Please help - open diary. Not losing :(
kathyelizabeth87
Posts: 27 Member
Hi all, can someone have a look at my diary and tell me where I'm going wrong? I'm weighing all my food, have a very busy day on my feet all day, 6ft in height, and I'm just not losing. I don't know where I'm going wrong. Constructive criticism please 
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Replies
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You have a LOT of things like 1 brownie, or 1 sandwich, one portion etc. Where are you getting these numbers? Are you using the recipe builder? Also, generic items are not accurate and should be avoided. What is going on with Saturday that isn't logged?0
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I'm not an expert, but I just looked at a few of your entries for both food and exercise...I notice you mention cleaning in your log; Its very possible you are overestimating your calorie burns and on your caloric intake...where do you get the numbers from? Are you using a digital food scale for your food entries? It seems like much of hte food comes from a package, are you weighing that food, or are you using the numbers on the box? For your exercise diary, Do you use a fitbit, or are you using the exercise database? I'd suggest NOT adding things like cleaning (do we really think were burning a lot sweeping the floor or doing dishes? MFP accounts for those). Hit save too soon...Good luck, I found I learned a lot in the first four weeks on MFP, even at my age with years of diet and exercise under my belt. Feel free to add me if you like! xo0
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As for exercise. Exercise is just that. Cleaning is already considered in your activity level. Your fitbit should be accounting for this. Do you have negative calorie adjustments enabled?0
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Liftng4Lis wrote: »As for exercise. Exercise is just that. Cleaning is already considered in your activity level. Your fitbit should be accounting for this. Do you have negative calorie adjustments enabled?
This. Said better than I...lol0 -
Good for you for weighing all your food. Just at a quick glance at your diary for the past week or so, I noticed quite a few foods have sodium at 0 -- so maybe your sodium is higher than you think, and you're retaining some water? For example, there was a fish and chips meal and a homemade pasta-type meal with 0 sodium -- I know that those types of foods and any pre-packaged meals are usually pretty high in sodium. Even lower-sodium broth that I use for homemade soups, etc. have quite a bit. Just a thought, especially if you're just starting out!0
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Going along with the comments above. I'm guessing that you only drink water, because there are no liquids in your diary. Your chicken is grilled with nothing added to it?
Monday 2/11 for example. For lunch you had a dry sweet potato? Nothing on that at all?0 -
~Don't use "compound" foods. If you have cereal and milk, measure and log them separately.
~Always weigh solid foods in grams. "1 cup chopped onion" is useless.
~Don't trust serving numbers. "Aldi rice pudding 1/2 tin" or "Kinder - 2 bar" is useless. Weigh it and do the math.
~Ensure your loss goals are realistic and you're honest about your level of activity.
50lbs to go isn't a huge number; it's big, but not gigantic. You may already be to the point where you have to be tight with your logging. Log everything that goes into your mouth. If you're close on your calories, don't eat food you didn't prepare, because you have to guess on what's in it. A little added sugar or fat can put you over your calorie goal.0 -
~Don't use "compound" foods. If you have cereal and milk, measure and log them separately.
~Always weigh solid foods in grams. "1 cup chopped onion" is useless.
~Don't trust serving numbers. "Aldi rice pudding 1/2 tin" or "Kinder - 2 bar" is useless. Weigh it and do the math.
~Ensure your loss goals are realistic and you're honest about your level of activity.
50lbs to go isn't a huge number; it's big, but not gigantic. You may already be to the point where you have to be tight with your logging. Log everything that goes into your mouth. If you're close on your calories, don't eat food you didn't prepare, because you have to guess on what's in it. A little added sugar or fat can put you over your calorie goal.
This. Weigh and log everything, Also I look at it as I can have that small chocolate bar or a full meal of broccoli and grilled skinless chicken breast which will keep me fuller longer, Its a lot about choices as well.0 -
One thing I noticed is that for meals out you might be underestimating them. For instance, a standard order of fish and chips could come in well over the 695 you have logged. I know I can sometimes be guilty of wanting to pick the entry with the lowest calories, but I've started making myself look at a couple of entries and then pick the calorie amount that seems to occur the most, or lean towards the higher end just to be safe. Also, generic entries can be very misleading and not very accurate.0
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using a food scale is only the first step.
