struggling to lose further weight

[JAFOOTE87]

Hello All,
Wondering if I could ask for some advice on the struggle I am having with getting any further with my weight loss. Back in May I weighed 231 pounds and towards the end of that month I started to try working out and change my diet a bit. By around end of June I got down to around the 217 pound mark. We are now in August and I keep hovering between the 214-220 pound mark despite consistently being in a caloric defect 6 days a week. I have made sure I am consistent with everything for the last 3 weeks where I lift weights 6 days a week followed by a bit of cardio. Everyday I hit a particular muscle except for Fridays which is kinda my rest day where I do drink alcohol and go over my caloric intake. Following the weights I do cardio. For cardio I do sort of a mix of walking and jogging up the stairs in my apartment building from the 4th to the 20th floor. Originally I would only do this for about 6 minutes or so, but this week increased it to 20 minutes and now I can do the stairs going up and then down about 3 times within that 20 minutes, so I have improved in my cardio. A couple weeks ago I noticed my weight lifting performance plateauing a bit, but I think I turned this around by making sure I am consuming enough protein in grams to equal my lean body mass in pounds. Despite this I feel like my weight loss has plateaued even though I have increased my performance for the last week.

Here is what my caloric intake would look like on a typical day using one example:

Lunch: SmartBar - 241 calories

Dinner: Beef lasagne with roasted vegetables - 471 calories

Snacks: Apple - 52 calories
Banana - 90 calories
Semi skimmed milk 500ml - 250 calories
Whey Protein 50g - 186 calories
Protein noodles 115g - 197 calories
Egg and spinach protein pot - 103 calories
High Protein Bar - 263 calories

I am using MyFitnessPal to track everything and it puts my caloric intake goal at 2150 calories. And so I consumed ab out 1853 calories that day.

My macros for that day were carbs: 33% fats: 29% protein: 38%. I have my goals set to around 40% carbs 20% fats and 40% protein.



Not really sure if I'm just being impatient or if I should consider lowering my caloric intake. But if I do that I worry about the following:
1) lose of performance on the workouts
2) I am already only meeting my estimated lean body weight in protein. How do I keep this up if I further lower my caloric intake.
3) losing muscle

Many Thanks for any input provided.

[JAFOOTE87]

Should also mention that my goal is to drop to around 10% body fat and I estimate that I am around 17% right now.

[CommitmentRulz]

So you're eating at a 300 calorie deficit (IF you're measuring is accurate) but eating and drinking whatever you want one day?? I could easily offset all 1800 calories on a "free" day...

[JAFOOTE87]

So you're eating at a 300 calorie deficit (IF you're measuring is accurate) but eating and drinking whatever you want one day?? I could easily offset all 1800 calories on a "free" day...

I take it then you reckon that one day of poor dieting can ruin 6 good days?

[Tommy W.]

I take it then you reckon that one day of poor dieting can ruin 6 good days?

You need to figure your calories on a weekly basis. If you aren't losing you're not in a weekly deficit. 6 days in a small deficit and 1 day in a big surplus can even cause fat gain.

[ApolloChange]

Could you be gaining muscle too? How long have you been working out?

[JAFOOTE87]

Could you be gaining muscle too? How long have you been working out?

Been working out off and on since late May, but have only been consistent really for the past 3 weeks.

[daveminnich]

You’re self sabotaging with that free day. The fact that your deficit on your other days is so small isn’t helping your cause either.

[EjnarKolinkar]

I take it then you reckon that one day of poor dieting can ruin 6 good days?

Track it and find out, don't look for complicated solutions to simple problems. I'd spread the extra cals you are eating on the day off throughout the week and be stronger in the gym. You could likely still run a deficit and still eat more every day with all the "Free day"cals you are eating. But there is an easy way to find out isn't there?

You’re self sabotaging with that free day.

No point guessing. Easy solution is just to track the day and find out. People hide from the truth, better to realize it and modify the program to be more supportive of training, wellness, and normalized eating patterns.

[Luclin999]

I take it then you reckon that one day of poor dieting can ruin 6 good days?

If you are only down 300 cal/day on your "good days" then yes, it would be very, very easy to erase any deficit that you had made for the week with a day of alcohol and uncontrolled eating.

Very easy.

[JAFOOTE87]

If you are only down 300 cal/day on your "good days" then yes, it would be very, very easy to erase any deficit that you had made for the week with a day of alcohol and uncontrolled eating.

Very easy.

My deficit is more than that. MyFitnessPal puts my goal at 2,150 to lose 2 pounds every week. If I change the setting to maintain my current weight it puts my caloric goal to 3,120 calories. So I think I am on more than a 300 calorie deficit, no?

[Tommy W.]

