What am I doing wrong?

serr4
serr4 Posts: 2
in Health and Weight Loss
I am under calories everyday. Exercise at least 45 minutes everyday and still the scale does not budge. This has been going on for weeks. Is MFP truly an accurate calorie counter? Am I missing something? Any advice would be welcome. Oh, I drink at least 80 oz of water a day. Is staying under calories not the point so much has the quality of food is the point?

Replies

  • Jamie_Lauren
    Jamie_Lauren Posts: 211 Member
    The main questions you need to ask are: what kinds of foods are you eating? what kind of exercise are you doing? are you measuring your food accurately and tracking everything honestly?

    Also are you measuring your body or only using the scale as an indication of your progress?
  • bwcrouch
    bwcrouch Posts: 105 Member
    You will get alot more useful feedback if you unlock your food diary. There are many threads on your question. Weight loss is strickly calorie count, good health is based on the quality of food contained in those calories.
  • ag27404
    ag27404 Posts: 47 Member
    How far under calories are you? If you are too far under, you body will try to save the fat it has because it thinks it is starving.
  • wswilliams67
    wswilliams67 Posts: 938 Member
    1) don't rely solely on the scale... the scale lies
    2) are your clothes getting looser? if so then you are doing it right.
    3) do you see differences in the mirror? if so then again, you are doing it right.
    4) use a tape measure monthly
    5) consider getting body calipers or an Omron body meter to get a true sense of your body composition
    6) you may not have your numbers correct. How are you calculating your burned calories? Are you logging accurately? Are you weighing all your food? are you drinking enough water?
    7) BE PATIENT. Your body will do what it will do when it's ready.
  • suz155
    suz155 Posts: 326 Member
    Morning. It's really hard to give feedback, if we can't see what you are eating. If I may suggest that you open up your diary. That way people can give you real feedback. You can always re-close it.
  • ILiftHeavyAcrylics
    ILiftHeavyAcrylics Posts: 27,732 Member
    What's your height/weight/activity level and how many calories are you eating? Do you eat back exercise calories and if so, how do you calculate your burns?

    Are you using a food scale and double checking the database entries you use for accuracy? Do you enter your own recipes? Log everying, including condiments, drinks, cooking oils, etc?

    Short of a medical condition, you do not need to be concerned about types of food for weight loss. Health is another matter, but for weight loss it's about calories.
  • FoxyLifter
    FoxyLifter Posts: 965 Member
    Are you measuring your calories accurately? Are you using a food scale? I find this to be more accurate than measuring by cups and tablespoons. Are you including all oils used for cooking? Do you use a heart rate monitor while exercising? How long have you been stuck? Sometimes results can take a little longer than expected. Are your clothes fitting any better/looser?

    Weight loss is strictly a calorie deficit. In my opinion, healthy weight loss includes mostly fruits, veggies, whole grain, lean meats and dairy (as long as there's no medical difficulties linked to a certain food) with a few treats.
  • Silvara_11
    Silvara_11 Posts: 133 Member
    Can't see your diary so never know, could be lots of reasons like the list mentioned, you could eat too little, you could be in your last 10 lbs and then it gets very hard to shift.

    But overall below are some links I found very useful when I started on here:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/974888-in-place-of-a-road-map-2k13
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/892271-ask-me-anything-about-weight-loss-greatest-thread-ever

    Good luck!
  • ChangingAmanda
    ChangingAmanda Posts: 486 Member
    Without more info, calorie goal & how under you are, age, height, weight, goal weight, gender, estimated calorie burn for exercise, and an open food diary, we're not going to be able to help much. This is a good post about calculating your calorie needs: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/974888-in-place-of-a-road-map-2k13. Too large of a calorie deficit can slow/hinder weight loss as easily as too little of a deficit. Be sure to to use a food scale and measuring cups/spoons to measure food so you're getting an accurate calorie count. Compare the database entry to the package info to be sure the info matches.
  • lairyliam
    lairyliam Posts: 33 Member
    I eat whatever i want, sure it must equal less that what i am burning, but so long as i am still green ill eat it.

    if you dig deep enough you will see Mcdonalds in there too.

    I find this app fantastic, what you need to look at maybe in the first instance is how many calories in a day do you think you are burning. wind it back to sedentary maybe (if you haven't already - i cant see your info) and only eat your exercise calories on top of that.

    Then adjust it according to your lifestyle from there (sedentary days for me are my worst nightmare!)

    I think you can do it with low quality food,. as i have do it with fairly rubbish food, (tight budget and a lack of love for fruit and veg,) Sure i am slowly learning to embrace things like salad, but only with the right amount of mayo!!!

    Good Luck
  • heartworth9
    heartworth9 Posts: 51 Member
    I am eating very clean except for a few treats. Fruit, vegetables, olives, nuts, lean meats, brown rice, hummus, water, etc. So, a very nutrient dense diet which is curbing my hunger, nourishing and highly satisfying. I am also eating 3-5 times a day to keep my metabolism fueled properly. Experiment with exercise and see what happens there as well. Lately I have increased mine and my body appears to love it (energy is increasing and weight is dropping), although I do need some epsom salt baths sometimes to deal with soreness.

    Be honest with everything you are eating and data inputting (sometimes I forget so need to put it is throughout the day or I will forget) and figure out the baseline of calories you need daily just to maintain your weight.

    Deborah
  • serr4
    serr4 Posts: 2
    Thanks so much. What I am reading over and over is 1. Get a food scale 2. Use a measuring tape. Makes perfect sense. I will do both. Thanks again for taking the time to reply!!
  • Armyantzzz
    Armyantzzz Posts: 214 Member
    How's your sodium and sugar intake? Your diet... is the main ingredient in weight loss ... coupled with activity/exercise. :smile: :smile:
  • Liberian56
    Liberian56 Posts: 1
    You hit a weight loss plateau. Don't be discouraged, it happens and is common. It has to do with your metabolism. You might have to change your fitness routine. A nutrionist or dietician can give you some ideas.:smile:
  • thezenphoenix
    thezenphoenix Posts: 28 Member
    This is really great advise because I'm having the same issue.
    1) don't rely solely on the scale... the scale lies
    2) are your clothes getting looser? if so then you are doing it right.
    3) do you see differences in the mirror? if so then again, you are doing it right.
    4) use a tape measure monthly
    5) consider getting body calipers or an Omron body meter to get a true sense of your body composition
    6) you may not have your numbers correct. How are you calculating your burned calories? Are you logging accurately? Are you weighing all your food? are you drinking enough water?
    7) BE PATIENT. Your body will do what it will do when it's ready.

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