No loss in 3 months, lots of details - Help!

megalin9

I'm struggling. No weight loss since October.

I've received so much consistent advice from knowledgeable people, read forums and articles, educated myself, and gotten people on my FL who share the same philosphies about weight loss and fitness.

I have figured out my TDEE as many ways as possible to find a good estimate. My diet is not 100% up to par (in summary, we eat out a lot because we're never home in the evenings), but I'm not eating any "worse" than I was when I was consistently losing weight. I'm eating the same breakfast, the same snacks, the same dinners. I try to have a form of protein with every snack and meal, but I'm finding I'm having a hard time hitting my protein targets without going over my calories and going WAY over on my fat.

The only differences in my lifestyle is that I had some form of a cold from October 27th through 2 weeks ago, and I've drastically up'd my strength training to full body circuits 3X/week with cardio at least 2X/week (spin/running/volleyball/softball).

I've gone from eating around 1700 calories and eating back exercise calories to increasing my calories to 1800 and, most recently, about 1990 and NOT counting any exercise calories so I don't eat them back. I am MORE HUNGRY now on 1800-1900 calories with the strength training than I was on 1700 calories and eating back exercise calories, so I'm struggling to stay under my current goal. I WANT ALL THE FOOD!

Not only am I not losing weight, but my trainer took my measurements this morning for the first time since August, and there is NO CHANGE. The ONLY difference is my BF% is down about 1%, and there are a lot of variables with the machine she uses to measure my BF, so who knows how accurate that is.

The ONLY positive to the strength training that I have noticed is just that I feel stronger. I LOVE lifting! But...the weight has still got to come off!

WHY AM I NOT LOSING WEIGHT OR INCHES?!?!

Here are my stats:
27 year-old female
209# (HW: 253lbs)
5'7"
BF% aprox 37%
Job - on my butt all day in front of a computer

Work-out routine:
M, W, & F - 30-min full-body strength training (example: barbell squat 85#, barbell bench press 60#, ez bar bent over rows 45#, shoulder press 20# dumbbells, bicep curls 20# dumbbells, skullcrushers 35# ez bar)
Tu - 30-min spin class
Th - 30-min run
M - 60 mins competitive volleyball
Th - 60 mins not-so-competitive volleyball
Every day - 15-30 min fast walk
S & S - rest/playing w/ my kids

Diet:
Breakfast example: 2-3 whole eggs, sometimes bacon & a biscuit, sometimes potatoes, coffee w/ creamer (3) and splenda (5) - I like a hot breakfast, and I do NOT like oatmeal or yogurt. I've tried them both, and they make me gag.

Mid-morning snack: red delicious apple & 2 tablespoon reduced-fat peanut butter

Lunch: salad w/ turkey, boiled eggs, a little cheese & bacon bits, & 2 tablespoons of ranch dressing OR slices of turkey (I used to make a turkey sandwich on honey wheat bread, but I'm so sick of it, so I just eat turkey slices) OR, like today, a pizza pocket because...well, because the turkey slices and salad get old fast, AND I've been so hungry in the evenings that I'm hoping eating something w/ more calories at lunch will hold me over longer.

Mid-afternoon snack: low-fat string cheese & almonds OR a Nature Valley granola bar

Dinner: I *AIM* for some form of protein, usually chicken breast, something green (green beans), and a starch (baked potato), whether I cook at home or we eat out, OR a 6-in chicken teriyaki sub from Subway (470 cal), OR something quick I can fix up at home, like a Digiorno pizza (1/3 pizza = ~650 cal) and some carrot sticks with ranch dressing or popcorn chicken & corn. I go for quick and easy because we are always on-the-go. Every-now-and then, I get to actually COOK (I seriously make da-bomb chicken stir fry and quesadillas and stuffed chicken, om nom nom nom).

