Advice please......

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spw1274
spw1274 Posts: 6 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I started my lifestyle change a little over two months ago. I was 285 lbs and absolutely ready to make a big change prior to my 45th birthday. I stared using MFP app, documenting all (and I mean all) calories consumed. Set my goal to lose 2 lbs/week, the App said ~2000 calories daily to hit the target. Knowing that it is easy to underestimate calories, I made a personal decision to target 1600 - 1800 daily and stuck to it without exception. The first month, I started walking a lot, taking 15 minute walks when during breaks in the day, progressing up to working out at least 3 - 5 times a week. To date I have lost 22 lbs, less than 2 lbs/weekly. I feel great, more energy, and actually have started interval training on the treadmill mixing jogging and walking but keeping my heart rate between 130 and 150 bpm for an hour at a time. As time goes by, I get more engaged including weighing my foods at home and choosing custom meals when I am traveling, such as grilled chicken breast, no sauces, steamed vegetables, no oils, etc. Committed to hitting my goal of 2 lbs/weekly, I increased exercise to include weights and further reduced my intake to anywhere between 1200 and 1600 daily. However, I am still losing about 1 lb/week.

So my question is this - Have I reduced my calorie intake too much? is my slow weight loss due to not consuming enough calories and my body is storing what I am eating? I assumed at my weight, with the reduction in calories, eliminating alcohol, milk, soda, eating lean proteins and vegtables and increasing my exercise routine to the highest amount in 2 decades that losing 2 lbs weekly would be achievable. What else should I be doing? Feeling great, but a bit frustrated....Thanks in advance. BTW my exercise routine is a rotation of treadmill, elliptical, rowing machine with 30 minutes of weights following my cardio
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Replies

  • malibu927
    malibu927 Posts: 17,565 Member
    edited August 2016
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    Nope

    How long ago did you start lifting? If it's within the past 3 weeks or so, you're probably holding on to a lot of water weight that's masking additional loss.

    Another thing that sticks out is that you can't really rely on your HRM for intervals, only steady state cardio. If you're eating those calories back, cut them down a lot.
  • elphie754
    elphie754 Posts: 7,574 Member
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    amyrebeccah wrote: »
    elphie754 wrote: »
    No. Weight loss doesn't stall because you aren't eating enough.

    Do you weigh all your food with a food scale? If not, you are likely eating more than you think.

    She says in her post she weighs all of her home-cooked foods with a food scale. OP, how often are you traveling?

    Yes but not while traveling. If she is constantly traveling and not weighing those foods, she could easily be miscalculating those calories.
  • spw1274
    spw1274 Posts: 6 Member
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    Yes, I weigh everything, or input the nutritional information from the package via the barcode scanner. If I use dressing or other foods like peanut butter, I limit it to one serving or less and measure that as well. If I am underestimating at all, it is minimal, plus I am well below the 2000 calorie a day recommendation to achieve my goal, eating on average 1400 calories a day, plus burning 300 - 600 calories through exercise at least 3 x's weekly. I began weight training about 3 - 4 weeks ago. Thanks,
  • elphie754
    elphie754 Posts: 7,574 Member
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    Do you weigh the peanut butter or measure it?
  • spw1274
    spw1274 Posts: 6 Member
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    Measured with a measuring spoon. After the first month, not happy with the results, I buckled down further by measuring everything. I travel every other week 3 - 4 days typically. When I do travel I choose my foods carefully, ordering from the light menu but requesting grilled proteins and steamed veggies. Weight loss has not stopped but is at a rate of 1 lb/week. Oddly enough, when I get back from traveling usually see losses of 1.5 - 2 lbs. I tend to exercise more when traveling
  • elphie754
    elphie754 Posts: 7,574 Member
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    So then you don't weigh all your food. Measuring spoons and measuring cups can be very inaccurate especially if you "pack" the food in there. Start weighing EVERYTHING.
  • smirk15
    smirk15 Posts: 3 Member
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    If you started everything a little over 2 months ago and have lost 22 pounds isn't that very close to 2 pounds a week? Remember that you won't lose the same amount every week but over time (like several months) all of the numbers will work out. Also remember that as you lose weight it will start to come off slower because you are moving a smaller body around which takes fewer calories. You might also want to do some reading on the amount of weight that it is good to lose each week while keeping as much muscle mass as you can (lots or post on here about that!). As you get smaller you don't want to be losing 2 pounds every week.
  • Giancarlolsx7
    Giancarlolsx7 Posts: 33 Member
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    Eventually if you lower you calories too much you will hit a plateau. Your body will feel it is not getting enough calories and hang on to the fat that is stored on your body. I know from experience, not the route you want to take. If you feel your not losing do what's called a carb refeed just google it and it will explain exactly how to go about it. I've done them twice and have lost 80lbs in total.
  • gfansher
    gfansher Posts: 7 Member
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    The level of misinformation on here is toxic. First and foremost, congrats on the weight you HAVE lost!! Keep up the good work! I had written a post so you can better understand what your body is going through....and it was lost upon submission. Don't get discouraged, this is a marathon, not a sprint!!
  • gfansher
    gfansher Posts: 7 Member
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    Also, keep in mind that weight loss and healthy habits are two separate things. You can lose weight without eating healthy, weight loss is "mostly" mathematical.....consume less than what you burn, you lose weight....consume more, you gain weight. A 500 calorie per day deficit (3500 calories per week) is roughly equivalent to 1 pound per week. Theoretically (well actually, it's been done) you could eat 1200 calories a day in McDonald's Cheeseburgers and lose weight....you just wouldn't be that healthy.
  • meritage4
    meritage4 Posts: 1,441 Member
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    Hey 22 lbs gone is fantastic. Don't stress about not taking off 2 lbs each week. The weight took awhile to get on, it's ok if it takes a while to come off.
  • elphie754
    elphie754 Posts: 7,574 Member
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    Giancarlolsx7 wrote: »
    Eventually if you lower you calories too much you will hit a plateau. Your body will feel it is not getting enough calories and hang on to the fat that is stored on your body. I know from experience, not the route you want to take. If you feel your not losing do what's called a carb refeed just google it and it will explain exactly how to go about it. I've done them twice and have lost 80lbs in total.

