It’s all about calorie deficit, got it! But....

Start using a food scale, for everything except liquids, and using accurate entries.

Most people go through a learning curve when starting, and often need to review or tighten their logging periodically as they continue.

Cheers, h.

ellie7187 wrote: »

I currently use a scale and I measure out all liquids as well, for meals that I plan. I use a meal service (they send you the recipe and all ingredients pre-portioned to prep and you cook the meal) and I’ve wondered if maybe their calorie labels for the meals are wayyyyy off.

At the gym I do group exercise classes - 3 times a week the weight training class, 2 times a week cardio, and occasionally a yoga class as well if I have time. I log these calories (via MFP pre-set logging) but I know it’s inaccurate so I don’t eat them back on the majority of days.

I do go off the rails by a couple hundred calories here and there, but I always make sure to log it. And then I’m still under my weekly calorie goal.

I think what I’m mostly (prematurely) worried about is when I do finally hit my goal weight...will I have to eat as if I’m trying to lose weight just to maintain given that I’m at a significant deficit now and basically maintaining.

Something is not quite right.....if you are at - and using your words - a significant deficit and you are maintaining your weight then you are not at a significant caloric deficit - all things being equal.

And, not being argumentative with you. I would suggest - and you likely do not want to hear this - that there is potentially something that you are missing with your measurements. I know that when I first started doing this some two years ago I went through no fewer than three "check and double check what I am doing....oh, I missed this" periods. Just about all of us experience that (maybe not three times....but once or twice for sure).

What I ended up doing was going old school and literally writing everything down with pen and paper for a full week. And, no - I am indeed 51 but..... - I work in IT (and have for 21 years) and am not technologically-challenged. It usually ends up being the "little thing" that is throwing you off. For me, it was the almond butter or the cashew butter or the sunflower seeds. I was eating more than I thought (even though I was measuring them) and with 190 calories per serving if you are off it is a bigger issue than one might initially think. Talk about calorie-dense foods (which was the point for me....but a simple error on my part led to about 400 calories a day more consumption than I thought).

Not saying that you are measuring incorrectly......but if you are in a significant caloric deficit and the scale is staying put....all things being equal, there is something not quite right going on.

ellie7187 wrote: »

I’m going to try logging the meal service meals individually next week because it’s the only things I currently do not measure out before logging (I measure out the oil, etc, that it tells me to add but I also wonder if their calorie calculations takes those “small things” into account). In my mind it HAS TO be this because, as everyone has said, from a CICO standpoint nothing else makes sense. Hence my frustrations lately.

I’ll also keep going with it because 6 weeks isn’t that long of a sample period. Logically, to me at least, I should see some weight loss (that actually stays off) given how meticulous I’ve been these past 6 weeks.

I was “trying to lose weight” previously by just eyeballing and “making better food choices” but I’ve only been truly logging properly for 6 weeks. So I only count it as 6 weeks of dieting.

Don't measure the oil. Weigh the oil. Weigh all the very calorie dense things (nut butter, etc.).

One needn't be off by much with these calorie-dense foods for it to add up. And they're easy to weigh: Put the jar/bottle on the scale, zero it, remove your portion, read the negative.
l

ellie7187 wrote: »

TavistockToad wrote: »

If you put your numbers into a weight trending app, is the trend up, down or maintaining?

I use “happy scale” for almost daily weight tracking (I was curious about seeing trends) and it shows right now a trend of “0.18 pounds per week weight loss”. So I guess I’m losing...but my CICO indicates it should be at a much greater rate.

ETA: I just noticed it also shows a trend of “0.4 gain over last 7 days”.

I agree that at your size, you should be losing weight if your intake logging is accurate, or close.

That said, I'm reading something into the bolded that I want to comment on: It seems to be implying the idea that the calorie "calculators", like the one built into MFP, are accurate. But they don't calculate, they estimate. They spit out the average calorie needs for someone of your characteristics, based on formulas that are themselves based on large-group population studies. We aren't all average. Most people are close to average (small standard deviation) but there is variation. The estimate can be misleading. Your own results are the gold standard, after pinning down logging as tightly as you can.

Shifting topics a bit, one thing that can make a difference is NEAT (non-exercise activity thermogenesis), how much we move in daily life. Generalizing, very placid, calm people burn fewer calories than very fidgety, lively people. Research has show that fidgeting can burn up to a few hundred calories per day, in extreme cases. While I'm not suggesting that you become deliberately twitchy, it's worth thinking about whether there are ways you can introduce more non-exercise movement into your days, and maintain a happy life balance at the same time. Maybe there aren't, but it's worth a thought.

http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10610953/neat-improvement-strategies-to-improve-weight-loss/

Best wishes!

I also use a meal kit service and I still weigh out every ingredient I use to make my meals. I would HIGHLY recommend that you do the same! My self generated nutrition info for nearly every meal varies greatly from what is on the provided nutrition card.

A real meal kit game changer for me was when I stopped following their portions. I can usually divvy up my meal kit meals into 3 portions instead of the intended 2. I sometimes plan ahead and add extra veggies for a low cal way to bulk up the smaller portions, or I’ll add meat to a vegetarian meal and divide it in thirds. I keep a small notepad and pencil by my scale so that I can jot down the weight of all my ingredients as I cook, and then I add them to the MFP recipe builder once I’m done to see if I need to make 2 or 3 portions before I dig in.

Definitely weigh your olive oil to see how much you’re using. Just because a recipe says to use X tsp of it here or there, it doesn’t mean that much is necessary. Just use a little and your food will cook the same. My meal kit recipes frequently want me to dress things with a drizzle of olive oil or mix olive oil into dips/sauces, but my food still tastes great without the extra “empty” calories. Nothing says you need to follow every recipe to a T!

This is just what works for me, but hopefully some of these tips are helpful for you, too. I know what it’s like to be stuck in a weight loss rut despite all the hard work you’re putting in. Best of luck to you!!

Hmm your carbs are high. Yes its about calories in vs calories out, but the macros play a part too. Personally, I count calories and count my macros. Granted I probably had alot more weight to lose than you, but I have lost 1-1.5kg (2.2-3.3 lbs) per week for the last 15 weeks using this method. I set my macros to 40% fat, 35% protein and 25% carbs. I would try this seeing as though you are not seeing any results after 6 weeks.