Slow metabolism? Or doing it wrong?

Liz6843
Liz6843 Posts: 29 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi all, I'm new to MFP; I joined immediately after three unsuccessful months on Weight Watchers. I dipped down about a pound on MFP since joining a little over a week ago, but I seem to have gained it back already, and my diet is good! (I'm a 5 ft. tall female, eating between 1200-1400 kcals a day and exercising regularly -mostly cardio and calisthenics.)

I wouldn't normally post after only a week and a half, but this is on top of months on Weight Watchers with no results! I don't want to wait another three months to find out I'm doing it wrong!

Anyone have any ideas? Could I just have that slow of a metabolism and should I cut down to under 1200 cals a day? Are there better exercises for me? How do I fix this, I have at least 50 lbs to lose!!? Sure, I don't get the best sleep in the world and I'm occasionally stressed, but is that really enough to have NO results after rigidly following weight loss plans for months?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Has anyone else gone through this and figured it out? I don't consume sugar substitutes and I regularly eat fruit and veggies (without going over 1400 cals a day). I drink a metric crap-ton of water every day, too.

Thanks!!!
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Replies

  • queenliz99
    queenliz99 Posts: 15,317 Member
    One week on MFP is not long enough to determine if you are doing anything wrong yet. Do you use a food scale to weigh all your solids?
  • Arapacana1
    Arapacana1 Posts: 117 Member
    Do you weigh your food? Do you log absolutely everything? Inaccurate logging is the first thing that comes to mind.
  • TR0berts
    TR0berts Posts: 7,739 Member
    In addition to the above - is the exercise new? If so, you could very well be simply retaining excess water.
  • queenliz99
    queenliz99 Posts: 15,317 Member
    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10300331/most-helpful-posts-getting-started-must-reads#latest
  • AliceDark
    AliceDark Posts: 3,886 Member
    Would you be comfortable opening your diary and letting us take a look? If you are doing something wrong, we'll probably be able to spot it.
  • Liz6843
    Liz6843 Posts: 29 Member
    Thanks for your suggestions! I do weigh my food and measure it out with measuring cups or spoons. (That habit was probably the only useful thing that came out of Weight Watchers.)

    You're probably right that I need to give MFP more time, I just get super frustrated when I think about how much time I wasted on WW without losing weight. In three months, I feel like I should have lost AT LEAST 10 lbs! I don't want to look back again, three months from now, with the same disappointment :neutral:

    Do you think 1200 cals a day is good??
  • mysticwryter
    mysticwryter Posts: 111 Member
    With everything in life, weight loss takes time......well, a lot longer than just a week. What is your workout regimen; are you going 3Xs, 4Xs/ wk? What is the intensity of your workouts? What are you eating that will help with your goals?

    If you want to be able to increase your metabolism, try including strength training, with using your muscles and help them get stronger will help increase your metabolism. Once you are doing this as a daily thing and working several groups (like a chest day, shoulders/abs,etc.) it will help increase your burn of calories at a resting pace. Once that happens, you will need to increase your caloric intake. You're burning through your calories because your metabolism is higher.

    Don't get overwhelmed that you aren't doing anything the first week of starting your workout.....it takes 4-6 weeks for the world to notice, 8-10 for close friends to notice and 12-14 for you to notice (you look at yourself everyday, it's harder to see). You're starting off good that you are working out and eating right.....don't get too involved in that scale or fat percentages....do what you are doing for 2 weeks then see where you are. Don't fret.
  • Gena575
    Gena575 Posts: 224 Member
    When you were on WW what was your fruit & veg consumption like? The "freebie" feeling can lead to over consumption.

    Do you eat a lot of prepackaged single serve things (Smart Ones, protein bars etc)? Do you measure/weigh things like oils for cooking, ketchup, mayo, coffee creamer?

    Are you using spoons for things like mayo and nut butters?
  • mysticwryter
    mysticwryter Posts: 111 Member
    Gena575 wrote: »
    When you were on WW what was your fruit & veg consumption like? The "freebie" feeling can lead to over consumption.

    Do you eat a lot of prepackaged single serve things (Smart Ones, protein bars etc)? Do you measure/weigh things like oils for cooking, ketchup, mayo, coffee creamer?

    Are you using spoons for things like mayo and nut butters?

    I totally forgot about that....WW is way different than food. It's proportioned, set macros, etc.

    Good point!!
  • itsthehumidity
    itsthehumidity Posts: 351 Member
    Someone post the flow chart.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    tlcnlg6bx31q.jpg
  • Liz6843
    Liz6843 Posts: 29 Member
    mysticwryter wrote: »
    What is your workout regimen; are you going 3Xs, 4Xs/ wk? What is the intensity of your workouts? What are you eating that will help with your goals?

