WTF!!!

jonesin_am
jonesin_am Posts: 404 Member
in Motivation and Support
I've been trying for years, literally, to lose weight without a whole lotta luck. I've tried more calories, less calories, eating mostly unprocessed foods, more exercise, less exercise...pretty much everything under the sun. In the past I've even tried Weight Watchers without any luck. I eat fairly healthy with lots of lean proteins and veggies and a little fruit. I don't eat a lot of breads/pasta, etc. And instead get most of my carbs from quinoa, brown rice and sweet potatoes. I go to boot camp 3 days a week in the am and have followed some sort of lifting program after work on those same days. Right now I am following Stronglifts with a few added leg exercises. I only weigh myself once a month because I have allowed the scale to determine my mood and motivation in the past. I track everything I put in my mouth (and yes I do use a food scale). I focus on hitting my macros without worrying much about the calories as long as I stay right around 2500. I feel like I'm doing everything right but my pants are getting tighter and the scale was up 5lbs (from 215 to 220) this morning after almost a full month of being on target! ARGH!!!!!!! SO FREAKING FRUSTRATED! I am trying to just focus on being healthy and gaining strength but when I'm not seeing any physical body changes AND the scale is going up I can't help but feel I am wasting my time. Okay. End of rant. Time to pull up my big girl panties and move on.

Replies

  • Tillyecl1
    Tillyecl1 Posts: 189 Member
    Apologies for my ignorance but how did you calculate 2500 as your calorie intake?
  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
    so are you 2500 and eating back your calories? because I can promise you if that's so it's too much.
  • jonesin_am
    jonesin_am Posts: 404 Member
    no 2500 is my total average for the day. A little less on non workout days and a little more on workout days but I focus mostly on macros. It's been calculated for me...but I'm thinking I will need to adjust it down some or adjust my macros. Not sure which.
  • Tillyecl1
    Tillyecl1 Posts: 189 Member
    I think maybe adjusting the calories down slightly might be something to try. Maybe try a calculator such as: http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/ to work out how many calories you should be consuming for weight loss. Best of luck.
  • Archerychickge
    Archerychickge Posts: 606 Member
    I'm with these guys, I think you need to adjsut the number of calories you are eating down if you want to lose weight. Maybe try 2000 instead and see how that works for you. Heck I'm right about the same weight as you and losing on a 1200 calories diet, and my progress lately has been slow albeit steady.

    Remember, muscles weighs more than fat, and it sounds like you probly have a fairly low body fat percentage already considering all the training/exercise you do.

    Either way, don't beat yourself up. Being healthy is WAY better than just being skinny. Good luck!
  • I_Will_End_You
    I_Will_End_You Posts: 4,397 Member
    Sounds like you just need to lower your calories.
  • eldamiano
    eldamiano Posts: 2,667 Member
    I've been trying for years, literally, to lose weight without a whole lotta luck. I've tried more calories, less calories, eating mostly unprocessed foods, more exercise, less exercise...pretty much everything under the sun. In the past I've even tried Weight Watchers without any luck. I eat fairly healthy with lots of lean proteins and veggies and a little fruit. I don't eat a lot of breads/pasta, etc. And instead get most of my carbs from quinoa, brown rice and sweet potatoes. I go to boot camp 3 days a week in the am and have followed some sort of lifting program after work on those same days. Right now I am following Stronglifts with a few added leg exercises. I only weigh myself once a month because I have allowed the scale to determine my mood and motivation in the past. I track everything I put in my mouth (and yes I do use a food scale). I focus on hitting my macros without worrying much about the calories as long as I stay right around 2500. I feel like I'm doing everything right but my pants are getting tighter and the scale was up 5lbs (from 215 to 220) this morning after almost a full month of being on target! ARGH!!!!!!! SO FREAKING FRUSTRATED! I am trying to just focus on being healthy and gaining strength but when I'm not seeing any physical body changes AND the scale is going up I can't help but feel I am wasting my time. Okay. End of rant. Time to pull up my big girl panties and move on.
    All of these phrases: -

    " I feel like I'm doing everything right "
    "I am trying to just focus on being healthy "
    " In the past I've even tried Weight Watchers without any luck" (WW is a con anyway)
    " I go to boot camp 3 days a week "

    They mean nothing if you arent eating at a calorie deficit. Nothing suggests that you are. Feeling like you are doing everything right does not burn anything.
  • mom2kpr
    mom2kpr Posts: 348 Member
    I agree that you are eating too much. You didn't mention your height, but I started at a slightly higher weight then you and I am 5'1. My TDEE is 2400 on active days and 1900 on lazy days. I think you might be eating at maintenance . Try decreasing your calories by 20%, so you would average 2000 calories a day. Good luck!
  • lockedcj7
    lockedcj7 Posts: 257 Member
    I'm a 6', 200 lb guy and my calorie target is 1700 calories/day. I try not to eat back all of my exercise calories and I'm losing very, very slowly. I'm with the crowd here in thinking that 2500 is too much.

    I understand your point about weighing only once a month but here's another perspective. Everyone knows that weight fluctuates as much 1-2 lbs. due to time of day, hydration, gut contents, etc. By weighing only once a month, you are putting high stakes (mood and motivation) on only one data point. I weigh every day at the same time, under the same conditions and I graph the data point. As long as the long-term trend is down, I'm okay. If I tried only weighing once a month, I would get my hopes all up in anticipation of the weigh-in and then get my heart broken if I had actually gained weight. That would kill my motivation a lot quicker than a pound or two upswing that only lasts a few days.
  • jonesin_am
    jonesin_am Posts: 404 Member
    I have decreased my calories. I have tried calorie ranges anywhere from 1800-2500. What I'm currently following is what was recommended for me based on my stats and exercise level. I refuse to go under 1800 as I know that's too low given my activity level. But I will admit that 2500 may be too high. I know WW is a con but most people lose weight on it at least at first...even if they do gain it back. I know things need to be adjusted I was just feeling the need to rant this morning and get the frustration out of my system. Onward and upward. Honestly I don't care if my weight stayed the same as long as I could see a difference in the mirror. But even that's not the case.

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