Frustratingly slow weight loss, why?
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I took a look at your diary for April and May and kind of took some notes. There were several dates in April where it seemed like your diary was incomplete/missing some meals because your calories for the day were sub 1000 (April 4, 11, 16, 17, 18, 19). In May there were several days with a lot of quick add calories or seemed incomplete for the day (May 4, 11, 12 [quick added 1300 calories], 15 [only logged doritos and one beer], and 24).
Even though you hit your target/are below your target mooost of the time, not accounting for some of those days could make your deficit smaller than you aim for and slow down your weight loss.
This isn't a criticism--my diary often looks similar because sometimes I can be bothered to figure out how many calories I ate at a restaurant, didn't feel like accounting for a day I overate, etc. But I also accept that I won't be losing weight super fast (and I'm ok with that because I get to eat a lot of delicious food and don't feel overly restricted).0 -
Just a few diary comments.
1 - I see a lot of entries with the serving size in grams. This is good, provided you are using a food scale to measure those grams. Just as a sanity check wanted to confirm when I see something like:
Albert Heijn - Noten-Rozijnen Mix, 20 grams
that you actually are measuring and eating 20 grams. I ask because something like this is easy to just grab a handful and log 1 serving size. The caloric density of these nut mixes is pretty high so it could cause some error.
2 - Homemade items, like this one - Homemade - Geroosterd Brood Bruin, 1 snee - can be hit or miss. Depending upon who created it, it may or may not be the same as your recipie. Hopefully you made this entry yourself to ensure it is accurate.
In general everything seems pretty good. Your entries look like they are generally correct so I would have to guess that serving sizes are a little off. Probably be more diligent in using your food scale and when you have to estimate, try to be conservative.
Anyway, just some ideas. Here is a good read on this type of stuff if you want some more ideas: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1234699-logging-accurately-step-by-step-guide
I really do weigh everything - I know 20g of nut mix is virtually nothing but it was a new bag and I just wanted to try some. I have my kitchen scale always on the counter so even a handful will go on there, before I log it.
I agree that some of the home-made entries aren't reliable, but that one brown bread recipe is the closest to the recipe that my mom makes, thus I just log that one (I think it even has a little more calories than I calculated from my mom's recipe). I just didn't get a chance to log my mom's bread recipe as after all the entry, my internet timed out and I rage quit.
I think generally, my calorie counting is on point so I will just reduce calories and see where that takes me.
Thanks for your reply though, and for taking the time to look at my diary, not just telling me to stop eating fruit and yoghurt for breakfast.0 -
What is your height?
Couple of things:
Drop your calories by 100 and see how it works out after 2 weeks.
Increase the intensity of one of your workout sessions.
Recalculate your TDEE using Scooby do workshop tool (google).
It's frustrating to be in a plateau. But, try the above and you should be back on your way etc.0 -
I took a look at your diary for April and May and kind of took some notes. There were several dates in April where it seemed like your diary was incomplete/missing some meals because your calories for the day were sub 1000 (April 4, 11, 16, 17, 18, 19). In May there were several days with a lot of quick add calories or seemed incomplete for the day (May 4, 11, 12 [quick added 1300 calories], 15 [only logged doritos and one beer], and 24).
Even though you hit your target/are below your target mooost of the time, not accounting for some of those days could make your deficit smaller than you aim for and slow down your weight loss.
This isn't a criticism--my diary often looks similar because sometimes I can be bothered to figure out how many calories I ate at a restaurant, didn't feel like accounting for a day I overate, etc. But I also accept that I won't be losing weight super fast (and I'm ok with that because I get to eat a lot of delicious food and don't feel overly restricted).
I went on holiday in April so it was very hard to keep up with calorie counting and I had a few 'relaxed' days or guesstimated (I'm quite ok at seeing my portion sizes of foods I eat frequently). Either way I know that wasn't my example of perfect coutning.
I'm doing it much better now, and was prior to April also. So when I knew my eating wasn't on track, or the counting, I didn't expect much change, but in May I've been good and I know that but yet I appear to weigh the same as I did in the beginning of the month.
Thanks for the answer and taking a look at my diary though
I will lower my calories to 1,500 now and make sure I count everything, especially now that my summer vacation will start. 0 -
The rest of the spare calories I fill with fruit/something sweet/drinks.
That should inhibit fat loss nicely. Have an omelette or bacon and egg for breakfast.
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Hmmm no...
I looked at your diary, I think your protein is way too low and I'd change it to 25% or 30%. Also some entries seem inaccurate - wrap? What kind of wrap? fish - one fillet? how big a fillet? Also you say you weigh all your food, but you don't seem to weigh the processed food that you eat... you should, it's often inaccurate... and you're using volume measures for fruit etc instead of weighing them...
