MFP doesn't seem to be working

columbus27

1. How are you weighing yourself? I weigh myself on Sat. after I do 1 and 2. Pants belt and keys weigh a lot. You have to be consistent in the beginning on you weigh-ins.
2. What is your sodium intake looking like? Make sure you rinse your tuna and if you buy can goods get the veggies that are in water.
3.What type of Cardio are you doing? Personal I've had more success with taking a walk around the block than any crazy workout video or a gym membership.

agatronmeows

Im sure others have posted but my 2 cents is maybe weight yourself only once a week, or every other week. I hardly ever weight myself, i measure myself every 2-3 weeks and it really shows my progress more. Also, if you find that maybe 2000 is too high maybe customise it down to about 1800. Its not that much but since men should consume 2200-2500 it might make a bigger change. You also dont want to starve yourself so if you feel like you're ender eating and feeling super hungry then eat.

I eat a lot too so sometimes thats easier said than done. So what i do is when my body said "go eat something" or i have a craving. To tell if im actually hungry or craving i drink 1 big glass of water and wait 15 mins. If im still hungry i make a small snack that will fill me up but wont make me feel guilty. tbh im a noob so i hope any of this helps

clareeast

A couple of things:

You asked about sodium: Salt encourages the body to retain water - cut the salt, lose the water! And you be amazed how much that water weighs! Don't cut it out completely though, the body needs a little to operate efficiently.

You set your activity level as sedentary. Have you tried upping the level - you are at least "lightly active" - and not adding back the calories for your normal daily movements? Try to do some additional exercise where you can, and add those calories back.

I say at least lightly active - I used to be a high school librarian and walked huge distances some days, just in the normal nature of my job - from the library to the staff room and back was a quarter of a mile and I did that at least four times each day. When I was required to cover classes in our physics block that was at least as far again! I would often run errands round the school myself, rather than sending a student. My pedometer some days clocked up 25000 steps!

You also said you were (over-)estimating calories consumed at lunchtime. Unless you are lucky enough to get lunch at school for free (I never did!), would it make more sense to take a packed lunch? Then you know exactly what's in it and can accurately assess the calories: A sandwich, a salad, and several pieces of fruit (the occasional packet of crisps or a biscuit, too, if you really want) should keep you going!

The only sure-fire way to lose weight (and keep it off) is to eat less and move more, but getting the balance right between eating and moving can take several weeks to perfect. Keep trying - you will achieve!!

Escarda

I saw a post a few fays ago.
a woman started using MFP at 202 pounds.
Some months later she weighed 203 pounds, (so heavier). But she was half of the size, and very toned.
The scales are evil! Ignore them. MFP does work!
I recommend taking measurements and a "before" photo. Stick at it for a month, and your guarantee'd to of lost atleast a cm over the month! (even if you stay the same weight).

If instead you have gained "size", at the end of the month. Then i would say it is time to start evaluating what your doing wrong..

mrseelmerfudd

ok, ill put it another way. when you weighed in a few days after your orignal weigh in, tell us what you were honestly expecting to see the scales to show? a few lbs? please be honest

lsapphire

You didn't gain it overnight (so to speak) so it will take time to lose it. Don't be discouraged, it will happen if your calorie intake is set right and you stick with it.

fredd500

For the last few days it has given me a figure of about 350calories, which increases my calorie intake limit to about 2350; marginly less than the 2500 calorie RDA for males.

Don't forget the figure you see on MFP already includes a deficit, you said you want to loose 2lb per week so MFP will have already deducted 1000 cals per day from your TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure). TDEE is BMR * activity level (1.2 for sedentary). 2500 recommended is averaged over all men, as a tall guy with some weight to loose, yours will be somewhat higher than that. Best to leave it as is for now and see what happens over a whole week, two weeks, month. If after a month your weight isn't dropping, then maybe adjust your target cals a bit and see what happens.

jojule

I would say hang in there. If you follow your plan and dont cheat the ponds will come off. I lost a significant amount of weight last year,45 pounds,and the first week is the hardest. I stuck with it and eventually after a couple of weeks clothes fit better and then weight started coming off at a good clip.I stayed at a maintenance level for the past 6 months and I am now back on the plan to lose aliitle more.You can do it,just make sure,esp in the beginning that you pay attention to portion size.Sometimes you tend to overestimate the portions. Good luck.

babydull

You may be eating under what you need.

In which case, I would expect lose weight faster.

Logically yes. In reality, perhaps not. This is a highly contentious topic; lurk more on the forum and you'll learn. I can only attest to my own experience for sure, and I've found by increasing my calories; including net, I've dropped more. The body is like a machine, it needs fuel to function best. That analogy works for me.

In addition I can't recommend enough monitoring your sodium at this stage

I'm not usually so bad with salt, but I'm curious about the link between salt and weight loss. I understand the health benefits of cutting out salt, but I cannot see how a reduction in salt will help me lose weight. I am not saying you are wrong, certainly not! I am just curious about what the link is (please don't think I am being dismissive).

