How has my weight barely changed at all when I am tracking calories?

[Streetjudas]

25/M/178cm/83kg

I want to preface this by saying that I am pretty certain I am not tracking calories wrong. A bit over a year ago when I was working out I was tracking my calories the exact same way as now. At that point I went down from 93kg to 85kg and back then I was only doing a 3 days per week program.

I was gone from the gym for quite a while. I recently returned and the 13th now will be my third month back. This time around I have gone way more. Now I am doing Reddit PPL, so I have been following a 6 day per week. The problem is that this time around I have barely noticed many changes. I can definitely tell a difference in my biceps. Not sure if the right word is that they have gotten bigger or that they have gotten more "defined", but other than that I can't really tell too much. I weight myself in the morning every day and the weight seem to be fluctuating a lot. Some days I will be upper end of 83kg and some days around 84.5kg. I live a very sendentary lifestyle at the moment, excluding the gym. I will be eating 1500-1700 calories per day and I try to follow 0.8g/lbs. So I have been aiming for 145-150g of protein per day. I feel like it doesn't make that much sense that this time around, even while eating at this deficit I am not losing that much? On TDEEcalculator I am putting in my stats and choosing sendentary rather than a more active lifestyle, because again, outside of the gym I feel like I am not super active.

Surely it's a bit weird though that with my stats and the fact that I eat 1500-1700 calories per day, that my weight essentially feel like its maintaining? I am not really tracking anything other than protein and calories intake, so could that play a part? Here are examples of what I normally eat throughout a day:


Morning:

Ehrmann High Protein Chocolate Mousse (152 cal & 20g protein)

-

Dinner:

100g rice (350 cal & 8.20g protein)

200g broccoli (68 cal & 5.64g protein)

300g boneless porkchops (390 cal & 60g protein)

Sauce made with 100g 0% fat greek yoghurt, half tbsp olive oil, 2 cloves of garlic, lemon juice and spices (127 cal & 10.3g protein) spread into 2 meals throughout the day.

-

Late night:

83g of protein bread (273 cal & 12.45g protein).

100g cottage cheese (80 cal & 13g protein)

4 eggs turned into scrambled eggs ( 259 cal & 22.14g protein)

Overall: 151.81g protein & 1699 calories.


------------------------------------------------------------------------

Morning:

Ehrmann High Protein Chocolate Mousse (152 cal & 20g protein)

-

Dinner:

Chicken salad: 300g of chicken breast (360 cal & 69g protein) - 150g of low calorie cheese (246 cal & 24g protein). - 1 tomato (22 cal & 1g protein) - 100g pasta (360g cal & 11g protein) - 50g lettuce (7 calories) split into 2 meals throughout the day.

-

Late night:

4 eggs for scrambled eggs (259 cal & 22.14g of protein) 1 tbsp of parmesan cheese (22 cal & 2g protein).

Overall: 149.14g of protein & 1428 calories.


--------------------------------------------------

Morning:

Ehrmann High Protein Chocolate Mousse (152 cal & 20g protein)

-

Dinner:

100g pasta (359 cal & 12.5g protein)

200g broccoli (68 cal & 5.64g protein)

300g skinkstek, not sure about english word for it but it's also pork and it's quite lean. (310 cal & 58.85g protein)

-

Late night:

4 eggs for scrambled eggs (259 cal & 22.14g of protein)

1 tbsp of parmesan cheese (22 cal & 2g protein).

100g cottage cheese (80 cal & 13g protein)

83g of protein bread (273 cal & 12.45g protein).

Overall: 146.50g protein & 1523 calories.



------------------------------------------------------------


I would say that on average I am mostly eating what is presented in the first example. So I will pretty much always eat that protein mousse, kind of as a substitute for a protein bar or a protein shake.

For dinner it's always 300g of either chicken/boneless porkchop/skinkstek because I am able to hit my daily protein intake with them, while they are also low on calories. Along with 200g of broccoli, 100g of rice/pasta and then 100g of the greek yoghurt sauce, for the protein from the yoghurt.

