Weight vs exercise vs diet vs sleep vs me! **Wall of text**

boredfatman

Hi all,

I don't know if this is a vent post, a fed-up post or simply looking for advise, you tell me.

I started my new healthy lifestyle at the end of the first week of January. It had nothing to do with a new years resolution or anything, but I had hernia surgery last year and had stopped any form of exercise completely.

So, anyway, I changed things around this week. I now do 15 minutes HIIT on the treadmill before doing free weights and then I usually finish off with another 15 mins HIIT. I spend around an hour and 20 minutes every day at the gym Monday to Friday.

So, out of interest I have weighed myself every day this week and I have put on 2 pounds since last week which has stayed there.

To say I feel dismayed is an understatement. I am trying to get the mindset of inches not pounds but it is so difficult to do.

I am a shift worker on the trains. I have been on the late shift this week, typically 15:30 to 00:45, eventually getting to bed around 01:30. I then aim to be in the gym for 10:00AM.

Everywhere I go at work there are vending machines, fast food outlets etc, and yet I haven't touched a thing for the last 4 weeks.

I've cut out mayo, chocolate, crisps, alcohol and any unhealthy snacks. (The wife and I always had Walkers Sweet chilli sensation crisps and humous most evenings, thats gone too.)

I eat 3 meals and then the only thing I snack on is 1 portion of mixed seeds and 1 portion of unsalted cashews each day - I have NEVER been so disciplined with food in all my life.

For those who want slightly more info on my "training" - I am currently getting used to using free weights with a program being drawn up for me this coming friday. So, at the moment I am using the leg press, doing rows, overhead press, curls etc. I cannot seem to master the squat at the moment even with my body weight - struggling with the right technique. I also find time when its ultra quiet at work to do pull ups and press ups. (Pull ups are so hard!!)

So, perhaps you can understand that I am feeling a bit deflated today.

Sorry to moan and rant but I just want it to work.

For what its worth, I did 15 mins HIIT and then 35-40 mins weights today but simply could not bring myself to do any more HIIT afterwards.

Any input will be gratefully received...

Thanks

BFM

AllanMisner

tagging this so I can respond later...

LKArgh

In general, if you are not losing, you are eating more than you think. Not eating junk food is great for your health, but not enough to lose weight. Exercising is also great for your health, but not enough to lose weight. In any case, one week, it is just way too soon to see any change, positive or negative.

sijomial

boredfatman wrote: »

Hi all,
So, out of interest I have weighed myself every day this week and I have put on 2 pounds since last week which has stayed there.

A week is a drop in the ocean compared to the rest of your life - patience grasshopper!
Could simply be water retention and soreness from your new routine.

Strongly suggest you start thinking in terms of months not weeks. Monthly photos and tracking measurements will give you other ways of seeing success rather than just weight. Remember weight =/= fat.

Some people simply don't lose weight in a linear way - I don't. A consistent deficit gave me a one pound loss in three weeks and then I lost 3lbs in a couple of days.

This is an interesting theory which struck a chord with me....
bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/of-whooshes-and-squishy-fat.html/

SusM14

Good to know. That makes a lot of sense. I'll keep that in mind. Thank you!

boredfatman

Ok, Aggelikik, I do not weigh everything, I live in a house with two adults and 3 children, I would not expect my wife to weigh everything and we cannot afford for me to eat separately each time. However, I am sure I am not eating more than I think...I spend most of the day feeling hungry at the moment despite drinking loads of calories.

I still eat bread every day as I enjoy it and this is meant to be a sustainable diet so I don't want to cut it out, but it is always either seeded or wholemeal.

I can't be missing anything that would make a massive difference, of that I'm certain.

LKArgh

boredfatman wrote: »

Ok, Aggelikik, I do not weigh everything, I live in a house with two adults and 3 children, I would not expect my wife to weigh everything and we cannot afford for me to eat separately each time. However, I am sure I am not eating more than I think...I spend most of the day feeling hungry at the moment despite drinking loads of calories.

