Doubting MFP's value!
juanwilly
Posts: 100 Member
HELP NEEDED! What am I doing wrong? I have logged religiously for the last 18 days and been UNDER my calorie count for the day from 60 to 80% everyday and have exercised more than ever--last week nearly 55000 steps and 608 Intensity Minutes (where the weekly goal is 150 minutes) as per my HR monitor and Fitness Tracker AND I have still gained more than 2 pounds!!!! Not sure that I can exercise more as per my body's reaction! What am I doing wrong? I see everyone else losing pounds and me gaining! What value do Friends/MFP Pals/Connections have on this site? Please talk me off the ledge in that I am VERY discouraged and disappointed in MFP and my lack of progress!
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Replies
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if you started a new workout regime - it could be water weight...weight loss isn't going to be linear
are you eating back exercise calories? MFP is built on this premise - being under your calorie count each day isn't something to strive for - your goal calories is based on your activity level established when you set up your goal weights5 -
Your body retains water to repair muscle after exercise, and it sounds like you are really pushing the exercise. Over time, that will level out and stop masking your weight loss.2
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How long has this gain occurred over?
More importantly, why are you eating so far under your goal? What did MFP give you and how much are you eating a day?3 -
Breathe.
You don't have to kill yourself (eating 60-80% of your calorie goal, huge activity burns, etc.) By all means, work out hard if you want to, just be sure to re-fuel your body when you do. Small, sustainable changes are more likely to bring you long-term success than blowing up your entire life and subsequently burning out.
Water retention for muscle repair is a *kitten*. 18 days isn't long enough to throw your hands up and declare it isn't working, though. Give your body time to adjust to the new normal.
Make sure your logging is tight. Use correct database entries, weigh solids, and measure liquids.6 -
One of the best things I ever did was buy the Fitbit digital scale. It not only measures weight but body fat percentage as well. This is really helpful. For example I was out of town on business last week and did not have access to my regular gym and fitness routine. I still worked out ever single day and tried to eat the best I could. I ended up logging a gain of 1.5 lbs but a loss of 1% body fat. I was building different muscle groups with changing up the work out. Take measurements and also pay attention to other factors besides the scale. That is the best advice I can give.3
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orionaimee wrote: »One of the best things I ever did was buy the Fitbit digital scale. It not only measures weight but body fat percentage as well. This is really helpful. For example I was out of town on business last week and did not have access to my regular gym and fitness routine. I still worked out ever single day and tried to eat the best I could. I ended up logging a gain of 1.5 lbs but a loss of 1% body fat. I was building different muscle groups with changing up the work out. Take measurements and also pay attention to other factors besides the scale. That is the best advice I can give.
Body fat scales are notoriously inaccurate2 -
you seem pretty carb heavy yesterday you didn't seem to have a lot of protein at all. you were pretty low calorie wise yesterday, but then I see other days you were much higher. But you do seem to be heavy on carbs, I would add a bit more protein and eat more greens and berries for your carbs as opposed to corn and bread. Not that you have to give up that stuff altogether.3
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Thanks to everyone...keep it coming!
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A large portion of your carb intake is sugar. If your body is getting enough fuel from this, it won't have reason to burn fat. In my experience, cutting sugar is a great contributor to enable fat loss. As another poster suggested, try upping your protein, and also cutting back on sugar. Starting every morning with 3 teaspoons of sugar may not be the best choice. It's not just about a calorie deficit, although that is a critical component. There are other factors at play and we all have to find what works for us best individually.2
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Thanks everyone--keep it coming!0
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What everyone said above is true. You haven't been at it long, weight loss is linear. I've lost a ton of weight with the help of mfp. If I had a graph you'd see I went up and down on the scale along with way. I don't know your calorie goal and if you're eating that much under your calorie goal and working out as much as you say....then that's not good. MFP is a valuable tool and friends on here are just as valuable....mfp isn't to blame.0
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When constipated for a bit, can add up to a few pounds of food remnants inside the body. Gaining more muscle mass can occur to when working out while body fat has lowered, possible being at the same weight but being leaner.0
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StarvingDiva wrote: »you seem pretty carb heavy yesterday you didn't seem to have a lot of protein at all. you were pretty low calorie wise yesterday, but then I see other days you were much higher. But you do seem to be heavy on carbs, I would add a bit more protein and eat more greens and berries for your carbs as opposed to corn and bread. Not that you have to give up that stuff altogether.
