Strict 1700 calories a day and no weight loss

6116farrah
6116farrah Posts: 5 Member
in Goal: Gaining Weight and Body Building
I have been getting back to my exercise and diet routine since having my daughter 2 years ago. I’ve been hitting the gym 4 days a week weight lifting. I’ve also been staying strict to a 1700 calorie diet and make sure I’m eating plenty of protein. The thing that’s killing me is I haven’t lost a single pound!!! At first when I regulated my diet I lost 3 pounds and that lasted for maybe 2 days and then the scale climbed right back up to 145. I know I retain water weight training and I’m slowly putting on muscle but if I’m restricting myself to 1700 calories a day I should see some definite weight loss right? My bmr is 1465.
I don’t have a food diary saved but for instance this was yesterday’s food intake

Breakfast:
Kodiak cakes blueberry muffin 250 cals

Lunch: grilled chicken salad 300 cals

Snack: muscle milk light protein shake 100 cals

Early dinner : chick fila grilled chicken sandwich 370 cals

Late dinner : Costco organic burrito bowl 360

Snack : kodiak cakes brownie cup 290 calories

Some days I end up eating a little less than 1700 as well.
Yes my body is looking better but I need to get rid of some fat for my muscles to show from all my hard work and nothing is happening. Am I doing something wrong? Should I eat less calories? More?

Replies

  • debrakgoogins
    debrakgoogins Posts: 2,033 Member
    It would take a bit more information to help you. What is your height and weight? Do you know what your starting measurements were compared to now? The number on the scale is just a number. If you are losing fat but gaining a bit of muscle, you might not see much movement on the scale. That doesn't mean you're not getting leaner.
  • quiksylver296
    quiksylver296 Posts: 28,439 Member
    Are you using a food scale?

    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10634517/you-dont-use-a-food-scale/p1
  • 6116farrah
    6116farrah Posts: 5 Member
    I don’t use a food scale, however I have been eating foods that I know the exact calorie count because they are pre portioned our already.
  • 6116farrah
    6116farrah Posts: 5 Member
    I’m 5’3”. 32 years old. Started at 144 lbs and now I’m 145. I took measurements a little late into me starting weight lifting so there’s not much of a difference at this point however I do feel and see a change in my body and my clothes are looser.
  • Panini911
    Panini911 Posts: 2,325 Member
    edited January 2019
    how long have you been doing the 1700 calories and the exercise?
    6116farrah wrote: »
    I don’t use a food scale, however I have been eating foods that I know the exact calorie count because they are pre portioned our already.

    i would still double check accuracy.
    where is the grilled chicken salad from? how do you know that`s 100% accurate?
  • quiksylver296
    quiksylver296 Posts: 28,439 Member
    6116farrah wrote: »
    I don’t use a food scale, however I have been eating foods that I know the exact calorie count because they are pre portioned our already.

    But you just said that isn't working. *shrug
  • concordancia
    concordancia Posts: 5,320 Member
    6116farrah wrote: »
    I don’t use a food scale, however I have been eating foods that I know the exact calorie count because they are pre portioned our already.

    Those tend to be the worst culprits, second only to not knowing how to use a measuring cup, which is what every video on the difference between measuring and weighing actually shows.

    Pre portioned foods also tend to be very high in sodium.

    How long have you been at this new routing?
  • 6116farrah
    6116farrah Posts: 5 Member
    edited January 2019
    So you would weigh even items that already have calorie count to them?
    That salad was from target.
    Also want to mention that I am usually a very big junk food eater, I would usually eat upwards of 3,000 calories a day before I started counting calories.
    It’s been about 2 weeks for my diet and I’ve been weight lifting for 1.5 months
  • quiksylver296
    quiksylver296 Posts: 28,439 Member
    Panini911 wrote: »
    so in two weeks you lost three pounds then one day the scale went back up 3pds? 3 pds is not an unusual daily variation.

    weight loss is not just a downward number daily. the scale will go up and down but TREND downward. our weight goes up and down based on water retention, for women time of month varies, and just lots of stuff. don`t freak out over a day or two where it goes up, it may just be a blip and NOT a sign that your TREND is problematic. in fact i often go up 1-2pds (or more) before loosing again.