I still eat bread every day as I enjoy it and this is meant to be a sustainable diet so I don't want to cut it out, but it is always either seeded or wholemeal.

I can't be missing anything that would make a massive difference, of that I'm certain.

Unfortunately, MFP does not work this way. If you are going to use it to count calories, you are supposed to count calories, not guess.
If you cannot do this, then at least you need to adjust your guesses based on what is happening. One week is nothing, so it is too early to come to any conclusion. But if e.g. you see that over 3-4 weeks you have gained or not lost, then you are eating more than you think, and you need to adjust your meals. It is very easy to underestimate what you eat unfortunately.

McCloud33

I know and have heard all the different reasons as to why this happens and yet even after a year of this, it still gets to me sometimes. It IS frustrating to work hard and not SEE the results immediately. All I can tell you is that you're not alone and it WILL get better.

I'll also say that I went a year (and lost 50lbs) without weighing food so it's definitely possible if you have a good eye for measuring. But....I also got a scale for christmas and have been weighing my food this year and found that a lot of times I was underestimating how much I was eating.

here are several reasons that I can see from your story that you might be holding on to weight. Some/none/all of these may apply:

Water retention from beginning weight training - When you first start weight training your body is going to rush fluids to those muscles to aid in their repair which causes you to hold onto water

Water retention from varying carbs - carbs are like a sponge and hold onto water in the body. It's something like for every 1g of carb the body holds onto 4g of water. This can easily lead to 2-4lb weight fluctuations from day to day.

Water retention from lack of water - I know this sounds counter intuitive, but the less water you drink, the more your body wants to hold onto it. I usually shoot for 1.5-2 gallons of water a day (12-16 cups)

Water retention from sodium - salt in your diet, much like carbs, forces the body to hold onto moisture

Just plain stubborn fat - sometimes there is no reason like @sijomial said and your body just doesn't lose linearly.

I know it's rough and none of these change the fact that you're not losing, but take heart in knowing that there ARE reasons, you are doing it right, you aren't alone in your struggle, and it just takes time.

boredfatman

Thank you. I do understand that in an ideal world I should be weighing every last grain of rice. Unfortunately I don't live in an ideal world, I live in a busy hectic world. I am certain food is not my problem, but maybe water retention and also a lack of decent sleep might be playing a part in this.

I'm not going to give up that's for sure but I'm really struggling today.

MeanderingMammal

aggelikik wrote: »

Unfortunately, MFP does not work this way. If you are going to use it to count calories, you are supposed to count calories, not guess.

So I'll give the contrary view of, I haven't weighed or measured anything in two years. That said, I predominantly run, with resistance training to support that, rather than focus on resistance training. As a result I'm on massive deficits very quickly.

Being hungry all the time suggests a high deficit. When I was eating at a high deficit I found that it affected my day to day, so my background level of activity reduced to compensate for having no energy.

I'd also suggest looking at other measures of success. For me, it's disance and pace. In two years I've gone from 25 minutes of run/ walk to completing a half marathon at 5:45min/ km. I've also lost weight, but that's very much secondary.

leggup

Your weight being up 1 week is meaningless. I'm usually up 2-4 lbs on Mon-Wednesday due to my sodium/wine consumption on Saturday/Sunday.

You are probably still eating more than you realize. You're also probably overestimating your calorie burn. It's very hard to get an accurate calorie burn from HIIT workouts.

It is absolutely possible to accurately log your food when someone else is cooking. If your wife does most of the cooking, she probably has a rotation of recipes she uses? Use the myfitnesspal recipe builder with her to figure out what is in a frequent dish she makes. Your diary isn't open, so I can't see what you're eating, but I'm happy to offer suggestions if you open your diary.

For example, if she makes spaghetti, it might be 1 box of pasta noodles, 1 jar of sauce, 1 lb of ground beef, 3 tbsp of olive oil, etc. Once the dish is fully made, all you have to do is weigh the empty serving dish beforehand, weigh it full, then weigh it with your serving removed.

