Frustrated with calorie counting

jesspi68

Did you take the time to read the link I posted above. That sort of approach will likely work well for you. Or use http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/ to set your calories including your exercise and just eat that amount.

this! I eat almost 1800 calories every day regardless of my workouts and maintain my activity level of about 3 hours per week of normal exercise and weight lifting.

jacksonpt

Also try switching up your diet, your body is getting used to the same food all the time. :drinker:

No it doesn't. Your body doesn't know what your eating... All it knows is that it has to process the food you give it (either use it, store it, or get rid of it).

jesspi68

Also, this is the kitchen scale I use, it's really nice and has multiple different units of measure on it, plus its not super expensive and is eligible for free shipping!

http://www.amazon.com/Ozeri-Professional-Digital-Kitchen-Tempered/dp/B003MSZBSI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1346939736&sr=8-1&keywords=ozeri+kitchen+scale

jacksonpt

Thing is, you're building muscle with those work out routines.... so you'll likely be losing fat, but building muscle, measure yourself. It's a bit more accurate depiction if you're losing or not.

No you're not... certainly not enough to matter. Not in such a short period of time, and not on a deficit.

jacksonpt

Should I watch the carb, protein and fat intake more closely? I think on some sites they said to have protein 40, carb 30 and fat 30? Is that correct?

Yes, you should. I'm not a fan of ratios/percentages for this, but for the average person a 40/30/30 split should be fine.

LCgymnast

Well, it also depends on when you're eating too. If you eat late at night lets say after 8 or 830, then it will take longer for digestion meaning more fat stored in the body. What kind of food you're eating also plays a role into not losing weight. The exercise is fine 3-4 times a week is a good number. Keep with the calorie counting, but also see what time it is you're eating. Hope this helps you out.

alpine1994

Thing is, you're building muscle with those work out routines.... so you'll likely be losing fat, but building muscle, measure yourself. It's a bit more accurate depiction if you're losing or not.

This! When I first started watching my diet, I lost 7lbs really quickly. Within 2 weeks I think. Then I started exercising regularly and I lost a few more pounds for the next month. I was so frustrated because I was working so hard at it but the scale was hardly moving. Then I realized I was swimming in all my clothes. I lost a ton of inches and replaced a lot of body fat with lean muscle. Since you are so close to your goal of 150lb, does it really matter if the scale says 150lb? Or is what you really want a nice toned body that you enjoy looking at in the mirror?

For me, focusing on body fat % instead of pounds as a goal is really helping me. I motivate myself by taking measurements and looking in the mirror.

SideSteel

Well, it also depends on when you're eating too. If you eat late at night lets say after 8 or 830, then it will take longer for digestion meaning more fat stored in the body.

You can eat all of your calories before bed every night and it will not make it any easier or harder to lose fat given we're comparing the same total food intake.

jacksonpt

Thing is, you're building muscle with those work out routines.... so you'll likely be losing fat, but building muscle, measure yourself. It's a bit more accurate depiction if you're losing or not.

This! When I first started watching my diet, I lost 7lbs really quickly. Within 2 weeks I think. Then I started exercising regularly and I lost a few more pounds for the next month. I was so frustrated because I was working so hard at it but the scale was hardly moving. Then I realized I was swimming in all my clothes. I lost a ton of inches and replaced a lot of body fat with lean muscle. Since you are so close to your goal of 150lb, does it really matter if the scale says 150lb? Or is what you really want a nice toned body that you enjoy looking at in the mirror?

For me, focusing on body fat % instead of pounds as a goal is really helping me. I motivate myself by taking measurements and looking in the mirror.

NO! NOT THIS! Please stop believing that you can add measurable muscle over short periods of time (especially at a deficit). Also, please stop keying on the scale and measuring progress in days and weeks. Progress is about months and years.

jacksonpt

Well, it also depends on when you're eating too. If you eat late at night lets say after 8 or 830, then it will take longer for digestion meaning more fat stored in the body. What kind of food you're eating also plays a role into not losing weight. The exercise is fine 3-4 times a week is a good number. Keep with the calorie counting, but also see what time it is you're eating. Hope this helps you out.

No, wrong. Your body doesn't just shut down after a certain time. If calories/macros are the same, it makes no difference when you eat them (from a weight loss standpoint).

fatmom51

I love WW also but the bad part is that it has you eating out of a box which is NOT healthy at all. The sodium in one meal is a weeks worth. Try this alittle longer and stay true to your posting. We will both get there.

I don't think she said she ate the boxed meals. Weight Watchers essentially has you counting calories, only they call it "Points" and try to encourage eating whole foods, fruits and veggies, by minimizing the number of "points" for those items so you can eat more of that, and less of the processed, fatty, or sugary things.

Also, a postal scale is fine for measuring food, but if you want a good one, I found one at Target (about $20) that measures in grams or ounces and has a tare function. \

As for the chart, I need to lose over 100 pounds, and MFP will only "let" me lose 1.8 pounds a week. My TDEE is just under 2,100 before exercise (I have my profile set to 0 for exercise and my activity level set to sedentary or lightly active, since I'm never sure how much I'm going to be able to get.) To stay at/above 1,200 I can only have a deficit of about 850-900. (I must have a higher activity level than I estimated because I often lose a little more than 2 lbs. a week.)

erickirb

Well, it also depends on when you're eating too. If you eat late at night lets say after 8 or 830, then it will take longer for digestion meaning more fat stored in the body. What kind of food you're eating also plays a role into not losing weight. The exercise is fine 3-4 times a week is a good number. Keep with the calorie counting, but also see what time it is you're eating. Hope this helps you out.

