What am I doing wrong? Please help!!
SutapaMukherji
Posts: 244 Member
So, I got the weighing scale today and guess what? I have lost only 0.5kg.
Here is the deal, I started hitting the gym since 10th of May,2013 which means I have had about 25 days of it. Most days I do 40-50 mins of cardio which includes 30 minutes of the treadmill, 20 minutes of stationary bike and another 5-10 minutes on the elliptical.
However, I started tracking my calories only since 20th of May, which means it has been 15 days now. MFP has set a goal of 1200 total cals for me which I follow most days, apart from the occasional weekend.
Inspite of working my a** off (I say that because it is my first time in the gym) and having controlled my diet, why am I not losing weight??
I feel so upset right now that I just want to give up. Its as if one of those success stories will never be mine..I will always be fat.
So here is what I want you people to do. Based on the above info and feel free to take a sneak peek into my diary, tell me what am I doing wrong? How much harder should I try? Don't I deserve to lose weight
For those of you, who are going to tell me about eating back exercise calories, I do eat back as much as I can. and about BF% and TDEE, I am really not sure how those work, so help is appreciated; but at the moment, I only want to lose weight and see the scales budge. That is my only aim.
Here is the deal, I started hitting the gym since 10th of May,2013 which means I have had about 25 days of it. Most days I do 40-50 mins of cardio which includes 30 minutes of the treadmill, 20 minutes of stationary bike and another 5-10 minutes on the elliptical.
However, I started tracking my calories only since 20th of May, which means it has been 15 days now. MFP has set a goal of 1200 total cals for me which I follow most days, apart from the occasional weekend.
Inspite of working my a** off (I say that because it is my first time in the gym) and having controlled my diet, why am I not losing weight??
I feel so upset right now that I just want to give up. Its as if one of those success stories will never be mine..I will always be fat.
So here is what I want you people to do. Based on the above info and feel free to take a sneak peek into my diary, tell me what am I doing wrong? How much harder should I try? Don't I deserve to lose weight
For those of you, who are going to tell me about eating back exercise calories, I do eat back as much as I can. and about BF% and TDEE, I am really not sure how those work, so help is appreciated; but at the moment, I only want to lose weight and see the scales budge. That is my only aim.
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Replies
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What's your bodyfat %?
You can't analyze with incomplete data.0 -
you have to open your diary if you want us to peek!0
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I wouldn't add your calories burned from exercise back into your budget unless you're Michael Phelps. Also, since you've only been tracking calories for a short period, you are very likely underestimating what you're actually taking in.
For body fat percentage, there are plenty of online calculators that can give you a decent estimate using only a tape measure.
My advice is stick with it, track your measurements (at least hips, waist, and neck), and maybe add some strength training. You won't get bulky from working with weights.0 -
As said, I am not comfortable about BF% and TDEE. Please help me understand what these are.
My diary is open, aren't you able to see it? Let me do something about it again.0 -
I do a bit of strength training but it is minimalistic. Just lateral push and some tidbits of workout, that too with 3kg dumbbells. The rest seem too heavy to me.
That apart I do push ups (3 sets of 10) and leg press (4 sets of 25).
That is all that I can manage.
So are you saying, I shouldn't eat back my exercise cals?0 -
Body fat calculator: http://www.bmi-calculator.net/body-fat-calculator/0
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I would not eat back your exercise calories; let those add to your deficit. Push ups, squats, whatever you like; those are good examples of body weight strength exercises.0
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Are we to assume that you have been doing said workouts for about a month or so? Started tracking the 20th of May; off to a great start I must say, don't rush into things. You are doing what you can and that's all you can do. Give yourself more time.0
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Body fat calculator: http://www.bmi-calculator.net/body-fat-calculator/
Thanks a ton for this one. Would do it first thing in the morning. Right now too busy binge eating chocolate :brokenheart:
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Body fat calculator: http://www.bmi-calculator.net/body-fat-calculator/
This doesn't even ask for your height. Isn't that a pretty big factor?0 -
Are we to assume that you have been doing said workouts for about a month or so? Started tracking the 20th of May; off to a great start I must say, don't rush into things. You are doing what you can and that's all you can do. Give yourself more time.
