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@Ashym wrote:I log each and every thing I eat. It's all weighed and packed. The calorie variance depends on if I have carbs that day or the type of protein I eat for the day. It also varies on if I have one or 2 snacks (i eat 6 small meals a day) which generally consists of a fruit or nuts etc. I am extremely strict when it comes to my food and don't eat anything unless I have made it myself. The most common daily intake is around 2000 calories. I dont cook with any kind of oil. I dont add salt. I only drink tea or water and i dont eat sugar. I am meticulous with what I eat.
I believe you. However, you are confusing a theoretical deficit for an actual deficit. The calories burned that your fitbit gives you are based on averages; it's what someone your gender, age, weight, height and heart rate would usually burn doing that activity. Your actual results will vary because humans are individuals. That's probably a big part of why my 1000 calorie deficit only ends up being a 683 calorie deficit on the scale. Additionally, when you log strawberries that you have carefully weighed, you are estimating their calories based on an average that has been determined by testing other strawberries. You may be eating a different variety than what was tested.
Humans have a wide range in how much people of the same size need to maintain or lose weight. I'm sure that you know skinny, tiny people who eat a lot more and move a lot less than you do. I know several people who eat a lot more than I do, move a lot less and have always been small. There was a study done with rats at Kent University that was pretty interesting. Basically, some people have really efficient muscles that burn less calories, people who naturally tend to be fat, and some people have really inefficient muscles that burn a lot more calories, people who tend to be thin. You can read part of it here, would have to hit up a library to read the whole thing: http://gradworks.umi.com/37/32/3732324.html
Basically, while you are logging a 750 calorie deficit, unfortunately either you or the food you are eating or a combination of the two aren't the same as the average. If I was you, I would sign up for trendweight and link it to your fitbit account so you only have to log your weight in one place. Then, I would switch to a 1000 calorie deficit. If you have really lost no weight at all at a 750 calorie deficit since August of last year, than maybe a theoretical 1000 calorie deficit would be a 250 calorie actual deficit for you. Do you know what I mean? This is not a criticism of your logging, it's just that a deficit = weight loss. So, while the math looks like a deficit has occurred, the results indicate that it isn't actually happening because you simply are burning less calories than the average.
This article is a good part rubbish, but, it does have some interesting facts in it:
http://www.sparkpeople.com/blog/blog.asp?post=the_most_accurate_way_to_measure_your_metabolism
It's about a product for testing resting metabolic rate or RMR. If you scroll down in the article you will see the results these people got. You will notice that the slimmest person in the group, Nicole, ended up with an RMR score of 2410 which is quite high! When you use an RMR calculator, her metabolic rate should only be 1755. She's burning a full 655 calories more at rest than she should be burning. Jeff who got a result of 2230 should be burning 1965 at rest, a discrepancy of 265 calories. Jaime got a result of 2190 but according to an RMR calculator should be burning 1845 calories for a discrepancy of 345 calories. Now, I find it strange that everyone is burning more than they should be burning and would be tempted to say that the machine wasn't calibrated correctly. But, even so, the person burning the most in relation to the average RMR score is, no surprise, the thin person who hasn't had a weight problem. These tests were performed using something called a MedGem. New Leaf is supposed to be a more accurate device and many people agree that the medgem overestimates a bit. So, I'm not recommending it, I just thought it was interesting that the thinnest person had the highest metabolic rate.
In other words, if all of these people used their fitbit numbers and their estimated calorie burns and logged perfectly, Nicole would be losing more weight simply because she burns a lot more than the average.
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Best AnswerUgh, I had typed a long response to you, but apparently Fitbit ate it.. lol
Anyways, I was just going to say that I've been logging everything I eat since April 1st. I use the 1000 calorie deficits and up until this week I was always at a 1000 calorie deficit, this week was more like a 700 calorie deficit as I'm on vacation. I use a site called trendweight that is recommended a lot around here and let's you see what your deficit actually is. Here's mine.
As you can see, my 1000 calorie deficit is only really a 683 calorie deficit, so, off by more than 300 calories with careful logging. I weigh my food with a digital scale and log everything. I will even log if I eat 5 mini M&M's. This difference is because of a variety of factors, I may burn less calories than a typical woman of my size and activity level. The food I am eating may vary in calories from the food that was tested to determine the nutritional label.
In other words, even if you are logging very carefully, your 750 calorie deficit may just be a 300 calorie deficit which would be pretty easy to erase with a cheat day.
