Other factors affecting weightloss?

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Replies

  • inmyownskin
    inmyownskin Posts: 17
    Ok, so I know that weightloss = calories burned - calories consumed but is there anything else that affects how it comes off?
    I have been eating my BMR and not doing loads of exercise so I know I'm not under or over eating. I've been losing the same 1-2lb for a month now and it's getting tedious. Just when I think I'm getting somewhere, the weight goes back up!

    I have Implanon so wondered if this could be one of the reasons. I also breastfeed but only once a day. I'm planning a visit to the doctors so wondered if there's anything I should get checked?

    Eating BMR is incorrect dieting and can result in 20-50% of losses being lean mass.
    Someday youll have to add that lean mass back.
    That results in you having to eat above TDEE for a period of time and thus....adding back possible fat.

    Figure out your TDEE and take 20% off that, youll get a number around 1600-2k daily for calories to eat.
    This is proper dieting and youll only lose fat with little to no lean mass loss.

    OK I'm pretty new to this... can I ask what is BMR and TDEE?
  • StarryEyed500
    StarryEyed500 Posts: 225 Member
    OK I'm pretty new to this... can I ask what is BMR and TDEE?
    BMR = Basal Metabolic Rate - the rate at which you burn calories just through being alive.
    TDEE = Total Daily Energy Expenditure - the rate at which you burn calories though your daily activities. This is the amount you need to eat to maintain your weight. Anything less than that should result in a loss.
  • Helloitsdan
    Helloitsdan Posts: 5,564 Member
    How tall are you?
    How much do you weigh?
    How often do you work out?
    Whats your fat%?
    How old are you?

    I'll post numbers now....

    I'm 5ft. I weigh 152.8lb (69.3kg) today. I don't 'work out'. I do more than my daily work maybe 2-3 times a week for 30 mins but I do have 2 children to look after. I'm 33. My fat% depends on what calculator you use, but roughly 40-45%

    Edit - just thought I'd add, on days I do more than 'normal' I eat more than my BMR.

    TDEE 1719 for light activity. You need to lift weights of some sort while losing weight or youll lose lean mass as well.
    BMR 1250

    Lean mass appx 90lbs <---very low for height. Should be closer to 100lbs.

    Perfect weight at 5' is about 112lbs

    User should eat at least 1400 daily.
    Protein and fat 30% each.

    If you work out 3-5 times a week you can eat 1551 daily and still remain 20% below TDEE and only lose fat.
  • StarryEyed500
    StarryEyed500 Posts: 225 Member
    I think I would try upping my calories. Eating your BMR means you're eating the bare minimum calories for the day. If you are breastfeeding (even if only once a day) - that alone means you should be eating more than your BMR. I would find out what your TDEE is and deduct a deficit from that. Too many people do a disservice to themselves by severely restricting their calories.
    If I up my calories, I will lose even less lol My daily expenditure is very low already.
    How about exercising more and see what happens?
    I would like to but don't really have the time or available food to up my exercise. If I exercise, I will need to eat more which at the moment I can't do without eating chocolate - which is not a good thing to do!
  • StarryEyed500
    StarryEyed500 Posts: 225 Member
    How tall are you?
    How much do you weigh?
    How often do you work out?
    Whats your fat%?
    How old are you?

    I'll post numbers now....

    I'm 5ft. I weigh 152.8lb (69.3kg) today. I don't 'work out'. I do more than my daily work maybe 2-3 times a week for 30 mins but I do have 2 children to look after. I'm 33. My fat% depends on what calculator you use, but roughly 40-45%

    Edit - just thought I'd add, on days I do more than 'normal' I eat more than my BMR.

    TDEE 1719 for light activity. You need to lift weights of some sort while losing weight or youll lose lean mass as well.
    BMR 1250

    Lean mass appx 90lbs <---very low for height. Should be closer to 100lbs.

    Perfect weight at 5' is about 112lbs

    User should eat at least 1400 daily.
    Protein and fat 30% each.

    If you work out 3-5 times a week you can eat 1551 daily and still remain 20% below TDEE and only lose fat.

    I calculated my BMR to be 1350 so I wasn't far off. My macros are set to 50/25/25 (c/p/f). I'm working on lowering my carbs but at the moment I turn into a monster if I eat less than 50.

    And yes, I know I'm fat, that's why I'm here. :)
  • japruzze
    japruzze Posts: 453 Member
    I'm the camp that says its not just about the numbers. Its about what makes up the numbers. So what you eat and what you do, not just how much is a part of weight loss. Your body needs fuel and it needs to be the right kind of fuel. Your body needs activity and it should be a combination of cardio and strength training. The numbers matter but they aren't the whole storey!
  • hirensthenameliftinsthegame
    hirensthenameliftinsthegame Posts: 233
    thyroid is important, your fasting insulin level, your cells ability to respond to the insulin properly, hormones in terms of the adrenal hormones that help breakdown fats.

    women have it a bit harder due to physiological differences(smaller thyroid output, different concentrations of alpha and beta adrenoreceptors on fat cells in stubborn areas).

    Blood flow is also a big factor in fat mobilization, along with DIET, which is probably one of the most important factors.

