Within the calorie... Not losing weight!

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ItsmeDili
ItsmeDili Posts: 18 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi all! I have been (mostly) within the daily calorie intake but haven't lost any weight since last week!! Since I started the weight loss journey I have been on crosstrainer for 30 minutes 6 days a week.,, I do sometimes eat back my calories but not excessively! Not sure what I am doing wrong!
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  • ItsmeDili
    ItsmeDili Posts: 18 Member
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    In fact I have gained 0.4kgs
  • mrsgoodwine
    mrsgoodwine Posts: 468 Member
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    You are most likely eating more than you are burning.
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
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    Water weight maybe?

    0.4 is not very much (0.88 pounds).....a high sodium meal, sore muscles, time of month. Lots of reasons for fluctuations. 1 week is very little time (all things considered). Weight loss will not be linear....you are looking more for trends.
  • diannethegeek
    diannethegeek Posts: 14,776 Member
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    A week ro two is well within the time frame that you'd expect to see a stall or slight gain from water retention (new exercise routine, perhaps?). It's probably nothing to worry about.

    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10084670/it-is-unlikely-that-you-will-lose-weight-consistently-i-e-weight-loss-is-not-linear/p1
    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10196160/scale-stress-syndrome/p1

    Other than that, the most common problems we see come from underestimating calories eaten and overestimating calories burned.

    Opening your diary might help to get you more specific advice if you're comfortable doing so.

    You're logging everything you eat? Including condiments, cooking oils, veggies, cheat days, etc? Are you using a food scale, measuring cups, or eyeballing your portion sizes? Most people can be off in their estimates by several hundred calories when they eyeball portions. Measuring cups are better, but a food scale is going to be the most accurate.

    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1296011/calorie-counting-101/p1
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1234699-logging-accurately-step-by-step-guide/p1
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1290491-how-and-why-to-use-a-digital-food-scale/p1

    And make sure that you've calculated your calorie goals appropriately. Remember that these are just estimates. You may need to play around a little to find what works best for you.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants/p1
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/819055-setting-your-calorie-and-macro-targets/p1

    If you're exercising and eating back your earned exercise calories, be sure that you're using accurate estimates of your burn. MFP and gym machines have a tendency to overestimate certain activities, which can cause you to eat back more calories than you need to. Even a heart rate monitor isn't 100% accurate. If you're eating those extra earned calories it might be a good idea to eat only 50-75% of those.

    And there's something to be said for the fact that some people just burn fewer calories than the generic equations predict. If you're an outlier due to size, age, or medical issues, then it may be best to check with your doctor or get a referral to a registered dietitian who can give you more specific advice.
  • mccindy72
    mccindy72 Posts: 7,001 Member
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    ItsmeDili wrote: »
    Hi all! I have been (mostly) within the daily calorie intake but haven't lost any weight since last week!! Since I started the weight loss journey I have been on crosstrainer for 30 minutes 6 days a week.,, I do sometimes eat back my calories but not excessively! Not sure what I am doing wrong!

    Are you weighing all of your solid foods? If not, it's quite easy to be inaccurate with your calorie counts. Buy a digital food scale and weigh everything solid, and be faithful with your logging. Also measure everything liquid that has calories.
    Also be careful when logging calorie burns - machines do tend to overestimate them. For cardio burns it's best to have a good heart rate monitor with a chest strap to be as accurate as possible, and don't eat back all of your calories, but perhaps only about 1/2 to 2/3 of them.
    also, read the first post of this thread: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1235566-so-you-re-new-here
  • staticsplit
    staticsplit Posts: 538 Member
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    The scale technically went up 6 pounds for me the other day, despite eating within my calorie range and exercising a lot. Sometimes weight is weird and jumps around, sometimes for reasons that's hard to see. I go more by measurements and seeing that the scale goes down over much longer periods of time.
  • mccindy72
    mccindy72 Posts: 7,001 Member
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    staticsplit wrote: »
    The scale technically went up 6 pounds for me the other day, despite eating within my calorie range and exercising a lot. Sometimes weight is weird and jumps around, sometimes for reasons that's hard to see. I go more by measurements and seeing that the scale goes down over much longer periods of time.

    That's water weight. It happens from diet (sodium and carbs make you retain water), exercise (damage to muscles make you retain fluid for repair), or hormones.
  • strong_curves
    strong_curves Posts: 2,229 Member
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    A week isn't enough time and if you're working out it could be water weight.
  • ItsmeDili
    ItsmeDili Posts: 18 Member
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    diannethegeek wrote: »
    A week ro two is well within the time frame that you'd expect to see a stall or slight gain from water retention (new exercise routine, perhaps?). It's probably nothing to worry about.

    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10084670/it-is-unlikely-that-you-will-lose-weight-consistently-i-e-weight-loss-is-not-linear/p1
    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10196160/scale-stress-syndrome/p1

    Other than that, the most common problems we see come from underestimating calories eaten and overestimating calories burned.

    Opening your diary might help to get you more specific advice if you're comfortable doing so.

    You're logging everything you eat? Including condiments, cooking oils, veggies, cheat days, etc? Are you using a food scale, measuring cups, or eyeballing your portion sizes? Most people can be off in their estimates by several hundred calories when they eyeball portions. Measuring cups are better, but a food scale is going to be the most accurate.

    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1296011/calorie-counting-101/p1
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1234699-logging-accurately-step-by-step-guide/p1
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1290491-how-and-why-to-use-a-digital-food-scale/p1

    And make sure that you've calculated your calorie goals appropriately. Remember that these are just estimates. You may need to play around a little to find what works best for you.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants/p1
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/819055-setting-your-calorie-and-macro-targets/p1

    If you're exercising and eating back your earned exercise calories, be sure that you're using accurate estimates of your burn. MFP and gym machines have a tendency to overestimate certain activities, which can cause you to eat back more calories than you need to. Even a heart rate monitor isn't 100% accurate. If you're eating those extra earned calories it might be a good idea to eat only 50-75% of those.

