What have I done?! Help!

pennyjlm
pennyjlm Posts: 12 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Looking for advice and help. I'll try to keep this short.

I've been dieting for 5 years. I am to the pound where I started 5 years ago, but I probably have gone up and down 10 pounds about 4 times. So currently I am UP.

I did WW with the most success, ran half marathons, tracked calories in MFP.
I did the Slow Carb Diet and got down again.
Then about 1 year ago, I started going to a bodybuilder to write me a plan. This was the first time I was restrictive about what time of day I was eating carbs and carb cycling. Did 4 days of steady state cardio a week. (stopped running), and tried to life weights 3-4 times a week. Couldn't keep that up because there wasn't enough flexibility in the eating.

Now I'm at a different bodybuilder. His plan is more flexible, but he still does not recommend eating carbs before 5pm, and I'm counting macros. I've tracked my food for about 50 days in MFP (except I stopped tracking lettuce and other greens) He recommends lifting weights as much as possible and then adding in sprints/minimal cardio. Well... with my schedule I can probably get 2-3 days of weights right now.

SO I guess my question is.... Can someone help me reset my thinking on this? I know I read a lot of people on here that say to create a deficit and if I look at my deficit over the last 6 weeks I should be down 4-5 pounds but instead I'm up/the same. I don't feel slimmer like I've lost inches either.

I really love eating healthy and I want to enjoy whats left of these young years (I'm 27), but I feel like I'm in this horrible cycle of paying people to tell me what to do and then I can't live up to their standards and i end up at the same spot anyway. I'm a eat healthy 5 days a week, splurge Fri or Sat night kinda gal, but the math doesn't add up why I'm not losing weight!!

Can anyone take me under their wing and just set me straight??
«1

Replies

  • malibu927
    malibu927 Posts: 17,562 Member
    You'll need to open your diary for people to give advice
  • MelodyandBarbells
    MelodyandBarbells Posts: 7,725 Member
    Are you using a food scale to measure all your food? If not, you can't be sure you're eating at enough of a deficit to lose 4-5 lbs. Do you eat back exercise calories? And yes, an open diary will help us give you better feedback
  • QueenBishOTUniverse
    QueenBishOTUniverse Posts: 14,121 Member
    You'll need to open your diary for people to give advice

    ^^ This. Plus, any time I start a new intensive exercise regiment I'm pretty much garaunteed to stall out for 4 to 6 weeks. Sometimes the weight even goes up for a few of those weeks, but at a minimum, I will show no weight loss during that time. I've learned I just have to be patient and wait that time period out. The scale eventually starts moving in the right direction. BUT, no one will be able to say what is happening in your particular situation without seeing the specifics of what you've been eating and what you've been doing.
  • jojokmack
    jojokmack Posts: 117
    I am sure you will get many people who will help you on here.........people who are much better at this than me. I will send you a friend request as I have had success just making sure that I count everything and that I eat food as close to it's natural state as possible....i.e. fresh fruit & veg and grilled lean meat. I try to restrict my intake of processed foods but do have the occasional cook-in sauce etc.
    I have lost 23lbs in 97 days,.....slowly but surely and have got my BMI down to 30, which I am quite happy about by doing this :)

    What I don't understand, is why you want a Body-builder to write plans for you? Surely it would be a nutritionist that you would want?
  • pennyjlm
    pennyjlm Posts: 12 Member
    Opened my food diary. Thank you!
  • malibu927
    malibu927 Posts: 17,562 Member
    1. It doesn't look like you're using a food scale. Without one, you're probably eating more than you think.
    2. The black bean burger, is that a recipe you entered in yourself? If you're using one from the MFP database, you don't know what they've included in the recipe, and yours may be much higher.
  • pennyjlm
    pennyjlm Posts: 12 Member
    Thanks for the reply!

    1. I do use a food scale and measuring spoons for most things. Why do you say it looks like I'm not? Just curious.
    2. Yes I entered the black bean burger myself, but good point. Def have to evaluate the nutrition on things in the database.
  • MelodyandBarbells
    MelodyandBarbells Posts: 7,725 Member
    Thanks for the reply!

