Am I eating ENOUGH for weight loss?

caseyberner2
caseyberner2 Posts: 8
in Health and Weight Loss
So it has been about 2 months now on a new diet and exercise routine and the scale hasn't moved. We've ALL heard this story before especially on this forum but I feel like mine is different and hope to get some insight from you helpful people.

A few things of note:
Stats: 6'3 236lbs 23.5%BF Male 23yo
-I track next to everything in MFP in terms of nutrition.
-I track weight with my FitBit Aria
-I track calories burned during workouts with a HRM.
-I workout 4 times a week.
-My workouts are body zone focused with couplets of weight training and then a bodyweight cardio move (bench press/burpee OR Squat/Wall Ball).
-Burning about 700-1200 cals in each workout.
-Eating about 1900-2100cals a day (lower on non workout days).
-Eating healthy high protien, low carb and fat diet of foods like chicken, turkey, eggs, oats, etc (clean eating as much as I can)
-I have a desk job but I do get up and move around a lot carrying heavy camera equipment around the office.

So with all that...I have no idea why I am no loosing the lbs. Someone suggest I am not eating enough? But my muscle mass nor my body fat is moving either way. It's like im consistently constant. What GIVES?

Replies

  • WalkingAlong
    WalkingAlong Posts: 4,926 Member
    What does your TDEE come out to, from a site like IIFYM or something? Or how much does MFP tell you to eat, at least? How long are those workouts? Are you saying any bodily changes-- clothes fitting better, etc.?
  • AmyRhubarb
    AmyRhubarb Posts: 6,890 Member
    Hmmm....one thing that jumps out at me is your calorie goal - I'm older, workout less, and am female and I eat about what you do. :tongue: So I would agree with people who say that you could stand to eat more.

    Is your calorie goal from MFP or did you calculate it elsewhere? And do you eat back exercise cals at all?

    Any change in measurements or how clothes fit? Have you taken any progress photos for comparison?
  • NinaSharp
    NinaSharp Posts: 101 Member
    Hmmm....one thing that jumps out at me is your calorie goal - I'm older, workout less, and am female and I eat about what you do. :tongue: So I would agree with people who say that you could stand to eat more.

    Is your calorie goal from MFP or did you calculate it elsewhere? And do you eat back exercise cals at all?

    Any change in measurements or how clothes fit? Have you taken any progress photos for comparison?

    This. I eat more than you do. I'm a lady that weighs 141, and am 27. Seems low.
  • tawny7
    tawny7 Posts: 276 Member
    You probably need to eat more. Try doing a day of higher carbs and then 3 days of lower carbs. Have you changed up your workouts?

    That's all I got. :flowerforyou:
  • fiveohmike
    fiveohmike Posts: 1,297 Member
    According to Scooby your Maintain TDEE (3-5 hours exercise a week) - is 3614. A 20% deficit is 2891 calories.

    As the ladies here who eat more than you said...maybe you can stand to eat a bit more :)
  • caseyberner2
    caseyberner2 Posts: 8
    WOW. My TDEE is 3056 and BMR 2150. Clearly I am starving myself and sending my body into survival mode without even knowing.

    I am seeing minor changes physically and I really do need to take a progress photo (but I am so self conscious...)

    I am not sure what you mean by eating back exercise cals. Workouts are about 1-1.5 hours.
  • WBB55
    WBB55 Posts: 4,131 Member
    Do you weigh your food with a digital scale? I know you said you track everything you eat, but are you weighing it in grams to make sure you have the serving sizes correct? Just a question, I don't mean to imply you aren't. I just don't think you mentioned it.
  • caseyberner2
    caseyberner2 Posts: 8
    Hey no worries! Everyone is here to help. Yes I do use a digital scale and measure all foods. I even scan bar codes and search out nutritional info at restaurants. The data side of all this is what makes it fun for me (nerd...i know -) and keeps me going.
  • caseyberner2
    caseyberner2 Posts: 8
    SO HELP ME UNDERSTAND TDEE. If it is ~ 3100 and 15-20% is 2635-2480 that is the calories I should shoot for a day? And I do not calculate in any calories lost from workouts?
  • fiveohmike
    fiveohmike Posts: 1,297 Member
    SO HELP ME UNDERSTAND TDEE. If it is ~ 3100 and 15-20% is 2635-2480 that is the calories I should shoot for a day? And I do not calculate in any calories lost from workouts?

    That sounds about right. Just take your TDEE and take 15-20% and eat those calories without eating back "exercise" calories as they are already factored in if you are setting the TDDE Calc right.
  • QuietBloom
    QuietBloom Posts: 5,413 Member
    FWIW, if you aren't losing weight, you aren't in a deficit.

    1) Your calorie burns seem really high. If you are using the calorie burn your HRM is giving you, don't. HRM always give an inflated estimate. This online calculator is the one I always use for calculating my gross and then my net calories burned.

    http://www.shapesense.com/fitness-exercise/calculators/heart-rate-based-calorie-burn-calculator.aspx

    I believe the discrepancy is due to HRM giving you a gross calorie estimate instead of the net.

    2} Your calories in has got to be off somewhere, because your numbers just don't add up. Food scale? Cups and measuring spoons?

    Of course, the goal is to lose weight while eating as much as you can. Unless you have metabolized all of your body fat, your body is not going to go into starvation mode.
  • caseyberner2
    caseyberner2 Posts: 8
    QuietBloom - That was my feeling. Some data has to be wrong somewhere and that is what I am trying to figure out.

