Help, I am stuck! please only constructive advice needed

orishp
orishp Posts: 214 Member
in Motivation and Support
Hi, there, for the last month I am stuck between 151 and 153 lbs. I started this journey doing a ketogenic diet, netting 1000 calories a day, I did that for 8 weeks, then I started transitioning for 4 months, I lost all but 1 lb shy of my goal weight, losing mostly fat, feeling awesome!!!!

Then, after reading many many many discussions threats on this site, I started upping my calories slowly, that was over a month ago, and I am now targeting about 1500 calories NET. I do workout 4-5 times a week, including at least 2 days of NROL for women (started about a month ago).

My BMR ranges from 1300 - 1450 depending on the calculation method. I used to own a body bugg, and from other calculations my TDEE is between 2000-2250 calories (I am 5'5" and 36 yr old if anyone cares to check my math).

In august, birthday month, I was not watching my calories too closely, and was probably at maintenance or maybe even higher than my TDEE, so I would call it sort of a "metabolic reset" or a diet break. But now in september I am going back to tracking calories carefully but the scale still doesn't want to turn. I also have a scale that measure body fat% and water, and I know the fluctuations are not due to water retention.

I know I need to be patient, but I just need help in deciding how to approach this, should I do a proper metabolic reset eating at TDEE for a longer period of time, should I just stick to a small deficit and eventually the scale will caught up with me?

My diary is open and I am honest about it, my macros are set to 35/35/30 carbs/protein/fat which I try to hit most of the time.

Please, I need constructive advice, I am a big girl and I can take it but try to be nice ;)

Replies

  • cramernh
    cramernh Posts: 3,335 Member
    Honestly speaking here - the food database is not 100% accurate. Some of the foods you have listed on average, are definitely not accurate... that is not your fault.

    Too many people put incomplete food-data, or net-only, or worse: just flat-out all wrong information.

    I took the time to build my own database and avoid MFP's like the plague to be honest. Even MFP managers will tell you, they are not thrilled with the current status of the database and just dont have the time to 'clean' it up.

    I use www.calorieking.com for accurate nutritional information.

    You could definitely consider making better choices on the breads. Avoid "Whites".... seriously get rid of them. They are a simple carbohydrate that can amp up your insulin levels.

    Instead of gestimating your caloric intake, I would consider using Scooby's calculator (he is a GREAT guy!!!!)

    Go to http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/ to get a real-time calculated daily intake. He even has an automated recipe-measurement there that auto-calculates to give you an idea of what your meals should look like, weight-wise.

    Good luck!
  • love4fitnesslove4food_wechange
    love4fitnesslove4food_wechange Posts: 6,897 Member
    Did you gain weigjt during August? How many calories are you CURRENTLY eating? How frequently and at what intensity are you working out?
  • KellyJoMorris
    KellyJoMorris Posts: 35 Member
    What is your BF%? xx

    Not knowing your BF%, and using this
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12
    I would be eating 1598 calories a day and most exercise calories.

    I have been eating according to this advice and MFP estimates me a loss of 1lb per week and I have lost 10lbs in the last 5 weeks, I'm very pleased with that!

    Would be interesting to see how knowing you BF% changes anything. xx
  • deksgrl
    deksgrl Posts: 7,237 Member
    How long have you been back at 1500 Net? Just a couple of weeks? I would give it a month. How much cardio are you doing?
  • orishp
    orishp Posts: 214 Member
    I didnt gain weight in august, i just keep fluctuating between 141 and 153 lbs for the last 6 weeks.

    Body fat % is about 26.5
    Typical workout week:
    Monday: NROL
    T: zumba
    W:NROL
    Th: spinning
    F: break
    S: break
    S: long bike ride

    I do wear a HRM during my workouts and that is what I enter in my diary

    Thanks for the feedback
  • orishp
    orishp Posts: 214 Member
    I should also add that my goal would be to lose 5 or 10 more lbs, but more importantly lower body fat %
  • alpine1994
    alpine1994 Posts: 1,915 Member
    I have tried the whole reset thing, upping cals, decreasing cals, etc. and I have found that the only way I can lose weight is to EAT around 1300-1400 calories, and work out for 30-60 min. 6X per week. That is my magic formula. I lose about 1.5lbs per week steadily like this. Sometimes I wish I could eat more, and sometimes I do, but I know that I will not lose weight if I eat more. So I choose.

    It took me a few months to figure this out, one of the months being a plateau at 1500 cals. This is just me personally, I know that other people have different results.

    I just saw that you only want to lose 5-10 more lbs but are concentrating on body fat, so I would suggest adding 1-2 more days of NROL to make it 3-4X per week.