Then for late night I will go for 4 scrambled eggs along with 100g of 1.5% fat cottage cheese and 1 tbsp of parmesan to take away from cottage cheese taste. Then 83g of that protein bread (Depending on if I need the remaining protein at the end of the day or not, and my calories allow for it).

I have not added in olive oil into the equation for anything I cook. I use the cooking spray just for a quick spray which is supposed to be 8kcal (less than 1 second spray). I also do it only for 2 meals, the dinner one and the late night scrambled eggs. So even added into the equation it would be 20-30 calories at most from that end.

So what is the problem? Why is my weight not changing at all. What am I doing wrong? Should I just start incorporating cardio at the end of every session at the gym to see if it makes a difference?



I made a similar post on a different site and was told I was severely undereating, regardless of the fact that my weight is not being affected. Everything else is copy pasted but this part. Since then, for the past 3 days I have been eating at 2000-2100 calories since I have been told thats the way to go. I just wanted to double check over here.

[air2fakie]

Well if you’re not losing weight for 3 months, there’s no way you’ve been eating 1500-1700 cals/day. Upping your cals by 400-600 from a point where you aren’t losing weight isn’t going to help either.

Regardless, why keep eating the same exact food every day if you’re not getting the results you want? If you think you’re counting calories correctly, then pick a completely different set of foods to hit that mark and see what the result is as an experiment.

If that doesn’t work, then start counting all the potato chips and beer too.

[Streetjudas]

Well if you’re not losing weight for 3 months, there’s no way you’ve been eating 1500-1700 cals/day. Upping your cals by 400-600 from a point where you aren’t losing weight isn’t going to help either.

Regardless, why keep eating the same exact food every day if you’re not getting the results you want? If you think you’re counting calories correctly, then pick a completely different set of foods to hit that mark and see what the result is as an experiment.

If that doesn’t work, then start counting all the potato chips and beer too.

I have been eating 1500-1700 calories per day. I wrote what I have eaten each day and you can see it's about right in terms of calories. Also on top of that. I also mentioned how I tracked it the exact same way as prior to taking a break. Back then I was losing weight at the speed I was supposed to, but this time I am not. I have written down exactly everything that I have eaten. I measure everything. I don't eat anything which I don't write down.

[air2fakie]

I have been eating 1500-1700 calories per day. I wrote what I have eaten each day and you can see it's about right in terms of calories. Also on top of that. I also mentioned how I tracked it the exact same way as prior to taking a break. Back then I was losing weight at the speed I was supposed to, but this time I am not. I have written down exactly everything that I have eaten. I measure everything. I don't eat anything which I don't write down.

OK then just keep eating exactly the same foods you’ve been eating, or eat 600 cals more. Because that clearly is a better solution.

[Streetjudas]

OK then just keep eating exactly the same foods you’ve been eating, or eat 600 cals more. Because that clearly is a better solution.

I mean what exactly do I change? It has already been hard enough trying to reach the protein intake at those calories. If I was to go even lower than 1500 I am not even sure how I am supposed to be hitting the amount of protein per day. The reason most people mentioned to increase it was to see how much my weight changes in a 1-2 week span of eating like that, vs how it's like now.

[air2fakie]

I mean what exactly do I change? It has already been hard enough trying to reach the protein intake at those calories. If I was to go even lower than 1500 I am not even sure how I am supposed to be hitting the amount of protein per day. The reason most people mentioned to increase it was to see how much my weight changes in a 1-2 week span of eating like that, vs how it's like now.

I said earlier to eat completely different foods to reach the same calorie and protein goals and see if that makes a difference. You’ll find out quickly if there may be something off with your current calorie count for your current foods.

[Streetjudas]

I said earlier to eat completely different foods to reach the same calorie and protein goals and see if that makes a difference. You’ll find out quickly if there may be something off with your current calorie count for your current foods.

Okay I will make the change. Given my stats though. Do you think the food changes should be at 2000 calories or at 1600? Like I mentioned. Outside of working out 6 days per week I live a very sendentary lifestyle. I will start switching out the things that I am eating for other options.

