Not losing weight - need help and advice! Please
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Welcome to the wonderful world of MFP! The place that will tell you that if you are not losing weight at 1200 calories, magically increasing to 1500 will suddenly result in weight loss. BS! Eating more is ridiculous advice. If you are not in a deficit at 1200, you wont be in one at 1500. And you wont lose weight. Period!
Find out what is going on with your metabolism and get your RMRBMR tested. If there is an issue, discuss the results with a dietician, nutrionalist, or professional and develop a plan that works for YOU. If there is nothing wrong, you have peace of mind and should re work how you are counting calories and exercise numbers. And don't start "eating back" your exercise calories. You don't burn 200 calories and then get to eat a Twinkie as a tradeoff. Consider calorie burning a bonus that will contribute to additional weight loss.
This is BS. MFP is set up to eat back your calories, or a least a portion of them. It doesn't mean you eat a twinkie, although you can.
It over estimates exercise. Online calculators are all estimates. She needs to get real number that are specific to HER and not a population of people.
Then wouldn't a reasonable solution be to eat a portion of those instead, 25% or even 50% less than what MFP suggests instead of not including it at all?
In her position, I would forget about any estimates and guesstimates and get to the root of the issue. Get her RMR tested and work from there. A professional could advise what % (if any) to eat back. There is plenty of time to figure that out over time. I had my RMR tested and the clinician that I saw, only suggested I bump that figure (2300) up by 20% to 2700. Thats an increase of 400 calories. In real life I do cardio at least 3 days a week and can burn from 600-900 per day. I do additional cardio on weight training days for another 400 calories per day. Thats a helluva lot more than 400 calories.
I don't disagree about getting tested, but not everyone is in the position where they can. I can't.
It still going to be pointless to have a number goal if you are underestimating what you are eating.I would say that people who claim to be in a deficit, but are not losing do not need to eat back any estimated calories. PERIOD! People here are so obsessed about eating back calories that they way overstimate their activity and underestimate their intake. There is plenty of time for everyone to eat. Chill out and worry about losing some weight first until you find your own sweet spot. And the Twinkie is a great look because it dovetails into the "a calorie is just a calorie" concept that is often misrepresented misunderstood.
Again I don't disagree with this, I just see a different way to approach it. If you are not losing weight you are either underestimating food, overestimating exercise or both. Its a simple fix. You could start not eating back exercise calories, or take a look at your numbers and adjust.
Plus, not everyone has this problem, which is why I was addressing the blanket statement of not eating back exercise calories.
I agree. But something is wrong in her situation. Either her estimate are off. Or she has a medical issue (thyroid/metabolic) that make her BMR or TDEE estimates worthless to her. I'd get the $75 and get the opinion and results from a professional.0 -
So if you're not losing weight by eating a small amount of calories, you should continue to just do what you're doing.
Or, what? Eat LESS??
No. I would stop taking the advice from people on this forum and consult with a professional who knows a lot better and could diagnose my issue.0 -
I took a gander at your diary, and you may not be noticing results due to your sodium intake. Excess amounts of sodium will hinder any kind of weight loss and will cause you to retain water. I would suggest cutting down the sodium and drink a lot of water throughout the day if you aren't already. Drinking water will help flush the sodium out of your body.0
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So if you're not losing weight by eating a small amount of calories, you should continue to just do what you're doing.
Or, what? Eat LESS??
If you're not losing weight, and legitimately eating a very small number of calories, as I've said several times, something is wrong. Get thee to a doctor. But it sounds like it's pretty common for people to not record their calories accurately. I think it's a lot harder than it sounds, and I'd bet most of us are off some. That's probably why I can't eat back all my exercise calories.0 -
-The reason why people on MFP come and say "you are not eating enough" is because almost by default, most women get set to 1,200 calories because they do not choose the appropriate information when they set it up. Doesn't everyone want to lose 2 pounds per week? Or more? Sure, but it doesn't mean it is a reasonable or attainable goal for most people.
-Most new people do not understand the "exercise is not included" in that number above so eat more.
-Yes, tracking accurately is mandatory, most reiterate that when giving advice, weigh/measure/log accurately.
-Women with a history of under-eating have hormonal imbalances that cannot be corrected with eat less and exercise more advice without doing harm.0 -
Well with history of eating disorder in the first place yeah, the first person to consult would ALWAYS be your doctor.
I feel like if you are serious about weight loss though it is not constructive to not be honest with yourself in your food diary. When I was losing I logged EVERYTHING, I plugged in all my workouts and I ate all the calories MFP told me to eat. I was meticulous and it's how I lost all my weight.0 -
So if you're not losing weight by eating a small amount of calories, you should continue to just do what you're doing.
Or, what? Eat LESS??
If you're not losing weight, and legitimately eating a very small number of calories, as I've said several times, something is wrong. Get thee to a doctor. But it sounds like it's pretty common for people to not record their calories accurately. I think it's a lot harder than it sounds, and I'd bet most of us are off some. That's probably why I can't eat back all my exercise calories.
And nutritional labels are often rounded down, are allowed to be off by 20%, and not monitored for accuracy by the FDA in most cases. How's that for all us calorie/carb counters?
http://health.usnews.com/health-news/blogs/eat-run/2012/08/21/when-nutrition-labels-lie
So are you eating 1200 calories or 1440? You may never know.0 -
If she were losing then she could play around with adding back exercise in increments on her own. But why the heck would anyone advise someone to eat more if they are not losing in a deficit? The logic that some people have with this eating more kick is just plain bad. And it started right up with the first few posts. Shakes head. Get in a deficit, lose your weight, get the hell out of deficit, and then maintain with diet and exercise.
