Please help - I'm really trying and failing
Frankietb
Posts: 69 Member
Please have a look at my profile and diary and please let me know what I'm doing wrong because I'm not losing weight or inches. I've been at this for months and it seems I’m spinning my wheels. I thought I was on the right track but not anymore.
My husband started tracking at the same time as I did (early March), doesn't work out and has a very sedentary job and has lost weight and inches and everybody is commenting on how lean he looks. I'm happy for him but regardless of what I do and how hard I work, I'm just not succeeding. I am essentially the same as I was when I started; the only difference is that I feel tighter under my fat but the fat is still there.
I measure everything
I work out 5 times/week and burn about 350 calories (I lift heavy 3x a week)
I eat 1800 and don’t eat back exercise (set at TDEE – 20%)
I've read, understand and have applied the information on the Road Map
I'm a strong willed person and if I can figure out what to do to get the results I will do it well. Please help me with this. Any suggestions would really be appreciated. Thank you.
I tried to add a document that has my calorie report and progress report but I can't figure out how to do it. Will keep looking into it and add it later.
My husband started tracking at the same time as I did (early March), doesn't work out and has a very sedentary job and has lost weight and inches and everybody is commenting on how lean he looks. I'm happy for him but regardless of what I do and how hard I work, I'm just not succeeding. I am essentially the same as I was when I started; the only difference is that I feel tighter under my fat but the fat is still there.
I measure everything
I work out 5 times/week and burn about 350 calories (I lift heavy 3x a week)
I eat 1800 and don’t eat back exercise (set at TDEE – 20%)
I've read, understand and have applied the information on the Road Map
I'm a strong willed person and if I can figure out what to do to get the results I will do it well. Please help me with this. Any suggestions would really be appreciated. Thank you.
I tried to add a document that has my calorie report and progress report but I can't figure out how to do it. Will keep looking into it and add it later.
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Replies
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You've been eating this way since early March and haven't dropped a single pound? I can see why you're frustrated; I would be too. Clothes are still fitting the same?
Have you seen a doctor to rule out thyroid or hormonal issues? That's honestly all I can think of. If this is a 20% TDEE deficit, and you are truly accurately measure and logging your food, you should be losing weight.0 -
Do you have a food scale?0
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I don;t see anything absolutely crazy in your diary so I would just recommend making sure that the amount your are eating is accurate and properly measured so you are logging your calories correctly (you may already be doing that) and make sure that when you are working out that you change it up and it may help you. If you are working out a lot 5x a week you might even need to adjust your calories and possible eat more. Besides that, I am not completely sure what to tell you except to be patient, sometimes it doesn't happen right away. Focus more on body fat percentage and inches lost, your lifting may be making your body leaner, but the scale is not moving. Good luck!0
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I think you're doing everything you need to be doing. Are you eating less or more than you were before?
Am I understanding that you have lost no weight and no inches, or very little weight and very little inches? Have you tracked your body fat?
My suggestion would be to let it go for another month (I see that you've been doing this for almost two months so far). That will give your lifting a chance to have an impact on your metabolism.
If you still don't see a change, get checked out by your doctor to see if you have a deficiency or other issue.
Then drop another 200 calories if everything checks out.0 -
Your calories don't add up to your macros. I would try and ensure
1) You hit or exceed the protein every day
2) you stay under on the carbs and sugar
3) you make sure your food info is correct
I counted up the macros to several days and one was off by 700 calories! You thought you ate 1700 but you ate 2400!! That is a big difference...0 -
Personally i think you're eating too much. You only eat 350 less than me and i only drop 1lb a week and train a similar amount to you.
Why aren't you hitting your protein? That should be your minimum. If you don't want to eat more meat then maybe consider adding whey to your diet.0 -
Thank you Shannon for responding.
Yes, I've been logging, exercising consistantly, and eating at TDEE-20% for over 7 weeks now and I started at 157lbs and I'm at 156lbs and clothes feel the same.
According to Fat2fit, my BMR is 1432 and my TDEE is 2220 (moderate activity) so minus 20% is 333 so I set my MFP goal as 1800 (I like even numbers).
And don't eat back exercise.
I have eaten at this (give or take a few calories) except for 2 days the whole time (went over by a few but less or equal to my TDEE) and not losing.
I feel fine so I don't think it's a medical problem... who knows though. Never thought about it.....0 -
Hi. I noticed that you were not counting your sodium intake and I see that you eat a lot of things that have extremely high sodium. I would suggest tracking that as well and see if you can get the numbers down.0
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I would eat less than 20% TDEE. There is an error factor which can be as high as 20% so you may be ending up eating pretty much at your maintenance level. In the end, if your calories at 1800 are not leading to a weight loss, then eat less calories. I would think you need to be down another 200-300 to see a measured result.0
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Your calories don't add up to your macros. I would try and ensure
1) You hit or exceed the protein every day
2) you stay under on the carbs and sugar
3) you make sure your food info is correct
I counted up the macros to several days and one was off by 700 calories! You thought you ate 1700 but you ate 2400!! That is a big difference...
