So overwhelmed. My brain is exploding. HavenHelp please!

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rachelilly
rachelilly Posts: 62
in Getting Started
I'm not new to MFP, but I'm new to the forums here. I've been poking around/lurking but feel kind of flooded with information and I need someone to really simplify it for me. Please help :)

I've been using MFP daily since May 1st, off and on for a few years. I haven't lost any weight since late May and I'm getting ridiculously frustrated. The beginning of February I was 181 lbs and dropped 10 lbs doing nutrisystem, but then have just played the yoyo game since then.

Here are my stats:
Female
29 years old
5'5"
166 lbs
Have had 2 children
BMR is 1540
TDEE is 2380
Daily calories is 1910

I work out 5 times a week, high intensity for about 60 minutes. I typically get at least 45 minutes of intense cardio and 15-20 minutes of weight training. I just started weight training about 2 weeks ago since I've had bad neck issues in the past.

Prior to looking at what my TDEE was yesterday, I had only been eating around 1200 calories a day. Some days I would net under 500 calories.

What am I doing wrong? I feel like I'm busting my butt and nothing is happening. Today I had a 600 calorie burn and ate a total around 1900 calories. Is that really the way I should go?

Replies

  • gypsy_spirit
    gypsy_spirit Posts: 2,107 Member
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    There are some good links that have a LOT of information in them. If you've seen them, I'm sorry.

    Coming up with a plan that will work for you and be sustainable is a little tricky, but you can do it. Once you find the numbers and start being really tight on your measuring/weighing/logging - you should see some results.

    Here are the links and good luck:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1175494-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/819925-the-basics-don-t-complicate-it


    And this one is one of my favorites. It always makes me laugh. It is however, true.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/ihad/view/the-path-of-success-631437
  • gypsy_spirit
    gypsy_spirit Posts: 2,107 Member
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    Today I had a 600 calorie burn and ate a total around 1900 calories. Is that really the way I should go?

    Be sure you are not overestimating your calories burned during exercise.

    If you're deficit falls at 1900 calories, you should try and meet that every day. Today, your net calories would be 1300. That may not be enough with strength training and cardio. Plus you don't have a lot left to lose. Read the threads and see if they help you any.
  • rachelilly
    rachelilly Posts: 62
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    Today I had a 600 calorie burn and ate a total around 1900 calories. Is that really the way I should go?

    Be sure you are not overestimating your calories burned during exercise.

    If you're deficit falls at 1900 calories, you should try and meet that every day. Today, your net calories would be 1300. That may not be enough with strength training and cardio. Plus you don't have a lot left to lose. Read the threads and see if they help you any.
    I've been reading them (some of them I ran into yesterday.) It's a lot of info, which is why I'm getting overwhelmed. I feel like eating more than 1900 calories is crazy! I still have 26 lbs I want to lose (goal is 140 lbs.) So, it's still a lot in my mind. I was thinking I was eating too little and then read the article on how starvation mode is bull****.
  • TheVirgoddess
    TheVirgoddess Posts: 4,535 Member
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    1. Do you weigh your food on a scale?
    2. How do you log your exercises? (ie do you have a FitBit or a HRM)?
    3. Do you mind opening your diary?
  • rachelilly
    rachelilly Posts: 62
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    1. Do you weigh your food on a scale?
    2. How do you log your exercises? (ie do you have a FitBit or a HRM)?
    3. Do you mind opening your diary?

    1. Depends what it is. Not religiously though.
    2. I use the MFP estimates, but I typically round down a little bit since I know they overestimate.
    3. Sure ETA: the key is RachelS
  • skinnybythanksgiving
    skinnybythanksgiving Posts: 159 Member
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    Your calories are too high and/or you are estimating your food calories too low. Don't eat any exercise calories. Weigh everything on a digital scale. I maintain 120's at 1430 calories and am 5'4". Don't give up, just be consistent with your calories and reduce them.
  • Oi_Sunshine
    Oi_Sunshine Posts: 819 Member
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    Your calories are too high and/or you are estimating your food calories too low. Don't eat any exercise calories. Weigh everything on a digital scale. I maintain 120's at 1430 calories and am 5'4". Don't give up, just be consistent with your calories and reduce them.

