I've done some research, but still would like some advice.

holothuroidea

It's very hard to judge the accuracy of your calorie counts because you eat out so often. Try to stick more and more to things you can measure out yourself.

Also, you're eating back your exercise calories. Good job! I think you should keep doing that. However, you need to make sure that your calories burned are accurate. More often than not they are overestimated. I don't go by MFP's database anymore because it has proven to be extremely inaccurate. If you don't have a fitbit/bodymedia or HRM, at least make sure you get your calorie estimates from websites that take your weight into account.

As far as weight loss is concerned, it's possible to lose weight on your current diet as long as you keep your calorie counts accurate and eat a deficit. However, I think you'll find that you have an easier time if you eat less processed/prepared foods and more whole foods. Those micronutrients are important for your energy, and the less sugar and more fiber you have the more satisfied you will feel.

cleback

Maybe I misread, but if you're doing the TDEE - %, you're TDEE should already have your activity (workouts) figured in so you shouldn't be eating back your exercise calories.

Quite simply, this.

holothuroidea

Maybe I misread, but if you're doing the TDEE - %, you're TDEE should already have your activity (workouts) figured in so you shouldn't be eating back your exercise calories.

Quite simply, this.

Not always. I calculated my TDEE for light activity, which would be a day without exercise, and I eat back my exercise calories. I know it's not technically a true "TDEE" but it works for me.

It looks like the OP did this as well.

mombieocalypse

I am about the same as you. 260lbs 5'4" tall. My calories are set to about 1300 and I eat back my workout calories for the most part. I am on the beginning of my weight loss journey so I am unsure of how it will work out, but I lost 4 lbs last week.

Querian

I also think the quality of the food you are eating could be easily improved. I know that learning to cook might seem daunting on top of everything else but seriously, I think you could really benefit.

As you can't learn to cook everything instantly while you are learning try to make things that are easy to make at home and much easier to weight and measure accurately. Sandwiches and salads, fruit and veggies, things that are easy to throw together and are grab and go type foods at first to get you eating at home more often. Peanut butter and jelly sandwich with an apple is better than pizza. A turkey sandwich with some carrots and hummus. Simple things that are easy to make with simple ingredients.

Look at the recipe thread here on MFP and see what other people are cooking and eating and start trying more complex things as time and energy permits. Make extras so you have leftovers and can eat those for lunch the next day or stick them in the freezer for another time.

I agree with the poster who suggested eating about 2000 calories and NOT eating back the exercise calories. Do that combined with trying to clean up your diet and getting off the fast food track for a few weeks and see how that goes. Plus try to drink more water.

You got this. The fact that you have been doing this for 4 or 5 months shows that you really are committed. The process can be slow and at times it seems like there is no progress but we are all still learning more every day and that counts, even if the scale doesn't realize that yet.

I know you said you are saving up for a heart rate monitor and that sounds great. I don't have one but I did recently get a FitBit and I really like how it tells you how many calories to eat each day and tracks your activity levels so it is very motivating and I think it is very accurate calorie-wise for me so maybe you can ask for that or the HRM for a gift on your next birthday or other occasion.

Good luck! :flowerforyou:

zhvah18

Maybe I misread, but if you're doing the TDEE - %, you're TDEE should already have your activity (workouts) figured in so you shouldn't be eating back your exercise calories.

Quite simply, this.

Not always. I calculated my TDEE for light activity, which would be a day without exercise, and I eat back my exercise calories. I know it's not technically a true "TDEE" but it works for me.

It looks like the OP did this as well.

Yes, but taking a quick glance through her diary from the past few weeks, after she's ate back her exercise calories she's ate pretty darn near her TDEE. That would be maintenance. If OP is truly "lightly active". My suggestion would be to first try not eating the exercise calories back, and yes, as many others have said, change the quality of the food.

holothuroidea

Maybe I misread, but if you're doing the TDEE - %, you're TDEE should already have your activity (workouts) figured in so you shouldn't be eating back your exercise calories.

Quite simply, this.

Not always. I calculated my TDEE for light activity, which would be a day without exercise, and I eat back my exercise calories. I know it's not technically a true "TDEE" but it works for me.

It looks like the OP did this as well.

Yes, but taking a quick glance through her diary from the past few weeks, after she's ate back her exercise calories she's ate pretty darn near her TDEE. That would be maintenance. If OP is truly "lightly active". My suggestion would be to first try not eating the exercise calories back, and yes, as many others have said, change the quality of the food.

She calculated her TDEE for lightly active, she said that in the OP. A person who works out 6 days a week is not lightly active, that puts you up to moderate activity at least.

If eating back her exercise calories puts her at TDEE for light activity, she's still eating a deficit because her true activity level is much higher than that.

zhvah18

nvm

Mock_Turtle

Maybe I misread, but if you're doing the TDEE - %, you're TDEE should already have your activity (workouts) figured in so you shouldn't be eating back your exercise calories.

Quite simply, this.

Not always. I calculated my TDEE for light activity, which would be a day without exercise, and I eat back my exercise calories. I know it's not technically a true "TDEE" but it works for me.

It looks like the OP did this as well.

Yes, but taking a quick glance through her diary from the past few weeks, after she's ate back her exercise calories she's ate pretty darn near her TDEE. That would be maintenance. If OP is truly "lightly active". My suggestion would be to first try not eating the exercise calories back, and yes, as many others have said, change the quality of the food.

She calculated her TDEE for lightly active, she said that in the OP. A person who works out 6 days a week is not lightly active, that puts you up to moderate activity at least.

If eating back her exercise calories puts her at TDEE for light activity, she's still eating a deficit because her true activity level is much higher than that.

