I'm doing everything right and not losing. help!

2

Replies

  • blu_meanie_ca
    blu_meanie_ca Posts: 352 Member
    I would recomend setting your macros to track your fiber as well. Even if you don't want to go low carb (even though I think your carbs are higher than you think they are... beans and lentils are high carb items). Try to max out your fiber setting everyday while staying in carb range, and you will by default be making healthier choices.
  • taso42
    taso42 Posts: 8,980 Member
    If you're around 1750 calories, that sounds like it's TDEE-based, so it should be your gross, not net, target. I saw a few 2000+ days in your diary. They may have been outliers. Not sure.

    If you can, hunker down for like 8 weeks and stay as disciplined as possible hitting that 1750 goal every day. After the 8 week, re-evaluate.
  • ItsPheebs
    ItsPheebs Posts: 127 Member
    Please don't lower your calories. Just make sure you are at the right calorie level for your activity. If you haven't already, check out the group on here called Eat More To Weigh Less. Once you cut calories, your body will gain at a normal caloric level. I also eat primarily vegan, and live in San Diego :smile: ... the thing I noticed in your diary is how low your protein is. If you adjusted your protein that may help. You're welcome to add me. I don't log regularly right now, but I have over the past year. I happen to love tofu, and have yet to be able to swear of processed food because I need the protein, but I swear by Garden of Life and Vega protein powder.

    Definitely add strength training! It's the only thing that really works for me.
  • Lift_hard_eat_big
    Lift_hard_eat_big Posts: 2,278 Member
    That seems like a lot of calories if you're trying to lose weight. You say you don't eat processed foods, but you do. Anything that is made commercially (like restaurant or store bought) is processed. You don't have any control over what is in it. Unless you are six feet tall, I don't understand why your calorie count is set so high. Maybe you should recalculate your weight loss goals. Try upping your vegetable intake and lowering your carb intake. As the person before me said, you're going to get lots and lots of advice.

    I'm not 6', Im barely 5'8" and I eat close to 3,000 calories for maintenance. OP can easily lose weight at 1,750 if she has a high enough daily expenditure. Also, how can one increase their vegetable intake but reduce their carb intake? Vegetables are basically water and carbs.
  • derpina88
    derpina88 Posts: 36 Member

    I'm not 6', Im barely 5'8" and I eat close to 3,000 calories for maintenance. OP can easily lose weight at 1,750 if she has a high enough daily expenditure. Also, how can one increase their vegetable intake but reduce their carb intake? Vegetables are basically water and carbs.

    Thank you. I'm choosing to ignore most of the carb trashing. Not that I want to live on bread, but I dont think carbs are the devil ether. I've done the low carb/ketosis thing and hated it. I felt horrible all day. I love eating vegan. I feel wonderful and have more energy than I know what to do with, its just not showing as weight loss.
  • jenilla1
    jenilla1 Posts: 11,118 Member
    Yeah, like 90 percent of the bands in my diary aren't correct. I just try to find an average calorie count and use that one. I get too lazy to put most things in my recipe section and I do most of my shopping for pre-made things at the local farmers market here in Sn Diego. The Hummus being the best example I can think of off hand. I HATE supermarket hummus. But the homemade hummus I buy at the farmers market isn't in the MFP database.

    If you are just finding an "average calorie count" then perhaps you are misjudging the calories of things. Until I got a food scale I always though my apple (medium) was 80 calories. I learned that it was more around 135 depending on the weight. Now that isn't a huge difference at all, but it can all add up if you are guesstimating everything.

    Yes. If you're guesstimating a lot, that could be a huge factor...
  • neverstray
    neverstray Posts: 3,845 Member
    1700 IS NOT HIGH.

    If you're doing everything right, you're either under estimating calories, over estimating exercise, or both, or you have a slow metabolism, so bring the cals down a notch. You could try 1500 and see if that kick starts things.
  • derpina88
    derpina88 Posts: 36 Member
    Yeah, like 90 percent of the bands in my diary aren't correct. I just try to find an average calorie count and use that one. I get too lazy to put most things in my recipe section and I do most of my shopping for pre-made things at the local farmers market here in Sn Diego. The Hummus being the best example I can think of off hand. I HATE supermarket hummus. But the homemade hummus I buy at the farmers market isn't in the MFP database.

