Two month plateau despite caloric deficit + exercise (food pics included)
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This is a long thread already but there just aren't that many possibilities:
1. You're eating more calories than you think
2. You're not burning as many calories as you think because:
a.) Your metabolism is just different and you're healthy
b.) Your metabolism is different because you're not healthy
3. Scale is broken
You've been insistent that it's not either 1 or 2b so I think I've found the answer!
ETA: You should re-calculate your BMR etc. based on your current weight. It doesn't make that much of a difference in your case but your calorie needs will have decreased due to weight loss.
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be careful who you take advice from. this article was helpful for me. It emphasizes figuring out your basal metabolic rate, percentage of body fat to determine calorie needs as well as macro breakdown to reach your goals
http://www.ontheregimen.com/2015/03/10/many-calories-woman-eat-fat-loss/0 -
Eat some of them back. You have some fuel that your body can get from your reserves, but it needs some readily available fuel, too. You might be asking too much of it with heavy workouts (are they? I don't know) AND strict deficits (1200 is pretty strict. 1000 is right out, unless you have a nutritionist guiding you). I think "starvation mode" is overused, but there is definitely some correlation between low calorie consumption and slow results.coolcoci_115 wrote: »I do not eat any of the calories I burn back. I figured this is bonus weight loss on top of calorie deficit from food.
As I previously said, more produce is totally your friend.
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http://blog.myfitnesspal.com/a-beginners-guide-to-your-metabolism/
I thought this article might give you some ideas to help.0 -
If you are sure you're in calorie deficit, I would advise you to visit your doctor, and do a complete check up.
As far as losing 2lbs per week, it's just an estimate and for some people it does not work. We all gain weight, and lose weight differently, at different rates.0 -
coolcoci_115 wrote: »BurnWithBarn2015 wrote: »And like i said measuring with cups and spoons is NOT accurate.
Here a good example and it can be off by hundreds of calories.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JVjWPclrWVY
But up to you OP. Wish you good luck.
Please see prior posts where I state that I weigh everything with my food scale except for 1 tablespoon of dressing on chicken, and 1 tablespoon of coffee creamer in my morning coffee
You might be underestimating your creamer and dressing by 100+ calories.KETOGENICGURL wrote: »I have the exact same issue.. I could NOT lose weight at 1400-1600 calories on the USDA diet ( like the one you show) I stuck to it for 16 months, flogged on by the RD every month..she just shrugged when I showed her how unsuccessful I was!! ( and no..I wasn't sloppy- I was was precise, weighed everything, yada yada, got exercise daily 365 days a year…. not until I went to cutting out all sugars, and dropping rice, breads, crackers, (carbs) etc did I lose 29 pounds in 4 months. I am 5'2', with metabolic issues from DECADES of TRUSTING the "balanced" diet pushed by RDs and the health teams.
There are many studies, medical reports, and books which confirm that most of us function well on very limited carbs. See "The Art and Science of Low Carbohydrate" by Drs Volek & Phonney..simply check it out..and think for yourself.
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the little canned veggies shown have almost NO real food value at all.....buy and cook fresh whole veggies, steam them, and have with your protein. Eat more string cheese and real cheese, buy full fat yogurt ( White Mountain is great- no added sugars, and good for gut health.)
That's just horrible advice. You say that you have metabolic issues, whatever that means... so you have a health condition. Which isn't necessary the case of OP. There's absolutely no need to cut sugars and carbs for most people - unless they have a medical condition. Which is why I recommended that OP goes to see a doctor.
And frozen/canned veggies are just as nutritious and fresh.0 -
coolcoci_115 wrote: »BurnWithBarn2015 wrote: »i see one egg
2 clementines
tsp of dressing
So that is not weighing
See video what the difference can be for a tsp of dressing or really weighing it.
Specially dressing is calorie dense so important to weigh and not to do it by the tsp.
and i read your prior posts
we all try to help here
If you strongly believe you are in a deficit than you have to go to a doctor than there is something wrong with you.
Because EVERYBODY who eat in a deficit lose weight.
But out of here lol
wish you luck OP you can do it.
