Frustrated - no progress
emlouda11
Posts: 14 Member
I'm having significant difficulty shifting weight. Since January I went from sedentary to exercising with weights 2-3 times a week with 75 sit-ups each gym session, I started Brazilian jiu-jitsu and I did Pilates once a week. I took my weight (95kg) and approx 10 body measurements at the start. I also tried limiting calories to around 1400 each day. I've now started to add in cycling to work every now and again. 3months later I've not shifted any weight and my body measurements have not changed so much as 1cm on any body part. I've weighted and scanned food 80-90% of the time. I seem to be stuck. Any ideas??
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I'm having significant difficulty shifting weight. Since January I went from sedentary to exercising with weights 2-3 times a week with 75 sit-ups each gym session, I started Brazilian jiu-jitsu and I did Pilates once a week. I took my weight (95kg) and approx 10 body measurements at the start. I also tried limiting calories to around 1400 each day. I've now started to add in cycling to work every now and again. 3months later I've not shifted any weight and my body measurements have not changed so much as 1cm on any body part. I've weighted and scanned food 80-90% of the time. I seem to be stuck. Any ideas??
Stats? (height and weight). There is almost always some mistake in calories when this happens but have you seen your dr? Other possibilities are a thyroid disorder, diabetes etc...basically a medical reason. It will not be muscle mass gain in such a short period of time. You would have at least lost SOMETHING. It could be a medical issue causing water retention... Do you eat back exercise calories? If so you may be over-estimating them. MyFitnessPal doesn't work for everyone when it comes to exercise calories burned. IF you eat them back try only eating back 1/2 of what it says you burn. or up your goal a bit (maybe to 1600? Depending on your height.) and don't eat them back at all.2 -
If you haven't lost any weight in 3 months then you're eating more calories than you think. How are you measuring your food intake? Are you weighing everything in grams?12
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If you haven't lost any weight in 3 months then you're eating more calories than you think. How are you measuring your food intake? Are you weighing everything in grams?
I thought this too but then I realized if she's exercising, logging it and eating those calories back she could be eating what she thinks but her maintenance might be lower than she thinks. It's hard to mess up when you weigh your food. Unless you're a grazer.0 -
I weigh and scan barcodes of foods. I don't drink fizzy pop or milky coffee. I have a hard time tracking at the weekend - but mostly stay on track.
I've had all the blood tests - nothing showed up.
Stats 5'3" (95kg/15st)
Gym 2-3 times a week with weights
Jiujitsu 2-3 times a week
I don't eat back calories from exercise.0 -
Some questions:
- How certain are you of your 1400 intake each day? (how do you measure that?)
- Are you making sure you're using correct entries in database (the entries are user created and some are wildly off)?
- Did you go to the doctor for a full check up? (Just to rule out thyroid issues which can seriously mess with your numbers if not controlled)
- Do you eat back the calories from your work outs? If yes, how do you calculate your burns?
ETA: just saw your answer.
You can wipe out your complete deficit during the weekend. I suggest you start by track everything you eat as precisely as you can. Sadly, the answer is usually 'you're eating more than you think'.
If, after tracking everything as honestly as possible, you're still not losing weight, then it's time to go back to the doctor with those numbers.
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If I scan barcodes I make sure calories match the box. I weigh items if I need a portion of a larger thing. I don't eat back calories. I also use Fitbit to track exercise. No issues at docs.0
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I weigh and scan barcodes of foods. I don't drink fizzy pop or milky coffee. I have a hard time tracking at the weekend - but mostly stay on track.
I've had all the blood tests - nothing showed up.
Stats 5'3" (95kg/15st)
Gym 2-3 times a week with weights
Jiujitsu 2-3 times a week
I don't eat back calories from exercise.
Hard time tracking how so? There has to be something missing. Weights don't burn calories much so that isnt very relevant. You should burn 3ish calories per lb per hr basing it on your body weight for jiujitsu so 600 calories lets go with 5 times every 2 weeks since it varies. To maintain your weight you would need to eat 2100 calories per day (if you include the exercise). I'm not trying to be mean but *something* needs to be off. It's basic science. If your blood tests are OK then you need to start tracking those weekends. hard time tracking as in you eat out or what? because I have seen people order a salad and the salad is 1500 calories and they don't realize it. If you did that for example just twice a week *and* have a slow metabolism it could screw you up entirely. 80-90% weighing might need to be 100% for you. Not everyone can be lenient some people need to be 100% strict and calculated to lose weight. You should be able to eat 1900 calories per day or near there (let's say 1700 to be safe because some people burn less than others) to stay at your current weight (without exercise).3 -
If I scan barcodes I make sure calories match the box. I weigh items if I need a portion of a larger thing. I don't eat back calories. I also use Fitbit to track exercise. No issues at docs.
Did you spot check the weight in the box with the weight listed? It can be off by as much as 20% in some cases. Shocked the hell out of me.
