frustrated!

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mlally1014
mlally1014 Posts: 119 Member
in Motivation and Support
I have been so good about logging all my food and exercising everyday! I have only lost 1 pound in the last 3 weeks. Beginning to get very frustrated and wondering what I am doing wrong. I keep reading that I have to eat all my calories plus my exercise calories. The problem is I dont have a HRM and am really nervous that the calorie counter on my treadmill is way off. I did 40 minutes of interval training on friday for a total of 2.8 miles and it said that I burned 450 calories. Could that be right?? Maybe I should just bite the bullet and eat the calories for a trial and error. Just really dont want to gain any of this hard fought weight back. HELP!!

Replies

  • KimbersNewLife
    KimbersNewLife Posts: 645 Member
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    Personally, I have noticed that when I eat back the excercise calories it tells me to I lose more weight. I have played with it a little bit I was scared too but I think mfp is right, you have to put it back to stay out of starvation mode. If I am skeptical of the amount of calories burned I still consume some of the ones it tells me too just not all. For example if it says I burned 300 but I think it's more like 200 I will replace the 200 not the 300. I hope this make sense because it is working very well for me.
  • justann
    justann Posts: 276 Member
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    I completely understand your frustrations. I am going through the exact same thing. Been here almost 5 weeks and only lost 3 pounds. My problem is my weight keeps fluctuating like crazy. No, it isn't TOM. I'm thinking it's my sodium levels which I've been trying to keep tabs on. Salty foods are my downfall. Sweets are no problem for me to pass up but chips etc. Not good for me. :ohwell:
  • StarryEyedGirl
    StarryEyedGirl Posts: 585
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    how many calories a day are you on before the work out calories are added? How much have you lost since you started?
  • mlally1014
    mlally1014 Posts: 119 Member
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    1200 calories before exercise. I have lost 12 pounds since 1/1/10, but only 3 pounds since joining here. Going to shoot for approx. 1500 calories a day and I am not going to weigh myself for the whole week!
  • shanman
    shanman Posts: 16
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    I'm right with you....although when I started out I lost like 15 lbs in three weeks, but now I've come to a slow crawl, only losing a pound a week. I'm not doing anything different either. I'm just going to keep at it, and hope that it improves.
  • lulabellewoowoo
    lulabellewoowoo Posts: 3,125 Member
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    I mix it up. When I plateau, I go back to not eating my exercise calories. I find I'll start losing weight. When that plateaus, I then start eating my exercise calories or at least half of them. I switch back and forth when my weight isn't budging for a week or so. By the way, don't forget to take into account TOM as you may not be showing weight loss due to water weight gain. Keep going strong! You'll see results.
  • brphilli
    brphilli Posts: 2 Member
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    Stay with it! I spent the last year going through cycles of frustration and elation. I liked this model because it presents the illusion of control. However, it seems like your metabolism kicks in when it wants to...combine that with gaining "muscle weight", which it seems you have to to first, it just doesn't feel like you have control you signed up for! Remember its only a model, and it is designed to work over the long term. Before I tried this and stayed with it, I went nowhere because I would give up at exactly the place you are now.

    I am a believer now! I have lost 20+lbs of fat, but it has taken 1 year of dedication and consistency in behavior, in the gym and at the table. Good luck!
    Brett
  • StarryEyedGirl
    StarryEyedGirl Posts: 585
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    I bet you need to eat more. I would and I do this myself, eat those extra workout calories but make it a good choice for example add extra protein or soy beans (edemame) they have about 100 cal per serving but it will be all good calories to intake. even calcium is a good way to use up calories. don't use the extra points for snacky type foods and see if you get over this hump.
  • shules82
    shules82 Posts: 23 Member
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    I was just talking to a friend who has a lot of success counting calories and calculating exercise caloric values. He said that the biggest key to him was to ignore the inaccurate calorie burn estimators on gym equipment or even websites. He said he bought a Garmin heart rate monitor that actually MEASURES not ESTIMATES the calories you burn. He now wears it constantly and keeps his blood pumping vigorously for most of the day. Just a thought...

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