No weight loss

Laura_Ivy

Hi friends!
I have being following MFP since November and have yet to lose any weight at all. I weigh 163 and have 30 lbs to lose to put me in the middle of a normal weight. With this much to lose it seems like I would have lost but I acually went up a pound from November and have stayed there!! It's insane.

I track my food and have an open diary and have recently been trying to eat at my current maintenance calories in hopes it will reset my metabolism. I am a retired yo yo dieter,meal skipper and low calorie eater so I was hoping this would help. But it's only been a week so still too early to tell...but I have been listening to fat2fitradio and they endorse this same theory.I am wanting to adopt this theory but am afraid of switching my plans around too much.

You are more than welcome to look in my diary and give suggestions in regards to my eating. I have recently been working on increasing protein and lowering my carbs. Some days are better than others! I have recently started Couch to 5k and am trying to shake up my workouts and not get in a rut so my body is guessing. I 'feel' like I am doing everything right...could you guys give me suggestions?

Oh and yes,I have had my thyroid/blood work done and all was normal!

~Laura

heybales

Hi friends!
I have being following MFP since November and have yet to lose any weight at all. I weigh 163 and have 30 lbs to lose to put me in the middle of a normal weight. With this much to lose it seems like I would have lost but I acually went up a pound from November and have stayed there!! It's insane.

I track my food and have an open diary and have recently been trying to eat at my current maintenance calories in hopes it will reset my metabolism. I am a retired yo yo dieter,meal skipper and low calorie eater so I was hoping this would help. But it's only been a week so still too early to tell...but I have been listening to fat2fitradio and they endorse this same theory.I am wanting to adopt this theory but am afraid of switching my plans around too much.

You are more than welcome to look in my diary and give suggestions in regards to my eating. I have recently been working on increasing protein and lowering my carbs. Some days are better than others! I have recently started Couch to 5k and am trying to shake up my workouts and not get in a rut so my body is guessing. I 'feel' like I am doing everything right...could you guys give me suggestions?

Oh and yes,I have had my thyroid/blood work done and all was normal!

Welcome Laura.

Someone else mentioned that fat2fitradio after I posted this method. Only difference is, trying to nail the activity level. They still rely on the user's best guess.
I didn't test too many scenarios on their site, but it at least seems they don't suggest daily goal under the BMR, if I'm thinking of right site anyway.

If your change in November consisted of big diet change and big deficit compared to before, that would cause an initial BMR drop. Now, from the studies I've read, usually there is a recovery back up.
Unless you are now also eating below your BMR, and if with unfed exercise, really below, it only rises up to that level.
So a double whammy that could in theory cause what you see.
So during that drop and slight recovery, you probably did lose some fat, and with working out, strengthen up some muscle.
Things probably fit a tad better.

Also, if you have continued to workout, your body has gotten better this whole time (up to a point anyway) at storing glucose, along with water, in the muscles, for backup when the liver is low for feeding your muscles.

So there is weight gain there, while the fat actually comes off.

Now, you have done an excellent job of not succumbing to the 1200 theory.
I notice your exercise calories in there, sometimes eaten back.

So 2 potentials, those exercise calories is overestimated and you are trying to do right by feeding the workout.
Combined with the weight loss goal not being too great, again great realization.
But then you have no deficit.
Now you mention eating at maintenance calories to get metabolism going again, good idea.

How do you know maintenance calories? The broad 4 or 5 activity levels could have one right on for you, or could be way off, and you could have selected the wrong one too.

The other potential, your exercise is actually more calories, and therefore you are always netting under your potential real BMR, forcing it down.

Also, you seem to have been mostly eating at 1500-1600. I wouldn't be surprised if that is your BMR level, so all your exercise, accurate estimates of calories or not, is for sure causing you to be constantly under your potential BMR level, so it is in reality less.

I'd suggest nailing your daily activities, sounds like you have a pretty regular workout routine so should be easy to estimate.

If you don't have Excel and want me to run your calc's, find the topic in the group here pinned to the top for These figures can't be right, and supply that info.
Otherwise the topic on Spreadsheet has the link to it.

Regarding diet, looks low on protein. During weight loss and workouts, recommended to have 1g per lb of lean body mass. So just adjust the percentages in your Goals until it shows that many grams, and then adjust carbs and leave some good fats too.

