If calories in vs. calories out is what matters, why no weight loss?

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Replies

  • Maxematics
    Maxematics Posts: 2,287 Member
    Gamliela wrote: »
    quoted from synacious: "If you've read up on how inaccurate all fitness trackers are, you wouldn't have posted this.
    I have read articles that have debated the inaccuracies of fitness trackers but that doesn't mean they are inaccurate for everyone. From the articles I've read and the experiences from users that I've read, it seems like the more overweight someone is, the more Fitbit overestimates their TDEE. Also, some of the articles were based on self-reported data which, in my opinion, must be taken with a grain of salt."

    I was 19.5 bmi when I got a fitbit. I gained 10 pounds in about a month and a half using that thing. It estimated calorie burns when I was traveling in a car as if I was walking! They are cool for aome people, I felt wierd like using it, it alarm for getting up, clock everything, I guess I just didn't like having a little machine on me always like a control thingy.

    Not liking it is fair enough, but I have a question for you about your statement. You said you gained 10 pounds in a month and a half; were you eating the calories you got for driving? When did you finally notice you were getting calories for driving? Where I'm from there is no need to drive, so I can't relate to this aspect of it, but I know people who use it that drive and they make some sort of adjustment for this in their data.
  • WinoGelato
    WinoGelato Posts: 13,455 Member
    RGv2 wrote: »
    Am I the only one who's had a fitbit actually work like it's supposed to?

    ETA: OP, if you ever come back could you supply your stats and unlock your diary. If your numbers are right, you'd be losing weight.

    Nope, works like a charm for me!
  • queenliz99
    queenliz99 Posts: 15,317 Member
    RGv2 wrote: »
    Am I the only one who's had a fitbit actually work like it's supposed to?

    ETA: OP, if you ever come back could you supply your stats and unlock your diary. If your numbers are right, you'd be losing weight.

    IKR? I love my fitbit!
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,268 Member
    RGv2 wrote: »
    Am I the only one who's had a fitbit actually work like it's supposed to?

    ETA: OP, if you ever come back could you supply your stats and unlock your diary. If your numbers are right, you'd be losing weight.

    Love mine.
    It's calorie burn is accurate for me as long as I'm accurate as I can be with my logging. My logging however, well that's another story.

    I have a different fitness tracker but works great...usually within range of burns for my loss.
  • Colorscheme
    Colorscheme Posts: 1,179 Member
    edited April 2016
    RGv2 wrote: »
    Am I the only one who's had a fitbit actually work like it's supposed to?

    ETA: OP, if you ever come back could you supply your stats and unlock your diary. If your numbers are right, you'd be losing weight.

    Love mine.
    It's calorie burn is accurate for me as long as I'm accurate as I can be with my logging. My logging however, well that's another story.

    I'm willing to bet that's the OP's issue.

    For example, I have a Fitbit. My average TDEE is 2100 cals at 5'7" and 158 lbs, so I get 500 exercise calories a day and eat like 1400 cals net.

    I could not figure out why I kept gaining and losing the same weight because I have a fairly decent deficit and TDEE. Then a day ago I realized that my pre-packaged foods weighed a lot more than what was stated on the package. Enough to wipe out my deficit and add on additional calories. The 520 calorie pizza I've been eating is actually 900+.

    So now I log and weigh everything and I hope the scale starts going down. I'm willing to be that's the OP's problem.
  • Gamliela
    Gamliela Posts: 2,469 Member
    synacious wrote: »
    Gamliela wrote: »
    quoted from synacious: "If you've read up on how inaccurate all fitness trackers are, you wouldn't have posted this.
    I have read articles that have debated the inaccuracies of fitness trackers but that doesn't mean they are inaccurate for everyone. From the articles I've read and the experiences from users that I've read, it seems like the more overweight someone is, the more Fitbit overestimates their TDEE. Also, some of the articles were based on self-reported data which, in my opinion, must be taken with a grain of salt."

    I was 19.5 bmi when I got a fitbit. I gained 10 pounds in about a month and a half using that thing. It estimated calorie burns when I was traveling in a car as if I was walking! They are cool for aome people, I felt wierd like using it, it alarm for getting up, clock everything, I guess I just didn't like having a little machine on me always like a control thingy.

    Not liking it is fair enough, but I have a question for you about your statement. You said you gained 10 pounds in a month and a half; were you eating the calories you got for driving? When did you finally notice you were getting calories for driving? Where I'm from there is no need to drive, so I can't relate to this aspect of it, but I know people who use it that drive and they make some sort of adjustment for this in their data.

    Hi, yes exactly! I lived in Calabria and we moved to Venice. We rented a car and drove to Venice. I had just got the fitbit from peson who was given it as a gift from their place of business at Christmas who didn't want it. I noticed the calores were coming in as I was riding in the car for a few days, so I just ate accordingly. Then in Venice we walked so much, no cars there, so I just kept eating according to the burn rate and beinggiven extra calories that I wasn't aware were wrong. No scale at the new house and by the time I weighed again, viola, added kilos. :|
    I had a very hard time correcting that weight gain too!
  • robininfl
    robininfl Posts: 1,137 Member
    ilex70 wrote: »
    Kmace123 wrote: »
    Same here- I have been on this weightloss-log everything- exercise daily for at least 30 minutes- drink my water for 23 days- scale hasn't moved even a tenth of a percent....so I had my metabolic weight test done....and I have the metabolic age of a 54 yr old woman- I am 39- I have ZERO metabolism- I have followed ALL of the jumpstart and even had bloodwork done- all clear- but the scale isn't budging.....even tried the nurse's scale where I work....she said it is "totally accurate".......and guess what same as the scale at home to the tenth :neutral: I have started Plexus Slim.....to try to jumpstart.......we shall see.


