Counting, exercising NOT losing
Songbird61377
Posts: 54 Member
I’ve been treading dietary waters for a long time, bottom line not only im not losing weight but I am quick to gain. I ran some tests everything is normal. I get tired quickly, what worked just a couple of years ago doesn’t seem to anymore. I was told to basically accept the changes that come with age (40) am I missing something? I started talking vitamins which help.
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Replies
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How are you measuring your food intake and calorie burn?3
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Food scale, measuring cups. I use treadmill for my runs0
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Can you open your diary so we can identify any logging errors?
Also, what is your current and target weight, sex, height, etc.?1 -
What are your stats? (height, current weight, goal weight)
How long has it been that you haven't lost.
I'm 45 and I lost 25 pounds last year using MFP, so it's not your age.
You're probably eating more than you think or overestimating your calorie burn when you run.
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If you're tired, make sure you're drinking enough water. Dehydration can make you feel really tried.4
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At the age of 53, I lost 58lbs in 12-14 months. I doubt it's your age by default. Probably logging errors. If you were to open your dairy, perhaps others can spot the logging mistakes.2
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5’7” currently 165 lbs goal 155 I try to stay under 2000 cal pms makes it very hard with sugar cravings0
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I lost 97 lbs between 56 & 58 years old so whoever told you that is wrong. 40 is a great age to get the weight management figured out for good!3
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Songbird61377 wrote: »I’ve been treading dietary waters for a long time, bottom line not only im not losing weight but I am quick to gain. I ran some tests everything is normal. I get tired quickly, what worked just a couple of years ago doesn’t seem to anymore. I was told to basically accept the changes that come with age (40) am I missing something? I started talking vitamins which help.
Refuse to accept this, this is complete nonsense. There is a culture of lazy and uninspired people who blame aging for their lack of motivation to be fit and I would completely ignore/avoid them.12 -
Songbird61377 wrote: »5’7” currently 165 lbs goal 155 I try to stay under 2000 cal pms makes it very hard with sugar cravings
eat less. if you aren't losing, you're not in a deficit.11 -
Songbird61377 wrote: »I’ve been treading dietary waters for a long time, bottom line not only im not losing weight but I am quick to gain. I ran some tests everything is normal. I get tired quickly, what worked just a couple of years ago doesn’t seem to anymore. I was told to basically accept the changes that come with age (40) am I missing something? I started talking vitamins which help.
Gosh who told you to this?
Can you open your food diary???3 -
Songbird61377 wrote: »5’7” currently 165 lbs goal 155 I try to stay under 2000 cal pms makes it very hard with sugar cravings
I am male, 6', 172lbs, eating 2,100 net calories (eating back all exercise calories burned) in maintenance, so I think your calories are probably too high.4 -
Question, how long can it take to begin losing weight? In the past I would lose nothing for couple of weeks then suddenly drop 5 lbs after say 3-4 weeks. I don’t seem to follow the typical 1-2 lbs a week process.
I also have over calorie limit days between very “clean ‘ days. Could that be the reason why I’m not losing? Do I need endless perfect diet days to start losing weight? It just seems like my body is unforgiving, example: I eat clean for 5 days lose 1 lb then I over eat by 500 cal I gain 3 lbs. I’m just confused, and discouraged.1 -
Songbird61377 wrote: »Question, how long can it take to begin losing weight? In the past I would lose nothing for couple of weeks then suddenly drop 5 lbs after say 3-4 weeks. I don’t seem to follow the typical 1-2 lbs a week process.
I also have over calorie limit days between very “clean ‘ days. Could that be the reason why I’m not losing? Do I need endless perfect diet days to start losing weight? It just seems like my body is unforgiving, example: I eat clean for 5 days lose 1 lb then I over eat by 500 cal I gain 3 lbs. I’m just confused, and discouraged.
No you don't need a 100% 'clean' diet.
You just need to be in a consistent calorie deficit. You can look at your calories weekly, so if you want to eat less on some days and more on the other days as long as you meet the weekly goal you will lose weight.
