Two + Months in, not a pound gone

1235

Replies

  • jeanstudies
    jeanstudies Posts: 81 Member
    1: "I have a fantastic nutritionist who I meet with every two weeks" If you were sick for months, and your doctor wasn't doing anything to help, would you call your doctor "fantastic"? :grumble:

    2: Maybe try pre-packaged/frozen foods for a few weeks, and eliminate the possibility that you are mis-measuring. I know, I know, frozen food is bad, but there ARE some healthy frozen foods (Kashi comes to mind). :sad:

    3: Try using a different scale? :grumble:

    For me, weight loss and MFP is still a learning process. I am not good at it (yet), but I am learning in what ways I am not good at it, and then CHANGING THOSE. Good luck to you. :flowerforyou:
  • jonnythan
    jonnythan Posts: 10,161 Member
    It looks like most people here think I must not be logging correctly. That seems like the easiest answer, so I'm going to double down my efforts there and avoid eating out for a few weeks to see if any extra calories are coming from there. Hopefully you guys are right. I would love it if this was all just because of miscalculation and I could start losing weight like normal people.

    I actually was supposed to get an A1c done, but after multiple sticks they couldn't get enough blood, so they did a fasting glucose instead with the intention of doing one later if my fasting was off. Perhaps I should go ahead and have that done.

    I also half considered the night eating thing, but my bodymedia fit would have noticed that I was up in the night.

    Thanks again for all the advice and support. I will try to come back and update.

    I think you need someone who actually knows what they're doing - not your apparently-worthless "nutritionist" - look at your diary.
  • Alluminati
    Alluminati Posts: 6,208 Member
    This whole post is shady.
  • LunaStar2008
    LunaStar2008 Posts: 155 Member
    I really took the time and read through all the comments "sight":sick:

    I tried the nutritionist route as well. It was mandated by my employer (military). According to the advice given (which I did for quite some time) I was gaining weight, even by exercising up to 3 hours daily (not at once, Spinning and boxing class back to back during lunch time and swimming 3,500 m after work). Yes, some of you will say I gained muscles....a lb is a lb, just the volume changes (fat needs more volume then muscles = you may have the same weight but become smaller). So, there was no muscle gain, because I don't swim like Phelps, but efficient.

    Again, the nutritionist was not the solution for me. They did most of these tests as well, which were in normal to exceptional ranges.

    My success came when I started MFP and became serious about mesuring, logging etc.....especially not lying to myself :explode: :mad: . It took some time to admit to myself, that I was just cheating myself. :blushing:

    The bodymedia is a great tool for me and seeing these numbers helps to keep on track. I am not saying it is the solution, but a visual aid.

    As others stated before, sleep pattern are important as well, but you know what was the break though.....my mindset to myself and what I wanted to accomplish. Seeing that people on MFP face the same issues, that there are people out there asking for help, but they are actually not ready yet, since they haven't put there mind to it. I know from myself running to doctors, nutitionist and trainers were just to get attention and confirming from someone else that I did everything right, but I wasn't. They just confirmed the lie I was telling myself and made me feel happy and not guilty.

    You got to stay at a deficit! If you have "messed up your metabolism" you must have been on a starvation for years. The body is amazing and can adjust much better then we think (our parents and grand-parents wouldn't have made it through wars, holocosts, and concentration camps-we would be extingt and areas of Africa would be without humans). So that being said, you may need less calories then you think, even being heavier at this point.

    I walk everyday between 4-8 miles (depending on working day or non-working day. Additional to that I bike, run or do some type of circuit training. I don't push myself always to the limit and stay in my comfort zone. Still with this type of workouts BodyMedia doesn't give me more then 1500 calories to eat. I started loosing weight with a deficit of 800-1000 calories per day. So, I got to burn 2500 claories each day. That is a lot of moving.

    I noticed that a lot of exercise programs overestimates the calories burned. Again, the body is amazing and adjusts to the increased need to becomes more efficient. As an example; my NIKE ID gps watch calculated (stored key data the same for both) for a 3.1 mile run in formation 437 calories, 9'31'' pace (hot and humid outside), while the BodyMedia device just caluclated 193 calories at the same time. This is already a difference of over 200 calories!!!

