completely frustrated - different results, same effort
Replies
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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.0 -
StealthHealth wrote: »I will offer another explanation:
It probably isn't the scale, it's that last year you lost weight at too aggressive a rate and metabolized a lot of muscle along with the fat you burnt off.
So, this year, although your weight is the same your BF% is higher and, since fat is practically metabolically inactive, your BMR is lower. This means that although last year your 1000-1300* was enough to yield a loss, this year it is only enough to maintain.
/quote]
agree with this. recommend starting weight training routine.0 -
Sorry what's the difference between measuring food and scales?0
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quiksylver296 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!0 -
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
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OP lets try something different how about you tells us exactly what you want to hear. So we can then repeat it back to you verbatim. Because it seems that is the only thing you want to hear. That way you can stop thinking anybody giving you sound advise is being nasty and mean to you.0
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diannethegeek wrote: »quiksylver296 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.
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msmaireodonoghue wrote: »Sorry what's the difference between measuring food and scales?
Watch the video directly under your post, @msmaireodonoghue.0 -
quiksylver296 wrote: »diannethegeek wrote: »quiksylver296 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:0 -
msmaireodonoghue wrote: »Sorry what's the difference between measuring food and scales?
Watch the video below your post or the other a page back. The difference is startling.
I used to think I was terrible at baking, and now I am starting to resent that American recipes use cups and spoon measures. All these years my measuring has been screwing up my recipes. Take, for instance, the other day when I was making pizza dough. I purposely measured my flour with a cup and then I measured it with my trusty scale. My two cups were off by at least 20 grams +/-, That's a game changing difference when it comes to the science involved in baking.
20 grams is majorly important in the science of weight loss.0 -
msmaireodonoghue wrote: »Sorry what's the difference between measuring food and scales?
Measuring food usually means just using cups and spoons. That's not as accurate as weighing, which is why we're suggesting OP gets a food scale.0 -
Thanks and what about scanning food? Is it still best to weigh after scanning?0
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Packaged foods are not accurate either.msmaireodonoghue wrote: »Thanks and what about scanning food? Is it still best to weigh after scanning?
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soulofgrace wrote: »msmaireodonoghue wrote: »Sorry what's the difference between measuring food and scales?
Watch the video below your post or the other a page back. The difference is startling.
I used to think I was terrible at baking, and now I am starting to resent that American recipes use cups and spoon measures. All these years my measuring has been screwing up my recipes. Take, for instance, the other day when I was making pizza dough. I purposely measured my flour with a cup and then I measured it with my trusty scale. My two cups were off by at least 20 grams +/-, That's a game changing difference when it comes to the science involved in baking.
20 grams is majorly important in the science of weight loss.
Yes, all the professional bakers I knew used food scales.0 -
Specify macros....0
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I disagree with the people accusing you of not wanting to hear you need a scale. I have the same problem as you. I talked to my nutritionist and he explained how dramatically the body can change in a year. So much so that the same methods sometimes won't work when repeated. I suggest you break the routine and try something different workout wise. I did and i started to see results. And you should bear in mind even if you do change routines you still might not lose at the rate you want. It happens you do what you can and be patient the rest of the time. Hope it helps.0
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soulofgrace wrote: »msmaireodonoghue wrote: »Sorry what's the difference between measuring food and scales?
Watch the video below your post or the other a page back. The difference is startling.
I used to think I was terrible at baking, and now I am starting to resent that American recipes use cups and spoon measures. All these years my measuring has been screwing up my recipes. Take, for instance, the other day when I was making pizza dough. I purposely measured my flour with a cup and then I measured it with my trusty scale. My two cups were off by at least 20 grams +/-, That's a game changing difference when it comes to the science involved in baking.
20 grams is majorly important in the science of weight loss.
HUGE pet peeve of mine... recipes that come in cups. I just do the conversion in grams and adapt as needed after the first time... but it's so irritating. Gosh.msmaireodonoghue wrote: »Thanks and what about scanning food? Is it still best to weigh after scanning?
I weigh packaged foods. I've had real shocks, honestly... a 31g scoop of protein powder? 40g. Those Graze snacks? The flapjacks were 65 more calories! Those low carb tortillas I buy are often 44g instead of 40g. Or that Luna bar I just ate was actually 194 calories and not 180.. for just 3g difference... My favorite are those 'waffle waffle' waffles (which are delicious) that were 80 calories extra... Good times (that and a serving was half a waffle. Who in their right mind eats half a waffle?).
Have a few of those a day and you can be off by 100+ calories at the end of the day. When you have a small deficit, and labels can be off already by 30%... that's why some people don't lose.0 -
markrgeary1 wrote: »My wife and I lost a lot of weight last year, before MFP with no weighing of food. Then as we got closer to a normal BMI our loss got much slower. I started using MFP and foolishly bought a food scale, that I didn't need. Well our weight loss went back to 1-2 pounds weekly and we both felt we ate more than before. Why, nothing changed? Perhaps it was that unnecessary scale?
