2 months in and damn all happening?

I need some advice here on where I am going wrong. I took up weight lifting and posted this on a bodybuilding board and the general consensus was that A either i am not weighing food correctly or B the cals on MFP are wrong.

I don't know what you can see from my profile on here but basically I started on 28th December 2015 at 103kg. My BMR is just over 2000 so reduced my daily cals to 1500. Nothing happened for a month then I dropped to 97kg but i am not almost back to where I started.

I don't log exercise on here as it doesn't show cals burnt so waste of time but below is todays workout, I work out 5 days per week rotating two routines at the min.

Barbell deadlift 8 reps x 3 sets x 50kg
Barbell bent over row 8x3x50kg
Barbell curl 8x3x25kg
Preacher curl 10x3x15kg
Dumbbell situps 8x3x15kg
Leg raises 8x3
Barbell incline bench press 6x3x40kg
Barbell bench press 6x3x40kg
Barbell close grip bench press 6x3x25kg

I also have an active job (joiner) so am on my feet all day.

As you can see from my results damn all is happening after almost 2 months. How I work MFP logging is say like last night I had cooked chicken pieces, so I look up MFP and make my portions work with what I find on MFP, thing like veg I tend not to weigh and guestamate but I am not a big veg lover so not going to over do it anyway, and things like eggs, fruit etc are all standard.


So where does the problem lie?

Replies

  • trjjoy
    trjjoy Posts: 666 Member
    Do you use a scale to weigh your food? Do you use the recipe builder? Are you using the correct food entries from the food database?
  • RoxieDawn
    RoxieDawn Posts: 15,488 Member
    Your not weighing food at all.... This flow chart should tell it all...

    077qd10sh33c.jpg
  • seska422
    seska422 Posts: 3,217 Member
    edited February 2016
    You are listing a lot of detailed exercise things and some vague food things.

    Weight loss happens in the kitchen. That's where you need to knuckle down and be specific. Don't guestamate. Weigh all solids, double-check that the database entries that you are using for foods have accurate nutritional information, and log everything caloric that goes into your mouth.
  • ElizabethOakes2
    ElizabethOakes2 Posts: 1,038 Member
    So wait:
    Your BMR is 2000.
    What is your TDEE?
    BMR is the base calories that you need to stay alive. TDEE is your Total Daily Expenditure- how many calories you actually burn in a day. You want to be eating calories between your TDEE and your BMR number.
    With that much lifting and an active job, are you taking your measurements as well as stepping on the scale?
  • dave_in_ni
    dave_in_ni Posts: 533 Member
    So wait:
    Your BMR is 2000.
    What is your TDEE?
    BMR is the base calories that you need to stay alive. TDEE is your Total Daily Expenditure- how many calories you actually burn in a day. You want to be eating calories between your TDEE and your BMR number.
    With that much lifting and an active job, are you taking your measurements as well as stepping on the scale?

    I wouldn't have a clue how to work out my TDEE? i am taking measurements though and nothing is happening there either.
  • dave_in_ni
    dave_in_ni Posts: 533 Member
    gia07 wrote: »
    Your not weighing food at all.... This flow chart should tell it all...

    077qd10sh33c.jpg


    Ah right OK, I must of imagined putting that chicken on the scales last night ;) As I said above I adjust what I eat to what I find on MFP, Its much easier than working it out myself, so say last night I had half a cup of brown rice, I weighed out 140g of cooked chicken pieces because I found them on MFP.
  • seska422
    seska422 Posts: 3,217 Member
    dave_in_ni wrote: »
    Ah right OK, I must of imagined putting that chicken on the scales last night ;) As I said above I adjust what I eat to what I find on MFP, Its much easier than working it out myself, so say last night I had half a cup of brown rice, I weighed out 140g of cooked chicken pieces because I found them on MFP.
    You didn't weigh the rice and rice is a solid. Weigh all solids. It's best to get the weigh of the rice before cooking if you can because it can absorb a varying amount of water.

    You need to get used to working the math out yourself. You put a lot of time into exercise. Put some time into accurate logging and it will pay off for you.
  • callsitlikeiseeit
    callsitlikeiseeit Posts: 8,626 Member
    your logging is inaccurate.

    but don't believe us if you don't want to ..... not sure why you asked for advice if you don't want it .....