My deficit is more than that. MyFitnessPal puts my goal at 2,150 to lose 2 pounds every week. If I change the setting to maintain my current weight it puts my caloric goal to 3,120 calories. So I think I am on more than a 300 calorie deficit, no?

Your're doing 2 things

Overestimating TDEE

Under reporting calories


Whatever you're at now is your weekly maintenance. Drop 3,500 calories a week

[dmatsinger]

Your're doing 2 things

Overestimating TDEE

Under reporting calories


Whatever you're at now is your weekly maintenance. Drop 3,500 calories a week

From his list of what he is eating it doesn't even make sense. 50g of whey protein would be at least 200 calories at 4 calories per gram not including fat and some sugar and I don't see how 115 grams of protein pasta, about 4 ounces, is only 197 calories. He is probably double the calories with that.

[JAFOOTE87]

From his list of what he is eating it doesn't even make sense. 50g of whey protein would be at least 200 calories at 4 calories per gram not including fat and some sugar and I don't see how 115 grams of protein pasta, about 4 ounces, is only 197 calories. He is probably double the calories with that.

I can't post the links for the items as I haven't posted often enough yet to be allowed to, but the whey is Impact Whey Isolate from MyProtein and the noodles are oomi noodles. You can look up the nutritional information for both to see that my numbers are correct.

[Tommy W.]

I can't post the links for the items as I haven't posted often enough yet to be allowed to, but the whey is Impact Whey Isolate from MyProtein and the noodles are oomi noodles. You can look up the nutritional information for both to see that my numbers are correct.

Don't argue just eat less.

[Iceman1800]

I'm questioning your numbers. 50 grams of whey is 200 calories yet you list 186. 4 calories per gram x 50 grams. I also question the lasagna calories unless you're eating only a few bites. I'd look to accuracy and stricter measuring.

[JAFOOTE87]

I'm questioning your numbers. 50 grams of whey is 200 calories yet you list 186. 4 calories per gram x 50 grams. I also question the lasagna calories unless you're eating only a few bites. I'd look to accuracy and stricter measuring.

It is less than 200. I double checked the nutritional label. The lasagna is from MuscleFood(DOT)com and is a microwavable meal so I didn't portion it. The nutritional label lists 471 calories per serving.

[JAFOOTE87]

Don't argue just eat less.

I'll cut out the stuff on Fridays that I can't track for a week or two and see if that makes a difference. But I hear what you are saying. My concern is cutting too low that I'll lose muscle.

[Tommy W.]

I'll cut out the stuff on Fridays that I can't track for a week or two and see if that makes a difference. But I hear what you are saying. My concern is cutting too low that I'll lose muscle.

I don't think you need to worry about that. You'd need to be in a really big deficit and you're nowhere close to that seeing how you're at maintenance and thinking you're in a deficit

[Luclin999]

My deficit is more than that. MyFitnessPal puts my goal at 2,150 to lose 2 pounds every week. If I change the setting to maintain my current weight it puts my caloric goal to 3,120 calories. So I think I am on more than a 300 calorie deficit, no?

No.

Not if you aren't losing weight. You are overestimating your daily calorie burn. Simple as that.

Estimates from on-line apps like "Myfitnesspal" aren't really accurate and you need to factor that into your weight loss plan. Likely your correct TDEE is closer to 2400 cal/day.

[Luclin999]

It is less than 200. I double checked the nutritional label. The lasagna is from MuscleFood(DOT)com and is a microwavable meal so I didn't portion it. The nutritional label lists 471 calories per serving.

Nutrition labels can be legally off by as much as 25% in the US and should only be taken as a base guideline not as if they were always 100% accurate.

[Ginalina]

I'm afraid my efforts are in vain, the fat does not leave me. Maybe it's not in the calories?

[Tommy W.]

I'm afraid my efforts are in vain, the fat does not leave me. Maybe it's not in the calories?

It's the calories

[xsquid99]

I'll cut out the stuff on Fridays that I can't track for a week or two and see if that makes a difference. But I hear what you are saying. My concern is cutting too low that I'll lose muscle.

How can you lose muscle if you're not even in a deficit? Be real dude, you're eating way more than you think or you're burning much less than you think. You'd have to be losing several pounds every week to even come close to losing muscle.

You can't argue or reason your way out of this, your body only knows calories, eat less of them. Get used to being hungry, its part of the process.

[ApolloChange]

OP, please don’t be discouraged. I was in the same spot you were not too long ago. I was using MFP to count my calories and had an over estimated TDEE. As soon as I drop my calories further, eliminated all cheat meals, and hired a meal prep chef to weigh/count all my macros... I started to see weight come off again.

[ironwill2008]

No "I can't lose more weight" thread should ever have to run more than 5-6 posts.

If your weight loss has stalled, and regardless of how many calories you're eating---or think you're eating---you're eating at maintenance, and not a deficit.

Eat less.