With a BMI of 30 to 32 a deficit of 750 calories is generally correct (about 1.5 lbs a week)
With a BMI of 28 to 30 a deficit of 500 calories is about right (about 1 lb a week)
With a BMI of 26 to 28 a deficit of about 300 calories is perfect (about 1/2 lb a week)
and below 26... well this is where we get fuzzy. See now you're no longer talking about being overweight, so while it's still ok to have a small deficit, you really should shift your focus more towards muscle building, and reducing fat. This means it is EXTRA important to eat your exercise calories as your body needs to KNOW it's ok to burn fat stores, and the only way it will know is if you keep giving it the calories it needs to not enter the famine response (starvation mode).

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/61706-guide-to-calorie-deficits

jujuwoome

I am sure others will be along after me to give long explanations but from where I sit you aren't eating near enough for all the working out you are doing. Sounds strange but do searches on this site for that matter. And you have lost 12 pounds in four weeks. That a pound a week roughly and that's what is recommended.

If this were me? I would eat more to fuel my body or cut back on the three workouts a day (I am hoping that's a typo and you meant week).

p8oenix

Thanks!

BellydanceBliss

Actually I have found when I lose weight slowly like that the weight stays off. Have you taken measurements? I have found when the scale is not moving down and I have done everything I have done I have lost inches instead.

njoithomp

The only think I can see that you are doing "wrong" is your expectation. Have you ever lost weight before? If not, you don't have an accurate example of how YOUR body responds to your new program. Keep with it, and start measuring inches as well as pounds because you probably will loose inches quicker than you loose pounds. Keep it up, and wait another 3 months and then do an assessment of what's working. Also, perhaps have a complete physical done including blood work so you can make sure that there are no health factors preventing you from your program being as effective as possible. Good luck - you can do this!

waxon81

As said by many in your prevoius post you need to eat more!

Here is a guide for setting appropriate weekly weight loss goals, and with each of these you should still be eating your exercise calories, otherwise your deficit is too large for the amount you have to lose and could result in the lose of a large % of lean muscle, not the fat you are looking at losing:
If you have 75+ lbs to lose 2 lbs/week is ideal,
If you have 40-75 lbs to lose 1.5 lbs/week is ideal,
If you have 25-40 lbs to lose 1 lbs/week is ideal,
If you have 15 -25 lbs to lose 0.5 to 1.0 lbs/week is ideal, and
If you have less than 15 lbs to lose 0.5 lbs/week is ideal.

Advise doesnt get much better than this

edit- actually, it did after it was edited by the poster, but you get my point.lol

jaelhanson

I agree completely with EAT MORE!!! It sounds counter productive, but if you are burning 7,000 calories a week and NOT eating them, you are starving your body. You have to eat to lose. Boost your metabolism by including lots of leafy greans, whole grains, and lean protein before AND after your workouts. Don't forget dairy if you're not lactose intolerant. Greek yogurt has 2X the protein of regular yogurt and is a wonderful after workout snack. Keep the faith, and EAT UP!

p8oenix

Huh - your response is VERY insteresting. No one has ever explained it to me like that. Pretty cool :-D Based on what you've said, it looks like my goals are just too high for myself. Thanks so much! I really appreciate it.

BellydanceBliss

i also agree with juju. You have to keep eating good fuel for your body to keep losing the weight or you will keep it on if you are exercising a lot.

jaelhanson

PS- I've already lost 50 lbs and been thru the ups and downs....YOU CAN DO THIS!!!!

ValeriChristine

Maybe have one or two days a week where you eat what your body burns.....meaning what it would take to maintain for the day. This helps keep your metabolism up.

ElizabethRoad

(1) CALORIES : 3,500 calories = 1 pound : Meaning, if I want to lose 2 pounds per week, I must "bank" 7,000 each week. In other words, if I consume 8,400 calories per week (1,200 per day), then, I should burn or excerise 7,000 per week (1,000 per day).

You don't seem to be figuring in that you are burning calories to keep yourself alive (for me this is 1400) and burning a few hundred more by doing non-exercise things like walking around, cooking dinner, etc etc. - your normal activities.

mandyw30

So you are eating around 1200 calories a day and then trying to burn 1000 calories a day?! That means you are surviving on 200 calories a day! Not good! Your body is probably holding on to everything you've got.
If you've entered that you want to lose 2lbs a week into MFP the calorie allowance it gives you already includes that deficit needed to lose the weight. Any exercise you do is an added bonus and most if not al exercise calories should be eaten back.
I also agree that 2lbs a week is a lot when you don't have as much to lose. Re-enter your data into MFP asking for a 1lbs a week loss. And remember the calories MFP gives you already includes the deficit so if you exercise you need to eat more calories.

p8oenix

Yea, it is typo - sorry. I meant I'm working out 3 times a week, not a day. Wow, that would be crazy :-D

davert123

Hiya

Firstly well done, it sounds like you are having it hard but you have still kept going and if you keep going you will get there all be it slower than you want :-).

