Feeling a bit defeated... Weight loss and Crossfit. XP
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motherofdragons84
Posts: 58 Member
I had my daughter almost 3 years ago now and I have struggled with losing the last 30lbs that I gained during my pregnancy. I gained 57lbs (not healthy, I know!).
I started doing Crossfit in November and I love it. I feel stronger and I am definitely more toned. I have been unable to lose ANY weight. In fact, I put 3 lbs on!!
I know that results are not right away but I thought by now with eating right and working out 4-5 times a week I would have lost some of the weight.
I've been trying to be paleo/whole food -- ish. Giving up grains/beans/lentils was hard but I've almost been able to do it. I will eat greek yogurt but I've cut out all other dairy.
Right now I'm eating 1800 calories a day but I have a hard time eating back the calories from working out. Any suggestions? I feel defeated.
I started doing Crossfit in November and I love it. I feel stronger and I am definitely more toned. I have been unable to lose ANY weight. In fact, I put 3 lbs on!!
I know that results are not right away but I thought by now with eating right and working out 4-5 times a week I would have lost some of the weight.
I've been trying to be paleo/whole food -- ish. Giving up grains/beans/lentils was hard but I've almost been able to do it. I will eat greek yogurt but I've cut out all other dairy.
Right now I'm eating 1800 calories a day but I have a hard time eating back the calories from working out. Any suggestions? I feel defeated.
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Regarding your food; you should consult with a registered dietitian or nutritionist. Most insurance companies cover the cost of the visit but you may need to consult with your primary care physician first.
Regarding your body; are you tracking your body fat percentage or just your weight? You might have a number in mind for what your weight "should" be but if you're gaining muscle though working out then that number will naturally go up.
The last time I met with a registered dietitian she did a body composition analysis and I found that I needed to have a higher calorie goal than what I had set for myself and that my ideal body weight was 17 lbs more than what I thought because of my higher muscle mass.
I say all of that to say this; if CrossFit is not helping you reach your goals then you might want to change your goals or try a different workout routine. Good luck!
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Crossfit is awesome for gaining strength, mobility and burning some calories, but the key to losing weight is about accurately tracking your caloric intake. Sounds simple, but it's much harder than people think.
When I was in weight-loss mode, the key to success was first finding out what caloric intake was required for me to maintain a consistent weight (with no exercise). That number was much lower that I thought it would be. I then set a goal to lose 1 lb per week. Doesn't sound like much, but that equated to 4 lbs a month, 12 lbs in 3 months, and over 20 lbs in 6 months. I ate at a very manageable 500 calorie deficit each day and didn't eat back my Crossfit workout calorie burn. I lost over 40 lbs in a year (220 to 180).
I measured everything I ate to make sure my calories were being tracked accurately. Cumbersome, yes, but it doesn't take much to make a 200 calorie difference between "eye-balling" a serving and actually measuring/weighing it. And there was no more mindless eating, like grabbing a piece of chocolate from the office candy bowl on the way to a meeting. After busting my butt at a Crossfit workout where I burned maybe 400 calories, I wasn't about to cancel that out with a moment of mindless munching. I was surprised how many calories I consumed just by randomly munching on something without thinking about it!
After a few weeks of being disciplined, I lost 2 pounds, then a few more, and so on, until I was down 40 lbs. You may gain a pound or two every now and then, but don't worry about it. As long as you are consistently losing weight over a period of a few weeks, just stick with the plan. But if you still aren't losing weight after a few weeks, you are likely eating more than you think and/or not burning as many calories as you think. Adjust accordingly.
Hope this helps! Good luck!
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Totally agree with ascrit. If I'm being very honest I don't think Crossfit is optimal for weight loss. I do however think its optimal for long term fat loss and muscle gain/retention. Those two are certainly not the same and it can be frustrating not seeing those scale numbers move. March 18th is my one year Crossfit anniversary and I've lost about 4 lbs, however my body comp is drastically different.
How did you get to 1800 cals? Can you talk about the methodology you used to get to that number?0 -
I lost some weight right away doing CF but really haven't lost much in the year since. I'm immensely stronger and my clothing all fits better, but now it's time for me to lose the belly.
