Help! What am I doing wrong?
jlmed
Posts: 226 Member
I posted this is the diet help section but am not getting any response. I came across this group and thought I would post here
I am starting to get a little frustrated and that is bad for my mentality. I started at MFP in Jan and for the first couple weeks I lost pretty good - 13lbs since beginning of January. For the past 3 weeks I have had no loss and in fact my weight is going up. This is very discouraging.
A little history - prior to tracking with MFP I was working out very regularly but not paying too much attention to portion control and not always making the healthy choice. I did not lose much weight but I didn't gain weight.
Since January I have increased the working out I do and I started tracking and using proper portions and lost 13 lbs in the first month. Then I was stalled over the past few weeks but I thought it was pretty normal so I continue on but this morning when I weighed in I was up 2lbs and it really has me feeling down. I am ok to just keep going as I know this takes time but I just want to check that I am on the right path.
When I started MFP I think I was at 1800 calories a day, with the weight loss I am down to 1700 calories a day. My workouts look like this:
M- I do a sweat and sculpt class at the gym
T - hot Bikram yoga
W - sweat and sculpt class
Th - sweat and sculpt class
F - hot Bikram yoga
Sa-
Su-
Sat and Sun depends. If I can't get to the gym I do a video at home. On top of this I am doing the C25K program and am currently on W7D2 so just over a week until I am done. I run every other day. I also just started incorporating weights into my workouts (this week). The sweat and sculpt classes are registered classes that are almost over. When they are done I will focus more on weights and running. I am signed up for a 5k in March. I do eat back some of my calories but a lot of times it is just a portion. I don't have "cheat" days but I don't restrict so if we are at a birthday party I will have a small piece of cake if it is worth it to me. I do not work well with deprivation as it sets me up for failure.
I have input my info into the scooby calculator as well and according to that at moderate exercise I get:
BMR - 1660
TDEE - 2573
Daily calories - 2059
If I use the 5-6hrs week exercise (which I think is more accurate for me) I get:
TDEE - 2864
Daily calories - 2291
What do I do? Increase calories? Decrease calories or nothing, keep doing what I am doing? My biggest frustration doesn't even come from the scale, it is the lack of change with measurements.
Thanks for taking the time to read and voice your opinion/advice smile
I am starting to get a little frustrated and that is bad for my mentality. I started at MFP in Jan and for the first couple weeks I lost pretty good - 13lbs since beginning of January. For the past 3 weeks I have had no loss and in fact my weight is going up. This is very discouraging.
A little history - prior to tracking with MFP I was working out very regularly but not paying too much attention to portion control and not always making the healthy choice. I did not lose much weight but I didn't gain weight.
Since January I have increased the working out I do and I started tracking and using proper portions and lost 13 lbs in the first month. Then I was stalled over the past few weeks but I thought it was pretty normal so I continue on but this morning when I weighed in I was up 2lbs and it really has me feeling down. I am ok to just keep going as I know this takes time but I just want to check that I am on the right path.
When I started MFP I think I was at 1800 calories a day, with the weight loss I am down to 1700 calories a day. My workouts look like this:
M- I do a sweat and sculpt class at the gym
T - hot Bikram yoga
W - sweat and sculpt class
Th - sweat and sculpt class
F - hot Bikram yoga
Sa-
Su-
Sat and Sun depends. If I can't get to the gym I do a video at home. On top of this I am doing the C25K program and am currently on W7D2 so just over a week until I am done. I run every other day. I also just started incorporating weights into my workouts (this week). The sweat and sculpt classes are registered classes that are almost over. When they are done I will focus more on weights and running. I am signed up for a 5k in March. I do eat back some of my calories but a lot of times it is just a portion. I don't have "cheat" days but I don't restrict so if we are at a birthday party I will have a small piece of cake if it is worth it to me. I do not work well with deprivation as it sets me up for failure.