Logging accurately and consistently choosing the correct entries is as important.0 -
As others have said... don't use generic entries. Your cereal, for example... weigh it dry, then measure the milk you put in instead of using the entry that has milk included (how much milk is it?).
You say you're weighing but you use volume for peppers or broccoli, you use generic entries like 'sweet potatoes' (is it cooked or raw?), 'homemade' entries that could be totally inaccurate (make your own recipe and use the recipe builder) etc.
Basically, you're probably underestimating your food because of lack of accurate logging.
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I have seen your diary for the last 10 days.
1. Food: With phone, you can scan barcodes on packed foods. MFP app has a scan feature. It helps to accurately log packed foods. There may be more than 1 serving in 1 box/can.
2. Exercise: If MFP app says X number of calories burned, minus a few to narrow down error margin. Intensity of exercise matters more than the duration. Try it on a treadmill.
3. Foods which provide satiety, helps in avoiding overeating. Spend your daily calories goal wisely. I will not spend (50-60)% of my daily calories goal in one meal if I still have 8-10 hours to go. Start with goals (eating habits + activity level) that you can sustain long term.
Good luck!0 -
First- Your dogs are absolutely adorable!
I'll echo what some others have said, you have a lot of generic entries. Your special K with skim milk, is that an entry created by you or another user. If its by another user, it may not be accurate. I don't see any drinks logged, are you drinking just water? Liquid calories can add up pretty quick.
I noticed that you logged cleaning as exercise. It is something that is already built into your activity level so it shouldn't really be logged.
Invest in a food scale. You can get a pretty decent one from Amazon for around $10-15. Weigh and measure all of your foods and liquids.0 -
Hi all, thanks for all the help so far.
With regards to what I'm drinking, I only drink water unless it's something I've logged. Sweet potatoes are boiled and mashed, does this make any difference to calories? I don't eat them with anything. Chicken breast is grilled with a sprinkle of herbs.
For exercise, I restore furniture, so I'm lifting sofas, giant sideboards etc a lot of the day. It's hard to tell exactly how much I'm doing as its on and off all day. Cleaning is for when I'm refinishing furniture, this is my trade so I'm rubbing things down pretty intensively - I break out in a sweat after a couple of minutes. I usually do this once a day for at least 15-20 minuets.
Most things out of a packet I am scanning so they are quite accurate. Perhaps the Special K should be looked at to see if that's the same amount.
I was using my Fitbit last week on Friday, it told me that I had burned 2800 calories, I'm not sure if that's accurate, however I've only got the flex so thinking of upgrading to something more accurate.
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How long have you been at it? What is your current weight, goal weight and when did you last see a change on the scale? If its been more than a few weeks, then something clearly needs to change. Calories in and calories out are where you want to assess for improvement.
1) Many days you have a low or 0 Fitbit calorie adjustment. If you are not wearing it all the time, ignore this comment. If you are wearing it all day, every day: the constant 0's mean you are not as active in real life as you told MFP you would be. Lower your activity level in MFP OR move more.
2) Stop logging the work-related activities as exercise. This is part of your regular daily activity level in MFP. And if you're using the Fitbit, you would only need to log exercise if it is not step based. Like swimming, biking, etc.
3) Be more accurate in your food logging, in terms of weighing foods and logging accordingly.
4) Assess your goals. I'm not sure of your current/goal weights, height, etc.
