The big oak (Quercus) needs to drop some dead limbs!

So my fitness pal app informed me that I had lost more than 10 pounds and wanted to recalculate my calories. I let it and it dropped 70 calories. Originally I had planned to keep 2,450 until I stopped losing a pound a week. Now one thing that I am ignoring with the app is the calories "earned" for exercise. So is it cutting my calories because it assumes I will eat the extra calories I earn through exercise?

I rode an hour on the bike with high resistance and it wasn't difficult. I went fast the whole time and I felt like I could have done more after. I will say that I had to force myself to go do it. I wasn't feeling it at all.

I ate lots of fruit and veggies today and I'm 470 calories below the new lower cals without taking into account the over 1,000 calories it said I burned riding the bike. That makes up for the overage on Saturday.

Now for a shower and some more "exercise". ;)
 
330.0 this morning. Up a pound from Saturday.

Not a problem as I did very well with exercise and calories yesterday. I made up for the calories over on Saturday. The scale is just lagging behind due in part from a digestive issue that I am still getting over. It's just normal fluctuation. What is odd is that all my weigh-ins of late have been even pounds. I pressed on the wall this morning to change the weight to make sure it would register a different decimal and it did.

Please see the previous post and offer feedback if you have any. Off to the field.
 
Quercus said:
Please see the previous post and offer feedback if you have any.
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Feedback? Okay you probably really needed that shower.

Seriously, the calorie thing is hard because our bodies are so complicated. I have not used my fitness pal so I don't know how they calculate things. Do they post their formulae online anywhere? As I always tell my main client, sometimes knowing why a model spits out a number is more important than the actual number.
 
A definite yes on that shower.

I doubt they show their work, but I'll look into it.

In a nutshell, does it seem reasonable to lower your calories after you lose 10 pounds. It was roughly .3% reduction in calories (-70 from 2,450). It doesn't seem unreasonable, but it also doesn't seem necessary. As for now, I'm giving it a try.
 
I haven't really done it that way. For the first two weeks I only exercised and didn't really diet at all. The next three I lowered it to 2500 calories, and then I lowered it to 2200 and left it there ever since. If it's 2000 some days and 2400 others I don't care.

I sort of wanted to get in the habit of eating roughly the same amount of food every day rather than continually lowering it by a little every so often. The resulting slow down it weight loss for me hasn't happened yet, primarily I think because as I lost the weight, I was able to exercise longer and more vigorously. I think it's coming very soon though.

But yeah, according to the BMR estimates times a multiplier, 70 cals fewer burned for those 10 pounds seems about right.
 
Thanks for your help. Since I log my calories on that app, I'm happy to follow its reductions so long as they don't hamper my progress.

I have certainly increased my exercise capacity since I started all of this. Cutting down and logging dead trees is very strenuous work. The first time I did this since my SW it was hell. I had to keep stopping and sitting down to catch my breath and I was worthless for the rest of the day. Now I can work all day without sitting and still do things that evening and wake up none the worse for wear.

The first 20 minutes on the stationary bike was hell. Now the biggest trouble with an hour straight is boredom. That's also with increased resistance and speed from that 1st 20 minutes. My breathing returns to normal right after I finish. I'll be very ready for that bike. I'm super happy the cardio has gone this well.
 
Quercus said:
I most often hunt deer, but there is a season that ended last month. I did not get a deer this year, although I tried quite a bit. There is a season for squirrel which is over as well. There is no season for rabbits and feral hogs.

My father and I have built a trap for feral hogs on his property as they are introduced pests. They are good to eat as long as they aren't too big. I was going to help my Father run the trap this weekend, but we didn't catch any. It's basically a small coral with a trap gate that holds hogs while still allowing more to get in.

I only shoot animals that I eat and I only shoot animals from sustainable populations. It's an ecologically sound source of meat and healthier than commercial meat.
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Hey thanks - it was interesting. I love deer meat actually! I dont remember the last time I had it - it must have been years and years!
Do you hunt squirrel for meat? I never had any!! I just got a gift make-up brush - made from squirrel fur - or that's what I was told anyway.

I totally agree with you on hunted mead being better than commercial! No doubt about it! :D
 
Another hour on the spin bike. Right on for calories and I had all my fruits and veggies for the day.
 
Well 330.0 again this morning. I was hopeful for a drop since I really pushed it on the bike last night. This seems to now officially be a recurring theme. I was stuck at the same weight most of last week. Hopefully I'll have the same dramatic drop before weigh in like last week too.

It could have something to do with the antibiotics messing with my digestion. I took the last one this morning, so maybe I'll see some changes soon. I'm on a corticosteroid now which might cause weight gain. It's nasal not systemic so the chances are lower. Hopefully it won't be a problem.
 
