There is something wrong with me

I'm 5'8" and currently 242 lbs.

I've lost a lot of weight over the past few years: over 100 lbs.; still, I have a lot to go. I work out six days a week, but can't loose any more weight, evidently.

To break the plateau, for the past six weeks I've been bicycling to work: that's 18 miles each way, which takes about 90 minutes each way.

After I get home I lift weights for about 45 minutes. I'm eating at 2300 calories a day: 21% carb, 49% protein, 40% fat.

I just weighed myself (I only do that once a month). After all that, I lost 3 pounds last month.

3 pounds. That just doesn't seem possible. Look at the freaking caloric deficits I'm running! What coud I be doing wrong?

The 'freaking calorie deficits' could easily be your problem....  If they're routinely higher than 1000 then your body will adapt to burn energy a lot more slowly.  Ideally, your calorie deficit should be around 700-800.... that's the range that seems to provide safe, steady weight-loss.

If you need 3600-4200 cals to maintain your weight and sustain your exercise schedule 2300 is far too low.  So treat yourself to a few days where you get your full energy and nutritional needs.  This kind of 'resets the bar'.... and gives your body the confidence that the dreadful famine it's been through is finally over.  Then resume weight-loss with a higher calorie intake...... 3000 or so.  I think you'll be a lot more successful.  And, even if you don't lose another ounce, at least you won't be struggling with malnutrition.

I've been trying to nail down how may calories I should be eating, using online calculators, but I get wildly varying answers.

I got my RMR medically tested, and it came out to 2376.

I use a heart rate monitor during my workout; my bike commute costs an average of 2.200 calories per day, and weights about 600.

If I understand, RMR is the amount your body burns when you are RESTING (ie - Resting Metabolic Rate).  Just being awake and thinking adds to that, and if you actually get up or move, even more.

Give gi-jane's advice a try - she's usually spot on.

And 3 pounds a month really isn't bad - the recommended rate is .5 to 2 pounds a week, so you are losing faster than the .5 pound rate.

Do you think a 3,200 calorie intake would be too much?

I really don't think so - you men are so lucky .  I would say you are moderately active, at least.  Assuming you are 30, CC says your maintenance is 3150 calories at moderately active.  You may, however, be considered very active, in which case you would maintain at 3510 calories.

Try the 3200-3500 for a few days, then back down to about 300-500 calories less than that for a while and see how that works for you.  One thing lots of people have had success with is eating for the weight and activity level you WANT to be, especially if you have less than 50 pounds to lose.  That way you don't feel restricted, your body doesn't feel like it needs to "hold on" to the fat in case of famine, and you get accustomed to the amount you need to eat to be that weight for the rest of your life.

Also, I think your fat proportion is a bit high.  Here is an Ask Mary article that tells you the recommended proportions:  http://caloriecount.about.com/percent-calorie s-fat-protein-carbs-q184

Weight lifting might require a bit more protein than these numbers, but you get the idea.

The calculator I use estimates that a very active 242lb 5'8" adult male (thirty-something?) needs 4200 cals a day to maintain his weight.  And a moderately active man the same size needs 3750...   If you're cycling the thick end of 40 miles a day plus other exercise you're certainly 'very active'.

So 3200 is technically the bare minimum weight-loss intake for you.  NB... if you've been undereating for a long time you may see a temporary weight-gain when you make the initial increase to 4000.  But try not to let that throw you.

I am 44 years old.

Correction: my current macros are: 18% carb, 49% protein, 33% fat

I'm going to go with more carbs, but I did low fat (<10%) for a long time and was miserable, with no results. I keep the protein up because I lift six times a week, and am trying to keep it at 1 gram per pound of bodyweight.

3200-4000 calories...I don't think I can eat that much!

I'm currently eating six small meals a day, average 450 calories each. I don't know how I'd cram the extra calories in.

