I'm not losing anything and I don't know why

sgp1066
sgp1066 Posts: 3 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Prior to MFP I joined WW online to try to lose 20 pounds. I am 57, M, currently 220, 6'3. I gained 20 pounds after stopping smoking may 2012. I was on WW for 4 weeks and despite hitting every mark on their website and exercise I lost nothing.

I used MFP several years ago I like to food diary element so I thought I could use this in conjunction with exercise to lose weight.
Based on my 'active life style' settings I was giving approx 2000 calories a day. For 11 days I was always under or just at my Net Calorie mark, I exercised (Cardio and some weights), was well under for fat, carbs. The fat spikes that I did have were from olive oil but nothing crazy. Like maybe 1 tablespoon a day.

I have diligently entered all food, liquid, water, exercise and according to MFP I should be at 205 in 5 weeks (if everyday was like today) so imagine my frustration when yet again I get on the scale (once a week , same time, naked, first in morning) and I am still at 220.

So today I reset my settings to sedentary (which is not true) and will have 1650 calories a day. So...should I eat right up to 1650 with exercise or try to go even lower? I don't want to be in starvation mode and not eating enough has always been a problem for me.

Any suggestions would be so appreciated. I am ready to lose it.
Steve

Replies

  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    why have your settings to sedentary if its not true?

    IMO you just need to set MFP to lose 0.5lb per week and lift some heavy *kitten*
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
    Go with 1650.. Eat back 50% of your exercise calories.. Log after weighing everything on a digital scale

    Or see what happens after a month on what you're doing now as your body may well just be adjusting and wait for the whoosh of fat loss
  • StaciMarie1974
    StaciMarie1974 Posts: 4,138 Member
    Do you use a food scale?

    If you're doing everything 'right' you might just need to give it more time. Giving up after 4 weeks on one 'program' and 11 days on another could be the problem.
  • antredmond
    antredmond Posts: 27 Member
    I understand your frustration. I am almost the same height as you are and weighted about the same weight. I then started to live on 1400 cals there or there about and have seen the weight shift. I think 2000 cals a day is quite a lot so maybe cut it down to around the 1500 mark and see if that works
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    I understand your frustration. I am almost the same height as you are and weighted about the same weight. I then started to live on 1400 cals there or there about and have seen the weight shift. I think 2000 cals a day is quite a lot so maybe cut it down to around the 1500 mark and see if that works

    he's 6ft3 and 220lbs, he should not be eating 1500 cals!
  • antredmond
    antredmond Posts: 27 Member
    Well we will have to agree to differ. If he wants to shed some pounds I think its a great way to start the weight loss.
  • thegreatcanook
    thegreatcanook Posts: 2,419 Member
    MFP lies to me about what I will weigh in 5 weeks. But, are you logging accurately? Are you vigorously exercising? Are you doing resistance training 3x a week?
  • OllyJ_79
    OllyJ_79 Posts: 126 Member
    The OP's BMR is around 1910. It's likely he could eat 2100 and still be at a 500 cal/day deficit
  • MindyG150
    MindyG150 Posts: 1,296 Member
    Me too, Me too! Although I am pretty sure it's my lack of cardio... you need lots of it to lose.
  • Luv2Smile55
    Luv2Smile55 Posts: 133 Member
    Well we will have to agree to differ. If he wants to shed some pounds I think its a great way to start the weight loss.

    I agree with this statement 500%. As a fitness trainer told me, our bodies are the ultimate goal decider. What we CAN eat for our own bodies is 100% different than what any weight chart is going to tell you. Every person needs to find what calorie level works for them through trial and error. Then and ONLY then will the pounds start coming off.
  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,942 Member
    Do you weigh your food? There is a big difference between 2 tablespoons of peanut butter and 32 grams (in other words 32 grams is LESS than 2 tablespoons).

    Cups, measuring spoons, eyeballs, and stomach growls are the most inaccurate modes of portion control I have ever heard of.

    Weigh what you can in grams. Check USDA sources and read packages for calorie counts in grams/ounces because there are a lot of incorrect entries in the database.
  • njmark72
    njmark72 Posts: 99 Member
    You DO NOT need to lift anything. What you need to do is be 100% positive you are operating in a calorie deficit. Be diligent with your food info. Don't eat out for a while unless you can absolutely be sure what the calorie in-take will be.

    If you are burning more than you are taking in you will lose weight. Period. You will NOT go into starvation mode unless you are taking in obscenely fewer calories than recommended and for very long periods of time.

    Mark
  • echofm1
    echofm1 Posts: 471 Member
    Why did you go from active lifestyle to sedentary? When you say you're an active person, do you count the exercise, or just general activity? If the exercise, do you log it in MFP again? Example:

    A person works at a desk job all day, but goes for a walk over lunch and exercises 6 days a week at home. They log their exercise in MFP. This person would be considered sedentary, because they're logging the exercise separately, even though in real life they'd be considered very active.

    Now, let's say a person works full-time as a waiter, but when they go home they sit on their butt and binge on Netflix. This person would be considered to have an active lifestyle according to MFP, because their general daily life is very active.

    Option 3: Put yourself as very active, but only count exercise you don't normally do. This is a similar idea to the TDEE method, though not quite the same.
  • skippygirlsmom
    skippygirlsmom Posts: 4,433 Member
    Me too, Me too! Although I am pretty sure it's my lack of cardio... you need lots of it to lose.

    Cardio alone will not make you lose weight, eating at a deficit will make you lose weight. Cardio will improve your fitness.
  • jaylyn2004
    jaylyn2004 Posts: 8 Member
    eat the calories they tell you to eat. I do exercise but do not eat the calories they give me for working out. maybe try to cut carbs as well. good luck.
  • Laurenloveswaffles
    Laurenloveswaffles Posts: 535 Member
    You DO NOT need to lift anything.
    Uh why? Lifting heavy weights is much much better than endless hours of cardio.
    Me too, Me too! Although I am pretty sure it's my lack of cardio... you need lots of it to lose.
    NO. You do not need lots of cardio to lose. You need a calorie deficit.
    Well we will have to agree to differ. If he wants to shed some pounds I think its a great way to start the weight loss.
    The OP can lose perfectly on 2000 calories. A heavier person will naturally need more calories than a smaller person to function daily.

    Edited for emphasis
  • HellaCarriefornia
    HellaCarriefornia Posts: 102 Member
    I'll second (and third and fourth) the advice that you should look at your logging accuracy with a food scale. You may be logging everything, but if you are guesstimating or using measuring cups instead of weighing, you may be surprised how off you are. When I started weighing everything I was suprised how off my calorie count was. And also try to be patient and stick with it!

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