Need some advice/ideas on what to do differently
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angelaypolite
Posts: 63 Member
Hello all,
I am trying to lose 50 pounds and it seems like the scale isn't moving. I do Orangetheory classes 3-4 days a week, since mid April. My bodyfat went down from 45% to 40%, but I notice in the last week, my bodyfat is creeping back up (it's at 41.6 today). According to my Fitbit, I burn an average of about 2600 calories a day, and my net calories I eat are about 1600 a day. I eat within my calories, but I do like to have my wine with dinner, I do save calories for that.
Since beginning (4/1/17), I've only lost 4 pounds. I also am hypothyroid and on medication.
Any ideas on what I should do differently?
I am trying to lose 50 pounds and it seems like the scale isn't moving. I do Orangetheory classes 3-4 days a week, since mid April. My bodyfat went down from 45% to 40%, but I notice in the last week, my bodyfat is creeping back up (it's at 41.6 today). According to my Fitbit, I burn an average of about 2600 calories a day, and my net calories I eat are about 1600 a day. I eat within my calories, but I do like to have my wine with dinner, I do save calories for that.
Since beginning (4/1/17), I've only lost 4 pounds. I also am hypothyroid and on medication.
Any ideas on what I should do differently?
1
Replies
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How are you measuring your body fat?
If you open your diary, you may get some more helpful advice.0 -
I use my Fitbit scale.0
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angelaypolite wrote: »I use my Fitbit scale.
They generally aren't considered to be very accurate.2 -
are you logging your weight in a trends app (happy scale or similar) - you could have a downward trend without it being as obvious1
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How are you measuring your calorie intake? Food scale, measuring cups/spoons, eyeballing?1
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deannalfisher wrote: »are you logging your weight in a trends app (happy scale or similar) - you could have a downward trend without it being as obvious
I never heard of that app.0 -
Sounds like you might be underestimating your calories in/out. Do not believe FitBit (it has a reputation for measuring high), go to an online calculator and find out your BMR, multiply it by 1.2 and that's your minimum per day, you could try 1.4 though since you're doing exercises weekly.
From there, you'll have to really pay attention to your food logging, perhaps get a kitchen scale. Make sure that MFP is giving you the right calorie information, many entries are not correct so until you get a real handle on which ones you most use are accurate and which aren't you'll want to check with a second source like googleing the nutritional information just as a check.3 -
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angelaypolite wrote: »
If you're able to, get a food scale and start weighing your food.3 -
angelaypolite wrote: »
If you're using measuring cups/spoons, you may want to consider switching to a scale. Many people find that they were eating way more than they thought they were once they begin weighing food.3 -
janejellyroll wrote: »angelaypolite wrote: »I use my Fitbit scale.
They generally aren't considered to be very accurate.
Well, I've heard that too. But we have a challenge at Orangetheory, and I had my bodyfat measured there too (with the device you hold in your hands), and it was very close to what my scale said.0 -
Can you please open your food diary?
It's in settings/diary settings, down at the bottom, change to "public"1 -
If you've only lost 4 pounds in almost 3 months, you're only creating a very small deficit. That could be because of inaccuracies in your tracking, or over-estimating your exercise calories, or crazy water retention (this is less likely, but I guess it would still be possible). Your task now is to figure out what is introducing the inaccuracies so you can make changes.2
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Logging daily things like walking or cleaning your house should not be logged as exercise or calories burned. Measure everything that goes in your mouth, including beverages, gum, bites/tastes of food.2
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If you've only lost 4 pounds in almost 3 months, you're only creating a very small deficit. That could be because of inaccuracies in your tracking, or over-estimating your exercise calories, or crazy water retention (this is less likely, but I guess it would still be possible). Your task now is to figure out what is introducing the inaccuracies so you can make changes.
I have a Fitbit (Blaze) synced on MFP, would that be over-estimating my calories burned? I also am hypothyroid.0 -
I had a similar problem and as soon as I started drinking more water, added more protein and exercise more. The weight has started losing again. I'm using Fitbit with my Aria too. I'm eating protein bars and drinking a lot of water at least 100 oz because my weight is 200 lbs. Good Luck!!2
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angelaypolite wrote: »If you've only lost 4 pounds in almost 3 months, you're only creating a very small deficit. That could be because of inaccuracies in your tracking, or over-estimating your exercise calories, or crazy water retention (this is less likely, but I guess it would still be possible). Your task now is to figure out what is introducing the inaccuracies so you can make changes.
I have a Fitbit (Blaze) synced on MFP, would that be over-estimating my calories burned?
Yes, absolutely. Any tracker or wearable tech will only give you an estimate. Your real-world results are telling you that you are only creating a very small deficit. Three months is a good amount of time -- if you said it had only been a few weeks, the better advice would be to wait and see -- so you should listen to the results you're seeing.2 -
All of the devices you mention (scale for body fat, the handheld devices for body fat, and the FitBit) have a margin of error. Measuring cups are also inaccurate for measuring foods. Something in your numbers isn't adding up. As mentioned already, you need to consider where the likely inaccuracies are, and adjust for those.1
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angelaypolite wrote: »If you've only lost 4 pounds in almost 3 months, you're only creating a very small deficit. That could be because of inaccuracies in your tracking, or over-estimating your exercise calories, or crazy water retention (this is less likely, but I guess it would still be possible). Your task now is to figure out what is introducing the inaccuracies so you can make changes.
I have a Fitbit (Blaze) synced on MFP, would that be over-estimating my calories burned?
Yes, absolutely. Any tracker or wearable tech will only give you an estimate. Your real-world results are telling you that you are only creating a very small deficit. Three months is a good amount of time -- if you said it had only been a few weeks, the better advice would be to wait and see -- so you should listen to the results you're seeing.
Maybe I'll start by not eating my exercise calories back and see if that makes a difference.
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angelaypolite wrote: »If you've only lost 4 pounds in almost 3 months, you're only creating a very small deficit. That could be because of inaccuracies in your tracking, or over-estimating your exercise calories, or crazy water retention (this is less likely, but I guess it would still be possible). Your task now is to figure out what is introducing the inaccuracies so you can make changes.
I have a Fitbit (Blaze) synced on MFP, would that be over-estimating my calories burned? I also am hypothyroid.
It's not hypothyroid. It's calorie deficit.
0
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