Anyone find they need to net low calories or go low carb in order to lose?
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Ok, so how can I tell my 'real' weight and if the scales are showing a gain due to sodium or water retention what can I do about it?
You can be patient and give this time. 3 weeks is nothing in the grand scheme of things. Also, how certain are you about your calorie intake numbers? Besides the restaurant, which is a best guess at a minimum, when you prepare food at home do you weigh and measure all your food? I agree with others that sodium and alcohol are contributors to this.
Anecdotally - I have my calories set at a small deficit (less than 0.5 lb/week because I'm transitioning into maintenance). Last week I was under my weekly goal, which should have meant I would have lost weight for the week. However, because this weekend was filled with pizza, hot dogs, alcohol, an appetizer frenzy, more pizza, and nachos... I was up 3 lbs on the scale this morning. In fact, I weigh anywhere from 1-2lbs more EVERY Monday because the weekends are when I tend to indulge, go out, drink more, etc. By Thursday of the week I am usually back to my maintenance range. If I have subsequent weeks with weight loss I will sometimes log a new, lower weight.
As others have said, be patient, have realistic goals, don't freak out when the numbers on the scale change. There are other ways to measure success besides the number on the scale too.
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I live in Florida, in the summer time, just sitting outside I sweat big time, I'm not burning anymore calories, I'm just sweating.I was happy when I'd lost 5.5lbs BUT NOW I'M GAINING. I just worked out some averages and over the past week my average calorie intake was 1300, whereas the week before my average intake was 1050 so maybe I am eating too much and should try and stick to 1200 regardless of exercise.
I don't think my calorie burns are overestimated, even the cleaning as I used a heart rate monitor when working out accurate burns and was sweating buckets each time . I also make sure to be at least 100 calories under my daily goal in case of overestimation.
I would be happy if the scales stayed the same for a week and I didn't lose for 1 week but as I appear to have gained according to the scale it's very frustrating.0 -
Try, as others have said, not to worry about seemingly gaining or losing a few pounds, but focus on tracking your weight over a longer period of time in order to see a trend. Yes, salt intake really can effect things a lot even just one meal/one weekend of eating out or not cooking for yourself. Also know that while one can certainly weigh oneself often for the sake of plotting a trend, there are things completely out of your control and your fitness goals' control. Many women find they retain a lot more water the week before and sometimes also the week after menstruating--so while we might check up on our weight during those two weeks, it might be ideal to take as a more meaningful measurement something outside that time frame.
In short: relax and just stick with it. Focusing too much, too often on the scale can be discouraging when accidentally focusing on the micro instead of macro trend.0 -
Regarding my calorie intake I work from home and eat in most days so I weigh and measure everything meticulously. When adding foods from the database I always check several similar entries and go with a choice in the middle if I can find the exact brand I had though I eat more unpackaged/fresh food than I do stuff in a packet on the whole.
By the way when I said I sweat buckets I mean my heart rate was up there in the 110-130 range and I was out of breath not that the weather was hot! I am in Spain but it's winter here now and 4-14 degrees Celsius most days so I am not hot other than when working out.0 -
As I've said already, even factoring in the fact that my burns might be overestimated I'm currently eating no more than 1450 calories and less in general as I average 1300 and burning off at least 250 calories (half the amount I normally log under exercise) so at the very least I would be netting 1050-1200 which is 350-500 under TDEE and enough for me to lose weight.0
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NO0
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You're retaining water. It's simple.
There's tons of reasons you'd retain water, including: Sodium intake, period, ovulation, exercise (for muscle repair), injury, sunburn and more.
It's all temporary and will go away. All you need is to exercise patience and drink water.0 -
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Another idea - don't weigh yourself every day! The food you ate yesterday isn't going to make you gain several lbs overnight. It is a gradual process!0
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How is that too high? I'm talking about a workout containing cardio and/or weight training in addition to a walk, totalling 1 hour or more.0
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There are times my heart rate goes right up to 160 or so.0
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I agree with the others who have suggested patience. I know it's hard to see the number on the scale go in the wrong direction, but weight fluctuates on a daily basis. It's totally normal, and, as mentioned above, can happen for any number of reasons.
Your weight range really is more important than one specific number, and you will only know your weight range if you track it over a period of weeks. Weight loss isn't linear, so you won't always see a loss - sometimes you might maintain your weight, some days you might see a gain, and some days you might lose more than expected. If you are accurate in logging your food/activity level, then the numbers work themselves out over time. Sometimes it's better to look for a downward trend over time than to expect a loss every day or even every week.0 -
Yes, I have to eat a lot less than any general calculator would advise. I have to hover around 1200 and exercise to lose weight. Some days I eat more or less than the 1200, but that's the average. Last month I averaged about 1250.
That losing slowly, too.
You have to find what works for you. I like going lower some days and higher others. It works for my energy and following my hunger seems appropriate, IMO.