Could be broscience but again I've found that my body stores extra weight 'water weight' on a higher sodium intake.

True. I'm just trying to postpone death by a few more years before the inevitable shadow hands of fate grasp me in the night and drag me to the abyss of oblivion, whereupon my very essence of being will cease to exist and all perception of the joys and pains of this world will hault forever.

Touché.

Added you as a friend. I also teach (as part of my PhD) so I have some understanding of the difficulties of your work and it's impact on your lifestyle. We also have in common the fact that I, one day apparently will die.

LostScarecrow

Maybe I'm slightly misunderstanding how this all works, but when you choose "sedintary" does that still include an estimation of how many calories are burnt from your day to day activity. So if your adding calories based on general movement, are they not *also* taken into account by MFP anyway? Like I said, I'm not sure about that, but could it be you're essentially adding exercise that is already accounted for?

Added you as a friend. I also teach (as part of my PhD) so I have some understanding of the difficulties of your work and it's impact on your lifestyle. We also have in common the fact that I, one day apparently will die.

I plan to live forever. Or die trying.

delikium

Hi Mawkish.

Just want to say keep trying!

Maybe the lifestyle you have atm has not allowed you to loose weight 'fast enough' even after the changes.
The thing is you are re-educating yourself and your body needs time to adapt and follow your lifestyle changes.
Our bodies are survivors, no matter what WE do to it...it will try to cure itself, repair, protect, make sacrifices and everything else it needs to do to keep going.
Just imagine if your body would not have put up a fight during your old unhealthy lifestyle...where would you be now?

Secondly I would like to share with you something from my own experience.
I have recently (after saving for it) finally purchased a ' juicer'. This has had a huge impact on my health and lifestyle.
Just think about which has the most nutrition instead on focusing on calories only?
200 calories from cereals and milk or 200 calories from fresh homemade carrot, celery, beetroot, apple, parsnip, spinach juice.
When I want to have a snack...I just take 3 apples and a slice of lemon. If that's not enough I'll go back to the kitchen and make another carrot&celery juice. It helps me to consume a great variaty of veggies and fruit that I normally would not like to eat nor cook.
I can juice as much as I want because there are no negative health consequences. (no added sugar, preservatives, aspartame, other poisons...)
I have noticed an improvement in my skin, energy levels, mood, muscle strength, concentration, weight and shopping habit.
If you do not want to buy a juicer, you could just put everything in the blender.

I believe that in my case being overweight is only 1 consequence of my "not healthy enough" lifestyle.
So to come to my final tip: Have you tried a detox? Detox can balance your hormones, cleanse your intestines, flush toxins and reset your mindset.
There are so many ways out there: fasting, juicing, aloe-vera tablets, apple cider vinegar, fruit & veggie fast and some are achievable in 2/3 days.

I hope this motivates & good luck in reconnecting to your body's needs!

Mawkish1983

I use a phone app called "Libra" that does a weighted moving average calculation to plot weight trends, so I weigh daily and plug the numbers into that.

Yes, that's the sort of thing I mean. More data = more accurate tracking of trends.

I always wonder if these calorie estimates from gadgets, apps and gym machines are gross or net - do they take account of the fact that you would have been using 50 - 80 calories an hour lying down ? So is 240 calories burned in an hour 240 extra?

A really good question! I have wondered this too. I added the calories I burned one week when doing the ironing by looking up what the calories burnt whilst ironing were and subtracting the fraction of my BMR equivalent to the time I spend doing it... it didn't work out to be a lot.

Mawkish1983

Don't give up!

I shan't.

Mawkish1983

1. How are you weighing yourself?

I don't think I understand the question; I stand on the scales and note down the number?

2. What is your sodium intake looking like? Make sure you rinse your tuna and if you buy can goods get the veggies that are in water.

Rinse my tuna you say? Interesting. I hadn't even considered that.

3.What type of Cardio are you doing?

I walk.

Mawkish1983

Im sure others have posted but my 2 cents is maybe weight yourself only once a week, or every other week.

More data = more reliable tracking of trends.

if you find that maybe 2000 is too high maybe customise it down to about 1800. Its not that much but since men should consume 2200-2500 it might make a bigger change.

I am very large indeed, so the 2200-2500 is not suitable.

To tell if im actually hungry or craving i drink 1 big glass of water and wait 15 mins.

I drink throughout the day, so I'm not sure how that would fit in.

Mawkish1983

You asked about sodium

I did, and this answer confuses me. How would salt 'encourage the body to retain water'? More salt in my blood would mean less water in the cells of my body because of osmosis. Unless the body has some sort of homeostatic mechanism that detects salt level and adjusts the retention of water accordingly, which would mean there would the same amount of water in the cells. I'm not a biologist, so I really don't know.

Have you tried upping the [activity] level... and not adding back the calories for your normal daily movements?

