Please Critique Diary
newheavensearth
Posts: 870 Member
Done with WW and ready to fully focus on calorie counting. Could you please look over my diary and see where I can improve?
A few things:
I will work on not skipping days of logging. That was when I was double tracking/ logging on WW.
My calorie burns are from Fitbit with negative adjustments set. I exercise twice per day for about 2 hrs total.
Calorie allowance set to .5 lb loss per week.
I'm 5'3", 148 lbs. 42 yo. Trying to lose 23. My creeping gains have stopped, but trending app (Monitor my Weight) says I'm going nowhere. I fluctuate +/- 2 lbs often.
Thanks.
A few things:
I will work on not skipping days of logging. That was when I was double tracking/ logging on WW.
My calorie burns are from Fitbit with negative adjustments set. I exercise twice per day for about 2 hrs total.
Calorie allowance set to .5 lb loss per week.
I'm 5'3", 148 lbs. 42 yo. Trying to lose 23. My creeping gains have stopped, but trending app (Monitor my Weight) says I'm going nowhere. I fluctuate +/- 2 lbs often.
Thanks.
0
Replies
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Hey! I ran your stats through a TDEE calc to get a good frame of reference. Your sedentary TDEE is coming up at around 1560 for me. Sedentary meaning mainly sitting down all day, with a bit of walking and movement, but not a whole lot. So obviously not counting your exercise.
I see that your Fitbit is often giving you between 500-1100 calories burnt from exercise every day. Even for 2 hours of intense exercise, that may be a big overestimation. Fitbits can be inaccurate, unfortunately. Most people like to offset this inaccuracy by only eating back 50-75% of the exercise-burnt calories they're earning.
If I bump your Activity Level up to "Moderately Active, Physical Work, Exercise, or Sports 4 to 5 Days a Week, Construction Laborer" your TDEE becomes 2000. So on those heavy workout days, you would eat 2000 calories to maintain your current weight.
Sooooo... your food intake looks good to me, I see you're weighing your fruit and veg so that's great. I think eating back your (possibly inflated) exercise calories may be the cause of your slow progress.
This is the TDEE calculator I use: http://www.sailrabbit.com/bmr/3 -
Are you training for something? 2 hours exercise is a lot?1
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TavistockToad wrote: »Are you training for something? 2 hours exercise is a lot?
Mostly for stress relief. I used to binge eat after work. Now I exercise. It's not everyday. Have cut back on weekend to 30 to 60 minutes of a dvd.2 -
Protein & fat are a bit low on the couple of days I looked at.
And you're netting 800 cals which is very low?0 -
I guess the question is - what exercise do you do for 2 hours and how active are you the rest of the day? I'm not far from your stats and I'd have to have over 25k steps to have a 900 calorie adjustment.
I mean, it's not good to eat too little either, but your numbers really don't make sense - with such a big deficit, you should be losing 1 lb a week easily (your diary seems fine).0 -
TavistockToad wrote: »Protein & fat are a bit low on the couple of days I looked at.
And you're netting 800 cals which is very low?
Yes I'm very confused. I should be losing something.0 -
I guess the question is - what exercise do you do for 2 hours and how active are you the rest of the day? I'm not far from your stats and I'd have to have over 25k steps to have a 900 calorie adjustment.
I mean, it's not good to eat too little either, but your numbers really don't make sense - with such a big deficit, you should be losing 1 lb a week easily (your diary seems fine).
I get to about 15000 to 20000 steps per day. I walk and take mass transit (no car), and use the stairs in my office (4th floor). I live in a walk up apartment and have no medical conditions. I feel I'm just doomed.
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newheavensearth wrote: »TavistockToad wrote: »Protein & fat are a bit low on the couple of days I looked at.
And you're netting 800 cals which is very low?
Yes I'm very confused. I should be losing something.
How long haven't the scales moved for?0 -
TavistockToad wrote: »newheavensearth wrote: »TavistockToad wrote: »Protein & fat are a bit low on the couple of days I looked at.
