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MyFitnessPal Community

Stuck

muffle1969

I'm not sure if this is the right category for this topic. I've lost somewhere around 30-33 pounds, depending on what day it is. I've been at this point for about a month. (I lost the 30-33 in three months.) I log EVERYTHING, and lately I've gone over calories sometimes. I try to stay under the net calories assigned over a week's time though, and my diary looks kind of odd as a result. I exercise almost every day - either swimming or treadmill/bike/weights. Exercise ends up being anywhere from 5-7 days a week.

So I know I'm doing stuff generally right. I look at this as a way of life and not a "diet". I do my best to work the things I want (like some gingerbread cookies) into my allotment of calories/macros, and I exercise to be able to eat like a relatively normal person. Yesterday I intentionally and knowingly went over my calorie allotment for the second time since I started this four months ago. I only went about 300 calories over, and I don't think this is too bad. I know I lost some inches this last month, but not a lot I don't think.

I do not plan to stop exercising or logging everything, but I do admit I'm pretty frustrated. I don't like the idea that I'm going to make all this effort to change my lifestyle and not have anything to show for it. It makes me sad that at this rate I'm just going to be fat forever.

I've seen posts where people up their calories and start losing weight again, but this makes no sense to me...if this is all truly math-based, then I should be losing like crazy.

Anyway, if anyone has anything insights, I'd appreciate it. Thank you!

Replies

acogg

The closer you get to your goal, the slower you will lose. You are nearly at caloric equilibrium so it can take a two weeks (or more) to lose one pound, and that is if you don't retain excess water. Keep eating right, exercising and the weight will come off. If it's getting to you, think about moving your MFP goal to Maintenance for a week or two, and then start the diet again. Sometimes we need breaks.

muffle1969

OOps...a piece of information that is left out...my counter thingie does not reflect how much I want to lose total...it reflects how far to my next goal. I am nowhere near my goal weight.

I understand and appreciate your feedback though. Any other ideas?

acogg

If your weight is not set to the right goal, then how are you tracking your food? Are you eating for this goal or some other goal? Just set it for your final goal and eat that amount.

deksgrl

Without more information it is difficult to advise. Height, age, current weight, goal eight, what is your current calorie goal? You say you are usually under your Net. How much under? Are you actually measuring your food or only estimating? Are you using MFP's estimated exercise calorie burns, or do you use an HRM?

muffle1969

Okay...to answer questions...

I started at 267.6. I am currently 236.6. A couple of days ago I was 234.4. My current goal is set to 225. I have no clue what my ultimate goal should be. I'm 5'4" and "big-boned" with large, um...breasticles. 150 would probably be good, but no matter what I set my goal to MFP recommends 1200 calories, so I'm not sure how that would make a big difference in the recommendations.

Each day I usually net right at about 1200 calories. Some days I eat less and then eat a little more later in the week to still net an average of 1200 per day over the whole week (MFP looks at a week from Monday-Sunday.) So for example, this week I ate about 300 calories too much yesterday, so during the rest of this week I need to come out under the 1200 net someplace to even it back out to a 1200 average.

I often measure my food when I'm preparing something myself. For lunch today I'm having an Amy's Organic Spinach Feta Pocket, and I use the nutrition info on the box. If I go out to eat, I use MFP's database, or the closest approximation I can get. When I cook, I use a combination of measuring, weighing and the database. I would likely have to carry a scale around with me to get super-accurate, and I'm not willing to do that at this point. There are times that I just take a wild stab at a guess because there is no way to get an ingredients list of something. Most of the time, I figure I'm pretty close though.

To figure out exercise calories burned, I use various methods. I do not have an HRM yet, because I am looking to get one that I can use while swimming laps. Found a couple, and I'm saving for it. For swimming, I use MFP's recommendations, but I am very strict about what I call "vigorous" and what I call "moderate". For treadmill and bicycle, I enter my weight on the machine and let it take my heart rate to determine calories burned - then I adjust the minutes I enter into MFP to match what the machine came up with. For the bike, it looks like MFP underestimates, while for the treadmill it looks like MFP overestimates.

I figure I'm being as accurate as I can be within reason at this point. My TDEE has been right around 2700ish every day for the last month - figured daily based on my weight that morning. I know I am not netting anywhere near 2700 calories per day, as my calories consumed and burned could be a little off, but not by 1500 calories per day. Given the math, I should have lost something over the last few weeks, right?

Thank you all for your replies so far...I look forward to more info.

deksgrl

I would say you need to eat more.

If you set your goal to lose 2 pounds per week, MFP is going to set your goal as -1,000 calories a day regardless of your basal metabolic rate or TDEE, to a threshold of no lower than 1200 calories. Your estimated BMR is 1776, this is the amount they would feed you if you were in a coma to fuel your basic bodily functions, heartbeat, breathing, brain function, organs, etc.

Try eating 1700 to 2000 for at least a month, and I bet the weight will begin to come off again.

For more information on why your weight will stall after a time of eating low calories, read this:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12

JillyCornwall

1200 nett calories is way too low for someone of your weight. you should be able to eat 1500-1600 calories easy and lose steadily. If you start at 1200 you have nowhere to go when you get to a lower weight. You don,t say either if you are eating your exercise calories back because you certainly should be. I really think you are eating way too little for your active lifestyle, re set your goals in MFP to lose 1lb a week. You probably will find that you will actually lose more as you have a similar amount as I do to lose. Give it a go!!

wibutterflymagic

1200 nett calories is way too low for someone of your weight. you should be able to eat 1500-1600 calories easy and lose steadily. If you start at 1200 you have nowhere to go when you get to a lower weight. You don,t say either if you are eating your exercise calories back because you certainly should be. I really think you are eating way too little for your active lifestyle, re set your goals in MFP to lose 1lb a week. You probably will find that you will actually lose more as you have a similar amount as I do to lose. Give it a go!!

THIS! Nothing more to add exept to eat back a majority of your exercise calories.

muffle1969

Thank you all so much! I really appreciate the feedback and information, and I think I'll give it a try. At this point, I have nothing to lose by doing so. (Pun not entirely intended.)

Y'know I've seen people attacking people on this board before when someone asks a question that others perceive as dumb or silly. I truly appreciate that all of you offered me information in a really nice way. It means a lot to me, and even motivates me.

muffle1969

Okay...I changed my goal to 1 lb per week and I'll be netting 1650 instead of 1200. I hope you are all right. I'm not crazy about only 1 lb per week, but it will be far better than losing none, which is what I've been doing for the last month. Thanks again, everyone!

deksgrl

I think you will be pleasantly surprised. I'm smaller than you, and older, and not extremely active, and I am eating about 1700 to lose weight. Give it about a month for your body to adjust.