Plateau? Not eating enough? Help!
shellerbeller1
Posts: 9 Member
So I started consistently logging on MFP at the beginning of July. I started at 268 (height 5'6", female) and I now weigh 254. I have been stuck at 254 since the beginning of August.
About me: I have my goal set at 1800. MFP recommended 1610 (2lbs/week loss), but I consulted with a health coach and she recommended between 1700-1800 based on my BMR. I stick pretty close to that most of the time. About 80% of what I eat is unprocessed whole foods. I weigh and measure most of my food. I pay attention to my macros (50% carbs, 30% fat, and 20% protein- the defaults on MFP) but I'm certainly not perfect. I drink a ton of water.
I wear a Misfit Flash and shoot for 10000 steps every day which ususally equals a 2-3 mile AM walk and the rest from regular day-to-day activity. I have started doing 30 Day Shred 3x/week. Before that, I was doing a some other body weight strength exercises (squats, planks, push-ups,etc.) about 20 minutes a day 3x/week. I generally have anywhere from 300-600 extra calories from exercise that I don't usually eat back.
I do not have any underlying medical conditions that I am aware of.
What am I doing wrong? I am mentally in a great place about getting to a healthy weight, but seeing no results (on the scale) is so discouraging. I took measurements yesterday, and nothing has changed since the beginning of August. Is this just a plateau? Was I just spoiled by that first month where the weight just seemed to fall off? Any advice?
About me: I have my goal set at 1800. MFP recommended 1610 (2lbs/week loss), but I consulted with a health coach and she recommended between 1700-1800 based on my BMR. I stick pretty close to that most of the time. About 80% of what I eat is unprocessed whole foods. I weigh and measure most of my food. I pay attention to my macros (50% carbs, 30% fat, and 20% protein- the defaults on MFP) but I'm certainly not perfect. I drink a ton of water.
I wear a Misfit Flash and shoot for 10000 steps every day which ususally equals a 2-3 mile AM walk and the rest from regular day-to-day activity. I have started doing 30 Day Shred 3x/week. Before that, I was doing a some other body weight strength exercises (squats, planks, push-ups,etc.) about 20 minutes a day 3x/week. I generally have anywhere from 300-600 extra calories from exercise that I don't usually eat back.
I do not have any underlying medical conditions that I am aware of.
What am I doing wrong? I am mentally in a great place about getting to a healthy weight, but seeing no results (on the scale) is so discouraging. I took measurements yesterday, and nothing has changed since the beginning of August. Is this just a plateau? Was I just spoiled by that first month where the weight just seemed to fall off? Any advice?
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What does this mean: " I stick pretty close to that most of the time."0
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What do you mean by 'measure'? You should only use the scale for solids.
Is your period due soon? That could explain the stall.0 -
"most of your food" may be the issue other than the question Deguello asked.
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DeguelloTex wrote: »What does this mean: " I stick pretty close to that most of the time."
I usually eat between 1700-1800 calories a day most of the time. I made my diary public. You can check it out.0 -
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I'd say give it another month. Starting the more intense workout routine could cause a temporary stall on the scale. Water retention for muscle repair.
It seems like you're doing everything right - and more than likely will see the scale move soon.0 -
shellerbeller1 wrote: »DeguelloTex wrote: »What does this mean: " I stick pretty close to that most of the time."
I usually eat between 1700-1800 calories a day most of the time. I made my diary public. You can check it out.
Ok there you go... not weighing bananas or your peanut butter, using generic entries like 'whole wheat rolls', volume instead of weight for veggies and other things, using entries like 'Plain - Chicken Breast, Skinless, 4 oz' (is it cooked? Raw?) etc etc.
Tighten your logging. Weigh everything.0 -
Plateau is just another way of saying you are eating at maintenance. In other words, if you want to lose weight, you are eating too much.I consulted with a health coach and she recommended between 1700-1800 based on my BMR
Your health coach is incorrect. You cut back from your TDEE (total daily energy expenditure). BMR is simply the calories you need if you are in a coma or sitting on the sofa all day absently starting at the TV.
I stick pretty close to that most of the time.
Please clarify.About 80% of what I eat is unprocessed whole foods.
Food type doesn't matter as to weight loss. Calories in/calories out is what matters. In order to lose weight, you must eat less than you burn.I weigh and measure most of my food.
Most of it? I suggest your throw out the cups, spoons, and eyeballs (well, not literally the eyeballs
) and weigh all solid food. Okay, keep the cup and spoons for measuring liquids.
