Frustrated... my own fault?

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Replies

  • bubaluboo
    bubaluboo Posts: 2,098 Member
    Your cycling calories seem a little too high. When I cycle 80 min at 10-12 mph with hills (called light cycling even though i feel like I'm pushing myself to the limit) MFP gives me just 530 cals so 40 min should be 265 cals. I also use the endomondo app and that gives similar burn to MFP.
  • thrillho3
    thrillho3 Posts: 50 Member
    Your cycling calories seem a little too high. When I cycle 80 min at 10-12 mph with hills (called light cycling even though i feel like I'm pushing myself to the limit) MFP gives me just 530 cals so 40 min should be 265 cals. I also use the endomondo app and that gives similar burn to MFP.

    Interesting... thanks!
  • thrillho3
    thrillho3 Posts: 50 Member
    I don't want to join a gym, so maybe I'll just start doing some body weight resistance stuff at home? Any suggestions? The thing is, I'm *really* muscular already. I know I won't "bulk up" if I lift weights, but...

    As long you're not sticking yourself with steroids, I can't imagine you getting too muscular. For bodyweight training, I'd go with You Are Your Own Gym. The author is a military guy and has like 125 exercise examples in the book. The exercises progress from easy to harder and he sets up the program to vary the reps/sets. Looks like a well-thought out program.

    Awesome, thank you :flowerforyou:
  • shapefitter
    shapefitter Posts: 900 Member
    I will probably get flamed for this...but don't be so focused on the scale. I have been on my journey for 18 months, and have only lost 37 pounds. Only THREE of those pounds have been this YEAR.

    I think you look great. Everything is in proportion, and in all the right places.
    Three pounds, in 7 months, is half a pound a month, on average. I don't see a problem, or am I missing something?

    I could be heartbroken that the scale isn't moving, but I am not. I eat an average of 2,000 calories a day. I lift 2-3x a week, and do cardio 2-3x a week ( no more than 5 gym days a week). Over the last 7 months, my body has changed. That is what matters to me. Would I like to get out of the obese range, and down to a few pounds into overweight? Heck yeah!

    9799221974_4ccc67c1f0.jpg
    2/13, 4/13, 9/13 by crochetmom2010, on Flickr

    ETA: it won't help your scale move, but DEFINITELY lift weights! Not only is there something that just feels empowering about lifting, but that is what shapes your body!
  • sufferlandrian
    sufferlandrian Posts: 8,244 Member

    I don't want to join a gym, so maybe I'll just start doing some body weight resistance stuff at home? Any suggestions? The thing is, I'm *really* muscular already. I know I won't "bulk up" if I lift weights, but...

    I'm sure some of the other folks on here can be more specific than I can but weight lifting doesn't always mean bulking up. More weight and fewer reps bulks up. Less weight and more reps means toning what you have. Toning or bulking means the more calories burned while at rest. So, weight lifting is a good thing either way.

    Hang in there. Remember that as you lose weight you will need to make adjustments in BMR. Power is the only true measure of calories burned when exercising. Heart rate, Time and Distance only make estimates based off assumptions. Your program may be making assumptions that just don't fit you. Adjust accordingly.

    MOST IMPORTANT!!!!! We all hit "False Plateaus" where food that we are eating make us seem to not be burning weight. However, if we evaluate what we are eating and get back to more healthy foods and less fats and salt, we'll find we were losing fat, just retaining fluids. So, hang in there. Buck up little soldier and push on. YOU CAN DO THIS! :-) :flowerforyou:
  • Chelz2013
    Chelz2013 Posts: 176 Member
    One of my MFP friends just lost her Fitbit. She called the company and they said there's a way to track it. (not sure of the whole story but she used her computer to try to find it since her phone wasn't compatible).
  • FrauHaas2013
    FrauHaas2013 Posts: 615 Member
    I bought an Escali scale with a Groupon coupon - I think it's great! You can ignore the weight it tells you, but pay attention to everything else - your body's fat content, water content, and muscle percentage! Sometimes I would notice that although my weight didn't change, my fat content increased, or I was retaining a lot of water. It's helpful. There are lots of factors that effect that number on the scale. Hang in there!
  • 27toheaven
    27toheaven Posts: 30
    Hi !!

