3 months, ZERO PROGRESS
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It might be helpful not to log any activity. I started to do that when I went to the app because it was so easy and I quickly found I stopped losing weight because I thought I could eat more than I really could. Now I just log the calories. Good luck, I hope you find a solution soon. I know it is very frustrating. If it was easy, we wouldn't all be here.0
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It is confusing look up starvation mode. If you are undereating, your body thinks you are starving. Your net calories on MFP should be your goal. Example: this morning I started off with 1410 calories. OK I walked and burned 262, I had breakfast and water. My NET intake is 78 calories. I have 1332 remaining for the day. My breakfast was 320 calories but after walking, my net is only 78. If I eat my 1410 and stop, I will be under that by 262 calories. You need at least a net of 1200 per day net and when I am closer to 1300 net, it falls off. Good luck.
So who made above 1200 calories the "safe zone" for calorie requirements? People have lived off of less calories for centuries upon centuries without their bodies shutting down. And as far as "starvation mode", I seriously doubt anyone in this country will ever truly experience "starvation mode".
It's simple. Burn more calories than you take in and you will lose weight. Burn less calories than you take in and you will gain weight. These online formulas are just that....formulas. Everybody is different, these calculators are just an estimate. Same with the calorie listings on the back of food packages. Some reports state that some of those can be off as much as 20% - 40% from what is listed. You have to experiment with what works and what does not work in 2-3 week windows. Changing a routine and expecting huge results within a week is a ridiculous notion. Your body needs time to adjust.0 -
I'm confused about the BMR then - so what am I actually supposed to be eating?
I have never lost weight before, I have never been this heavy in my life.
According to MFP, you should be eating 1490 calories a day, pre-exercise, if you are a sedentary person. If you can tell us more about your daily routine, we can help you figure out your activity level. (On MFP, your exercise isn't counted in your activity level. You add exercise calories in on a day to day basis and they don't affect the base calorie level. If you do choose to pick your activity level based on your exercise, you don't eat the exercise calories back.)0 -
If I burned more than I took in, then I would be working out for hours
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something you might want to experiement with... I've lost a bunch of weight but had been at a constant for awhile so I decided to mix it up a bit. I'm currently on a 1200 calorie diet (low-sodium, 40% carbs, 40% protein, 20% fat) and exercise everyday. I've been leaving a 500+ calorie deficit everyday and 30 minutes of each day's exercise is high-cardio (elliptical, stationary rowing, inclinded treadmill) wearing a sauna suite (Gold's Gym model, $10 at Walmart). I love to sweat and this suite helps to lose a little water weight each day. I stay hydrated before, during and after and have lost consistently .4 to .8 lbs per day (that's point 4 to point 8 lbs) for the last 6 days.0
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Questions (some may already be answered):
1. Do you log every single day, without fail?
2. What foods and portions do you eat in your cheat meal? (There is no off limit food, but depending on portions, you could be eliminating deficit.)
3. Are there any foods or liquids you count as "free" and don't account for? (Condiments, liquid calories, fruits or vegetables)
4. Are you preparing your own food or does someone cook for you?
5. Are you on any medications?
6. Do you have any medical conditions?
7. Can you post the sample day?0 -
Do you drink diet soda- if so get off that, my wellness coach tells me to never eat anything lowfat or no fat and I don't. I eat baked potatoes with butter and sourcream (full fat) always butter, eat as clean as I can and work out twice a week with my coach and do cardio 30 minutes a day in the am. I have tried all the diets and they never worked but now I am doing quite well. feel free to check my diary anytime. She now limits my sugar intake to 30 grams a day but that is ok. Friend me if you want. Good Luck to you!0
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If I burned more than I took in, then I would be working out for hours
No, remember that you burn calories just by being alive. You don't even have to work out at all to burn more calories than you take in. MFP gives you a 1 lb a week weight loss at 1490 calories by you being sedentary and not exercising at all.0 -
I would really appreciate some help, guys. Please read the whole thing first, if you have the time.
I have been on my healthy journey for three months now. I work out at least 5 days a week (sometimes more), lifting weights and doing cardio. I have a calorie tracker similar to the Polar watches that lets me know I am burning at least 300 calories in a half hour.
I eat healthy. I started off clean, but that is ridiculously expensive and time-consuming, so now I do allow some processed food in my diet that is low calorie, low sodium, high protein. I intake 1500 calories currently, over 100 ounces of water a day. Very little sugar, one cheat meal a week. Really, I am doing all the right things here, and I have researched this daily since I began to make sure I was doing what I needed to.
I HAVE ZERO CHANGE. My clothes fit the same, the scale flucuates in a 4-5 pound range and is never, ever consistent.
To say I am disappointed would be an understatement. I don't know what else to do here.
use this calculator when YOU have time to www.fat2fitradio.com becasue w/o anyone knowing your height,weight and how you're logging becasue you cant seem to open your diary, we are all having a guessing game on how to give you the help/advice you are asking for. Good Luck!0 -
If I burned more than I took in, then I would be losing weight
Fix'd it for you.0 -
Clearly you don't understand what is meant by everyone telling you to open your diary. If we can SEE your entries, we can HELP.
