completely frustrated - different results, same effort

Packaged food weights can be wrong. My bread that I buy says it's 70 calories per 26g slice. Most slices, I've discovered, at least for this particular brand, are more around 32-33g. It's not a lot, but it's still a difference, so I log 32g not 27. I usually round up, so I'd put 35g. If you don't eat a ton of packaged stuff every day, it probably isn't too much of a difference but there's another place where calories could be off.

It's so easy to comment what you want without thinking through my real question, which is why is it different when I'm doing all the same things?

Your question has been answered, numerous times. You are not doing all the same things, because that cup of whatever you measured out in the past, might not have the same amount of calories as the cup you measured out today or will measure out next week or measured out 100 times before. There could be a huge difference in calories, so you have no idea whether what you are doing is the same or not. When you make a recipe, are you absolutely 100% sure you are adding the exact same ingredients in the exact same portions every single time? No, you're not, so you're not eating the same recipe every time.

No one is being snarky, no one is being aggressive or mean, just factual. Blunt, yes, but not mean. You're getting way too defensive. There's only one thing on this green Earth that can cause fat gain or loss, and that is a calorie. Things can vary within your body, but through trial and error, you can lock in on that magic balance of calories in<calories out that will allow you to start losing again. If you feel your calories are low enough that you don't want to reduce them any more and you are absolutely insisting that your measurements are accurate, try walking an extra 20 or 30 minutes a day.

At the end of the day, it's your plan, your body, your choice, but you've been given appropriate information and advice.

BruinsGal_91 wrote: »

dubird wrote: »

VintageFeline wrote: »

I've said this before and this isn't a dig at you OP but what is with the US obsession with measuring all of the things in cups!? I will always find it baffling. I don't know how one measures a cashew with a teaspoon/tablespoon. Did you eat like, 2 cashews? Because I'd get only the one in my teaspoon measure (which I use for oils usually), no more would fit.

Because that's how almost all our recipes are measured out. Very few will actually give ounces and grams of things, with the exception of some baking recipes. So that's pretty much what we default to when someone says "measure what you're eating". For stuff like nuts, we tend to count the number we eat, which is just as inaccurate as using cups and spoons as each nut can weigh slightly differently.

One of the first things I had to do when I moved here was to buy a set of measuring cups. And then when I sent a recipe to my mum, she immediately emailed me back asking, "what the heck is a 'stick' of butter".

Cups are great for liquids, but you will have to prise my scales from my cold, dead hands.

Don't get me wrong, I have used recipes with cups and own a set of measuring cups but thought that's where it ended, for measuring flour or similar (although a cup or stick of butter always threw me). Seeing that it's also on packaging blows my mind though, knowingly putting something on there that is totally inaccurate is less than helpful. And then transferring that inaccurate logic to things like veggies and chicken, just, baffling.

Ellaskat wrote: »

One other difference I just realized - I'm been exercising betw. 1-3 pm, instead of around 7 am. Could that make a difference? That you silpeanut for the ideas. It's nice to at least hear that someone else has replicated effort with a different result. I weigh but I also take body measurements, because sometimes I will lose inches instead of pounds; I have changed size slightly, but nothing to be impressed/excited by. i believe my biggest loss is my hips - 1 inch. in 5 weeks...

Not as far as weightloss.

HOWEVER - I do find that when I work out in the morning, I make better food choices throughout the day, which result in staying closer to goals. That may be the case for you.

Your estimated TDEE (Calories you spend per day - BMR + Activity) is 1900 calories per day. I would aim for ~10% deficit and eat 1600 - 1700 calories per day and increase your activity levels. Your estimated BMR (calories needed to keep you alive if completely still) is 1457. If you eat less then that you are fighting hunger chemicals much stronger than willpower.

If I were you Ellaskat I would just take the answers I liked and not visit this thread again. I really don't think anyone has been nasty to you, I think everybody is just trying hard to get you to see another viewpoint. Since you do not like many of the answers you are being given, and you already have a few you do like, why bother reading more? It only seems to get you upset.

