Frustrated - any ideas???

MichelleLaree13

I bet you are adding muscle weight and getting rid of fat weight at the same time. Everything you describe sounds like you are doing everything right.

californiagirl2012

Not knowing your total weigh loss history, but it seems you are fairly close to your goal.

You lose a lot faster when you have a lot to lose, then as you get leaner you will lose slower. It requires more patience (yes even more than before!)

There is no scientific evidence for starvation mode happening in men over 5% BF and women in over 12%, so the only way to know if you are in starvation mode is to see a doctor and get a DXA scan.

But as you get leaner and closer to your goal you need to taper up your eating because you don't have as much fat reserve, and losing just a few lbs of fat takes much much longer.

If you feel strong at the gym, are getting enough sleep, not too stressed with life, and your neck circumference is not going down then you are not likely to be in starvation mode.

Only YOU can determine the correct amount of calories (all these tools are merely ball park estimates). Listen to your body. Measure the trend. Be super patient. Be wary of anyone telling you to eat more, or eat less, this is for YOU to decide.

fionaad

Not knowing your total weigh loss history, but it seems you are fairly close to your goal.

You lose a lot faster when you have a lot to lose, then as you get leaner you will lose slower. It requires more patience (yes even more than before!)

There is no scientific evidence for starvation mode happening in men over 5% BF and women in over 12%, so the only way to know if you are in starvation mode is to see a doctor and get a DXA scan.

But as you get leaner and closer to your goal you need to taper up your eating because you don't have as much fat reserve, and losing just a few lbs of fat takes much much longer.

I've had a DXA scan a while ago and that and the gym fat measurement scales say my body fat is about 22%. I'd like it to be 15%. So if starvation mode is a myth, is upping my net calories crazy?

rburkhead

I am so excited to read this post. I have the same body stats (5'6 145) and have been having the same issues for at least 6 months. I lost 23lbs by simply working out and counting calories. Since then, I have actually put on 6 lbs. I feel like I yo-yo, too, except I never completely lose what I gained the week prior. I have been mostly running and just recently added some TurboFire. The last 2 weeks, I have joined a TurboFire workout group while also training for a 10k. I made my own hybrid schedule and some days I run and do a TF video. According to my HRM, I burn between 700-1000 calories on days where I run 3+ miles and do a long video. I know I need to eat more to fuel my workouts. I have been having some kind of protein with a complex carb as a snack 2x a day along with my pretty nutritious meals. I have mostly cut out refined carbs and don't really eat processed foods. In the last 3 weeks, I have gained weight. I am so frustrated but it seems that maybe I should be eating even more than I do. I try to aim to eat 1800cals on days I workout really hard. Maybe it should be even more. I will keep reading responses because I feel that the answers will help me as well. Thanks for posting!

habi23

your body has adapted to the nutrition and exercise, which is known as plateau. your going to need to switch it up

bnw7485

I have been much like yourself... do really great with a "diet" then blow it... what I have found that works well for me is to have 1 day of the week where I have something I have cut out the rest of the week - for example the choclate, or ice cream, or maybe my favorite lunch/dinner... then when I do have the cravings later I dont go overboard and it is easy for me to get back in the routine. I also try to give myself 1 day a week of a break from working out and I ensure that is not the same day that I have my "bad" day. The rest of the time I dont do a specific "diet" I just am sure to drink 100+ ounces of water, and count calories- of course I go for more of the healthier options- fruits, veggies, small portions, etc- so far I have lost 11lbs and all I really do in the gym is cardio- 4 days a week and ride a bike 7.5-10.5 miles a day 5-6 days a week

fionaad

Good to hear from you
Glad to know I'm not the only one finding this difficult. Seems like it should be easy (just eat less, exercise more), but it doesn't seem that way...

tbetts23

first, you might want to open your diary so people can help.

I think it sounds like you are trying to do a nutrition/exercise plan that isn't sustainable for you. If you are more moderate, it is easier to stick to and the weight will stay off better. It just takes more time to lose. It sounds like you are not eating NEARLY enough. This is probably why you can only stay on your diet for 5 days at a time before you blow it. It is your body trying to survive!

Your bmr is 1413 calories per day. You are not all that overweight, so I would suggest not ever NETTING less than that (recalculate it as you continue to lose though). If you use a sedentary activity factor, your TDEE is 1695 cal/day. Of course, you exercise, so it is my preference to use the sedentary factor and then just log your activities. Choose a moderate deficit (250-500 calories/day) and stick to the plan.

In other words, if I were you, I would make sure you net 1413/day and if you exercise that day, you can eat a little more, but maintain your calorie deficit.

What he said!

fionaad

Does anyone have a view on whether its better (easier) to exercise less and keep calories eaten lower, or eat more calories and exercise more? Eg, if I'm aiming for say 1400 NET calories a day, am I better off eating 2000 and burning 600, or should I just eat 1400 and chill out a bit more? Perhaps go for a walk or something.

I currently exercise way more than most people I know, yet still struggle with my weight. Its counter-intuitive but I'm wondering if more rest would help my body in some way and make me less likely to get tired and binge.

Anyone have any experience or ideas about this?

fionaad

I have been much like yourself... do really great with a "diet" then blow it... what I have found that works well for me is to have 1 day of the week where I have something I have cut out the rest of the week - for example the choclate, or ice cream, or maybe my favorite lunch/dinner... then when I do have the cravings later I dont go overboard and it is easy for me to get back in the routine. I also try to give myself 1 day a week of a break from working out and I ensure that is not the same day that I have my "bad" day. The rest of the time I dont do a specific "diet" I just am sure to drink 100+ ounces of water, and count calories- of course I go for more of the healthier options- fruits, veggies, small portions, etc- so far I have lost 11lbs and all I really do in the gym is cardio- 4 days a week and ride a bike 7.5-10.5 miles a day 5-6 days a week

Sounds like a good plan - I'll try it (and try to get over my all-or-nothing personality)!

Nikiki

Does anyone have a view on whether its better (easier) to exercise less and keep calories eaten lower, or eat more calories and exercise more? Eg, if I'm aiming for say 1400 NET calories a day, am I better off eating 2000 and burning 600, or should I just eat 1400 and chill out a bit more? Perhaps go for a walk or something.

I currently exercise way more than most people I know, yet still struggle with my weight. Its counter-intuitive but I'm wondering if more rest would help my body in some way and make me less likely to get tired and binge.

Anyone have any experience or ideas about this?

Depends on your goals, do you want to be just skinny or do you want to have sculpted muscles (and by that I don't mean beefy body builder sculpted I mean shape magazine cover model sculpted)? If your only goal is to get skinny and drop the number on the scale then less exercise more diet. If you want abs and cut arms then you need to keep working out.

I do know that our bodies are extremely adaptable however they are stuck in the stone age. If you continue with basically the same exercise plan and not enough food your metabolism will slow, you my notice more soreness in your muscles because they're having a hard time repairing themselves without enough calories and any extra calories you eat (on those I'm so sick of dieting just eff it days) your body stores away the excess because it's pretty sure you're in a famine right now and so it wants to store away any extra in case it gets worse.

I'd suggest, to break up the pattern your body is setting, take a few days off at the gym and slowly bump up the calories over those few days. Likely you won't feel hungry for it all because you've gotten used to running on less so you'll have to make small changes, try cooking with a little more oil (olive or coconut are both very healthy in moderation and my weight loss sped up considerably when I started eating more!) add an extra snack in the day of something you love (I'm a fan of chocolate covered frozen bananas by diana's banana babies. Or mini snickers or milky way ice cream bars). After a few days of rest go back to working out but try to change up your routine if you can. Do hiit workouts or take a class ect...

Don't be shocked if the first week or so you gain a little, your body needs to adapt to the new way but at first it's going to just think this is one of those binge days and sock that away. It will stop though and the scale will drop again. Also take measurements to see for the weeks that the scale doesn't budge if it's because you're replacing bulky fat with lean muscle which will stall the scale but drop inches.

Good luck!

fionaad

Depends on your goals, do you want to be just skinny or do you want to have sculpted muscles (and by that I don't mean beefy body builder sculpted I mean shape magazine cover model sculpted)? If your only goal is to get skinny and drop the number on the scale then less exercise more diet. If you want abs and cut arms then you need to keep working out.

I do know that our bodies are extremely adaptable however they are stuck in the stone age. If you continue with basically the same exercise plan and not enough food your metabolism will slow, you my notice more soreness in your muscles because they're having a hard time repairing themselves without enough calories and any extra calories you eat (on those I'm so sick of dieting just eff it days) your body stores away the excess because it's pretty sure you're in a famine right now and so it wants to store away any extra in case it gets worse.

I'd suggest, to break up the pattern your body is setting, take a few days off at the gym and slowly bump up the calories over those few days. Likely you won't feel hungry for it all because you've gotten used to running on less so you'll have to make small changes, try cooking with a little more oil (olive or coconut are both very healthy in moderation and my weight loss sped up considerably when I started eating more!) add an extra snack in the day of something you love (I'm a fan of chocolate covered frozen bananas by diana's banana babies. Or mini snickers or milky way ice cream bars). After a few days of rest go back to working out but try to change up your routine if you can. Do hiit workouts or take a class ect...

Don't be shocked if the first week or so you gain a little, your body needs to adapt to the new way but at first it's going to just think this is one of those binge days and sock that away. It will stop though and the scale will drop again. Also take measurements to see for the weeks that the scale doesn't budge if it's because you're replacing bulky fat with lean muscle which will stall the scale but drop inches.

Good luck!

Thanks for your help. I'm already fairly muscly but the gym work is probably my favourite workout. Just sick of so much cardio. A few days of rest would probably change that though! I definitely like the strong look (and know its healthier) so I guess that was a stupid question
BTW, I just had a peep at your diary. Do you mind me asking, what height and weight are you? Also, are you losing at the moment? I'm really having a hard time getting my head around being able to lose weight while eating more!

FrustratedYoYoer

Does anyone have a view on whether its better (easier) to exercise less and keep calories eaten lower, or eat more calories and exercise more? Eg, if I'm aiming for say 1400 NET calories a day, am I better off eating 2000 and burning 600, or should I just eat 1400 and chill out a bit more? Perhaps go for a walk or something.

I currently exercise way more than most people I know, yet still struggle with my weight. Its counter-intuitive but I'm wondering if more rest would help my body in some way and make me less likely to get tired and binge.

Anyone have any experience or ideas about this?

I also over-exercise but since June have changed my ways both with the gym and eating habits. Exercise wise i now make sure i rest one day a week minimum. And on my gym days i now limit my cardio and include free weights & rsistance machines at the gym so it's 50/50 or quite often these days it is more biased towards the weights with less cardio. I really try to mix my routine up. If I do an hour of cardio it's only cos I've done a gym class which includes toning exercises and i may do a few toning exercises of my own. Basically I have limited what I do on the cardio front and not been over-zealous with my workouts.

Diet wise, I never used to snack between meals and would keep carbs to lunch time meals where i would over indulge and then have a salad and fruit at night. I was regularly netting 800 cals and after a few wks would binge over several days and gain the weight back and more. However, now I snack in the morning and in the afternoon. I have a nice lunch. Still carby but I limit it to sandwiches with a snack bar of some sort and yogurt or a ready meal/tin of soup (not good i know but it's days i'm on placement only). Then in the evening I have a "proper" meal as in it is sustainable for me. Something hot and sizeable but healthy and it is usually carb based - potatoes, pasta, rice etc. I find that I enjoy it more which makes me feel satisfied and I feel full for longer. I follow it up with a chocolate mousse or greek yogurt/honey which satisfies my sweet tooth or choc cravings so it's win win.

Since I have changed my diet and exercise habit i am happy to say that binges are extremely rare now and if so it couldn't even really be considered a binge. A few extra cereal bar or a bag of crisps etc. To my amazement I have consistenly lost 1 lb each week and most weeks I have not even felt like I was dieting.

I think you are better to lower the amount of exercise you do and see how u feel regarding food. Listen to your body. You know yourself better than anybody and since I have listened to mine rather than ignoring it things are going a lot more smoothly. I don't count my cals here I just record what I have eaten but I would guess I eat 1700+ calories every day.

fionaad

Wow - you sound like you were previously quite like me. THanks for your advice. Sounds like a bit more moderation is key. So good to hear that you've managed to break the cycle by changing up your diet and exercise. Well done. Hope I can do the same

Nikiki

This last week is a bad example of my diet & exercise routine, work has been pretty nutty and food has been provided several times this week so I've not done well, plus longer hours so I'm not making it to the gym as much next week will be more normal!
Typically my average net calories are about 1400-1500 a day. I am 5'3", started at 189 and am about 160 right now. I work at a bank but am surprisingly active during my work day so I have my activity level set at lightly active. I do somewhat of a calorie cycling program, basically I eat anywhere from 1300-2500 calories a day and just watch I be sure that my net intake averages under 1600 per day (so I may be over on wednesday and Saturday but I'll be under Monday and Thursday to make up for it) I work out about 5 days a week, doing about 30 minutes of weights 3 times a week and anywhere from 15-45 minutes of cardio at each workout (I do hiit workouts on weights days to keep my heart rate up and 5k training most straight cardio days). I'm in the "only track actual workouts" camp because my activity is set at lightly active so short dog walks, cleaning and such I don't track.

I've lost just shy of 30lbs in 6 months and dropped from a too tight size 16 down to 10-12's so this method has been working for me

Oh and I'm a big believer in rest days, every few weeks I make sure I take about 3 days of total rest otherwise I tend to train too hard and hurt myself!

Helloitsdan

This works!
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12


Ive broke 100s of plateaus with it.

Eat TDEE for 2 weeks then resume the diet at a moderate level.

asugar

I think that is a healthy weight for your height! Whybfret

ouandi

Even if she nets lower during the week and blows it on the weekends, the total net should be fine for the week and you should still lose weight. Or does it not work that way?

I'm asking because for the longest time I ate lighter during the week and whatever I wanted on the weekend and lost weight very slowly a few years ago. Now that I'm trying to net a certain number of calories a day, one mistake or two for the week will stop weightloss in it's tracks.

JMitchell219

Great advice from GauchoMark!

firstsip

Having looked at your diary, your carbs seem pretty high even for all the exercise you do, particularly since i'm not seeing very complex carbs (you're having at least two candy bars every day :P) AND on that note, you're not tracking your sugar or sodium. Try watching those, set strong limits, and THEN see how the weight comes off. If it's only two or three pounds, it's very possible you could be retaining all that from sodium.