been doing a PSMF for quite a while now, due to my massive overweight
the weight just comes down soooo slow
I mutiple times tough that my calorie counting is wrong but I tracked everything and made adjustments on calories as well as tracking accurately again and again
I just dont get the incredible slow progress, if it can be called progress at all…
I also attached bloodwork, pls note though, that i was quite long fasted before blood was drawn and had a huge DOMS / soreness due to training, therefore the creatine and homa indexes differentiate
what should I do?
where is the catch/problem?
should CICO work everytime?
I cant miscalculate that much can I?
Is there something else I am not seeing?
It looks like your weight has decreased linearly and your calories have remained static. That seems like a pretty positive situation. What am I missing?
Is weight in lbs or kg?
I didn’t read your bloodwork yet. I’d imagine we’ll find some answers upstream of that and it’s well outside our purview.
I do hear you, that’s frustrating. Let’s take a win, though: your weight is moving steadily downward! We might want to speed it up, but you’re already headed down the right path.
What are the large swings in your caloric intake about?
What is your normal activity?
By “upstream” I just mean that your bloodwork is more likely an effect than a cause. In any case, most us aren’t doctors (although we do have a handful, which is incredible); I figure let’s start with the things we’re more able to address.
I’ll go ahead and tag @QuadQueen, a registered dietician, as well.
normal activity is waling to work 2-3x a week and weight training 2-3x a week
had just a cold last 2 weeks and around 1 month ago the same
caloric swings cant be avoided completely I guess
depends on hunger/satiety, food choices (aiming for 200protein and sometimes the sources are fattier than other days and such), also mood, social stuff, so depends
also didnt track 1 1/2 week because of vacation but also moved much around and stayed at the same weight so nothing give or taken I guess
where exactly?
the excel isnt showing the diagram correctly therefore I reposted it as jpg in the thread if you are reffering to the orange line in the google doc excel
maybe if you download it the diagram will show correct
works on my pc but not on the online google doc version
else there is no constant 1000calorie deficit I know of
been working a sedentary job
So the week of May 24, for instance, I see your calories as around 3500. The next week is looks like they’re ~2000. Am I misreading that?
You mention you’re on a PSMF. What does an actual day look like (be specific and complete) and how consistent are you with those days?
For potential peace of mind, your bloodwork is pretty much what I’d expect (I am a layperson). It does look like maybe you had a cold or something when those labs were drawn?
i think the diagram is misleading because it also shows the weight there
i had one day with 3500kcal on 27.05., else it was more like 1500-1900
better use the excel
i reupload another version
wasnt sick at the lab but was 4 weeks ago and last week for about 1 week sick sadly
the creatine is just elevated due to DOMS/soreness of muscle on the labwork
else should be accurate.
psmf yes
aiming for 200 protein, fat and carbs the rest. calories about 1700-1900 if possible
consistent yes, restartet again and again
to specifically lower the overall calories because nothing else seems plausible for me but it is just no use
been loosing weight far too slow I think
I think the first place we need to focus on is, as @TrainForPain mentioned, those caloric swings. Yes, some variation in caloric intake is okay, but you really don’t seem to have much consistency there at all. My suggestion would be to find your caloric target either what you already know it is/should be or using a TDEE calculator. Once you have that target, stay within 100-200 calories of it for AT LEAST two weeks. Regular 500-1000 kcal fluctuations aren’t helping you.
Also this:
The short answer is yes. How sure are you on your numbers and logging?
Can you give us a 3-5 day diet recall? Include all portion sizes, cooking methods, ingredients used to cook (oils, dressings, etc), all beverages - basically EVERYTHING that goes into your mouth.For two weeks measure it all, weigh it all. I don’t usually advocate for that kind of obsession, but when we’re looking for holes - that’s the best approach.
CICO should work every time unless your metabolism and/or hormones are completely jacked. If you’re willing to go hard on this for a couple weeks we might be able to either get things moving or figure out what needs to be adjusted to get things moving again.
I’ll just point out this typically wouldn’t be seen as a PSMF - you’re getting more than half your calories from non-protein sources. This actually looks like it’s closer to a balanced diet to me, which is not a bad thing at all.
Anyway, you’re in good hands with @QuadQueen so I’ll probably mostly follow along from here. I’m much more useful at training and workout nutrition recommendations and witty comments.
Good luck! You’ve got big goals and we’re in your corner!
Please chime in if I miss something - a lot of times my brain works faster than my fingers and I don’t get it all down. Also, witty comments are never not appreciated.
I think we’ve got some simple opportunities to get your calories more consistent and you feeling better daily without pulling out any real tricks at this point.
Completely agree with this. Focus your calories on LEAN meats and plenty of non-starchy veggies (not potatoes/french fries). sprinkle in moderate-small amounts of healthy fats (avocado, responsible servings of nuts/nut butters), keep any/all carbs around your workouts and stick to vegetable based choices and/or whole grains - again, in responsible portions.
Drop the fried foods, Clif and all energy bars, processed meats, refined grains, desserts, fat-rich meats and calorie/fat/sugar heavy condiments (mayo, ketchup, dressings, etc.).
Keep it SUPER simple and plain for 2 weeks - measure/weigh and record EVERYTHING. Report back with your food log and your results. even better, start your log on here and we can look at it and give you feedback as you go. There’s a lot of room for improvement here and if you’re serious about it - you’ll get results.
