Returning member - still confused

You probably have your loss set to 2lbs per week. That's too aggressive for someone who only has 35 lbs to lose. Reset your goals to 1/2 lb per week and see what kind of calorie budget it gives you.

cwolfman13 wrote: »

ClareWantsProgress wrote: »

I have it set for 1 pound a week and I do add in my exercise calories, but I just have the hardest time getting the amounts to EVER match up with what I eat on a daily basis. I'm usually way under on calories but already over on one or more of the categories. I just find it so discouraging when I'm trying to live my life and not be a slave to protein powders and micro-managing every bite of food. It seems to work out for everyone on here but me, lol. I'm hopeless.

Calories are what matter...not the macros. I couldn't care less about my macros other than getting enough protein to support my workouts and training. I typically get enough protein in my meals and usually don't need to supplement with protein powders.

At any rate...why not just keep it simple to begin? You can fuss about macros later if you want to...but they don't really matter for losing weight.

Seconded. If your goal is weight loss, you don't need to worry too much about the macros (caveat: unless an actual medical doctor has advised you to pay attention to one or several of them, for actual medical reasons). Just calories in < calories out is enough and you will lose weight. It is physically impossible for you to do otherwise.

You may find that you have an easier time keeping to your calorie budget when you eat a lot of protein throughout the day, or if you fill up on low-calorie vegetables first at every meal, or what have you. Satiety is highly individual. But that is something you can track and tweak reactively, rather than proactively worrying about your carbs/fat/protein ratios.

ClareWantsProgress wrote: »

I guess I am discouraged after 5 years of trying to go by calories and exercise only to still be sitting here at exactly the same spot! This is why I started tracking them again. After a month of being under my stated calorie intake each day, you would think the scale would start to shift - unless it's BECAUSE it's under what I need that my body won't get rid of it.... and this is what makes my head hurt, lol. Never mind. I'm apparently never getting back out of the obese BMI category in this lifetime, despite being a healthy 130 for 40 years up until menopause bit me in the *kitten*.

Are you logging all your food? Do you use a food scale? That was a real eye-opener for me. I was consuming many more calories than I thought when I actually logged and weighed everything.

You might consult a nutritionist or dietician to see if they can figure out what's going on.