Frustrated - no progress

emlouda11 wrote: »

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.

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.

Can you open up your diary?

• 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.

ladyreva78 wrote: »

emlouda11 wrote: »

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.

ladyreva78 wrote: »

emlouda11 wrote: »

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.

And a pint isn't the same size in every country

You are doing a lot of resistance and not much aerobic. Consider a balance. And redouble your efforts on calorie counting. I feel more satisfied on a Mediterranean style plan. Plateaus are part of it.

cerise_noir wrote: »

jademflynn wrote: »

• 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. Not necessary to quit alcohol if it is logged correctly and doesn't cause munchies.
2. Not necessary to create custom TDEE. MFP has done the work. MFP is designed so that exercise calories are added and a portion are consumed.
3. No need to cut out processed or prepackaged foods if they're weighed and logged correctly
4. One can log the day before (pre plan) if they wish. Just as long as the food is logged, then that's okay. Sometimes I log just as I am eating something, but I mostly long a week in advance.
5. No need to exercise at a specific time of day every day. If OP wants to exercise, it's all good just as long as they stick to it

1. I disagree. Calories consumed should be nutritious and be conducive towards weight loss. Alcohol decreases inhibitions and provides no sensation of satiety, increasing the likelihood an individual will eat impulsively. The liver has to process the alcohol, rather than doing its regular job of metabolising fat, causing the body to seek energy from the alcoholic beverage rather than using its own fat stores. Sure, people can choose to drink alcohol "in moderation" whilst losing weight, but cutting out the alcohol removes one weight-gain variable.
2. MFP does not do the work, as it creates very generic calorie and macro goals.
3. I think in this case she should as she can then become more aware of what she is consuming. It is vey easy to rip open a packet and not really think about what you're eating. Plus, a calorie is not just a calorie. The body tends to absorb more calories from processed foods, as it requires less energy to process these items. Unprocessed foods tend to require more energy from the body to break them down. Cooking and preparing meals from scratch means she has to think about exactly what is going into her body and discourages mindless eating.
4. If she logs everything before she eats it, then it means temptations outside of her meal plan will require her to make a more informed decision. It also means if she logs a treat item she can then decide whether she wants to eat all of it.
5. Every person should be engaging in some for of exercise each day to maintain good health.

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/science-reveals-why-calorie-counts-are-all-wrong/

kq1981 wrote: »

jademflynn wrote: »

cerise_noir wrote: »

jademflynn wrote: »

• 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. Not necessary to quit alcohol if it is logged correctly and doesn't cause munchies.
2. Not necessary to create custom TDEE. MFP has done the work. MFP is designed so that exercise calories are added and a portion are consumed.
3. No need to cut out processed or prepackaged foods if they're weighed and logged correctly
4. One can log the day before (pre plan) if they wish. Just as long as the food is logged, then that's okay. Sometimes I log just as I am eating something, but I mostly long a week in advance.
5. No need to exercise at a specific time of day every day. If OP wants to exercise, it's all good just as long as they stick to it

1. I disagree. Calories consumed should be nutritious and be conducive towards weight loss. Alcohol decreases inhibitions and provides no sensation of satiety, increasing the likelihood an individual will eat impulsively. The liver has to process the alcohol, rather than doing its regular job of metabolising fat, causing the body to seek energy from the alcoholic beverage rather than using its own fat stores. Sure, people can choose to drink alcohol "in moderation" whilst losing weight, but cutting out the alcohol removes one weight-gain variable.
2. MFP does not do the work, as it creates very generic calorie and macro goals.
3. I think in this case she should as she can then become more aware of what she is consuming. It is vey easy to rip open a packet and not really think about what you're eating. Plus, a calorie is not just a calorie. The body tends to absorb more calories from processed foods, as it requires less energy to process these items. Unprocessed foods tend to require more energy from the body to break them down. Cooking and preparing meals from scratch means she has to think about exactly what is going into her body and discourages mindless eating.
4. If she logs everything before she eats it, then it means temptations outside of her meal plan will require her to make a more informed decision. It also means if she logs a treat item she can then decide whether she wants to eat all of it.
5. Every person should be engaging in some for of exercise each day to maintain good health.

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/science-reveals-why-calorie-counts-are-all-wrong/

You seem to be alluding to the fact that some foods have a lower calorie marker than others because of the energy used to break them down. Some call this "negative calorie foods" This is simply not true. It is mythical. there is no scientific evidence to support this statement. A calorie is most definitely a calorie. 100 calories of broccoli is EXACTLY the same as 100 calories of chocolate. Obviously there is more nutritional worth in broccoli and is a larger amount keeping you fuller for long but it's all a learning curve. This seems like a wholly opinion based post rather than scientifically based. I'm not being rude it just frustrates me.
Log everything you eat. Start with small weight loss goals. Eat what u want within reason and in time you will learn that foods with higher nutritional value, as in macros and micros, will keep u satisfied for longer.

Please read the article I linked to in my comment. I did not mention anything to do with the fad concept of "negative calorie foods".

Idk about calories intake tracking all that much! You can be eating 1400 calories and eating ice cream or food that aren't healthy.. idk if you are eating grains, veggies and fruits.. I hope you see a change in your weight.. Idk if you are including beverages in your calorie intake.. I believe it better to not drink your calories! I would rather eat more.