Help! I don't know what's wrong...

ems1583

Hi! I just weighed-in today, and I only lost 0.2 lb. I followed my cal goal of 1380 this week, average of like 1100-1200+ and I did my exercises everyday. Started Insanity on 3rd day of the week. Didn't receive the starvation warning. Last week, I was at 1200, lots of starvation warning and lost 1.6 lb. I was expecting to lose 1lb at least but only 0.2

I want to go back to 1200, maybe that kind of goal is right for me but its hard. I did a lot of exercises this week I don't know that might be a reason. Last week, I did more on cal intake instead of the exercise cal being subtracted. But this week was more exercise and enough cal intake. I don't know what to do. its just it kept on decreasing. Lost 4 lbs, then 1.6 lbs, then 0.2 lb

heybales

Hi! I just weighed-in today, and I only lost 0.2 lb. I followed my cal goal of 1380 this week, average of like 1100-1200+ and I did my exercises everyday. Started Insanity on 3rd day of the week. Didn't receive the starvation warning. Last week, I was at 1200, lots of starvation warning and lost 1.6 lb. I was expecting to lose 1lb at least but only 0.2

I want to go back to 1200, maybe that kind of goal is right for me but its hard. I did a lot of exercises this week I don't know that might be a reason. Last week, I did more on cal intake instead of the exercise cal being subtracted. But this week was more exercise and enough cal intake. I don't know what to do. its just it kept on decreasing. Lost 4 lbs, then 1.6 lbs, then 0.2 lb

So from your Diary, you eat 1380, or 1200.
Your exercise takes 400-600 of that, and you don't eat that back.

What exactly is your body left with to work with?

While 1 weeks is not enough to tell much, you are missing the concept of MFP.

You selected an activity level that did NOT include exercise.
MFP created a deficit ALREADY in your diet, whether you did any or not.
When you do exercise, you log it, and to keep a safe deficit, you are intended to eat those calories back.
Or your deficit is unsafe. Hence the warnings you didn't understand, or thought you new better than.

Do you know your BMR, or what that means?

MFP - Tools - BMR Calc - compute it and read what it means right there on the page.

NET above that figure, meaning you eat enough to cover your exercise burning calories before your BMR gets them.

lizard053

You're averaging below your recommended intake, you should try to get closer to the set intake.

If you started a new exercise routine, your body will retain water for up to a week to repair the muscles. This may be a HUGE part of why you saw minimal losses.

A greater deficit (either created through eating less, or exercising more, or both) does not equate to a greater weight loss. The way our body works is to fight weight loss at every turn. The higher your deficit on average, the lower the weight loss in general. (The so-called "starvation mode" thing.) You need to EAT more! Trust the process, MFP works!

jenngi620

While 1 weeks is not enough to tell much, you are missing the concept of MFP.

You selected an activity level that did NOT include exercise.
MFP created a deficit ALREADY in your diet, whether you did any or not.
When you do exercise, you log it, and to keep a safe deficit, you are intended to eat those calories back.
Or your deficit is unsafe. Hence the warnings you didn't understand, or thought you new better than.

Do you know your BMR, or what that means?

MFP - Tools - BMR Calc - compute it and read what it means right there on the page.

NET above that figure, meaning you eat enough to cover your exercise burning calories before your BMR gets them.
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Wow...that was a little rough. Let's keep in mind that everyone's body is different and we all have unique needs and MFP can't possibly be 100% accurate for everyone. Beyond the inherent concerns of a one-size-fits-all deficit calculation are some possibilities that may be more constructive. Are you weighing your foods? Often what we guess to be a half cup of something can really be quite a bit more and that will add up. Borrow a food scale and check your serving size estimates. What about your calorie burn? Is it possible that the generic numbers aren't accurate because your body has gotten used to it and burns less than expected? What about water weight, effects of any medications, etc? If all of those things check out just give it some time. I always have roller coaster weigh ins from day to day or week to week, but as frustrating as that can be I look back at the overall trend and it is pretty close to what I'd hoped for. Good luck, and focus on the long term sucesses instead of the short term "bad data". If you're doing everything right it will work out in the end.

ems1583

My BMR is around 1400 and I don't follow or maintain it coz I'm scared to gain weight if I eat all those calories.

