A new low...

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NakeshiaB
NakeshiaB Posts: 250 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
This morning I put on a skirt that fit me 3 months ago and it ripped :-( Honestly I'm ready to give up. I started on MFP 1 year ago and all I have managed to do is gain 6kgs.

I don't get it. I've been following "In Place of a Road Map" guidelines for a couple of months now and that's when half of the gain has happened. I haven't logged for the last couple of days due to personal reasons but my typical day consists of:

7am: Banana on rye bread or fruit with yoghurt or a smoothie (berries, banana, yoghurt, protien powder and milk)
10am: Handful of nuts or a piece of fruit
1pm: Leftover dinner or meat with vegetables or sushi
3pm: Sugar snap peas or handful of nuts
5pm: Piece of fruit or carrot sticks
7pm: Stir fry meat and vegetable or homemade tortilla pizza or bbq steak with salad and roast potato

On Friday nights I have a few drinks (3-4 beers max). These are just examples of typical foods I eat, of course I mix things up so I'm not eating exactly the same everyday but I stick to food groups in these examples (meat, fruit, veg, grains, protein source).

I weight train 3 days a week and get 2-3 medium/intense 20-40 min cardio sessions in a week. I also do a minimum of 30 mins walking or yoga daily.

I feel like I'm going in circles and I'm now worse of than I was 1 year ago. I've followed this or similar routines on doctors advice and it's getting me nowhere. What can I do?
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Replies

  • erin4455
    erin4455 Posts: 135
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    Oh, don't give up! You probably just need to make a few minor adjustments to get back on track. I just upped my calories due to the advice of In Place of a Road Map and the science and proof is there to succeed, so I don't think this is what's thwarting your weight loss. How many calories per day do you take in?
  • Rottnme
    Rottnme Posts: 167 Member
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    Your 1760 target seems high to me. I'm a 230# male and I'm at 1600. You could look at revising that for starters particularly since you are not getting the results you want.
  • SherryR1971
    SherryR1971 Posts: 1,170 Member
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    What is your water intake like?
  • Duck_Puddle
    Duck_Puddle Posts: 3,237 Member
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    I see you logging exercise? If you're doing the roadmap thing, the exercise is already included in your calorie goal. 1730 seems high to begin with (unless you are absolutely positively no questions asked doing the workouts to support that and it doesn't really seem like it). If you are eating exercise calories on top of that?
  • NakeshiaB
    NakeshiaB Posts: 250 Member
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    According to the links from "In Place of a Road Map" my current stats are:

    Current TDEE: 2074 cals.
    BMR: 1500 cals.
    Daily net: 1760 cals.
    BF%: 26%

    Is 1760 calories the wrong choice? I chose this based on a light active lifestyle. I log exercise when I remember, but as I said I always get a minimum of 30 mins walking and/or yoga in daily.

    As for water, I drink 6-8 cups a day, including plenty of green tea (or herbal tea I brew myself). According to my doctor this is plenty.
  • NakeshiaB
    NakeshiaB Posts: 250 Member
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    Also I don't usually eat my exercise calories back. The way I read 'In Place of a Road Map' was that I could eat anywhere over my BMR but below my TDEE and not gain weight. Is something wrong with my calculations?

    I was originally eating 1400 calories a day, this was too low and not working. I then upped this to 1650 and still no results so that's why I started going by Road Map guidelines.
  • squirrelzzrule22
    squirrelzzrule22 Posts: 640 Member
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    I do NOT think 1700 calories is too much, That is the amount I typically try to eat and it fits within my numbers as well. It has been working for me. Before you drop too low and make yourself miserable I think there are other things you can try.

