I'm definitely broken - can't lose! Any advice from my diary?

Options
ellersrb
ellersrb Posts: 21 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
My diary is open so feel free to judge!
I'm so cross. I stayed the same and then lost a pound last week after linking up my new fitbit and logging everything (even the things I don't like to log as they put me over the 1200 - a bad habit of mine from previous).
But this week, 1.5lb on. I'm not even logging that - I'll drink lots of water today and see if it's just that and weigh tomorrow but I'm seriously nearing my limit on happiness. It gets me down constantly.
I'm 37, weight currently 153.6 and am 5ft5 so could do to lose a stone and a half.
I gave up smoking a year ago and put on about half a stone which I kind of expected but it just hasn't shifted. My exercise is terrible as I only liked running but I have stopped as it hurts my back (getting physio). I've started walking further and making it part of my day wherever I can.
But my food diary looks fine to me - are there any glaring obvious errors I'm making?? It's not like I'm new to the game of calorie control and trying to lose weight.
I think I'm broken! Any advice?
«1

Replies

  • tiny_clanger
    tiny_clanger Posts: 301 Member
    Options
    Can you tell me a bit more about yourself? I guess from your profile you're the woman in the picture? Have you had children? How is your reproductive health - are your periods regular, do you have any reproductive issues?
    Women approaching the end of their fertility window often experience some metabolic issues relating to hormone imbalance which can inhibit weight loss. Women often find it very difficult to lose weight from dieting alone as it will exacerbate any underlying metabolic issues. You really would benefit from getting as active as possible - are you able to run/walk or nordic walk which will be a bit more active than just adding in a bit more walking?
  • RoxieDawn
    RoxieDawn Posts: 15,488 Member
    edited September 2016
    Options
    You diary is not open.

    While you are opening the diary, do you use a food scale?

    Can you elaborate on this part from your post.. part in bold...

    I stayed the same and then lost a pound last week after linking up my new fitbit and logging everything (even the things I don't like to log as they put me over the 1200 - a bad habit of mine from previous).
  • Clawsal
    Clawsal Posts: 255 Member
    Options
    Your food diary seems to be closed.
  • ellersrb
    ellersrb Posts: 21 Member
    Options
    Sorry, I've opened it now.

    tiny_clanger I have had one child, periods are very regular on a fairly short cycle (22-23 days) but haven't tried for another one (and won't be!).
    I often wonder about starting the menopause or whether, as I get older, I just need to make myself more active.

    I used to cheat myself when logging food on mfp so if I got up to 1200 cals for the day and then ate, for example, a pack of crisps in front of the tv at night, I knew it would put me in minus figures and didn't log it. Which obviously does nothing but lie to myself so I don't do that anymore :smile:
  • ellersrb
    ellersrb Posts: 21 Member
    Options
    I use a food scale for pretty much everything apart from if I'm at work with an apple, I'll use the closest thing I can find and, unless it's massive, call it a medium.
  • Clawsal
    Clawsal Posts: 255 Member
    Options
    I really don't think at 37 you should be worrying about menopause yet. ;)

    Your logging seems fine to me. Not weighing an apple isn't going to change anything. Just don't let that become a trend. I have a scale at home and one at work so I can weigh everything.

    I see you eat around 1500 kcal. I am also 5'5 and 152 pounds and my goal is 1500kcal a day. After losing 10 pounds my weight loss has stalled. I created a post about that and some people suggested I could be eating close to my maintenance calories, and so weight loss will be slow and water weight could be masking progress (because of a new exercise routine for example). So I will start worrying (and decreasing calories) when I go 5-6 weeks without any change.

    Ahah guess I am telling you my personal experience so you know you are not alone :)
  • ellersrb
    ellersrb Posts: 21 Member
    Options
    Thanks Clawsal, I think I'm destined to be at the upper end of my healthy weight range so getting any lower than 140 I just don't see happening (although it did briefly last year when I was heavily no carb and not very happy!) while maintaining my mental health.
    I'll keep going and see if my body catches on to what I want it to do!
  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 25,193 Member
    edited September 2016
    Options
    What are you doing in the way of exercise? You appear to be doing quite a lot of exercise every day.
  • ellersrb
    ellersrb Posts: 21 Member
    Options
    The exercise is just the walking which comes through my fitbit. So any calories burnt over the 1700 mark come through as additional. Up to 1700 is my BMR I think they call it so the excess comes over.
  • smotheredincheese
    smotheredincheese Posts: 559 Member
    Options
    The only thing I can see in your diary that might be inconsistent is the pick n mix. The calories content can vary depending on exactly what sweets you're having, but as it's only an occasional thing I can't see it really holding you back.
    I think you just need to give it more time.
  • ellersrb
    ellersrb Posts: 21 Member
    Options
    I'll be patient! Love your profile pic by the way smotheredincheese :smiley:
  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 25,193 Member
    Options
    ellersrb wrote: »
    The exercise is just the walking which comes through my fitbit. So any calories burnt over the 1700 mark come through as additional. Up to 1700 is my BMR I think they call it so the excess comes over.

