Calorie Deficit, Wt training, Cardio, and the Scale isn't moving....why?
Options
Unstoppable_
Posts: 25 Member
I've been using this app since 4/17/22. I'm a 54 year old female. I have only lost 4-5 pounds, but have lost 10 inches overall. I am 5'4", weigh 220#. I go to the gym and aggressively lift weights for an hour 4 days a week. I also do cardio 2 days a week. I have a desk job, so I put my activity level as lightly active, which gives me 1200 calories/day. I don't drink sugary drinks. I drink a lot of water. I haven't been eating the calories that I burn from exercise...should I be? I'm just frustrated at not seeing the scale move in the past 4 months! Please help!
1
Replies
-
How do you know you lost 5 lbs if the scale didn't move?
Hopefully you see my point or do I need to bring up losing inches as well? That's actually kinda more telling than the number on a scale anyway.
Other than that, are you logging/weighing your food?
And if you're certain you're eating 1200 calories and, depending on how much you burn with exercise, god yes. Eat some of those back!
4 -
So...if you've lost inches and pounds so far --- it sounds like you've lost weight?
I used the info you gave to do a calculation for your maintenance calories/TDEE (using sedentary, since you said you are logging your intentional exercise on MFP) and your BMR should be ~15-1600 calories (as long as you don't have any medical reason for your metabolism to be atypical) per day. So that makes me think you chose 2lbs/week to lose with MFP, so it defaulted to the lowest amount of calories it can for a female - which is 1200.
You should not be eating below your BMR. Your maintenance was estimated to be ~1900cals/day.
https://tdeecalculator.net/result.php?s=imperial&g=female&age=54&lbs=220&in=64&act=1.2&f=1
So...if you are going to use MFP to log your workouts and eat those calories back...you'd want to try to set your daily calorie goal to ~1700 maybe and just make sure you are more/less accurate with what you log for food and cardio calories.
This is all just *estimates. You might need to make some adjustments along the way.2 -
If you have list 10 inches you definitely have lost fat but added on muscle so the scale is not moving too much. You have done a recomp which is what happens to most newbies when they start exercising regularly.
You want to keep the muscle and drop the fat only. This takes a slow and steady approach. Your calorie deficit is too aggressive. You could definitely still lose on 1700 or 1800 calories with that amount of exercise and your stats. You should be aiming for 1 lb a week. You need to add more protein Into the mix. Look into the macros of your diet.
When you say you are eating 1200 are you weighing and measuring everything, using generic entries on mfp?
4 -
I scan to log my foods. For exercise, I use my Apple Watch. I know I need to relax a bit, but that dang scale! Guess I’ve been programmed to obsess over it.2
-
I am 50 years old and also 5’4”. I also work out 5-6 days a week. I have been in my goal range for years but I weigh 120 pounds, and I lose at 1800 calories/day and maintain at 2100 calorie/day. I’m fairly active but still - I would be starving and end up binging if I tried to restrict my calories to 1200 a day. I would, at the very least, eat your exercise calories back but I would also think about whether you are making habit changes that you can sustain.2
-
lmlifesaver wrote: »I scan to log my foods. For exercise, I use my Apple Watch. I know I need to relax a bit, but that dang scale! Guess I’ve been programmed to obsess over it.
Try using a weight trend app... it will help mentally to see the trend of weight going down.1 -
lmlifesaver wrote: »I scan to log my foods. For exercise, I use my Apple Watch. I know I need to relax a bit, but that dang scale! Guess I’ve been programmed to obsess over it.
Scanning isn't weighing.
It's just another way of finding a database entry - which itself may or may not be accurate.
It might have been added to the database wrong, it could have gone out of date over time as recipes and quantities change, it might not even point to the right food item!
What's the point of using your Apple Watch for exercise if you don't trust it enough to use its data?
If you read the forums you will see how common it is for people who don't use the app as designed and go for an excessive deficit report lots of problems including weight loss stalls.5 -
lmlifesaver wrote: »I scan to log my foods. For exercise, I use my Apple Watch. I know I need to relax a bit, but that dang scale! Guess I’ve been programmed to obsess over it.
It needs to be re-emphasized that scanning is not accuracy.
Scanned foods are entered by users. Formulations and portions on most packaged foods change, sometimes dramatically. For instance, one serving of a certain ice cream used to be 67g for 180 calories. Now that same ice cream per portion is 93g for over 300 calories. The manufacturers change the "facts" all the time.
Are you using a digital food scale? Are you vetting every item you scan for accuracy and portion?
Then, yes, eat more on exercise days.
