Help, cant stop over thinking my plan
LargeEricS
Posts: 109 Member
Hey guys in search of sound advice. Last year i lost around 40lbs starting from 270 ending at 225. Im 23, 6'3 and landscape for a living. I achieved my weight loss last time through the full insanity program, then switching to cardio+weights six times a week. Fast forward to now, a job change, some stress and im back around 255lbs. But despite being older and wiser cant seem to shake the weight this time. Im currently doing 25min on a elliptical 6x a week and have only lost 2lbs in 23 days. Im eating cleaner than the first go around, using what i learned last time but not seeing near the results. The ONLY difference i can think of is I was eating around 2000 calories last time and not eating back any workout calories and this time im only eating 1800 and no workout calories. Is it possible that the 2000 cal. mark is a sweet spot and 1800 is just to low?
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Replies
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If someone has any input, it would be much appreciated1
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If you are doing the MFP method you are suppose to eat back your calories from working out.....A lot of people on here only eat 1/2 of them back since machines etc. are not accurate. If you do not want to add your work out calories in...you can use a Tdee calculator to figure out your Tdee and eat that number...wishing you the very best
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I agree, eating back 1/2 of your exercise calories is important. If you don't eat enough, it can be bad. I didn't eat enough calories and did not eat my exercise calories either and I started to become dizzy after I worked out.
Another thing, your body can become "used to" the exercises and can kind of build a tolerance to them. It might help to change up your workout routine. Using different machines/exercises and changing the resistance to them as well. Have you tried HIIT? It kicks butt while changing up the exercises as well!
From what people have told me, lack of sleep and high stress can also effect weight loss goals as well.13 -
How are you calculating the calories you are eating? Are you weighing and measuring everything? If not, you could be eating more than you think, which would be why you aren't losing the weight.8
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I have a digital food scale I use to weigh my food. Whats puzzling to me was i used only measuring cups last time which arent near as accurate. And when i look through my old logs i wasnt nearly on point as i thought i was.1
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Megan_smartiepants1970 wrote: »If you are doing the MFP method you are suppose to eat back your calories from working out.....A lot of people on here only eat 1/2 of them back since machines etc. are not accurate. If you do not want to add your work out calories in...you can use a Tdee calculator to figure out your Tdee and eat that number...wishing you the very best
My TDEE IS AROUND 2600 calories as im quite active at work. My BMR is right 2100 calories(according to 3 online calculators). So that's what I was shooting for in the beginning hoping fat burn will make up the rest of the energy and calories needed. I also call myself the next activity level down on MFP to help with possible inaccuracy in logging.1 -
No one gains (or maintains) weight by eating 'too little', so we can at least rule out that. The short answer is that if you're maintaining weight, then you're eating at maintenance, or over-estimate how many calories you've burned (or a mixture of both). There's a fancy flow chart for this that floats around on the forum, but I don't have it saved to post here.11
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asliceofjackie wrote: »No one gains (or maintains) weight by eating 'too little', so we can at least rule out that. The short answer is that if you're maintaining weight, then you're eating at maintenance, or over-estimate how many calories you've burned (or a mixture of both). There's a fancy flow chart for this that floats around on the forum, but I don't have it saved to post here.
