Please help - open diary. Not losing :(
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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 -
That's interesting about the Fitbit logging steps, my steps arnt that high on the day I wore it. I was at 5000, which I would say was quite accurate for the amount of running around I was doing, I'll have to test it and see if it logs steps for cleaning and dying sofas.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.
I don't add anything to my potatoes, so I'll entered cooked from now on.
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The wrist worn trackers may or may not add steps for arm movement. Its one of those your results may vary situations. The Flex my son tried - did have issues. I've heard other people rave about their Flex and have no issues. I don't know the explanation as to why. I guess the key thing is to pay attention to your activity/device measurements and you'll figure out if there is an issue.
Water weight gain has a # of sources. Common ones are hormones/TOM (for us women, ugh), stress, high sodium, eating a high carb level after eating low carbs for a while, new or more intense workout routine, lack of sleep. Water weight gain is temporary, and it helps to look at trends over time so you can see past the water weight fluctuations.0 -
Your diary is good on calories it looks like, but try getting more fiber. It can be a life saver when losing. leafy veggies, plums, and even popcorn (go light on the butter and salt and don't use microwave varieties) are loaded with fiber. Good luck!0
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I am from the lowcarbhighfat school of thought. It works for me. I would change your micros to 25% carbs and not worry as much re fat and protein if they are over. Carbs store as sugars and this might be the issue for you xox0
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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.
You must've missed the sentence directly after what you bolded where she said, "I don't eat them with anything." Meaning she doesn't add anything. I "normally" don't add anything to my sweet potatoes - mashed, baked or otherwise.0 -
I roast my sweet potatoes - just a little olive oil0
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runnermama81 wrote: »Your diary is good on calories it looks like, but try getting more fiber. It can be a life saver when losing. leafy veggies, plums, and even popcorn (go light on the butter and salt and don't use microwave varieties) are loaded with fiber. Good luck!
This is a good idea, I will try to get more fibre in. Thank you
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BeccaColliesBurton wrote: »I roast my sweet potatoes - just a little olive oil
Sweet potatoes done that way are heavenly. I miss that so much! I've just been boiling and mashing mine . Still tasty compared to normal potato however, and helps my sweet tooth haha!
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BeccaColliesBurton wrote: »I am from the lowcarbhighfat school of thought. It works for me. I would change your micros to 25% carbs and not worry as much re fat and protein if they are over. Carbs store as sugars and this might be the issue for you xox
I was attempting the slimming world way of thinking. I find it so difficult to stay full on low carbs, what's a typical meal for you? x 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.
I have been wondering... What is the difference between cooked and raw, besides cooking oil/butter? I usually don't find "cooked onions" in the entries, so I will weigh it raw(just using onions as example), and then weigh the oil. Okay, I don't really weigh the oil, but I'm just now weighing butter, and will do oil eventually. Silly I know, I have issues with change. But is that the only difference? I do also know nutrients may leave as it cooks0
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