    I do two Urban Rebounding classes a week (it's like an aerobics class on trampolines), and I do 10 min circuit training with a fitness app (Moov Now) every other day (calisthenics). I've also recently started running and taking spin classes.

    I've been kind of scared to do weight training because I tend to gain a lot of muscle very quickly, and it shoots my weight up. I barely fit into my clothes as it is, I wanted to lose weight with cardio first so I I didn't have to buy new clothes!!!

    That could certainly be my problem though... But I thought it was more difficult to lose fat and gain muscle simultaneously, I thought you were supposed to pick one and stick to it (like how people bulk and cut separately)?

  • SkinnyGirlCarrie
    SkinnyGirlCarrie Posts: 259 Member
    definitely get in the habit of weighing your food vs using measuring cups - it is so much more accurate and with your small amount of calories you will want to be as accurate as possible.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    lizlamarca6843 wrote: »
    mysticwryter wrote: »
    What is your workout regimen; are you going 3Xs, 4Xs/ wk? What is the intensity of your workouts? What are you eating that will help with your goals?

    I do two Urban Rebounding classes a week (it's like an aerobics class on trampolines), and I do 10 min circuit training with a fitness app (Moov Now) every other day (calisthenics). I've also recently started running and taking spin classes.

    I've been kind of scared to do weight training because I tend to gain a lot of muscle very quickly, and it shoots my weight up. I barely fit into my clothes as it is, I wanted to lose weight with cardio first so I I didn't have to buy new clothes!!!

    That could certainly be my problem though... But I thought it was more difficult to lose fat and gain muscle simultaneously, I thought you were supposed to pick one and stick to it (like how people bulk and cut separately)?

    Starting any new exercise program, including strength training, can cause your body to retain water. My scale went up 7 pounds when I started lifting again last fall, but my clothes didn't fit any tighter.

    I used to think I gained muscle quickly but now that I take measurements periodically, I see that is an illusion. It is extremely hard for women to gain muscle.

    Check out The New Rules of Lifting for Women: Lift Like a Man, Look Like a Goddess which was available through my library system, so perhaps yours as well.

  • Liz6843
    Liz6843 Posts: 29 Member
    Haha I love the flow chart!! I do measure every single thing, even stuff I know has very little calories, like one sip of fat-free milk.

    Don't even get me started on the flaws of WW. You're not supposed to eat back your fitness points, so it totally discourages you from intense workouts, and you either have to eat sugar substitutes or starve yourself half the day if you're craving something sweet. At least with MFP, I have no desire to binge eat because if I need a piece of chocolate (like one piece, that's it), it's not like I have to skip lunch in order to do it.

    You've all made the correct decision to be on MFP and not WW, ugh, trust me.
  • elphie754
    elphie754 Posts: 7,574 Member
    lizlamarca6843 wrote: »
    Thanks for your suggestions! I do weigh my food and measure it out with measuring cups or spoons. (That habit was probably the only useful thing that came out of Weight Watchers.)

    You're probably right that I need to give MFP more time, I just get super frustrated when I think about how much time I wasted on WW without losing weight. In three months, I feel like I should have lost AT LEAST 10 lbs! I don't want to look back again, three months from now, with the same disappointment :neutral:

    Do you think 1200 cals a day is good??

    You need to weigh everything. Ditch the measuring cups and spoons.
  • Liz6843
    Liz6843 Posts: 29 Member
    Wow, I didn't realize weighing instead of measuring was so important. Ok, duly noted, thanks!!!
  • Ready2Rock206
    Ready2Rock206 Posts: 9,487 Member
    As a former WW member - they tend to be very loosey goosey with the logging. Sounds like that's part of your issue. Be sure to log all fruits and veggies. Use a food scale for all solids - measuring cups/spoons for all liquids. Use accurate entries. Use the recipe builder. It's only been a week so no stressing yet - just work on the logging and you'll start seeing the results you want.
  • mom23mangos
    mom23mangos Posts: 3,069 Member
    Also, as a woman keep track of your weight fluctuations along with your monthly cycle. You may have started losing weight with MFP, only to hit a hormonal high point in the month and be retaining water.
  • cebreisch
    cebreisch Posts: 1,340 Member
    One week is not enough especially after battling WW. They've decided to focus on lean protein and saturated fat. They've totally forgotten about fiber. I'm not a big fan of any diet that narrows it's focus so greatly.