Dinner is usually pretty satisfying, but by bedtime, I'm famished again. This is where I go over calories. I want something sweet/chocolatey, like ice cream (which I normally just don't keep in the house because I'll fill up a deep bowl) or chocolate milk (8-12oz), or I'm thirsty, so I drink a glass of apple juice. This almost always sends me over on my calories, but what's a girl to do when she's HUNGRY?! And hearing the milk and Hershey's syrup calling my name doesn't help! ***Edited to add that I USUALLY make my chocolate milk with Ovaltine. We just happened to run out of that recently and have Hershey's syrup in the house.

I drink water 90% of the time. I probably have a soda w/ dinner 1X/week and apple juice 2X/week, not because I think they are "bad", but because I don't want to waste my calories on them.

I measure almost everything (like 2 tablespoons of Hershey's chocolate syrup for my chocolate milk) and things that are just simple counting (like 3 eggs). I don't have a food scale, so the only thing I guesstimate on is ounces for chicken and things like that. I try to always over-estimate.

Like I said, diet isn't perfect. I'm not making excuses, but I am being honest and realistic. Even so, I feel like I have been eating at enough of a deficit consistently that I should have lost SOMETHING in the last 3 months.

Go ahead. Tear into me. I can handle it.

Megan

megalin9

Wow. That was freakin' long!

Sarauk2sf

Quick question - how long have you been consistently dieting, ignoring the odd high day here and there?

megalin9

Hey, Sara. I've been consistently "dieting" since I joined MFP, which I think was March 2012. I had previously just been watching what I eat, but mainly just exercising, since October 2011.

ArroganceInStep

Want to first say thank you for laying out all of that information initially, makes it a whole lot easier. Looking through it now.

One quick question though, you mention being really hungry right before bed. Are there other times in the day when you feel this way? Also are there times in the day where you're not as hungry but eat 'because it's meal time'?

Sarauk2sf

Sorry - one more question: when did you up your strength training?

megalin9

Want to first say thank you for laying out all of that information initially, makes it a whole lot easier. Looking through it now.

One quick question though, you mention being really hungry right before bed. Are there other times in the day when you feel this way? Also are there times in the day where you're not as hungry but eat 'because it's meal time'?

I'm also really hungry between 2-3P.M. I'm watching the clock until my "scheduled snack time" so I can EAT! It's my favorite part of the day!

And I SOMETIMES eat my morning snack because it's "snack time." If I'm not particularly hungry, then I delay it until I feel hungry.

megalin9

Sorry - one more question: when did you up your strength training?

Started with the new routine 6-8 weeks ago, but I've been consistent for maybe 4 weeks. Not as consistent before due to being sick and holidays.

ArroganceInStep

Still working on the diet side of things, but one thing that immediately springs to mind is have you thought about adjusting your meal timing at all?

Based on what you've said, you get hungriest later in the day. Perhaps you could have a smaller breakfast and skip the midmorning snack, and then spread those calories across lunch and dinner. Additionally if you're able to take your lunch at a later time, you might not be so hungry when your afternoon snack comes around. I'm not saying it has to be the way I laid out, but have you thought about shifting when you have your calories around to match when you're hungriest?

donttouchthepoof

I have this same problem. :x any help would be appreciated form my end too. I have been dieting since January of last year.. and I've lost 52 lbs... and my weight loss has slowed drastically. I've literally just been chilling at the same weight since like.. beginning of November maybe?

Sarauk2sf

I have this same problem. :x any help would be appreciated form my end too. I have been dieting since January of last year.. and I've lost 52 lbs... and my weight loss has slowed drastically. I've literally just been chilling at the same weight since like.. beginning of November maybe?

Could you give us the information laid out here on a new thread - thanks.

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/817167-asking-questions-about-your-intake-providing-info

megalin9

Still working on the diet side of things, but one thing that immediately springs to mind is have you thought about adjusting your meal timing at all?

Based on what you've said, you get hungriest later in the day. Perhaps you could have a smaller breakfast and skip the midmorning snack, and then spread those calories across lunch and dinner. Additionally if you're able to take your lunch at a later time, you might not be so hungry when your afternoon snack comes around. I'm not saying it has to be the way I laid out, but have you thought about shifting when you have your calories around to match when you're hungriest?