For me Fitbit has been fairly accurate. I've used it for almost 2 years. I have the One and in my opinion its the best model. My son tried the Flex for a while and found that it would count steps when he moved his arms and would not count steps if he walked while holding things. (His arms needed to be swinging for it to count while walking.) So I don't know if your Flex is accurate.0 -
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I think everyone is right. I havent been making the progress I want and I think its from inaccurate measurements so just last night I started weighing foods. Just dinner so far but I was surprised at the difference of what I thought it would look like vs what it was. I'm hoping to work harder each day this week to be as accurate as possible. You should look into what everyone is saying, especially if you use entries that have missing info. If something says zero sodium thats a warning sign that a person created the entry and was wrong. I have started cross checking entries before I use them. With chicken, I was measuring it chopped and by the cup. The entry I had been using didnt have the correct fat or protein aftet I checked it against another source. Check it all, its the only way to be sure.0
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I thought I was good at eyeballing my food until I eye balled some pasta. I had just bought a food scale and when I placed It on there it was over twice as much!
I try my best to measure everything but especially those calorie dense foods. That's where you can easily pick up a few hundred additional calories in ONE meal.0 -
Started 3 weeks ago, current weight is 16 stone and goal weight is 12 stone.
Only wore my fir but fully for one day as it keeps running out of charge (second hand, has been sent back).
I'm set on low activity level on mfp, would this be right for doing what I'm doing? Basically my work one day is like I'm moving house, constantly lifting furniture and moving it around, and then other days I'm just cleaning heavily, painting, using power tools etc, This is only weekdays though.0 -
Something to consider: You have lost 2 pounds in about 3 weeks. I don't think you fall into the category of not losing. Perhaps you aren't losing as fast as you had hoped. I noticed many days you are below what MFP tells you to eat. So you are probably thinking you should be losing faster not slower. Or at least the buffer should make up for any errors in your logging. There are certain medical conditions that make it harder for some people to lose weight. You should consider a check up with your Dr.
Additionally, you may be retaining water due to a variety of possible reasons, and you'll see a big weight drop next week.
Also I didn't see any Halloween candy logged this weekend. If you didn't eat any, I can see how that would add to your frustration - you've been sacrificing and still aren't seeing the results you expect. On the other hand, if you have not been logging small things here or there, they will add up. I've noticed meals not logged, are you skipping them or skipping logging them?0 -
kathyelizabeth87 wrote: »Started 3 weeks ago, current weight is 16 stone and goal weight is 12 stone.
Only wore my fir but fully for one day as it keeps running out of charge (second hand, has been sent back).
I'm set on low activity level on mfp, would this be right for doing what I'm doing? Basically my work one day is like I'm moving house, constantly lifting furniture and moving it around, and then other days I'm just cleaning heavily, painting, using power tools etc, This is only weekdays though.
If you are truely that active, I would bump up your activity level to active (or possibly very active) and then not log your job as exercise. And then track your progress; you may need to adjust as the calorie calculator is an estimate. If you aren't losing at the rate expected (and you're logging everything very accurately), then you would need to adjust your calorie goal accordingly.0 -
I'd go with lightly active. You may be active, but better to aim low rather than high.
In 3 weeks, have you lost weight? Or none at all? Keep in mind 1-2 pounds per week is a good rate of loss. But you may not lose each week - due to water weight. Some weeks you could see a loss, some a gain, or some steady. But in the long run, month by month, you should see a downward trend. If you have lost nothing at all in 3 weeks, then certainly look for ways to improve logging accuracy. And in general compare weigh now to weight 30 days ago. This will help to ignore fluctuations from water weight due to TOM/hormones.kathyelizabeth87 wrote: »Started 3 weeks ago, current weight is 16 stone and goal weight is 12 stone.
Only wore my fir but fully for one day as it keeps running out of charge (second hand, has been sent back).
I'm set on low activity level on mfp, would this be right for doing what I'm doing? Basically my work one day is like I'm moving house, constantly lifting furniture and moving it around, and then other days I'm just cleaning heavily, painting, using power tools etc, This is only weekdays though.
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kathyelizabeth87 wrote: »Hi all, thanks for all the help so far.
With regards to what I'm drinking, I only drink water unless it's something I've logged. Sweet potatoes are boiled and mashed, does this make any difference to calories? I don't eat them with anything. Chicken breast is grilled with a sprinkle of herbs.