    Woah there, I'm coming up on 50 and have a metabolism, sure hope there isn't any drastic change at 54. Zero would mean dead. Are you actually fat? Or just trying to lose the last few vanity pounds? Small changes go slowly, you can't and shouldn't drop the last 5 pounds quickly, there isn't a lot of fat in there to burn. Try increasing exercise intensity if you do only 30 minutes. And good luck with your supplement.
  • tiffkittyw
    tiffkittyw Posts: 366 Member
    I don't have that issue with my Fitbit charge HR. We just drove in a car for 30 minutes and the road had lots of bumps and my steps stayed at 2,057.
  • stealthq
    stealthq Posts: 4,298 Member
    yirara wrote: »
    Since you've mentioned that you weigh and log everything, I would ask how often you wor out? Are you giving yourself rest days? Also please realize that the last 5 lbs will be the hardest to lose. You'll have to be incredibly patient.

    I workout 6 days a week. I lift weights, do circuit training, and a mix of HIIT and speed walking. I do take a rest day for recovery.

    The calorie expenditure of weight lifting and circuit training is very low. Wearing a fitbit there doesn't help either. You lift up a weight, your HR goes up, you put the weight down, your heartrate still remains high for a while while you're just sitting around and not doing anything. A high HR doesn't equal energy burn!

    And school physics: Work =mass(kg)*height(meters)*9.81ms^2. Say you deadlift 50kg half a meter that will give you 245.25J = 0.06kcal ;)

    Of course a bit more goes into the total for lowering the weight to the floor again, and for stabilizing your body during the lift, but really, the energy expenditure for weight lifting is not particularly high.

    Am I the only person that this doesn't happen to? My avg HR during weight lifting sessions is usually 100-110. Stronglifts or Strong Curves, doesn't seem to matter. My HR goes up and quickly heads back to resting during my rest periods.

    The rate at which your HR drops is a good measure of cardiovascular fitness. I expect you're ahead of the curve in that regard.

    I started experiencing the same thing, but only after I started running in addition to lifting.
  • CrossfitOCRunner
    CrossfitOCRunner Posts: 61 Member
    CICO is about half of it. the last few pounds are hard to lose and you need to focus more on your macros, nutrient timing, food quality and exercise. This depends on if these last few pounds puts you at a low body fat percentage - those pounds are harder to lose - or if they are just the last ones to your goal and you could lose a bit more if you wanted to. In the latter case, you still need to dial in the other aspects that affect changing body composition and you probably have been doing some of the same things for a while and need to change it up to trick the adaptation cycle. you can do it!
  • californiagirl2012
    californiagirl2012 Posts: 2,625 Member
    It simply means it's not really a deficit or you did not wait long enough. Just like that flow chart above. There is no other answer. It will always be that answer. Sometimes the scale does not give you the answer as your body is mostly WATER. Sometimes constantly checking the body weight scale is a hindrance to your mindset. The process works even if you never step on the body weight scale. Focus on the food scale and workouts, know what your deficit its, have some eating up to normal maintenance at least one day a week. Don't go over maintenance, have more deficit days a week compared to maintenance. Don't eat to low. Food intake and workouts; nothing else matters. Give it time.
  • RebeccaNaegle
    RebeccaNaegle Posts: 236 Member
    edited April 2016
    Keep in mind when you post in these boards, you are asking for advice from people who have been overweight their entire life, asking people who have been u healthy their entire life how to be healthy. Go to they gym and talking to them, they will give you better advice or a nutritionist.

    Just because someone uses myfitnesspal doesn't mean they've been overweight their entire life. I have never been overweight a day in my life. However, I use myfitnesspal to log macronutrients so that I am eating exactly the amount I want, to ensure muscle gain etc.

    [edited by MFP Moderator]
  • JenniferIsLosingIt
    JenniferIsLosingIt Posts: 595 Member
    I dont think you are eating enough if you truly exercise that much. Research IIFYM it is handsdown the best W.O.E. i have ever done. Your body is a machine that needs good consistent fuel. If you weigh and measure everything, track every day, and are exercising as much as you say, you are undereating which will cause a stall. also if you are down to the last 5-7 pounds, it could take much longer to lose simply because there's not much left. Do you lift weights or anything? or just cardio?
  • JenniferIsLosingIt
    JenniferIsLosingIt Posts: 595 Member
    WinoGelato wrote: »
    RGv2 wrote: »
    Am I the only one who's had a fitbit actually work like it's supposed to?

    ETA: OP, if you ever come back could you supply your stats and unlock your diary. If your numbers are right, you'd be losing weight.

    Nope, works like a charm for me!

    Me too