Serious question here....

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  • Becky_Boodle
    Becky_Boodle Posts: 253 Member
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    I have a similar problem....I would love a good answer as well. BTW-my diary is viewable

    You're eating crappy processed foods...
    burgers and fries, pizza hut, mc donalds, ice cream, starbucks
    and that's all in the last few days...
    where are your veggies...and lean meats???
  • frogmama
    frogmama Posts: 404 Member
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    There is a lot of estimation and guessing involved in this process. Your daily calorie goal is based on a generic lifestyle setting. We all have different variations and definitions of sedentary lifestyle. Some foods are easy to know the calories, others are tough (someone else cooks, restaurants, not having a food scale handy all the time, etc.). Same with exercise. Calories burned are all estimates. Try adjusting some things, either lower your daily calorie goal, or raise it if you aren't eating enough and don't have energy. Lower your estimate on calories burned during exercise. Drink more water. Just play around with things if you aren't having success, something is off in the estimation. Find the right balance that works for you.


    I agree with this whole heartedly. So much of what we log is an estimation. My HRM, MFP, and my exercise machine give me way different amounts for exercise calories. I need to eat 1200 calories a day to lose .5 pounds a week. If I estimate incorrectly on the calories in a food I did not prepare myself, or do not log every tiny bite, or heap my measuring cup, I am going to be over my calories. If I estimate calories burned incorrectly, that could make a significant difference. I know that I will eventually lose, but it may be at a much slower rate-- I am also pretty old, lol, and have a thyroid issue.

    Just try different things and see what works. Don't expect miracles, and most importantly, don't give up!
  • Michele7091
    Michele7091 Posts: 256 Member
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    I have a similar problem....I would love a good answer as well. BTW-my diary is viewable

    I took a look at your diary and have questions:

    Can you eat more "whole" and balanced meals? I've noticed that for dinner a few times you had cereal which amounted to 400 calories... You can have a much better and balanced meal for less calories wich would enable you to have more snacks in between meals.
    I've also noticed that sometimes you skip meals, I'm not sure if that's planned (if you're doing the fasting thing)...but if you're not fasting, you should eat regularly.

    What type of exercise are you doing? Is it cardio, or strength?
    Are you taking your measurements also? As you gain muscle, you might not notice a drop on the scale, but you'll see it if you measure yourself.

    ^^^^This^^^^
    For that same 400 calories you can have a much more filling meal. I usually have a salad with some grilled chicken on top for dinner and lunch at least once a week. I do add cheese, bacon pieces, and croutons but my entire meal is 439 calories and it is a BIG salad. Or make a chicken and veggie stir fry. Just watch the sauces because they're usually loaded with sodium.

    Good luck!
  • andrearaquel48
    andrearaquel48 Posts: 102 Member
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    I think the problem is that the foods you are eating are mostly processed foods. If you cut out all trips to fast food restaurants and start preparing meals at home with, using whole foods, you will find you will not be as hungry and will eat healthier, lower sodium and fat foods.
  • akietur30
    akietur30 Posts: 2 Member
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    I am having the same problem, I do feel like my body is in better condition, but I am not loosing any weight. Also: I am not loosing fat according to my fat/water analyzing scale. I am sitting at 41% fat.
  • emily2975
    emily2975 Posts: 45 Member
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    There is a lot of estimation and guessing involved in this process. Your daily calorie goal is based on a generic lifestyle setting. We all have different variations and definitions of sedentary lifestyle. Some foods are easy to know the calories, others are tough (someone else cooks, restaurants, not having a food scale handy all the time, etc.). Same with exercise. Calories burned are all estimates. Try adjusting some things, either lower your daily calorie goal, or raise it if you aren't eating enough and don't have energy. Lower your estimate on calories burned during exercise. Drink more water. Just play around with things if you aren't having success, something is off in the estimation. Find the right balance that works for you.

