Trouble Losing Weight: too few calories?
Replies
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This is very helpful. I have a question; What are your suggestions for beverages. Do you actually measure how much fruit juice your drink? Or are your measurements reserved for food items?0
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Weigh solids and measure liquids
Anything that has calories HAS TO BE LOGGED!0 -
4legsRbetterthan2 wrote: »Weigh solids and measure liquids
Anything that has calories HAS TO BE LOGGED!
Great, Thanks!0 -
I log everything but its hard for me to put things on a food scale because of me being in college. What I do is figure out how many calories are in things such as tablespoons and cups and I can usually figure out what to do from there. I've actually started to eat more and lose more weight this past week but I'm still under my calories by a lot. I also workout twice a day and walk a lot. Once you start getting a hang of things it gets much easier to figure out how much food you eat. And when it comes to things like Crackers or Chips, my guilty pleasure almost every day is teddy grahams or goldfish grahams with peanut butter, make sure to count how many you put on your plate. You'll be surprised by how easy it is to go over.
Went from 133 to 128 in the past few days just by eating more and keeping my metabolism up by working out.
Todays a lazy day and i'm only working out once today but thats okay too.0 -
I log everything but its hard for me to put things on a food scale because of me being in college. What I do is figure out how many calories are in things such as tablespoons and cups and I can usually figure out what to do from there. I've actually started to eat more and lose more weight this past week but I'm still under my calories by a lot. I also workout twice a day and walk a lot. Once you start getting a hang of things it gets much easier to figure out how much food you eat. And when it comes to things like Crackers or Chips, my guilty pleasure almost every day is teddy grahams or goldfish grahams with peanut butter, make sure to count how many you put on your plate. You'll be surprised by how easy it is to go over.
Went from 133 to 128 in the past few days just by eating more and keeping my metabolism up by working out.
Todays a lazy day and i'm only working out once today but thats okay too.
You may be eating a higher quantity of food...but you are eating less calories.0 -
4legsRbetterthan2 wrote: ». I'm 300lbs. I don't want my kids to grow up thinking it's okay to be fat, that it doesn't matter. I want to be healthy for them.
It just so happens that today is payday. Sounds like I'm shopping for a food scale after I get back from from my run.
While my health has always been good I imagine, sooner or later, it wont. You're right. We are worth 2 minutes
I find that very admirable, I can tell you personally that since I started this journey I have pin pointed several habits that helped me get to my 240lbs self, and I now realize that I have them all in common with my overweight mother. And my normal weight father never had those habits....huh. Its amazing the little things we pick up and don't even realize it.
Also, don't feel like you have to put out a bunch of money for a food scale. I got mine at wal-mart for like $12 and it has done a great job and lasted 2 years. I am sure you can find a super fancy 100$ model if you want but its just not necessary if you are on a budget. Definitely go digital though, its just easier
Congratulations on your insights! That's pretty huge. I've pinpointed a few things too... like being a boredom muncher. Eek!
Budget scales are more my style. Thank you for the suggestion! I like the idea of $12
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4legsRbetterthan2 wrote: »jessicaesqueda0409 wrote: »I am currently shooting for 1200 calories a day (except for once a week, which is a day I don't usually log), with a maximum of 1400.
Always always always log, I am betting that is your problem. If you are eating whatever you want then it is totally possible you are erasing all the deficit your created all week long.
Also read:
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1234699/logging-accurately-step-by-step-guide#latest
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants
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I totally disagree with this statement. I've been on mfp for going on two years and I do the same thing. Saturday is my cheat day and I don't log. Probably a good day to burn a few extra calories but your body needs days like that. I know everyone is different but I still maintain the weight I want and never gain anything back. Now having said that, It doesn't mean you go out on an eating and drinking binge and ingest a ridiculous amount of calories, but a few extra's to treat yourself shouldn't hurt. You WILL NOT erase everything you've done that week.0
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I totally disagree with this statement. I've been on mfp for going on two years and I do the same thing. Saturday is my cheat day and I don't log. Probably a good day to burn a few extra calories but your body needs days like that. I know everyone is different but I still maintain the weight I want and never gain anything back. Now having said that, It doesn't mean you go out on an eating and drinking binge and ingest a ridiculous amount of calories, but a few extra's to treat yourself shouldn't hurt. You WILL NOT erase everything you've done that week.
agree. it would take an insane number of calories to erase an entire week if you are really only eating 1200 calories a day. my guess is that the o.p. is not really eating only 1200-1400 calories on the non-cheat days and that's the problem.0 -
It's impossible to log accurately without a food scale. I'm logging 15 months already and I still need a food scale.jessicaesqueda0409 wrote: »farfromthetree wrote: »I couldn't tell from your post if the day you do not log your max is 1400 or you don't log because you are way over. I will tell you, one cheat day can kill your diet. I don't believe you are eating too little. You are probably eating too much and not logging or weighing accurately. If you are truly staying between 1200-1400 cals/day, you will absolutley lose weight, though it is too low for someone your age/weight.