macro percentages aren't relevant to weight loss. if you're in a calorie deficit you can lose weight eating bread and corn all day long. *macros are important for health and nutrition and different people will feel better with different combinations of protein, fat and carbs.A large portion of your carb intake is sugar. If your body is getting enough fuel from this, it won't have reason to burn fat. In my experience, cutting sugar is a great contributor to enable fat loss. As another poster suggested, try upping your protein, and also cutting back on sugar. Starting every morning with 3 teaspoons of sugar may not be the best choice. It's not just about a calorie deficit, although that is a critical component. There are other factors at play and we all have to find what works for us best individually.
sugar intake isn't relevant to weight loss. if you're in a calorie deficit and don't have health issues which would cause you to avoid sugar there isn't a reason why you should avoid it as part of a overall healthful diet. if your body is getting enough fuel from anything it's not going to burn fat, because you aren't in a deficit. if you are consistently in a caloric deficit you will burn fat regardless of sugar intake. for weight loss it is just about a calorie deficit. *for health and nutrition there are other factors at play, not for weight loss.
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jessiferrrb wrote: »StarvingDiva wrote: »you seem pretty carb heavy yesterday you didn't seem to have a lot of protein at all. you were pretty low calorie wise yesterday, but then I see other days you were much higher. But you do seem to be heavy on carbs, I would add a bit more protein and eat more greens and berries for your carbs as opposed to corn and bread. Not that you have to give up that stuff altogether.
macro percentages aren't relevant to weight loss. if you're in a calorie deficit you can lose weight eating bread and corn all day long. *macros are important for health and nutrition and different people will feel better with different combinations of protein, fat and carbs.A large portion of your carb intake is sugar. If your body is getting enough fuel from this, it won't have reason to burn fat. In my experience, cutting sugar is a great contributor to enable fat loss. As another poster suggested, try upping your protein, and also cutting back on sugar. Starting every morning with 3 teaspoons of sugar may not be the best choice. It's not just about a calorie deficit, although that is a critical component. There are other factors at play and we all have to find what works for us best individually.
sugar intake isn't relevant to weight loss. if you're in a calorie deficit and don't have health issues which would cause you to avoid sugar there isn't a reason why you should avoid it as part of a overall healthful diet. if your body is getting enough fuel from anything it's not going to burn fat, because you aren't in a deficit. if you are consistently in a caloric deficit you will burn fat regardless of sugar intake. for weight loss it is just about a calorie deficit. *for health and nutrition there are other factors at play, not for weight loss.
But he's not losing weight which is the crux of his entire post despite being at a calorie deficit. Every body is different. I cannot eat at a calorie deficit and eat carbs and have weight loss. I just can't, would love too, as I love carbs, and I am pcos, so it just doesn't work at all for me. My friend on the other hand could eat potatoes all day as long as she's at her set calorie range and lose.
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What if you did lose fat but also gained muscle?
I'm not a fan of tracking weight per se. It's too variable. I recommend tracking your strength (do you keep track of workouts and improvement?) and your nutrients (not just calories-maybe consult a nutritionist). Make sure you're kicking your metabolism back into gear by eating right (perhaps a bit closer to calories with nutrient-dense foods) and then focus on increasing cardio if you wish.2 -
OP are you using a food scale to weight solid/semi-solid food and cups/spoons for liquids? (Scales are cheap if you don't have one!! Not sure how the "logging religiously" might equate to accuracy. Another person already mentioned about really tightening this up. It's very possible you are eating more than you think. Also, be cautious of the entries in the database. They can be notoriously wrong too. Not creating a calorie deficit is why people don't lose. So it's most likely either eating more than you think or any exercise burn is being over-estimated.3
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StarvingDiva wrote: »jessiferrrb wrote: »StarvingDiva wrote: »you seem pretty carb heavy yesterday you didn't seem to have a lot of protein at all. you were pretty low calorie wise yesterday, but then I see other days you were much higher. But you do seem to be heavy on carbs, I would add a bit more protein and eat more greens and berries for your carbs as opposed to corn and bread. Not that you have to give up that stuff altogether.
macro percentages aren't relevant to weight loss. if you're in a calorie deficit you can lose weight eating bread and corn all day long. *macros are important for health and nutrition and different people will feel better with different combinations of protein, fat and carbs.A large portion of your carb intake is sugar. If your body is getting enough fuel from this, it won't have reason to burn fat. In my experience, cutting sugar is a great contributor to enable fat loss. As another poster suggested, try upping your protein, and also cutting back on sugar. Starting every morning with 3 teaspoons of sugar may not be the best choice. It's not just about a calorie deficit, although that is a critical component. There are other factors at play and we all have to find what works for us best individually.
sugar intake isn't relevant to weight loss. if you're in a calorie deficit and don't have health issues which would cause you to avoid sugar there isn't a reason why you should avoid it as part of a overall healthful diet. if your body is getting enough fuel from anything it's not going to burn fat, because you aren't in a deficit. if you are consistently in a caloric deficit you will burn fat regardless of sugar intake. for weight loss it is just about a calorie deficit. *for health and nutrition there are other factors at play, not for weight loss.
