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trcaylor
trcaylor Posts: 18 Member
in Goal: Gaining Weight and Body Building
I need some advice as I’m stuck where to head to next. My starting weight was around 225 and I’m currently at 145-147. I got to my weight by a 1200 cal diet, 10k steps a day, and random workouts on YouTube labeled HIIT. I have been going strong I’m a very dedicated and patient person so the 1200 cal diet was no problem I eat about the same thing everyday trying to focus on protein. For the last two months I have not lost any weight at all. Does that mean it is time for me to switch things up and have new goals? When the weight isn’t moving it doesn’t make me restricting to the 1200 calories worth it. In the past 2-3 months my workouts have been strength training focused so I’m thinking that’s what it is as I’m definitely stronger and can see some of my muscles when I flex of course as I still have a lot of fat to lose. I just bought an app for at home strength training like personal training. Should I just forget the goal of getting to 120 pounds and focus on something else. I see before and afters of people my size and height that successfully get to that weight. I thought it would be best for me to get to lowest body fat then work on building up more muscle. Should I take a break and eat at maintenance calories for a while then when I feel mentally ready go back to cutting calories again? I don’t care if it takes me 10 years to get to where I need to be I just feel like I don’t know how to get there. I have nobody in my life that has fitness as a passion and feel alone most days. I just wanted to add that the 120 pounds goal weight I got wasn’t like a “I want to be 120 pounds” goal. I got the 120 pounds from an online calculator that uses body fat percentage. I was thinking I would switch to macros which puts my calories at around 1400, go up to 15k steps, and keep doing my strength training app. Will that help get me there? I feel like I need to finish my goal of 120 pounds and if I don’t it’s like giving up when it got hard.

If your weight loss stopped what did you do next? Did anybody else just forget their weight loss goal and aimed for something else? This picture is where I’m currently at from 225lbs. I definitely want to be more toned but I had 3 babies in 4 years and also was way overweight so my belly def has permanent changes. Idk did I even ask a question in this haha I just feel lost.

Replies

  • stanmann571
    stanmann571 Posts: 5,728 Member
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    If you're eating 1200 calories(NET I hope) and not losing weight, you most likely need to tighten up your logging.

    If you're getting bogged down, it may be time to take a mental diet break, but in the meantime, tighten up your logging.
  • kimny72
    kimny72 Posts: 16,013 Member
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    Are you using a food scale?
    How tall are you?

    Yes, take a 2 week break and just eat at maintenance calories and generally try to make good choices but don't really worry about it.

    When you are done with your break, make sure your height and weight are correct in your profile and set your goal to lose 0.5lbs per week. Understand that with that small a goal, it make take several weeks to see anything move on the scale.

    Then get really focused on accurate, consistent logging. Use a food scale for all solids, whenever possible. Double check that the entries you are using in the database are correct (many were entered by users and are inaccurate). Do a gut check and make sure you are logging everything - condiments, cooking oils, nibbles, bad days, everything. Eat the calories that mfp gives you and log your workouts, eating back some of those calories.

    Meanwhile, focus on that strength training. Congrats on your success so far - you look great!
  • trcaylor
    trcaylor Posts: 18 Member
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    Ok so still stick with the deficit. I actually did get a food scale and started trying to track better and was actually eating a lot less than I thought. Not sure what you mean by net? I should give it a few more months before I give up on the 1200 cal. I believe the 1200 cal is for 2 pounds a week? Is that not doable anymore? I believe I changed it 1.5 a while back so I should aim for even lower at .5?
  • stanmann571
    stanmann571 Posts: 5,728 Member
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    trcaylor wrote: »
    Ok so still stick with the deficit. I actually did get a food scale and started trying to track better and was actually eating a lot less than I thought. Not sure what you mean by net? I should give it a few more months before I give up on the 1200 cal. I believe the 1200 cal is for 2 pounds a week? Is that not doable anymore? I believe I changed it 1.5 a while back so I should aim for even lower at .5?