I have input my info into the scooby calculator as well and according to that at moderate exercise I get:
BMR - 1660
TDEE - 2573
Daily calories - 2059
If I use the 5-6hrs week exercise (which I think is more accurate for me) I get:
TDEE - 2864
Daily calories - 2291
What do I do? Increase calories? Decrease calories or nothing, keep doing what I am doing? My biggest frustration doesn't even come from the scale, it is the lack of change with measurements.
Thanks for taking the time to read and voice your opinion/advice smile
0
Replies
-
To answer questions
1) What's your current intake of calories, on average?
Average is around 1800
2) What's your current average intake of protein, carbs, and fats, in grams?
Protein - ~90g, Carbs - ~180-190g, Fat - ~60g
3) Do you use a food scale and measure everything?
Yes
4) Do you track all of your intake, daily? (Everything?)
Yes
5) Do you take cheat days or days off?
No days off, this is how I eat and if there is an occasion that I want something less healthy I take it in moderation. I do not deprive as that has caused me to fail in the past.
6) How much weight have you lost so far?
13lbs
7) What is your activity like, both exercise and non-exercise?
See original post above
8) How long have you eaten at your previous amount and what happened in that time frame?
Since I joined - see above post
9) What's your height, current weight and if you know it, bodyfat%?
5'8, 35f, 197, BF according to scale says 44%
10) If you're stalled, for how long and is it a complete stall (zero change in weight)?
3.5 weeks0 -
Either myself and/or SideSteel will get back to you soon.0
-
Ok - please pay no attention to my over indulgences today, they are not the norm :noway:0
-
When did you start exercising and has your volume/routine changed since you started, and if so, when did it change?0
-
I would say that Sept of last year I started doing 3-4 fitness classes a week and that was it. In January I started with the 3 fitness classes and added the running (C25K) every other day as well. I also started the Bikram yoga 2x per week (despite what people may thing it is a pretty good cardio workout -my heart pounds the same as when I am running). Then last week I started to incorporate weight lifting.0
-
You were probably up at your last weigh in due to the addition of lifting recently as you retain glycogen/water (up to about 4lb). The addition of the classes also cause problems with identifying a trend as there will be some water weight fluctuations because of this.
The initial weight loss would mainly have been water weight - this is not what should be expected (or desired) on a go forward basis.
The 1,800 is a bit light imo, however, keep at this level for another 3 weeks and see how you do as the water weight fluctuations stabilize. If you can get back to us then, we can see if tweaks need to be made. Your fats look fine but I would try to get your protein up at least 110g.0 -
MFP has automatically put me down to 1700, my goal is set at 1lb per week. Should I change my goal to 0.5 to bump back up to at least 1800?0
-
Oh and that includes eating back exercise calories on top of the 1800 right?0
-
Oh and that includes eating back exercise calories on top of the 1800 right?
Was the 1,800 gross or net?0 -
The calories are without exercise so gross.0
-
The calories are without exercise so gross.
Continue eating to this level. If you eat the calories back on top of this you will be eating more that before...or am I misunderstanding?0 -
It is confusing to me. My calories on MFP are currently 1700. If I don't exercise I only eat to 1700. If I do exercise, I eat back some of those calories. Does that clear things up? I guess I was confused on the gross vs net. My calories were previously 1810 but MFP automatically lowered them to 1700 along the way.0
-
It is confusing to me. My calories on MFP are currently 1700. If I don't exercise I only eat to 1700. If I do exercise, I eat back some of those calories. Does that clear things up? I guess I was confused on the gross vs net. My calories were previously 1810 but MFP automatically lowered them to 1700 along the way.
What we are looking to find is the gross calories - i.e. the calories you eat in total. However, if you have been eating about 1,800 plus exercise, this looks more reasonable (I thought it was 1,800 in total which is why I mentioned it was a little low). Stick to the 1,700 that MFP gives you plus some of your exercise calories.0 -
Ok so I will carry on the same and check back in 3 weeks
0
This discussion has been closed.