Not losing weight - need some advice.

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Hi all

I have been actively trying to lose weight since 18 July 2013. I am 5 foot 3 inches (163 cm) and my starting weight was 208.4lbs although I have been up to 209 lbs since the 18th. This morning I weighed in at 205.4 lbs. So, ok I have lost some weight but nowhere near what my calculations say I should have. I use a Polar HRM (set up correctly) to monitor cals burned during exercise and I also wear a Fitbit Ultra. I log everything religiously - and I weigh everything religiously. I try to keep my macros to 45% carbs, 30% fat, 25% protein. My goal net cals per day are 1200. I have experimented with eating burn cals back but am a bit worried to as my calculations are not working out. I use Fitbit to give me my TDEE on any day and MFP to give me my net cal intake. I keep records of these two things and weekly total up the difference and divide by 3500 to give how mucho should have lost in pounds (given 3500 cals defecit equals 1lb lost). My calculations since 18 July show I should have lost nearly 8 lbs ur I clearly haven't.

My exercise is about 30-40 mins everyday spinning on my spin bike where my HRM shows about 400 cals burned. I try to take a rest day per week. I do strength every other day where I do a weights workout to To y Little Target Training DVD. I hike too - do about 6 miles in the Peak District with plenty of steep ascents and carrying a 20lb pack. Fitbit says about 20,000 steps and 115 floors climbed just to give you an idea. My HRM usually says 1500 - 1800 cals burned. I hike about once every two weeks but I walk my dog about 3 miles once to twice a week.

Could anyone give me some advice? I have opened my diary.

Oh, one last thing. I suffer depression and am on a host of meds. These are listed in my diary under drugs. I also take a Centrum Advance everyday, cod liver oil (1000mg), Ginseng (500mg) and a Calcium and Vitamin D supplement. Again these are all listed in my diary.

I thank you in advance for any guidance. Sorry if I have missed any vital info out.

Replies

  • lauren3101
    lauren3101 Posts: 1,853 Member
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    Eat back your exercise calories, come back to us in a month. MFP doesn't tell you to eat them back for the fun of it.
  • Evilmuffin666
    Evilmuffin666 Posts: 132 Member
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    Have you measured yourself? Seems like you are doing a lot....
  • Railr0aderTony
    Railr0aderTony Posts: 6,803 Member
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    If you are using fitbit for your TDEE then you know that 1200 is probably half if not less than half of your TDEE.

    Read this
    Here is good info:
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/975025-in-place-of-a-road-map-short-n-sweet
  • HealthyVitamins
    HealthyVitamins Posts: 432 Member
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    Are you measuring all food and logging all oils, sauces etc?

    doesn't matter if you are eating 1000 calories a day, or 100 or 2000, if you are eating in a deficit you will lose weight.

    So it seems like you may be eating more than you think.

    Recently I found out the chicken breast I eat and thought was 160 calories, was actually 330 once I bought a food scale.
  • lottietucker
    lottietucker Posts: 10 Member
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    Yes I weigh everything with digital scales, measure liquids with an accurate set of spoon measures and cup measures. I'm a scientist so I do everything in a scientific fashion lol.
  • HealthyVitamins
    HealthyVitamins Posts: 432 Member
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    Yes I weigh everything with digital scales, measure liquids with an accurate set of spoon measures and cup measures. I'm a scientist so I do everything in a scientific fashion lol.

    sorry I completely missed that part from your original post! Have you been measuring yourself? unfortunately I cannot give you any advice if the medication you take has an effect on your weight loss, although I doubt it.
  • Railr0aderTony
    Railr0aderTony Posts: 6,803 Member
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    doesn't matter if you are eating 1000 calories a day, or 100 or 2000, if you are eating in a deficit you will lose weight.

    I disagree with you. have you ever hear of Adaptive Thermogenisis? read up on it.
    http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/567126_2

    I for one stopped losing weight after losing 100 pounds. Still eatting at the same deficit, weighing everything and using a HRM for workouts. I went 6 months without losing a single pound until I read up on this and then ate at Maint for a couple weeks. You body can do amazing things and adjust to what we give it.
  • HealthyVitamins
    HealthyVitamins Posts: 432 Member
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    Are you measuring all food and logging all oils, sauces etc?

    doesn't matter if you are eating 1000 calories a day, or 100 or 2000, if you are eating in a deficit you will lose weight.

    So it seems like you may be eating more than you think.

    Recently I found out the chicken breast I eat and thought was 160 calories, was actually 330 once I bought a food scale.