    - I used your calculator and it is right in line with my HRM. I am using a chest strap Polar HRM.
    - I use a scale, measuring cups, etc and I scan barcodes (even when I change brand of chicken breast! lol).


    - I plan to be as close to 100% compliant this week and track everything to see if I cannot pinpoint the issue.

    Here is a thought, has anyone ever had issues with the Aria first thing in the morning not getting a good reading? While I haven't taken progress photos, I feel like clothing is fitting better and at least some change has happened somewhere. I've heard hydration in the morning can throw a BF% scale off. Just a thought. Really I am baffled by this so I am exploring all possibilities.
  • QuietBloom
    QuietBloom Posts: 5,413 Member
    QuietBloom - That was my feeling. Some data has to be wrong somewhere and that is what I am trying to figure out.

    - I used your calculator and it is right in line with my HRM. I am using a chest strap Polar HRM.
    - I use a scale, measuring cups, etc and I scan barcodes (even when I change brand of chicken breast! lol).


    - I plan to be as close to 100% compliant this week and track everything to see if I cannot pinpoint the issue.

    Here is a thought, has anyone ever had issues with the Aria first thing in the morning not getting a good reading? While I haven't taken progress photos, I feel like clothing is fitting better and at least some change has happened somewhere. I've heard hydration in the morning can throw a BF% scale off. Just a thought. Really I am baffled by this so I am exploring all possibilities.

    So you first got your gross burn number and then plugged that into the net burn (second calculator) calculator? And your HRM agreed? Wonders never cease.

    I'm confident that if you keep looking, you will find where you have gone wrong. For instance, you say you scan the barcodes of your chicken. All chicken should be same if you weigh it. For instance, 1 oz of skinless breast is going to be 99.9% the same number of calories no matter what the brand is. What matters is that you weigh it.

    Keep in mind also, that if you use a lot of pre-made or boxed foods, the law only requires their calorie counts to be within 20%. That can really add up.
  • caseyberner2
    caseyberner2 Posts: 8
    By saying I scan every chicken breast I eat I was making a point. Haha

    I'm also eating very clean...baked chicken, green beans or snap peas, extra lean turkey, sweet potatos, eggs, oats, black coffee in the morning, 0% greek yogurt...etc.
  • QuietBloom
    QuietBloom Posts: 5,413 Member
    By saying I scan every chicken breast I eat I was making a point. Haha

    I'm also eating very clean...baked chicken, green beans or snap peas, extra lean turkey, sweet potatos, eggs, oats, black coffee in the morning, 0% greek yogurt...etc.

    So called 'clean eating' is meaningless, because there are so many different definitions of what people personally think are 'clean' and 'dirty' foods. What matters is hitting your macros, and you can do that on all kinds of foods. Some people think if you eat only 'healthy' foods will will lose weight, or you will not gain. As long as you understand that that is false, it's all good.

    Are you logging all condiments if you use any? If you diary is open, I'll take a peek at it. ETA: OK, so it's not open. If you can make it public that would be helpful, since in your case, it's not clear what is going on.

    Also, you didn't clear up that you calculated your NET and not your GROSS burn from HRM. Sorry to be picky, but the details are important. :smile:
  • lindsey1979
    lindsey1979 Posts: 2,395 Member
    I agree with QuietBloom, something seems very far off here. My fiance is about the same as you (6'5" and 230) and he would have dropped like 20 lbs by now if he was eating/working out as you do. For two months, something is definitely up.

    I suggest that you weigh every single thing. I know it's a hassle, but you need to get the best numbers out there. And, it seems like you like data (as do I). If you do that for a solid month, you may find that you had missed some things and you're eating more than you think. But, if you're confident in your food numbers -- weighing every gram that goes into your mouth (except liquids -- those you can measure by volume) -- then, it's probably time to go to the doctor to see what's up.

    Also, hard to see what you're doing exactly exercise-wise, but I'd strongly suggest you start lifting heavy right. Starting Strength, Stronglifts, etc. sort of work-out. You're at the tail end of the prime age when putting on muscle is the easiest.
  • caseyberner2
    caseyberner2 Posts: 8

    Are you logging all condiments if you use any? If you diary is open, I'll take a peek at it. ETA: OK, so it's not open. If you can make it public that would be helpful, since in your case, it's not clear what is going on.

    It is open now. Monday - Friday is a good representation of an average week.
  • shadow2soul
    shadow2soul Posts: 7,692 Member

    -My workouts are body zone focused with couplets of weight training and then a bodyweight cardio move (bench press/burpee OR Squat/Wall Ball).
    -Burning about 700-1200 cals in each workout.

    HRM's are only accurate for steady state cardio. The further away from steady state cardio you get, the more inaccurate the calorie burn becomes.
  • caseyberner2
    caseyberner2 Posts: 8
    HRM's are only accurate for steady state cardio. The further away from steady state cardio you get, the more inaccurate the calorie burn becomes.

    I use it more to be aware of how hard I work. I do not log those cals anywhere.

    I have a slight breathing problem and a HRM lets me know when I need to take a few more seconds in between sets.

    I know with couplet lifting it's not the most accurate but I can see averages, zones and whatnot to get a good idea of how hard I went that day. I switch between a week of heavy lifting (lower cals on the HRM) and a week of high reps and shorter breaks between sets (more cals on the HRM). I never eat back these calories.

    More for HR data and general sense of a workout (There is a physical difference in how I feel after a workout when my HRM says 700 and 1300 burned).

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