What am I doing wrong? Please help!

kazitykaz

Hello

I've been working hard to try and lose weight and progress has been slow but each week I would lose some weight so I continued. Last week I didn't lose any weight and put on 0.5 lbs, I know it's not much but don't understand why I didn't lose any weight but put weight on.

Below is the data from last week.

Sunday: remaining 128 net 1072
Monday: remaining 460 net 740
Tuesday: remaining 26 net 1174
Wednesday: remaining 24 net 1176
Thursday: remaining 132 net 1069
Friday: remaining 403 net 797
Saturday: remaining -168 net 1368

Don't know what I've done wrong this week. On people's advice I ate more to try and lose weight and only lost 0.25 lbs. I need to loss another 25 lbs and don't know why it's going so slow. It's really annoying me now and feel like it's not worth all the effort.

This week:

Sunday ate 1302 calories, net 1201
Monday ate 1544 calories, net 1200
Tuesday ate 1782 calories, net 1304
Wednesday ate 1583 calories, net 1583
Thursday ate 1217 calories, net 165
Friday ate 1070 calories, net 837
Saturday ate 2142 calories, net 1341

I ate under my net some days to account for what I had eaten over my net on other days. I exercise 6 days a week using turbo fire. Because I ate so many calories yesterday I did an extra run on the treadmill to bring down my net.

I use a heart rate monitor to calculate how many calories I've burnt during a work out.

Please help as I still don't know what to do.

Thank you

evileen99

Thursday you netted only 165 calories? Do you realize how unhealthy that is?

YOU'RE STILL NOT EATING ENOUGH.

What are your stats? How old, tall, how much do you weigh, what is your goal weight loss, BMR, and TDEE?

kazitykaz

Oops, that was a typing error, Thursday net was 1035, sorry.

I'm 5ft and currently 137 lb and my target weight is 112 lb but would be happy to go back to my previous weight of 121 lbs.

Not sure what my BMR and TDEE are.

Cheers

kazitykaz

I've just gone onto an online calculator.

Most the time I sit around as I have a desk job. I exercise 6 days a week for an hour so I said I was of moderate exercise.

My BMR is 1414
My TDEE is 2192

Not really sure what they mean, guessing to maintain weight I would need to eat 2192. Based on the above and wanting to lose between 1 and 2 lb per week what should my daily calorie intake be.

Thank you

evileen99

I've just gone onto an online calculator.

Most the time I sit around as I have a desk job. I exercise 6 days a week for an hour so I said I was of moderate exercise.

My BMR is 1414
My TDEE is 2192

Not really sure what they mean, guessing to maintain weight I would need to eat 2192. Based on the above and wanting to lose between 1 and 2 lb per week what should my daily calorie intake be.

Thank you

You don't have a lot of weight to lose, so I'd adjust my goal to no more than one pound a week. At your low rate, your body isn't going to want to lose 2 pounds a week and will fight you to hang on to the fat.

You need to net at least your BMR every day--this way your body is getting enough fuel to be happy. You don't want to be breaking down muscle to feed your brain (which will happen when you eat too little) because muscle is what drives your metabolism. So to lose a pound a week, you'd need to net about 1600 calories--much more than you've been eating.

Try it for a couple of weeks and see what happens.

kazitykaz

I've just gone onto an online calculator.

Most the time I sit around as I have a desk job. I exercise 6 days a week for an hour so I said I was of moderate exercise.

My BMR is 1414
My TDEE is 2192

Not really sure what they mean, guessing to maintain weight I would need to eat 2192. Based on the above and wanting to lose between 1 and 2 lb per week what should my daily calorie intake be.

Thank you

You don't have a lot of weight to lose, so I'd adjust my goal to no more than one pound a week. At your low rate, your body isn't going to want to lose 2 pounds a week and will fight you to hang on to the fat.

You need to net at least your BMR every day--this way your body is getting enough fuel to be happy. You don't want to be breaking down muscle to feed your brain (which will happen when you eat too little) because muscle is what drives your metabolism. So to lose a pound a week, you'd need to net about 1600 calories--much more than you've been eating.

Try it for a couple of weeks and see what happens.

When you say net 1600 do I need to eat back my exercise colaries, I thought the TDEE takes into account the exercise calories. I'm just so confused by these different systems. Thank you :-).

Mommy4812

I've just gone onto an online calculator.

Most the time I sit around as I have a desk job. I exercise 6 days a week for an hour so I said I was of moderate exercise.