We have two dogs that I have to watch their weight, one that was 20 pounds is now 12. The vet sold us diet prescription dog food. The directions said for their weight they should eat 1.5 cups daily. Well the one started losing weight while the other gained! Both are eating the exact same amount of food! Well the useless food scale showed some inconsistent weights to the premeasured food. Today one of the dogs get 2 servings of 60 grams daily. The other get 2x65 grams. I threw the useless cups away and use the useless food scale to weigh their food. I can not measure weight by guessing. YMMV.
Oh yea that useless scale, I'm pretty attached to it.
Have you considered one of your dogs could be stealing food from the other one? Or that one of your dogs is more active than the other one? We tried to fatten up my underweight cat by feeding her more often. It didn't work. My vet said sometimes when you feed a house pet more often they will just become more active to compensate for it.Goat sacrifice?
Sounds like the OP would rather sacrifice a goat than buy/use a food scale. I agree with others on here than using a food scale is SO MUCH easier than measuring cups, no clean-up etc. I now only use measuring cups when I HAVE TO.
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I looked at your diary and I'm curious about some entries.
You log some foods by weight but say here that you don't weigh food- only use measuring cups or spoons- and didn't weigh food at all last year. How do you know you are always consuming 2 oz of ham, 4 oz spaghetti, 1 oz cashews, 1 oz blue corn chips, 8 oz of chicken or 1 lb of crab legs? You are guessing and your log is inaccurate. You don't know that you ate the same amount of those foods last year if you didn't weigh them then either. You may have eaten less last year because you guessed differently.
It doesn't really matter what happened last year. Right now you need to do something different if you want to lose weight. Try weighing your food and logging more accurately.
Actually, with all the items you mention, those are pre-weighed. If you buy one pound of crab legs at the store, you know it's one pound. If you always buy the same pack of deli ham, with a weight on it, you can divide the number of slices by the weight to know how much a certain number of slices weigh.
So how about you stop making assumptions?
If i have a weight of an item, of course I add that.
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?
I've gotten some great feedback from folks more interested in helping me, than being snarky or nasty.
Different body composition
Change in nutrients (ie I'm drinking less water)
potential change in nutrient content - % of protein, as an example
or that it could just be that it doesn't always work exactly the same each time - i lost weight and then gained it. my body may not be as happy to lose it the second time.
All useful answers that tell me i can make a few tweaks, be more patient and wait and see what happens.
Okay.
Good luck to you then.
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soulofgrace wrote: »msmaireodonoghue wrote: »Sorry what's the difference between measuring food and scales?
Watch the video below your post or the other a page back. The difference is startling.
I used to think I was terrible at baking, and now I am starting to resent that American recipes use cups and spoon measures. All these years my measuring has been screwing up my recipes. Take, for instance, the other day when I was making pizza dough. I purposely measured my flour with a cup and then I measured it with my trusty scale. My two cups were off by at least 20 grams +/-, That's a game changing difference when it comes to the science involved in baking.
20 grams is majorly important in the science of weight loss.
HUGE pet peeve of mine... recipes that come in cups. I just do the conversion in grams and adapt as needed after the first time... but it's so irritating. Gosh.msmaireodonoghue wrote: »Thanks and what about scanning food? Is it still best to weigh after scanning?
I weigh packaged foods. I've had real shocks, honestly... a 31g scoop of protein powder? 40g. Those Graze snacks? The flapjacks were 65 more calories! Those low carb tortillas I buy are often 44g instead of 40g. Or that Luna bar I just ate was actually 194 calories and not 180.. for just 3g difference... My favorite are those 'waffle waffle' waffles (which are delicious) that were 80 calories extra... Good times (that and a serving was half a waffle. Who in their right mind eats half a waffle?).
Have a few of those a day and you can be off by 100+ calories at the end of the day. When you have a small deficit, and labels can be off already by 30%... that's why some people don't lose.
I would just like to add that when I weighed the level 1/2 cup scoop of innocent ole oatmeal I was having most mornings, it weighed 50 g, not the 40 g listed on the package. Difference of 37 calories, several days a week
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I looked at your diary and I'm curious about some entries.
You log some foods by weight but say here that you don't weigh food- only use measuring cups or spoons- and didn't weigh food at all last year. How do you know you are always consuming 2 oz of ham, 4 oz spaghetti, 1 oz cashews, 1 oz blue corn chips, 8 oz of chicken or 1 lb of crab legs? You are guessing and your log is inaccurate. You don't know that you ate the same amount of those foods last year if you didn't weigh them then either. You may have eaten less last year because you guessed differently.
It doesn't really matter what happened last year. Right now you need to do something different if you want to lose weight. Try weighing your food and logging more accurately.
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?
All useful answers that tell me i can make a few tweaks, be more patient and wait and see what happens.
I would venture to say that the answer to the question is a) nobody knows for sure and b) it really doesn't matter. If something isn't working (with plenty of time & patience), try something else. 0 -
Please help. I'm 37, 5'6. On Jan 2, I weighed 150. I started a concerted and focused weight loss effort on Jan. 26. I've been eating 1000-1400 calories a day for the first 3 weeks, then dropped that to 1000-1300.
