~1500cal/day, feeling satisfied, but not losing weight!

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  • nefbaker
    nefbaker Posts: 79
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    I had the same issue. I was sitting at a plateau for nearly 7 months while I was training for a half marathon. I knew I was getting the exercise, running five days a week and added yoga on the off days. I was getting frustrated.....
    However, I was logging at night, before I went to bed, and I believe underestimateing my "snacking."
    My new rule:
    Before it goes in your mouth - log it. There have been times I put the food down rather than log it.
    I use the mobile My Fitness Pal, I now measure and weigh and log as I go. Since starting that four weeks ago, I'm back to my half-pound to pound weight loss every week.
    And measuring makes a big difference. I used to 'guesstimate' my peanut butter - discovered I was using twice as much as I was logging.

    Good luck.
  • CrisAlex
    CrisAlex Posts: 236 Member
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    Are you sure that you are accurately measuring your food? For instance, the calories in bananas vary widely depending on size and weight. For instance, the banana I had today had over 140 calories. Be especially wary of things like cereal too. A box of cereal can say 1 cup equals 30 grams and 120 calories but then if you weigh it, it actually weighs 40 grams and has 160 calories! If you don't have one already, get a scale to more accurately determine how much you are eating. It is very easy to underestimate calories by several hundred - I know - I've been there.

    Best of luck!
  • yrhee
    yrhee Posts: 21
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    Thank you everyone for your replies and suggestions!!

    I think the most frustrating part in all of this has simply been the fact that I consider myself a very mindful eater. I have done a ton of research and reading into different theories about nutrition (carb cycling, IF, timing of macros, etc) and fitness (steady-state cardio vs. HIIT vs. strength).

    I KNOW I don't eat clean 100% of the time, but when I am not eating clean, it is an informed decision. I am not a person who thinks "OOH sugar-free! must mean it is healthy because there are less calories!". I AM a person who thinks "hmm, sugar-free. must mean there is aspartame or a sugar-substitute that could potentially cause me to bloat and possibly upset my stomach. But I'm going to eat a little piece because I have eaten healthy throughout the majority of the day." I try to eat a good, healthy diet 80% of the time and do not deprive myself by making a "bad" choice 20% of the time.

    Also, I am firm believer that weight loss/fat loss should mostly be about nutrition and food, with exercise to only "fine-tune", but I guess that is an area in which I am lacking, since I do tend to work out for long periods, which could negatively be impacting cortisol levels, and I eat back much of those calories. Sometimes I feel as though I do need to burn all those calories though, because I find myself very hungry if I only eat 1,200cal, even if I haven't exercised at all that day. My hunger seems to quell at 1,500-1,600 calories/day regardless of if I exercise or not, so I try to burn 300-400cal through exercise.

    "Problem" foods I am aware of in my diet: laughing cow cheese wedges, lo-carb tortillas, sugar-free strawberry preserves

    I eat those very very minimally. A few days ago I bought laughing cow cheese for the first time and will not be buying again. Will definitely buy lo-carb tortillas again, even if they aren't great for me, because the brand I bought has 11g carbs but 7g fiber. I scrutinize every single label.

    Also, I try to work out (usually walking) on an empty stomach first thing in the morning because my glycogen levels are depleted and I am likely to be burning fat from aerobic exercise. I lift 2-3x/week (not extensively, but at least 20minutes). Other days I will go for a jog for about an hour, or do HIIT (walk, sprint, walk, walk+high incline, walk, sprint, walk, walk+high incline).

    Anyway, thanks for your help everyone!

    EDIT: Also, I am 5'5" and the Vega is pretty good, but SO expensive. I don't know if I will be buying it again. Also, the included scoop is huge, so I only use parts of a serving at a time, never a full serving, and it has lasted a good while. You could try Spiru-tein for a cheaper vegan protein powder (tri-part: pea, rice, soy) that tastes decent as well. I've also heard great things about Sun Warrior, but have never tried it myself.
  • cmccorma
    cmccorma Posts: 203 Member
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    Thank you everyone for your replies and suggestions!!

    I think the most frustrating part in all of this has simply been the fact that I consider myself a very mindful eater. I have done a ton of research and reading into different theories about nutrition (carb cycling, IF, timing of macros, etc) and fitness (steady-state cardio vs. HIIT vs. strength).