I attempted to add dressing by weight and found that I was adding a lot more than the 1 tablespoon measured, thought it would be safer to go by volume.
I do not weigh my clementines, would I do this with skin peeled or not peeled.
Even though egg is not weighed, and I see no nutritional facts that mention weight of hardboiled egg, eggs are very consistent in size and shape.
I understand that you are trying to help, but this is being just a wee bit nit picky to the point of being impractical. Either way I will try and measure these things to see if they make such a huge difference as you say.
Peeled
You only weigh what you really eat
and about the egg consider this....The person who made that entry at MFP put that in as a large, medium or small egg. But what is small according to that person or large
So for fruits etc etc
MFP database is user based. You dont know what a specific user puts in here is right. Now you would say ...mehhh those couple of calories on that egg ( lets say 10) that is over the week 70 calories wrong. Now when you make more mistakes/inaccurate entry's and those "couple of calories" add up and up. That is why weighing in grams is important.
Do you know on a daily basis i can consume about 80 calories only in spices and herbs? That is over a week 560 calories!!!
Now because i dont eat added salt i eat a lot of (fresh) spices so for me that adds up...what if i dont count those? 560 good for wiping out a daily half pound deficit.
This as example
Try to be open minded about it. Because really the people that have a slow metabolism are rare...very rare!
If you really want this, why not try it. After all you have nothing to lose...( that was a joke )
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coolcoci_115 wrote: »I don't weigh my rice dry, because how am I supposed to cook one serving of rice at a time? And I assumed that if the rice is wet it will weigh more and thus I will add less of it to my plate.
Way too sloppy for two rice-based meals a day, since rice is relatively calorie dense.
Weigh the rice dry, so you get an accurate calorie count.
Weigh the rice cooked, so you get an accurate cooked weight.
In the recipe builder, enter the dry weight for quantity but use the cooked weight as the number of servings (100 grams = 100 servings). Weigh the portion scooped into your meal box and enter that many servings. So if you have a 35 gram portion, you would have 35 servings.
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coolcoci_115 wrote: »BurnWithBarn2015 wrote: »And like i said measuring with cups and spoons is NOT accurate.
Here a good example and it can be off by hundreds of calories.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JVjWPclrWVY
But up to you OP. Wish you good luck.
Please see prior posts where I state that I weigh everything with my food scale except for 1 tablespoon of dressing on chicken, and 1 tablespoon of coffee creamer in my morning coffee
You might be underestimating your creamer and dressing by 100+ calories.KETOGENICGURL wrote: »I have the exact same issue.. I could NOT lose weight at 1400-1600 calories on the USDA diet ( like the one you show) I stuck to it for 16 months, flogged on by the RD every month..she just shrugged when I showed her how unsuccessful I was!! ( and no..I wasn't sloppy- I was was precise, weighed everything, yada yada, got exercise daily 365 days a year…. not until I went to cutting out all sugars, and dropping rice, breads, crackers, (carbs) etc did I lose 29 pounds in 4 months. I am 5'2', with metabolic issues from DECADES of TRUSTING the "balanced" diet pushed by RDs and the health teams.
There are many studies, medical reports, and books which confirm that most of us function well on very limited carbs. See "The Art and Science of Low Carbohydrate" by Drs Volek & Phonney..simply check it out..and think for yourself.
+++++++++++
the little canned veggies shown have almost NO real food value at all.....buy and cook fresh whole veggies, steam them, and have with your protein. Eat more string cheese and real cheese, buy full fat yogurt ( White Mountain is great- no added sugars, and good for gut health.)
That's just horrible advice. You say that you have metabolic issues, whatever that means... so you have a health condition. Which isn't necessary the case of OP. There's absolutely no need to cut sugars and carbs for most people - unless they have a medical condition. Which is why I recommended that OP goes to see a doctor.
And frozen/canned veggies are just as nutritious and fresh.