But he's not losing weight which is the crux of his entire post despite being at a calorie deficit. Every body is different. I cannot eat at a calorie deficit and eat carbs and have weight loss. I just can't, would love too, as I love carbs, and I am pcos, so it just doesn't work at all for me. My friend on the other hand could eat potatoes all day as long as she's at her set calorie range and lose.
but if you have pcos and are insulin resistant that is the "medical condition" that would make it helpful for you to eschew carbs.
barring medical conditions macro distribution does not matter for weight loss. CICO isn't a way of eating, it's an equation for energy balance and it applies to everyone.
as for not losing weight in the 3 weeks since he started tracking and upped exercise, my guess is that most of that is water retention due to increased activity coupled with some inaccurate logging.
eta: with only 9 pounds to lose it's going to go slower than if he had a lot of extra weight.1 -
Make sure you weigh your food. I was shocked to see how much I was actually over eating, when I thought I was on track. Lower your carbs, up your protein. And if you're strength training, don't go by the number on the scale. Your weight will fluctuate so much because you're constantly tearing and repairing your muscles. Go by measurements. My body has drastically changed over the last year and I've only lost 8lbs, but gained a ton of muscle and lost inches.1
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I am VERY discouraged and disappointed in MFP and my lack of progress!
MFP is simply a tool to track intake and exercise calories, then calculate and track projected and actual weight loss or such. It is only as good as the data that is entered. That is the common denominator in most post like this, the person using the app and what they enter.- So make sure you are weighing and tracking food properly.
- Make sure you don't over-estimate calories burned.
- Strive to get a better understanding of your bodies niches for what works and what doesn't.
- Do this over time.
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orionaimee wrote: »One of the best things I ever did was buy the Fitbit digital scale. It not only measures weight but body fat percentage as well. This is really helpful. For example I was out of town on business last week and did not have access to my regular gym and fitness routine. I still worked out ever single day and tried to eat the best I could. I ended up logging a gain of 1.5 lbs but a loss of 1% body fat. I was building different muscle groups with changing up the work out. Take measurements and also pay attention to other factors besides the scale. That is the best advice I can give.
Body fat scales are notoriously inaccurate
True, but if the percentage is consistently going in the direction you want it to go, the number itself might be wrong, but you're still accomplishing what you've set out to do.1 -
Great Information above including the flow chart. Time and patience are very important. With not a lot of weight to lose and the great increase in exercise your body is trying to find a new normal.
Additionally, a friend I work with was struggling with gaining weight. She increased exercise and cut back food. Was told that she must be logging incorrectly. etc. etc.
She switched doctors and the doctor and nutritionist went a few rounds. Now she eats small meals and does not go longer than 2.5 hours between bites, does not exercise and the weight has melted off.
Be patient, accurate, make some changes suggested above, keep paying attention and do not neglect getting medical/nutrition help if your hard work continues without weight loss/muscle gain.2 -
I am VERY discouraged and disappointed in MFP and my lack of progress!
MFP is simply a tool to track intake and exercise calories, then calculate and track projected and actual weight loss or such. It is only as good as the data that is entered. That is the common denominator in most post like this, the person using the app and what they enter.- So make sure you are weighing and tracking food properly.
- Make sure you don't over-estimate calories burned.
- Strive to get a better understanding of your bodies niches for what works and what doesn't.
- Do this over time.
I don't think that I am overestimating my calories burned in that they are automatically entered in MFP by my Garmin Vivosmart HR+ tracker, and if anything, it tends to under report!