    Good luck!!
  • love4fitnesslove4food_wechange
    love4fitnesslove4food_wechange Posts: 6,897 Member
    I'd recommend simply choosing your activity level--goal set at "maintain" and add all exercise. From your total expenditure just subtract 250-500 as your calorie target. If you have a good idea of what you'll burn you can just use that estimate up try to plan your meals and adjust as necessary

    Does this make sense?
  • roachhaley
    roachhaley Posts: 978 Member
    I didnt gain weight in august, i just keep fluctuating between 141 and 153 lbs for the last 6 weeks.

    Body fat % is about 26.5
    Typical workout week:
    Monday: NROL
    T: zumba
    W:NROL
    Th: spinning
    F: break
    S: break
    S: long bike ride

    I do wear a HRM during my workouts and that is what I enter in my diary

    Thanks for the feedback

    Between 141-153 is a BIG fluctuation... The only advice I can give is to make sure the food you log is extremely accurate.
  • deksgrl
    deksgrl Posts: 7,237 Member
    What is your BF%? xx

    Not knowing your BF%, and using this
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12
    I would be eating 1598 calories a day and most exercise calories.

    I have been eating according to this advice and MFP estimates me a loss of 1lb per week and I have lost 10lbs in the last 5 weeks, I'm very pleased with that!

    Would be interesting to see how knowing you BF% changes anything. xx

    With the "in place of a roadmap" you are going off a reduction from TDEE which includes exercise so you wouldn't be eating back exercise cals.
  • larnsperger
    larnsperger Posts: 161 Member
    I looked a just a few days of your diary. Honestly I agree some of the calorie content seems a bit low. However I personally would be hard pressed losing consistently with that many simple carbs in a day. IF your goal is to lose it and move to maintenance I would suggest ditching all the simple carbs, bread snacks etc. sticking with lean protein, veggies and fruits, nuts, beans etc. That should jump start the loss again and don't forget the water. So important. If your goal is to lose the weight slowly and concentrate on longterm changing your habits, I would think in a couple of weeks you should see some results. Not sure what your work-out routine is but try to get in a 30 minute walk everyday.

    The first thing I would do though is make sure your calories consumed are accurate. Starbucks is notoriously inaccurate in the database. I went to the store and picked up their nutrition info and entered it myself. That goes for many of the foods listed. Some people take more time on being accurate than others. However the database is really a wonderful tool here.

    Weight loss is really simple math but not all calories are created equal. Some people lose very well eating snacks and other stuff if they stay on their calorie count. I AM NOT ONE OF THEM. I wish you the best of luck. Hang in there and don't get discouraged. You will get there!
  • DebbieLyn63
    DebbieLyn63 Posts: 2,654 Member
    You will get a lot of people telling you that you need to eat more to lose weight. That really only works if you are doing a LOT of exercising. Before anyone jumps on that, it may work for some, but apparently it isn't working for you, and you need to find what works for you. Personally, I have to keep my cals around 1200, and exercise on top of that, to keep losing. A commonality I find that sabotages many people's efforts is that they eat back their exercise calories. I would suggest not going over 1500 a day and NOT eat back your exercise calories. Make sure you burn 300-500 per day exercising, and make sure it is real heartrate raising exercising, not normal housework/cooking, etc. And I agree with the poster who suggested cutting out white flour and sugar foods. They spike your blood sugar and insulin and can cause cravings. Try this for 5-6 days a week, then have 1 or 2 days that you increase your cals a little bit. This should help keep your metabolism shook up so you don't plateau.
    The exercise is really essential. I know I hate it, but must do it if I want to lose this weight.
    My hubby does the MS150 every year and loves it. Great goal for you, but you really need to prepare well for it. Get lots of long rides in. Good luck! And hang in there on the weight loss. It is always hard to lose the last few pounds, but you will get there eventually and will be so proud of yourself when you do!
  • deksgrl
    deksgrl Posts: 7,237 Member
    You will get a lot of people telling you that you need to eat more to lose weight. That really only works if you are doing a LOT of exercising. Before anyone jumps on that, it may work for some, but apparently it isn't working for you, and you need to find what works for you. Personally, I have to keep my cals around 1200, and exercise on top of that, to keep losing.

