Still not seeing results

Options
LaurenW432
LaurenW432 Posts: 14
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi,

I've been using Fitnesspal since Feb, and following the suggested calorie intake each week. I also exercise 5 days a week for about 40 minutes, alternating between cardio workouts and weight training. My problem is, I'm just not seeing much difference. I went on the scales this morning and I've actually put weight on, about a pound. My scales are rubbish though, so I'm going to re-check in a week on some digital scales.
I'm baffled about how many calories I should actually be eating. MFP says 1,430. I'm 5'9, weigh 11.10ish (today). I very rarely eat this much, or net under because of exercise. The weekends are a problem. I go out for drinks and sometimes end up with a pizza to take home. Is it possible this is the whole issue? Even though I'm averaging under my weekly calorie goal each week?
I don't really feel any different either. Possibly a little firmer but that's about it. I'm just looking for some advice as I'm becoming discouraged, and wondering if I should maybe just go onto a diet planner regime, like Slimming World. My friend just lost 2lbs in a week. That has not happened for me and I feel like I'm working hard for it everyday.
Any advice would be appreciated, thanks.
«13

Replies

  • Miss_james1990
    Miss_james1990 Posts: 214 Member
    Options
    Sounds like you are working very hard...just to spoil it at the weekend :( I'd seriously just knock the pizza and drinks on the head or go for a lower calorie option :)
  • IsabellaGiano
    IsabellaGiano Posts: 158 Member
    Options
    Your diary is not open so it's difficult to judge anything.

    The usual questions: do you weight your food? Do you log absolutely anything accurately?
    Do you eat all of your burned calories back? MFP is a bit generous on those burns.
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    Options
    if you hit your weekly goal and log accurately - weighing and measuring everything- you will lose weight. it might be water retention from the stuff you eat at the weekend thats stopping the scales from moving.
  • rodduz
    rodduz Posts: 251 Member
    Options
    Are you working out intensely or just going through the motions? I eat approx 1500 calories per day at the minute but my 2 cardio sessions and 3 weights sessions are intense. The weight falls off me.

    I'd guess you're either:

    Underestimating your food intake
    Overestimating your calorie expenditure
    Not working out intensely enough
    Your weekend binges are cancelling out your calorie deficit through the week.
  • LaurenW432
    LaurenW432 Posts: 14
    Options
    I've made my dairy public so you can see what I'm eating! Don't judge me for my weekend antics, haha.
    I don't log everything. For example, I had spaghetti Bolognese the other day. I make it, but when it's sauce I don't really know what to do as regards to measuring. Obviously pasta, rice, anything I would consider measurable, I do. Same with crisps or snacks. But I don't really know how to weigh certain things, like sauces. I add a teaspoon and a half of sugar when I make spag bol. How are you supposed to account that into measuring? Because I haven't actually eaten a teaspoon and a half, it's just, in the sauce. Obviously this is just an example. But I do try to log/measure properly where I can.
    I don't eat calories back. I am hardly ever at my goal calories for the days, always a bit under. I don't even know what weight I really am at the moment either, so I don't want to start adjusting stuff on MFP. I must be eating the wrong stuff? Although I do feel I eat pretty well.
    Thanks.
  • LaurenW432
    LaurenW432 Posts: 14
    Options
    Rodduz, when I do cardio it's the most I can go. We're talking tomato face intensity, sweating, huffing and puffing. My weight sessions are also hard, I've upped my weights in the last week as well and hoping to keep adding more.
    Maybe I do eat too much? I've made my diary public.
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    Options
    I've made my dairy public so you can see what I'm eating! Don't judge me for my weekend antics, haha.
    I don't log everything. For example, I had spaghetti Bolognese the other day. I make it, but when it's sauce I don't really know what to do as regards to measuring. Obviously pasta, rice, anything I would consider measurable, I do. Same with crisps or snacks. But I don't really know how to weigh certain things, like sauces. I add a teaspoon and a half of sugar when I make spag bol. How are you supposed to account that into measuring? Because I haven't actually eaten a teaspoon and a half, it's just, in the sauce. Obviously this is just an example. But I do try to log/measure properly where I can.
    I don't eat calories back. I am hardly ever at my goal calories for the days, always a bit under. I don't even know what weight I really am at the moment either, so I don't want to start adjusting stuff on MFP. I must be eating the wrong stuff? Although I do feel I eat pretty well.
    Thanks.

