What am I doing wrong?

spintronicus
spintronicus Posts: 45 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
My kids scream in the background just because. So, sorry about the typos and incoherence in advance.

I eat a balanced diet, no prepackacked food, satisfying macronutrient recs, etc. I exercise 6 days a week. HRM says around 400 cals. I have a fitbit and I burn more than 2500calories a day and eat about 1400cals. I don't drop a pound and what's even worse, I'm gaining. What am I doing wrong?

I'll elaborate more if anyone has questions. Gotta check on the kids.
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Replies

  • Jestinia
    Jestinia Posts: 1,153 Member
    You can eat the healthiest foods in the world and exercise until you're half-dead, but if you're taking in more calories than you're expending in a day, you're going to gain weight. If you're eating the same amount you expend, you'll maintain, and if you're eating less than you expend, you'll lose weight. Everything else is just a matter of tracking accurately and compliance.

    The first time I came here, I just used the calorie counter for a couple of weeks to see how much I was eating. Then I lowered it so I would lose weight.

    Later I had compliance issues and tweaked my diet further, but you might not have to worry about that. Lots of people do fine just counting calories and staying in a reasonable deficit.
  • kgeyser
    kgeyser Posts: 22,505 Member
    Are you logging your food to ensure that you really are eating 1400 calories a day? Are you eating back the 400 cal you burn during exercise? You're going to have to give us info like height, weight, etc, so people can do calculations to see what your TDEE would be and the associated deficit.
  • editorgrrl
    editorgrrl Posts: 7,060 Member
    If you're not losing, you're not eating at a deficit. If you're gaining, you're eating above maintenance.

    Set your MFP goal to lose .5 or 1 lb. per week. Log everything you eat accurately & honestly. Move more, but if you still aren't losing weight then eat back only half your exercise calories.

    Everybody's different, so it will take trial & error to find what works for you.

    Read this. I wish it'd been here when I started:
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants
  • spintronicus
    spintronicus Posts: 45 Member
    I honestly eat around 1400 cals a day. I don't snack around. I truly log every single thing. Even if it's two cashew halves my kids stuff into my mouth. Or that double shot espresso even if it's just 5 calories. Really no intentional cheating.

    I'm 5’ 6”. 145lbs yesterday. 146.2 this morning. I wear a HRM for exercises. I have 3. 2 polar brands, 1 timex. They give similar results for the same type of exercise I wear a fitbit when not exercising. I'm on my feet all day long. Always moving. I have hashimoto's thyroiditis but religiously take my medication every single day and my blood work came back normal last time. I'll see my endo again in a few weeks.

    For exercise, I was running with my kids in the stroller until winter hit hard and now I'm using a stationary bike, an arc trainer, a rowing machine or do Jillian's 30 day shred's level 3. I have only a few days left on 30ds and I'll start insanity. I'm in relatively good shape and I was able to keep up with first two levels albeit being not easy.
  • spintronicus
    spintronicus Posts: 45 Member
    I don't eat back what I supposedly burn by exercise. According to mfp app, I should be eating 1400 but my fitbit adjusts it to 1700something at the end of the day since apparently I'm more active than "moderately" active but i don't eat back those too. Regardless of my total supposedly burned calories, I try to eat around 1400. I'm really frustrated with all this.
  • spintronicus
    spintronicus Posts: 45 Member
    I'm also breastfeeding a toddler and it should burn some so they say. I'll check out the link you posted. Thank you. I found about Emma-Leigh yesterday and read about her recommendations a bit but I need to have our nanny back to do more reading. Hopefully, in a few days.
  • Shuuma
    Shuuma Posts: 465 Member
    I know that when I got my digital scale, it made a HUGE difference. I was totally shocked at portion sized and calories in the foods I eat. I got a HRM and my calories burned was less than the database said. My advice is weigh everything, continue to log everything, and eat to a deficit.
  • cg037
    cg037 Posts: 1 Member
    Honestly, at 5'6 and 145 pounds, you're not even that overweight. Losing the pounds is not going to be easy as someone that weighs 400 pounds at your height. Maybe its a set point for your body, in which case, you'll have to power through it. Do you do any weight training? Maybe you should focus on body comp at this point versus raw weight.
  • Lesa_Sass
    Lesa_Sass Posts: 2,213 Member
    Believe it or not, there is a chance you are not eating enough.

    Open your diary so we can take a look at it.

    I was at a plateau for weeks at 1200 calories and could not figure what I was doing wrong. I upped my calories and started losing again lost that last 5 pounds I wanted to, and i am in my 40s.

    I gained 18 lbs in India over the the last 5 months doing the whole eat pray love thing. I have set my cals to 1500 per day and eating back my exercise calories and although I have not weighed yet, can tell I am losing by the way my close are fitting.

    You need to eat at least your BMR.
  • billsica
    billsica Posts: 4,741 Member
    just glancing over this, its obvious you either need to eat more, or get more accurate in measuring your food.