My BMR is 1414
My TDEE is 2192

Not really sure what they mean, guessing to maintain weight I would need to eat 2192. Based on the above and wanting to lose between 1 and 2 lb per week what should my daily calorie intake be.

Thank you

Since you have a desk job I think you should change your activity level so sedentary.

kazitykaz

I've just gone onto an online calculator.

Most the time I sit around as I have a desk job. I exercise 6 days a week for an hour so I said I was of moderate exercise.

My BMR is 1414
My TDEE is 2192

Not really sure what they mean, guessing to maintain weight I would need to eat 2192. Based on the above and wanting to lose between 1 and 2 lb per week what should my daily calorie intake be.

Thank you

Since you have a desk job I think you should change your activity level so sedentary.

If I did it as little or no exercise my TDEE would be 1697 but not sure if this would be right with my BMR being 1414 and on average me burning 300 calories 6 days a week.

Cheers

Jamcnair

Since you have a desk job I think you should change your activity level so sedentary.

She isn't sedentary because she works out so often

Jamcnair

I've just gone onto an online calculator.

Most the time I sit around as I have a desk job. I exercise 6 days a week for an hour so I said I was of moderate exercise.

My BMR is 1414
My TDEE is 2192

Not really sure what they mean, guessing to maintain weight I would need to eat 2192. Based on the above and wanting to lose between 1 and 2 lb per week what should my daily calorie intake be.

Thank you

You don't have a lot of weight to lose, so I'd adjust my goal to no more than one pound a week. At your low rate, your body isn't going to want to lose 2 pounds a week and will fight you to hang on to the fat.

You need to net at least your BMR every day--this way your body is getting enough fuel to be happy. You don't want to be breaking down muscle to feed your brain (which will happen when you eat too little) because muscle is what drives your metabolism. So to lose a pound a week, you'd need to net about 1600 calories--much more than you've been eating.

Try it for a couple of weeks and see what happens.

When you say net 1600 do I need to eat back my exercise colaries, I thought the TDEE takes into account the exercise calories. I'm just so confused by these different systems. Thank you :-).

I would set my calorie goal as 1600 and eat back my exercise calories to be sure the NET says 1600

kazitykaz

I've just gone onto an online calculator.

Most the time I sit around as I have a desk job. I exercise 6 days a week for an hour so I said I was of moderate exercise.

My BMR is 1414
My TDEE is 2192

Not really sure what they mean, guessing to maintain weight I would need to eat 2192. Based on the above and wanting to lose between 1 and 2 lb per week what should my daily calorie intake be.

Thank you

You don't have a lot of weight to lose, so I'd adjust my goal to no more than one pound a week. At your low rate, your body isn't going to want to lose 2 pounds a week and will fight you to hang on to the fat.

You need to net at least your BMR every day--this way your body is getting enough fuel to be happy. You don't want to be breaking down muscle to feed your brain (which will happen when you eat too little) because muscle is what drives your metabolism. So to lose a pound a week, you'd need to net about 1600 calories--much more than you've been eating.

Try it for a couple of weeks and see what happens.

When you say net 1600 do I need to eat back my exercise colaries, I thought the TDEE takes into account the exercise calories. I'm just so confused by these different systems. Thank you :-).

I would set my calorie goal as 1600 and eat back my exercise calories to be sure the NET says 1600

Sorry to be a pain, people must be fed up with me. I don't understand why I need to eat back my exercise calories? I thought the point of exercise was to burn more calories, what's the point in exercising if I have to eat back the calories?

Jamcnair

I've just gone onto an online calculator.

Most the time I sit around as I have a desk job. I exercise 6 days a week for an hour so I said I was of moderate exercise.

My BMR is 1414
My TDEE is 2192

Not really sure what they mean, guessing to maintain weight I would need to eat 2192. Based on the above and wanting to lose between 1 and 2 lb per week what should my daily calorie intake be.

Thank you

You don't have a lot of weight to lose, so I'd adjust my goal to no more than one pound a week. At your low rate, your body isn't going to want to lose 2 pounds a week and will fight you to hang on to the fat.

You need to net at least your BMR every day--this way your body is getting enough fuel to be happy. You don't want to be breaking down muscle to feed your brain (which will happen when you eat too little) because muscle is what drives your metabolism. So to lose a pound a week, you'd need to net about 1600 calories--much more than you've been eating.

Try it for a couple of weeks and see what happens.