There's quite a lot of it on here. This thread was a particularly bad example. That's why I kept editing my first post to state it more and more strongly.
Eating too little will make you fat. That's why there are all those fat people in Ethiopia. But here in America where food is ample, everyone is thin.0 -
If she were losing then she could play around with adding back exercise in increments on her own. But why the heck would anyone advise someone to eat more if they are not losing in a deficit? The logic that some people have with this eating more kick is just plain bad. And it started right up with the first few posts. Shakes head. Get in a deficit, lose your weight, get the hell out of deficit, and then maintain with diet and exercise.
There's quite a lot of it on here. This thread was a particularly bad example. That's why I kept editing my first post to state it more and more strongly.
Eating too little will make you fat. That's why there are all those fat people in Ethiopia. But here in America where food is ample, everyone is thin.
And it is why people of today can not fit into the seats at old baseball parks and football stadiums. Everyone is so much thinner now a days because of all the great eat more not less philosophy being presented.0 -
I have about 40lbs to lose and I'm at 1200 calories, logging everyday along with tracking on my Fitbit.
Your diary is woefully incomplete. Bottom line, evidence suggests you are eating more than you think. I suggest you get your logging down solid before worrying about anything else.
I also don't understand where "paleo" comes into it - what you do log doesn't fit any of the commonly used definitions.
Good luck!I'm currently 5'4 and 210. According to charts I should be in the 130's, but I am not built to be that small. 170 is a healthy weight for me and puts me in about a size 6.
Personally, I would put some more consideration and self-reflection into those numbers. At that height at 210 lbs, you are about 50% body fat and have considerably more than 40 lbs to lose.
Not necessarily. At 200lbs and 5'2-3/4" I had a body fat percentage of 36%. We're all made differently and I have a feeling bone density can play a roll in one's scale weight.0 -
Just some background here, I have always been a dieter. I stated on January 2nd to the gym - running/walking intervals 5 days a week then walk/run interval 1 day on the weekend (2 miles and/or 30 minutes). Our family has switched to the Paleo diet (all healthy stuff). After 1 month, I had lost nothing in weight or inches. Last week I got a personal trainer, so I'm at 3 days a week with him and 2 days a week doing a treadmill/elliptical/bike routine (~45 minutes). I have now gained 2 lbs.
That is 42 days of being in the gym and eating healthy and NO results. I have about 40lbs to lose and I'm at 1200 calories, logging everyday along with tracking on my Fitbit.
I am EXTREMELY frustrated and I would like any suggestions and/or help. Thanks.
I understand that you would be frustrated. Are you tracking your sugar? Do you have it set correctly? Are your macros set correctly?.... Many people on paleo eat protein bars and shakes that have ingredients they are not aware of that may jeopardize weight loss.
Joanne Moniz
The Skinny On Obesity Group0 -
If she were losing then she could play around with adding back exercise in increments on her own. But why the heck would anyone advise someone to eat more if they are not losing in a deficit? The logic that some people have with this eating more kick is just plain bad. And it started right up with the first few posts. Shakes head. Get in a deficit, lose your weight, get the hell out of deficit, and then maintain with diet and exercise.
There's quite a lot of it on here. This thread was a particularly bad example. That's why I kept editing my first post to state it more and more strongly.
Eating too little will make you fat. That's why there are all those fat people in Ethiopia. But here in America where food is ample, everyone is thin.
And it is why people of today can not fit into the seats at old baseball parks and football stadiums. Everyone is so much thinner now a days because of all the great eat more not less philosophy being presented.
Eating too little will obviously not make you fat, but it can have negative reprecussions. It can affect hormone levels which can slow your progress. There are tons of people who have bumped up their calories and started dropping weight again after stalling. It can also make it much more difficult to maintain after you've reached goal. <---- is my number #1 concern.
I do strongly believe in eating more to lose weight. That doesn't mean eat as much as you want or eat over maintainence. But the advice to "eat more" is pointless if we aren't starting with logging accurately.0 -
So if you're not losing weight by eating a small amount of calories, you should continue to just do what you're doing.
No.Or, what? Eat LESS??
You should go over your logging with a fine tooth comb to figure out where you're getting more calories than you thought you were.0 -
And to the person that said I was closer to 50% body fat, you are wrong. I'm closer to 40%.
Hey, in the end, we all believe what we have to believe.
Good luck!0 -
Eating too little will obviously not make you fat, but it can have negative reprecussions. It can affect hormone levels which can slow your progress. There are tons of people who have bumped up their calories and started dropping weight again after stalling. It can also make it much more difficult to maintain after you've reached goal. <---- is my number #1 concern.
I do strongly believe in eating more to lose weight. That doesn't mean eat as much as you want or eat over maintainence. But the advice to "eat more" is pointless if we aren't starting with logging accurately.
Men think hormones don't apply to them.0 -
I understand that you would be frustrated. Are you tracking your sugar?
Sugar! I don't even know her!0 -
Boy, that escalated quickly......0
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Boy, that escalated quickly......
This is a reasonably polite one. Ask how much sugar you should eat if you want to see things get testy. lol
But please note the remarkable convergence of opinion here of late regarding your original question.0 -
Boy, that escalated quickly......
This is a reasonably polite one. Ask how much sugar you should eat if you want to see things get testy. lol
But please note the remarkable convergence of opinion here of late regarding your original question.
Yes, indeed!0
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