I feel like I'm doing it right ... but ...
Replies
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Are you not exercising at all during the week?0
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Are you saying at 1505 (being TDEE minus 20%) if I log exercise I should or should NOT eat any of those back? I was under the impression since I have myself set at "desk job / sedentary) that I should eat some of those calories back.
You are right, if you set it to sedentary you eat some/all exercise calories back.
It's confusing to use the term TDEE like you are, because it means total energy used including exercise.
You are using your NEAT, all energy needed without exercise, which you log later in MFP.0 -
Looking at your food diary I believe your logging is off.
There is no way that the half chicken you eat weighs each and every time exactly the same to add up to 457 calories....also I think ( and might be wrong ) that 457 calories for half a chicken is very little. Also you seem to eat each time 67 grams of green beans that if I remember right add up to 20 calories.
For over a year I have weighed each portion I have put in my mouth and have cooked all food at home and can say that similar pieces of fish and meat or portions of food have never been identical in weight. And while the calories of green beans, or a 15 gram difference in a piece of chicken make very little difference , not really weighing the meat of half a chicken you presumably have not prepared yourself probably will......just to name an example.
I agree with you that there may be variances. Which I honestly think I am accounting for. My "half chicken" last night was logged at the highest calorie count I found for a plain roasted half chicken. I didn't even eat the dark meat. So if anything, I'm logging MORE than I actually ate.
Also, while my goal is SET at 1450 I'm averaging 1196 per day. Which is around a 17% margin for error.
Preparing all my food at home just is never ever going to happen
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The definition of "sedentary" is a tricky one. Depending on what you are doing for exercise, sedentary might be enough to account for your exercise and the calories that you burn during normal daily activities. It's best to start on the low end of what you think you are at and then you can adjust up or down from there depending on what the scale does and how you feel energy wise.
Most desk job folks, unless they are highly active throughout the week, will fall under "sedentary" and that will be enough to cover your exercise as well, meaning you would not eat back the exercise calories because they've already been considered in your overall deficit. I would start out by eating a total of 1505 calories and an easy way to do that but still log your exercise is to log all of your workouts as 1 calorie. If you see the scale dropping drastically or you begin to feel fatigued, increase your calories accordingly.
ETA: I think you will see the accuracy of what you log tighten up quite a bit just by cooking more of your meals yourself. I have nothing against eating out, it's just that with a lower calorie goal there is less room for error and with eating out frequently you are exposing yourself to more opportunities for error.
Well, seeing as I just got a fitbit last week my steps per day were pathetic (I'm working on increasing them the past couple days). I work at home. I get out of bed, plop myself at the laptop and work the majority of the day and a large portion of most evenings. My activity is definitely something that is actually an effort. Such as the elliptical, walking, aerial yoga, a work out dvd (I like the biggest loser series) etc.
So are you saying that at 1505 it's likely covering my daily activities AND exercise ?
That I shouldn't log any credit for activity and eat (PART) of them back ?0 -
Preparing all my food at home just is never ever going to happen
What is your eating schedule like? Is there a way you can move around when you eat your meals so that it allows you to prep more food at home?
I also like to do a lot of food prep on the weekends or whenever I have a decent chunk of spare time, which sometimes is rare. I will cut and divvy up my meat and veggies for a lot of meals and then all it takes is some olive oil and a hot pan to have a quickly cooked, homemade meal. It can be a bit of a chore at first, but an hour or two of prepping and planning can make cooking at home with a busy schedule a hundred times easier.0 -
Are you exercising on a regular basis? Even if it is once or twice a week?0
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Are you not exercising at all during the week?
I do the elliptical or walking (weather dependent) at least once. I do a form of yoga at least once (if not twice a week) and I usually have a heavy day of walking /errands / aerial yoga work / outdoor or home improvement stuff once a week.0 -
Are you not exercising at all during the week?
I do the elliptical or walking (weather dependent) at least once. I do a form of yoga at least once (if not twice a week) and I usually have a heavy day of walking /errands / aerial yoga work / outdoor or home improvement stuff once a week.
You may be overestimating those burns from what I have seen, although it is hard to tell because you have one personalized one that doesn't really explain what it is.0 -
Well, seeing as I just got a fitbit last week my steps per day were pathetic (I'm working on increasing them the past couple days). I work at home. I get out of bed, plop myself at the laptop and work the majority of the day and a large portion of most evenings. My activity is definitely something that is actually an effort. Such as the elliptical, walking, aerial yoga, a work out dvd (I like the biggest loser series) etc.