    How do you work out 6 days a week with a small child??????
  • kgeyser
    kgeyser Posts: 22,505 Member
    It sounds to me like you need to eat more. If you're not eating back your exercise calories and only eating 1400 calories a day, then you are only netting about 1000 calories a day. I'm also breastfeeding a toddler and my estimate for that is around 150-200 cal a day because she only nurses before nap and bedtime. So you could actually be netting under 1000 cal per day. If your fitbit is telling you to eat around 1700, I would probably pick a number in between and see if there is any improvement. Eating 1550 or 1600 a day for a bit isn't going to derail you with your level of exercise and breastfeeding and might get the scale to move again.
  • editorgrrl
    editorgrrl Posts: 7,060 Member
    I have hashimoto's thyroiditis but religiously take my medication every single day and my blood work came back normal last time. I'll see my endo again in a few weeks.
    I have Hashi's and take Synthroid. My endocrinologist claims I can lose just like anybody else. It took me an entire year to lose 20 lbs. You can lose, but it's slow going.

    Take Synthroid with a full glass of water at least 4 hours after eating. Wait at least an hour before eating or drinking anything but water. Then wait another 3 hours (4 total) before taking any vitamins or minerals.
  • HollisGrant
    HollisGrant Posts: 2,022 Member
    I'm also breastfeeding a toddler and it should burn some so they say. I'll check out the link you posted. Thank you. I found about Emma-Leigh yesterday and read about her recommendations a bit but I need to have our nanny back to do more reading. Hopefully, in a few days.

    Since you are breastfeeding, you might check with a professional. I read somewhere that breastfeeding changes the picture with weight loss and the needs of your body, but I can't remember what/where I read it (here on MFP).
  • WalkingAlong
    WalkingAlong Posts: 4,926 Member
    I'm 5’ 6”. 145lbs yesterday. 146.2 this morning.
    So you've been at this one day?
  • editorgrrl
    editorgrrl Posts: 7,060 Member
    I know that when I got my digital scale, it made a HUGE difference. I was totally shocked at portion sized and calories in the foods I eat. I got a HRM and my calories burned was less than the database said. My advice is weigh everything, continue to log everything, and eat to a deficit.
    ^^^This.
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    You breast feed, you burn 400 calories each workout, you are already a healthy weight and you only eat 1400 calories a day?
  • Quieau
    Quieau Posts: 428 Member
    If you're serious about the fact that you're breastfeeding then you are doing no favors for you or your child by eating so little.

    I think you know better.
  • jennegan1
    jennegan1 Posts: 677 Member
    just glancing over this, its obvious you either need to eat more, or get more accurate in measuring your food.

    How do you work out 6 days a week with a small child??????

    It is possible as I got a almost 3 year old but im lucky if I can get 45 mins in at least 3 days a week
  • supplemama
    supplemama Posts: 1,956 Member
    Try weighing your food. You probably are eating way more than you think. I'm sorry but I just don't believe a breast feeding mom is only eating 1400 calories a day. You would be ravenous. You need to eat more, you and your baby need nutrients.

    Also, increase your water intake and lower your salt intake.

    At this weight a few pounds of excess fat (really, you are only 15-20 pounds overweight) comes off very slow. Expect no more than .5 pound a week.
  • WalkingAlong
    WalkingAlong Posts: 4,926 Member
    (really, you are only 15-20 pounds overweight)
    :huh: At 5'6" and 145, she is 10 lbs. BELOW overweight BMI.

    http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/guidelines/obesity/bmi_tbl.pdf
  • supplemama
    supplemama Posts: 1,956 Member
    :huh: At 5'6" and 145, she is 10 lbs. BELOW overweight BMI.

    http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/guidelines/obesity/bmi_tbl.pdf

    True. I assumed she was basing being overweight on whatever her goal weight is, as I do. I'm also 5'6 and my goal weight is 130 pounds, which is right in the middle of the BMI charts. So yah, I'm not overweight but I'm not where I need to be for my goals and peace of mind.
  • Serah87
    Serah87 Posts: 5,481 Member
    Do you use a digital food scale? More than likely your not eating in a deficit. You need to weigh everything, you would be surprise how much over eating you maybe doing.
  • albayin
    albayin Posts: 2,524 Member
    I wouldn't call that a pound "gaining". You perhaps like me, hit a weight where our body "likes" to stay at. It takes extreme patience and hard work to break this plateau...However, I am at loss of finding solution myself. Good luck~
  • misskris78
    misskris78 Posts: 136 Member
    The breastfeeding might be key. Some women don't lose while breastfeeding - they gain. There are a lot of hormones at work when you're breastfeeding and I don't pretend to know the details. Don't stop if it's working for you and your toddler, but you may see some change when you both decide it's time to move on.
  • spintronicus
    spintronicus Posts: 45 Member
    Thanks for the replies! I couldn't read them all yet, hopefully during nap/down time, but wanted to answer the exercise thing. My kids (3 and 1.5) love Jillian and Shaun T. LOL. my older calls Jillian "the jumping jacks lady". And I make the most of those 30mins by really, I mean really pushing myself. With JM, I burn around 350-400 according to the HRM. And I add another 30-45 mins after they go to sleep at night. That second exercise isn't usually as intense since I also try to work from home and need to organize my research, catch up on reading etc while exercising.

