Need MFP help on this one.

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dmklsimons
dmklsimons Posts: 4 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I am 5, 8" and 210 and 45 yrs old. I have lost 86 lbs since last Sep 2013. MFP lowered my calorie intake to 1280 calories when I reached 210. I had is set to lose 2 lbs a week and it was working. When it dropped my calories to 1280 a day I began to struggle with this little intake. I was too hungry. I decreased the settings to 1.5 lbs a week. This put my calories at around 1550. I can live with this...but now I have stopped losing weight. I have gone up two pounds or down two pounds for the last 6 weeks. I cant seem to push on downward. What is the deal? No other changes. I have tried eating more..but then I gain a pound or two...then I push lower cal intake and lose back the two...then nothing. I am at a loss.

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  • whyyesitsneke
    whyyesitsneke Posts: 47
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    I know a big factor for me is water intake in my hunger and the types of food that I eat to fill me up. For example, celery fills the stomach without filling the calories, so it's a go-to snack for many on diets.

    Also, if you want to stay below the calories and stay full, more meals throughout the day does help.

    You may want to eat the 1500 calories but exercise more as well. When you're heavy, weight tends to come off easier with just changes to food intake but as you get smaller, exercise becomes a necessary ingredient as well!
  • dmklsimons
    dmklsimons Posts: 4 Member
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    I work out two to three times a week. I eat back most of my calories. I really have not changed anything other than Ihave to work out harder to get the same calories burned as I did before due to losing so much weight and getting in better physical shape.
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,268 Member
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    do you weigh your solids? measure liquids? log accurately by choosing the correct entries? and consistently everyday..every meal?

    perhaps try eating back only 50% of your exercise calories...MFP can over estimate on those.

    with your diary closed it's hard to pin point.

    But I know when I was upping my calories slowly to get to maitenance I would see the scale go up if I did it too quick...glycogen stores being replenished etc. If you are exercising "harder" you could be retaining water.
  • whyyesitsneke
    whyyesitsneke Posts: 47
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    I know Ive been told many times not to eat back all my calories.
  • Booda101
    Booda101 Posts: 161 Member
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    Have you figured out your TDEE and BMR?

    http://iifym.com/tdee-calculator/


    It's recommended to subtract 15-20% from your TDEE to get your daily goal.
  • dmklsimons
    dmklsimons Posts: 4 Member
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    Yes I measure solids and liquids. If I had not I don't think I could have lost the 86 so far. I will check out the BMR can and the TDEE cal and see if they agree. Start eating back only half my exercise calories as well.
  • ParkerH47
    ParkerH47 Posts: 463 Member
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    I would think about putting your calories at 1500 and not eating back ANY exercise calories. Or at least only do so if your hungry and feel you really need it. If that doesn't work for you try doing like 1400 calories and then eating back exercise calories.

    Its all about what works for you and your life - try experimenting. The equations are general, so its hard for them to be right for every single person.
  • amusedmonkey
    amusedmonkey Posts: 10,330 Member
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    Have you considered slowing down your loss? I mean instead of losing 2 pounds try 1.5 or even 1. I'm where you are and I do feel the burn of not having as much leeway as I did when I was 300+ pounds. You are probably already out of the critical morbidly obese zone so it's okay to take your time. Things will only get harder as you itch your way towards your goal weight, so don't burn out now when you are more than halfway there already. Just see how much intake is comfortable for you and stick to it.

    You are probably in the burn out phase. I've been there. Turns out I was eating more than I thought I was (forgot to log this apple or that piece of cheese) and working out less than I thought I was (not giving it my all during exercise). For me, eating at maintenance for some time fixed it, and I came back with vengeance, for you or someone else it may be something else. Explore your options and try things out.. I wish you the best of luck.

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