I've done some research, but still would like some advice.

I honestly can't think of anything. You are doing what I'm doing, basically... Hmmm.

Perhaps just play around with calories some more? Eat 200 less per day for a couple of weeks and see if that helps? I hesitate to ever advise to cut down on any specific nutrient, because I don't advise anything that I wouldn't do myself.

BUMPing so that maybe you will get more intelligent comments than mine... :bigsmile:

You need to fix what you're eating. Quality is important. My diary today is a perfect example of what it should look like for someone really trying (which I have been) to have a healthy, sustainable lifestyle dw, I have my pizza days.. but they are few and far between.

Try watching some of supersize vs super skinny. It's a British show and available to see on youtube. They show all the things in these processed foods that are so bad... certainly helps put you off takeaway for a long time!

You need to cut back on the sodium and increase the protein. Cut out your sweets...try these items for a week and see what happens.
Freddie-ray

You are probably eating too much. The BMR/TDEE calculators online are just not accurate, sorry. I mean they can give you SOMEWHAT of an idea, but they usually WAY overestimate. Also, you need to stop eating back all of your workout calories - or at least only eat back maybe 1/2 of them. No, you won't go into "starvation mode". At your height and weight eating 1800-1900 calories a day and working out (without eating back the calories) is totally fine. A few more tips...


1) Your food measurements are probably off. 1/2 cup of oatmeal (using a measuring cup) is actually way more than the serving size listed on the box. Buy a good scale, and start weighing your food by the grams or ounces. This will give you the most accurate results. You might THINK you're eating 1800 cals a day, but really you could be easily eating 2,200. If you buy a food scale and actually measure everything you will be shocked at how inaccruate most measuring cups are.

2) You said you will incorporate strength training later and are just doing cardio now......why are you waiting until later? I'm just going to assume you don't have any major health problems. If you're able to do cardio you should be able to do some strength training. If you're new to weight lifting, go to bodybuilding.com. They have great workouts on there. Weight training AND cardio will give you the best results. Chronic cardio gets you nowhere.

3) Buy a heart rate monitor. What the cardio machines tell you you are burning - and what you are actually burning - are two totally different things. I own one and the machines usually tell me i've burned 100-200 more calories than what i actually have. "Polar" is the best brand of heart rate monitor, and make sure you buy one that comes with a chest strap - to get the most accurate reading. Once you have heart rate monitor you can REALLY see how much calories you are burning.

4) I think you answered your own question about the fruits/veggies thing. Cut out as much processed foods as possible. If it didn't grow from the ground or isn't meat/eggs....try not to eat it. Yeah someone eating a caloric deficit on cheetos and "diet" bars or "healthy" protein bars will still lose weight. But they will be more hungry doing it (fake food has fake chemicals that just make you hungrier) and they will look different than someone who has lost weight eating whole, REAL foods.

I did look at your food diary and you don't list many fruits or vegetables. You may want to eat more of those and also add more lean proteins and dairy. Nuts, greek yogurt, string cheese are all good sources of protein that are healthy.

Make sure you are drinking plenty of water. Water is very important as well.

Just a couple of suggestions.

this is right on the money from what I saw... cutting the calories is very important, and you don't want to deny yourself some treats, but you really need to change what you eat as well. Protein and good fats are VERY important. if you add nuts, and good dairy products that will really help a ton.

And as much as I cannot stand water (issues that are crazy) you NEED to stay hydrated and flush the fat that is coming out of your body, and water is the best for both. Good luck and keep up the great work!

Jessica, I have seen Supersize vs. Superskinny It's definitely an interesting show!! It's so crazy how it feels like I have changed so much about my lifestyle since I started in late November 2012...but I have so much more to learn.

ah, it's so good right? I still indulge sometimes, but after seeing really what is in all these processed foods, I definitely make them sometimes foods only.

There is a lot to learn, keep it up! Once you start eating vegetables/fruits regularly you will come to realise how much better you feel, and how much you crave them when you don't get them!

Good luck

It's very hard to judge the accuracy of your calorie counts because you eat out so often. Try to stick more and more to things you can measure out yourself.

Also, you're eating back your exercise calories. Good job! I think you should keep doing that. However, you need to make sure that your calories burned are accurate. More often than not they are overestimated. I don't go by MFP's database anymore because it has proven to be extremely inaccurate. If you don't have a fitbit/bodymedia or HRM, at least make sure you get your calorie estimates from websites that take your weight into account.

