Can someone please look at my food diary?

You may want to recalculate how many calories you need based on your current weight rather than your original weight.

Also mix things up. In your workout and in your diet.

When your weight "plateaus" it could be an indication that yes, something needs to change. Or it could be an indication that you are gaining muscle and losing fat. Do you use any other metrics besides just weight, for example have you taken any measurements of your waist, thigh, upper arm, neck, wrist/ankle etc? If you can afford it, a digital scale that records your fat % and muscle weight can be very helpful. They aren't super expensive (depending on your budget that is) we were able to get ours at Costco for around $40.

As far as activity level, have you ever tried High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)? It has been shown to be very effective at raising metabolism for hours after the exercise session has ended. It's also very easy to do with no equipment.

I would like to address your comment about "don't tell me to never eat another carb" - lowering carb intake *can* be a very effective way to amp up your weight loss, as long as you are still getting enough protein and good fats. If you are willing to try limiting it, down to say 100 a day or less, you might be pleasantly surprised at the results just from that small adjustment. But I do agree that completely zero carb is not a good idea.

Are you using the recipe builder tool for your mashed cauliflower and chicken thighs? I'm a little skeptical that you're actually eating "1 serving" every time, because you're not weighing your food. Also, I don't see any cooking oils logged (for example, unless you're dry-scrambling your egg in the morning, it has more than 58 calories).

Are you using the recipe builder tool for your mashed cauliflower and chicken thighs? I'm a little skeptical that you're actually eating "1 serving" every time, because you're not weighing your food. Also, I don't see any cooking oils logged (for example, unless you're dry-scrambling your egg in the morning, it has more than 58 calories).

I would agree^ ...lot of "servings" and cups....I thought I was under my calorie goal all the time, with food added from the database and was shocked to see how different the actual cals were.....need to weigh everything and check the nutritional content on MFP for yourself!

Or it could be an indication that you are gaining muscle and losing fat.

No.

Care to elaborate on that? It is a very common occurrence.

It's very difficult to gain muscle, and it only happens under certain conditions (either eating at a surplus and lifting relatively heavy weights within a certain rep range, or someone who is brand-new to lifting and has a high percentage of body fat). The OP isn't gaining muscle by accident.

^this

If muscle building were that easy I wouldn't be going through the trouble of bulking for a half a year+. I'd just maintain my weight with that theory. Sadly, you need energy, aka excess calories, to convert to muscle. You also need a proper amount of protein and a ideally a good hypertrophy lifting routine. Again, it doesn't happen by accident.

Are you using the recipe builder tool for your mashed cauliflower and chicken thighs? I'm a little skeptical that you're actually eating "1 serving" every time, because you're not weighing your food. Also, I don't see any cooking oils logged (for example, unless you're dry-scrambling your egg in the morning, it has more than 58 calories).

I would agree^ ...lot of "servings" and cups....I thought I was under my calorie goal all the time, with food added from the database and was shocked to see how different the actual cals were.....need to weigh everything and check the nutritional content on MFP for yourself!

Agree with all of this. How many calories are in 1/6 cup of cheese? OP get a scale, start weighing solids because you are probably eating more than you think.

Or it could be an indication that you are gaining muscle and losing fat.

No.

Care to elaborate on that? It is a very common occurrence.

No it's not.

Or it could be an indication that you are gaining muscle and losing fat.

No.

Care to elaborate on that? It is a very common occurrence.

Maybe this is why I keep accidentally ripping the sleeves on all my t-shirts when I open the peanut butter

Or it could be an indication that you are gaining muscle and losing fat.

No.

Care to elaborate on that? It is a very common occurrence.

Maybe this is why I keep accidentally ripping the sleeves on all my t-shirts when I open the peanut butter

^ OK, this made me laugh out loud. :drinker:

I was under the impression that when you are doing even minimal exercise, which the OP has stated she does, you can lose fat but not show a weight loss because of muscle weight that may be added.

No, sadly, it's much more difficult than that. That's a very common misconception and you see that idea floating around the boards a lot here, but in reality most people have to fight tooth and nail, under ideal conditions, to increase their muscle mass.

