IIFYM....plateau

Options
2»

Replies

  • erojoy
    erojoy Posts: 554 Member
    Options
    vismal wrote: »
    I just don't log exercise on MFP. I log my exercise in a notebook. There's also a way to input it as a custom exercise and count it as 1 calorie burned so it still tracks the workout but doesn't mess with your totals. Someone else here I'm sure can chime in on how to do that. If you want some help with IIFYM, I put together a series of videos on getting started with it, including answers to common problems that come up. Feel free to check it out: http://goo.gl/zqIv6H

    Awesome, thx!
  • KC5115
    KC5115 Posts: 70 Member
    Options
    Macros are calories, just a more accurate way to count them. Especially if you weigh everything out.
  • slaite1
    slaite1 Posts: 1,307 Member
    Options
    erojoy wrote: »
    slaite1 wrote: »
    Not meeting macros perfectly will not stall weight loss-underestimating calories will. The point was that if you are using inaccurate entries, you probably have other inaccuracies as well.

    It is good to hit your macros for numerous reasons-but as long as you're within your calorie goals you should be losing weight. Get more accurate (easily done with a food scale). Then you will lose weight

    I have a food scale, I just have to prepare more of my own food. Simple, I know...if only i had the time. :neutral:

    Nah, I barely cook anymore and am consistently losing. Anything I eat at home I weigh, including fruit, veggies, etc. I go out to eat often, and simply try to stick to chains, etc that tend to have more accurate calorie counts. I also eat lots of pre-made food.

    If you're tracking accurately, perhaps you need to reconsider your calorie goal. Macro distribution can certainly help to retain muscle mass (protein levels) and increase satiety, but again they do not affect weight loss.
  • erojoy
    erojoy Posts: 554 Member
    Options
    slaite1 wrote: »
    Nah, I barely cook anymore and am consistently losing. Anything I eat at home I weigh, including fruit, veggies, etc. I go out to eat often, and simply try to stick to chains, etc that tend to have more accurate calorie counts. I also eat lots of pre-made food.

    If you're tracking accurately, perhaps you need to reconsider your calorie goal. Macro distribution can certainly help to retain muscle mass (protein levels) and increase satiety, but again they do not affect weight loss.

    How dumb is it that I've never thought of weighing fruit and veggies. I go by how many I have or cups of, etc. But you are right that isn't exactly accurate. Oh man my food scale is going to get a workout now. haha
  • vismal
    vismal Posts: 2,463 Member
    Options
    erojoy wrote: »
    slaite1 wrote: »
    Nah, I barely cook anymore and am consistently losing. Anything I eat at home I weigh, including fruit, veggies, etc. I go out to eat often, and simply try to stick to chains, etc that tend to have more accurate calorie counts. I also eat lots of pre-made food.

    If you're tracking accurately, perhaps you need to reconsider your calorie goal. Macro distribution can certainly help to retain muscle mass (protein levels) and increase satiety, but again they do not affect weight loss.

    How dumb is it that I've never thought of weighing fruit and veggies. I go by how many I have or cups of, etc. But you are right that isn't exactly accurate. Oh man my food scale is going to get a workout now. haha
    This might help you quite a bit: http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1296011/calorie-counting-101/p1
  • erojoy
    erojoy Posts: 554 Member
    Options
    thx @vismal :)
  • dsweingartner
    dsweingartner Posts: 3 Member
    Options
    slaite1 wrote: »
    erojoy wrote: »
    slaite1 wrote: »
    Not meeting macros perfectly will not stall weight loss-underestimating calories will. The point was that if you are using inaccurate entries, you probably have other inaccuracies as well.

    It is good to hit your macros for numerous reasons-but as long as you're within your calorie goals you should be losing weight. Get more accurate (easily done with a food scale). Then you will lose weight

    I have a food scale, I just have to prepare more of my own food. Simple, I know...if only i had the time. :neutral:

    Nah, I barely cook anymore and am consistently losing. Anything I eat at home I weigh, including fruit, veggies, etc. I go out to eat often, and simply try to stick to chains, etc that tend to have more accurate calorie counts. I also eat lots of pre-made food.