No this is wrong, if you are eating the same amount of calories, timing is irrelevant.

areufnkiddingme

I think its because months ago I was only doing cardio at the gym (walking uphill on a treadmill) eating the same food and was lost 5 lbs. Then I wanted to challenge my exercising so I started insanity/turbofire (which is HARD) and then my weight hasn't even dropped. You would think by doing a tougher exercise that you would lose weight not plateau. Thats why I think when I was doing insanity I wasn't eating enough calories. And the reason why i'm frustrated is that calories aren't the same per week and it all depends on this and that etc. I'm also frustrated because I make healthier choices than I used to (brown rice, whole grain bread etc) With WW you eat your points for the day and its done.

Cardio doesn't build muscle; plyos and weight resistance do. you may not be seeing the scale budge because you are subtractng fat and adding muscle. I suggest what erickirb said and take your measurements, not just your weight.

Imanido

when you expect results too quick, you get frustrated, but I think everybody has explain all you really need. Losing weight has its scientific side, it is a question of calculating BMR, TDEE and REALLY measuring absolutely everything you eat (guessing is a waste of time if you want to get serious results) also, with the same exercise and the same food is easy to reach plateaus, the body gets used to the have the same. Shake one and shake the other! I think the advise given has been really good, you have all the information you will ever need.

Gagaluvr

Yes I did rilesyowner Thank you for your help!

Gagaluvr

Also, this is the kitchen scale I use, it's really nice and has multiple different units of measure on it, plus its not super expensive and is eligible for free shipping!

http://www.amazon.com/Ozeri-Professional-Digital-Kitchen-Tempered/dp/B003MSZBSI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1346939736&sr=8-1&keywords=ozeri+kitchen+scale

Thanks!! This one looks nice!! I might get this soon!

brooklynsprings

Oh i know she said nothing about the box meals. Its just on WW sometimes its easy to fall into that rut if in a hurry and still stay on the WW program.

The_New_Christina

Also try switching up your diet, your body is getting used to the same food all the time. :drinker:

No it doesn't. Your body doesn't know what your eating... All it knows is that it has to process the food you give it (either use it, store it, or get rid of it).

HHHMMMM.....Please read:
It’s important for you to keep your body guessing as it can plateau about every 3-4 weeks. If you eat the same thing everyday, your body will catch on and become immune to change. But if there is no pattern for it to learn, you will speed up your metabolism to a much desired fat-burning pace and lose weight in no time– all while enjoying the food you eat.

SideSteel

Also try switching up your diet, your body is getting used to the same food all the time. :drinker:

No it doesn't. Your body doesn't know what your eating... All it knows is that it has to process the food you give it (either use it, store it, or get rid of it).

HHHMMMM.....Please read:
It’s important for you to keep your body guessing as it can plateau about every 3-4 weeks. If you eat the same thing everyday, your body will catch on and become immune to change. But if there is no pattern for it to learn, you will speed up your metabolism to a much desired fat-burning pace and lose weight in no time– all while enjoying the food you eat.

The problem with the above advice is that it's not correct.

Your body does not see food items, it sees the nutrients that those foods are composed of. You can literally eat the same thing every single day and if it puts you in a deficit with nutrient sufficiency you'll be just fine.

There IS merit to eating a varied diet. Weight loss is not one of those reasons and your body doesn't accelerate metabolism based on "switching your food intake".

The_New_Christina

Well, apparently it's working for me and not for the OP. So I must be doing something right. Last time I ate the same things every day and plateaued. :noway:

SideSteel

Well, apparently it's working for me and not for the OP. So I must be doing something right. Last time I ate the same things every day and plateaued. :noway:

I'm sure you are making progress and I'm not questioning whether or not your methods work. I'm questioning the explanation behind why you think they work and what you think is a necessity.

jacksonpt

Also try switching up your diet, your body is getting used to the same food all the time. :drinker:

No it doesn't. Your body doesn't know what your eating... All it knows is that it has to process the food you give it (either use it, store it, or get rid of it).

HHHMMMM.....Please read:
It’s important for you to keep your body guessing as it can plateau about every 3-4 weeks. If you eat the same thing everyday, your body will catch on and become immune to change. But if there is no pattern for it to learn, you will speed up your metabolism to a much desired fat-burning pace and lose weight in no time– all while enjoying the food you eat.

The problem with the above advice is that it's not correct.

Your body does not see food items, it sees the nutrients that those foods are composed of. You can literally eat the same thing every single day and if it puts you in a deficit with nutrient sufficiency you'll be just fine.

There IS merit to eating a varied diet. Weight loss is not one of those reasons and your body doesn't accelerate metabolism based on "switching your food intake".

agreed

erickirb

Well, apparently it's working for me and not for the OP. So I must be doing something right. Last time I ate the same things every day and plateaued. :noway:

Just to note, correlation =/= causation.

You made a change and weight loss started again. Based on what you said you cannot know if the change caused it, or it was coincidence. Your weight loss picked up again with the change is correlation not causation.

odusgolp

Let me see if I've got this right...

You think you need to go back to WW. You're not logging food, don't have a HRM and don't log exercise here.... thusly it's MFPs fault you're not losing and should go back to WW.

Well, yeah, that makes total sense.

On a side note, eat some veggies.

Gagaluvr

Let me see if I've got this right...

You think you need to go back to WW. You're not logging food, don't have a HRM and don't log exercise here.... thusly it's MFPs fault you're not losing and should go back to WW.

Well, yeah, that makes total sense.

On a side note, eat some veggies.

So ignorant! Honesly i'm on here for positive help not a troll. I dont feel the need to log in EVERYDAY with my calories because I know how much is in what because I eat the same stuff. AND I DO EAT VEGGIES. why dont you spew your negative comments to yourself.