Need some feedback

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mummiecakes
mummiecakes Posts: 28 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hello! I've been reading a lot of posts related to plateaus and being stuck at a certain weight. I have realized that it will benefit me to get a scale and will do so in the next couple of days. However, am wondering if anyone can take a look at my log and make other suggestions for me. I feel like I'm working hard and not making any progress. I'm trying to stay at about 1200 calories per day (and will be able to be more accurate with this soon). I'm eating pretty clean and exercising 5-6 days per week. Usually, I do somewhere between 30-50 minutes on a treadmill (Walking between 3.5 and 4mph) in the morning on an incline of 3-4. I also do some classes at the fitness centre at work on my lunch break 2-3 times per week and have just added in some weights to my morning time in hopes that building some muscle will help me to burn more calories. I've tried running, but honestly, I hate it and it hurts my knees.

Any insights would be appreciated!

Thanks!

Replies

  • goodxgirl
    goodxgirl Posts: 5 Member
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    The same happened to me when I was eating 1200 cals. Solution for that is to change your routine! Try eating 1200cals today, and 1600 tomorrow, and then 1000, and then again 1200. My goal was to confuse and surprise my body. And it worked! I broke my plateau and continued loosing weight. I hope this helps and good luck!

    PS I'm no expert, I'm only saying what worked for me.
  • malibu927
    malibu927 Posts: 17,565 Member
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    goodxgirl wrote: »
    The same happened to me when I was eating 1200 cals. Solution for that is to change your routine! Try eating 1200cals today, and 1600 tomorrow, and then 1000, and then again 1200. My goal was to confuse and surprise my body. And it worked! I broke my plateau and continued loosing weight. I hope this helps and good luck!

    PS I'm no expert, I'm only saying what worked for me.

    Your body does not need to be confused. It just needs accurate logging.

    Other than the food scale, I would caution against using homemade/generic entries out of the database. If you cooked them yourself, you can't be sure that it matches up to what another user put in. In the case of the wrap, you can enter each ingredient separately, or you can use the recipe builder to enter them all into.

    Also, I noticed you log your treadmill time even though you have a Fitbit. Since it records anything that's step-based, there's no need to log it into MFP. That will only skew with the calories burned. Don't forget you can eat some of those back too.
  • DeguelloTex
    DeguelloTex Posts: 6,652 Member
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    goodxgirl wrote: »
    The same happened to me when I was eating 1200 cals. Solution for that is to change your routine! Try eating 1200cals today, and 1600 tomorrow, and then 1000, and then again 1200. My goal was to confuse and surprise my body. And it worked! I broke my plateau and continued loosing weight. I hope this helps and good luck!

    PS I'm no expert, I'm only saying what worked for me.
    You're either in a deficit or you're not. Your body isn't confused or surprised like that.
  • BikeTourer
    BikeTourer Posts: 191 Member
    edited October 2015
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    People forget in addition to a good digital scale to weigh you, a good kitchen scale is a must. Kitchen scales aren't expensive. There are some things that you just need a scale to get the serving size right. Too many people confuse serving size and portion size and they can be vastly different. I think it is not uncommon for people to under or over log as a result. I don't use the kitchen scale for everything but for items that make a material difference I've used it to train my eyes better to what an appropriate serving size is.
  • mummiecakes
    mummiecakes Posts: 28 Member
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    Thanks all...I will work on the fiber and get a kitchen scale. As for recipes...I have chosen some from online and for other things that I make or recipes I've gotten online, I've input them into the database. I will be more careful with this!

    Malibu927 - the fitbit adjustment confuses me, but I am relatively new to that too. I thought it would just adjust above or below the calories that I log for exercise depending on my actual read (I know the estimate on the treadmill can be off)...therefore more accurate...If I'm understanding you, this is not what it is doing?

    Thanks again!
  • ASKyle
    ASKyle Posts: 1,475 Member
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    You're double counting your exercise- Do not log exercise in MFP if you're using the Fitbit.

    Friday the Fitbit already gave you 742 calories for your daily activity, so your extra 375 that you added manually is already accounted for.

    You don't look like you have much to lose- So that 375 (if you're eating it back) is enough to eliminate your deficit and stop you from losing. Also, do you hold on to the arms when you're walking uphill?
  • I_Will_End_You
    I_Will_End_You Posts: 4,397 Member
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    Don't log your exercise if you have Fitbit adjustments enabled, for one. Two, if estimating portions isn't working for you (which it isn't, because if it was you'd be losing at the amount your logging) try a food scale. Also make sure you're picking the most accurate items from the database. Don't use other people's entries (i.e....anything that says "homemade" or someone's name by it).
  • mummiecakes
    mummiecakes Posts: 28 Member
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    Okay...I will either disable the fitbit adjustments or stop logging...I like logging so that hopefully, I will increase what I'm able to do over time. However, I do want to be accurate. I usually measure my portions, but will also try the scale and look for more accurate options. Thanks!

    I'm not typically eating back my calories, but if my logging is inaccurate, I could be doing that by accident...hopefully the food scale will help with that. I don't hold onto the arms of the treadmill when walking uphill :)

    Hopefully soon these changes will have me seeing some progress!!
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
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    mummiecakes wrote: »
    Okay...I will either disable the fitbit adjustments or stop logging...I like logging so that hopefully, I will increase what I'm able to do over time. However, I do want to be accurate. I usually measure my portions, but will also try the scale and look for more accurate options. Thanks!

    I'm not typically eating back my calories, but if my logging is inaccurate, I could be doing that by accident...hopefully the food scale will help with that. I don't hold onto the arms of the treadmill when walking uphill :)

    Hopefully soon these changes will have me seeing some progress!!

    What kind of Fitbit do you have? Fitbit logs my physical activity for me so I'm able to see how I'm progressing over time.
  • mummiecakes
    mummiecakes Posts: 28 Member
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    It's a flex...It only tracks steps and sleep as far as I know. I've enabled the negative calorie adjustment on here and so thought it was taking off any extra projected calories burned when I sync it each time. I must have misunderstood how that was working.
  • malibu927
    malibu927 Posts: 17,565 Member
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    It isn't double counting. Logging in MFP will override what Fitbit (much more accurate) says you've burned in that time frame. Negative adjustments are there for days where you don't reach what MFP says is your maintenance level so you don't overeat, though as you're on 1200 calories you won't see a negative adjustment.
  • mummiecakes
    mummiecakes Posts: 28 Member
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    So, I'm logging more accurately...got a scale and am weighing most things. I find it difficult when someone else prepares a meal or we are not at home, but am doing my best to be as accurate as I can. I am planning my meals for the day and portioning things using my scale or pre-portioned foods. I think it's helping, so THANK YOU all for your advice.

    I also stopped logging my exercise separately on MFP as my fitbit will track the 'cardio' type exercise that I get in a day. I am doing a bit of strength training (trx, rip and free weights) which are not included, but that's okay :)

    I read recently that taking omega-3 supplements will help your body release fat more easily. I know that really the logic of calories in/calories out is what will result in weight loss, but will omega-3's help with ensuring it's fat loss versus muscle then?

    Thanks again for all your help. Looking forward to your thoughts :)
  • ASKyle
    ASKyle Posts: 1,475 Member
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    Great job! I think allowing the Fitbit to track for you is the best way to do it.

    Omega-3's are important, but they're not going to make you lose fat instead of muscle.

    Now, the strength training you're doing will help preserve your muscle mass as you lose weight, so keep at it!

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