    This is a great article that lays out what @panini911 said.

    http://physiqonomics.com/the-weird-and-highly-annoying-world-of-scale-weight-and-fluctuations/
  • Cassandraw3
    Cassandraw3 Posts: 1,214 Member
    I have very similar stats to you, as I am 5'4" and 145 lbs. Do you have an active job? Is lifting the only exercise you are currently doing? If so, it doesn't burn many calories. You stated you have been only doing this for 2 weeks. That can easily mask a slow loss. Your TOM can also cause water retention to mask any loss as well. I know for me, working a desk job, my calorie burn is about 1700-1800 on non gym days. On gym days it is about 2000 (I do crossfit, so a combination of lifting and cardio). A food scale is helpful to make sure your tracking is on point as well. But, I think you need to give it more time. Continue on for about for another couple weeks and see what happens. Download an app like Libra (android) or HappyScale (iPhone) to help see the trends and even out weight fluctuations.
  • debrakgoogins
    debrakgoogins Posts: 2,033 Member
    Two weeks is not enough time to see significant change. It takes time. As others have said, using a scale will ensure you are logging accurate calories and weight fluctuations are completely normal. If your BMR is 1465, 1700 is about what you would eat to maintain your current weight. To lose weight, you need to be eating in a defecit. At 5'3", 144 pounds, your base calories should be closer to 1400. On the days that you do workout, you should log your exercise and eat back half to all of the calories burned.
  • shadow2soul
    shadow2soul Posts: 7,692 Member
    debrakgoogins wrote: »
    Two weeks is not enough time to see significant change. It takes time. As others have said, using a scale will ensure you are logging accurate calories and weight fluctuations are completely normal. If your BMR is 1465, 1700 is about what you would eat to maintain your current weight. To lose weight, you need to be eating in a defecit. At 5'3", 144 pounds, your base calories should be closer to 1400. On the days that you do workout, you should log your exercise and eat back half to all of the calories burned.

    Unless I missed it somewhere the OP didn’t mention what her life is like outside of exercise and without that information you can’t really guess what they would maintain at. I know that for myself 1700 calories a day would result in weight loss and I’m not much taller than the OP at 5’4.5”.
    It also looks like the OP is going for TDEE method of calorie intake. In which case they will eat the same amount every day regardless of exercise. This calorie goal will be slightly higher than MFPS because it accounts for exercise already.

    I think the OP needs to first see if she is really eating 1700. Then tweak if needed from there.

    Op just because it’s packaged to be a serving doesn’t mean it actually is a single serving. I have had protein bars weigh more than they should and that adds up quick.
  • FarmerCarla
    FarmerCarla Posts: 470 Member
    Is 1700 calories the goal set up for you using the MFP calculator? I'm 5'5" and just under 145. I'd definitely be gaining weight on 1700 calories. I walk a lot, but maybe I can't handle that many calories because I'm old? I'm satisfied with much less, anyway.
  • IsETHome
    IsETHome Posts: 386 Member
    Re-enter your numbers, put less active - the lifting doesn't burn as much as cardio. Skip the muffin.
  • kimny72
    kimny72 Posts: 16,011 Member
    It's possible OP has a higher activity level throughout the day, which gives her a higher TDEE than someone with similar stats. She wasn't using a food scale, so better to get her logging squared away before messing with her setup or calorie goal just because it sounds a bit high to other people.
  • BSUBroncoDad
    BSUBroncoDad Posts: 2 Member
    1700 calories seems like a lot of calories for someone your size unless you are pretty active all day. I agree a food scale is a must. I would also be very skeptical of calories in restaurant food even though they often provide nutrition “facts”. If you haven’t done so already, I think it would be a good idea to calculate you estimated Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR) preferably using a calculation that incorporates lean body mass (LBM). This would give you a good starting point to determine TDEE.

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