And this is where the coefficients really introduce uncertainty. If you put it down as moderately active that is going to apply a scale factor of 1.55. Per the OP, her BMR is ~ 1900. So she needs to be generating 1000 calories a day above the BMR to match the coefficient.

If she works a sedentary office job then she needs to be burning upwards of 700 calories per day working out. OP didn't specify what she does cardio wise, but we're talking about doing something like 50-60 minutes on on the treadmill at 5 mph for 5 times per week.

Is that realitically where OP is at? We need to know what the cardio is - how long and how intense

watfordjc

So after the first 4 weeks it looks like you've lost about 1 lb/week? Math mode...

(TDEE*30%)*7/3,500 = (810)*7/3,500 = 1.62 lb/week.

Your sodium intake looks (from the couple of weeks I looked at) to fluctuate but after ~12 weeks the only way that would be factor is if you have been increasing your sodium intake week-by-week. The weeks you had less sodium you should have seen a bigger dip and the weeks you had more you should have seen a smaller dip (or gain) but that should be noticeable in a weight loss graph by now.

I have lost almost 60 pounds and *only two* of the meals I have eaten in the last 5 months have been home cooked (Christmas dinner at the parents, Haggis and mash at a friend's).

So no, what you eat should not be having an impact unless you are sensitive to certain foods/macronutrients/micronutrients.

6 days a week sounds like borderline active and very active (a TDEE multiplier of 1.6-1.725), however, it depends on what your cardio consists of and what your rest/lazy days are like. My TDEE was calculated at the end of January as 4,237.2 calories/day (from Bod Pod results, includes exercise, excludes the 16.5 lb lost since then). Thursday I burned ~4,487 calories, Wednesday I burned ~2,468. TDEE-x% is not reliable for me as my activity level is not consistent (flip between sedentary and very active).

Since most of your eating out is from (what I looked at) chains, those calorie counts are probably correct (give or take the variation allowed by law). Assuming you have logged all food in the last couple of weeks, I would rule out underestimating consumption.

The tricky question is whether to increase or decrease your calories. You'd probably already know or suspect an adrenal/thyroid/metabolic issue from symptoms other than slow weight loss. It might be not eating enough and your body has compensated, or your TDEE combined with exercise calories might not be as high as calculated.

What do you do during the day, what does cardio consist of, and has intensity/duration of cardio increased with fitness level?

holothuroidea

Her calorie goal is set at a deficit of TDEE-30% for light activity, not TDEE for light activity.

BMR- 1900
TDEE light activity- 2700
Calorie Goal- 1890

Add activity beyond light activity, eat back the calories.... deficit stays the same.

I don't think the OP has an error in her methods, but in her accuracy. She's not weighing out most of her foods, and they're very calorie dense foods which means that the error could really be significant. Plus, I see numbers like 500-800 calories burned in exercise, and that doesn't seem reasonable. I'm especially suspicious of inaccuracy there because MFP's exercise database is notoriously bad for this.

jcramer1227

I mix up my cardio and it's not a set schedule. I typically do between 45 and 60 minutes of either elliptical, stationary bike, treadmill, or Zumba. I usually do a mix. One day will elliptical/Zumba and the next might be bike/treadmill. There are some days when I don't have as much time (class and work) so I may only get 15 to 30 minutes of cardio. The intensity? I work up a pretty good sweat, but I admit I don't really know what kind of scale to judge that on.

jcramer1227

Just to clarify why I chose "lightly active."

The way it was easiest for me to understand calculating my numbers was to take exercise out of the equation. If I didn't workout at all, I consider myself lightly active. I have class during the week and work as a server 3-4 days of the week. I suppose that may bump me up to moderate since serving is an active job, but I guess I wanted to "play it safe." This is why I eat back my exercise calories. I hope that makes sense.

jcramer1227

Yeah, I have learned over the past few months that the totals on foods/exercise are inaccurate sometimes. I like to use an average method when I calculate calories burned. I use the counter on whatever I'm using (treadmill/elliptical) and I use what MFP gives me and I use a couple online calculators...average that. I will be doing this at least until I can get an HRM.

holothuroidea

Instead of averaging them, take the lowest number. Or only aim to eat 50-75% of your exercise calories back. That way you don't risk overeating.

jcramer1227

Thank you for some great advice and encouragement! I do pretty well in the kitchen, but most of the time just lack motivation to actually do it lol It's one of the many things I'm working on when it comes to my poor eating habits!

jcramer1227

Hmm...sounds like a pretty good option. I will have to try that. I will admit that I really like seeing the big burns (who doesn't, right?) but perhaps to get out of this rut, it might be a great option to get the ball rolling.

holothuroidea

Re: Cooking vs. eating out.

Is it really a lack of motivation, or just habit?

Maybe first you can change to eating out only once a day. Then, once that's good, start reducing the amount of days you eat out. So if you eat our 7 days a week, make it 6, then 5, until you're down to 1 day a week. Then commit to staying there for at least a month, until it the habit is broken.

jcramer1227

Definitely bookmarked that thread! Thanks I'll have to take a look when I tweak my allotment.

jcramer1227

Yeah, after high school I gained all kinds of independence when I left home. I ate what I want, when I wanted it. Which meant fast food. It has become a habit that I'm slowly breaking. I would love nothing more than to set a specific schedule like that, but, in my experience, it works better for me to "wing it." I know you may be thinking I'm just not applying myself, but if I'm truly honest here, I know that the second I start telling myself "no" and "you HAVE to do it this way" I will resist my own restrictions lol as silly as that sounds. I'm extremely stubborn. But trust me, what I eat now is nothing like what I used to eat. I'm very proud of myself for that.

And as a side note: the snacking and meals you see from Perkins...I work there. Just wanted to clarify that I don't actually make several trips to one place for food!