For exercise, I restore furniture, so I'm lifting sofas, giant sideboards etc a lot of the day. It's hard to tell exactly how much I'm doing as its on and off all day. Cleaning is for when I'm refinishing furniture, this is my trade so I'm rubbing things down pretty intensively - I break out in a sweat after a couple of minutes. I usually do this once a day for at least 15-20 minuets.
Most things out of a packet I am scanning so they are quite accurate. Perhaps the Special K should be looked at to see if that's the same amount.
I was using my Fitbit last week on Friday, it told me that I had burned 2800 calories, I'm not sure if that's accurate, however I've only got the flex so thinking of upgrading to something more accurate.
It matters if you mash them like people normally do, by boiling them, adding milk, salt, butter.... All that stuff counts, and it could more than double the calorie count. Unless you are straight up boiling potatoes, then mashing them without so much as adding salt, then choosing an entry entitled: sweet potatoes, mashed, boiled, isn't gonna cut it.
It's like building a tree house with logging, every measurement everywhere matters for accuracy. Measure twice, cut once.0 -
LOVE your doggies, OP! I agree with the others as far as your job and logging it as exercise. I'm guessing you've been doing this job for a while? If so, you have been this active for a while and yet have weight to lose, so you really can't consider the activity NOW to affect your weight loss if it didn't affect it when you were gaining. Unless this is a new job for you and I'm wrong, in which case I apologize.0
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clgaram720 wrote: »kathyelizabeth87 wrote: »Hi all, thanks for all the help so far.
With regards to what I'm drinking, I only drink water unless it's something I've logged. Sweet potatoes are boiled and mashed, does this make any difference to calories? I don't eat them with anything. Chicken breast is grilled with a sprinkle of herbs.
For exercise, I restore furniture, so I'm lifting sofas, giant sideboards etc a lot of the day. It's hard to tell exactly how much I'm doing as its on and off all day. Cleaning is for when I'm refinishing furniture, this is my trade so I'm rubbing things down pretty intensively - I break out in a sweat after a couple of minutes. I usually do this once a day for at least 15-20 minuets.
Most things out of a packet I am scanning so they are quite accurate. Perhaps the Special K should be looked at to see if that's the same amount.
I was using my Fitbit last week on Friday, it told me that I had burned 2800 calories, I'm not sure if that's accurate, however I've only got the flex so thinking of upgrading to something more accurate.
It matters if you mash them like people normally do, by boiling them, adding milk, salt, butter.... All that stuff counts, and it could more than double the calorie count. Unless you are straight up boiling potatoes, then mashing them without so much as adding salt, then choosing an entry entitled: sweet potatoes, mashed, boiled, isn't gonna cut it.
It's like building a tree house with logging, every measurement everywhere matters for accuracy. Measure twice, cut once.
I am normal and I don't do that...when I say mashed it means with a fork not with anything else...
to me that is "creamed".
To the OP no boiling doesn't add calories just ensure the entry used is for "boiled sweet potato" in grams.0 -
clgaram720 wrote: »kathyelizabeth87 wrote: »Hi all, thanks for all the help so far.
With regards to what I'm drinking, I only drink water unless it's something I've logged. Sweet potatoes are boiled and mashed, does this make any difference to calories? I don't eat them with anything. Chicken breast is grilled with a sprinkle of herbs.
For exercise, I restore furniture, so I'm lifting sofas, giant sideboards etc a lot of the day. It's hard to tell exactly how much I'm doing as its on and off all day. Cleaning is for when I'm refinishing furniture, this is my trade so I'm rubbing things down pretty intensively - I break out in a sweat after a couple of minutes. I usually do this once a day for at least 15-20 minuets.
Most things out of a packet I am scanning so they are quite accurate. Perhaps the Special K should be looked at to see if that's the same amount.
I was using my Fitbit last week on Friday, it told me that I had burned 2800 calories, I'm not sure if that's accurate, however I've only got the flex so thinking of upgrading to something more accurate.
It matters if you mash them like people normally do, by boiling them, adding milk, salt, butter.... All that stuff counts, and it could more than double the calorie count. Unless you are straight up boiling potatoes, then mashing them without so much as adding salt, then choosing an entry entitled: sweet potatoes, mashed, boiled, isn't gonna cut it.
