Been tracking for 1 month and haven't lost 1 pound, ugh so frustrated

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  • loselbsnow2015
    loselbsnow2015 Posts: 11 Member
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    Thanks again for the advice, I'm definitely going to be more conscious about my caloric intake or net. I don't regularly eat jelly donuts or drink soda for obvious reasons but I think it's important to log everything regardless why would I log a jelly donut and not actual food? Doesn't makes sense......I'm concerned about my running and exercise app though, about how many calories do you think it's overestimating? I never eat back my exercise in calories and I'm wondering if the calorie calculation from map my run is even worth it now? Is there a better one?
  • blankiefinder
    blankiefinder Posts: 3,599 Member
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    If you're not eating them back, then it doesn't matter if it over-estimates. Just get on with the logging and keep within your calories, and the weight will drop! <3
  • loselbsnow2015
    loselbsnow2015 Posts: 11 Member
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    Thank you blankiefinder!
  • futuremanda
    futuremanda Posts: 816 Member
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    loselbsnow2015 wrote: »
    Thanks again for the advice, I'm definitely going to be more conscious about my caloric intake or net. I don't regularly eat jelly donuts or drink soda for obvious reasons but I think it's important to log everything regardless why would I log a jelly donut and not actual food? Doesn't makes sense......I'm concerned about my running and exercise app though, about how many calories do you think it's overestimating? I never eat back my exercise in calories and I'm wondering if the calorie calculation from map my run is even worth it now? Is there a better one?

    It is important to log everything!

    But I don't think you are. On Friday, you ate... one sandwich? That's it? On Wednesday you ate nothing? Last Sunday, you had a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for breakfast and nothing else the whole day?

    If this is really how you are eating, you're going to hurt yourself. If it is not, start logging everything, every day, every time, every tiny little thing, and do it as accurately as you can. Weigh solid foods when possible, including foods like peanut butter, and be careful to choose the most accurate database entries available.
  • atypicalsmith
    atypicalsmith Posts: 2,742 Member
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    loselbsnow2015 wrote: »
    I never eat back my exercise in calories and I'm wondering if the calorie calculation from map my run is even worth it now? Is there a better one?

    I have a friend who used map my run walking in the mall for 21 minutes and claimed she burned 273 calories. NOT!!!!! 75 MAX!
  • 999tigger
    999tigger Posts: 5,235 Member
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    Its very importnat to log everything. Dont worry about the doughnut or soda, as long as its in your allowane, then no harm, but even if it sent you over its very importnat to know where you are in terms of having an accurate deficit. The tweaks already suggested about food logging, eating the correct amount should get you back on track.
  • loselbsnow2015
    loselbsnow2015 Posts: 11 Member
    edited March 2015
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    Ok so even when I go to the gym and run on the treadmill, the calories seem to match map my run......typically if I'm running a 9 1/2 minute mile, for 3 miles that's at least 300 calories. There's no way one could burn 275 calories walking for 21 minutes! I'll try another app just to compare/contrast.

    The reason for my original post was so that I could understand what's going on because I've been tracking my calories and exercising though have lost no weight. Most of my entries are accurate which is why I've been feeling so frustrated. I cook a lot, don't eat out much and don't often over indulge.........I've been able to maintain until this past year. Yes, there were a few days I've not logged and or completed entries so I'm going to be diligent from now on and hopefully see some results! Thanks for the support, YOU ALL ARE THE BEST! ❤️❤️
  • PAV8888
    PAV8888 Posts: 13,757 Member
    edited March 2015
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    Never mind. I see you will be logging in more often and completing all your entries, which is all I was going to say since I noticed a lot of days with very few entries.
  • batelmiller
    batelmiller Posts: 5 Member
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    Lift weights, cardio will only take you so far your body probably got used to running so you plateaued. To get off the plateau you need to start lifting, and I promise the weight will come off. Also try to incorporate some HIIT into your workout. High intensity interval training is an amazing way to lose weight. For weightlifting plans just go to bodybuilding.com they have a ton of plans for free. For HIIT workouts you can either YouTube them or just do like 1 min of running on the treadmill at 6.0-9.0 speed and then walk for 2 minute at 3.5 speed and you will see you will be swearing like mad and losing weight when after your workout.
  • itsfatum
    itsfatum Posts: 113 Member
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    As said, log everything consistently. E-ve-ry-thing.

    Also, patience. One month is not enough. Your body and mind need to adapt to the new stuff, that takes from three weeks to three months.
  • dawnemjh
    dawnemjh Posts: 1,465 Member
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    If you haven't gained any weight this past month, then you have found maintenance... I wounldnt worry about how much you are burning when running, especially if you don't eat back you exercise calories. Try to be really careful for a week and log every bite that goes in your mouth and see what happens! Good for you for keeping with it for a month despite not seeing a loss!
  • devil_in_a_blue_dress
    devil_in_a_blue_dress Posts: 5,214 Member
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    Pu_239 wrote: »
    loselbsnow2015 wrote: »
    I put on about 13 pounds this past year and am trying my hardest to lose it but the numbers are just not budging. I exercise regularly and have been for about 10 years so this is not my issue, I don't even believe it's my caloric intake because I always have a surplus so I'm not sure what's going on? Ive had my thyroid checked recently and it's perfect, I'm slightly vitamin D insufficient but that's it. Please help as I'm becoming stressed out and sad about this.

