what am I doing wrong?????
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devonkp
Posts: 3 Member
since my husband deployed I have been on a mission to get fit. from may till now I have gone from 235 to 195. I eat 5 meals a day at about 300 calories a meal. I only drink water, and I exercise everyday. I alternate between long distance exercise like spinning, running or walking (2 hours or more a day) to hiit and strength training (also two hours a day). I average at 1000 calories or more burned exercising everyday and my heart rate is above 135 when i workout. Despite all of this for the past three weeks I have not lost anything, some days I gain weight. No inches lost, nothing. I eat two salads a day and two healthy proteins, I wake up sore every morning. I never do the same workout twice in a week, I drink 16 cups of water a day. I feel like I am doing everything right but I am really getting irritated at not losing anymore weight. I'm only 5'4 so I know I am not even close to my ideal weight. I was hoping to lose 30 to 60 more pounds before my husband gets home in January. Help, What am I doing wrong?
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Replies
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How are you tracking those exercise calories and are you eating them back? Are you weighing and measuring to get your food intake calories or just using the eyeball method of deciding portions?0
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Simple science says that if the amount of energy that goes in is less than the energy you use, you will lose weight. So there might be something you are not logging, there is no way that doing all that exercise you are not losing inches or weight.
However high salt can make you gain weight so it might be what you are eating. More salt, you body retains more water to continue the osmotic effect that happens in cells (movement of water from high to low concentrations).0 -
I would say what you need to be doing is Netting 1500 calories. So go ahead and leave your goal at 1500 but make sure you eat your exercise calories also.0
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Underestimating intake and/or overestimating burn.0
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Unless you are eating your exercise calories back, you are probably in too big of a deficit.
If you can afford, it get a fitbit or body media fit, and use that to track the calories you actually burn each day.
Weigh and measure your food and be meticulous about it.
You might try exercising less also and see if that helps.0 -
First off, be proud of what you've accomplished so far! That's a fantastic change since May
To get your fat burning on track again, I would suggest increasing your calories by even 100-200 per day for a week or so and see what happens. My bet, you'll start burning fat again. Most people can only maintain a calorie deficit like that for so long before their body shuts down the fat burning factory.
Add some GOOD calories, your body will thank you for it.
Doug0 -
I have been meticulously recording what I eat and drink and estimate my calories burn by heart rate. Not a huge fan of salt and I don't eat anything I don't make. You're probably right, I don't eat back the calories I burn. I am proud of myself for making a life change but I am really wanting to surprise my husband and I'm getting discouraged. Feel like I'm busting my *kitten* for nothing0
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nah, you are busting your *kitten* for yourself. keep going and readjust your strategy until it works. seems strange though if you measure the intake and calories burn and you come out with a deficit yet not loosing. hope you figure things out!0
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You may also be busting your *kitten* too much. There's no need to do 1,000 calories of exercise every day. Your body needs a chance to have some recovery time as well especially if you aren't feeding it enough to support those burns.0
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You may also be busting your *kitten* too much. There's no need to do 1,000 calories of exercise every day. Your body needs a chance to have some recovery time as well especially if you aren't feeding it enough to support those burns.
:thumbs up:
If you don't give the lawnmower enough gas and oil, it won't run right. Feed the machine, it could be running dry.0 -
I have been meticulously recording what I eat and drink and estimate my calories burn by heart rate. Not a huge fan of salt and I don't eat anything I don't make. You're probably right, I don't eat back the calories I burn. I am proud of myself for making a life change but I am really wanting to surprise my husband and I'm getting discouraged. Feel like I'm busting my *kitten* for nothing
It's never for nothing. Are you more fit? Use your diet for weight control; exercise for fitness. Also, it sounds like you might need to take a step back and put your focus elsewhere. You've come a long way and this is just a bump in the road...put your focus on your nutrition and fitness...getting more nutrition today than you did yesterday....set some fitness goals that are independent of calories burned and weight loss...
When you focus on the results you rarely see the change; when you focus on the change, you always see the results.0 -
I agree with others that it sounds like you need to eat more. eat more healthy foods, and give yourself a few days off every once and a while. waking up sore EVERY day isn't good for you, IMO. On your off days, eat lots of fruit and veggies, relax and pray/meditate/do what ever it is you do to revitalize your soul. Go ahead and eat a SMALL portion of something truly decadent to reward yourself.
You have probably put your body into "full survival mode" by pushing too hard and not eating enough. It is desperately trying to hold on to whatever fat you have left so it doesn't starve to death! Ease up on yourself a little bit and you will start to loose weight again, and I bet you will feel better doing it.0 -
You say you are estimating your burn by heart rate. Hm. That seems like it could be the problem. An estimation could be way off. The last time I burnt 1000 calories is one day from exercise was when I did a half marathon in record time for me (can't recall what that was and I am really short so I don't burn much when I workout) but 1000 a day seems really high to me. 500 is a great day in terms of exercise. Do you use a HRM? If not, I suggest you get one.