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I am new to MFP... so thank you for reading this if you see it. I am a 39/m from Wisconsin. I am really motivated to get healthy for the first time in my life. I have been using MFP for 35 days, and have lost 24 lbs. I have noticed that I feel much better, and am excited to get looking and feeling better. Feel free to friend me for support, accountability, and friendship!0
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Thanks to all--keep it coming!0
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i see you're listing things like half an avocado and a cup of orange juice. did you weigh the avocado meat? avocado sizes vary so that a small one could have less than half the calories of a large one. did you weigh your bread and butter and measure or weigh your OJ? a slice of bread, for example, is often more than a serving.
if you're not losing weight and you're
- accurately weighing all your food and
- choosing food listings (many listings here are very inaccurate) you know to match the USDA or label info
- you're either overestimating your calorie burns
- overestimating your activity level or
- are lower muscle than the average person your size.
keep in mind that many normal food items like break list a single serving weight as much smaller than one piece/serving. my husband's favorite large slice bread weighs in at about 2 servings per slice, for example, and a lot of items that use cup or tablespoon measurements are often way off. if you don't weigh your food, you don't know how much you're eating.
and here's a story i repeat often. there's a guy here who couldn't lose weight, so he posted. turns out that monday through friday he got an 8 ounce serving of potato salad at the deli. someone here posted it as 45 calories per serving with no serving size, and that was the entry he chose to use, so he was logging 225 calories per week for potato salad. turns out 8 ounces was not one but 2 servings, and each serving was around 450 calories, so he was under-logging by 4275 calories per week. and since he always chose a random listing, he had a few other less dramatic discrepancies, as well, so he was eating about 6,000 calories per week more than he was logging. choosing accurate food listings makes a big difference!
if you know none of those things are true, and they're the case for 99% of people who ask "why am i not losing weight?" you might want to get checked for diabetes and thyroid problems.1 -
HELP NEEDED! What am I doing wrong? I have logged religiously for the last 18 days and been UNDER my calorie count for the day from 60 to 80% everyday and have exercised more than ever--last week nearly 55000 steps and 608 Intensity Minutes (where the weekly goal is 150 minutes) as per my HR monitor and Fitness Tracker AND I have still gained more than 2 pounds!!!! Not sure that I can exercise more as per my body's reaction! What am I doing wrong? I see everyone else losing pounds and me gaining! What value do Friends/MFP Pals/Connections have on this site? Please talk me off the ledge in that I am VERY discouraged and disappointed in MFP and my lack of progress!
You're only eating 60-80 percent or you're UNDER your calorie allotment by 60-80%? Either way, it sounds like you're not getting enough of your calories eaten. I stopped losing when I wasn't eating enough of my calories and a thread like this set me straight.
Keep in mind that the scale does not know the difference between water retention, fat, muscle or excrement. It could be any or a mixture of those.0 -
orionaimee wrote: »One of the best things I ever did was buy the Fitbit digital scale. It not only measures weight but body fat percentage as well. This is really helpful. For example I was out of town on business last week and did not have access to my regular gym and fitness routine. I still worked out ever single day and tried to eat the best I could. I ended up logging a gain of 1.5 lbs but a loss of 1% body fat. I was building different muscle groups with changing up the work out. Take measurements and also pay attention to other factors besides the scale. That is the best advice I can give.
Body fat scales are notoriously inaccurate
I'm VERY interested in how it knows how much body fat you've lost. How does the fitbit work??0 -
I am not sure what you expect to hear honestly, I think people are pretty spot on. While you're not over-estimating, your HRM monitors app's algorithm can be over-estimating your burned calories. Simply eat less, and check back with the scale. I would start with eating back 80% of your total burned calories and go from there.
I mean another thing is you say you gained 2 pounds. Thats excess 7000 calories over 18 days, which is around 390 calories per day surplus. Lets say you picked up 1 lb/week loss as your goal, that makes you 500 calories deficit per day already. So you need to go above and beyond, and eat 890 calories surplus per day to gain 2 lbs accidentally. That doesn't sound plausible one bit.
If you are properly:- using a scale and tracking right
- eating back correct values of calories back. This will need a lot of testing back and forth with scale.
- following MFP guided weight loss calories
There is absolutely no reason for you to not lose weight. Unless you have a problem with your metabolism & hormones. I would check that with your doctor.
Its probably some water retention, combined with over-estimation of your workout calories that kept you on maintenance.1 -
From my side ... I've lost 62kg with MFP so it does have value, if used correctly.
Are you not eating too little? Eating 60-80% UNDER your calorie goal and then still doing as much exercise as you can seems counter reductive. Just follow the guidelines mfp gives you.
I've been struggling with breaking through a barrier for months and the moment I upped my calories a bit my weight went down.
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