getting very frustrated!

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  • tressatnt
    tressatnt Posts: 77
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    I did the 1200 cals a day when I started too. I do HIIT bootcamp training 3-4 days per week and run between 5 and 10 miles per week. I initially lost in the beginning but had plateaued for MONTHS! I was so frustrated! I tried eating back exercise calories, NOT eating back exercise calories, cheat days, Intermittent Fasting, and carb cycling!! LOL

    Through reading all kinds of posts, I wasn't eating enough for MY body. I did a ton of research, gave myself a headache with all the numbers, but have finally figured it out and it's working for me now....btw I only have about 10 lbs to lose. I'm 5'5" and am 139 lbs.

    What I'm doing, and what's working for ME is that I calculated my BMR and TDEE and am going from there. I'll adjust these numbers as my weight changes. I use the 'Sedentary TDEE' number and reduced it by 15%.

    BMR = 1370

    TDEE @ sedentary = 1645 (less 15%) = 1398

    I have set MFP at 1400 cals per day. I use a HRM to track my exercise calories burned and I EAT THEM BACK.

    So....If I have a rest day and don't workout, I eat 1400 cals for the day.

    If I exercise and burn 400 cals I eat 1800 cals for the day. 1400 base cals + 400 exercise cals = 1800 cals but I NET 1400 cals for the day.

    I've also reset my macros to 30% protein, 40% carbs, and 30% fat.

    Seems so simple to me now, but I was completely confused as to how much I should be eating for weeks!!! It's working like a charm. I lost a full pound this last week, I feel better, sleep better, and have energy for my workouts.

    That's basically what I have been doing. If I don't exercise (on the rare occasion), I don't eat more than 1400, if I do exercise, yippee! I get to eat more! So is that right/wrong? I wonder if I am way overestimating how much I'm burning. I use a Garmin Forerunner for running and it tells me how much I burn. When I go to the gym, though, it's kind of a guess...
  • iWaffle
    iWaffle Posts: 2,208 Member
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    I burn about 430ish in a 4 mile run, usually about 108 per mile. So depending on what I do, I usually burn between 400-600 a day and yes, I will eat more if I burn more, but not always and not all of it. I thought if you burn more, you earn more calories to eat? This is where I've gotten confused this morning. I've been reading info on this site for the last 3 hours!

    No, you're doing it right and that sounds about right for calories. I was just wondering if you had some astronomical number you were trying to eat back that was hurting your progress. The only thing I can think of off-hand would be to cut back on the calories you eat back and see what happens. It's not going to kill you to try. I did the same just to be sure my HRM wasn't lying to me and if I don't eat back all 800 calories I drop weight fast when I run so I'm confident that it's accurate.

    Try just eating back half those calories one or two times and see if that moves the scale. I'm not trying to lose weight right now but when I was and I was stuck I would pick a day I didn't feel that hungry and just not try to eat it all back. That normally did the job. I'm not saying to starve yourself. By all means eat if you're hungry but if you burned an extra 400 running and you don't feel hungry enough to eat it all back, then don't force yourself to eat it just for the sake of eating it.
  • Emile_Jarreau
    Emile_Jarreau Posts: 29 Member
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    Hi

    You've done well so far. Did you take body fat, pictures and measurements? Sometimes just the scale can be deciding and we need a few more elements to give us feedback when we get discouraged.

    An easy one i recommend to my over achievers and stubborn believers...is get a pair of pre baby jeans that are tight. Like so tight yo have to lay on the floor and use a pair of vise grips on the zipper to pull them up. But be able to get in them.:)

    Then hang them somewhere for easy access to compare bi monthly. Easy self test.

    For the prior tests of body fat I recommend a Tanita scale to my online clients to self check body weight and body fat bi-monthly


    I really hope this help...keep going!


    For more info contact us me here or:

    Emile Jarreau,aka, Mr. Fat Loss
    Bea Fox Fox Elite
    M2 Fitness Pros,LBC


    562.435.4639
    M2Fitness@gmail.com
    https://www.facebook.com/emile.jarreau
  • kellicci
    kellicci Posts: 409 Member
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    If you are exercising that much, then you aren't lightly active. You might need to bump up even more. I eat over 2000 calories and still lose 1-2 pounds per week on average.

    I am 5'2", 35 years old, not sure if that makes a difference.

    I'm really surprised at how fast I got some replies to this, I really appreciate it!! Thank you!

    That does make a difference petite people just need less and burn less. You didn't specify how much you are trying to lose...if it's uner 15 pounds it's going to take some time.

    I'm 5'1"and 35 also but I don't run. I've been netting around 1300 and doing intense workouts 2 times a week and cardio (elliptical or a long walk and a kettlebell video) 3 days a week and after 6 weeks plus I have fially lost 5 pounds. I takes time....and if you're burning more you'll need to eat more than I do.

    Have you tried changing your macros to higher protein lower carbs? It's might be coincidence but I did that 2 weeks ago (and started taking clacium supplements) and that's about when I started to notice a difference.
  • kimg68
    kimg68 Posts: 64
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    Have you had your thyroid checked? After my first son, I did all the right things as far as excercising and my diet, but couldn't drop a pound! Turns out the pregnancy killed my thyroid, once I started on the meds, the pounds started coming off. Good luck, I know it's frustrating.
  • iWaffle
    iWaffle Posts: 2,208 Member
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    Try calculating all your numbers using ''modetately active". Your workouts sound more intense than just 'lightly active'

    She's eating back all her calories from the workouts so there's no need to adjust her base level. I do the same thing. I have mine set at sedentary and make up for calories burned during exercise. If she ups her base level then she'll be overeating on days she doesn't run or workout.
  • nellyett
    nellyett Posts: 436 Member
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    That's basically what I have been doing. If I don't exercise (on the rare occasion), I don't eat more than 1400, if I do exercise, yippee! I get to eat more! So is that right/wrong? I wonder if I am way overestimating how much I'm burning. I use a Garmin Forerunner for running and it tells me how much I burn. When I go to the gym, though, it's kind of a guess...