Haven't considered it, but I guess I'm not opposed to it. Honestly, I feel like I'm hungry all the time. I wake up around 6, and I don't eat breakfast until after I get settled at work, so about 8:30. I'm starving when I get to work, so my breakfast is usually pretty big. I'm not always hungry for my mid-morning snack, but I'm usually a little hungry before 12, which is when I go to the gym. Since I get sick at the gym if I haven't eaten recently, I either go ahead and eat my lunch or I delay my mid-morning snack and eat that before I head to the gym. After working out, I'm hungry, so I eat my lunch at that point if I didn't eat it before. That holds me over until about 2:30, and then I'm just counting down the minutes until 3. After I eat my afternoon snack, I'm good until about 4:30, and then I can't wait until dinner. It just seems constant now that I really think about it.... :ohwell: And I feel like I have broken the habit of eating out of boredom that I used to have as a teenager, so I recognize this as actual HUNGER, not just being bored.

And like I said before...I haven't felt THIS hungry since I started weight training more, which has just been the last ~2 months.

ArroganceInStep

I just realized this was a group (sorry, I had clicked through from my feed), sending you a PM to avoid further cluttering of sara sidesteel's stuff.

Sarauk2sf

I just realized this was a group (sorry, I had clicked through from my feed), sending you a PM to avoid further cluttering of sara sidesteel's stuff.

No worries. Feel free to include suggestions on the thread. I think you may be going down the route, at least part of it, that I would anyway.

ArroganceInStep

The gist of it was to calculate req's from:

http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/the-fundamentals-of-fat-loss-diets-part-1.html
http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/the-fundamentals-of-fat-loss-diets-part-2.html

Calorie intake: 2090 - 2508 -> rounded -> 2250 calories
Protein target: 197.5 grams -> rounded -> 200 grams, 800 calories
Fat target: 69 grams -> rounded -> 75 grams, 675 calories
Discretionary calories -> 775

And then to play with the finer points once comfortable with the fundamentals.

megalin9

The gist of it was to calculate req's from:

http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/the-fundamentals-of-fat-loss-diets-part-1.html
http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/the-fundamentals-of-fat-loss-diets-part-2.html

Calorie intake: 2090 - 2508 -> rounded -> 2250 calories
Protein target: 197.5 grams -> rounded -> 200 grams, 800 calories
Fat target: 69 grams -> rounded -> 75 grams, 675 calories
Discretionary calories -> 775

And then to play with the finer points once comfortable with the fundamentals.

To make sure I understand...

Summary of 1st link: Basics of fat loss = creating some kind of deficit, either through manipulating caloric intake or caloric expenditure. Lyle recommends 10-12 calories per pound of current body weight, which is where you got the 2090 - 2508 for me above. Got it. (That many calories scares the bajeezus outa me, but I understand it.)

Summary of 2nd link:
1st - Protein intake is the 2nd most important factor in fat loss for all the reasons Lyle mentioned, and he gave some recommendations of how to figure that out, but I think you got my numbers a little differently. Instead of 1-1.5g/lb of total BODY WEIGHT, you did 1.5g/lb of LBM, correct? My current weight minus my body fat % = 131.67lb, so my protein target (LBM X 1.5g) would be 197.5g rounded up to 200, aka the number you got above.

2nd - Dietary fat is important for all the reasons Lyle mentioned (mainly dietary adherence & food tasting yummy). To get my numbers for my fat intake, you took my weight and multiplied it by .33g/lb, which would be 68.97 or 69, and then rounded up to 75. Got it.

Thinking out loud...

And are you saying that 1g of protein is 4 calories and 1g of fat is 9 calories? Huh. Never knew that.

And that would leave me with 775 "discretionary calories" (calorie limit of 2250 - 800p - 675f) that could, generically speaking, be used on carbs (also 4 calories per gram?).

