daily deficit of +/- 1000 cals, not losing weight! why?!

worldtravlerhn
worldtravlerhn Posts: 4 Member
in Motivation and Support
Hey everyone,

Okay, so, I am a 30 year old woman, 5 ft 4in, currently at 242 *whoa!*. BMR is 1867. I'm taking in 1000-1600 cals a day and burning 500 to 1000 a day. My Deficit Is Usually Between 800 AND 1000 On Most days.
I am not loosing weight. In fact, I gained a lb. I have never had trouble loosing weight before this, so it's really frustrating because I'm working my a** off (or trying to! ).
I have never eaten a lot of junk, so there's not much to cut out. Never drink soda, etc. A lot of things other fat people can cut out to loose, I already don't consume, so I figured the only way for me to loose weight is a higher deficit. BUT IT'S NOT WORKING! What am I doing wrong, or should I be doing differently?! Thanks!

Replies

  • 3laine75
    3laine75 Posts: 3,069 Member
    Not logging accurately.

    Or, if you're new to exercising, you're storing some water (for repair).
  • PennyHartz
    PennyHartz Posts: 49 Member
    I imagine you're overestimating how many calories you are burning. What are you using to determine those numbers? Do you weigh all your food?
  • worldtravlerhn
    worldtravlerhn Posts: 4 Member
    Penny, I use the Strava and map my fitness apps. However, even if my estimated calories burned is higher than they really are, I'm still burning something and taking in less than my BMR- so shouldn't I be loosing anyway??:/
  • worldtravlerhn
    worldtravlerhn Posts: 4 Member
    I log absolutely everything. I do weigh, but I also round my calories up when I log in case I am off. I'm not sure what else I can do to be more accurate.
  • meshashesha2012
    meshashesha2012 Posts: 8,329 Member
    how do you know thats your BMR? those numbers are just based on formula and yours can be under or over.

    the best way to determine that is to spend a few weeks tracking your food and seeing how your body responds. by doing that i discoveed that i need about 300 calories more for maintenance than equations give me.
  • mactaffy84
    mactaffy84 Posts: 398 Member
    I feel your pain. You do everything you are supposed to do, and it doesn't seem like anything is working. But the above poster is right - BMR equations are just a rough estimate, an average, and it might not be reflecting what your numbers truly are. You just have to play around with your intake and exercising to find the right combination of the two for you to lose weight.
  • itsbasschick
    itsbasschick Posts: 1,584 Member
    my BMR as calculated by various calculators is way over my reality as i have less muscle and more fat than the average person my height at age - by 25%. that means i need many less calories by far than those calculators, including those in apps. you can experiment with food amounts and how your body responds.

    btw, i'm only an inch shorter than you are, and i eat 1200 net calories per day - i do eat back some of my exercise calories when hungry, usually with protein. i was eating that 1200 net calories when i weighed 184 and i eat it now at 168, and i'm only losing 1 pound per week at that 1200 net calories, so i'm sure i'm not under eating. my BMR on MFP is 1368, but i only eat that on heavy exercise days, and i feel fine.
  • Surly71
    Surly71 Posts: 8 Member
    Feeling for you mate as I'm doing the same thing and trying to lose weight, however my calorie intake is roughly 1600 calories and I burn 500 to 700 a day cycling. Fat intake is well below what MFP recommends and carb content is within 15% to 20% under what MFP says. Protein I find is harder to get up to what MFP says without having to spend shed loads on lean meat.
    What I will say is MFP and strava and map my fitness calorie count is overstated by at least 35%. I thought I was doing ace burning 500 calories going to work cycling. But at 8 miles 500 calories is a lot and way above the 30 to 35 calories per mile that is usually estimated for a cyclist, so my actual calorie estimate is 8 miles times 30 calories, 240 calories. May my fitness states 450 and strava states about 500, which is way overstated. I proved this by using a Garmin cycling computer with HRM, cadence monitor and as I found my Garmin states roughly 250 calories for the trip I make. So if you want to use Strava then you may have to adjust what MFP says or re-edit your strava calories on their website.
    I'm finding I'm having to increase my calories intake a bit due to my BRM of 1773. The human body is so efficient at what it does over time, that you do have to trick it every 3 to 4 weeks.
    Best of luck and keep reading the stuff on MFP and before you try anything on a whim, make sure you find good consistent approach's other people are using who have a similar situation to yourself. The normal Dogma we've been told for years doesn't suit everyone so listen to your body and learn about it.
  • worldtravlerhn
    worldtravlerhn Posts: 4 Member
    thanks for all of the advice. I'm not sure what to do from here. Do I cut my caloric intake even more, keep my exercise (jog 3-7 miles a day) the same, and see if that Kick starts my weight loss? Do I up my caloric intake and see if that works? I've always done low carb before and had great results, low cal seems so much more complicated! Lol
  • _HeartsOnFire_
    _HeartsOnFire_ Posts: 5,304 Member
    Have you taken measurements? Are your clothes fitting better?

    My scale hasn't moved in 2 months (water repair since I started lifting) however all my measurements are smaller. I've lost inches and all my clothes fit better.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants
  • AnnaVee84
    AnnaVee84 Posts: 345 Member
    thanks for all of the advice. I'm not sure what to do from here. Do I cut my caloric intake even more, keep my exercise (jog 3-7 miles a day) the same, and see if that Kick starts my weight loss?

    Please do not eat less than 1200 cals, or less than your RMR, a day! Do you know your RMR? I am shorter than you and eat more than 1200 in a day; You need energy for your exercise, daily activity and to fuel your body, and doing such a heavy cut could just make you tired, hangry, and is no fun to maintain in the long term! Cause that's what we're aiming for here right, a long term approach to diet and exercise!

