4 weeks into weight And body fat loss but no changes

[LosingTheChub]

 

Hi all. Please help... 

I’m a 38 year old female and am 159cm and weigh 162lbs and a type 1 diabetic. I’d like to lose about 30lbs. So past 4 weeks, I’ve been fast paced walking and started to jog and eating healthy. I log everything I eat and usually in the blue zone... as you can see from my screenshot. 

I weigh myself on same scales on same surface, same time of day (soon as I wake so I’ve not had any water or tea etc). I use body composition scales. I would have thought with a body fat % of 38%, I’d lose a pound a week? I eat small portions and weight my food if having pasta etc. I’ve upped my protein in the form of chicken. I don’t understand why I’ve not seen any changes? I don’t look like I’ve lost eight visually either. My BMR calculated by Fitbit and with the calculation method is about 1350. I burn on average about 300 calories by exercising and my small portions and healthy eating reduces intake further. I drink almost 2 litres of water a day and don’t eat fried food or crisps or chocolate etc. 

so basically I want to know what I need to be doing to lose some weight and body fat. Thank you 

[Heybales]

Unless your body is so stressed that it's slowly gaining water weight from increased stress Cortisol levels hiding the fat weight drop (and that actually can happen to the tune of 20 lbs slowly gained, that could hide 20 weeks of fat loss) - I'd confirm the regular stuff.

The BF% you have doesn't determine the amount you lose, the deficit does between what you burn and what you eat.

I'm guessing you have set to 500 cal for 1 lb weekly, and that means in the blue you aren't making it much bigger. That's good for only 30lb to lose - no need to stress the body out.

Almost hitting 2000 burned, so eating 1500 or tad below would be the goal. You appear to well below that.

For sure get some measurements in there, scale weight by itself can't tell the whole story, since water weight can fluctuate for many reasons and that has 0 calorie.

You have the food logging down it sounds like - by weight - good.

The healthy aspect and such don't strictly matter for weight loss - they do matter for nutrition and what helps you not be hungry but provides what body needs.

Those types of workouts at the bottom of the exercise zone though - if HR-based calorie burn calculations are kicking in - that's the area for inflated results.

Could you spend a typical day with the HR disabled so the device is only using distance-based calorie burn?

Before that though - ever walked a known distance (even treadmill), and confirmed that for 1/2 to 1 mile, walking at pace midpoint you'd use, like 1.8 mph, really shows as correct distance on Fitbit?

Default stride-length based on gender & height may not be correct for you, you could be getting greater distance than reality, therefore more calories.

Just some tweaks.

Because since this has been a month, and you have not lost weight, and have not done anything that would cause water weight gain - then your eating level matches your burn level - simple as that.

The point is to find out what's messed up, so you can keep using the Fitbit - because as weight lowers, as seasons change and activity levels - it'll be good to have a tool that works well.

Have you already been in a diet perhaps for awhile until you just have this final 30 to lose?

[LosingTheChub]

Thank you for your detailed reply, you’ve taken your time out to help me. No I’ve not been dieting before these 4 weeks. My first time trying to lose weight.

Although I wear my Fitbit always, when I go for my walks and runs, I use my phones GPS and that calculates my distance. My Fitbit Alta doesn’t have a HR function on it, although I’ve just purchased a Fitbit charge 4 with HR which is arriving within a day or so.

I feel very bloated most of the time and am wondering if this is water retention I’m holding... in which case, how do I stop my body holding on to it and getting stressed? I don’t even get very hungry and everyone comments how little I eat. Doesn’t correspond with the size I am. Unless my diabetes is interfering somehow since insulin causes weight gain. 

I did my first ever 5K today (took me 42 mins) so I’m very new to running. Because I’m relatively petite in height, holding the 30lbs is making me look even larger. 

[Heybales]

So the reference to distance was not just for the walks to be accurate - but daily life. Good to know no HR on it. Be aware of that limitation when you get your next device.

Your calorie burn estimate above the sleeping BMR rate of burn is based on distance Fitbit sees you go.

That's a result of steps seen and the setting for stride length.

So if stride length is off, distance is off, calories is off.

So for the suggested distance test - you can NOT use GPS - not accurate enough.