    The main focus I have right now is to ensure that I never NET below my BMR, and keep my protein up. So, depending on what your BMR is, maybe try resetting MFP for at least that? I literally saw results right away! After upping my calories, I lost a full pound 2-3 days into it. I've been NETTING closer to 1500 per day for the last 5 days and have lost 1.5 lbs. :):)

    Edit: I also forgot to mention that I do it this way so it motivates me to exercise so I can keep my evening snack in!! After eating 900-1200 cals per day, 1400 seems low to me now!! LOL
  • PayneAS
    PayneAS Posts: 669 Member
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    It took 9 months to for your body to change to support carrying that child and continue to care for it after it is born... it will take more than 2 months for your body to get back to the way it was. People who drop all the weight and get their body back "immediately" are genetically lucky. Famous folks have personal trainers and chefs. Keep working at it.
  • tressatnt
    tressatnt Posts: 77
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    Hi

    You've done well so far. Did you take body fat, pictures and measurements? Sometimes just the scale can be deciding and we need a few more elements to give us feedback when we get discouraged.

    An easy one i recommend to my over achievers and stubborn believers...is get a pair of pre baby jeans that are tight. Like so tight yo have to lay on the floor and use a pair of vise grips on the zipper to pull them up. But be able to get in them.:)

    Then hang them somewhere for easy access to compare bi monthly. Easy self test.

    Already done :) I bought a pair of "motivation" jeans right when I got the all clear to run again and they've been hanging up there for 3 months lol I *can* just get them on with a nice ole muffin top! Not sure if I could sit in them though. I'm anxiously waiting for my current jeans that are 1 size up to get loose on me so I can move on to the next size!
  • Krissyjean72
    Krissyjean72 Posts: 14
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    With the training you're doing, my trainer said to lose weight you need to forget all the measurements and eat at least 1700 calories to lose weight. Doesn't matter what your BMI is or anything else - to lose weight, your body needs 1700 calories at least in order to get your metabolic rate up - which is what will burn off fat. Sounds strange that eating more helps you lose weight, but it really does. Also depends on what you're eating and when you're training. For optimum metabolic rate, exercise before breakfast - try and eat most of your carbs between 12pm and 6pm and don't eat after 6-7pm. Comments on here are right that your body takes time to adjust after birth. Very little shifted on me until 10 months afterwards and then started to drop off quickly. Hope this helps.
  • tressatnt
    tressatnt Posts: 77
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    With the training you're doing, my trainer said to lose weight you need to forget all the measurements and eat at least 1700 calories to lose weight. Doesn't matter what your BMI is or anything else - to lose weight, your body needs 1700 calories at least in order to get your metabolic rate up - which is what will burn off fat. Sounds strange that eating more helps you lose weight, but it really does. Also depends on what you're eating and when you're training. For optimum metabolic rate, exercise before breakfast - try and eat most of your carbs between 12pm and 6pm and don't eat after 6-7pm. Comments on here are right that your body takes time to adjust after birth. Very little shifted on me until 10 months afterwards and then started to drop off quickly. Hope this helps.

    That's interesting! My trainer has been saying that she thinks I need to eat like 1800 so maybe there is something to that. Also, with the baby and our schedules, I don't get to start my workouts till 5ish or later and we don't eat dinner till sometimes 8 or later. It's just how it is. We're trying to find ways to change it, but that would mean we'd always eat dinner separately and I'd rather find other ways to lose the weight than spend less time with my hubby, you know? Maybe I will TRY to get up early and run in the mornings, it's not easy to do after being up with a baby at night! :)
  • Krissyjean72
    Krissyjean72 Posts: 14
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    I used to get up in the morning with my hubby, he'd go off to work, then I'd pop my son in his pram and go out for a 30-45min power walk, whatever he'd let me get away with and, of course, was pushing a pram so it was adding a weight element into things.

    When he was younger he'd mostly sleep, but when he got older and could sit up, was wide awake and eager to eat things, I'd pop him in his stroller with a mini box of raisins (which he loved) and then zoom/power walk as fast as possible around the area we lived and then, like yourself, go to the gym late afternoon as that was the only spare time to do so - but the powerwalk in the morning got the metabolism up and running and made such a huge difference to only going to the gym in the evening. Hubby also used to work late, so I'd leave his dinner in the oven, but always sit down with him as he ate his meal. That way I ate early enough to boost my metabolism and yet not miss out on sitting down together. I'd often save a bowl of soft fruit or melon to eat whilst hubby ate dinner too and it didn't seem to affect weight loss.

    And think more calories is definitely the answer (odd as it sounds) - have you checked your BMR? Its a lot more accurate than anything they use on here:

    http://www.fat2fitradio.com/tools/bmr/

    They recommend I eat only 1200 cals a day on MFP, but for me personally, that is way too low - I simply don't shift the weight. However, going to the gym 3-4 times a week and upping calorie intake to between 1700-1800 per day, keeping protein high, carbs a bit lower and ensuring I always have enough fats and drink a lot of water makes the weight shift really quickly. Each of us is different however - I'd look at playing with more calories and moving your mealtimes and gym sessions, trying to fit in a morning walk if you can etc. first and see what happens after a few weeks :-) Also Google information on metabolic rates and when its best to eat/exercise etc. Its amazing how much of a difference it can make.

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