I keep it under 2k on the cheat day. The past few weeks I've logged it. We usually eat out out that one night a week for dinner, but the rest of my day stays pretty normal.
Maybe a food scale is in my future.
As a rule, dry food gets weighed and liquid gets measured. Never measure dry food. It won't be accurate. And by inaccurate, I'm not talking about 10%. You can be off by close to 50%.
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jessicaesqueda0409 wrote: »I am currently shooting for 1200 calories a day (except for once a week, which is a day I don't usually log), with a maximum of 1400. One of the doctors I work with said this is the best way to lose weight for someone who is obese.
If every day for 1 week you eat 1,400 max except one day you don't log at all, you could be eating your deficit on that one day. It looks like, from your other posts, that you're not using a food scale +1 from me on using a food scale! It is so much easier than guessing or measuring (ever try to measure walnuts? Frozen broccoli florets? What a pain.
Unfortunately, eating too few calories does not cause weight maintenance or weight gain.0 -
I totally disagree with this statement. I've been on mfp for going on two years and I do the same thing. Saturday is my cheat day and I don't log. Probably a good day to burn a few extra calories but your body needs days like that. I know everyone is different but I still maintain the weight I want and never gain anything back. Now having said that, It doesn't mean you go out on an eating and drinking binge and ingest a ridiculous amount of calories, but a few extra's to treat yourself shouldn't hurt. You WILL NOT erase everything you've done that week.
agree. it would take an insane number of calories to erase an entire week if you are really only eating 1200 calories a day. my guess is that the o.p. is not really eating only 1200-1400 calories on the non-cheat days and that's the problem.
Agree0 -
farfromthetree wrote: »I log everything but its hard for me to put things on a food scale because of me being in college. What I do is figure out how many calories are in things such as tablespoons and cups and I can usually figure out what to do from there. I've actually started to eat more and lose more weight this past week but I'm still under my calories by a lot. I also workout twice a day and walk a lot. Once you start getting a hang of things it gets much easier to figure out how much food you eat. And when it comes to things like Crackers or Chips, my guilty pleasure almost every day is teddy grahams or goldfish grahams with peanut butter, make sure to count how many you put on your plate. You'll be surprised by how easy it is to go over.
Went from 133 to 128 in the past few days just by eating more and keeping my metabolism up by working out.
Todays a lazy day and i'm only working out once today but thats okay too.
You may be eating a higher quantity of food...but you are eating less calories.
I'm starting recovery from an ED. I'm still under my calories. But going up in calories hasn't made me gain any weight. I'm supposed to eat 1900 a day with my activity level to lose 1/2 a lb a week.0 -
I totally disagree with this statement. I've been on mfp for going on two years and I do the same thing. Saturday is my cheat day and I don't log. Probably a good day to burn a few extra calories but your body needs days like that. I know everyone is different but I still maintain the weight I want and never gain anything back. Now having said that, It doesn't mean you go out on an eating and drinking binge and ingest a ridiculous amount of calories, but a few extra's to treat yourself shouldn't hurt. You WILL NOT erase everything you've done that week.
I am a bit (or a lot) of a foodie. If I don't satisfy the cravings, I will binge. And I'm talking, dinner-plate sized portion of chocolate cake followed by 3 or 4 servings of potato chips and a liter of mountain dew. It's an issue, and I realize that.
By having one day a week where I am not so calorie-centered, I avoid the binge that would MOST DEFINITELY undo my entire week's (month's?) progress.
My "cheat day" looks like... standard breakfast, perhaps with a scone or half a muffin as a snack. Love muffins! Might have a sweetened tea, or a Starbucks (limited to 200 calories if I do). We often eat out that night, which puts my dinner around 800 calories instead of 400-500. Now, I do NOT do all of these things in one day. But if I want a couple of snacks, or lo mein for dinner, then my cheat day is the day to do it.
I can see how it could be problematic. That being said... it avoids the oh-my-god-I-havent-had-sugar-in-a-month fatty binge. Moderation.
