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I need help - please!

caarsen
caarsen Posts: 31 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I have been tracking, faithfully, for about 72 days now. I went back to the beginning of this, just for fun, and according to the records if I maintained the current calorie and exercise level I should be at about 152 by now. I'm 158.8. After 10 weeks of logging and eating at a deficit for the majority of the time, I've lost only 3.2 pounds. And for the past three weeks I've been stuck at the same weight. I'm eating less and exercising more than I have been for a long time, but it's simply not budging. I set my goals at 2 pounds a week figuring that I might maybe lose 1 a week. Haven't even done that. And yes, I DO log my calories correctly. I weigh my food. I eat the same thing for breakfast and lunch every time and I think I have enough margin for error in what I'm doing. I truly don't know what to do. I kept thinking eventually it will drop, but it's not moving. What else can I do?

Replies

  • BigT555
    BigT555 Posts: 2,067 Member
    could be a number of things

    do you weigh food or measure by volume? many people think they are logging correctly when their measurements of there portions are off, weighing is the best option for accuracy

    are you sure your calorie goal is set correctly? it could be that you are just not at as much of a deficit as you believe, MFP uses estimates to set calorie goals, they may be slightly inaccurate

    do you eat back your exercise calories? you may not be burning as much as you think

    are you sure you dont have thyroid issues? i dont know much about thyroid issues myself but i know they can effect weight loss/gain
  • Branstin
    Branstin Posts: 2,320 Member
    I agree with the above poster:

    1. Rule out any medical conditions.
    2. Since you only have less than 20 lbs. to lose, 2 lbs. a week may be too aggressive. Consider 0.5-1 lb. a week.
    3. Eat back at least half of your exercise calories.
    4. Watch the sodium content and drink plenty of water to balance out the sodium.
  • _KitKat_
    _KitKat_ Posts: 1,066 Member
    Looking at your diary, it seems like exercise may be over estimated. MFP over estimates on almost all exercises. You also have somethings measured in cups that don't seem to be a conversion of the database. For us women our deficient can be a much smaller range and little errors add up and take it away. It seems like you are aiming to net 1200 some calories (mfp default to this for 2lb loss on women). You may have better luck with the TDEE method then you can eat a set amount daily and not eat exercise calories back because they are already in the goal. Eating at your BMR or over is also recommended and even if sedentary should give you a .5-1.5 weight loss per week depending on what your numbers are. Your profile is private so any other info I can't see. Example my bmr is 1458 at 165 lbs 5'4' slightly active (most likely it is more) my TDEE with 3 days gym and slightly active is about 2100 so if I eat at bmr I will have a 642 calorie deficient a day (642*7=4494/3500=1.284 lb loss per week) this would give me over a lb loss per week.

    ETA plus I agree with seeing the doctor, a simple blood panel can rule a lot out.
  • DrJenO
    DrJenO Posts: 404 Member
    I have been tracking, faithfully, for about 72 days now. I went back to the beginning of this, just for fun, and according to the records if I maintained the current calorie and exercise level I should be at about 152 by now. I'm 158.8. After 10 weeks of logging and eating at a deficit for the majority of the time, I've lost only 3.2 pounds. And for the past three weeks I've been stuck at the same weight. I'm eating less and exercising more than I have been for a long time, but it's simply not budging. I set my goals at 2 pounds a week figuring that I might maybe lose 1 a week. Haven't even done that. And yes, I DO log my calories correctly. I weigh my food. I eat the same thing for breakfast and lunch every time and I think I have enough margin for error in what I'm doing. I truly don't know what to do. I kept thinking eventually it will drop, but it's not moving. What else can I do?
    That may be your problem. The majority of the time won't always cut it.

    I'd think about getting a food scale and weighing your food. Also, no more "quick add" calories and the like. Track everything, even if it means you will have gone over for the day. Your body doesn't care whether you track accurately - only whether you are eating at a deficit.
  • katematt313
    katematt313 Posts: 624 Member
    We are all unique. Calorie in/calories burned is a helpful analysis, but it is not an exact predictor of how or when YOU will lose weight. You may be logging in faithfully and accurately, and still not get to your projected weight loss in the time that MFP says you will.

    Maybe your calories and exercise are where they should be, but what you are eating is not helping you. This happened to me. I saw a dietician. She had me increase my calorie intake by 200 per day, ignore what MFP says about calories I can eat due to exercising, and eat a good amount of raw veggies before at least 2 meals each day. It made a difference.
  • caarsen
    caarsen Posts: 31 Member
    Thanks so much for the suggestions. I do weigh my food and have been faithful with the logging. I try to over estimate the quick add calories because I know I'm only fooling myself if I don't. MFP syncs with my FitBit so I have to assume that they are doing their job. I use an HRM when I'm doing other cardio like bike-riding. I might try adding weightlifting to the mix, see if that helps. I have no thyroid issues, at least I didn't when I got my last physical in November of 2013. According to my diary, most of the time I'm not even netting 1200 so don't know what's happening there. So, I guess it's onward and......onward.....thanks for the replies. It's a frustrating business. As for my profile, I'm 58, 5'4" and work at a computer most of the day. My BMR is 1357.2 so, not a lot of room for maneuvering. I don't dare change much because if I eat more I don't think I'll lose anything!
  • MinnieInMaine
    MinnieInMaine Posts: 6,400 Member
    Took a look at the last week of your diary...

    While you're logging faithfully, the accuracy is lacking. There were at least 3 days where you used quick add calories and one was for a whole meal. Best to find a listing that's as close as you can get and log it as that rather than guess with x amount of quick add calories.

    If that 1400 dinner was at a restaurant, you're probably also currently dealing with some water weight from all the sodium (and alcohol if you had any drinks). Give it a few more days and drink a lot more water and see if that makes a difference.

    It looks like you're mostly measuring foods (edited) - you say you're weighing but you have some listings that say 1 cup or the like and that's clearly not weighed. Better to find listings by ounce or gram.

    Also try to eat back at least half of earned calories. It looks like most of the time you leave these. While it's true that some listings are overestimates, you should still be safe with eating back at least half.

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