According to calculators of basal metabolic rate, I should need between 1800-2000 calories per day to maintain. I am eating about 700. This does not include any exercise in the calculation.

So I figure it this way: To maintain my stall I should be eating about about 13,000 calories per week. I am eating about 5600 per week. To lose one pound you need a calorie deficit of 3500 calories, and I have a calorie deficit of twice that, which means I should be losing about two lbs/week. I am not losing. However, doing the math was a bit helpful because it tells me this should change eventually, and even more so since I am burning extra calories with cardio.

One thing I have learned on this adventure is calculating ones caloric intake and out take means very little. I use the numbers only as a way to gage intake. My weight comes off in steps, but I average it by the week or month. In other words, I will drop 3 to 5 lbs over night then stall as my body catches up then I take another drop. I wish it were as easy as addition and subtraction.

Basal metabolic rates calculated using programs and averages of big populations are pretty meaningless when it comes to individuals. Also, that 3500 caloric deficit = 1 pound of weight loss? It turns out there is very little scientific evidence to back it up, especially as it applies to actual people in the real world:

http://www.zoeharcombe.com/2014/06/the-calorie-theory-prove-it-or-lose-it/

That said, I certainly agree that caloric deficits don't act in your body like a mathemtical equation -- if you under eat by 1700 calories you will not automatically drop a half pound the next day. I definitely find that I can predict a general range of weight loss on a weekly basis, depending on how I am eating (exercise seems to have virtually no effect) but daily weight fluctuations have no relationship to how I ate the day or even the 2-3 days before I step on the scale.

Edited August 28, 201412 yr by Bufflehead

http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/ART03504/You-Are-Not-a-Water-Heater.html

You have to keep in mind, your weight fluctuates naturally. If you're drinking 64 oz of Water a day, that's 4 pounds of water you're drinking. You do lose most of that daily, but your body can retain some as well. If you eat four small 4 oz meals a day, that's a pound of food in your body. It's not fat though. The scale just can't tell the difference. So, don't get discouraged if it doesn't reflect a loss when you know that it should. The number might not be different, but your body can still be changing. Exercising and adding muscle can make a slight difference too. One pound of muscle takes up much less space than one pound of fat does. That's why a lot of people suggest taking body measurements as well.

To try and figure this out will absolutely drive one crazy. I know because I've been trying to figure this whole thing out since I hit goal about 4 months ago. I'm consistantly losing about 1lbs a week, with increasing my calories to 1200 per day. I went and saw my surgeon last week and told him I didn't want to continue losing so he brought out this cool machine that subtracted the weight of your clothes, factured your age and helight and then you step on the built-in scale. It said for me to maintain the weight I'm at right now my basal caloric intake needs to be 1338. So I'm going with this for the next 6 weeks to see what happens.

It's all just about finding that balance, everyone is different and there are so many factors involved it's definitely a trial and error period but we'll get there. Just keep swimming, just keep swimming:-)

Edited August 28, 201412 yr by enjoythetime

When I see posts like yours, my fallback is always this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PBJziqgrQgk

The whole point of my post was to say I am relaxed and not worrying about losing!

Up your calories for a few days and you should break your stall.

The whole point of my post was to say I am relaxed and not worrying about losing!

How dare you post a topic of being confident, cool and relaxed And obviously there's more than enough of us to worry and fret over your stall

When I see posts like yours, my fallback is always this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PBJziqgrQgk

Excellent video - thanks!!!