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MyFitnessPal Community

Help please. What can I do to make this better?

ryenday

I'm totally miserable here and what I'm doing is showing so little results (not even NSV's) that I just want to cry. I have to rejigger things or just give up on weight loss. I would like help with reworking this.

5ft 3.5 inches. 53 years old.
SW 195, CW 175, GW: 130 to 145

Dieting since April. Discounting initial diet whoosh (of probably water) weight I'm losing about 2- 3 pounds a month.

Eating 1100 to 1400 calories a day - (exception for bodyweight workout days when I allow extra 150 for additional protein shake)

Exercise: Swim 3-4 x a week - 3 to 5 miles per week. Bodyweight (YAYOG- body by you) 2 or 3 x a week. Some additional cardio stuff most days (aquafit class, exercycle while watching TV, go for long walk, ride bike to store, etc. )

I'm miserable, hungry, and feel like I have 0 endurance (except in the water where I do feel energized and can swim for an hour or more easy.). (What I mean by 0 endurance - I'm totally wiped out by 15 minute 1.6 mile bike ride - often have to walk the last two blocks home).

I'm aiming for 140g protein a day (which means 2 or 3 protein powder shakes) because it is my understanding that to preserve my muscle while losing I should aim for 1g protein per 1 pnd ideal weight. That makes protein 40% my macros - carbs and fat fluctuate. So 300 to 450 calories for protein shakes leave me with only about 800 to 950 calories a day for food. Forget going out to dinner with friends!

Except for an extra protein powder shake on bodyweight days I do not eat back exercise calories.

I despise the bodyweight stuff but understand and accept that my health as an aging woman requires me to keep it up. Fine. I am totally loving the swimming - no desire to ever stop that. The other cardio is mostly for my mental state - I feel so bad about myself when I exceed the 1100 calories and eat closer to the 1400 that knowing I put in time on the exercise bike helps me to not mentally beat myself up.

Yes I measure/weigh. If I have to estimate (not often) I always make my best calorie guess and enter 1.5 times my best guess. I don't crave sugar, I'm not about to binge on anything. I'm just never not hungry (except for 1/2 hour after I have a protein powder shake) and I'm tired a lot and my energy level craters after about 15 minutes of activity.

Yes people tell me 'Oh it is great you are losing so slow, it will be easy to keep off'. I wish that helped- but I still look awful, wear the same size ( yeah it isn't as tight) and frankly it doesn't seem worthwhile to continue to try to lose weight. I thought in almost one half year - at minimal food intake and going from couch potato to 7 days a week of at least one hour exercising per day - I sure thought I'd see A *kitten* of a lot more progress than this.

So, ideas anyone? Am I missing something, doing something wrong? Because unless I come up with a new approach I'm about to pull the plug and say fine, I'm just going to be the healthiest I can be at this weight and move to maintenance and stop torturing myself. (I mean after 6 weeks and 20 or so bike rides I shouldn't still have to walk the last two blocks because I'm afraid I'll pass out and my legs are rubber.) Oh yeah. Recently saw Dr. Blood work fine. Keep up the good work (weight loss) she said.

Yeah I hate how fat and sloppy my appearance is, but it's not getting any noticeably better and I'm miserable - I don't think I have it in me to keep doing this to myself.

Replies

GottaBurnEmAll

You can cut back your protein to .65-.85 g per pound of goal weight and up your carbs and see if that gives you more energy.

I was tanking on my workouts when I was eating higher protein and when I shifted those ratios and gave myself more carbs, I had soooooo much more energy!

As for rate of loss? When you're short and over 50? Yeah, around a pound or so a week is the best you're going to do.

The best you can hope for is to not be miserable while you're doing it.

Seriously, cut your protein and eat more carbs. And by that I mean good starches like potatoes or whole grains. You'll have more energy for exercise.

Good luck.

MichelleSilverleaf

Kind of sounds like you're not eating enough. You sound like you're doing a lot of work but giving your body little fuel in return. If you're going by MFP's number that they gave you, you should be eating a portion of your extra exercise calories back. If you're constantly weak and have no energy it means your body isn't getting enough fuel to do the things you're asking it to do. You also may have gone too extreme too quickly for your body to adapt. Perhaps changing your weight loss per week if it's 2lbs to 1, or 0.5lbs so you can get more calorie allowance and start eating back some of your exercise calories, and bringing down your activity level a bit just for the time being. Build it back up when your body adjusts.

kommodevaran

I think you can do a lot just by being properly nourished. I peeked at your diary - you like a lot of different food, and that's great, but your eating looks somewhat erratic. Aim to eat regularly, and eat more balanced meals - I shouldn't tell you what to eat, you have to eat in a way you like, but - dinners can for instance be meat, starch and veg, breakfast can be oatmeal and milk and fruit - and have dressing on that salad.