Measuring liquids like dressing and creamer with a measuring spoon is just fine. It is not a solid that can be crammed into it, it is a liquid, and for that matter, most nutrition labels I have seen for liquids give the information based on volume not mass because that is how liquids are measured. All solids including those ground or grated (nut butters or cheese for example) should be weighed, all liquids should be measured by volume.0 -
FWIW I do not weigh eggs. Egg sizes (small, large, etc.) are standardized by the usda based on weight. I am not concerned with a minor difference in egg grams.0
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For weights of food, I usually weigh my food the night before work. So if I packed and orange or a banana, I log the weight with the peel, and don't weigh the peel later (I know someone who did this). I just consider the extra logged calories as a little buffer for things like my pre-packaged yogurt that may be a little higher than the container said.0
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You don't need to weigh absolutely everything on scales, some advice here is overkill. Use spoons, cups or mililitres for liquids.
The advjce about going low carb or IF is silly. IF is great but nothing escapes calories in/out.
You need to stop avoiding the rice advice. Weigh it before cooking, no further excuses.
If what you're saying is true (accurate logging), I recommended taking a 2-4 week break at maintenance level and then returning to diet by reducing 100 calories each week.0 -
FWIW I do not weigh eggs. Egg sizes (small, large, etc.) are standardized by the usda based on weight. I am not concerned with a minor difference in egg grams.
Yes! The whole small, medium, large, is not dependent on what that is subjectively to the MFP user entering the item. Visit any supermarket and you'll understand that almost all eggs labeled "large" are very close in size.ashliefisch wrote: »For weights of food, I usually weigh my food the night before work. So if I packed and orange or a banana, I log the weight with the peel, and don't weigh the peel later (I know someone who did this). I just consider the extra logged calories as a little buffer for things like my pre-packaged yogurt that may be a little higher than the container said.
I'll try this with the clementines since they can vary greatly in sizeVanillaGorillaUK wrote: »You don't need to weigh absolutely everything on scales, some advice here is overkill. Use spoons, cups or mililitres for liquids.
So it's not just me.... thank godVanillaGorillaUK wrote: »
You need to stop avoiding the rice advice. Weigh it before cooking, no further excuses.
I like to think that if several people repeat the same thing, there must be weight behind it. So since I need to meal prep tomorrow, I will weigh the dry rice and use that to determine calories per serving and update everyone tomorrow
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I've never weighed eggs. I just use "large" usda entry0
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VanillaGorillaUK wrote: »You don't need to weigh absolutely everything on scales, some advice here is overkill. Use spoons, cups or mililitres for liquids.
The advjce about going low carb or IF is silly. IF is great but nothing escapes calories in/out.
You need to stop avoiding the rice advice. Weigh it before cooking, no further excuses.
If what you're saying is true (accurate logging), I recommended taking a 2-4 week break at maintenance level and then returning to diet by reducing 100 calories each week.
She is eating at maintenance level that is the problem...So for her not using the scale properly but also spoons and cups is making her weight loss coming to a halt.
I agree that it isn't needed. Some people can do it. She obviously not.
I can not do it with cups and spoons either My half cup of oats never comes out 40 grams but 60 or even 70 gram so weekly ( because i eat it every morning almost) 700 calories more than i calculated for.
Some people can some people dont. Her inaccuracy is the prove she can not. which is totally normal and overkill.
I lost my weight perfectly in 400 days..no stalls/plateaus but i was as accurate as possible. So for many here.
We all know that how hard we try to be accurate with our food intake we underestimate. And we over estimate our burns.
So a bit of inaccurate logging can wipe out the deficit completely
This also because she lost weight and when you lose we all know that your intake must get less to keep the same deficit. After all we need less when we get smaller and smaller. And at one point when your deficit is not that big you are eating at maintaining level. So that is what is happening here for sure.
You want to lose it or not and the bit of weighing on a scale is no big deal or job to do. Even handier than cups and spoons what gives more dishes.
I put my plate on the scale and scoop my food up and done. When i need oats or peanut butter or dressing i put the jar on the scale put the scale on and scoop out what i need and the negative number is the amount of grams. It is even faster.
And i dont know why i come in here to explain again lol. But seeing somebody saying it is overkill while the OP dont lose weight ( anymore) because it is a simple solution to just weigh and try it.