I think my issue is thyroid-related, but cannot be sure. Doesn't really matter because whatever the cause, the end result is the same.
I don't compare my weight loss to anyone else's because they can't lose my weight. Only I can lose my weight. Feeling better than those who cannot lose or worse than those who lose easier...it's a stupid game and not worth two seconds of emotional drama, even internal drama.
So, I can't eat yummy stuff like Cheryl's cookies with the buttercream frosting or Hershey Dots like I did at Christmas, except on rare occasions. But that's cool because I eat healthy things and I feel better.
If you find that you have to go hungry in order to lose, try eating healthier things. I can stuff myself silly for 1200 calories a day. 0 -
I can easily stick to 1200 or even 1100 but some days when I've done a double workout and I saved calories for a meal out I want to be able to enjoy my 1400 and still lose weight.
In case of overestimation I'm going to reduce the exercise calories I log by a third and try and eat no more than 1300 maximum on high workout days or 1100 when I have a low calorie burn.0 -
I can easily stick to 1200 or even 1100 but some days when I've done a double workout and I saved calories for a meal out I want to be able to enjoy my 1400 and still lose weight.
In case of overestimation I'm going to reduce the exercise calories I log by a third and try and eat no more than 1300 maximum on high workout days or 1100 when I have a low calorie burn.
You don't need to cut your calories, you need to be patient. I encourage you to reread the responses in this thread.
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That's in your case but my resting heart rate is not 200 or even 100 so for it to go up to 110, 130 or 160 must show that something's happening so why not calorie burn, especially as I'm exercising! Plus heart rate monitors can't be completely wrong, otherwise why would they exist.
For those who say I'm massively overestimating calorie burns, how much do you expect most people to burn after 45 minutes of HIIT training or cardio Baring in mind I'm carrying around 15% of excess body fat?0 -
That's in your case but my resting heart rate is not 200 or even 100 so for it to go up to 110, 130 or 160 must show that something's happening so why not calorie burn, especially as I'm exercising! Plus heart rate monitors can't be completely wrong, otherwise why would they exist.
For those who say I'm massively overestimating calorie burns, how much do you expect most people to burn after 45 minutes of HIIT training or cardio Baring in mind I'm carrying around 15% of excess body fat?
45 min of cardio...300-350 calories? HIIT I don't know. 500?0 -
That's in your case but my resting heart rate is not 200 or even 100 so for it to go up to 110, 130 or 160 must show that something's happening so why not calorie burn, especially as I'm exercising! Plus heart rate monitors can't be completely wrong, otherwise why would they exist.
For those who say I'm massively overestimating calorie burns, how much do you expect most people to burn after 45 minutes of HIIT training or cardio Baring in mind I'm carrying around 15% of excess body fat?
That's not my heart rate resting. That's during an episode.
The point I was trying to make is that you can have an elevated heart rate (like during cleaning), but it does not always equate more calories burned. That's not consistent cardio, and it's hard for a HRM to track.
HRMs can also be wrong due to them being estimates only. They can also be wrong due to user error. They are not an exact measurement, or 100% right.0 -
Thank you, that's pretty much what I would expect but some on here are saying that 250 is generous. How are we supposed to gauge our calorie burns if people believe so many different things and nobody can be accurate about the true calorie burn.0
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If you are going to stress out about the calorie burns and all, why not try the TDEE method instead? Calculate your weekly average total burn (including all your regular cardio, etc), eat that for two-three weeks. If not losing, lower it 100 and try again. If you change your activity level or lose/gain more than 5-10 pounds, recalculate it and adjust. That way the only thing that matters day to day is that you do the activity you said you were when you calculated your average for a typical week.0
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Thank you, that's pretty much what I would expect but some on here are saying that 250 is generous. How are we supposed to gauge our calorie burns if people believe so many different things and nobody can be accurate about the true calorie burn.
We guesstimate as best as we can, make a judgment call based on what MFP or our equipment is telling us, and eat back a portion of our exercise calories (not all).0 -
When I go from 75ish carbs to 150ish for a few days I gain 5 lbs. Water binds to glycogen. It's why you lose scale weight quickly when you start a low carb diet - your body releases that water as you use up your glycogen stores.
Unless you have insulin resistance problems or problems binge eating sweets, a low carb diet isn't necessary.
Pick a consistent way of eating and stick with it for a month before making any changes. Weight fluctuations are normal.0 -
That's in your case but my resting heart rate is not 200 or even 100 so for it to go up to 110, 130 or 160 must show that something's happening so why not calorie burn, especially as I'm exercising! Plus heart rate monitors can't be completely wrong, otherwise why would they exist.
For those who say I'm massively overestimating calorie burns, how much do you expect most people to burn after 45 minutes of HIIT training or cardio Baring in mind I'm carrying around 15% of excess body fat?
