What am I doing wrong?

2

Replies

  • Mr_Knight
    Mr_Knight Posts: 9,532 Member
    You are eating more than you think.

    Without seeing your diary, it is difficult to suggest where your logging might be going wrong.
  • alstond07
    alstond07 Posts: 4
    Great information to help me understand about calories in and calories out.:wink:
  • spintronicus
    spintronicus Posts: 45 Member
    I appreciate the concern an I'll take that into account but I don't really eat junk food. The last oreo I ate was when I was in college more than ten years ago. I also don't graze between meals. I'll bring my food list to my nutritionist. I'm really not being snarky as I believe maybe I'm eating too much, who knows but I'm deliberately trying to explain myself. I even bake my own granola bars and weigh everything before baking. Though, the last granola bar I ate was couple weeks ago.
  • WannabeSC
    WannabeSC Posts: 28 Member
    Sounds crazy but once or twice I've plateau'd and only started losing again when I increased calories....Not the case with my holiday plateau, just eating more this month.
  • editorgrrl
    editorgrrl Posts: 7,060 Member
    Srsly, Hashimoto's messed w/ my body & my mind. I gained 20 lbs. in 2012, and was so uncomfortable in my body. I was diagnosed in the early fall, and started logging in late November. It took a while to get accurate & honest, but I worked hard at it every damn day. And I've lost 21.5 lbs. to date. It was bloody hard work.

    My non-Hashi friends just don't get it. So I'm here to tell you that you can do this. But it won't be quick. Do not give up.
  • NavyKnightAh13
    NavyKnightAh13 Posts: 1,394 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

    I have a 2 year old, plus housework, plus college, plus work. It does happen, but I am lucky to get it in before going to bed.
  • billsica
    billsica Posts: 4,741 Member
    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.

    Try a 500 calorie deficit.
    Your 1 - 5 pound fluctuations are water weight. You need to ignore this and figure out your average, then work off of that.

    ..also lift heavy.

    I have a 1 and 3 year old. Its all I can do to get 2 workouts a week in.
  • Warchortle
    Warchortle Posts: 2,197 Member
    I don't trust products like FitBit.. All I do is figure out my maintenance with 0 exercise... then I just workout (don't track it) and then use that as my deficit.
  • sredders
    sredders Posts: 1 Member
    Don't forget that your body can fluctuate up to 3lbs from day to day. If you are going to weigh yourself every day, make sure you weigh around the same time every day (this is what my Dr. told me anyway). She also said to eat at a deficit, but not at a huge deficit. "Stay around a 300 calorie deficit and the weight should come off. Too deep of a deficit and your body will go into starvation mode, and try to convert as many calories you can into fat." This is what she told me. I have this on the front page of my journal to remind me. :)
  • chani8
    chani8 Posts: 946 Member
    I weigh my eggs and cabbage, every.single.day.

    If you seriously want to lose, then you have to seriously do the math.
  • GlennaSkinner
    GlennaSkinner Posts: 1
    From Glenna Skinner, certified Personal Trainer from Cooper Institute, and licensed Physical Therapist Assistant: You don't mention your age, check with your doctor for checking your hormones. Additionally, get in your 90 ounces of water per day, ensure you are eating clean: all natural, leafy greens, chicken breast, turkey breast, some fish (avoid tuna due to mercury). Also, you say 6 days a week of workout. You could possibly have plateaued in your routine. What's the intensity like? Are you just going through the motions? If so, you are likely not burning enough. Change your workout routine. Fast walk, up to 3 miles 3 times a week, implement resistance training. Don't swing your weights, use controlled manner.
    In addition to avoiding "pre-packaged" foods, you gotta say no to eating out. Condiments are FULL of sodium, sauces, cheese, breads, pasta, potatoes.....take those out of your diet. And as the previous posters indicated, ensure you are creating a caloric deficit. Good Luck and feel free to friend me if you like. Glenna
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
    Could you clarify what your weight has done, in weekly increments if you have it, over the last 4 weeks.

