I just don't get it!!!

onpoint1920
onpoint1920 Posts: 17
in Health and Weight Loss
:sad:

My journey with MFP is relatively new but this battle is not. I lost a tremendous amount of weight and maintained it for several years until my first pregnancy. It took 3 1/2 years to start back on my journey, only to lose 35 pounds and get pregnant again. Now, I am even more determined.

So with my oldest being 5 and my youngest 1 1/2, I am ready to refocus on me. MFP has been a great help and the support is wonderful - I even cancel my WW Online subscription. So, with all of the help on MFP, it seems to be one be one major thorn in my side - the scale.

MFP set a calorie deficit for me of 1,000 calories, which is already twice the amount needed to lose 1 pound per week. On top of that, I am burning any where from 500 to 1,000 calories EXTRA a day (5X-6X a week) and that is AFTER I'm already under my calorie goal for the day. I just started Jillian's 30DS and I'm doing it every other day. When I first started, I immediately lost 4 pounds :happy: ....I haven't lost a pound since.

Of course, I know that muscle weighs more but this doesn't make sense to me. I am just 20 days in and the scale has already stopped. When I lost weight in between my first and second child, I was just in the gym nonstop - I didn't even watch my diet. Now, when I'm doing both, I am getting no where. I feel better with the changes, but how am I to make any progress when the scale won't cooperate! :sad:

Replies

  • Babydollbussells
    Babydollbussells Posts: 8
    Are you checking your progress by any other means except the scale? You could be losing inches off your body without your actual weight changing. Second are you eating your calories back? You have to eat the amount of calories it tells you too aside from exercising. I have hit a plateau every single week not doing that very thing. When you work off all that you eat or most of it and not eat it back your body stores it as fat in fear that you are in rations. I have learned that when ever I snack periodically through the day and meet close to my calorie requirements I lose weight. But on days that I don't meet it or work most of it back off without replacing it my weight gets suck at the same number for days. I am sure some more people have more reasons and possibly better advice, but this is what has been happening to me for the past month. Hope this helps some.
  • therealangd
    therealangd Posts: 1,861 Member
    When I lost weight in between my first and second child, I was just in the gym nonstop - I didn't even watch my diet. Now, when I'm doing both, I am getting no where.

    That's your answer right there. You are not eating enough.

    Check the forums. This issue comes up daily. Most people just can not eat 1200 calories a day and workout.
  • cramernh
    cramernh Posts: 3,335 Member
    When I lost weight in between my first and second child, I was just in the gym nonstop - I didn't even watch my diet. Now, when I'm doing both, I am getting no where.

    That's your answer right there. You are not eating enough.

    Check the forums. This issue comes up daily. Most people just can not eat 1200 calories a day and workout.

    In addition to this, you are only 20 days in on something you changed up. Working out requires more fuel for the body.... and you also need to give your body ample time to make the adjustments when you change something... whether it be caloric intake, intensity of workouts... etc..
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    with that much of a deficit you need to eat your exercise calories
  • susannamarie
    susannamarie Posts: 2,148 Member
    With only 30 lbs to lose, a 1500-2000 calorie deficit (assuming your burns are correct) is probably not a good idea.

    1) Investigate and make SURE that you're recording both your food and your burns accurately. You should be weighing or measuring nearly everything, especially the calorie-dense foods (if you accidentally have an extra half-cup of broccoli, it's not that big a deal, but if you have an extra tablespoon of cooking oil that you forgot about, it's a big deal). 500-1000 is a lot to burn if you're just doing 30DS, but of course there could be more unmentioned.

    2) If both of those are correct, I'd seriously consider eating exercise calories back. They say 1-2 lbs/week is healthy, but with the deficits you're reporting, you're trying to do 3-4 lbs/week (and not seeing results).
  • Whiskybelly
    Whiskybelly Posts: 197 Member
    You need to eat back your exercise calories. Here's a great forum post;

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/10589-for-those-confused-or-questioning-eating-your-exercise-calo

    "On our website (MyFitnessPal), when you enter your goals, there is a prebuilt deficit designed to keep you in the "normal" metabolic functionality while still burning more calories then you take in. This goal DOES NOT INCLUDE exercise until you enter it. If you enter exercise into your daily plan, the site automatically adjusts your total caloric needs to stay within that normal range (in other words, just put your exercise in, don't worry about doing any additional calculations). Not eating exercise calories can bring you outside that range and (if done over an extended period of days or weeks) will gradually send your body into survival mode, making it harder (but not impossible) to continue to lose weight."
  • onpoint1920
    onpoint1920 Posts: 17
    Let's do some numbers. My daily goal is 1,750. I usually eat 1,500 to 1,600. I then turn around and burn off 500 to 1,000 a day. I just started - like literally last week - doing Jillian so I know it is not muscle that fast. I was told I shouldn't eat back the calories to make sure I have the 500 to 1,000 calorie deficit needed to lose 1-2 pounds a week.