    I am also not seeing any kind of cooking oil or butter or seasonings, in addition to generic entries (medium banana, 1 hot dog), etc
  • nordlead2005
    nordlead2005 Posts: 1,303 Member
    edited February 2016
    dave_in_ni wrote: »
    So wait:
    Your BMR is 2000.
    What is your TDEE?
    BMR is the base calories that you need to stay alive. TDEE is your Total Daily Expenditure- how many calories you actually burn in a day. You want to be eating calories between your TDEE and your BMR number.
    With that much lifting and an active job, are you taking your measurements as well as stepping on the scale?

    I wouldn't have a clue how to work out my TDEE? i am taking measurements though and nothing is happening there either.

    To get to TDEE multiply BMR by a scalar depending on activity level. If you are active at work and exercise 3x/week that might be 1.6x, for a TDEE of 3200. Even if we assume you are less active it wouldn't be below 1.2x or 2400. Or, just use a calculator online to get the first estimate (http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/). Once you have the first estimate you should calculate your TDEE based on real life results. Multiply your average weekly weight loss by 500 and add that to your average daily calorie intake. (for example, if calorie intake is 1800 and you are losing 1lb/week on average, then TDEE = 2300)

    Anyways, if you aren't losing weight over 1.5 months, then you are eating very close to TDEE or you possibly masked the entire loss by eating higher and higher sodium over time. Fix your logging or otherwise eat less if you want to lose weight (both lead to the same thing anyways, eating less, the first also corrects your perception of what you are eating).

    If you aren't seeing results with the strength training, then it is because you are not progressively overloading with a proper volume and intensity. Are you doing a structured program that calls for those lifts or are you just doing your own thing? What equipment do you have access to? In general you'll get better results following a beginner program.
  • dave_in_ni
    dave_in_ni Posts: 533 Member
    dave_in_ni wrote: »
    So wait:
    Your BMR is 2000.
    What is your TDEE?
    BMR is the base calories that you need to stay alive. TDEE is your Total Daily Expenditure- how many calories you actually burn in a day. You want to be eating calories between your TDEE and your BMR number.
    With that much lifting and an active job, are you taking your measurements as well as stepping on the scale?

    I wouldn't have a clue how to work out my TDEE? i am taking measurements though and nothing is happening there either.

    To get to TDEE multiply BMR by a scalar depending on activity level. If you are active at work and exercise 3x/week that might be 1.6x, for a TDEE of 3200. Even if we assume you are less active it wouldn't be below 1.2x or 2400. Or, just use a calculator online to get the first estimate (http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/). Once you have the first estimate you should calculate your TDEE based on real life results. Multiply your average weekly weight loss by 500 and add that to your average daily calorie intake. (for example, if calorie intake is 1800 and you are losing 1lb/week on average, then TDEE = 2300)

    Anyways, if you aren't losing weight over 1.5 months, then you are eating very close to TDEE or you possibly masked the entire loss by eating higher and higher sodium over time. Fix your logging or otherwise eat less if you want to lose weight (both lead to the same thing anyways, eating less, the first also corrects your perception of what you are eating).

    If you aren't seeing results with the strength training, then it is because you are not progressively overloading with a proper volume and intensity. Are you doing a structured program that calls for those lifts or are you just doing your own thing? What equipment do you have access to? In general you'll get better results following a beginner program.

    I am following a program called Bigger Leaner Stronger by Michael Matthews, it is a beginner program and uses free weights only as thats all I have access to. Its actually a 5 day program, I cut it down to 2 as I found the 5 days wasn't enough, I mean 3 exercise per day @ 6-8 reps for 3 sets is no use to anyone so now I have 9 exercise per day over 2 days which I rotate 5 days per week.
  • trjjoy
    trjjoy Posts: 666 Member
    You need to use the recipe builder, bro. You can't just go on other people's recipes.
  • blues4miles
    blues4miles Posts: 1,481 Member
    dave_in_ni wrote: »
    How I work MFP logging is say like last night I had cooked chicken pieces, so I look up MFP and make my portions work with what I find on MFP, thing like veg I tend not to weigh and guestamate but I am not a big veg lover so not going to over do it anyway, and things like eggs, fruit etc are all standard.