(Disclaimer: I still suppose I can't say "Well this is what works for me", because clearly I'm not losing weight. I'm hoping a food scale will give me a more accurate picture of what goes in my mouth... but I don't think skipping the "cheat" is going to be the answer)0 -
I totally disagree with this statement. I've been on mfp for going on two years and I do the same thing. Saturday is my cheat day and I don't log. Probably a good day to burn a few extra calories but your body needs days like that. I know everyone is different but I still maintain the weight I want and never gain anything back. Now having said that, It doesn't mean you go out on an eating and drinking binge and ingest a ridiculous amount of calories, but a few extra's to treat yourself shouldn't hurt. You WILL NOT erase everything you've done that week.
agree. it would take an insane number of calories to erase an entire week if you are really only eating 1200 calories a day. my guess is that the o.p. is not really eating only 1200-1400 calories on the non-cheat days and that's the problem.
This is probably the problem.
I've got a food scale picked out. Wanna see?
http://www.amazon.com/Weighmax-Electronic-Kitchen-Scale-2810-2KG/dp/B000P1PJL4/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1424813928&sr=8-5&keywords=digital+food+scale
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You have to up your daily calories if you are going to be accurate with your logging. Eating 1200 calories/day is too low and will cause you to binge. When I put your stats into the scooby calculator (weight, sex, age, I guessed your height) It said your goal should be 1900 and that was an AGRESSIVE weight loss. You need to be more realistic about this daily goal or you wont last. PLEASE think about this...Do 1500 or 1600, but not 1200.
I would eat half your exercise calories back too.0 -
jessicaesqueda0409 wrote: »I totally disagree with this statement. I've been on mfp for going on two years and I do the same thing. Saturday is my cheat day and I don't log. Probably a good day to burn a few extra calories but your body needs days like that. I know everyone is different but I still maintain the weight I want and never gain anything back. Now having said that, It doesn't mean you go out on an eating and drinking binge and ingest a ridiculous amount of calories, but a few extra's to treat yourself shouldn't hurt. You WILL NOT erase everything you've done that week.
agree. it would take an insane number of calories to erase an entire week if you are really only eating 1200 calories a day. my guess is that the o.p. is not really eating only 1200-1400 calories on the non-cheat days and that's the problem.
This is probably the problem.
I've got a food scale picked out. Wanna see?
http://www.amazon.com/Weighmax-Electronic-Kitchen-Scale-2810-2KG/dp/B000P1PJL4/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1424813928&sr=8-5&keywords=digital+food+scale
looks good. i think i spent more on mine, but mine has some unnecessary features. as long as it weighs things, that's all you need.0 -
I'm going to bet on the one day not logged.
Reason being, I've had some "no logging" days. I was sure I wasn't eating that much. Well, I wanted to get back to being more serious, and logged one of those days. I was surprised at how much more I ate. (say 500 or so calories over what I had guessed).
But,... you should discus it with a doctor to make sure your medical issues/medications aren't also causing problems.0 -
jessicaesqueda0409 wrote: »I've been going strong with the weight loss thing for about 8 weeks now. I've lost 10 pounds, which is an awesome start. I have another 100 to go!
For the past couple weeks, I haven't been able to lose anything. In fact, I am yo-yoing the same 5 pounds around. I realize this 5lbs is most likely water weight. However, I did start a hormonal birth control 6 weeks ago to help with hormonal problems, and it's possible that the gain is legitimate.
At this point, I am feeling pretty discouraged. I continue to eat within my calories, and am seeing no results. I wonder if my caloric intake has anything to do with it? I am currently shooting for 1200 calories a day (except for once a week, which is a day I don't usually log), with a maximum of 1400. One of the doctors I work with said this is the best way to lose weight for someone who is obese.
Is it possible that I'm just eating too few calories? I've heard so many pieces of advice on the topic of calories, that I'm not sure what way I should be leaning. I just want to see some progress!
If you were eating too few calories you would lose weight.
You've lost weight, so you are losing. Weight loss is not linear.
Could be water retention from the birth control too.
Could you be underestimating your calorie intake, as well as maybe overestimating calorie burns? Do you weigh your foods? Log everything you eat, including that one day. That's the only way to know how much you are really eating.0 -
I log everything but its hard for me to put things on a food scale because of me being in college. What I do is figure out how many calories are in things such as tablespoons and cups and I can usually figure out what to do from there. I've actually started to eat more and lose more weight this past week but I'm still under my calories by a lot. I also workout twice a day and walk a lot. Once you start getting a hang of things it gets much easier to figure out how much food you eat. And when it comes to things like Crackers or Chips, my guilty pleasure almost every day is teddy grahams or goldfish grahams with peanut butter, make sure to count how many you put on your plate. You'll be surprised by how easy it is to go over.
Went from 133 to 128 in the past few days just by eating more and keeping my metabolism up by working out.
Todays a lazy day and i'm only working out once today but thats okay too.
No, eating more did not help you lose weight. You're still in a calorie deficit with your increased intake. However, I'm sure it gave you more energy to fuel some awesome workouts, thus creating a bigger deficit, therefore you lost weight.
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