Too much or too little? Crossfitters needed
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DanielleTake2 wrote: »Calliope610 wrote: »
Measure - yes. Weigh - No. Most of your food logging is by volume (1 cup strawberries, 1/2 cup roasted carrots) or by piece (2 eggs, 1 banana, 1/2 med avocado). Weighing by ounce or by gram is much more accurate. Those "2 eggs" could range from 45-60+ grams each, a combined caloric difference of 44 calories. That "1/2 med avocado" is calorie dense and the logging inaccuracy could be significant.
Those small inaccuracies can negate any perceived reductions in caloric intake.
I hear you. And I understand, on an intellectual level, that this is a science - and accuracy matters. But, I have to admit... I'm a bit skeptical of weighing everything (even though I know people swear by it) because... honestly... did any of us get fat by eating an extra ounce of baby carrots? Or 2 extra grams of hard-boiled eggs?
I'm trying to balance getting results with making realistic changes I can stick to long term.
I'm thinking about that awful book that came out a few years ago called "French women don't get fat." Essentially, I'm fat because I have a fat person's mentality: FOOD IS THE ENEMY and if I eat it I should hate myself. And I'd really like to develop a healthier relationship with food. Food is something to be enjoyed in moderation.
I'm really just venting here. NOT trying to offend anyone or sound like I know better (because I don't.) Just spitballin'
A couple extra grams of this or that isn't likely to make a ton of difference, particularly if it's a low calorie item. But when I first started I would cook a chicken breast and a serving of chicken breast is typically 4 ounces so that's what I'd log...come to find out that most chicken breasts are in the 8 - 10 oz range, so I was eating double or more than what I was logging.
Same for nuts. When I was looking online for a good serving size I found a "handful" or "palmful" to be common at about 160 calories (1 oz). When I got my scale, my "handful" was more like 2 oz...again, eating double what I actually logged. Similar with peanut butter.
I was never one to weigh every little thing and never weighed packaged items or veggies, but I did get in the habit of weighing calorie dense foods and even though I haven't logged in 5 years +, I still weigh calorie dense foods.
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DanielleTake2 wrote: »Calliope610 wrote: »
Measure - yes. Weigh - No. Most of your food logging is by volume (1 cup strawberries, 1/2 cup roasted carrots) or by piece (2 eggs, 1 banana, 1/2 med avocado). Weighing by ounce or by gram is much more accurate. Those "2 eggs" could range from 45-60+ grams each, a combined caloric difference of 44 calories. That "1/2 med avocado" is calorie dense and the logging inaccuracy could be significant.
Those small inaccuracies can negate any perceived reductions in caloric intake.
I hear you. And I understand, on an intellectual level, that this is a science - and accuracy matters. But, I have to admit... I'm a bit skeptical of weighing everything (even though I know people swear by it) because... honestly... did any of us get fat by eating an extra ounce of baby carrots? Or 2 extra grams of hard-boiled eggs?
I'm trying to balance getting results with making realistic changes I can stick to long term.
I'm thinking about that awful book that came out a few years ago called "French women don't get fat." Essentially, I'm fat because I have a fat person's mentality: FOOD IS THE ENEMY and if I eat it I should hate myself. And I'd really like to develop a healthier relationship with food. Food is something to be enjoyed in moderation.
I'm really just venting here. NOT trying to offend anyone or sound like I know better (because I don't.) Just spitballin'
Have an extra oz of peanut butter every day and let me know what happens over time. It matters, especially if you're going to come in here complaining about immediacy and results.
That said, I do think the bolded is key. That's the sweet spot we are all striving for. However, where that sweet spot is varies person to person, but be ready... it might not be where you want it to be.2 -
DanielleTake2 wrote: »Calliope610 wrote: »
Measure - yes. Weigh - No. Most of your food logging is by volume (1 cup strawberries, 1/2 cup roasted carrots) or by piece (2 eggs, 1 banana, 1/2 med avocado). Weighing by ounce or by gram is much more accurate. Those "2 eggs" could range from 45-60+ grams each, a combined caloric difference of 44 calories. That "1/2 med avocado" is calorie dense and the logging inaccuracy could be significant.
Those small inaccuracies can negate any perceived reductions in caloric intake.
I hear you. And I understand, on an intellectual level, that this is a science - and accuracy matters. But, I have to admit... I'm a bit skeptical of weighing everything (even though I know people swear by it) because... honestly... did any of us get fat by eating an extra ounce of baby carrots? Or 2 extra grams of hard-boiled eggs?
I'm trying to balance getting results with making realistic changes I can stick to long term.