    I am not saying I only have 30 pounds to lose; I am saying I lost 30 pounds last time before I got pregnant again. My goal is 50-75 pounds to get to my pre-baby self.

    I guess I did better last time because I was not paying attention to these numbers so closely - deficit, calories burned, etc. I just stayed away from sweets and sodas and worked out almost an hour daily. Now, I'm making a conscious effort and it is difficult and confusing lol
  • hsk71
    hsk71 Posts: 19
    Are you using a heart rate monitor (HRM) to calculate your calories burned? I have noticed, especially if I use exercises that have been loaded by other members, that sometimes the "calories burned" is waaaaaay more than what my HRM says. I'm not saying these amounts are wrong, they may just be wrong for me (or you). Fitness levels vary, effort varies, etc, so when 30 minutes of zumba burn 500 calories for you, it may only burn 250 calories for me. If you are then eating back "burned" calories that are in fact not really burned, you will be over your calorie allowance, even though it appears you are not. Hope that's not confusing ... and just an observation ...
  • onpoint1920
    onpoint1920 Posts: 17
    Are you using a heart rate monitor (HRM) to calculate your calories burned? I have noticed, especially if I use exercises that have been loaded by other members, that sometimes the "calories burned" is waaaaaay more than what my HRM says. I'm not saying these amounts are wrong, they may just be wrong for me (or you). Fitness levels vary, effort varies, etc, so when 30 minutes of zumba burn 500 calories for you, it may only burn 250 calories for me. If you are then eating back "burned" calories that are in fact not really burned, you will be over your calorie allowance, even though it appears you are not. Hope that's not confusing ... and just an observation ...

    Yes it is confusing! :) You are saying don't eat back the burned calories and everyone is saying eat them back. I am not but now confused on whether I should.
  • Whiskybelly
    Whiskybelly Posts: 197 Member
    Let's do some numbers. My daily goal is 1,750. I usually eat 1,500 to 1,600. I then turn around and burn off 500 to 1,000 a day. I just started - like literally last week - doing Jillian so I know it is not muscle that fast. I was told I shouldn't eat back the calories to make sure I have the 500 to 1,000 calorie deficit needed to lose 1-2 pounds a week.

    I may be 100% wrong, so hopefully someone who has been doing this longer can correct me. Put it this way; your calorie intake is based on how many calories your body burns off during an average day. The Guideline Daily Amount you see on food packaging is based on this. But when you exercise, the amount of calories you're burning off is no longer what your GDA is, it's now your GDA plus how many calories you burnt off during exercise.

    Try not to think of losing weight being based on how many calories you eat. Your daily goal on this site is not to eat a certain number of calories, but to eat a certain number LESS than your total Guideline Daily Amount to lose weight. It's by eating this number that is helping you lose the weight.

    Remember, this site is already setting your calorie intake for the day when you stated how much you wanted to lose in a week. Check you food diary after adding something to your exercise diary - you'll notice that your Daily Calorie Goal has increased to accomodate this change.
  • onpoint1920
    onpoint1920 Posts: 17

    I may be 100% wrong, so hopefully someone who has been doing this longer can correct me. Put it this way; your calorie intake is based on how many calories your body burns off during an average day. The Guideline Daily Amount you see on food packaging is based on this. But when you exercise, the amount of calories you're burning off is no longer what your GDA is, it's now your GDA plus how many calories you burnt off during exercise.

    Your daily goal on this site is not to eat a certain number of calories, but to eat a certain number LESS than your total Guideline Daily Amount to lose weight.

    Remember, this site is already setting your calorie intake for the day when you stated how much you wanted to lose in a week. Check you food diary after adding something to your exercise diary - you'll notice that your Daily Calorie Goal has increased to accomodate this change.