    1. I do use a food scale and measuring spoons for most things. Why do you say it looks like I'm not? Just curious.
    2. Yes I entered the black bean burger myself, but good point. Def have to evaluate the nutrition on things in the database.

    I can't believe Apple and the keyboard freezing issue with iOS 8. These cats have become sloppy

    Basically I had started to write about .5 cups of grapes, chicken that's exactly 3 or 4 oz, coconut oil which is a solid at room temp that's exactly 14g/1 tablespoon, 24 almonds. Sometimes people adjust their food to match the serving size, but usually it's a hint that the food scale is not being used. Anything that's not a freely pouring liquid like milk can be measured on the food scale.

    Had to add the links to review if you haven't already in an edit, in case Apple screws me again and my keyboard hangs

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1296011-calorie-counting-101

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1234699-logging-accurately-step-by-step-guide
  • malibu927
    malibu927 Posts: 17,562 Member
    Your eggs are always to a quarter. A 50-gram large egg is 70 calories, accurate for your entry, but it almost never comes up 50 grams for me. However, if you use extra large or jumbo, the numbers will go up. Also, do you use any oils or butter to cook them? Those will add up as well.
  • MelodyandBarbells
    MelodyandBarbells Posts: 7,725 Member
    Also I don't know if 10 lbs is all you have to lose. If so, you're very close to goal and daily, weekly, and monthly fluctuations could actually be higher than your weight loss. For me it helped to weigh daily at the same time for a while, just so I could understand my weight trends. I can gain a couple lbs within a day and up to seven or so through a full cycle. Contrast that with the .5 lb a week I would lose with my MFP account settings and some understanding of the process and patience would really help to hang in there. If you're really doing everything as you should, it's possible congratulations are in order for the 4-5 lbs lost and you just have to keep at it!
  • pennyjlm
    pennyjlm Posts: 12 Member
    JaneiR36, thank you for those links! I suppose my weighing / measuring was not nearly as accurate as it can be. I've always kind of figured a few calories here and there wouldn't matter enough to add up to anything substantial, because if I overestimate on a few things and don't measure a few it would balance out. But I am going to start measuring everything on my food scale to see how far off I've been.

    Also, I think I'm just looking for affirmation that I can DROP this whole time of day eating thing, fasting times, carb cycling, etc. Like not allowing myself to eat carbs before 5pm just makes everyone think I'm a weirdo at work.

    I just reset my goal in MFP to lose 2 lbs a week, so it gave me a 1,200 calorie goal. I think I need to go read the stickies for the calories/eating back exercise calories because I don't know if I can go that low for many extended days.
  • QueenBishOTUniverse
    QueenBishOTUniverse Posts: 14,121 Member
    1. Yes you can drop that stuff. I'm three pounds from goal. It will probably take me at least three months to reach goal (if I ever do) :laugh: but I don't worry about food timing or anything like that. I'm happy at this point if I see a half pound drop somewhere in the month, I can usually predict when that half pound drop will finally show up because I also have tracked my body's daily weight fluctuations.

    2. Definitely no need to be eating 1200 calories if you're close to goal.....:noway:

    3. I will admit, I am NOT strict with my weighing and measuring and I've gotten away with that so far. BUT, I've been tracking long enough that I have a pretty decent idea of how the regular food items in my diary add up and where my TDEE etc. are at so I can get away with that. That being said, if I hit goal and decide to go for another 5 pounds, I probably will need to tighten up my eating habits. Still not sure if I'm willing to put that much effort in to it though. :laugh:

    4. My diary etc. should be completely open, feel free to go check it out. Pretty sure I break every single rule your trainer has given you. :wink:
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
    I would suggest that with only 10lbs to lose you shouldn't aim for 2lb a week, but 1 ...although most will say 0.5 lbs

    Don't forget to eat back exercise calories ...I eat 50% that MFP allowance gives

    I don't buy into carbs and times of day ...just calories in and calories out
  • malibu927
    malibu927 Posts: 17,562 Member
    Yeah, meal timing has no effect. You can eat everything at 10 PM if you'd like.
  • pennyjlm
    pennyjlm Posts: 12 Member
    I LOVE YOU ALL. :love:

    Seriously, I just feel like I've been restricted by so many rules for the last 1-2 years and I've gotten NOWHERE. So I am going to take it back to the basics. Why shouldn't I be allowed to eat an apple if I'm hungry mid-afternoon right?