Bowl weight: 1 lb
Bowl filled with food: 2 lbs
Bowl with food minus your food: 1.75 lbs.

Boom. You now know you ate 1/4 of the total recipe's calories.

kandeye

Wait it out a month before getting crazy about the scale. Just focus on working out and eating within your calorie goal. No need for the extra stress. In fact hide your scale for a month. Take all of your body measurements and in a month retake them. They tell a better story than the scale. If there are absolutely no changes in a month or so then maybe reevaluate what you are doing. If there are changes, heeeey you are doing something right.

AllanMisner

On the weight issue: Body weight is one of the worst measures you can use. Sorry, but you’ve been lied to. Body composition is what you should care about. Other than measuring body fat, the easiest way to manage this is through measuring girth (neck, chest, stomach waist, hips, thighs, upper arms). Weight lifting may increase these some, but overall you should see the measurements go down (particularly in the areas you naturally carry your fat (for me, it is the stomach). Your current weight gain may very well be water or a slight shifting of losing fat and gaining muscle (muscle weighs more than fat).

On your eating: Congratulations on finding a healthier eating plan. Strict is good, but hopefully you can develop a plan that you can live with for the long-term. Keep tweaking and learning. Make sure you’re getting the right macros (especially to complement your strength training) and plenty of water. Natural food is always the best choice.

On training: Congratulations on taking on physical training as a part of your program. Your eating plan drives your fat loss, your exercise program is for body composition and fitness.

I am not a fan of beginners doing cardio and weight lifting during the same workout. Your HIIT is not true HIIT, because if the intensity was what it should be, you wouldn’t have any gas to do the weights, let alone do another HIIT session after that. If I were you, I’d do a full body lifting session two to three times per week (depending on your recovery). I’d lift heavy on a 5x5 program. Since weight loss (fat loss) is a primary goal, I’d do low intensity cardio (walking, light biking) three to four times per week at a fasted state (after waking from sleep and before eating). For the most part, these would be done on different days. I might walk in the ‘morning’ and lift that afternoon, but only if my schedule requires it. The key is stimulus, fuel and building materials (carbs/fat, and protein), followed by recovery.

On Sleep and Recovery: Working split shifts is a problem for a number of reasons, but you can still optimize your results under that constraint. Make sure you’re getting the best quality of sleep you can for as long as you can. When we sleep, our body is rebuilding, and managing hormone levels. Keeping a good rhythm is important, so in your case, really focus on doing the best you can with your crazy schedule. Also, working out every day can be an issue for general recovery. It takes 48 - 72 hours to fully recover from a good, stimulus lifting session.

On Progression: Obviously, before long you’ll get into the groove of this program. Keep progressively pushing heavier weight. And after you’ve done this program for a few months, you can mix in a true HIIT workout from time to time (not on combination with other workouts). That can be valuable if you’re hitting a plateau on body composition improvement.

Enjoy!

boredfatman

Thank you for the replies and advice, also thanks to allanmisner for your detailed response...going to mull that one over!!

cliffodom1

Agree that a week is not enough time. Your body is made to keep you at some weight it has determined. What you need to do is establish a routine and your body will eventually relent to that routine and start to change. I have always been an athlete. I was a college varsity athlete and so I never really got fat my body was just not big where it should and it was big where it shouldn't be. I started working out and using MFP and one day I looked in the mirror naked (you have to look at yourself naked) and I had abs and stuff. Your body sees this past week as an adoration. If you keep it up you will get there.

msleeth

Allan hit the nail on the head with his response. Specifically the area I was going to comment on, your exercise.

I have worked out for years, and sometimes I fall into a rhythm where, yes I'm "working out" 5 days a week, but not REALLY working out. That often leads to me maintaining my weight and physique.

When I start a program (I use bodybuilding.com), I'm going hard, following a specific regimen and am able to push myself much more than anything thought of while looking around at the gym for something to do next.

It sounds to me like you have your diet dialed in (more so than I do), and it is the workout that needs adjustment. I would search through their exercise database and find something that you think you can stay true to, and results will showing up.