The 500 cals over when you are eating lower the rest of the week is just water retention from more carbs/sodium/more food in your system, etc. That's not fat, just water weight gain.
eta: the sudden drop after a week or so staying weight stable just tells you that weight loss is not linear, a lot of people lose weight like this.5 -
You might open your diary so people can give input on your logging. Logging is the first place to start when you are not losing like you think you should. Check the accuracy of your logging. Use a food scale if you are not. Check that the entries you choose from the database are correct. Make sure you are logging everything.
What activity level are you without exercise?
If you are sedentary and eat about 1,500 calories then you should lose .5 lb a week. If you are sedentary and eat closer to 2,000 calories then you are eating slightly above your maintenance level which is probably about 1,700-1,800.
Do you exercise, log it and eat exercise calories?
What tests did you have done?
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Songbird61377 wrote: »5’7” currently 165 lbs goal 155 I try to stay under 2000 cal pms makes it very hard with sugar cravings
I think those cals are high for losing for you at the point you're at, but you'll have to break down how you are calculating and tacking before anybody can give you real insight. Now we have your physical stats, we need to know how you chose that calorie goal and what you do about your exercise. Did you run the guided setup here or just pick the number? If you used MFP to get the goal, what activity level and goal loss did you set? Have you lost some weight and not reset it lately? Lastly, how do you calculate your exercise cals and do you eat them all back?4 -
Songbird61377 wrote: »Question, how long can it take to begin losing weight? In the past I would lose nothing for couple of weeks then suddenly drop 5 lbs after say 3-4 weeks. I don’t seem to follow the typical 1-2 lbs a week process.
I also have over calorie limit days between very “clean ‘ days. Could that be the reason why I’m not losing? Do I need endless perfect diet days to start losing weight? It just seems like my body is unforgiving, example: I eat clean for 5 days lose 1 lb then I over eat by 500 cal I gain 3 lbs. I’m just confused, and discouraged.
you don't need to eat clean, but you do need a consistent calorie deficit, which it sounds like you may not have?4 -
Songbird61377 wrote: »Question, how long can it take to begin losing weight? In the past I would lose nothing for couple of weeks then suddenly drop 5 lbs after say 3-4 weeks. I don’t seem to follow the typical 1-2 lbs a week process.
I also have over calorie limit days between very “clean ‘ days. Could that be the reason why I’m not losing? Do I need endless perfect diet days to start losing weight? It just seems like my body is unforgiving, example: I eat clean for 5 days lose 1 lb then I over eat by 500 cal I gain 3 lbs. I’m just confused, and discouraged.
All that is necessary for weight loss is a consistent caloric deficit. There is no perfect diet. There is however a "best" diet. The "best" diet is the diet that consists of foods that satisfy your nutritional needs, leaves you feeling satiated without being "stuffed", adequately fuels your daily activity and is sustainable for the long run. "Clean" eating, lots of restrictions, "black and white" thinking, "good" vs "bad" foods merely muck up the process.
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I'm not sure what you mean by eating clean. There are a couple of variables at play. If you've restricted cards for several days and then have a heavy carb day it can cause a jump in weight. No need to panic, it's most likely water weight.Songbird61377 wrote: »I eat clean for 5 days lose 1 lb then I over eat by 500 cal I gain 3 lbs. I’m just confused, and discouraged.
If you dehydrated yourself while "eating clean" you would have lost water weight. If your day of over eating included high sodium foods then your weight could also spike due to water retention.
It sounds like you're micro examining the scale weight everyday. If you must weigh yourself everyday then you should focus on your trend weight rather than daily weight. This helps with not panicking when the weight suddenly jumps up. There are a couple apps for tracking trend weight. Happy Scale for iOS and Libra for Android.
It's about the average over time. An average calorie deficit over a week. An average weight loss trend over several weeks. Patience pays.1 -
Bry_Fitness70 wrote: »Songbird61377 wrote: »5’7” currently 165 lbs goal 155 I try to stay under 2000 cal pms makes it very hard with sugar cravings
I am male, 6', 172lbs, eating 2,100 net calories (eating back all exercise calories burned) in maintenance, so I think your calories are probably too high.
