Can someone look at my diary please? Not losing

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Replies

  • k8andchr1smom
    k8andchr1smom Posts: 72 Member
    Well, for instance that avocado someone mentioned. Look it up on the USDA database to get the correct calories. A 75g avocado is about 105 calories. The other mistakes you are making could be adding 300-500 calories.

    Then you aren't eating back exercise calories. I guess you could assume this is a wash - OR you could start making more accurate choices.

    Here's a thread on the USDA food choices and how to use MFP with it:

    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10621050/how-to-use-the-usda-food-database-mfp-food-database-for-accurate-logging/p1

    Read the threads we are linking for you.

    One of those threads I linked in my last post talks about macros, too. If you want to eat 22% carbs, whey wouldn't you have your food diary set that way?

    I don't know how to change it!!! but I'll look into it. Thank you
  • CharlieBeansmomTracey
    CharlieBeansmomTracey Posts: 7,682 Member
    AliceDark wrote: »
    1. Are you measuring your solids with a food scale?
    2. How are you finding entries like "creamy sweet potato bacon chowder"? Did you use the recipe builder to create that recipe?
    3. Some days look to be incomplete. Is that the case?

    I use the builder for recipes. I use a scale for fat, protein and the occasional chips, cups for salads and fruit. The last incomplete day, aside from today is NYE and last Friday. Not sure what happened that day.

    cups are inaccurate for solid and semi solids. so weigh your salad and fruit too. if its packaged salad use the grams on the package as the serving size. if you are making the salad yourself. weigh everything separately and log it or use the recipe builder as well.weigh all solids and semi solids. measure all liquids in cups and spoons.
  • alska
    alska Posts: 300 Member
    I'm not sure if this was mentioned yet ... make sure you really measure, weight n count your food. If something says 3 ounces is a serving ... make sure to weight it so you're really only getting 3 ounces, same if it says a 1/4 of cup, make sure you measure just that... if something says 5 pieces, count out 5. I wasn't doing that when i started ... it really makes a difference.
  • Marilyn0924
    Marilyn0924 Posts: 797 Member

    I'd also add that some of your entries are probably not totally accurate. 75 grams of avocado is not 85 calories.
    That is possible but how do I know which entries are accurate?

    Get yourself a food scale, weigh all solids, including veg and fruit, measure all liquids.
    Again, I have one. I didn't think I ate enough vegetables to make a huge difference.

    Thank you


    It takes time to find entries that are actually valid. I refer to the USDA website often to verify against the MFP entries. Entries verified with a green check are more often correct.
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    hello.......I took a peek and maybe you should cut out the chips @ lunchtime and the potatoes. It might be too much starch and carbs for your body. try it ;)

    She's eating 22% carbs. Carbs don't prevent weight loss anyway (calories are what matter), but her diet is already low-ish carb.

    OP, the points about weighing and checking entries are good ones, and could explain inaccuracies, and changing your macros to reflect how you actually wish to eat is also a good idea. If you go to HOME and then GOALS you can set the percentages as you want (in 5% increments).

    The good thing is that although it's a pain to find or check the entries the first time, once the right ones are used they will be in your recent and (soon) frequent foods.

    If you don't want to eat back exercise because you are cautious about the calorie counts, one approach is to go to a TDEE calculator and get a calorie goal that reflects your exercise upfront. You are doing an awful lot of exercise for the goal you seem to have in your head, and that will not be helpful in the long run. Another approach is to cut the calorie counts down some, but not ignore the exercise entirely. Better to be accurate and aim for a reasonable calorie target.

    If you do that, you can log exercise as 1 calorie and then your goal and results should line up.
  • mitch16
    mitch16 Posts: 2,113 Member
    How long have you been at this? When did your weight loss "stall" begin? If your exercise regimen is new you could be retaining water weight.

    Also, there is quite a bit of restaurant food/carryout in your diary--it's notoriously high in sodium and that could be causing you to retain water as well.
  • CharlieBeansmomTracey
    CharlieBeansmomTracey Posts: 7,682 Member
    alska wrote: »
    I'm not sure if this was mentioned yet ... make sure you really measure, weight n count your food. If something says 3 ounces is a serving ... make sure to weight it so you're really only getting 3 ounces, same if it says a 1/4 of cup, make sure you measure just that... if something says 5 pieces, count out 5. I wasn't doing that when i started ... it really makes a difference.

    the thing is if a serving says 5 pieces are 45g(for example) 5 pieces can be 60g. which means more calories. a 1/4 of a cup can actually end up being half of more if you use measuring cups.they arent accurate for solids and semisolids. food packaging can be off by up to 20%. same with an apple. no 2 apples of similar size in most cases will weigh the same amount. cups should only for liquids. and oz arent as accurate as grams either. there also is fl oz(liquids) and regular oz which will not be the same.
  • alska
    alska Posts: 300 Member
    alska wrote: »
    I'm not sure if this was mentioned yet ... make sure you really measure, weight n count your food. If something says 3 ounces is a serving ... make sure to weight it so you're really only getting 3 ounces, same if it says a 1/4 of cup, make sure you measure just that... if something says 5 pieces, count out 5. I wasn't doing that when i started ... it really makes a difference.

    the thing is if a serving says 5 pieces are 45g(for example) 5 pieces can be 60g. which means more calories. a 1/4 of a cup can actually end up being half of more if you use measuring cups.they arent accurate for solids and semisolids. food packaging can be off by up to 20%. same with an apple. no 2 apples of similar size in most cases will weigh the same amount. cups should only for liquids. and oz arent as accurate as grams either. there also is fl oz(liquids) and regular oz which will not be the same.

    i did mention weighing. that's what i do ... i weigh in grams most of the time. buttttttt i do count my gummie worms ..... lol with measuring there is a liquid measuring cup n a dried (solid) one.... use an appropriate one. but if its something like broccoli, don't measure, weigh it.