    I am not saying here that your nutritionist is wrong here, but some of them, especially in a Graduate level, focusing on weight loss, performance increase, etc ....are trained/schooled for high profile athletes. They calculate intake and output much different scale, even you may be at that weight of a high performance athlete. Which we here on MFP are in the minority (maybe some of the administrators). It is a total different ball game.

    As others stated here, if you ask for help, you should open your log. Since I scrubbed my eating habits and admit for slip ups I opened my diary..... and I peek in some other open ones from people who were successful, to see what they eat and not going hungry.
    Loosing weight is a lifestyle change and a lot of dicipline, because the loss is not the goal (maybe intermitten), but to stay there is the final finish.
  • jenilla1
    jenilla1 Posts: 11,118 Member
    I don't think that opening up my diary will help at all. I started out only eating 1300 calories a day, that's what I naturally eat when I eat what I want and don't try to watch what I'm eating (including dessert). I track every bite by weighing with a food scale or measuring with measuring cups and spoons, I never estimate and I always record what I've eaten before I move from the table,so I don't forget anything. I am very serious and dedicated to my weight loss. I'm not an over eater and I'm not a person who thinks they can fudge the numbers and "no one will know." I measure, I weigh and I record.

    The first thing my nutritionist did was start increasing my caloric intake. She looks as my app to see what I've eaten since our last meeting (every two weeks) and tells me where to adjust (more variety, more vegetables, less fat, etc). She worked me up slowly since 1300 is what I was comfortable eating and any more than that felt like over eating and that feels gross. So, now I'm up to 2500 calories a day (total, not net). I burn 2800 on a lazy day and 3000-3200 on most days, according to my BMF. I had a resting metabolic rate test done (the serious one with the cart, not the portable one that is prone to miscalculation) and it is 2345.

    So, for me it is not as simple as caloric deficit = weightloss, unfortunately. If that were the case I would have had more than a 1,000 calorie deficit before I started and I am still carrying a deficit of 500 on most days.

    Still no weightloss.

    Unless you are really big (no offense if you are - I'm just being objective), this sounds like way too many calories for any kind of weight loss. I'm assuming when you say you burn 3200 calories, you mean you *use* that many calories total, you're not burning that many through exercise. So on a really good day, your deficit is only 700 calories, which would equal around a 1 lb loss per week, but that's only if your calculations are all correct. I weigh 194, and everything I've read says I burn about 2000 calories a day being "lightly active" (before any additional exercise I do). So if I ate 2500 calories a day, I would gain for sure. Maybe that can give you some perspective?

    Also, you say your resting metabolic rate is 2345, so you're saying you're burning about 850 calories through exercise every day? That's a LOT of exercise. I think your calculations are off; you're overestimating how much you're burning and you're eating too much. That's my opinion.

    850 calories for 45 minutes of cardio seems a tad high to me...
  • mycontentheart
    mycontentheart Posts: 4 Member
    Hi ~ I have had some of the same issues however my personal trainer told me that for 12 weeks I was not to pay attention to dropping pounds but to track body fat %age and measure thighs, hips, tummy, chest, neck and bicep. We also track the increases in my strength and cardio endurance.

    I get how seeing pounds on a scale getting lower can be rewarding. But try making other goals for yourself. My goals have been:
    1) buy clothes that are not in the plus department, 2) to get off the floor without assistance, 3) to dance without wanting an oxygen tank...4) to slide into a vintage pair of levis.

    maybe those sorts of non "pounds" goals would be more encouraging to you. Good luck on your venture. I understand your challenges. I have lost 93 pounds and have 40 more to go...its not impossible....it is hard.
  • katmix
    katmix Posts: 296 Member
    I don't think that opening up my diary will help at all. I started out only eating 1300 calories a day, that's what I naturally eat when I eat what I want and don't try to watch what I'm eating (including dessert). I track every bite by weighing with a food scale or measuring with measuring cups and spoons, I never estimate and I always record what I've eaten before I move from the table,so I don't forget anything. I am very serious and dedicated to my weight loss. I'm not an over eater and I'm not a person who thinks they can fudge the numbers and "no one will know." I measure, I weigh and I record.