I'm having trouble making sense of your post and I'm not sure you're reporting your actual experience because there's no way you've been eating 1200 calories for over three months and exercising like you say and have only lost 4-5 pounds at your weight. No way. So either your food logging is way off or you need to go see your doctor for a full work-up.7 -
People are going to ask to review your FOOD diary and you have it locked, so go to FOOD then Settings, scroll down and click "Public" and save. We can probably find your errors if you're willing to take the help.2
-
Sounds like overall you're doing well - lots of inches and some pounds, things are heading in the right direction.
That said:
Scanning is nice to help you (maybe) find an entry, but you still need to WEIGH and measure your foods.
Are you ONLY eating pre-packaged foods? No clean/"real" foods prepared fresh? While calories are calories, a diet heavy in processed foods is going to leave most people hungry/craving nutrients, leading to binges.
Add in, many nutrition labels offer "approximate" servings on a label - and they are VERY often under estimating the servings (pasta is a perfect example). If you weigh out the dry, uncooked pasta per the serving weight, a package often contains a full extra serving (or more!) that you are then consuming and not accounting for if you are just going off the label.
1200 calories/day with the exercise you list seems low. I'm a little taller than you, and a little younger, but my current weight is lower, and definitely eat a fair bit more and still lose.
Keep going with what you've been doing, but may be time for some small adjustments to keep the progress going!2 -
lmlifesaver wrote: »I scan to log my foods. For exercise, I use my Apple Watch. I know I need to relax a bit, but that dang scale! Guess I’ve been programmed to obsess over it.
We ALL have been programmed to obsess over our weight. Hopefully through this process you will get out of that mindset - you'll be much happier when you do! And the number on the scale is ONE piece of data --- it's not the end-all-be-all of your success.2 -
lmlifesaver wrote: »I scan to log my foods. For exercise, I use my Apple Watch. I know I need to relax a bit, but that dang scale! Guess I’ve been programmed to obsess over it.
Are you weighing and measuring everything though? You could easily be eating a few extra hundred calories a day without realising.1 -
cmriverside wrote: »lmlifesaver wrote: »I scan to log my foods. For exercise, I use my Apple Watch. I know I need to relax a bit, but that dang scale! Guess I’ve been programmed to obsess over it.
It needs to be re-emphasized that scanning is not accuracy.
Scanned foods are entered by users. Formulations and portions on most packaged foods change, sometimes dramatically. For instance, one serving of a certain ice cream used to be 67g for 180 calories. Now that same ice cream per portion is 93g for over 300 calories. The manufacturers change the "facts" all the time.
Are you using a digital food scale? Are you vetting every item you scan for accuracy and portion?
Then, yes, eat more on exercise days.
I'm having trouble making sense of your post and I'm not sure you're reporting your actual experience because there's no way you've been eating 1200 calories for over three months and exercising like you say and have only lost 4-5 pounds at your weight. No way. So either your food logging is way off or you need to go see your doctor for a full work-up.
Well, I am a nurse of 23 years. My health screening is good, other than the weight. I am not using a scale, which seems to be the common piece I am missing. I log EVERYTHING, but it is done via scanning. I plan to get a scale to see if that makes a difference. The 4-5 pound weight loss is accurate. My trainer told me it may be due to my body making the transition from fat to muscle, since I'm losing inches. We shall see. Thank you for your input! I greatly appreciate it. Btw, that IS my 'actual experience'. I wish it wasn't, but it's factual.1 -
lmlifesaver wrote: »I scan to log my foods. For exercise, I use my Apple Watch. I know I need to relax a bit, but that dang scale! Guess I’ve been programmed to obsess over it.
Are you weighing and measuring everything though? You could easily be eating a few extra hundred calories a day without realising.
I haven't been weighing. I scan, and measure everything via measuring cups/spoons etc. My next purchase is a scale! Thank you!1 -
HoneyBadger302 wrote: »Sounds like overall you're doing well - lots of inches and some pounds, things are heading in the right direction.
That said:
Scanning is nice to help you (maybe) find an entry, but you still need to WEIGH and measure your foods.
Are you ONLY eating pre-packaged foods? No clean/"real" foods prepared fresh? While calories are calories, a diet heavy in processed foods is going to leave most people hungry/craving nutrients, leading to binges.
Add in, many nutrition labels offer "approximate" servings on a label - and they are VERY often under estimating the servings (pasta is a perfect example). If you weigh out the dry, uncooked pasta per the serving weight, a package often contains a full extra serving (or more!) that you are then consuming and not accounting for if you are just going off the label.
1200 calories/day with the exercise you list seems low. I'm a little taller than you, and a little younger, but my current weight is lower, and definitely eat a fair bit more and still lose.