Open your diary!
1. Go to MY HOME
2. Click on SETTINGS
3. Click on DIARY SETTINGS
4. Scroll down to DIARY SHARING
5. Make it PUBLIC so that the folks you are soliciting help from can actually have all the information they need to help you
Good luck. I'm similar height/weight, hired a personal trainer, have Hashimoto's Thyroiditis and constantly play with macros and can't consistently lose weight.0 -
something you might want to experiement with... I've lost a bunch of weight but had been at a constant for awhile so I decided to mix it up a bit. I'm currently on a 1200 calorie diet (low-sodium, 40% carbs, 40% protein, 20% fat) and exercise everyday. I've been leaving a 500+ calorie deficit everyday and 30 minutes of each day's exercise is high-cardio (elliptical, stationary rowing, inclinded treadmill) wearing a sauna suite (Gold's Gym model, $10 at Walmart). I love to sweat and this suite helps to lose a little water weight each day. I stay hydrated before, during and after and have lost consistently .4 to .8 lbs per day (that's point 4 to point 8 lbs) for the last 6 days.
Please do not follow this advice....0 -
As far as weighing, I've found that you'll fluctate during the day so I make it a point to weigh myself everyday, same time, right when I get up in the morning just for consistency. Throughout the day I fluctuate as much as a pound or two so I'm presuming it's water weight. For example, yesterday morning weighed at 171.8. Right before my workout last night, I was at 173.0. After workout had a protein shake and right before bed weighed in at 172.5. First thing this morning was 170.6. My point.. ignore the fluctuations during the day... as long as you're trending down, you're headed in the right direction.0
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I think you're overthinking this. Try eating less. Drop to 1400 calories and see if you see a change. Or walk an extra mile or two. It's just math.0
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I hit a similar situation a few months ago, and was able to come out of it with the below changes
1. Sleep: Get 6-8 hours of continous sleep preferrably between the same hours everyday
2. Water: Drink atleast 7-8 cups of water not including the work out water
3. Carbs: I completely cut carbs (almost) for a weekend(3 days). Ate a lot of protein, veggies and some fruits no bread or rice or coffee or soda. Plenty of water and some workout and good sleep. I slowly reuintroduced carbs(whole grains) after that.
Point 3 was the big change, eventhough I was under calorie goals I was still consuming a lot of carbs just had to make that switch. sometimes it makes sense to look at your diary as a whole and see whats wrong rather than just looking at calorie limit0 -
something you might want to experiement with... I've lost a bunch of weight but had been at a constant for awhile so I decided to mix it up a bit. I'm currently on a 1200 calorie diet (low-sodium, 40% carbs, 40% protein, 20% fat) and exercise everyday. I've been leaving a 500+ calorie deficit everyday and 30 minutes of each day's exercise is high-cardio (elliptical, stationary rowing, inclinded treadmill) wearing a sauna suite (Gold's Gym model, $10 at Walmart). I love to sweat and this suite helps to lose a little water weight each day. I stay hydrated before, during and after and have lost consistently .4 to .8 lbs per day (that's point 4 to point 8 lbs) for the last 6 days.
Please do not follow this advice....
Anything I suggest is just that... a suggestion and it might work for you... every single body is different. I'm down 109 lbs for what it's worth.0 -
My account here and the one I use on my phone are not the same so opening it up won't give you anything. Sorry
Umm....why do you have multiple accounts on MFP?0 -
My account here and the one I use on my phone are not the same so opening it up won't give you anything. Sorry
Why? Doesn't make any sense.0 -
1. Do you log every single day, without fail? No. I used to, but fell off that bandwagon. Since my days are pretty much identical during the work week, they are close enough. Mostly I discovered that being OCD about it was making me feel worse.
2. What foods and portions do you eat in your cheat meal? (There is no off limit food, but depending on portions, you could be eliminating deficit.) My cheat meal is almost always a sandwich of some kind and fries. Sometimes I go without the bread just to make it better, but my cheat meal is that for a reason - I don't count calories for it. It's a treat so I don't hate everything else all week. I know I decimate my calories that day in one meal. French fries, chicken sandwich. Favorite is homemade, but sometimes takeout.
3. Are there any foods or liquids you count as "free" and don't account for? (Condiments, liquid calories, fruits or vegetables) No, I even count my coffee and water.
4. Are you preparing your own food or does someone cook for you? Most is done by me, some is done by family when I pick up my son from my dads in the evening. He is taking my needs into consideration, so what he makes is not all that different than what I make.