    Net means you're eating some or all of your exercise calories.
  • trcaylor
    trcaylor Posts: 18 Member
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    Some days but not really. I tried a few months back to eat them back which led to no loss at all so I went back to not eating them. 1200 calories is no fun but that’s what I needed to see any loss but now that don’t work.
  • kimny72
    kimny72 Posts: 16,013 Member
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    trcaylor wrote: »
    Some days but not really. I tried a few months back to eat them back which led to no loss at all so I went back to not eating them. 1200 calories is no fun but that’s what I needed to see any loss but now that don’t work.

    Would you be willing to temporarily make your food log public. 1200 cals is not a lot of food, especially if you are exercising. 99% of the time, it's a logging issue.

    When I started I was POSITIVE I was eating 1400 cals and not losing weight. I was 145 lbs. I got a food scale and starting choosing database entries really carefully, and after a few weeks it was clear I was actually eating more like 1700-1800 cals per day.
  • BusyRaeNOTBusty
    BusyRaeNOTBusty Posts: 7,166 Member
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    kimny72 wrote: »
    Are you using a food scale?
    How tall are you?

    Yes, take a 2 week break and just eat at maintenance calories and generally try to make good choices but don't really worry about it.

    When you are done with your break, make sure your height and weight are correct in your profile and set your goal to lose 0.5lbs per week. Understand that with that small a goal, it make take several weeks to see anything move on the scale.

    Then get really focused on accurate, consistent logging. Use a food scale for all solids, whenever possible. Double check that the entries you are using in the database are correct (many were entered by users and are inaccurate). Do a gut check and make sure you are logging everything - condiments, cooking oils, nibbles, bad days, everything. Eat the calories that mfp gives you and log your workouts, eating back some of those calories.

    Meanwhile, focus on that strength training. Congrats on your success so far - you look great!

    This would be my advice. I think a break would do you some good.
  • trcaylor
    trcaylor Posts: 18 Member
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    Thank you guys. I’m going to buy a better food scale online the one I have now is tiny. I think I will try the macros an online calculator gave me and continue with the app. I’ll give it a few months. Maybe it hasn’t stopped it just feels like it has since its slower. I’ll change my weight loss goal to lower. I’ll come back in a few months to see if anything has changed.
  • mom23mangos
    mom23mangos Posts: 3,070 Member
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    I just want to say please don't get stuck on a number. You mentioned that you felt like if you didn't reach 120 that you would feel like you were giving up. I think you might find taking a break to eat at maintenance (with accurate logging so you don't gain), and strength training consistently, you may find that you get the body composition you want. That may or may not be at 120. Use pictures and measurements in addition to the scale.
  • dalerst
    dalerst Posts: 174 Member
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    stanmann571 wrote: »
    trcaylor wrote: »
    Ok so still stick with the deficit. I actually did get a food scale and started trying to track better and was actually eating a lot less than I thought. Not sure what you mean by net? I should give it a few more months before I give up on the 1200 cal. I believe the 1200 cal is for 2 pounds a week? Is that not doable anymore? I believe I changed it 1.5 a while back so I should aim for even lower at .5?

    Net means you're eating some or all of your exercise calories.

    I my experience this is quite hard to work out what your net is, I’d be interested to know how you calculate it I.e. if I do an hours session at the gym heavy lifting what should be added on to my normal tdee?

  • kimny72
    kimny72 Posts: 16,013 Member
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    dalerst wrote: »
    stanmann571 wrote: »
    trcaylor wrote: »
    Ok so still stick with the deficit. I actually did get a food scale and started trying to track better and was actually eating a lot less than I thought. Not sure what you mean by net? I should give it a few more months before I give up on the 1200 cal. I believe the 1200 cal is for 2 pounds a week? Is that not doable anymore? I believe I changed it 1.5 a while back so I should aim for even lower at .5?

    Net means you're eating some or all of your exercise calories.

    I my experience this is quite hard to work out what your net is, I’d be interested to know how you calculate it I.e. if I do an hours session at the gym heavy lifting what should be added on to my normal tdee?

    TDEE already includes exercise, so you don't add anything to it.

    If you are using MFP's calorie goal, you log your exercise and it credits you more calories. As it is difficult to nail down what the number really is, many folks start out eating back half and tweak from there. Your MFP Home page and food diary will tell you how many calories you have left from your net.

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