Very confused

Andyjdyer
Andyjdyer Posts: 5 Member
in Getting Started
Hi all,

I've started trying to lose weight, because according to the math, I am overweight, bordering on obese (211 lb, 5'11"): but so far I've been logging what I eat in My Fitness Pal, with a goal of losing 1 lb per week: and I've not yet made any conscious change at all to my diet (I figured I'd start out by logging, and see how bad my diet was after a couple of weeks): but every day I'm coming in between 400 and 1000 calories under the goal that MFP is setting. I really don't understand! I'm fat, and I want to lose weight, but My Fitness Pal keeps telling me I'm not eating enough. I am very confused indeed. What am I doing wrong? Should I go out and eat more pizza and fried chicken to lose weight? But I'm serious - illogical as it sounds, is the reason I've got overweight because I don't eat enough, rather than because I eat too much?

Thanks!

Replies

  • ccmzone2013
    ccmzone2013 Posts: 177 Member
    When I was loosing weight - - I never used this website until last week. It may seem a little discouraging - - but trust me, don't be! All the system is here to do is calculate your daily intake vs your daily exercise! Don't become discouraged ...Keep plucking' away at it ...I wish you all the best ...
  • Cindyinpg
    Cindyinpg Posts: 3,902 Member
    Hi all,

    I've started trying to lose weight, because according to the math, I am overweight, bordering on obese (211 lb, 5'11"): but so far I've been logging what I eat in My Fitness Pal, with a goal of losing 1 lb per week: and I've not yet made any conscious change at all to my diet (I figured I'd start out by logging, and see how bad my diet was after a couple of weeks): but every day I'm coming in between 400 and 1000 calories under the goal that MFP is setting. I really don't understand! I'm fat, and I want to lose weight, but My Fitness Pal keeps telling me I'm not eating enough. I am very confused indeed. What am I doing wrong? Should I go out and eat more pizza and fried chicken to lose weight? But I'm serious - illogical as it sounds, is the reason I've got overweight because I don't eat enough, rather than because I eat too much?

    Thanks!
    Are you weighing your food on a digital scale and logging absolutely everything?
  • mockchoc
    mockchoc Posts: 6,573 Member
    It would help a lot if you opened up your food diary so someone can take a look and also give your height, weight and how much activity you do plus if you have a sit down job or are on your feet all day. Good luck sorting this out and yes if you aren't weighing your food you really need to be or you are just guessing.
  • curtissoph
    curtissoph Posts: 64 Member
    How are your fat and sugar levels coming in? Could it be that those are way high? I agree though, that does seem weird.
  • FitnFeistyLyness
    FitnFeistyLyness Posts: 757 Member
    do you exercise?

    do you eat alot of fruits, veg, beans, greens high nutrient dense foods?

    i eat nutrarian style and i come in under the calories mfp says i should eat.

    i created a group if you want to join.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/groups/home/18785-motivation-support-and-accountability
  • Ready2Rock206
    Ready2Rock206 Posts: 9,487 Member
    1. Unlock your diary so people can give better advice on what you're eating
    2. Weigh and measure everything
    3. If you're logging exercise calories make sure they're accurate
    4. Log everything you eat/drink
    5. If you're eating diet foods - stop. Eat full fat dairy, calorie dense foods (nuts, avocado, peanut butter, etc) - this will help up your calories without shoveling in a lot of junk
  • Andyjdyer
    Andyjdyer Posts: 5 Member
    Thanks for your suggestion : I've been trying to weigh stuff out as best as I can, yes - I did wonder if perhaps sometimes I've not been accurately matching up the specific foods that are listed with the brands I've been eating - and when I've eaten out, it's had to be a "by eye" measurement - so I expect I've got it wrong a few times, but i've tried to over estimate rather than under estimate (as that'd just be cheating myself) - but I have been making sure I've been weighing / measuring out the food when I cook at home.
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
    2 things with logging food.

    The mere act of logging causes people to not actually eat what they normally eat, that's usually at the start.
    Couple studies with people asked to log their sodium for 2 weeks demonstrated a reduction in sodium and weight, when they were supposed to just log what they normally ate so nutritionist could make suggestions.

    The accuracy of logging also gets bad, so while you may have cleaned up or be eating a some less than normal, you actually are eating more than your diary says.

    To the excellent point above about logging accuracy.

    But, excellent idea to log first - far too many have no clue how much they use to eat, and if truthful, all you'd have to do is find 250 calories in your day to leave out, no longer eat.

    Then don't worry about logging anymore, eat normal except for that 250.

