After 2 weeks

Brass_Player
Brass_Player Posts: 1 Member
edited November 2024 in Getting Started
I'm 60yo and weigh 220. I was a slug. I work at home and sit at my computer the entire day, every day.

Two weeks ago I started using myfitnesspal and changed what I eat. I have faithfully logged everything that I eat and drink.

My first target weight is 200. I eat three meals a day. No more sandwiches. Except for 1 piece of toast in the morning there's no bread in my diet. I eat more meat and greens now. No more packaged snacks between meals. My snacks are bananas, plums, apples, celery sticks, etc. Although the program suggests I eat about 2000 cals a day I can't even eat 1200 cals. I drink 50 oz of water every day. No more beer or booze. I do 80 minutes of stationary bike every day in four 20-minute sessions. At the end of every day the app says I have 750 - 1000 cals available.

I just weighed myself for the first time since I started two weeks ago. I gained a pound. WTF !

Replies

  • kommodevaran
    kommodevaran Posts: 17,890 Member
    edited March 2018
    Weight fluctuates naturally form day to day. You can't measure fat loss or gain in single weeks, or single pounds. Many people retain water from new exercise. That much stationary biking souds really boring, how are you managing?

    You don't have to cut out any foods or eat any particular foods or in any particular meal schedule, or drink any particular amount of water. All you have to do, is stick to the calorie target MFP gave you. I doubt that you can't eat more than 1200 calories, and I doubt that's what you're eating. Tighten up your logging.
  • Sparkeysworld
    Sparkeysworld Posts: 107 Member
    edited March 2018
    So basically you're under eating and not drinking enough water.

    A simple 500 calories deficit is enough for good weight loss.

    The key to any diet is knowing exactly how many calories you need on a daily basis, and just eating under that number).

    First you need to workout how many calories your body needs in a day (Total daily energy expenditure).

    Weigh yourself first thing in the morning.

    Input your data in this website www.tdeecalculator.net
    Choose whichever activity level is closest to yourself.

    Then click the cutting calories button (under the macronutrients heading), this will give you your starting calories, and what you need to stick to on a daily basis.

    Try to get as close as possible to your cutting calories every day, a little over or under is fine but no more than say 20 - 30 calories either way.

    Foods to eat:

    Absolutely anything you want, Just weigh and track everything you eat and drink inc milk in tea & coffee etc. (don't add calories back in when you've exercised, MFP will ask if you want to do this).

    Check your TDEE on a weekly or daily basis, because it obviously drops as your weight comes down, and adjust calories accordingly in Myfitnesspal.

    If you want quicker weight loss you can obviously add in cardio and or resistance exercises, not only will this help build muscle but it will also create a bigger calorie deficit.
    If you were to do this I would recommend just a 30 min incline walk on the treadmill or walk outside at a steady state.

    Drink plenty water, at least 2-3 litres a day.
    It's important to drink more water whilst dieting, not drinking enough will cause you to retain it, not only that, toxins called persistent organic pollutants, accumulate in fat cells, which get released into the bloodstream when dieting and burning fat.

    And that's it, just carry on until you are at the weight you want to be.
    The key is stick to the calories, don't think 'Oh if I'm under my calories today, I'll lose more weight' this is not the case, your thyroid will down regulate and leptin levels with bottom out, ultimately fat loss will stop.
    If you struggle to eat, try and get more calories form say shakes or blended foods, so you can drink them.

  • kimny72
    kimny72 Posts: 16,011 Member
    OP, what you eat is important for health, but how much you eat is what matters for weight.

    1. New exercise can cause you to retain water for a week or two, so that is probably affecting your scale weight right now. It should dissipate.
    2. How are you measuring your portions? We are in general pretty bad at eyeballing portions. Get a food scale and spend some time weighing out your portions to make sure you're eating as many cals as you think you are.
    3. Double check that the entries you are using in the database are accurate. Many have been entered incorrectly by other users.
    4. I know it's hard, but be patient! Weight loss isn't linear or perfectly equal to effort every week, and sometimes it takes your body a little time to get going.

    Read the stickies at the top of each board too. Good luck!
  • musicfan68
    musicfan68 Posts: 1,143 Member
    I'm guessing you aren't weighing your food so you really don't know how many calories you are actually eating. Start weighing all solid foods and measuring liquids to get an accurate calorie count.
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