I'm thinking about that awful book that came out a few years ago called "French women don't get fat." Essentially, I'm fat because I have a fat person's mentality: FOOD IS THE ENEMY and if I eat it I should hate myself. And I'd really like to develop a healthier relationship with food. Food is something to be enjoyed in moderation.
I'm really just venting here. NOT trying to offend anyone or sound like I know better (because I don't.) Just spitballin'
I'm over 4 years into this and I don't weigh everything now. I've gotten really good at knowing things about the food I eat, how much, etc.
I don't like to beat into someone that they have to weigh food, but I do think its important when we first start out, I spun my wheels trying to lose without a food scale, I think its important for those that very little wiggle room to work with, and when we stall out. Small things add up over time, if we let the small things keep adding up it can equate to slow loss, no loss or even weight gain (when maintaining).
Overtime the eyeballing can get a little bigger over, lord knows my cereal bowl could get really big over time if I didn't weight it.
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Most important thing is trust the process, and don't quit. Time will go on regardless, and you will regret it if you do. Here is a rule to understand: Weight Loss is not always a direct reflection of effort. My personal experience: I wakeup every morning around 330 and go for a 8 mile run, 5 days a week. Several of these days I also then go to a cycling class for an hour, and follow up with wrestling practice that I actually wrestle and not just coach. Days I don't go to cycling I go to the gym and work out. In theory the weight should have been falling off, but I hit a stall for weeks after increasing from 5 miles to 8 miles about a month ago. Very frustrating. It took 4 weeks before my body started allowing me to lose again, and now I have lost additional weight. I highly recommend daily weight checks and log them into a tracker that you might be making better progress then you realize. I doubt you are missing 750 calories a day assuming 1.5 lbs a week loss, but if you miss judge your exercise and food it is hard to find the errors. If you get very accurate on your food using a food scale, it makes adjustments much easier. January 8th I was at 278 and now about 225. Yes, it is possible to increase your lifting numbers as well on a calories deficit, just don't expect the same numbers as eating in a surplus.1
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cwolfman13 wrote: »
If it were me, I'd go with a larger deficit and then play with your macros in regards to your hunger.
I agree with this. Personally, I have to go heavy on protein and fats and light on carbs for breakfast or it throws my whole day off and I feel hungry all day, no matter what I eat. So, it's not just macros but how they're allocated throughout the day so you can manage a lower deficit.
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Thanks for all the helpful comments, guys. You've all given me a lot to think about.
Jjpptt2 - Honestly I am not complaining. I am just frustrated with myself and I apologize it came off as impatient or ungrateful. There's really no need to hate me because rest assured, I already want to jump off a building head first. So I hate myself enough for the both of us. I got the message loud and clear: I'm being impatient and I will chill.
I do sincerely appreciate everyone's advice and words of encouragement.0 -
DanielleTake2 wrote: »Calliope610 wrote: »
Measure - yes. Weigh - No. Most of your food logging is by volume (1 cup strawberries, 1/2 cup roasted carrots) or by piece (2 eggs, 1 banana, 1/2 med avocado). Weighing by ounce or by gram is much more accurate. Those "2 eggs" could range from 45-60+ grams each, a combined caloric difference of 44 calories. That "1/2 med avocado" is calorie dense and the logging inaccuracy could be significant.
Those small inaccuracies can negate any perceived reductions in caloric intake.
I hear you. And I understand, on an intellectual level, that this is a science - and accuracy matters. But, I have to admit... I'm a bit skeptical of weighing everything (even though I know people swear by it) because... honestly... did any of us get fat by eating an extra ounce of baby carrots? Or 2 extra grams of hard-boiled eggs?
I'm trying to balance getting results with making realistic changes I can stick to long term.
I'm thinking about that awful book that came out a few years ago called "French women don't get fat." Essentially, I'm fat because I have a fat person's mentality: FOOD IS THE ENEMY and if I eat it I should hate myself. And I'd really like to develop a healthier relationship with food. Food is something to be enjoyed in moderation.
I'm really just venting here. NOT trying to offend anyone or sound like I know better (because I don't.) Just spitballin'
If you are eating (based on your logging) @ 1750cals and your TDEE is 2000cals, your deficit is only 250cals/day, which translates into a weight loss of about 1/2 lb per week.
Those couple extra grams and ounces can be critical when dealing with such a small deficit. Especially if the logging isn't tight and accurate. I don't intend to criticize your methods, but if one isn't aware of potential problems, one can't correct them in order to reach the desired results.