Have been working out since the date mentioned and tracking calories for about 15 days now. I have heard so many people here lose 10-15lbs in the first month, even if water weight... what am I doing wrong that its not happening to me?0 -
Are you in India? I just moved back from Mumbai at the end of 2011.0
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You're not going to like this answer but..... be patient :-) It took me almost 3 months to lose 1.5lbs, but then it just started coming off steady after that, about 1 to 1.5 lbs a week. It will happen, just don't give up. It's too soon to start changing things, just wait a little longer. Make sure you weigh and measure everything accurately.0
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I wouldn't add your calories burned from exercise back into your budget unless you're Michael Phelps. Also, since you've only been tracking calories for a short period, you are very likely underestimating what you're actually taking in.
For body fat percentage, there are plenty of online calculators that can give you a decent estimate using only a tape measure.
My advice is stick with it, track your measurements (at least hips, waist, and neck), and maybe add some strength training. You won't get bulky from working with weights.
I agree with this post! If you are working your *kitten* off in the gym, you will likely lose many inches and not as much in kg. Muscles are dense, fat is not...so if you are losing fat and gaining muscle, you will see the scale change slowly, but should begin to "feel" the difference in your clothes! Try not to be hard on yourself and try not to eat all your calories back, but I'm not sure I would fall much below 1200 calories. Unless you are eating refined carbs...then cut the carbs and load up on veggies and protein!
Don't get discouraged! Stay the course, you are doing fantastic!0 -
Put the chocolate down. it doesn't have any comfort, it doesn't contain any answers. All it will do is make your journey longer and harder.Put it away. You will kick yourself so hard for it later.
instead, put on your shoes and go for a stroll. that's what i do - chocolate cant chase you down the street.
And, if you get hung up on the scales, the scales will only torture you. Focus on being healthy and not losing weight. Sure losing weight is part of, and a result of, being healthy, but being healthy is kinder and better in the long run.0 -
NO!I would not eat back your exercise calories; let those add to your deficit. Push ups, squats, whatever you like; those are good examples of body weight strength exercises.
MFP calculates your calories with the deficit already built in - if you exercise, the deficit is a lot bigger....If you do that exercise on 1200 calories, it is no wonder you are binge eating chocolate... I would not rely on the machines in the gym's calorie count - they are often more than is really is - get a heart rate monitor...
I have very little to lose, eat between 1600 and 1900 calories a day and do heavy weights 3x per week and cardio twice...I also make sure that I get 10 000 steps in per day....And I still lose...
If you eat that little you will binge and not lose...
Also - you started a little over three weeks ago with a brand new workout program - chances are that your muscles are holding onto water for repairs.....Keep on doing what you are doing now, eat more and make sure YOU WEIGH MEASURE AND LOG everithing you eat....0 -
Wait.
15 days of tracking except occasional weekend of which there is one in 15 days. I don't agree with 1200 for most people personally, but the key thing is you can eat 1200 all week, but if you have 5000 on Fri-Sat-Sun, it sort of negates everything else.
You sound like you are working out really hard, from zero to 110% right away.
Combine these things and I would expect your weight to be all over the place.
From my experience and what I hear from successful people...slow changes and steady changes. Could take months depending on how much you have to lose and what you were doing before and what state your body is in.0 -
Binge eating chocolate can't be helping.
And EAT the exercise calories, that is the way this site is designed to be used.
Set your goal at "Lose one pound per week" use Moderately Active as your Activity.
Weigh your food - all of it - for a month. Stay on track with your eating. It takes consistency and time.0 -
@ astrampe, She's likely only burning 300-400 calories while in the gym. She is also likely to be off by that much in her estimates of what she is taking in. BMR and calories consumed are estimates and 30-45 minutes of working out is not going to significantly impact your budget.0
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You can do all the exercise you like but unless you plan to emulate Sir Christopher Hoy, 50 mins in the gym isn't going to get you much more than 200 or so cals; it's the cals you eat that count. Chocolate is a killer, have you LOOKED at the calories content? Don't buy any more till you lose some weight then treat yourself to a SMALL bar and go a square or two at a time, say at weekends. Then seal it up with sellotape!
I would agree with those who say don't eat back the cals you gain in the gym until you start losing some weight; then I would try to keep just under the total allowance inc the cals "earned" on a weekly rather than a daily basis. The mobile app shows this very clearly in a bar chart.
