weight loss

lawncare11
lawncare11 Posts: 15 Member
edited November 9 in Health and Weight Loss
I have had a difficult time losing any weight as of late. I lost 45 pounds since last march and I have a goal to lose 60 pounds total. I go to the gym everyday and burn between 800-1000 calories and I consume @ 1500-1800 calories a day which is about what I'm suppose to consume. Why aren't I able to lose any more weight? Thx for any input that I receive. Steve

Replies

  • Liftng4Lis
    Liftng4Lis Posts: 15,151 Member
    Can you open your diary?
  • healthygreek
    healthygreek Posts: 2,137 Member
    Are you weighing your solid foods for accuracy in calorie counting and measuring your caloric liquids?
    You are not at a deficit if you're not losing.
  • queenliz99
    queenliz99 Posts: 15,317 Member
    You are either not burning as many calories as you think or your logging of calories are not accurate.
  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,573 Member
    queenliz99 wrote: »
    You are either not burning as many calories as you think or your logging of calories are not accurate.

    This
  • Ninkyou
    Ninkyou Posts: 6,666 Member
    queenliz99 wrote: »
    You are either not burning as many calories as you think or your logging of calories are not accurate.

    ^This.
  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,573 Member
    Also, when you first start losing there is a larger margin for error. I did not weigh my food the first month, and yet I still lost two pounds a week because I was eating a heck of a lot less. But as you get closer to goal, you have to be really careful.

    800-1000 calories is a high burn, what are you doing to get that and are you eating all of those calories back? And of course, since you've been using this awhile I assume you are weighing?
  • Carlos_421
    Carlos_421 Posts: 5,132 Member
    That's a lot of calories to burn at the gym. Are you totally positive you're burning that many? The same exercise now, at 45 pounds lighter, won't burn as many as it did before.

    Something has to be inaccurate either in your calories in or your calories out. If you're eating no more than 1800 and burning no less than 800, that's a net 1,000 calories which is probably several hundred less than your BMR. If all these figures are accurate, you'd surely be losing weight.
  • TimothyFish
    TimothyFish Posts: 4,925 Member
    Unless you are very short, you should be able to lose some weight at 1800 calories, even without working out in the gym, so I suspect that you are eating more than you realize. Reduce what you're eating and you will lose weight.
  • lawncare11
    lawncare11 Posts: 15 Member
    Carlos_421 wrote: »
    That's a lot of calories to burn at the gym. Are you totally positive you're burning that many? The same exercise now, at 45 pounds lighter, won't burn as many as it did before.

    Something has to be inaccurate either in your calories in or your calories out. If you're eating no more than 1800 and burning no less than 800, that's a net 1,000 calories which is probably several hundred less than your BMR. If all these figures are accurate, you'd surely be losing weight.

  • lawncare11
    lawncare11 Posts: 15 Member
    The machines say that I'm burning that many calories.
  • lawncare11
    lawncare11 Posts: 15 Member
    TimothyFish wrote: »
    Unless you are very short, you should be able to lose some weight at 1800 calories, even without working out in the gym, so I suspect that you are eating more than you realize. Reduce what you're eating and you will lose weight.

  • lawncare11
    lawncare11 Posts: 15 Member
    ok,thx
  • lawncare11
    lawncare11 Posts: 15 Member
    arditarose wrote: »
    Also, when you first start losing there is a larger margin for error. I did not weigh my food the first month, and yet I still lost two pounds a week because I was eating a heck of a lot less. But as you get closer to goal, you have to be really careful.

    800-1000 calories is a high burn, what are you doing to get that and are you eating all of those calories back? And of course, since you've been using this awhile I assume you are weighing?

  • Carlos_421
    Carlos_421 Posts: 5,132 Member
    lawncare11 wrote: »
    The machines say that I'm burning that many calories.

