Help! I’m not losing
Replies
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Think of it this way...
What would you say to your friend if they came to you and said "Help! I'm trying to save money by shopping at a different grocery store but it's not working, I'm still living paycheck to paycheck! What do I do?"
You'd probably respond "Well... you have to track your spending habits to see where you can save some money."
Same with calories. Without tracking your calories properly, you have no idea what your intake actually is. If you want to be able to predict your results, you need data. "Healthy eating" means nothing in regards to weight loss.
Yeah, for accuracy. But you could always say: shop less.
But here we have a situation where we don't even know what's in the bank account because the bank has a random service fees policy and one month can charge $1 in fees and the next $100 in fees and they don't even tell you which one they applied, just your final account balance!
So you will have to go through a few paychecks before you're sure that you're still living pay check to pay check or whether things have changed based on what you did!!!6 -
gebeziseva wrote: »You are eating less than you burn exactly so much as to lose 1lbs per month. If you want to lose more you need to eat less (or move more). Healthy foods are often high in calories. So you can gain by eating healthy pretty easilly.katherineleggett wrote: »What am I doing wrong?!
You aren't weighting your food so you don't know how much you are eating. You are guessing and estimating. But you don't know.
I can’t scan my food as I don’t cook it anymore. I’ve had to move in with my inlaws and they make tea before I get in from work. I feel so rude asking what’s in it1 -
katherineleggett wrote: »gebeziseva wrote: »You are eating less than you burn exactly so much as to lose 1lbs per month. If you want to lose more you need to eat less (or move more). Healthy foods are often high in calories. So you can gain by eating healthy pretty easilly.katherineleggett wrote: »What am I doing wrong?!
You aren't weighting your food so you don't know how much you are eating. You are guessing and estimating. But you don't know.
I can’t scan my food as I don’t cook it anymore. I’ve had to move in with my inlaws and they make tea before I get in from work. I feel so rude asking what’s in it
Then look at it this way, you're under estimating how much you're eating.
Eat a bit less.6 -
TavistockToad wrote: »katherineleggett wrote: »gebeziseva wrote: »You are eating less than you burn exactly so much as to lose 1lbs per month. If you want to lose more you need to eat less (or move more). Healthy foods are often high in calories. So you can gain by eating healthy pretty easilly.katherineleggett wrote: »What am I doing wrong?!
You aren't weighting your food so you don't know how much you are eating. You are guessing and estimating. But you don't know.
I can’t scan my food as I don’t cook it anymore. I’ve had to move in with my inlaws and they make tea before I get in from work. I feel so rude asking what’s in it
Then look at it this way, you're under estimating how much you're eating.
Eat a bit less.
I do eat less. I always do a smaller portion. I have less pasta, rice and skip on the garlic bread. I don’t know what more I can do when I don’t have the option to scan the food like I usually do3 -
TavistockToad wrote: »katherineleggett wrote: »gebeziseva wrote: »You are eating less than you burn exactly so much as to lose 1lbs per month. If you want to lose more you need to eat less (or move more). Healthy foods are often high in calories. So you can gain by eating healthy pretty easilly.katherineleggett wrote: »What am I doing wrong?!
You aren't weighting your food so you don't know how much you are eating. You are guessing and estimating. But you don't know.
I can’t scan my food as I don’t cook it anymore. I’ve had to move in with my inlaws and they make tea before I get in from work. I feel so rude asking what’s in it
Then look at it this way, you're under estimating how much you're eating.
Eat a bit less.
How do you know she needs to eat less?
What was her water weight, clothing, and water drunk, food eaten before the measurement variation between her two outside of the house scale measurements a month apart?8 -
katherineleggett wrote: »TavistockToad wrote: »katherineleggett wrote: »gebeziseva wrote: »You are eating less than you burn exactly so much as to lose 1lbs per month. If you want to lose more you need to eat less (or move more). Healthy foods are often high in calories. So you can gain by eating healthy pretty easilly.katherineleggett wrote: »What am I doing wrong?!
You aren't weighting your food so you don't know how much you are eating. You are guessing and estimating. But you don't know.