    There are few others out there, but majority of them don't make that big of a difference or are negligible.
  • kristinL16
    kristinL16 Posts: 401 Member
    I think I would try upping my calories. Eating your BMR means you're eating the bare minimum calories for the day. If you are breastfeeding (even if only once a day) - that alone means you should be eating more than your BMR. I would find out what your TDEE is and deduct a deficit from that. Too many people do a disservice to themselves by severely restricting their calories.
    If I up my calories, I will lose even less lol My daily expenditure is very low already.
    How about exercising more and see what happens?
    I would like to but don't really have the time or available food to up my exercise. If I exercise, I will need to eat more which at the moment I can't do without eating chocolate - which is not a good thing to do!

    I don't understand this. Does that mean the only food you have in your house is chocolate?

    Even if you don't have two hours a day to go to the gym, try other methods of increasing activity. Take the stairs more often. Park further away from the door at the office or store. Take a 10 minute walk on breaks. Take the kids for a walk or bike ride. Also, you don't have to eat back all of your exercise calories. The extra amount of food/calories could be quite negligible. If you are very sedentary during the day, I would probably be even less inclined to eat those calories back, especially if your increase in activity is just by doing the activities I mentioned earlier. Exercising would give you a greater deficit, even if just by 100 calories a day.
  • delilah47
    delilah47 Posts: 1,658
    I'm in the same boat. Without any scientific proof, I KNOW some of my medications are messing with my metabolism. I hover around the same weight for weeks, then drop a pound, then do the same over and over. It is SO slow, but I am trying to be patient. I tried the BMR thing, but when I ate my 1520 calories and ate back my exercise calories, I slowly gained weight. It wasn't until I started eating around 1300 calories per day that I finally started to "slowly" lose weight. It will take forever at this pace, but it is what it is.

    Good luck in breaking through! :smile:
  • butterflyliz32
    butterflyliz32 Posts: 124 Member
    Lots of things can affect weight loss.

    -Diabetes or Insulin Resistence
    -Thyriod
    -Medications (Depression meds, especially can cause weight fluctuations)
    -PCOS
    (etc)

    Personally, I have all of the above going against me. I am currently working on changing habits and dietary choices to better reflect these conditions in hope that it will help my weight loss start up again.
  • StarryEyed500
    StarryEyed500 Posts: 225 Member
    thyroid is important, your fasting insulin level, your cells ability to respond to the insulin properly, hormones in terms of the adrenal hormones that help breakdown fats.

    women have it a bit harder due to physiological differences(smaller thyroid output, different concentrations of alpha and beta adrenoreceptors on fat cells in stubborn areas).

    Blood flow is also a big factor in fat mobilization, along with DIET, which is probably one of the most important factors.

    There are few others out there, but majority of them don't make that big of a difference or are negligible.
    Blood flow - is that like blood pressure or heart rate? My BP is on the low side but my HR is pretty average.

    So I think I need my thyroid and insulin levels checking. My brother is diabetic (not diet related) so I guess I'm genetically predisposed to that.

    I have no idea what "alpha and beta adrenoreceptors" are lol
  • rowyourboat
    rowyourboat Posts: 125 Member
    I know you're only breastfeeding once a day, but that could be it. I couldn't go below a certain weight while breastfeeding. Once I weaned, 5 lbs. magically just came off. SO, that could be it.
  • Captain_Tightpants
    Captain_Tightpants Posts: 2,215 Member
    Yes plenty of other factors can affect fat loss - but not many of them are under your direct influence, which is why focusing on calories in vs calories out is the winning factor.

    If you're interested in some of the other factors Google Leptin, Cortisol, Insulin Resistance, Thyroid, NEAT etc... They're good things to know about but don't get too focused on them.
  • inmyownskin
    inmyownskin Posts: 17
    Thank you :)
  • secretlobster
    secretlobster Posts: 3,566 Member
    You're breastfeeding and have the implant... So yeah I'd say there's, oh, about a billion factors much more important than calories that are at play here! :)

    Here's the thing... When you are nursing your child, the last thing your body wants to do is lose weight. Biologically, as a mammal, when you lose weight, your body is burning its fat reserves because it's not getting enough calories to maintain homeostasis (at your current weight). You are giving some of your body to your baby, so your body does NOT want to feel like it is starving. It's going to fight you on this, especially with the hormones you're getting from the implant.

    I'm only saying this so you can hopefully forgive yourself over your frustration. It's not anything you're doing wrong, you're just up against some very strong biological influences.

    I agree that you should get your thyroid checked. The fact that you are breastfeeding and have some medical things going on means that you need to talk to your doctor about this. The input you receive here may be completely off-base.

    I would definitely increase your calorie intake. My guess is that your weight loss is being hindered by Implanon more than anything else. When I was taking BC, losing weight was a serious challenge. Maybe you can find another method. Good luck!
  • mrs_schultz2012
    mrs_schultz2012 Posts: 395 Member
    for me it's stress, birth control, and anxiety/depression medication
  • July121980
    July121980 Posts: 37 Member
    I am not sure but I was wondering if your body might be storing more because of breast feeding. How many calories a day does your doctor want you to be eating. I am just speculating that if you are breastfeeding even once a day, you may need to eat a few more calories in order to not go into starvation mode. Your body burns calories and takes some of your daily nutrients to make breast milk. I am thinking that until your baby is weened you may have to go by a number of calories your doctor gives you. The calorie counter on here is not taking into consideration that you breastfeed, just as it doesn't account for other medical issues. I think if you eat more calories and continue to exercise you will lose weight. Good luck too you!!

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