As said above, you really have to dial in what your calorie needs are and then eat at a deficit. I don't weigh everything but will always try to err on the side of less if I'm in doubt about something and I will make big batches of chili, chicken tikka masala etc in a crockpot then measure out meals. I can usually get 10 meals to freeze and have lunch for 2 weeks. I use MFP to create a recipe and give me a pretty accurate calorie count for each meal. I eat the same breakfast most mornings (5 eggs, 200 calories worth of guacamole) so dinner and a pre/post workout snack or protein shake are all that is left.
If you have never calculated your TDEE I'd advise doing it with all three formulas on this site:
http://iifym.com/tdee-calculator/
and averaging. You might be surprised at how far off from 1800 the number could be. I was previously eating 2500 calories and realized I was actally undereating for someone my size by a pretty large amount. Adding calories has resulted in slower weight loss, and also in me not being as tempted by "bad" foods or tempted to go off plan.
Might take some tweaking to find exactly what works for you, and don't be surprised if your workouts require MORE food than you think. Crossfit can be extremely taxing on the body.0 -
notyouraveragetalia wrote: »Totally agree with ascrit. If I'm being very honest I don't think Crossfit is optimal for weight loss. I do however think its optimal for long term fat loss and muscle gain/retention. Those two are certainly not the same and it can be frustrating not seeing those scale numbers move. March 18th is my one year Crossfit anniversary and I've lost about 4 lbs, however my body comp is drastically different.
How did you get to 1800 cals? Can you talk about the methodology you used to get to that number?
I used MFP to get 1800 calories. Maybe a nutritionist would be good.
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bostonwolf wrote: »I lost some weight right away doing CF but really haven't lost much in the year since. I'm immensely stronger and my clothing all fits better, but now it's time for me to lose the belly.
As said above, you really have to dial in what your calorie needs are and then eat at a deficit. I don't weigh everything but will always try to err on the side of less if I'm in doubt about something and I will make big batches of chili, chicken tikka masala etc in a crockpot then measure out meals. I can usually get 10 meals to freeze and have lunch for 2 weeks. I use MFP to create a recipe and give me a pretty accurate calorie count for each meal. I eat the same breakfast most mornings (5 eggs, 200 calories worth of guacamole) so dinner and a pre/post workout snack or protein shake are all that is left.
If you have never calculated your TDEE I'd advise doing it with all three formulas on this site:
http://iifym.com/tdee-calculator/
and averaging. You might be surprised at how far off from 1800 the number could be. I was previously eating 2500 calories and realized I was actally undereating for someone my size by a pretty large amount. Adding calories has resulted in slower weight loss, and also in me not being as tempted by "bad" foods or tempted to go off plan.
Might take some tweaking to find exactly what works for you, and don't be surprised if your workouts require MORE food than you think. Crossfit can be extremely taxing on the body.
Thank you.
This makes a lot of sense. I do need to re-look at things... CrossFit stays! I love it too much. I've never been so challenged physically before and it feels good.
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Are you taking measurements? Or progress photos? It could be that you are loosing fat gaining muscle. My favorite methodology for weight losscos eat more to weigh less. Em2wl. You figure out your tree and don't cut more than 10-15% of that. If you have been dieting a long time you do a 12 week diet break eating tree. Its not fast but it has really worked for me.0
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Ha tdee not tree!0
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mspunkyone wrote: »Are you taking measurements? Or progress photos? It could be that you are loosing fat gaining muscle. My favorite methodology for weight losscos eat more to weigh less. Em2wl. You figure out your tree and don't cut more than 10-15% of that. If you have been dieting a long time you do a 12 week diet break eating tree. Its not fast but it has really worked for me.
This too. Sometimes when the scale doesn't move but your waist measurements do and your clothing fits better it can be easier to take.
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I have a hard time accepting diets that force you to cut out things you enjoy.
1800 calories of low-carb paleo also doesn't sound a lot for someone who does CrossFit 4-5 times a week. I would be getting depressed too. Honestly, I've been there - tried paleo, lasted 3 days, tried lowering calories, ended up binging or constantly hungry and miserable.