I can’t scan my food as I don’t cook it anymore. I’ve had to move in with my inlaws and they make tea before I get in from work. I feel so rude asking what’s in it
Then look at it this way, you're under estimating how much you're eating.
Eat a bit less.
I do eat less. I always do a smaller portion. I have less pasta, rice and skip on the garlic bread. I don’t know what more I can do when I don’t have the option to scan the food like I usually do
Well I think part of your problem is that you're retaining water from increased exercise so you need to be more patient...
Give it another 3 - 4 weeks, but if you're still only losing a pound a month it's because you're not in a large enough deficit.1 -
Sorry guys the only answer is keep doing what you're doing. And making the best choices that you can while waiting out for more clear results over time.4
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TavistockToad wrote: »katherineleggett wrote: »gebeziseva wrote: »You are eating less than you burn exactly so much as to lose 1lbs per month. If you want to lose more you need to eat less (or move more). Healthy foods are often high in calories. So you can gain by eating healthy pretty easilly.katherineleggett wrote: »What am I doing wrong?!
You aren't weighting your food so you don't know how much you are eating. You are guessing and estimating. But you don't know.
I can’t scan my food as I don’t cook it anymore. I’ve had to move in with my inlaws and they make tea before I get in from work. I feel so rude asking what’s in it
Then look at it this way, you're under estimating how much you're eating.
Eat a bit less.
How do you know she needs to eat less?
What was her water weight, clothing, and water drunk, food eaten before the measurement variation between her two outside of the house scale measurements a month apart?
Maybe look at my reply to OP...0 -
katherineleggett wrote: »gebeziseva wrote: »You are eating less than you burn exactly so much as to lose 1lbs per month. If you want to lose more you need to eat less (or move more). Healthy foods are often high in calories. So you can gain by eating healthy pretty easilly.katherineleggett wrote: »What am I doing wrong?!
You aren't weighting your food so you don't know how much you are eating. You are guessing and estimating. But you don't know.
I can’t scan my food as I don’t cook it anymore. I’ve had to move in with my inlaws and they make tea before I get in from work. I feel so rude asking what’s in it
I see. Then you need to go by estimating. If you're losing slowly then you're eating too much. There is only one answer really. It is always "too much food" (for the given amount of activity). But you knew that already I think because it is common sense. Everyone knows that to lose weight they need to eat less.
If you can't know exactly how much less then you have to go by your gut and see what works. What you have been doing the last few weeks works for 1lbs per month. Go by that. Eat less. If you start losing too quickly start eating more.
I'm sure you already know this so I don't know why I'm typing it.
You'll be fine.0 -
katherineleggett wrote: »djeffreys10 wrote: »katherineleggett wrote: »djeffreys10 wrote: »katherineleggett wrote: »djeffreys10 wrote: »How many calories a day are you eating? "Making healthier choices" is a relative term. If you are eating the same amount of calories as you are burning, you will not lose weight. And if you're not properly hitting macros as well as weight training, you will still lose weight on a deficit but will be losing more muscle mass than necessary and less fat than you could be.
Eating between 1200-1500 a day. Burning 400-500 active calories a daykatherineleggett wrote: »
You don't weigh your portions, you estimate. You're eating more calories than you think. Weigh/measure EVERYTHING you put in your mouth.
I can’t always do that as I live with parents now who make my tea. I do it when I can
I'm not scolding you, just answering your question. You don't know how many calories a day you're eating because you don't actually know your portion size. Most likely, you're eating more calories than you think.
I probably am. But I’ve been using this app and scanning all my food for 6 years now. I just can’t see how I’ve made so many improvements and it make no difference
scanned entries can be wrong and the serving sizes on packaged food can be off by up to 20% per serving. so yes you could be eating more than you think. same with the soup/salad. some salads are calorie bombs it all depends on whats in them. food calories and weights also change often so something that was a 28g serving may only now be a 24g serving or even more, and that serving can be as much as 35g per serving or more if you dont weigh it.
