Read my diary! Feedback wanted!

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cazattack2
cazattack2 Posts: 37 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I've been stuck between 180-183lbs (I'm 5'10") each morning for about three weeks. I realized a little over a week ago I was eating all my calories from exercise back and so as of 3/20 I only count 200 of the 400-800 Cals I burn in mfp and eat them back. I'm using the TDEE method. BMR is 1560, TDEE with exercise is about 2200-2300, as a sedentary person my TDEE is 1960. My goal is 1650. I measure most food from home, but I also occasionally get a "healthy" fast food option.

I only have maybe 15-20lbs to lose to get to my goal.

Tear me apart! What can I do differently, what should I stop doing or change? Is there something I'm doing right that I should do more of? Any feedback is helpful!

Replies

  • editorgrrl
    editorgrrl Posts: 7,060 Member
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    With 15–20 lb. to go, use the MFP defaults. Set your goal to .5 lb. per week and be patient. (The smaller deficit will help you transition to maintenance.) Weigh your food. Eat back half your exercise calories.

    Read this: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants
  • itzmenickv23
    itzmenickv23 Posts: 113 Member
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    Looking at your diary, try to lessen or atleast make sure your within your daily limits on sugar, carbs and sodium. Majority of your entries are always over the limits when i comes to those 3. Sugar and carbs contribute the highest when it comes to gaining weight, as far as my own personal experience and observation in concerned. When i completely took out sugar on my diet, (i get sugar only from fresh fruits, and 5gram from muscle milk, and about a couple of grams from canned tuna), it helped me start to lose weight again. I started at 246, cut down on carbs and made it to 210 lbs and got stuck on that weight for a while, then that was when i decided to cut sugar out, stopped drinking soda and learned to read and watch out for foods with sugar.


    1. Watch your sugar, carbs and sodium closely.

    2. The closer you are to your ideal body weight, the harder it is to lose weight. You have to be more patient.

    3. The closer you are to your ideal body weight, you'll get stuck longer on a certain weight. try going 20% lower than the suggested daily maintenance calorie goal.

    4. Any kind of food is good but everything should be balanced.

    5. The closer you are to your ideal body weight, the harder it is to lose weight with a sedentary lifestyle.Meaning, you have to exert more effort to exercising to lose more weight.
  • Miamiuu
    Miamiuu Posts: 262 Member
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    I think your food is fine. You are probably a little under on protein, but if you are feeling fine during the day and not concerned with building muscle I wouldnt worry about it.
  • cazattack2
    cazattack2 Posts: 37 Member
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    I'm trying so hard to up my protein! I recently added pb2/whey protein shakes which help a bit. I feel like all I do is stuff my face with meat (which is very different from my natural food cravings).
  • cazattack2
    cazattack2 Posts: 37 Member
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    Good suggestion to reduce sugar. I don't add sugar to anything but one spoon in coffee, most is natural sugar (or sugar in cereal/yogurt). Maybe I can reduce that too.
  • itzmenickv23
    itzmenickv23 Posts: 113 Member
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    You can substitute alot of the stuff you like to eat with other brands with lesser sugar. Protein shakes usually contain a good amount of sugar. The trader joe one that you take contains like 8-9 grams per serving. There are other brands which has lesser sugar, like around 5 grams per serving, some are also lactose free (meaning no milk sugar added), that's another plus even if your not lactose intolerant.
  • paganstar71
    paganstar71 Posts: 109 Member
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    You could try increasing your protein percentage per total calories and increase fibre (aim for 25g per day). I personally keep my sugar down to <20g per day, but your sugar doesn't look too bad IMO.
  • FranceyPants
    FranceyPants Posts: 98 Member
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    I've been stuck between 180-183lbs (I'm 5'10") each morning for about three weeks. I realized a little over a week ago I was eating all my calories from exercise back and so as of 3/20 I only count 200 of the 400-800 Cals I burn in mfp and eat them back. I'm using the TDEE method. BMR is 1560, TDEE with exercise is about 2200-2300, as a sedentary person my TDEE is 1960. My goal is 1650. I measure most food from home, but I also occasionally get a "healthy" fast food option.

    I only have maybe 15-20lbs to lose to get to my goal.

    Tear me apart! What can I do differently, what should I stop doing or change? Is there something I'm doing right that I should do more of? Any feedback is helpful!

    Hey, I believe that if you use the TDEE method exercise is already accounted for in the number. So you shouldn't eat back your exercise calories.
    E.g. You calculated your TDEE saying you exercise 3 times a week. You shouldn't eat your exercise calories for those 3 times you exercise. But if you exercise MORE than that number, you can eat the calories back.

    Somebody correct me if I'm wrong!

    EDIT: Sorry, just realised you had your calorie goal set around 1600, not at your TDEE + exercise.
  • Sirbrit
    Sirbrit Posts: 2
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    This may be difficult due to a busy schedule.

    Try eating more complex carbs. when I go after weight loss I avoid processed meats and processed carbs. I also cut out most white foods such as breads and pizzas and potatos. I do however take one day, usually saturday to eat the things I miss. pizza french frys.. etc. just went from a 34 to 30 waist in 6 weeks.. But I do exercise 5 days a week. gud luck
  • Anniebotnen
    Anniebotnen Posts: 332 Member
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    Reducing sugar as well as lowering your total carb intake.a little, and replacing those calories with protein is worth a try. ( I know many people on this site disagree with me on this, but everybody's metabolism is different and some of us are more sensitive to carbs than others).

    You don't specify what kind of exercise you do. If you are not already strength training, add it to your current program.

