Calorie deficit

[Joolz66]

I have just got my weekly report and it says I am 7000 calories under budget but I have NOT lost any wieght I have set it to loose 2lb a week it says I walked 28 miles what am I doing wrong

[SunsetRunner]

Hi @Joolz66

Are you estimating food intake? It's possible logged less than actually eaten, then the plan says 'there's x hundreds of calories' left to eat, while already possible eaten a bit more.. and even when not feeling hungry, allowing yourself to eat more (the plan says it's possible to eat, though your body can tell 'we're fine' in the moment), (when feeling comfortably satisfied, not hungry, feeling needing to force feed yourself, try trusting your body it has all nutritients / calories) it needs in the moment, not needing more yet.

Calories on a package is a estimation, it's possible that the foods contain more or less calories on the package, when having a smaller deficit plan, likely eaten on maintenance instead..

Feel free to try being in a deficit:

• Set up a larger deficit plan;
• When not knowing the exact weight at dinner of x meat, assuming it's 200 grams, log a bit more like 300 grams.. when the plan is to get leaner..;
• When exercising, allow to eat half the calories back (it's a estimation);
• Try following your bodies signals, tune in when eating, how hungry does your body feel before / after eating? Does it tell needing a bit more, or saying 'we have enough now'.. eating slower.. instead of rushing, to get the signal of being comfortably satisfied quicker, rather than rushing, not received the signal yet.. possible taking another portion not really needing.. take the time to eat.. preventing to overeat;

Aim to eat natural foods when desired, lower on calories overall, leaving satisfied for longer (fruits, vegetables, eggs, meats, fish,..)..

Try tuning into your body when eating what looks most appealing to have, how much? if not so hungry, could be happy with a salad,.. or a few pieces of fruit.. your body can also tell which fruits it wants (when wanting fruit (for example a apple may sound to much to have, though a banana would do)..

Always choose the foods you like in the moment when possible when hungry, not eating just to eat.. when allowing to have what your body is asking for, being satisfied faster, not needing more..

If wanting to have some fruits cause of not being so hungry but having some appetite, allowing to have the fruits, feeling more satisfied after (not needing more).. when eating something else instead, not really wanting to have, just eating to eat.. going to eat the fruits anyway, since your body asks for, eating possibly less 'calories' overall in the longer run when allowing what your body asks for to have when possible.

If the foods aren't available what your body asks for (it's very clever and knows which nutritients it needs & which foods contain the nutritients it seeks for).. see of all available foods what would be the most appealing in the moment to nourish your precious body.

Try eating until comfortably satisfied, not stuffed.

Enjoy

[divedragon]

May be as important WHAT you are eating and not how much.  A diet high in good fats, high fiber and protien in combination may help.  For instance, last night I ate brussle sprouts sauteed in olive oil and butter, lima beans boiled with rosemary and oregeno and a slice of lamb.  I had over a cup each of the veggies and just one slice of lamb.  I was as stuffed as a thanksgiving meal, but calorie count was around 500.  The choices there included protein, fats and fiber that in combination should limit insulin production, which is what makes you fat, not necessarily calories.

[Ryboflavin]

In my opinion calories in does not always equal calories out. Our bodies aren't 100% efficent at using the calories we eat.  Some are absorded and some pass through. Unless you want to weight everything in and every thing out and do a nutrienal differental its impossible to tell.  

The month of December I was eatting close to 4800 calories a day, almost 2x my normal daily intake.  During this time I loss fat and gained some muscle, but only put on a few pounds.  What I'm getting at is that weight alone is not a very good indicator of fitness.  I would suggest taking a look at getting your body composition and using that as an indicator for "weight loss". 

I recommend reading The 4 Hour Body by Tim Ferriss. He did a lot of exerpiments regarding "weight loss", muscle gain, and compares them with tradional health information. He lays out good plans and information to reach your goals and encourages you to modify the plans to fit your lifestyle and needs.

Good luck.

[emili]

unless there is a medical reason for not losing weight, it is more than likely the food and the math. You may be eating food that is not as nutritious and more of it than what you are capturing. I would recommend diary and scale as your tools to weight loss. Weigh everything and write it down. Keep a log of how many calories certain foods have so you don't have to constantly look it up. You will see which foods agree with you and pass quickly, which ones stay due to really high carb, sugar or salt. this will give you data and data will help you lose. you should be eating enough food from all the categories- fat, carb, nutrient, etc. set your daily calorie goal and stick to food that will fill you up, you enjoy and works with your categories. Good luck!

[Maxit]

Track your data over 30 days. Not losing weight?  Adjust the deficit.  Weight varies considerably based on fluid retention and gut motility so you need to be patient.   It also may be that your are not tracking food accurately, as well (by accurately, I mean using a food scale, not volume measures like cups, except for fluids).

[kalefan2013]

OMG I have the same issue as the orginal poster. Read the article on the 4 hour body as suggested. Turns out the big bowl of slow cooked steel cut oats I was having for breakfast the past month may have been a contributing culprit. I ran it past my food savey friend. She said of course. Those are only for heavy lifters that can process it. Wonder what other foods are lurking pretending to be my friend but really my foe. So frustrated