So are you saying that at 1505 it's likely covering my daily activities AND exercise ?
That I shouldn't log any credit for activity and eat (PART) of them back ?
Yes, as a starting point at least. Try eating a total of 1505 calories, without eating back any that you may log from exercise for two weeks and see what happens. If you feel either unusually tired or the scale is dropping quickly, like more than 1lb/week, then adjust up. You can either adjust according to what the scale shows, so say you dropped 1.5lbs per week, you could add up to 250 calories a day and still see a loss of about 1lb per week. 100 calories per day increase is a good place to start and then see what the scale does after a week or two of that and repeat the process.
What I think a lot of TDEE how-to posts fail to emphasize enough is how much of a guesstimate using these calculators actually is. Start with a number and fine tune it to suit your actual caloric needs and weightloss goals. Breaking up activity levels into only 5 categories is hardly refined enough to account for the entire population's varying activity levels.0 -
If you are not losing weight then you not in a deficit, either due to a medical issue (some of your posts suggest that you need to get this checked) or because you are over estimating calorie burns or under estimating food consumption
Things to remember, just from personal experience
There are a lot of inaccurate entries on MFP, try and use the the entries without a * because these are added by MFP and tend to be more accurate (watch out for French beans though because they are way out)
If not using the custom calorie settings on MFP then you will have to manually recalculate your calorie goal as you lose more weight
HRM's aren't always as accurate as people assume they are, I use a net figure (I deduct 72 cals per hour from my HRM reading because I would burn at least that sat on my bum instead of exercising)
While chain restaurants don't want to give food away in larger portions than those used for nutritional data, a heavy handed chef can make a big difference with butter addition alone
The fact that your partner is suffering the same issue suggests that it is a calorie issue rather than a medical one0 -
You lost over a half pound a DAY?I lost the 22lbs in about 40 days. It was very fast. 5'4 1/20 -
Preparing all my food at home just is never ever going to happen
What is your eating schedule like? Is there a way you can move around when you eat your meals so that it allows you to prep more food at home?
I also like to do a lot of food prep on the weekends or whenever I have a decent chunk of spare time, which sometimes is rare. I will cut and divvy up my meat and veggies for a lot of meals and then all it takes is some olive oil and a hot pan to have a quickly cooked, homemade meal. It can be a bit of a chore at first, but an hour or two of prepping and planning can make cooking at home with a busy schedule a hundred times easier.
For breakfast I usually have a shake.
Lunch is 75% I eat at home and 25% is something that is brought in. (like Subway or a Wendy's salad)
Dinner is the opposite. 75% is eaten out and 25% is at home.
Prepping meals for my household is crazy difficult. We have a gluten free eater, a vegan, an aspie (who has severe texture issues) and two "IIFYM" eaters. I'd be making 3 ++ meals at every meal.0 -
You lost over a half pound a DAY?I lost the 22lbs in about 40 days. It was very fast. 5'4 1/2
Yes. I've only been doing MFP for 76 days. I've been stuck with these two lbs bouncing around according to my weight log for almost 5.5 weeks. That leaves only 37-40 days that I lost the initial 22 lbs.
OH I might mention - that included quitting a Dr. Pepper habit that was about 6-8 cans PER DAY.0 -
Hi there
I hate plateau's they suck and play with your head
Can you please take your measurements today (if you don't already have them) and then take them again in a week etc, sometimes changes are happening but just not on the scale. I have lost 8cms off my waist and NO weight in 7 weeks, that way you can track if you are losing in other ways - keeps you feel like something good is happening
I have had a quick look at your diary and here are some small suggestions to try
You pretty much eat the same breakfast every day, I would mix this up, try eating a good protein brekkie, like scrambled egg whites, omelette, protein pancakes etc - Make these yourself so you can really count the calories
You do eat out a lot - I know this maybe suits your lifestyle but try for the next week to make your own food - you will then be able to control the sugars/sodium in what you are consuming.
Try also no soda's for the week - just water, herbal teas and near enough to black coffee's
More fresh vege's - give your tummy a clean asparagus is one of my favourites
Eat at your calorie level for the full day - do this for the week
Also - if you have 1450 calories to play with for the day try and split them into 350 calorie meals - 3 x's a day and the rest to be split to be used as snacks.