The "nothing, nothing, nothing" followed by "big drop" has become a sort of recurring pattern for me. I've tried not to worry too much about it during the "nothings", but that isn't always easy.

The kind of patience this sort of undertaking requires isn't necessarily my strong suit, but there wasn't really any other choice if I wanted to lose this.
 
I've made it a personal goal to stay positive during stalls and rebound. The lifestyle change has to include some mental adjustments too.

You eat and exercise like a man of normal weight, you stick with it day in and day out, and you are still overweight. It's frustrating and seeing the scale move in the right direction is one of the few quantitative measures you get, and as such it's quite important.

I try to think about how few days I've been living a healthy lifestyle compared to how many hedonistic days I've spent in my life.

I try to think of reaching my goal weight as an adjustment period. Even if it takes years it's still an adjustment period and after that adjustment period I'll be living the healthy lifestyle and have the health and body to match.

I'll keep a regular watch on my weight to keep it where I need to be, but there won't be anymore living like one person and being another. It's akin to multiple personalities. There is the slim guy that exists in the actions you take and then there is the fat guy who physically exists because of past abuses (self-inflicted). Weightloss is the therapy and the fat guy slowly disappears and the slim man that you are behaving like will gradually appear.

For me it's a bit scary because I've never been that guy in my life. But overcoming that fear is another mental adjustment I'm making.
 
Good approach, Quercus. When the losses slow, I try to remember that I didn't weigh-in everyday on the way UP, so for all I know there were periods of overeating that DIDN'T immediately result in a gain. Likewise, as my weight goes down, it won't always mirror my good eating & exercise habits.

I gained 2lbs on Super Bowl Sunday, and as of today, I'm STILL a pound over where I was on Sunday morning... grrr.

It'll come. Just stay true and be patient.
 
Quercus said:
I've made it a personal goal to stay positive during stalls and rebound. The lifestyle change has to include some mental adjustments too.

You eat and exercise like a man of normal weight, you stick with it day in and day out, and you are still overweight. It's frustrating and seeing the scale move in the right direction is one of the few quantitative measures you get, and as such it's quite important.

I try to think about how few days I've been living a healthy lifestyle compared to how many hedonistic days I've spent in my life.

I try to think of reaching my goal weight as an adjustment period. Even if it takes years it's still an adjustment period and after that adjustment period I'll be living the healthy lifestyle and have the health and body to match.

I'll keep a regular watch on my weight to keep it where I need to be, but there won't be anymore living like one person and being another. It's akin to multiple personalities. There is the slim guy that exists in the actions you take and then there is the fat guy who physically exists because of past abuses (self-inflicted). Weightloss is the therapy and the fat guy slowly disappears and the slim man that you are behaving like will gradually appear.

For me it's a bit scary because I've never been that guy in my life. But overcoming that fear is another mental adjustment I'm making.
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Deep stuff. Cool that you can actually talk about it - just that helps a lot I think.
I like how you called the weight loss an "adjustment period" - it makes it (sound) temporarily :)
 
Thanks Don and Justina! It feels good to share and it helps me to cement my thoughts and work through things.

I got my hour of exercise in and now for a snack as I am well below calories.
 
This morning is really testing my resolve to be positive. I weighed in at 331.4 this morning. That's +1.4 from last week. I've lowered my calories and I've done an hour of exercise every day since last week. I went over on Saturday, but I more than made up for the calories on Monday.

Possible culprits: I just finished my antibiotics and it has messed with my stomach. My stomach has felt bad for a few days and I've had some symptoms, but I don't want to get in a habit of taking medicine for digestive issues unless I'm sure I need them.

I've been trying to correct my digestive problems with my diet, but that isn't really working.

I've also started using a corticosteroid and that might cause weight gain. Hopefully that's not the case as i really need to get my sinus issues resolved and the steroid is for that.

Whatever the reason, it's temporary. I know I've done everything that I can and I will continue to do so. The scale will catch up, unless it's the steroids and then there isn't much I can do. I'll take some medicine this evening and hopefully that's all that is going on.
 
Stay positive. Remember, "they" say that the average person can swing 5+ pounds throughout the day. At your size (and I'm even bigger!) I think that's especially true. I weigh-in at the same time everyday. After I wake, after I use the bathroom, before I shower or eat/drink anything. If I vary ANYTHING (have a big glass of water, shower, etc) it changes my weight.

MrVee said above that his modus operandi is to do nothing, do nothing, do nothing, then Big Drop. I see the same thing. I think your body is simply compensating for your changed diet/exercise levels and making adjustments. In time, the losses will resume.
 
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