Let me know any questions.

Laura_Ivy

In regards to fit2fat they endorse never going under your bmr and to eat more to lose. I love their podcasts!

When I calculated my maintenance calories I went to several different websites to see if I could get an accurate estimate of my Maintenance calories. Some of the sites I checked were :fit2fatradio.com , freedieting.com and aworkoutroutine.com .

The estimates were anywhere between 1900-2300. MFP gave me 1950 so I just went with that since I assume my metabolism is dead,lol, it's better to choose the lower number.

You're right about my bmr as well it's right between 1500-1600. I think last time I checked it was 1543.

I don't have excel so I will hop over to the other thread. Thanks for taking time to respond back to this,you're awesome!

heybales

I don't have excel so I will hop over to the other thread. Thanks for taking time to respond back to this,you're awesome!

Here is an online Google Spreadsheet version. Just be careful of the fields with formulas, stick to the yellow boxes.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0Amt7QBR9-c6MdGZlcmNCNmhJWFhtUGl0ZEk1RFd1c0E

Laura_Ivy

I could seriously squeeze you right now! You did all the hard work for me Thanks my friend!

HypersonicFitNess

I'm going to piggy back on this thread and say I have not seen any loss either. I have been doing TDEE for 8 weeks and I am not getting anywhere. So I'm thinking maybe my numbers are off.

That being sent; I can't seem to stay under on fat grams...so maybe that is why I am not seeing any loss.

I used the spreadsheet and calculated my TDEE at 2034
I also tried some other websites and came up with TDEE - % to lose weight:

Eat for Future You 1803
Fitbe 1823
Scooby 1462
Fat2Fit 1936
Average 1756

I am 44 yrs old; 5'2"; have ~ 20% bf; 126 #

Exercise:
Mon: walk 2 miles; swim ~ 50 min; weight train ~ 60 min
Tue: Run 5-8 miles
Wed: walk 2 miles; swim ~ 50 min; weight train ~ 60 min'
Thur: Run 5-8 miles
Fri: ? depends/sometimes I get in an extra run or bike ride or just a short walk; sometimes its a rest day
Sat: weight train ~ 60 min
Sun: run 6-10 miles

Use HRM for average calories burned
Mon: 684
Tue: 527
Wed: 865
Thur: 643
Fri: 795
Sat: 589
Sun: 713

I have MFP calories set to 1803; any assistance would be greatly appreciated. Perhaps I have my calories set too high or maybe it is going over fat grams every day that is causing no loss. Any help on getting enough calories/protein while staying under on fat grams would be greatly appreciated.

My diary is open, so feel free to view (and yes we went to the beach over 4th of July weekend and that didn't help either)

EDIT: it's not that I want to lose a lot of weight..my pants are currently tight and I would like them to be a little loose. For that I need to lose about an inch off my hips and thighs

heybales

So several places for inaccuracies when you have a very small margin for error, have to be even more exact.

Food eaten - do you weigh everything but liquids, for at least 2 weeks, to see how far off measuring or estimating food quantity is?

Is the HRM calories factored in to any math?
Considering there is a very easy ability for the best Polar with stats setup to tested values to still be off up to 30% for women, I would not count on that.

And is this actually using the original spreadsheet, or this one?

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/813720-spreadsheet-bmr-tdee-deficit-macro-calcs-hrm-zones

I'd use the newer one, get the stats entered to get best estimate of BF% (unless you have had real test for it), and then be honest with activity calc.

If you still want the smaller deficit for the EFFY method, then bottom right is your figures. How does it compare now?

And you'll notice the TDEE Deficit method is probably bigger deficit.

Bigger deficit, less improvement from exercise. Smaller deficit, bigger improvement.
Your choice, or somewhere in between of course.

I'd skip fat2fit site - they use the inflated Harris BMR. Change the bodyfat stat to anything, the eating goal stays the same.
Scooby is probably using Mifflin BMR, unless you selected Most Accurate calc and using the Katch BMR method.

With all that cardio in though, it is easily possible that you have lowered RMR for that reason.

But see how the TDEE compares with new spreadsheet, see what the TDEG is compared to the EFFY method goal.
If about the same and you've been eating at that higher number, at least metabolism should not be suppressed, so that's good, and you could start lowering the eating goal slightly.
If TDEE estimate is very different with another BF%, then that may be reason, and could go either way.