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Whats got my head in a pretzel is ill have a decent week and lose 2lbs, solid loss. Weight myself the following week and i lost 6 and i was pumped but chalked some ig it up to water loss after a good wprkout the night before. Then after what i thought similar week to last, i gain 4lbs. Weighed myself in disgust to see 1lbs less differnce from sunday morning before for a grand total of 4 rollercoaster lbs. lost in 23 days1
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LargeEricS wrote: »Whats got my head in a pretzel is ill have a decent week and lose 2lbs, solid loss. Weight myself the following week and i lost 6 and i was pumped but chalked some ig it up to water loss after a good wprkout the night before. Then after what i thought similar week to last, i gain 4lbs. Weighed myself in disgust to see 1lbs less differnce from sunday morning before for a grand total of 4 rollercoaster lbs. lost in 23 days
That's what real weight loss looks like - a roller coaster. You have to remember that what you see on the scale today does not exactly reflect what you did yesterday. Your body is constantly digesting food, burning fat, storing fat, retaining water, releasing water all the time. 4 lbs in 3ish weeks is more than 1 lb per week which is damn near perfect!11 -
My point is last time around it was 2lbs a week easily sometimes 3. Was i just in weight loss bliss and no im back to weight loss reality? Could 2000 calories be better for me than 1800?1
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Do not make changes based on one week. Collect data over several weeks then look at the average. Put the scale away for a few weeks if normal fluctuations are making you crazy.1
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emmamcgarity wrote: »Do not make changes based on one week. Collect data over several weeks then look at the average. Put the scale away for a few weeks if normal fluctuations are making you crazy.
Or use a weight trend app (happy scale, Libra). I also think, given your stats, 1lb/wk ON AVERAGE is an appropriate goal. I can’t hypothesize on why you lost faster before. Maybe your inaccurate logging was undercounting or your old job was more active or insanity burned more than your present cardio. For sure, though, no one should expect to lose faster on 2000 cal than on 1800cal (measured the same way).0 -
Are you still landscaping like you were last year? Same type of crew and jobs?2
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do what you did before with success.0
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LargeEricS wrote: »Hey guys in search of sound advice. Last year i lost around 40lbs starting from 270 ending at 225. Im 23, 6'3 and landscape for a living. I achieved my weight loss last time through the full insanity program, then switching to cardio+weights six times a week. Fast forward to now, a job change, some stress and im back around 255lbs. But despite being older and wiser cant seem to shake the weight this time. Im currently doing 25min on a elliptical 6x a week and have only lost 2lbs in 23 days. Im eating cleaner than the first go around, using what i learned last time but not seeing near the results. The ONLY difference i can think of is I was eating around 2000 calories last time and not eating back any workout calories and this time im only eating 1800 and no workout calories. Is it possible that the 2000 cal. mark is a sweet spot and 1800 is just to low?
Anything fitting better?
I've lost count of the amount of times my scale did jack crap but I lost inches somewhere.
If there's no weight loss nor improvement in measurements or clothes-fit, then you need to examine your intake and your activity level. Are you really consistent and diligent with your tracking and measuring? Are you really as active as you were last time, as PAV8888 alluded? How about your NEAT? When we cut calories, and work out hard, we can slip and move around less over all the rest of the day. Over time that has impact on how much we burn.
Something has to be off somewhere. And it is not that you aren't eating enough unfortunately.
All that to say, examine what you are doing, fix any problems, and then do the thing until you are seeing some kind of progress.4 -
Im really trying to examine the differences but when i look back at last year i was constantly like 10 calories over, some days not logging, cheat days every saturday. Looking back it was so sloppy, and by no means are t's crossed and I's dotted but its more on point than last time.1
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I think the Insanity programme is aptly named and I think what jumped out at me was that this is far more exercise than 25 mins on an ellipitcal - and are you doing less physical work in the day now since the job change ? If you are comfortable with it, I would bump up the exercise and include exercises that use your body weight. My partner and I both did the Insanity DVD's and it never got to the point where either of us thought 'nailed that'. There was always a pool of sweat, burning muscles and a need for a lie down at the end of every single session......the added bonus might be that the extra exercise will help with the stress too ! Good luck ! 1
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Eric, you have all my sympathy, but at the same time I find your problem very interesting. The posts here tend to be of two types, either "I'm logging and doing great!" or "I'm not logging and regaining."
It sounds like you are logging with greater than average accuracy. Last year I logged while eating out, just estimating portion sizes, and not exercising at all, and still lost 60 pounds. So your accuracy and activity is great to me.
