Newbie with an annoying newbie post :-)

[amylynn]

Ok, I've read other people's posts on how to figure out the calorie in/out info.

And Yet, I still can't figure it out for myself, LOL.   Can you tell me by my most recent weekly update if I should have lost?

Calories Burned 19,114

Calories Eaten 8,687

Deficit    5250

Calories in vs. out  -5177

I just started with FitBit and MFP on Jan 6th.

My 2 previous updates said Calories in vs out   -3170 and -3240

Should I have lost??   I've lost 1 pound since I started and 7.5"

I was hoping in a month I would have lost more than that. But maybe I'm still eating too many calories?

[SteveH]

ok, looking at your weekly update stats:

Your total calories burned is pretty straightforward. This is what you achieved through exercise and the calories you burned through just living.

You have a plan deficit of 5250 which you take away from your burned total (19114 - 5250) = 13864

You actual ate 8687. You could have eaten 13864 and still met your plan but you ate 5177 less than that (13864 - 8687 = 5177)

So you aimed to eat 5250 less than you burned, you actually ate 5250 + 5177 = 10427

As a rough guide for every 3500 calories you "undereat" you should lose around a pound. So I would have expected you to have lost 10427 / 3500 = 3 (roughly) pounds over that time period.

Of course, numbers vary from day to day so don't get too hung up over minor changes and look to the medium term to make sense of the numbers.

Hope this helps.

[SteveH]

PS no such thing as an annoying newbie post. If you need help: Ask!

[amylynn]

Thank you!!! That makes sense!!  I'm going to print your response out because I'm sure by next Monday when I get another update, I'll forget, LOL. 🙂

Bummed I didn't lose the 3 pounds, but happy I at least lost 1, and that I'm losing inches. It's more results than I've seen for over a year!

And that was with a lapband in place....I just had it removed in December, so trying to do this "on my own",  the way I know should work! 😉  Eat less, move more. 

Thanks so much for your response!

[gerrymcd]

Yup, I'll second the expected 'fat' loss is 3lbs, or thereabouts.     The reading on the scale doesn't have to match this..... it can be higher or lower and not be significant (most people's weight tends to vary by a lb or two due to water content).  What is significant is your 7.5'' measurement!   By the sound of it your diet is well matched to your calorie burn rate, and leaving you with an average of 1lb weight loss a week.... so I don't think a change in diet is required.

[amylynn]

Thanks gerrymcd!

I only lost 1 actual (scale) pound during that almost 4 week period....but maybe I needed to lose some inches before the scale responds? LOL..grasping there for an explanation.  I could see if I were at a low weight, but I'm over 200 and have more than 50 to lose.

I guess if I keep losing inches I'll be happy--I'm sure the scale number will go down at some point. 🙂

I am definitely eating "clean." Lots of fruits, veggies, protein--trying to do lower carb, lower sugar. (slowly easing into that though.) But carbs/sugar are definitely a trigger for cravings for me, so I try and limit those when I can.

I do feel ALOT better  physically, more energy, not so achey and bloated Yay!!

[gerrymcd]

Changing diet or starting exercising causes the body to think 'what the.....'.  It will settle down.  In my case it took a couple of months before a change in diet and increased activity became 'normal'. 

[WaltTN]

Remember too that if you are doing strength training, muscle increases may also occur "erasing" the pure weight numbers... don't worry...  it's normal to not see what you expect to... you're losing inches -- it's working 😉

[amylynn]

Thanks so much everyone for your input. It really helps!!

For workouts all I've done is yoga, elliptical and the treamill (walking)  I've been working out 4-5 times a week.