Tracking calories but scale won’t budge

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am a 50 year old woman who is 5’2” tall and 112 pounds. I take brisk walks with a weighted vest 3 times a week and lift weights (alternating lower and upper) 4 times a week. I track my calories carefully and get 800-1,000 per day. My Oura ring claims I burn around 1,500 calories per day and yet the scale is not moving. My goal is 97 pounds. Any advice?

Calories are less important than your macros.

Try around 65% of calories from fats (all kinds)
and around 30% from protein and 5% from carbs at most.

That will melt the fat off you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here. I don’t have an eating disorder. I do have a small appetite. My doctor said that to be as healthy as possible, it is ideal to have very low body fat. She has no issue with my goal as long as I am getting a healthy nutritional balance of foods. I have a rare disease that requires I intake minimal protein. I have my labs done every couple of months and they all look good.

What is it? That will make your goals hard if you want to stay healthy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. I don’t have an eating disorder. I do have a small appetite. My doctor said that to be as healthy as possible, it is ideal to have very low body fat. She has no issue with my goal as long as I am getting a healthy nutritional balance of foods. I have a rare disease that requires I intake minimal protein. I have my labs done every couple of months and they all look good.

What is it? That will make your goals hard if you want to stay healthy.

Anorexia

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You are not eating enough.

People in this forum live to hate on this concept, but if your body is not getting active calorie input, it cannot handle cortisol and thus will hold on to fat.

Try eating more - good, Whole Foods, nutritionally dense foods - but a lot more of them. Make sure you are hitting your macros correctly. And then see what’s what.

I struggled to lose weight for years - but as soon as I started eating breakfast and eating more, the weight fell off.

Same. I used to do this same restrictive eating crap like OP. And could not lose weight. It’s only when I sustained a stress fracture and thus decided it was time to start eating MUCH more and eating normal meals (incl breakfast) that the weight fell off (not a small amount - 25 - 30 lbs over time). I did choose foods that were as nutritionally dense as possible, and have always been highly active.

[Anonymous]

OP here. I have IGA Nephropathy. I can have 40 g of protein a day. Ideally plant based or fish but not red meat. I am not a fish fan so I do chicken breast. I also watch my sodium intake. My nephrologist says that having very low body fat reduces inflammation and helps the kidneys. She supports the weight loss as long as my bloodwork remains good. If I eat more calories than 1,000, I definitely gain. There is no cure for the disease so I am doing what I can to slow progression.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here. I have IGA Nephropathy. I can have 40 g of protein a day. Ideally plant based or fish but not red meat. I am not a fish fan so I do chicken breast. I also watch my sodium intake. My nephrologist says that having very low body fat reduces inflammation and helps the kidneys. She supports the weight loss as long as my bloodwork remains good. If I eat more calories than 1,000, I definitely gain. There is no cure for the disease so I am doing what I can to slow progression.

That's tough.

I'd suggest changing your protein sources. Chicken is the lowest quality meat you can eat besides shellfish. If you MUST INSIST on chicken, eat thighs over breasts.

Red meat is definitely what you should eat though, beef/steak. Since you cannot eat much, buy quality steaks and have a small piece each day.

Other than that, eggs and milk for protein.

Try 80% fats, 15% protein, 5% carbs for fat loss while trying to maintain muscle.

Cut out cardio completely, and just lift weights. You can make weight training into cardio by reducing rest between sets.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here. I have IGA Nephropathy. I can have 40 g of protein a day. Ideally plant based or fish but not red meat. I am not a fish fan so I do chicken breast. I also watch my sodium intake. My nephrologist says that having very low body fat reduces inflammation and helps the kidneys. She supports the weight loss as long as my bloodwork remains good. If I eat more calories than 1,000, I definitely gain. There is no cure for the disease so I am doing what I can to slow progression.

