Why isn't calorie counting working for me?

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jayeffbee41
jayeffbee41 Posts: 6
in Health and Weight Loss
So I started myfitnesspal two weeks ago. It's put me on 1200 calories a day, I want to lose 10lb. I have logged religiously for two whole weeks, stayed within calories and macros that have been set) plus been doing extra walking (and eating those calories per some posts I read) and have not lost any weight. My diet is mainly clean food, very little processed (I have oven chips from time to time). I have the odd glass of red wine which is logged. Am finding it very frustrating when I should be losing 1lb a week. Does anyone have any idea as to why this isn't working for me?
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Replies

  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,395 MFP Moderator
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    Do you use a food scale? Can you open your food diary? Can you provide your height, weight, sex, age and workout routine? With 10 lbs to lose, I suspect you chose the most aggressive option (2 lbs per week) when in reality you should be consuming more calories. But with only doing this for 2 weeks and increased exercise, it's probably water retention.


    BTW, the average women I know is losing between 1700-2100 calories and man is 2000-2600.
  • Jkn921
    Jkn921 Posts: 309 Member
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    Are you 100% sure you've been sticking to the calorie goal - by weighing things etc.? Usually that's a big factor and sometimes people don't account snacks here and there in their diary and those calories can add up quickly. Not saying that is what you're doing, just something to be aware of.

    1200cals for 10lbs seems quite low to be honest, I'm wanting to lose 10lbs too by 1lb a week and it's set me to 1520 calories which is a lot easier - I'll increase that to 1600+ after I lose a few more pounds. That could be it - your deficit may be too big and you should eat a little more? (I'll wait for someone to give you better advice on that possibly if that may be the cause).
  • jayeffbee41
    jayeffbee41 Posts: 6
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    Thanks for replying. Yes I weigh everything. What do you mean by open my food diary? I'm 5'6", 148lb. At the moment my workout is walking so I wear a weightwatchers pedometer, get to healthy by the end of work (c6000 steps) and then go for a brisk 30 minute walk in the evening.
  • jayeffbee41
    jayeffbee41 Posts: 6
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    Thanks for replying. I weigh everything. I suspect the calories are too low but I don't seem to be able to alter it!
  • mizroxy13
    mizroxy13 Posts: 466 Member
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    I noticed that I stopped losing when I ate my walking calories back. That might be your issue. You can maybe eat 30%-50% back but that's it. I've read opinions on both sides so I ate them back just to try it out for two weeks and stalled hard.
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,395 MFP Moderator
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    Thanks for replying. Yes I weigh everything. What do you mean by open my food diary? I'm 5'6", 148lb. At the moment my workout is walking so I wear a weightwatchers pedometer, get to healthy by the end of work (c6000 steps) and then go for a brisk 30 minute walk in the evening.

    To open your food diary use the below link. Also, I assume you are female?

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/account/diary_settings
  • LivingtheLeanDream
    LivingtheLeanDream Posts: 13,342 Member
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    when you only have 10lbs to lose it takes longer. It took me the best part of a year to lose 14lbs. I didn't want to half starve myself so ate around 1400 cals plus ate half my exercise cals back. I did up my exercise, going from doing hardly anything to working out 5 days for 40 min a week and walking whenever I could.

    Be patient, stick at what you're doing and soon you will start seeing results - your aim should be to lose 1/2lb to 1lb per week..it will happen if you stick with it :).
  • mbbseb
    mbbseb Posts: 124 Member
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    I can't lose eating my exercise calories. I can use some of them but can't lose using all of them. I'm 5'5' 198 and it has me eating 1200 with a sedentary lifestyle. I sit most of my day @ work. Of course I do eat some of my exercise cal because it's hard to eat 1200. This has to be a lifestyle change so it needs to be a change you can live with.
  • Jkn921
    Jkn921 Posts: 309 Member
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    Thanks for replying. I weigh everything. I suspect the calories are too low but I don't seem to be able to alter it!

