So I said I'd come back after 4 weeks of logging properly!

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  • shayemimi
    shayemimi Posts: 203 Member
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    The fitbit is about steps, not heart rate. Get in as many steps as possible, but also, at some point in your day, get your heart rate up. Push yourself a little over the normal that your body is used to. I love my fitbit, but I still know I have to get up and REALLY move at some point in my day, weather it's a fast walk, jog, elliptical or some kind of weight training. Mix it up. But it has to be something besides your daily work activity.

    Also, weighing your food as opposed to measuring with cups, etc. really is an eyeopener. It's easy to underestimate your intake when you don't have the exact grams/ounces to calculate calories. 25-50-100 cal. off can really add up at the end of the day and slow progress like crazy.

    Watch breads/crusts things like that. Eat lots of lean proteins and veggies. You can eat mountains of veggies, or a tiny piece of bread, lol. I love my mountains of veggies. Takes forever to eat :D

    Basically, since what you are doing now isn't working for losing (it seems to be great for maintaining!) you need to try and switch some things up.

    Just don't stop trying! Just remember, if you burn more than you are consuming, you eventually have to lose weight! :D
  • stefa711
    stefa711 Posts: 196 Member
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    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1094381-i-don-t-even-know-where-i-m-going-wrong-please-help

    And here I am (albeit with dental surgery late last week )

    So.
    Average daily burn over 28 days (via fitbit): 2390 calories
    Average daily consumed over 28 days : 1920

    Weight lost: 0.15kg
    No inches/cm lost in waist, abdomen, hips

    Any advice now?
    I tried to bring my goal down by 500 calories a day, as some people suggested, but I couldn't handle it. Based on the figures above, I'm already at nearly 500 deficit anyway

    *I drink at least 2litres a day and weigh/measure my food where applicable
    *My job involves a lot of standing, lifting (60-105lb at a time is common), upper body movement and a few steps at a time that my fitbit doesn't pick up. This is at least 6 hours in my day. I can be standing folding and packing fabric for an hour and it will only give me BMR burn. This, plus my past history of weight maintenence are what makes me think the fitbit underestimates for me
    *On top of that I generally do 3-5 hours moderate to brisk walking a week(outside with dog, big hills, or the 4 or 5 mile Leslie Sansone vid), plus YAYOG workouts 2-3 times a week. I don't log the YAYOG but the walks add to my fitbit burn of course.
    *My 84-85kg weight has been in the past maintained on approx 3000 calories a day, but that was also with doing less at work (i.e 1-2 hours moving rather than the 6-7 now) and with none of the exercise mentioned above.
    *I'm 5'4", in the 35-40% BF range, and have no thyroid, insulin, or food problems except for mild lactose intolerance.

    Where to from here?
    Thanks

    I used the FIt Bit religiously for three months and gained three lbs... I think for some people it just over-calculates your burns. What works for me is a basic TDEE calculation with a moderate defecit (I'm close to goal so I'm not looking to lose much anymore).

    Good luck with your journey!
  • lilacinfinity
    lilacinfinity Posts: 283 Member
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    The fitbit is about steps, not heart rate. Get in as many steps as possible, but also, at some point in your day, get your heart rate up. Push yourself a little over the normal that your body is used to. I love my fitbit, but I still know I have to get up and REALLY move at some point in my day, weather it's a fast walk, jog, elliptical or some kind of weight training. Mix it up. But it has to be something besides your daily work activity.

    Yup
    *On top of that I generally do 3-5 hours moderate to brisk walking a week(outside with dog, big hills, or the 4 or 5 mile Leslie Sansone vid), plus YAYOG workouts 2-3 times a week.
  • lilacinfinity
    lilacinfinity Posts: 283 Member
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    I used the FIt Bit religiously for three months and gained three lbs... I think for some people it just over-calculates your burns. What works for me is a basic TDEE calculation with a moderate defecit (I'm close to goal so I'm not looking to lose much anymore).

    Good luck with your journey!
    Thanks
    Yeah it seems like it is a waste of time for me, too : (

    I have done pretty much all the TDEE calculators out there. Everyone last time pointed me toward the Scooby one, which gives me 2492 TDEE - slightly higher than what the fitbit calculates BUT I also don't log the YAYOG which would burn a little more (not an extra 700 a week though I only do it 2-3 times a week)
  • lilacinfinity
    lilacinfinity Posts: 283 Member
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    If you're not having any hormonal issues, then your intake is still too high.

