Not Eating Enough?

ebrandt64
ebrandt64 Posts: 5 Member
edited November 24 in Health and Weight Loss
Hello, I'm 51 yr old Male. I am working out with weights 3 -4 days a week and doing HITT Rowing workouts 2 - 3 days a week. I am 245 lbs with 24% body fat. My goal is to get BF into the high teens. I have been eating 1500 calories (protein 40%, Fat 35% and carbs 25%) and bouncing around in the 245lb to 250lb range with BF 24% + for months.
I took the last two weeks off workouts due to sickness and foot injury. Kept diet pretty much the same (maybe a few more carbs) and now i'm down to 23.7% BF (first time below 24%)
Only thing that makes sense to me is that maybe I wasn't eating enough when working out.

Thoughts?

Replies

  • RoxieDawn
    RoxieDawn Posts: 15,488 Member
    What is your height? How are you testing body fat%?
  • VintageFeline
    VintageFeline Posts: 6,771 Member
    How are you measuring your intake?
  • VintageFeline
    VintageFeline Posts: 6,771 Member
    If you open your diary we'll be able to help you troubleshoot your logging. Eating too little won't be the reason you haven't lost.
  • RoxieDawn
    RoxieDawn Posts: 15,488 Member
    VintageFeline wrote: »
    If you open your diary we'll be able to help you troubleshoot your logging. Eating too little won't be the reason you haven't lost.
    VintageFeline wrote: »
    How are you measuring your intake?

    And this.
  • StevefromMichigan
    StevefromMichigan Posts: 462 Member
    edited February 2018
    .
  • kommodevaran
    kommodevaran Posts: 17,890 Member
    The only thing that makes sense to me is that you can't be tracking your intake properly. How do you log?
  • Decapins
    Decapins Posts: 49 Member
    thats .3%
  • PAV8888
    PAV8888 Posts: 14,318 Member
    edited February 2018
    Intake questionable. Current Weight + activity level ought to be resulting in bigger drops.

    Body fat estimate based on any bio impedence analysis (and even more so based on scale bio impedence results) and with such a small difference in value... is very questionable.

    Not being able to exercise often results in a scale drop due to water retained for muscle repairs getting released. That would be lean mass, not fat, getting lost.

    Regardless. Visible and steady progress is progress and the exactness of values is a secondary issue as compared to steadily moving forward in terms of results!!!
  • ebrandt64
    ebrandt64 Posts: 5 Member
    Thanks for all the answers. I track with this app. I prepare breakfast, lunch and Snacks every morning. I use a scale to get exact measures. I will open my Diary (just have to figure out how). I feel like I'm pretty regimented.

    I'm using a Garmin Index Smart Scale.

    I know that the % change was small, I just have struggled to get there and then all of a sudden when I take a break, it happened.
  • RoxieDawn
    RoxieDawn Posts: 15,488 Member
    janejellyroll wrote: »
    Just from a quick glance, it looks like there is a lot of estimating/approximations in your diary. You've got things like "25 almonds," ".5 avocado," generic pizza, "1 medium" apple, and a mixture of weights and measuring cups for things like meat and vegetables. It looks like you may be using some generic database entries for things like chili and there is at least one day with no logging at all. Before making adjustments, I would focus on getting consistent and accurate with the logging. This will give you a baseline from which to make adjustments.

    This.

    OP I noticed that there are many days way under 1500 calories, but with logging inconsistencies, calories consumed can be higher these days as a result of the logging issues the same goes for the days at 1500+.

    Also review what @PAV8888 stated about the use of BIA scales for bf% measurment and water loss when taking your exercise break.

    I would be interested in know your height, to understand if 1500 calories is too low for you in general.
  • ebrandt64
    ebrandt64 Posts: 5 Member
    I scan in exact items when I can. Not always able to. (I actually do count out 25 almonds).
    I am 6'1".
  • quiksylver296
    quiksylver296 Posts: 28,439 Member
    Buy a food scale. Use it. Log all your foods in grams. Be amazed.

    Check out this thread...

    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10634517/you-dont-use-a-food-scale/p1
  • FlyingMolly
    FlyingMolly Posts: 490 Member
    edited February 2018
    ebrandt64 wrote: »
    I scan in exact items when I can. Not always able to. (I actually do count out 25 almonds).
    I am 6'1".

    I think the issue is that not all almonds are the same size, and you have no idea what size the ones that made up the original entry were.

    This is even more pronounced with avocados: there are a lot of entries on MFP based around the idea of a “medium” avocado. I did some digging and learned that the FDA calls a 150g avocado “medium,” and the MFP entries mostly seem to match its calorie estimate for that size. However, I have yet to be able to find even one that small in my grocery store! After several dozen attempts at choosing the tiniest avocados I could see, the lightest one was 180g...and with high-calorie foods, those little discrepancies add up fast.
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    edited February 2018
    ebrandt64 wrote: »
    I scan in exact items when I can. Not always able to. (I actually do count out 25 almonds).
    I am 6'1".

    The issue isn't how well you can count, the issue is that counting pieces is a less accurate way to measure calorie intake. It's more accurate to weigh the almonds (and all other solid foods) than to count pieces, estimate, or use package details as the sole source of guidance for portion size.
  • ebrandt64
    ebrandt64 Posts: 5 Member
    OK, makes sense
  • estherdragonbat
    estherdragonbat Posts: 5,283 Member
    FlyingMolly wrote: »
    ebrandt64 wrote: »
    I scan in exact items when I can. Not always able to. (I actually do count out 25 almonds).
    I am 6'1".

    I think the issue is that not all almonds are the same size, and you have no idea what size the ones that made up the original entry were.

    This is even more pronounced with avocados: there are a lot of entries on MFP based around the idea of a “medium” avocado. I did some digging and learned that the FDA calls a 150g avocado “medium,” and the MFP entries mostly seem to match its calorie estimate for that size. However, I have yet to be able to find even one that small in my grocery store! After several dozen attempts at choosing the tiniest avocados I could see, the lightest one was 180g...and with high-calorie foods, those little discrepancies add up fast.

    Yeah, I have a hard time finding 40-gram onions (which are supposedly 'medium'). Granted the discrepancy isn't as significant as it would be for an avocado, but little errors add up.
  • successgal1
    successgal1 Posts: 996 Member
    Sounds to me more like you're not resting enough.
This discussion has been closed.

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