Calorie help please!

melluc2
melluc2 Posts: 92 Member
I'm currently a 149 lb 5'4 talk 30 yr old girl!in pretty active, on my feet mon. To Fri. And I have mandatory exercise 2x a week (crossfit style), weight lifting 3x a week and HIIT 2 x a week (15min).

I can't lose the 10lbs of fat I want to lose no matter how hard I try or what I do or eat! I also track my measurements....no change in them.

I've been eating 1400 calories but dropping them to 1200. My macros is about (cause I can't check atm) is 90 grams of protein , 35 grams of net carbs and 60ish grams of fat (it was 90) But it clearly was too high. My fat is still within the acceptable limits according to anklr calculator.

If you need anymore info I'll be happy to give it as I'm am extremely frustrated that I still can't see my hard work after 2 yrs Keto and 5 yrs of tracking and working out....

Replies

  • FlyingMolly
    FlyingMolly Posts: 490 Member
    Barring a metabolic condition it’s pretty much impossible that 1400 calories was too high for you to lose weight, and it’s even less likely that 1200 is. It’s far, far more probable that you’re eating more than you think you are.

    How do you measure your portion sizes? If you haven’t been using a food scale for everything solid or semi-solid, this is a good time to start. Do you ever cross-check the entries you’re using? Many of the ones in MFP’s database are inaccurate, and vague portion sizes like “1 medium whatever” compound the problem. Using other people’s recipe entries is another common pitfall—one serving of homemade chicken soup could have 50 calories or 500, but if you search for homemade chicken soup you’ll get a ton of options and no useful way to choose among them.

    A lot of lucky ducks find it’s just not doable for them to overeat on a low-carb diet, but that’s far from universal. The calorie-dense foods we tend to eat add up fast, and seemingly minor discrepancies in logging can snowball.

    If that’s NOT possibly the case with you, it’s time to consult with your doctor, because something is distinctly off here.
  • tcunbeliever
    tcunbeliever Posts: 8,219 Member
    I calorie cycle specifically because it's difficult for me to adhere to low calories for any length of time...I have no willpower...this calculator is set for guys, so I subtracted about 500 cals from the target calorie intake just to account for female...and it's just a guess...I looked at your photo and guessed you were like 20% body fat...you can adjust for your own estimate if you prefer...I put you as moderately active...and I didn't go all the way into macros...

    in any case, it gave you a target of 1416 cals/day for a 20% cut and suggested cycling between 1700 and 1133 - so that would be 1700 on strength training days and 1133 on non-lifting days

    calculator is here if you want to play with it - the macros it calculates will not be keto, but I do like to use the protein number as a place to start for me:
    https://rippedbody.com/how-to-calculate-leangains-macros/

    The other thing to consider is maybe a diet break - eating 2-3 weeks at maintenance to allow you body to recover from dieting, long term low calories can impact hormones and cortisol and metabolic rate.

    Losing that last 10 lbs is SO HARD - it's like half the total work just getting rid of those last few pounds, but if what you are doing isn't working, don't be afraid to try something new, you can always change the plan again if that doesn't work.
  • nvmomketo
    nvmomketo Posts: 12,019 Member
    Great tips. Ditto everything the last two posters have said. tcunbeliever and flyingmolly covered it all.

    I am in the last 10 lbs of weight loss too. It's slow going and not at all linear. I have weeks of sitting at the same and then a couple of pounds will finally go. I find that mixing things up a bit helps me: more or less calories, changing my eating schedule, adding more carbs at one meal or one day... for some reason variation seems to help my weight loss continue. When I keep things the same all of the time, it's almost like my body adjusts and things slow down. This is just my guess and n=1. :)
  • melluc2
    melluc2 Posts: 92 Member
    Thanks everyone for your comments and tips! My thyroid is normal, I get it checked every so often. I'll see what I can do I guess. It's always an individual struggle.

  • supergal3
    supergal3 Posts: 523 Member
    @nvmomketo: Your above post really spoke to me! I am +/- 7lbs away from goal and really struggling. Did much better when I was heavier. I think we are in the same slow boat! Your comment about your body adjusting and things slowing down is exactly what I am going through! Will try to somehow shake it back awake!
  • gwendyprism
    gwendyprism Posts: 222 Member
    Have a you had A1C tested? According to Jason Fung, obesity is a hormonal issue, not CICO issue. The fact that you reduced calories by 200 with no results kinda shows that something else is going on.