Here's what I did this week: (1380 goal)

Fri - food 1204 - 466 exercise = 738
sat - food 1643 - 466 exercise = 1177
sun - food 1618 - 345 exercise = 1273
mon - food 1257 - 388 exercise = 869
tue - food 1687 - 411 exercise = 1276
wed - food 1362 - 311 exercise = 1051
thu - food 1211 - 632 exercise = 579

I tried to maintain it lesser than 1200-1380...

heybales

Wow...that was a little rough.

Not really since she's been on a topic of how it works before.

While true, MFP blanket formula's based on normally selected choices isn't best for everyone, at least gotta know how it's supposed to work.

Which she read and responded to before.
This wasn't like totally new info in other words, so was just throwing it out there again as reminder.

ems1583

I weigh whatever I eat. I don't know if my body is overwhelmed by the exercises that ive been doing coz this is the first time that I really did a lot of exercises. They said yeah, try experimenting first and see what fits. I don't want to eat a lot coz I have a tendency for that. I was like that when I gained a lot. I just eat whatever. Still, I don't know. I don't want to follow the BMR thing, still in doubt but I want to know whats wrong. or what to do aside from that. Thanks for the replies

heybales

My BMR is around 1400 and I don't follow or maintain it coz I'm scared to gain weight if I eat all those calories.

Here's what I did this week: (1380 goal)

Fri - food 1204 - 466 exercise = 738
sat - food 1643 - 466 exercise = 1177
sun - food 1618 - 345 exercise = 1273
mon - food 1257 - 388 exercise = 869
tue - food 1687 - 411 exercise = 1276
wed - food 1362 - 311 exercise = 1051
thu - food 1211 - 632 exercise = 579

I tried to maintain it lesser than 1200-1380...

So you read the blurb on what BMR is then hopefully?

You can't gain weight eating at BMR, until your metabolism has slowed so far down that it is not really your BMR.

You gain fat eating above your TDEE, daily maintenance, which for you and exercising, is probably upwards of 2000.

You gain weight storing more glucose/water because you are exercising, even while still losing fat.

Suggest you wrap your mind around concept of where you really gain FAT, not weight, and how much more you would have to eat to do that.

And look at your daily calories that are left over after exercise.

Your body would like to burn 1400 every day dealing with the functions fo life. You are giving it what you just showed. It will have to do less obviously. When it does less, that means you burn less doing everything else all day.

Undercut that enough, that is how you truly stall, because your system has slowed down so far with what it has left, that your 1380 becomes maintenance level. You'll regret letting it get to that state. Because only 2 directions then, down more, which will stall again, or up, and some potential gain while your metabolism recovers.

And with full metabolism, you would lose just as much now. And easier going into maintenance mode.

And one study shows that post recovery, the amount of calories burned on daily activity does NOT truly recover fully. So again, don't shoot yourself in the metabolism for either short term now, or long term - unless you just want a string of yo-yo dieting in your future.

http://www.ajcn.org/content/88/4/906.full

heybales

I weigh whatever I eat. I don't know if my body is overwhelmed by the exercises that ive been doing coz this is the first time that I really did a lot of exercises. They said yeah, try experimenting first and see what fits. I don't want to eat a lot coz I have a tendency for that. I was like that when I gained a lot. I just eat whatever. Still, I don't know. I don't want to follow the BMR thing, still in doubt but I want to know whats wrong. or what to do aside from that. Thanks for the replies

Do you know what you used to eat before when gaining weight? How many calories, not just that you ate more?

Most people have no idea. Go pick a day in the past and log what you would have really eaten and see.

Well, you got your suggestions. Stick with whatever works, and it sure sounds like your way is not working right now after initial water weight drop, so might open mind a bit beyond your fears.