If you're 44 you're using 4050 rather than 4200... (but aren't you pleased I thought you looked thirty-something?)  So your intake should be 3100 - 3300

Add more fats to your diet in order to bump up the calories and switch to three main meals of 600-700 and three snacks of 400.  Fats are important because they add energy without adding bulk... ideal foods are nuts, seeds, oily fish, avocados, oils generally, red meats, whole eggs.  And increase your portion-sizes of complex carbohydrates... pasta, rice, bread... just an extra ounce of dry pasta is a useful 100 cals.

You can do it.  What you have to remember is that as you lose weight your energy needs will gradually reduce.  If you start too low you've nowhere to go.  Well done on your progress so far and I hope this helps.

Try giving yourself a break as well. Refeeds will help reset hormones so I would also suggest you eat 20% over maintenance once a week.

Original Post by gi-jane:

aren't you pleased I thought you looked thirty-something?

 So your intake should be 3100 - 3300

 

Is the 3100 - 3300 what I need to eat to maintain? Do I need to subtract from that to lose? 

4050 to maintain.... 3100-3300 to lose. 

neanderthin, I'm not sure what a "Refeed" is, but I work out for 8 weeks (six days a week), then take 1 week off from all excersize.

Thanks for all the help, everybody! I will up my calories this month and see what happens.

How can you eat like... 3,000 calories! Thast crazy! For the last 6 days I have been eating 1,400.

I am 5'8" and 228 pounds and 14 years old. I already lost 1 pound.

I think your issue is your 3,000 calories! My god that's a lot.

Original Post by annastasia47:

How can you eat like... 3,000 calories! Thast crazy! For the last 6 days I have been eating 1,400.

 

I am 5'8" and 228 pounds and 14 years old. I already lost 1 pound.

 

I think your issue is your 3,000 calories! My god that's a lot.

 

 

 At 14 years old you should be eating more than 1400 calories especially because you are 5'8.  The OP's issue is definitely not the 3000 calories, its because he was eating under that and burning close to 4200. 

Based on your post it is obvious you do not fully understand caloric amounts and what is needed to achieve a healthy body weight.  Please talk to a nutritionist or a doctor before you continue on your current diet.  You could be really hurting yourself.

A teenage girl needs at the very least 1500 calories per day just to sustain her during normal growth. Based on your height and weight your BMR is approximately 1900 (http://www.toneteen.com/tools/metabolism.htm), meaning that is what you would burn if you laid in bed all day long. 

Also please look at this website it contains a table that shows what you would actually burn based on your activity. (remember these numbers do not account for height and weight, you probably burn a little more than these averages as you have an above average height) http://www.exercise4weightloss.com/teen-calor ie-intake.html

Original Post by lizshuler:

Original Post by annastasia47:

How can you eat like... 3,000 calories! Thast crazy! For the last 6 days I have been eating 1,400.

 

I am 5'8" and 228 pounds and 14 years old. I already lost 1 pound.

 

I think your issue is your 3,000 calories! My god that's a lot.

 

 

 At 14 years old you should be eating more than 1400 calories especially because you are 5'8.  The OP's issue is definitely not the 3000 calories, its because he was eating under that and burning close to 4200. 

Based on your post it is obvious you do not fully understand caloric amounts and what is needed to achieve a healthy body weight.  Please talk to a nutritionist or a doctor before you continue on your current diet.  You could be really hurting yourself.

A teenage girl needs at the very least 1500 calories per day just to sustain her during normal growth. Based on your height and weight your BMR is approximately 1900 (http://www.toneteen.com/tools/metabolism.htm), meaning that is what you would burn if you laid in bed all day long. 

Also please look at this website it contains a table that shows what you would actually burn based on your activity. (remember these numbers do not account for height and weight, you probably burn a little more than these averages as you have an above average height) http://www.exercise4weightloss.com/teen-calor ie-intake.html

Well. I eat a lot. Its just. I do not eat lots os suger. I do not eat beef or pork either.

So my intake of calories is much lower than it should be. I eat lots of beans to take place of the beef and such.

My docter told me I must eat around 1,500 give or take 200 calories.

The reason this is low is becuase of my bladder condition.