    The first thing my nutritionist did was start increasing my caloric intake. She looks as my app to see what I've eaten since our last meeting (every two weeks) and tells me where to adjust (more variety, more vegetables, less fat, etc). She worked me up slowly since 1300 is what I was comfortable eating and any more than that felt like over eating and that feels gross. So, now I'm up to 2500 calories a day (total, not net). I burn 2800 on a lazy day and 3000-3200 on most days, according to my BMF. I had a resting metabolic rate test done (the serious one with the cart, not the portable one that is prone to miscalculation) and it is 2345.

    So, for me it is not as simple as caloric deficit = weightloss, unfortunately. If that were the case I would have had more than a 1,000 calorie deficit before I started and I am still carrying a deficit of 500 on most days.

    Still no weightloss.

    Unless you are really big (no offense if you are - I'm just being objective), this sounds like way too many calories for any kind of weight loss. I'm assuming when you say you burn 3200 calories, you mean you *use* that many calories total, you're not burning that many through exercise. So on a really good day, your deficit is only 700 calories, which would equal around a 1 lb loss per week, but that's only if your calculations are all correct. I weigh 194, and everything I've read says I burn about 2000 calories a day being "lightly active" (before any additional exercise I do). So if I ate 2500 calories a day, I would gain for sure. Maybe that can give you some perspective?

    Also, you say your resting metabolic rate is 2345, so you're saying you're burning about 850 calories through exercise every day? That's a LOT of exercise. I think your calculations are off; you're overestimating how much you're burning and you're eating too much. That's my opinion.

    850 calories for 45 minutes of cardio seems a tad high to me...

    I totally misread OP....thought she was working out for hours... :grumble:
  • doubleduofa
    doubleduofa Posts: 284 Member
    What about food allergies or intolerances? I would suggest trying an elimination diet, I am trying one myself. I am Having issues with weight loss, lethargy and joint pain. Only been on it 3weeks but I feel great and have actually lost 4lbs. This may not be your solution but it is worth discussing with your nutritionist. Good luck!

    I second this sentiment. I have allergies that cause me to retain water/inflammation and not lose weight. I'd also like to know what your tests say...my thyroid was, "normal," but my symptoms said otherwise. After getting my actual results, I was able to find out that I was hypothyroid. Pcos is also something that can cause issues and some doctors are not good at recognizing the symptoms or making the diagnosis.
  • WalkingAlong
    WalkingAlong Posts: 4,926 Member
    850 calories for 45 minutes of cardio seems a tad high to me...
    TDEE minus RMR does not just include your workout.

    TDEE = RMR + TEF + NEAT + EPOC + Exercise

    http://www.acefitness.org/certifiednewsarticle/2882/resting-metabolic-rate-best-ways-to-measure-it-and/
  • casiobarnes
    casiobarnes Posts: 78 Member
    .
  • _Resolve_
    _Resolve_ Posts: 735 Member
    Open the diary to get help.

    I have a wonderful dietitian as well but if I was seeing no loss or gains for months I would recruit the help of others.. we are the others.. if you want help then open the diary and let everyone take a look.

    So many people already following this thread have had success and can help.
  • lwestmill
    lwestmill Posts: 91 Member
    Uncomfortable about opening your diary? Just so you know, its not just the calories that you input into your body. High fat and salt will make you retain water and weight for weeks. How much salt do you eat a day?
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
    I have been dieting and exercising for years and am still very overweight.

    This stands out to me.

    You have very likely burned off a decent amount of muscle mass through those years and attempts, such that your metabolism and what you burn daily is much less than it otherwise would have been.

    So the BodyMedia is starting with a BMR assumption based on age, weight, height, and average ratio of fat to non-fat mass, and adjusts from there.