    Just from looking at your diary your breakfasts on the whole are good but try adding more protein to them to get you feeling more satisifed. Other than that I think your eating too much processed food. Does weird things to your apetite makes you crave sugar!!
    Switch to eating some green leafy veg with baked chicken/fish or something for main meals most of the time if possible.
  • timothydriver
    timothydriver Posts: 147 Member
    I agree with some people on this topic others. I agree with not looking at the scale as much for sure I only weigh myself every other week. I disagree with getting a food scale I mean really "who has time for that?" I would suggest doing more cardio on a daily basis not just a few times a week rather at least 5 to 6 times a week. Try running or higher impact cardio. Right now I run 6 times a week and try to be in the gym at least 5 days a week. Over the month and a half I have been doing it I've lost 12lbs. So I would suggest doing more cardio for more time.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    Food scale made a huge difference for me. And eating at TDEE-20%.
  • retirehappy
    retirehappy Posts: 3,861 Member
    Read this:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/819925-the-basics-don-t-complicate-it

    Your tweaking too much as others have said. Also without weighing you have no idea what you are eating. Voice of experience speaking.

    Keep it simple and good luck.
  • ereck44
    ereck44 Posts: 1,170 Member
    Hi, first of all congrats on losing and keeping off 6 pounds!

    OK, some tips that worked for me. Food scale----so important. My fav.food to snack on is raw almonds. I was measuring it using a measuring cup, but one day I noticed how many grams in one serving per food scale
    what a difference! I was under-estimating by a lot!

    Next exercise, try to work in a sweat and then at least a half hour exercise of whatever after you start sweating. Weight training is great. Before I broke my toe, I was doing weight training 3-4 x per week. I use a heart rate monitor and I will measure how many cals burned during weight training. I have hypothyroidism and my heart rate lingers around 42-45 beats peer minute--so I really have to push myself to get in fat burning zone.


    Veggies will be your best friend. Hardly any cals, unless you cook it in butter, Use mfp food library, and Google some veggies, you will be surprised. A whole cup of mixed green lettuces is only 5 Cal's. Berries are the lowest Cal fruits

    In 9 months, I have lost and kept off 30 pounds. Hope some of these tips work for you. It may take you a little longer due to Hashimoto's but keep plugging, don't get discouraged!
  • walleymama
    walleymama Posts: 174 Member
    How much data have you accumulated? If you have daily weight, caloric intake, and exercise calories you could check to see if your actual weight loss matches the weight loss predicted by deficit from TDEE. If those two numbers don't match up very well, it could mean either your TDEE estimate is off, or its the calories and exercise. If it's TDEE it won't be wildly off so if you have to tweak it to ridiculous values to match up predicted with actual then it is a pretty good indicator that your calories counts are off. Since it sounds like your exercise values may not be too far off its probably your calorie count. The food scale is a great idea.

    And forget about forgoing your KitKats and other treats. If they fit into your daily goal, you go for it and don't feel guilty! Life is too short to snack only on salad, lol. Seriously though, you'll have time to tweak your diet when you reach your goal weight, in the meantime don't make it any harder than it needs to be! :)
  • amie709
    amie709 Posts: 99
    Hey gang.

    I started in July at 214lbs. I'm 5'5" and 30 years old.

    At first I was eating 1900 cal because MFP told me my TDEE was around 2400 and I was aiming for 1lb loss a week.

    That worked pretty well until about a month in when I stalled around 208. I decreased my calorie intake to 1700 and got a FitBit. The FitBit told me I was burning around 2200 cal/day, at which point I switched down to 1600 cal/day, thinking that I might also be underestimating my calorie intake (I have little patience to weigh food--I'd rather just eyeball, log everything ASAP, and keep my Goal Calorie number 100-200 cal below on average, know what I mean?)

    I ride my bike to and from work about 4 days/week (20 min each way about 400 cal total), and I play tennis on the weekends (30 min, burning about 350 cal). I sometimes eat back my exercise calories, sometimes not. My "bad" days are usually Friday/Sat, when I go to happy hour with coworkers or out to dinner with my fiancé. These days I might go over 500 cal, but it usually "balances out" on average from the past 7 days.

    The problem is, I've been hovering between 207 and 209 for like over a month and it's getting to me. My measurements are also going up and down. My "weigh in" day is Wednesday, but I weighed myself on Tuesday (207) and today (208.7).... so...wtf?? :explode:

    I have Hashimoto's, but my levels are good. Work has been stressful, but has calmed down in the last week.

    Is there something I'm doing wrong? Should I just "exercise patience"? Eat more? Eat less? Weigh everything? Or, lift weights? :tongue:

    Any advice appreciated, thanks!