What does tend to happen a lot is that people start a new exercise routine, their muscles hold onto water to repair themselves, and that short-term water retention masks the fat loss for a little while. This gets interpreted as "losing fat while gaining muscle," but they're not actually gaining muscle mass, just water. You can also increase strength while lifting and eating at a deficit, so people see that they're lifting heavier things and think they're adding new muscle mass, but that's not true (you can gain strength without gaining size). The last thing that tends to happen is that you lose the fat that was on top of the muscle, so the muscle "looks" bigger, but in reality it isn't.

I was under the impression that when you are doing even minimal exercise, which the OP has stated she does, you can lose fat but not show a weight loss because of muscle weight that may be added.

No. If that were true, why do bodybuilders have to do the intensity they do (diet and exercise wise) to build their physiques? If it were true, we all could be bodybuilders through cardio videos and walking the dog every day, while accidentally eating at maintenance.

Laughing at the coffee creamer-- that's exactly how mine looks!

Have you tried playing with your calorie adjustments that Fitbit gives? There are times when Fitbit underestimates and I lose 3lbs in a week, and there are times when it's a bit too generous. Sometimes, I have to play with it for a week or two and experiment with my calories to get back in my groove.

Also, I agree with measuring. Normally, if I'm not losing anything, its because I'm eyeballing my portions. Weighing really is the best option... I'm about to buy a scale for work so that I have one at home and at work.

I just looked at your food diary for the month of August. First I'm guessing that the creamer is to avoid dairy? Also I hate to say this as I don't like to bash other people's food choices but I would be bored to tears eating your meals. Your body needs variety, there's a lot of processed food here, one thing that I would suggest is to add sodium to your tracker for a couple of weeks I think you might be shocked at how high the number is. You really want a well balanced diet and what it looks like here is you get in a rut of eating chicken thighs and only know or like a few things to go with that. Mix things up have a really nice salad, take the chicken meat and toss it in with some chili, garlic, cumin and onion powders if you don't have to avoid dairy toss in some shredded cheese, add a little greek yogurt.
Another suggestion is to switch to frozen veggies over canned, add some fruits and veggies into your snacks instead of prepackaged bars/cookies. You could also make up soups with your chicken thighs, add lots of veggies and use a whole grain on the side. Toss some beans into your diet as well a good batch of chicken tortilla soup with kidney beans and chickpeas would not only fill you up it's going to taste great.

If pizza is your comfort food go ahead and have it. If you're concerned for the amount you'll eat then make your pizza at home, grab a whole grain crust, top with spaghetti sauce or diced tomatoes, cheese and your favorite toppings, again be sure to add some veggies. One of my favorite pizzas is made at home, I use a premade whole grain crust, alfredo sauce with added garlic, topped with baby spinach, mushrooms, diced tomatoes, red onions, bacon bits and feta cheese.

Keeping yourself on track doesn't have to make things restricted you just need to make them sensible.

So... I have lost 90 lbs in the last four years but I have been stuck at the same weight for a few months now. I eat at a deficit most days and try to eat pretty healthy most of the time. I work out with a trainer 2 days a week(lifting pretty heavy these days) and run a few miles 3 days a week. I am by no means perfect but generally even a splurge these days is thought out and planned and is never anything as extravagant as pizza. (my one true love) Obviously Something needs to be tweaked a little. MFP has me eating 1490 a day and I always eat my exercise calories back. Please don't respond if you are going to tell me to never eat another carb again or that I need to eat 1200 calories a day. Thank you in advance!


PS I have not been measured in a couple of months so if I see changes there I will be satisfied temporarily but I would still like some input. 40 to go!

I won't look at your diary because I don't feel it gives the whole picture. If you have been stuck at the same weight for a few months then that's a plateau. The good news is you are maintaining. The bad news is you aren't losing the weight you want to. There are a few things you can do to get you losing weight again. Recalculate you specs to lose 1 lb per week as you still have 30 lb to lose. Eat to that recommended goal. Even if you do no exercise you should see some loss. You can change your macros from the default 50/30/20 to 40/30/30 to reduce carbs slightly while raising protein slightly. Many women find they lose better at lower carbs. Change up your exercise routine by reducing cardio and increasing strength training. If you aren't aiming for 10,000 steps a day buy a pedometer or use an app to track your steps daily. This will increase your basic activity daily without it feeling like exercise. Add in an extra walk or bike ride if possible, ideally a 30 minute walk daily. Increase your activity any way you can. Make sure you are getting adequate sleep. Finally, relax knowing you are doing everything right so the weight will come off :flowerforyou: