Help with Weight Loss, Stuck!

dwarren1992
dwarren1992 Posts: 10 Member
in Motivation and Support
I am hoping someone will be able to help me spot where I am going wrong. I have been dieting for several months now at around 1500 calories a day, but I can't seem to get any lower weight wise. I am completely stuck at 11st 6lbs and have been for several weeks now.

I have a completely desk based job, so i focus on exercising in the forms of weight training, cardio and badminton at least every day. I drink nothing other than green tea and squash.

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I have added images of my usual daily dieting and was wondering if anyone can spot what I might be doing wrong?

The help would be greatly appreciated.
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Replies

  • Panini911
    Panini911 Posts: 2,325 Member
    your meals are general selections/store bought? could be an issue in how you are estimating those calories.

    given you eat so many bars i'd try weighting them, some have been surprised that a bar weighed more thus had more calories. at two bars a day that can add up.
  • dwarren1992
    dwarren1992 Posts: 10 Member
    Okay I will keep an eye on those calorie levels. I scan everything through my fitness pal but I guess some of those values could be incorrect.
  • Panini911
    Panini911 Posts: 2,325 Member
    scanning gets you the product. doesn't confirm the actual weight/quantity.
    Also the database is user created - so there are errors in there.
  • 88olds
    88olds Posts: 4,531 Member
    edited July 2019
    You can try reworking every number with your food scale or as suggested, just cut some calories.

    Calorie counting isn’t as exact as we pretend. There are certain gray areas that are unavoidable. So maybe just bite the bullet and try an across the board cut. I’d try cutting 100 calories for a few weeks and see what happen. Don’t agree that you are going to jump start or shock your system. It’s just an experiment.

    You not only want the scale moving down. You have to be able to live with it.
  • dwarren1992
    dwarren1992 Posts: 10 Member
    I will give it a try. It was originally working fine for a good 5 month, but now it just seems to have hit a brick wall.
  • Panini911
    Panini911 Posts: 2,325 Member
    dwarren1992 wrote: »
    I will give it a try. It was originally working fine for a good 5 month, but now it just seems to have hit a brick wall.

    often we have lots more wiggle room when we have more to lose. so little errors in logging and such don't matter. as we get closer to goal there is less wiggle room and small errors can add up enough to erase program.
  • quiksylver296
    quiksylver296 Posts: 28,439 Member
    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10634517/you-dont-use-a-food-scale/p1

    https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10697068/how-i-stopped-kidding-myself/p1
  • dwarren1992
    dwarren1992 Posts: 10 Member
    I already use a scale to measure most things that I am consuming.
  • dwarren1992
    dwarren1992 Posts: 10 Member
    I just didn't believe that it was a sensible idea to go any lower than 1500 calories daily as I thought it would be unhealthy to go lower.
  • Panini911
    Panini911 Posts: 2,325 Member
    edited July 2019
    dwarren1992 wrote: »
    I just didn't believe that it was a sensible idea to go any lower than 1500 calories daily as I thought it would be unhealthy to go lower.

    1500 is the minimum recommended calories for proper nutrition of a shorter more sedentary male yes. If you are active that is likely too low.

    don't weight most, weigh all. double and triple check entries you are using. ensure to use food items VS meals when choosing entries.
  • dwarren1992
    dwarren1992 Posts: 10 Member
    The meals that I am using in my diary are recipes that I have created from food that I have measured out and weighed. That is why I use them.

    I will start properly weighing out the bars that I eat but I am now starting to think that I am eating to low a calorie amount.
  • quiksylver296
    quiksylver296 Posts: 28,439 Member
    Bear with me, I may be beating a dead horse.

    But I look at your dairy above and all your grams are even numbers (100 grams of pasta, 100 grams of rice). When I weigh my food, I don't get even numbers like that. I get 168 grams of greek yogurt, and 113 grams of chicken breast, etc. Are you truly weighing this things?
  • HealthyHart1972
    HealthyHart1972 Posts: 10 Member
    How tall are you...1500 calories for a man is very low and I would think not sustainable.
  • dwarren1992
    dwarren1992 Posts: 10 Member
    edited July 2019
    Yes I truly weigh out these items on an electronic scale. And I specifically aim for even numbers because it helps me calculate easier. I weigh out my wholegrain pasta in a saucepan to exactly 100 grams. If there is too much in the pan, I remove it until it is exactly 100 and then I cook it.

    Oh and I am 5ft 7. I am basically trying to get my body fat percentage down to around 15% and I believe I am currently around 23%
  • quiksylver296
    quiksylver296 Posts: 28,439 Member
    Converting stones to pounds - you're 160 lbs? What is your goal weight?

  • HealthyHart1972
    HealthyHart1972 Posts: 10 Member
    To be brutally honest something doesn't add up, if you are truly only having that many calories per day and exercising daily as you say then you would be losing weight... I would suggest you have a look at your intake, are you having extras that you don't put onto MFP like sauces or dressings.