NEVER eat under 1200, not one day (unless you're sick and physically can't stomach anything). I would suggest you actually up your calories, to 1500. Just log correctly (it's so easy to eat more). Just like PP, I think you are binding up way too many of your precious calories on protein, and eating too little fat as well. Adjust macros to what makes YOU feel your best - so again, this is just a suggestion - for instance 20-25P, 20-35C, 45-60F.

GottaBurnEmAll

I just went through your food diary.

A few suggestions I'd make would be to tighten up your logging (don't count tortilla chips, weigh them, don't log 1/4 plate of something, weigh it out), and verify data base entries.

Additionally, once you're certain you're logging accurately, set your calorie goal to 1200 and eat half your exercise calories.

That, in addition to my suggestion to rework your macro goals should give you more energy.

You are eating too little on paper for the activity you're doing as a previous poster mentioned, but you're likely not seeing results because you're logging isn't tight.

Once you have an accurate picture of just what you're doing, and a good, sustainable macro balance that fuels your workouts things won't seem so bleak.

rheddmobile

I'm not sure I understand the protein shakes. You could be getting your protein from actual food instead. Cottage cheese, pork tenderloin, chicken - all real food, all high protein. Not to mention plant proteins.

I agree with everyone else. Don't eat under 1100, eat your exercise calories, and get some more carbs. Also, rest and recover at least one day a week, preferably two in a row until you stop feeling terrible.

You may see a temporary bump in your weight as your glycogen levels replenish, but my guess is that when you have more energy, you will start moving more when you're not actually exercising, and will start losing weight faster than you are right now.

Lounmoun

MFP suggested for me 20% of my calories from protein, 30% fats and 50% carbs. Maybe you could try something closer to that and see how you feel and eat more food instead of protein shakes.

everher

I would be miserable too if a third of my calorie allowance was coming from protein shakes.

Drinking my calories does absolutely nothing for me in terms of hunger or energy levels.

I would try stopping the protein shakes and getting your protein from food and see how you feel then. I also don't think you need so much protein, imo.

ryenday

Thanks for the suggestions.

As to why protein powder: with so few calories to a day, I could not come up with anyway to meet a 140 G protein goal except a chicken breast 4 times a day or protein shakes. In April and May I must have had hundreds of chicken breasts, I'm still burned out on them. I'm allergic to eggs, red meat ( which I love) usually has too much fat and comparatively too little protein to be able have too often and quite honestly most every other protein source I don't like much and comes with way more calories than a protein powder shake (150 Cal for 35 G protein) . I was just trying to reach the protein goal as easy as I could and save as many calories as possible.

Disappointing but expected: It looks like the biggest consensus here is I should try to go to 1400-1500 calories a day (but that is what I'm estimating is my maintenance anyway) and dial back the protein. I guess that is the way to go - maintenance with lower protein (since that should not be a caloric deficit I don't suppose I'll need to have as much protein). It won't help weight loss, I don't think - but hopefully will fix other *kitten*.

I know you cant tell, but my logging is actually tight - estimates are always on the high side. I just don't carry a scale to restaurants and friends houses - and I'm never going to do so.

Again, thank you.

Goober1142

If you're exhausted eat more carbs. It looks like you lost 20 pounds since April? It took me a year to lose that much! It's calories, or lack thereof, that make you loose weight.

Mezzie1024

Eat less protein and more carbs and fats. The carbs will give you energy for your activities and the fats may be more satiating. Honestly, you'd probably be fine cutting your protein goal in half.

Your rate of weight loss sounds about ideal, but if switching your macros around doesn't help you feel satiated, by all means eat more and aim for 1-2 pounds loss/month. There's no need to hurry.

Instead of focusing so much on weight, try making some strength and endurance goals to work toward and celebrate.

JeromeBarry1

Do what @GottaBurnEmAll says, to the letter of precision, and you'll both feel better and get better results in your efforts.