And you're netting 800 cals which is very low?
Yes I'm very confused. I should be losing something.
How long haven't the scales moved for?
4 months0 -
20k steps is well beyond MFP very active and therefore the adjustment, per se, does not seem inapropriate.
How long has there been lack of weight shifting. How long since you moved from ww. How many calories did you eat there?2 -
You're not doomed. The first suggestion I make is that you remove the fitbit and set it aside. Set your MFP goal to lose 0.5 lb per week. Set your lifestyle as sedentary. Log your exercise accurately. Stairclimbing, by the way, is 2x the burn of walking on a flat surface in the time it took to climb the stairs. Climbing 4 flights takes about half a minute, and the burn is scarcely 5 calories. I'm just saying, don't call one trip up per day much of an exercise win. You can use mapmywalk to calculate the speed of your walking, and you can log your walking accurately.5
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20k steps is well beyond MFP very active and therefore the adjustment, per se, does not seem inapropriate.
How long has there been lack of weight shifting. How long since you moved from ww. How many calories did you eat there?
My weight fluctuated +/- 2 lbs almost daily for about 4 months. Calories averaging 1400 to 1800 depending on points used. I followed their plan but tracked calories here. I stayed at what looked like a deficit (in the green).0 -
Don't know monitor my weight but if you have your weigh ins in Fitbit you should be able to connect trendweight.com
I just trying to comprehend a not even slight trend decrease with 1400-1800 which should all be deficits.
How long have you been on ww or dieting in general? What was your starting / how long ago?0 -
Don't know monitor my weight but if you have your weigh ins in Fitbit you should be able to connect trendweight.com
I just trying to comprehend a not even slight trend decrease with 1400-1800 which should all be deficits.
How long have you been on ww or dieting in general? What was your starting / how long ago?Don't know monitor my weight but if you have your weigh ins in Fitbit you should be able to connect trendweight.com
I just trying to comprehend a not even slight trend decrease with 1400-1800 which should all be deficits.
How long have you been on ww or dieting in general? What was your starting / how long ago?Don't know monitor my weight but if you have your weigh ins in Fitbit you should be able to connect trendweight.com
I just trying to comprehend a not even slight trend decrease with 1400-1800 which should all be deficits.
How long have you been on ww or dieting in general? What was your starting / how long ago?
Many years. Went from 208 to 137, then regained 10 last year (mental self sabotage, totally over it) and it won't come off. I lose a little, then I maintain. Not an official diet break, I just stop losing and stay at a weight and maintain. And repeat. I know these last lbs will come off slower but something should have moved by now, even at .5 lbs per week.
Thanks everybody. You really are the best.0 -
Okay I just tried to look at your diary but it came back as set to private.
What sort of exercise are we talking and is this included in your 15 to 20 K steps?
Have you kept the level of activity and type of exercise constant throughout?
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There are two thread that you may want to look into. One is lean people getting leaner. And the other one is the refeed and diet break thread which should have all the important stuff summarized in the first few pages2
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Here's what I would do if I were in your shoes:
Pick a consistent non-workout-day calorie target and a workout-day calorie target. Then do your best to stick to them.
I'd say 1300 gross calories on non-workout days, and 1600 gross calories on workout days. If you find yourself really hungry on workout days, try 1700 instead. Still really hungry, too tired to work out? Try 1800.
Find the sweet spot where you're fueling your workouts but losing weight. And stick with consistent calorie goals for a month or two and reassess from there.2 -
Have you tracked your data to your Fitbit before so that you know that it's accurate for you? While some are quick to say Fitbits are inaccurate, they're usually pretty spot on for most people who've calibrated them, however some people are outliers and they can observe this by comparing real world results to what Fitbit would suggest.2
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GottaBurnEmAll wrote: »Have you tracked your data to your Fitbit before so that you know that it's accurate for you? While some are quick to say Fitbits are inaccurate, they're usually pretty spot on for most people who've calibrated them, however some people are outliers and they can observe this by comparing real world results to what Fitbit would suggest.