    I definitely don't think you should eat fewer calories. 1650 does not sound like much for someone as tall as you are!
  • cazattack2
    cazattack2 Posts: 37 Member
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    I do 1650 on non workout days, and 1850 on workout days because I am way hungrier! So I average 1750 which is about 20-25% less than my active TDEE. I use a hrm to track calories burned in exercise and usually burn 400 doing 40 min of cardio 3x/week(20 min HIIT and 20min moderate steady state) I also do one day (in addition to cardio) or circuit/weights/trx with a trainer. Nothing too intense but enough to have DOMS.
  • cazattack2
    cazattack2 Posts: 37 Member
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    Looks like adding more whole grains and protein with less sugar should help? I can probably accomplish this with breakfast alone. Rather than cereal, have steel cut oats pb and egg whites maybe? I wish oatmeal tasted good with chunks or turkey or chicken so I could really boost my protein. :)
  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,942 Member
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    I've been stuck between 180-183lbs (I'm 5'10") each morning for about three weeks. I realized a little over a week ago I was eating all my calories from exercise back and so as of 3/20 I only count 200 of the 400-800 Cals I burn in mfp and eat them back. I'm using the TDEE method. BMR is 1560, TDEE with exercise is about 2200-2300, as a sedentary person my TDEE is 1960. My goal is 1650. I measure most food from home, but I also occasionally get a "healthy" fast food option.

    I only have maybe 15-20lbs to lose to get to my goal.

    Tear me apart! What can I do differently, what should I stop doing or change? Is there something I'm doing right that I should do more of? Any feedback is helpful!
    With the TDEE method you don't eat your exercise calories back because your limit is based on the amount of exercise you do.
  • Sirbrit
    Sirbrit Posts: 2
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    I wish oatmeal tasted good with chunks or turkey or chicken so I could really boost my protein. :)

    LOL. too true...

    I eat more carbs on workout days less on rest days, need the energy. I am on a recovery week right now. so i eat less carbs.

    What time do you stop eating at night?

    oh yeah, eat more green veggies to fill u up too
  • cazattack2
    cazattack2 Posts: 37 Member
    Options
    I've been stuck between 180-183lbs (I'm 5'10") each morning for about three weeks. I realized a little over a week ago I was eating all my calories from exercise back and so as of 3/20 I only count 200 of the 400-800 Cals I burn in mfp and eat them back. I'm using the TDEE method. BMR is 1560, TDEE with exercise is about 2200-2300, as a sedentary person my TDEE is 1960. My goal is 1650. I measure most food from home, but I also occasionally get a "healthy" fast food option.

    I only have maybe 15-20lbs to lose to get to my goal.

    Tear me apart! What can I do differently, what should I stop doing or change? Is there something I'm doing right that I should do more of? Any feedback is helpful!
    With the TDEE method you don't eat your exercise calories back because your limit is based on the amount of exercise you do.

    Yes, based on TDEE method though, you can choose to have less on inactive days and more on active days. So what I'm actually eating as my TDEE caloric goal is 1750/day average. Which is 20-25% less than my active TDEE of 2200-2300.
  • cazattack2
    cazattack2 Posts: 37 Member
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    I wish oatmeal tasted good with chunks or turkey or chicken so I could really boost my protein. :)

    LOL. too true...

    I eat more carbs on workout days less on rest days, need the energy. I am on a recovery week right now. so i eat less carbs.

    What time do you stop eating at night?

    oh yeah, eat more green veggies to fill u up too
    Depends on the day when I stop. Sometimes I can't get out of work until 7-8 so I eat dinner then. Usually about 6-7 though. I drink water until bedtime if I'm a little hungry or make a protein shake for dessert if I'm really hungry. I definitely don't deny myself, if my body is truly hungry, I eat.
  • ovi212
    ovi212 Posts: 145 Member
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    Looking at your diary it actually looks like you eat out quite a bit. Although you are getting in your calorie goal the numbers from restaurants may not be accurate. I'd try to cut down on that. Also, it looks like you eat a lot of processed food. If you switch your waffles and sugary cereal to oats (I add cocoa or cinnamon to them, also great with frozen berries or bananas) then you could probably get more satisfaction for your calories. Egg whites are a low calorie easy way to add in protein. It looks like you eat a lot of hamburger. How about salmon? It'll have less calories and still about 20g of protein. Cutting the sugar and cream out of your coffee could free up some calories that you could use for egg whites or vegetables to keep you more full.
  • cazattack2
    cazattack2 Posts: 37 Member
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    Looking at your diary it actually looks like you eat out quite a bit. Although you are getting in your calorie goal the numbers from restaurants may not be accurate. I'd try to cut down on that. Also, it looks like you eat a lot of processed food. If you switch your waffles and sugary cereal to oats (I add cocoa or cinnamon to them, also great with frozen berries or bananas) then you could probably get more satisfaction for your calories. Egg whites are a low calorie easy way to add in protein. It looks like you eat a lot of hamburger. How about salmon? It'll have less calories and still about 20g of protein. Cutting the sugar and cream out of your coffee could free up some calories that you could use for egg whites or vegetables to keep you more full.
    Awesome suggestions. I do eat out a lot, I work as a therapist in the community and am almost never near a microwave/stove to heat up food like salmon. I also work with kids and frequently have to take them to get food on the go. Hence every Tuesday I eat a burger without a bun and a piece of grilled chicken and sweet potato fries. Tuesday is also training day though so I hopefully burn all of that out of my system!

    Where I live in California restaurants are required to put calories on menus but there's always room for error. I generally trust it as an estimate though.

    I'm definitely going to try to get more oats (I love steel cut oats). I eat egg whites a few days/week, that might be all I can tolerate though. And increasing salmon! For sure!

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