My weight loss is slow. Do I need to eat more calories?

rhye
rhye Posts: 104 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I've been reading how a lot of people use the IIFYM/TDEE-15% plan instead of the default MFP one but I am honestly terrified to switch because I am already barely losing weight and adding more calories scares me. I know the idea is that if you do that you will lose weight faster even than now, but what if I don't? I am currently losing weight, so does it make sense to switch? I just feel my rate of weight loss (30 pounds in a year) is ridiculously slow.

Also, I currently get about 50g of protein a day, which I know is super low. Based on my BF% (31) I should be eating 122g of protein a day and I have been trying for MONTHS to increase my protein intake and just failing. Maybe with more calories I'd have the freedom to eat higher-protein foods?

I'm afraid to change my diet, afraid it will cause me to gain weight rather than lose it, and afraid I've miscalculated my BF% so that these numbers are off (31% seems low to me).

As for exercise, I've been lifting heavy weights for about 3 weeks now with a personal trainer and getting in a bit of cardio. The heavy lifting corresponded with a plateau in weight loss but I'm thinking that's probably somewhat normal when you start lifting? I mean, I'm eating more but the new muscle probably hasn't grown yet so I imagine there would be a delay in loss from lifting. But I don't exercise a TON. My high-intensity cardio is not where it should be because I hate doing it.

And because I know you will ask, I used the tdee calculator on iifym.com. If I use a custom activity level to measure my tdee I get a tdee of 2755, and if I use my bmi to measure tdee I get a tdee of 2903. To get BMI I measured waist, hips, wrist, and forearm but I don't know if I measured the right part of my forearm.

I've read soooo many of these threads and they all seem relevant to my situation so I feel like this is a redundant thread but I guess I am feeling a need for personal feedback to proceed rather than the generalized ideas I get from looking at others' threads.

★ tl;dr It's taken me a year to lose 30 pounds and that seems slow to me. Should I change up what I am doing? If so, is this the right change for me? ★
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Replies

  • strongmindstrongbody
    strongmindstrongbody Posts: 315 Member
    I had a 3 week stall recently and some people said to up my calories (I was eating in the 2,000s like you). That didn't seem right to me, so I lowered calories. Weight loss has really bumped up a notch.

    And protein, yeah, eat more. :)
  • I_Will_End_You
    I_Will_End_You Posts: 4,397 Member
    Is it possible that you're underestimating your calorie intake? If you don't weigh your food, mostly eyeball and estimate, it's very likely that you are.
  • Showcase_Brodown
    Showcase_Brodown Posts: 919 Member
    So, how many calories are you eating a day? A deficit of 20% is a good place to start.

    Why would you think that eating more calories would somehow speed up your weight loss?

    30 lbs is progress and it's proof you're doing something right. It might be slower than you'd hoped, but slowly is the best way to lose weight.
  • smn76237
    smn76237 Posts: 318 Member
    You definitely don't need more calories. Just browsing back a couple weeks you often went over your calorie goal by a significant margin. Part of the problem is that it appears you eat out rather often--is there any way to curb that? Eating out makes it so much harder to keep an accurate tab on how many calories you are consuming, because restaurant calories can vary wildy from location. Also, why do you take so many supplements/vitamins? Are they doctor recommended?

    How much weight do you need to lose? If you are obese, you can take a larger cut from your TDEE without negatively impacting your lean body mass.

    Especially since you're incorporating heavy lifting into the picture, you need to trade in some of your carbs for protein. Instead of snacking on granola/fiber one bars/other carb sources, snack on protein like string cheese, hardboiled egg, tuna, etc.

    Do you have a food scale?
  • Skinlessgirl
    Skinlessgirl Posts: 4
    Hi,

    I think you are eating too much. Try between 1500 and 2000 to have some calories deficit and you will see the pounds leaving you with little or non cardio.