Though if she is an outlier I would be wondering whether the previous weight loss may be a contributing factor. Also trying to figure out whether exercise has become "stale" over a period of time and is basically same-o-sort-a-thing which may benefit tremendously by a change of pace/venue/type of muscles being used.
And whether we have a permacut unplanned diet break so to speak at the low end which might benefit from trying to move things to the high end of intake without significant gain. Or whether to push for a larger deficit (whether explicitly by changing settings on MFP or implicitly by eating back less of the fitbit calories)3 -
Here's what I would do if I were in your shoes:
Pick a consistent non-workout-day calorie target and a workout-day calorie target. Then do your best to stick to them.
I'd say 1300 gross calories on non-workout days, and 1600 gross calories on workout days. If you find yourself really hungry on workout days, try 1700 instead. Still really hungry, too tired to work out? Try 1800.
Find the sweet spot where you're fueling your workouts but losing weight. And stick with consistent calorie goals for a month or two and reassess from there.
I am insanely hungry on workout days so I do tend towards the 1700 to 1800. On fibro flare/ low energy days I tend toward 1400.
Thank you for your help.
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GottaBurnEmAll wrote: »Have you tracked your data to your Fitbit before so that you know that it's accurate for you? While some are quick to say Fitbits are inaccurate, they're usually pretty spot on for most people who've calibrated them, however some people are outliers and they can observe this by comparing real world results to what Fitbit would suggest.
Yes I have. I get pretty consistent burns.0 -
newheavensearth wrote: »On fibro flare/ low energy days I tend toward 1400
Medications? How low (step-wise) are low days?
I noticed a few months back that I was not seeing (slow) results at numbers that I knew ought to be giving me results. I simultaneously noticed that a lot of my steps were from taking the dog out and meandering around aimlessly while texting vs my previous deliberate walking for exercise. Intentionally adjusting the intensity changed the results.0 -
I fixed that.Okay I just tried to look at your diary but it came back as set to private.
What sort of exercise are we talking and is this included in your 15 to 20 K steps?
Have you kept the level of activity and type of exercise constant throughout?
Exercise is usually jogging/walking incline intervals on treadmill for 4- 5 miles or 1 hr step aerobics. Sometimes 1 hr sports drills, Spinningn or kickboxing dvd. Intensity feels like it might be getting easier, so sometimes I use weighted gloves and I'm considering a weight vest. But I do walk every day.
Weight training with machine or free weights 45 min to an hr 3 or 4 times per week. Not measured with Fitbit.2 -
newheavensearth wrote: »On fibro flare/ low energy days I tend toward 1400
Medications? How low (step-wise) are low days?
I noticed a few months back that I was not seeing (slow) results at numbers that I knew ought to be giving me results. I simultaneously noticed that a lot of my steps were from taking the dog out and meandering around aimlessly while texting vs my previous deliberate walking for exercise. Intentionally adjusting the intensity changed the results.
A low day is 7000. I've been taking Topamax for years. No effect on weight. I gain on it too.0 -
newheavensearth wrote: »
I fixed that.Okay I just tried to look at your diary but it came back as set to private.
What sort of exercise are we talking and is this included in your 15 to 20 K steps?
Have you kept the level of activity and type of exercise constant throughout?
Exercise is usually jogging/walking incline intervals on treadmill for 4- 5 miles or 1 hr step aerobics. Sometimes 1 hr sports drills, Spinningn or kickboxing dvd. Intensity feels like it might be getting easier, so sometimes I use weighted gloves and I'm considering a weight vest. But I do walk every day.
Weight training with machine or free weights 45 min to an hr 3 or 4 times per week. Not measured with Fitbit.
If your caloric intake levels are accurate (weighted, everything counted, bites/condiments/coffee accounted for) I am a little bit baffled.
