Venting Over Weight Loss
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chocolate_owl wrote: »Emily_AK87 wrote: »StealthHealth wrote: »Your exercise calories look too high to me.
Cleaning - don't log it.
Eliptical - your burns look similar to what I get on my gym's elliptical which I'm sure is a gross overestimation
OK, I grossly appreciate your estimation of my workout.
Ellipticals in particular are notorious for overestimating calories by 40-50%. No one is saying you're not working hard. Chopping off 50% of your exercise calories is a good place to start.
http://www.shape.com/fitness/cardio/how-inaccurate-are-calorie-counters-gym
I'd really recommend getting a food scale and checking the accuracy of your calorie logging. As an example, my protein powder says a 200 cal serving size is 1 scoop or 30 grams. 30 grams fills up about 3/5 of the scoop. If I use a full scoop, I'm actually getting 333 calories. Most things aren't this drastic, but you can see how you can end up eating a lot more calories than you think if you don't really know if labels are accurate or what 130g of banana looks like.
Amazon, here I come, I guess! Haha Heart rate monitor and scale seem to be the answer here.0 -
Emily_AK87 wrote: »cwolfman13 wrote: »Emily_AK87 wrote: »StealthHealth wrote: »Your exercise calories look too high to me.
Cleaning - don't log it.
Eliptical - your burns look similar to what I get on my gym's elliptical which I'm sure is a gross overestimation
OK, I grossly appreciate your estimation of my workout.
That's not what is being said...what is being said is the it's difficult to estimate energy expenditure and most machines and data bases overestimate energy expenditure...often quite significantly. If you're not losing weight, you're ultimately eating a maintenance level of calories or you need to see a doctor about any potential medical issues or vitamin/mineral deficiencies that could interfere with metabolism.
So the actual machine reading is wrong?
More than likely, yes...it would depend on how the machine is calibrated...how often it is re-calibrated, etc. You also have to take into account that it's going to give you a gross energy expenditure estimation (so will a HRM) so at minimum you would want to knock of your resting energy expenditure as it's going to be wrapped up in that gross number.2 -
Emily_AK87 wrote: »cwolfman13 wrote: »Emily_AK87 wrote: »StealthHealth wrote: »Your exercise calories look too high to me.
Cleaning - don't log it.
Eliptical - your burns look similar to what I get on my gym's elliptical which I'm sure is a gross overestimation
OK, I grossly appreciate your estimation of my workout.
That's not what is being said...what is being said is the it's difficult to estimate energy expenditure and most machines and data bases overestimate energy expenditure...often quite significantly. If you're not losing weight, you're ultimately eating a maintenance level of calories or you need to see a doctor about any potential medical issues or vitamin/mineral deficiencies that could interfere with metabolism.
So the actual machine reading is wrong?
Sort of.
The number the machine gives you (or an HRM, or a website, or...) is based on a formula. That formula is usually fairly simplified and based on some assumptions and/or averages. All it does is crunch a bunch of numbers, then display the result.
That result might be very accurate. Or it might not be. More than likely, you'll never really know.
Accuracy is, for the most part, a myth. Try not to get hung up on being 100% accurate. It'll never happen, and even if it does, how will you know?
Let's assume that you've managed to find a way to be 100% accurate calculating calorie burns during workouts. Great. But things like your BMR and TDEE are just estimates... so if those estimates are wrong, then being accurate with your calorie burns probably doesn't matter. The same thing goes with your intake. Even if you weight your food, there is still going to be a degree of error. If one of those estimates is off, then it throws off the math.
At the end of the day, all you can do is make reasonable efforts with your estimating (whatever reasonable means to you) and be consistent with it. Then, after some time, evaluate things. If your expected results don't match you actual results, then you tweak things and start over.3 -
nightengale7 wrote: »I have no idea what runaround is talking about, your calorie deficit is fine
No. This is completely wrong. She's been trying for 3 months to lose weight and hasn't. That means her calorie deficit doesn't exist. That would be fine if she were trying to maintain her weight but she's not.4 -
Emily_AK87 wrote: »@RuNaRoUnDaFiEld and @chocolate_owl are correct.
