Am I doing something wrong?

it seems that you aren't properly nourishing your body. you have to big of a deficit most days. you need to come as close as possible to the calorie goal that MFP gives you, and if you are working out as much as you say you are, you need to eat your exercise calories.

i know, it sounds counter intuitive to eat to lose weight, but MFP is already giving you a big enough calorie deficit. so even if you eat your exercise calories, you are still under your goals for total energy expenditure.

Your workouts are great and your diaries have alot of variety.

Over the last week you have been "netting" less then 1,000 calories a day. That isn't enough, you need to eat more. Maybe add some snack thought out the day. I "net" of 1350 calories per day would be a good start.

Good luck
:flowerforyou:

I was lazy and didn't look that far. :laugh: But I agree, and I have this problem. It's near impossible for me to eat enough with my schedule in the lab. Can't bring snacks in a sterile room lol Consequently I hit roadblocks often, which is why I have a refeed day every week.

it seems that you aren't properly nourishing your body. you have to big of a deficit most days. you need to come as close as possible to the calorie goal that MFP gives you, and if you are working out as much as you say you are, you need to eat your exercise calories.

i know, it sounds counter intuitive to eat to lose weight, but MFP is already giving you a big enough calorie deficit. so even if you eat your exercise calories, you are still under your goals for total energy expenditure.

^^^^^^^
THIS
Eat to goal daily, and that means eating back your exercise calories....
MFP determined our total daily calorie goal that DOES NOT include exercise to lose 1 pound [recommended].
And after we complete an exercise and log it in, our daily calorie limit increases.

This is because MFP advising us to eat back those exercise calories.
Large deficits are not recommended, because while you will lose weight, what's the quality of the weight loss?
In that healthy?
What happens is decreased lean body mass - MUSCLE - which LOWERS metabolic rate, making weight loss even harder.

The quick loss, low-calorie diets may do wonders on the front end, but once the diet is over, you have a body that burns calories more slowly -- and you gain weight.
Think long term, and be wise.
Exercise intensely, but eat back the calories.
The exercise will RAISE your metabolism and burn more fat at rest.

I just looked at the last 2 diaries you have up and you have 500+ calories left.... You should be eating more.

I eat snacks every 2-3 hours throughout the day. Usually breakfast, lunch, snack, snack, dinner, snack.

So much chicken and rice. I remember the days. :sick: Excellent on a budget but I can't stand it anymore!

Anyway, your food looks fine. Do you do any refeed days? How long have you had the same routine? Have you gone to maintenance at any point? When I slow down I have to eat maintenance for a little while and then cut again. Just a few days help. Also, with only a few lbs left to lose, it comes of SO SLLLOOOOWWWLLLYYY.

Haha, SO cheap and I cook a bunch to eat over time since I work crazy shifts a work. I usually eat right around the same calories everyday. Yesterday was my "off" day and I tried to have a cheat meal but couldn't bring myself to truely do it. My brain is so trained now that I can't imagine eating more than I should :-\

I've been in this routine about a month now. I used MFP in the past, stopped, lost weight, gained it back, and now I'm back here again

Cheat meals are a must! Or even just more food than you'd normally eat. It doesn't have to be 'junk food' (although you'll start to miss it eventually hehe). I generally zig zag. Some days I'm in the lab for 8 hours straight, only eat breakfast and dinner, and net like 300 calories after my workout. So the next two days I try to eat a little more, and I always eat enough on the weekends.

Wow, I don't know how you survive! If you want to see someone who eats all day long, take a look at my diary!

Any suggestions on what I should eat to healthily increase my calories?

A Mc D cheeseburger is better than not eating to goal.
Eat something you enjoy - a treat.

None of us got fat not knowing how to do that.
Nuts are good and actually healthy.

Any suggestions on what I should eat to healthily increase my calories?

A Mc D cheeseburger is better than not eating to goal.
Eat something you enjoy - a treat.

None of us got fat not knowing how to do that.
Nuts are good and actually healthy.

This is all making me want to eat haha. Why must I work such stupid late shifts?!

You could invest in something like Larabars. Very natural and tasty. Or look up a recipe for homemade bars which are wayyy cheaper. I generally have time to inhale something small like a handful of seeds/almonds or fruit.

Definitely eat more. Set your goal at .5 lb per week since you only have 7 lbs to go. Also, higher calorie foods (avocado, nuts, peanut butter [yes even a spoon full or two], protien bars [musle milk espcially since it's higher in calories] or cooking all the lovely chicken in extra virgin olive oil) will all help you get to your goal. You should also aim for 50-75% of your exercise calories to properly feed your system.

Healthy good snacks that are calorie dense can be that portioned for quick snacks. !/4 cup almonds is 170 calories with all sorts of other good nutrients. Also a tablespoon of natural peanut butter is a great quick snack. Half an avocado sprinkled with a little salt or lemon juice. String cheese is already portioned some you won't overeat. Tuna packed in olive oil seems really rich but it's awesome on whole wheat crackers. High fiber granola bars are great too. Good luck and keep communicating because everyone wants to help you get to your goal!

I notice you use protein powders. Ever consider mixing with milk instead of water? I had to go the other way around to reduce my calories.

A friend of mine who does competetive body sculpting who used to be my size 50% BMI (ewww lol) told me to try and do your excercise in the mornings which will charge up your endorphines which obviously makes you happy and you tend to be more active when your happy etc and to change it (your routines) up every so often. If your body is too used to doing the same ol same ol its not gonna bother using your body fat as energy so your body also needs a break too

You look very lean and you dont say what your current weight/height is. You may just need to build some muscle to get the look you are after. You will need a hell of alot more calories than what you are on to build muscle. What you are doing now is counter productive to getting fitter. Have you thought about a one off training/nuitrition consultation to ensure you are getting the best results for your effort?

I grab extra calories with a snack bag that fits in my purse or pocket.

....................................................................... Calories........................Carb..............Fat ....................Protein

9 grams cacao nibs..................................... 50.................................. 4........................ 5 ................... 1

5 grams Goji berries.................................... 4...................................1 ....................... 0..................... 1

2 Tablespoons Pumpkin Seeds....................180..................................8........................30 .....................8

1 tablespoons Sesame seeds ...................... 15................................ 0......................... 2 .................... 0

10 grams Goldenberries.............................. 16................................2..........................0...................... 0

1 Tablspoon coconut oil .............................. 130.................................... 0.......................14.................... 0

29 Almonds....................................................... 161.................................. 6.......................14..................... 6


I throw a mixture of a few of the above into a plastic bag. It fits into my pocket and I eat it with a plastic spoon. If you are really full and dont know how to cram in any more good quality calories this is how I do it. Some of the foods listed are amazingly good for you.


Other quick eating food, good for snacks.

Banana....................................................................... 105........................ 27................... 0..................1

Rice milk 250 ml ...................................................... 128..........................26................... 3..................1

Raw cacao powder 2.5 TBSpoons..........................60............................. 9................... 2................. 3

I don't eat potatos much but if I am still low I will eat sweet potato good for calories and carbs and vitamins.

Not big on boiled eggs myself but thats a quick 211 calories as well

Good luck