That shouldn't make a difference, and is less accurate. It doesn't take into account the difference in my activity level from week days to weekends.

You also said you were (over-)estimating calories consumed at lunchtime.

It's possible.

would it make more sense to take a packed lunch?

The assumption being that I don't? I take a packed lunch, which is prepared by my wife (I am very fortunate!) I try my hardest to add the correct food items into my diary.

eat less and move more

Yes, I'm working on it. Many thanks for replying!

Mawkish1983

I recommend taking measurements and a "before" photo. Stick at it for a month, and your guarantee'd to of lost atleast a cm over the month!

If I remember to take my measurements tonight, I'll hold you do that guarentee

Mawkish1983

when you weighed in a few days after your orignal weigh in, tell us what you were honestly expecting to see the scales to show? a few lbs? please be honest

The implication being that I am dishonest? My original weigh in was thirty days ago: more than a few. I was expecting to lose 2lbs per week, as per the settings I had selected. I lost slightly less over the month, but significantly less this week so far than in previous weeks of the same duration. My weight loss appears to have indeed slowed down. As per the advice here, I will continue to wait

Mawkish1983

Don't be discouraged, it will happen if your calorie intake is set right and you stick with it.

I hope so.

Mawkish1983

Don't forget the figure you see on MFP already includes a deficit

The implication being that I had forgotten?

you said you want to loose 2lb per week so MFP will have already deducted 1000 cals per day from your TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure). TDEE is BMR * activity level (1.2 for sedentary).

Yes, I know.

2500 recommended is averaged over all men

Yes, I know.

as a tall guy with some weight to loose, yours will be somewhat higher than that.

Yes, I know.

Best to leave it as is for now and see what happens over a whole week

The implication being that I have been using MFP for less than a week?

two weeks

See above

If after a month your weight isn't dropping...

My weight is dropping, or should I say it has dropped, but I do not believe it is dropping at the correct rate.

Mawkish1983

If you follow your plan and dont cheat the pounds will come off.

Yes, cheating is something I am trying to stop.

Sometimes you tend to overestimate the portions.

I suspect I do, but I am amazed you know such things for certain

Music_is_my_soul

bump

mrmanmeat

Hello people,

MFP decided that I should have a goal calorie intake of just over 2000. I'm 282lbs right now and 6'7" tall (in the evening, closer to 6'8" in the morning). I'm a teacher, and I think I spend about half of my time sitting down. I decided to plump for the sedentary lifestyle setting on here and simply add all of my exercise by using a pedometer to calculate how many calories I burnt throughout the day.

I have a target weight loss of 2lbs per week. I weighed myself on Saturday morning and I was 282lbs. I weighed myself this morning and I am still 282lbs. Although slightly heartbroken by the scales revealing my efforts bearing no fruit, I have decided to stick to MFP for the time being.

I have been careful to record all of the food I eat and at a 2000 calorie target I can eat rather a lot. I'm concerned that perhaps the 2000 calorie target is too high though. I'm also concerned that many people I've spoken to told me how they lost a lot of weight initially, and the weight loss slowed down dramatically after the first couple of weeks to a steady 2lbs per week; my weight loss started at 2lbs per week and I'm concerned that it may slow down dramaticaly to a steady 0lbs per week from now.

Could any of you kind people please help me with my concerns? Based on what I've said, do you think I'm using MFP correctly/effectively?

Many thanks in advance.

You didn't gain the weight overnight. Don't expect to lose it overnight. Plain and simple.

Mawkish1983

In addition I can't recommend enough monitoring your sodium at this stage

Then that is what I shall do

Added you as a friend. I also teach (as part of my PhD) so I have some understanding of the difficulties of your work and it's impact on your lifestyle. We also have in common the fact that I, one day apparently will die.

But hopefully not before your viva

JennaM222

user error

Mawkish1983

Maybe I'm slightly misunderstanding how this all works, but when you choose "sedintary" does that still include an estimation of how many calories are burnt from your day to day activity. So if your adding calories based on general movement, are they not *also* taken into account by MFP anyway? Like I said, I'm not sure about that, but could it be you're essentially adding exercise that is already accounted for?

I chose the lowest setting so that any movements above and beyond 'sitting at a desk', including walking around the classroom, could be carefully monitored and recorded. It seems more precise than the 'multiply the BMR by an arbitrary factor' method.

Mawkish1983

I hope this motivates & good luck in reconnecting to your body's needs!

Thank you. A juicer is a tempting idea I hadn't considered.

secretlobster

I think you are setting yourself up to fail for no good reason. I see absolutely nothing wrong with losing 2lbs per week.
To put it in perspective, you are losing double this off your body every week:

Mawkish1983

You didn't gain the weight overnight. Don't expect to lose it overnight. Plain and simple.

The implication being that I expected to lose all of the weight I gained overnight? I expect to lose 2lbs per week, as per the plan to which I am subscribed. I am concerned that this target isn't being met, hence this thread.

Mawkish1983

user error

I do not understand.