BURN MORE CAL. THAN YOU TAKE IN RIGHT? WHY ISN'T IT WORKING

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  • wingchunrick
    wingchunrick Posts: 267 Member
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    You also need to try and do different exercises as your body adapts to routine. You should do this as a matter of course every 12 weeks, or whenever you hit a plateau. Are you eating enough? Dont forget the importance of recovery as well.

    Rick
  • wingchunrick
    wingchunrick Posts: 267 Member
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    You also need to try and do different exercises as your body adapts to routine. You should do this as a matter of course every 12 weeks, or whenever you hit a plateau. Are you eating enough? Dont forget the importance of recovery as well.

    Rick
  • jlaughead
    jlaughead Posts: 5
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    I am no expert but think this is worth talking to a nutrition expert about....
    There may be something to the idea that you have lowered your caloric intake so much that your metabolism is slowing down, or that your body is storing the fat, calories, fuel to keep up with the exercise regimen....
    Perhaps you need more foods that provide pure fuel, nothing to store.......
    Also, you mentioned you switch up your exercise routine but to what extreme? My trainer tells me do drastically change things on a weekly basis. Instead of strength training on the weight machines every week do it in the pool instead, or switch to free weights. Instead of Zumba twice a week do Kickboxing, instead of the elliptical go to a rower or spinner. She has also told me the pool is my best friend, no matter what you are doing in it you always have resistance and are working all muscles at the same time.
    Again, no expert, just trying to give you some ideas. All the best on you journey!!!!
  • SueInAz
    SueInAz Posts: 6,592 Member
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    Have you tried changing up your diet? If you're currently eating low fat, try low carb, or vice versa. I've heard a lot of people have luck switching up their eating style every week or so, especially when they get stuck.
  • kimmerroze
    kimmerroze Posts: 1,330 Member
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    I swear my body is screwed up. I haven't lost any inches in weeks. Well I normally just measure waist & hips. I also have done spike days in the past & normally would change up what I ate everyday, never eating the same amount.
    The first weight is always the easiest. I imagine you've begun to build more muscle, which would cause you to lose inches, not pounds. You might even gain weight because muscle does weigh more. Plateaus are sucky. Try eating more of a variety of calories, not the same amount daily. I hear its good for your metabolism.

    the reason you aren't losing inches is because you arent' eating enough to fuel your muscles...when you dont' eat your exercise calories, your body will eat the muscle as energy. because it is easiest to break down.... so when it eats your muscle instead of your fat. you wont see a loss in inches.
  • downtome
    downtome Posts: 529 Member
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    For me, having bought the BodyMedia Fit armband was worth it's weight in gold, telling me how many calories I am burning everyday and how much of a calories deficit I have. Most days I seem to have a 2700 calories deficit and I'm burning over 3500 calories everyday! I know it's alot but seems pretty accurate, the nice thing is, it takes the guess work out of figuing it all out! It also pushes you to move more to meet your goals, soemthing to think about?!
  • KKOLB1
    KKOLB1 Posts: 53 Member
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    Thanks for the skinny face comment :o) I have 10 to lose. I'd really like to lose 15 more though.
    So we all know the only way to lose weight is to burn more than you take in. When I started MFP I would add in most of the workout calories but then when I had a 3 wk plateau I thought that was kinda silly to eat back what we're trying to lose. I read somewhere that we should be eating the calories x10 of the weight we want to be, for example I want to be at 145, so I eat 1450 cal, not the 1200 suggested. I workout on a daily basis. I've changed it up about every 4 wks or when I get stuck. SO, my question is, I'm burning at least 3500 calories a week so why am I not at least losing a pound. In the beginning it just came off like it was melting.
    The theory of the x10 of the weight you want to be is flawed. It doesn't take into account your activity level. I would make sure you a have the correct info on your goal page, that goes by your height and weight and what you want to lose. It does work. I have never lost weight like I have on this site.
    The other thing is as you get closer to your goal weight the weight loss slows down. If your photo is you now, it's only a face shot, but you look like you might be close. You have a skinny face. Make sure your goals are realistic.

    Best wishes
  • KKOLB1
    KKOLB1 Posts: 53 Member
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    since last thurs I've been eating high protein
    I just went and glanced at your food journal and I think part of the reason you aren't losing weight is not the number of calories you are eating, but the type of calories. It looks like you enjoy fruit and sweet things. My body type loves those... and by loves those, I mean loves to store those as fat. If I go on a lean protein, low carbohydrate diet similar to the South Beach Diet, my body drops weight... (I've dropped 4 lbs this week since I started it) Now, the only way for that to truely work is to eat enough calories still... I have this conversation with my S-I-L every day about eating Enough calories to keep your metabolism up. It's counter-intuitive, but it's the only way your body really knows how to work.

    Good luck!
  • proverbs31chick
    proverbs31chick Posts: 485 Member
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    I heard you x your weight by 7 to get your daily calories. I thought why would I eat what I just burned off working out? I never understood that too. I just don't want my body to go into starvation mode.