    For starters, the walking and yoga simply don't burn many calories. They are great additions to a healthy lifestyle but I don't think you should consider them as "true" exercise as far as weight loss goes. Instead, I would really try to intensify the exercise you are doing, and make your sessions longer and more difficult as much as you possibly can. If your normal cardio is running, push to a longer distance than you normally go. If its the elliptical, set the resistance three notches higher, etc. Make sure your weight lifting is effective....I know I used to putter around the gym "lifting" but really doing nothing because I wasn't using enough weights for enough sets, resting too long, etc. Also consider mixing up your routine. Try the 30 Day Shred that everyone raves about for 30 days straight and see if there's a change in your body afterwards. Its 27 minutes and can be done at home so something like that would be really easy to sneak into your regimen. I like to do a video like that when I have some spare time before a shower and bed.

    As for food, be as rigid as you possibly can with recording. I know for me, I definitely used to slip up or fudge numbers here and there and it makes a world of difference. Also consider playing around with your carb to protein to fat ratio. I'm having better success with less carbs and more protein than MFP's default. There is no reason you can't lose on 1700. Just hang in there and kick it up a notch for a few weeks :)
  • sofielein
    sofielein Posts: 539 Member
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    I would lower this to 1550 and definitely no potatoes and tortilla and pizza for dinner. Grilled fish with broccoli or lean chicken breast with salad for dinner especially if there already was bread/pasta/nuts/beans consumed that day. Just what worked for me, may not be true for you.
  • NakeshiaB
    NakeshiaB Posts: 250 Member
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    Thanks, I guess it wouldn't hurt to up the intensity of my workouts, perhaps my body is too used to the same routine? I'm planning on doing 30DS in April when the weather starts to turn to rubbish outside, whilst it's fine though I like to get outside as much as possible. I would also like to start the C25K after I've finished 30DS, I started C25K last year but stopped due to injury and started cycling instead.
  • Duck_Puddle
    Duck_Puddle Posts: 3,237 Member
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    Also I don't usually eat my exercise calories back. The way I read 'In Place of a Road Map' was that I could eat anywhere over my BMR but below my TDEE and not gain weight. Is something wrong with my calculations?

    I was originally eating 1400 calories a day, this was too low and not working. I then upped this to 1650 and still no results so that's why I started going by Road Map guidelines.

    Well how tall are you and how much do you weigh? Not sure if there's something wrong with your calculations, but I'll tell you that 1700 is my maintenance (not including exercise). I'm 5'4 and 158lbs. I burn 3000-3500 calories per week through exercise and eat 1700 (give or take) and lose about a lb/week (averaged over time). In order to burn that, I run 6-7 hours a week (25-30 miles). Without that level of exercise, I need to be eating much, much less. I don't know that your calculations are off, but 1700 seems high for someone that isn't doing a fair amount of decent burning exercise and/or substantial muscle building to support that. I'm clearly not an expert, but I might just double or triple check your calculations.

    If you're gaining weight over a long period of time, and you're logging (and measuring accurately), you're consuming more calories than you are using (burning).
  • NakeshiaB
    NakeshiaB Posts: 250 Member
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    I'm 162cm and 71kg (5ft 3in and 156lbs).
  • Duck_Puddle
    Duck_Puddle Posts: 3,237 Member
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    Ahh-you're young. That does up the calculations. Your numbers look good assuming you really are lightly active. Maybe try boosting the workouts a bit (as suggested). I'm curious what mfp gives you for a goal if you just let it do it's thing (and pick say 1lb a week or 1/2kg-not sure if you can pick that in kg)? Especially since you're logging exercise.
  • NakeshiaB
    NakeshiaB Posts: 250 Member
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    Ahh-you're young. That does up the calculations. Your numbers look good assuming you really are lightly active. Maybe try boosting the workouts a bit (as suggested). I'm curious what mfp gives you for a goal if you just let it do it's thing (and pick say 1lb a week or 1/2kg-not sure if you can pick that in kg)? Especially since you're logging exercise.

    MFP gives me 1440 calories, I would probably faint on this much if I included an intense workout!
  • Duck_Puddle
    Duck_Puddle Posts: 3,237 Member
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    Ahh-you're young. That does up the calculations. Your numbers look good assuming you really are lightly active. Maybe try boosting the workouts a bit (as suggested). I'm curious what mfp gives you for a goal if you just let it do it's thing (and pick say 1lb a week or 1/2kg-not sure if you can pick that in kg)? Especially since you're logging exercise.

