Help! I am failing!

denisea3465

I have lost zero weight and my measurements are the same after almost 5 weeks.

I went from eating quite a lot (no idea on how many calories but it wouldn't surprise me if I ate 2500+ calories per day before) and zero exercise. I have two children that I chase around and also work a desk job so that's the only motion I got. I am 5'4" and weigh 83 kg (about 183 lbs).

So four+ weeks ago, I started tracking calories and exercising. I have bad knees so I just use the stationary bicycle, right now about 5 days per week, and I try to do anywhere from 60 to 90 minutes each time. I also do a few pushups and situps but nothing major. I would like to add more weight training but so far haven't been able to.

The first couple weeks, I used sedentary as the fitness level and so was eating the 1200 calorie bit. But then I did some reading and decided to change it to lightly active and increased my calorie intake to 1510. I typically eat back most but not all calories burned from exercise.

So what the heck is wrong? I am hypothyroid but my tests results are normal so the levaxin is at the right level. Why am I failing so miserably? As I said, I feel good after exercising but I can't help but feel like I'm wasting my time trying to work in all the calorie tracking and daily exercise (2+ hours per day, most days) when it seems to be doing no good! Frustrated!!

mockchoc

I don't know a lot about people with hyperthyroid but I'd pretty sure they eat lower carbs and that helps a lot. Search for groups on here. I know that there are some.

Katetw

wait, so you set your activity level higher AND you eat back exercise cals? I think that is the problem.

If you use a higher activity level, then you are not allowed to eat back those cals--it's already worked in.

If you set it at sedentary, then you can eat back your exercise cals if you want to.

Also, what you are eating matters. If you eat a lot of high-sodium foods, your body is hanging on to water. Fruits and veggies are a good way to fill up.

Good luck!

Siannah

Whatever you do, don't give up. It must be frustrating, but it's "only" been 5 weeks, you need to find your way, what works best for you. Read here on the forum, make some tweaks to your diet, vary your exercise a little and make sure to always drink drink drink (must remember that myself actually). It will pay off eventually.

Keep going :flowerforyou:

Txnurse97

That's not true for everyone. My activity level is moderate and I almost always eat back my exercise calories. It's worked for me.

wait, so you set your activity level higher AND you eat back exercise cals? I think that is the problem.

If you use a higher activity level, then you are not allowed to eat back those cals--it's already worked in.

If you set it at sedentary, then you can eat back your exercise cals if you want to.

Also, what you are eating matters. If you eat a lot of high-sodium foods, your body is hanging on to water. Fruits and veggies are a good way to fill up.

Good luck!

JennyLCorbett

I can share in your feeling of failure - I have logged in for 140 days - an only have lost 9lbs. I try not to despair though;

I feel better my husband says I look better; I have more energy, my clothes are getting too big - so have I failed?? According to the scale yes - according to the increase in my quality of life? Not a bit. I eat healthy and since tracking my food I have learned to change portion sizes. I exercise 3 on 1 off. Something else I have been learning about is cortisol levels and how it can dramatically impact weight loss - too much stress (increases cortisol) and will inhibit weight loss. My family had a hugely difficult winter and I've reached a plateau, but will not give up. To reverse the effects of an increase in cortisol - from what I have read you need 3 things: Sleep, no caffine, and yes laughter . I encourage you to press on toward the goal you have before you. You can do it, you will do it - and don't let other's ability to "succeed" faster than you stop you.

ArroganceInStep

How much, on average, do you burn through exercise? If you're overestimating your calorie burn, it would explain the lack of progress.

professorRAT

How much, on average, do you burn through exercise? If you're overestimating your calorie burn, it would explain the lack of progress.

Agreed. I think in most cases estimation error (in calories consumed, or burned, or both) is the problem. You may need to make adjustments to your calorie target to find your appropriate deficit. After a change, stick with it for a few weeks before reassessing.

jonnythan

wait, so you set your activity level higher AND you eat back exercise cals? I think that is the problem.

If you use a higher activity level, then you are not allowed to eat back those cals--it's already worked in.

If you set it at sedentary, then you can eat back your exercise cals if you want to.

Also, what you are eating matters. If you eat a lot of high-sodium foods, your body is hanging on to water. Fruits and veggies are a good way to fill up.

Good luck!

Ding ding ding.

Use sedentary as your activity level, assuming you don't have a job that involves walking or lifting all day.

Then eat back exercise calories.

I also agree with the "possibly overestimating exercise calories" part. Your diary is closed though so we really can't see what's going on anyway. There's probably more useful clues in there.

Do you use an HRM?