    You're not logging consistently, that's a big problem. log more consistently and go from there.

    I thought inconsistency didn't matter -- just eat less. Right.

    Moving on...

    As others have said, OP -- weigh and measure everything. If you find that your food intake isn't the issue, only eat half your exercise calories.

    Measure yourself. Take pictures. Keep going.
  • atypicalsmith
    atypicalsmith Posts: 2,742 Member
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    I typically plateau for three weeks and then drop five pounds in a week. Very, very frustrating!
  • 61dance
    61dance Posts: 1 Member
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    I can relate and suggest with perimenopausal age, ask your gyno to check your hormone levels. Simple blood test. Estrogen and Progesterone levels can effect a woman's metabolism, no matter how well you eat and workout. Note how midlife female shapes tend to go from hourglass to apple. Safer HRT is available nowadays.
  • PeachyCarol
    PeachyCarol Posts: 8,029 Member
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    The machines at the gym aren't always accurate either. The treadmills at my old gym way overestimated my walks, the ones at my new gym are fairly accurate. It's a roll of the dice.

    No matter how accurate you think you are with logging, you're never as precise as you can be unless you are weighing your foods with a scale and verifying that you have chosen accurate data base entries with either food labels or independent web sites (USDA or nutritiondata.self.com).

    When you cook things from scratch, enter what you make into MFP's recipe builder.
  • LaurenAOK
    LaurenAOK Posts: 2,475 Member
    edited March 2015
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    I agree with what everyone else has said, make sure you are logging consistently AND accurately. Most people recommend a food scale but if you don't have one, I have found success with carefully measuring my foods at home and estimating as close as possible when eating out.

    I don't get why everyone is saying you're way overestimating your burn, though... 350 cals for 35 minutes of running sounds about right to me. Maybe a tad high but not much. 10 cals/minute is pretty reasonable when exercising at maximum effort, especially when one is overweight. I burn a similar amount when running, I eat back my exercise cals, and I have lost weight right on track with MFP's predictions or even faster.

    Work on your logging first, if you're still having problems another month from now then ask for help again.
  • Derpes
    Derpes Posts: 2,033 Member
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    Pu_239 wrote: »
    loselbsnow2015 wrote: »
    I put on about 13 pounds this past year and am trying my hardest to lose it but the numbers are just not budging. I exercise regularly and have been for about 10 years so this is not my issue, I don't even believe it's my caloric intake because I always have a surplus so I'm not sure what's going on? Ive had my thyroid checked recently and it's perfect, I'm slightly vitamin D insufficient but that's it. Please help as I'm becoming stressed out and sad about this.

    You're not logging consistently, that's a big problem. log more consistently and go from there.


    Maybe she should just eyeball everything and play one big guessing game
  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,942 Member
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    loselbsnow2015 wrote: »
    Thanks for the advice! I'll buy the food scale but yes, I'm logging everything I eat as accurately as I can. As far as my goals, it's 1300 daily calories but my running and other exercise adds to my daily intake and yes, running for 35 minutes does burn 350 calories, I run 9/10 minute miles. I have the mfp app synced with my running app, map my run and it calculates everything. I just want to loose 13 lbs. by June

    Actually, that is inaccurate. MFP and internet databases have overestimated calorie burns, as do the treadmills.

    I am a few years older than you, 5 ft 5, weight 139 pounds, and 30 minutes of running according to my heart rate monitor is about 250 or less. The treadmill gives me a good 350-400 for the 30 minutes. :)
  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,942 Member
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    batelmiller wrote: »
    Lift weights, cardio will only take you so far your body probably got used to running so you plateaued. To get off the plateau you need to start lifting, and I promise the weight will come off. Also try to incorporate some HIIT into your workout. High intensity interval training is an amazing way to lose weight. For weightlifting plans just go to bodybuilding.com they have a ton of plans for free. For HIIT workouts you can either YouTube them or just do like 1 min of running on the treadmill at 6.0-9.0 speed and then walk for 2 minute at 3.5 speed and you will see you will be swearing like mad and losing weight when after your workout.

    Cardio is fine exercise if that's what one wants to do.

    As far as your promise, please don't make ones you can't keep. A lot of women weight lifters gain weight but decrease in size.

    All of the exercise options you provide above are preference only, because weight loss starts in the kitchen. You can lose weight without exercise.
  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,942 Member
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    itsfuntobenormal wrote: »
    Pu_239 wrote: »
    loselbsnow2015 wrote: »
    I put on about 13 pounds this past year and am trying my hardest to lose it but the numbers are just not budging. I exercise regularly and have been for about 10 years so this is not my issue, I don't even believe it's my caloric intake because I always have a surplus so I'm not sure what's going on? Ive had my thyroid checked recently and it's perfect, I'm slightly vitamin D insufficient but that's it. Please help as I'm becoming stressed out and sad about this.

    You're not logging consistently, that's a big problem. log more consistently and go from there.

    I thought inconsistency didn't matter -- just eat less. Right.

    Moving on...

    As others have said, OP -- weigh and measure everything.     If you find that your food intake isn't the issue, only eat half your exercise calories.

    Measure yourself. Take pictures. Keep going.

    So true that pictures tell a story too, and weighing food is important.

    However, as to the bold part: if we don't log consistently, we don't know how much we're eating. If we don't know how much we're eating, then we tend to overestimate portions, which kills a calorie deficit.

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