54 days in, 1500 cal/day diet, no real weight loss yet, should I reboot my calories?

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GretchenBeaulieu
GretchenBeaulieu Posts: 6 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Just restarting after a couple of years off, have kept off original weight lost, and increasing exercise, but am wondering if I should eat more to weigh less? I have had the full medical exams ruling out any health issues, and my blood pressure is better, and have lost an inch off my thighs but the scale seems stuck at 171-172. I have gone over cals about 45% of the last 54 days and wonder if that is my downfall. I know I have to cut the sugar, and increase my protein. Has anyone been here?

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  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
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    Your diary is closed, but many times when people aren't losing even when their calories are relatively low, it comes down to a logging issue.
  • callsitlikeiseeit
    callsitlikeiseeit Posts: 8,627 Member
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    why would you eat more if youre not losing weight eating what you are. youre not in a deficit, and are eating more than you think (or grossly overestimating exercise calories and eating them back).

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  • starwhisperer6
    starwhisperer6 Posts: 402 Member
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    you answered your own question. If you go over your calories 45% of the time that will defiantly slow down weight loss. Adding more calories to that is not going to be the answer.
  • rileysowner
    rileysowner Posts: 8,123 Member
    edited March 2016
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    GretchenBeaulieu wrote: »
    Just restarting after a couple of years off, have kept off original weight lost, and increasing exercise, but am wondering if I should eat more to weigh less? I have had the full medical exams ruling out any health issues, and my blood pressure is better, and have lost an inch off my thighs but the scale seems stuck at 171-172. I have gone over cals about 45% of the last 54 days and wonder if that is my downfall. I know I have to cut the sugar, and increase my protein. Has anyone been here?

    If you are going over calories 45% of the time, and you don't say how much over, that would likely be your problem, especially if your logging is not a tight as it could be. Cutting sugar and increasing protein if you are eating to many calories will not solve the situation. It is about establishing a calorie deficit. You may need to drop your calorie goal.

    1) How are you measuring your portions? Just estimating or even using measuring cups for anything but liquids will cause issues with accuracy. See the following video:
    https://youtu.be/vjKPIcI51lU

    2) What is your weight loss goal/week?
    3) What are your stats, age, height, weight, daily activity?
  • MommyMeggo
    MommyMeggo Posts: 1,222 Member
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    GretchenBeaulieu wrote: »
    I have gone over cals about 45% of the last 54 days and wonder if that is my downfall.

    Open/Shut case in this sentence alone.
    Create a deficit and the weight will do down.
  • 7elizamae
    7elizamae Posts: 758 Member
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    No, don't add calories. That certainly won't help, but will hinder your weight loss.

    Instead, get a food scale (really not as tedious or difficult as it sounds) and use it consistently. Here's a link for the one I use:

    amazon.com/Epica-Accupro-Digital-Capacity-Chrome-Electronic/dp/B005OSUIYG/ref=sr_1_16?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1457716585&sr=1-16&keywords=food+scale
  • Maxematics
    Maxematics Posts: 2,287 Member
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    You don't have to cut the sugar, you just have to stop eating over your calories. You say you do it 45% of the time and that's your issue. You're eating too much to lose weight.
  • GretchenBeaulieu
    GretchenBeaulieu Posts: 6 Member
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    Thank you so much for all the posts! I can make my diary open. Yes, I do use a food scale, and I have read the flow chart-agreed-if I underestimate calories I know I won't lose weight. So to compensate this past 2 weeks I have been logging accurately, and logging fewer exercise calories than the numbers I get on MFP, and not trying to eat them back. I will keep plugging!!!!
    I am 5.4, 172 pounds, trying to exercise 5 times a week at least 30 minutes.
  • Maxematics
    Maxematics Posts: 2,287 Member
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    GretchenBeaulieu wrote: »
    Thank you so much for all the posts! I can make my diary open. Yes, I do use a food scale, and I have read the flow chart-agreed-if I underestimate calories I know I won't lose weight. So to compensate this past 2 weeks I have been logging accurately, and logging fewer exercise calories than the numbers I get on MFP, and not trying to eat them back. I will keep plugging!!!!
    I am 5.4, 172 pounds, trying to exercise 5 times a week at least 30 minutes.

    That sounds like a good plan. Measure everything you eat, don't eat back any exercise calories and keep it at 1500. If you don't lose any weight within three weeks, your calorie goal is most likely too high. If you do lose weight and it's more than you anticipated, you can start eating back some exercise calories.
  • MommyMeggo
    MommyMeggo Posts: 1,222 Member
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    GretchenBeaulieu wrote: »
    Thank you so much for all the posts! I can make my diary open. Yes, I do use a food scale, and I have read the flow chart-agreed-if I underestimate calories I know I won't lose weight. So to compensate this past 2 weeks I have been logging accurately, and logging fewer exercise calories than the numbers I get on MFP, and not trying to eat them back. I will keep plugging!!!!
    I am 5.4, 172 pounds, trying to exercise 5 times a week at least 30 minutes.

    Keep going!!! Measure and track! Tons of good info on this forum! :)

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