What entries do you use in the database? It's user entered information, so anything you don't scan and double check can be off.
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Verity1111 wrote: »I weigh and scan barcodes of foods. I don't drink fizzy pop or milky coffee. I have a hard time tracking at the weekend - but mostly stay on track.
I've had all the blood tests - nothing showed up.
Stats 5'3" (95kg/15st)
Gym 2-3 times a week with weights
Jiujitsu 2-3 times a week
I don't eat back calories from exercise.
Hard time tracking how so? There has to be something missing. Weights don't burn calories much so that isnt very relevant. You should burn 3ish calories per lb per hr basing it on your body weight for jiujitsu so 600 calories lets go with 5 times every 2 weeks since it varies. To maintain your weight you would need to eat 2100 calories per day (if you include the exercise). I'm not trying to be mean but *something* needs to be off. It's basic science. If your blood tests are OK then you need to start tracking those weekends. hard time tracking as in you eat out or what? because I have seen people order a salad and the salad is 1500 calories and they don't realize it. If you did that for example just twice a week *and* have a slow metabolism it could screw you up entirely. 80-90% weighing might need to be 100% for you. Not everyone can be lenient some people need to be 100% strict and calculated to lose weight.
And this... be very very careful of when you eat out. A salad is not always the lowest calorie alternative!3 -
Your last option would be to get a VO2 test or a BMR test to see how much you, specifically you, burn per day. You can google options in your area. It might cost a bit of $ (they vary could be $40 could be $125 it's obviously up to the facility) unless you can find one that accepts insurance/referrals. With one you literally just breathe into a machine for an hr (BMR) and the other you exercise and they monitor your oxygen consumption/use to see how many calories you use during exercise (VO2).0
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ladyreva78 wrote: »If I scan barcodes I make sure calories match the box. I weigh items if I need a portion of a larger thing. I don't eat back calories. I also use Fitbit to track exercise. No issues at docs.
Did you spot check the weight in the box with the weight listed? It can be off by as much as 20% in some cases. Shocked the hell out of me.
What entries do you use in the database? It's user entered information, so anything you don't scan and double check can be off.
Right? I actually found that I had LESS food in my microwavable Indian food bags (Tasty Bite). I FEEL RIPPED OFF! lol. But I am eating less than I thought..so that's good I guess. lol.2 -
By hard time tracking at the weekend, I mean that if you go out you can be a bit off on your tracking, even if you try to select something equivalent. I've cut booze down. Some days I cut calories to 1000 (this equals yogurt, berries and two pinches of muesli all weighed, half a carton of soup, 1 apple, 1 banana, and a healthy tracked evening meal), I don't want to do that all the time.1
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By hard time tracking at the weekend, I mean that if you go out you can be a bit off on your tracking, even if you try to select something equivalent. I've cut booze down. Some days I cut calories to 1000 (this equals yogurt, berries and two pinches of muesli all weighed, half a carton of soup, 1 apple, 1 banana, and a healthy tracked evening meal), I don't want to do that all the time.
Do you track alcohol? Because alcohol will end it all! There are as much calories in one small shot as in a small meal sometimes (I'm looking at you, Everclear vodka). The best bet is to over-estimate calories if you go out. That means if it looks like something that's 700 calories log 1000. If I order nachos and they said 700 calories online for another type I love 1.5 servings, just to be safe. I know it sucks. I know it's annoying, but that is the key to success. Dedication 24/7 because 24/5 just won't work. That's the sad truth.2 -
Yes, I track alcohol when I drink it.1
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Verity1111 wrote: »ladyreva78 wrote: »If I scan barcodes I make sure calories match the box. I weigh items if I need a portion of a larger thing. I don't eat back calories. I also use Fitbit to track exercise. No issues at docs.
Did you spot check the weight in the box with the weight listed? It can be off by as much as 20% in some cases. Shocked the hell out of me.
What entries do you use in the database? It's user entered information, so anything you don't scan and double check can be off.
Right? I actually found that I had LESS food in my microwavable Indian food bags (Tasty Bite). I FEEL RIPPED OFF! lol. But I am eating less than I thought..so that's good I guess. lol.
True. But if you're eating 20% of a really really tasty chocolate praliné yogurt that already has nearly 300 cals listed for 1 serving... it hurts
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But seriously...3oz of everclear is almost 600 calories and I am sure other alcohols can be high too. Be very careful with that.0
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Yes, I track alcohol when I drink it.
What kind of drinks do you have and how do you log them? Cocktails are notoriously high calories and some bars will give you huge servings (2-3 servings in one glass).
Sadly it seems that the eating out might be the problems, so as Verity mentioned, and since you're not losing weight, logging on the high side (1.5 servings or even more) might be the way to go until you start seeing weight-loss and then you can adapt from there.
