A Little Discouraged

LMac360
LMac360 Posts: 3 Member
edited November 8 in Health and Weight Loss
It's been 1 month since I started my diet/exercise program and I've been very diligent. I have trainer who checks MFP to make sure my diet is on track and I use her workout routines 3x a week. I try to stick to 1200 calories a day, except for workout days because MFP tells me to eat the calories I burned. Though, I usually don't eat as many calories as I burned. I did check my measurements today and some of them are down (2 inches in some places!) from where I was last month but my weight is essentially the same. I only lost 1 pound throughout the whole month. Am I doing something wrong? Is this normal? Should I not be eating those calories I burned off? Someone told me that replenishes the fuel you need to keep your metabolism going but it feels counterintuitive.

I'd really appreciate any input. If I'm doing something wrong I want to correct it.

Replies

  • radcas11
    radcas11 Posts: 76 Member
    It sounds like you're doing everything right! Remember that muscle weighs more than fat so you could be gaining muscle in some places. You're losing inches which is great! It's only been a month so give it some time!
  • malibu927
    malibu927 Posts: 17,562 Member
    Looking at your diary, you're probably eating more than you think. You're eating out a lot, which you can't entirely trust calories that restaurants give, and when you're at home you aren't using a food scale. You also ate 1800 calories over on Friday/Saturday, which most likely put you above maintenance. Eating back calories is fine (and your metabolism never stops), though limit it to about 50-75% to account for overestimations of burns.

    Buy a food scale, weigh everything you eat, and maybe limit your eating out to once or twice a week if you can.
    radcas11 wrote: »
    It sounds like you're doing everything right! Remember that muscle weighs more than fat so you could be gaining muscle in some places. You're losing inches which is great! It's only been a month so give it some time!

    No, you can't gain muscle in a calorie deficit.
  • LMac360
    LMac360 Posts: 3 Member
    My trainer gave me 2 cheat meals a week. So that's what you're seeing from Friday/Saturday. And I do weigh my food. I have a food scale and use it whenever I cook at home. Any measurements should be accurate. Obviously eating out can be wonky that's why I try to avoid it as much as I can, but for weekday lunches it's my only option. I try to eat within a calorie limit though.
  • Jreeves9210
    Jreeves9210 Posts: 19 Member
    So cut the cheat meals. Think about it. Two cheats a week is going to add up extremely fast over the long haul. I couldn't justify a true cheat meal if I tried, and I have. I know I'm not the only one either.
  • LAWoman72
    LAWoman72 Posts: 2,846 Member
    I don't know whether this will be helpful to you...but just a thought: you are losing inches! You ARE getting smaller. I know it can be hard not to let the number on the scale get you down, but here's the thing: your scale number isn't emblazoned on your forehead. :lol: People are seeing a smaller you, not a number. You are seeing a smaller you in the mirror, not a number.

    Enjoy it! And congratulate yourself. You are working hard and seeing results!
  • StaciMarie1974
    StaciMarie1974 Posts: 4,138 Member
    Its assumed you're not using a food scale because you have things like a medium apple, medium banana. How big is medium banana? It depends on who you ask and is not specific to weight.

    If you are eating over 2 days a week, is it also over maintenance? I'm not sure what your daily deficit goal is. 500? 750? 1000? There is no right or wrong as to 'cheat' meals, its as you see fit. But if you go so far as to wipe up much of your deficit for the week, that might be why you're seeing 1 pound lost in a month. Perhaps instead of 2 cheat days a week, try 1-2 days a month where you eat at maintenance.

    One other thought: how active are you on your non-workout days? I'm not sure of your stats, but estimate your BMR/TDEE. At my current weight & having a desk job, I'd only burn 1600-1700 a day if I did not make it a point to be active during the day. To me that means walking even on my 'rest' days.
  • FatFreeFrolicking
    FatFreeFrolicking Posts: 4,252 Member
    LMac360 wrote: »
    My trainer gave me 2 cheat meals a week. So that's what you're seeing from Friday/Saturday. And I do weigh my food. I have a food scale and use it whenever I cook at home. Any measurements should be accurate. Obviously eating out can be wonky that's why I try to avoid it as much as I can, but for weekday lunches it's my only option. I try to eat within a calorie limit though.

    How is it your only option? Why can't you pack a lunch?
  • malibu927
    malibu927 Posts: 17,562 Member
    Your diary isn't reflecting that you're using a food scale, though. Today you have a medium apple and a medium banana logged. What you may consider a medium piece of fruit could be large to someone else. This is why weighing everything and logging that weight is important, because otherwise you don't know that your calorie count is accurate.
  • jenilla1
    jenilla1 Posts: 11,118 Member
    radcas11 wrote: »
    ...Remember that muscle weighs more than fat so you could be gaining muscle in some places...

    Highly unlikely in a calorie deficit.
  • Liftng4Lis
    Liftng4Lis Posts: 15,151 Member
    WTG on losing inches. As others have posted, you need to weigh and measure everything (including fruit), otherwise you have no idea how much you're eating.
    Also, with the exception of newbie gains, you can't gain muscle in a deficit.
  • missiontofitness
    missiontofitness Posts: 4,059 Member
    jenilla1 wrote: »
    radcas11 wrote: »
    ...Remember that muscle weighs more than fat so you could be gaining muscle in some places...

    Highly unlikely in a calorie deficit.

    Muscle also doesn't weigh more than fat. A pound of muscle weighs the same as a pound of fat.
    And yes, muscle isn't built in a calorie deficit.
  • LettingTheSmallStuffGo
    LettingTheSmallStuffGo Posts: 72 Member
    Just for the record, I sure wish they would eliminate 'medium' size fruits and vegetables. A dietician showed me one time what a medium size is - think of the smallest piece of fruit or vegetable you have every seen in the grocery store and that was the medium.
  • radcas11
    radcas11 Posts: 76 Member
    My bad people! I was wrong on that one or all of it.
  • kimny72
    kimny72 Posts: 16,011 Member
    If you are weighing your food, then you could be choosing wrong items from the database. Most entries are entered by other users. For whole food items especially, try to use the USDA entries. And if you are having cheat days, make sure the extra calories you are eating don't negate the deficits you have the rest of the week. It's all about calories in/ calories out.
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