Confused and a little upset

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  • haidos
    haidos Posts: 69
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    Try eating maintenance and reducing your exercise for a week then go back to lower cals and higher exercise.
  • theoriginaljayne
    theoriginaljayne Posts: 562 Member
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    To all the people who are confused that she's increased her calories:

    She said that she's already read "in place of a road map," which means that she's probably already calculated her total daily energy expenditure (TDEE). As long as her net calories fall below that, she can expect to lose weight. However, she also shouldn't let her calorie goal drop too low (anything below your BMR = not advisable).
    I haven't actually run the calculations, but based on her stats, I'd expect her TDEE to be greater than 1600 calories, so she can certainly eat that amount and still have a calorie deficit.

    Basically, OP: keep your net calories at 1600, and play around with your exercise regimen. My recommendation: do cardio AND strength training (bodyweight exercises if you don't go to a gym), but also include regular physical activity that doesn't count as "working out." Little things like always taking the stairs, parking far away from your destination, or going on a walk when you've got free time instead of sitting down can really make a difference in the long run.
  • micheleb15
    micheleb15 Posts: 1,418 Member
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    Know the feeling. I have been eating 1600-1800, not eating back workout calories, for 4 months and have only lost 2-4 pounds (it fluctuates). My picture shows the changes though and I am happy. I wouldn't pay attention to the scale. I am 5'3 and 153 also. Started at 155
  • WhitneySheree88
    WhitneySheree88 Posts: 222 Member
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    Thank you all for your help I really appreciate it! I do not know my BF% but like I said I would be 100% fine with staying this weight if I could see the results, but I cant. Maybe I should start taking pictures (scary lol)
  • HealthFitNow
    HealthFitNow Posts: 1,205 Member
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    Pat yourself on the back. You have the courage to work hard and ask the right questions. Well done.

    There are many reasons why the scales don't move, as several have mentioned above.

    Check your measuring tape, because that can be the real difference. Since you are working out, you are building muscle, which is heavier than fat. So you may be burning up the fat and losing it, but adding muscle so you are staying the same. However, your body is healthier, so well done!

    While calories count, sometimes it is systemic. My nephew struggled, and then found out he had a thyroid deficiency. Within two months--not changing diet or exercise--he dropped 25 lbs. Replacing one missing hormone made all the difference. That's why a visit to the doctor and a blood test can reveal hidden issues. Hormones are catalysts for the body to burn calories. If they are missing, it is like not having a match to light the fire.

    From what I have read, mixing up your routines could help. When the body gets used to something, it doesn't respond with as high a burn of calories. In exercise, they call it muscle confusion. I get into routines, but I have lost more when I varied them both for food and exercise.

    Last, believe that the changes you have made are helping your overall health and body. That will make all the difference long term. Congratulate yourself. You are doing very well.

    We're here to encourage you through the blips and bumps along the way. You are asking the right questions.

    Start a warm fuzzy file. A file of every good thing that happens--pictures, notes, emails that make you feel good. Every time you feel down or frustrated, go to your warm fuzzy file. It will remind you of your victories and achievements and lift your spirits. :)

    You are not alone. Feel proud of what you have done and are doing. Great job!
  • DavPul
    DavPul Posts: 61,406 Member
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    I don't have a HRM so I usually eat back about half of what mfp of fitnessblender says I would have burned.

    well this is new information. so are you saying you eat 1400 cals and then if MFP says you burned 500 cals working out you'll eat another 250 so that your total cals for the day is 1650? or something different?
  • WhitneySheree88
    WhitneySheree88 Posts: 222 Member
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    At Davpul yes something like that ... i'm doing it wrong aren't I? lol
  • Scubanana7
    Scubanana7 Posts: 361 Member
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    can't see food diary. Sounds like you are doing all the right things. When I hit a bad plateau, I couldn't get anywhere until I completely changed both my diet and exercises. Our bodies get stagnant and we gotta shock them. Maybe lower the carbs a little and up the good fat and try a completely different workout routine. If you eat wheat, drop it for a while. I expect to get blasted for that statement, but, hey...the idea is try something new if something old stops working. I didn't say drop wheat for life....just for a while if it gets the scale moving. Keep the faith...you have done awesome.

    also, I think folks overestimate the intensity of their workouts. I have a Bodybugg and it says I burn WAY less then my Polar HRM. Sometimes it is close to mfp, sometimes higher, but sometimes also way lower. I don't normally eat my exercise calories (which will get me blasted again). If I am starving, I do, but only if I am really really hungry.