For the first 3-4 weeks, I focused on walking 4500 steps a day and also did 2-3 12-18 minute workouts a week. This past week I upped my exercise to 5-6 workouts a week of 30-45 minutes. (3 days of interval run, walk and sprint, 3 days of body weight exercises with cardio).
I cook all my meals - I measure all my ingredients.I know my cal counts are right. I have only lost 2 pounds. I get down to 146, and then gain back to 148, and then go down to 146 or 7, again and again.
Last year in January 2015, I started at the same place, and did all the same things, with all the same recipes. I worked out a little more, but not much, and measured my ingredients in exactly the same way. I lost 9 pounds in my first 4 weeks last year, and then continued to lose 1-2 pounds a week after that.
Please help me figure out what is going on. I feel so demoralized.
What is frustrating is the TOTAL lack of loss, and that last year I did EXACTLY the same things, with incredible results.
Please don't tell me to buy a scale and weigh, that measuring isn't enough. It worked very well for me last year, so that's not the issue - don't make it the issue.
As far as I can tell, I'm eating appovimately the same ratios of protein, fat, carbs too.
thank you for your help. i don't know what else to do. At my current weight, I can't wear any of my clothes that aren't sweats, and it feels pretty terrible.
OK I am not of the mind that buying a food scale is going to be some magical fix-all for your issues...BUT...
Just out of curiosity...why are you anti-food scale?
1. They mean less measuring cups to wash all the damm time.
2. They're really flipping cheap: $15 http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00FF1WJ0I?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_search_detailpage
3. They just make life easier...just plop your meat on the plate you've TAREd on the scale and you're done. No portioning, no guessing.
Seriously...is just makes things easier.
Also...are you stressed? Are you drinking enough water? Are you sleep-eating (hahaha, nah but seriously i had a friend who did this it was messed up).0 -
If i were in your situation, OP, I'd cut one of my recipes down in size. If that's not enough, I'd cut another recipe down in size.
If the idea of eating less doesn't sit well with you, then you'll need to exercise more. Fine, don't use a kitchen scale if you don't want to. Just eat less than you've been eating. How much less? Food scale would help you get a more accurate idea, but without one, reduce your meal sizes/portions by 25% and see if you're ok.0 -
Ohm, ohm...weigh your food...ohm, ohm0
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I'm just an inch taller than you, and I start to thin out around 135. For the longest damn while, it seemed like I'd never dip below 150. But I gave it time and it happened, and I've kept it off for roughly 7 years (I weigh 135 and have gone as low as 128). Given your current weight, you're probably only going to lose about a pound a week on average at this point, but not necessarily 1 pound per week. One week might be 0 pounds, then 1, then 2.
I'd stay off the scale and give yourself about 3 months to lose 10 pounds. If you're working out 5-6 times a week for 45 minutes (try to go 45 rather than 30) and burning roughly 300-400 cals (use an HRM so you know exactly), then I'd go no lower than 1300 cals. I'm guessing your bmr actually requires 1400-1500 cals and that's what I'd eat. So calculate your BMR (don't check off that you work out. Just sedentary) and eat those suggested cals. Don't eat back your workout cals. And stay off the scale. Seriously, it can be your worst enemy.
The above is working for me even now as I try to get back to the 120s. And I am super near my ideal weight. Actually, I don't seem to lose weight if I dip below my BMR of 1400 cals. Considering that you are heavier, the above solution should work. In time. Time is key. Time, Time, Time. Put the scale under your bed or give it to a friend who will guard it for a while. Good luck!
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Were your workouts the same, too? You did the body weight training?0
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heyyoudontgiveup wrote: »My question is: if you lost the weight and gained it back, why are you wanting to do the EXACT same thing again? Why not find something that is sustainable to do and lose while not gaining back?
THIS!0 -
Oh, PS - I'll be 35 in May, so not too behind you in age. I also wanted to encourage you to avoid heavy duty cardio and consider weights. I personally don't do heavy stuff. I stick to 10lbs and under. Maybe take some dance classes and body pump. Or Jillian Michaels stuff (she does interval as well). Running isn't necessarily the best way to lose weight. And very hard on joints if you're a woman.0
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can anyone offer comments on why I would have different results doing exactly the same things, with the same starting weight, only 1 year apart. Thank you for the water idea. That is something I can think is probably different. Last year I worked in an environment where I drank hot herbal tea all day long. This time around, I'm working from a location where I realize my water intake is probably much less. That's a great helpful, not attacking idea. thank you. I welcome any ideas that are respectfully given.
These boards should be a place we help each other. Otherwise, what's the point? Attacking and insulting strangers is a pretty sad commentary on who you are. Get your aggression out at the gym.
If you just increased your exercise this week, that could be masking any losses (water retention).
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Oh, PS - I'll be 35 in May, so not too behind you in age. I also wanted to encourage you to avoid heavy duty cardio and consider weights. I personally don't do heavy stuff. I stick to 10lbs and under. Maybe take some dance classes and body pump. Or Jillian Michaels stuff (she does interval as well). Running isn't necessarily the best way to lose weight. And very hard on joints if you're a woman.
Wouldn't exercising with weights no heavier than 10 pounds be closer to cardio than progressive lifting?
And running is hard on joints for women??? On what are you basing this advice?0
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