    I'm 5'11'', 172 pounds, 24.5% BF, 36% muscle (?) (digital scale). I've been as low as 155 pounds, but I liked the way I felt at 160 (I didn't know I liked it at the time - but I liked it better than I feel now).
  • MelodyandBarbells
    MelodyandBarbells Posts: 7,725 Member
    I would suggest that with only 10lbs to lose you shouldn't aim for 2lb a week, but 1 ...although most will say 0.5 lbs

    Don't forget to eat back exercise calories ...I eat 50% that MFP allowance gives

    I don't buy into carbs and times of day ...just calories in and calories out

    Wow, lost another post to Apple's shoddy coding

    1200 cals does not mean the op will lose 2 lb per week.

    Basically my account looks like this:

    1460 cals to lose .5 lb per week
    1210 cals to lose 1 lb per week
    1200 cals "to lose 1.5 lb per week"
    1200 cals "to lose 2 lb per week"

    Clearly, eating 1200 net cals will have me losing no more than about 1 lb per week. 1200 is just the lowest number that MFP will give anyone

    Edit; I started my post I was writing before with saying that I agree with .5 lb or 1 lb at most for the OP :)
  • QueenBishOTUniverse
    QueenBishOTUniverse Posts: 14,121 Member
    I LOVE YOU ALL. :love:

    Seriously, I just feel like I've been restricted by so many rules for the last 1-2 years and I've gotten NOWHERE. So I am going to take it back to the basics. Why shouldn't I be allowed to eat an apple if I'm hungry mid-afternoon right?

    I'm 5'11'', 172 pounds, 24.5% BF, 36% muscle (?) (digital scale). I've been as low as 155 pounds, but I liked the way I felt at 160 (I didn't know I liked it at the time - but I liked it better than I feel now).

    Oh dear lord UP YOUR CALORIES! (assuming you are weighing and measuring accurately of course, but 1200 probably is NOT a good calorie goal given your stats) :laugh:

    I'm 5'8" 163lbs and I'm eating 2450 a day (TDEE method so I do not eat back exercise calories). :flowerforyou:

    Have a look at this as well.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants?page=1
  • threnjen
    threnjen Posts: 687 Member
    I feel so bad for you that you have had these people telling you to eat this and that at certain times of the day. :( But now it can be better, right?

    But yeah +1 for better logging, that's usually where the mystery overage comes from.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    Yeah... eat what you want, when you want, as long as you stay under your calories and you hit your protein goal. And definitely use a scale for everything.

    And eat more... Switch to 0.5 pound a week.
  • pennyjlm
    pennyjlm Posts: 12 Member
    Ok, so my TDEE is approx 2200. So 20% off of that makes my calorie goal 1760. Protein goal of 138G, Fat 62G, Carbs 184G (Seems high since I've been trying to do under 100G since I can't remember how long!!)

    I'm going to focus on measuring every food on my food scale again for awhile to get used to the quantities again.

    I'm going to still aim for 3-4 days of lifting at the gym. PRobably a Legs day, Back day, and General Arms/Shoulders day with 10-15 minutes of sprint-work added after these days if I have time. Then I'm going to do Light cardio (treadmill incline intervals and walking dog in neighborhood) as many other days of the week as I can. Mainly want to do that because I sit in a desk ALL day at work and if I didn't do anything else I would only get 2,000 steps a day !!

    So.. I'm going to keep looking around on the message boards but my next thought is about saving calories for the weekends... I've been trained to have cheat meals so gotta either STOP that or maybe I can work it into my calories for the week.

    Also, I've decided I will not weigh myself until Friday morning!

Categories