Eating 1,500 cal a day with exercise and still not loosing weight...
Replies
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ajsandham11 wrote: »
I'll start tracking cheat days too.
That will likely be disillusioning. Sorry in advance!
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The reason one tracks higher calorie days is NOT in order to avoid having higher calorie days; but in order to avoid wondering why they are only eating 1500 and not losing weight!
Past that a dose of more sustainable practices and patience may be high up on the recommendations list.
You can't exercise patience if you're acting unsustainably and if you keep acting unsustainably you will end up crashing and burning and (justifiably given the unsustainability) giving up.
The problem is not the giving up. The problem would be your choice to continue down that path!
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wunderkindking wrote: »ajsandham11 wrote: »ajsandham11 wrote: »ajsandham11 wrote: »Yes, hitting the gym twice a week, one 5k run and two rugby training sessions. I would stick to 1,500 cals no matter the cals burned.
I was loosing on average 1/2 kg a week.
0.5 kg x 7716 cal fat/kg / 7 days = 551 cal apparent deficit daily.
If truly eating 1500, you would have been only burning 2050 on average.
Perhaps you are very sedentary outside that activity.
Perhaps that activity isn't burning nearly as much as I'd think.
But I'd sure think you are burning more than that on average.
Which means you were actually eating more than that on average.
Your food logging is probably not that accurate.
Once you get accurate, I'd suggest 250 deficit too, or .25 kg weekly, this close to the end.
Out of curiosity, what amount of cals would you suggest? And if I workout, I don't add these cals on to the day?
A 250 cal deficit would mean eating 250 less than you burn in the day.
Are you burning calories in the workout?
Yes, I have 1,500 cal plan and then typically lose 500 and still stick to the 1,500. Shall I be adding more to my cals
Hm? This is not what your diary says. Your diary says that when you workout you typically eat back your workout calories. That's why it's also important to figure out if your workout calories are accurate Cardio tends to be most accurate: walking a mile is about 100 calories burned. (variance due to height, weight, age, hills, speed, etc).
When you look at your diary summary for a day at the bottom (desktop) you can see total vs net calories. If you are net 1500ish but total 1700 it will say below it "you earned 200+ calories with exercise" or something like that. Fitness trackers often overcalc workouts.
This. But I would like to question the 100 net calories per mile walked. One would need to be quite a lot overweight to achieve that. Speed has very little influence on calories burned when walking, unless you compare normal walking and Olympic speed walking. Thus better be conservative here.
I checked the study that number came from (It was done at UCLA Davis FYI). 100 calories per mile is for a 180 pound person. About 65 for 120lb person. So, yes. Though not necessarily quite overweight but also definitely heavier than most *women*.
I was not referencing a study. I am a 6'0 woman using my numbers and making assumptions based on the OP's numbers. OP said they are 81 KG, which is about 180 lbs, ironically. I am not sure what your last sentence means.1 -
I'm a bit in the same situation, a lot of my own "research" (aka perusing forums, articles etc) seem to suggest your body's BMR is able to adapt to whatever you are doing. Even with exercise. And thus you plateau. (Short version). So I'd suggest to maybe look into macro cycling and having high(er)/low(er) kcal days. Like someone else said: when you reach a healthy weight, it's getting very difficult so I often find the simple CiCo doesn't cut it anymore. Goodluck2
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ajsandham11 wrote: »
Nooooo! hahah, I thought it would be the case
In real terms, do I have to stop my cheat day? No more monstermunch for me lol
Hi. Would it work to just have a "cheat food", not an entire "cheat day"?1 -
I'm a bit in the same situation, a lot of my own "research" (aka perusing forums, articles etc) seem to suggest your body's BMR is able to adapt to whatever you are doing. Even with exercise. And thus you plateau. (Short version). So I'd suggest to maybe look into macro cycling and having high(er)/low(er) kcal days. Like someone else said: when you reach a healthy weight, it's getting very difficult so I often find the simple CiCo doesn't cut it anymore. Goodluck
There is some adaptation if one is in an extended period of calorie restriction, but even with that, nobody's body is able to create energy from nothing and do work for "free."5 -
southkonahi wrote: »ajsandham11 wrote: »
Nooooo! hahah, I thought it would be the case
In real terms, do I have to stop my cheat day? No more monstermunch for me lol
Hi. Would it work to just have a "cheat food", not an entire "cheat day"?