I would also be concerned with how much you are working out. It can be counterproductive. Do you have rest days at all? You need them to recover so that you can make the most of your workouts. I know some experts who say you should not do more then 10 hrs per week. I used to be a serious athlete (cross-country ski racing at a fairly high level....training with elite athletes....it was a long time ago but if I recall we would do about 25 hrs per week in our "intense times" but usually we were more like 10-14.....it took the whole year to work up to the 25hr and that was for a very short period of time).
I also wonder - do you weigh/measure everything? You also need to make sure you have a decent net intake.
But I would really, really look at your exercise. If you are burnt out, your exercise will not work. You have no energy to put in, your muscles won't recover, and your body will just turn on you.
Losing weight is a marathon, not a sprint. It doesn't all need to be done today. Take care and good luck.0 -
"Focus on the change, you always see results."
I think that's my favorite part about all this. While I'm definitely not has hardcore as the OP, I like seeing tiny changes. Maybe a line near the bicep. Maybe a more tight looking tummy. Maybe being able to do something I could not previously do at all. Small things.0 -
You've lost 40 lbs since May, and that includes nothing in the past 3 weeks? That's like, 5-7 lbs a week. Impressive!
I don't know why your wouldn't be losing weight if you're doing what you describe. No one is immune to the calories in/calories out rule so it has to be that you're either eating more than you think, or burning less than you think, or both. If your body has adjusted its metabolism downward in an attempt to halt the rapid weight loss (survival mechanism), then you're going to have to change things up by eating differently and/or exercising differently (more or less of either) to get things moving again.0 -
Find out more here: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/forums/show/7965-in-place-of-a-road-map
it has lots of great information about figuring out your TDEE and how much you should eatThis is a short form for the full document contained here:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/974888-in-place-of-a-road-map-2k13
The Road Map is simply a tool to find Body Fat%, BMR and TDEE.
All 3 items are important to understanding fat/weight loss.
Once you know these 3 numbers, you'll be able to manipulate nutrition and training to get to your next goal.
1) Body Fat%
Knowing the ratio of body fat to lean mass is crucial in understanding body composition.
The less fat you have, the leaner you'll look.
The more lean muscle you have, the better your definition (tone) will look.
Having ideal body fat is not only healthier for the individual but it also helps you look good naked!
Athletes (6-13% for men, 16-20% for women) <---Ideal area for Bulking
Fitness (14-17% for men, 21-24% for women)
Acceptable (18-25% for men, 25-31% for women)
Obese (25%+ for men, 32%+ for women)
The shocking part about BF% is most people who PM me numbers don't know how much fat they carry.
It's the most important part of figuring out the rest of your caloric intake.
Bottom Line: Buy a tape measurer or a set of Calipers and learn how to objectively track body fat while cutting/bulking.
The ultimate goal is to lose unwanted fat and maintain or even gain beautiful lean muscle.
Useful links:
http://www.fat2fitradio.com/tools/bf/
http://www.fat2fitradio.com/tools/mbf/
http://www.fat2fitradio.com/tools/cbbf/
Do all 3 BF Calcs and use the average number.
Write it down, you'll use it later!
2) BMR/RMR
Basal Metabolic Rate or Resting Metabolic Rate.
This covers all body functions outside of activity.
If you were in a coma and you were fed enough nutrients to keep you alive, Thats BMR.
Think "Baseline Calories" if you did absolutely nothing.
Sub-sedentary.
All vital organs are covered when eating BMR.
For those who like math, you'll find several different types of calculations for BMR.
1) Harris-Benedict formula: Overestimates in obese: Avoid this setting!
MEN: BMR = 66 + [13.7 x weight (kg)] + [5 x height (cm)] - [6.76 x age (years)]
WOMEN: BMR = 655 + [9.6 x weight (kg)] + [1.8 x height (cm)] - [4.7 x age (years)]
2) Mifflin-St Jeor: Better estimate for those that are obese, but still inflated.
MEN: BMR = [9.99 x weight (kg)] + [6.25 x height (cm)] - [4.92 x age (years)] + 5
WOMEN: BMR = [9.99 x weight (kg)] + [6.25 x height (cm)] - [4.92 x age (years)] -1613)
3) Katch-McArdle: Best estimate if decent estimate of BF% is known and is especially good in leaner individuals.
BMR = 370 + (21.6 x LBM)Where LBM = [total weight (kg) x (100 - bodyfat %)]/100
If you'd like to calculate on your own, you can get calculated TDEE using this chart:
Multiply BMR x Activity factor = TDEE.