To re-iterate some points:

1) You may be doing fine and just haven't given it enough time to see an overall trend as opposed to short-term fluctuation
2) Body composition may have changed
3) Measuring by cups for solids is not likely to be consistent measurement to measurement and may have altered so you are eating more than you were
4) Daily activity likely changed somewhat given change of job, etc

Let's assume you are losing much slower - so assume 1) is wrong. Do you think it likely that you've changed enough between points 2-4 to slow your loss?

I do.

Furthermore, if you've changed with 2 or more of those points, the changes could be minuscule and still have a cumulative effect. You can't do much about 2 in the short term - that's a long term problem to address - but 3 and 4 are easy fixes you can make now.

Sorry what's the difference between measuring food and scales?

sllm1 wrote: »

The truth is, if I'm not losing, I "tighten up" on what I log - which means accurately weighing, fewer restaurant meals (where I can't weigh my food), etc. That's what works for me.

This is me too. I would respectfully suggest a food scale only because I know that while I am a pretty good judge of amounts/weights, "pretty good" sometimes changes over time. Were you really careful with your measuring? I did what someone suggested and weighed out my 1 cup of oatmeal (because I was "pretty good" at measuring, remember?) and it was 25 g over what 1 cup is supposed to weigh. It was still within an eyeball of 1 cup though!

I restarted about 10 weeks ago, and while at first, I was just careful and mindful, I realized over a (wasted) 2 weeks that it wasn't good enough. Now I'm back to weighing and logging. And I'm back to my smaller clothes too

diannethegeek wrote: »

quiksylver296 wrote: »

Ellaskat wrote: »

No - you are wrong - a scale is not the issue. If it was the issue, I would not have lost weight last year. Using a scale is a thoughtless pat answer on these boards - which is why I say that.

I lost all my weight last year without a scale, by measuring. I am doing exactly the same thing now. That is the issue I want help with - not some mindless MFP mantra of 'buy a scale'.

I am also not trying to lose additional weight. I am trying to lose the same weight (sadly) a second time.

Same starting weight
Same recipes
Same measuring system
Same exercise amounts

Very different results - the same methods with different/no results is what i'm looking for insight on. Why is this happening.

I asked nicely for help - so please don't throw your nasty 'you're sloppy, don't want to hear it, etc comments at me - not the case.

What if we show you, instead of tell you? Please, please, please watch this video, @ellaskat. It's only three minutes of your life.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XpHykP6e_Uk

I was looking for this video earlier. Thanks for posting it!

I would have assumed you had that tucked away somewhere, @diannethegeek. You have everything! But, you're welcome.

quiksylver296 wrote: »

diannethegeek wrote: »

quiksylver296 wrote: »

Ellaskat wrote: »

No - you are wrong - a scale is not the issue. If it was the issue, I would not have lost weight last year. Using a scale is a thoughtless pat answer on these boards - which is why I say that.

I lost all my weight last year without a scale, by measuring. I am doing exactly the same thing now. That is the issue I want help with - not some mindless MFP mantra of 'buy a scale'.

I am also not trying to lose additional weight. I am trying to lose the same weight (sadly) a second time.

Same starting weight
Same recipes
Same measuring system
Same exercise amounts

Very different results - the same methods with different/no results is what i'm looking for insight on. Why is this happening.

I asked nicely for help - so please don't throw your nasty 'you're sloppy, don't want to hear it, etc comments at me - not the case.

What if we show you, instead of tell you? Please, please, please watch this video, @ellaskat. It's only three minutes of your life.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XpHykP6e_Uk

I was looking for this video earlier. Thanks for posting it!

I would have assumed you had that tucked away somewhere, @diannethegeek. You have everything! But, you're welcome.

It's the one commonly used food scale video I didn't have tucked away. I've got it now, though! :drinker: