Can't figure what I'm doing wrong...

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Replies

  • tattedlady75
    tattedlady75 Posts: 185 Member
    Another suggestion is to keep track of your sodium, tooo much and you'll be retaining water. Also calculate your TDEE and then subtract 20% this should be the amount of calories you should eat but also don't eat below your BMR - this is what your body needs just for being in a coma. here's a link to find out your TDEE www.fitnessfrog.com/calculators/tdee-calculator.html‎
  • tinana_RN
    tinana_RN Posts: 541 Member
    Your answer is here:

    http://www.acaloriecounter.com/blog/why-am-i-not-losing-weight/



    Love this!
  • DebbieLyn63
    DebbieLyn63 Posts: 2,654 Member
    With your calorie goal as high as it is, do not expect more than an average of 1 pound a week, or a little less even. This is a good steady rate, but you just have to be patient and not be expecting 2 lbs a week. Lack of sleep will definitely hurt you, so try to get in as much as you can. Otherwise,everything else looks good. Just be patient. This will take awhile for you, but it is worth it.
  • Quasita
    Quasita Posts: 1,530 Member
    Seeing as you're still fairly new to this, and it's your first month and your first "off" week, I think it's awfully early to jump on making changes and assuming you're plateaued.

    You've already admitted that you're not 100% on your food, and the MFP calculations for exercises can be way off. They are a good guideline to start, but I'd recommend getting a calorimeter like a BodyMedia unit (I absolutely love mine) to really measure out your daily burns, BMR, and your exercise burns.

    Carbs are a necessary part of the diet and for fat metabolism so don't get too crazy on cutting them out. Make sure you get plenty of protein and health fats, and don't take it so hard when the scale doesn't obey you. Try again tomorrow.

    Always weigh in the morning, after a poo but before breakfast, and naked if possible. You'll get the most consistent readings. You can fluctuate quite a bit with poo alone!
  • auntiebabs
    auntiebabs Posts: 1,754 Member
    2000 calories a day sounds like an awful lot to me.
    Is this the number that MFP gave you after you input your goals?
    Or are you going by the number on every Nutritional Fact panel say "based on a 2000 calories a day"?
    (yeah, don't go by that unless you're a 6' tall man)

    I'm 5'6" and When I was eating 1700-1800 cal a day I was about 175 lbs
    (28.2 BMI well into the overweight catagory, just shy of obese. If I ate 2,000 cal /day I'd be somewhere around 220 lbs. well into the obese catagory )


    I'm currently eating 1450-1550 to maintain 145 lbs.
    Now, MFP tells me I get 1600 to maintain 140 lbs, but 1) MFP is just a guideline...and/or 2) I may have errors in my logging.
    As long as I'm logging EVERYTHING... I can see cause and effect between what I eat and my health and weight.

    I hit my goal weight 2 years ago and I'm still working on maintenance strategies.

    Remember:
    Enter an accurate age Even if you don't want to use your actual birthday use a date that within a couple of month of your actual birthday
    Set your activity level to sedentary and log all of your exercise. At least to start.
    You will see what your actual burns are. If you set your activity level higher AND log your exercise MFP will give you the twice as many calories.

    When I was losing I was mush happier once I gave myself a range:

    ROCK BOTTOM: 1200 cal
    TARGET: MFP Calories for lose 1 lb a week (when that hit 1200 I changed to lose 1/2 lb per week)
    TOP OF RANGE: Maintain Calories for my GOAL Weight.
    (SAFETY VALVE: Maintain Calories for CURRENT Weight - remember to keep updating this number as you lose)

    I naturally tended to do 2-4 days between 1200-1300 cal then a day at about 1500-1600 cal then back to the 1200-1300 cal. (No hard science here, but I credit the zig-zagging calories with preventing plateaus.)

    --As long as I stayed under the top of my range I should continue to lose, even if it is at a slower rate.
    --As long as I don't go past my safety valve I shouldn't gain.
  • camilleme73
    camilleme73 Posts: 22 Member
    Even when set my settings on sedentary (even though I'm at least lightly active) and with a goal of a 2lb loss per week and 4 30 minute workouts (I do more than this) it still says 2000 cals. so I'm not sure what else I could change. Apparently it takes more fuel to keep this big ole body functioning. I do not eat back my exercise cals. My besty uses sparkpeople and when we put my same info in there it recommends a min of 1900 and max of 2250 cals. It's crazy but I am going to quit worrying and be happy with eating well and feeling good because I am shrinking and I can already do more than I could a month ago!
  • camilleme73
    camilleme73 Posts: 22 Member
    I drink 2 liters of water a day. I like water :0)
  • Quasita
    Quasita Posts: 1,530 Member
    Don't worry so much about the base calories, it depends on the body you have and it's just a lot of people on here aren't used to seeing high numbers...

    After 1k cut per day, my calorie allowance is 2330ish, but you should eat back your exercise calories. That could be part of why you have troubles. On days I work out, I can eat up over 4k in calories and I'm still losing.

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