    Good luck & keep going!
  • rhye
    rhye Posts: 104 Member
    Is it possible that you're underestimating your calorie intake? If you don't weigh your food, mostly eyeball and estimate, it's very likely that you are.
    It's definitely possible. I do measure out or weigh portions a couple times a week to see if I am eyeballing correctly but a shamefully high amount of my food is pre-packaged processed foods so those calories at least I know. If this is happening, I think it's a minor effect. Or at least, I try to keep any "eyeballing" to a minimum.
    Why would you think that eating more calories would somehow speed up your weight loss?
    If my metabolism was slowed by the fact that I am not eating enough, eating more could speed up my metabolism. It has been a year at around this calorie level (not that I never overeat HAHAHA) so I thought it was a possibility that I needed to shake this up.
  • rhye
    rhye Posts: 104 Member
    You definitely don't need more calories. Just browsing back a couple weeks you often went over your calorie goal by a significant margin. Part of the problem is that it appears you eat out rather often--is there any way to curb that? Eating out makes it so much harder to keep an accurate tab on how many calories you are consuming, because restaurant calories can vary wildy from location.
    This is not my usual diet, I was on vacation and have only been back since Tuesday. You have to go back to prior to my vacation (mid-August) to see how I really eat.
    Also, why do you take so many supplements/vitamins? Are they doctor recommended?
    Yes definitely. But I don't consider a multivitamin "so many supplements"?
    How much weight do you need to lose? If you are obese, you can take a larger cut from your TDEE without negatively impacting your lean body mass.
    As my ticker shows, 111 pounds.
    Do you have a food scale?
    Yes.
  • rhye
    rhye Posts: 104 Member
    Hi,

    I think you are eating too much. Try between 1500 and 2000 to have some calories deficit and you will see the pounds leaving you with little or non cardio.

    Good luck & keep going!

    According to MFP, my BMR is 1900, so this would be significantly below my BMR. I thought you were not supposed to eat below your BMR?
  • mamacita721
    mamacita721 Posts: 194 Member
    I can guarantee you that you are eating waaaayyyy too much sodium and not drinking enough water. Start tracking your sodium and try to eliminate some of the more processed foods (ie hot dogs). You need lean protein, not processed.
  • Hildy_J
    Hildy_J Posts: 1,050 Member
    NO! You need to eat less. Your calorie intake was into the red quite a lot over the last couple of weeks. Keep it inside the green and the weight will come off more quickly.

    You're doing great, btw, best of luck! x
  • lifethatgrows
    lifethatgrows Posts: 16
    If you've been overeating sometimes and it hasn't helped, upping your calories probably won't. I found I had to lower mine because I have PCOS which made my BMR lower than any calculator would tell me. I think the 1500-2000 recommendation is probably good, lower it slowly, and if you start dropping weight more quickly, you'll know you've found a sweet spot for YOUR body. Also, yeah, watch the carb/protein ratio. I have a huge problem with that and I know it's slowing me down.
  • rhye
    rhye Posts: 104 Member
    NO! You need to eat less. Your calorie intake was into the red quite a lot over the last couple of weeks. Keep it inside the green and the weight will come off more quickly.

    You're doing great, btw, best of luck! x

    As I said above, this was while I was on vacation. That being said I probably go over 1-2 days a week on a normal week.
  • lifethatgrows
    lifethatgrows Posts: 16
    IF you were actually eating 1900, AND your BMR is actually 1900 (no calculator can tell you for sure, they are flawed, go by experimentation), this would probably be fine. But you're likely eating a little more calories than you're tracking, so you're safe to lower your goal a little to make up for that.
  • luckydays27
    luckydays27 Posts: 552 Member
    Can you give your specifics, age, weight, height, activity level?

    If your TDEE is ~2750 then you are on the heavy side so it is ok to eat 25% less than that which would be 2050. BUT since TDEE takes your activity level into consideration, you DO NOT eat back your exercise cals. As you lose weight, you should recalculate your TDEE. I do mine every 10 lbs or so.

    From what I saw in your diary, you are overeating quite frequently. Do better to eat less processed food and you can stay under your goal. With 2000 cals to eat, you can get a fair amount of food in without starving.

