I’m trying and trying and nada

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I don’t understand. 9 months of counting, weighing and NEVER cheating. I eat the same thing every day and never eat anything else. It works out to be 1224 calories exactly. I walk an average of 66km a week that includes rock climbing, hills and jogging. I mow and do a lot of gardening and have a physical job. Despite all this I’m unable to shed a single gram and it’s been 9 months. I tried eating more as my PT suggested and now I weigh an extra kg more that I can’t remove. It’s really upsetting. I watch my macros. I do everything I should. My TDEE is Approx 1600-2200 depending on activity levels that day. I just don’t know what I’m doing wrong? The only thing I can think of that’s changed is I started a progesterone only pill six months ago. Surely that wouldn’t cause this? Help!
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Replies

  • xxzenabxx
    xxzenabxx Posts: 935 Member
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    Your metabolism may have adapted to lower calories. Your body is a homeostasis machine so if you keep under fuelling it then it will have to lower energy expenditure to match up to that. Imagine if there was a famine and your body continued to burn loads of calories at the same rate…you would die so quickly. But it doesn’t do that. Instead it slows down metabolic processes, thyroid hormones, hair begins to fall out, muscle loss, cold hands and feet and many more adaptations occur just to keep you alive! I’ve been through this and it’s not pretty at all. Please please listen to your PT and eat more. That 1kg is just water/glycogen weight- it’s nothing to freak out about. How much weight have you got to lose and how tall are you and how much do you weigh?
  • snowflake954
    snowflake954 Posts: 8,399 Member
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    You say you've been counting for 9 months, but your profile is brand new and we'd need your stats and information from your food diary to help. If you've got more information post back.
  • IAmTheGlue
    IAmTheGlue Posts: 701 Member
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    Are you weighing your food using a gram scale?
  • kt9pk2xwwc
    kt9pk2xwwc Posts: 6 Member
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    I just got this app but have been counting with my PT using a gram scale.
  • kt9pk2xwwc
    kt9pk2xwwc Posts: 6 Member
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    I’m definitely in a deficit. 1224 every. Single. Day. I never faulter. I never cheat. I never change the foods I eat. I always weigh.
    I didn’t think your body got used to lower calories but if so you could be into something. However, I put that kg on months ago (eating at 1400 for a two weeks) and it’s still not off even after I went back to my 1224. I’m just maintaining. I do have a thyroid nodule that appears cancerous and I need more biopsies done but they tested my levels and everything seemed normal. They did full blood work and I had low bicarbonate or something but otherwise I was ok.
    I just don’t know what to do.
    I’m 163cm and 80kg. I walk 12-15km a day on rough, hilly terrain plus lead an active lifestyle most days. Some days it’s just a 7km walk around town if I’ve got a lot on.
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 33,958 Member
    edited October 2022
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    I think the posts above cover the obvious...but eating the same thing every day can't be a good thing, either. I eat on average 25-30 different types of just fruits and vegetables every week. Many different protein sources. Several varieties of grains. Several types of nuts and legumes. Five or more different types of oils. Dairy, eggs.
    I get a lot of variety because there are different nutrients in each of those different foods and I believe weight is tied to nutrition to a certain degree, not to mention the joy of life. If for no other reason than sheer boredom and frustration why don't you branch out a bit in your nutrition?

    I hope you get your thyroid sorted. That must be stressful. Stress is another thing to consider when attempting weight loss...
  • kt9pk2xwwc
    kt9pk2xwwc Posts: 6 Member
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    Even if my calories are 400 out they’re still 200 beneath my lowest TDEE.
    Thanks but I have many intolerances and food aversions. I take vitamins so I don’t miss out on anything. I don’t like food. I don’t enjoy eating. It’s just something I have to do to stay alive. I don’t like how it feels. It’s a sensory issue. It’s not pleasant for me.
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 33,958 Member
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    Got it on the food aversion. :)

    200 calories under TDEE would lead to less than a half pound per week weight loss. That would be IF YOU are logging every single thing accurately and IF your TDEE is actually calculated correctly - which, it likely isn't since you have lost nothing. It feels to me like you're not being truthful somewhere (maybe not purposely, but still.)