I took a look at your diary. I think you are eating at maintenance mostly because you're significantly over estimating your calorie burns when you exercise. Also check the portions by weighing/measuring.
When you input cardio into MFP, you should reduce the calorie burn it gives you to ~50% (maybe 75%) of what it says. So say it says you get 357 calories from the elliptical, you should enter about 179 instead. I also notice you're logging a LOT of "cleaning, vigorous" in your diary. Is it really vigorous? If it were me, I probably wouldn't log it at all (would not put that in the diary nor eat back any of those calories) and if I did, I'd log as light effort with the 50% reduction. The last time I logged housework like that what on moving day when I was carrying boxes around (to and from the truck).
MFP over estimates most calorie burns.
OK, good to know. And yes, vigorous cleaning is legit (I'm clearing out a hoarders house for an estate company and I only logged half my day there to be safe because it did seem high).
Ok. I'd still be watchful on the cleaning one. Vigorous cleaning would be like using a toothbrush to scrub down a tough to clean bathroom. If you're mostly just picking things up and moving it to another area to organize, it might not be vigorous.0 -
Emily_AK87 wrote: »@RuNaRoUnDaFiEld and @chocolate_owl are correct.
I took a look at your diary. I think you are eating at maintenance mostly because you're significantly over estimating your calorie burns when you exercise. Also check the portions by weighing/measuring.
When you input cardio into MFP, you should reduce the calorie burn it gives you to ~50% (maybe 75%) of what it says. So say it says you get 357 calories from the elliptical, you should enter about 179 instead. I also notice you're logging a LOT of "cleaning, vigorous" in your diary. Is it really vigorous? If it were me, I probably wouldn't log it at all (would not put that in the diary nor eat back any of those calories) and if I did, I'd log as light effort with the 50% reduction. The last time I logged housework like that what on moving day when I was carrying boxes around (to and from the truck).
MFP over estimates most calorie burns.
OK, good to know. And yes, vigorous cleaning is legit (I'm clearing out a hoarders house for an estate company and I only logged half my day there to be safe because it did seem high).
Ok. I'd still be watchful on the cleaning one. Vigorous cleaning would be like using a toothbrush to scrub down a tough to clean bathroom. If you're mostly just picking things up and moving it to another area to organize, it might not be vigorous.
Have you ever been in a hoarders house..? Not gonna justify it, but it's definitely a workout.. And like I said, I did only account for half my day there to get the calorie burn down from the apps suggested amount.0 -
I'm wondering if you are one of those people who are fortunate enough not to have too much weight to loose in the scheme of things. If you are at the top of your suggested bmi range, for example this makes it more difficult to loose than if one was higher up the into the over weight level, if I have made sense. This is where tight weighing of food and strict logging really helps. Your photo looks perfect.2
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absolutely weigh everything you eat. You will be amazed at the difference in calories from actually weighing.1
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Emily_AK87 wrote: »I've been working out consistently for a little over three months now. Clean eating, calorie counting and portion awareness. I still have not lost any weight. I can see a difference in the mirror, albeit rather small. When do I get to see a difference on the scale? Or will I not as long as I'm toning/building muscle?
Also, your ticker says you've lost 15 Lbs...so I'm a little confused about that.0 -
Also, I'm a little confused...your ticker says you've lost 15 Lbs...over three months that would be a tad over 1 Lb per week loss.1
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Emily_AK87 wrote: »Emily_AK87 wrote: »@RuNaRoUnDaFiEld and @chocolate_owl are correct.
I took a look at your diary. I think you are eating at maintenance mostly because you're significantly over estimating your calorie burns when you exercise. Also check the portions by weighing/measuring.
