Starting to think eating my exercise ain't helping

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Replies

  • bjshooter
    bjshooter Posts: 1,174 Member
    I got stuck just over 150 too. I gave up for a while, then kicked it back into high gear and the weight has started coming off again. Sometimes I think you just need a bit of a break/switch up/time to catch up.
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,432 MFP Moderator
    Considering how ripped you are, I would almost say, stop worrying about your weight. While you may be gaining weight, it may be from gaining muscle. Also, are you still working out 7 days a week? I would seriously, throw away the scale and just measure your body with a taper measure and body fat calipers. We can tell our bodies you want to be a certain weight, but the only way you might get there is by losing muscle. Which do your prefer, less muscle and more fat, or less fat and more muscle? Also, you might need to eat more food or change up the ratio of food. I would suggest a custom setup for 30 days, 40% carbs, 40% protein, & 20% fat. Below is also the approach I use for calculating my caloric needs.


    My approach looks at Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR); BMR is the amount of calories you would burn if you slept 24 hours, for me, my BMR is 2000 calories. I then mutliply it by my Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE); how many calories I should eat to make up for daily activities (walking, working out, etc) to get a total number of calories. Because I do a program like p90x, I multiply my 2000 calories by 1.725 which equals 3400 calories. This amount of calories is the amount I need to eat to maintain weight. I back off 500 caloires as my deficit and eat 3000 calories in a day. This is the website I use.


    http://www.cordianet.com/calculator.htm

    I then go into a custom setup under my goals and set my daily intake for 3000 calories (well I will starting sunday, right now it's 2800 because I haven't officially started p90x until sunday). Additionally, to follow the p90x food guide, I set up custom ratio's. I do 45% of carbs, 35% of protein and 20% for fats. As I progress, I will lower protein and increase carbs. This method has worked for me and others I have worked with on the site. MFP just makes it simple for anyone to come on and lose weight. I take more of a scientific approach to weight loss. When I started I was 210 & 18% body fat. Now I am 189 and 12% body fat and hoping to break single digits within 3 months.

    Cliff notes: if you go by the sites calculations, you absolutely should eat back your workout calories as they preload the deficit. If you go by the more scientific method, you don't have to worry about it, it's already figured in your number.

    Good luck everyone.
  • drrif
    drrif Posts: 28
    Sorry to say this, but you are eating way too many calories....
  • fteale
    fteale Posts: 5,310 Member
    Personally, I think your calories are set too high and your sugars are pretty high too. Not sure your height, but I'm 5'3" and eat around 1500 calories regardless if I exercise and lose weight pretty easily. Plus, I'm at 15% bf.
    If you could send me your height and weight, I'd like to do the numbers for curiosity sake. Not trying to be nosy, but would like to help.

    I'm 5 ft 6 and keep bouncing around between 153-155. A trainer on here did some serious math and came up with 1542 a day, and at .5 pounds a week with MFP it says 1550. I try and eat back at least 80% of my exercise calories as I burn a ton during the day. Not nosy. Thanks for your helpl!

    Another thought - do you wear a HRM during your workouts? Since I got one I realised I am burning about half the calories MFP had me down as. It thinks I burn about 750 cals an hour running. It's actually about 500, if that, and only 120 doing 25 mins of circuits. It could be that being as fit as you are, you aren't burning that much, so even eating back 80% could be putting you over.
  • graysmom2005
    graysmom2005 Posts: 1,882 Member
    Personally, I think your calories are set too high and your sugars are pretty high too. Not sure your height, but I'm 5'3" and eat around 1500 calories regardless if I exercise and lose weight pretty easily. Plus, I'm at 15% bf.
    If you could send me your height and weight, I'd like to do the numbers for curiosity sake. Not trying to be nosy, but would like to help.
    Yeah, the reason they were so high was from the high calorie burn. I wear a HRM so I know they are accurate.

    I'm 5 ft 6 and keep bouncing around between 153-155. A trainer on here did some serious math and came up with 1542 a day, and at .5 pounds a week with MFP it says 1550. I try and eat back at least 80% of my exercise calories as I burn a ton during the day. Not nosy. Thanks for your helpl!

    I was looking at your diary and the past week your calories were set at 2400-2600, that's why I thought you were eating too much. The numbers you just gave me sound more reasonable.

    yeah, the high calories were from my workouts. I would burn 1000 calories and had been told to eat back at least 80% so that's why it's so high. I teach two spin classes today, so I'm not sure how I should proceed today. I'll burn over 1000 I'm sure.