    I'm mid-cycle so yeah, it shouldn't be a factor.
  • Koldnomore
    Koldnomore Posts: 1,613 Member
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    IMO your FitBit is exaggerating your burn by around 200 calories/day, average. This is a based on the details you provided, plus 6 hours a day of "light activity". With an actual deficit of around 200 calories, four weeks would lead to....well, not very much loss, well within the error margin of a scale.

    IMO, you're simply eating too much for your activity level. I know it sucks - most of us have been in that same place, and can totally sympathize. Drop your intake by 300 calories a day for a month, and you'll have your definitive answer.

    Good luck!

    I had exactly the same problem with my FitBit.. My TDEE was reported as 2550 I was eating 2100 and losing nothing or barely nothing.. I dropped to 1800 and it is now moving again. It sucks.. hard.. but that's what it was. It can over estimate by 200 - 400 + calories. For me my body had also gone through some adaptation because I have been eating in a deficit for so long (at least this is what I was told)

    Try dropping your intake as was suggested.
  • trosewine
    trosewine Posts: 88
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    Have you thought about taking a "diet break" to find your true TDEE? Eat at maintenance - 2300 (or whatever number you think is the maintenance number) for 4 weeks and do your usual routine. Do your walks and whatever else you normally do.

    If you stay the same (within a pound or so either way), cut from there. If you trend up after a few weeks (not the first week...you will gain water, probably), then you know that TDEE was too high and take it from there.

    I know I get worked up about how the scale is or isn't moving and it just gets mentally exhausting. Taking a break can help...

    Good luck... :-)
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
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    IMO your FitBit is exaggerating your burn by around 200 calories/day, average. This is a based on the details you provided, plus 6 hours a day of "light activity". With an actual deficit of around 200 calories, four weeks would lead to....well, not very much loss, well within the error margin of a scale.

    IMO, you're simply eating too much for your activity level. I know it sucks - most of us have been in that same place, and can totally sympathize. Drop your intake by 300 calories a day for a month, and you'll have your definitive answer.

    Good luck!

    This ^^ No matter what any calculator or measuring device says, if you are eating X amount of calories and not losing, then X is your TDEE. Since you are losing a little, your TDEE is just a little over what you are currently eating.
  • lilacinfinity
    lilacinfinity Posts: 283 Member
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    Have you thought about taking a "diet break" to find your true TDEE? Eat at maintenance - 2300 (or whatever number you think is the maintenance number) for 4 weeks and do your usual routine. Do your walks and whatever else you normally do.

    If you stay the same (within a pound or so either way), cut from there. If you trend up after a few weeks (not the first week...you will gain water, probably), then you know that TDEE was too high and take it from there.

    I know I get worked up about how the scale is or isn't moving and it just gets mentally exhausting. Taking a break can help...

    Good luck... :-)

    Sure have. I maintained my current weight +/- 5lb for a year or so on around 2800-3000 calories.

    Which is why none of this makes sense to me now, y'know?

    I dunno, I guess I'll just carry on however and might get it right eventually. Everyone seems to think I'm lying/over-exaggerating my occupational activity so it's actually really hard to explain :laugh:

    Thanks
  • auddii
    auddii Posts: 15,357 Member
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    Have you thought about taking a "diet break" to find your true TDEE? Eat at maintenance - 2300 (or whatever number you think is the maintenance number) for 4 weeks and do your usual routine. Do your walks and whatever else you normally do.

    If you stay the same (within a pound or so either way), cut from there. If you trend up after a few weeks (not the first week...you will gain water, probably), then you know that TDEE was too high and take it from there.

    I know I get worked up about how the scale is or isn't moving and it just gets mentally exhausting. Taking a break can help...

    Good luck... :-)

    Sure have. I maintained my current weight +/- 5lb for a year or so on around 2800-3000 calories.

    Which is why none of this makes sense to me now, y'know?

    I dunno, I guess I'll just carry on however and might get it right eventually. Everyone seems to think I'm lying/over-exaggerating my occupational activity so it's actually really hard to explain :laugh:

    Thanks
    If you've determined your maintenance calories through trial and error, why not just use that number as your TDEE and then calculate your cut from there? Has your activity level changed since you were maintaining?
  • alittlemopo
    alittlemopo Posts: 91 Member
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    I second the weighing instead of measuring cups,etc.