    But burning off muscle mass and having more fat mass for given weight will throw those formulas way off.

    It could be estimating 400-600 calorie higher than reality very easily.

    Also, some activities with lots of arm movement it could over-estimate calorie burn, but others with little movement like lifting it would under-estimate.

    Take a look at your night time sleeping stats on BodyMedia, the cal / min burn rate while you sleep. Look for the average low that is given. If it always bounces between say 1.1 and 1.2 per minute, that it's trying to say 1.15 per minute.

    Anyway, take that value x 1440 to see what BMR it's estimated for you.

    Now, how does that compare to say Mifflin BMR that MFP is using (Apps - BMR calc)?

    How does that compare with say Katch BMR that uses your BF%?
    Get the BF% estimate, and then use it in the BMR calc and you'll be given Katch BMR figure.
    http://www.gymgoal.com/dtools.html
  • ChristineRoze
    ChristineRoze Posts: 212 Member
    The fact you won't open your diary speaks volumes. You don't even need to say anything else. You know you eat too much, you know EXACTLY what the problem is. What it actually comes down to is that you don't actually want help, you either want attention/validation or you want to find an excuse that you can use to justify your weight. Maybe at first you wanted to lose weight but now you've reached a point where you're not losing weight eating the way you want so you want a reason to give up. Sorry not sorry.
    There is nothing else to the posts OP is making. Move on everyone.

    Wow. That's compassionate. I always wonder if people like this live their lives like this or they just project this into the internet. Or if they've never suffered any hardships themselves. What a rough upbringing that must result in such lack of empathy. But, then again, when I was 22, I thought everything was black and white too.

    She didn't even say anything that was harsh? It sounds pretty dead on actually haha. When someone asks for help and really wants it they will spend the time listening rather then arguing every time someone comes up with a suggestion. The OP could of been more open minded and also opened her diary. It seems she's very closed and even though it appears like she wants help, she's making excuses/shutting down every reply. She basically wants people to turn around and say "you can't lose weight you're doomed you may as well eat what you want" This is the vibe i get from it.

    The reason i feel strongly about this is because my mother is very similar, she is large and wants to lose weight but when we all suggest things for her she turns around with constant "reasons" as to why we are incorrect. Some people just can't be helped.
  • kethry70
    kethry70 Posts: 404 Member
    I have been dieting and exercising for years and am still very overweight.

    This stands out to me.

    You have very likely burned off a decent amount of muscle mass through those years and attempts, such that your metabolism and what you burn daily is much less than it otherwise would have been.

    So the BodyMedia is starting with a BMR assumption based on age, weight, height, and average ratio of fat to non-fat mass, and adjusts from there.

    But burning off muscle mass and having more fat mass for given weight will throw those formulas way off.

    It could be estimating 400-600 calorie higher than reality very easily.

    Also, some activities with lots of arm movement it could over-estimate calorie burn, but others with little movement like lifting it would under-estimate.

    Take a look at your night time sleeping stats on BodyMedia, the cal / min burn rate while you sleep. Look for the average low that is given. If it always bounces between say 1.1 and 1.2 per minute, that it's trying to say 1.15 per minute.

    ..... Snipped

    She apparently had her BMR medically tested with some machine (vo2?). She's not going off of online calculators or even her burn from the body media. She is eating just over her measured bmr
  • thavoice
    thavoice Posts: 1,326 Member
    850 calories for 45 minutes of cardio seems a tad high to me...
    TDEE minus RMR does not just include your workout.

    TDEE = RMR + TEF + NEAT + EPOC + Exercise

    http://www.acefitness.org/certifiednewsarticle/2882/resting-metabolic-rate-best-ways-to-measure-it-and/
    850 cal burned in cardio. that is around 7 plus miles of running and you really think u did that equivalent in 45 min? yeai right.
  • kethry70
    kethry70 Posts: 404 Member
    850 calories for 45 minutes of cardio seems a tad high to me...
    TDEE minus RMR does not just include your workout.