Let me know.

HypersonicFitNess

1. I weigh or measure my foods; should I weigh everything rather measure? As in 1/2 cup of sliced strawberries or 2 cups of zucchini, I should weigh the strawberries? I will admit I do not always weigh meat that is cooked but I can check on that (I also do not eat meat a lot). -- I will check this

2. The HRM is just for my benefit; I do not have that in any calculation

3. I am using the new spreadsheet

4. The spreadsheet has me at average 22.99% bf but I have calipers (my husband used to be a personal trainer/nutritionist in the military) - by calipers I am lower; I can have him double check to make sure my body fat is accurate; I have it at the 22.99% in the spreadsheet; changing it to 20% doesn't change the TDEE by very much (goes from 2043 to 2101)

5. The lower right corner (future TDEG) is 1667, however the green Change MFP settings shows 1816

6. My activity level on the spreadsheet is pretty accurate; I only include the weight training part of my weight training (not warm up/cool down/stretching) in the circuit section because I include plyometrics between sets (so no "rests") and only include an average of the number of minutes I run per week; I include the walking in medium activity. I could move the weight training to the "weight training" section and only include the actual plyometic minutes in the higher activity to see if that makes a difference.

So my To Dos:

1. Start weighing ALL foods to double check my calories consumed
2. Have my husband re-evaluate my bf% to make sure it is accurate

If those check out; reduce my calories a little? 100? or should I drop to 1667?

thank you for the advice.

heybales

1. I weigh or measure my foods; should I weigh everything rather measure? As in 1/2 cup of sliced strawberries or 2 cups of zucchini, I should weigh the strawberries? I will admit I do not always weigh meat that is cooked but I can check on that (I also do not eat meat a lot). -- I will check this

2. The HRM is just for my benefit; I do not have that in any calculation

3. I am using the new spreadsheet

4. The spreadsheet has me at average 22.99% bf but I have calipers (my husband used to be a personal trainer/nutritionist in the military) - by calipers I am lower; I can have him double check to make sure my body fat is accurate; I have it at the 22.99% in the spreadsheet; changing it to 20% doesn't change the TDEE by very much (goes from 2043 to 2101)

5. The lower right corner (future TDEG) is 1667, however the green Change MFP settings shows 1816

6. My activity level on the spreadsheet is pretty accurate; I only include the weight training part of my weight training (not warm up/cool down/stretching) in the circuit section because I include plyometrics between sets (so no "rests") and only include an average of the number of minutes I run per week; I include the walking in medium activity. I could move the weight training to the "weight training" section and only include the actual plyometic minutes in the higher activity to see if that makes a difference.

So my To Dos:

1. Start weighing ALL foods to double check my calories consumed
2. Have my husband re-evaluate my bf% to make sure it is accurate

If those check out; reduce my calories a little? 100? or should I drop to 1667?

thank you for the advice.

1 - grams of fat, carbs, and protein equals calories.
Everything is actually by weight to arrive at calories, you should weigh everything, measuring volume is only correct on liquids, that's why the label always has weight, with if honest "about 1 cup" or whatever the volume measurement is.

4 - very true, within 5% accuracy doesn't change end goal much. But, measurements and calipers even in skilled hands are all 5% accuracy methods, potential. Hence the reason it'll avg all 3 BF% together for better chance.

5 - Only that little box is about EFFY, the instructions and that 1816 are for TDEE Deficit method. Which actually I'm surprised the EFFY is smaller goal, it's usually less. Must mean you have more LBM right now than expected for your goal weight on average person - great!

6 - Nope, you did it right, you can leave the activity time where you put it. The lifting line is because of less calorie burn, but your making it more cardio focused by little rest means it's cardio level burns.

I'd stick with TDEE Deficit method since it is using your best estimate LBM with Katch BMR as it is right now.
And deficit amount based on activity type.
The EFFY has to fudge, so it's using Mifflin BMR at goal weight, and that BMR has an assumed ratio of fat to fat-free mass (LBM) - which you are doing better than.
So for you to get to avg, you'd have to lose some LBM - no need for that!