Keep going with what you've been doing, but may be time for some small adjustments to keep the progress going!
Thank you. I am eating mostly clean foods that I prepare fresh. I eat processed foods one day a week. I am sooo buying a scale! I appreciate your input!!2 -
lmlifesaver wrote: »I scan to log my foods. For exercise, I use my Apple Watch. I know I need to relax a bit, but that dang scale! Guess I’ve been programmed to obsess over it.
It can be empowering to realize that you are the programmer. You're not a helpless victim of uncontrollable outside forces.
I'm not saying it's easy, but our own views and attitudes are pretty much 100% in our control. They can have a major impact on our success and happiness, so it's a worthwhile thing to work on.
On a more substantive front: Does your overall plan include "cheat days" or refeeds? Have there been any periods where it just wasn't possible for you to stick with that low calorie goal?
(I'm 5'5", started here at age 59, SW 183, and when I joined MFP tried to eat 1200 plus all exercise calories until I figured out that that was way too low for me. Even though I corrected quickly, I got weak and fatigued after a period of time, then took weeks to recover fully even when I started eating a more sensible amount. I'm not saying that's happening for you, because I'm a mysteriously good calorie burner for my demographic, but I'd be concerned about sustainability for you, especially with the heavy lifting and other exercise in the picture.)
A big calorie deficit is a stressor. Heavy lifting or other intense exercise is a stressor (even though a beneficial one). Over-stress can increase water retention, cause fatigue, reduce spontaneous movement (so reduce calorie expenditure, sometimes in subtle ways, but to a meaningful total).
I'd also encourage you to open your diary, so the MFP old hands can see if there's anything that jumps out there. This is not in any way a dig: Food logging is a skill that takes time to develop, and advice from experienced folks can help speed that learning process, for those who're open to it.
You may be fine trying to lose 2 pounds a week, at your current weight - I assume that's how you got the 1200 goal. However, not eating any exercise calories is in effect pushing for a faster loss rate, and that might not be wise. Even if 2 pounds a week is theoretically OK, sometimes people find that their best balance of sustainability, energy level, and progress happens at a slower loss rate.
When we have a meaningful amount of weight to lose, as I did and you do, that's not a quick project with an end date. It takes weeks to months, maybe even multiple years. Then, there's the challenge of maintaining that healthy weight long term. Those factors put a priority on finding sustainable habits - enjoyable, calorie-appropriate eating; enjoyable exercise plans - that can continue almost on autopilot forever when life gets complicated. Do you feel like you're in that zone?
1 -
lmlifesaver wrote: »I scan to log my foods. For exercise, I use my Apple Watch. I know I need to relax a bit, but that dang scale! Guess I’ve been programmed to obsess over it.
Scanning isn't weighing.
It's just another way of finding a database entry - which itself may or may not be accurate.
It might have been added to the database wrong, it could have gone out of date over time as recipes and quantities change, it might not even point to the right food item!
What's the point of using your Apple Watch for exercise if you don't trust it enough to use its data?
If you read the forums you will see how common it is for people who don't use the app as designed and go for an excessive deficit report lots of problems including weight loss stalls.
I'm not sure what "What's the point of using your Apple Watch for exercise if you don't trust it enough to use its data?" means... I am definitely going to buy a scale. That seems to be the consensus of what I'm missing. As far as using the app, I plugged in my info. The app is what told me 1200 calories a day. I went back in and changed my goal to losing 1.5 pounds a week...now my calorie budget is 1700/day. Thank you for your insight!1 -
lmlifesaver wrote: »I scan to log my foods. For exercise, I use my Apple Watch. I know I need to relax a bit, but that dang scale! Guess I’ve been programmed to obsess over it.
It can be empowering to realize that you are the programmer. You're not a helpless victim of uncontrollable outside forces.
I'm not saying it's easy, but our own views and attitudes are pretty much 100% in our control. They can have a major impact on our success and happiness, so it's a worthwhile thing to work on.
On a more substantive front: Does your overall plan include "cheat days" or refeeds? Have there been any periods where it just wasn't possible for you to stick with that low calorie goal?
(I'm 5'5", started here at age 59, SW 183, and when I joined MFP tried to eat 1200 plus all exercise calories until I figured out that that was way too low for me. Even though I corrected quickly, I got weak and fatigued after a period of time, then took weeks to recover fully even when I started eating a more sensible amount. I'm not saying that's happening for you, because I'm a mysteriously good calorie burner for my demographic, but I'd be concerned about sustainability for you, especially with the heavy lifting and other exercise in the picture.)