Please keep us posted, because as you experiment with yourself while keeping such accurate records, I think you might discover something the rest of us don't know.0 -
I feel your pain. Keep in mind for one thing you are lighter than when you started last time so that will have an affect on your calorie needs. Also you are less active by the sounds of it in your work. Remember if you are having "cheat" days they can completely wipe out your progress from the week. Eating more does not result in faster weight loss so 2000 vs 1800 is not the problem. "Clean Eating" while perhaps more healthy does not make you lose weight either so that has little to do with it. Make sure you are measuring all your food with a food scale and log absolutely everything you are eating. There's no reason not to eat back your exercise calories. I would give it some time and keep going. It sometimes takes a while for your body to settle into a routine and you could be seeing some water retention. At least you are losing even if slowly and that's better than gaining.1
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I'll definetly keep posting on what i believe im finding. You guys all make excellent points too. Im starting to think a little slop here and there are adding up to something big this time around because i believe im doing it "better" than last time. Insanity is a much harder workout then 25 min on an elliptical. I will preference by saying i do core and pushups 3x/week that i did not previously mention. However having done insanity, its grueling and hard but i dont believe necessary. Just as walking achieves similar calorie burn results as running, that intensity isnt necassary to lose weight. And while it burned more calories, ive made up for better cleaner eating. Also, I disagree with people who say cleaner and healthier dont always result in results. Just because a big mac fits inside your calories doesnt mean a grilled chicken breast is not much better for you.3
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LargeEricS wrote: »I'll definetly keep posting on what i believe im finding. You guys all make excellent points too. Im starting to think a little slop here and there are adding up to something big this time around because i believe im doing it "better" than last time. Insanity is a much harder workout then 25 min on an elliptical. I will preference by saying i do core and pushups 3x/week that i did not previously mention. However having done insanity, its grueling and hard but i dont believe necessary. Just as walking achieves similar calorie burn results as running, that intensity isnt necassary to lose weight. And while it burned more calories, ive made up for better cleaner eating. Also, I disagree with people who say cleaner and healthier dont always result in results. Just because a big mac fits inside your calories doesnt mean a grilled chicken breast is not much better for you.
In what way?5 -
I agree with you on the Big Mac vs Grilled Chicken. I have more than enough room in my calories for some arsenic. But that doesn’t make it a good idea. I am being a bit absurd but my point is. It might fit macros but you will do better with better food.4
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A calorie is a calorie whether it comes from fast food or from high quality food. As far as weight loss goes BUT I agree that doesn't make it equal in terms of health. I think the point most of us are trying to make is it won't affect weight loss but let's be honest; you are less likely to overeat on healthy food than on junk since it is less calorie dense. I have drastically changed my eating habits since losing weight because I want more food and one of the reasons for losing in the first place was improved health but I still have to watch calories. I've seen countless people post in these forums that they are eating "healthy" but not losing because they assume calories don't count.5
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LargeEricS wrote: »I'll definetly keep posting on what i believe im finding. You guys all make excellent points too. Im starting to think a little slop here and there are adding up to something big this time around because i believe im doing it "better" than last time. Insanity is a much harder workout then 25 min on an elliptical. I will preference by saying i do core and pushups 3x/week that i did not previously mention. However having done insanity, its grueling and hard but i dont believe necessary. Just as walking achieves similar calorie burn results as running, that intensity isnt necassary to lose weight. And while it burned more calories, ive made up for better cleaner eating. Also, I disagree with people who say cleaner and healthier dont always result in results. Just because a big mac fits inside your calories doesnt mean a grilled chicken breast is not much better for you.
In what way?