    When I started logging on MFP, I went a couple weeks just logging what I was eating. That way I'd know where to focus on what changes I might need to make. Plus I worked with a nutritionist to talk about what changes would be reasonable and wouldn't "blow me out of the game". I was having breakfast sandwiches most days for breakfast. Most of those were around 350+ calories, and not much real nutritional value - depending on the sandwich. Now I'll have Greek yogurt. I might add a protein/fiber bar, or maybe just have some pretzels.

    There are various small changes that can be made....if you like hamburgers, maybe you can forego the bun if you really want to have the fries. Actually - a baked potato would be even better than fries.

    The nutritionist basically said to focus on lean protein and the fats/carbs will take care of themselves. I have found that to be pretty true. I've even found that you can go over on calories (somewhat) eating this way and still do well at weigh-in's.

    But to do this, you really need to be a "food journal nazi", and learn as you go as to what foods are or aren't food journal friendly.
  • yirara
    yirara Posts: 9,943 Member
    lizlamarca6843 wrote: »
    Wow, I didn't realize weighing instead of measuring was so important. Ok, duly noted, thanks!!!

    Absolutely! How would you measure things like nuts in a cup? There's a lot of pore space left between the nuts. And where exactly is the cup full to count for one cup? When one nut touches the marking, two nuts, all of them? This can give you large differences. Or use cups for something like grated cheese: do you stuff it in to get more cheese (and more calories) or make sure it sits in fluffily? Again, where does the cup actually end, and what is the definition of a cup according to the cheese producer? A cup according to a manufacturer might be very different than what you think a cup looks like. This all adds to uncertainly in your measurements.

    The same is true with spoons and for example cooking oil. With 9kcal per gram oil, just a tiny droplet more adds up, and sizes of spoons do differ.
  • jkal1979
    jkal1979 Posts: 1,896 Member
    It took me a few weeks for me to adjust from WW to MFP since I was eating more following calories (I was averaging 1,000 a day on WW). Just keep going, don't forget to weigh and log your fruits and veggies, and use that food scale for all solids.
  • ktekc
    ktekc Posts: 879 Member
    https://youtu.be/bnnpUYmr0OM
  • Asher_Ethan
    Asher_Ethan Posts: 2,430 Member
    Do you eat back your exercise calories? If so, how are you calculating that calorie burn?
  • ktekc
    ktekc Posts: 879 Member
    Also https://youtu.be/vjKPIcI51lU .couldn't find it before.
  • DaniCanadian
    DaniCanadian Posts: 261 Member
    Using a digital food scale got me passed my 'plateau'. Definitely use one for all solid foods and condiments.
  • Liz6843
    Liz6843 Posts: 29 Member
    Asher_Ethan wrote: »
    Do you eat back your exercise calories? If so, how are you calculating that calorie burn?

    I have a fitness tracker (Moov Now) which calculates approximately how many calories I burn a day. I eat back 1/3rd of them. I dunno, is that a reasonable strategy?
  • Liz6843
    Liz6843 Posts: 29 Member
    lizlamarca6843 wrote: »
    Asher_Ethan wrote: »
    Do you eat back your exercise calories? If so, how are you calculating that calorie burn?

    I have a fitness tracker (Moov Now) which calculates approximately how many calories I burn a day. I eat back 1/3rd of them. I dunno, is that a reasonable strategy?


    Sorry, I mean 1/3rd of the calories I eat that are OVER my baseline BMR (somewhere around ~1500).
  • Gena575
    Gena575 Posts: 224 Member
    lizlamarca6843 wrote: »
    lizlamarca6843 wrote: »
    Asher_Ethan wrote: »
    Do you eat back your exercise calories? If so, how are you calculating that calorie burn?

    I have a fitness tracker (Moov Now) which calculates approximately how many calories I burn a day. I eat back 1/3rd of them. I dunno, is that a reasonable strategy?


    Sorry, I mean 1/3rd of the calories I eat that are OVER my baseline BMR (somewhere around ~1500).

    What's does mfp give you as a daily allotment? That plus the built in deficit (500 calories/day per lb of loss you set) equals your maintenance calories or tdee. Most fitness trackers give you tdee. So if mfp gives you 1200 and the tracker says 2000and you're set to 1lb/week, you could eat back the 200 calorie difference.

    If the tracker syncs to mfp and is adding 900 calories to what mfp gives you, 50% of them is a good start point. Then reassess in a month based on how you're losing. Faster? Eat more of them. Slower? Eat fewer of them. On target? Great, keep doing as you have!

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