Second this guy.
Also, you need to watch your sodium content and your fat/carbs as well as snacks. All those chips are going to add up as well as weekend binges with drinks and what not that are most likely keeping you at maintenance. You seem to divulge everyday in at least chips or popcorn or something of that nature as a "treat" - try eliminating that or at least taking it down to 1-2 times a week.0 -
Hi Looks like you're doing great so far! Congrats! I just looked at some of your diary posts on meals. One recommendation I noticed is that I would up your protein intake. For example, yesterday's meal posts you had an intake of 50 or so grams of protein, but carbs were around 200 grams or something like that. If you are lifting 3 X a week then I would definitely up your protein to at least 100 or 150. Sometimes if I don't get enough protein in my meals I'll add whey protein to meet my protein needs/goals. Also, I would maybe do cardio 2 or 3X a week. Also, maybe focus on calories burnt on cardio sessions instead of amount of time spent on them. For example, I used to do endless hours on cardio machines. ...didn't work lol Now, I lift 5 X a week and only do cardio 2 X a week for 400 calories burnt sessions. I just started logging my meals again on here. Again, these are just suggestions. It seems like you eat pretty healthy are are active Good Luck!! 0
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How can we look at your diary? Never mind, I just went directly with the url: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/food/diary/frankietb0
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Why did you put moderately active? Not saying you aren't, just curious.
I'm 150 pounds, 5'9", 30 years old, and male. We obviously have different BMR's and goals, but my maintenance is about 2000 calories a day for just going to work, cleaning around the house, running errands, etc.0 -
You might consider adjusting your macros a little. MFP sets the carbs a little high and the fat a little low, IMO. Your carbs don't look terribly high to begin with, but your fat is awfully low. Try eating more olives/olive oil, avocados, real butter (full-fat dairy if you're into dairy), coconut oil...etc. You'll be surprised how eating MORE fat can actually help move fat off your body, especially if you're physically active.0
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Wow, I looked at your food diary and I eat close to the same type of food you do each day and I am struggling also. I am also 5ft 3in and currently 154. Recently I had gotten down to 145 and maintained that for about 2 years until the holidays. When I get down that low (for me) I am eating about 1400-1500 cal/day and I really watch my carbs (maybe about 100-120g/day). I have been under stress recently and have gained about 9 pounds. I have also been reading about the Road Map and am curious about it. I am very interested in seeing what kind of replies you get b/c I feel as if I could have written the same post! I workout 6 days per week. Usually P90X or right now, Chalean Extreme. Hope you can find what works soon! It is frustrating.0
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Your calories don't add up to your macros. I would try and ensure
1) You hit or exceed the protein every day
2) you stay under on the carbs and sugar
3) you make sure your food info is correct
I counted up the macros to several days and one was off by 700 calories! You thought you ate 1700 but you ate 2400!! That is a big difference...
Yeah, read this
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/872212-you-re-probably-eating-more-than-you-think?hl=eating+more+than+you+think0 -
How much water do you drink? This could also influence weight loss. Sodium is also a killer.0
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Off the top of my head:
Be sure you used the appropriate activity level when figuring your TDEE. If you have a desk job but DO NOT just sit on your *kitten* when you are at home, then you are not sedentary. Include how often do you workout, clean house, do yard work, walk around, run errand, etc.
Be sure to weigh with a digital scale every morsel that passes your lips. No guesstimating or eyeballing.
Remember, heavy worked muscles will retain water and mask your loss. Do not rely on scales for progress measuring. Get a tape measure. Try on clothes that were previously too tight. Look in the mirror for subtle changes to your physique. Take pictures every month or two and compare. All of this counts as progress.
I weight lift also and been hovering around 151 for months now, but my body definitely has been changing. Slowly but surely.0 -
The "easiest" fix would be to drop the calories consumed. While programs like MFP are good for tracking, they are not always 100% accurate on things like resting metabolism, so it might not be predicting the calories you need correctly. If you eat fewer calories, you will lose weight.
The other option would be to change the kinds of foods you are eating. I noticed you have a lot of processed foods in your diary. If it's processed, it will also be high in sodium (whether it tastes salty or not) and probably sugar as well. While weight loss can definitely be boiled down to calories in vs. calories out, the quality of the calorie can make a difference. I would try cutting out some of the processed (aka packaged) foods, and cutting back on some of the unnecessary things (maybe leave off the jelly when having peanut butter on your cinnamon raisin bread, or switch to plain whole wheat bread for less sugar in there). Go for home cooked meals as often as you can, and generally avoid any packaged food that boasts some big health benefit (sugar free = more fat, fat free = more sugar, etc.). If you need a crunchy, salty snack, opt for baked chips instead of regular.
Also, it's important to get enough, though not too much, protein. Make sure every meal or snack has some protein in it. I personally don't think you need to or should be supplementing with whey powder or any other protein supplement, but instead focus on a whole food source for your protein, whether it's chicken, fish, nuts, or beans.