    if you put sugar in the sauce and then eat all the sauce, you have eaten the sugar....

    use the recipe builder to log sauces etc. to get exact measurements put a bowl on the scales, tare it to 0, put 1 and a half teaspoons of sugar in bowl, look at the weight, put 'sugar' in the database and adjust the amount to however much it says on the scales.

    you're not losing weight because you're eating more than you think.
  • LaurenW432
    LaurenW432 Posts: 14
    Options
    But the sauce is for 4-5 people. Not all for myself. So I don't know how to measure certain things because it's divided out amongst however many. So it becomes complicated. I usually have one big spoonful of sauce, my allocated amount of pasta and that's it. And if I am going to be naughty at dinner time, I hold calories back. Infact I usually log it at more than I think I have eaten if I'm not sure, just to be on the safe side?
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    Options
    But the sauce is for 4-5 people. Not all for myself. So I don't know how to measure certain things because it's divided out amongst however many. So it becomes complicated. I usually have one big spoonful of sauce, my allocated amount of pasta and that's it. And if I am going to be naughty at dinner time, I hold calories back. Infact I usually log it at more than I think I have eaten if I'm not sure, just to be on the safe side?

    the recipe builder includes how many servings the recipe makes...
  • ILiftHeavyAcrylics
    ILiftHeavyAcrylics Posts: 27,732 Member
    Options
    Here, read this:

    http://www.fitnessfactreview.com/the-art-science-of-calorie-counting/


    But also realize that your weight is in the healthy range for your height, so you can't expect to lose 2 lbs per week. Half a pound per week is a much healthier and more realistic goal.
  • yogacat13
    yogacat13 Posts: 124 Member
    Options
    Because you are within the healthy weight range, and don't therefore have much weight to lose, you should aim for about a half a pound a week. Losing 2 pounds a week is really only possible if you are really overweight, which you aren't. Adjust your settings in MFP, eat back your exercise calories, and accurately log your food. You'll start seeing results. (Also, the pizza and drinks aren't doing your weight loss any favours - a friend of mine just stopped drinking and lost a stone in a couple of months without even trying - the calories in drinks are silly high, have no nutritional value and mess with your hydration levels).
  • IsabellaGiano
    IsabellaGiano Posts: 158 Member
    Options
    Here, read this:

    http://www.fitnessfactreview.com/the-art-science-of-calorie-counting/


    But also realize that your weight is in the healthy range for your height, so you can't expect to lose 2 lbs per week. Half a pound per week is a much healthier and more realistic goal.


    This.


    Anyway, may I suggest not to put sugar in the bolognese sauce? Not because sugars are bad, no, it's just that as an Italian, and a daughter of a Bolognese, I really think that the taste of it improves without unnecessary sugar :) Just an opinion, obviously :)
  • CharleePear
    CharleePear Posts: 1,948 Member
    Options
    I know you say you find it hard to eat as much as MFP is saying I would say for your height you aren't actually eating enough. I don't think MFP has a very accurate estimate of calories, I would use the IIFYM calculator http://iifym.com/iifym-calculator/

    Also your weekends could ruining your chances and as the others have said, you are expecting a high weight loss when you have a healthy weight already. I am wondering, are you trying to lose inches or weight? It may be that you just need to convert your fat into lean body mass.
  • yogacat13
    yogacat13 Posts: 124 Member
    Options
    Here, read this:

    http://www.fitnessfactreview.com/the-art-science-of-calorie-counting/


    But also realize that your weight is in the healthy range for your height, so you can't expect to lose 2 lbs per week. Half a pound per week is a much healthier and more realistic goal.


    This.


    Anyway, may I suggest not to put sugar in the bolognese sauce? Not because sugars are bad, no, it's just that as an Italian, and a daughter of a Bolognese, I really think that the taste of it improves without unnecessary sugar :) Just an opinion, obviously :)

    If you're making it from scratch, a tiny bit of sugar cuts the acidity of the tomatoes - otherwise the sauce has a sharp taste that not everyone likes.
  • ChrisM8971
    ChrisM8971 Posts: 1,067 Member
    Options
    But the sauce is for 4-5 people. Not all for myself. So I don't know how to measure certain things because it's divided out amongst however many. So it becomes complicated. I usually have one big spoonful of sauce, my allocated amount of pasta and that's it. And if I am going to be naughty at dinner time, I hold calories back. Infact I usually log it at more than I think I have eaten if I'm not sure, just to be on the safe side?

    the recipe builder includes how many servings the recipe makes...

