Advice about calorie goal..nothing happening for a while

Fozzi43
Fozzi43 Posts: 2,984 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I've lost and gained the same few pounds..I lost two then put it back on plus three more so am back to where I was basically...my BMR is 1196 ans according to a site Harris Benedict I went on, doing moderate sports/exercise 3-5 times a week..I do more like 5-6 times a week I should be eating 1853 cals to lose weight? But MFP has put me at 1200 and manage well on that being a shortie with not too much to lose...I nearly always eat more than half of exercise cals back s o not sure why I'm not losing? I've been exercising a lot and doing heavy lifting but....

I am having' trouble 'going to the bathroom...could that be it?

Am disappointed...I thought I had this sussed

Replies

  • Alicemarieed
    Alicemarieed Posts: 86 Member
    Glad you put this post on.i was about to do the same.im a shortie as well .i lost 4lb in the beginning and put it back on.hope you get some great feed back that we can share :-) keep going it will come off,that's what I keep saying.ive been on here 3 weeks now and not giving up.maybe we can go through this together
  • Fozzi43
    Fozzi43 Posts: 2,984 Member
    Yes of course :smile:
  • Fozzi43
    Fozzi43 Posts: 2,984 Member
    Anyone have any advice??
  • softsculptor
    softsculptor Posts: 102
    Increase fiber (fresh fruits and veggies, oatmeal) and drink black tea. If that doesn't work, you can take a laxative as a temporary fix.

    Regarding plateaus, here is what might be going wrong. You...

    1. Are retaining water because of that time of the month. This can last anywhere from 5-10 days. There is nothing you can do about it but wait. Reducing sodium and increasing water consumption can help mitigate symptoms, however.

    2. Have plateaued as a result of not getting enough calories, which causes metabolism to slow. Try eating your exercise calories back.

    3. Have plateaued because you are overestimating your calories burned. Get a heart rate monitor for more accuracy and don't count on what MFP or the machine tells you. Ellipticals are often wrong by 42%.

    4. You have replaced fat with muscle mass, which is heavier.

    5. There is also a theory that people plateau as a result of their bodies getting used to a certain amount of calories a day and are adjusting metabolism accordingly. This seems to be more theory than anything, but just in case there is any truth to that, I have taken it into account by undertaking the zig-zag plan (high days and low days whose weekly total equals your calorie goal), which makes more sense to me anyway, since on social days my calorie intake is higher...and its not like I'm going to not go out to eat because I'm watching my weight.
  • yarwell
    yarwell Posts: 10,477 Member
    my BMR is 1196 ans according to a site Harris Benedict I went on, doing moderate sports/exercise 3-5 times a week..I do more like 5-6 times a week I should be eating 1853 cals to lose weight? But MFP has put me at 1200 and manage well on that being a shortie with not too much to lose...I nearly always eat more than half of exercise cals back s o not sure why I'm not losing
    Try eating 1200 for 2 weeks.

    Let's hypothesise that your BMR is actually 1000, as you are restricting your food intake and the estimates are +/- 10% at best and only catch 70% of the population in that range.

    So with the exercise you might be using 1400-1500 a day. Eating 1200 should give you a deficit.
  • korryn92
    korryn92 Posts: 12
    Increase fiber (fresh fruits and veggies, oatmeal) and drink black tea. If that doesn't work, you can take a laxative as a temporary fix.

    Regarding plateaus, here is what might be going wrong. You...

    1. Are retaining water because of that time of the month. This can last anywhere from 5-10 days. There is nothing you can do about it but wait. Reducing sodium and increasing water consumption can help mitigate symptoms, however.

    2. Have plateaued as a result of not getting enough calories, which causes metabolism to slow. Try eating your exercise calories back.

    3. Have plateaued because you are overestimating your calories burned. Get a heart rate monitor for more accuracy and don't count on what MFP or the machine tells you. Ellipticals are often wrong by 42%.

    4. You have replaced fat with muscle mass, which is heavier.

    5. There is also a theory that people plateau as a result of their bodies getting used to a certain amount of calories a day and are adjusting metabolism accordingly. This seems to be more theory than anything, but just in case there is any truth to that, I have taken it into account by undertaking the zig-zag plan (high days and low days whose weekly total equals your calorie goal), which makes more sense to me anyway, since on social days my calorie intake is higher...and its not like I'm going to not go out to eat because I'm watching my weight.


    I have been having trouble with not losing anything no matter how much effort i put in lately too. My mom always told me not to weigh yourself when its that time of the month, but I wasn't sure if this held true. Maybe I am not getting much result because I am bloated and mine lasts about7-10 days so I might hold water longer too... Thank you for this advice!
  • Fozzi43
    Fozzi43 Posts: 2,984 Member
    my BMR is 1196 ans according to a site Harris Benedict I went on, doing moderate sports/exercise 3-5 times a week..I do more like 5-6 times a week I should be eating 1853 cals to lose weight? But MFP has put me at 1200 and manage well on that being a shortie with not too much to lose...I nearly always eat more than half of exercise cals back s o not sure why I'm not losing
    Try eating 1200 for 2 weeks.



    So with the exercise you might be using 1400-1500 a day. Eating 1200 should give you a deficit.


    But I have been eating 1200 for well over a month?

    Last year I lost weight by just cutting cals and no exercise..am trying to do it right this time but just doesn't't seem to be working. Last year I was skinny fat, think I'd rather be like that than fighting a losing battle :sad:
  • Poods71
    Poods71 Posts: 502 Member
    I was having the same problem as you and sorted it by, believe it or not, upping my calories (I am also 5' 2"). I kept bouncing back and forward and never getting to my goal weight and it was driving me crazy, then the terrible constipation kicked in and I realised something had to be done. People will tell you to drink lots of water and eat more fibre (which is all good advice) but that just seemed to make things worse for me. As soon as I upped my calories to 1,400 I solved the problem. I was losing weight again too but I kind of ruined it by going on holiday lol, so can't really confirm how the weight loss is going lol.
  • mskatee
    mskatee Posts: 33
    Don't rely too much on the scale, esp. if you are doing heavy lifting! I have gone down a full dress size in the past without losing a pound while I was gaining a lot of muscle. Try measuring instead as a way of keeping track.
  • texastango
    texastango Posts: 309
    I've lost and gained the same few pounds..I lost two then put it back on plus three more so am back to where I was basically...my BMR is 1196 ans according to a site Harris Benedict I went on, doing moderate sports/exercise 3-5 times a week..I do more like 5-6 times a week I should be eating 1853 cals to lose weight? But MFP has put me at 1200 and manage well on that being a shortie with not too much to lose...I nearly always eat more than half of exercise cals back s o not sure why I'm not losing? I've been exercising a lot and doing heavy lifting but....

    I am having' trouble 'going to the bathroom...could that be it?

    Am disappointed...I thought I had this sussed

    Okay, lots of good information here but not nearly enough to help. PM me if you have questions. I'll make the response brief.

    FIrst: Don't use Harris Benedict (old school) but Mifflin-St. Joer (current standard) because the data is confirmed with Metabolic Cart Data (google this if you don't know what a metabolic cart is).

    The exercise ranges used for these formulas are a lot more than people realize. For example, when they say 3 days a week (they generally mean 3 days of 800 calorie burns).

    Consider, for approximately 75 dollars, having a RD/sports nutiritionist measure your actual REE/BMR with a Metabolic Cart at the point you are now. Do it again if this situation arises. This is the most accurate way of getting your Resting energy expenditure.

    Also be aware that these formulas, in general, tell a non-dieting person how much calorie to consume if they wish to remain that weight. Dieters BMR/REEs slow as they diet. That means that your rate (REE/BMR) is likely to be lower than what the formulas are predicting for you to maintain a weight you always were.

    Body Recomposition:

    Just realize with lifting heavy weights you may, in part, be reshaping and recompartmentalizing your current weight. Lose some fat, replace it with muscle and your net weight might not change much...but your body composition is much better.

    8443442.png
    Created by MyFitnessPal.com - Nutrition Facts For Foods
  • rotill
    rotill Posts: 244 Member
    I had a rather depressing summer, weight-loss wise. I was physically very active, and I kept to the diet, except for having cream on my strawberries. I didn't feel guilty about that, as every day included something like 3-6 hours of challenging and varied physical activity. Nothing happened for more than a month!!! Luckily I am in this more for health than for weight, loss, so I just kept on. Then I had a couple of days of rest, and the weight loss started. Over the last 10 days I have lost almost 3 kilos. That was not my plan (I was aiming for 1/2 kilo a week), and the diet/exercize should not lead to that kind of weight-loss. I am guessing what I am seeing is a benefit from that active sommer, which strikes now that I am rested. The body is getting used to the new balance, and so it is letting go of a lot of - mainly water, I suspect. That is actually really good, as my gain had given me a problem with retaining too much water, leaving particularly my feet swollen and sore.

    Anyway: I have no idea if this is what's going on with you, but it's an option.

    Good luck!
  • Fozzi43
    Fozzi43 Posts: 2,984 Member
    Thank you guys...just done 30 mins HIIT and 15 mins walking up VERY steep hill so I'll carry on with it and try not to focus on the scale..funny really how all this time I've been conditioned to watch the scale but now I mustn't...just seems weird.
  • Fozzi43
    Fozzi43 Posts: 2,984 Member
    I've lost and gained the same few pounds..I lost two then put it back on plus three more so am back to where I was basically...my BMR is 1196 ans according to a site Harris Benedict I went on, doing moderate sports/exercise 3-5 times a week..I do more like 5-6 times a week I should be eating 1853 cals to lose weight? But MFP has put me at 1200 and manage well on that being a shortie with not too much to lose...I nearly always eat more than half of exercise cals back s o not sure why I'm not losing? I've been exercising a lot and doing heavy lifting but....

    I am having' trouble 'going to the bathroom...could that be it?

    Am disappointed...I thought I had this sussed

    Okay, lots of good information here but not nearly enough to help. PM me if you have questions. I'll make the response brief.

    FIrst: Don't use Harris Benedict (old school) but Mifflin-St. Joer (current standard) because the data is confirmed with Metabolic Cart Data (google this if you don't know what a metabolic cart is).

    The exercise ranges used for these formulas are a lot more than people realize. For example, when they say 3 days a week (they generally mean 3 days of 800 calorie burns).

    Consider, for approximately 75 dollars, having a RD/sports nutiritionist measure your actual REE/BMR with a Metabolic Cart at the point you are now. Do it again if this situation arises. This is the most accurate way of getting your Resting energy expenditure.

    Also be aware that these formulas, in general, tell a non-dieting person how much calorie to consume if they wish to remain that weight. Dieters BMR/REEs slow as they diet. That means that your rate (REE/BMR) is likely to be lower than what the formulas are predicting for you to maintain a weight you always were.

    Body Recomposition:

    Just realize with lifting heavy weights you may, in part, be reshaping and recompartmentalizing your current weight. Lose some fat, replace it with muscle and your net weight might not change much...but your body composition is much better.

    8443442.png
    Created by MyFitnessPal.com - Nutrition Facts For Foods



    Thanks, that has made lots of sense..If I get stuck again, I'll PM you..thanks:smile:

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