I think I understand all of that (just trying to wrap my mind around translating all of that to actual food). What I’m worried about is this statement from Lyle: Individuals with very high daily activities (usually athletes in training) will tend to find that those values are too low. By the same token, individuals with very low daily activities (e.g. you ride a desk) may have to go lower than that to effectively lose fat. I’ve seen sedentary folks need to go as low as 8 cal/lb (and that’s with an hour of exercise per day) to effectively lose fat.

I feel like I fall into that bucket. I “ride a desk” all day, but I feel like I’m quite active. I exercise a minimum of 30 minutes a day, 5X/week, plus all the additional walking and sports (softball will start in the spring) and chasing kids and laundry and whatnot. So…am I considered an “athlete” where the whole 10-12 calories per pound of body weight would probably work for me, or am I considered an individual with very low daily activities, even though I exercise almost daily, where the 8cal/lb would be more effective? Or is this something that I just need to experiment with? Obviously, you think I should start with the 10-12cal/lb rule, but I would like to understand your reasoning since I seem to fit in Lyle’s 8cal/lb bucket (which would put me at 1672 calories, AGH!).

I think I understand the fundamentals, and THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!

ArroganceInStep

To make sure I understand...

Summary of 1st link: Basics of fat loss = creating some kind of deficit, either through manipulating caloric intake or caloric expenditure. Lyle recommends 10-12 calories per pound of current body weight, which is where you got the 2090 - 2508 for me above. Got it. (That many calories scares the bajeezus outa me, but I understand it.)

Summary of 2nd link:
1st - Protein intake is the 2nd most important factor in fat loss for all the reasons Lyle mentioned, and he gave some recommendations of how to figure that out, but I think you got my numbers a little differently. Instead of 1-1.5g/lb of total BODY WEIGHT, you did 1.5g/lb of LBM, correct? My current weight minus my body fat % = 131.67lb, so my protein target (LBM X 1.5g) would be 197.5g rounded up to 200, aka the number you got above.

2nd - Dietary fat is important for all the reasons Lyle mentioned (mainly dietary adherence & food tasting yummy). To get my numbers for my fat intake, you took my weight and multiplied it by .33g/lb, which would be 68.97 or 69, and then rounded up to 75. Got it.

Thinking out loud...

And are you saying that 1g of protein is 4 calories and 1g of fat is 9 calories? Huh. Never knew that.

And that would leave me with 775 "discretionary calories" (calorie limit of 2250 - 800p - 675f) that could, generically speaking, be used on carbs (also 4 calories per gram?).

I think I understand all of that (just trying to wrap my mind around translating all of that to actual food). What I’m worried about is this statement from Lyle: Individuals with very high daily activities (usually athletes in training) will tend to find that those values are too low. By the same token, individuals with very low daily activities (e.g. you ride a desk) may have to go lower than that to effectively lose fat. I’ve seen sedentary folks need to go as low as 8 cal/lb (and that’s with an hour of exercise per day) to effectively lose fat.

I feel like I fall into that bucket. I “ride a desk” all day, but I feel like I’m quite active. I exercise a minimum of 30 minutes a day, 5X/week, plus all the additional walking and sports (softball will start in the spring) and chasing kids and laundry and whatnot. So…am I considered an “athlete” where the whole 10-12 calories per pound of body weight would probably work for me, or am I considered an individual with very low daily activities, even though I exercise almost daily, where the 8cal/lb would be more effective? Or is this something that I just need to experiment with? Obviously, you think I should start with the 10-12cal/lb rule, but I would like to understand your reasoning since I seem to fit in Lyle’s 8cal/lb bucket (which would put me at 1672 calories, AGH!).

I think I understand the fundamentals, and THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!

Right on all counts. The 2250 was just a starting point, a baseline to go off of. I didn't use the 1990 you're on now because you stated you were hungry all the time. And being hungry and miserable is a quick way (in my opinion) to make sure a diet fails. The idea is to try the calorie limit for a few weeks and see how you feel. If you're not losing weight, decrease it by a small amount, 100 calories or so, and see if that does anything. You have to play with the numbers until they work for you.

megalin9

Thank you! I totally understand it, and really, it's just going to come down to planning better to make sure I meet my PROTEIN requirements first, which is going to mean a change in the types of calories I'm eating. I just can't meet my protein minimum without going over on my calories because of the things I'm consuming. Meeting fat requirements is no problemo.