    Agree! Everything is an estimate - you can easily find a dozen different calorie measurements on here for something as simple as a piece of cheese and when working out at home it is hard to determine if you burned 400 calories doing something one day and only 200 doing the same thing a few days later. Jiggle your measurements around a bit and remember that 1 pound lost is still 1 pound closer to your goal! :)
  • brendaj39
    brendaj39 Posts: 375 Member
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    i did the pretty much the same thing, stayed the same for about 3 weeks, then i had a 3lb drop, but i don't eat my calories back from working out, i just make that a bonus! I think they calculate high on this site on what you burn, so I don't want to over eat...
    but keep it up and good luck, the scale does eventually catch up!
  • Crys32
    Crys32 Posts: 99 Member
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    Okay, I just made my diary public... I think.

    I also calculate my calories by my HRM. And normally they are always higher than what MFP has calculated. I've wondered which to use, but I thought a HRM was accurate.
  • andrearaquel48
    andrearaquel48 Posts: 102 Member
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    Ok, I took a look, and in my opinion, while you are under your daily calorie goal, your diet is not very healthy. I see a lot of meats, processed foods, and eating out. I know this is easier said than done but in the long run you will be a lot healthier if you can try to change your eating habits entirely and not just limit your calorie intake. Can you dedicate more time to preparing healthy meals at home, meals that consist of a lot of vegetables, lean proteins, and healthy whole grains, and that are made from whole foods (ie, not packaged or processed foods)? Treats are fine in moderation, but overall I think you need to focus on changing your diet to healthier foods overall.
  • Crys32
    Crys32 Posts: 99 Member
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    I've never been one, at all, to make healthy meals. Normally if it pops in the microwave or open from a can that was my meal.

    Now however I'm trying different things, like making turkey burgers, and making turkey meatloaf.. all of this, is new to me.
  • ZombieChaser
    ZombieChaser Posts: 1,555 Member
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    I've never been one, at all, to make healthy meals. Normally if it pops in the microwave or open from a can that was my meal.

    Now however I'm trying different things, like making turkey burgers, and making turkey meatloaf.. all of this, is new to me.

    I know it's really hard (and a bit scary) to overhaul your entire kitchen/cooking habits...but, it will be SO worth it! There's a section on here called "recipes" on the message boards, and here you can get all sorts of user-contributed meal ideas that are healthy and easy to make. Also, don't be afraid to google healthy meal ideas - you'll be surprised of what you can find :)

    The hardest thing for me was the prep work - chopping, slicing, peeling etc... so, I did most of my prep on Sunday, and cooked a huge meal on Sunday, so I had it for dinner, and lunch for the next day. And meal plan! I still write a 7 day menu and then shop accordingly. You'll find when you have a plan, you're not grasping for meal ideas at the last minute, then going for the canned goods as a last resort.

    I hope this was helpful :) If you want, friend me and I can help with you figure out meals and give you ideas :) I love cooking and creating!
  • Crys32
    Crys32 Posts: 99 Member
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    So then are my dinners healthy? That's the only meal that I have time to fix, when I come home because I don't plan ahead, yet.

    Or am I still picking the wrong items?
  • Crys32
    Crys32 Posts: 99 Member
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    I've never been one, at all, to make healthy meals. Normally if it pops in the microwave or open from a can that was my meal.

    Now however I'm trying different things, like making turkey burgers, and making turkey meatloaf.. all of this, is new to me.

    I know it's really hard (and a bit scary) to overhaul your entire kitchen/cooking habits...but, it will be SO worth it! There's a section on here called "recipes" on the message boards, and here you can get all sorts of user-contributed meal ideas that are healthy and easy to make. Also, don't be afraid to google healthy meal ideas - you'll be surprised of what you can find :)

    The hardest thing for me was the prep work - chopping, slicing, peeling etc... so, I did most of my prep on Sunday, and cooked a huge meal on Sunday, so I had it for dinner, and lunch for the next day. And meal plan! I still write a 7 day menu and then shop accordingly. You'll find when you have a plan, you're not grasping for meal ideas at the last minute, then going for the canned goods as a last resort.