Also last thing to try (all suggestions) stop eating after 6pm in the evening and don't eat for a good 14 hours - give your body a break
I hope something helps from the above, just keep going you have done really well to lose the 22lbs, this is just a blip
Thanks
D0 -
Logging isn't accurate0
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Hi there
I hate plateau's they suck and play with your head Can you please take your measurements today (if you don't already have them) and then take them again in a week etc, sometimes changes are happening but just not on the scale. I have lost 8cms off my waist and NO weight in 7 weeks, that way you can track if you are losing in other ways - keeps you feel like something good is happening
I have had a quick look at your diary and here are some small suggestions to try
You pretty much eat the same breakfast every day, I would mix this up, try eating a good protein brekkie, like scrambled egg whites, omelette, protein pancakes etc - Make these yourself so you can really count the calories
You do eat out a lot - I know this maybe suits your lifestyle but try for the next week to make your own food - you will then be able to control the sugars/sodium in what you are consuming.
Try also no soda's for the week - just water, herbal teas and near enough to black coffee's
More fresh vege's - give your tummy a clean asparagus is one of my favourites
Eat at your calorie level for the full day - do this for the week
Also - if you have 1450 calories to play with for the day try and split them into 350 calorie meals - 3 x's a day and the rest to be split to be used as snacks.
Also last thing to try (all suggestions) stop eating after 6pm in the evening and don't eat for a good 14 hours - give your body a break
I hope something helps from the above, just keep going you have done really well to lose the 22lbs, this is just a blip
Thanks
D
Thanks D
I HAD been seeing NSV with inches lost. That seems to have stopped the past 2 weeks.
Protein is really my biggest nightmare. I have a mild allergy to eggs (and was vegetarian before starting MFP) I force myself to eat egg whites because of the low cal / protein thing, but it seems to have gotten worse and I've been refraining from them. I also haven't been tolerating whey protein supplements well. I found a soy supplement that I can tolerate but it's 320 calories per bottle and doesn't leave me feeling too happy for hours afterward.
Does timing on meals really make a significant difference in weight loss ? Because my schedule isn't "typical".0 -
The fact that your partner is suffering the same issue suggests that it is a calorie issue rather than a medical one
I agree. Which is what I'm trying to figure out.
If macros are off - would it prevent loss even if one was in deficit ?
If you eat after 6pm would that prevent loss ?
If you eat too much salt would that prevent loss ?
If not - maybe it simply is that we are eating more than we think when out.
Though I can't IMAGINE that being the case for him. He's REGULARLY HUGELY under his calorie goal each day.
So confusing.0 -
Hi there
I hate plateau's they suck and play with your head Can you please take your measurements today (if you don't already have them) and then take them again in a week etc, sometimes changes are happening but just not on the scale. I have lost 8cms off my waist and NO weight in 7 weeks, that way you can track if you are losing in other ways - keeps you feel like something good is happening
I have had a quick look at your diary and here are some small suggestions to try
You pretty much eat the same breakfast every day, I would mix this up, try eating a good protein brekkie, like scrambled egg whites, omelette, protein pancakes etc - Make these yourself so you can really count the calories
You do eat out a lot - I know this maybe suits your lifestyle but try for the next week to make your own food - you will then be able to control the sugars/sodium in what you are consuming.
Try also no soda's for the week - just water, herbal teas and near enough to black coffee's
More fresh vege's - give your tummy a clean asparagus is one of my favourites
Eat at your calorie level for the full day - do this for the week
Also - if you have 1450 calories to play with for the day try and split them into 350 calorie meals - 3 x's a day and the rest to be split to be used as snacks.
Also last thing to try (all suggestions) stop eating after 6pm in the evening and don't eat for a good 14 hours - give your body a break
I hope something helps from the above, just keep going you have done really well to lose the 22lbs, this is just a blip
Thanks
D
Thanks D
I HAD been seeing NSV with inches lost. That seems to have stopped the past 2 weeks.
Protein is really my biggest nightmare. I have a mild allergy to eggs (and was vegetarian before starting MFP) I force myself to eat egg whites because of the low cal / protein thing, but it seems to have gotten worse and I've been refraining from them. I also haven't been tolerating whey protein supplements well. I found a soy supplement that I can tolerate but it's 320 calories per bottle and doesn't leave me feeling too happy for hours afterward.
Does timing on meals really make a significant difference in weight loss ? Because my schedule isn't "typical".
Contrary to most of the garbage advice given above, meal frequency and timing are irrelevent for weight loss. Find an eating schedule that allows you to stay in a calorie deficit.
And to the poster who is spouting off with all the broscience BS, do the OP and the rest of us a favor and stop posting "plateau breaking tricks" that have little to no basis in science.0 -
The fact that your partner is suffering the same issue suggests that it is a calorie issue rather than a medical one
I agree. Which is what I'm trying to figure out.