    TDEE = RMR + TEF + NEAT + EPOC + Exercise

    http://www.acefitness.org/certifiednewsarticle/2882/resting-metabolic-rate-best-ways-to-measure-it-and/
    850 cal burned in cardio. that is around 7 plus miles of running and you really think u did that equivalent in 45 min? yeai right.

    Read the thread. Her estimated burn above BMR is 850 - which is very reasonable for all activity and exercise and thermogenic effect of food when awake
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
    I have been dieting and exercising for years and am still very overweight.

    This stands out to me.

    You have very likely burned off a decent amount of muscle mass through those years and attempts, such that your metabolism and what you burn daily is much less than it otherwise would have been.

    So the BodyMedia is starting with a BMR assumption based on age, weight, height, and average ratio of fat to non-fat mass, and adjusts from there.

    But burning off muscle mass and having more fat mass for given weight will throw those formulas way off.

    It could be estimating 400-600 calorie higher than reality very easily.

    Also, some activities with lots of arm movement it could over-estimate calorie burn, but others with little movement like lifting it would under-estimate.

    Take a look at your night time sleeping stats on BodyMedia, the cal / min burn rate while you sleep. Look for the average low that is given. If it always bounces between say 1.1 and 1.2 per minute, that it's trying to say 1.15 per minute.

    ..... Snipped

    She apparently had her BMR medically tested with some machine (vo2?). She's not going off of online calculators or even her burn from the body media. She is eating just over her measured bmr

    That's actually not that high of a tested RMR (not BMR) with 196 lbs to go.

    And I see reference being made to BodyMedia estimates of calories burned, and the math from that to what is being eaten - not that anything regarding her RMR was used as basis for math.

    Because that RMR could still be lower by 400-600 than expected for her size and age, which BodyMedia would be starting with, but very correct based on BMR calculated from bodyfat %, which BodyMedia is NOT using, but if the sensors work well, could be trying to adjust to.
  • al142
    al142 Posts: 35 Member
    Someone mentioned sleep eating - this isn't so farfetched. It is well documented as a side effect in some people who take Ambien, for example. If your numbers really don't add up, and you are taking a sleep aid such as Ambien that can cause amnesia, then I'd look into it.
  • kethry70
    kethry70 Posts: 404 Member
    She apparently had her BMR medically tested with some machine (vo2?). She's not going off of online calculators or even her burn from the body media. She is eating just over her measured bmr

    That's actually not that high of a tested RMR (not BMR) with 196 lbs to go.

    And I see reference being made to BodyMedia estimates of calories burned, and the math from that to what is being eaten - not that anything regarding her RMR was used as basis for math.

    Because that RMR could still be lower by 400-600 than expected for her size and age, which BodyMedia would be starting with, but very correct based on BMR calculated from bodyfat %, which BodyMedia is NOT using, but if the sensors work well, could be trying to adjust to.

    My point was not whtehr or not her BMR was impaired vs what it should be statistically. My point was that if she has truly been eatiing <= BMR+100 for 2 months, she absolutely would have lost weight. Therefore the most likely culprit is inaccurate logging and second is some other undiagnosed condition that a whole battery of tests missed

    My BMR is likely to be impaired but I can still lose weight if I am sufficiently strict with my logging. When I was on a 6 month plateau, I knew what the problem was - I wasn't logging as well as I should be or I was logging but I was allowing myself way more cheats than I should and effectively eating at maintenance *shrug*
  • kelleybean1
    kelleybean1 Posts: 312 Member
    The fact you won't open your diary speaks volumes. You don't even need to say anything else. You know you eat too much, you know EXACTLY what the problem is. What it actually comes down to is that you don't actually want help, you either want attention/validation or you want to find an excuse that you can use to justify your weight. Maybe at first you wanted to lose weight but now you've reached a point where you're not losing weight eating the way you want so you want a reason to give up. Sorry not sorry.
    There is nothing else to the posts OP is making. Move on everyone.

    Wow. That's compassionate. I always wonder if people like this live their lives like this or they just project this into the internet. Or if they've never suffered any hardships themselves. What a rough upbringing that must result in such lack of empathy. But, then again, when I was 22, I thought everything was black and white too.