Kim_S_G

I agree with others about eating real food instead of drinking protein shakes.

I have hypothyroidism, and when my thyroid levels are off, I am tired all the time. You mentioned that your blood work came back normal. I suggest that you ask your doctor for the specific levels of TSH, T3 and T4. It seems from the reading that I have done and my own personal experience, that what is considered a normal TSH level might not be optimal for the individual.

https://verywell.com/tsh-thyroid-stimulating-hormone-reference-range-wars-3232912

MichelleSilverleaf

ryenday wrote: »

Thanks for the suggestions.

As to why protein powder: with so few calories to a day, I could not come up with anyway to meet a 140 G protein goal except a chicken breast 4 times a day or protein shakes. In April and May I must have had hundreds of chicken breasts, I'm still burned out on them. I'm allergic to eggs, red meat ( which I love) usually has too much fat and comparatively too little protein to be able have too often and quite honestly most every other protein source I don't like much and comes with way more calories than a protein powder shake (150 Cal for 35 G protein) . I was just trying to reach the protein goal as easy as I could and save as many calories as possible.

Disappointing but expected: It looks like the biggest consensus here is I should try to go to 1400-1500 calories a day (but that is what I'm estimating is my maintenance anyway) and dial back the protein. I guess that is the way to go - maintenance with lower protein (since that should not be a caloric deficit I don't suppose I'll need to have as much protein). It won't help weight loss, I don't think - but hopefully will fix other *kitten*.

I know you cant tell, but my logging is actually tight - estimates are always on the high side. I just don't carry a scale to restaurants and friends houses - and I'm never going to do so.

Again, thank you.

You said you estimate that your maintenance at 1400-1500, what do you base that on? Based on what info you gave in your OP, I plugged your stats into an online calculator and it gave 1400-1794cal a day to lose weight, 2243cal a day to maintain. So it's possible that you could be eating more (and again, with all that activity you probably should be eating more). What did MFP give you when you signed up and what did you have your weight loss set to?

susanofarrell

No ideas, just love

DebLaBounty

I switched to protein shakes for breakfast and discovered that they just weren't enough "something" to power me through my morning three mile runs. I'm back to eating solid food! I also upped my daily calorie budget by 200 calories and that's helped, too. Hope that kind of switch works for you. By the way, congrats on losing 20 pounds!

CharGillott

Try more fiber. Not to much at a time.I have a low metabolism. I finally found magnesium supplements work well for me. Do eat often. Some of us needs fuel more often than others.I try never to Let myself get hungry. I have a sweet tooth so I get akins indulge bars. I think you may be eating to little for you. I am loosing weight slower than most. Listening to your own body will help you most. Do not go hungry. Have you had a diabetic test. Sugar spikes can mess with you bad.Best luck. Hang in there

GottaBurnEmAll

ryenday wrote: »

Thanks for the suggestions.

As to why protein powder: with so few calories to a day, I could not come up with anyway to meet a 140 G protein goal except a chicken breast 4 times a day or protein shakes. In April and May I must have had hundreds of chicken breasts, I'm still burned out on them. I'm allergic to eggs, red meat ( which I love) usually has too much fat and comparatively too little protein to be able have too often and quite honestly most every other protein source I don't like much and comes with way more calories than a protein powder shake (150 Cal for 35 G protein) . I was just trying to reach the protein goal as easy as I could and save as many calories as possible.

Disappointing but expected: It looks like the biggest consensus here is I should try to go to 1400-1500 calories a day (but that is what I'm estimating is my maintenance anyway) and dial back the protein. I guess that is the way to go - maintenance with lower protein (since that should not be a caloric deficit I don't suppose I'll need to have as much protein). It won't help weight loss, I don't think - but hopefully will fix other *kitten*.

I know you cant tell, but my logging is actually tight - estimates are always on the high side. I just don't carry a scale to restaurants and friends houses - and I'm never going to do so.

Again, thank you.

I really doubt that 1400-1500 is your maintenance, and I think you'll find that it's not once you get into a grove with your new routine.

Remember that you might see the scale jump at first. This will be replenishment of glycogen stores and some more food in your digestive system. It won't be fat gain.

Things will settle down eventually.

An important thing to remember is that your workouts will be more effective because you'll have more energy for them. You'll be burning more calories through incidental movement throughout the day by no longer being worn down by eating too little. This is an observed effect in studies and other people here on MFP have reported it as well.

