Trying not to be discouraged but this doesn't make sense...

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  • mizwatts
    mizwatts Posts: 6 Member
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    Also my exercise calories are off, I do not eat them back. I do not weigh my food, but I do use measuring cups.
  • stormyview
    stormyview Posts: 81 Member
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    How do you know how many calories you were eating? Do you weigh your foods? A lot of people come on MFP whining that they've done everything right, but pretty much always they're being really inaccurate in their logging. Read the "getting started on your path to sexypants" thread, figure out a reasonable calorie goal, start weighing your food, and then see what happens in a couple of weeks of that.

    And, no, those electro-impedance machines at the gym are hugely inaccurate. I wouldn't assume you've gained fat based on one of those.
  • stormyview
    stormyview Posts: 81 Member
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    mizwatts wrote: »
    Also my exercise calories are off, I do not eat them back. I do not weigh my food, but I do use measuring cups.

    Measuring cups are really not accurate. How tightly is something packed in the cup? Is your cup even really a cup? I've got two sets of measuring cups, and they don't hold the same amount. Food scales are cheap. Get a digital one and start weighing your food. It's really the only way to be accurate.

    There are lots of videos on this (and I'm sure someone will post a link), but if I look at the serving on a package of cereal, for example, it might say 1/2 cup (30 grams) is 80 calories. However, when I weigh that very same cereal, I find that 30 grams of it is only about 1/3 of a cup. If I didn't weigh, I'd think I could have a full cup for just 160 calories, when in reality, that cup is about 240 calories--and that's only if I level it off. If I were leaving it heaping at all, it could be 260 or more. If I were using the "cup" from my larger set of measuring cups, I'd be even farther off--maybe even at 300 calories, while thinking my cup is just 160. When you're using measuring cups, you've got that kind of inaccuracy going on all day long, and it can easily add up to several hundred calories.

    You only need a deficit of 500 calories a day to lose a pound per week. Without accurate logging, it's way to easy to obliterate that deficit and not realize it.
  • Ready2Rock206
    Ready2Rock206 Posts: 9,488 Member
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    mizwatts wrote: »
    Also my exercise calories are off, I do not eat them back. I do not weigh my food, but I do use measuring cups.

    Your inaccurate logging is likely causing you to eat a lot more than you think you are. Instead of upping your calories and jumping from plan to plan buy a food scale and work on getting your logging accurate. I bet you'll be seeing results soon.
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
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    Measuring cups = you're eating too much...use a digital scale


    You may not wish to fire your trainer but you should stop listening to her dietary advice and BF measurements because she clearly doesn't know what she's talking about

    qe0stbcu1us0.jpg


    And http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1080242/a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants/p1

    And http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1296011/calorie-counting-101/p1
  • healthygreek
    healthygreek Posts: 2,137 Member
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    You will see great results when you put your info into mfp and WEIGH your food and log everything!!!!
    CICO-that's what works!!!
  • Karen_can_do_this
    Karen_can_do_this Posts: 1,150 Member
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    mizwatts wrote: »
    Also my exercise calories are off, I do not eat them back. I do not weigh my food, but I do use measuring cups.

    Buy yourself a set of kitchen scales. I was using measuring cups and eating at 1200 calories. Not losing weight.
    I bought a $5 set of kitchen scales (pretty purple digital ones)
    I started weighing my foods and low and behold I started losing weight! Since strength training I've upped my calories to 1500 and I'm still losing.
  • atypicalsmith
    atypicalsmith Posts: 2,742 Member
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    Drink more water to offset your hunger. It's amazing how well that works.
  • mizwatts
    mizwatts Posts: 6 Member
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    Thanks to everyone for their input. I have been asking more questions and doing more research, seems like for every 'myth' out there, there is also an article to claim its truth, and vice versa. I'm overwhelmed. But one thing is clear, the majority of you say I should try using a scale rather than measuring cups. Getting one tomorrow! Also going to the doctor just to rule anything out, then at least I can't blame it on hormonal imbalances or what have you. In the past I've had success with CICO so maybe I should pump the brakes on trying all these new plans with my macros for a while and see that happens. Thanks again all for your stories, links, info.
  • Karen_can_do_this
    Karen_can_do_this Posts: 1,150 Member
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    Yaaayyyyyy!!!! You won't regret it!! Good luck with your gp too
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
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    mizwatts wrote: »
    Thanks to everyone for their input. I have been asking more questions and doing more research, seems like for every 'myth' out there, there is also an article to claim its truth, and vice versa. I'm overwhelmed. But one thing is clear, the majority of you say I should try using a scale rather than measuring cups. Getting one tomorrow! Also going to the doctor just to rule anything out, then at least I can't blame it on hormonal imbalances or what have you. In the past I've had success with CICO so maybe I should pump the brakes on trying all these new plans with my macros for a while and see that happens. Thanks again all for your stories, links, info.

    Don't read articles ...they are designed to sell (magazines. Celebs, web-clicks)

    Read peer reviewed studies

    Or even easier just accept that it's all hogwash and focus on CICO
  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,943 Member
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    Liftng4Lis wrote: »
    Look to your logging and into a new trainer.

    Spot on.

    You never raise your calories when not losing weight.

    You only increase your calories if you are already losing weight but want to lose at a slower ate.