Weigh everything. I'm guessing that's where the problem is.0 -
Try doing the 5.2 lifestyle Im have been doing this for 8 weeks and have lost 8.5 lb basically eat your TDEE 5 days and the other 2 eat only 500 calories it works and does not feel remotely like a diet!0
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The rest of the spare calories I fill with fruit/something sweet/drinks.
That should inhibit fat loss nicely. Have an omelette or bacon and egg for breakfast.
Hmmm no...
I looked at your diary, I think your protein is way too low and I'd change it to 25% or 30%. Also some entries seem inaccurate - wrap? What kind of wrap? fish - one fillet? how big a fillet? Also you say you weigh all your food, but you don't seem to weigh the processed food that you eat... you should, it's often inaccurate... and you're using volume measures for fruit etc instead of weighing them...
Weigh everything. I'm guessing that's where the problem is.
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By wrap it means a tortilla itself. That's just the name I have for it in my mother tongue and my local supermarket here in the NL calls tortillas 'wraps'.
I will make more of an effort to weigh processed foods & fruit.0 -
Try doing the 5.2 lifestyle Im have been doing this for 8 weeks and have lost 8.5 lb basically eat your TDEE 5 days and the other 2 eat only 500 calories it works and does not feel remotely like a diet!
No thanks. Eating 500 calories in one day doesn't seem fun at all.0 -
Hey there! I was looking through your diary and the only thing I can come up with is to maybe for the next few weeks, just buckle down and cut out the chips, sweets, wine (which it doesn't look like you consume on too regular of a basis), and see if you start seeing some results. I'm suggesting this only because I've been experiencing a lull in my weight loss too and I realized as I was looking through your diary that TOTALLY guilty of it too. My weight loss slowed down in the last month or so, which is why I read your post in the first place, so for the next 2-3 week, I'm going to cut out my "treats" even through they fall within in my allotted calorie intake, I'm going to cut them out and replace them with more fruit, veggies and lean protein. Beer and chips are my nemesis, but when I started my weight loss journey I cut out beer all together and I really saw results. Maybe one or two of your "treats" (even though it's within your allotted calories for the day) is holding you back just enough to prevent you from seeing the results you want. I don't know....just a thought. CONGRATS on your significant weight loss so far!!!!! :-)0
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Hey there! I was looking through your diary and the only thing I can come up with is to maybe for the next few weeks, just buckle down and cut out the chips, sweets, wine (which it doesn't look like you consume on too regular of a basis), and see if you start seeing some results. I'm suggesting this only because I've been experiencing a lull in my weight loss too and I realized as I was looking through your diary that TOTALLY guilty of it too. My weight loss slowed down in the last month or so, which is why I read your post in the first place, so for the next 2-3 week, I'm going to cut out my "treats" even through they fall within in my allotted calorie intake, I'm going to cut them out and replace them with more fruit, veggies and lean protein. Beer and chips are my nemesis, but when I started my weight loss journey I cut out beer all together and I really saw results. Maybe one or two of your "treats" (even though it's within your allotted calories for the day) is holding you back just enough to prevent you from seeing the results you want. I don't know....just a thought. CONGRATS on your significant weight loss so far!!!!! :-)
Thanks for the thorough answer!
I agree the treats within calories have been more frequent so I will cut those out, focus more on fruit and veggie snacks if I should need them.
I'm also going to lower calories to 1,500 to see if that also speeds things up a little more.
Good luck on your journey also! 0 -
Try experimenting with your exercise routine.
I do weight training, some yoga and elliptical trainer. When I find that the scale isn't budging no matter what, I'll increase the intensity or duration of my elliptical trainer workouts.0 -
This is a really good comment. 40 lbs off in 9 mos may seem slow but it's a lot.0
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You're getting lots of information, some of it quite frivolous (ex: Recommending you eat below BMR, saying a particular type of food might hinder weight loss, etc.).
You're also getting links to common issues when people aren't losing weight.
But you are losing weight. You're not doing anything wrong. 1-2 lbs a month, particularly for a young woman who is more than halfway to goal, is close to the ideal rate. Add in some heavy lifting and you'll be a.) Keeping your metabolism from adapting to a lower intake of calories b.) Preserving LBM and c.) A host of other health benefits from slow, steady weight loss.
It can suck when you stumble upon people who lose quickly, including success stories on here. We want what we want as soon as possible! In reality, you will be able to maintain your goal easier if you keep doing what you're doing.
Source: I lose slow as hell, at much lower calories, because of thyroid issues and longterm starvation. Learning to be patient and accept losses as they come is key... plus, I'd hate for you to start dropping lower as you get closer to goal and fall into the trap I did.0 -
Another thing you could try is just bouncing your calories around a little. There's not a lot of science around it that I can reference with peer reviewed studies and such
, but it works sometimes. I know you said that IF doesn't appeal to you, and that's fine, but what about taking your flat 1600 (or 1500 or whatever if you decide to lower it), translating that to 11,200 calories per week, and dividing those up a little differently? Like maybe 1,200 on rest days and then 1,700-1,800 on workout days? Or try eating at maintenance for a week or so and then get back to your cut. Sometimes your body just gets used to the 1,600 every.single.day, and a little change gets things moving again. Can't hurt, at least. 0 -
You're getting lots of information, some of it quite frivolous (ex: Recommending you eat below BMR, saying a particular type of food might hinder weight loss, etc.).