When you input cardio into MFP, you should reduce the calorie burn it gives you to ~50% (maybe 75%) of what it says. So say it says you get 357 calories from the elliptical, you should enter about 179 instead. I also notice you're logging a LOT of "cleaning, vigorous" in your diary. Is it really vigorous? If it were me, I probably wouldn't log it at all (would not put that in the diary nor eat back any of those calories) and if I did, I'd log as light effort with the 50% reduction. The last time I logged housework like that what on moving day when I was carrying boxes around (to and from the truck).
MFP over estimates most calorie burns.
OK, good to know. And yes, vigorous cleaning is legit (I'm clearing out a hoarders house for an estate company and I only logged half my day there to be safe because it did seem high).
Ok. I'd still be watchful on the cleaning one. Vigorous cleaning would be like using a toothbrush to scrub down a tough to clean bathroom. If you're mostly just picking things up and moving it to another area to organize, it might not be vigorous.
Have you ever been in a hoarders house..? Not gonna justify it, but it's definitely a workout.. And like I said, I did only account for half my day there to get the calorie burn down from the apps suggested amount.
A quick thought on this: what's your MFP activity level set to? If housecleaning/decluttering is your normal M-F job, you should have set your activity level to "active" or, at a minimum "lightly active". If you did that during MFP's guided setup and you're now logging your work as exercise, you're "double-dipping" your calories burned from your job.1 -
Emily_AK87 wrote: »Have you ever been in a hoarders house..? Not gonna justify it, but it's definitely a workout.. And like I said, I did only account for half my day there to get the calorie burn down from the apps suggested amount.
You don't have to justify anything to any of us. But (some) people are giving you good advice about why you aren't losing weight despite your best efforts.
The number of calories you burn doing something isn't related to how unpleasant it is. It's determined by how much work your body did, in the physical sense, of using muscle power to move weight over distance.1 -
Unfortunately, what it really boils down to is that machine calorie burns, MFP recommendations, etc., are all just estimates, and you can use them as starting points, but your results will give you a more complete picture of what's really going on. If you haven't seen any weight loss in three months, you're eating at your maintenance level. I get that it sucks, but there's really no other answer.
You said that you're going by portion size and not by weight, right? Before you change anything else, get a cheap food scale and start weighing your solid foods in grams. Mine was about $15 on Amazon, so it's not a huge expenditure, and it ends up saving me a ton of time because I don't have to wash measuring cups and spoons every day like I used to.
The other option would be to either drop your calorie target by, say, 200 calories or only eat back 50% of your calories. If that seems easier, try that first.1 -
Emily_AK87 wrote: »Emily_AK87 wrote: »@RuNaRoUnDaFiEld and @chocolate_owl are correct.
I took a look at your diary. I think you are eating at maintenance mostly because you're significantly over estimating your calorie burns when you exercise. Also check the portions by weighing/measuring.
When you input cardio into MFP, you should reduce the calorie burn it gives you to ~50% (maybe 75%) of what it says. So say it says you get 357 calories from the elliptical, you should enter about 179 instead. I also notice you're logging a LOT of "cleaning, vigorous" in your diary. Is it really vigorous? If it were me, I probably wouldn't log it at all (would not put that in the diary nor eat back any of those calories) and if I did, I'd log as light effort with the 50% reduction. The last time I logged housework like that what on moving day when I was carrying boxes around (to and from the truck).
MFP over estimates most calorie burns.
OK, good to know. And yes, vigorous cleaning is legit (I'm clearing out a hoarders house for an estate company and I only logged half my day there to be safe because it did seem high).
Ok. I'd still be watchful on the cleaning one. Vigorous cleaning would be like using a toothbrush to scrub down a tough to clean bathroom. If you're mostly just picking things up and moving it to another area to organize, it might not be vigorous.
Have you ever been in a hoarders house..? Not gonna justify it, but it's definitely a workout.. And like I said, I did only account for half my day there to get the calorie burn down from the apps suggested amount.