    If you are just finding an "average calorie count" then perhaps you are misjudging the calories of things. Until I got a food scale I always though my apple (medium) was 80 calories. I learned that it was more around 135 depending on the weight. Now that isn't a huge difference at all, but it can all add up if you are guesstimating everything.

    Yes. If you're guesstimating a lot, that could be a huge factor...

    I am beginning to agree. But how the hell do I count things with no nutritional information?
  • ClaireTrev
    ClaireTrev Posts: 25
    Hi lovely,

    We are the same age and a similar height (I'm 5'10) so I thought I'd just share some of what works for me - hopefully it will be helpful.

    Firstly, I agree with what a lot of others have said - be more accurate with your logging; for example when you have a home-made pizza, add all the ingredients individually. I know its a pain, but once you do it once you can save it as either a meal or a recipe, and then you can just use the saved version the next time :) You might be suprised at the different nutritional values.

    Second, I know you are vegan, which makes this tough - but can you try upping your protein and having less carbs? I have some Sun Warrior (vegan rice protein) almost every day - it's amazing in smoothies, bars, pancakes etc... and will fill you up.

    A great trick is filling up on veggies, especially green ones, before each meal. I often have a big green smoothie 30 mins before a meal. you won't feel hungry and you're getting so much good nutrition in.

    How about supplements? Calcium is important for fat burning. There are others that are supposed to help too, your doctor or doctor google can shed more light than me. Perhaps you are lacking in an essential nutrient.

    I also agree with what someone else said - can you add some strength training to your schedule? Muscle is amazing, it's there burning the fat away while you're asleep - what more could you ask for? :) And when you do a strength workout, your metabolism stays elevated for ages after, vs cardio where it falls back down comparatively quickly.

    Water - lots and lots of water! drinking cold water lifts your metabolism for a little while. But be careful not to drink it with your meal as that can disturb digestion.

    I hope some of that was helpful.. good luck! I'm sure you'll get there, the motivation and effort is the biggest part :)

    Feel free to message me or add me if you want to see what I eat for ideas.
  • reerazzle
    reerazzle Posts: 81 Member
    Bump! Similar situation.
  • nscrivener
    nscrivener Posts: 3 Member
    There seems to be a lot of different opinions on here. My thoughts;

    1. With the amount of weight you have to lose you can safely set your weight loss goal to 2 pounds per week. With your level of excess body weight it is unlikely to sacrifice much muscle. You may feel low in energy for a bit but give your body a few days to adapt to greater use of ketones from fat as fuel. It also takes some time for your body to start gluconeogenesis which is creating glucose for your brain. Just stick with it.

    2. Keep up the exercise and eat the extra calories you earn from doing it, but make sure you don't overestimate the intensity of the exercise otherwise MFP will add too many calories to your allowance. Exercise is critical for weight loss as it upregulates leptin signalling (which suppresses hunger).

    3. As others have said, make sure your calorie counts are correct.

    4. Humans are omnivorous. We are built to function with optimal health from animal as well as vegetable sources. As you do not have a moral reason for your vegan diet perhaps you could consider eating some meat, fish, poultry for nutritional rather than taste reasons. Not only is it much harder to get adequate protein from a vegan diet but it is very hard to get an acceptable essential amino acid profile from the protein you do consume - vegetable proteins are usually incomplete sources. Perhaps you could even consider a whey protein supplement to get your protein? For a starting point use MFP to ensure your macro-ratios of protein-carbohydrate-fat are in line with recommendations.

    Good luck with your efforts!
  • swashburn3
    swashburn3 Posts: 172 Member
    I am beginning to agree. But how the hell do I count things with no nutritional information?

    It would be hard to tell with already prepared things. I just avoid those. But MFP has the calories for many ingredients and typically lets you enter them in grams or ounces. I don't make too many MFP recipes, but occasionally I do. I just add ingredients to the dish right into the diary.

    It does take more work though, and actually, I find that my meals are getting simpler as a result.

    Another thing I do is when I have to estimate, I round up on what I eat, and round down on exercise.
  • Feisty_Red
    Feisty_Red Posts: 982 Member
    The majority of the time..even if you think you are doing everything right...the food count is off..and you are underestimating calories...