[air2fakie]

Okay I will make the change. Given my stats though. Do you think the food changes should be at 2000 calories or at 1600? Like I mentioned. Outside of working out 6 days per week I live a very sendentary lifestyle. I will start switching out the things that I am eating for other options.

If you’re not losing weight at your counting of 1600 cal, keep the new food alternatives at 1600 cal too and see if you lose weight.

[Streetjudas]

If you’re not losing weight at your counting of 1600 cal, keep the new food alternatives at 1600 cal too and see if you lose weight.

Thanks. Will do.

[Streetjudas]

If you’re not losing weight at your counting of 1600 cal, keep the new food alternatives at 1600 cal too and see if you lose weight.

It didn't make a difference. I started eating at 2000 calories for a bit just to see. My weight was going up doing that. It was going up at the speed you would expect it to though. I was gaining about 0.5kg per week. Maybe a tiny bit more. So now I know for sure that 2000 calories keeps me in a surplus. This also then means that I was pretty much correct in counting my calories. If 2000 calories would be a surplus and causing me to gain weight, then -500 that will keep me at a maintain. So now at 84kg, it means that my maintain is 1500-1600 calories. So I either need to go under that or I need to do 1500 calories per day + cardio in order to start seeing changes. What's weird though is that now that when I was eating at these 1500-1700 calories initially. My lifts went up and my arms got more defined and all, so maybe I was in a body recomposition state. Even then though I feel like I would of lost some actual weight on the scale as well though, as opposed to just bodyfat.

[GeneralSerpant]

When do you work out?

[usersignup2]

not sure why people are making this more complicated than it needs to be.

if you've been eating the same things and the same amounts for 3 months and nothing has changed...then guess what? You're eating at maintenance. How hard is that to understand?

How do you know?

You increased your calories and you gained weight.

How do you decrease your weight?

Eat fewer calories than you did before or increase your calorie expenditure while eating the same as you did before.


why the f*ck anyone would suggest to change anything other than those exact variables is beyond me but if you want to find a way that DOES NOT work, then by all means, add MORE VARIABLES because surely you want to do it as slowly and inefficiently as possible because that's exactly what will happen.

[GeneralSerpant]

not sure why people are making this more complicated than it needs to be.

Because the workouts are probably dragging already.

[Streetjudas]

When do you work out?

I work out in the morning. I go up at 4 am and then I workout from 5 am and onward.

[Streetjudas]

not sure why people are making this more complicated than it needs to be.

if you've been eating the same things and the same amounts for 3 months and nothing has changed...then guess what? You're eating at maintenance. How hard is that to understand?

How do you know?

You increased your calories and you gained weight.

How do you decrease your weight?

Eat fewer calories than you did before or increase your calorie expenditure while eating the same as you did before.


why the f*ck anyone would suggest to change anything other than those exact variables is beyond me but if you want to find a way that DOES NOT work, then by all means, add MORE VARIABLES because surely you want to do it as slowly and inefficiently as possible because that's exactly what will happen.

I am just not sure what to do then? Sure I can eat at less calories. Idk how I am expected however to reach 140-150g of protein per day eating even below 1500 calories. I would then need to eat at 1300 or so.

[usersignup2]

I am just not sure what to do then? Sure I can eat at less calories. Idk how I am expected however to reach 140-150g of protein per day eating even below 1500 calories. I would then need to eat at 1300 or so.

first you need to realize two important points. TDEE are only an estimate and therefore should only be used as a rough guide. It's abundantly clear that you are trying too hard to adhere to a number that you've found on the internet which, in most likelihood is not correct. How do you know it is not accurate? Because the variables are too vague to provide any semblance of accuracy.

second, you are putting too much emphasis on actual calorie total instead of focusing on surplus, maintenance or deficit. You CAN decipher one without knowing the other. it is completely irrelevant if your calculations show 1000, 2000 or 3000 calories if in fact you have established a consistent weight pattern, i.e. you are not losing weight. how do you know that's true? People lose weight all the time without actually counting calories.

Finally, your protein intake at this point should not be a primary focus, i.e. "how can I lose weight and maintain muscle if I don't get enough protein?" You'll be fine. Focus on weight loss. When you're at a stage of trying to maintain or grow, then you can revisit a more stringent protein plan.