Case in point, your dairy listed Grilled chicken - Chicken, 5 oz @ 125 calories. USDA database for boneless, skinless grilled chicken breast at 210cal for a 5oz serving. 85 calorie discrepancy. Now your deficit is 165 calories. An ounce here, a couple of grams there reduces your deficit even more, until you are really just eating at maintenance and not losing weight at all.
This approach does not negate the concept of healthy food relationships or even enjoying what you eat. This approach merely addresses accurately assessing how much you consume so you can realistically set weight loss expectations and avoid having nightmares involving unchanging numbers on the scale.
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Sorry if someone has already said this, but I’m not reading every response. I also am a crossfitter. A vast majority of CF workouts build your glutes, quads and shoulders. These are big muscles. Muscle is way denser and heavier then fat. As you continue to build muscle and increase weight in your lifts, your muscles will naturally continue to grow and the weight scale will not change to much. Weight loss isn’t the tell all truth that we think it is. What I do is not follow my weight so much as I follow my total body fat count. Go get your BF checked at a legit place where they either place you in a body fat measuring Pod or they check you in a pool. Once you measure it, it can be used as a great goal setter to decrease in a few months for the next time you check it. Hopefully this makes sense. In a nutshell follow your Body Fat loss instead of weight loss.5
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Sorry if someone has already said this, but I’m not reading every response. I also am a crossfitter. A vast majority of CF workouts build your glutes, quads and shoulders. These are big muscles. Muscle is way denser and heavier then fat. As you continue to build muscle and increase weight in your lifts, your muscles will naturally continue to grow and the weight scale will not change to much. Weight loss isn’t the tell all truth that we think it is. What I do is not follow my weight so much as I follow my total body fat count. Go get your BF checked at a legit place where they either place you in a body fat measuring Pod or they check you in a pool. Once you measure it, it can be used as a great goal setter to decrease in a few months for the next time you check it. Hopefully this makes sense. In a nutshell follow your Body Fat loss instead of weight loss.
Nobody said it because it isn’t happening. It’s difficult to build muscle in a deficit, and even more so for women.5 -
Sorry if someone has already said this, but I’m not reading every response. I also am a crossfitter. A vast majority of CF workouts build your glutes, quads and shoulders. These are big muscles. Muscle is way denser and heavier then fat. As you continue to build muscle and increase weight in your lifts, your muscles will naturally continue to grow and the weight scale will not change to much. Weight loss isn’t the tell all truth that we think it is. What I do is not follow my weight so much as I follow my total body fat count. Go get your BF checked at a legit place where they either place you in a body fat measuring Pod or they check you in a pool. Once you measure it, it can be used as a great goal setter to decrease in a few months for the next time you check it. Hopefully this makes sense. In a nutshell follow your Body Fat loss instead of weight loss.
OP states in her first post that she tracks body fat and takes measurements and has seen no change.2 -
Sorry if someone has already said this, but I’m not reading every response. I also am a crossfitter. A vast majority of CF workouts build your glutes, quads and shoulders. These are big muscles. Muscle is way denser and heavier then fat. As you continue to build muscle and increase weight in your lifts, your muscles will naturally continue to grow and the weight scale will not change to much. Weight loss isn’t the tell all truth that we think it is. What I do is not follow my weight so much as I follow my total body fat count. Go get your BF checked at a legit place where they either place you in a body fat measuring Pod or they check you in a pool. Once you measure it, it can be used as a great goal setter to decrease in a few months for the next time you check it. Hopefully this makes sense. In a nutshell follow your Body Fat loss instead of weight loss.
Building muscle mass is difficult and takes a lot of time, especially for women, and especially in a calorie deficit. It would be highly unlikely OP has gained enough muscle in 4 short weeks to even out the fat loss she's looking for.
Having said that, I agree that taking measurements can be a great way to keep yourself motivated while waiting for the scale to do its thing!7 -
Sorry if someone has already said this, but I’m not reading every response. I also am a crossfitter. A vast majority of CF workouts build your glutes, quads and shoulders. These are big muscles. Muscle is way denser and heavier then fat. As you continue to build muscle and increase weight in your lifts, your muscles will naturally continue to grow and the weight scale will not change to much. Weight loss isn’t the tell all truth that we think it is. What I do is not follow my weight so much as I follow my total body fat count. Go get your BF checked at a legit place where they either place you in a body fat measuring Pod or they check you in a pool. Once you measure it, it can be used as a great goal setter to decrease in a few months for the next time you check it. Hopefully this makes sense. In a nutshell follow your Body Fat loss instead of weight loss.
Nobody said it because it isn’t happening. It’s difficult to build muscle in a deficit, and even more so for women.
