What am I doing wrong?

[Shendo1988]

I lost 30 pounds a few years ago and then last year gained it all back when I got lazy in a new relationship. I am trying to do what I did last time, but it's not going as well. I started in January at 160 lbs. I'm trying to be 135lbs in September when I'm in my best friends wedding. I'm at 156 lbs right now about 7 weeks in and have kind of been stuck here for a few weeks now. 

• For breakfast I have 12oz of Coffee with 1 scoop of Lite Protein Powder (60 calories) and 1 TBS of almond milk coffee creamer (30 calories) for a weird little protein shake..... 90 Calorie Breakfast

• For Lunch I've been having like 3 cups of salad (those dole chopped salad kits~ 120-300 calories depending on which one) with a Go Go Squeeze apple sauce and a Probiotic Yogurt (about 70 Calories)..... 300-400 Calorie Lunch

• Then for Dinner we do Dinnerly Meal Kits, so they are different, but I try to choose a healthyish one but they are like 700-1,000 Calories. I try to ditch the bun for the burger or make them healthier if possible. 
• Calories for the day is about 1,500. I've been aiming for a -500 calorie deficit a day and usually get there with even more. Trying to lose 1 lb a week. 

• Then on my lunch break at work I go to the gym and do the eliptical for 30-45 minutes depending on how much time I have between meetings and things like that. I do like a 10 minute mile and burn about 90-100 calories per 10 minutes. So usually burn about 400 calories. 

• I drink a 50oz water bottle at my desk throughout the day. I try not to snack at home. If I do it's some Pirate's Booty or Pop Corn. Maybe a diet Dr. Pepper. 

I've been really good about counting my calories and If I'm unsure about something I round up. Am I just being impatient or am I doing something thats hindering my weight loss?

[Dominique]

How tall are you? Your profile shows an average step count of about 8k (step count is usually a good proxy for gauging overall activity). Even though you’re young (27), it’s unlikely your total energy expenditure is much above 2000 calories, no matter what Fitbit says it is (it tends to overestimate for most people). You’re probably eating too much given your current activity level (in order to have an actual deficit of 500), so you could either eat a bit less, or move a little bit more (I would personally focus on increasing informal activity across the entire day, as opposed to formal workouts at the gym), or a combination of both.

[Shendo1988]

I’m 5 foot even. Ya I sit at a desk the first half of my day and then last 3 hours I’m walking almost constantly working at our after-school program. The step count doesn’t include my elliptical time idk if that matters. I could def try to get to 10,000 steps though. Cutting my food would be hard I like barely eat except for dinner and I’m eating what I did when I lost all the weight before

[Dominique]

"barely eat" is a relative notion. @BecomingMyself recently reported she eats 850-950 calories per day, and she’s a lot taller (5’8) than you, that’s what I would call "barely eating" (I honestly don’t know how she does it).

I entered your numbers in this online calculator. I used the "light" activity level. Yes, I understand exercising on the elliptical doesn’t give you a lot of credit in terms of steps, but as I said, daily step count is a pretty good proxy for overall activity in my experience. With your numbers and this assumption, TDEE (calories burned) would be 1876. If your calories in were 1500, you would still have a deficit (though one smaller than expected). However, just like with calories out, there’s also a margin of error with calories in. More often than not, calories in are under-estimated.

Bottom line: I think you’re doing nothing wrong. The scale has been moving in the desired direction, you just need to adjust your eating and your activity so that the magnitude of the change is what you want. Your goal (156 to 135 in 7 months, i.e. less than a pound per week in average) is a realistic one IMO.

[Glenda]

@Shendo1988   Shendo,  I'm curious, when you lost weight before did you have a fitbit and did you think then that you could eat more calories if you were more active and "burned" some calories?  I'll bet not.   I think that is probably what is happening now.  I think you are definitely eating too many calories.   Bringham Young U. just did a 3 month study of college students and found that increased activity didn't help at all in maintaining weight or preventing weight gain.  The students averaged 14,500 steps a day.   Concentrate on what you eat.  Exercise is for better health, not for losing weight.   

[Shendo1988]

I did have a fit bit last time and logged all my food and activities the same. But I am going to focus on just moving more and aim for 1,400 calories a day and trying to exercise 30 minutes a Day with 10,000 steps that what I did before. I think the fit bit is saying I can eat more depending on my activity and that’s not helping 

[Shendo1988]

The k you I agree

[shabbadeem]

Was seeing how many Fit Bit users eat organic traditional cultured foods?


I make and consume about every type of cultured & fermented food there is worldwide. 
I eat fresh yogurts, milk kefir, water kefir, and make kombucha tea.  I use rice koji to make breakfast Amasake and Japanese misos soups and dashi broth.

Was wondering how many use or make living food full of living yeast and probiotics?

I can assist others in starting or adding more living raw foods into the healthy diet.

[mattbel66]

Anyway you're doing great