Strange, but can a lot of exercise slow down weight loss?

rayrayfitz

Is it worth it?

Since Jan I've been breaking a ball trying to swim 5x a week. I've swam for at least 6 hours a week. I also have recently started strength training. I try to walk and remain active. I swim for a minimum of 6 hours a week, sometimes much more.

I in theory burn more cals swimming than other forms of cardio, example walking, per hour.

MFP is set at a deficit so I should lose 2lb a week anyway. I have it set on lightly active.

I weigh EVERYTHING that goes past my lips, I don't cheat, I don't even usually eat back any exercise calories. Though I have occasionally ate back 100-300 . I have 1370 cals daily.

Since Jan 1st I've lost just 3lb.

Nothing for 2 weeks now.

How is it even possible? I know weight loss isn't linear but I just feel it's taking the piss now.

I've lost 3stone 9lbs (14lbs to a stone if you're US) and I probably still have 5 stone to lose.

When I first started I did no exercise just diet and lost weight. I see people who exercise far less than me, eat more and lose weight.

So why can't I lose weight faster than the rate I'm going? It's really frustrating and disheartening. I feel like what's the point using all my spare time bloody swimming each day if I'm not losing weight anyway? I may as well not bother.

It seems like the more exercise I do, the slower my weight loss. :-/

azulvioleta6

Swimming is hard to track accurately.

How far do you swim in an hour?

gemm30

its so frustrating I do between 6-8 exercise classes a week always work my hardest,i walk everywhere, track all my food, have made major lifestyle changes (quit drinking) and the weight just wont shift, don't know what else I can do.

BeTheChange352

it's probably just a little plateau. you're not going to lose weight consistently every week but it will catch up to you. it's totally normal and happens to the majority of us. stay away from the scale if you're getting frustrated. also remember that you've already lost A LOT of weight as it is and at some point it's going to slow down.

pricesteve

I had a similar exercise regime to you when I was in weight loss mode, swimming 6+ hours a week, walking a lot and the odd gym visit. I ate back about 50% of my calories most days and managed to hit my loss target for about 60% of the time. The other 40% was split between long periods of the scales not moving and weeks where 4lbs came off rather than the expected
Changing routine usually helped get over the plateaus, switching from swimming to treadmill for a few weeks, changing the cardio/strength training ratio for a while, so change the signals the body was getting seemed to be the key.

rayrayfitz

azulvioleta6 wrote: »

Swimming is hard to track accurately.

How far do you swim in an hour?

It's a 35m swimming pool, I think I average about 65 lengths an hour so about 2,275 m. I usually swim for an hour 15/30 mins. Now I sometimes do 2 hours too. Same pace.

Sued0nim

But do your clothes fit differently, have your measurements changed?

rayrayfitz

BeTheChange352 wrote: »

it's probably just a little plateau. you're not going to lose weight consistently every week but it will catch up to you. it's totally normal and happens to the majority of us. stay away from the scale if you're getting frustrated. also remember that you've already lost A LOT of weight as it is and at some point it's going to slow down.

Thanks. I'm so frustrated though. I started last Feb and had lost 3 stone by July, then just to-tied between then and Decemebr, mostly my own doing, I'd diet a week, not for a week by Dec I'd put 9lb back on, which I lost over Dec, but since Jan 1st it's been just 3lb and I'm trying so hard. I've been there and done all the 'why am I not losing' when not being entirely honest, odd cheat, not weighing food etc so only have myself to blame for that, but when I do everything by the book and still don't lose or do but very slowly, it's so annoying.

rayrayfitz

rayrayfitz wrote: »

azulvioleta6 wrote: »

Swimming is hard to track accurately.

How far do you swim in an hour?

It's a 35m swimming pool, I think I average about 65 lengths an hour so about 2,275 m. I usually swim for an hour 15/30 mins. Now I sometimes do 2 hours too. Same pace.

And MFP a calculated my burn at 700cals an hour swimming. I only eat exercise cals back if I'm really hungry and have swam for 2 hours, or say swam for an hour but had a 12km walk, and then don't even eat half of them back. It's not usual to eat them back though.

azulvioleta6

rayrayfitz wrote: »

azulvioleta6 wrote: »

Swimming is hard to track accurately.

How far do you swim in an hour?

It's a 35m swimming pool, I think I average about 65 lengths an hour so about 2,275 m. I usually swim for an hour 15/30 mins. Now I sometimes do 2 hours too. Same pace.

Are you swimming for 15, 30, 60 or 120 minutes? Sorry, I am not following this.

In an hour, you average just a little over a mile? Sorry, in my country pools are either 25 or 50 and I'm not finding any quick conversions online for 35m pools.