    Well, with that being said.....you are doing too much cardio. Your body can only handle so much. I know it's tough having to teach classes.
    Are you lifting weights?
    Yes, I teach Body Pump too, which is a strength training/barbell class. :-) I teach that 4 times a week.

    If you are trying to lose you shouldnt be eating back 80% of what you burn more around 50%. Also if you are teaching spin classes 2 twice a week and body pump personally I would lower your goal just a little but still make sure you hit the min 1200 cals a day because you are going to be burning over that.
    2 spin classes a DAY. ;-) I teach spin a minimum of 5 times a week, Body Pump 4 times, and then I add my own in.
  • graysmom2005
    graysmom2005 Posts: 1,882 Member
    Personally, I think your calories are set too high and your sugars are pretty high too. Not sure your height, but I'm 5'3" and eat around 1500 calories regardless if I exercise and lose weight pretty easily. Plus, I'm at 15% bf.
    If you could send me your height and weight, I'd like to do the numbers for curiosity sake. Not trying to be nosy, but would like to help.

    I'm 5 ft 6 and keep bouncing around between 153-155. A trainer on here did some serious math and came up with 1542 a day, and at .5 pounds a week with MFP it says 1550. I try and eat back at least 80% of my exercise calories as I burn a ton during the day. Not nosy. Thanks for your helpl!

    Another thought - do you wear a HRM during your workouts? Since I got one I realised I am burning about half the calories MFP had me down as. It thinks I burn about 750 cals an hour running. It's actually about 500, if that, and only 120 doing 25 mins of circuits. It could be that being as fit as you are, you aren't burning that much, so even eating back 80% could be putting you over.
    Yep. I have a Polar. :-)
  • graysmom2005
    graysmom2005 Posts: 1,882 Member
    Sorry to say this, but you are eating way too many calories....
    I have to eat that much just to net the regular amount if you see how much I'm burning at the gym.
  • welloiledmachine
    welloiledmachine Posts: 1,147 Member
    Bottom line....you've plateaued and you get that. You have 3 choices. Change how much you eat (whether it be less or more, change your cardio (probably a little less), or change your weight lifting routine (add more weight). Doing the same thing week after week, your body is going to adjust and not work as hard.
    Best of luck and I agree that your numbers regarding calories burned could be way off. HRM's definitely recommended.

    It would definitely help to check your body fat percentage to see if you are gaining muscle or fat.
  • fteale
    fteale Posts: 5,310 Member
    Sorry to say this, but you are eating way too many calories....
    I have to eat that much just to net the regular amount if you see how much I'm burning at the gym.

    If you are gaining fat, then you don't have to eat that much. If you are gaining muscle....well, you don't need to worry.

    You have a lot of calories to play with. I would cut down to 50% exercise cals and see how you are.
  • keiraev
    keiraev Posts: 695 Member
    Do you have any rest days or do you literally exercise every day?

    I always weigh more the day after Body Pump as sore muscles retain so much water.

    I know it's difficult if you teach exercise but maybe try and weigh yourself the morning after a rest day to give your muscles a chance to recover.
  • bex879165
    bex879165 Posts: 121 Member
    A few weeks back I got stuck at the same weight for about 4 weeks and went up one week. Got very annoyed and nearly gave up!

    I was on 1200 cals and eating some of my exercise cals. After trawling the forums on here and a little help from my friends on here I decided to up my cals from 1200 to 1360 and I eat back most of my exercise cals but not often all. I'm now losing ave. 2lbs per week which i'm happy with. Slow & steady wins the race!!
  • hollagolla
    hollagolla Posts: 44
    I am never sure that the amount of calories logged for exercise is that accurate on here so I underestimate them and then I tend to leave about 5o calories spare.

    But basically if you are consuming less calories than your body is using then you will lose weight. So if you eat back your calories but are still not going over them you are still having less than you need so you should still lose it.

    I also struggle to lose weight but I'm sticking to it and have just lowered my calorie allowance slightly to compensate for inacurate calorie burned amounts from here and also to prevent the extra food I was having on more calories.

    Its also hard to lose weight when there isn't much to lose and from the look of your pic you are already slim so I'd imagine you will find it hard to lose the stubborn last few pounds you want to shift.

    Good luck
  • McKayMachina
    McKayMachina Posts: 2,670 Member
    Personally, I think your calories are set too high and your sugars are pretty high too. Not sure your height, but I'm 5'3" and eat around 1500 calories regardless if I exercise and lose weight pretty easily. Plus, I'm at 15% bf.
    If you could send me your height and weight, I'd like to do the numbers for curiosity sake. Not trying to be nosy, but would like to help.