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Christine_72 wrote: »I've never weighed eggs. I just use "large" usda entry
when your deficit is large enough to catch any inaccuracy it indeed doesn't matter, you wont notice it that much. If you eat at a small deficit you will at one point stop losing weight. Just because you cant catch those calories you didn't count anymore.0 -
BurnWithBarn2015 wrote: »VanillaGorillaUK wrote: »You don't need to weigh absolutely everything on scales, some advice here is overkill. Use spoons, cups or mililitres for liquids.
The advjce about going low carb or IF is silly. IF is great but nothing escapes calories in/out.
You need to stop avoiding the rice advice. Weigh it before cooking, no further excuses.
If what you're saying is true (accurate logging), I recommended taking a 2-4 week break at maintenance level and then returning to diet by reducing 100 calories each week.
She is eating at maintenance level that is the problem...So for her not using the scale properly but also spoons and cups is making her weight loss coming to a halt.
I agree that it isn't needed. Some people can do it. She obviously not.
I can not do it with cups and spoons either My half cup of oats never comes out 40 grams but 60 or even 70 gram so weekly ( because i eat it every morning almost) 700 calories more than i calculated for.
Some people can some people dont. Her inaccuracy is the prove she can not. which is totally normal and overkill.
Oats are a solid not a liquid. As I posted above, solids are measured by mass, liquids (dressings and creamers are liquids) are measured by volume in a measuring spoon. A far more likely issue is the measuring of rice as she is not measuring its mass when dry then cooking, but cooked. That can add far more calories than one might think.0 -
coolcoci_115 wrote: »Last time I posted on this forum was about 4 months ago (http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10254881/extremely-slow-weight-loss/p1). I am now 7-8 months into my journey and still far away from my goal weight.
After a 3 month hiatus from mid October-mid January I have attempted to get back on track. I started mid-January with a 1000 calorie intake per day in attempts to jump start weight loss. I also began a full body split every other day for maybe 3 times a week to build muscle since I figured I lost weight slowly because of a very slow metabolism. Since I don't like running, I resolved to do 2 miles of jogging/walking on days not strength training. I have since increased the calories from 1000 to 1200/day since it was extremely difficult to stick with the 1000 calories and because I was told I was putting my body in starvation mode.
The weakness may come from the weekends, where I often find myself in a situation where I am going out and I either did not eat one of my prepared meals, or could not take it with me (like going to the mall). If it's fast food, I will always go for a chicken sandwich (these tend to be the lowest calories and most filling across the board) and no sides (e.g. McD's Chicken Burger or Artisan Grilled Chicken = 360 cal). But then there are times when I am over a friend's house or I am having home made cooking that there is no easy way for me to estimate. Good example, last weekend was Super Bowel. Food available consisted of cheese dip, chips, chicken wings, ribs, ice cream cones. I will not lie, I had some of the cheese dip, a cup of Munchies, two chicken wings, 1 piece of rib, and two scoops of ice cream in a waffle bowel. The next day I had jumped approximately 3 pounds, and over the last day have dropped maybe 1.5 of that.
The frustration is real. Work hard all week.... see no progress. Make one slip up and I'm paying for it the entire next week to get back to where I started.
I noticed that you took a break from Oct-mid Jan, I am assuming that you did not consistently weigh food during that time? If so, then it has only been a month since you have been back on track. For me, it takes a while before I see much weight come off (although I am older than you & have a medical issue that likely slows down my metabolism) but once I am consistent with logging and weighing everything, the weight comes off. I think the key is consistency. If I go to a restaurant with friends, I plan ahead what I will eat there. I look at the menus online ahead of time and choose what I will order. It sounds extreme, but it works. I also read that you eat home cooking sometimes. I am not sure if you are preparing these meals, or if others are. But, it is very difficult to figure out how many calories is in something if someone else has made it. I have found in these situations that it helps to overestimate calories. Or, if possible, and the person will not be offended, eat something before you go to your friends home. I do this and yes sometimes people look at you like you are crazy, but it will help you lose weight:) Good Luck!!!!
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coolcoci_115 wrote: »I will be getting an MD degree in about 2 months...