You're also getting links to common issues when people aren't losing weight.
But you are losing weight. You're not doing anything wrong. 1- a month, particularly for a young woman who is more than halfway to goal, is close to the ideal rate. Add in some heavy lifting and you'll be a.) Keeping your metabolism from adapting to a lower intake of calories b.) Preserving LBM and c.) A host of other health benefits from slow, steady weight loss.
It can suck when you stumble upon people who lose quickly, including success stories on here. We want what we want as soon as possible! In reality, you will be able to maintain your goal easier if you keep doing what you're doing.
Source: I lose slow as hell, at much lower calories, because of thyroid issues and longterm starvation. Learning to be patient and accept losses as they come is key... plus, I'd hate for you to start dropping lower as you get closer to goal and fall into the trap I did.
Thank you for reminding me that I'm still moving int he right direction. It is demotivating to see slow progress or people boasting of more successful results, but I guess I should be more proud of my own success.
I hope your journey continues well also 0 -
Another thing you could try is just bouncing your calories around a little. There's not a lot of science around it that I can reference with peer reviewed studies and such , but it works sometimes. I know you said that IF doesn't appeal to you, and that's fine, but what about taking your flat 1600 (or 1500 or whatever if you decide to lower it), translating that to 11,200 calories per week, and dividing those up a little differently? Like maybe 1,200 on rest days and then 1,700-1,800 on workout days? Or try eating at maintenance for a week or so and then get back to your cut. Sometimes your body just gets used to the 1,600 every.single.day, and a little change gets things moving again. Can't hurt, at least.
That's not a bad idea - I think another person also suggested that.
I will distribute my weekly intake differently between workout and rest days 0 -
You have possibly overestimated your TDEE. Remember that these calculators just give you a good estimate to start with...nobody has exactly XXXX calories as their TDEE...you have to make adjustments as per real world results. If your TDEE - 20% is 1,600 calories then that would suggest that your TDEE is 2,000 calories per day...which seems about right as per statistical averages, but perhaps you fall outside of those averages. As per your real world results, you should see a loss close to around 1 lb per week if those numbers were accurate. As it is, it would seem you are losing closer to 1/2 Lb per week which would suggest that your real world calorie deficit is only 250 calories which would put your TDEE at around 1,850.
It is further possible that you have relatively accurately determined your TDEE but you are underestimating your intake...this is pretty easy to do and even professional nutritionists and dietitians have issues accurately estimating intake.
Either way, your real world results suggest that your calorie deficit is only around 250 calories...so if you're fine with your current rate of loss then leave it be...if you want to lose a little faster then find something in your day to day to cut out around 250 calories more per day....should be as simple as cutting out a snack somewhere during the day or spending a bit more time exercising.
This is very sound advice! I am glad to see you are taking it to heart by slightly lowering your calories.0 -
Maybe switch up your workout routine? add more weight or change the days you go to the gym?
worked for me to get my body back to losing0 -
The rest of the spare calories I fill with fruit/something sweet/drinks.
That should inhibit fat loss nicely. Have an omelette or bacon and egg for breakfast.
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I suffered for years with hunger and impossible slow weight loss. Tried everything, ww, Atkins, counting calories, exercise, extreme exercise. I would lose and gain over and over.
Someone here sent me a message after I posed this exact question and said that even my healthy unrefined carbs were slowing my loss. I blew that message off, regained the little weight I had lost and got so bummed out. Then my mom had a stroke. My husband and I decided to try something completely different. We landed on paleo. It looked so restrictive. But we are learning so much. No more counting. We just eat off the yes list. He is down 20, I am down 25, daughter is down 10. It is a record for each of us.
But better than the weight loss is the change in how we feel. So many symptoms that doctors had attested to other things magically cleared up. I can not say enough how bad most carbs were for me.
I hope you too can find an easier path.
And for the poster who messaged me (and I have forgotten who because I erased it as bunk), THANK YOU! You saved my life0 -
You are not alone! I posted a similar question earlier in the week, although I didn't get the response you did. Lots of good little tips here that I am going to try as well.
One thing I realized is those days that were out of ordinary (where I wasn't logging fully) are probably causing more of a problem than I realized. So, while I weigh all my food, I am buckling down on that even more.
The other problem is I suppose I am just terribly impatient. I've been at this a long time and I want those results! In the past I lost a lot faster than I am now and I tend to compare to that time a lot, but in reality I am going about weight loss completely different.
So, I don't have any advice to offer but just wanted you to know you aren't the only one who is working so hard and struggling. Also thanks for sharing so I could reap some benefits as well.0
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