In other words, eating more calories often increases the calories out for people, especially those who have been eating too few calories for a long time.

ryenday

To determine maintenance I used - 140 pounds (middle of my goal weight range) and checked TDEE on a couple of online calculators - they came in close to 1450. I know I'm exercising on top of that, not to mention that is my Goal weight, not my actual weight, but as I understood it those are just estimators anyway. Different people have different actual metabolisms, movement during the day, etc. and will not have the exact TDEE those calculators say.

So I figured since I can't seem to lose much weight at all on the deficit I've been running that my actual TDEE must be lower than the generic estimates from those websites. My goal weight recommendation TDEE from those calculators sounded like a good conservative place to start maintenance and see if in a month I had actually maintained/lost/gained - especially because any loss or gain would likely be minimal over a month or two. Then adjust for my particular body.

Was that the wrong way to calculate maintenance?

MichelleSilverleaf

But you're not at your goal weight yet. Why not use what numbers would be given for what you weigh now, and let that number drop gradually as your weight drops? MFP will drop your daily total as your weight comes down. Weight loss doesn't have to be uncomfortable, painful or miserable. Don't make it harder on yourself than it has to be.

PAV8888

650 g tub of Yoplait 0% sucralose sweetened fruit flavoured yogurt is 228 Cal and 26g protein. 3-5g of Hershey unsweetened chocolate powder balances it out by adding some fat and fiber and reducing the apparent sweetness.

A lb of liquid egg whites is close to the same calories with 46g of protein. Finish covered in a pan or in the oven over shredded (slaw style) veggies and some strong flavor meat, fish, or fowl if you feel the desire....

Think outside the box!

ryenday

MichelleSilverleaf wrote: »

But you're not at your goal weight yet. Why not use what numbers would be given for what you weigh now, and let that number drop gradually as your weight drops? MFP will drop your daily total as your weight comes down. Weight loss doesn't have to be uncomfortable, painful or miserable. Don't make it harder on yourself than it has to be.

I'm n really, really afraid of gaining any weight and losing some of the last six months hard earned progress. That is why. Partly mental. I have not gone crazy, given up, or just said 'kitten' it. That is what I tend to do when frustrated to this extent. So if I jumped up my caloric intake by 500 ish calories, I predict I'd gain significant weight ( I'd say 5 pounds is significant for this discussion) quickly and, knowing myself, I'd likely give up.

laurabadams

Putting in your info with a goal weight of 140 comes up with a maintenance goal of 1470 for sedentary. You're not at all sedentary.

Here's the site I used:
https://tdeecalculator.net/result.php?s=imperial&g=female&age=53&lbs=140&in=64&act=1.2&f=2

When I put in your current weight, it does give an aggressive loss (1#/wk) target of 1160 calories/day, but again, that is based on sedentary activity level. When I put it at moderate activity (3-5 days/week) the goal jumps to 1645 calories/day to lose a pound a week.

https://tdeecalculator.net/result.php?s=imperial&g=female&age=53&lbs=175&in=64&act=1.55&f=2

ETA - these values are TDEE, so you wouldn't add any exercise calories earned because they're figured in already.

ryenday

PAV8888 wrote: »

650 g tub of Yoplait 0% sucralose sweetened fruit flavoured yogurt is 228 Cal and 26g protein. 3-5g of Hershey unsweetened chocolate powder balances it out by adding some fat and fiber and reducing the apparent sweetness.

A lb of liquid egg whites is close to the same calories with 46g of protein. Finish covered in a pan or in the oven over shredded (slaw style) veggies and some strong flavor meat, fish, or fowl if you feel the desire....

Think outside the box!

That yogurt (not counting the chocolate recommendation) is 150% the calories of the protein powder for 2/3 the protein. I was playing with approx 1200 calories. The extra calories to get the same protein would have been about 1/10th the total calories I had available. I do not see how someone could eat relatively well and still get 140 grams of protein on 1200 calories. Especially if they are allergic to eggs as I am.

If the "box" is get 1 G protein for every 1 pound ideal weight to protect your muscles while weight loss ( and that is what I keep seeing) I could not do it without protein powder. I tried, but everything was too high
calories for too low protein when one only has a budget of around 1200.

ryenday

jospen83 wrote: »

Putting in your info with a goal weight of 140 comes up with a maintenance goal of 1470 for sedentary. You're not at all sedentary.