    If you're tracking accurately, perhaps you need to reconsider your calorie goal. Macro distribution can certainly help to retain muscle mass (protein levels) and increase satiety, but again they do not affect weight loss.


    I agree that the overall calorie intake vs output is the largest determining factor (and with that accuracy of entries). I brought up the macro distribution with the assumptions that the reporting accuracy is there and that OP is simply still not losing. Calories out > calories in = weight loss. If the calories in are accurate and there is still no weight loss (not considering composition), then it would be time to start looking at the calories out part of the equation and what is effecting that. That gets REALLY complicated, and I know I am no where near understanding that. But yes, calories in versus calories out is kinda the golden rule I guess.
  • erojoy
    erojoy Posts: 554 Member
    Options
    dsweingartner wrote: »

    PS: I'm digging the hard apple cider for breakfast (hey, honesty is super important!).

    LMFAO I was hoping no one would see that. Told my friend on a walk just now that I opened my diary to the public on a bad month. Alcohol for breakfast, Starbucks...ugh. haha Thing is that I've been having this issue for months, and haven't gained any weight from doing this...not a great reenforcer. :-(

    I do think however I've learned some valuable lessons here. Thank you for helping me out everyone. This community is awesome. <3
  • dsweingartner
    dsweingartner Posts: 3 Member
    Options
    erojoy wrote: »
    dsweingartner wrote: »

    PS: I'm digging the hard apple cider for breakfast (hey, honesty is super important!).

    LMFAO I was hoping no one would see that. Told my friend on a walk just now that I opened my diary to the public on a bad month. Alcohol for breakfast, Starbucks...ugh. haha Thing is that I've been having this issue for months, and haven't gained any weight from doing this...not a great reenforcer. :-(

    I do think however I've learned some valuable lessons here. Thank you for helping me out everyone. This community is awesome. <3

    Hey, if weight loss was easy it wouldn't be such a problem. I think being honest with yourself is going to be the best way to remain accountable (classic "my name is ______, and I'm an alcoholic" kind of approach). I've had several days where I had to fill in the 5,000 calorie SURPLUS. But when you try to ignore that or pretend it didn't happen, you're only cheating yourself. Stick with it, from my understanding weight loss is a long game.
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
    Options
    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    erojoy wrote: »
    What you guys are saying does make a lot of sense. Bad thing is like 80% I take right off of food labels. I wish I had the time to make everything fresh, but I don't even have time for a prep day. It is so frustrating. I just want to figure this out, because I work so damn hard at the gym. Ok, I'm going to have to take a look at those calorie to carb/fat/protein ratio, if you guys really think that I should be a lot closer to hitting them then something is wrong.

    Also @vismal is there a way to turn that off even? The whole negative calories net calories thing always confuses me.

    you're going to have inherent rounding errors for starters. secondly, it's great to be aware of your macros...but obsessing about them to this extent is a bit ridiculous...there's nothing magical about hitting your macros bang on. IMO, you're worry yourself a lot for nothing.

    Agreed. In fact, just hitting your calories and aiming for a nutrient dense, well rounded diet would probably be enough. The macros are not going to make or break your weight loss.
  • Mr_Knight
    Mr_Knight Posts: 9,532 Member
    edited June 2015
    Options
    erojoy wrote: »
    Lets say you eat all of your calories for the day but your macros are all still short.

    That can't happen. Your calories derive from your macro goals - if you hit your calorie target you *have* to hit at least one macro goal. Unless you do something screwy, or have unusual macros, you're probably going to hit two of them.

    ETA: Good catch the earlier poster - I hadn't considered alcohol. Yes, that could screw things up.

Categories