three week average calorie deficit > 750 and no weight loss

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mahutga4
mahutga4 Posts: 19
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi. I'm fairly new. I started using this with fitbit about three weeks ago. I'm trying the "kinda hard" setting (750 cal deficit), and have been averaging an even larger deficit for three weeks. I just weighed myself and I've gone nowhere.

What could cause this? Am I failing to input calories correctly (I try to overestimate when eating out and things like that)? Is there something wrong with my metabolism (recently had my thyroid checked and it was fine)? Could fitbit be overestimating my burned calories? Any other folks with similar experience?

I'm pretty overweight and so thought it would be easy to shed it now...

Thanks,
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Replies

  • Mokey41
    Mokey41 Posts: 5,769 Member
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    Open your diary.
  • amandzor
    amandzor Posts: 386 Member
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    Are you exercising as well? Eating too few calories can put your body in to 'starvation mode' and it will hold on to everything it's got.

    My advice? Make sure you're at 1200-1400 calories depending on you rcurrent weight/height/gender, up your exercise intensity a little and make sure to stay hydrated.

    Good luck!
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,401 MFP Moderator
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    Are you exercising as well? Eating too few calories can put your body in to 'starvation mode' and it will hold on to everything it's got.

    My advice? Make sure you're at 1200-1400 calories depending on you rcurrent weight/height/gender, up your exercise intensity a little and make sure to stay hydrated.

    Good luck!

    The OP is a man so he needs more than that.


    OP, are you measuring food (doesn't seem you are), also, how much are you eating and do you exercise?
  • born2drum
    born2drum Posts: 731 Member
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    please post stat: none of this is helpful.
  • mahutga4
    mahutga4 Posts: 19
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    Open your diary.

    What do you mean? I open it every day (many times a day)?
  • kzakian
    kzakian Posts: 45 Member
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    I'm in the same boat. Been counting calories for three weeks and so far no results. I made a thread about this yesterday if you want to see some people's suggestions.

    Basically I got a lot of mixed advice, but I decided i'd raise my calorie limit a little bit just in case I wasn't eating enough for my body to want to lose. So fingers crossed I'll start seeing results soon. Same for you!
  • mahutga4
    mahutga4 Posts: 19
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    I am exercising, but only moderating. I've gone over 10000 steps virtually every day. Sometimes twice that.
  • mahutga4
    mahutga4 Posts: 19
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    please post stat: none of this is helpful.

    What stats? How do I post them?
  • shadow2soul
    shadow2soul Posts: 7,692 Member
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    Average calorie intake?
    Height?
    Weight?
    Age?
    Are you using a kitchen scale to measure all your food?
    Are you drinking enough water?
    Are you working out? If so is are you new to working out? Or did you recently start a new workout program?
    How are you weighing? Clothes on/off? Same Scale? Same time of Day? Scale placed on hard surface? Scale in same spot every time?
    Sodium intake on average? Or even look at the past few days before you weighed, was one day really high?

    edit: I have a fitbit and it underestimates my calorie burns. My husband has one as well, but hasn't had it long enough for me to determine if it's under or over. He is losing weight following its plan (set to 1000 calorie deficit), but it's only been 3 weeks. I'll wait till the 3 month mark to judge its accuracy.
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,268 Member
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    Open your diary.

    What do you mean? I open it every day (many times a day)?

    It means let others view it...not jus your friends
  • onefitsurvivor
    onefitsurvivor Posts: 108 Member
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    Make sure you are measuring your portions accurately. I truly was surprised by what I "thought" was a cup and the difference when I measured.

    Just a thought...

    Also, your diary is not available for everyone to see what you're logging. If you adjust your settings so others can view your food and exercise, you might get better feedback.

    Good luck!
  • mahutga4
    mahutga4 Posts: 19
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    Are you exercising as well? Eating too few calories can put your body in to 'starvation mode' and it will hold on to everything it's got.

    My advice? Make sure you're at 1200-1400 calories depending on you rcurrent weight/height/gender, up your exercise intensity a little and make sure to stay hydrated.

    Good luck!

    The OP is a man so he needs more than that.


    OP, are you measuring food (doesn't seem you are), also, how much are you eating and do you exercise?

    I measure food by calories on box. Sometimes by using the app on my phone to take pictures. I just returned from a long vacation where it was hard to do (I was in Europe), so I was just conservative. When I ate 5 slices of ham for breakfast that looked exactly like the slices of (lunchmeat) ham in the states, I would enter 7 slices into my diary. Of course there were times I ate out where I had no real idea (how many calories are in this beef burgundy, for example), so I would find the meal in the app and just pick what seemed like a pretty high calorie count and use the portion that seemed to fit what I ate.

    Even if I underestimated, It's hard to imagine that I underestimated 751 calories a day (on average), right?
  • RAEQ127
    RAEQ127 Posts: 106 Member
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    I've been there, done that. I still don't understand why I didn't lose for a solid month. All I can say is, watch your sodium levels,drink tons of water to flush your system of any toxins,start doing research on how to improve your metabolism and to fix that. Those are the things I am doing on top of cardio,strength training, vitamins, and starting yoga. I'll be seeing a dietian soon and if I still see nothing I am making an appointment to have my RMR checked. I did see one thread where a woman had hers tested and it was 400 calories a day lower than she thought, and if you're cutting 500 a day and your RMR is that far off then clearly you wont lose anything. Best of luck!
  • garyday7
    garyday7 Posts: 1
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    If possible, make your diary view-able to the general public, that way we can see what you're eating. The "starvation mode" thing could be in effect with you. Be sure to eat as healthy as possible, and as portion controlled as possible. One of the things that may need to be cut out, if it is part of your diet, is soda and alcohol. I've seen plenty of people who do that and have dropped massive amounts of weight.
  • RAEQ127
    RAEQ127 Posts: 106 Member
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    Make sure you are measuring your portions accurately. I truly was surprised by what I "thought" was a cup and the difference when I measured.

    Just a thought...

    Also, your diary is not available for everyone to see what you're logging. If you adjust your settings so others can view your food and exercise, you might get better feedback.

    Good luck!

    This is so true as well. Measuring your portions, and buying a food scale are going to be top on the suggestions list.
  • DVaughan1975
    DVaughan1975 Posts: 158 Member
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    Open your diary.

    What do you mean? I open it every day (many times a day)?

    It means let others view it...not jus your friends
    If you want us to be able to view it then go to My home/Settings/Diary Settings/Diary Sharing and change it to public. Unless you want to keep it private which is ok too. But this way people will able to see if your hitting your macros or going over on sodium and give you a few pointers. It helped me when I was stuck. Someone pointed out that I needed to cut my sodium. Didn't even realize it.
  • mahutga4
    mahutga4 Posts: 19
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    Okay, diary opened...thanks!
  • xjoseyx
    xjoseyx Posts: 74
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    I agree, watch your salt intake. I didnt lose for a month and then lowered my salt intake and boom! the weight started coming off.
  • shannonmarie752487
    shannonmarie752487 Posts: 30
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    I really don't know why this calculator isn't standard on this site: http://www.fitnessfrog.com/calculators/tdee-calculator.html
  • shadow2soul
    shadow2soul Posts: 7,692 Member
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    I really don't know why this calculator isn't standard on this site: http://www.fitnessfrog.com/calculators/tdee-calculator.html

    I'm not sure how he would use that since he has a fitbit (which gives an estimated TDEE for the day based on what you do and takes a deficit off of that).

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