No weight change 2 months (10-15 to lose) help, pls! :-(

Hi,

I've been back tracking for about 4 months. The first 2 months, I was working out 3-5x per month and tracking on MFP. I think my daily calroie was 1500 per day. I lost about 9 lbs. I still want to lost another 10-15lbs and lose body fat.

I had laprscopic surgery for endometriosis on 5/18/12 and was not able to resume normal exercising for about 5 weeks. During that time I lost and gained about 2 lbs. I also have hypothyroid, but it is within proper levels on meds. I've been regularly exercising again about 3.5 weeks. I work out about at least 3x per week. But usually 4-5x per week (Turbo Jam, Run/Jog, Walk, Weights).

My BMR is about 1450. My TDEE from my fibit is about 2200.

I have kept my daily calorie goal at 1500 per day (MFP suggests 1270!?). Sometimes I have ate less, sometimes more (usually about half-3/4 exercise cals). I admit that I do not net at my calorie goal including exercise. My actual calories intake is usually between 1400-1900 per day (when eating back some exercise cals). After the surgery I was eating at 1700, but was at less activity and gained.

I have definitely amped up workouts more in the last 3 weeks and at times have been hungry (but have eaten when hungry). I also have added weightlifting-- not what I would consider heavy, but more than what I was going before.

I have not lost any weight since May 13th according to my stats-- just same 2 pounds back and forth. Wondering if anyone can take a look at my diary or give me any tips? Thank you so much!

So you worked out 3-5 per month and ate at 1500 and lost weight.

You now work out 4-5 per week and eat the same amount and not losing weight.

Your best estimate of TDEE from your FitBit is 2200.
So you could deficit 500 and be at 1700 to eat daily for your more frequent workouts.

Did previous workout include the same level of intensity and effort as this time around?
If doing more, you are asking your body to make improvements that don't have weight loss (perhaps fat but not weight) as part of it.

Ar you measuring yourself to confirm those body improvements with weight gain are not offsetting fat loss?

You should go ahead and recalculate your BMR and TDEE and adjust your goals based on that (Basically TDEE-20%, but not below BMR).

Also, be FULLY honest on your intake. You can lie and cheat all you want, but remember, this is ALL for you, so its just to yourself. It is tough, and I DREAD putting in things sometimes (Had a Tropical Sunrise Margarita last night and was so afraid to list it lol).

Protein bars are candy bars. A snickers has protein in it too. THROW THEM AWAY. Go for egg whites instead. 4 egg whites will net you 12g of protein at only about 80 calories. Unless your protein bar is a solid stick of lean chick breast, it won't be beating that.

@heybales-- before the surgery, I did lose at what looks like netting 1500 per day. I just looked at the report, and definitely looks like I am netting 1500 maybe only 50% of the time. I am working out harder now than before. I measured and I have lost a few inches all around (3-4 inches, waist/bust/hips/thighs).

I guess I am scared to move up to 1700-- as I saw gain before when I did that. I am also confused if I moved to 1700, would that be every day eat 1700 regardless of exercise or 1700 net after exercise?

So you are losing fat then, just not weight.

Which will it be? Eventually you'll lose weight too, once your body is done improving to support the load you are putting on it.

So true point, if that 2200 was exercise day, then 1700 would be good for that day.

This is where the FitBit is nice. Find some days with no exercise, and see on average what it estimated your calorie burn to be.
No go change your MFP Activity Level to Lightly Active, and select 1 lb weekly loss goal.
When the goal page comes up, comfirm the Calories burned from daily activities matches that non-exercise day from FitBit.
If not close, go back and select another level up or down depending on which way. You won't get it exact, but want it close. Tad higher on MFP actually, because the FitBit underestimates workouts except walking.

Now when you sync the FitBit with MFP, if your daily burn is higher than that MFP estimate, MFP assumes it was exercise that made it higher and gives you extra cal's to eat - but still with the 500 deficit. Sync earlier in the day or right after workout, so you know what dinner and snack needs to be.

No logging of workouts in MFP, because already included in the FitBit stats. You can log the workout as 1 cal if you want to see it in MFP.

Remember, deficit already in there.

The reason to select MFP activity level close to what FitBit is seeing, otherwise you'll be getting the workout adjustments all the time, and potentially large ones that you'll find yourself not hitting.

And back into the boat of not eating enough to feed the level of workouts being done.

Once you see many of these days, you'll start getting an idea of what you need to eat extra.

Thanks Heybales-- I just did your calculation and at sedentary level is pretty close to my nonworkout days (1770 from daily exercise). Only problem is MFP is giving me 1270 cals per day to eat :-( That is below my BMR for non-exercise days.

I also use a HRM as my main gauge for cal burn during workouts. Fitbit gives me motivation to get more steps in and it is good to use as a guide to my TDEE/BMR. But, I usually don't get much adjustments after I add HRM workout.

So, I guess the bottom line would be since 1770 (at a minimum in the last month) is what I burn from daily activity with no exercise, maybe I should eat that every day and no exercise cals, unless there is more than 500 deficit?

Hmmm-- from last month on fibit:

61751 cals burned and 46416 cals eaten. That should have been at least a pound per week, but nada.

Yes, some fat lost I think from inches lost (but not showing on my BF reading scale, that is remaining the same).

Looks like we cross-posted. From my fitbit stats in the last month, 1770 is really absolute minimum I am doing on non-workout days. Workout days are typically 2100-2700 burnt.

Well, guess what surprise I have for you, because your request is not new.

Might the question be - I have decent estimate of my non-exercise TDEE from FitBit, and good calorie burn estimate from HRM, and want to know my avg TDEE and good deficit to use and final goal to eat?

Try this spreadsheet, TDEE Deficit tab.
Use the section for putting in 3 non-exercise days to get an avg. Use the section to the side for putting in an avg week's worth of HRM calorie burn.
You'll get your avg weekly TDEE figure there. Take that to bottom section to figure out which deficit method to use.
And now you'll have a place to record these stats.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0Amt7QBR9-c6MdGVTbGswLUUzUHNVVUlNSW9wZWloeUE

Topic post about the spreadsheet with some descriptions.
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/620206-spreadsheet-for-bmr-tdee-deficit-calcs-mfp-tweaks-hrm

Using the method here, you could unsync your FitBit account, or at least know your daily goal which already includes avg exercise, so you do not eat back exercise or FitBit adjustments, same amount every day, until workout changes, or you lose 5 lbs and re-measure and get new stats.

The goal is to try and get your daily calories in between BMR and TDEE.

BMR - Minimum needed to be alive
TDEE - Calories needed to maintain current weight

Anything below TDEE will bring weight loss.

Anything below BMR will eventually cause stalling as the body begins to assume it is starving. This usually happens after a few weeks.

Many people say you should eat back your calories lost in exercising. I am not 100% sure on this one myself still. But that is not a discussion for this thread.