In the way that a big mac is largely fat, little protein, and some carbs. It wont make you feel as full and chances of over eating increases. Consuming that much fat in a single food isnt beneficial to any human body to my knowledge.1 -
cheryldumais wrote: »A calorie is a calorie whether it comes from fast food or from high quality food. As far as weight loss goes BUT I agree that doesn't make it equal in terms of health. I think the point most of us are trying to make is it won't affect weight loss but let's be honest; you are less likely to overeat on healthy food than on junk since it is less calorie dense. I have drastically changed my eating habits since losing weight because I want more food and one of the reasons for losing in the first place was improved health but I still have to watch calories. I've seen countless people post in these forums that they are eating "healthy" but not losing because they assume calories don't count.
Very well said.4 -
LargeEricS wrote: »LargeEricS wrote: »I'll definetly keep posting on what i believe im finding. You guys all make excellent points too. Im starting to think a little slop here and there are adding up to something big this time around because i believe im doing it "better" than last time. Insanity is a much harder workout then 25 min on an elliptical. I will preference by saying i do core and pushups 3x/week that i did not previously mention. However having done insanity, its grueling and hard but i dont believe necessary. Just as walking achieves similar calorie burn results as running, that intensity isnt necassary to lose weight. And while it burned more calories, ive made up for better cleaner eating. Also, I disagree with people who say cleaner and healthier dont always result in results. Just because a big mac fits inside your calories doesnt mean a grilled chicken breast is not much better for you.
In what way?
In the way that a big mac is largely fat, little protein, and some carbs. It wont make you feel as full and chances of over eating increases. Consuming that much fat in a single food isnt beneficial to any human body to my knowledge.
A Big Mac has 26g of protein. And it would sure keep me full for most of the day, I find fat super filling.
This is still over-thinking and micro-managing IMHO. Sure, you don't want to eat a Big Mac every day. But the amount of fat you have "at one time" is immaterial as far as I know. What counts is your overall diet. If you are generally making smart choices, having a couple of Big Macs a month as part of a calorie-appropriate diet is just not a big deal.
All-or-nothing thinking is your enemy. Saying it's okay to eat fast food sometimes isn't saying it's okay to eat nothing but Big Macs. There is a huge middle ground, and I believe in that middle ground is where people end up physically, mentally, and emotionally healthy. You don't need to eat a 100% virtuous, clean, perfect diet to enjoy good health. Balance is healthy. Just my 2 cents 7 -
LargeEricS wrote: »LargeEricS wrote: »I'll definetly keep posting on what i believe im finding. You guys all make excellent points too. Im starting to think a little slop here and there are adding up to something big this time around because i believe im doing it "better" than last time. Insanity is a much harder workout then 25 min on an elliptical. I will preference by saying i do core and pushups 3x/week that i did not previously mention. However having done insanity, its grueling and hard but i dont believe necessary. Just as walking achieves similar calorie burn results as running, that intensity isnt necassary to lose weight. And while it burned more calories, ive made up for better cleaner eating. Also, I disagree with people who say cleaner and healthier dont always result in results. Just because a big mac fits inside your calories doesnt mean a grilled chicken breast is not much better for you.
In what way?
In the way that a big mac is largely fat, little protein, and some carbs. It wont make you feel as full and chances of over eating increases. Consuming that much fat in a single food isnt beneficial to any human body to my knowledge.
Well, for starters, a Big Mac is not 'largely fat, little protein and some carbs'. Based on a quick Google search, it's actually mostly carbs, with similar amounts of protein and fat. But even if you were right:
What is wrong with consuming a food that is largely fat, that is not wrong with consuming a food that is largely protein?
Why do you assume that nobody could feel satisfied by it?
Where did you get the information that consuming lots of fat in a single food is 'not beneficial', whereas consuming a lot of protein in a single food is fine?
And given that a Big Mac actually contains all three macronutrients in significant quantities, whereas a lean chicken breast is close to pure protein, do you want a bit of time to rethink your argument, without prejudice?5 -
I would join the argument to say that whether or not Big Macs are filling is a YMMV. I'm stuffed after I eat one, though I usually don't as I find them...yucky. I do call McD's "McNasty's." My kids highly disagree.
My digestive system tends to side with me on the yuck factor though. 
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