Can't lose weight on low cal diet

[blitz042000]

So for the past month I have been on a 2200 calorie diet. I have lost about five pounds. But considering I am on a calorie deficit of 1500 a day thats not much I lost three pounds as of monday since the week before but today I put a pound back on and haven't eaten over 2200 calries since then? What am I doing wrong. I work out religously.

[MolotovMan1263]

Overestimating either how much you are eating or how many cals you burn a day.

[-Michelangelo-]

When you say you workout religiously what does that mean exactly? First of all you are off on your calculations somewhere. The most obvious being, there is no way you have a 1500 calorie deficit when your maintenance is only Around 3000 calories ( my calculations). Recalculate your maintenance based on more modest estimates. Also how do u know you're only taking in 2200 calories? What are you using to track this. Hate to be blunt but you probably eat too much to see the type of changes you're looking for.

P.s. 5 pounds a month isn't that bad, if your calculations r correct and u can't handle a larger deficit then just be patient.

[big lew]

[QUOTE=-P.s. 5 pounds a month isn't that bad, if your calculations r correct and u can't handle a larger deficit then just be patient.[/QUOTE]

Bingo ^

[DiaFF]

You're either eating more then 2200 calories a day or you're under estimating your BMR.

I have a feeling it's the former since when I started losing weight I was about 290lbs, I was only eating 2300 cals a day and I was easily losing weight.

[crook5y]

Usually working out religiously isnt the issue,it never is.Its your diet thats been pointed out already.Cutting just doesnt happen like bulking when you dont have to be just as tight and strict.Takes education,dedication and commitment.

[Jtbny]

Im cutting at 2500 calories a day and losing about a pound a week. No cardio just weights. I'd guess you don't track your calories or weigh your portions. Not to be mean but half ass effort will result in half ass results.

[blitz042000]

I know I am eating 2200 cause I measure all my food out. Look up what I don't know and make sure my portions are correct. When I say workout religously I mean in the gym for no less than two hours four days a week some workouts take me 3.5 hours and I dont socialize at the gym. Just checked two different websites from the one I originally looked at one said 3650 the other said 3210. Thats still a 1000 calorie deficit.

[crook5y]

2200 is way too low for those stats of yours,just even by looking at it.im 209lbs and im cutting at 2600 calories.so trust me,you still need more than me

[GMLFTMBCIFASLHO]

2200 is way too low for those stats of yours,just even by looking at it.im 209lbs and im cutting at 2600 calories.so trust me,you still need more than me

doesn't this depend on LBM? i'm the same height as you, but I have considerably less LBM than you too, and I'm cutting at 2200. If I had more lean body mass, that would mean I'd have to increase my calories, since more lean mass will increase my metabolic rate, right? i might be wrong, but that's the way i've been thinking about it.

so if OP's lean body mass is not much to start with, wouldn't that mean he'd have to eat at lower calories than what the equations for calorie requirements suggest?


...
nvm, just checked OP's bf%, and he has more lean mass than me too. so i guess i could see why he'd have to eat more. (assuming more lean mass = more calories burned at rest is true).

[blitz042000]

2200 is way too low for those stats of yours,just even by looking at it.im 209lbs and im cutting at 2600 calories.so trust me,you still need more than me

So are you saying that I need less calories or my body is going into starvation mode and conserving cause I am not eating enough.

[idz21]

What are your macros?

If you're sure about your bmr and cals, maybe you're insulin resistant? At 5'11" 300, I have to imagine it's a possibility.

[blitz042000]

What are your macros?

If you're sure about your bmr and cals, maybe you're insulin resistant? At 5'11" 300, I have to imagine it's a possibility.

45% carbs 30% protien 25% fat. Tested my blood sugar 3 weeks ago 30 minutes after eating cause I am scared that I will become diabetic but my blood sugar was 95.


I have been thinking back on my nutrition class and other nutrition based facts I have learned from my ex. science classes and thought of some other things that might be causes. So let me get some opinions on these things.

Not getting enough water?
Eating the second half of my calories for the day after the gym past 9:00 p.m. somtimes past 10:00 p.m. is this to late?
Not getting enough protien in my breakfast since its mostly carbs?

[NitrogenWidget]

So are you saying that I need less calories or my body is going into starvation mode and conserving cause I am not eating enough.

I cringed.
No such thing as starvation mode.

Double check portion sizes to calories.
If using an online calorie tracker take a look at a couple of the entry's for foods because a lot of these are put in by users & their wrong.

Are you measuring by weight for solid foods and not by volume?

I just don't see how you can eat 2200 & not drop weight.
Even if you spent the day in bed you'd still drop weight on that intake.

[NitrogenWidget]

45% carbs 30% protien 25% fat. Tested my blood sugar 3 weeks ago 30 minutes after eating cause I am scared that I will become diabetic but my blood sugar was 95.


I have been thinking back on my nutrition class and other nutrition based facts I have learned from my ex. science classes and thought of some other things that might be causes. So let me get some opinions on these things.

Not getting enough water?
Eating the second half of my calories for the day after the gym past 9:00 p.m. somtimes past 10:00 p.m. is this to late?
Not getting enough protien in my breakfast since its mostly carbs?

read up on intermittent fasting.
It goes against all of those theories & people loose weight just fine.

[blitz042000]

I cringed.
No such thing as starvation mode.

Double check portion sizes to calories.
If using an online calorie tracker take a look at a couple of the entry's for foods because a lot of these are put in by users & their wrong.

Are you measuring by weight for solid foods and not by volume?

I just don't see how you can eat 2200 & not drop weight.
Even if you spent the day in bed you'd still drop weight on that intake.

http://web.ebscohost.com.proxygsu-gs...&AN=1998029617

This is a research article on starvation.

I measure my food based off of the packaging recomendations. Should I be doing it differently?

[StrongMeat]

either 1 of two things or both

1) Underestimating daily intake
2) Overestimating activity leading to a false maintenance

-StrongMeat-

[idz21]

45% carbs 30% protien 25% fat. Tested my blood sugar 3 weeks ago 30 minutes after eating cause I am scared that I will become diabetic but my blood sugar was 95.

Blood sugar was 95 after eating? What did you eat? How was the test performed? By a doctor?

If 95 is your fasting BS, cool. However, that's not the only test for IR. A glucose tolerance test usually occurs over a period of 2 hours after being dosed with a specific amount of glucose (your 1/2 hour isn't even close, your insulin peaks at 1hr-1hr and 15 min).

I'm not saying you even have IR, but if the measurements/cal tracking is right, there has to be some explanation. If you did have IR, having carbs up to 45% of your diet could be the issue. At your H/W, you should shed pounds with almost no effort. I have your BMR at 3300 so you should be around a 1100 cal deficit without any exercise whatsoever.

My ideas are as followed...

1. Double check your measurements. For example, are you calculating serving size?

2. You're working out too much. 3.5 hrs in the gym at once must stress the **** out of your body. Maybe break down your routine to an hour a day. 3x a week lifting and 4x a week cardio... See if that helps. Lyle McDonald talks about too few calories combining with too much exercise actually hindering weight loss.

If doing 1 and 2 is not helping, hen try #3.

3. Try low carb for a month (30g of carbs or less perday with high fat (65%) and moderate protein (30-35%)... Obviously you'll have a huge shift in weight (water, glycogen) in the first two weeks, but the next two weeks should give you an idea about how quickly you're losing without carbs. If the fat loss is more accurate, maybe you have IR and need to stick with it until you're no longer obese.

good luck man.