    I have had a very frustrating nine months with painfully slow loss. Started weighing fruits and veggies and what do you know I had been off by about 200-300 calories per day. For example I may have chosen medium apple, but when I weighed by grams it actually came out to large and so on.

    I dropped two pounds in about 10 days after I started weighing everything.

    Just a thought.

    Good luck.
  • babyluthi
    babyluthi Posts: 285 Member
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    IMO your FitBit is exaggerating your burn by around 200 calories/day, average. This is a based on the details you provided, plus 6 hours a day of "light activity". With an actual deficit of around 200 calories, four weeks would lead to....well, not very much loss, well within the error margin of a scale.

    IMO, you're simply eating too much for your activity level. I know it sucks - most of us have been in that same place, and can totally sympathize. Drop your intake by 300 calories a day for a month, and you'll have your definitive answer.

    Good luck!









    Auddi
    I love my fitbit one it is working for me.
    Ask about this in the fitbit groups.
    That makes me tempted to just ditch the fitbit entirely. Is not crediting me for my activity at work hardly at all and even then is overestimating?
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
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    Asking again, as you haven't answered the question yet - are you weighing your food? If you're not, it's probably your problem.
  • MsPudding
    MsPudding Posts: 562 Member
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    If I ate what my Fitbit suggests I eat every day I can guarantee I'd be gaining weight. These things do over-estimate so I take no notice of what the Fitbit says I need to consume and simply use it as motivation to get in the 10,000 steps a day...plus the sleep logger is handy.
  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
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    Have you considered upping the intensity of your walks?

    I'd much rather run for 30 minutes than walk for 3 hours. And as much fun as walking is- there is a point of let's call it diminishing returns. You are going to get to a point where it's going to take more time and effort to aid in your calorie deficit than upping the intensity would.

    I also agree about resetting the TDEE... if you haven't lost- then set your TDEE at where it is now- and start cutting from there- I was "cutting" at 1900... and realized I stalled- I had to drop it to get any gains- fortunately for me my drop was on a specific time line and I could maintain it- but not indefinitely. Eating at a huge deficit is NOT always better- mostly for moral reasons.
  • magerum
    magerum Posts: 12,589 Member
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    S'all about diet.

    No it's not.
  • magerum
    magerum Posts: 12,589 Member
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    Asking again, as you haven't answered the question yet - are you weighing your food? If you're not, it's probably your problem.

    ^^
  • elyelyse
    elyelyse Posts: 1,454 Member
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    Everyone seems to think I'm lying/over-exaggerating my occupational activity so it's actually really hard to explain :laugh:
    Thanks

    I don't think anyone thnks you are lying at all. I think most of us think we burn more than we do until we learn. Sometimes I go for a run and come home and think....ugh that was only 300 calories?! All that work and I've barely earned myself a serving if ice cream! :sad: I've gotten used to it now, but I always thought physical activity burned a lot more calorie than it actuall does, and I never realized the level of exertion needed to push our calorie burn high enough to make a difference.
  • lilacinfinity
    lilacinfinity Posts: 283 Member
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    Asking again, as you haven't answered the question yet - are you weighing your food? If you're not, it's probably your problem.

    Sorry I said in my original post that I weigh/measure as applicable.

    The only thing I generally "guess" is a banana when I have one. I don't know whether to weigh it skin on or off, so just go with the length measurement.

    I get out the tablespoon measure when I make a cup of tea, for the milk. I'll put my cup on scales and weigh the amount of pre-mix coffee I'm putting in it. I weigh a slice of bread before and after spreading whatever on it.
    I don't weigh where something is already packaged in a portion (eg a tub of yoghurt)
  • ryry_
    ryry_ Posts: 4,966 Member
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    Please choose one of the three options

    1. You are not weighing your food and are guestimating...Start weighing your food, keep intake the same and review in 4 weeks
    2. You are weighing your food, but its possible water retention/some other factor is temporarily hiding weight loss....Maintain for 4 more weeks and review results
    3. You are weighing your food, but you are not eating in a deficit, reduce by 250, continue for 4 weeks and evaluate results

    ETA: If you feel mentally its hard to go lower calorie wise, consider upping your excercise level instead, or a combination of the two.

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