    Just use common sense lol
  • CharlieBeansmomTracey
    CharlieBeansmomTracey Posts: 7,682 Member
    alska wrote: »
    alska wrote: »
    I'm not sure if this was mentioned yet ... make sure you really measure, weight n count your food. If something says 3 ounces is a serving ... make sure to weight it so you're really only getting 3 ounces, same if it says a 1/4 of cup, make sure you measure just that... if something says 5 pieces, count out 5. I wasn't doing that when i started ... it really makes a difference.

    the thing is if a serving says 5 pieces are 45g(for example) 5 pieces can be 60g. which means more calories. a 1/4 of a cup can actually end up being half of more if you use measuring cups.they arent accurate for solids and semisolids. food packaging can be off by up to 20%. same with an apple. no 2 apples of similar size in most cases will weigh the same amount. cups should only for liquids. and oz arent as accurate as grams either. there also is fl oz(liquids) and regular oz which will not be the same.

    i did mention weighing. that's what i do ... i weigh in grams most of the time. buttttttt i do count my gummie worms ..... lol with measuring there is a liquid measuring cup n a dried (solid) one.... use an appropriate one. but if its something like broccoli, don't measure, weigh it.

    Just use common sense lol

    a measuring cup is a measuring cup when using it to weigh dry foods its going to be off. try it with oatmeal. weigh a half cup and see if its 40g or not. trust me I learned this the hard way. as for gummy worms counting them could still be off gram wise.7 gummy worms could be an additional 10 or more calories.
  • CharlieBeansmomTracey
    CharlieBeansmomTracey Posts: 7,682 Member
    alska wrote: »
    alska wrote: »
    alska wrote: »
    I'm not sure if this was mentioned yet ... make sure you really measure, weight n count your food. If something says 3 ounces is a serving ... make sure to weight it so you're really only getting 3 ounces, same if it says a 1/4 of cup, make sure you measure just that... if something says 5 pieces, count out 5. I wasn't doing that when i started ... it really makes a difference.

    the thing is if a serving says 5 pieces are 45g(for example) 5 pieces can be 60g. which means more calories. a 1/4 of a cup can actually end up being half of more if you use measuring cups.they arent accurate for solids and semisolids. food packaging can be off by up to 20%. same with an apple. no 2 apples of similar size in most cases will weigh the same amount. cups should only for liquids. and oz arent as accurate as grams either. there also is fl oz(liquids) and regular oz which will not be the same.

    i did mention weighing. that's what i do ... i weigh in grams most of the time. buttttttt i do count my gummie worms ..... lol with measuring there is a liquid measuring cup n a dried (solid) one.... use an appropriate one. but if its something like broccoli, don't measure, weigh it.

    Just use common sense lol

    a measuring cup is a measuring cup when using it to weigh dry foods its going to be off. try it with oatmeal. weigh a half cup and see if its 40g or not. trust me I learned this the hard way. as for gummy worms counting them could still be off gram wise.7 gummy worms could be an additional 10 or more calories.

    i'm not sure why you feel the need to argue n be right? i didn't say you were wrong btw. i was saying that there are two different kinda of measuring cups. n mentioned how i do it .. its been working for me. do whatever works for you.

    not arguing just letting others know there isnt a difference when it comes to using them for solids and semi solids. which is why its better to use a scale. and while its working for you somewhere down the road it may or may not. some out there thing a fl oz is the same as a oz also.
  • SbetaK
    SbetaK Posts: 398 Member

    I'd also add that some of your entries are probably not totally accurate. 75 grams of avocado is not 85 calories.
    That is possible but how do I know which entries are accurate?

    Get yourself a food scale, weigh all solids, including veg and fruit, measure all liquids.
    Again, I have one. I didn't think I ate enough vegetables to make a huge difference.

    Thank you


    It takes time to find entries that are actually valid. I refer to the USDA website often to verify against the MFP entries. Entries verified with a green check are more often correct.
    Definitely as others mentioned above, you have to check the nutrition stats of the foods you pick from the database to add to your diary. Each one of these was entered by someone, and the entries are only as good as the human who entered them. An example: I was logging EVERYTHING, and was astounded at the grams of sugar I ate. I skimmed the details of the day's meals in my diary and saw that one entry said that one tablespoon of chopped raw jalapeno peppers had 23 grams of sugar. Wrong. Worse, this was one of the certified, green check-marked items that is supposed to be correct. Contacted support to fix. Also, the person who makes an entry may be setting it for their own diet purposes, and if they are not watching all the individual macros they may not enter them. I have chosen food items in the data base that were missing salt or sugar, which is 2 things I want to track. When my end-of-day totals seemed off, I looked above and saw they were missing. Like a normal chocolate chip cookie that didn't show any sugar in it.