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I've been eating well again for about 2 weeks now and during the first week i lost a total of 3lbs. This week I recently went back up to my start weight at 160. According to my food diary I eat under my calorie count but that's because it has me eating a crap ton of sodium and carbs, and i'm trying to stay away from that as much as I can. I cook most of my meals at hope and staying away completely from fast food and sodas. I drink atleast 8 cups of water a day and my job has my constantly moving around and lifting heavy items, so im burning calories throughout the day. I keep my dinners lighter since i tend to eat later. And go to the gym atleast 6 days a week.

What am I doing wrong?

Replies

  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,268 Member
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    you consistently log under 700 calories, miss days totally...are you logging everything on those 700 days? and without logging everyday you can't really say you eat under...

    and how much is 0.03 order of Chilis crispy chicken crispers???

    You are not logging consistently or correctly is the issue
  • kawa_j93
    kawa_j93 Posts: 22
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    you consistently log under 700 calories, miss days totally...are you logging everything on those 700 days? and without logging everyday you can't really say you eat under...

    and how much is 0.03 order of Chilis crispy chicken crispers???

    You are not logging consistently or correctly is the issue

    i try to log everything i can. The Chilis chicken was like a few bites of the plate I was served. Turned out to be awful.
    I didnt have dinner last night because I worked late and went to bed as soon as i got home. i always try to keep my protein up.
  • terbusha
    terbusha Posts: 1,483 Member
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    If you are eating at an extreme calorie deficit, you're going to run into problems. The bare minimum a woman should eat is 1200 cal/day. Your body needs fuel to function properly. Eating things high in salt will make your weigh spike back up for a day or 2. Don't worry though, it's just water retention and it'll come back off. Check out this video describing the problems with extreme calorie deficits.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QHHzie6XRGk

    Allan
  • Fuzzipeg
    Fuzzipeg Posts: 2,301 Member
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    In essence you need to be honest with yourself. Log everything accurately which means weight rather than estimates of your portions. Ensure you are eating the right number of calories for you, which means recognising your actual level of activity and if you do additional exercise then eat a good proportion if not all the calories back. If you are as active as you seem to be indicating then to me you are active at least and possibly very active which needs much more than the minimal 1200 calories. Salt will cause you to hold water as well as your natural cycle which could easily account for 3 lb, for others it can be more. Weight reduction will take a little time, it takes time to go on and longer to come off especially where there is only 10 lb involved. It is unrealistic to expect more than 1 lb in weight in a week especially when you are so close to where you need to be. Some publications make unrealistic and unhealthy claims. Love you body it is the only one you get.

    All the very best for the future you want.
  • kawa_j93
    kawa_j93 Posts: 22
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    If you are eating at an extreme calorie deficit, you're going to run into problems. The bare minimum a woman should eat is 1200 cal/day. Your body needs fuel to function properly. Eating things high in salt will make your weigh spike back up for a day or 2. Don't worry though, it's just water retention and it'll come back off. Check out this video describing the problems with extreme calorie deficits.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QHHzie6XRGk

    Allan


    I really try to stay away from salt, even the seasonings i use to cook with are salt free. WIth meals I try to measure out atleast the normal serving listed and if I feel like its not enough i'll add to it. I dont want to force myself to eat a large meal and feel awful when im done because im overstuffed. Thats why im always below my calories. Also im usually not that hungry alot throughout the day.
  • SnuggleSmacks
    SnuggleSmacks Posts: 3,731 Member
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    If you are eating at an extreme calorie deficit, you're going to run into problems. The bare minimum a woman should eat is 1200 cal/day. Your body needs fuel to function properly. Eating things high in salt will make your weigh spike back up for a day or 2. Don't worry though, it's just water retention and it'll come back off. Check out this video describing the problems with extreme calorie deficits.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QHHzie6XRGk

    Allan


    I really try to stay away from salt, even the seasonings i use to cook with are salt free. WIth meals I try to measure out atleast the normal serving listed and if I feel like its not enough i'll add to it. I dont want to force myself to eat a large meal and feel awful when im done because im overstuffed. Thats why im always below my calories. Also im usually not that hungry alot throughout the day.

    Then you need to find high-calorie snacks to eat throughout the day in order to meet your calorie requirement. Your caloric goal is not just an upper limit, it's also a goal for you to reach in order to lose weight safely without losing too much muscle or doing your organs harm. You should be hitting as close to your calorie goal as possible every day.

    Try adding peanut butter, cheese, eggs, nuts, even meal replacement shakes...anything that will give you a calorie boost with some good nutrients.
  • StaciMarie1974
    StaciMarie1974 Posts: 4,138 Member
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    The MFP plan is simple. Let the site use your stats (height, weight, gender, age and activity level) and goal (lose 1 pound a week, or other) to calculate a calorie consumption goal.

    Then it is up to you to follow thru. To make sure you're eating enough, weighing your portions so you know how much you're having, and log accurately and honestly to maintain that deficit.