That's great that you've set your macros at the levels appropriate for you, but it has nothing to do with weight loss. Macros are for nutrition.I pay attention to my macros (50% carbs, 30% fat, and 20% protein- the defaults on MFP) but I'm certainly not perfect.I drink a ton of water.
Water is great. It keeps us hydrated. But, it has nothing to do with weight loss.
You've lost 16 or so pounds? That's great! I say be patient and realize weight loss is not linear. I also suggest you take that extra step and weigh all your solid food and measure your liquids. Weigh in grams, too, and ensure you are using correct entries. As long as you eat less calories than you burn you will lose weight.0 -
shellerbeller1 wrote: »MFP recommended 1610 (2lbs/week loss), but I consulted with a health coach and she recommended between 1700-1800 based on my BMR.
Given the amount you still have to lose, I wouldn't worry much about your BMR. If you can eat 1600 and still feel OK, I wouldn't obsess over it. Your body has a lot of stored energy to use.I weigh and measure all of my food.
Fixed it for you. This is the thing you should obsess over.I wear a Misfit Flash and shoot for 10000 steps every day which ususally equals a 2-3 mile AM walk and the rest from regular day-to-day activity. I have started doing 30 Day Shred 3x/week. Before that, I was doing a some other body weight strength exercises (squats, planks, push-ups,etc.) about 20 minutes a day 3x/week. I generally have anywhere from 300-600 extra calories from exercise that I don't usually eat back.
Not familiar with the device. Do you log your exercise calories? Where are you getting those numbers? Do you eat any of them back?I do not have any underlying medical conditions that I am aware of.
Always good to get a physical with a lipid panel and CBC if you haven't had one in the past year.What am I doing wrong? I am mentally in a great place about getting to a healthy weight, but seeing no results (on the scale) is so discouraging. I took measurements yesterday, and nothing has changed since the beginning of August. Is this just a plateau? Was I just spoiled by that first month where the weight just seemed to fall off? Any advice?
If I had to guess, you're probably eating more than you think and burning less than you think. Did your weight loss stop when you started doing the 30-Day Shred? Is it possible you're overestimating the calories burned during that activity, and then eating back more than you should?0 -
It could just be a paitence thing. I'd like you to average your calorie intake weekly and try to tighten that up. If your goal is 1800 you should be within 100 calories 90% of the time. It may take repeating meals, but it works. I say this because I see some days where you were really high and some days that are obviously incomplete. You could also take more of an EM2WL approach (my suggestion) and up your calories to about 2000-2200 and IGNORE EXERCISE CALORIES.
EM2WL group0 -
I looked back through your diary over the past few weeks and one thing that really sticks out is that you seem to use vague entries. Examples: bread, spaghetti, beans, Jams and preserves. The more specific you can be with what brand you are using the better. If you use the barcode scanner then scan these items and make sure that the NI matches up.
Weigh all solids, even the fruits. I'm not sure how big your bananas are, but the entries that you have may be off by up to 40 calories. Being off a little bit here and there can make a big difference. When you log these items use the drop down menu on the item to pick the weight and log it that way. You may find some items don't have that option, but make sure to weigh out what a serving size says on the package. When looking up meats and produce, use 'USDA' in the search box.
Don't use any entries that are labeled 'generic' or 'homemade' (unless it's your own recipe). Generic entries can be too vague and throw off your calorie count. When it comes to homemade items, you have no idea how big the serving size is or what ingredients they used so the calories could be off by a little or by a lot.
This post is a great step-by-step guide on how to accurately log:
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1234699/logging-accurately-step-by-step-guide/p10 -
Ignore the health coach and use the calories MFP suggested. I have a friend who's a extremely fit bodybuilding personal trainer and she told me to eat more than MFP, and guess what, I stalled when I took her advice. Went back to believing MFP and I started to lose weight again.0
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Thanks everyone! Lots of good advice here. I'll definitely be more accurate about logging my food.0
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I weigh and measure all of my food.
Fixed it for you. This is the thing you should obsess over.
Got it.I wear a Misfit Flash and shoot for 10000 steps every day which ususally equals a 2-3 mile AM walk and the rest from regular day-to-day activity. I have started doing 30 Day Shred 3x/week. Before that, I was doing a some other body weight strength exercises (squats, planks, push-ups,etc.) about 20 minutes a day 3x/week. I generally have anywhere from 300-600 extra calories from exercise that I don't usually eat back.
Not familiar with the device. Do you log your exercise calories? Where are you getting those numbers? Do you eat any of them back?