    If you want to be accurate, take the time to put the recipe's into the recipe builder using the raw ingredients. Then weigh the whole thing cooked and use that weight divided by 100 as the number of portions, making each portion 100 grams. That way you can weigh your sauce onto your pasta and if have say 123 grams then you know to log it as 1.23 portions.
  • IsabellaGiano
    IsabellaGiano Posts: 158 Member
    Options
    Yes, you are right, but tomato sauce in the US already have sugar in it, so there is no need to add more sugar (not a tablespoon and a half anyway) for the sauce.

    Just a suggestion. I know that you are used to sweetest taste than italians.
  • yogacat13
    yogacat13 Posts: 124 Member
    Options
    Yes, you are right, but tomato sauce in the US already have sugar in it, so there is no need to add more sugar (not a tablespoon and a half anyway) for the sauce.

    Just a suggestion. I know that you are used to sweetest taste than italians.

    I'm in the UK :) As the OP gives her weight in stones, I think she might be also.
  • IsabellaGiano
    IsabellaGiano Posts: 158 Member
    Options
    Yes, you are right, but tomato sauce in the US already have sugar in it, so there is no need to add more sugar (not a tablespoon and a half anyway) for the sauce.

    Just a suggestion. I know that you are used to sweetest taste than italians.

    I'm in the UK :) As the OP gives her weight in stones, I think she might be also.


    Ops, you may be right!

    (still thinking that a bit less sugar better the taste of the Bolognese sauce, but like a good italian, I'm stubborn like a mule for recipes :D )
  • VaygahRamos
    VaygahRamos Posts: 1
    Options
    It's been a good 9+months since I've really been into MFP (Just had my first baby in the end of March via cesarean yay! :P) but I can tell you that when I first started right before I got pregnant I was drinking HARD every weekend (I was 24 and it was June of course, the nice weather in Texas makes me a little crazy ;)). I was also using the recipe maker obsessively, cutting corners and trying alternatives to my favorites every chance I could get to see the difference in calorie intake (Wheat bread for white, coconut oil for butter, etc etc...)

    If you aren't seeing a change I can for sure promise you from my experience that it is the drinks. I used to actually log my drinks and started opting for the lowest caloric alcohol beverages (which was tough as I am very set on one drink so I opted for 1 shot whiskey 1 can diet dr. pepper/diet something). Alcohol is nothing but sugar and empty calories and will destroy your hardwork very quickly. Again, I'm not sure what kind of drinking your doing, but know that just one drink is pushing it over the limit when you're trying to lose weight. Like I said, if you can avoid the super sweet high calorie cocktails, and opt for a drink that isn't as damaging to your efforts, you'll thank yourself for it later! (I found that the higher the alcohol %, the more calories and sugar there was).

    Oh also! When it comes to the recipe maker, there is a section to put in how many people it serves and when you add the recipe to your diary it will automatically divide the entire meal for each serving.
  • ChrisM8971
    ChrisM8971 Posts: 1,067 Member
    Options
    Having had a glance through your diary for the last few days, there are a few other entries that would suggest inaccurate logging.

    Fruit & fibre for breakfast, calories seem a little low unless you really do eat this dry or with water, do you not use milk with this?

    Pollack 1/2 fillet, really you need to weigh this because the size of a pollack fillet can vary greatly

    Stop trusting in MFP entries that are made by other members (those with a * next to them), some are out of date, UK and USA versions often vary greatly in calorie and macro content and some are just plain wrong.

    If the calories look too good to be true then they probably are and in my opinion this is the biggest source of underestimated calories on MFP

    Check the entries against the boxes and when using fresh foods go for the MFP entries (no *) generally speaking these are far more accurate (there are a few exceptions)

    You get out of this what you are prepared to put in and not all of the work needs to be done in the gym or kitchen, a little time on the computer double checking cans sometimes work wonders

Categories