1.2 = Sedentary (Little or no exercise + desk job)
1.3-1.4 = Lightly Active (Little daily activity & light exercise 1-3 days a week)
1.5-1.6 = Moderately Active (Moderately active daily life & Moderate exercise 3-5 days a week)
1.7-1.8 = Very Active (Physically demanding lifestyle & Hard exercise or sports 6-7 days a week)
1.9-2.0 = Extremely Active (Hard daily exercise or sports and physical job)
Or use the formula that chart is based on, if you want to use number of hours of exercise per week instead of guessing which level.
For daily activity not sitting at a desk but always moving around, count the hrs as 1/8 the time (40 hr nurse on feet counts as 5 hrs)
Walking exercise counts as 1/2 time (6 hrs walking is 3 hrs).
Other exercise is straight time (3 hr Insanity is 3 hr).
(Weekly movement hrs * 0.0875) + 1.2 = Activity Factor
Realize that this isn't just about your training but your lifestyle as well.
Example: You work at a desk all day but come home and play with your children for an hour, lift weights 3x a week for an hour and jog 2mi every other day. In this example id use Moderate or possibly Active settings.
Heres a helpful link for figuring your BMR and TDEE:
http://www.fat2fitradio.com/tools/bmr/
Enter all pertinent info.
Make GOAL weight the same as CURRENT weight to get todays TDEE.
Bottom Line: Know what your base caloric needs are and stay above them if you are active.
Eating too low for extended periods of time may allow for weight loss, but you could still have high body fat.
Skinny-fat: http://foodtrainers.blogspot.com/2012/09/are-you-skinny-fat-find-out-why.html
Once you know your base "Comatose" calories you can move on to TDEE.
3) TDEE
Total Daily Energy Expenditure
This is the total amount of calories you burn in a 24hour period.
You wake up, brush your teeth, lift, run, play, work.....
You get the idea.
One thing I've noticed over the years is people underestimate activity.
They say "I'm sitting at my computer all day long so i'm sedentary!"
I'll ask "Workout routine?"
They say "Oh i run for 3 hours a day and do CrossFit all weekend long!"
If you sit all day and barely walk and dont workout, Sedentary.
If you workout 1-2x a week, Light.
If you workout 3-5x a week, Moderate.
If you workout 5+, active/very active.
Youll find these numbers at the bottom of the BMR page in Fat 2 Fit.
You can also use other calculators around the internet.
Once you have TDEE you can decide what to set MFP calories to.
I recommend -20% for individuals who are Obese and under.
-30% for individuals who are Obese and over.
Bottom Line: Be realistic with activity. If you are a marathon runner trying to take a few pounds off, don't use sedentary settings. First start with the top number that applies to you and stick with it for several weeks. If nutrition is right and activity is right, you should maintain eating TDEE. To lose fat, subtract calories. To gain LBM, add calories. Lift weights, walk, sleep and eat right.
Use your common sense.0 -
You should probably invest in a HRM0
-
Find out more here: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/forums/show/7965-in-place-of-a-road-map
it has lots of great information about figuring out your TDEE and how much you should eatThis is a short form for the full document contained here:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/974888-in-place-of-a-road-map-2k13
The Road Map is simply a tool to find Body Fat%, BMR and TDEE.
All 3 items are important to understanding fat/weight loss.
Once you know these 3 numbers, you'll be able to manipulate nutrition and training to get to your next goal.
1) Body Fat%
Knowing the ratio of body fat to lean mass is crucial in understanding body composition.
The less fat you have, the leaner you'll look.
The more lean muscle you have, the better your definition (tone) will look.
Having ideal body fat is not only healthier for the individual but it also helps you look good naked!
Athletes (6-13% for men, 16-20% for women) <---Ideal area for Bulking
Fitness (14-17% for men, 21-24% for women)
Acceptable (18-25% for men, 25-31% for women)
Obese (25%+ for men, 32%+ for women)
The shocking part about BF% is most people who PM me numbers don't know how much fat they carry.
It's the most important part of figuring out the rest of your caloric intake.
Bottom Line: Buy a tape measurer or a set of Calipers and learn how to objectively track body fat while cutting/bulking.
The ultimate goal is to lose unwanted fat and maintain or even gain beautiful lean muscle.
Useful links:
http://www.fat2fitradio.com/tools/bf/
http://www.fat2fitradio.com/tools/mbf/
http://www.fat2fitradio.com/tools/cbbf/
Do all 3 BF Calcs and use the average number.
Write it down, you'll use it later!
2) BMR/RMR
Basal Metabolic Rate or Resting Metabolic Rate.
This covers all body functions outside of activity.
If you were in a coma and you were fed enough nutrients to keep you alive, Thats BMR.
Think "Baseline Calories" if you did absolutely nothing.
Sub-sedentary.
All vital organs are covered when eating BMR.
For those who like math, you'll find several different types of calculations for BMR.