"Cheat food" would work exactly like a "cheat day." If you wipe out your deficit with a single food, it will impede your process just as much as if you do it with a variety of foods.5 -
wunderkindking wrote: »ajsandham11 wrote: »ajsandham11 wrote: »ajsandham11 wrote: »Yes, hitting the gym twice a week, one 5k run and two rugby training sessions. I would stick to 1,500 cals no matter the cals burned.
I was loosing on average 1/2 kg a week.
0.5 kg x 7716 cal fat/kg / 7 days = 551 cal apparent deficit daily.
If truly eating 1500, you would have been only burning 2050 on average.
Perhaps you are very sedentary outside that activity.
Perhaps that activity isn't burning nearly as much as I'd think.
But I'd sure think you are burning more than that on average.
Which means you were actually eating more than that on average.
Your food logging is probably not that accurate.
Once you get accurate, I'd suggest 250 deficit too, or .25 kg weekly, this close to the end.
Out of curiosity, what amount of cals would you suggest? And if I workout, I don't add these cals on to the day?
A 250 cal deficit would mean eating 250 less than you burn in the day.
Are you burning calories in the workout?
Yes, I have 1,500 cal plan and then typically lose 500 and still stick to the 1,500. Shall I be adding more to my cals
Hm? This is not what your diary says. Your diary says that when you workout you typically eat back your workout calories. That's why it's also important to figure out if your workout calories are accurate Cardio tends to be most accurate: walking a mile is about 100 calories burned. (variance due to height, weight, age, hills, speed, etc).
When you look at your diary summary for a day at the bottom (desktop) you can see total vs net calories. If you are net 1500ish but total 1700 it will say below it "you earned 200+ calories with exercise" or something like that. Fitness trackers often overcalc workouts.
This. But I would like to question the 100 net calories per mile walked. One would need to be quite a lot overweight to achieve that. Speed has very little influence on calories burned when walking, unless you compare normal walking and Olympic speed walking. Thus better be conservative here.
I checked the study that number came from (It was done at UCLA Davis FYI). 100 calories per mile is for a 180 pound person. About 65 for 120lb person. So, yes. Though not necessarily quite overweight but also definitely heavier than most *women*.
I was not referencing a study. I am a 6'0 woman using my numbers and making assumptions based on the OP's numbers. OP said they are 81 KG, which is about 180 lbs, ironically. I am not sure what your last sentence means.
Okay, but those numbers came from a study and science is good.
The last sentence was referencing a post that said to burn a hundred calories in a mile you'd have to be quite a bit overweight/question the accuracy of it. I was saying that is not the case. Especially since we're talking about a guy, here.0 -
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I am losing even with a cheat day.
I was logging perfectly and not losing, my problem was that yes I was eating what the packaging said (one serving is 200 cals for example) but I wasn't WEIGHING out my serving using a food scale, I was just eyeballing it thinking it looked right. Even using measuring cups can give different weights, so GET A FOOD SCALE. It takes some getting used to (yes I even weight out and measure the mayonnaise I use on a sandwich for example) but once you get used to it the process is quick and automatic.
I'd rather add in 5 minutes of weighing food then wonder why I hadn't lost weight all year!
I decided what I really wasn't willing to give up: Booze and chocolate, so I set up my own rules for that. I have 2 pieces of chocolate at night, and once a week I have 1.5 drinks (they are 330 cals easch, so they add up quick!).
I am back to losing, and I'm happier. Truthfully I cannot wait to hit maintenance, but I'll get there.
I too go to the gym, but I go 3 days a week and that seems to work.
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ajsandham11 wrote: »ajsandham11 wrote: »ajsandham11 wrote: »Yes, hitting the gym twice a week, one 5k run and two rugby training sessions. I would stick to 1,500 cals no matter the cals burned.