    This is just an example, to burn 2lbs a week you eat 1200 calories a day, after your workout you burn 300 calories, so for that day you've only eaten 900 calories, when you eat another 300 calories you've had 1200 calories for the day. So it all works out, it sounds funny I know, but you are still at 1200 calories.
  • KKOLB1
    KKOLB1 Posts: 53 Member
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    I started a higher protein diet since over a week ago & lost 2 lbs right away but again nothing. So that worked initially..
    I probably don't have the answer for you, but I can share what has worked for me. I hit a plateau for about a month. I upped my calories and tried to lower my carb intake. It seems to be working because I have lost two pounds since then.
  • Losing2Live69
    Losing2Live69 Posts: 743 Member
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    I looked at your food diary and see that even though you are staying under the recommended calories you are eating a ton of carbs. That makes your blood sugar spike and when your blood sugar is too high it is harder to burn fat. You are still eating candy, cake, frosting, pizza and other high sugar and carbohydrate foods on a daily basis. On most days your carbs are over 200. That could be what is holding you up. I had to go in and manually change my carbs. MFP had them way too high. I have them set at 45% and for a 1400 calorie diet that is 158 carbs a day. I went to a registered dietician at the local hospital and this is the ratio she gave me: carbs 45%, protein 30%, and fats 25%. Try to choose lower carb foods such as nuts, veggies, lower carb fruits like strawberries and cantaloupe, lite yogurt sweetened with splenda, string cheese, eggs, peanut butter......You are doing a great job staying under your calorie goal. You are doing a great job exercising every day. See if lowering your sugar and carb intake makes a difference.
  • RMinVA
    RMinVA Posts: 1,085 Member
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    It is basic math, but it just isn't an exact science.

    There are a lot of theories on what to eat, when to eat, how to eat. etc. but nutrition is the single most important factor in weight loss.. 1200 cals of fast food and 1200 cals of a balanced diet are vastly different. IMO the only thing you have to do, and what I think everyone has to do, is eat REAL food: limiting the presence of processed foods in your diet will work wonders.

    Additionally, even if you are tracking everything, it still can be VERY easy to under report what you are eating unless you weigh every single thing you put in your mouth. Unless you have a body bug, it is very easy to over estimate your exercise. I think the MFP "burns" are kind of high.

    I also have heard the 10x weight in calories....and interestingly enough that is right around my resting BMR at my current weight: and that is what I target. Also puts me in the range where I would be eating some, but not all of my exercise calories on a regular basis. There are too many factors to worry about day in day out. I often work out at night, and I don't want to overload on calories during the day in case I don't make it to the gym. I am usually eating dinner within about an hour, so I hardly ever eat anything after. Some days I eat more, and some I eat less. But I do know that if I am eating right, the weight comes off. I've been a bit off kilter lately and it shows!
  • edwards
    edwards Posts: 9 Member
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    Just to state it in this thread due to constant repaeats about muscle wieghing more than fat. Muscle itself does weigh more than fat but not in the idea that 1 lb of muscle is heavier the 1lb of fat but that the 1 lb of muscle with take up less space than the 1lb pound of fat. So whenever you here the muscle if heavier than fat statement think of it as a volume measurement in a container not as a chunk on a scale. Like a 1 gallon container full of muscle is heavier than a 1 gallon container of fat. Even though both are 1 gallon the one containing the muscle will weigh more b/c the muscle is heavier/denser.
  • healthyjen342
    healthyjen342 Posts: 1,435 Member
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    Bump...GREAT POST!
  • ravenlunatic76
    ravenlunatic76 Posts: 69 Member
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    Haven't read any of the comments but I'll lend my advice. You need to make sure you are eating foods high in Fiber and Proteins. It's never good to undercut any of the things MFP tracks by too much on any given day. I would also suggest doing different things if possible.

    Like Yoga 1-3 days, cardio 1-3 days, strength the other days. You have to keep your body on it's toes and not fall into a regimen of let's say treadmilling it every day of the week.
  • KKOLB1
    KKOLB1 Posts: 53 Member
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    I dont' eat those things everyday. I've never deprived myself as long as I stay w./in my calories. This is my 3rd time having to lose weight and I always have done the same things. and I'm under for carbs daily since I started protein.
    I looked at your food diary and see that even though you are staying under the recommended calories you are eating a ton of carbs. That makes your blood sugar spike and when your blood sugar is too high it is harder to burn fat. You are still eating candy, cake, frosting, pizza and other high sugar and carbohydrate foods on a daily basis. On most days your carbs are over 200. That could be what is holding you up. I had to go in and manually change my carbs. MFP had them way too high. I have them set at 45% and for a 1400 calorie diet that is 158 carbs a day. I went to a registered dietician at the local hospital and this is the ratio she gave me: carbs 45%, protein 30%, and fats 25%. Try to choose lower carb foods such as nuts, veggies, lower carb fruits like strawberries and cantaloupe, lite yogurt sweetened with splenda, string cheese, eggs, peanut butter......You are doing a great job staying under your calorie goal. You are doing a great job exercising every day. See if lowering your sugar and carb intake makes a difference.
  • JillyCornwall
    JillyCornwall Posts: 376 Member
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    I started a higher protein diet since over a week ago & lost 2 lbs right away but again nothing. So that worked initially..
    I probably don't have the answer for you, but I can share what has worked for me. I hit a plateau for about a month. I upped my calories and tried to lower my carb intake. It seems to be working because I have lost two pounds since then.

    I think you are just being a bit impatient, you have changed your diet & lost 2lbs...so you are not on a plateau, infact everything is normal...I think you are just expecting too much..you are not obese so you simply cannot expect massive weight losses however many calories you deficit. Keep on with the great job you are already doing in keeping to your calories,your work out routine seems sorted so you just have to accept that 2lbs in any week is great, now you may have to keep at it for 2 weeks for your next 2lbs because you have a body..not a machine..and it will show weight loss on the scales when its ready..don't get discouraged you are actually doing OK!!
  • am_last10lbs
    am_last10lbs Posts: 41 Member
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    I think you should make some changes to see the amount of sugar you are taking in each day. If you stay under 1200 calories each day eating nothing but sweets and high fat foods, you are going to struggle to lose weight.
    Add some vegetables to your meals and take out a lot of the cakes, brownies, chocolates, pillsbury and fried foods.

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