    And there's something to be said for the fact that some people just burn fewer calories than the generic equations predict. If you're an outlier due to size, age, or medical issues, then it may be best to check with your doctor or get a referral to a registered dietitian who can give you more specific advice.

    Thank you so much for your post!!! Specially the three articles you've posted! I don't weigh my food :( may be I have been eating too much or may be its water weight!!! I am going to order a kitchen digital scale to weigh my solid food now! Also... I think I need to be patient too.... Doing 30 minutes isn't easy for me and when the scales return no change I get frustrated! I was a size 8 (UK) 2 years back and now I am
    A size 14 - almost going to size 16!!!! I am not happy the way I am! I want to wear my old clothes again but it's going to take time! If it took 2 years to pile on the fat it's going to take time to lose it too!!!
  • callsitlikeiseeit
    callsitlikeiseeit Posts: 8,627 Member
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    you are eating more than you think you are.

    weigh. your. food.
  • Liftng4Lis
    Liftng4Lis Posts: 15,150 Member
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    A week isn't long enough. If it was, no one would be here.
  • Azurite27
    Azurite27 Posts: 554 Member
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    If you've only been here a total of a week, it's too soon to tell. But it wouldn't hurt to take others suggestions to weigh your food and eat only 50-75% of exercise calories (I don't suggest eating none if you're accurately weighing and measuring the majority of your food).
  • daniwilford
    daniwilford Posts: 1,030 Member
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    When people complain about a plateau, the real story is about one of two things, inaccuracies in measuring CI, CO or both, or losing patience with the process. Review your accuracy, make needed adjustments, then look back at past success, trust the CICO process, listen to other successes and look forward to the return of loss.
  • blossomingbutterfly
    blossomingbutterfly Posts: 743 Member
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    I think there's already some great advice in this thread. One week is not long enough, be consistent, read through the forums and the links others have provided. You can do this.
  • GeddesFit
    GeddesFit Posts: 75 Member
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    ItsmeDili wrote: »
    Hi all! I have been (mostly) within the daily calorie intake but haven't lost any weight since last week!! Since I started the weight loss journey I have been on crosstrainer for 30 minutes 6 days a week.,, I do sometimes eat back my calories but not excessively! Not sure what I am doing wrong!

    The weight gain can be muscle mass added. Are you drinking enough water? .5 oz per pound that you weigh is a good amount. I drink 76oz to 90oz per day.
  • DemoraFairy
    DemoraFairy Posts: 1,806 Member
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    GeddesFit wrote: »
    ItsmeDili wrote: »
    Hi all! I have been (mostly) within the daily calorie intake but haven't lost any weight since last week!! Since I started the weight loss journey I have been on crosstrainer for 30 minutes 6 days a week.,, I do sometimes eat back my calories but not excessively! Not sure what I am doing wrong!

    The weight gain can be muscle mass added. Are you drinking enough water? .5 oz per pound that you weigh is a good amount. I drink 76oz to 90oz per day.

    You don't gain (significant) muscle on a deficit, and not in a week.
  • Timshel_
    Timshel_ Posts: 22,834 Member
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    strong_curves wrote: »
    A week isn't enough time and if you're working out it could be water weight.

    Exactly. You need to be CONSISTENT over a month before you know if you have your calorie targets right. You might need to adjust down a bit if you still don't lose after that.

  • kat_princess12
    kat_princess12 Posts: 109 Member
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    A little bit up and down isn't abnormal, especially within the span of just a few days. Also, while I see people consistently pointing out (on this thread and others like it) that not losing weight means you're taking in more than you're burning, and advising to use food scales for everything and the like, I don't see anyone pointing out the painfully obvious: this site (or any other) cannot tell you exactly how many calories you burn in a day. It can create an estimate based on averages for your height, weight, gender, and activity level; but there is no way it can tell you exactly how much you, personally, burn. If you continue to work out and eat under the estimated calorie goal, and aren't losing weight, you might have to think about lowering your calorie goal or not eating back your exercise calories at all.
  • diannethegeek
    diannethegeek Posts: 14,776 Member
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    kat_princess12 wrote: »
    A little bit up and down isn't abnormal, especially within the span of just a few days. Also, while I see people consistently pointing out (on this thread and others like it) that not losing weight means you're taking in more than you're burning, and advising to use food scales for everything and the like, I don't see anyone pointing out the painfully obvious: this site (or any other) cannot tell you exactly how many calories you burn in a day. It can create an estimate based on averages for your height, weight, gender, and activity level; but there is no way it can tell you exactly how much you, personally, burn. If you continue to work out and eat under the estimated calorie goal, and aren't losing weight, you might have to think about lowering your calorie goal or not eating back your exercise calories at all.

    I specifically included that in my advice. I'm starting to think that no one reads posts beyond a certain length anymore. I use that copy/paste a lot in threads like these. Is there something that I could add or reword to make that more useful?

  • yarwell
    yarwell Posts: 10,477 Member
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    diannethegeek wrote: »
    I specifically included that in my advice. I'm starting to think that no one reads posts beyond a certain length anymore. I use that copy/paste a lot in threads like these. Is there something that I could add or reword to make that more useful?

    your post was a whole screen on my laptop, I didn't read most of it so guilty as charged. I'm sure it's very comprehensive but with 7 links etc I think it's just a bit much for me personally to engage with.

    We do live in the SMS / Twitter generation, think 160 characters or less perhaps ?

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