    What does that mean? I weigh all my eggs. Most of the eggs I eat are literally 2x whatever the database thinks a 'large' or 'jumbo' egg is. Weigh all your fruit. Weigh your chicken pre-cooking to be on the safe side (it should get smaller after cooking). Weigh things like rice/cereal. Weigh butter, peanut butter.

    Make sure you are grabbing good entries in the database. I found two wildly varying entries for russet potatoes. One was way less than the other one, no idea why. A little more digging I decided to use the higher one as I determined it to be more accurate.

    Lastly, if you just started a new weight lifting program there is a good chance your body is retaining water. My best guess is you are underestimating your food and actually eating at maintenance or close to it. Combine that with some water retention and the 1-2 lbs you might have lost isn't showing up.

    I guess if you are a male, early 20s, eating 150-200g of protein a day it's POSSIBLE you are gaining a small amount of muscle (.5 lb a month) which could be masking weight loss too. But there's a lot of magical factors have to come into play for that to happen.
  • jemhh
    jemhh Posts: 14,261 Member
    dave_in_ni wrote: »
    dave_in_ni wrote: »
    So wait:
    Your BMR is 2000.
    What is your TDEE?
    BMR is the base calories that you need to stay alive. TDEE is your Total Daily Expenditure- how many calories you actually burn in a day. You want to be eating calories between your TDEE and your BMR number.
    With that much lifting and an active job, are you taking your measurements as well as stepping on the scale?

    I wouldn't have a clue how to work out my TDEE? i am taking measurements though and nothing is happening there either.

    To get to TDEE multiply BMR by a scalar depending on activity level. If you are active at work and exercise 3x/week that might be 1.6x, for a TDEE of 3200. Even if we assume you are less active it wouldn't be below 1.2x or 2400. Or, just use a calculator online to get the first estimate (http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/). Once you have the first estimate you should calculate your TDEE based on real life results. Multiply your average weekly weight loss by 500 and add that to your average daily calorie intake. (for example, if calorie intake is 1800 and you are losing 1lb/week on average, then TDEE = 2300)

    Anyways, if you aren't losing weight over 1.5 months, then you are eating very close to TDEE or you possibly masked the entire loss by eating higher and higher sodium over time. Fix your logging or otherwise eat less if you want to lose weight (both lead to the same thing anyways, eating less, the first also corrects your perception of what you are eating).

    If you aren't seeing results with the strength training, then it is because you are not progressively overloading with a proper volume and intensity. Are you doing a structured program that calls for those lifts or are you just doing your own thing? What equipment do you have access to? In general you'll get better results following a beginner program.

    I am following a program called Bigger Leaner Stronger by Michael Matthews, it is a beginner program and uses free weights only as thats all I have access to. Its actually a 5 day program, I cut it down to 2 as I found the 5 days wasn't enough, I mean 3 exercise per day @ 6-8 reps for 3 sets is no use to anyone so now I have 9 exercise per day over 2 days which I rotate 5 days per week.

    More is often not better when it comes to lifting. That's a very beginner's mistake. You listed today's workout. What is tomorrow's?
  • KaspianZero
    KaspianZero Posts: 3 Member
    your logging is inaccurate.

    I am also not seeing any kind of cooking oil or butter or seasonings, in addition to generic entries (medium banana, 1 hot dog), etc

    This right here. "Cooked chicken pieces," eh? Does that mean sautéed with nothing but cooking spray, or boiled in water, or baked smothered in butter, or maybe deep fried..?

    How food is prepared makes all the difference. A boiled chicken breast has a fraction of the calories of 1 fried chicken tender (not to mention the latter isn't just chicken, but also breading etc). There's almost no such thing as just "cooked chicken pieces." That isn't a dish that exists.

  • Capt_Apollo
    Capt_Apollo Posts: 9,026 Member
    dave_in_ni wrote: »
    dave_in_ni wrote: »
    So wait:
    Your BMR is 2000.
    What is your TDEE?
    BMR is the base calories that you need to stay alive. TDEE is your Total Daily Expenditure- how many calories you actually burn in a day. You want to be eating calories between your TDEE and your BMR number.
    With that much lifting and an active job, are you taking your measurements as well as stepping on the scale?