    I KNOW I don't eat clean 100% of the time, but when I am not eating clean, it is an informed decision. I am not a person who thinks "OOH sugar-free! must mean it is healthy because there are less calories!". I AM a person who thinks "hmm, sugar-free. must mean there is aspartame or a sugar-substitute that could potentially cause me to bloat and possibly upset my stomach. But I'm going to eat a little piece because I have eaten healthy throughout the majority of the day." I try to eat a good, healthy diet 80% of the time and do not deprive myself by making a "bad" choice 20% of the time.

    "Problem" foods I am aware of in my diet: laughing cow cheese wedges, lo-carb tortillas, sugar-free strawberry preserves

    I eat those very very minimally. A few days ago I bought laughing cow cheese for the first time and will not be buying again. Will definitely buy lo-carb tortillas again, even if they aren't great for me, because the brand I bought has 11g carbs but 7g fiber. I scrutinize every single label.

    Also, I try to work out (usually walking) on an empty stomach first thing in the morning because my glycogen levels are depleted and I am likely to be burning fat from aerobic exercise. I lift 2-3x/week (not extensively, but at least 20minutes). Other days I will go for a jog for about an hour, or do HIIT (walk, sprint, walk, walk+high incline, walk, sprint, walk, walk+high incline).

    Anyway, thanks for your help everyone!

    EDIT: Also, I am 5'5" and the Vega is pretty good, but SO expensive. I don't know if I will be buying it again. You could try Spiru-tein for a cheaper vegan protein powder (tri-part: pea, rice, soy) that tastes decent as well. I've also heard great things about Sun Warrior, but have never tried it myself.

    I agree with others, get a food scale and also I do not eat ALL the calories burned from exercise. I think MFP way overestimates. I do maybe 200 more on a workout day. It's mostly about the food, less about the type and amount of exercise for me.
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
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    So here is my best guess at what the problem is, as your calorific intake, assuming accurate logging, is such that theoretically you should be losing weight.

    - You only have a few pounds to lose, and these are often the hardest with your body ‘fighting you’ which makes it harder
    - You need to look at weight gain/loss over a longer period. Water weight, especially in women, can cause pretty large fluctuations in our weight.
    - From what I can make out, you have been restricting calories for a while, which can cause hormonal imbalances that in turn lead to more water weight
    - Note: the above is based on your comment about gaining 6lb in 3 weeks .

    I do not see any reason to think you have developed any intolerances or additional medical issues such as thyroid or PCOS, however, if you are concerned, then please see a doctor

    So my suggestions are (I am repeating some of what is in my PM in case anyone else finds it useful)

    1) Take a diet break for 10 – 14 days where you eat at maintenance (scary, but it is designed to get the hormones back in sync and to give your mind a body a break). See this good article that explains further: http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/the-full-diet-break.html. The problem you will have is to estimate what maintenance is. This is totally a guestimate and based off your height/size/weight/age compared to mine, but pre-exercise maintenance should be at least 2,200 calories (Mine is about 2,200 and I am quite a bit older than you)

    2) Your calorie levels look reasonable so, when you go back to eating at a deficit, I would eat approx. 1,600 – 1,800 a day plus about half of your exercise calories back (to account for your BMR and for any over-estimation).

    3) Set your macros at 1 g protein per lb of lean body mass and 0.35g of fat per lb of total body mass. Use these as a minimum threshold, The rest of the calories can come from wherever

    4) Keep doing what you are doing re 80% ‘good’ and 20% ‘whatever’ from a nutrient perspective. When I say ‘good’ I mean making sure you are getting a good mix of nutrition, for example, fruits, veggies, different fat sources etc. I personally do not track the subcomponents of carbs, to me carbs are carbs (caveat – see sentence re balance) and as I eat a decent amount of fruit and veggies I am not worried about my fiber intake.

    5) Probably the most important suggestion – start strength training. Do not worry about ‘being muscular’ – a lot of people think they have muscular legs and actually, with no offense here, it is actually fat (I have the same – people think my legs are muscly because they are big in comparison to the rest of me – nope, they just have more fat coverage than others). Now, when you start strength training, you might see a slight weight gain – do not worry, it is temporary and is only water weight as you muscles repair themselves.

    6) For cardio, you do not really need it from a weight loss perspective but it can allow you to eat more and still keep a consistent deficit. There are also other non-weight loss related benefits so I am not dismissing it out of hand, just referring to the weight loss aspect only. In my opinion, the best form of cardio if you are going to do it is really a mix – some intervals, some steady state.