I had a protein bar that said 60g for the bar which was 1 serving. it ended up being 80g so that means more calories for the bar. same with peanut butter. a tbsp if not weighed can be as much as 2 tbsp. Thats an extra 100+ calories. its not hard to be off on calorie counts. If I scan something I make sure that the info matches up with the label. I only scan liquids though if I am out.0 -
oh and pasta per serving is very little especially after its cooked.its pretty sad1
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TavistockToad wrote: »TavistockToad wrote: »katherineleggett wrote: »gebeziseva wrote: »You are eating less than you burn exactly so much as to lose 1lbs per month. If you want to lose more you need to eat less (or move more). Healthy foods are often high in calories. So you can gain by eating healthy pretty easilly.katherineleggett wrote: »What am I doing wrong?!
You aren't weighting your food so you don't know how much you are eating. You are guessing and estimating. But you don't know.
I can’t scan my food as I don’t cook it anymore. I’ve had to move in with my inlaws and they make tea before I get in from work. I feel so rude asking what’s in it
Then look at it this way, you're under estimating how much you're eating.
Eat a bit less.
How do you know she needs to eat less?
What was her water weight, clothing, and water drunk, food eaten before the measurement variation between her two outside of the house scale measurements a month apart?
Maybe look at my reply to OP...
i did and already liked it because it was the correct response
I am disagreeing with your further reply. Which is that based on her parameters and evidence the answer is "eat less". The answer remains: we don't have a clue and there is no evidence that what she is doing is not working already.0 -
CharlieBeansmomTracey wrote: »oh and pasta per serving is very little especially after its cooked.its pretty sad
I don't find pasta servings all that small. Especially combined with proteins and veg to round it out. Maybe I'm in the minority because I've never felt like this.
OP, if you're having a hard time not being able to measure your tea because of the in laws, could you ask them to make some healthier meals, or cook some extra veggies to have with whatever they're making? Make a side salad for yourself and have a smaller portion of what they made? Try to find some adjustments that would be easy for you to control. Or keep going for another month and see if you lose more after your body adjusts to the exercise. That will give you a clearer picture of what's happening.
I hope you find something that works. I know how frustrating it can be to feel like you're doing what you're supposed to and not getting the results you hoped for.3 -
getskinny1973 wrote: »how do you properly hit macros?
what is that?
I hit my macros with a baseball bat.6 -
It's only the first of the month and losing one pound is great relax and enjoy the small victory.6
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katherineleggett wrote: »djeffreys10 wrote: »How many calories a day are you eating? "Making healthier choices" is a relative term. If you are eating the same amount of calories as you are burning, you will not lose weight. And if you're not properly hitting macros as well as weight training, you will still lose weight on a deficit but will be losing more muscle mass than necessary and less fat than you could be.
Eating between 1200-1500 a day. Burning 400-500 active calories a day
If you're not weighing your food, you don't really know how many calories you're eating. Weigh all solids (including things like eggs, bread and cheese, as well as frozen meals and packaged foods like yogurt) on a food scale and measure all liquids with cups and spoons. You'll be absolutely floored at the piddly calories in a regular serving of most foods!
I also thought I was eating 1200 calories. It was actually about 1800 most days.6 -
In your description you neglected to mention the one thing that influences weight loss which is the amount of calories you are in taking versus the amount you are expending.
If you don't know then that would be why you aren't losing weight.6 -
katherineleggett wrote: »I can’t scan my food as I don’t cook it anymore. I’ve had to move in with my inlaws and they make tea before I get in from work. I feel so rude asking what’s in it
How about if you said you'd like to learn to cook some of your in-laws' meals, and can you help them cook or have a copy of the recipe? Maybe you can get an idea of the ingredients in a sneaky way! Take your best guess at the quantities and enter into MFPs recipe builder, see what sort of calorie counts you get.
I also don't feel that it would be too rude to ask what's in a dish - you could phrase it as, "This is delicious, what did you put in it today?" or, "Did you have to use a lot of cheese to get that great flavour?", or something like that.
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Aaron_K123 wrote: »In your description you neglected to mention the one thing that influences weight loss which is the amount of calories you are in taking versus the amount you are expending.
If you don't know then that would be why you aren't losing weight.
The OP said above that she lives with in laws and they cook.
She can lose weight without knowing how much she is eating in calories. People can in general.4 -
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