rschafer1970's Journal, 17 Nov 21

I would start tracking calories for a couple weeks and see if that helps  

Yes … I may have to start again. I tracked calories for 6 years straight and I still went up, I was hoping to get away from the constant tracking. The end result that I have learned … is that even doing cardio and strength training daily, my body only seems to burn about 1000 to 1200 calories a day. Which means to put myself in a deficit I have to drop down to 800 calories a day. Which is not healthy or sustainable. I am trying to figure out a viable solution. It’s a work in progress.  

in my own case, the tracking was easy after I set up the meals. During the work week Mon - Fri for breakfast, lunch and afternoon snack, I pretty much eat the same things all the time. Variety only comes into play for dinner and weekends. 

Yo 

I was like you a couple of years ago. I lost 50 pounds by eating 1200 cal and doing a bodybuilding program... it was not enough and my metabolism adapted to low calories...so i didn't lose any more weight at that range...I was cold, hungry and feeling dizzy all the time! Then i learned about reverse dieting... i was able to slowly increase my calories every week (by +50 cal/day) i ended up losing weight eating 1800 calories and finally gain muscles. it's a slow process but it work and i can maintain around 2000/2200 cal a day now. Sadly i've try intuitive eating for a couple months and well i have to start again but i don't have to go as low this time to drop the weight. 

Building muscle could account for a lot of your gain! Possibly you can check inches missing not pounds when strength training. 

dont forget that muscle weighs more then fat so with strength training you could be just gaining muscle mass :) 

keep it up! I read that fat cells fill up with water as they diminish in the first few months of strength training... before they shrink... and, separately the muscle mass is building! The weight will start going down, your metabolism will go up as u build muscle which will burn extra calories even while u sleep. It definitely gets harder as we get older a bit too!! go go girl!! 

Thanks everyone for the support and encouragement. All suggestions and experiences are appreciated. It’s helpful for the learning and planning process.  

Take pictures and measurements. The scale is not the only tool to measure success. You can weight the exact same amount and be in excellent shape with more lean muscle mass and less body fat. If you are staying on track do not be disheartened. You don't want to weigh less and be less fit or have more body fat. How are the clothes fitting? How do you feel physically? Your metabolism will definitely ramp up. I would maybe suggest eating the same only recording what you eat to ensure you are not going overboard. You have been doing great work do not forget that.