Advice Needed
Burtonwife
Posts: 12 Member
Long story short but a few weeks ago I found out we are going on a beach vacation in about 4 weeks!! I started working out consistently 4-5 days per week for 30 minutes, counting calories that MFP recommended and have lost and gained the same pound every week. I am following the suggested calorie count for 1 pound per week which gives me 1290 calories a day and eating part of my exercise calories back from Fitbit. I have 4 weeks left and I don’t know what to do. Could I be eating too little or should I eat more? I am only eating a part of my exercise calories back but thinking maybe I should lower my calorie count at least until vacation. Maybe it’s the fact I had a hysterectomy a few years ago I don’t know. I don’t expect to lose 20 pounds in 4 weeks or anything but would like to feel a little better while in vacation in my bathing suit. Any thoughts or suggestions?
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Replies
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How are you determining your calorie intake? Are you using a food scale? Most people underestimate how much they're eating.2
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I just put in my stats and what I wanted to lose per week which was one pound and that’s what I have been aiming for. I do use a food scale to weigh my food.0
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Are you close to a healthy weight for your height? Errors in tracking are magnified at that point and I suspect at under 1300 cals you probably don't have much to lose...0
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I have about 50 pounds to lose0
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Are you using a food scale?
You haven't been losing so you are eating more than you think - sorry
Weigh your foods, log every single thing and eat some exercise calories back. If you eat less than you burn you will lose.
All the best.1 -
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You could try intermittent fasting to shake things up; I've had success with that. Also, you might be eating too little if you are counting your calories accurately. Just this week I binged over the weekend (2k calories over both days) and went back to normal eating during this week, did a short fast one day, and weighed myself this morning and was down a pound. I think my body was trying to tell me I need to eat more lol. Yours may be trying to tell you the same!
Good luck! If nothing else, low carb it a couple weeks before your trip to lose some water weight.25 -
Burtonwife wrote: »I have about 50 pounds to lose
With all due respect... if you have 50 pounds to lose, why did you decide only now that you need to lose weight for an event coming up in four weeks?15 -
collectingblues wrote: »Burtonwife wrote: »I have about 50 pounds to lose
With all due respect... if you have 50 pounds to lose, why did you decide only now that you need to lose weight for an event coming up in four weeks?
Unfair. Lots of situations can motivate getting on a program for weight loss. A vacation, a work event, losing a family member who seemed fine or was living a lifestyle similar to yours, you or your partner deciding or finding out you are going to start a family....and so much more. Plus, for so many, it is a life ling struggle that involves emotional issues. Whatever your catalyst is, that you have started a healthy program is the most important thing. I hope WHY you started simply gets you in habits that continue to help you.
Stay on track, give it some time (your body needs to adjust to changes), MEASURE because you may be building muscle that is countering the scale for now, and healthy muscle is a good thing(!), and if after a month or two you are still concerned, see your doctor or a professional nutrition counselor.
All the best and keep going.
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Burtonwife wrote: »I have about 50 pounds to lose
I'm afraid you're likely not actually measuring and logging accurately enough. Notwithstanding a medical mystery, that's the answer. If you pay some attention there I bet you will stabilize and start to lose, at which point I'd personally reduce the preferred loss rate and get to eat more cals. I lost my 40lbs set to 0.5 per week and with exercise never had to eat below 17-1800.3 -
For me I had been trying to lose weight even before I found out about the vacation but wasn’t giving it 100%. The vacation announcement was just the kick I needed to really focus on my tracking and to add more exercise in. So I was already heading that way it was just I needed a little kick of motivation to get it where I felt I should be to see results. I didn’t wait to start it just helped motivate me more. But with the lack of any weight loss it’s disappointing. I know I can do it though now and when the vacation is over. I just may need to tweak some things. I so much appreciate everyone’s advice and plan on trying some of your suggestions!! Thank you ☺️8
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I would try to stick to a healthy diet and go and enjoy your vacation. In four weeks you won't drop 50 pounds no matter what you do. These days there are lots of women in the same boat and no one is going to judge you. If you drop 6 or 8 pounds before you go that's a bonus. As for why you aren't losing I would say you must have some logging issues. If you have 50 to lose and you are eating 1290 you would lose even if your thyroid is low. Too little food does not keep you from losing fat that's a fairy tale. If that were the case no one would ever starve and your car would run without gas. You may have a water issue just due to the changes particularly if they are drastic or if you are premenstrual. Try to relax and keep track of EVERYTHING you eat including tastes of things while cooking. If you are indeed in a deficit you will eventually see a loss. Good luck.11
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Assuming that your logging is accurate, you do say you started a new exercise regime a few weeks ago, which could have caused water retention (for muscle repair) that masked weight loss for a week or two, and you're female, so it's possible that after that you hit a point in your monthly cycle that caused more water retention masking additional weight loss. Stick with it another couple of weeks and see what happens. If you're lucky, you might be due for a "whoosh" when the water sorts itself out.5
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Thanks y’all!!0
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lynn_glenmont wrote: »Assuming that your logging is accurate, you do say you started a new exercise regime a few weeks ago, which could have caused water retention (for muscle repair) that masked weight loss for a week or two, and you're female, so it's possible that after that you hit a point in your monthly cycle that caused more water retention masking additional weight loss. Stick with it another couple of weeks and see what happens. If you're lucky, you might be due for a "whoosh" when the water sorts itself out.