    Change your settings up 1lb or 0.5lbs per week and keep doing what you are doing, you're doing great! These habits will make it easier than giving up right away, well done for sticking at it for 2 weeks. Look at it this way, you can eat more now :)
  • All4Me2014xx
    All4Me2014xx Posts: 155 Member
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    You can change your calorie goal by going to:

    My Home>Goals>Change Goals>Custom
  • timberowl
    timberowl Posts: 331 Member
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    If you get desperate/frustrated enough I'm a pretty big fan of the BodyMedia arm band. It costs about $150 new, and a $7/month subscription fee. You wear it 23/7 and it tells you 95%< accuracy how many calories you're burning. It'll automatically adjust your calories on MFP. If you don't want to eat them all back you can set your net calories lower (i.e. 1000). I wear mine every day. Not only does it make it easier to tell how many calories you're really burning and what your personal metabolism is (it tracks more than just motion, but also body temperature!) but you can sync it with Everymove and Earndit as well as Walgreens for free stuff! The more you move, the more points you rack up and the more stuff you earn!

    Best of luck!
  • Liftng4Lis
    Liftng4Lis Posts: 15,150 Member
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    Two weeks is not very long, these things take time. You didn't gain the 10 pounds in two weeks. Additionally, you have your goal set pretty aggressively for only wanting to lose 10 pounds. Lower it to 1/2 pound a week, as you'll find its more sustainable.
  • mizroxy13
    mizroxy13 Posts: 466 Member
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    @mbbseb I think it might be because it has you calculated really low. I am the same weight and only two inches taller at sedentary and I'm at 1500 and losing consistently. I used the IIFYM calculator (http://iifym.com/iifym-calculator/) to determine my goals, so maybe that's why. I couldn't do 1200 either! :)
  • Nikki_42
    Nikki_42 Posts: 298 Member
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    Two weeks isn't long at all. If you were eating bad before that, and then suddenly lowered your calories your body probably hasn't had time to adjust. (it's going into that starvation mode and actually trying to store the fatt), Once it realizes you aren't 'starving', you'll start to lose weight.

    That's completely off the top of my head. :-)
  • 2013sk
    2013sk Posts: 1,318 Member
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    Have you set MFP to lose 2lbs a week or 1lbs???

    Because you haven't got a lot to lose, bump up your calories & set it to lose 0.5lbs a weeks.

    I think they say if you have under 10lbs to lose this is better

    Slow & steady wins the race.

    Its harder to lose weight the less weight you have.

    I know.. I am struggling to drop a couple of lbs in a week. Just managed 0.5lbs this week : )
  • jayeffbee41
    jayeffbee41 Posts: 6
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    Thanks everyone for your replies. I have opened my food diary. Can you let me know when you've looked at it so that I can make it private again. Yes am female.
  • FindingAmy77
    FindingAmy77 Posts: 1,266 Member
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    that is not much for steps.. do more
  • WalkingAlong
    WalkingAlong Posts: 4,926 Member
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    A couple thoughts on your diary:

    Nothing is logged yesterday. Do you have it on paper somewhere?

    I didn't look at every day's total but the 6-8 I did were over 1200, all in the 1300-1650 range. Though I see that often you're walking increased the goal.

    There are some tiny portions. Is your scale accurate? 4 calories of lettuce and 6 of cucumber? I know they're low cal foods but that's so little of it.

    Also, how old are you? At 'normal' BMI it might take you actually hitting 1200 for a while, especially if you're older. I know psulemon said most females he knows can lose at 1700-2100 but I'm 49 and 150lbs. and only burn 1700 some days (per Fitbit) so I need to go much lower to lose.

    Also, the 6000 steps is around what's considered normal, daily movement so I wouldn't count those as 'exercise' and the 30 minute brisk walk is probably only good for 50-100 calories max.

    Good luck!
  • chargraves
    chargraves Posts: 65 Member
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    How did you set your activity level on mfp? Sedentary, mod active, active? The reason I ask is that I have seen some people with sedentary desk jobs set themselves to moderately active then eat back their exercise calories which they have already counted when setting their activity level.
  • evileen99
    evileen99 Posts: 1,564 Member
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    If you get desperate/frustrated enough I'm a pretty big fan of the BodyMedia arm band. It costs about $150 new, and a $7/month subscription fee. You wear it 23/7 and it tells you 95%< accuracy how many calories you're burning. It'll automatically adjust your calories on MFP. If you don't want to eat them all back you can set your net calories lower (i.e. 1000).

    Best of luck!

    Actually, the BodyMedia link is $99 and the core $79. And you get a six month subscription free.

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