    To be fair, I've logged food with a digital food scale for about 14 years and I know for an absolute FACT that I make at least 200 calories per day in errors due to the vague quality of food prep, and varying daily activity level.

    Good luck.

  • kt9pk2xwwc
    kt9pk2xwwc Posts: 6 Member
    edited October 2022
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    I’m being completely truthful! What’s the point of lying of omitting stuff if I want to see change. I do yard work so when I’m not climbing mountains I’m mowing lawns, cutting down and hand hauling trees, digging trenches and gardens. My PT worked out that my TDEE is between 1800-2300 conservatively. I just don’t know what to do. I could cut back even more and see if that works I suppose.
  • yirara
    yirara Posts: 9,394 Member
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    So I don't think we'll be able to resolve this here without hard data.
    Can I suggest you log here for about a week, then open your diary and we'll have a look to see if something is off. One of the commonly wrong things, next to not logging oils, condiments and drinks correctly is simply poor calorie data. Like you eat an avocado and find a certain calorie amount which is incorrect and the right database entry would be much higher.

    Also one thing to consider: over what period of time did you gain the weight, and what happened once you reached 80kg? Did the weight stay approximately the same? If so then you found your maintenance calories for that weight. All you need to do is eat less than that.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,523 Member
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    What are your stats? Height, weight, age?

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

    9285851.png
  • musicfan68
    musicfan68 Posts: 1,124 Member
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    kt9pk2xwwc wrote: »
    I’m being completely truthful! What’s the point of lying of omitting stuff if I want to see change. I do yard work so when I’m not climbing mountains I’m mowing lawns, cutting down and hand hauling trees, digging trenches and gardens. My PT worked out that my TDEE is between 1800-2300 conservatively. I just don’t know what to do. I could cut back even more and see if that works I suppose.

    With that amount of activity, there is NO WAY you would not be losing weight at 1200 calories per day, so you've got your logging to blame, then. Unless you're yanking our chain, which I'm starting to suspect.

    Only other explanation would be some weird metabolic disorder, see a doctor.

    I agree. Something is very off. If you are doing as much activity as you say and you are only eating 1200 calories, you should feel very tired, light headed, etc. I'm shorter than you and I can't function on 1200 calories, and I don't do nearly the amount of activity you do.
  • quiksylver296
    quiksylver296 Posts: 28,442 Member
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    ninerbuff wrote: »
    What are your stats? Height, weight, age?

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

    9285851.png

    This. How much are you trying to lose?
  • kt9pk2xwwc
    kt9pk2xwwc Posts: 6 Member
    edited October 2022
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    I’m not lying if that’s what you mean by yanking a chain. I came here for help but I’m getting none just like in real life. I’ve had my bloods checked for this very reason because I wanted to work out if something was wrong, I’ve called my PT crying my heart out because I don’t understand it. I’m trying SO HARD but nothing changes. I’m done here. I can’t handle being accused of lying when I’m just asking for help. Thanks to those who tried. I log oils, sauces, drinks, everything.I guess I’ll just be what I am. Thanks anyway.
  • paperpudding
    paperpudding Posts: 8,994 Member
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    People have tried to suggest ways in which you could be mistaken in your counting - and have done so extremely tactfully.
    Unfortunately you have taken that as personal accusations, rather than an attempt to get to the bottom of things.

    We really cant help any more without hard data- say, a week of logging in MFP and then open your diary.
    No good asking for help if you are not willing to provide that.

    You can see a doctor to rule out medical issues - but it seems unlikely to be medical cause. Other than fluid retention weight gain, which would only happen if you had severe renal or cardiac failure, which you obviously don't if you manage the type of physical activities you describe, then what medical cause could there be?

    Or see a registered dietician - not a PT, this is clearly out of their scope of practice - but he/she will also want the sort of hard data we do, to make any meaningful conclusions.