    Good luck and I think the best answer is change what you are doing. and I don't mean starve yourself either. But if I upped calories and stopped losing, I would either go back down or change what the calories are made up of and see if that helps.
  • ILiftHeavyAcrylics
    ILiftHeavyAcrylics Posts: 27,732 Member
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    I have a couple of thoughts. Have you taken any diet breaks? I did that when I hit 145 lbs because I seemed stuck there (I'm 5'4") Basically you increase your calories for 2 weeks to around maintenance, then you lower them back down. Dieting is stress on the body, so taking a diet break can be helpful both physically and mentally. Read more here:

    http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/the-full-diet-break.html


    It's possible that your RMR is lower than anticipated or that you're not burning as many calories as you're eating back. You could try just lowering down to 1450 as a flat number, not eating back calories, and see how you get on with that.


    Another thing you can try is going to the straight up TDEE method, which should have you eating around 1900 calories as a flat number (you don't eat back exercise calories). This seems to work for a lot of people and it might work since you're essentially ramping up toward maintenance at this point. It didn't work for me, but lots of people swear by it.

    Personally if I were you, I'd try the diet break first. I get the feeling that you're frustrated and I think the break could be good for you mentally as well. Whatever you try, give your new calorie goal time to work. Especially if you decide to raise calories you'll see a temporary increase in scale weight.
  • ILiftHeavyAcrylics
    ILiftHeavyAcrylics Posts: 27,732 Member
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    Also I don't think you're doing anything "wrong." Sometimes the numbers need tweaking though. Just try to have patience while you work it out.
  • WhitneySheree88
    WhitneySheree88 Posts: 222 Member
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    I have done the diet break lol. The first two weeks of May I didn't add calories or anything, I ate like I used to and then came back (I struggled for 2 weeks following) but once June got here I buckled down and for the past 2 weeks I have set up three different workout routines for different days of the week lol. I think I will just flat number at 1450 like Angel suggested, I will log my exercise as 1 calorie burned (I like to log my exercise) so I won't eat the calories back. Thank you all for your helpful and kind advice! I will do some tweaking and continue working hard, slow progress is better than no progress! I appreciate you all very much!
  • sunglasses_and_ocean_waves
    sunglasses_and_ocean_waves Posts: 2,757 Member
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    Don't eat back those calories. Add some (more intense) cardio. No more confusing than that.
  • gracielynn1011
    gracielynn1011 Posts: 726 Member
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    Oh yes, do take pictures. Preferably in a bathing suit or shorts and sports bra. I look at my pictures from month to month and can't see anything until I sit the same pose side by side, then you can see it!
  • malbyrd
    malbyrd Posts: 8
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    Before I broke my ankle I was having the same problem. I added interval training to my workout. I found lots of good articles online. Interval training helped jump start my weight loss again.

    Of course all the hard work stopped when I broke my ankle. After 2 months of inactivity, I am back at it, slowly. The weight is coming off again. I Do Not recommend the ankle break. LOL

    Hang in there and good luck.
  • JohnPiper2
    JohnPiper2 Posts: 10
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    Slow and steady wins the race. :)
  • DavPul
    DavPul Posts: 61,406 Member
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    Don't eat back those calories. Add some (more intense) cardio. No more confusing than that.

    hehehehehe NO.

    She's not getting enough calories as it is and now you want her to eat less AND burn more? So you'd have her netting 800 calories per day for the next 3 months?

    Fitness blender has a wide variety of workouts so without knowing what she's doing I can only guess as to the intensity. I will say that the calorie burns on FB are high as hell, and I would ignore their inflated numbers. 1000 calorie burn workouts are probably 400-600 calories depending on body size.

    Anyhoo, near as I can guess the OP should be eating 1700-1900 calories per day to lose weight, assuming she's working out at moderate intensity for 5-6 days per week. I would suggest taking a full battery of measurements, upping the calories, and ignoring the scale for about 3 weeks as your body is going to have a sharp uptake of water weight from finally having enough nutrition to function properly. It's water, not fat, but I realize how demoralizing scale weight can be to some people. After 3 weeks, measure again and compare, and then start tracking scale weight weekly and measurements monthly.