If you are swimming slightly over a mile in a hour, that's slow.

sncoombs

I wouldn't go by the calories burned on MFP hun, they are well over what you do actually burn! Get a good HRM and calories burning monitor - something like Fitbit or Polar if you want to know exactly! Maybe you should try to mix things up a little bit! Swim twice/three times a week if you enjoy it and do a different workout for the other 2? Something which will make you really sweat and you enjoy! Hope you get over the non budging scales! xx

katesback15

Yes it can! I was loosing steadily with 1200 cals and interval training 3 times a week then tried the 30 day shred dvd and just stopped loosing throughout the 3 weeks I did it for. I know people say don't get hung up on the scale and its inches that count but I'm afraid I do and I was actually putting on whilst killing myself with the workout. I git so disillusioned I slipped back in to bad habits. I could understand it if I only had a stone to go but with 4.5 stone still to go I also accused my scales of taking the piss :-) xx

rybo

I think you need to eat more for all that swimming

tunenakatie

Have u checked ur measurements? Maybe ur losing inches rught now instead of weight.

quote="rayrayfitz;10089155"]Is it worth it?

Since Jan I've been breaking a ball trying to swim 5x a week. I've swam for at least 6 hours a week. I also have recently started strength training. I try to walk and remain active. I swim for a minimum of 6 hours a week, sometimes much more.

I in theory burn more cals swimming than other forms of cardio, example walking, per hour.

MFP is set at a deficit so I should lose 2lb a week anyway. I have it set on lightly active.

I weigh EVERYTHING that goes past my lips, I don't cheat, I don't even usually eat back any exercise calories. Though I have occasionally ate back 100-300 . I have 1370 cals daily.

Since Jan 1st I've lost just 3lb.

Nothing for 2 weeks now.

How is it even possible? I know weight loss isn't linear but I just feel it's taking the piss now.

I've lost 3stone 9lbs (14lbs to a stone if you're US) and I probably still have 5 stone to lose.

When I first started I did no exercise just diet and lost weight. I see people who exercise far less than me, eat more and lose weight.

So why can't I lose weight faster than the rate I'm going? It's really frustrating and disheartening. I feel like what's the point using all my spare time bloody swimming each day if I'm not losing weight anyway? I may as well not bother.

It seems like the more exercise I do, the slower my weight loss. :-/[/quote]

Phrick

I'll throw out here that if you've recently started strength training, as well as increasing your swimming, that could be masking fat loss. The reason is that when you begin a new exercise plan, or increase difficulty in a current one (and increasing your amount of swimming time would count here), for most people their muscles will retain water to cushion them and to aid in muscle repair. It's EXTREMELY common. As your body adjusts to the new routines it will not be as much of an issue. This is why taking measurements can be so helpful - that and not being stuck on a scale number. That way when your scale seems stuck because you're retaining water in your muscles, you can still know you're making progress - " I've lost 3 inches from my waist so clearly I'm still going in the right direction!"

rayrayfitz

azulvioleta6 wrote: »

rayrayfitz wrote: »

azulvioleta6 wrote: »

Swimming is hard to track accurately.

How far do you swim in an hour?

It's a 35m swimming pool, I think I average about 65 lengths an hour so about 2,275 m. I usually swim for an hour 15/30 mins. Now I sometimes do 2 hours too. Same pace.

Are you swimming for 15, 30, 60 or 120 minutes? Sorry, I am not following this.

In an hour, you average just a little over a mile? Sorry, in my country pools are either 25 or 50 and I'm not finding any quick conversions online for 35m pools.

If you are swimming slightly over a mile in a hour, that's slow.

I'm in the UK and we have 35m pools. I put in slow and easy effort when calculating calories.

I swim for a minimum of one hour 15 mins, I'd say I do 11/2 hours every other day and then 2 hours alternating.

rayrayfitz

sncoombs wrote: »

I wouldn't go by the calories burned on MFP hun, they are well over what you do actually burn! Get a good HRM and calories burning monitor - something like Fitbit or Polar if you want to know exactly! Maybe you should try to mix things up a little bit! Swim twice/three times a week if you enjoy it and do a different workout for the other 2? Something which will make you really sweat and you enjoy! Hope you get over the non budging scales! xx

I always think MFP over estimate swimming, I have a fitness tracker but it isn't waterproof.

But i still don't don't eat the exercise cals back, so any exercise calories is cals in the bank, so if I stick to my calorie goal, you'd still expect a loss?