    I disagree with you. have you ever hear of Adaptive Thermogenisis? read up on it.
    http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/567126_2

    I for one stopped losing weight after losing 100 pounds. Still eatting at the same deficit, weighing everything and using a HRM for workouts. I went 6 months without losing a single pound until I read up on this and then ate at Maint for a couple weeks. You body can do amazing things and adjust to what we give it.

    Hello,

    No I haven't heard of it, would have been interesting to read, however I need to sign up, would you mind posting the basics on here so I can read it?

    Thanks
  • mywght4lfe
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    I believe that the depression and the meds are a possible for the reason you are not losing weight. These are contributing factors and maybe you should take a woman's daily vitamin which has all the above listed. (The extra vitamins that you are taking have all the benefits you need but in one vitamin. Are you eating right? My problem has always been my weakness for sodas. You will get through it and maybe you should also check with your doctor and let him know that you believe your meds are contributing to your weight and if he can suggest changing them without changing the effectiveness of why you need them. Good Luck!
  • Railr0aderTony
    Railr0aderTony Posts: 6,803 Member
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    No I haven't heard of it, would have been interesting to read, however I need to sign up, would you mind posting the basics on here so I can read it?

    Thanks

    Adaptive Thermogenesis as a Cause of Unsuccessful Weight Loss

    The main implication that can be derived from the observations presented above is that adaptive thermogenesis can be sufficiently pronounced in some individuals to interfere with successful weight loss. On the basis of the studies of Leibel et al. and those performed in Laval University, this phenomenon could appear as an adaptation that promotes the early occurrence of resistance to lose fat. Indeed, in these two series of studies, greater than predicted decreases in energy expenditure were observed in subjects having experienced some weight loss
    Our clinical experience also reveals that such an adaptation can happen sufficiently early during the course of a weight-reducing program to totally prevent the achievement of weight loss. This is the case of a woman who participated in a weight-reducing program at Laval University several years ago. As shown in Table 2 , she experienced weight gain after 15 weeks of careful nutritional supervision aimed at promoting weight loss. This table also shows that this subject was compliant to nutritional guidelines since she was reporting a decrease in daily energy intake of approximately 500 kcal at the end of the study compared with initial measurements. Interestingly, indirect calorimetry measurements offered an explanation of the apparent paradox revealed by the weight gain at the same time as the subject was reducing her energy intake. Indeed, Table 2 shows that the decrease in daily resting metabolic rate was equivalent to the reported reduction in energy intake. If one considers that the energy efficiency displayed by the subject in the resting state at the end of the study was also likely to be present in the nonresting state, it becomes easily understandable that weight gain occured when the subject was compliant to nutritional guidelines promoting a decrease of caloric intake. This agrees with the observations of Miller and Parsonage[67] who found that some subjects were resistant to slimming despite a rigorous control over energy intake.

    In summary, there seem to be some obese individuals who clearly overreact in energy expenditure when they are exposed to a negative energy balance. This adaptive thermogenesis may then clearly reduce the ability to achieve a successful body weight loss. To date, there is no clear explanation for the occurrence of such a phenomenon but, as discussed in the next section, we cannot exclude the possibility that it might happen so as to protect body homeostasis.

    summary of Table 2. Daily Energy Intake and Resting Metabolic Rate Before and After a 15-week Weight-reducing Program in a Woman Resistant to Weight Loss

    Body weight (kg) before 79.7kg after 81.8kg
    Energy intake(calories) before 2358/day after 1870/day
    Resting Metabolic Rate(cal/day) before 1479 after 927
  • HealthyVitamins
    HealthyVitamins Posts: 432 Member
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    That is very interesting, thank you!
  • appifanie
    appifanie Posts: 95 Member
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    Lottie, I understand!! I am 5' and pre-pregnancy I was 123. I went up to 179 during my pregnancy and now, almost 7 years later, I am still 149. I started working out and counting calories about 4 years ago. Four years ago I was counting calories and I did yoga 3 times a week, cardio 3 times a week, and weights 2 days a week without much change. Two years ago I was down to 133 (after P90X for about 130 days) but my deployed husband came home and I quit working out (I hate working out in front of anyone) and started eating gluten again (I think I'm intolerant) and now, 149 is back, but it's 149 or 148 or 152 back and forth back and forth.

    Railr0aderTon, thanks for that link! I'm going to research some. So just switching to maintenance calories helped you? And how long until you saw changes?