BMR, Fitbit, MFP, Hunger, Plateaus, and FRUSTRATION!

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  • andymcclure
    andymcclure Posts: 40 Member
    edited November 2014
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    Well, I think this discussion has been helpful for me. I'm going to try upping my calories, and make a real effort to monitor the carbs vs. protein. (I don't know if I can hit 50% protein, but I suppose it's worth a shot.)

    Here's a question, for those of you who have had good results coming off a period of undernourishment like this:
    Is it better to add calories gradually or all at once? If gradually, how gradually?

    Thanks again to everyone who has added their thoughts.
  • AskTracyAnnK28
    AskTracyAnnK28 Posts: 2,834 Member
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    andymcclure wrote: »
    Personally, I find measuring spoons/cups to be fine for some things (mostly liquids). The scale is, of course, preferred in most situations.

    Use the scale for all situations - not just 'most'. Measuring spoons and cups can pack a lot of food in them.

    For example...according to the package of my sour cream, 2 tablespoons weighs 30 grams and has 25 calories. But guess what? When I put only 1 tablespoon on the food scale it weighed 28 grams. So that's why scales are important for everything. It's annoying - yes - but try it for just a week and you'll see what I'm talking about.

  • xapyk
    xapyk Posts: 16 Member
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    Perhaps you will not be able to eat all calories because your stomach shrink. Try to add food gradually, let say 200-300 cal a week.
    Just remember, first weeks your weight will go up. It's normal. Continue this way at least 4 weeks and only after that period you will see any progress.

    Don't worry! All of us were gaining fat the whole life and 4 weeks is nothing! Just keep going! You are on a way for the rest of your life! You will never stop! So just keep calm and wait and you will be awarded! :)

    To motivate you I show my "before and after". "After" a year ago, but since then I maintain my weight.
    Before_amp_After.png
  • jgnatca
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
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    I think the doctors you are seeing are misinformed. They are giving out generic advice when you are right; you can't cut any more calories. You need to be referred to a specialist or a dietitian. I agree with others that your protein intake is too low. Sure, the calories come in a small package, but the protein uptake is much slower and will reduce your hunger.
  • lisab64mfp
    lisab64mfp Posts: 89 Member
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    Agreeing w/those that are saying you need to up your calories. I'm a 50 year old, 5'6" 143 lb woman and I average about 2300 cals/day. Even when I was in losing mode (been at goal for almost 4 years) I didn't go below 1800 cals (after 1st 10 weeks). I truly believe that part of why people feel hunger is because they aren't eating nutritional foods. Decrease the amount of processed foods (especially those high calorie carb laden choices), increase your protein and fat, and see what happens. A
  • horndave
    horndave Posts: 565
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    OP, you will notice a gain of weight for a few weeks as your body adjusts to and gets used to the calories and the difference in protein and carbs. Once your body regulates (month or so) you should notice more strength, more energy, and then will start losing again. Give it a month to two months then start regulating the amount + or - 100 calories to find what is optimal for you.

    community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/3817-eat-more-2-weigh-less
  • andymcclure
    andymcclure Posts: 40 Member
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    Here's a little update, if anyone is interested:

    Based on this discussion, and the further reading it prompted, I decided to 'reset' my calorie goals. First, I took a couple days off from tracking (conveniently, right at Thanksgiving), at which point I probably gained a bit. Then I just went with the MFP default settings, which put me at 1340 calories to start, then I 'earn' more with my Fitbit.

    The first couple of days were brutal; suddenly I was REALLY hungry again. Part of that is to be expected after a couple days of turkey and pie, but now that I've been on my new totals, I'm still pretty hungry even though I'm solidly eating 500 calories a day above where I was a few weeks ago.

    I'm also not earning as many calories back, mostly because the weather has been lousy and I'm not getting my steps.

    I have not been on the scale since this discussion. I'm planning to weigh in again on Wednesday, just because that has always been my weigh in day. I'm pretty nervous about what I'll see, but I'm trying to prepare myself mentally. Between Thanksgiving and trying to retrain my body to deal with food, it's almost guaranteed that I'll see some weight gain. Based on past experience, it could easily be 20 pounds over the last few weeks. That terrifies me, as it could set me back close to a year. We shall see...
  • WinoGelato
    WinoGelato Posts: 13,454 Member
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    With your current height/weight/activity level and goal (19 lbs to go according to your profile) you shouldn't have yourself set to lose 2 lbs/week. 1 lb/week is much more realistic. If you use the MFP settings, and have everything synched properly w/ your FitBit, and are weighing and measuring your food then I don't see any reason why you wouldn't lose weight trusting the guidance from those systems.

    I'm almost a foot shorter than you, use FitBit, and I lose weight netting 1650 cals/day. I eat closer to 2000 most days.
  • rhtexasgal
    rhtexasgal Posts: 572 Member
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    In my opinion, doctors know NOTHING about diet and exercise. They just say to do it. Several doctors I know admit that in medical school, they visit the subject of nutrition very briefly. They are great for acute care but not the long haul stuff, like weight loss. I use them strictly to get my blood tested every so often and that is about it.

    I am not sure why you have an aversion to eating more meat but I lose more weight when I eat more protein and healthy fats, which include fat from animals. I am one of those that eats the skin off baked chicken and still loses weight. I know not everyone is like that though. I just happen to thrive on protein and fat! It took me a long time to figure that out though.

    Everyone here is giving you great advice and it sounds like you are doing your best to try and change things. It is tough but you can do it!
  • andymcclure
    andymcclure Posts: 40 Member
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    A lot will depend on the next couple of weeks. At my last weigh-in, I was at 19 pounds to go, but that could easily be double now. A current weight (followed by another weigh-in a week later) will give me a much better idea of where I'm at and where I'm heading.

    I'd be thrilled with one pound a week, if that were actually to happen. Up to this point, I've been using the two pounds a week settings just to average about 4 ounces a week. (Hence, all the resetting I'm trying to do.)

    I do feel like I'm starting to "normalize" a bit to this new calorie level. I'm still pretty hungry, but it's improving a little each day. If I could find a happy medium at which I started losing again AND still felt like I could eat a reasonable amount of food, that would be great.

    Also, side note, I'm not terribly opposed to meat. In general, I find that a diet light in meat tends to be healthier. That said, I've done a lot of reading and research lately on the value of animal fats and proteins. So, it's probably time to do more experimenting.(Also, my wife and my kids are all vegetarians, so there's that.)

    It would seem that I still have a long way to go to figure what will and won't work for me. Thanks again to everyone contributing here; it really does help a lot.
  • SueInAz
    SueInAz Posts: 6,592 Member
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    It sounds like you're on the right track. :smile:

    Keep in mind that protein does not necessarily equal meat. Protein can come from many sources, meat is just the easiest source. Protein powder is an alternative and there are even vegan and vegetarian versions out there.

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