Wow, getting your MD at age 24. Impressive! Or, do you mean you'll be starting your MD in two months?0 -
ModernRock wrote: »coolcoci_115 wrote: »I will be getting an MD degree in about 2 months...
Wow, getting your MD at age 24. Impressive! Or, do you mean you'll be starting your MD in two months?
Your post comes off as extremely snide. Here in the US (not sure where the OP is based) there are several BS/MD programs which graduate 24/25 y.o. doctors. Example: http://www.neomed.edu/admissions/medicine/bsmd
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ModernRock wrote: »coolcoci_115 wrote: »I will be getting an MD degree in about 2 months...
Wow, getting your MD at age 24. Impressive! Or, do you mean you'll be starting your MD in two months?
Your post comes off as extremely snide. Here in the US (not sure where the OP is based) there are several BS/MD programs which graduate 24/25 y.o. doctors. Example: http://www.neomed.edu/admissions/medicine/bsmd
How is that post snide? It was impressed at the achievement.0 -
rileysowner wrote: »ModernRock wrote: »coolcoci_115 wrote: »I will be getting an MD degree in about 2 months...
Wow, getting your MD at age 24. Impressive! Or, do you mean you'll be starting your MD in two months?
Your post comes off as extremely snide. Here in the US (not sure where the OP is based) there are several BS/MD programs which graduate 24/25 y.o. doctors. Example: http://www.neomed.edu/admissions/medicine/bsmd
How is that post snide? It was impressed at the achievement.
Sorry but I disagree. The italics imply otherwise to me.0 -
coolcoci_115 wrote: »blues4miles wrote: »
Now for the math you just did. I'll use me as an example. I am aiming for 1500 calories. I also sometimes eat more on weekends. I, like you, don't typically 'go above maintenance' on a weekend. My actual average over the last 21 days is 1700 calories. That means instead of losing 1 lb a week I'd only be losing .5 lb a week. Add in some poor weighing/measuring, some water retention, boom no weight loss.
EVERY WEEK I do this 21 day exercise. If average calories consumed gets up to maintenance, I have a problem. If the math says I should have lost 3 lbs but only lost 2, I know I need to drink lots of water and get serious about accurately logging my food, because that's where the culprit is. When I am doing everything right, the math works.
Math is king, totally agree. I just averaged last 10 days (did not do full 21 days because there are some inaccuracies on some of those days prior), the average is 1301 kcal/day.
I think this speaks volumes.
You have only have 10 consecutive days of accurate logging.
Reassess your numbers at the weight you are at now, change your goal to 1lbs a week and eat back 50-75% of the calories you earn through exercise.
And log honestly every day.
Cheers, h.0 -
I don't think you've been at it consistently anywhere as much as you'd like to think. You said you could take criticism, so here it is. In the original post in September you lost 4 pounds in "exactly" two months (July 18-Sept 18) to get to 183. You eventually stated you weren't using a food scale, and just like in the current discussion, there's one example after another of going to restaurants or parties and guesstimating your intake.
You come back after "a 3 month hiatus from mid October-mid January" weighing 174. So, you had a 9 pound loss during your hiatus. What explains that? Were you starving yourself? If not, just keep on doing whatever resulted in that loss.
Anyway, you come back and have been at it for only three weeks, lamenting no progress, yet you've had more guesstimate meals in that time than I've had in 3 months. My guess is that you do a great job calculating calories....when you are actually doing it, and aren't being "real" with yourself about the rest of the food you are eating.
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Wow, there is some bizarre advice piling up in this thread
OP, how often you use a food scale is personal preference. But considering that you are struggling, I strongly suggest you go back to basics to determine what is really going on:- Double check that your stats in MFP are accurate and your goal is 1 lb per week.
- Commit to 2 weeks of trying to collect as much good data as possible - weigh EVERY solid, log everything accurately and consistently. If this doesn't fit in your lifestyle, you don't have to do it long term, but 2 weeks should give you some useful numbers.
- Now you will have some good data that will hopefully shed some light on your situation.
As I get the impression you already know, what you eat, when you eat, how you exercise, is all personal preference. But honestly, if you are averaging 1200 cals or less, not eating back exercise cals, and not losing weight, there are two possibilities: logging issues or a medical condition.