    She didn't even say anything that was harsh? It sounds pretty dead on actually haha. When someone asks for help and really wants it they will spend the time listening rather then arguing every time someone comes up with a suggestion. The OP could of been more open minded and also opened her diary. It seems she's very closed and even though it appears like she wants help, she's making excuses/shutting down every reply. She basically wants people to turn around and say "you can't lose weight you're doomed you may as well eat what you want" This is the vibe i get from it.

    The reason i feel strongly about this is because my mother is very similar, she is large and wants to lose weight but when we all suggest things for her she turns around with constant "reasons" as to why we are incorrect. Some people just can't be helped.

    ^This. If she really wanted help, she'd open her diary and quit with the excuses. Being honest and not sugar-coating things isn't being harsh or rude IMO.
  • Unknown
    Unknown
    This content has been removed.
  • EbonyAries
    EbonyAries Posts: 19
    I have an answer, you are eating in your sleep. The end!
  • katey1240
    katey1240 Posts: 18 Member
    I agree with you 100%.
  • dpollet2
    dpollet2 Posts: 68 Member
    Uh, doctors are people. They get into ruts. If you want a test done, by all means, ask your doctor to order it. If it's not crazy expensive they shouldn't have a problem with it. Geez...
  • dpollet2
    dpollet2 Posts: 68 Member
    Ask your doctor to do a Candidia test. Candidia is something that very few doctors, nutritionists, anyone ever thinks of but is the reason why a lot of people can not lose weight. I had the same problem, found out I had candidia, starting taking medicine and I have lost three pounds in three days!

    Let's not start telling people to tell their doctors how to do their jobs.
    In response to this, btw.
  • albayin
    albayin Posts: 2,524 Member
    Sleep eating?

    Remember one episode of "House, MD" where a woman had sex with her ex(her neighbor as well) and got prego...but she refused to admit that was true....
  • OkamiLavande
    OkamiLavande Posts: 336 Member
    My sister used to sleep eat so it's not really all that far-fetched in my opinion. She ate almost an entire packet of my pinwheels once. I had one left when I woke up. She hasn't done it in awhile, but it does happen.
  • wahmx3
    wahmx3 Posts: 633 Member
    With 186 pounds to lose, your metabolism is very messed up and it will take more than 2 months of eating the right amount and exercising to fix it properly. With that said, i didn't read through all the replies, you asked for help, so I don't understand why you won't open up your diary. We are here to help you....we can offer suggestions if we can see the whole picture.
  • cydulrich
    cydulrich Posts: 12 Member
    My friend is a doctor, and she was very obese. She volunteered for a study where she went away with others to a clinic in AZ and they were put on a 500 calorie a day diet and did light workouts. She gained weight. Turned out she had a hormone imbalance that made her metabolism non-existent. She now is seeing a Chiropractor that specializes in weight loss. She has lost 22 pounds in 5 weeks. He keeps her on a strict diet that he designs for each patient himself. She goes to his office 3 times a week and they do a workout. She seems to like it, but says the diet is very boring and restricted.

    I am reasonably confident that there is much more to this story than you are describing as gaining weight on 500 calories per day while exercising is physically impossible with the exception of water weight which any credible study on weight loss would measure.

    The fact that a chiropractor was the eventual solution and that an educated person would consult one for weightloss leaves me baffled as well.

    I don't think many physicians refer to their chiropractors for weight loss. That whole story is fishy.
    ....


    No offense, but you people seem out of touch. Google it and you will find many threads explaining it to you. Chiropractic care is not the old fashioned business it use to be of just adjusting spines. They specialize in holistic medicine, massage therapy, helping the obese, even special diets and products. They also do sports medicine. It is an up and coming way to deal with obesity and poor nutrition choices. I am really amazed that some posters here are so hostile to any new ways of approaching weight loss. But more than that, why in the world would anyone come to this site and make up BS? It is not like this is some radical political chat room. :smile:

Categories