[GeneralSerpant]

I am just not sure what to do then? Sure I can eat at less calories. Idk how I am expected however to reach 140-150g of protein per day eating even below 1500 calories. I would then need to eat at 1300 or so.

100 grams of rice is a lot. On top of that you’re getting a bunch of nutritional fat after that in the last meal. Don’t “chase” calories.

If you’re maintaining at 1700 then you do have a pretty sedentary lifestyle. Your only description of the workout is better biceps which doesn’t mean much for overall development. So you shouldn’t be looking for more fats and carbs.

Focus on only the protein foods/supps. Keep your nose in your workout and hold off on the fat and carbs until you feel like eating it, not to chase macros.

[xsquid99]

Eat less, thats the only solution. You can't "math" your way to weight loss. If you were "severely undereating" as others have suggested then your weight would be dropping like a rock. No weight loss for 3-4 weeks = eating at maintenance.

If you live a sedentary lifestyle then change it, move at least 7500-10k steps per day in addition to your workouts.

[air2fakie]

not sure why people are making this more complicated than it needs to be.

if you've been eating the same things and the same amounts for 3 months and nothing has changed...then guess what? You're eating at maintenance. How hard is that to understand?

How do you know?

You increased your calories and you gained weight.

How do you decrease your weight?

Eat fewer calories than you did before or increase your calorie expenditure while eating the same as you did before.


why the f*ck anyone would suggest to change anything other than those exact variables is beyond me but if you want to find a way that DOES NOT work, then by all means, add MORE VARIABLES because surely you want to do it as slowly and inefficiently as possible because that's exactly what will happen.

Because OP eats the same sh!t every day and says he's not losing weight at 1600 cals/days, so anyone with a brain knows his calorie count is off. So why would I tell him to eat less of the same **** everyday that he isn't counting properly?

Maybe the succulent low calorie high protein chocolate mousse that's so f*cking good that he eats it for breakfast every f*cking morning and doesn't need to eat anything else until dinnertime isn't really 150 calories just because it says so on the nutrition label that the manufacturer sticks on its product without any oversight whatsoever. And I'm pretty sure that even though OP said he tried eating totally different foods, he was still stuffing his face with that chocolate mousse every morning and his protein bread at night. What better way to keep people eating your **** food than to call it low calorie when it's really 1,000 cals.

Why would you keep eating the same **** if you're not happy with the results? You could eat less of the same ****, but you could also eat less of other **** too so you're not relying on the same labels from the same food that have been giving you **** results so far.

[GeneralSerpant]

I am just not sure what to do then? Sure I can eat at less calories. Idk how I am expected however to reach 140-150g of protein per day eating even below 1500 calories. I would then need to eat at 1300 or so.

You also don't have to cap your protein intake at that amount.

[usersignup2]

Because OP eats the same sh!t every day and says he's not losing weight at 1600 cals/days, so anyone with a brain knows his calorie count is off. So why would I tell him to eat less of the same **** everyday that he isn't counting properly?

Maybe the succulent low calorie high protein chocolate mousse that's so f*cking good that he eats it for breakfast every f*cking morning and doesn't need to eat anything else until dinnertime isn't really 150 calories just because it says so on the nutrition label that the manufacturer sticks on its product without any oversight whatsoever. And I'm pretty sure that even though OP said he tried eating totally different foods, he was still stuffing his face with that chocolate mousse every morning and his protein bread at night. What better way to keep people eating your **** food than to call it low calorie when it's really 1,000 cals.

Why would you keep eating the same **** if you're not happy with the results? You could eat less of the same ****, but you could also eat less of other **** too so you're not relying on the same labels from the same food that have been giving you **** results so far.

you don't understand basic logic. if he eats the same thing everyday but isn't losing weight, that means he's eating at maintenance. it doesn't matter what the calorie count is. if that's not abundantly clear then I can't help you or OP.