High school track, using the correct markers for mile since most are metric tracks now.

The stress for full body water retention (it's everywhere not localized for that) can be stress from anywhere. Your body is already stressed with T1D, lack of sleep can add to it, life (like now a days), new workouts, ect.

Stomach bloated is usually not water but gas, maybe just a little, but not a good thing - does indicate some stress for some reason.

Very true that 30 lbs wasn't gained by eating perhaps at current levels.

Always interesting to log a pretend typical day in the past for what used to be eaten prior to diet - see how many calories used be.

Insulin can't cause weight gain in the absence of enough calories - it can't create something out of nothing in other words. 

It can change where macros are stored, insulin causes glycogen to go to the liver and muscle cells in order for blood sugar to be lowered back to safe levels.

While glycogen does store with water, that's required water just like the water in cells required for them to function in general.

[LosingTheChub]

I used to weight 20kg lighter but after having 2 kids, I started to eat the food they weren’t eating... stopped working and became a house mum... less active in terms of exercising. I started to eat badly and snacking throughout the day. Within 10 years gained 20kg. 30lbs (13kg) is somewhat better in terms a realistic goal as I don’t think 20kg lighter will even suit me now but it is what I’ve set myself to use (yes Fitbit calculated a 500 calorie deficit per day for 1lb week loss)... although my deficit it a lot more.... 

you mentioned a track... I have done 5K walk ok a track that’s numbered and is half a km for one lap and I did 10. Initially thats what I was doing for 2 weeks and then realised how boring it was. So I started to walk and interval jog on the roads. A bit more interesting... 

My theory is that since Fitbit is saying I’m underrating (blue zone) and should be green... that I’ve slowed my metabolism by going below my BMR. Do you think I should decrease the outgoing calories? I’ve read that you should never go below the BMR... it makes you put on weight as the body thinks it’s starving. So bearing in mind i went to run and I burn 300 from exercising... maybe eat maximum 1700 calories and minus the 300 from exercising leaving 1400 which is slightly above my BMR? 

Does this sound correct? Apologies in advance if I’ve understood this incorrectly. 

[Heybales]

If you think it's accurate you could use the track.

Just need to start a workout as you do the 1 lap - if you can figure out how to do 3 km/hr.

The Fitbit uses your weight and stride length figure to calculate what impact should be seen for walking normally. It'll adjust the length of that step up or down based on amount of impact, sensing faster or slower walking for each step.

But if the setting isn't in the middle of normal paces (grocery store shuffle to exercise pace) - it won't adjust as accurately to either extreme.

While you could slow your daily burn in 4 weeks with extreme diet, you would have still lost some weight at the start before the body adapted near the end - so not likely it.

Now, if you did lose weight first week (everyone should lose water weight from less stored carbs) but have regained and are now equal, that's different.

It's nice if you can try not to go below BMR - and your daily burn around 2000 would allow you to do that with a 500 cal deficit.

But if you are eating less than you burn you can't physically put on fat weight - whether body thinks it's starving or not. Or starving kids around the world would have no problem with being underweight.

While starvation mode, better named Adaptive Thermogenesis, is a real effect, the often stated side effects are myths - like you'll hold on to all your fat, you'll gain weight, whatever else is claimed.

Your body slows down basically is all - you are burning less than you once were or could burn.

First it slows you down by being less active, fidgety, less movement, ect.

If that doesn't work or not enough, it'll slow down hair, nail, skin growth/replacement.

If that isn't enough, lower metabolism functions slow down, like keeping you warm.

The solution to that is not to eat less and less and force the body to adapt more and more to slow down. That is such a stressful situation that's when the water weight gain will occur easily.

Solution to that is to eat more so body does not adapt.

I doubt you caused that though - because you would have lost initial water weight first week, even 2nd week.

Body doesn't adapt that quick unless you really went extreme eating like under 1000 real calories and kept it up.

The reason why I'm suggesting the distance confirmation of stride length, is because I think you really aren't burning as much as you think.

In addition the calculated BMR could be wrong, there is usually up to a 5% difference, even with people with thyroid issues (which effects your activity level more than BMR).

So you could be lower than calculated, which would lower your daily burn too since all calculations are based on that figure.

