Calorie Deficit, Wt training, Cardio, and the Scale isn't moving....why?

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Replies

  • yirara
    yirara Posts: 9,930 Member
    edited August 2022
    Oh yes, the lady on her head above speaks the truth. There are moments where I 'estimate' though. I buy a loaf of bread, 20 slices, 750gr. Put on scale, 750gr plus a tiny bit for packaging. Works. So I always log 75gr for two slices. But: I always check this when I get a new pack of bread because there were two months in the past where the packs were heavier for some reason. And when that happened I logged the higher weight divided by number of slices. But of course I make sure the calories (and other nutrititonal info) are correct.
  • ktilton70130
    ktilton70130 Posts: 211 Member
    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.

    The same thing happened to me in July. I adjusted protein intake and ate a banana a couple of days to add potassium and at the next weigh in I dropped 5lbs which equaled out . You are correct we are programmed to obsess over the scale I am guilty of it as well.
    Keep going and dont give up. <3
  • Unstoppable_
    Unstoppable_ Posts: 25 Member
    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.

    The same thing happened to me in July. I adjusted protein intake and ate a banana a couple of days to add potassium and at the next weigh in I dropped 5lbs which equaled out . You are correct we are programmed to obsess over the scale I am guilty of it as well.
    Keep going and dont give up. <3

    Thanks for your reply! I'm adjusting my protein a bit. I'm working out hard, so I know I need a little more protein than what I'm currently getting. My trainer suggested a protein drink to help with that. I won't give up!
  • yirara
    yirara Posts: 9,930 Member
    Just to give a couple IRL examples of scanning issues:

    I had two slices of bread yesterday. “Serving size” was 28 gr for 1 piece. Two weighed in at 69 grams. That was over 15% more than stated on the package.

    The bun I had for dinner with my shredded BBQ chicken scanned incorrectly and gave me lower calories than what was shown on the bag. I had to go in and correct.

    I scanned the potato chip bag to go with my bbq sandwich and they were also badly off.

    The cheese slice I had the day before was 23gr when a serving size is 21.

    10 here, 12 there, 35 there, it adds up.

    If you want to have some fun, look up Progresso Light Italian Wedding Soup (a particular favorite) and look at all the various entries.

    The food database on MFP is crowdsourced, meaning it’s been entered by users- occasionally by manufacturers or restaurant chains.

    This means it’s littered with entry errors, whether accidental or deliberate “self deception”, like the people who will enter a chocolate chip cookie as 20 calories for five cookies, or something else ridiculous, to salve their ego or pad their diary. You see a lot of that on the site.

    You’ll also see entries for things like “Mel’s lasagna” 10 calories per serving. There’s a lot of people here who, because it works for them, enter an entire recipe. It may be 1,000 calories for the whole recipe and weigh 100 grams. They enter a serving as 1 gr=10 calories and then weigh what they’ve served themselves.

    Always be critical of the entries you’re choosing.

    If you choose a lot of the same foods-as most people do- you’ll build a database of repeat foods and won’t have to look them up again every time.

    Unless you go out of the country for several weeks and eat unfamiliar brands, only to come home and find most your frequent foods have vanished. Ugh!!!!

    I received my scale, and wow! There is quite a difference in many items being scanned vs weighed. It is a true eye-opener! Thank you!

    It's quite sad, isn't it? *hugs*
  • Unstoppable_
    Unstoppable_ Posts: 25 Member
    sijomial wrote: »
    "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... "

    You are tracking your exercise but not eating back your exercise calories.
    Remember the base calorie goals given by MFP are only for a day with no purposeful exercise.

    Even the lowest goal of 1200 means 1200 + exercise calories.
    Apart from calorie counting supposed to be both calories In and out the method is trying to set you up with healthy habits for life and not to just using exercise to increase your deficit.

    Gotcha! I'm eating my exercise calories now. I feel more energized. I'm giving it some time to see if this makes a difference in the scale movement, and also the body measurements. Thank you for explaining!