Can't lose---- how many calories do you take in??

I have done low calorie and I have ate at bmr and I have ate at 15% cut.... NO LUCK... With any of these.... What are your stats and
how many calories do you take in??? Are you successful?????

I'm 5'3 244 pounds and 45 years old.

I have been at this since Jan. with no luck...

Thanks,
Kim

Replies

  • WendyTerry420
    WendyTerry420 Posts: 13,274 Member
    You are close to me. I am 5' 4" and 252 pounds, 38 years old. I just started and averaged 1700 calories per day during my first week. I lost 11 pounds.

    Are you sure that you are logging your calories correctly and measuring your food?
  • McLifterPants
    McLifterPants Posts: 457 Member
    Your BMR is your Basal Metabolic Rate - the calories your body needs to make your organs need to function. The number you should be cutting from is your TDEE, which you can calculate on any number of websites. I like this one: http://www.fitnessfrog.com/calculators/tdee-calculator.html

    Also, how you get your calories is EXTREMELY important. Whole foods (fruits, veggies, lean proteins, whole grains) not processed stuff is the key.
  • sssygirl
    sssygirl Posts: 55 Member
    I agree, make sure you are measuring everything. I work out 5 days a week and before I joined MFP O was grossly underestimating my portions.
    Also make sure you are eating good thinks as another poster said.
    For me...Carbs are something I have to limit...make sure you are not eating toast at breakfast, a sandwich at lunch and bread or pasta/potatoes at dinner everyday.

    Make sure your condiments are healthy..dressings, sauces etc....get rid of packaged foods.

    Also make sure you are walking or doing something active each day..I do this so I can eat more!! :)

    Best of luck!
  • kimmerkay
    kimmerkay Posts: 110
    Thanks all! I'm gonna be a litte more vigilant and see what happens.. I'm gonna bump my calories down a bit too... I have really been wondering about the carbs, too.... I will cut back on those!
  • TaniaCorric
    TaniaCorric Posts: 51 Member
    You are close to me. I am 5' 4" and 252 pounds, 38 years old. I just started and averaged 1700 calories per day during my first week. I lost 11 pounds.

    Are you sure that you are logging your calories correctly and measuring your food?


    This:happy:
  • ged630
    ged630 Posts: 145 Member
    Carbs were a HUGE thing for me too. But I have PCOS so it might now work for you. MFP has my calories at 1200. Some days I go way over and some days a bit under. For me exercise is not that important in losing weight but it makes me feel so much better!

    I feel that everyone has to find what works for them. I can do and eat the same as you and one of us might loss 10 pounds while the other gains 10.

    Good luck finding what works for you.
  • AlmstHvn
    AlmstHvn Posts: 376 Member
    My goal rate is set to 1 lb/ week. My lifestyle is sedentary. I'm 5'3" and 244 lbs.
    MFP gives me 1650 calories a day, which is groovy! That goes up to about 1850 with a 30 minute workout :) It's working very well.

    A few things that have worked for me:
    MEASURING portions - A cheap kitchen scale and a few measuring cups taught me that my earlier "guesses" were WAY off.

    DRINK WATER - 8 cups a day is groovy.

    Eat often - I have a snack every 2 hours -- trick is to make it a healthy snack (1 Tbl of sunflower seeds, greek yogurt, handful of fresh fruit, etc.)

    In your Diary Settings, turn on tracking for Carbohydrates, Fats, Proteins, and maybe Sodium and/or Sugar.
    I was astonished to learn exactly how many carbs I ate, and how hard it is to keep under my daily sodium. Crikey.

    We go out to eat a lot and one shift has helped - I go to their websites and look up their menu BEFORE we leave. If I can choose a healthy option before I walk in and get tempted by the pretty pictures, I do far better than the opposite approach (order whatever looks yummy and worry about the numbers later)

    Lastly, the dreaded "E" word - 30 minutes of exercise a day (on average). 30 minutes walking briskly, 30 minutes riding a stationary bike, following free YouTube videos, fitness DVDs, or doing walking/swimming/playing in the pool - whatever it takes. Only 30 minutes, but makes a big difference and I just feel better.

    When you do log your exercise, if you haven't invested in a heart rate monitor yet, I highly recommend it. If I go to the MFP entry for "biking", their estimate is double the calories that my HRM said. I go more by the HRM.

    Hope this helps!
  • HealthyNFit4Life
    HealthyNFit4Life Posts: 185 Member
    Are you eating healthy, nutritious foods? I compare my calories to WW points, and find that if I don't eat healthy, even if it's a low amt of calories, I go waayyy over WW points. I do not lose if I'm eating junk even if it's within the calorie range. I don't think calories in vs. calories out is the key. Lean proteins, fruit, veggies, whole grains, limited sugar is the way to go :)
  • sarahrbraun
    sarahrbraun Posts: 2,261 Member
    I agree with those who say it might be a carb issue. It was in MY case. I started out at 5'2", 228.4lbs, and 37 years old. I have a history of Insulin Resistance, but it hasn't been an issue in like 8 years.

    I started working out and watching my diet in february....I worked out like crazy--85 minutes 3-4x a week--and managed to lose 7 pounds in 3 months ( from feb 6th-May 6th) On May 7th I cut my carbs down to under 100g net per day. The first week I lost 4.8 pounds, and every week since, I have lost about 1.3 pounds--almost 15 pounds in total! I still eat real food, but I pick a healthier foods. Easiest for me is a huge salad for lunch ( that way I know I have veggies in my diet!)...
  • kimmerkay
    kimmerkay Posts: 110
    I'm really excited to try these new suggestions... It is giving me hope.... I do love my carbs, tho.... Yikes! I want the weight off more!
  • Shrinking_Moody
    Shrinking_Moody Posts: 270 Member
    Bump (to read later :smile:
  • sarahrbraun
    sarahrbraun Posts: 2,261 Member
    I'm really excited to try these new suggestions... It is giving me hope.... I do love my carbs, tho.... Yikes! I want the weight off more!

    I love my carbs too....but I decided to limit them so I could feel good about my body again. Feel free to look through my diary--I still eat real food, including treats. There are days that I have the calories/carbs to eat half a kit kat bar!