    I wouldn't have a clue how to work out my TDEE? i am taking measurements though and nothing is happening there either.

    To get to TDEE multiply BMR by a scalar depending on activity level. If you are active at work and exercise 3x/week that might be 1.6x, for a TDEE of 3200. Even if we assume you are less active it wouldn't be below 1.2x or 2400. Or, just use a calculator online to get the first estimate (http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/). Once you have the first estimate you should calculate your TDEE based on real life results. Multiply your average weekly weight loss by 500 and add that to your average daily calorie intake. (for example, if calorie intake is 1800 and you are losing 1lb/week on average, then TDEE = 2300)

    Anyways, if you aren't losing weight over 1.5 months, then you are eating very close to TDEE or you possibly masked the entire loss by eating higher and higher sodium over time. Fix your logging or otherwise eat less if you want to lose weight (both lead to the same thing anyways, eating less, the first also corrects your perception of what you are eating).

    If you aren't seeing results with the strength training, then it is because you are not progressively overloading with a proper volume and intensity. Are you doing a structured program that calls for those lifts or are you just doing your own thing? What equipment do you have access to? In general you'll get better results following a beginner program.

    I am following a program called Bigger Leaner Stronger by Michael Matthews, it is a beginner program and uses free weights only as thats all I have access to. Its actually a 5 day program, I cut it down to 2 as I found the 5 days wasn't enough, I mean 3 exercise per day @ 6-8 reps for 3 sets is no use to anyone so now I have 9 exercise per day over 2 days which I rotate 5 days per week.


    so you're not following a program at all.
  • singingflutelady
    singingflutelady Posts: 8,736 Member
    Strong lifts is 3 exercises a day, 3 times a week 5x5 (except dead lifts which are 1x5) and it is an excellent program so 3 exercises a day 5 days a week is more than this. More doesn't =better. Less=more.
  • EvgeniZyntx
    EvgeniZyntx Posts: 24,208 Member
    Strong lifts is 3 exercises a day, 3 times a week 5x5 (except dead lifts which are 1x5) and it is an excellent program so 3 exercises a day 5 days a week is more than this. More doesn't =better. Less=more.

    Except it is irrelevant as he doesn't have access to the equipment needed for SL.
    Nor do I see how his program vs SL is the problem to weight loss.

    @dave_in_ni - the issue is that your logging is very inconsistent. Not only do you guesstimate, but you have entire weeks without logging. Take a look at your last 8 weeks:

    wssgg3wiknnf.png

    Focus on addressing that and the weight will come down.

  • dave_in_ni
    dave_in_ni Posts: 533 Member
    Thats all for your help, this morning I have started to weigh everything, so it will be interesting to see this evening just how far wrong I have been with my counting, I am impressed with the bar code scanner, never used it before as didn't think it would work but so far its worked 100%
  • Caitoriri
    Caitoriri Posts: 87 Member
    Also, I know it's a huge pain in the butt, but some of the stuff entered into MFP is huuuugely inaccurate. The first time you enter a food Google search it (for example "chicken calories", choose the correct type and quantity, and make sure the nutritional information listed there is the same as the nutritional information listed on MFP.
    After you've done it once, you can use the same database entry every time, because you'll know it's accurate.
  • dave_in_ni
    dave_in_ni Posts: 533 Member
    Right well I have weighed everything for this past 2 days, the only thing I had been messing up is dinners, they are slightly smaller now but in fairness I am still floating around the 1500-1700 cal mark I can't say I have been badly off guestamating. But in other news the weight is moving now, Down to 96kg today, my goal is 83-85kg
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    Caitoriri wrote: »
    Also, I know it's a huge pain in the butt, but some of the stuff entered into MFP is huuuugely inaccurate. The first time you enter a food Google search it (for example "chicken calories", choose the correct type and quantity, and make sure the nutritional information listed there is the same as the nutritional information listed on MFP.
    After you've done it once, you can use the same database entry every time, because you'll know it's accurate.

    Don't use google - go to http://ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/foods as the system-generated entries on MFP pull from there.

    6df85bd2e624eeb1b02a957b170c01f5.png