    When did you start exercising? When did you start logging your food? Also, what are your macros on average?
  • AprilTom
    AprilTom Posts: 27 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.
    Honestly it could be the breastfeeding, try increasing your calories 200-300 to eat back what you would burn breastfeeding. According to MFP and other calculators i need to eat 1500-1600 a day to lose weight but i wasn't losing being so low because I'm breastfeeding, once i increased my calories to 1800 I started loosing again.
  • kimad
    kimad Posts: 3,010 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.

    I had a few thoughts.

    1. ^^ what the other poster said. Your body is in a normal BMI range for your weight so it's just possible you are going to have to just stick it out and wait for it to come!

    2. With eating 1400 cals a day and exercising 6 days a week, I would also tend to wonder if you aren't eating enough.

    3. I had first thought, maybe you aren't in enough of a deficit but with your exercise I wouldn't go any lower than 1400 cals or you will be starving!!!

    So if you can stick it out I would try number 1, and if not, then try number 2.
  • eldamiano
    eldamiano Posts: 2,667 Member
    Probably eating too much. Usually the case...
  • spintronicus
    spintronicus Posts: 45 Member
    Just came back home. Kids fell asleep in the car so I'll try to reply as fast as possible before someone wakes up.

    Exercise with kids isn't much of a challenge for me in terms of finding time since I can ignore the messy house or the piling up laundry. I'm lucky that they either jump around me trying to do the moves with me or ignore me and play with something else. I exercise in the bedroom and we have a small electronic drum and a keyboard which they only play while I exercise so those keep them busy too. If for some reason they don't let me, I try not to sweat over it and wait for my husband to come home and give me 30mins of free time. Those days we grab something from the freezer that I cooked sometimes months earlier and thaw it for dinner.

    I try to follow exercise DVDs since exercise equipment is dangerous around kids unless the weather is nice and we can run outside. When I mean running, I don't mean leisurely walking but breaking a sweat. Same with exercise dvds. I can't work with heavy weights before kids go to bed at night and I've never tried it but I'll think about it.

    Glenna, I don't eat out or order take out. People usually don,t believe me when I say that but I really don't. I'm working from home for the past 4 years and before that during grad school I brought my lunch most of the days or grabbed a salad from the cafeteria. I have certain dietary restrictions which don't allow me to eat whatever I can grab without checking the labels.

    Editorgrrl, I was diagnosed with hashimoto's before kids after I went to the doctor saying that I was uncontrollably gaining weight and was depressed. My bloodsugar was also fluctuating to dangerously low levels. Weight gain and sugar fluctuations stopped several months after I started the meds and I lost 10 of 20lbs I gained in about 6 months. It wasn't easy. Then i got pregnant. Gained 45 with first, lost 35 before getting pregnant again. After my second child birth, I came home at 175. Joined mfp at 161 (this time around last year I think) and lost till 140 till May. During summer my weight plateaued. I wasn't logging back then but still exercising. I decided to log this time but I keep gaining. I might be due to a dose change so I'm gonna see my endo soon.

    I wasn't eating this little when I was losing so maybe I really need some of those burnt calories back.

    I don't rely on fitbit for how many calories I burn, though I think it's a more educated guess than one size fits all formulas but I keeps me grounded about my daily movement. I can see if I just sat my bum on all day or was walking around and climbing stairs.
  • ell_v131
    ell_v131 Posts: 349 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.

    I agree. If your entries are accurate, after deducting your exercise (even if only half) and breastfeeding which is 300 on average, you are eating too little. I am the same height as you and losing on 1600 net, so I eat 1700-1900 daily depending on exercise. I used to eat 1200 and hit a wall, it wasn't until I upped my calories to 1500 that the weight started coming off.