I'll give you an example. if he said he ate the same thing everyday but wasn't losing any weight - BUT said he was eating 2500cals, what would you say to that? You'd say, eat less, right?

therefore it's irrelevant if he says it's 1600, 2500 or 10,000 calories. he's not losing weight at his current consumption, therefore he's at maintenance. in order to lose weight he has to eat below maintenance. the key here is he's eating the same thing consistently, his activity is fairly consistent and he's not losing weight.

case closed. and try not to be so angry, it might help your cognitive abilities.

[air2fakie]

you don't understand basic logic. if he eats the same thing everyday but isn't losing weight, that means he's eating at maintenance. it doesn't matter what the calorie count is. if that's not abundantly clear then I can't help you or OP.

I'll give you an example. if he said he ate the same thing everyday but wasn't losing any weight - BUT said he was eating 2500cals, what would you say to that? You'd say, eat less, right?

therefore it's irrelevant if he says it's 1600, 2500 or 10,000 calories. he's not losing weight at his current consumption, therefore he's at maintenance. in order to lose weight he has to eat below maintenance. the key here is he's eating the same thing consistently, his activity is fairly consistent and he's not losing weight.

case closed. and try not to be so angry, it might help your cognitive abilities.

I understand it just fine, and I can lose weight without counting a single calorie. But yes, I don’t see the point of eating the same crap everyday with no variety both in general and when it’s not even accomplishing the results you want.

And it’s funny that your cognitive abilities can’t recognize that I was mocking your tone in the post I was replying to.

[GeneralSerpant]

I understand it just fine, and I can lose weight without counting a single calorie. But yes, I don’t see the point of eating the same crap everyday with no variety both in general and when it’s not even accomplishing the results you want.

And it’s funny that your cognitive abilities can’t recognize that I was mocking your tone in the post I was replying to.

Personally I think 20 grams of protein for breakfast on an IF diet and sedentary lifestyle is inadequate.

You're right that he might be making a mistake, but we'd need to audit his food intake to be sure.

[air2fakie]

Personally I think 20 grams of protein for breakfast on an IF diet and sedentary lifestyle is inadequate.

You're right that he might be making a mistake, but we'd need to audit his food intake to be sure.

Well I was being somewhat subtle about it, but I don't really buy that OP eats chocolate mousse for breakfast and nothing else until dinnertime - and if he does, I doubt it's as low calorie as he thinks it is.

But my main points were, (1) if something isn't working at all, do something else & (2) you don't have to eat the exact same thing everyday to lose weight. That other poster is saying that if OP eats different foods instead of less of what he's (supposedly) eating everyday currently, OPs (already inaccurate) calorie counting & weight loss world will fall apart, which is ridiculous given the current state of it.

[GeneralSerpant]

That other poster is saying that if OP eats different foods instead of less of what he's (supposedly) eating everyday currently, OPs (already inaccurate) calorie counting & weight loss world will fall apart, which is ridiculous given the current state of it.

No, they're saying that, whether or not it is accurate counting the OP still has a concise array of recourse options, and that whatever number of calories it is is too much by deductive reasoning alone. Reflexively speaking, you're saying to correct his perception of his intake to realize his mistake while the other poster is disregarding the perception in favor of adjusting their balance in spite of guided measuring.

[air2fakie]

No, they're saying that, whether or not it is accurate counting the OP still has a concise array of recourse options, and that whatever number of calories it is is too much by deductive reasoning alone. Reflexively speaking, you're saying to correct his perception of his intake to realize his mistake while the other poster is disregarding the perception in favor of adjusting their balance in spite of guided measuring.

That's the very first aspect of what I was saying, yes. The idea being that you can't possibly suck so bad at counting calories that you'd do it so poorly every single day if you're eating a variety of foods throughout the week.

OP eating "less chocolate mousse" for breakfast etc. isn't great advice if OP finds a way to mess it up. In OPs case, his eating schedule of breakfast/dinner/late night meal, choice of foods, crap ability at counting calories, likely untracked eating between breakfast & dinner, potential incorrect labeling of nutrition on certain foods he's eating everyday, etc. all seem to be a plan set up to fail & it has.