    Ah. Yeah, I never trust what the machines tell me. They can be off by a few hundred calories.
  • queenliz99
    queenliz99 Posts: 15,317 Member
    Those machines are based on average populations.
  • lawncare11
    lawncare11 Posts: 15 Member
    I use the eliptical machines and I don't weigh my food. Thx
  • diannethegeek
    diannethegeek Posts: 14,776 Member
    lawncare11 wrote: »
    The machines say that I'm burning that many calories.
    Depending on which machines you're using, some of them are pretty notorious for overestimating calories burned (I'm thinking specifically of things like the elliptical). You might want to do a little research and see how yours measure up.
  • lawncare11
    lawncare11 Posts: 15 Member
    healthygreek wrote: »
    Are you weighing your solid foods for accuracy in calorie counting and measuring your caloric liquids?
    You are not at a deficit if you're not losing.

  • lawncare11
    lawncare11 Posts: 15 Member
    No, I do not weigh my food. Thx
  • MinnieInMaine
    MinnieInMaine Posts: 6,400 Member
    All machines are a little different but I know the ellipticals in my gym can overestimate by about 30%. That's in comparison to my Polar HRM which is pretty accurate as far as I can tell (eat back calories earned and gain/lose/maintain as expected).
  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,573 Member
    lawncare11 wrote: »
    I use the eliptical machines and I don't weigh my food. Thx

    There ya go, that's your problem. Weigh your food, don't go by what the machines say. Eat back only 50%.
  • tulips_and_tea
    tulips_and_tea Posts: 5,744 Member
    Sorry, but you absolutely cannot rely on the calorie read outs on the machines. They are highly inaccurate. If you want to see for yourself, since you are using the elliptical currently, try the treadmill for the same amount of time and see what a difference that # will be!
  • queenliz99
    queenliz99 Posts: 15,317 Member
    edited December 2014
    BZAH10 wrote: »
    Sorry, but you absolutely cannot rely on the calorie read outs on the machines. They are highly inaccurate. If you want to see for yourself, since you are using the elliptical currently, try the treadmill for the same amount of time and see what a difference that # will be!

    This and use a heart rate monitor. HRM's will get you close to your actual calorie burn.
  • lawncare11
    lawncare11 Posts: 15 Member
    BZAH10 wrote: »
    Sorry, but you absolutely cannot rely on the calorie read outs on the machines. They are highly inaccurate. If you want to see for yourself, since you are using the elliptical currently, try the treadmill for the same amount of time and see what a difference that # will be!

  • lawncare11
    lawncare11 Posts: 15 Member
    The tread mill versus the elliptical will always be a different calorie burn.
  • malibu927
    malibu927 Posts: 17,562 Member
    lawncare11 wrote: »
    The tread mill versus the elliptical will always be a different calorie burn.

    That's not the issue. The issue is that you're relying on a wildly inaccurate number. It's recommended to only eat back 50% of what either the machines or MFP say due to overestimations.

    And definitely purchase a food scale and start using it to weigh everything. If you aren't losing, you're eating more than you think.
  • lawncare11
    lawncare11 Posts: 15 Member
    malibu927 wrote: »
    lawncare11 wrote: »
    The tread mill versus the elliptical will always be a different calorie burn.

    That's not the issue. The issue is that you're relying on a wildly inaccurate number. It's recommended to only eat back 50% of what either the machines or MFP say due to overestimations.

    And definitely purchase a food scale and start using it to weigh everything. If you aren't losing, you're eating more than you think.

  • lawncare11
    lawncare11 Posts: 15 Member
    ok, thank you for the advice.
  • arykah3luvsya
    arykah3luvsya Posts: 14 Member
    BZAH10 wrote: »
    Sorry, but you absolutely cannot rely on the calorie read outs on the machines. They are highly inaccurate. If you want to see for yourself, since you are using the elliptical currently, try the treadmill for the same amount of time and see what a difference that # will be!

    Yes but they are two completely different machines allowing your body different movements. Of course they are different.
  • arykah3luvsya
    arykah3luvsya Posts: 14 Member

    There ya go, that's your problem. Weigh your food, don't go by what the machines say. Eat back only 50%.[/quote]

    What kind of scale do you recommend to weigh? Right now I just have a cheap standard, not digital, scale. Also, do you recommend a HTC to count cals burned on elliptical? If so, do you have a preference in HRMs? If no HRM, would you just count half the calories the machine said you burned (for ex: elliptical for 35 mins says I burned 565, but I always just log 400) and then you eat only 200 cals back? Thanks for your advice!
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