Still gaining, despite my work

SharpeMichael

Good day everyone!

I'm 31 years old, 6-2" and 194 lbs...2 years ago I returned home from BCT and AIT weighing 175lbs. Granted you burn many many calories doing this. Since then I have gone all the way up to 200 lbs. and down like a yo yo. I recently changed my eating habits (they weren't bad to begin with just portion control) to lose fat around my midsection. I am fit and lift and work our regular and have been for years. I run, I compete in races and currently signed up for a Spartan Sprint. However for the love of god I can not lose weight...I count every single calorie...I drink a good amount of water every day (Army motto "drink water") I don't drink soda, I gave up my love of Gatorade, I allow myself one beer here and there but avoid it for the most part. I pretty much eat chicken and salad and brown right in some form another as a daily staple. One program gives me (MyNetDiary) says I have 2441 calories to consume a day...I usually don't come close to that, I consume on average right around 1500-1800. I flux so much, one day I weighed 196 then the next day was 191...then no weight loss or gain for a day or two then BAM! I start gaining weight again...I know I have gained muscle that I can actually see, but I can also see my stomach is not losing lol. If anyone one has some advice I am soooooo eager to hear!

cwolfman13

For a 6' 2" male who is active, I would suggest eating more. at my age, height, and weight, my BMR is 1,754...yours would be higher...you're not even eating your BMR and not fueling your workouts at all. You have a pretty massive deficit there and that will accomplish one thing...metabolic stall which is why you're basically maintaining at a caloric deficit.

If you're running and working out 3-5 hrs per week, that's moderately active...1-3 hours per week is light active. I'm 5'10" with a light active TDEE of 2,420 calories...I eat around 2,100 and lose 1 Lb per week on average. Mind you, weight loss isn't linear...I can easily fluctuate 2-3 Lbs per day, sometimes more if I've had a high sodium day....I've fluctuated as much as 5 Lbs in a day. You're going to have to eat more to lose weight.

psuLemon

I am also the same exact stats as you, I am 30 yr old, 5'11, 191, I have a desk job and working 6 hours a week and I cut at 2500 calories, maintain at 3000 calories and bulk at 3250. I would say you are probably not eating enough and your body is fighting you. I will note, that I lost a lot more weight at 2500-2700 calories than when I was eating 1800. In fact, I never lost at 1800 calories in 3 months of doing it.

Sarauk2sf

You joined here this month? How long have you been eating at that level (which is too low)?

SharpeMichael

I work a desk job now, however I stay very active. I work out at minimum 5 days a week, at least an hour doing all different work outs as prescribed and learned. So I would say activity level is not my problem. Cwolfman and Psulemon I think you guys might be on the right track with your advice. I was using another calorie tracker prior to this and it had me at 2440 a day for intake. I stopped using that one just because the program I was not fond of. Sarauk2sf I just joined this one but have been doing this dance for a little while. Now here is the thing I don't understand. I set this up using the app. I set it to lose one pound a week and it said I have 1800 calories a day. Well let me put it this way because I might just be reading this all wrong. It says in my "Daily Summary" Goal 1870, Food +1277, Exercise -0 (I haven't worked out today) and Net 1277...I don't get it one bit...now when I was using the other one though 2440 calories was a stretch for me. I was good at like 2000. Would this fall under maybe transitioning to the 5 meal type eating idea? Thank you so much for all your advice also.

Sarauk2sf

Got it, thanks.

You should be eating your calories back from exercise (different set up than other sites but should end up in the same place). This may help explain it:

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/818082-exercise-calories-again-wtf

Also, eat as many or as few meals as you like based on preference, adherence, lifestyle and energy levels as long as you stay within your goals, it's fine.

When you were at 2,440 a day, how much were you losing on average a week?

SharpeMichael

So I should continue like I am then. For example yesterday this is how my bar read.....

Goal Food Exercise Net Calories Remaining
1870 +2085 -338 1747 123

I read the article and it made sense. Again thank you for the help you are providing me in helping me understand this. Now with my work out yesterday I ran 3 miles which accounted for the calorie burn which I followed up with a hour of my lifting regiment (shoulders chest arms back were yesterday) I will be running 2 miles tonight at a full pace (6:45 to 7 minute miles, I am chasing a perfect score on my run time for my PT test in April for the Army)...Is there a goal for how many calories I should burn a day so I can eat them back?

When I was eating that amount I would see changes here and there in my weight. One day I would lose 5lbs and within a couple days 4 pound back on. It provided nothing though to what goals I was trying to attain. That app said my daily caloric intake would be around 3500 and in order to lose 1lb per week I should eat 2440 calories a day. However it didn't factor in what I burned working out.

The weight I am trying to lose is literally around my midsection and partly my thighs. I don't have a strong core and have tried everything under the moon to try and make it stronger, would that happen to affect weight in that area? I have a fairly long torso, and have to do sit ups for the ARMY (I struggle badly to do 45 which is my minimum to pass) We have to do them the way everyone tells you not to do them, hands behind the neck fingers interlocked tightly, which puts massive strain. Anyways I seem to be rambling. Again suggestions are soooo welcome!

Sarauk2sf

Did you lose weight over a longer period at those calories? Water weight can screw with assessing weekly weight loss so looking at it over a few weeks is usually best. With the amount of activity you have, the 2,440 (gross) should definitely be giving you a loss of at least 1lb a week.

How accurately are you logging food? Do you weigh and measure?

SharpeMichael

I really just stayed the same at that pace. I was consuming more then 3,000 calories a day in Basic and AIT but my rate of burning was through the roof. Prior to that though I was eating around 2400 calories a day and weight about 180 going into Basic Training. I was 29 when I joined so aging of my body I would assume hadn't changed much.

I do consume a good amount of water (64-80 ounces a day) I read that consuming water at that rate is supposed to help? I definitely know to compare over the next few weeks. However this morning I recorded my weight, and I am up 2lbs, should a variance be so dramatic from day to day?

I am pretty accurate with my logging...I have gotten into the habit of as I am preparing meals or just getting a snack out I am logging it. I just started measuring with other things. But I literally count out things for the serving size stuff like that.

I deffinitely think I should bump up my calorie intake. Like last night I ran 2 miles (8 minute mile pace) which gave me 331 more calories to eat on top of the 500 I had left. I consumed those with chicken dinner, salad and 1 glass of milk and I was still starving.

Here is a question, due to my hectic work life and everything going on sometimes I do not get home from the gym till almost 8 and by the time I sit down for dinner it's 9 at night, would that be a huge factor?

Sarauk2sf

Will respond more fully to the other points later, but the only impact of eating later is that you may have more undigested food and therefore weigh a bit more. Eating late is fine as long as it doesnt mess with sleep - it has no impact on weight loss. I usually eat about an hour before I go to sleep and have ice cream in bed right before I go to sleep.

SharpeMichael

So I am a little frustrated today...I have been doing this for 4 weeks now and can't figure out what I am doing wrong? I weighed in at 197 lbs this morning. I weigh more then when I started my journey 4 weeks ago. I know there is going to be up and downs I just don't get why I dropped suddenly to 191 and gained everything back plus some. I can see my stomach is not getting thinner but thicker

WBB55

You should probably eat more than you do. This calculator http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/ says you should eat at least 1900, even if you were always sedentary 24-hours per day.

Edit to add: that calculator says eat 1900 everyday to LOSE weight, even if you were sedentary.

tuckervc

Stop weighing every day. You weight will go up and down every day. Do not weigh more than once a week. And you might need to go by measurements instead of weight to realize your success.