    Yes-and you already know what your doing wrong-you already said it!! My "bad" days are usually Friday/Sat, when I go to happy hour with coworkers or out to dinner with my fiancé. These days I might go over 500 cal, but it usually "balances out" on average from the past 7 days.(I have little patience to weigh food--I'd rather just eyeball, log everything ASAP, and keep my Goal Calorie number 100-200 cal below on average, know what I mean?
  • I_Will_End_You
    I_Will_End_You Posts: 4,397 Member
    I don't know if anyone mentioned this, but in regards to your Fitbit....their customer service is amazing. If you email them & say you lost your Fitbit, they're likely to send you a new one.
  • Jewlz280
    Jewlz280 Posts: 547 Member
    Hi! First, ignore dude who said you need to do cardio every day. SO NOT TRUE. Cardio is great, but you do NOT need to do it every day. Next, follow what most PP's have said and stick to ONE calorie plan for at least a few weeks. Next, again, as PP's said, you need a food scale. When you eat pre-packaged food, it all tells the size. But if you are having to dig your own out (like, peanut butter) you can really do yourself harm eyeballing. Fats are SO calorie dense that when you think you aren't using much, you're using way too much! I usually put my bread on the scale, zero it out, then add pb. TADA! I know it can be a lot of work, but it can really change your life with food. But here's the catch, I only do it with fats. You can get away with it pretty easy on fruits and veg and with meat, it's fairly easy to eyeball. Fats are where you really have to watch it.

    As for the 'type' of food, that's hogwash. I've not been on here long, but prior to joining I lost right at 45 to 50lbs. and I ate whatever in moderation. There really are NO bad foods. Some are more nutrient dense than others, but you have to make what you are going to eat sustainable. So, if you know you will continue to eat say, pizza even after you hit goal, no reason to ban it now. Same with everything else to include your time out with your friends. My only suggestion for that is to either scale back a few cals a day for a few days after to bring down your average or go in with a game plan like, "I'm going to have two beers and an app." And then be done. It helps if your first drink is water, then your drink with your food, then another water, then your last drink. No health benefits or anything, just sorta spreads it out. LOL

    Anyways, good luck with it! Just don't get too frustrated and give up yet. It can take time to find that 'sweet spot'. I'm currently trying to find mine with this style. I promised I would give myself 1 or 2 mos. So far, I've not lost much but I'm trying to give it a bit of time. :)
  • thrillho3
    thrillho3 Posts: 50 Member
    Hi! First, ignore dude who said you need to do cardio every day. SO NOT TRUE. Cardio is great, but you do NOT need to do it every day. Next, follow what most PP's have said and stick to ONE calorie plan for at least a few weeks. Next, again, as PP's said, you need a food scale. When you eat pre-packaged food, it all tells the size. But if you are having to dig your own out (like, peanut butter) you can really do yourself harm eyeballing. Fats are SO calorie dense that when you think you aren't using much, you're using way too much! I usually put my bread on the scale, zero it out, then add pb. TADA! I know it can be a lot of work, but it can really change your life with food. But here's the catch, I only do it with fats. You can get away with it pretty easy on fruits and veg and with meat, it's fairly easy to eyeball. Fats are where you really have to watch it.

    As for the 'type' of food, that's hogwash. I've not been on here long, but prior to joining I lost right at 45 to 50lbs. and I ate whatever in moderation. There really are NO bad foods. Some are more nutrient dense than others, but you have to make what you are going to eat sustainable. So, if you know you will continue to eat say, pizza even after you hit goal, no reason to ban it now. Same with everything else to include your time out with your friends. My only suggestion for that is to either scale back a few cals a day for a few days after to bring down your average or go in with a game plan like, "I'm going to have two beers and an app." And then be done. It helps if your first drink is water, then your drink with your food, then another water, then your last drink. No health benefits or anything, just sorta spreads it out. LOL

    Anyways, good luck with it! Just don't get too frustrated and give up yet. It can take time to find that 'sweet spot'. I'm currently trying to find mine with this style. I promised I would give myself 1 or 2 mos. So far, I've not lost much but I'm trying to give it a bit of time. :)

    Fabulous advice, thank you!
  • weightlossdiva1219
    weightlossdiva1219 Posts: 283 Member
    I agree with the food scale tip. As well as maybe not eating out every weekend? I would LOVE to go out every weekend with my boyfriend, but if we do it's not a food related date. Not as often at least. Good luck!

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