    I agree for the most part, but eat back most of your exercise calories since you are already in a deficit. Too large of a deficit is unhealthy.
  • skinnybythanksgiving
    skinnybythanksgiving Posts: 159 Member
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    I looked at your food. Your calories are too low on some days. I see a lot of sugar choices. I gave that up while I was losing, when I added it back I packed on the pounds and am getting back off sugar now. Just something to think about. Again, I would be more consistent with weighing and measuring and sticking to a calorie goal of say 1300.
  • badcemom
    badcemom Posts: 50
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    I started using a HRM when my weight loss felt like it was slowing. MFP wasn't just overestimating my calories burned a little. It was overestimating a LOT! The one I have is the Polar FT7 and I have used it for martial arts, turbo kick, zumba, and the elliptical. I feel much more confident now that my calories are on target.
  • auntiemsgr8
    auntiemsgr8 Posts: 483 Member
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    I looked at your food. Your calories are too low on some days. I see a lot of sugar choices. I gave that up while I was losing, when I added it back I packed on the pounds and am getting back off sugar now. Just something to think about. Again, I would be more consistent with weighing and measuring and sticking to a calorie goal of say 1300.


    I disagree. If your BMR is 1500+ she should not eat 1300. You need to NET at least your BMR

    My opinion

    1. eat 1600 plus half your exercise calories.
    2. use a food scale for nearly everything. Cups hold more than what a serving size in grams says. (example if a serving size of ice cream is 1 cup/100 g you can end up with 125g if only using a measuring cup). Put your bowl on the scale and zero it out then add the ice cream and record in grams
    3. Weigh your bananas too. Same reason as number 2
    4. Read the sexy pants thread
    5. Drink 8+ glasses of water a day
    6. Oh and weigh everything

    Try this for a minimum of 2 weeks but better for one month. If you find you are not losing then reevaluate.
  • TheVirgoddess
    TheVirgoddess Posts: 4,535 Member
    Options
    1. Do you weigh your food on a scale?
    2. How do you log your exercises? (ie do you have a FitBit or a HRM)?
    3. Do you mind opening your diary?

    1. Depends what it is. Not religiously though.
    2. I use the MFP estimates, but I typically round down a little bit since I know they overestimate.
    3. Sure ETA: the key is RachelS

    Since you're not seeing any movement, I'd recommend trying to weigh everything - it might help. For example - one large banana - what's large mean? I'm pretty sure it's different for everyone, KWIM? And it doesn't seem important - what's a few grams of banana, but add it up over a week (and other small random things) and there goes your deficit.

    I just came through a month long stall - it really sucked, so I can't imagine how frustrated you are.

    A lot of people will comment on your food - less sugar! Watch the sodium! Eat less processed food! I won't. I think you should eat in a way that makes you happy and meets your goals. I eat what I want within my calorie goals and I'm down 30 so far.

    Now, you say you're at 166 - what is your goal weight?

    IMO I think you are over-estimating your burn (or MFP is). I have a FitBit, so this is easier for me, but MFP is off by a lot with my runs and stuff. When I'm in doubt, I google the exercise and use several different fitness sites to get a good feel for what I actually did.

    I'm sorry you're feeling overwhelmed. I'd pick a calorie goal (like the 1900, though that sounds high to me) and meet it, every day. Then I'd do my best to figure out my actual burn during exercises, and start with eating half your exercise calories back. Do that for a few weeks, see what's going on - if you're noticing any changes. If not, change it up again.

    It also might help to change up your exercise routine. I run, lift weights and take a dance class. I used to do bodyweight training, and zumba - it's important to keep your body challenged.

    Good luck!
  • JonathanLepoff
    JonathanLepoff Posts: 46 Member
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    If you are estimating the calories you are burning based on what exercise equipment (like elliptical trainers) or fitness pal tells you when you enter data in the exercise section you are severely overestimating the calories you are burning.
    I use a Polar heart rate monitor which is personalized for me and calculates the calories I burn. An elliptical trainer will tell me I burned twice as many calories as I actually did. The fitness Pal estimates are way off too
  • krawhitham
    krawhitham Posts: 831 Member
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    I'll try to be simple: I'm 5'4" 163 lbs. I started in January at 173 and lost 10 lbs quick without much effort. Then I stalled for 3 months :(

    My RMR is around 1700 and TDEE is around 2200

    If I exercise, I don't count it towards my calories. I eat a set amount of cals per day and exercise daily and I do not log exercise calories at all.

    I had MFP set to 1700 cals for 6 weeks and there was no change. The ONLY reason for this is that I wasn't counting properly. So, I lowered MFP to 1350 and that's what I hit or go over daily. In reality, I'm probably eating around 1500-1700 per day because I seem to naturally underestimate how much I'm eating.

    I use a food scale.
    I do some amount of exercise daily, but I have been told that sprinting is a good way to burn fat so I've started doing that instead of doing 60-minute workouts. I don't lift much.

    I hope any of those suggestions might help!! Whatever you do, don't give up. Keep trying different things until something sticks :)

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