But, I would recommend you take an exercise break week, eating at correct TDEG for that reduced activity - which will only be walking during your workout time. Unless you've had one recently, either purposely or because your body made you by getting sick or injured.
And then the week after, right back in to the workouts but you'll probably be shocked how strong you are now, but this week take a diet break, get the correct TDEE set back up, and eat at TDEE, no deficit. Body with renewed strength and extra food will make great improvements.

That will be 2 weeks of unstressing the body usually pretty well, outside just eating at TDEE for weeks.
And then the week after the diet break, back to TDEG.

You might want to examine why you are doing ply during the strength training rest times, instead of later. That will allow the lifting workout to truly be lifting, instead of never truly recovering.
Now, maybe you have a goal in mind that needs that type of workout, but if your exercise is partially for helping weight loss and body recomposition, jack of all trades master of none won't help nearly as fast as focusing on each separately.

HypersonicFitNess

1. Okay; I will start weighing everything except liquids and will keep to measuring that in cups

4. Had my husband recheck and my body fat is 17.2%; so rather than enter that in the spreadsheet I did an average with the other two calculations and got 20.63%

6. A break? ACK! That would kill me; as my job is sitting at a computer for 10 or more hours per day and I'm a hyper person.

That being said; I DID take an unwanted break at the beginning of May. I did injure myself but not while exercising. I was just walking into the kitchen and our 7 lb kitten ran between my legs and I jerked my leg. Anyway, I couldn't figure what I did so I went to the doctor, she thought I had a hernia, so she told me no stretching, walking, swimming, running, etc until I saw the general surgeon, then her office messed up and didn't get my urgent consultation in for 3 weeks. So I was out for 3 weeks, then found out it was only a pulled groin.

Before the pulled groin I was training for a half marathon and was running 10-13.11 miles every weekend 13.11 @ 8'27"/mile; I could run a 10k in 49 minutes 15 seconds. So, I wasn't a slug. However, I missed my half and afterwards I lost my stamina. So, I had to slowly build up my distance and speed again. Right now the furthest I've run is maybe 10 miles and the fastest was 8 miles at 8'03"/mile; so my distance and pace isn't back yet. -- One way to get speed back is plyometrics

So; was that a recent enough break or do you still recommend a break?

The other part of the circuit training is...about 9 weeks ago at a neighborhood party, one of my friends asked if she could start weight training with me. She is 51 and she had a lumpectomy earlier in the year and became depressed, stopped working out and put on some weight. I said no problem, so I had to scale back my weight training a bit (not the weight) and add in plenty of cardio to help her lose weight because she is only weight training with me 3x per week and not doing any other exercise, so she needs a little cardio to go with it (I think). So that is the other part of why I do plyometrics between sets.

If you still recommend I take a week off; I will still lead her in her exercise, walk with my other neighbor (and swim with her too - that's low intensity) but I can skip running and weight training for a week. Would that still count as a break? :bigsmile:

Oh and I am still looking for a new half to register for since I missed my first one in the Spring (I have never actually ran a half marathon, although I ran 13.11 3 or 4 times during training early Spring); that was my goal for this year.

heybales

Ok, so modified so you can still help with the workouts.

The rest week we'll call Active Recovery week, after the HR training zone. If you can stay in that zone during all cardio, it should add no additional load to the body.
That HR zone is spelled out on the spreadsheet HRM tab. If you have decent estimate of HRmax, and measure your resting HR, should be able to get very close.

Then the lifting during that week, skip the ply, and deload the weights just a bit, or the reps, but make it easier.
Still eat at TDEG as you've got entered for that week.
Then the next week, eat at TDEE and add the ply back, and cardio back to normal levels. I hope you have a couple of runs after the lifting that are still in Recovery HR zone, as lifting needs time to recovery with rest. And they'll be very beneficial for training the fat-burning aerobic system, required for endurance cardio anyway.

You may think that cat injury was unrelated - but doesn't that just mean that your body was so close to the line of injury, that a simple leg jerk pushed you over the edge?
It's like people that think sleeping wrong messed up their neck or back. No, that was just the final straw, you already had a load on the camel's back. And if sleeping caused it, you were going to mess it up anyway very soon anyway.

HypersonicFitNess

I'll give it a shot; thank you for the advice.

And yes I'm sure I was going full throttle and not getting enough stretching in for all muscle groups which I'm sure is why I pulled the groin with the cat accident.