I would consider changing "random" weight training to structured planned training (since you're willing to put in the work, which I'm not, why not benefit to the max as opposed to get random sub-optimal results?). So structured planned progressive training which all by itself may give you progress even if the progress is not directly scale related.
I note that you're BMI ~26ish; but arguably by many you are not actually incurring a countable health penalty risk at that weight.
I would consider a regiment of re-feeds and would definitely consider the accuracy of my logging and degree of how much of an outlier I am when it comes to making decisions.
Yes, you can probably drop calories and lose. I have some questions as to whether that would be a great idea vis a vis something along the lines of continuing to recomp as you're probably doing at this time. (only doing it more effectively with more structured/well thought out exercise)4 -
Your food intake looks very good, but your calorie burn looks excessive. Are you using Fitbit to account for calories burned? My suspicion is that you are overestimating the calories used.0
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newheavensearth wrote: »
I fixed that.Okay I just tried to look at your diary but it came back as set to private.
What sort of exercise are we talking and is this included in your 15 to 20 K steps?
Have you kept the level of activity and type of exercise constant throughout?
Exercise is usually jogging/walking incline intervals on treadmill for 4- 5 miles or 1 hr step aerobics. Sometimes 1 hr sports drills, Spinningn or kickboxing dvd. Intensity feels like it might be getting easier, so sometimes I use weighted gloves and I'm considering a weight vest. But I do walk every day.
Weight training with machine or free weights 45 min to an hr 3 or 4 times per week. Not measured with Fitbit.
If your caloric intake levels are accurate (weighted, everything counted, bites/condiments/coffee accounted for) I am a little bit baffled.
I would consider changing "random" weight training to structured planned training (since you're willing to put in the work, which I'm not, why not benefit to the max as opposed to get random sub-optimal results?). So structured planned progressive training which all by itself may give you progress even if the progress is not directly scale related.
I note that you're BMI ~26ish; but arguably by many you are not actually incurring a countable health penalty risk at that weight.
I would consider a regiment of re-feeds and would definitely consider the accuracy of my logging and degree of how much of an outlier I am when it comes to making decisions.
Yes, you can probably drop calories and lose. I have some questions as to whether that would be a great idea vis a vis something along the lines of continuing to recomp as you're probably doing at this time. (only doing it more effectively with more structured/well thought out exercise)
Thank you. I was thinking if I should just go for a recomp now cuz it's not like the scale is really moving anyway vs. keep fighting for fat loss. I'm already a single digit size and happy with somewhat, but hung up on the scale and I feel flabby.
I'm looking into structured weight training plans and cutting back some cardio. Tightening up logging is a definite.
Thanks for your advice! Much appreciated!0 -
7K would be a lightly active day so I would make sure negative adjustments were enabled (takes away calories) to compensate. (actually from sedentary it would probably NOT take away any calories)
I would look into three threads.
-- re feed and diet break threads
-- lean people trying to get leaner thread
-- re-comp thread
exercise forum may have some great advice on structured programs.
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I really wish people who don't have Fitbits and don't use them would stop weighing in on how "inaccurate" they are. There are a great many of us who use these forums who make use of our Fitbits with great success because we know how to work with them.
This isn't a Fitbit issue, it seems that the OP knows how to work with her Fitbit. I agree with PAV8888 that this is likely some other underlying issue and the OP is likely to find answers in those other threads.6 -
GottaBurnEmAll wrote: »I really wish people who don't have Fitbits and don't use them would stop weighing in on how "inaccurate" they are. There are a great many of us who use these forums who make use of our Fitbits with great success because we know how to work with them.
This isn't a Fitbit issue, it seems that the OP knows how to work with her Fitbit. I agree with PAV8888 that this is likely some other underlying issue and the OP is likely to find answers in those other threads.
Thank you. I take whatever it gives me with a grain of salt just in case. But I've had it so long I'm familiar with what's reasonable and what's not.
Checking out the other recommended threads now.5
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