Of course the solution is to indeed eat less.

But I'm wondering about the accuracy of the food logging too, you said by weight which is needed for accuracy. But accuracy of the entry you are using could be wrong.

And in most cases of inaccuracy there is actually more calories being eaten.

So unless you really lost weight the 1st week, and little the 2nd week - I think you are burning less than Fitbit is saying (not because of eating too little and slowing down), and eating more than you are logging.

Eating at maintenance whatever that number really is.

Solution is to eat less by your current logging method.

Or, 1st figure out if the errors can be corrected, get some better numbers, and then take a deficit.

The effect will be the same either way, eating less - the latter will make it easier going forward - as your daily activity changes, you'll perhaps have better numbers you can trust.

But some people just have to adjust from estimated figures to whatever results show - as long as there are no reasons not to trust those results.

[Glenda]

@LosingTheChub You might find the calculator interesting at caloriecontrol.org.  They told me I could maintain my weight by eating 1131 calories a day and to lose weight eat about 700.  For you they said your BMI was 29.1 and you can maintain eating 1880 calories a day and to lose should eat 1380.  But I said I was sedentary walking only 40 minutes a day on my treadmill (5,000 steps)  and often shopping another 2,500 a day.  I said you were lightly exercising so maybe it should have been more???

[LosingTheChub]

I’ve worked it all out manually using online calculators and Fitbit... they are same figures take or give 50 calories. I am going below eating 1200 calories and I’m strict with weighing and portions. I don’t have dressing with my salads. On average, most days I’m between 900-1200 calories. Porridge and tea for breakfast, wholemeal sandwich for lunch and dinners are salads. My snacks are almonds which I also weigh. As a treat I’ll have 10g of cheese. I don’t have a sweet tooth

[Heybales]

So that is a rather huge shock to the system.

Because to have maintained your higher weight, and slowly been gaining - you of course had to be eating much more than that.

Were you exercising as much back then too?

Still a mom though - so active with household duties.

So if you dropped a huge amount of calories being eaten while increasing activity level - that is huge stress.

You haven't mentioned yet measuring yourself as I've asked a couple times - are you seeing a loss of measurements indicating fat loss is still occurring?

It sounds like you have accurate logging by weight of what you eat.

Have you confirmed that what you are picking from the database to log matches the nutritional info on the label? What system are you using to log your food - Fitbit?

So you have a choice of what to do here.

1 - Keep eating less and less and the body will be unable to adapt at certain point, and you will lose fat weight, along with some muscle mass when that extreme of a diet.

Your body will be under a terrible stress.

Hope you don't get sick and can't be as active, because then the eating level really has to take a dive since not burning as much, or stop the diet at those times.

Risk being like the 80% of dieters that fail to reach goal weight and maintain it because of doing an extreme diet - and then be back here again next year with less muscle mass and gaining the weight or more back, and attempting it again but even harder.

or

2 - get your body repaired and unstressed and stop the extreme diet. Probably get better workouts too.

Slowly start eating more, get the needed amount of protein (2 g/kg/day of your LBM), and fat (0.8 g/kg/day of your LBM), and the rest can be carbs.

Start out by eating 100 extra calories daily for a week.

Week after add 250 extra daily.

Keep adding 250 each week until you are eating what Fitbit says you burn. That's the goal, 50 above is better than 200 below, but eating almonds you should be able to nail it.

During this process you will likely get a stress water weight whoosh and drop a bunch fast, while slowly gaining some weight due to eating more - won't be fat weight though.

You will likely become more active in subtle ways - workouts should improve.

[Glenda]

@LosingTheChub   So interesting that you eat porridge!  Are you in the UK?  Is porridge like oatmeal?  I like oatmeal for breakfast sometimes but to spread protein evenly through the day, the amount I'm supposed to eat I add 2 tablespoons of protein powder for about 10 grams added to the protein in the oats.  It makes it a bit more satisfying to me without adding too many calories.

[LosingTheChub]

Porridge is oats... I make a small bowl with semi skimmed milk. So it’s 100 calories and I have with a cup of tea. I think it is oatmeal but I don’t add anything to it except the milk. Sometimes if peckish, I’ll have a banana mid morning.