    For instance I have 2 tsps of fish oil that I didn't account for but then someone pointed out to me that this was 100 calories I was having daily that was not accounted for.
  • dwarren1992
    dwarren1992 Posts: 10 Member
    My goal weight is 140lbs and the only extras that I don't really account for is the use of frylight cooking sprays and cups of green tea and squash.
  • steveko89
    steveko89 Posts: 2,223 Member
    dwarren1992 wrote: »
    My goal weight is 140lbs and the only extras that I don't really account for is the use of frylight cooking sprays and cups of green tea and squash.

    How tall are you? 140lbs is considered "Ideal" for men at 5'6" (167.64 cm) If you're taller than that I would challenge the basis of the goal weight you have selected.
  • dwarren1992
    dwarren1992 Posts: 10 Member
    174cm
  • quiksylver296
    quiksylver296 Posts: 28,439 Member
    dwarren1992 wrote: »
    My goal weight is 140lbs and the only extras that I don't really account for is the use of frylight cooking sprays and cups of green tea and squash.

    I have a vague idea what squash is (US, here), but no idea on the calorie content. Is it low-cal?
  • quiksylver296
    quiksylver296 Posts: 28,439 Member
    Assuming we have missed no issues, the next option is to take a diet break. A month or two of eating maintenance calories, and then get back to it.

    There is a good thread about diet breaks and refeeds, but I can't seem to find it. Maybe someone else has it and can link it.
  • Panini911
    Panini911 Posts: 2,325 Member
    quiksylver296 wrote: »
    dwarren1992 wrote: »
    My goal weight is 140lbs and the only extras that I don't really account for is the use of frylight cooking sprays and cups of green tea and squash.

    I have a vague idea what squash is (US, here), but no idea on the calorie content. Is it low-cal?

    there are different types of squash so it can vary. can be low cal but depends on quantity. like any vegetable it can add up if you eat enough. I log my spagetthi squash...for example I have 277grams of sqaush raw logged at 86cals.
  • tracybear86
    tracybear86 Posts: 163 Member
    Squash meaning a lemonade type drink? If so you should be logging that also as I am guessing it has calories (50-150 per some database entries) and if you are already a healthy weight then everything counts.
  • quiksylver296
    quiksylver296 Posts: 28,439 Member
    edited July 2019
    Panini911 wrote: »
    quiksylver296 wrote: »
    dwarren1992 wrote: »
    My goal weight is 140lbs and the only extras that I don't really account for is the use of frylight cooking sprays and cups of green tea and squash.

    I have a vague idea what squash is (US, here), but no idea on the calorie content. Is it low-cal?

    there are different types of squash so it can vary. can be low cal but depends on quantity. like any vegetable it can add up if you eat enough. I log my spagetthi squash...for example I have 277grams of sqaush raw logged at 86cals.

    Squash in the UK is a lemonade-type drink, @Panini911.
  • Panini911
    Panini911 Posts: 2,325 Member
    quiksylver296 wrote: »
    Panini911 wrote: »
    quiksylver296 wrote: »
    dwarren1992 wrote: »
    My goal weight is 140lbs and the only extras that I don't really account for is the use of frylight cooking sprays and cups of green tea and squash.

    I have a vague idea what squash is (US, here), but no idea on the calorie content. Is it low-cal?

    there are different types of squash so it can vary. can be low cal but depends on quantity. like any vegetable it can add up if you eat enough. I log my spagetthi squash...for example I have 277grams of sqaush raw logged at 86cals.

    Squash in the UK is a lemonade-type drink.

    Oops! I clearly had no idea!
  • quiksylver296
    quiksylver296 Posts: 28,439 Member
    Panini911 wrote: »
    quiksylver296 wrote: »
    Panini911 wrote: »
    quiksylver296 wrote: »
    dwarren1992 wrote: »
    My goal weight is 140lbs and the only extras that I don't really account for is the use of frylight cooking sprays and cups of green tea and squash.

    I have a vague idea what squash is (US, here), but no idea on the calorie content. Is it low-cal?

    there are different types of squash so it can vary. can be low cal but depends on quantity. like any vegetable it can add up if you eat enough. I log my spagetthi squash...for example I have 277grams of sqaush raw logged at 86cals.

    Squash in the UK is a lemonade-type drink.

    Oops! I clearly had no idea!

    The things you learn on MFP! :laugh:
  • steveko89
    steveko89 Posts: 2,223 Member
    dwarren1992 wrote: »
    174cm

    I'd expect 150lb to be a better target weight at your height. In addition of the other suggestions of logging more accurately, you could probably dial back your protein to 150g/day.
  • gcgwynne
    gcgwynne Posts: 1 Member

    dwarren1992 wrote: »
    My goal weight is 140lbs and the only extras that I don't really account for is the use of frylight cooking sprays and cups of green tea and squash.

    Yeah agree with the other posters. This is a sugary fruit-punch type of drink in the UK correct? You should log those and I'll bet that's where the discrepancy is. One type in this link is 160 calories a serving. https://www.myfitnesspal.com/food/calories/527949446
  • grubb1019
    grubb1019 Posts: 371 Member
    I'm pretty certain that they make sugar free squash. I'm not sure how much sugar free beverages you are drinking a day, but I find when I drink too much artificially sweetened drinks it slows my weight loss. You might try drinking just water for several days and see if that makes a difference.

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