    I hope this was helpful :) If you want, friend me and I can help with you figure out meals and give you ideas :) I love cooking and creating!

    I'd love to add you, I need all the help that I can get.
  • kit_katty
    kit_katty Posts: 994 Member
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    From the looks of things, you're eating sometimes 500+ calories under your goal, which is already set to lose at least one pound a week, you need to eat more! And as other posters have said, more nutritious, veggies, fruit, add a piece of fruit with breakfast, that's easy to do! Your calorie goal is there for a reason, you're supposed to get as close to that goal as possible! Food is fuel!
  • kleighsamboer
    kleighsamboer Posts: 250
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    I can tell you what the issue is. Too many processed foods! You need more greens like spinach, kale, collards, ect. and veg like cucumbers, celery, green peppers, yams, squashes, broccoli, ect and good fats like avocado and nuts/seeds.. I don't care what people say-not every calorie is created equal. processed foods put a burden on your system and make it harder to break down. Our health is in our gut and if that isn't in tip top shape you won't burn the calories that you need to.
  • beattie1
    beattie1 Posts: 1,012 Member
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    I looked back over a couple of weeks and what struck me was how "up and down" you are. Sometimes over, sometimes under your limit. And you're often way over on sodium, fats, cholesterol. More home cooking could help all these - if you try you can build up a repertoire of dishes that you know how to cook without consulting a recipe, once you've made them a couple of times. Start with some low fat meat or fish if you're a carnivore and add veg plus a modest (measured) amount of carbohydrate.
  • jtintx
    jtintx Posts: 445 Member
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    Sounds like you are doing the same couple of workouts. Our bodies are very smart and adapt quickly. You have likely become very efficient at the workouts you are doing and they have become easier for you. Therefore your body is not having to work as hard to do the same workout and not burning as many calories as it did at first. You should try shaking things up a bit. Do some high intensity *something* for 30 seconds to a minute to really elevate your heart rate, recover and repeat at least 8 times. With this I think you will break through your plateau. Best of luck!

    Edited to add: I just saw that you are using your HRM to calculate calories. If that's the case and your settings in it are correct then it should be pretty accurate. But, I'll leave the above in case it might help someone else.
  • vmrink
    vmrink Posts: 42
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    Crys32, although you are quite often under your "calorie" goal for the day, you are more often over your "fat" intake for the day. I see that as a huge problem.

    I know everyone is on the "no processed food" kick, but that doesn't always have to be the case. I eat processed foods and I still average about 2 lbs a week, as long as I exercise and stay within my goal limits. My processed foods happen to be Lean Cuisine or Healthy Choice meals. Sometimes SmartOnes. I do eat my lean meats, vegetables and fruits too.

    I occasionally will have a nice treat as I don't deprive myself of any thing. But I also try to have those "yummy" things in moderation.
  • Crys32
    Crys32 Posts: 99 Member
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    Crys32, although you are quite often under your "calorie" goal for the day, you are more often over your "fat" intake for the day. I see that as a huge problem.

    I know everyone is on the "no processed food" kick, but that doesn't always have to be the case. I eat processed foods and I still average about 2 lbs a week, as long as I exercise and stay within my goal limits. My processed foods happen to be Lean Cuisine or Healthy Choice meals. Sometimes SmartOnes. I do eat my lean meats, vegetables and fruits too.

    I occasionally will have a nice treat as I don't deprive myself of any thing. But I also try to have those "yummy" things in moderation.

    I've never been a cook, and haven't really cooked at all until I decided to make a change, so hot pockets and frozen dinners were my meals. So what is a healthy range from sugars to fats to sodium should I be in? I thought I was doing great, besides the eating out that I've done. But I went from eating out twice a day to once a week or twice a week now.

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