I agree. My father was a hoarder. My sister and I cleaned his house one day and packed it all away and then moved it all to a shed. Some of the boxes got really heavy. It took us two days of working all day long to even see progress. I would call it a work out.2 -
I can't see your diary but I know when I was not eating enough calories Because I have small appetite/little time I didn't see results in the gym. Also are you looking at calories alone or macros? Getting enough protein/balance is important. I actually had to eat more but differently to see fat loss and muscle gain2
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Instead of worrying about how much your activity is or is not counting towards your daily calories why not start weighing your food and using correct entries (no homemade or generic). If MFP has given you a calorie goal of 1600 then stick to it. If you aren't losing you are more than likely eating at maintenance as others have said and you need to reduce until you notice the scale or measuring tape move.3
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I'm wondering if you are one of those people who are fortunate enough not to have too much weight to loose in the scheme of things. If you are at the top of your suggested bmi range, for example this makes it more difficult to loose than if one was higher up the into the over weight level, if I have made sense. This is where tight weighing of food and strict logging really helps. Your photo looks perfect.
I have about 35 pounds to lose to be considered a healthy weight by my Dr according to BMI (which I don't totally believe is an accurate deal.. Just my humble, uneducated opinion, though.)0 -
cwolfman13 wrote: »Also, I'm a little confused...your ticker says you've lost 15 Lbs...over three months that would be a tad over 1 Lb per week loss.
We'll, I just logged back in two weeks ago. 15 pounds lost since my last log in over a year ago.0 -
CafeRacer808 wrote: »Emily_AK87 wrote: »Emily_AK87 wrote: »@RuNaRoUnDaFiEld and @chocolate_owl are correct.
I took a look at your diary. I think you are eating at maintenance mostly because you're significantly over estimating your calorie burns when you exercise. Also check the portions by weighing/measuring.
When you input cardio into MFP, you should reduce the calorie burn it gives you to ~50% (maybe 75%) of what it says. So say it says you get 357 calories from the elliptical, you should enter about 179 instead. I also notice you're logging a LOT of "cleaning, vigorous" in your diary. Is it really vigorous? If it were me, I probably wouldn't log it at all (would not put that in the diary nor eat back any of those calories) and if I did, I'd log as light effort with the 50% reduction. The last time I logged housework like that what on moving day when I was carrying boxes around (to and from the truck).
MFP over estimates most calorie burns.
OK, good to know. And yes, vigorous cleaning is legit (I'm clearing out a hoarders house for an estate company and I only logged half my day there to be safe because it did seem high).
Ok. I'd still be watchful on the cleaning one. Vigorous cleaning would be like using a toothbrush to scrub down a tough to clean bathroom. If you're mostly just picking things up and moving it to another area to organize, it might not be vigorous.
Have you ever been in a hoarders house..? Not gonna justify it, but it's definitely a workout.. And like I said, I did only account for half my day there to get the calorie burn down from the apps suggested amount.
A quick thought on this: what's your MFP activity level set to? If housecleaning/decluttering is your normal M-F job, you should have set your activity level to "active" or, at a minimum "lightly active". If you did that during MFP's guided setup and you're now logging your work as exercise, you're "double-dipping" your calories burned from your job.
I'm lightly active in my profile. I think.... I'll double check that, tho.0 -
NorthCascades wrote: »Emily_AK87 wrote: »Have you ever been in a hoarders house..? Not gonna justify it, but it's definitely a workout.. And like I said, I did only account for half my day there to get the calorie burn down from the apps suggested amount.
You don't have to justify anything to any of us. But (some) people are giving you good advice about why you aren't losing weight despite your best efforts.
The number of calories you burn doing something isn't related to how unpleasant it is. It's determined by how much work your body did, in the physical sense, of using muscle power to move weight over distance.
Such as carrying 50lb boxes of paper up and down stairs to a dumpster for an 8 to 10 hour day with a couple short breaks thrown in?1
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