    I'm 5 ft 6 and keep bouncing around between 153-155. A trainer on here did some serious math and came up with 1542 a day, and at .5 pounds a week with MFP it says 1550. I try and eat back at least 80% of my exercise calories as I burn a ton during the day. Not nosy. Thanks for your helpl!

    Isn't the 150s considered a healthy weight for your height? Why are you trying to go lower?
  • leighton1245
    leighton1245 Posts: 125
    Personally, I think your calories are set too high and your sugars are pretty high too. Not sure your height, but I'm 5'3" and eat around 1500 calories regardless if I exercise and lose weight pretty easily. Plus, I'm at 15% bf.
    If you could send me your height and weight, I'd like to do the numbers for curiosity sake. Not trying to be nosy, but would like to help.
    Yeah, the reason they were so high was from the high calorie burn. I wear a HRM so I know they are accurate.

    I'm 5 ft 6 and keep bouncing around between 153-155. A trainer on here did some serious math and came up with 1542 a day, and at .5 pounds a week with MFP it says 1550. I try and eat back at least 80% of my exercise calories as I burn a ton during the day. Not nosy. Thanks for your helpl!

    I was looking at your diary and the past week your calories were set at 2400-2600, that's why I thought you were eating too much. The numbers you just gave me sound more reasonable.

    yeah, the high calories were from my workouts. I would burn 1000 calories and had been told to eat back at least 80% so that's why it's so high. I teach two spin classes today, so I'm not sure how I should proceed today. I'll burn over 1000 I'm sure.

    Well, with that being said.....you are doing too much cardio. Your body can only handle so much. I know it's tough having to teach classes.
    Are you lifting weights?
    Yes, I teach Body Pump too, which is a strength training/barbell class. :-) I teach that 4 times a week.

    If you are trying to lose you shouldnt be eating back 80% of what you burn more around 50%. Also if you are teaching spin classes 2 twice a week and body pump personally I would lower your goal just a little but still make sure you hit the min 1200 cals a day because you are going to be burning over that.
    2 spin classes a DAY. ;-) I teach spin a minimum of 5 times a week, Body Pump 4 times, and then I add my own in.

    Do you know what you AVG. RPM? if so then you can calculate how fast and really how many callories you are burning then adjust from there. :)
  • graysmom2005
    graysmom2005 Posts: 1,882 Member
    Personally, I think your calories are set too high and your sugars are pretty high too. Not sure your height, but I'm 5'3" and eat around 1500 calories regardless if I exercise and lose weight pretty easily. Plus, I'm at 15% bf.
    If you could send me your height and weight, I'd like to do the numbers for curiosity sake. Not trying to be nosy, but would like to help.
    Yeah, the reason they were so high was from the high calorie burn. I wear a HRM so I know they are accurate.

    I'm 5 ft 6 and keep bouncing around between 153-155. A trainer on here did some serious math and came up with 1542 a day, and at .5 pounds a week with MFP it says 1550. I try and eat back at least 80% of my exercise calories as I burn a ton during the day. Not nosy. Thanks for your helpl!

    I was looking at your diary and the past week your calories were set at 2400-2600, that's why I thought you were eating too much. The numbers you just gave me sound more reasonable.

    yeah, the high calories were from my workouts. I would burn 1000 calories and had been told to eat back at least 80% so that's why it's so high. I teach two spin classes today, so I'm not sure how I should proceed today. I'll burn over 1000 I'm sure.

    Well, with that being said.....you are doing too much cardio. Your body can only handle so much. I know it's tough having to teach classes.
    Are you lifting weights?
    Yes, I teach Body Pump too, which is a strength training/barbell class. :-) I teach that 4 times a week.

    If you are trying to lose you shouldnt be eating back 80% of what you burn more around 50%. Also if you are teaching spin classes 2 twice a week and body pump personally I would lower your goal just a little but still make sure you hit the min 1200 cals a day because you are going to be burning over that.
    2 spin classes a DAY. ;-) I teach spin a minimum of 5 times a week, Body Pump 4 times, and then I add my own in.

    Do you know what you AVG. RPM? if so then you can calculate how fast and really how many callories you are burning then adjust from there. :)
    OH, it depends. I have a HRM, but my rpms are probably between 90-140 throughout the class. I push really hard.
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