    1,200 often doesn't work when the person gets down to the last 15-20 pounds they need to lose. And I'm starving at 1,200 even when I don't exercise. I can do that for a week or two but it is not a sustainable way of life for many.
  • yecatsml
    yecatsml Posts: 180 Member
    I do agree on the numbers in the database - especially for "prepared" foods. I always check the label vs database as most of the time it is inaccurate. There are multiple entries for similar items, so I make sure to look at them all and ALL macros - fat, carbs, fiber, protein. Sometimes someone is lazy and only enters in calories and protein for example. I have created my own foods for a lot of the things I eat a lot to make sure they are accurate.

    I am just coming off a reset month or so. You know our stats are similar and I am eating TDEE - 15% so 1780 calories/day. My macros I have at 40 prot/30 carb/ 30 fat. I find the protein higher is better for me. I truly wasn't eating enough before and I am pretty active - my husband often yells at me to just sit still for a minute - aside from "structured" exercise. Also, when I do exercise, I go all out. I do stroll with my dogs, but when it's my time to exercise, when I am done, I am drenched, exhausted and depending on what I am doing, gasping for breath. I make every minute count. The number on the scale has fluctuated a little for me, but I am VERY susceptible to water weight changes - sometimes 3-4 lbs per day. I do weigh every day to see how different foods cause different gains. I have also cut white/simple carbs quite a bit. I find they just didn't fill me up and made me more hungry and a bit bloated. I do still have carbs though - just veggies, oats and the like. If I do have a bready item it is whole grain like Ezekiel.

    I also made myself promise I would not be on so restrictive a diet I couldn't keep it up on a vacation or long term. Denying myself types of food just make me binge in the end. I'm hoping that this cut will start showing in a week or so. I know it take my body a bit to adjust either way - up or down. I try to be patient but it's hard. My ultimate goal is under 20% BF and I don't care what the scale says.
  • DebbieLyn63
    DebbieLyn63 Posts: 2,654 Member
    You will get a lot of people telling you that you need to eat more to lose weight. That really only works if you are doing a LOT of exercising. Before anyone jumps on that, it may work for some, but apparently it isn't working for you, and you need to find what works for you. Personally, I have to keep my cals around 1200, and exercise on top of that, to keep losing.

    1,200 often doesn't work when the person gets down to the last 15-20 pounds they need to lose. And I'm starving at 1,200 even when I don't exercise. I can do that for a week or two but it is not a sustainable way of life for many.

    Like I said, find out what works for you. 1200 works for me and I am not hungry as long as I stay away from processed sugars and white flour, and keep my protein and fiber high. I suggested 1500 for her, not 1200. Apparently what she has been doing has not been working as well as she would like, that is why she asked for advice. Age makes a big difference also. I don't know your age, but I am 49. My metabolism started dropping around age 30 and I had to really start watching what I was eating. I knew a WW leader years ago that was in her 60s, only 4'10" and weighed around 95 pounds. She was healthy and fit and her maintenance level was only 13 points, which is under 1000 per day. That worked for her for years and she was happy with it and easily stayed within her cal goals. That sounded ridiculous to me at the time, but it is what worked for her. I know many women that are doing well on 1200-1500/day.
    We all have to find what works for us. Perhaps you are younger, more active, or are more muscular and therefore burn more calories. And we are not expected to stay in calorie deficit the rest of our lives, just until we reach goal weight, then find a maintenance level we can sustain for life.
  • orishp
    orishp Posts: 214 Member
    I didnt gain weight in august, i just keep fluctuating between 141 and 153 lbs for the last 6 weeks.

    Body fat % is about 26.5
    Typical workout week:
    Monday: NROL
    T: zumba
    W:NROL
    Th: spinning
    F: break
    S: break
    S: long bike ride

    I do wear a HRM during my workouts and that is what I enter in my diary

    Thanks for the feedback

    Between 141-153 is a BIG fluctuation... The only advice I can give is to make sure the food you log is extremely accurate.

    This was obviously a typo, the fluctuation has been from 151 to 153 lbs.

    Once again thanks for the feedback. I didn't realize I was eating that many white flour things, but I guess I am and might be in denial about it. I usually don't have rice, or pasta, or pizza, but cereal and breads I do enjoy!!!

    I always try to scan the different options on the database, and go for the avg. I try to be as accurate as I can, but I don't want to be a slave to it either, so if that is the case, I would prefer to just adjust the calorie settings to allow for more room for error.

    Don't know, I am sticking to 1500 net for a couple of more weeks, see if my body adjust, and then come october I'll reassess
  • yecatsml
    yecatsml Posts: 180 Member
    Don't know, I am sticking to 1500 net for a couple of more weeks, see if my body adjust, and then come october I'll reassess

    I think this sounds like a good plan. I am such an impatient person that I find it hard to "wait and see", but when it comes to this I think it's a good idea....keep me posted!

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