    Try going up for a few weeks. You could gain a bit (water weight) so don't get discouraged. It's What's best for you and your baby.
  • wahmx3
    wahmx3 Posts: 633 Member
    You need to eat more, likely as much as 500 calories a day more....eat back your exercise calories and if you are breastfeeding more than once a day, your body needs more nutrients for this. Do you track your sodium? How much water do you drink? Overall, eat more every day!
    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.
  • kgeyser
    kgeyser Posts: 22,505 Member
    Just because you aren't eating out, grazing, or eating junk food doesn't mean that your numbers can't be way off in terms of what you are actually eating. Weight gain and loss is a numbers game. It's the same number of calories from macronutrients no matter what the food source. Eating whole foods and making your own food is better than eating processed for a number of reasons, but it doesn't necessarily mean that you're not eating more than you think.
  • spintronicus
    spintronicus Posts: 45 Member
    I didn't imply that I must be eating within range just because I don't eat out or graze. I said I don't eat out since someone mentioned that I shouldn't and I said I don't eat junk food or graze since someone gave an oreo example. I also mentioned not grazing to clarify that I was logging every single food that was going into my mouth. I was measuring by volume for soups etc since I cook with weighed dry ingredients, eyeballed or measurd by volume veggies and measured meats if I add any. Honestly, I don't see myself sustaining my energy if I eat less. I'll try upping my calories just a bit given that I take my exercise seriously and the fact that I don't eat back my exercise calories.
  • spicypepper
    spicypepper Posts: 1,016 Member
    Are you counting your breastfeeding calories too? Are you getting enough sleep? Are you truly weighing out your food?

    it seems to me like you're not fueling your body enough for the calories burned.
  • spintronicus
    spintronicus Posts: 45 Member
    I'm not counting bfing calories. I never thought I should since YDS doesn't rely on me for much nutrition anymore. I probably don't get enough sleep, too. I go to bed around 1-2am and wake up around 7am. I'm working from home and otherwise, I can't keep up with work. Although, we recently hired a nanny to take care of the kids half of the day while I work so if it goes well, I'll probably get more rest.
  • spintronicus
    spintronicus Posts: 45 Member
    So here's my plan:

    1. I'll try to be extra careful with measuring/weighing the food and log in that way.
    2. Will take levothyroxine an hour before breakfast with a full glass of water instead of just a sip and 45 mins.
    3. Will up my calories to 1700 given the OK of the nutritionist
    4. Will continue with exercise, trying to burn around 500. If I burn significantly less than 500, I'll drop that amount from my daily caloric intake.

    I wasn't taken the fitbit adjustment into account anyway so I'll continue to do so.

    Hopefully, I'll update in a few weeks if anything changes. Thanks for the suggestions!
  • spintronicus
    spintronicus Posts: 45 Member
    I'll also be careful about my water intake. I have a humongous Klean Kanteen, 64 oz I think. I usually finish one and refill midday but I'll put it somewhere else to prevent anyone else helping themselves.
  • RGv2
    RGv2 Posts: 5,789 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.

    Yes and no. Yes to use the tape measure to help measure progress as weight loss isn't linear. No on gaining muscle. If the op is on in her calories she isn't eating nearly enough to be building any muscle, plus the op is only doing cardio work.
  • editorgrrl
    editorgrrl Posts: 7,060 Member
    So here's my plan:

    1. I'll try to be extra careful with measuring/weighing the food and log in that way.
    2. Will take levothyroxine an hour before breakfast with a full glass of water instead of just a sip and 45 mins.
    3. Will up my calories to 1700 given the OK of the nutritionist
    4. Will continue with exercise, trying to burn around 500. If I burn significantly less than 500, I'll drop that amount from my daily caloric intake.

    I wasn't taken the fitbit adjustment into account anyway so I'll continue to do so.

    Hopefully, I'll update in a few weeks if anything changes. Thanks for the suggestions!
    Did you try any of the above? Do you feel any better? Have you lost any weight?
  • jimmmer
    jimmmer Posts: 3,515 Member
    Eat more to make sure your child gets the nutrition they need.

    Then afterwards, worry about how you look.

    Like seriously, you have an infant who is dependant upon you for their every need - nut up.
  • rockmama72
    rockmama72 Posts: 815 Member
    I'm 5'6 and last time around when I hit about 150, my weight loss stalled. I added strength training, and after a few weeks the scale started moving again.
  • blueneptune7228
    blueneptune7228 Posts: 1 Member
    Remember, too that muscle is heavier than fat. This means if you are building muscle with strength training exercises the scale may not move much in the way you want. Measure your inches lost from chest, waist, and hips every two weeks, you may find you are losing inches and not lbs. Good Luck!
  • mariabraceyrobinson
    mariabraceyrobinson Posts: 94 Member
    Have your thyroid checked out. That maybe the cause.

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