I was loosing on average 1/2 kg a week.
0.5 kg x 7716 cal fat/kg / 7 days = 551 cal apparent deficit daily.
If truly eating 1500, you would have been only burning 2050 on average.
Perhaps you are very sedentary outside that activity.
Perhaps that activity isn't burning nearly as much as I'd think.
But I'd sure think you are burning more than that on average.
Which means you were actually eating more than that on average.
Your food logging is probably not that accurate.
Once you get accurate, I'd suggest 250 deficit too, or .25 kg weekly, this close to the end.
Out of curiosity, what amount of cals would you suggest? And if I workout, I don't add these cals on to the day?
A 250 cal deficit would mean eating 250 less than you burn in the day.
Are you burning calories in the workout?
Yes, I have 1,500 cal plan and then typically lose 500 and still stick to the 1,500. Shall I be adding more to my cals
Hm? This is not what your diary says. Your diary says that when you workout you typically eat back your workout calories. That's why it's also important to figure out if your workout calories are accurate Cardio tends to be most accurate: walking a mile is about 100 calories burned. (variance due to height, weight, age, hills, speed, etc).
When you look at your diary summary for a day at the bottom (desktop) you can see total vs net calories. If you are net 1500ish but total 1700 it will say below it "you earned 200+ calories with exercise" or something like that. Fitness trackers often overcalc workouts.
To the bolded: That’s a pretty broad statement.
Some brands/models of trackers estimate some activities better than others (by differently using the kinds of data the devices can actual measure), and some activities are easier to estimate based on the data that the trackers can measure, among other things. It’s useful to figure out the likeliest-to-be-close method of estimating whatever specific form(s) of exercise one does personally, I think, if planning to log them manually on MFP, and if using a tracker as the source for that, it can be useful to know if it's giving a gross estimate (includes RMR, loosely) or a net estimate.
Most of the good brand/model trackers seem to do a decent job of estimating all-day calories for the average person, and I’m living proof that they can *underestimate* all-day calories in that situation, not just overestimate them. Despite that, I think most people should test-drive an all-day synch of a device to MFP (if they have a device that synchs correctly), as it’s likely (not guaranteed) to be pretty close, and if it works it’s pretty easy and flexible vs. logging activities individually.
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ajsandham11 wrote: »kshama2001 wrote: »ajsandham11 wrote: »ajsandham11 wrote: »I have been focusing on 6 days 1,300-1,500 and one cheat day to have a frozen pizza and crisps. it's really the only way to keep myself motivated to stay on course throughout the week.
It is 100% possible to wipe out a calorie deficit with 1 cheat day. I'm actually quite good at doing just that myself, heh. Going through your diary time- are you using a food scale? Some of the items are a little suspect.- Yorkshire Tea - Tea, 500 ml Yorkshire Tea,50ml semi-skim milk 1/2 tsp(2g) unrefined sugar: is this a pre-packaged item? Otherwise, this should be tea and sugar separately with the sugar weighed.
- Aldi - Xplosade, 500 ml: 146 calories: What an odd calorie count on a drink. Are you sure this is right?
- Lidl - Vanilla & Yogurt Protein Bar, 45 g 194 calories: What an odd calorie count- are you sure this is right?
In the past 3 weeks from yesterday (21 days):- Days with 1400-1700 Calories logged: 7
- Days 1700+ Calories: 6
- Blank Days/less than 900 cals logged: 8
So--- in 3 weeks of data, you only logged 1/3 of your meals as between 1400-1700: that's 33%. Now- on days where you ate 1,700 calories, it says that you burned and earned a few hundred calories. It may benefit you to eat back a smaller % of your workout calories, particularly if you're getting any calories from lifting workouts. I typically eat back 90-100% of my workout calories if I am losing weight. If i'm not losing weight, I drop down the amount I'm eating back to 80% or even 50%.
Here's your real problem, though- Blank days. In 3 weeks there were 7 completely blank days and 1 that was 800 cals, probably not all you ate. You said "one cheat day" but 8 days in 21 is more than twice a week. Without complete data it's hard to say. I suggest logging even your "cheat day" and then calculating your calories net for the week. If I know that I want to eat more on a Saturday, have wine, etc, I will eat -200 for Thurs-Sat (or workout +200) and indulge guilt-free.