1) Harris-Benedict formula: Overestimates in obese: Avoid this setting!
MEN: BMR = 66 + [13.7 x weight (kg)] + [5 x height (cm)] - [6.76 x age (years)]
WOMEN: BMR = 655 + [9.6 x weight (kg)] + [1.8 x height (cm)] - [4.7 x age (years)]
2) Mifflin-St Jeor: Better estimate for those that are obese, but still inflated.
MEN: BMR = [9.99 x weight (kg)] + [6.25 x height (cm)] - [4.92 x age (years)] + 5
WOMEN: BMR = [9.99 x weight (kg)] + [6.25 x height (cm)] - [4.92 x age (years)] -1613)
3) Katch-McArdle: Best estimate if decent estimate of BF% is known and is especially good in leaner individuals.
BMR = 370 + (21.6 x LBM)Where LBM = [total weight (kg) x (100 - bodyfat %)]/100
If you'd like to calculate on your own, you can get calculated TDEE using this chart:
Multiply BMR x Activity factor = TDEE.
1.2 = Sedentary (Little or no exercise + desk job)
1.3-1.4 = Lightly Active (Little daily activity & light exercise 1-3 days a week)
1.5-1.6 = Moderately Active (Moderately active daily life & Moderate exercise 3-5 days a week)
1.7-1.8 = Very Active (Physically demanding lifestyle & Hard exercise or sports 6-7 days a week)
1.9-2.0 = Extremely Active (Hard daily exercise or sports and physical job)
Or use the formula that chart is based on, if you want to use number of hours of exercise per week instead of guessing which level.
For daily activity not sitting at a desk but always moving around, count the hrs as 1/8 the time (40 hr nurse on feet counts as 5 hrs)
Walking exercise counts as 1/2 time (6 hrs walking is 3 hrs).
Other exercise is straight time (3 hr Insanity is 3 hr).
(Weekly movement hrs * 0.0875) + 1.2 = Activity Factor
Realize that this isn't just about your training but your lifestyle as well.
Example: You work at a desk all day but come home and play with your children for an hour, lift weights 3x a week for an hour and jog 2mi every other day. In this example id use Moderate or possibly Active settings.
Heres a helpful link for figuring your BMR and TDEE:
http://www.fat2fitradio.com/tools/bmr/
Enter all pertinent info.
Make GOAL weight the same as CURRENT weight to get todays TDEE.
Bottom Line: Know what your base caloric needs are and stay above them if you are active.
Eating too low for extended periods of time may allow for weight loss, but you could still have high body fat.
Skinny-fat: http://foodtrainers.blogspot.com/2012/09/are-you-skinny-fat-find-out-why.html
Once you know your base "Comatose" calories you can move on to TDEE.
3) TDEE
Total Daily Energy Expenditure
This is the total amount of calories you burn in a 24hour period.
You wake up, brush your teeth, lift, run, play, work.....
You get the idea.
One thing I've noticed over the years is people underestimate activity.
They say "I'm sitting at my computer all day long so i'm sedentary!"
I'll ask "Workout routine?"
They say "Oh i run for 3 hours a day and do CrossFit all weekend long!"
If you sit all day and barely walk and dont workout, Sedentary.
If you workout 1-2x a week, Light.
If you workout 3-5x a week, Moderate.
If you workout 5+, active/very active.
Youll find these numbers at the bottom of the BMR page in Fat 2 Fit.
You can also use other calculators around the internet.
Once you have TDEE you can decide what to set MFP calories to.
I recommend -20% for individuals who are Obese and under.
-30% for individuals who are Obese and over.
Bottom Line: Be realistic with activity. If you are a marathon runner trying to take a few pounds off, don't use sedentary settings. First start with the top number that applies to you and stick with it for several weeks. If nutrition is right and activity is right, you should maintain eating TDEE. To lose fat, subtract calories. To gain LBM, add calories. Lift weights, walk, sleep and eat right.
Use your common sense.
THIS. So much this.
Every 5 lbs you lose, you need to re-evaluate your caloric intake. It sounds like you aren't consuming enough for the level of exercise you engage in, or you're WAYYYYY overestimating in the burn and eating the earned calories back, which puts you in a surplus or maintaining.
Also, invest in a digital food scale. Measuring your food with cups and measuring spoons simply isn't accurate enough.
You should probably give your body ample rest time, too...recovery is important!
You've lost TONS of weight in a very short time. Be proud!0 -
If you are building muscle, your scale may not go down. Don't let the scale dictate your progress... let how your clothes feel and look.,0
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I sounds to me like you are not eating enough for the amount you are burning in exercise. I have found good results in the past with varying calories thru calorie cycling/zig zag. You get to eat more like twice a week and actually lose more because you are changing up the daily calories. You might want to google it and read about it.0
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