I can seriously undo my entire weekly deficit in one evening out with the girls and I don't even drink alcohol anymore...0 -
I typically drink beer and I scan the barcode and enter the ml for the can, if I'm out I enter the ml for a pint.1
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I typically drink beer and I scan the barcode and enter the ml for the can, if I'm out I enter the ml for a pint.
So an average pint (UK) would be anywhere from 200-250 cals. (Guinness for example is 210kcals for a pint) Depending on how many of those you have + the food you have with them, can add to quite a nice amount of calories. So again, try to tighten up your logging on the weekend, if you estimate your food at a certain serving, add a good half serving on top. Keep on raising the estimates until you start seeing weight-loss.0 -
So you're going off food labels that is well known to underestimate calories. Yes, you're eating more than you're aware, and thus you're not gaining weight. Often people weigh the food as well.
Are you weighing your food? From what I read you're just scanning products. Try this and see how things go.
Solids food scale and liquids you can use cups. If you're making food from scratch do you use the receipt builder to keep track of the ingredients ?
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In the U.K. the package weight is correct on everything I've checked0
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I'm having significant difficulty shifting weight. Since January I went from sedentary to exercising with weights 2-3 times a week with 75 sit-ups each gym session, I started Brazilian jiu-jitsu and I did Pilates once a week. I took my weight (95kg) and approx 10 body measurements at the start. I also tried limiting calories to around 1400 each day. I've now started to add in cycling to work every now and again. 3months later I've not shifted any weight and my body measurements have not changed so much as 1cm on any body part. I've weighted and scanned food 80-90% of the time. I seem to be stuck. Any ideas??
I do 390 crunches (4 sets of 50, then 4 set alternating side crunches of 35, and then 50 regular) as part of a normal workout, twice a week. I've never considered that to be much of a fat-burning weight-loss effort. Weights and core work are great, and important, but they are not high calorie burns. Start making cycling, or some other cardio, a daily occurrence. I expect that will have a much greater impact.
Also, I would cut out the beer.0 -
If I scan barcodes I make sure calories match the box. I weigh items if I need a portion of a larger thing. I don't eat back calories. I also use Fitbit to track exercise. No issues at docs.
You have to weigh all solid and semi solid food, and use cups/spoons for liquids only.
Do you log your vegetables and fruit?
And, no... food packages can state a weight 20% +/-. Weigh everything.
Please open your food diary.2 -
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Be careful on MFP calorie counts for sure. Went to Burgerfi for the first time yesterday and on MFP it said kids burger is 300 but found on the website later it's actually 476!! That was way off and a big reason I don't like eating out. Not cool, MFP....not cool:P3
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tiffanifair wrote: »Be careful on MFP calorie counts for sure. Went to Burgerfi for the first time yesterday and on MFP it said kids burger is 300 but found on the website later it's actually 476!! That was way off and a big reason I don't like eating out. Not cool, MFP....not cool:P
it's an unfortunate side effect of having a user maintained database and a good illustration of why it's important to double check your entries, even if they're "verified."
i looked up calories for a restaurant meal today on the restaurant's website and then searched mfp for the same meal and there were 6 choices - only one of which was correct - and they varied from 520 -1020 calories.4 -
First, congrats on staying with it for 3 months, that's not easy. I would look at it from the other side. How many calories do you have left when the days is over? Increase that number until you start losing weight. I wear a fitbit everyday too and in my opinion it overestimates calories burned. So I try to finish my day with at least 800 calories left and with that I only lose 1-1.5lbs per week.
Other things to consider are eating more (smaller) meals, eating on a stricter schedule and paying more attention to your macros. Good luck.1 -
Can you open up your diary?2
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OP just to highlight what others have said:
1. Commit to at least 2 weeks of super serious logging. Use a food scale for everything possible - packaged foods, fresh foods, fruits & veggies, etc.
2. During this time, double check every database entry, even when you scan. There are lots of incorrect entries in the database, and some of them do come up when you scan.
3. Feel free to not answer this here, but do you drink enough on the weekends to get tipsy? When that happens, it's real easy to graze a bit and not realize/remember. I basically had to commit to not drinking enough to get drunk while trying to lose weight, between the cals wasted on the drinks and the food I forgot I ate!
I bet just in the two week experiment, the answer will jump out at you. Good luck!4 -
- Quit the alcohol, completely. It's empty calories.
- Calculate your BMR and TDEE to create your custom daily calorie and macro-nutrient goals.
- Cut out all pre-packaged meals/snacks and processed food.
- Create a weekly meal plan of healthy homemade meals, with all ingredients weighed in the recipe. Add these meals to your MFP app so you can log them daily.
- Log every single thing you consume, 80% of the time isn't good enough.
- Log a food or drink just before you consume it.
- If you wish to exercise, allocate a specific time each day to commit yourself to it.
I know this looks tough but it sounds like you need to work on self-discipline when it comes to calorie counting and exercise.1
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