    7) Take measurements and photos (cause the scale can be a beyotch)


    Hope this helps

    ETA: all of the above assumes accurate measuring and recording of food. If not, my first suggestion would be to start.
  • weird_me2
    weird_me2 Posts: 716 Member
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    Thank you everyone for your replies and suggestions!!

    I think the most frustrating part in all of this has simply been the fact that I consider myself a very mindful eater. I have done a ton of research and reading into different theories about nutrition (carb cycling, IF, timing of macros, etc) and fitness (steady-state cardio vs. HIIT vs. strength).

    I KNOW I don't eat clean 100% of the time, but when I am not eating clean, it is an informed decision. I am not a person who thinks "OOH sugar-free! must mean it is healthy because there are less calories!". I AM a person who thinks "hmm, sugar-free. must mean there is aspartame or a sugar-substitute that could potentially cause me to bloat and possibly upset my stomach. But I'm going to eat a little piece because I have eaten healthy throughout the majority of the day." I try to eat a good, healthy diet 80% of the time and do not deprive myself by making a "bad" choice 20% of the time.

    Also, I am firm believer that weight loss/fat loss should mostly be about nutrition and food, with exercise to only "fine-tune", but I guess that is an area in which I am lacking, since I do tend to work out for long periods, which could negatively be impacting cortisol levels, and I eat back much of those calories. Sometimes I feel as though I do need to burn all those calories though, because I find myself very hungry if I only eat 1,200cal, even if I haven't exercised at all that day. My hunger seems to quell at 1,500-1,600 calories/day regardless of if I exercise or not, so I try to burn 300-400cal through exercise.

    "Problem" foods I am aware of in my diet: laughing cow cheese wedges, lo-carb tortillas, sugar-free strawberry preserves

    I eat those very very minimally. A few days ago I bought laughing cow cheese for the first time and will not be buying again. Will definitely buy lo-carb tortillas again, even if they aren't great for me, because the brand I bought has 11g carbs but 7g fiber. I scrutinize every single label.

    Also, I try to work out (usually walking) on an empty stomach first thing in the morning because my glycogen levels are depleted and I am likely to be burning fat from aerobic exercise. I lift 2-3x/week (not extensively, but at least 20minutes). Other days I will go for a jog for about an hour, or do HIIT (walk, sprint, walk, walk+high incline, walk, sprint, walk, walk+high incline).

    Anyway, thanks for your help everyone!

    EDIT: Also, I am 5'5" and the Vega is pretty good, but SO expensive. I don't know if I will be buying it again. Also, the included scoop is huge, so I only use parts of a serving at a time, never a full serving, and it has lasted a good while. You could try Spiru-tein for a cheaper vegan protein powder (tri-part: pea, rice, soy) that tastes decent as well. I've also heard great things about Sun Warrior, but have never tried it myself.

    Since you haven't addressed the suggestion to get a scale and weigh all of your foods, I highly recommend that you do. With all of your small servings of lots of things, I'm betting that you are off on your measurements. Even if you use level measurements, your grams can still be off, and it's the grams of food you are eating that matter in the end.
  • TheFitnessTutor
    TheFitnessTutor Posts: 356 Member
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    Just in case some of you missed it, as I did or she didn't state it until my inbox....our lady here is vegetarian.

    And looking at the pic...you look just about just fine to me! You're a female...burdened with the job of directly repopulating the gene pool. If you got pregnant tomorrow, you'd be in a great position to carry a little bundle of joy. As a female, that's what your body is more worried about. it's worried about staying alive, to have a child. In the meanwhile you get to drive it around and experience alot of other things. But its always preparing to 1. Stay alive.... 2. Have a child. So you're going to be more disposed to carry extra energy to support this agenda. ..."cause she's female"

    Somewhere my sense of humor is wrapped up in that last paragraph...grin or smile or laugh now.

    So take a deep breath and relax.

    Heck you eat pretty great. You eat better than I do. Lots of great foods...don't sweat that...but like I said...it's just like taking a step backwards. There's no judgement there. But if you're trying to get across town and you stop to smell the flowers...it takes you longer. Don't worry about it.

    If you're not doing weight resistance training this is what I would recommend. The problem with that is that noone knows jack about how the body is supposed to move with resistance because they don't have to in order to call themselves a trainer, do a youtube vid, or get certified even. But i think you owe it to yourself to at least try some paid instruction. It's the best thing to do. let me know where you live and I will see if I have anyone in my database of "trainers who actually know something" ....very small chance but who knows.