As far as weight loss is concerned, it's possible to lose weight on your current diet as long as you keep your calorie counts accurate and eat a deficit. However, I think you'll find that you have an easier time if you eat less processed/prepared foods and more whole foods. Those micronutrients are important for your energy, and the less sugar and more fiber you have the more satisfied you will feel.

Maybe I misread, but if you're doing the TDEE - %, you're TDEE should already have your activity (workouts) figured in so you shouldn't be eating back your exercise calories.

Quite simply, this.

Not always. I calculated my TDEE for light activity, which would be a day without exercise, and I eat back my exercise calories. I know it's not technically a true "TDEE" but it works for me.

It looks like the OP did this as well.

I also think the quality of the food you are eating could be easily improved. I know that learning to cook might seem daunting on top of everything else but seriously, I think you could really benefit.

As you can't learn to cook everything instantly while you are learning try to make things that are easy to make at home and much easier to weight and measure accurately. Sandwiches and salads, fruit and veggies, things that are easy to throw together and are grab and go type foods at first to get you eating at home more often. Peanut butter and jelly sandwich with an apple is better than pizza. A turkey sandwich with some carrots and hummus. Simple things that are easy to make with simple ingredients.

Look at the recipe thread here on MFP and see what other people are cooking and eating and start trying more complex things as time and energy permits. Make extras so you have leftovers and can eat those for lunch the next day or stick them in the freezer for another time.

I agree with the poster who suggested eating about 2000 calories and NOT eating back the exercise calories. Do that combined with trying to clean up your diet and getting off the fast food track for a few weeks and see how that goes. Plus try to drink more water.

You got this. The fact that you have been doing this for 4 or 5 months shows that you really are committed. The process can be slow and at times it seems like there is no progress but we are all still learning more every day and that counts, even if the scale doesn't realize that yet.

I know you said you are saving up for a heart rate monitor and that sounds great. I don't have one but I did recently get a FitBit and I really like how it tells you how many calories to eat each day and tracks your activity levels so it is very motivating and I think it is very accurate calorie-wise for me so maybe you can ask for that or the HRM for a gift on your next birthday or other occasion.

Good luck! :flowerforyou:

Maybe I misread, but if you're doing the TDEE - %, you're TDEE should already have your activity (workouts) figured in so you shouldn't be eating back your exercise calories.

Quite simply, this.

Not always. I calculated my TDEE for light activity, which would be a day without exercise, and I eat back my exercise calories. I know it's not technically a true "TDEE" but it works for me.

It looks like the OP did this as well.

Yes, but taking a quick glance through her diary from the past few weeks, after she's ate back her exercise calories she's ate pretty darn near her TDEE. That would be maintenance. If OP is truly "lightly active". My suggestion would be to first try not eating the exercise calories back, and yes, as many others have said, change the quality of the food.

She calculated her TDEE for lightly active, she said that in the OP. A person who works out 6 days a week is not lightly active, that puts you up to moderate activity at least.

If eating back her exercise calories puts her at TDEE for light activity, she's still eating a deficit because her true activity level is much higher than that.

Maybe I misread, but if you're doing the TDEE - %, you're TDEE should already have your activity (workouts) figured in so you shouldn't be eating back your exercise calories.

Quite simply, this.

Not always. I calculated my TDEE for light activity, which would be a day without exercise, and I eat back my exercise calories. I know it's not technically a true "TDEE" but it works for me.

It looks like the OP did this as well.

Yes, but taking a quick glance through her diary from the past few weeks, after she's ate back her exercise calories she's ate pretty darn near her TDEE. That would be maintenance. If OP is truly "lightly active". My suggestion would be to first try not eating the exercise calories back, and yes, as many others have said, change the quality of the food.

She calculated her TDEE for lightly active, she said that in the OP. A person who works out 6 days a week is not lightly active, that puts you up to moderate activity at least.

If eating back her exercise calories puts her at TDEE for light activity, she's still eating a deficit because her true activity level is much higher than that.

And this is where the coefficients really introduce uncertainty. If you put it down as moderately active that is going to apply a scale factor of 1.55. Per the OP, her BMR is ~ 1900. So she needs to be generating 1000 calories a day above the BMR to match the coefficient.

If she works a sedentary office job then she needs to be burning upwards of 700 calories per day working out. OP didn't specify what she does cardio wise, but we're talking about doing something like 50-60 minutes on on the treadmill at 5 mph for 5 times per week.

Is that realitically where OP is at? We need to know what the cardio is - how long and how intense