And the quote of the century is...

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BFDeal
BFDeal Posts: 3,160 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Someone from my friends list:

"I'm sorry man, IDK what to tell you. Like you said, it makes no sense. 5'6" 128 lb female, lifts 4x a week for 35 min, elliptical 1x a week for 25 min, sedentary desk job, eats 2400 cals/day and loses."

OK. So I don't have an elliptical in my home gym. Maybe that 25 minutes I'm missing is a total deal breaker. Maybe that's my entire plateau. Beyond that we have roughly the same routine. Only she weighs 100lbs less and loses weight eating more than I do. Me? No loses. Nope. Eating 300 calories less. I'm pretty much at the throw in the towel and give up moment. There is literally no logic to this. Now even if my logging is a little off lately do to birthday season (in my life at least) it sure as heck wasn't off last year when this plateau began and I stalled out eat 2300. So, logical explanations that aren't stupid and don't involve the standard "well, dur, you're eating too much?" Go.
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Replies

  • deaniac83
    deaniac83 Posts: 166 Member
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    First, give yourself a little credit. You have gone from 365 lbs to 228 lbs. That is phenomenal, and don't let anyone tell you otherwise.

    Second, one way to break a plateau (there was actually a pretty good blog post at Hello Healthy yesterday about - give it a read) is to re-acclimate your body to maintenance calories for a couple of weeks. So find your TDEE and eat back your exercise calories for two weeks. Then get back to a calorie deficit. This will readjust your metabolism and once you are at a deficit again, your body will keep burning more calories because it will expect more.

    Also, work some cardio into your routine. The "magic" here is that cardio is an excellent way to ramp up your metabolism. Higher metabolism = more calorie burned just doing everyday things. You don't have to kill yourself with cardio; if you prefer weights by all means do that, but just a little cardio can do a great deal.
  • ana3067
    ana3067 Posts: 5,623 Member
    edited February 2015
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    CSB. Stop whining about how people are eating more than you'd like to be eating yourself.

    Also realize that caloric intake is pretty much perceived caloric intake. If you aren't weighing then you are easily eating above or below your logged intake by a few hundred calories on a regular basis.

    And this woman could be "sedentary" at work, sure. And maybe she also walks a shite-load, or does a lot of work at home, or lifts intensely while doing VERY high intensity cardio once a week.

    You really need to stop complaining about this.


    (ETA for anyone who reads and thinks I'm being a betch, this poster once hijacked a thread in the fitness or food forums where another poster was looking for other users eating >2000 calories. Hijacked and complained and whined and argued. And will post crap like this in other threads too. So you know, I'm done with it and have no patience with people like this.)
  • ana3067
    ana3067 Posts: 5,623 Member
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    PlaydohPants wrote: »
    Try not compare. She could be eating far less than she thinks and that is why she's losing weight so "easily".

    Yup. Especially if she doesn't log daily and/or doesn't weigh her food. OR she simply has more lean muscle mass which might be helping her lose on more calories. OR she is more active than she realizes because activity doesn't just entail exercise. Simply walking and standing results in burned calories. And working out more intensely = more calories burned.
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
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    Finding your maintenance is good advice and you really might need the break.

    If it's absurdly low compared to where it should be for someone of your size, bring that information to the doctor and decide what you want to do about it.

    Otherwise, all you can do is cut calories or up activity.

    For what it's worth, people differ. The person you cited is about my weight, and I do a lot more cardio, and yet I'd be gaining on less than she's losing on. Could be she's over-counting or has a more active life than she gives herself credit for or just has a faster metabolism. It has no bearing on me, though.
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
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    BFDeal wrote: »
    So at 100lbs less than me she has more muscle mass than I do? LOL How is that possible. Even at 30% body fat my muscle mass would be more than her entire body weight.

    Who cares? How is this relevant to or helpful for you?
  • obscuremusicreference
    obscuremusicreference Posts: 1,320 Member
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    PlaydohPants wrote: »
    Try not compare. She could be eating far less than she thinks and that is why she's losing weight so "easily".

    Yup. Or as others have pointed out, sits at a desk all day--but gets up to talk to her coworkers instead of email, doesn't count walking as exercise, has active hobbies, runs around after kids/pets . . .

  • juggernaut1974
    juggernaut1974 Posts: 6,212 Member
    edited February 2015
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    ana3067 wrote: »
    BFDeal wrote: »
    So at 100lbs less than me she has more muscle mass than I do? LOL How is that possible. Even at 30% body fat my muscle mass would be more than her entire body weight.

    158191488fed2f79e60a65843a72acc4d945c962b506c3e85c6d8a79933e0092.jpg

    I really hope this thread disappears or that other users turn it into a gif-fest.

    690f5c14da732e49278b9ae20befbe5e8392f6648d65ed8c7c0cb7ea2909d79c.jpg

    Just doing my little part....
  • jemhh
    jemhh Posts: 14,261 Member
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    Lather, rinse, repeat.
  • sardelsa
    sardelsa Posts: 9,812 Member
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    Some people can eat more, some people have better agility and endurance, some can lift more.. it is what it is. In the end, you do what you have to do FOR YOU. Don't compare yourself to others around you, it will get you nowhere and make you bitter. Your maintenance, yes is on the low side for someone with your stats. Why? I wish I could tell you. If you are that concerned, maybe see a doctor and get some bloods done.
  • deaniac83
    deaniac83 Posts: 166 Member
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    BFDeal wrote: »
    So at 100lbs less than me she has more muscle mass than I do? LOL How is that possible. Even at 30% body fat my muscle mass would be more than her entire body weight.
    And do you know your body fat percentage to be 30% for certain? I tried to help, but it does seem to me like you just want to complain rather than learn. Self-pity won't help you lose more weight. Taking charge of your life will.
  • ana3067
    ana3067 Posts: 5,623 Member
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    BFDeal wrote: »
    ana3067 wrote: »
    BFDeal wrote: »
    So at 100lbs less than me she has more muscle mass than I do? LOL How is that possible. Even at 30% body fat my muscle mass would be more than her entire body weight.

    158191488fed2f79e60a65843a72acc4d945c962b506c3e85c6d8a79933e0092.jpg

    I really hope this thread disappears or that other users turn it into a gif-fest.
    So does this mean I can't count on your help?

    Who cares? The times I have offered help you basically whined and betched about what I said and argued that your logging was just fine. I don't have time for people like yourself.
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
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    No one here can make you able to eat more and lose weight.

    Seems like your choices are to find out if it's a medical problem (if your maintenance is really absurdly low), or to increase your calorie burn (do more cardio or walk more in your daily life), or to go with it and reduce your calories.

    I'm not sure what you expect anyone else to do here. You aren't asking for ideas on the exercise to do or how to feel happy at a lower calorie level. You just seem mad that your maintenance level is as low as you think it is, and--barring a medical issue--that's something you have to accept and deal with.
  • ana3067
    ana3067 Posts: 5,623 Member
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    BFDeal wrote: »
    lemurcat12 wrote: »
    BFDeal wrote: »
    So at 100lbs less than me she has more muscle mass than I do? LOL How is that possible. Even at 30% body fat my muscle mass would be more than her entire body weight.

    Who cares? How is this relevant to or helpful for you?
    The other poster said maybe she has more muscle mass. I was pointing out that from a logical standpoint that's not possible.

    Maybe she has more muscle mass than other females with her stats and activity levels, or more muscle mass than she herself realizes. Ffs, you are a man and she is a woman. Stop comparing yourself to someone of a different sex, and stop whining.

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