That depends on if the OP is using net or total calories. If that 2000 calories are total/gross, it's entirely possible that no, that's an accurate number.0 -
Songbird61377 wrote: »5’7” currently 165 lbs goal 155 I try to stay under 2000 cal pms makes it very hard with sugar cravings
Your stats are the same as mine. I'm set at 1510 (to lose .5 lb a week) and exercising, so I can get extra calories. I'm 50 and losing steadily. Slowly, but steadily. I think 2000 is too high.3 -
Songbird61377 wrote: »I’ve been treading dietary waters for a long time, bottom line not only im not losing weight but I am quick to gain. I ran some tests everything is normal. I get tired quickly, what worked just a couple of years ago doesn’t seem to anymore. I was told to basically accept the changes that come with age (40) am I missing something? I started talking vitamins which help.
What did the tests include? Despite having been anemic for 30 years, I have to specifically request that my iron levels be tested when I get routine blood work. When my anemia is not properly managed, I have crippling fatigue. Lots of other things can cause fatigue as well.
When I was in my 30s I was told the same nonsense about age. Turned out the building I worked in had toxic mold. So much for the issues I was experiencing being age related >.<2 -
You're not in calorie deficit. Most people underestimate the calories they are consuming and overestimate the calories they are burning through exercise. Also - if you're not consistent, you're not going to lose.
The age thing - menopause is a *kitten*! All people, but especially women lose muscle mass as we age. Muscle keeps our metabolism fired up. That being said. NO, you should not except it's an age thing. Goals can be achieved at any age! I'll be 60 in a few months, 5'7" and weigh 148, and have maintained this weight for years. It takes hard work and consistency, I can't stress that enough. My advice - figure out a calorie deficit that works for you (I'm usually anywhere from 1500-1900), stay in the deficit and LIFT WEIGHTS/STRENGTH TRAIN. Strength training is an aging woman's best friend! I will always be an unashamed cardio bunny. But I make sure I get my strength training in! And I have to say it one more time. Menopause IS a *kitten*, makes packing on those pounds easy. But it is still possible to reach your goals!3 -
I do well during the day, as dinner time approaches things get difficult (emotional/stress eating has sneaked into my life so yes I believe I keep eating too much)0
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Songbird61377 wrote: »I do well during the day, as dinner time approaches things get difficult (emotional/stress eating has sneaked into my life so yes I believe I keep eating too much)
Do you track that emotional/stress eating?
I'd say start there if you don't. See precisely what it is you're eating in a day.0 -
And there’s the fatigue that complicates things getting through the exercise session is very hard0
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Songbird61377 wrote: »And there’s the fatigue that complicates things getting through the exercise session is very hard
what sort of exercise? Perhaps something lower intensity or lower impact and build up to harder sessions as your stamina, strength and endurance increase?1 -
Maybe just try re-entering your stats and goals in MFP and see what calorie target it gives you? 2000 sounds a bit high, but that depends on your general activity level.
Also, you don't have a lot to lose, so it will probably be quite slow progress (that's what I'm finding anyway).
Regarding energy levels - what else is going on with you? I was finding myself really exhausted after very stressful period of my life, and was also not sleeping well. I take multi vitamins now and an iron tablet, but the biggest help for me (age 40) has been exercising more, which gives me some precious time out from all the stress, plus also helps me sleep better.
The fact that it also gives me a few extra calories to play with helps too.
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Do you weigh and log EVERYTHING? Guaranteed that it's why you're not losing... you're eating more than you think.
About being tired, do you get enough sleep?
Your 3 lb gains after overeating 500 calories are from water weight - it would take 15000 extra calories to gain 3 lbs of fat (and really, if your goal is to lose 1 lb a week, you'd just be eating at maintenance with those extra 500 calories). Obviously, if you're eating more than that, it can just wipe out your weekly deficit anyway.
And depending on your activity, 2000 calories is probably just too much in the first place (especially if you're not accurate in your logging).0
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