Open Diary: Need Advice

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a2902c
a2902c Posts: 96
in Food and Nutrition
Hi! I was wondering if you could point me in the right direction. My diary is open. Am I having the right amount of fat, protein, carbs, etc.? I'm lost when it comes to MFP's percentages for each. Any advice? If it helps, I'm 5'3" and 206.5lbs. Thanks!

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  • a2902c
    a2902c Posts: 96
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    Anyone? I'm not losing weight with my current diet. Am I doing something wrong?
  • jumbocrayon_
    jumbocrayon_ Posts: 7 Member
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    Hey there :)

    I took a glance through your diary, and while you're adhering to the calorie limits, I'm wondering if you're (1) drinking enough water and (2) doing exercise you aren't logging, like weight lifting and such that could be building muscle.

    I did a quick calculation of your BMR, and it came out to 1645 cal/day. Your TDEE at a sedentary lifestyle where you're not moving around all the time would then be 1974 cal/day. That's the theoretical number of calories you burn just doing normal stuff. If you want to lose a pound a week, you have to be 500cal under that number each day (on average). It looks like you're doing that (but your goal seems high for that number- it should be 1474), so I'm wondering how long a period of time you're saying you aren't losing weight over? If it's only been a week or two, it could easily be water weight; you could also be losing fat without the scale reflecting it. Have you been tracking your measurements?

    I was eating under 1300/day at your weight (I'm 5'4''/26/F, so very similar), and it worked pretty well for me, but my goal was to lose 1.5lbs/week, and in reality i was losing just over 1lb/week most weeks. MFP notoriously over-estimates calories burned, so if you are working out, factor that into your choices. I only eat back half the calories it says i burn, and even then, only when I need to. Another thing Ive been doing lately is weighing even premade/packaged foods with labelled calories on a food scale. You'd be shocked how often something says "Servings per container:2" but it's actually a lot closer to 3 when you weigh the portion out.

    Hope it helps!
  • Ringer1022
    Ringer1022 Posts: 45 Member
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    So I'm one of the newbies in tracking my macros not just my calories... But I think you're carbs and protein percentages are flipped... You're way higher on carbs than protein.

    I also think you're taking in a LOT of sodium, which salt causes water retention.

    I see you're doing packages meals... Which is a great and easy way; but I think they're too full of sodium. Plus they cannot compare to fresh fruits and veggies. Even normal frozen veggies don't have the salt content.

    I would sugget opting for preparing your own meals so you REALLY know what is going into what you're eating.
  • Ringer1022
    Ringer1022 Posts: 45 Member
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    I second the thoughts on water above... I know there was a recent post about getting some of your water from food sources or other... But I personally think your water should be true liquid comsumption. When I am on it, I am between 3 and 4 liters (3/4 to 1 gallon) per day.
  • iratewench
    iratewench Posts: 6 Member
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    I just started doing the strong curves workout program and the structured nature of the program has really helped me commit to both working out and paying attention to my macros.

    I aim for 1 gram of protein per body weight, thought I never ever hit that. Macros end up being about 35% carbs, 40% protein! and 25% fat. Sometimes more like 35% protein with 30% carbs. I don't end up feeling deprived of carbs but it seems to help. Finally breaking through a plateau!

    And I third upping water. Focusing on drinking a bunch of water helps me to focus on my goals. Perhaps it could help you as well?

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