As other posters have mentioned, don't rush the results. If you're eating healthy, exercising, and getting adequate sleep...you WILL see results.

LKArgh

MeanderingMammal wrote: »

aggelikik wrote: »

Unfortunately, MFP does not work this way. If you are going to use it to count calories, you are supposed to count calories, not guess.

So I'll give the contrary view of, I haven't weighed or measured anything in two years. That said, I predominantly run, with resistance training to support that, rather than focus on resistance training. As a result I'm on massive deficits very quickly.

Being hungry all the time suggests a high deficit. When I was eating at a high deficit I found that it affected my day to day, so my background level of activity reduced to compensate for having no energy.

I'd also suggest looking at other measures of success. For me, it's disance and pace. In two years I've gone from 25 minutes of run/ walk to completing a half marathon at 5:45min/ km. I've also lost weight, but that's very much secondary.

Obviously I am not saying that you need to use a food scale to be in your ideal weight. I have never been overweight and I do not weight my food, same as most people I know. But, I do not pretend to count calories either, which is how MFP is designed. I have done for a while about a year ago, because I had gained a bit of weight and was wondering how to fix it, and actually it was a rather educational experience. But you cannot count calories and not use a scale. So the original poster, as someone trying to figure out what is wrong, might benefit from actually using the tools on this site.
Alternatively, he can guess of course. But if he is not losing after a few weeks, his guesses are wrong. As for being hungry all the time, it suggests your stomach is not full, or you are bored, or you used to eat more, not that you are at a calorie deficit.
I agree with weight not being the only goal, but this is the one this poster is complaining about, he is not worried if he will make it to running a marathon, he is worried about losing weight.

Ellaskat

aggelikik wrote: »

boredfatman wrote: »

Ok, Aggelikik, I do not weigh everything, I live in a house with two adults and 3 children, I would not expect my wife to weigh everything and we cannot afford for me to eat separately each time. However, I am sure I am not eating more than I think...I spend most of the day feeling hungry at the moment despite drinking loads of calories.

I still eat bread every day as I enjoy it and this is meant to be a sustainable diet so I don't want to cut it out, but it is always either seeded or wholemeal.

I can't be missing anything that would make a massive difference, of that I'm certain.

Unfortunately, MFP does not work this way. If you are going to use it to count calories, you are supposed to count calories, not guess.
If you cannot do this, then at least you need to adjust your guesses based on what is happening. One week is nothing, so it is too early to come to any conclusion. But if e.g. you see that over 3-4 weeks you have gained or not lost, then you are eating more than you think, and you need to adjust your meals. It is very easy to underestimate what you eat unfortunately.

I take best guesses at cal counts and it's working very well for me. I cook for myself and my husband, and when a recipe is ment for 4 servings, I eat 1/4 of what is prepared and log those calories. If your wife has recipes that she uses, she can tell you the recipes and you can input recipes, or if the recipes come from online, you can import them. You might want to try it for at least a week so you can see if you're right about the calories, or if you are eating more than you think. If you are eating more, you'll know, and be able to choose if you want to consider continuing.

AllanMisner

aggelikik wrote: »

I agree with weight not being the only goal, but this is the one this poster is complaining about, he is not worried if he will make it to running a marathon, he is worried about losing weight.

Yes, if losing weight were the end goal, I can give you a way to lose about 10 - 11 lbs in minutes. Have your head cut off. Works every time. ;-)

MeanderingMammal

aggelikik wrote: »

But you cannot count calories and not use a scale. So the original poster, as someone trying to figure out what is wrong, might benefit from actually using the tools on this site.

You perhaps missed my point. I have never weighed or measured anything, I have estimated by eye. I've lost weight.

The toolset is there to support, not act as a stick to beat oneself with. It's an aid, and if one struggles with a small deficit and training that doesn't consume many calories then it may be appropriate to get anal about measuring. That's more likely if one is only doing resistance training as the calorie expenditure isn't high compared to decent quality CV work.