Looking for some guidance around weight loss - I’m currently 210lbs and looking to drop to 195lbs (as a starting point). I have been tracking my calories but just cannot seem to lose the weight.
Age: 30
Height: 6ft1
Weight: 210
According to NIDDK, to maintain my current weight I should be eating 3150 calories per day. I’m currently eating 1900 but just cannot seem to lose weight. Granted, there are days here and there that I have gone over that (sometimes by a lot - e.g. family BBQs, eating out occasionally etc.), but I’ve maintained the same weight for about 6 weeks now, and there’s no way I’m eating an average of 22050 calories per week, it should be way less than this.
By my calculations, even if I eat 1900 only 5 days per week and maintenance on the other two, this still works out as a total of 15,800 calories per week, which would be c.6000 calorie deficit.
What’s going on? Is my maintenance actually a lot lower than I thought? Or do you think I’m underestimating my calories on the days I go over?
Thanks for the post and I hope you’re having a good week.
I think it’s likely you’re underestimating your intake on days you track AND the days you don’t (maybe by a few 100kCal), ultimately leading to a maintenance level intake.
If you could come up with three strategies to try and make eating out, family events, etc. fit your current dietary goals, what would they be?
Thanks Jordan - I do use MyFitnessPal on a daily basis so didn’t think I could be underestimating by that much. I’d surely have to be underestimating by a pretty hefty amount to still be at maintenance?
Regarding the strategies I’d go for:
trying to scope out the menu before hand, or sticking to whole foods if not possible (e.g. meat and veg when eating out)
limiting alcohol intake
eating less earlier on in the day to take into account higher calories when eating out.
You reckon they seem sensible?
On a side note - I’ve always assumed there’s no such thing as a deficit that’s too large to inhibit weight loss, true?