    Before hashimoto's and kids I weighed 120-125 with regular exercising. I'm really uncomfortable in my own body now.

    Need to prepare lunch for the kids now but I'm looking forward to reading the replies. Thanks again!
  • spintronicus
    spintronicus Posts: 45 Member
    My toddler fell asleep in the carrier while I was posting my previous reply and I have a few minutes while my husband fixes a lunch for ODS.

    YDS is almost 20months old. Breastfeeding at this point for him is usually for comfort. He eats 3 meals a day and healthy snack in between. I don't think I'm depriving him of anything. I asked his pediatrician about it and she said fine. I'll ask the nutritionist my endo works with, too. Just to be safe.

    I don't feel extra hungry because I stuff myself with greens and veggies. I can happily eat some cabbage sautéed in little bit of oil (i measure) or green beans cooked with olive oil and tomatoes. I can munch on a bunch of parsley leaves to suppress my hunger until dinner time. I grew up that way.

    I was 146.2 today, 145 yesterday, 144.4 the day before. And 143.8 and 143 the week before. That's what I don't understand.

    So should I weigh the eggs I eat for breakfast or the cabbage I'm cooking. The whole cabbage took my 5-6 meals to eat. Do you think it'll make a huge difference?

    At this point, I'll try anything due to frustration. I lost 20lbs in a year without dieting but being active. Then, I gained some back and decided to count my calories.

    I take levothyroxine 45 mins before breakfast and take my vitamins in the evening.
  • editorgrrl
    editorgrrl Posts: 7,060 Member
    I take levothyroxine 45 mins before breakfast and take my vitamins in the evening.
    I went from taking it w/ a few sips of water and waiting 35 minutes to taking it w/ a full glass of water & waiting an hour. And my weight loss sped up. I made no other changes. The two may be completely unrelated, it may be the placebo effect. But there's no harm in trying it yourself. Weight loss takes lots of trial & error to find what works for you.
  • Shuuma
    Shuuma Posts: 465 Member
    I was 146.2 today, 145 yesterday, 144.4 the day before. And 143.8 and 143 the week before. That's what I don't understand.

    So should I weigh the eggs I eat for breakfast or the cabbage I'm cooking. The whole cabbage took my 5-6 meals to eat. Do you think it'll make a huge difference?

    I think you should weigh every single thing you put into your mouth. It sounds ridiculous, but when I started weighing everything and measuring each tiny thing, I realized I was underestimating my calories by a wide margin.

    This morning, I scrambled eggs for the family and just put what I wanted to eat into a bowl and measured it. 173g is more than two eggs, but I thought I had put two eggs worth in my bowl. (Just remember to zero out your scale when you put your bowl/plate/cup on it so you are only measuring your food--I totally messed that up at first!)

    If you use oil, measure it and log it. If you drink milk, measure it and log it. (4 oz of 2% milk is 65 calories! That's more than a square of dark chocolate!!)

    It has been so surprising to me to see where the calories hide. Once you see where your calories are coming from, you'll be able to make adjustments as needed. Nursing can burn ~200 calories a day alone. Also, drink a ton of water. Moms need water for milk production, but it also keeps you hydrated enough that your body won't retain as much water.

    ETA: Maybe put away the scale for a few weeks and measure, instead. I haven't lost a pound for two and a half weeks, but my clothes are even looser than they were last week. Inches lost=fat lost. Sometimes we lose 2 lbs of fat but gain enough muscle that the scale says nothing, even when our tape measures say lots!
  • BeckyKoyle
    BeckyKoyle Posts: 2 Member
    Have you tried measuring yourself? You might have lost inches, but not weight. If you are working out you are gaining muscle, which is smaller than fat, but weighs more. So, instead of going by the scale, measure yourself.
  • spintronicus
    spintronicus Posts: 45 Member
    I'll try to weigh my food as well. I cook from strach in bulk, like 10 quarts for red lentil soup and freeze. Then measure by volume and divide for calories. I weigh the lentils for my recipe book, eyeball the size of the onion, measure the tomato paste and oil by volume. I assumed this would give me a good estimate of calories. I'm an engineer and I love experimenting with recipes so my recipe book always had these details. When I bake, I weigh everything and divide it by the portion size in the end.

    I'm eyeballing the raw veggies I eat during the day (i don't eat much fruit because it triggers my hypoglycemia symptoms) since I assumed if I'm at 1000cals deficit I can't be eating that much to gain weigh, kwim? I'll still try it though. My kids drink green smoothies and I measure the fruit by volume and eyeball the amount of greens. And have a cup myself sometimes.

    I need to get better at measuring myself. I admit after the first two weeks with Jillian, I noticed that my abs were more visible and defined as much as it could be with my weight. But measurement I took last time was before gaining some of my lost weight and I didn't see any difference between then and now with the tape.

    I'll ask the nutritionist if I might be eating too little. Might be, idk.

    I'll try to take my meds an hour before with a full glass of water. This thyroid issue messed up too many things in my life already. I wouldn't be surprised if it's just one more hormone related issue.

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