    Then find some exercise you can do that will add up to 1750 calories burned each week, 30 min daily avg of decent intensity exercise, above and beyond what you do now. 60 x 3, 30 x 7, whatever method.
    Don't change eating habits because of the exercise.

    if you decide to clean up your diet too, then replace calories equally.
  • meshashesha2012
    meshashesha2012 Posts: 8,329 Member
    you arent accurately logging more than likely. maybe you can open your diary so we can have a better idea of how you are logging.

    and no if not eating enough food made humans fat there would be hundreds of thousands of people every year who die of starvation
  • Andyjdyer
    Andyjdyer Posts: 5 Member
    That's great advice: thanks very much. One thing I should probably have mentioned is that I'm a type 1 diabetic: so I've always measured pretty much everything I eat - so although the methodology of logging in MFP is a bit different to what I'm used to (as it's measuring calories rather than carbs), it's not an area that's completely alien to me. I guess my big question is what the tricks are to making sure that you've got the right translation between a weight that you do at home, and when you're eating out - which is where I suspect a lot of my errors may be happening (though, I don't think I'm that inaccurate, as my glucose levels aren't out of whack)?
  • toharvey
    toharvey Posts: 2 Member
    Your metabolism maybe very slow and eating more calories can increase your metabolism to burn more fat. It's not uncommon for people to say they are eating more food on a diet then they did before. Your body adapted to the lower amount of calories you have been eating and learned to maintain your current weight on it. Eating more can break this cycle. You need to choice good calories, like whole grains, vegetables, Fruit, low fat dairy or low fat meats. Make sure you set your goals, weight, and lifestyle correctly. If you did then yes, eating more can help boost your metabolism. Exercising and turning fat into muscle can also help increase your metabolism. A faster metabolism burns more fat but also needs more fuel so you can eat more. In the past when I plateau on a diet, I have increased my calories to break my plateau and drop more weight.
  • melaniecheeks
    melaniecheeks Posts: 6,349 Member
    Youre doing exactly teh right thing by logging everything and then analysing it. And no, you didnt get to be overweight by not eating enough.

    Can you set your diary to public - we would be able to offer much more relevant advice then?
  • meshashesha2012
    meshashesha2012 Posts: 8,329 Member
    That's great advice: thanks very much. One thing I should probably have mentioned is that I'm a type 1 diabetic: so I've always measured pretty much everything I eat - so although the methodology of logging in MFP is a bit different to what I'm used to (as it's measuring calories rather than carbs), it's not an area that's completely alien to me. I guess my big question is what the tricks are to making sure that you've got the right translation between a weight that you do at home, and when you're eating out - which is where I suspect a lot of my errors may be happening (though, I don't think I'm that inaccurate, as my glucose levels aren't out of whack)?

    your glucose reacts to sugars in food not the amount of calories.

    unless the calorie counts are posted for a restaurant, there's really no way of telling exactly how many calories are in a dish. for instance you might make your omelette with just 2 eggs and whatever toppings you add and a 0 calorie pan spray. but restaurant A might make it with 3 eggs, a little heavy cream and cook in butter. if you eat at that restaurant and log that omelette as just 2 eggs and the toppings then you're missing a lot of other calories.

    personally what i do is try to only order things that i can visually see all the ingredients. or if it' a restaurant i go to a lot i'll ask for their help in figuring out the calorie count. but really eating out consistently is a good way to sabotage your weight loss goals is you aren't sure how much you're actually eating.
  • meshashesha2012
    meshashesha2012 Posts: 8,329 Member
    Your metabolism maybe very slow and eating more calories can increase your metabolism to burn more fat. It's not uncommon for people to say they are eating more food on a diet then they did before. Your body adapted to the lower amount of calories you have been eating and learned to maintain your current weight on it. Eating more can break this cycle. You need to choice good calories, like whole grains, vegetables, Fruit, low fat dairy or low fat meats. Make sure you set your goals, weight, and lifestyle correctly. If you did then yes, eating more can help boost your metabolism. Exercising and turning fat into muscle can also help increase your metabolism. A faster metabolism burns more fat but also needs more fuel so you can eat more. In the past when I plateau on a diet, I have increased my calories to break my plateau and drop more weight.

    1. if it were that easy for people's body to acclimate to lower calories and maintain weight, then hundreds of thousands of people wouldn't be dying every year of starvation.
    2. fat doesnt turn into muscle
    3. it is extremely hard to make muscle when you're eating at a deficit.
    4. muscle doesnt burn that much more calories. 1 additional pound of muscle only burns around an additional 6 calories per day.
  • fitnessbuddy06
    fitnessbuddy06 Posts: 2
    Hi, im a university student looking for some encouragement, motivation and support. Please feel free to add me, cheers.
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
    4. muscle doesnt burn that much more calories. 1 additional pound of muscle only burns around an additional 6 calories per day.

    I think it's 15, because I was looking forward to an extra potato chip when I bulked for a month.

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