Hate to be obvious, but fluid retention from kidney failure isn't something you can solve by losing more fat or muscle.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. I have IGA Nephropathy. I can have 40 g of protein a day. Ideally plant based or fish but not red meat. I am not a fish fan so I do chicken breast. I also watch my sodium intake. My nephrologist says that having very low body fat reduces inflammation and helps the kidneys. She supports the weight loss as long as my bloodwork remains good. If I eat more calories than 1,000, I definitely gain. There is no cure for the disease so I am doing what I can to slow progression.

That's tough.

I'd suggest changing your protein sources. Chicken is the lowest quality meat you can eat besides shellfish. If you MUST INSIST on chicken, eat thighs over breasts.

Red meat is definitely what you should eat though, beef/steak. Since you cannot eat much, buy quality steaks and have a small piece each day.

Other than that, eggs and milk for protein.

Try 80% fats, 15% protein, 5% carbs for fat loss while trying to maintain muscle.

Cut out cardio completely, and just lift weights. You can make weight training into cardio by reducing rest between sets.

Thanks. Red meat is harder on the kidneys so I have to avoid it. I do eat eggs and yogurt. I do the brisk walking for heart health but I mostly stick to weights.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. I have IGA Nephropathy. I can have 40 g of protein a day. Ideally plant based or fish but not red meat. I am not a fish fan so I do chicken breast. I also watch my sodium intake. My nephrologist says that having very low body fat reduces inflammation and helps the kidneys. She supports the weight loss as long as my bloodwork remains good. If I eat more calories than 1,000, I definitely gain. There is no cure for the disease so I am doing what I can to slow progression.

Hate to be obvious, but fluid retention from kidney failure isn't something you can solve by losing more fat or muscle.

I am not in kidney failure. Not even close though it could progress to that in time.

[Anonymous]

I don't see why you need to lose any weight. "My doctor is ok with it" is not a justification. Just find a good routine to maintain.

[Anonymous]

I'm 5'2 and I got down to 108 by eating one meal a day. It's hard but I just drink a ton of water. I only do this in the spring and summer. I'm 56 and I do not have an eating disorder.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You are not eating enough.

People in this forum live to hate on this concept, but if your body is not getting active calorie input, it cannot handle cortisol and thus will hold on to fat.

Try eating more - good, Whole Foods, nutritionally dense foods - but a lot more of them. Make sure you are hitting your macros correctly. And then see what’s what.

I struggled to lose weight for years - but as soon as I started eating breakfast and eating more, the weight fell off.

Same. I used to do this same restrictive eating crap like OP. And could not lose weight. It’s only when I sustained a stress fracture and thus decided it was time to start eating MUCH more and eating normal meals (incl breakfast) that the weight fell off (not a small amount - 25 - 30 lbs over time). I did choose foods that were as nutritionally dense as possible, and have always been highly active.

This is what my dietician told me, by following this advice I gained 20lbs and now have high LDL. Joy, now restricting again and on medication.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm 5'2 and I got down to 108 by eating one meal a day. It's hard but I just drink a ton of water. I only do this in the spring and summer. I'm 56 and I do not have an eating disorder.

Do you understand that OP wants to weigh 11 pounds less than you who eats one meal per day?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm 5'2 and I got down to 108 by eating one meal a day. It's hard but I just drink a ton of water. I only do this in the spring and summer. I'm 56 and I do not have an eating disorder.

Do you understand that OP wants to weigh 11 pounds less than you who eats one meal per day?

Do you understand that Americans way over eat and many other cultures people eat much less and fewer “meals”?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm 5'2 and I got down to 108 by eating one meal a day. It's hard but I just drink a ton of water. I only do this in the spring and summer. I'm 56 and I do not have an eating disorder.

Do you understand that OP wants to weigh 11 pounds less than you who eats one meal per day?

Do you understand that Americans way over eat and many other cultures people eat much less and fewer “meals”?

Sometimes I have a difficult time believing people are really this stupid. It does not matter that some Americans eat too much. OP eats between 800-1000 calories and wants to be 97 pounds. She wants to weigh less than the woman who says she eats one meal a day and it is hard and she can only do it for the half the year. That other Americans may overeat or that non-Americans eat less than Americans doesn’t mean OP’s thinking is healthy.