    How are you logging your foods - do you weigh your foods or are estimating intake? Are you also logging the little things that can add up, like butter or olive oil when cooking, salad dressings, condiments, etc?

    If your food diary was public, it'd be easier to see what changes can be made. Also how long have you been logging food and exercise - remember this takes time!
  • charles91108
    charles91108 Posts: 7 Member
    How long have you been trying for? With respect to exercise, being realistic, it's about 60-80 calories burned per mile "jogging".

    Here is a good read: http://www.runnersworld.com/weight-loss/how-many-calories-are-you-really-burning?page=single
    TL;DR:
    Your Total Calorie Burn/Mile
    Running: .75 x your weight (in lbs.)
    Walking: .53 x your weight
    Your Net Calorie Burn/Mile
    Running: .63 x your weight
    Walking: .30 x your weight
  • meshashesha2012
    meshashesha2012 Posts: 8,329 Member
    also have you confirmed that your hormones are OK? issues like insulin sensitivity, PCOS, thyroid problems, etc can also have an effect on the calories you need. blood pressure issues can also effct how much water you retain

    i definitely agree with taking pictures and measurements. sometimes the scale can be deceptive . as long as you notice that you're getting smaller, measurements changing then you are losing fat it might just take the scale a while to catch up that
  • kaotik2003
    kaotik2003 Posts: 21 Member
    It is good thet you bring up this subject because I have been talking about this with some other women around here. Calories are a reference number because it is well more complicated than that. Calories are before anything else a reference number to fat, carbs and proteins, but emember that body treats them in so many different ways.

    So please see what you are eating. I have one frien here in MFP that eats 6 slices of pizza and than skips dinner and lunch to have a deficit. You have to make your body use leptine and not make him think he is starving.

    You need a good balanced diet, low on fats, and low on carbs, but with them anyway. Please eat lots of fiber and drink water while you log all that and than do the exercises. If your body thinks he is not starving and plus the exercise you will raise your metabolsim and burn fat. Even the way you exercise counts, and you can be gaining muscles and loosing fat and so the weight does not reflect so measure your body as well.

    YOU CAN DO IT. I am here to help if you need
  • demorelli
    demorelli Posts: 508 Member
    You said your typical daily calories are 1000 to 1600. Since you're burning a lot of calories, try to keep your calories between 1500-1600 plus half the calories you burn by exercising, make sure you're drinking enough water, and track that way for a few weeks to see if it makes any difference. You may find that you have more energy for your exercise and that your body isn't trying as hard to conserve calories. I'll send you a friend request and we can talk it over if you'd like.
  • jenniferpark01
    jenniferpark01 Posts: 34 Member
    Play around with your calorie consumption. Add in 300-500 calories of good lean meats, veggies, and fruits for a week or two and see how your body responds. If that doesn't work, try dropping some of the calories.

    All of our bodies are unique and we are using mathematic formulas based on what, averages? Mix it up and listen to your body. Also, try playing around with your macro nutrients. I don't lose well with lots of carbs, so I switched it up and am doing great with more protein (I also limit the typed of carbs I eat - mostly lentils and oats)
  • collingmommy
    collingmommy Posts: 456 Member
    Hey everyone,

    Okay, so, I am a 30 year old woman, 5 ft 4in, currently at 242 *whoa!*. BMR is 1867. I'm taking in 1000-1600 cals a day and burning 500 to 1000 a day. My Deficit Is Usually Between 800 AND 1000 On Most days.
    I am not loosing weight. In fact, I gained a lb. I have never had trouble loosing weight before this, so it's really frustrating because I'm working my a** off (or trying to! ).
    I have never eaten a lot of junk, so there's not much to cut out. Never drink soda, etc. A lot of things other fat people can cut out to loose, I already don't consume, so I figured the only way for me to loose weight is a higher deficit. BUT IT'S NOT WORKING! What am I doing wrong, or should I be doing differently?! Thanks!

    Deficit is to high to sustain a healthY weight loss so you're bOdy is holding onto everything. Eat more. Help full Hunt, multiply you're weight by 10 then subtract 10 percent. Eat that, keep exercising .. problem solved
  • collingmommy
    collingmommy Posts: 456 Member
    The post that says you can gain muscle and lose fat at the same time isn't true. You can't gain muscle on a deficit. Not going to happen. Deficit is a drop in calories, to maintain means to hold onto what you got, bulk means to eat over and that is what causes muscle gain. I eat 1800 calories a day and follow if it fits your macros (iifym) and I lose inches and weight weekly. I eat poptarts, drink soda, cake, ice cream. And still lose weight. Mostly fat. Actually, 95 percent fat.
  • MrGonzo05
    MrGonzo05 Posts: 1,120 Member
    You are eating more than you think, and possibly burning less than you think.
  • PikaKnight
    PikaKnight Posts: 34,971 Member
    Could you make your diary public?
  • skotgibbs
    skotgibbs Posts: 1
    Actually you are wrong. You CAN gain muscle in a deficit, just that it is not an efficient way to do so. That way of thought is more for body builders and the like. I have been on a cut per say for 1 year and have made strength and size gains. I am staying at the same body weight but my fat has dropped and I have added a little in muscle size.
  • cblue315
    cblue315 Posts: 3,836 Member
    So sorry to hear you are stuck. I was in your place a while back and had to dramatically increase my water intake. 12 plus glasses a day to get the scale to move. Also gave up soda. Or almost. I do have 1 or 2 a week. No coffee or tea either.

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