    How to get more protein? eat an egg. eat chicken, eat nuts. eat cheese. There are lots of foods that are high in protein.
  • rhye
    rhye Posts: 104 Member
    I can guarantee you that you are eating waaaayyyy too much sodium and not drinking enough water. Start tracking your sodium and try to eliminate some of the more processed foods (ie hot dogs). You need lean protein, not processed.

    This is probably true, yeah. I eat mostly processes/packaged foods because I am working 3 jobs but I'm definitely trying to up my water intake.
  • Boogage
    Boogage Posts: 739 Member
    I also think you're eating too much. I would try around the 2000 mark as you've been losing slowly eating more than this and this might just increase your deficit enough to speed up the weight loss. I also think you eat way to many carbs. I've read that no one needs more than 200g a day and under 150g a day is best for weight loss
  • shayleac
    shayleac Posts: 76 Member
    I can't relate because my BMR is 1200.
    I would agree with the suggestion to eat 1500-2000 calories max.
    If you're concerned with BMR then eat 1900.
    2000+ calories seems like a lot.

    You should be eating less than 2500mg of sodium a day. It is incredibly easy to reach this eating proccessed foods so be careful.
  • MANDallasTX
    MANDallasTX Posts: 36
    If you have always had a problem losing weight. You may want to check for a hidden medical condition.

    I tried for years different diets, weights, walking, etc with little success. Then my Doctor found a Thyroid problem. Once I started Thyroid medication, I was able to start taking off the pounds. It also resolved energy and skin problems. For such a small organ it can have a big impact.

    So consider consulting a doctor.
  • joshdann
    joshdann Posts: 618 Member
    you also need to throw all the BMR, TDEE, and "goal calories" out the window. They are estimates, and bad ones. If you are not losing the weight you want to lose at the rate you want to lose it, you should exercise more and eat less. no matter what the magic number on MFP says. It's almost certainly wrong, just like all the other ones online. BMR cannot be properly calculated without some actual scientific tests.
  • Hildy_J
    Hildy_J Posts: 1,050 Member
    Yeah it's harder on holidays... especially with other people and you don't want to be a buzz kill. I went away with friends a little while ago - every day it was a cooked breakfast, ice cream, sandwiches, crisps, wine, pasta, cake...

    I refused so much that it became a bit of an embarrassing issue. I was given 'talking tos'. Also I came home 5lbs heavier. :(
  • smn76237
    smn76237 Posts: 318 Member
    You said you were on vacation in August, but here is July:
    Jul1 1-7 no tracking
    2884
    2092
    1934
    2104
    2899
    3339
    2800
    3047
    1969
    2220
    2302
    3103
    3572
    2200
    3464
    2352
    2825
    2325
    2075
    3517
    3072
    3929
    2138
    1913
    2132

    You went over your calories a lot in July. I'm not judging, I just think you need a better perspective on what you're really eating. I'm not saying you should starve yourself, but you really should eat less if you want to lose weight faster. With 111lbs left to lose, you are ok eating under your BMR for a while. I would keep your goal at 1700-2000 and see what happens.
  • Jill_with_a_G
    Jill_with_a_G Posts: 58 Member
    Hi Rhye, I agree that you could get some more protein in your diet. Good for you for thinking in that direction. Try if you can to start eating more clean foods and not packaged snacks. They are FULL of sodium and sugar. Hard boil some eggs to have on hand or grab a can of tuna with some mayo and pickles. All are great sources of protein. A piece of cheese instead of crackers, that kind of things. Little substitutions can make a big difference, both in calories, and on your hunger scale. I stay fuller longer when I "snack" on protein instead of carbs. In fact, I don't really snack when it I eat higher protein/lower carbs. Carbs are a great source of energy when they are used for energy and just don't sit around.

    Do you lift any weights? That's a great way to build the muscle that will help amp up your metabolism. If you do, don't rely on the scale so much as how your clothes fit and if you are losing body fat.

    Hope this helps :)
  • jwdieter
    jwdieter Posts: 2,582 Member
    Eating more calories seems like a really bad idea to me. Higher protein, more consistency.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    I know the idea is that if you do that you will lose weight faster even than now, but what if I don't?