I've been doing Eat To Perform for a whole 2 weeks so yeah, not an expert by any means, but 1800 calories is approximately what I eat on *rest* days. They put me up to 2300 on training days. The number on the scales went down again this week and I've hit 3 PBs in two weeks. The theory makes sense to me: focus on building muscle so your RMR is higher and you naturally burn more fat. In theory, you eat what you like as long as it fits your macros, but in trying to make the macros work I am naturally making much better food choices anyway.0 -
I've been in crossfit for two years now. In my first year of crossfit I went from 230 to 210. . In the last year I've lost 5 lbs. . But. . in the last year my body has changed dramatically!. .As stated above, be careful using the scale as a measure of progress when doing something like crossfit. . .0
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I was reminded during my nutrition consult the other day; "the scale only tell you your relationship with gravity" it doesn't show you anything about strength, heart health, lung capacity, etc.
I struggle with stay off the scale, after this last meeting with my nutritionist my goal is to lose fat and inches. So as of two weeks ago tomorrow I'm not counting calories, only counting protein macros (while trying to stay in a 40/30/30) and not processed or refined sugars. UNLESS isn't within my 20 minute window for post workout. And it's working, I'm down a few lbs already (even if that's not my focus) and my pants aren't as tight!
Where are your macros at? Do you get enough protein? What sort of recovery do you use?0 -
I have been doing Crossfit for almost 17 months and I have not lost any weight. I weigh pretty much exactly the same as when I started. I think it's a great tool for changing body composition and getting more fit, but I know a lot of people who haven't lost scale weight. I have lost 10% body fat though and I am very fit at 170. Most of my other Rx'er type Crossfit female friends are in the 155-165 pound range. I guess the Games athletes like Camille are smaller but when I go to competitions across my state to watch or participate, pretty much everyone sort of looks like me. Ditto on the powerlifting comps I attend.0
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I wish they had never invented the bathroom scale. Weight is a single data point for health management and it is one of the weakest. Ditto for BMI. If you could be a size 3, but weight 190 lbs, would you care about your weight? Of if you were size 16, and weighed 120lbs, would you be satisfied?
Instead, focus on what matters, body composition. If you’re adding muscle (and not adding fat), you’re improving your body composition. You lose fat through what foods and how much of them you eat. So, if you want to focus on fat loss, get deep into the food choices and portion sizes you need for your body (everybody is different, so experiment and find what works for you). Then use crossfit to increase strength, add muscle, build endurance, improve speed, balance and mobility. Crossfit can be part of the answer, but it isn’t the whole answer.
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Like others have said, are you taking measurements or changing clothes size?
I started CF in October and lost weight in October and November and also in January. It was solely based on diet, though (as in careful calorie counting), as I basically exchanged cardio I was otherwise doing (running and biking) for CF WODs and later started incorporating more Oly.
It becomes an issue if you really want to focus on gaining muscle or getting better and stronger just like trying to lose weight when training for an endurance event can be challenging for the same reason--competing goals. You have to decide which one you care most about, especially if you are beyond a beginner (as a beginner it's easier to get better even while eating at a deficit). I think you can do both if you have a moderate deficit, but my own head isn't really in losing at the moment.0 -
^^^ I didn't change clothes sizes either. A lot of that had to do with my powerlifting though. All my pants have grown too large in the waist and too small in the quads. So I wear the same size but nothing fits right.
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^Crossfit babe problems 0
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lemurcat12 wrote: »Like others have said, are you taking measurements or changing clothes size?
I started CF in October and lost weight in October and November and also in January. It was solely based on diet, though (as in careful calorie counting), as I basically exchanged cardio I was otherwise doing (running and biking) for CF WODs and later started incorporating more Oly.
It becomes an issue if you really want to focus on gaining muscle or getting better and stronger just like trying to lose weight when training for an endurance event can be challenging for the same reason--competing goals. You have to decide which one you care most about, especially if you are beyond a beginner (as a beginner it's easier to get better even while eating at a deficit). I think you can do both if you have a moderate deficit, but my own head isn't really in losing at the moment.
Good post. I have been more focused on getting stronger lately, which has worked mainly because it's easy for me.
Now I've decided it's time to work on my GOAT. Losing weight. That has always been hard and is going to require more effort, but I'm pretty confident I can do it the right way and keep it off
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Not just a babe problem. I have a hard time finding jeans that fit in the thighs. The 550 and 560 loose fit Levis fit like skinny jeans.bostonwolf wrote: »^Crossfit babe problems
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My legs are proportionate, I just have no butt. Though almost 2 years of CF has added about 2 inches to my hip measurement. DAT *kitten*!!0
