Two weeks-no noticeable loss-cant eat enough?

cosmicvomit
cosmicvomit Posts: 6
in Health and Weight Loss
I'm 140lbs, aiming to weigh more around 115/120. I'm not measuring by weight however but by dress tape around my waist.
I started at 131, and am now at about 130 most times.
Ive been logging my food, and lifting for two weeks now but I dont feel like I'm losing any fat mass.
I think it could be do to under eating my net calories, but I'm not sure.

I often work two jobs a day, keeping me on my feet for about 12hours.
When I add this as my exercise for the day it adds about another 1000 calorie deficit to my net.
At the end of a work day, my net calories are usually around 500-800.

So I fear my slow loss is due to under eating?

My problem is,
I cant seem to eat enough to maintain a good 1000-1400 calorie daily net.
I simply get way too full.
I eat four meals a day-
a 500 calorie breakfast, (almost always lentils with two eggs)
200 cal lunch
300 cal snack
200 cal dinner
200 cal snack after work.

In others opinions, am I eating too little?
Would eating more calorie rich foods help?
What are calorie rich foods that arent just crap? ( Food that isnt grilled cheese, chips and cake.)

Replies

  • Faye_Anderson
    Faye_Anderson Posts: 1,495 Member
    If you were doing your 2 jobs before you started on your weight loss they should be part of your daily activity NOT added exercise. Useful information would be age, height, an open diary. Are you weighing and accurately logging all your food?
  • Velum_cado
    Velum_cado Posts: 1,608 Member
    Well, no, it doesn't sound like you're eating enough, but weight loss doesn't stop when you eat very little, so it's unlikely that's your problem. Are you sure you're getting the calories you think you are? It's really easy to underestimate how much you actually eat.
  • JustAnotherGirlSuzanne
    JustAnotherGirlSuzanne Posts: 932 Member
    You shouldn't count your regular daily activities as exercise. Just change your activity level to "active" rather than the more inactive options. Then you can log your extra physical activities such as playing a sport, walking to work, etc.
  • JustAnotherGirlSuzanne
    JustAnotherGirlSuzanne Posts: 932 Member
    In others opinions, am I eating too little?

    How much are you grossing in calories per day? Also, how tall are you?
    Would eating more calorie rich foods help? What are calorie rich foods that arent just crap? ( Food that isnt grilled cheese, chips and cake.)

    peanut butter, trail mix, etc.
  • johnbrewer007
    johnbrewer007 Posts: 1 Member
    HI! I'm no expert in nutrition but have learned a little as a nurse and one who has weight problems. Sometimes one hits a plateau for what seems forever. This may be happening right now. One important issue- what is your water intake? Plenty of water is necessary for fat burning. Perhaps 7-8 ounces glasses of water daily would be good for your weight. Secondly, protein intake is important- 1 gram per lb of body weight is required for one lifting weights. A good divison of calroies might be 30% protein, 55% carbohydrates and 15% fat. Below are two sites to consider for nutrient dense foods and nutrition during weight training.-

    http://authoritynutrition.com/11-most-nutrient-dense-foods-on-the-planet/

    http://www.leehayward.com/protein_part1.htm

    I hope that helps a little. Good luck in reaching your goals

    John
  • cosmicvomit
    cosmicvomit Posts: 6
    Thank you for the reference links.
    And as for water I carry a water bottle and drink about 90oz of water a day.
  • cosmicvomit
    cosmicvomit Posts: 6
    You shouldn't count your regular daily activities as exercise. Just change your activity level to "active" rather than the more inactive options. Then you can log your extra physical activities such as playing a sport, walking to work, etc.

    I have it set to active.
    Are you saying I should stop counting my work as exercise?

    Im a line cook for 6 hours a day, and a warehouse grunt for 5.
    If I dont calculate that, and just set it for active the site says I should be eating only 1200 a day.
  • cosmicvomit
    cosmicvomit Posts: 6
    If you were doing your 2 jobs before you started on your weight loss they should be part of your daily activity NOT added exercise. Useful information would be age, height, an open diary. Are you weighing and accurately logging all your food?

    I dont weigh myself, but measure myself.
    I wasnt working this much when I started dieting, I went from largely sedentary to 12 hour work days about two weeks ago.


    Oh and I'm 21, 140lbs and 5'6".
    I'm not overweight, but my I cant fit my old clothes so I'm trying to get back to 120.
  • cosmicvomit
    cosmicvomit Posts: 6
    I just changed my activity to very active, my calories went up to 1500.
    Should I just eat that?
  • caracrawford1
    caracrawford1 Posts: 657 Member
    I think I understand what's going on. It sounds like you have it set to active for your job which is already factoring in those calories and you're adding them in AGAIN as exercise (double dipping) am I correct? If so that may be your problem.
  • cosmicvomit
    cosmicvomit Posts: 6
    I think I understand what's going on. It sounds like you have it set to active for your job which is already factoring in those calories and you're adding them in AGAIN as exercise (double dipping) am I correct? If so that may be your problem.
    So I should only be eating 1500?
  • Sigmalongshot
    Sigmalongshot Posts: 24
    Judging by medical text, the average 9-year old child should consume 1800 calories per day. Now, taking into account activity and growth, that's pretty accurate. A person of relative size and activity would probably consume a similar amount of calories (activity decrease plus mass increase).

    So eating below this at an adult level should (logically) be a universal basic deficit.

    Of course, we're not all the same!

    I personally suffered an eating disorder and dropped a huge amount of weight unhealthily and it devastated my metabolism. I now gain weight at an inordinately small amount of calories.

    Sounds almost bizarre, but your body gets so used to being punished by a tiny intake that it preserves by clinging to small intakes - now, I gain almost daily by eating 1800 calories.

    Going below the medical standard of 1500 minimum calories does... it DOES - devastate your body. It's possible your body is clinging to such a low intake in desperation.

    (this is only past personal experience talking, here.)
  • caracrawford1
    caracrawford1 Posts: 657 Member
    I think I understand what's going on. It sounds like you have it set to active for your job which is already factoring in those calories and you're adding them in AGAIN as exercise (double dipping) am I correct? If so that may be your problem.
    So I should only be eating 1500?
    either set your activity to sedentary and add in your exercise cals (if you feel that is more accurate for your situation) OR set it to active and go by the goal it sets for you. If you add in your activity AND set it to active, you are "double dipping". Its the equivalent of pre-including your exercise in your day and then going back and adding in the exercise calories as if they weren't already included.
    Now,if you are working out in addition to your regular active job, what I would do is set it to active, then on the days you workout add in your exercise cals. That way you don't have to estimate your work activity in addition to adding in your workout.

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