    Best way to test it..is to get a scale and weigh it all.. its a pain....but you would be surprised!!!
  • tvanhooser
    tvanhooser Posts: 326 Member
    Well I know that even with exercise, and sedentary in settings, they have my calorie allowance set too high. If I go much over 1400 for more than a day or two, I start gaining. Just something I've learned through trial and error experimentation and now by most BMR calculators I've tried, my BMR with my weight loss so far is only between 12-1300 to start -- BEFORE exercise and maintenance at my goal weight is less than the magic 1200 number they stick to so assiduously. So I shoot for between 12-1300 for weight loss, sometimes it comes out less but it's not like I'm dropping weight like crazy in an unhealthy way so I am not worried about it. Anyway, so if 1750 is not doing it for your weight loss, start dropping your calorie allowance little bit at a time until you find your "magic number" that works for you. They can only guesstimate -- you have to find what your body actually responds to. That's my best two cents worth. Hope it helps.
  • ItsPheebs
    ItsPheebs Posts: 127 Member

    Not only is it much harder to get adequate protein from a vegan diet but it is very hard to get an acceptable essential amino acid profile from the protein you do consume - vegetable proteins are usually incomplete sources.

    Total myth.
  • mgobluetx12
    mgobluetx12 Posts: 1,326 Member
    Unless you are six feet tall, I don't understand why your calorie count is set so high. Maybe you should recalculate your weight loss goals.

    I agree. I'm 6'2 and I net about 1400 per day and am losing just fine.
  • taso42
    taso42 Posts: 8,980 Member
    Unless you are six feet tall, I don't understand why your calorie count is set so high. Maybe you should recalculate your weight loss goals.

    I agree. I'm 6'2 and I net about 1400 per day and am losing just fine.

    It was never made clear, but presumably her 1750 is gross, not net. Perfectly reasonable amount for an average active female in calorie deficit.
  • Oishii
    Oishii Posts: 2,675 Member
    Unless you are six feet tall, I don't understand why your calorie count is set so high. Maybe you should recalculate your weight loss goals.

    I agree. I'm 6'2 and I net about 1400 per day and am losing just fine.

    It was never made clear, but presumably her 1750 is gross, not net. Perfectly reasonable amount for an average active female in calorie deficit.

    It was made clear by the OP that it was what mfp set to lose 1lb a week, so it should be NET.

    To the OP:

    From what you've said, when it mentions a particular brand name in your diary, this is seldom true. You are logging a lot of cupcakes and cookies, which I do too, but you seem to be choosing particularly low calorie counts for them. If you are buying these from a farmer's market, they will be made predominantly for taste, not low calories, ditto cakes from recipe books or cake shops.

    Regarding exercise, I think it is important to be honest with yourself. For example, if I was on the tennis court for 60 minutes I would probably log 30-45 minutes, because of stopping for a drink, to chat, or pick up balls. You may actually be playing 60 solid minutes of tennis, but only you know that.

    Measuring is tricky. You use a lot of tbsp. I find that my idea of a tbsp can be 1.5 times the weight listed on the packet!

    Finally, guesstimating. I guesstimate a lot because I get lunch Included where I work. At 5'5", 130lb, I seem to maintain at 2400kcal+, which seems rather high. Therefore I probably overestimate calories in on a regular basis. However, I seem to do it fairly consistently (I have never gained on 2400kcal), so I know I can log that much and be ok. If you like the way you log, just reduce your calories and accept that you may actually be eating around 1750kcal all the same.
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
    Many of the people above are on point 1750 is a high calorie intake, and two increasing your protein and decreasing carbs will make a big difference on the scale. Another thing Tennis sounds like great cardio, but make sure your doing some strength training along with that also(try 2x-3x a week). You seem to be mostly on track for the most part though:)

    1750 is not necessarily high at all.
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
    Your caloric intake is all over the place so it is really hard to tell what your average calories are. That combined with the inaccurate logging makes any suggestion a guess.

    You should eat to what MFP says (rolling cals is fine as long as you check your weekly amounts) and weight/measure log everything. When you eat out, try to find an average in the database for that food type. After 4 more weeks, reassess.

Categories