I cant have citrus or carbonation. I refuse to eat beef and pork and also fish.

My socter says anywhere from 1,300 to 1,700 is alrightas long as I have a well balenced meal daily.

Such as fruits (none citrus), vegs, beans (or similar foods), bread or wheat, milk, water, and some form of juice and also throw in some eggs.

I eat at least 5 of these groups daily.

I eat healthy. I eat a lot of things that are great for my diet.

Its just my diet is very complex and I sometimes forget that low calories are bad.

I only burn about 2,500 or so a day. Thats only int he summer.

During school, its in the high 1,000's.

I may be 5'8" and 14 but I am educated in my health.

I see my doctor every 25 days to check on my diet.

For any more questiosn on my diet or to reply, please message me. I do not see this post everyday.

But thanks for the concern all the same.

I  can't wait till my knee and hip are better so that I can up my intake. I've cut back by about 200 cals, since I am less active and it isn't as fun. I was losing weight preety decently and eating a nice amount. That's why I love exercise 

annastasia, Why so defesive, the lady above you is correct...

Krikey.

I upped my calories this week to 3,100 per day (formerly it was 2,300).

But I just ran my expenditure numbers again, and it comes out to 5,600 per day:

RMR: 2400

Bike to work: 1,100

Bike home: 1,100

Weights: 500

Other (Life): 500

Which at an intake of 3,100 gives me a daily deficit of 2,500. Krikey. The big deficit is because I'm riding my bike to work (3 hours/day). I've been riding to work for six weeks now, and I plan to do it for six more weeks.

So if I were to add more calories to my diet....should I do so all at once, or in intervals, something like +200 per week?

Are you sure you are tracking calories of EVERYTHING? It seems like you should be losing with what you were running before.... depends how hard the biking is though (is it a really good cardio workout? or is it just a nice relaxing ride?...BIG difference in what your buring between them)

If they aren't real cardio, I would ignore them in my calculations for the day (or at least reduce how much you are figuring a lot)...and then add in some cardio at home or the gym.

Also how hard is your weight lifting you do?

If I were you, I would keep up the working out and take calories to about 2,000 (with more of it being protein and carbs, less fat). I would skip the biking and just drive to work, and then add in an hour of really good cardio a day (heart pounding, sweat dripping, "my legs feel like they are going to fall off!" cardio). This would get rid of fat...probably not the best plan for muscle growth (though, you will still get a lot better definition and muscles from it...its just not a main focus or bulking type diet, its closer to a fat cutting one).

That should give nice results. If you feel weak from that, up the calories a little to find a good balance ((Im not quite sure what would be a good caloric number to hit for you... when i was 240's I think I was down to 2k calories, but its been a while))

Original Post by wildwildwes:

I've been trying to nail down how may calories I should be eating, using online calculators, but I get wildly varying answers.

I got my RMR medically tested, and it came out to 2376.

I use a heart rate monitor during my workout; my bike commute costs an average of 2.200 calories per day, and weights about 600.

 

your rmr is only 2376, at 242 lbs? damn that is low man, what have u done to ur metabolism. im at 188lbs and my rmr is  around 3000. maybe u need to eat at maintainence for a few weeks, just to get ur metabolism back, try changing ur routine also, try some HIIT, and lift more weights. eating low calories is not the answer to weight loss.

Original Post by annastasia47:

How can you eat like... 3,000 calories! Thast crazy! For the last 6 days I have been eating 1,400.

 

I am 5'8" and 228 pounds and 14 years old. I already lost 1 pound.

 

I think your issue is your 3,000 calories! My god that's a lot.

 lol 3000 calories is not alot. youve been eating 1400, what a FAIL. learn to eat like a human being, and more importantly learn to eat like a teenager. i lose weight on 3000 calories, whats your excuse. 1400 for 14 years old is a joke. when i was 14 i didnt need to lose weight, i was eating over 4000 calories for maintainence. at 228lb i doubt ur eating 1400 cals, ur maintainence is 3000, u best eat that , otherwise weight loss is gonna be very hard for u.