I was going to add this but not as eloquently as you did. Although she indicated she probably doesn't have a monthly cycle, other factors could add up to a whoosh after 3 weeks of effort. Keep at it, and moreover, enjoy the beach!0 -
I'm not sure if it was asked..... you mentioned your eating half your exercise calories back.
Perhaps your over estimating the calories burned and are eating too much back?
If you can go without eating those calories back I'd try it.3 -
That’s something I worry about for sure is over estimating my exercise calories. I am using my Fitbit and have it linked to MFP so I try to use caution when eating them but maybe I should try not eating them back! Thanks for that advice0
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Please also keep in mind that the type of foods you are eating are going to be WAY more influential on your weight loss than the actual total amount of calories-- for example: say you're eating 1300 calories worth of pizza, or chips and candy (just exaggerating for the sake of my parable). These foods aren't going to support your body through your daily life, let alone your workouts. If your body isn't able to repair its muscle after your workouts, you will lose it which will impair your ability to burn calories, and the vicious cycle begins.
Other factors that could be at play here are insulin resistance (more common in those over the age of 40 who have sustained a high carb, low fat diet for most of their lives) or other hormonal factors.
Make sure you're getting at least half your bodyweight in grams of protein every day, and before you start worrying about cutting carbs entirely-- try keeping them separate from your meals that contain a lot of fats. When you eat carbs and fats together, if you have insulin resistance, your body will be triggered to store all of the fats (even healthy ones!) for later instead of putting them to use in your body. For example: roasted salmon with a side of vegetables would be a high fat, low carb meal. Whole grain pasta with red sauce and more vegetables would be a high carb, low fat meal.46 -
OrdinaryAnytime wrote: »Please also keep in mind that the type of foods you are eating are going to be WAY more influential on your weight loss than the actual total amount of calories-- for example: say you're eating 1300 calories worth of pizza, or chips and candy (just exaggerating for the sake of my parable). These foods aren't going to support your body through your daily life, let alone your workouts. If your body isn't able to repair its muscle after your workouts, you will lose it which will impair your ability to burn calories, and the vicious cycle begins.
Other factors that could be at play here are insulin resistance (more common in those over the age of 40 who have sustained a high carb, low fat diet for most of their lives) or other hormonal factors.
Make sure you're getting at least half your bodyweight in grams of protein every day, and before you start worrying about cutting carbs entirely-- try keeping them separate from your meals that contain a lot of fats. When you eat carbs and fats together, if you have insulin resistance, your body will be triggered to store all of the fats (even healthy ones!) for later instead of putting them to use in your body. For example: roasted salmon with a side of vegetables would be a high fat, low carb meal. Whole grain pasta with red sauce and more vegetables would be a high carb, low fat meal.
Your body can use the protein in pizza to repair your muscle just as well as the protein from whatever food you think is better. And there probably will be more protein available in pizza, if only from the cheese, than from a meal that just's grain, red sauce, and veggies.
ETA; Also, you will store energy if you eat more calories than your body can use. Unless you're nibbling while you're running a marathon, that pretty much means your body will always store energy after a meal. That energy has to last you several hours, until your next meal.8 -
OrdinaryAnytime wrote: »Please also keep in mind that the type of foods you are eating are going to be WAY more influential on your weight loss than the actual total amount of calories--
^ This is completely false. Ignore the remainder of the post, as it’s built upon a faulty foundation and has a ton of woo pretending to be truth. You lose weight by eating less calories than you burn, period. That is a scientifically proven fact.16 -
Just hoping it’s not my age. I have heard it’s harder to lose weight as you get older. I can say it was much easier to lose weight in my 30’s than it now is in my 40’s but I am just going to keep going.3
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Ouch! Lots of elderly folks, myself I included, that had no trouble losing weight. LolBurtonwife wrote: »Just hoping it’s not my age. I have heard it’s harder to lose weight as you get older. I can say it was much easier to lose weight in my 30’s than it now is in my 40’s but I am just going to keep going.
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OrdinaryAnytime wrote: »Please also keep in mind that the type of foods you are eating are going to be WAY more influential on your weight loss than the actual total amount of calories--
^ This is completely false. Ignore the remainder of the post, as it’s built upon a faulty foundation and has a ton of woo pretending to be truth. You lose weight by eating less calories than you burn, period. That is a scientifically proven fact.