Simple. Don’t be in a deficit. Eat the right amount of healthy foods and stay in a range that supports the high energy and calorie demand that is Crossfit. The fat will drop and the muscle will grow. Trying to be in a deficit and demand your body to push in high intensity training is a tough thing to do.9 -
Sorry if someone has already said this, but I’m not reading every response. I also am a crossfitter. A vast majority of CF workouts build your glutes, quads and shoulders. These are big muscles. Muscle is way denser and heavier then fat. As you continue to build muscle and increase weight in your lifts, your muscles will naturally continue to grow and the weight scale will not change to much. Weight loss isn’t the tell all truth that we think it is. What I do is not follow my weight so much as I follow my total body fat count. Go get your BF checked at a legit place where they either place you in a body fat measuring Pod or they check you in a pool. Once you measure it, it can be used as a great goal setter to decrease in a few months for the next time you check it. Hopefully this makes sense. In a nutshell follow your Body Fat loss instead of weight loss.
Nobody said it because it isn’t happening. It’s difficult to build muscle in a deficit, and even more so for women.
Simple. Don’t be in a deficit. Eat the right amount of healthy foods and stay in a range that supports the high energy and calorie demand that is Crossfit. The fat will drop and the muscle will grow. Trying to be in a deficit and demand your body to push in high intensity training is a tough thing to do.
Not if the primary goal is weight loss, not muscle/strength gains.6 -
Sorry if someone has already said this, but I’m not reading every response. I also am a crossfitter. A vast majority of CF workouts build your glutes, quads and shoulders. These are big muscles. Muscle is way denser and heavier then fat. As you continue to build muscle and increase weight in your lifts, your muscles will naturally continue to grow and the weight scale will not change to much. Weight loss isn’t the tell all truth that we think it is. What I do is not follow my weight so much as I follow my total body fat count. Go get your BF checked at a legit place where they either place you in a body fat measuring Pod or they check you in a pool. Once you measure it, it can be used as a great goal setter to decrease in a few months for the next time you check it. Hopefully this makes sense. In a nutshell follow your Body Fat loss instead of weight loss.
Nobody said it because it isn’t happening. It’s difficult to build muscle in a deficit, and even more so for women.
Simple. Don’t be in a deficit. Eat the right amount of healthy foods and stay in a range that supports the high energy and calorie demand that is Crossfit. The fat will drop and the muscle will grow. Trying to be in a deficit and demand your body to push in high intensity training is a tough thing to do.
How does this help OP meet her specific goals?6 -
Sorry if someone has already said this, but I’m not reading every response. I also am a crossfitter. A vast majority of CF workouts build your glutes, quads and shoulders. These are big muscles. Muscle is way denser and heavier then fat. As you continue to build muscle and increase weight in your lifts, your muscles will naturally continue to grow and the weight scale will not change to much. Weight loss isn’t the tell all truth that we think it is. What I do is not follow my weight so much as I follow my total body fat count. Go get your BF checked at a legit place where they either place you in a body fat measuring Pod or they check you in a pool. Once you measure it, it can be used as a great goal setter to decrease in a few months for the next time you check it. Hopefully this makes sense. In a nutshell follow your Body Fat loss instead of weight loss.
Nobody said it because it isn’t happening. It’s difficult to build muscle in a deficit, and even more so for women.
Simple. Don’t be in a deficit. Eat the right amount of healthy foods and stay in a range that supports the high energy and calorie demand that is Crossfit. The fat will drop and the muscle will grow. Trying to be in a deficit and demand your body to push in high intensity training is a tough thing to do.
OP is at a stand still in her fat/weight loss efforts. Its okay that she wants a little faster fat loss through a small deficit. She has been given the right advice for her goal. As she gets closer to goal, she can choose to move to recomp to work on further fat loss with muscle building as a new goal should she want to.3 -
janejellyroll wrote: »Sorry if someone has already said this, but I’m not reading every response. I also am a crossfitter. A vast majority of CF workouts build your glutes, quads and shoulders. These are big muscles. Muscle is way denser and heavier then fat. As you continue to build muscle and increase weight in your lifts, your muscles will naturally continue to grow and the weight scale will not change to much. Weight loss isn’t the tell all truth that we think it is. What I do is not follow my weight so much as I follow my total body fat count. Go get your BF checked at a legit place where they either place you in a body fat measuring Pod or they check you in a pool. Once you measure it, it can be used as a great goal setter to decrease in a few months for the next time you check it. Hopefully this makes sense. In a nutshell follow your Body Fat loss instead of weight loss.
Nobody said it because it isn’t happening. It’s difficult to build muscle in a deficit, and even more so for women.