Grocery shopping and cooking for next week starts this weekend!

Oh, and I have increased my calorie goal to 2250 and gotten my percentages right for p/f/c.

THANKS AGAIN!

Sarauk2sf

Thank you! I totally understand it, and really, it's just going to come down to planning better to make sure I meet my PROTEIN requirements first, which is going to mean a change in the types of calories I'm eating. I just can't meet my protein minimum without going over on my calories because of the things I'm consuming. Meeting fat requirements is no problemo.

Grocery shopping and cooking for next week starts this weekend!

Oh, and I have increased my calorie goal to 2250 and gotten my percentages right for p/f/c.

THANKS AGAIN!

I actually disagree with upping your calories. If you are not losing on what you are on, I am not sure how upping them is going to help.

My suggestions:

- calorie goal: 1,800
- protein: 130g - approx 30%
- fats: 72g - approx 35%
- carbs, the balance

where proteins and fats are a minimum

- I would also suggest trying to eat less calories but a higher protein based meal for breakfast so that you 'save' calories for later. You may be hungry for a little while when reducing the volume but your body should get used to it after a short time.

Make sure you measure.weigh everything and log really accurately.

psuLemon

Thank you! I totally understand it, and really, it's just going to come down to planning better to make sure I meet my PROTEIN requirements first, which is going to mean a change in the types of calories I'm eating. I just can't meet my protein minimum without going over on my calories because of the things I'm consuming. Meeting fat requirements is no problemo.

Grocery shopping and cooking for next week starts this weekend!

Oh, and I have increased my calorie goal to 2250 and gotten my percentages right for p/f/c.

THANKS AGAIN!

I actually disagree with upping your calories. If you are not losing on what you are on, I am not sure how upping them is going to help.

My suggestions:

- calorie goal: 1,800
- protein: 130g - approx 30%
- fats: 72g - approx 35%
- carbs, the balance

where proteins and fats are a minimum

- I would also suggest trying to eat less calories but a higher protein based meal for breakfast so that you 'save' calories for later. You may be hungry for a little while when reducing the volume but your body should get used to it after a short time.

Make sure you measure.weigh everything and log really accurately.

Well there are few ways of looking at this. First I think a diet break is definitely in order since it's been almost a few year. But upping the intake might not be too bad of a thing. It's quite possible her TDEE is greater than projected, especially since she is a mom of three kids. If you are running around with them and heavy exercising on top, I could suspect a large deficit is being creating than we estimate. I would almost suggest 2200 calories for 1 month. If weight loss is still not happening, then I would drop back down.

SideSteel

Thank you! I totally understand it, and really, it's just going to come down to planning better to make sure I meet my PROTEIN requirements first, which is going to mean a change in the types of calories I'm eating. I just can't meet my protein minimum without going over on my calories because of the things I'm consuming. Meeting fat requirements is no problemo.

Grocery shopping and cooking for next week starts this weekend!

Oh, and I have increased my calorie goal to 2250 and gotten my percentages right for p/f/c.

THANKS AGAIN!

I actually disagree with upping your calories. If you are not losing on what you are on, I am not sure how upping them is going to help.

My suggestions:

- calorie goal: 1,800
- protein: 130g - approx 30%
- fats: 72g - approx 35%
- carbs, the balance

where proteins and fats are a minimum

- I would also suggest trying to eat less calories but a higher protein based meal for breakfast so that you 'save' calories for later. You may be hungry for a little while when reducing the volume but your body should get used to it after a short time.

Make sure you measure.weigh everything and log really accurately.

I would follow the above advice for the next 2-3 weeks and monitor changes. Note the bold.
I would add one thing that I would take very diligently: please make a conscious effort to increase non exercise activity. Move around more in your non-workout time.

The above estimate would be a flat value where you do not eat back exercise calories.

Diet break is not a bad idea but I would go with the above first.