5. Are you on any medications? No.
6. Do you have any medical conditions? No. Just chub.
7. Can you post the sample day? This was yesterday:
Special K - 2/3 cup, 100 calories (this I do measure, with an actual measuring cup, because it's easy to pour)
Coconut milk - 45
20 oz coffee - 6
Hazelnut liquid creamer - 35
Riccota and spinach ravioli and chicken - 244
Chips - 130
Two hamburger patties, homemade, lean - 488
Ketchup - 20
Lettuce - 10
Tomato - 16
Clif bar - 240
Circuit training - 183 (this was pretty darn close to my chest strap, which showed 180)
Water - 12 cups0 -
I feel your pain, I gained about 40 pounds when I was 35, 6 years ago and I have only lost 20 pounds. And in the last 3 years I have lost 0 pounds and 0 inches. I eat clean, workout with weights and cardio. I pushed it so hard before my birthday because I wanted to lose at least 1 pound before my bday that I hurt my back, and that lead to a gallbladder test. Results on the test were negative it was the same with my thyroid and hormones and pituitary gland. Look I have it all tested and my doc says I am extremely healthy and does not know why I am not losing weight. I have tried getting rid of wheat and gluten and that was not the culprit. I don’t know why maybe one day we can be blessed and it will fall off. I have started to do cardio and some weights in the morning instead of evenings. I am as frustrated as you but I have been frustrated for years. I use to be really fit and slim. All I can say is I feel great and my health is perfect so keep working out and eating good you will at least feel better/healthier.0
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Oh, nevermind - i thought my account was different because I logged in through FB. I dunno. No matter. I gave an example.0
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Years?! I am so sorry. That's so strange - everyone makes it seem so easy. Cut your calories! Workout more! Every body is different. I wish there was one formula for us all. I hope we do eventually reach that day when all our hard work suddenly profits.0
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Years?! I am so sorry. That's so strange - everyone makes it seem so easy. Cut your calories! Workout more! Every body is different. I wish there was one formula for us all. I hope we do eventually reach that day when all our hard work suddenly profits.
Well if you think eating at a calorie deficit to lose weight while exercise for fitness isn't the same for everybody.....then best of luck OP. Obviously we can't really help you in your special situation.0 -
I have been on my healthy journey for three months now. I work out at least 5 days a week (sometimes more), lifting weights and doing cardio. I have a calorie tracker similar to the Polar watches that lets me know I am burning at least 300 calories in a half hour.
Maybe you could have the same problem I had...I have a HRM that counts calories but have never seen it come close to what the treadmill or MFP says should be my calorie count. It has always been higher. So, if I were to use those numbers I would be eating back way to many calories.
What I would do is match utilize other calorie counters to see if the Polar watch matches them.0 -
I think my thread has proved that it DOESN'T work the same for everyone.0
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1. Do you log every single day, without fail? No. I used to, but fell off that bandwagon. Since my days are pretty much identical during the work week, they are close enough. Mostly I discovered that being OCD about it was making me feel worse.
Thanks for answering all of that! I unfortunately am still going to go with logging and portioning. For instance, I noticed the ravioli. I may be way off on this because I am vegan and haven't even dreamed of ravioli in years (jealous), but it seems like 244 calories would be a small portion.
Since you aren't losing and want to be, I would find a way to make peace with your OCD about the numbers. If you can, meet with a registered dietician who can help you understand the science of weight loss and nourishment. I think if you are more clear on what it all means, you won't have the anxiety. If it's deeper than that for you, you may want to talk to a therapist. If paying for a dietician is out, there are often free community resources, fairs, and classes that will teach you what you need to know. Barring that, there is plenty of good information online about how the body works, just make sure it's reputable. (The US goverment's website has lots of free information.)
I think there is a chance that once you are more comfortable with your understanding of how your body works, logging and weighing will be more information and tools than something to drive yourself crazy with.0 -
I think my thread has proved that it DOESN'T work the same for everyone.
No, this thread proved that you're eyeballing portions and overestimating your exercise.
It does work the same for everyone. Follow the (good) advice here. Find your TDEE, subtract 15-20%, and eat that amount of calories. Done.0 -
I think my thread has proved that it DOESN'T work the same for everyone.
you're right, everyone is different. with that being said....
We'd love to help you. Would you be open to opening your diary for us ?0 -
OP, you've already received some very good advice.
Start weighing your food. You're probably overestimating your intake. In any case, what have you got to lose by breaking out the kitchen scale?
Log daily. Seriously. I cannot overstate how important this is.
Understand that your exercise calories are probably inflated. HRMs are designed for steady state cardio and are pretty damn inaccurate for other activities. Try eating only half of your exercise calories back. (Alternatively, switch to a TDEE-x% method; there's lots of information about how to do that on the forums.)
If you're eating at a caloric deficit, you'll lose weight. If you're not losing, then you're not in a deficit. There's no getting around it.I think my thread has proved that it DOESN'T work the same for everyone
No, I think your thread has proved that you're frustrated and you don't want to accept that your estimates are probably wrong. As FlaxMilk said below, you're being honest -- just not accurate. Which is as expected, because you're human.0 -
And this is helpful, HOW? Seriously, why do people feel the need to do this? I am not pulling numbers out of my butt or lying about what I am doing - I am being 100% honest or I wouldn't have come here with my denial. Please, PLEASE just don't bother if you want to make me feel like an idiot.0
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