    I get it now....so I guess - as big as I am - I am not getting enough? LOL gotta love it! Today, I will try to eat back my calories from my burn and see what happens! Thanks all. I really appreciate it!
  • Whiskybelly
    Whiskybelly Posts: 197 Member
    Before I joined this site I was running 5 times a week and not getting anywhere, I think I lost maybe 5 pounds in two months. Since joining I found out about eating back my exercise calories and I couldn't believe it - 8 pounds in just under two weeks.

    Enjoy!
  • ahmommy
    ahmommy Posts: 316 Member
    Let's do some numbers. My daily goal is 1,750. I usually eat 1,500 to 1,600. I then turn around and burn off 500 to 1,000 a day. I just started - like literally last week - doing Jillian so I know it is not muscle that fast. I was told I shouldn't eat back the calories to make sure I have the 500 to 1,000 calorie deficit needed to lose 1-2 pounds a week.

    You're thinking too much and not eating enough. Based on the information you input into MFP (height, weight, activity level), you need to eat 1,750 calories a day to maintain the correct deficit to lose weight, without any exercising. You do not need to create a deficit of 500-1000 more calories below 1,750 to lose weight. if you enjoy exercising and burning upwards of 500 calories a day, you need to be eating 2,200 calories a day or more.

    Say you eat 1,600 calories a day, then exercise and burn 1,000 calories. That means you're only netting 600 calories a day, and that's not nearly enough. You might still lose weight, but you would lose weight faster and be more healthy if you ate more. When you net too few calories a day, your metabolism slows down. This is what a lot of people will call "starvation mode."
  • ErinRibbens
    ErinRibbens Posts: 370 Member
    When you start an exercise program, it's common to gain a pound or two of water weight at first. So if you just started doing 30DS last week, that's probably your issue. You can definitely eat your exercise calories as well. Hope you see some movement on the scale soon!
  • susannamarie
    susannamarie Posts: 2,148 Member
    Let's do some numbers. My daily goal is 1,750. I usually eat 1,500 to 1,600. I then turn around and burn off 500 to 1,000 a day. I just started - like literally last week - doing Jillian so I know it is not muscle that fast. I was told I shouldn't eat back the calories to make sure I have the 500 to 1,000 calorie deficit needed to lose 1-2 pounds a week.

    I am not saying I only have 30 pounds to lose; I am saying I lost 30 pounds last time before I got pregnant again. My goal is 50-75 pounds to get to my pre-baby self.

    That would be true (needing to make sure you have the calorie deficit) if you weren't already eating at a deficit. If you told MFP you wanted to lose 2lbs/week and they told you 1750, then that means they calculate your maintenance at 2750. If you burn 500 calories, that means to maintain your weight, you'd need 3250. If you eat 1500, your deficit is 1750 -- higher than recommended.

    Your ticker has 30 lbs as a goal, that's where I got that from :P
  • hsk71
    hsk71 Posts: 19
    Yes it is confusing! :) You are saying don't eat back the burned calories and everyone is saying eat them back. I am not but now confused on whether I should.

    No, I'm not saying DON'T eat them back, just make sure that the calories you are eating back are CORRECT! If the calories amount reflected as burned is higher than it should be, you'll be "over eating".

    For example: I do 30 minutes of "Zumba". My HRM says I burned 250 calories - this is accurate. But when I enter it on mfp, based on someone ELSE's entry, it says i burned 500 calories ... this is incorrect. If I eat back 250 cal OK - if I eat back 500 cal - NOT OK!
  • onpoint1920
    onpoint1920 Posts: 17
    Let's do some numbers. My daily goal is 1,750. I usually eat 1,500 to 1,600. I then turn around and burn off 500 to 1,000 a day. I just started - like literally last week - doing Jillian so I know it is not muscle that fast. I was told I shouldn't eat back the calories to make sure I have the 500 to 1,000 calorie deficit needed to lose 1-2 pounds a week.

    I am not saying I only have 30 pounds to lose; I am saying I lost 30 pounds last time before I got pregnant again. My goal is 50-75 pounds to get to my pre-baby self.

    That would be true (needing to make sure you have the calorie deficit) if you weren't already eating at a deficit. If you told MFP you wanted to lose 2lbs/week and they told you 1750, then that means they calculate your maintenance at 2750. If you burn 500 calories, that means to maintain your weight, you'd need 3250. If you eat 1500, your deficit is 1750 -- higher than recommended.

    Your ticker has 30 lbs as a goal, that's where I got that from :P
  • onpoint1920
    onpoint1920 Posts: 17
    The 30 is my first mini goal :wink:

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