Katetw

That's not true for everyone. My activity level is moderate and I almost always eat back my exercise calories. It's worked for me.

wait, so you set your activity level higher AND you eat back exercise cals? I think that is the problem.

If you use a higher activity level, then you are not allowed to eat back those cals--it's already worked in.

If you set it at sedentary, then you can eat back your exercise cals if you want to.

Also, what you are eating matters. If you eat a lot of high-sodium foods, your body is hanging on to water. Fruits and veggies are a good way to fill up.

Good luck!

The obvious statement being--it worked for you. The OP wrote in because what (s)he's doing is NOT working. So something needs to change. I suggested what I would change. Since things ARE working for you, you shouldn't change. But perhaps you can offer advice to the OP who is looking for what to do!

april1445

Just commit to something you can live with, and keep at it until it works. Yes, I am speaking from experience. Also, you might want to check out High Intensity Interval Training because you can spend less time doing cardio with better results.

Lizzy622

I also have a hypoactive thyroid that is supposedly under control (my blood tests come back ok) but my EKG still shows fairly low activity level. I restarted seriously about 5 weeks ago and FINALLY lost my first 2 pounds. Keep at it and don't give up.

toxikon

Do you have an accurate scale and measure your food? It could just be a matter of under-calculating the calories you're eating.

jezama77

Do you have an accurate scale and measure your food? It could just be a matter of under-calculating the calories you're eating.

This. I weigh and measure almost everything! All the time. I don't trust my 'eyeball'. I think maybe once I get several pounds below goal that I will start eyeballing a bit...

paige_eloise

Remember that weight loss is never a sprint, it's a marathon. My father has a thyroid condition and he really struggles to maintain his weight - however, when he became much stricter with the food he was eating, things did start to get better.
I would agree that to get the ball rolling, don't eat back calories lost in exercise - this might be the reasoning to only maintaining the weight you currently are.

Stick at it!! I'm sure the weight will begin to drop soon!

denisea3465

Wow, thank you for all the great advice! A couple things:

1) I have a kitchen scale and measure every single thing I eat, so I think I'm good there.

2) I read that we are supposed to eat back the exercise calories because if we don't, then we go below the 1200 calorie minimum and thus into starvation mode. Is that not true?

3) it could be overestimating my calorie loss with exercise. I've tried many different calculators and they all seem to be in the same general area, but I have to admit I was shocked at how many calories they say I burn. I plug in my weight, heart rate, and minutes doing the activity and I get the same general results from all those calculators. For example, today I did 71 minutes on the bike with a HR (yes, I have a monitor) around 135-145, and it said I burned somewhere around 1000 calories. I thought that was quite a lot but since I'm overweight, I thought it was possible.

4) I read that sedentary was for people who literally don't move all day, like sit and watch tv and nothing else? That was why I bumped it to light activity. As I said, I have two small children (two under 2 yo) and also work out of the home 3 days a week, so I am on my feet quite a lot, just not enough to get my heart rate up, generally.

Thanks again for the great discussion and advice!

jonnythan

Wow, thank you for all the great advice! A couple things:

1) I have a kitchen scale and measure every single thing I eat, so I think I'm good there.

2) I read that we are supposed to eat back the exercise calories because if we don't, then we go below the 1200 calorie minimum and thus into starvation mode. Is that not true?

3) it could be overestimating my calorie loss with exercise. I've tried many different calculators and they all seem to be in the same general area, but I have to admit I was shocked at how many calories they say I burn. I plug in my weight, heart rate, and minutes doing the activity and I get the same general results from all those calculators. For example, today I did 71 minutes on the bike with a HR (yes, I have a monitor) around 135-145, and it said I burned somewhere around 1000 calories. I thought that was quite a lot but since I'm overweight, I thought it was possible.

4) I read that sedentary was for people who literally don't move all day, like sit and watch tv and nothing else? That was why I bumped it to light activity. As I said, I have two small children (two under 2 yo) and also work out of the home 3 days a week, so I am on my feet quite a lot, just not enough to get my heart rate up, generally.

Thanks again for the great discussion and advice!

Your goal is to end each day in a moderate calorie deficit of 300-500 calories. There are different ways to get there, but ultimate that day's total energy expenditure minus that day's calorie intake should be a positive number in that range.

You can calculate a sedentary TDEE, add in exercise calories, and then eat less than that number if you're sedentary other than exercise. You can calculate an active TDEE, which already factors in exercise calories, and eat less than that number.

The goal is to figure out how many calories you actually burn in a given day and eat less than that. So whether you "eat back exercise calories" depends on how you determined your goal in the first place.

Start with your BMR, add in all activity calories one way or another, and eat less than that.

Capt_Apollo

guess my previous comment didn't sit well with others.