Misfit is similar to a Fitbit. It automatically syncs with MFP and adds calories based on my activity level and steps. I don't usually log any additional exercise that I do.
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Ignore the health coach and use the calories MFP suggested. I have a friend who's a extremely fit bodybuilding personal trainer and she told me to eat more than MFP, and guess what, I stalled when I took her advice. Went back to believing MFP and I started to lose weight again.
So you ignored the advice of a person that you've seen (I'm assuming) get and sustain results for an website using calculators based on an average of people? That doesn't seem very logical to me. Did you go back and tell your friend that you stalled?
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shellerbeller1 wrote: »I started consistently logging on MFP at the beginning of July. I started at 268 (height 5'6", female) and I now weigh 254. I have been stuck at 254 since the beginning of August.
What am I doing wrong?lemonlionheart wrote: »
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Make sure you update the Misfit app with your weight loss too. I have a flash as well and had neglected to do this for a bit
The calorie burn it was crediting me for was way higher than it should have been with just a 10# weight difference.0 -
Make sure you update the Misfit app with your weight loss too. I have a flash as well and had neglected to do this for a bit
The calorie burn it was crediting me for was way higher than it should have been with just a 10# weight difference.
Good to know! I'll do that now. I didn't even think of that!0 -
shellerbeller1 wrote: »Misfit is similar to a Fitbit. It automatically syncs with MFP and adds calories based on my activity level and steps. I don't usually log any additional exercise that I do.
I'm generally wary of using these devices as a way of determining how many "extra" calories one can afford to consume. Personally, the only exercise I log is my steady-state cardio (elliptical, treadmill), and I have a Polar HRM that I use during those sessions. I'll eat back all my exercise calories on days where I'm reasonably comfortable with the numbers.
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The only way to gauge the accuracy of any device is to trust it for several weeks, then reevaluate your progress. I eat back 100% of my Fitbit adjustments, lost the weight, and kept it off.
But you must enable negative calorie adjustments in your diary settings. And, of course, log everything you eat & drink accurately & honestly.0 -
shellerbeller1 wrote: »So I started consistently logging on MFP at the beginning of July. I started at 268 (height 5'6", female) and I now weigh 254. I have been stuck at 254 since the beginning of August.
About me: I have my goal set at 1800. MFP recommended 1610 (2lbs/week loss), but I consulted with a health coach and she recommended between 1700-1800 based on my BMR. I stick pretty close to that most of the time. About 80% of what I eat is unprocessed whole foods. I weigh and measure most of my food. I pay attention to my macros (50% carbs, 30% fat, and 20% protein- the defaults on MFP) but I'm certainly not perfect. I drink a ton of water.
I wear a Misfit Flash and shoot for 10000 steps every day which ususally equals a 2-3 mile AM walk and the rest from regular day-to-day activity. I have started doing 30 Day Shred 3x/week. Before that, I was doing a some other body weight strength exercises (squats, planks, push-ups,etc.) about 20 minutes a day 3x/week. I generally have anywhere from 300-600 extra calories from exercise that I don't usually eat back.
I do not have any underlying medical conditions that I am aware of.
What am I doing wrong? I am mentally in a great place about getting to a healthy weight, but seeing no results (on the scale) is so discouraging. I took measurements yesterday, and nothing has changed since the beginning of August. Is this just a plateau? Was I just spoiled by that first month where the weight just seemed to fall off? Any advice?
So what exactly do you mean by I stick pretty close to that most of the time and I weigh and measure most of my food?
If you don't have an accurate picture of what you're eating, you could unknowingly be eating waaaaay more than you thought you were.
Also, it can take time to see a consistent loss. It is also recommended to eat back some of your exercise calories. I'm not saying starvation mode here before anyone thinks so, I'm just pointing out that you could have (without destructing your progress) an extra 150 - 300 calories of food on those days *legit 150-300 calories, you'd definitely want to weigh/measure that out or else it will be counter-productive.0 -
acorsaut89 wrote: »
So what exactly do you mean by I stick pretty close to that most of the time and I weigh and measure most of my food?
If you don't have an accurate picture of what you're eating, you could unknowingly be eating waaaaay more than you thought you were.
Also, it can take time to see a consistent loss. It is also recommended to eat back some of your exercise calories. I'm not saying starvation mode here before anyone thinks so, I'm just pointing out that you could have (without destructing your progress) an extra 150 - 300 calories of food on those days *legit 150-300 calories, you'd definitely want to weigh/measure that out or else it will be counter-productive.