Also start walking! "Not far? Leave The Car", http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottish-news/scots-urged-ditch-car-short-1873812 New Active Travel campaign encourages Scots to ditch the car for short journeys and walk or cycle, which we're happy to share with the rest of the country.
Another personal tip is to start a weight chart on excel and add a trendline; you will get a great kick out of seeing the graph start to go downhill and you will want to make that keep happening.0 -
NO!I would not eat back your exercise calories; let those add to your deficit. Push ups, squats, whatever you like; those are good examples of body weight strength exercises.
MFP calculates your calories with the deficit already built in - if you exercise, the deficit is a lot bigger....If you do that exercise on 1200 calories, it is no wonder you are binge eating chocolate...
I have very little to lose, eat between 1600 and 1900 calories a day and do heavy weights 3x per week and cardio twice...I also make sure that I get 10 000 steps in per day....And I still lose...
If you eat that little you will binge and not lose...
Also - you started a little over three weeks ago with a brand new workout program - chances are that your muscles are holding onto water for repairs.....Keep on doing what you are doing now, eat more and make sure YOU WEIGH MEASURE AND LOG everithing you eat....
I agree with this. Try eating back at least some exercise calories(especially for cardio).
When I exercise a lot I always eat extra. Try eating more protein and if it doesn't work you can always go back to 1200 but I have heard from several sources that if you eat at a large deficit for too long, you will keep metabolism too low and then if you eat normally again, you will put the weight back on. Unless you want to stay at 1200 cals forever- I could never do that.
Another option is to calorie cycle to keep your body guessing- just move calories up and down all over the place throughout the week.
Best of luck to you.
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Body fat calculator: http://www.bmi-calculator.net/body-fat-calculator/
This doesn't even ask for your height. Isn't that a pretty big factor?
Not really a factor in BF% calculations. Another method is to look up "body fat percentage" in Google images. Those images provide an illustrated approximation as a reference.0 -
Body fat calculator: http://www.bmi-calculator.net/body-fat-calculator/
This doesn't even ask for your height. Isn't that a pretty big factor?
Not really a factor in BF% calculations. Another method is to look up "body fat percentage" in Google images. Those images provide an illustrated approximation as a reference.
Try this http://www.nhs.uk/Tools/Pages/Healthyweightcalculator.aspx which does take account of height which is a fairly obvious factor I would have thought.0 -
I wouldn't add your calories burned from exercise back into your budget unless you're Michael Phelps. Also, since you've only been tracking calories for a short period, you are very likely underestimating what you're actually taking in.
For body fat percentage, there are plenty of online calculators that can give you a decent estimate using only a tape measure.
My advice is stick with it, track your measurements (at least hips, waist, and neck), and maybe add some strength training. You won't get bulky from working with weights.
I agree with this post! If you are working your *kitten* off in the gym, you will likely lose many inches and not as much in kg. Muscles are dense, fat is not...so if you are losing fat and gaining muscle, you will see the scale change slowly, but should begin to "feel" the difference in your clothes!
Um, she's been working out for a month and eating a deficit. She's not going to gain enough muscle (if any at all) in that time to make a difference on the scale.
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NO!I would not eat back your exercise calories; let those add to your deficit. Push ups, squats, whatever you like; those are good examples of body weight strength exercises.
MFP calculates your calories with the deficit already built in - if you exercise, the deficit is a lot bigger....If you do that exercise on 1200 calories, it is no wonder you are binge eating chocolate...
I have very little to lose, eat between 1600 and 1900 calories a day and do heavy weights 3x per week and cardio twice...I also make sure that I get 10 000 steps in per day....And I still lose...
If you eat that little you will binge and not lose...
Also - you started a little over three weeks ago with a brand new workout program - chances are that your muscles are holding onto water for repairs.....Keep on doing what you are doing now, eat more and make sure YOU WEIGH MEASURE AND LOG everithing you eat....
I agree with this. Try eating back at least some exercise calories(especially for cardio).
When I exercise a lot I always eat extra. Try eating more protein and if it doesn't work you can always go back to 1200 but I have heard from several sources that if you eat at a large deficit for too long, you will keep metabolism too low and then if you eat normally again, you will put the weight back on. Unless you want to stay at 1200 cals forever- I could never do that.