    Actually, the idea is centered more around dietary adherence. The smaller your deficit is from maintenance (i.e. the more you eat), the slower weight loss will be. BTW...it's supposed to be slow...anything from 1/2 Lb to 2 Lbs per week is right where it should be.

    Eat more to lose is really about the idea of a VLCD vs a sustainable deficit where you aren't deprived and hungry and cranky, etc. You lose slower...but adherence is usually better...thus less binge, secret eating, cheat days, etc, etc, etc...in the long run, people with more sustainable deficits tend to lose more consistently and often keep that weight off because they've just learned to eat better in the process.

    Personally, I'd keep doing exactly what you're doing...this isn't a sprint, it's a marathon...you didn't put the pounds on over night, and they aren't coming off overnight. Do not compare your weight loss to others and shows like the biggest loser, etc. Much of that kind of stuff isn't "real"...and when you see people dropping a lot of pounds fast, most of that is water; you can only oxidize so much fat in a 24 hour period.

    Just keep on keepin' on. If you aren't already, I'd suggest using a food scale for most things...especiall calorie dense things. It's far more accurate than measuring and way more accurate than just eyeballing. People are shocked when they actually weigh, for example, 30 grams of peanut butter vs. the alternative 2 Tbsp...just a hint, it's less than what most people would stuff into 2 Tbsp. If you're not weighing and measuring you could easily be consuming 20-30% more calories than you think you are.
  • rhye
    rhye Posts: 104 Member
    I'm 31 and 257 pounds. I'm moderately active as I teach and I wear a pedometer every day so I get around 9500 steps/day. I have also had my thyroid check and full blood work because my doctor also thought there must be an underlying medical condition. However, I did have a health care provider mention two years ago that I could have PCOS. I guess since they never said anything more about it, I never thought anything more about it. I didn't know it lowered your BMR either.

    Thanks everyone, I have no idea how I will manage on fewer calories but I guess it's time to try.
  • Serah87
    Serah87 Posts: 5,481 Member
    Wow, this the first time I can actually say this!! :laugh:

    BUT you are eating to much, most likely over estimating your portion sizes. Forget the measuring cups, except liquids, you need to weigh EVERYTHING!!! Also you need to reduce your going out to eat all the time, maybe once a week or a few times a month?? Good luck.
  • lifethatgrows
    lifethatgrows Posts: 16
    Good luck! I'm adding you, feel free to talk to me if you need support :)
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    Honestly when I had 70 lbs to lose, I went with the 'lose 1lb a week' goal on MFP and didn't eat my exercise calories back for a while because I had no idea how much it was... I started by eating 1650 a day, and have pretty much been eating that on and off since, I've just increased my activity to match that, and it's what TDEE-20% gives me now anyway (use http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/ to calculate your TDEE).

    As others said too, weighing everything is extremely important, you can easily miscalculate everything by 30% or something if you use measuring spoons or cups... Food scales are cheap and the best investment you can make.

    Your BF is probably over 31% - it's not something you can really calculate at home unless you have calipers and whatnot. Don't even worry about it, it shouldn't really affect your diet one way or another anyway.

    Exercise, yeah your muscles might retain water for a while so you might not lose right away. It's ok. Keep doing it. Frankly I wasn't very active at all the first months, it just became easier, and now I typically just walk or workout one hour a day.

    If you're worried you're going to starve, go with whole, filling foods. I ate a LOT of greek yogurt with fresh fruit the first month, and pretty much every snack I eat has some protein in it still. Lots of lean meats, fish etc.
  • Hildy_J
    Hildy_J Posts: 1,050 Member
    To eat fewer calories - well oats for breakfast then eating lots of baked potatoes & oranges works for me.

    Baked potatoes are easy to do at work, in the microwave, too... Them and oranges are really, really high in fibre, fill you up and keep you going.

    Stick with it :-) xx
  • floareaciprian
    floareaciprian Posts: 46 Member
    "I am currently losing weight, so does it make sense to switch?"....i stopped reading here...if something's not broken, why fix it?

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