If macros are off - would it prevent loss even if one was in deficit ?
If you eat after 6pm would that prevent loss ?
If you eat too much salt would that prevent loss ?
If not - maybe it simply is that we are eating more than we think when out.
Though I can't IMAGINE that being the case for him. He's REGULARLY HUGELY under his calorie goal each day.
So confusing.
Aside from any potential medical conditions, the answer is simple, you both aren't in a calorie deficit, whether it be due to inaccurate logging or just picking out an inappropriate calorie goal to begin with.0 -
The fact that your partner is suffering the same issue suggests that it is a calorie issue rather than a medical one
I agree. Which is what I'm trying to figure out.
If macros are off - would it prevent loss even if one was in deficit ?
If you eat after 6pm would that prevent loss ?
If you eat too much salt would that prevent loss ?
If not - maybe it simply is that we are eating more than we think when out.
Though I can't IMAGINE that being the case for him. He's REGULARLY HUGELY under his calorie goal each day.
So confusing.
Aside from any potential medical conditions, the answer is simple, you both aren't in a calorie deficit, whether it be due to inaccurate logging or just picking out an inappropriate calorie goal to begin with.
Exactly this.0 -
Aside from any potential medical conditions, the answer is simple, you both aren't in a calorie deficit, whether it be due to inaccurate logging or just picking out an inappropriate calorie goal to begin with.
I had started at the MFP recommended 1250 calories. I did this for about four weeks and just couldn't sustain it anymore. I was getting lightheaded, dizzy and had NO energy. I was eating out at the time.
So I came online, found the BMR/TDEE information and adjusted it to 1450. WHAT I am eating hasn't changed all that much, there's just slightly more of it and if anything better choices than before. And I'm definitely A LOT more active than I was.
I'm not at all being argumentative I'm HONESTLY trying to figure out where I am going wrong.
My partner is actually MUCH healthier eating than I am as he doesn't have some constraints that I do, but doesn't exercise intentionally at all. (he does walk more with his job )
Our results have been similar. He lost 30 lbs QUICK and I lost 22 lbs QUICK.
Then it just stopped and we are bouncing around the same two lbs (or so - his is more like 2-4 lb)
He is regularly WAY under his calorie goal (I'm talking nets of 700-1000 on his) . I'm closer to meeting mine.
It seems to me like our calorie goals have to be off for the experience to be almost mirrored with so many differences.
So my question becomes - how do I make sure our goal is correct ? and do we or don't we eat back exercise calories?0 -
If not - maybe it simply is that we are eating more than we think when out.
I looked at your logs. You usually have 0.67 of a serving size. Does this mean when dining out you ALWAYS only eat 2/3 of the meal? For example, you didn't finish your Jimmy John's sandwich, you ate exactly 2/3 of it? (If you did I applaud you. Jimmy John's is a weakness of mine and I've been avoiding it because I know that I won't eat just half like I always say I will. Have you looked at the restaurant's website to see how many serving sizes are in that particular meal? I know that I have found, and unfortunately their names escape me, a few restaurants that an entree is 2 or 3 servings, not 1. So in that case, eating 2/3 of your meal is no longer 2/3 of a serving, it's actually 1 1/3 servings, which means everything is thrown off.
And if you finish the meal make sure it's not logging as less than a serving.
Eating out can be tough, but it can be done. Check the restaurant's website for nutritional info and compare it to what you're logging. Pay special attention to the serving sizes. With both you and your partner at a standstill, this could be a very simple answer to the problem.
Good luck!0 -
My replies have addressed your questions about finding the right calorie goal and exercise calories numerous times. Go back and reread them.
And logging food by fractions of sandwiches, salads, etc is is definitely the source of your logging inaccuracy.0 -
Okay, quitting the Dr. Pepper habit explains some of it. But even so, and even taking into account a starting weight around 202, 0.5 pounds/day is WAY too fast and not sustainable in the long run. No wonder you've stalled out.
You lost over a half pound a DAY?I lost the 22lbs in about 40 days. It was very fast. 5'4 1/2
Yes. I've only been doing MFP for 76 days. I've been stuck with these two lbs bouncing around according to my weight log for almost 5.5 weeks. That leaves only 37-40 days that I lost the initial 22 lbs.
OH I might mention - that included quitting a Dr. Pepper habit that was about 6-8 cans PER DAY.
You're not doing yourself any favors by purposefully logging inaccurately (logging a whole item, but not finishing it, or whatever). It's hard to make adjustments if you don't know accurately what you've been doing. Dumb example, but if you log a whole piece of pizza and only eat part of it, there's no way to know if you accurately ate 75%, or 81%, etc. I think you say that in reality you're only eating around 1200, but there's no way to know for sure.