I don't know much but the numbers you have quoted are the ones I've seen about for while about kcals-lbs. If this holds then

1) You are not burning the amount of calories you think you are.
2) you are eating more calories than you think you are.

Looking at 1...
I'm guessing MFP will calculate the amount of calories you burn by calculating your BMR (Which is the number of calories your body will burn just to keep going when you are not doing anything) and then add on the calories you burn when you exercise. The calculations will use average data and as such they will work ok for 'most' people but not so well for a few others. What may be happening is that because of your thyroid condition your BMR may not be as high as the average jo bloggs. If you are stressing over this I would go and speak with your medical expert and ask them what effect the condition / medication has on your BMR. It may be they could give you something else to help you out - I am not a doc and have no medical experience so this is just a guess but it would be worth investigating. FWIW my wife has the same problem, she will diet and work out and the weight just doesn't come off very quickly.

Looking at 2...
It could be (although I doubt) that you are eating/drinking something with a higher calorie content than you think it is so it may be worth having a quick look at this.

Whatever you I would just add you are doing it, you are getting to your goal. Its hard and slow but you are getting there so whatever happens don't stop and you will get there :-)

seph_house

I'll echo ElizabethRoad (and everyone else), everything you are saying sounds right to me and perfectly reasonable apart from the error in maths in point 1)

"(1) CALORIES : 3,500 calories = 1 pound : Meaning, if I want to lose 2 pounds per week, I must "bank" 7,000 each week. In other words, if I consume 8,400 calories per week (1,200 per day), then, I should burn or excerise 7,000 per week (1,000 per day)."

if you consume 8,400cal/week and your body needs 11,000/week just to survive (that's my TDEE number at 5'3 and a sedentary job, yours may vary) and get up and go to work etc etc you are already 'banking' 3,600/week and should get about 1lb loss. if you go and do another 1000cals of exercise a day on top of that, you are trying to "bank" 10,600/week on only 8,400cals of intake. i.e. your body doen't have anything to live on and is freaking out.

stormieweather

Three possibilities (or combination):

1) You are trying to lose too much per week. 1-2 pounds is fine, and you are losing 1 pound per week now. So you ARE doing something right. But you believe you have a 1000 calorie deficit and should be losing 2 pounds per week?

So,

2) Although you are logging everything, you aren't logging it accurately. Meaning, you are estimating portion sizes and they're not exact Get a good digital scale and set up measuring cups/spoons and measure/weigh everything that goes into your log. Studies have shown that most people underestimate their portion sizes, meaning they're actually eating quite a bit more than they think.

And/or,

3) You aren't as active as you think you are. Whatever your activity level is set at might need to be revised. I was always on the go, when I'm going, and assumed I was probably 'lightly active'. However, since I work a desk job, the fact is, I'm not. I'm sedentary for most of my day. I would go work out and the machine and MFP would say I burned 500-600 calories. After buying a Fitbit which measures movement, I discovered this was most definately NOT the case. Turns out I'm pretty efficient in my movements. Like 40% less than what I thought. And this had a HUGE effect on my dietary assumptions.

lois4468

Check with the Doc on that thyroid thing. When I was first diagnosed mine let me be a little high to help with the weight issue. You can find all sorts of medical info out there on what that little thing does. There are special diets that are geared for that too. See if any helps. Could be the problem.

p8oenix

Wow, you guys are REALLY giving me alot of good advice. Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!! I like the "be reasonable" advice. Based on that one alone, I'm on target for what I'm doing. I guess my expectation just seems to be very high. BTW: Sorry, about the "edits" - I was correcting a typo (working out 3x per day vs. 3x per week) & I added that I eat whole-wheat grains. (didn't mean to confuse anyone)

ccandy08

My Doctor told me that I need to be eating my goal calories and if I'm working out hard then I need to add about half of my exercise calories. He said if I didn't do this then my body wouldn't do what I want it to.

p8oenix

@ ccandy08 - THAT sounds like it makes alot of sense. Thanks :-D