When you say net 1600 do I need to eat back my exercise colaries, I thought the TDEE takes into account the exercise calories. I'm just so confused by these different systems. Thank you :-).

I would set my calorie goal as 1600 and eat back my exercise calories to be sure the NET says 1600

Sorry to be a pain, people must be fed up with me. I don't understand why I need to eat back my exercise calories? I thought the point of exercise was to burn more calories, what's the point in exercising if I have to eat back the calories?

Because when you subtract 20% from your TDEE (Total Daily Expenditure) THAT is your deficit. So if you don't eat back the calories, it's like you have a DOUBLE deficit, which will not give your body enough fuel (calories) to work properly

evileen99

You exercise for health--you maintain or increase muscle mass, so you keep your metabolism up, you improve your cardiovascular health, and decrease your risk for certain diseases/conditions. And you get to eat more! Who doesn't like to eat?
You can have some ice cream, cookies, chocolate--you know, the stuff that makes you feel less deprived, so you're less likely to go on a binge.

kazitykaz

You exercise for health--you maintain or increase muscle mass, so you keep your metabolism up, you improve your cardiovascular health, and decrease your risk for certain diseases/conditions. And you get to eat more! Who doesn't like to eat?
You can have some ice cream, cookies, chocolate--you know, the stuff that makes you feel less deprived, so you're less likely to go on a binge.

You're so right with who doesn't want to eat more. I just struggle with that idea when I'm trying to lose. Rather than thinking of it like that I'm going to think that MFP made an incorrect calculation when they calculated I should only eat 1200. :-).

sleepytexan

Why it might not be a good idea to eat so few calories:

I have never been overweight, however, I used to eat too few calories (without knowing it), and a couple years ago, I actually GAINED weight bc of having slowed my metabolism to the point that every little extra treat I ate caused a weight gain, even though overall my calories were too low. THIS DOES HAPPEN.

It is also the reason so many fat people stay fat. They restrict their calories so low, slow their metabolisms, binge (even a little), gain weight, restrict more . . . . and so on and so on. But they are still fat.

It is also the reason most people can't lose that last 10-20 lbs. For real.

1. MFP has a deficit built in. Let's say you're trying to lose 1 lb/ week. That is a 500/day deficit from your BMR (the amount of calories your body needs to complete basic functions.

2. You exercise and burn 500 calories. Now you are at a 1000 deficit. If you eat back those 500 exercise calories, you refuel your body and you still have a 500 deficit for that 1 lb loss. If you DON'T eat back those calories, you have too little fuel. This is bad. This is too much of a deficit for basic functions. If you do this for a long time, you will STOP LOSING WEIGHT. Why? bc your metabolism will slow down -- it's like a brownout--not quite enough electricity to make the whole city (your body) run, so it has to slow down some things. You will probably start being tired a lot, your skin and hair might start to look worse, and you might even gain weight. But you might NOT be hungry -- your body is getting used to fewer calories. That's bad.


That's when you start to gain weight. Let's say you're running along, eating 1200 calories a day, and exercising 400 calories a day, so net is 800. You're losing, you think this is great. You keep doing it, but after a while you stop losing. hmmmmm. One weekend you go out to a special event and have a slice of pizza and a beer. 1 slice of pizza and 1 beer. So you ate maybe 2000 calories that day and exercised off 400, so net 1600. BOOM! You gain 3 lbs! What?!

Next, you freak out and restrict yourself down to 1000 calories a day and work out extra hard, burning 500 calories. Great, netting 500 now. You don't lose any weight, but you sure feel tired. Better get some red bull.

Are you getting the picture?

EDIT: When you work out, you need fuel. Food is fuel. If you don't eat back those exercise calories, you will not only have a big calorie deficit, you will have an ENERGY deficit. Remember, the calorie deficit for weight loss is built in when you use MFP. Exercising basically earns you more calories because you must refuel.
--

There are many people who will tell you not to eat exercise calories. Before you take their advice, you might want to see whether they are at goal, have EVER been at goal, or have ever been able to maintain at goal. If anyone says to you 'THE LAST TIME I LOST WEIGHT", just stop listening right there.

Ask some athletes whether or not they replenish their bodies with food equal to the calories they burn. Ask people who are fit and have achieved and maintained a healthy weight for some years. Don't ask people who count walking across a parking lot as exercise.

Here's an interesting case study about how to stay fat while consuming only 700 calories a day. Take a moment, you'll be glad you did:

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/3047-700-calories-a-day-and-not-losing

blessings.