Simple. Don’t be in a deficit. Eat the right amount of healthy foods and stay in a range that supports the high energy and calorie demand that is Crossfit. The fat will drop and the muscle will grow. Trying to be in a deficit and demand your body to push in high intensity training is a tough thing to do.
How does this help OP meet her specific goals?
I was responding to colliope4 -
janejellyroll wrote: »Sorry if someone has already said this, but I’m not reading every response. I also am a crossfitter. A vast majority of CF workouts build your glutes, quads and shoulders. These are big muscles. Muscle is way denser and heavier then fat. As you continue to build muscle and increase weight in your lifts, your muscles will naturally continue to grow and the weight scale will not change to much. Weight loss isn’t the tell all truth that we think it is. What I do is not follow my weight so much as I follow my total body fat count. Go get your BF checked at a legit place where they either place you in a body fat measuring Pod or they check you in a pool. Once you measure it, it can be used as a great goal setter to decrease in a few months for the next time you check it. Hopefully this makes sense. In a nutshell follow your Body Fat loss instead of weight loss.
Nobody said it because it isn’t happening. It’s difficult to build muscle in a deficit, and even more so for women.
Simple. Don’t be in a deficit. Eat the right amount of healthy foods and stay in a range that supports the high energy and calorie demand that is Crossfit. The fat will drop and the muscle will grow. Trying to be in a deficit and demand your body to push in high intensity training is a tough thing to do.
How does this help OP meet her specific goals?
I was responding to colliope
If your advice isn't for OP to help her meet her goals, I'm not sure why you are posting it here.9 -
janejellyroll wrote: »janejellyroll wrote: »Sorry if someone has already said this, but I’m not reading every response. I also am a crossfitter. A vast majority of CF workouts build your glutes, quads and shoulders. These are big muscles. Muscle is way denser and heavier then fat. As you continue to build muscle and increase weight in your lifts, your muscles will naturally continue to grow and the weight scale will not change to much. Weight loss isn’t the tell all truth that we think it is. What I do is not follow my weight so much as I follow my total body fat count. Go get your BF checked at a legit place where they either place you in a body fat measuring Pod or they check you in a pool. Once you measure it, it can be used as a great goal setter to decrease in a few months for the next time you check it. Hopefully this makes sense. In a nutshell follow your Body Fat loss instead of weight loss.
Nobody said it because it isn’t happening. It’s difficult to build muscle in a deficit, and even more so for women.
Simple. Don’t be in a deficit. Eat the right amount of healthy foods and stay in a range that supports the high energy and calorie demand that is Crossfit. The fat will drop and the muscle will grow. Trying to be in a deficit and demand your body to push in high intensity training is a tough thing to do.
How does this help OP meet her specific goals?
I was responding to colliope
If your advice isn't for OP to help her meet her goals, I'm not sure why you are posting it here.
Hey turtle person, settle down. My initial response was to help her out. If you don’t like it, why don’t you just ignore it. Thanks for acting like the forum Mom.9 -
janejellyroll wrote: »janejellyroll wrote: »Sorry if someone has already said this, but I’m not reading every response. I also am a crossfitter. A vast majority of CF workouts build your glutes, quads and shoulders. These are big muscles. Muscle is way denser and heavier then fat. As you continue to build muscle and increase weight in your lifts, your muscles will naturally continue to grow and the weight scale will not change to much. Weight loss isn’t the tell all truth that we think it is. What I do is not follow my weight so much as I follow my total body fat count. Go get your BF checked at a legit place where they either place you in a body fat measuring Pod or they check you in a pool. Once you measure it, it can be used as a great goal setter to decrease in a few months for the next time you check it. Hopefully this makes sense. In a nutshell follow your Body Fat loss instead of weight loss.
Nobody said it because it isn’t happening. It’s difficult to build muscle in a deficit, and even more so for women.
Simple. Don’t be in a deficit. Eat the right amount of healthy foods and stay in a range that supports the high energy and calorie demand that is Crossfit. The fat will drop and the muscle will grow. Trying to be in a deficit and demand your body to push in high intensity training is a tough thing to do.
How does this help OP meet her specific goals?
I was responding to colliope
If your advice isn't for OP to help her meet her goals, I'm not sure why you are posting it here.
Hey turtle person, settle down. My initial response was to help her out. If you don’t like it, why don’t you just ignore it. Thanks for acting like the forum Mom.
Please, there's no need to get all emotional about this. This isn't about liking or disliking it, I just am not sure how your advice is relevant to OP's specific goals.
If you feel it is, nobody is stopping you from offering it. But it's possible that people may have questions about what you're recommending and that is okay too.4 -
Reread my original post and you will find your answer7
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