Finally, make sure you're drinking enough water. Hunger can often a sign of thirst. A good trick that I've heard is to drink a glass of water when you get hungry and wait 10 minutes. If you're still hungry 10 minutes later, go ahead and eat. Since the water will take up room in your stomach, it will help you eat less as well.
Good luck with your weight loss! I hope you find something that works for you.0 -
Your calories don't add up to your macros. I would try and ensure
1) You hit or exceed the protein every day
2) you stay under on the carbs and sugar
3) you make sure your food info is correct
I counted up the macros to several days and one was off by 700 calories! You thought you ate 1700 but you ate 2400!! That is a big difference...
OMG. This is something I have never checked in my own diary before . . . it never even occurred to me that it was a possibility! On the two sites I used to use before MFP, they would both correct erroneous data by upping the calories in the food to match the entered macros.
I'm going to be going through my diary for the last month and adding everything up.0 -
You seem to be eating a lot of "snack/junk" foods, imo. There was one day your snack calories added up to around 1300. Try eating less snacks, and the ones you do eat, try to make them a protein based snack. Cut out the cake, and dessert bars after dinner. Like others have said, be sure what you are logging is accurate. If you don't have one, invest in a food scale. Good luck! 0
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Being a therapist who has struggled with my own eating for years I know weight is more than just about food and diet. But working in the weight loss industry as well can say your calories are too high...especially if your body is "used to that. I would try going down to 1500 and just shocking your body a bit seeing if that helps and revving up your cardio...doing interval training. Invest in a heart rate monitor if you don't have one already...burning more like 600 is what you want to aim for (in 1-1.5) would be be helpful to. Also as some have already said, going to Dr. to rule out thyroid issues is key as well. Good luck!0
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I would definitely increase your fiber and your protein. MFP goals for fiber are too low....you should be at least 25 - 30 g /day. And protein is so very necessary especially if you are weight training. You are lacking in that everyday. Watch your sodium levels and drink lots of water....especially if you have a high sodium day. Don't get discouraged...Just keep moving along. IF things haven't changed in this long then you need to change things up. Make sure you are accurate with your food measures and your calories burned. Get a food scale...a definite must and maybe a Heart rate monitor if you don't already have one. These things make it so much easier to be accurate.
Good luck and DON'T GIVE UP !0 -
Can you explain this? I'm not sure what exactly it means...0
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We have very similar stats and we eat very similarly, as well. I am 5'4" 52yo and started at 153 lbs. I have my calories set to 1600 due to the fact that calories in the database can be off and calories burned during exercise can be off--this allows me some padding. Try lowering your calories by 100-200 for a month and see what happens. I would also monitor your sodium and make sure you are drinking plenty of water if your soduim intake is high.0
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Your calories don't add up to your macros. I would try and ensure
1) You hit or exceed the protein every day
2) you stay under on the carbs and sugar
3) you make sure your food info is correct
I counted up the macros to several days and one was off by 700 calories! You thought you ate 1700 but you ate 2400!! That is a big difference...
^^^^^^^Could someone please explain this to me? Something I've never really heard about, but I find it interesting!0 -
I'm similar in age and height to you and I'm currently a little below your goal weight. I maintain on what you are eating each day, so maybe your calories are too high. If I ate what I've found to be my TDEE, I'd definitely gain weight! What worked for me was figuring my TDEE at a step lower than my actual activity level. My net has to be below 1350 for me to lose any weight at all, and even then it is slow. Good luck to you and don't feel bad for the last two months. You probably gained some good experience counting calories, you might have figured out what doesn't work, and it looks like you've been working out a lot and are in better shape. Good luck to you and I hope you figure this out.0
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Your calories don't add up to your macros. I would try and ensure
1) You hit or exceed the protein every day
2) you stay under on the carbs and sugar
3) you make sure your food info is correct
I counted up the macros to several days and one was off by 700 calories! You thought you ate 1700 but you ate 2400!! That is a big difference...
^^^^^^^Could someone please explain this to me? Something I've never really heard about, but I find it interesting!
I just checked my own. The don't add up. They're out between 49 and -35 everyday, and average out to 7.375 over the course of eight days.
Carbs are 4 calories per gram.
Fats are 9 calories per gram.
Proteins are 4 calories per gram.
Calculate your total calories for each of your macros. Add them together. Do they match your total calories consumed?0 -
Keep in mind 80% of the food database is inaccurate. Most of the time, people enter the correct calorie count - but not the correct macros. Many people also enter net carbs as total carbs. Always double check
I've seen people log things like "Pasta - Homemade, 2 cups" and it says 10g carbs. Come on now. 2 cups of pasta with only 10 carbs?0 -
I would probably lower your calorie goal or excersise more( since you dont eat those calories back ), either way the way we lose weight is by cosuming less than we take in, so I think thats the most obvious answer.
Also per another suggestion try to pay close attention to your macros. keep your sugar low and protein high and drink lots of water. I hope that this helps... I can understand how frustrated you might be. Don't give up!0
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