By I usually stick pretty close to that, I mean I am usually within 50 calories of my 1800 calorie goal. A few days (like 2) I have been as low as 1300, a few days I have been over ( but only once did I end up in the red...by 30 calories). I weigh my food. I cook from scratch, and most of the things that other posters mentioned that I didn't log correctly (rolls, bread, jam) are my own made-from scratch recipes that I have put into the recipe analyzer myself. I know those are accurate. The only things I don't usually weigh right now are whole pieces of fruit and vegetables. I usually use measuring cups for those (cut vegetables, not whole ones). I can change that.
A few people also said that I am probably eating back too many calories from exercise. I usually don't eat back any.
If I go by what my dedicated fitness tracker says, I'm at a deficit of at least 1500 calories every day. That seems (is!) too high and not sustainable.
I guess I am still wondering, assuming that I perfectly log all my food and weigh everything, am I eating the right amount of calories for my current weight and activity level?
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If you are perfectly measuring your food and your weight isn't doing what you want, no, you aren't eating the right amount of calories.
If you want to lose weight, you'd need to eat less. If you want to gain weight, you'd need to eat more.
You're not at a 1500 calorie a day deficit or you'd be losing three pounds a week, on average.0 -
DeguelloTex wrote: »If you are perfectly measuring your food and your weight isn't doing what you want, no, you aren't eating the right amount of calories.
If you want to lose weight, you'd need to eat less. If you want to gain weight, you'd need to eat more.
You're not at a 1500 calorie a day deficit or you'd be losing three pounds a week, on average.
This. I think you're really overestimating the number of calories burned by the 30DS and those body strength exercises.0 -
I actually do two sets of tracking. I use MFP for calories in and add the portion of my activity, that is deliberate aerobic exercise in MFP, which I eat some or all back. I also have a Fitbit, I have not enabled the transfer of data from my device to the MFP application. I track both in a separate spread sheet that I have used before and after MFP and or Fitbit. I have found that when I use the MFP logged as calories in and the Fitbit measurement for calories out the equation CI - CO = weight change has been over 90% accurate over about a two month period. My actual weight loss is higher than the equation by 10%, that error may be because I sometimes forget to put the Fitbit on after my shower. Measure as accurately as possible and trust the equation.0
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the right amount of calories.
This. I think you're really overestimating the number of calories burned by the 30DS and those body strength exercises.
I'm actually not even adding those into MFP at all. It's just my Misfit that automatically gives me a calorie adjustment. Maybe it is giving me far too many, which I don't doubt.
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shellerbeller1 wrote: »About me: I have my goal set at 1800. MFP recommended 1610 (2lbs/week loss), but I consulted with a health coach and she recommended between 1700-1800 based on my BMR. I stick pretty close to that most of the time. A
Sounds like your health coach probably has your exercise calories factored in to your calorie goal and you indicated that you do sometimes eat them back also when Misfit gives you extra calories (although not all the time). That could account for some of the issues. The rest I'd echo what the others have said - bad logging. Get your logging more accurate and I bet you'll start seeing results in no time.
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I have a Misfit and a Polar watch
But for my weight loss i just kept the MFP NEAT method to start with the first half year
I losed over 106 pounds in 10 months ...just by weighing all my food on a food scale
No cups no spoons no serving sizes...just weighing EVERYTHING in grams.
The smaller your deficit the more important accurate weighing is.
Here a short video about how much difference it can be between weighing a product or using cups and spoons.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JVjWPclrWVY
About the Misfit...it gives you too much. it is too high really
Start by using the NEAT method from MFP than in some weeks compare all the data
For exercise eat only a max of 50% back what MFP gives you.
Works like a charm believe me.
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shellerbeller1 wrote: »I have my goal set at 1800. MFP recommended 1610 (2lbs/week loss), but I consulted with a health coach and she recommended between 1700-1800 based on my BMR. I stick pretty close to that most of the time.
I wear a Misfit Flash. I generally have anywhere from 300-600 extra calories from exercise that I don't usually eat back.
Connect your accounts at http://www.myfitnesspal.com/apps/show/282
Set your goal to .5 lb. for every 25 lbs. you're overweight: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/account/change_goals_guided
Enable negative calorie adjustments: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/account/diary_settings
In the MFP app, go to More > Steps and choose Misfit.
No need to log any step-based activity—your Misfit is tracking it for you. Log non-step exercise (like swimming or biking) either in Misfit or in MFP—never both. Exercise logged in MFP overwrites your Misfit burn during that time.0
if you use it as a general guide and eat back part of your exercise calories still better to have it tracking based on current weight than several pounds ago. It puts it a bit closer. 
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