    So ... when it says you've burned about 350 calories from exercise, that means you've gone for a 1 hour and 45 minute walk?

    I ask that because I'm about your height and was your weight once, and I burn approx (calories burned is all approximate) 200 cal/hour when I walk.

    And because of the approximate nature of "calories burned" it is recommended that we only eat about half of our exercise calories back ... maybe 75% if we've put in a really good effort, like say a 5 hour hike in the mountains or something. :)
  • 85Cardinals
    85Cardinals Posts: 733 Member
    Options
    lol I bet you're not broken. Might need a tune-up though!
  • ellersrb
    ellersrb Posts: 21 Member
    Options
    Thanks Machka9 - it just counts up steps done throughout the day (which I'm trying to increase) and adds them on. I might take that option off though, because if they're there, I'll eat 'em!
  • oolou
    oolou Posts: 765 Member
    Options
    How often are you weighing yourself and do you use a trend graph to log your weight? I find that when I hit a few weeks of my weight bouncing up and down rather than steady loss and I know I'm still eating according to my goals, the trend graph keeps me sane as it smoothes out the ups and downs. I also second the advice on eating back only 50% of calories burned through exercise.
  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 25,193 Member
    edited September 2016
    Options
    ellersrb wrote: »
    Thanks Machka9 - it just counts up steps done throughout the day (which I'm trying to increase) and adds them on. I might take that option off though, because if they're there, I'll eat 'em!

    Yeah, I know. I find available calories very tempting too.

    I add my exercise in manually, and I underestimate it. So even if I figure I've had a tough bicycle ride, I'll select one of the slower speeds/light ride and round the time down. Same with walking ... I'll record a moderate pace even if I motor along (which I usually do), and I'll round the time down.

    I also don't count everything. I might do a few flights of stairs, and not count them ... multiple trips halfway across the office and back to the photocopier don't get counted ... steps all over the house doing housework don't get counted. I figure those are all bonus steps for those times when I miscalculate something I've eaten. Maybe that biscuit at a work morning tea wasn't 150 cal ... maybe it was really 200 cal. Well, if I've been back and forth to the photocopier 7 times that day, maybe I burned off those extra 50 cal, so I won't worry about it. :)
  • ellersrb
    ellersrb Posts: 21 Member
    Options
    Oolou I used to weigh every day which played havoc with my head so now strictly once a week, but on a day like today where if I input it, it'll be a 1.5 increase, I'll do it tomorrow instead and hope for a loss. I will start changing it to the graph to see the trends - I'm sure it flucuates with cycle as well, but I don't think I can claim menstrual water weight on day 16 of my cycle!
    I'll change the settings so the exercise calories don't go in as available to eat I think. I'm already aiming for a 500 calorie defecit at 1200 so if I go into the red, so be it!
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,268 Member
    Options
    I looked at your diary and you may weigh your food but you don't log it like that...

    Weighing is just the first step...

    for example you have logged halluomi cheese 2 slices...homemade fried onion rings 5 rings??? did you make those? Then red pesto halluomi pasta 1 serving? did you make that and enter all the ingredients into the recipe maker?

    1 quarter of a baguette, 2 cupcakes...1 cup of rice....2 meat burgers...3 spring rolls

    you need to log more accurately...if you didn't make it don't use homemade entries, weight prepackaged food as well...there is no guarantee the label is correct. They can be off by law.

    So basically I am saying your logging is sloppy at best.

  • mitch16
    mitch16 Posts: 2,113 Member
    Options
    If the exercise calories are coming just from daily steps and not necessarily "exercise"--those should be included in your activity level...

    There are lots of anecdotal stories out there about "my fitbit is making me fat"--essentially it overestimates calories burned... Which seems to be happening to you--if you're not losing weight, then you're probably not in a deficit.

Categories