I've just started strength training, aerobics once a week and a class each of Pilates and yoga, I also play badminton once a week... Let's hope these new classes get something shifting somewhere. X

rayrayfitz

rybo wrote: »

I think you need to eat more for all that swimming

But I'm not losing weight as it is, I eat around 1,370 a day, on some days when I've swam 2 hours or had a class for example I feel hungry and eat more. Usually never more than 1,609 cals. I think if I ate more, I'd put weight on.

fatcity66

Phrick wrote: »

I'll throw out here that if you've recently started strength training, as well as increasing your swimming, that could be masking fat loss. The reason is that when you begin a new exercise plan, or increase difficulty in a current one (and increasing your amount of swimming time would count here), for most people their muscles will retain water to cushion them and to aid in muscle repair. It's EXTREMELY common. As your body adjusts to the new routines it will not be as much of an issue. This is why taking measurements can be so helpful - that and not being stuck on a scale number. That way when your scale seems stuck because you're retaining water in your muscles, you can still know you're making progress - " I've lost 3 inches from my waist so clearly I'm still going in the right direction!"

THIS^^ When I first start working out I usually GAIN 1-3 lbs, and it takes a couple weeks before it drops off again. But it does, plus more. Also, if I take a few days off from working out, I get the "whoosh" of water weight loss.

ar9179

My weighing and logging is very strict. Once I started exercising I didn't lose anything, on the scale, for a month. I did lose inches, though. Tighten up your eating/logging and keep going. The scale is a poor measurement device when exercise is incorporated, it doesn't tell you the whole story.

Liftng4Lis

Can you open your diary?

Francl27

Honestly it's way too little food for your activity level. Go to http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/ and figure out a 20% deficit and eat that - it's WAY healthier to have a REASONABLE deficit.

But 2 weeks stalls happen all the time and usually don't mean anything. If your period is due soon, that explains it too, I usually gain a couple pounds of water weight beforehand.

rayrayfitz

Sorry I thought it was open. I'll open it now.

MKEgal

You've been quite successful so far - 51 lb lost, halfway to goal! Yay, you!!
What are your measurements doing? Are you dropping inches? Are your clothes fitting better?
Then you're seeing progress. Keep at it.
If you're not seeing progress in any way, consider dropping 50 calories/day or increasing the intensity or time of your exercise. (At this point, faster would probably be better than longer; better use of time.)
.

rybo wrote:

I think you need to eat more for all that swimming

rayrayfitz wrote:

But I'm not losing weight as it is... I think if I ate more, I'd put weight on.

Exactly right.
If you're not losing weight at your current calorie/exercise level, the solution is _not_ to raise calories or lower exercise. That will just make the problem worse.
Your body does not hang onto calories if you're eating in a deficit (which with so much exercise & a low calorie level you certainly are).
If you're eating less than your body needs (and again, with so much exercise & so little food taken in, if you're being accurate, then you certainly are eating at a deficit) you will lose weight. You can't not.

One thing you could try is adjusting your macros. Eating higher protein & lower carbs leads to more weight loss. Links to the studies here. Try 45% carbs, 20% fat, 35% protein to stay within the healthy macro ranges.
.

yopeeps025

Find an activity that does not give you the munchies after.

rayrayfitz

Thanks guys, I don't really get munchies after exercising, but I have breakfast then usually swim over lunch as it's the lane swim, then I walk the mile and half home so don't get lunch usually until 2pm, I have breakfast before 8 so usually
have a quick snack when I come out of swimming to keep me going.... I walk past two chip shops going home!

Therealobi1

hiyah, uk lady here too. Well done on you weight loss so far. Are you being really strict with your logging. Its very likely that you are eating at maintenance at the moment.

rayrayfitz

I'm really strict with my logging, I log everything even drinks and weigh everything on digital scales.. My diary is open. I can't possibly be eating to maintain as I exercise a lot and only eat 1370 cals. It must be the recent increase in cardio and adding strength training that's doing it. It seems physically impossible not to e able to lose on my ingoing and output. Stay away from the scales an keep with it I guess!

kr1stadee

I have always found that exercise slowed down the scale loss, but ramped up the inch loss.

I've heard diet is for weight loss, exercise is for fitness and strength.

Take measurements, use that to track as well as the scale. Pounds lost isn't the only indication of success!

Good luck!!

terar21

Your diary still isn't open. You probably just have it open to your friends only. Can you open it to public?

But as far as swimming calories burned, it's really not as much as you think. MFP estimates are high and what it categorizes as a easy swim really isn't an easy swim for most people.

As others have mentioned, it's also very common for weight loss to stall with new exercises since your muscles will retain water. It by no means suggests that workout is keeping you from losing weight because it's not fat. So it's definitely worth it. If you're doubling up on workouts as well, that would also contribute to an increase in retained water. You're losing so I wouldn't be overly concerned, provided your logging is good.

rayrayfitz

I've never taken measurements, I have some today. I didn't think I'd lost any inch wise this past 6 weeks whilst I've only lost 3lb. But I put a belt on that I was on last notch and I'm over an inch over that now. I can't get my head around losing inches but not weight!!

I actually really wish I had taken before fat photos and logged measurements.