Active but failing miserably !

Strawberrycheezcake · December 2013

Hi all could really do with some help from the more active people who have been in the same boat.

I have been using MFP for a long time/ working out years and do not lose fat or weight within more than 0.5 kilos. I've recently done a reset and decided to have another bash. I would appreciate if I could get some advice so I set off enthusiastically and get things right and finally get somewhere.

I am a female 5ft 4inches/165 cm and 121 lbs 55 kilos, my Body Fat % is 22 and my goal is to lose at least 0.5 kilos a week. MFP calculates the 1200 calorie level per day. I go to the gym 5 days a week and mix weight training and cardio. I have decided to try just cardio for the next few weeks bar a leg day and see how I go. This will consist of HIIT on the running machine for 20-30 minutes or step walking at my local stadium for the same time duration. I am a teacher and have a pretty sedentary day bar my exercise.

I would like to understand why I haven't been able to find the magic formula? I suspect it maybe that my food is too low but I'm not sure as there is very little activity to my lifestyle bar my gym visits. I have been eating back the calories and have a very high protein diet most of the time. I am also very disciplined- eating right or at a low calorie intake hasn't and isn't a problem. On paper I should succeed easily, but it has never happened. I must confess most of my meals are not home cooked and rice based which can give me headaches with accuracy but I just can't believe it is this.

Some advice would be greatly appreciated and if any more details are needed fire away.

amartin7889 · December 2013

You probably aren't burning as many calories as you think you are in the gym.

mrussell60 · December 2013

I have a theory - over state your calories and understate your exercise - not meaningfully but somewhat. For example 1 table spoon of Jam is 1.5 - very small but over stated. If I exercise for 60 minutes and have walked 4 miles I just log the exercise. It is a fact that if you burn more calories then you consume you will lose weight - barring a medical condition. What seemed to be a problem with me was being accurate. Maybe you have the same problem. Add me if you like.

Strawberrycheezcake · December 2013

Thanks for the advice. Maybe a few more people have ideas?

diannethegeek · December 2013

Accuracy gets very important as you get closer to goal. Are you using a food scale and HRM yet?

Slrajr · December 2013

Figure out your TDEE and read this:

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants

The fact that you have been tracking for a long time means that you will have a pretty good idea what your TDEE is when you look back. I believe that lack of accuracy is the problem because I have learned that "what it says on paper" reflects my weight every time.

Honestly, as long as you eat at or below what you need you will lose or maintain. Also, you are quite tiny, I would suggest that you don't stop lifting, building beautiful shoulders can lead to feeling happier about abs if you're eating at or below your TDEE.

MirrorMe33 · December 2013

Hey!

I've had the same issue over the past few years. I'd been consistently eating below or at the recommended levels and was fitting in at least three high intensity work outs per week plus weights sessions. I finally got fed up and had a chat to my doctor who recommended a new program for me (healthpointe 2.0). It focuses mostly on lots of protein and provides good quality set meal programs. I haven't been on the program for long but I've had results already so I'm feeling pretty positive about it at this stage! It includes education about what to eat when and what food groups to combine to make sure you're body isn't storing the wrong things. The combination and timing of what I was eating seems at this stage to be the biggest thing preventing me achieving my goals.

fittocycle · December 2013

I'm wondering if you simply need to add more muscle. At your height, your weight is pretty much where it should be or at the low end of the range. Why not skip cardio for a couple of months and concentrate on weight training and stretching. Add in some yoga to reduce stress. As a teacher, I am guessing you have more than your fair share of stress.

Good luck to you!

77tes · December 2013

Why do you need to lose .5 kilo a week? At 22% body fat, you are fit, and your weight isn't high either.

Enjoy your healthy body and quit chasing a magic number.

Strawberrycheezcake · January 2014

Thanks for all the replies I really appreciate it.

I have decided to throw the target calorie figures MFP state out the window (1200) and go with TDEE less 20%. That will see me slowly increasing what I am eating to 1400-1500 calories a day for the next 2 weeks and then 1600-1650 from there. I have also chewed over the exercise and am going with alternate cardio and weight days. I will see how I go. Seeing I have been like this for years I will definitely post back as I would imagine there are a lot of people in the same boat:

Thanks again.

C.

TavistockToad · January 2014

Why do you need to lose .5 kilo a week? At 22% body fat, you are fit, and your weight isn't high either.

Enjoy your healthy body and quit chasing a magic number.

this.

you dont need to lose weight... you just need to decrease your bodyfat a bit more if you arent happy as you are... look into some heavy lifting on a small deficit (0.5lb per week, no more)

TavistockToad · January 2014

Thanks for all the replies I really appreciate it.

I have decided to throw the target calorie figures MFP state out the window (1200) and go with TDEE less 20%. That will see me slowly increasing what I am eating to 1400-1500 calories a day for the next 2 weeks and then 1600-1650 from there. I have also chewed over the exercise and am going with alternate cardio and weight days. I will see how I go. Seeing I have been like this for years I will definitely post back as I would imagine there are a lot of people in the same boat:

Thanks again.

C.

TDEE -20% is still more of a deficit than you need.

lauren3101 · January 2014

Thanks for all the replies I really appreciate it.

I have decided to throw the target calorie figures MFP state out the window (1200) and go with TDEE less 20%. That will see me slowly increasing what I am eating to 1400-1500 calories a day for the next 2 weeks and then 1600-1650 from there. I have also chewed over the exercise and am going with alternate cardio and weight days. I will see how I go. Seeing I have been like this for years I will definitely post back as I would imagine there are a lot of people in the same boat:

Thanks again.

C.

TDEE -20% is still more of a deficit than you need.

This. Try TDEE - 10%.

Strawberrycheezcake · January 2014

Thanks. I will slowly raise my calories and come a little higher as you have suggested as a percentage of TDEE.

Touji · January 2014

I have a theory - over state your calories and understate your exercise

This works.

I over-count everything.
A can of tuna that is 130 calories becomes 150 when I log it.
etc.
As you can see by my weightloss ticker, it works and is a simple way of not going over your daily calories.

jellybeanmusic · January 2014

I used to over estimate burns by going with what it said on here, and guess at cals. When I got serious, I got a heart rate monitor and food scales. I also switched to aiming for under my tdee rather than the 1200 cals suggested on here. All these things worked for me, I reached my goal weight in a healthy way and I've kept it off since July so far.

Active but failing miserably !

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