    If you don't do your part, you won't get the results you want.
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,268 Member
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    If you are eating at an extreme calorie deficit, you're going to run into problems. The bare minimum a woman should eat is 1200 cal/day. Your body needs fuel to function properly. Eating things high in salt will make your weigh spike back up for a day or 2. Don't worry though, it's just water retention and it'll come back off. Check out this video describing the problems with extreme calorie deficits.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QHHzie6XRGk

    Allan


    I really try to stay away from salt, even the seasonings i use to cook with are salt free. WIth meals I try to measure out atleast the normal serving listed and if I feel like its not enough i'll add to it. I dont want to force myself to eat a large meal and feel awful when im done because im overstuffed. Thats why im always below my calories. Also im usually not that hungry alot throughout the day.

    but you aren't just "below" your caloreis you are at sub 700...that is not healthy. and you aren't logging many exercise calories

    I mean 1oz of chicken? and 1/4 cup of kale for dinner one night.

    Hunger is not a good indicator of what your body needs.

    If you are sure of your intake you are actually netting less than 500 calories a day (as you said you exercise 5x a week)...and that is not healthy and you need to eat some food.

    As for the "lack" of weight loss trust me if you are eating as little as your diary says it will come and you wont be happy...you will be sick.

    You either need to eat some food or get some help

    http://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/find-help-support
  • beachgod
    beachgod Posts: 567 Member
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    The MFP plan is simple. Let the site use your stats (height, weight, gender, age and activity level) and goal (lose 1 pound a week, or other) to calculate a calorie consumption goal.

    Then it is up to you to follow thru. To make sure you're eating enough, weighing your portions so you know how much you're having, and log accurately and honestly to maintain that deficit.

    If you don't do your part, you won't get the results you want.

    So much truth and sense in these 2 short lines.
  • kawa_j93
    kawa_j93 Posts: 22
    Options
    If you are eating at an extreme calorie deficit, you're going to run into problems. The bare minimum a woman should eat is 1200 cal/day. Your body needs fuel to function properly. Eating things high in salt will make your weigh spike back up for a day or 2. Don't worry though, it's just water retention and it'll come back off. Check out this video describing the problems with extreme calorie deficits.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QHHzie6XRGk

    Allan


    I really try to stay away from salt, even the seasonings i use to cook with are salt free. WIth meals I try to measure out atleast the normal serving listed and if I feel like its not enough i'll add to it. I dont want to force myself to eat a large meal and feel awful when im done because im overstuffed. Thats why im always below my calories. Also im usually not that hungry alot throughout the day.

    but you aren't just "below" your caloreis you are at sub 700...that is not healthy. and you aren't logging many exercise calories

    I mean 1oz of chicken? and 1/4 cup of kale for dinner one night.

    Hunger is not a good indicator of what your body needs.

    If you are sure of your intake you are actually netting less than 500 calories a day (as you said you exercise 5x a week)...and that is not healthy and you need to eat some food.

    As for the "lack" of weight loss trust me if you are eating as little as your diary says it will come and you wont be happy...you will be sick.

    You either need to eat some food or get some help

    http://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/find-help-support



    lol im far from having an eating disorder. I like food too much, thats why im on this site. I have a very busy schedule and its hard to get in full meals. Plus a normal size chicken breast fills me up completely. Im not going to over stuff myself and make me feel sick. I try to get in most of my calories during the day and not consume as much at night because i eat late and i dont want a full meal an hour before i go to bed. My exercise diary is hard to pinpoint because i do alot of weight training and according to MFP you dont burn calories from that.
  • alexisnvisser
    alexisnvisser Posts: 3 Member
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    You are probably eating too little.

    I'm going to share my own personal experience with you in light of learning from my mistakes. I am actually involved in a "health and wellness" profession. Every day, I am exposed to people who are getting great results, and I'm expected to be a role model in getting fantastic results too. The constant pressure from the leaders to "get a new result" drove me slightly insane. I would say "I lost 4 pounds last week!" but what they didn't know is that was after I had gained 5 previously from binge eating. I'll be honest, I love food, but there was an unhealthy cycle going on. I would restrict my calories to less than 1500 (1200-1500/day) for several days in a row, but would end up binging at least 1-2 times per week because I felt like I was STARVING and deprived. For several months, I was in this cycle. Even though I restricted calories to below MFP recommendations, I was still in calorie excess over each week because of the out-of-control-eat-everything-possible days. This isn't easy to admit, but it happened OFTEN, for WAY TOO LONG.

    Just in the last few weeks, I have allowed more grace with myself throughout the week. I give myself more calories on a day to day basis, allow the occasional (1 serving) treat if I'm really craving something so I don't go nuts. This morning I met with my trainer to caliper me. My measurements have SIGNIFCANTLY improved since the last time we measured 1 month ago. Also, I weigh 5 pounds less than I did 4 weeks ago.