For the next month, pick a calorie goal and stick with it. 1550 or so sounds about where you should be. Log everything you put in your mouth, and log it correctly. That will give you a stable baseline, and you can make adjustments from there. If you're making estimated adjustments based on what you think you've been eating, ballpark-ish, you'll never be able to accurately predict how your body will respond.0 -
My replies have addressed your questions about finding the right calorie goal and exercise calories numerous times. Go back and reread them.
And logging food by fractions of sandwiches, salads, etc is is definitely the source of your logging inaccuracy.
x2. Your answer has been given multiple times now. Track more accurately using a scale in grams.0 -
Ok so if Eggs are no good how about
Lean Turkey
Tuna
Chicken
Quinoa - only grain that has all the essential amino acid strains
Cottage cheese - blend it up if you hate the texture
Ricotta cheese - really yummy mixed with yogurt and apple
I like red meat but limit my intake as I could eat this everyday....
320 cals would be ok you could add in blueberries and make it with water. I always make all protein shakes with water
It's hard when have been vego to switch back
I find with the meals - I eat brekkie then 3 hours I will eat a snack, then 2.5-3 hours lunch, then 2.5-3 hours a snack etc. Plenty of water in between meals
Feel free to add as a friend, it's just finding out the next balance of your day to make it work for you0 -
If not - maybe it simply is that we are eating more than we think when out.
I looked at your logs. You usually have 0.67 of a serving size. Does this mean when dining out you ALWAYS only eat 2/3 of the meal? For example, you didn't finish your Jimmy John's sandwich, you ate exactly 2/3 of it? (If you did I applaud you. Jimmy John's is a weakness of mine and I've been avoiding it because I know that I won't eat just half like I always say I will. Have you looked at the restaurant's website to see how many serving sizes are in that particular meal? I know that I have found, and unfortunately their names escape me, a few restaurants that an entree is 2 or 3 servings, not 1. So in that case, eating 2/3 of your meal is no longer 2/3 of a serving, it's actually 1 1/3 servings, which means everything is thrown off.
And if you finish the meal make sure it's not logging as less than a serving.
Eating out can be tough, but it can be done. Check the restaurant's website for nutritional info and compare it to what you're logging. Pay special attention to the serving sizes. With both you and your partner at a standstill, this could be a very simple answer to the problem.
Good luck!
I'm frequently ordering specifically off "UNDER XXXX Calories" menus. So I'm pretty sure the "serving size" being doubled on the nutrition information isn't the issue.
and I actually cut my sand which into thirds and gave the biggest part to my son. Which is a frequent happening for me (which is why you see many times 1/3 or 3/4 of a standard portion)0 -
I appreciate all the responses and help.
Measuring every food I eat in public is not going to happen.
Preparing all meals at home is not going to happen.
So I guess I'll have to find another way to lose weight. MFP just isn't going to work for me.0 -
I appreciate all the responses and help.
Measuring every food I eat in public is not going to happen.
Preparing all meals at home is not going to happen.
So I guess I'll have to find another way to lose weight. MFP just isn't going to work for me.
I'm sorry you weren't able to find the answer you were looking for here in spite of all the sound advice you were given. Best of luck to you and I hope you are able to find something that works for you and your goals.0 -
"So I guess I'll have to find another way to lose weight. MFP just isn't going to work for me.".
Umm... mfp is not a diet plan. Its simply a logging tool to show you what you have been eating, and suggest what might be what you should eat in order to lose weight. It doesnt "work" or "not work". Stopping logging your food is probably not going to make your situation any better, or cause you to suddenly have a deficit where none was before.
I think you are just getting frustrated. MFP is not making you eat out or prohibiting you from eating out. It is not making you weigh your food in public. Those are choices you are making. People here are just telling you what may be the source of the problem and what changes you could make that might help. Your call on actually making any changes at all (these or whatever you think may work).
"If you always do what you have always done, you will always get what you have always gotten." If you dont like what non-results you are getting doing whatever you are doing, its a sure bet you have to change *something*. If you want to continue eating out, that is fine - just be more diligent with checking nutrition etc, or start making different choices when you do eat out (switching veggies more, eat half the bun on the sandwich but all the insides, etc). But be assured, if you want your weight to start changing, YOU have to change SOMETHING sometime. Its not just going to magically start on its own!
I wish you the best of luck, whatever you decide about logging or not. Having an open mind will go a long way 0
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