    Best of luck
  • mflinn84
    mflinn84 Posts: 35
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    I increased only after 2 months of the scale not moving and reading countless posts about under eating .. I thought MAYBE since I started working out longer and harder I was under eating ... so I should drop back down to 1200?

    Darling, you don't have to explain yourself. Somebody was just being a bore. Your thinking was reasonable. If a person has too great a calorie deficit for too long, that person's metabolism can go into starvation mode, and they won't be able to lose weight. Now, honestly I don't know what your calorie intake should be. But I do agree with the people who suggest you should try working on building muscle. Good luck!!
  • littlelady2b
    littlelady2b Posts: 104
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    Pat yourself on the back. You have the courage to work hard and ask the right questions. Well done.

    There are many reasons why the scales don't move, as several have mentioned above.

    Check your measuring tape, because that can be the real difference. Since you are working out, you are building muscle, which is heavier than fat. So you may be burning up the fat and losing it, but adding muscle so you are staying the same. However, your body is healthier, so well done!

    While calories count, sometimes it is systemic. My nephew struggled, and then found out he had a thyroid deficiency. Within two months--not changing diet or exercise--he dropped 25 lbs. Replacing one missing hormone made all the difference. That's why a visit to the doctor and a blood test can reveal hidden issues. Hormones are catalysts for the body to burn calories. If they are missing, it is like not having a match to light the fire.

    From what I have read, mixing up your routines could help. When the body gets used to something, it doesn't respond with as high a burn of calories. In exercise, they call it muscle confusion. I get into routines, but I have lost more when I varied them both for food and exercise.

    Last, believe that the changes you have made are helping your overall health and body. That will make all the difference long term. Congratulate yourself. You are doing very well.

    We're here to encourage you through the blips and bumps along the way. You are asking the right questions.

    Start a warm fuzzy file. A file of every good thing that happens--pictures, notes, emails that make you feel good. Every time you feel down or frustrated, go to your warm fuzzy file. It will remind you of your victories and achievements and lift your spirits. :)

    You are not alone. Feel proud of what you have done and are doing. Great job!

    Awesome Post!
  • UberAya
    UberAya Posts: 94 Member
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    Hi Whitney,
    Just wanted to chime in real quick because I had the same issues at 150. For whatever reason, that 150ish lb plateau is a real pain in the rear! (Don’t be surprised if you hit another somewhere around the 130 to 135 range.)

    First, I’m assuming you’re hydrating enough. (a surprisingly simple solution to plateaus sometimes) So, what someone had pointed out to me (and it seemed to hold true) was that my routine for the past 25-30 lbs or so had not changed at all. I was doing the same workout, eating the same cals daily with the same percentages, etc. It was suggested to me that my body had essentially adapted to what I was doing. My advice for you would be the same advice I received - change it up.

    For food, try zig-zagging your calories. I did something along the lines of 100%, 120%, 90%, 100%, 80%, 110%, 100% (varying the days week by week), but I think really any variation works as long as you don’t dip too low. Supposedly this keeps your metabolism guessing, and it seemed to be pretty effective for me. I also gave up the fat % restriction, and started eating more along what I was craving...as well as giving myself a "blow it" day every month.

    For my second plateau (at that 135 mark), I changed up the workouts. I wasn’t doing any strength, so I incorporated that. I also laid off the bike and threw in a day or two of running, hiking, and dancing (Lindy Hop is surprisingly effective).


    Hope this helps you out!
  • ILiftHeavyAcrylics
    ILiftHeavyAcrylics Posts: 27,732 Member
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    I have done the diet break lol. The first two weeks of May I didn't add calories or anything, I ate like I used to and then came back (I struggled for 2 weeks following) but once June got here I buckled down and for the past 2 weeks I have set up three different workout routines for different days of the week lol. I think I will just flat number at 1450 like Angel suggested, I will log my exercise as 1 calorie burned (I like to log my exercise) so I won't eat the calories back. Thank you all for your helpful and kind advice! I will do some tweaking and continue working hard, slow progress is better than no progress! I appreciate you all very much!

    Honestly before you start cutting more, I'd try the TDEE method. I hate to see you eating even less (I know, I know, I suggested it but I'd use it as a last resort). And maybe consider getting your BMR tested.

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