Telling OP he should keep doing everything exactly the same as he has, and just "eat less", isn't great advice if it isn't going to work practically (whether for one reason above or a combo of them). 3 reasonably proportioned meals, 1-2 protein shakes daily, some variation of food throughout the week IMO is more practical & sustainable than "less" of OPs current plan - with the "eat less" advice still applying of course if there's no weight loss.

If sustainability & success were guaranteed, we could answer any thread about losing weight with "Eat less than you are now" and just close the thread. Which you could really, but most people struggling to lose weight aren't going to lose it with that advice alone without other systematic changes to what they're currently doing.

My responses to that other poster were in response to his rant asking why anyone would suggest that OP do anything differently except to just eat less.

[GeneralSerpant]

That's the very first aspect of what I was saying, yes. The idea being that you can't possibly suck so bad at counting calories that you'd do it so poorly every single day if you're eating a variety of foods throughout the week.

OP eating "less chocolate mousse" for breakfast etc. isn't great advice if OP finds a way to mess it up. In OPs case, his eating schedule of breakfast/dinner/late night meal, choice of foods, crap ability at counting calories, likely untracked eating between breakfast & dinner, potential incorrect labeling of nutrition on certain foods he's eating everyday, etc. all seem to be a plan set up to fail & it has.

Telling OP he should keep doing everything exactly the same as he has, and just "eat less", isn't great advice if it isn't going to work practically (whether for one reason above or a combo of them). 3 reasonably proportioned meals, 1-2 protein shakes daily, some variation of food throughout the week IMO is more practical & sustainable than "less" of OPs current plan - with the "eat less" advice still applying of course if there's no weight loss.

If sustainability & success were guaranteed, we could answer any thread about losing weight with "Eat less than you are now" and just close the thread. Which you could really, but most people struggling to lose weight aren't going to lose it with that advice alone without other systematic changes to what they're currently doing.

Their diet is fine. They outlined it right there. It’s not malnutrition but any means when considering volume of food. That’s with consideration of them saying that they live a sedentary lifestyle, which we may or may not dictate the op to change their lifestyle over. Options are great.

One drawback to lessening calories (which I also suggested), is that op might not have proper fasting experience/knowledge, but yeah there is an array of choices.

[air2fakie]

Their diet is fine. They outlined it right there. It’s not malnutrition but any means when considering volume of food. That’s with consideration of them saying that they live a sedentary lifestyle, which we may or may not dictate the op to change their lifestyle over. Options are great.

One drawback to lessening calories (which I also suggested), is that op might not have proper fasting experience/knowledge, but yeah there is an array of choices.

A diet of the same things every single day that doesn’t include a single fruit or legit whole grain is hardly “fine”, he’s probably carrying 15 lbs of crap stuck up his ass at any given point in time. Aside from the fact that his listed diet probably doesn’t include all that OP eats in reality.

If this was working for him that’s one thing, but it’s not. The idea that he shouldn’t try to change a single thing in his daily diet or schedule other than to “eat less” of his existing routine is poor advice in this case.

[GeneralSerpant]

If this was working for him that’s one thing, but it’s not. The idea that he shouldn’t try to change a single thing in his daily diet or schedule other than to “eat less” of his existing routine is poor advice in this case.

You can make a drastic sweeping change, or you can make a discrete change. The fact that it's not working instead of working doesn't dictate the necessity one way or the other.

As far as the diet goes, they could add a multivitamin. It's not ideal long term, but it's a manageable step in a positive direction. And basically any one will do fine for general purposes.

[air2fakie]

You can make a drastic sweeping change, or you can make a discrete change. The fact that it's not working instead of working doesn't dictate the necessity one way or the other.

As far as the diet goes, they could add a multivitamin. It's not ideal long term, but it's a manageable step in a positive direction. And basically any one will do fine for general purposes.

My overall point is if OP doesn’t lose weight after receiving the advice to keep everything he’s doing the same, just to eat less of it, then it isn’t helpful. His situation doesn’t seem like one where it would be successful, but of course I could be mistaken.

You and I could probably eat 1,600 cals for lunch every day and still manage the rest of our diet to lose weight consistently if we wanted to.