Here's the site I used:
https://tdeecalculator.net/result.php?s=imperial&g=female&age=53&lbs=140&in=64&act=1.2&f=2

When I put in your current weight, it does give an aggressive loss (1#/wk) target of 1160 calories/day, but again, that is based on sedentary activity level. When I put it at moderate activity (3-5 days/week) the goal jumps to 1645 calories/day to lose a pound a week.

https://tdeecalculator.net/result.php?s=imperial&g=female&age=53&lbs=175&in=64&act=1.55&f=2

ETA - these values are TDEE, so you wouldn't add any exercise calories earned because they're figured in already.

I've got to say now I'm just really confused. I thought you based maintenance and or weight loss off of TDEE- especially me because I am sedentary. My average day contains very few steps no stairs and no movement at work. I work from an office in my house. The summer months have been way above 95°, and it is too uncomfortable to actually just go for a walk to break up the day. So it was my understanding I'm sedentary.

However I have added purposeful exercise to my sedentary life. That purposeful exercise I understood was calculated separately from TD EE.

MichelleSilverleaf

All right, let me ask you this - what number does MFP give you based on your stats, let's say a 1lb/week weight loss at sedentary?

GottaBurnEmAll

ryenday wrote: »

jospen83 wrote: »

Putting in your info with a goal weight of 140 comes up with a maintenance goal of 1470 for sedentary. You're not at all sedentary.

Here's the site I used:
https://tdeecalculator.net/result.php?s=imperial&g=female&age=53&lbs=140&in=64&act=1.2&f=2

When I put in your current weight, it does give an aggressive loss (1#/wk) target of 1160 calories/day, but again, that is based on sedentary activity level. When I put it at moderate activity (3-5 days/week) the goal jumps to 1645 calories/day to lose a pound a week.

https://tdeecalculator.net/result.php?s=imperial&g=female&age=53&lbs=175&in=64&act=1.55&f=2

ETA - these values are TDEE, so you wouldn't add any exercise calories earned because they're figured in already.

I've got to say now I'm just really confused. I thought you based maintenance and or weight loss off of TDEE- especially me because I am sedentary. My average day contains very few steps no stairs and no movement at work. I work from an office in my house. The summer months have been way above 95°, and it is too uncomfortable to actually just go for a walk to break up the day. So it was my understanding I'm sedentary.

However I have added purposeful exercise to my sedentary life. That purposeful exercise I understood was calculated separately from TD EE.

It depends on which method of calculation you're using.

MFP uses a NEAT method of calculation where you pick a base activity level that encompasses your daily movement and then you add purposeful exercise and are supposed to eat back a portion of those calories.

The TDEE calculator Jospen used calculates your Total Daily Energy expenditure based on how often you exercise per week.

laurabadams

TDEE is Total Daily Energy Expenditure & includes exercise calories. NEAT is non-exercise activity thermogenesis & does not include exercise calories. MyFitnessPal uses NEAT & expects individuals will log exercise & eat back some/all exercise calories earned.

There are some great posts that detail the difference. I'll try to find some links or hope that someone else beats me to it.

ryenday

MichelleSilverleaf wrote: »

All right, let me ask you this - what number does MFP give you based on your stats, let's say a 1lb/week weight loss at sedentary?

MFP gives me 1480 calories to lose .5 pound a week
MFP gives me 1230 calories to lose 1 pound per week

GottaBurnEmAll

ryenday wrote: »

MichelleSilverleaf wrote: »

All right, let me ask you this - what number does MFP give you based on your stats, let's say a 1lb/week weight loss at sedentary?

MFP gives me 1480 calories to lose .5 pound a week
MFP gives me 1230 calories to lose 1 pound per week

No wonder your energy is flagging! You're not even eating the 1230, and you're exercising on top of that.

ryenday

jospen83 wrote: »

TDEE is Total Daily Energy Expenditure & includes exercise calories. NEAT is non-exercise activity thermogenesis & does not include exercise calories. MyFitnessPal uses NEAT & expects individuals will log exercise & eat back some/all exercise calories earned.

There are some great posts that detail the difference. I'll try to find some links or hope that someone else beats me to it.

Yeah I think you all have pinpointed one VERY big problem I had here, I was conflating TDEE and NEAT ....

Now I just want to pull the covers over my head and go cry. I have to figure this all out again don't I?