Thank for this
The Yorkshire tea, I'll start adding individually but I don't have sugar it's just milk and the tea bag.
In terms of the suspect calories. All the calories are what comes up when scanning on MFP and all cross checked with the packaging and they match...
I'll start tracking cheat days too.
Really appreciate your help ☺️
Really the simplest explanation is that you are wiping out your deficit on your cheat days
Nooooo! hahah, I thought it would be the case
In real terms, do I have to stop my cheat day? No more monstermunch for me lol
Log it and see!
You may be better off with a cheat MEAL rather than a cheat DAY.
I have neither - I try to exercise a lot every day so I can eat a lot every day and still have a calorie deficit. Plus I like to be active.2 -
Myself too.
I would find it really strange if I started a thread about not losing weight and neither my OP nor my diary evidenced drinking beer and somebody chimed in with Why is nobody mentioning beer?
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paperpudding wrote: »
Myself too.
I would find it really strange if I started a thread about not losing weight and neither my OP nor my diary evidenced drinking beer and somebody chimed in with Why is nobody mentioning beer?
Feedback noted 😉2 -
paperpudding wrote: »
Myself too.
I would find it really strange if I started a thread about not losing weight and neither my OP nor my diary evidenced drinking beer and somebody chimed in with Why is nobody mentioning beer?
Feedback noted 😉
Yeah, I haven't had a beer in maybe ten years?
Not something I've ever mentioned in the forums unless asked.
It's a non-factor for me.0 -
paperpudding wrote: »
Myself too.
I would find it really strange if I started a thread about not losing weight and neither my OP nor my diary evidenced drinking beer and somebody chimed in with Why is nobody mentioning beer?
Feedback noted 😉
I dunno...I don't think it's entirely without value to point out. Some people might not even consider to add drinks into their diaries (along with sauces, oils..etc..). I'd include soda in that too, though.5 -
I've found avoiding processed foods, take away, cheat meals help me control what I'm eating (and I don't care for that type either). At first I was just entering 1 med sweet potato, now I try to weight everything, watch my "bites", don't drink ANY calories (either SF soda or black coffee), now I log EVERYTHING. We're similar in height/weight, I eat 1800 calories and lose a lb per week (pretty active). I did have an entire month where I didn't lose anything, not sure why? It wouldn't hurt to add a few km a day walking - more muscle means you can eat more 1
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That would be great if merely walking added enough appreciable muscle to be able to burn more to eat more.
Sadly it won't, if any.4 -
ajsandham11 wrote: »... one cheat day to have a frozen pizza and crisps. it's really the only way to keep myself motivated to stay on course throughout the week...
That frozen pizza and crisps I would cut down on, either one a week, alternating, or both once every 2 to 3 weeks. I know it's harsh maybe
Also maybe make ur own pizza, you have better control over the ingredients
And Lays has oven baked crisps, less fat, or swap out the crisps for popcorn
I ate crisps and store pizza for a while about once week, a bad habit I got into, and it caused fat gain, so that may be part of the problem
Find healthier ways to motivate yourself, and maybe you are eating too little, or not enough of something that makes you grab for those: is it a flavor thing or feel you need to it? If the latter you may need to find healthier alternatives to fill the need your body is having, could be lack of carbs given your excercise?3 -
Actually, some of the frozen pizzas aren’t that bad. I seldom eat them, but tried a Lidl frozen pizza after someone on nextdoor sang it’s praises in a thread about local pizza joints. I was quite surprised to find they had several good pizzas in both fridge and freezer case that were reasonable calories.
I still prefer to make my own, though!
Trader Joe’s now has a nice pizza crust with acceptable calories in their bread display at the entrance to the stores. Some Lavash breads also make good low cal pizza crusts.2 -
I only eat take out pizza and drink plenty of ale (larger is crap). I don't eat more when I drink though. OP does drink beer but it's only been logged once I think. It's not a focus of OPs no weight loss.1
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