A big calorie deficit is a stressor. Heavy lifting or other intense exercise is a stressor (even though a beneficial one). Over-stress can increase water retention, cause fatigue, reduce spontaneous movement (so reduce calorie expenditure, sometimes in subtle ways, but to a meaningful total).
I'd also encourage you to open your diary, so the MFP old hands can see if there's anything that jumps out there. This is not in any way a dig: Food logging is a skill that takes time to develop, and advice from experienced folks can help speed that learning process, for those who're open to it.
You may be fine trying to lose 2 pounds a week, at your current weight - I assume that's how you got the 1200 goal. However, not eating any exercise calories is in effect pushing for a faster loss rate, and that might not be wise. Even if 2 pounds a week is theoretically OK, sometimes people find that their best balance of sustainability, energy level, and progress happens at a slower loss rate.
When we have a meaningful amount of weight to lose, as I did and you do, that's not a quick project with an end date. It takes weeks to months, maybe even multiple years. Then, there's the challenge of maintaining that healthy weight long term. Those factors put a priority on finding sustainable habits - enjoyable, calorie-appropriate eating; enjoyable exercise plans - that can continue almost on autopilot forever when life gets complicated. Do you feel like you're in that zone?
You're spot on with the assumption that the app set me at 1200 calories with 2#/week loss goal. I have changed my goal to 1.5#/week, and now my calorie budget is 1700/day. I will tell you that I feel stronger. I feel better than I have in a long time. I'm frustrated by the number on the scale... why? Society has placed a lot of emphasis on it, and as a nurse, I do too. Also, I want to practice what I preach to my patients, so to speak. My insurance puts me as high risk, due to my weight. All other vitals are normal, and I take no medications. I want to feel better about how I look, and know I'm the most healthy I can be! I love my workout routine and can see my muscles starting to take shape. I truly don't feel I'm eating enough calories to sustain this. I appreciate your insight. I also just ordered a scale so I can be more accurate with my logging. Currently, I scan, or use the database provided. I've logged many times before, and I log EVERYTHING. I feel I need to start weighing to be more accurate with portions etc. Thank you soooo very much!3 -
lmlifesaver wrote: »lmlifesaver wrote: »I scan to log my foods. For exercise, I use my Apple Watch. I know I need to relax a bit, but that dang scale! Guess I’ve been programmed to obsess over it.
Are you weighing and measuring everything though? You could easily be eating a few extra hundred calories a day without realising.
I haven't been weighing. I scan, and measure everything via measuring cups/spoons etc. My next purchase is a scale! Thank you!
I think the scale's going to make a big difference.
Pro Tip; If you like nut butters, have some tissues nearby.
7 -
lmlifesaver wrote: »lmlifesaver wrote: »I scan to log my foods. For exercise, I use my Apple Watch. I know I need to relax a bit, but that dang scale! Guess I’ve been programmed to obsess over it.
Scanning isn't weighing.
It's just another way of finding a database entry - which itself may or may not be accurate.
It might have been added to the database wrong, it could have gone out of date over time as recipes and quantities change, it might not even point to the right food item!
What's the point of using your Apple Watch for exercise if you don't trust it enough to use its data?
If you read the forums you will see how common it is for people who don't use the app as designed and go for an excessive deficit report lots of problems including weight loss stalls.
I'm not sure what "What's the point of using your Apple Watch for exercise if you don't trust it enough to use its data?" means... I am definitely going to buy a scale. That seems to be the consensus of what I'm missing. As far as using the app, I plugged in my info. The app is what told me 1200 calories a day. I went back in and changed my goal to losing 1.5 pounds a week...now my calorie budget is 1700/day. Thank you for your insight!
Did you change any other settings? From 2 to 1.5lbs per week should be a 250 difference, not 500 calories (1lb = approximately 3500 calories).1
Categories
- All Categories
- 1.4M Health, Wellness and Goals
- 391.4K Introduce Yourself
- 43.5K Getting Started
- 259.7K Health and Weight Loss
- 175.6K Food and Nutrition
- 47.3K Recipes
- 232.3K Fitness and Exercise
- 388 Sleep, Mindfulness and Overall Wellness
- 6.4K Goal: Maintaining Weight
- 8.5K Goal: Gaining Weight and Body Building
- 152.7K Motivation and Support
- 7.8K Challenges
- 1.3K Debate Club
- 96.2K Chit-Chat
- 2.5K Fun and Games
- 3.2K MyFitnessPal Information
- 22 News and Announcements
- 918 Feature Suggestions and Ideas
- 2.3K MyFitnessPal Tech Support Questions