I have a resting heart rate of 68bpm. i can very easily hit 130bpm while walking at acomfortable pace at 4.0mph. and close to 200bpm when running. Yeah my burns are higher at 200bpm than at 130bpm but I'm actually putting effort i when I run, not walking0 -
You have to burn more than you put in to your body. Get a HRM watch to accurately check your caloric burn. Try not eating workout calories to increase your weekly caloric defecit. Keep at it! You'll see the results.
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That's in your case but my resting heart rate is not 200 or even 100 so for it to go up to 110, 130 or 160 must show that something's happening so why not calorie burn, especially as I'm exercising! Plus heart rate monitors can't be completely wrong, otherwise why would they exist.
For those who say I'm massively overestimating calorie burns, how much do you expect most people to burn after 45 minutes of HIIT training or cardio Baring in mind I'm carrying around 15% of excess body fat?
Could I ask how you are doing 45 minutes of HIIT? That wouldn't be considered HIIT if you can do it for that long. As for 45 minutes of steady state or interval cardio it depends on the level of effort. LISS would be a couple hundred calories MISS or interval training would be more around 300+ should be pretty normal and over 500 is possible but it would depending on body weight and intensity. Note I'm talking net calories and not gross calories that you would see on the tread mill display.0 -
Wheelhouse when I do cardio I normally spend 15 minutes each on 3 different machines I have in my home gym, the eliptical machine, running machine and rowing machine. I try and use each of them making sure to get my heart rate up to around 130 or more.
I am currently also following Jillian Michaels body revolution which is a 6 day program and there are 4 weight training workouts and 2 cardio workouts. I've been doing one of her DVDs every day and doubling up with my gym cardio on days I have the weight training workout. When I say HIIT, it's basically a warm up, followed by exercises with weights and cardio intervals. There is no break during the workouts at all so it's continuous from start to finish.
I also do short daily dog walks and this morning I went for a 1 hour dog walk at a moderate-brisk pace. I have done that walk many times wearing a heart rate monitor and it tells me I've burnt off approximately 300 calories in an hour. When I'm in the gym doing cardio I'd expect the burns in 45 minutes to be higher as the intensity is higher.0 -
I have been logging religiously for over 3 weeks now and up until last Tuesday things looked as if they were going well. I was set to lose 1.5 lbs per week and I averaged 2lbs per week until then, but now I seem to be gaining and I'm not sure why/what to do.
I initially lost 5.5 lbs which I'd hoped was fat, but realise could have been water. Almost a week ago last Tuesday I noticed that the scales started to show an increase in weight (so far I'm up 2.5 lbs of the 5.5 previously lost).
I started off with manual goals set to net 800 calories but most days I burned off 450 calories or more so I ate back most of my exercise calories making most days total intake around 1200, sometimes a little less. That seemed to be working, or maybe it's because it was the first 2 weeks but I was definitely losing weight and it was noticeable on almost a daily basis.
The problems started last week when I had a couple of meals out with friends and I knew I would eat a little more and also have a glass or two of wine. I did more gym time on the day of each meal and made sure I had much higher calorie burns on those days so I had more calories available for my meals out but I stuck to what I'd planned to eat. I also very carefully calculated the calories in the food I ate and even asked for sauce on the side instead of on top of my meat etc. so I think my calorie log was quite accurate. The first meal out was in the evening so I ate the majority of my calories at dinner, instead of my normal routing of eating most of them at lunch.
I am starting to think that my body won't accept being given more than 1250 calories per day, as when I've eaten more (in the region of 1400-1450) I have gained weight and this is also how I got to be 30 lbs over my goal weight. I've never been a huge eater and I really don't think my maintenance level is really as high as the calculators tell me. I am extremely sedentary outside of workouts and MFP puts me at a maintenance level of 1650 whereas other calculators say 1550. Personally from past experience I think it's more like 1450 as that's when I seem to start gaining and looking at my daily intake before logging on MFP that's what I probably ate, though I was exercising less. I also think my BMR is massively overestimated and it's probably lower than the 1350 given to me by the online calculators.
Another thing I was doing before the weight gain started was keeping my carbs to around 75-100g per day maximum but I had 2-3 days last week when I ate anything up to 150g so maybe this has also affected my weight, I don't know.
Any others in a similar position and if so what do you recommend? I know That weight loss doesn't happen evenly but seeing the scale go up must mean I'm doing something wrong for my body. Shall I consider capping my maximum calorie intake at 1250 regardless of calorie burns, shall I cut carbs or is there another way to re-start my weight loss?
I share your frustrations.....I started to log everything as per MFP lost 1 1/2 lb the first week, for the last two weeks lost nothing. I have 50lb to lose, so plenty to get off!. I'm just carrying on with my plan, hopefully the weight will start moving. My target is 1200 cals per day, sometimes I go below but find it difficult. I thought about cutting carbs, but will see. Trying to think along the lines of healthy eating Good luck0
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