Why am I not shifting this weight as soon as I'd like?

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  • anyonebutmehaha
    anyonebutmehaha Posts: 174
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    You've been given some great advice already, so I just wanted to add that on the days where you eat fruits and veggies, you make better choices overall. On the days where you eat almost none, you tend to go over on your calories. :)

    this is what i noticed too going back over a month. like look at say 1/24 for example- that is a far better day nutrient and cal wise than lately. more veggies! buy them, cook them, eat them. they are so important for success.
  • Sidesteal
    Sidesteal Posts: 5,510 Member
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    No, you do not have to eat a big breakfast, carbs are NOT stored in a deficit, you can eat bread, and water does not make you lose more fat -.-

    Pick healthy choices and keep your intake steady.


    ^ This.
  • BerryH
    BerryH Posts: 4,698 Member
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    Your dinners are quite large and often a bit junky. Why not try to eat more at lunchtime so you're not ravenous by dinner time and head for a takeaway?

    What exercise do you do to burn EXACTLY 500 calories each time and how are you estimating this? You might want to double-check this burn and maybe leave a margin of error. But do eat your exercise calories, so long as it's not always in pizzas and burgers!

    Good luck! :flowerforyou:
  • Soon2BeMrsThomson
    Soon2BeMrsThomson Posts: 167
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    Hi Guys - thanks for all your replies, some really good advice has been given.

    In reply to some questions - I weigh 117Kg (morbidly obese BMI is 41!!) at the moment and started off at 125Kg. I've lost 20 inches from my waist, hips and bottom areas and just started to measure arms/legs/bust etc

    I workout with a PT 3 times a week (1 hour sessions, intense) and we do a very good mix of weights (heavy) along with some cardio work. With a HRM and due to my size I definately burn 500 cals a session, probably more but we don't log more than this. I mostly don't eat back my exercise cals, maybe this is a good start to eat it back in healthy calories!! I also try to swim once a week and allow 300 cals for 1 hour breaststroke which I do no less than 100 laps.

    From 17th Jan for 10 days I did a detox diet (Natures Sunshine) hence the really strict eating, I think I need to do this more often and get into better habits with food. Some of my logging is incorrect - like when I can't find the thing Ive had and when I've been out for dinner etc but I know I eat too much junk food like pizza etc - I seem to do well all week and then the weekend comes and BANG!!

    I lost 3.5Kg on the detox and actually have not put any weight on after that (maintained) but have still not been eating great for the last couple of weeks. In my defence though I do make 99% of my meals fresh and after the detox apart from Saturday morning where my other half made me a sandwich with white bread (so I took a slice off lol) I have been eating wholewheat and wholegrains. I also do not log my water in take (naughty!!) but I sit next to the water cooler so drink plenty of water :-)

    I'd be interested to see what cals people think I should be consuming - MFP say BMR is 1940 so I opt for a cal defecit (2lbs per week) and MFP recoomends I take it to 1490. Again I know I'm like a yoyo and some days I will eat it and others I won't - like today for instance because I'm just not hungry!! I work in a sendentary job so put no activity for it to give me this goal.

    Again, thank you all for your time taken to reply. I love hearing what people have to say and it really motivates me :-) friends requestes on the way to all!!
  • jcpmoore
    jcpmoore Posts: 796 Member
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    It looks like you're hearing the feedback pretty well. I noticed too that you seem to really like potatoes. So do I-especially roasted! My recommendation is make friends with more colorful vegetables. More broccoli, carrots, kale and such can add great flavor and color to your meal and fill you up.

    Do put more effort into staying closer to goal calories. I am terrible for this. Most days I eat way under my goal calories and I know it's naughty. I've only been here a few weeks, but I'm sure in a few more I'll hit that plateau from not eating enough. Consistency in that is helpful. I think when we eat healthy food those goal calories are our friends.

    Keep up the good work. I do highly recommend tracking your water so you know how much you're really getting. Even if you just keep a notepad near the desk and mark it by a tick on the paper. Then you can put it in all at once.

    Good luck with your lifestyle change. I know you can do it!
  • Soon2BeMrsThomson
    Soon2BeMrsThomson Posts: 167
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    Bumping for some more advice on where I should set my calorie levels, macros etc
  • BerryH
    BerryH Posts: 4,698 Member
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    Don't sweat the details, use MFP settings to lose 1lb a week and it'll automatically give you the correct deficit to lose that amount - no extra counting or calculations required. It might not sounds like a fast loss, but any more and you may feel deprived and yo-yo again. I bet if you stick to it you'll lose faster than that anyhow.

    Don't sweat the macros, just get used to the change in quantity of food and the fact that healthy choices mean you can eat more (definitely don't worry if protein goes over - it's set low and is more of a target than a maximum).

    Carry on eating all or most of your exercise calories, but again make healthy choices.
  • Walkin4Lyfe
    Walkin4Lyfe Posts: 15 Member
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    I took a look at your diary and your meals are unbalanced in calories. I usually keep my meals between 350 - 400 in calories and about 300 in snacks throughout the day(small snacks). I also walk for two hours a day. It helps if you eat balanced healthy meals and all the "yummy" (junk food) in moderation.
  • auntiebabs
    auntiebabs Posts: 1,754 Member
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    Worry less about how quickly it comes off and more about building habits that will keep you healthy for the long haul.

    Your young and impatient. And nothing wrong with wanting to feel ha-cha-cha

    But the slower you lose the more likely you are to keep it off. Because you are sticking to something that is "livable" .

    I've know too many people who've drop weight very quickly to gain it back plus more, then dieted again and gained back again, plus even more. By the time you get to my age you get a little panicked because now the healthy consequences are rearing there ugly heads.

    You've got the time to take it slow, as long as you are making progress in the right direction and can keep it going you are doing okay. (I personally could not hit the same number every single day, just not in my personality, so I gave myself a range. 1200 rock bottom, MFP calories as my TARGET and maintain GOAL WEIGHT as the high-end of my range... As long as I stuck to that I would keep losing. My safety valve was maintain my current weight as long as I didn't go over that I should gain [you do have to recalculate this often] If I had a bad day no need to through in the towel... just see where I fell in my range and get back on track the next day)
  • katharos3
    katharos3 Posts: 154 Member
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    Bumping for some more advice on where I should set my calorie levels, macros etc

    I think yours is set to 1490, and that sounds like a good place to start. As far as macros, I like 40% carbs, 30% fat, 30% protein personally. I feel happy and balanced when I stick to that. When I eat more carbs, I feel hungrier overall.
  • funkycamper
    funkycamper Posts: 998 Member
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    You've already gotten some excellent advice. I'll just add that, for me, zig-zagging my calories has made a huge difference. I just can't stand to eat so consistently that I have roughly the same net calories each day. I do much better if I go by a weekly net calorie target. That way, if a combination of intense exercise plus eating very clean has left me with a low day, I just "bank" those calories to spend later in the week. I can use them on a day when I'm hungrier than normal or have a fun event to go to where I know I'll want to eat off-plan (like yesterday's Super Bowl party) or I just simply feel like splurging. It makes me feel like I'm not even on a diet. Sure, some people do better eating at a more consistent level each day. Just didn't work for me. May or may not work for you but might be worth a try.

    Also, focus on fitness goals and not the scale. I've been on a plateau since right before Christmas which is partially my own fault as I tend to want more comfort food in the winter so I haven't been eating as clean lately. But, in that time, because of my exercise routine, I have gone down a pant size.

    So, relax, have fun getting fit, and enjoy the journey.

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