It's like building a tree house with logging, every measurement everywhere matters for accuracy. Measure twice, cut once.
I am normal and I don't do that...when I say mashed it means with a fork not with anything else...
to me that is "creamed".
To the OP no boiling doesn't add calories just ensure the entry used is for "boiled sweet potato" in grams.
I didn't imply that any human being who didn't add milk and butter and salt while mashing potatoes wasn't normal, or was aberrant or something, which is probably why i said "People normally do" and not "like normal people do". Turn down your offensive detector a little maybe? I was just pointing out that when people make mashed potatoes, it's pretty typical to add those things, and if she was following that general trend, it would be unwise and inaccurate not to log them. I also offered the alternative in case she wasn't doing that with the milk, salt etc.0 -
Few things... if you wear your fitbit on your arms when you clean furniture, it might mistake that for steps, hence the 2800 calorie days. Also if it's linked to your MFP account, you should put your activity as sedentary, or it counts the calories twice. But honestly I'd unlink it for now if it gives you steps for no reason (you can probably double check that when you clean something though).
For your potatoes, look for a USDA entry for cooked potatoes (as long as you're not adding anything to them). Always enter 'cooked' or 'raw' in your search for more accurate entries.
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Few things... if you wear your fitbit on your arms when you clean furniture, it might mistake that for steps, hence the 2800 calorie days. Also if it's linked to your MFP account, you should put your activity as sedentary, or it counts the calories twice.
No it doesn't. The difference between MFP Sedentary w/ Fitbit and MFP Lightly Active with Fitbit: bigger calorie adjustments between predicted vs. actual. MFP without a tracker assumes your stated activity level is accurate. MFP with an activity tracker adjusts by using what the tracker shows your true activity level to be.
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Something to consider: You have lost 2 pounds in about 3 weeks. I don't think you fall into the category of not losing. Perhaps you aren't losing as fast as you had hoped. I noticed many days you are below what MFP tells you to eat. So you are probably thinking you should be losing faster not slower. Or at least the buffer should make up for any errors in your logging. There are certain medical conditions that make it harder for some people to lose weight. You should consider a check up with your Dr.
Additionally, you may be retaining water due to a variety of possible reasons, and you'll see a big weight drop next week.
Also I didn't see any Halloween candy logged this weekend. If you didn't eat any, I can see how that would add to your frustration - you've been sacrificing and still aren't seeing the results you expect. On the other hand, if you have not been logging small things here or there, they will add up. I've noticed meals not logged, are you skipping them or skipping logging them?
What causes us to retain water? That might be a possibility. I have stretch marks, just the scales arnt moving. They may have been there before though and I'm just noticing now
I forgot to log this weekend as i was so busy, however, it was almost identical to what I eat every day.0 -
kathyelizabeth87 wrote: »Something to consider: You have lost 2 pounds in about 3 weeks. I don't think you fall into the category of not losing. Perhaps you aren't losing as fast as you had hoped. I noticed many days you are below what MFP tells you to eat. So you are probably thinking you should be losing faster not slower. Or at least the buffer should make up for any errors in your logging. There are certain medical conditions that make it harder for some people to lose weight. You should consider a check up with your Dr.
Additionally, you may be retaining water due to a variety of possible reasons, and you'll see a big weight drop next week.
Also I didn't see any Halloween candy logged this weekend. If you didn't eat any, I can see how that would add to your frustration - you've been sacrificing and still aren't seeing the results you expect. On the other hand, if you have not been logging small things here or there, they will add up. I've noticed meals not logged, are you skipping them or skipping logging them?
What causes us to retain water? That might be a possibility. I have stretch marks, just the scales arnt moving. They may have been there before though and I'm just noticing now
I forgot to log this weekend as i was so busy, however, it was almost identical to what I eat every day.
Meals high in sodium, where you are in your cycle and a sudden increase in exercise are a few reasons I can think of off the top of my head.0
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