    Stats: I weigh 152 pounds, 5'4", and workout 6-7 days a week. (2 days running, 2-3 days strength training, 1-2 days biking). My calories fall within the 1600-2000 range on a regular basis, but sometimes more if I have an extremely active day. I am HAPPY here. I am losing weight at the rate of about 1.5 pounds per week and I feel good. Tonight I have another AF DEP meeting and I'm much more relaxed knowing I am well within my weight range :) I hope this helps, feel free to message me if you would like!
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,268 Member
    Options
    If you are eating at an extreme calorie deficit, you're going to run into problems. The bare minimum a woman should eat is 1200 cal/day. Your body needs fuel to function properly. Eating things high in salt will make your weigh spike back up for a day or 2. Don't worry though, it's just water retention and it'll come back off. Check out this video describing the problems with extreme calorie deficits.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QHHzie6XRGk

    Allan


    I really try to stay away from salt, even the seasonings i use to cook with are salt free. WIth meals I try to measure out atleast the normal serving listed and if I feel like its not enough i'll add to it. I dont want to force myself to eat a large meal and feel awful when im done because im overstuffed. Thats why im always below my calories. Also im usually not that hungry alot throughout the day.

    but you aren't just "below" your caloreis you are at sub 700...that is not healthy. and you aren't logging many exercise calories

    I mean 1oz of chicken? and 1/4 cup of kale for dinner one night.

    Hunger is not a good indicator of what your body needs.

    If you are sure of your intake you are actually netting less than 500 calories a day (as you said you exercise 5x a week)...and that is not healthy and you need to eat some food.

    As for the "lack" of weight loss trust me if you are eating as little as your diary says it will come and you wont be happy...you will be sick.

    You either need to eat some food or get some help

    http://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/find-help-support



    lol im far from having an eating disorder. I like food too much, thats why im on this site. I have a very busy schedule and its hard to get in full meals. Plus a normal size chicken breast fills me up completely. Im not going to over stuff myself and make me feel sick. I try to get in most of my calories during the day and not consume as much at night because i eat late and i dont want a full meal an hour before i go to bed. My exercise diary is hard to pinpoint because i do alot of weight training and according to MFP you dont burn calories from that.

    I weight train and log it here and it burns calories...log it under cardio strength training.

    so if this is the case I am gonna go with you don't log accurately and are eating more than you think because at sub 500 calories a day net...no way are you doing much weight lifting.

    Buy a food scale and use it, log everything you eat.
  • pinkshiningstar
    pinkshiningstar Posts: 141 Member
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    I also noticed with your logging some of the options you're choosing aren't correct. I believe it was yesterday (or two days ago) you posted a listing for a 3oz chicken breast at 225 calories. 3 oz of boneless, skinless chicken breast is in the 130 calorie range, so actually you could be under eating even more than the numbers you're posting are showing. You could be eating much more for 225 calories!! :smile:

    I've found that you need to read the listings provided in MFP really carefully and do comparisons to make sure they're correct for what you ARE eating.
  • kawa_j93
    kawa_j93 Posts: 22
    Options
    If you are eating at an extreme calorie deficit, you're going to run into problems. The bare minimum a woman should eat is 1200 cal/day. Your body needs fuel to function properly. Eating things high in salt will make your weigh spike back up for a day or 2. Don't worry though, it's just water retention and it'll come back off. Check out this video describing the problems with extreme calorie deficits.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QHHzie6XRGk

    Allan


    I really try to stay away from salt, even the seasonings i use to cook with are salt free. WIth meals I try to measure out atleast the normal serving listed and if I feel like its not enough i'll add to it. I dont want to force myself to eat a large meal and feel awful when im done because im overstuffed. Thats why im always below my calories. Also im usually not that hungry alot throughout the day.

    but you aren't just "below" your caloreis you are at sub 700...that is not healthy. and you aren't logging many exercise calories

    I mean 1oz of chicken? and 1/4 cup of kale for dinner one night.

    Hunger is not a good indicator of what your body needs.

    If you are sure of your intake you are actually netting less than 500 calories a day (as you said you exercise 5x a week)...and that is not healthy and you need to eat some food.

    As for the "lack" of weight loss trust me if you are eating as little as your diary says it will come and you wont be happy...you will be sick.

    You either need to eat some food or get some help

    http://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/find-help-support



    lol im far from having an eating disorder. I like food too much, thats why im on this site. I have a very busy schedule and its hard to get in full meals. Plus a normal size chicken breast fills me up completely. Im not going to over stuff myself and make me feel sick. I try to get in most of my calories during the day and not consume as much at night because i eat late and i dont want a full meal an hour before i go to bed. My exercise diary is hard to pinpoint because i do alot of weight training and according to MFP you dont burn calories from that.

    I weight train and log it here and it burns calories...log it under cardio strength training.

    so if this is the case I am gonna go with you don't log accurately and are eating more than you think because at sub 500 calories a day net...no way are you doing much weight lifting.

    Buy a food scale and use it, log everything you eat.


    I just put up todays exercise diary. Todays my day off so normally id probably burn more calories on days that I work due to me constantly being on my feet. I have a food scale and I use it religiously. My only issue is finding the foods on this database that closely relate to what im eating. I think that may be why some things are off. I try my best to find the closest. I'm still new to this so I dont know how to exactly add up all the points like fat, saturated fats, sodium, etc. Like say I have my normal turkey burger. A plain patty is 180 calories, but then i add a slice of swiss cheese, bread, and a bit of mustard. How would I add up the entire burger into one by making my own meal on here?