    MFP gives me 1440 calories, I would probably faint on this much if I included an intense workout!

    Well yeah, but if you follow mfp, you're supposed to eat back your exercise calories. I might just try doing that for a while-but eat your exercise calories. Net 1440-not 600. Or message Dan and ask him to help with the roadmap thing.
  • zhvah18
    zhvah18 Posts: 158 Member
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    Ahh-you're young. That does up the calculations. Your numbers look good assuming you really are lightly active. Maybe try boosting the workouts a bit (as suggested). I'm curious what mfp gives you for a goal if you just let it do it's thing (and pick say 1lb a week or 1/2kg-not sure if you can pick that in kg)? Especially since you're logging exercise.

    MFP gives me 1440 calories, I would probably faint on this much if I included an intense workout!

    True, but if you follow MFP, you get to eat your exercise calories back

    ETA: got beat by just mere seconds
  • NakeshiaB
    NakeshiaB Posts: 250 Member
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    I don't get it, isn't eating 1440 a day, exercising and burning say 300 cals, then eating this back the same as eating 1700 a day with exercise and not eating the calories back?
  • 3foldchord
    3foldchord Posts: 2,918 Member
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    Just adding to the other good suggestions)
    I got 1659 calories as your TDEE -20%
    maybe try TDEE -25% (1513 calories)
    and maybe up your protein.

    some people don't eat processed four/sugar... or eliminate dairy.. whatever. Some say that won't help, but it seems to help some people. nothing wrong with giving something new a try.

    (math confounds me. I try.)
  • SnicciFit
    SnicciFit Posts: 967 Member
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    You could try increasing your fat intake. I know that MFP sets your fat goals, but I change them to like 65%. Eating a lot of healthy fat has helped me to lose weight (and body fat %) and stay energized. I include things like avocado, coconut oil, coconut milk, butter, olive oil every day. If you do dairy, be sure it's the full fat stuff.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,868 Member
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    I don't get it, isn't eating 1440 a day, exercising and burning say 300 cals, then eating this back the same as eating 1700 a day with exercise and not eating the calories back?

    Yes....

    Have you ever consulted with a doctor or had your BMR, etc professionally measured? These numbers we all use are based on the average person of such and such an age and such and such height...weight, etc. They aren't hard and fast numbers. Any number of medical conditions can play with your metabolism, as well as certain medications. just something you may want to think about considering you seem to be doing things correctly and not seeing results. At minimum, I'd talk to a doctor and maybe have some blood work done.

    I had similar issue awhile back...I was playing with my numbers...thought I was doing everything correct, etc (and I was)...but I was on a medication that lowered my metabolism by about 10%...huge when you're talking about only being at a 20% deficit to lose 1 Lb per week...went from consistently losing roughly 1 Lb per week to losing a couple of pounds per month.

    Alternatively, make sure you are measuring and weighing everything...calorie creep is easy to do. I was just talking to another member who insisted she logged everything...I was going through her diary and asked her what she cooked her stir fry in as I hadn't seen any ingredients for the oil...she told me peanut oil. I asked her if that was in the recipe or what..just built into the line item and that's why I couldn't see it. The response I got was, "oh...I never log my cooking oils." Well, there was a big chunk of her problem...she was having about 500 calories per day in cooking oil she wasn't accounting for. Not saying you're doing this, but it seems to happen pretty frequently.
  • NakeshiaB
    NakeshiaB Posts: 250 Member
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    I totally get that some people under-log majorly. I don't really use condiments and very little oil when cooking (we're talking 1/2 a teaspoon), always coconut or olive oil, that's the beauty of non-stick cookware!

    I'll have a chat to my doctor next time I'm there and will definitely up the intensity/weight of my workouts, I think perhaps my body is just due for a change. Thanks everyone!

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