    No. This is nonsense. I wish the starvation mode myth would just disappear.

  • spw1274
    spw1274 Posts: 6 Member
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    Thank you for all the responses, it is helpful. One more clarification please, when I set out using the app, I entered a goal of 2 lb's week. The app took into consideration my body weight and suggested 2000 calories a day to hit my goal. Assuming this is a deficit of ~1000 calories a day from my original weight? is this a correct assumption? I am currently averaging 1500 calories a day, as a cushion, add in workouts etc, that is why I was asking about the weight loss results I have been seeing. if 2000 calories a day already put me in a caloric deficit, and I further reduced my intake, I wanted to make sure that I wasn't doing anything wrong to slow my progress. I drink a lot of water, almost exclusively, and don't feel week, groggy or impaired, so I wanted to verify that I was not too deficient in calorie intake but it sounds as if I am okay with this plan......thanks again
  • edean331
    edean331 Posts: 60 Member
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    I am new myself and can't really answer your question but you are awesome!!
    All that exercise and discipline with your attention to your diet sounds amazing!! Congratulations, that is no easy task!!
    It sounds like you just need to keep doing what you are doing and adjust as appropriate.
    I don't know how much weight you still want to lose, but my money is on your success and as you continue on this path I'm betting you will soon see progress toward exactly what you are looking for!
    Patience is very hard for me, maybe you too, but you're inspiring!!!
  • cgvet37
    cgvet37 Posts: 1,189 Member
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    elphie754 wrote: »
    Giancarlolsx7 wrote: »
    Eventually if you lower you calories too much you will hit a plateau. Your body will feel it is not getting enough calories and hang on to the fat that is stored on your body. I know from experience, not the route you want to take. If you feel your not losing do what's called a carb refeed just google it and it will explain exactly how to go about it. I've done them twice and have lost 80lbs in total.

    No. This is nonsense. I wish the starvation mode myth would just disappear.

    Question, how did human kind survive famine?
  • Alluminati
    Alluminati Posts: 6,208 Member
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    Giancarlolsx7 wrote: »
    Eventually if you lower you calories too much you will hit a plateau. Your body will feel it is not getting enough calories and hang on to the fat that is stored on your body. I know from experience, not the route you want to take. If you feel your not losing do what's called a carb refeed just google it and it will explain exactly how to go about it. I've done them twice and have lost 80lbs in total.

    Again with this?
  • edean331
    edean331 Posts: 60 Member
    edited August 2016
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    So to these last two posts, are you saying this is incorrect??? I don't know myself, but have heard both theories regarding slowing your metabolism when you don't eat to boosting it with frequent small snacks. Any validity there??
  • queenliz99
    queenliz99 Posts: 15,317 Member
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    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/761810/the-starvation-mode-myth-again/p1
  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
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    edean331 wrote: »
    So to these last two posts, are you saying this is incorrect??? I don't know myself, but have heard both theories regarding slowing your metabolism when you don't eat to boosting it with frequent small snacks. Any validity there??

    @edean331 a quick question. How do you explain how anorexics, holocaust survivers etc etc continue to lose weight til they're skin and bone? Why don't they hold on to every calorie they consume and turn it into fat?

    I have asked this question dozens of times in response to starvation mode posts, and have yet to receive one reply, not even an attempt at an explanation. . Nothing, zero, naught!!

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