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Fitbit Product Experts Alumni are retired members of the Fitbit Product Expert Program. Learn more
Best Answer
Fitbit Product Experts Alumni are retired members of the Fitbit Product Expert Program. Learn more
Best Answer
@Ashym wrote:I log each and every thing I eat. It's all weighed and packed. The calorie variance depends on if I have carbs that day or the type of protein I eat for the day. It also varies on if I have one or 2 snacks (i eat 6 small meals a day) which generally consists of a fruit or nuts etc. I am extremely strict when it comes to my food and don't eat anything unless I have made it myself. The most common daily intake is around 2000 calories. I dont cook with any kind of oil. I dont add salt. I only drink tea or water and i dont eat sugar. I am meticulous with what I eat.
I believe you. However, you are confusing a theoretical deficit for an actual deficit. The calories burned that your fitbit gives you are based on averages; it's what someone your gender, age, weight, height and heart rate would usually burn doing that activity. Your actual results will vary because humans are individuals. That's probably a big part of why my 1000 calorie deficit only ends up being a 683 calorie deficit on the scale. Additionally, when you log strawberries that you have carefully weighed, you are estimating their calories based on an average that has been determined by testing other strawberries. You may be eating a different variety than what was tested.
Humans have a wide range in how much people of the same size need to maintain or lose weight. I'm sure that you know skinny, tiny people who eat a lot more and move a lot less than you do. I know several people who eat a lot more than I do, move a lot less and have always been small. There was a study done with rats at Kent University that was pretty interesting. Basically, some people have really efficient muscles that burn less calories, people who naturally tend to be fat, and some people have really inefficient muscles that burn a lot more calories, people who tend to be thin. You can read part of it here, would have to hit up a library to read the whole thing: http://gradworks.umi.com/37/32/3732324.html
Basically, while you are logging a 750 calorie deficit, unfortunately either you or the food you are eating or a combination of the two aren't the same as the average. If I was you, I would sign up for trendweight and link it to your fitbit account so you only have to log your weight in one place. Then, I would switch to a 1000 calorie deficit. If you have really lost no weight at all at a 750 calorie deficit since August of last year, than maybe a theoretical 1000 calorie deficit would be a 250 calorie actual deficit for you. Do you know what I mean? This is not a criticism of your logging, it's just that a deficit = weight loss. So, while the math looks like a deficit has occurred, the results indicate that it isn't actually happening because you simply are burning less calories than the average.
This article is a good part rubbish, but, it does have some interesting facts in it:
http://www.sparkpeople.com/blog/blog.asp?post=the_most_accurate_way_to_measure_your_metabolism
It's about a product for testing resting metabolic rate or RMR. If you scroll down in the article you will see the results these people got. You will notice that the slimmest person in the group, Nicole, ended up with an RMR score of 2410 which is quite high! When you use an RMR calculator, her metabolic rate should only be 1755. She's burning a full 655 calories more at rest than she should be burning. Jeff who got a result of 2230 should be burning 1965 at rest, a discrepancy of 265 calories. Jaime got a result of 2190 but according to an RMR calculator should be burning 1845 calories for a discrepancy of 345 calories. Now, I find it strange that everyone is burning more than they should be burning and would be tempted to say that the machine wasn't calibrated correctly. But, even so, the person burning the most in relation to the average RMR score is, no surprise, the thin person who hasn't had a weight problem. These tests were performed using something called a MedGem. New Leaf is supposed to be a more accurate device and many people agree that the medgem overestimates a bit. So, I'm not recommending it, I just thought it was interesting that the thinnest person had the highest metabolic rate.
In other words, if all of these people used their fitbit numbers and their estimated calorie burns and logged perfectly, Nicole would be losing more weight simply because she burns a lot more than the average.
Best Answer
Fitbit Product Experts Alumni are retired members of the Fitbit Product Expert Program. Learn more
Guys, I'm at ~250 at the moment, doing a little over 11,000 average daily steps over the last 28-days and my calories burned are over 3000. So, all depends on the weight. 
@Ashym- a couple of thoughts with all the chatter on the thread. I'm kind of picking and choosing through the already good suggestions.
1. Increase your deficit to 1000 calories
2. Log everything (including your cheat days)
3. Try and time your cheat days with your higher calories burned days
4. Sign up for a free account on trendweight.
I started last year at 360 pounds, and that wasn't my highest. I only mention that as I've found the forums here to be very supportive. However, not giving details about age, current start weight and goals makes it harder for people to try and help. Using myself as an example my 'lot of weight' to lose is probably 200 pounds. Others post about their OMG 25 pounds to lose. Strategies can be quite different depending on where you are and where you need to go.
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