  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,943 Member
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    mizwatts wrote: »
    Thanks to everyone for their input. I have been asking more questions and doing more research, seems like for every 'myth' out there, there is also an article to claim its truth, and vice versa. I'm overwhelmed. But one thing is clear, the majority of you say I should try using a scale rather than measuring cups. Getting one tomorrow! Also going to the doctor just to rule anything out, then at least I can't blame it on hormonal imbalances or what have you. In the past I've had success with CICO so maybe I should pump the brakes on trying all these new plans with my macros for a while and see that happens. Thanks again all for your stories, links, info.

    You go! You an do this!
  • LKArgh
    LKArgh Posts: 5,179 Member
    edited September 2015
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    mizwatts wrote: »
    Thanks all, sorry first time posting, I suppose I should have provided more info. I hired my trainer to help me meet a goal (bridesmaid, this weekend). I obviously didn't reach my goal but I am not going to fire my trainer nor blame her, she is qualified and working hard to help me find a plan that works. The first month I was on about 1700 cal/day. I was 176 and just wanted to see how much progress I could make before the wedding. A month later, my weight went up to 177, BMI numbers didn't change enough to mention, although a couple measurements such as waist went down a bit. After the first month I told her I'd like to do something more extreme just up until the wedding and so she put me on a high protein, low carb 1400/day plan. She called it wreckless, it was supposed to have been just for the 4 weeks so I could see some results. My results were a slight drop in lean muscle and a slight increase in body fat. Are those machines accurate? I have not lost weight or inches since then. I am watching my heart rate during cardio and feel myself getting stronger during her strength training. I guess the main reason I am perplexed is because now that I am focusing on macros and nutrition, I can't lose weight. I've lost 25-30 lbs before on weight watchers without as much diligence and without hardly thinking about macros as the points are calculated for you. I'd like to hear Tom anyone who has been in the situation and what the outcome was. Or anyone who has had more success with focus on calories only vs. nutrition and why this may matter. Thanks.

    Your trainer might be good at training you. She is not giving you helpful information regarding eating. And she should have been honest from the beginning and told you she cannot help you with the goal you had in mind. If you wanted visible transformations in a month or two, she should have been honest and told you this really will not happen. She should also have told you that losing weight has mainly to do with how much you eat, not how much you exercise, unless we are talking hours of exercise daily.
    Assuming you are average height, 1700 calories places you at maintenance with a sedentary lifestyle. So, even with perfect logging, you are just relying on exercise to lose weight. Assuming you are not training at an athlete level and you are a beginner who daily exercises, this would probably mean something like 200-300 calories or so for a woman of your weight . Which should have been enough to see a loss of a few lbs, like 4-5 lbs in the timeframe you describe. But, since it is very easy to be off in counting calories, it was a risk that you would not lose anything. And apparently you are not using a food scale, so could easily be eating 400-500 more than you think, ending up above maintenance.
    Now, if whoever is giving you advice on how to eat knows anything about her job, she should have (1) known that a 1700 calorie plan would not help you, (2) that you needed clearer and stricter instructions on how to log and (3) would never have called a 1400 calorie plan for weight loss risky. So, my guess is she is just going based on her own experience (and she could be much larger or more physically active than you) or based on what happens to her average client (who again might be much larger than you, or have different goals). If you believe a plan from a professional would help you figure out how to eat, then what you are looking for is a dietitian, who will customise a plan to your needs, not a trainer.
  • SaffronSunrise
    SaffronSunrise Posts: 182 Member
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    mizwatts wrote: »
    Thanks to everyone for their input. I have been asking more questions and doing more research, seems like for every 'myth' out there, there is also an article to claim its truth, and vice versa. I'm overwhelmed. But one thing is clear, the majority of you say I should try using a scale rather than measuring cups. Getting one tomorrow! Also going to the doctor just to rule anything out, then at least I can't blame it on hormonal imbalances or what have you. In the past I've had success with CICO so maybe I should pump the brakes on trying all these new plans with my macros for a while and see that happens. Thanks again all for your stories, links, info.

    You have a great attitude!!!! I'm yelling you, weighing everything is a game changer!! Not as much dish washing either. I started out counting macros, but decided to just try to keep my protein up until I lose a lot more weight before I add something else to think about. You've got this!!!
  • SingRunTing
    SingRunTing Posts: 2,604 Member
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    Use a scale instead of measuring cups. Video explains why:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XpHykP6e_Uk

  • Maxematics
    Maxematics Posts: 2,287 Member
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    SaffronSunrise wrote: »
    mizwatts wrote: »
    Thanks to everyone for their input. I have been asking more questions and doing more research, seems like for every 'myth' out there, there is also an article to claim its truth, and vice versa. I'm overwhelmed. But one thing is clear, the majority of you say I should try using a scale rather than measuring cups. Getting one tomorrow! Also going to the doctor just to rule anything out, then at least I can't blame it on hormonal imbalances or what have you. In the past I've had success with CICO so maybe I should pump the brakes on trying all these new plans with my macros for a while and see that happens. Thanks again all for your stories, links, info.

    You have a great attitude!!!! I'm yelling you, weighing everything is a game changer!! Not as much dish washing either. I started out counting macros, but decided to just try to keep my protein up until I lose a lot more weight before I add something else to think about. You've got this!!!

    Seconded. It's refreshing to see a poster with this issue listen to advice instead of insisting they can't possibly be overeating or how their body just defies science.

    OP, you'll love having a food scale; it's a game changer. Good luck with your weight loss!

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