I did this same 2 week "experiment" for myself, and it literally changed my life. The food scale set me free - it helped me perfect my ability to eyeball portions when eating away from home, it got my calories-in on point, and it allowed me to eat the foods I love in correct portions without feeling guilty or constantly worrying I had eaten too much, or not enough, or whatever. And two years later, I still use it every day. I weigh all ingredients raw to determine the calories in a meal, then I weigh the food cooked to portion it out.
Best of luck!0 -
rileysowner wrote: »ModernRock wrote: »coolcoci_115 wrote: »I will be getting an MD degree in about 2 months...
Wow, getting your MD at age 24. Impressive! Or, do you mean you'll be starting your MD in two months?
Your post comes off as extremely snide. Here in the US (not sure where the OP is based) there are several BS/MD programs which graduate 24/25 y.o. doctors. Example: http://www.neomed.edu/admissions/medicine/bsmd
How is that post snide? It was impressed at the achievement.
Sorry but I disagree. The italics imply otherwise to me.
The average age of starting medical school in the US is 23 for women and 24 for men, so having one by 24 is impressive. It also isn't unusual for people to say they are "getting" something when what they mean to say is that they are "starting to get" that thing. The italics were meant to emphasize this possible ambiguity between "getting" and "starting". A fair point of clarification, all things considered. Feel free to search my posts on this website and you'll find them to be consistently polite and respectful. (My earlier on-topic post was critical, but she said she was OK with that.) Have a good day.0 -
your BMR might be off, too. most people in normal jobs are considered sedentary. but if you're, say, only walking 1,000 steps per day, your BMR might be even lower. also, this article about the myth of the 3,500 calorie pound was quite interesting: http://www.todaysdietitian.com/newarchives/111114p36.shtml there are a couple of studies in there you can read as well.0
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Consider the diet break an end of that time period. So start with the first day you knew your own weight, weighed and logged accurately, and also note when your exercise started.
It's too early to tell what's up because water weight will mask your progress so early in. 1 lb a week would only show, what, a 3 lb drop by now? Your monthly cycle likely takes up a great deal of that itself, and then the new exercise means more water. Wait until the amount of weight you should have lost is significantly greater than your possible water fluctuations. You'll probably drop some lbs at once soon, imho.0 -
ModernRock wrote: »coolcoci_115 wrote: »I will be getting an MD degree in about 2 months...
Wow, getting your MD at age 24. Impressive! Or, do you mean you'll be starting your MD in two months?ModernRock wrote: »coolcoci_115 wrote: »I will be getting an MD degree in about 2 months...
Wow, getting your MD at age 24. Impressive! Or, do you mean you'll be starting your MD in two months?
Your post comes off as extremely snide. Here in the US (not sure where the OP is based) there are several BS/MD programs which graduate 24/25 y.o. doctors. Example: http://www.neomed.edu/admissions/medicine/bsmdModernRock wrote: »rileysowner wrote: »ModernRock wrote: »coolcoci_115 wrote: »I will be getting an MD degree in about 2 months...
Wow, getting your MD at age 24. Impressive! Or, do you mean you'll be starting your MD in two months?
Your post comes off as extremely snide. Here in the US (not sure where the OP is based) there are several BS/MD programs which graduate 24/25 y.o. doctors. Example: http://www.neomed.edu/admissions/medicine/bsmd
How is that post snide? It was impressed at the achievement.
Sorry but I disagree. The italics imply otherwise to me.
The average age of starting medical school in the US is 23 for women and 24 for men, so having one by 24 is impressive. It also isn't unusual for people to say they are "getting" something when what they mean to say is that they are "starting to get" that thing. The italics were meant to emphasize this possible ambiguity between "getting" and "starting". A fair point of clarification, all things considered. Feel free to search my posts on this website and you'll find them to be consistently polite and respectful. (My earlier on-topic post was critical, but she said she was OK with that.) Have a good day.
To clarify this discussion. I am completing my degree this April, as in I will be receiving my diploma in the next two months. I am second to youngest in my class. Based out of the U.S. The average starting age is 24.0
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