    So the problem is that you're trying to defy eons of instinct that your body has built up dna for . DNA is memory. It's possible to forgive but you never forget. And our friend Sarauk2sf is dead because she reads people that actually do some research into these matters that DON'T have an agenda.
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
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    And our friend Sarauk2sf is dead because she reads people that actually do some research into these matters that DON'T have an agenda.

    I am pretty sure I am not dead! :happy: I assume you mean dead-on?. If so, thank you.
  • Nikiki
    Nikiki Posts: 993
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    And our friend Sarauk2sf is dead because she reads people that actually do some research into these matters that DON'T have an agenda.

    I am pretty sure I am not dead! :happy: I assume you mean dead-on?. If so, thank you.

    It's a miracle! She's alive!!

    Lol
    Also echoing sarauk: taking a diet break can be great for your sanity as well as resetting your metabolism. I actually just took about a week off because I was pushing way too hard and hurt myself. Give yourself a week of maintenance and minimal exercise and then start back focusing more on weights because with current size that's going to make a major difference sculpting your shape.
  • Anna800
    Anna800 Posts: 637 Member
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    EDIT: Also, I am 5'5" and the Vega is pretty good, but SO expensive. I don't know if I will be buying it again. Also, the included scoop is huge, so I only use parts of a serving at a time, never a full serving, and it has lasted a good while. You could try Spiru-tein for a cheaper vegan protein powder (tri-part: pea, rice, soy) that tastes decent as well. I've also heard great things about Sun Warrior, but have never tried it myself.

    I find Sun Warrior chocolate to be very faint tasting, I prefer vega to it.

    Just in case some of you missed it, as I did or she didn't state it until my inbox....our lady here is vegetarian.
    That was pretty obvious from her diary, she didn't need to declare it.
  • Rambo313
    Rambo313 Posts: 179 Member
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    In the exact same boat....netting anywhere from 1200-1500 each day and not losing anything since February. I have switched up exercise, tried eat more to lose more for 2 months, nothing. Gained 6 lbs! So, trust me.. you aren't alone. I am currently *trying* to limit carbs to see if that helps!

    I am right there with you!
  • TheFitnessTutor
    TheFitnessTutor Posts: 356 Member
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    And our friend Sarauk2sf is dead because she reads people that actually do some research into these matters that DON'T have an agenda.

    I am pretty sure I am not dead! :happy: I assume you mean dead-on?. If so, thank you.

    Fast fingers!!!....sorry...yes dead on...and I don't know why mfp won't let us edit after 30 minutes or whatever. I hate typos and it's not like we're talking about government secrets...why can't I go back and EDIT!!!
  • TheFitnessTutor
    TheFitnessTutor Posts: 356 Member
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    Also, I try to work out (usually walking) on an empty stomach first thing in the morning because my glycogen levels are depleted and I am likely to be burning fat from aerobic exercise.

    Nah not really, at least not enough to worry about. that "morning cardio on and empty stomach" stuff is just part of typical gym science/bro science...along with the eat 45 meals a days stuff. It just doesn't make enough of a difference to notice or be measurable. Now if you're doing more of an IF approach you will get more benefit if your fast started many hours ago before morning. I pretty much don't eat until about 9 or 10pm through 2 or 3am or later...

    Also I would also recommend taking a break...at least a week. And actually increase your intake, as you may have slowed your metabolism some already. or what some would lump into the "starvation mode" arguments. The metabolism is going to slow down already...remember it doesn't think weight loss is "good"...your mind does. So it will attempt to slow down to protect your ability to live longer. There's no need to increase carbs in your case but try to get good fats and proteins. This is harder for a vegetarian.

    And yes, everyone on MFP should have a digital scale. 20 bucks at walmart.
  • TheFitnessTutor
    TheFitnessTutor Posts: 356 Member
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    Just in case some of you missed it, as I did or she didn't state it until my inbox....our lady here is vegetarian.
    That was pretty obvious from her diary, she didn't need to declare it.
    [/quote]

    I didn't say she needed to declare it.

    I didn't read her diary at first because i didn't need to in order to respond, and then I spoke with her and we talked via message before I even looked at the diary. Now her diary is not public. So I'm letting people know.

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