Need advice for my partner

[marioana]

He is 6' 3'', 266 lb and he is trying to lose weight. He started in June with the gym, but he didn't count calories. You can see he added some muscle mass but the scale didn't move at all, so about a month ago he started going twice a day to the gym and counting calories. He ate somewhere between 2500 and 2800 calories per day (40% protein, 30% fat, 30% carbs), lately more around 2500 because he says he doesn't feel like eating, and for the last week he started wearing the bodybugg. The bodybugg says he is burning 3300 calories in a non gym day and 3800 when he goes to the gym. The problem is that he is not losing the weight. 3 weeks ago the scale was showing 261 lb and 31.7% body fat, today is 266 lb and 35.8% (the same as he had when he started in June). He is not doing any cardio at the moment, because he wants to keep that for when he is lighter so he can have something that will increase the calorie burn. Can that be the cause? I know usually it takes around 3-4 weeks until you see changes, but at his weight I was expecting something sooner... He is starting to get discouraged and that is not good ...

[LunaLifts]

Weight loss comes down to calories in calories out. If he's not losing weight, he's consuming more than he's tracking.

Also he should track macros in grams, not percentages. You body cares that it gets enough of each, not that it gets a certain percentage.

And disregard what the scale says his body fat percentage is. Those things are wildly inaccurate, and it's not an important number anyway.

[marioana]

Weight loss comes down to calories in calories out. If he's not losing weight, he's consuming more than he's tracking.

Also he should track macros in grams, not percentages. You body cares that it gets enough of each, not that it gets a certain percentage.

And disregard what the scale says his body fat percentage is. Those things are wildly inaccurate, and it's not an important number anyway.

I log his menu, and lately he is not even eating all of the things I log for him so I don't think he eats more that he should have ... His goal is 3000 calories, 300 gr of protein, 100 gr fat and 225 gr carbs, and he likes the percentage thing because he had results with it before...
The scale is just a starting point so we can see if the number goes down or not, I know they are not accurate...

[LunaLifts]

The number can go up or down in minutes. There's so many little things that can throw it off. It's not a reliable indicator of body fat trends either.

His deficit might not be low enough either, as fitness trackers aren't always accurate. The most accurate you'll get with a heart rate tracking type is one with a chest band, as wrist bands are less accurate. Try just using a TDEE calculator with an estimation of his activity, and adjust accordingly based on loss, gains or maintenance.

If he had results, it's because he was in a deficit. Macros help maintain lean mass during weight loss, they don't make you lose any faster. Are you weighing everything? This video demonstrates why scoops, and measuring cups don't always work.

[marioana]

The number can go up or down in minutes. There's so many little things that can throw it off. It's not a reliable indicator of body fat trends either.

His deficit might not be low enough either, as fitness trackers aren't always accurate. The most accurate you'll get with a heart rate tracking type is one with a chest band, as wrist bands are less accurate. Try just using a TDEE calculator with an estimation of his activity, and adjust accordingly based on loss, gains or maintenance.

If he had results, it's because he was in a deficit. Macros help maintain lean mass during weight loss, they don't make you lose any faster. Are you weighing everything? This video demonstrates why scoops, and measuring cups don't always work.

I have a scale and everything is weighted. 3 years ago he was at 200 lb and he lost 7 lb in 3 months with a 2400 calorie diet (2800 in refeed days, every 4 days). He used to eat 180 gr of protein before the 3 months and then we switched to the 40% protein and he gained muscle and lost fat, that is why he likes the percentage thing. He was relatively lean then, this is why I thought he will lose more now...

[marioana]

I did a calorie calculation using the Katch-McArdle formula; 30% body fat and 266 lb : BMR = 2184.4 multiplied with a 1.5 activity factor (although it might be more) it gets to 3275 calories per day for maintenance.
For 35% body fat and 266 lb : BMR = 2054.8 , maintenance = 3082.
Anyway, the bodybugg is pretty accurate, we used in the past and we lost weight with it...

[LunaLifts]

You lost weight because you burned more than you consumed. If you've done it before, you know that's how it works. If he's consuming 2500cals and has a 3k maintenance, he should be losing. If not there's an issue with the tracking, or he's not being honest about all of his calories. With a 500 calorie deficit per day, he should be losing a pound a week, more if he's burning as much as his tracker says. He sure as heck wouldn't be gaining 5lbs in three weeks, that means he's eating in a surplus.

[rockangel]

I have a scale and everything is weighted. 3 years ago he was at 200 lb and he lost 7 lb in 3 months with a 2400 calorie diet (2800 in refeed days, every 4 days). He used to eat 180 gr of protein before the 3 months and then we switched to the 40% protein and he gained muscle and lost fat, that is why he likes the percentage thing. He was relatively lean then, this is why I thought he will lose more now...

I think you both need to understand that what happened 3 years ago is irrelevant at this point. He is a in a different place metabolically and physically so you cant rely on what was done 3 years ago.

At 266 and a normal metabolism, i peg his cals to be closer to 4k, so if he really were eating at 2500, then he should be seeing weight loss.

You cant base the number off body fat % because you dont have an accurate reading, unless you do dexa.

You need to be tracking in grams, i dont care if he "prefers" percentages.... he can do what he prefers all he wants... but if it was actually working.... then you wouldnt be here asking questions.

So it comes down to tracking accurately in grams, forgetting the past, and start getting results,

or continue what you have been doing and getting no where.

[marioana]

What do you mean track grams not percentages? We weigh everything, and he eats 40% of his calories coming from protein so from 3000 calories which is his daily goal he should eat 300 gr of protein. He doesn't get to 3000 usually, so he usually eats around 240-270 gr of protein per day...

[rockangel]

What do you mean track grams not percentages? We weigh everything, and he eats 40% of his calories coming from protein so from 3000 calories which is his daily goal he should eat 300 gr of protein. He doesn't get to 3000 usually, so he usually eats around 240-270 gr of protein per day...

Percentages do not matter. Seriously, the body does not care if its 40% or 50% or 60%.....

just because its a certain percent does not mean that there will automatically be weight loss.

Weight loss is down to being in a calorie deficit. Period.

If he is gaining weight, he is in a calorie surplus.

YOU are tracking his food, but if you were actually tracking 2500 cals, then there is no way he would be gaining weight. If he is, then he needs to see a doc to rule out medical issues.

My guess is that he is eating things and not telling you, so they are not tracked and weighed.

Maybe he doesnt want you to know, maybe he is not ready for a change, maybe he doesnt realize what he is doing, maybe he doesnt remember eating a snack at work, or taking that cookie from a co-worker. Maybe he works out at planet fitness and is eating too many tootsie rolls between sets.

I dont know, but you dont gain 5 pounds in 3 weeks eating in a deficit. Either he needs to get real or he needs a doc.

We have told you all we can from here.

[marioana]

Since you mentioned he should see a doctor...he was diagnosed with fatty liver and has high blood pressure (which went down a bit since he started going to the gym)...can these affect the way he loses fat?

[rockangel]

Not really, since weight loss is the cure to both high blood pressure and fatty liver disease.

He may be more insulin resistant now, to which the doctors can determine if metformin (a diabetes drug that also improves insulin sensitivity) would help with the issue.

If he is on drugs for the high blood pressure, that may affect him to some degree, but he would need to talk to his doc about that.

Like I said, he is in a different place metabolically and physically than he was 3 years ago... so things are going to have to change...

Go see the doc, ensure proper tracking of all foods in grams, forget percentages, and have him log his own food so he can begin to be accountable for his own actions.