Another option is to calorie cycle to keep your body guessing- just move calories up and down all over the place throughout the week.
Best of luck to you.
"I have heard from several sources that if you eat at a large deficit for too long, you will keep metabolism too low and then if you eat normally again, you will put the weight back on."
- Is that why the contestants from Survivor always leave the show the same weight as they started? Oh wait, they don't. Bodies don't guess and muscles don't get confused. Calorie deficits don't lead to starvation mode or slow metabolism unless adhered to for a very prolonged period of time. You definitely don't want to have too much of a deficit because food is the fuel that your body runs on, but few of us spend enough time in the gym to warrant replenishing those calories that we worked so hard to burn off. Again, if you're not a world-class athlete, leave those burned calories in the gym.0 -
Body fat calculator: http://www.bmi-calculator.net/body-fat-calculator/
This doesn't even ask for your height. Isn't that a pretty big factor?
Not really a factor in BF% calculations. Another method is to look up "body fat percentage" in Google images. Those images provide an illustrated approximation as a reference.
Try this http://www.nhs.uk/Tools/Pages/Healthyweightcalculator.aspx which does take account of height which is a fairly obvious factor I would have thought.
This is for BMI. Not the same as body fat percentage and a horrible measure for individual analysis.0 -
I don't agree with all this advice about eat less and never eat back exercise calories. This is usually a recipe for a bingeing disaster! OP, there are many options you have besides being hungry all the freaking time staying at or under 1200 calories. Try going here:
http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/
This will give you the BMR and TDEE numbers you were looking for. BMR is the amount your body would naturally burn in a today to keep you alive--like in a coma. The bare minimum. TDEE is the amount of the calories you burn living your life, exercise included. Try eating at your TDEE minus 20% and see how that goes.
Watch sodium intake, and make sure you drink crap-tons of water. Make sure you aren't over estimating portions. Slowly add in strength training to your workouts.
Most of all, be patient. This is probably the hardest part, especially when you see people dropping weight like it's hot....whether that's water weight or not.
You will succeed if you set realistic, not overly restrictive goals and stick to them. Good luck to you!0 -
I didn't read all the posts, but if you just bought a scale and checked your weight, that means your original weight was checked on a different scale. Scales can vary significantly. So check your weight again on the same one you did on May 10th. Try being consistant on what scale you use and when you check your weight.
Keep working your program, don't let the weekends negate all the good eating during the week, continue to increase speed/effort on the cardio machines, and do what you can as far as weights go. If you have the means, I would recommend hiring a personal trainer for a few sessions just to make sure you are doing things properly.
Keep at it and avoid the chocolate binging - go for a walk or get on MFP instead.
Good luck.0 -
Under-eating, over doing it with cardio, and expecting a 15 pound loss in one month; are you for real? And now bingeing-I'm sure that will help.
MFP gives a 1200 calorie goal when you put in too high a weekly weight loss goal. Put in a half or one pound max. I have similar amount left to lose and I'm losing 2 to 3 pounds per month, but without getting frustrated and impatient. My health is the main focus and the weight will take care of itself over time.
What are you doing wrong: under-eating, expecting miraculous overnight results, not getting strong, giving up. I didn't look at your diary (apparently it's not open), but I can guess that you are likely eating too little healthy natural fat and too much processed foods (as are most people who are struggling).0 -
I don't agree with all this advice about eat less and never eat back exercise calories. This is usually a recipe for a bingeing disaster! OP, there are many options you have besides being hungry all the freaking time staying at or under 1200 calories. Try going here:
http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/
This will give you the BMR and TDEE numbers you were looking for. BMR is the amount your body would naturally burn in a today to keep you alive--like in a coma. The bare minimum. TDEE is the amount of the calories you burn living your life, exercise included. Try eating at your TDEE minus 20% and see how that goes.
Watch sodium intake, and make sure you drink crap-tons of water. Make sure you aren't over estimating portions. Slowly add in strength training to your workouts.
Most of all, be patient. This is probably the hardest part, especially when you see people dropping weight like it's hot....whether that's water weight or not.
You will succeed if you set realistic, not overly restrictive goals and stick to them. Good luck to you!
Totally agree with this ^^^
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-120
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