Yes you do lose weight by eating less calories but nutrition plays a big role in overall health. If all you want is weight loss by all means eat pizza soda and candy. If you want to be healthy eat a balanced diet which can include "junk food" from time to time.
http://www.dailyherald.com/entlife/20170729/calories-vs-nutrients-x2014-both-are-important10 -
jefamer2017 wrote: »OrdinaryAnytime wrote: »Please also keep in mind that the type of foods you are eating are going to be WAY more influential on your weight loss than the actual total amount of calories--
^ This is completely false. Ignore the remainder of the post, as it’s built upon a faulty foundation and has a ton of woo pretending to be truth. You lose weight by eating less calories than you burn, period. That is a scientifically proven fact.
Yes you do lose weight by eating less calories but nutrition plays a big role in overall health. If all you want is weight loss by all means eat pizza soda and candy. If you want to be healthy eat a balanced diet which can include "junk food" from time to time.
http://www.dailyherald.com/entlife/20170729/calories-vs-nutrients-x2014-both-are-important
No one said that eating nutritious food is not important.10 -
jefamer2017 wrote: »OrdinaryAnytime wrote: »Please also keep in mind that the type of foods you are eating are going to be WAY more influential on your weight loss than the actual total amount of calories--
^ This is completely false. Ignore the remainder of the post, as it’s built upon a faulty foundation and has a ton of woo pretending to be truth. You lose weight by eating less calories than you burn, period. That is a scientifically proven fact.
Yes you do lose weight by eating less calories but nutrition plays a big role in overall health. If all you want is weight loss by all means eat pizza soda and candy. If you want to be healthy eat a balanced diet which can include "junk food" from time to time.
http://www.dailyherald.com/entlife/20170729/calories-vs-nutrients-x2014-both-are-important
I'm sorry. Please point out where I said that she should eat nothing but pizza, soda and candy. I'll wait.10 -
My guess is that, as mentioned above, the new exercise routine is making your muscles temporarily retain water. Get a tape measure and see if you're seeing any sort of improvement, it can keep you sane when the scale is trying to mess with your head.
Also make sure you're getting enough sleep. It makes a huge difference!2 -
Try cardio for 40mins. When I say cardio (every other day, you'd better be wearing something like a smart watch to make sure you don't drive your heart into the red zone. On those other days, resistance train for firmness. 30 mins is a minimum so if you are desperate increase your workout time.12
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jefamer2017 wrote: »OrdinaryAnytime wrote: »Please also keep in mind that the type of foods you are eating are going to be WAY more influential on your weight loss than the actual total amount of calories--
^ This is completely false. Ignore the remainder of the post, as it’s built upon a faulty foundation and has a ton of woo pretending to be truth. You lose weight by eating less calories than you burn, period. That is a scientifically proven fact.
Yes you do lose weight by eating less calories but nutrition plays a big role in overall health. If all you want is weight loss by all means eat pizza soda and candy. If you want to be healthy eat a balanced diet which can include "junk food" from time to time.
http://www.dailyherald.com/entlife/20170729/calories-vs-nutrients-x2014-both-are-important
If you read the post AnvilHead was responding to, you would see that it in fact asserts that the kind of food is "WAY more" important to weight loss than "the actual total amount of calories."3 -
Burtonwife wrote: »Just hoping it’s not my age. I have heard it’s harder to lose weight as you get older. I can say it was much easier to lose weight in my 30’s than it now is in my 40’s but I am just going to keep going.
Age is not an excuse. There are plenty of people on MFP in their 50s, 60s and 70s who have lost appreciable amounts of weight. I lost over 70 pounds starting at age 53. Maybe @AnnPT77 could offer some insight in that regard also.6 -
lynn_glenmont wrote: »jefamer2017 wrote: »OrdinaryAnytime wrote: »Please also keep in mind that the type of foods you are eating are going to be WAY more influential on your weight loss than the actual total amount of calories--
^ This is completely false. Ignore the remainder of the post, as it’s built upon a faulty foundation and has a ton of woo pretending to be truth. You lose weight by eating less calories than you burn, period. That is a scientifically proven fact.
Yes you do lose weight by eating less calories but nutrition plays a big role in overall health. If all you want is weight loss by all means eat pizza soda and candy. If you want to be healthy eat a balanced diet which can include "junk food" from time to time.
http://www.dailyherald.com/entlife/20170729/calories-vs-nutrients-x2014-both-are-important
If you read the post AnvilHead was responding to, you would see that it in fact asserts that the kind of food is "WAY more" important to weight loss than "the actual total amount of calories."
Protein actually does assist in weight loss.4
This discussion has been closed.
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