Scale not moving? Not losing weight?

_Figgzie_
_Figgzie_ Posts: 3,506 Member
edited February 2016 in Health and Weight Loss
99.9% of the time YOU ARE NOT IN A CALORIC DEFICIT. You are NOT gaining muscle as fast as you are losing fat. Muscle does NOT weigh more than fat. What weighs more, 100 pounds of feathers or 100 pounds of bricks? If you are in a "plateau" that simply means the way you are eating and exercising is exactly what needs to be done to stay at the weight you are. Log EVERYTHING. You are eating MORE than you are estimating and you are burning LESS than you are estimating. Eat less, move more. The scale will move.
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Replies

  • HutchA12
    HutchA12 Posts: 279 Member
    edited February 2016
    The muscle thing is about density not weight. Generally 100 pounds of bricks will be more dense then 100 pounds worth of feathers while both have the same weight.
  • Yi5hedr3
    Yi5hedr3 Posts: 2,696 Member
    Dumb post.
  • _Figgzie_
    _Figgzie_ Posts: 3,506 Member
    dense maybe but if they both weight 100 pounds then.................they both weigh 100 pounds
  • shadow4478
    shadow4478 Posts: 37 Member
    _Figgzie_ wrote: »
    99.9% of the time YOU ARE NOT IN A CALORIC DEFICIT. You are NOT gaining muscle as fast as you are losing fat. Muscle does NOT weigh more than fat. What weighs more, 100 pounds of feathers or 100 pounds of bricks? If you are in a "plateau" that simply means the way you are eating and exercising is exactly what needs to be done to stay at the weight you are. Log EVERYTHING. You are eating MORE than you are estimating and you are burning LESS than you are estimating. Eat less, move more. The scale will move.

    So.... what are you trying to tell everyone ?
    Is it a fact, comparison, question or rant?
  • _Figgzie_
    _Figgzie_ Posts: 3,506 Member
    I'm not TRYING to tell everyone. I AM telling everyone............scale not moving? Not in a deficit. Clear enough?
  • callsitlikeiseeit
    callsitlikeiseeit Posts: 8,626 Member
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  • callsitlikeiseeit
    callsitlikeiseeit Posts: 8,626 Member
    _Figgzie_ wrote: »
    I'm not TRYING to tell everyone. I AM telling everyone............scale not moving? Not in a deficit. Clear enough?

    you seem very upset. do you need a snickers bar?
  • Mavrick_RN
    Mavrick_RN Posts: 439 Member
    I think it's a response to those posts about someone lifting weights for three weeks, whining about not losing weight and getting a response that they're gaining so much muscle that it weighs more than the fat they've lost, blah da blah.

    That does indeed get old.
  • CollieFit
    CollieFit Posts: 1,683 Member
    The constant responses of "you're probably building muscle / turning fat into muscle" and (based on no evidence) "you need to eat MORE you're probably in starvation mode" make me want to weep too. LOL
  • punisher532
    punisher532 Posts: 2 Member
    Muscle is denser than fat and takes up less space.....if you're losing adipose tissue and gaing lean body mass the scale may not move but the mirror should show you looking smaller and "tighter"
  • RoxieDawn
    RoxieDawn Posts: 15,488 Member
    What's the point of this thread. If there is a debate here, there is a debate forum.

    I love being yelled out in CAPS!!
  • diannethegeek
    diannethegeek Posts: 14,776 Member
    Muscle is denser than fat and takes up less space.....if you're losing adipose tissue and gaing lean body mass the scale may not move but the mirror should show you looking smaller and "tighter"

    I think the point is that muscle gain is much slower than weight loss and not very common while someone is eating at a deficit. Someone whose weight has stalled simply isn't swapping equivalent amounts of fat for muscle every wekk. Muscle gain doesn't happen fast enough to offset the fat loss someone should be seeing. And they need to look elsewhere for the cause (generally either water retention, patience, or food intake).
  • RoxieDawn
    RoxieDawn Posts: 15,488 Member
    I should have said this, despite this thread being created, there will still be a newbie or someone relatively new having issues with their deficit and what not in order to start loosing weight or break that stall and they will post their own personal thread here on MFP for direct help.

    As a matter of fact, there will be someone that will not see this probably in about 5 minutes and still ask the questions and we will still respond and help them. I have that chart above and use it when needed.

    So this thread is sort of pointless plus the directness in OP way to distribute knowledge is a bit hostel IMHO.
  • diannethegeek
    diannethegeek Posts: 14,776 Member
    gia07 wrote: »
    I should have said this, despite this thread being created, there will still be a newbie or someone relatively new having issues with their deficit and what not in order to start loosing weight or break that stall and they will post their own personal thread here on MFP for direct help.

    As a matter of fact, there will be someone that will not see this probably in about 5 minutes and still ask the questions and we will still respond and help them. I have that chart above and use it when needed.

    So this thread is sort of pointless plus the directness in OP way to distribute knowledge is a bit hostel IMHO.

    If this is the measure by which we determine if a post is useful or pointless, then all of the stickied threads and guides are pointless. Maybe some lurkers will find this thread and take the information on board. Some people respond well to tough love. Others don't and may start their own thread or search out a fluffier one (there are a few in the stickies that might help). But it feels like it's too late to debate whether or not this thread should exist. It's here. If you want it removed you're welcome to petition the mods.
  • I completely disagree with your 99.9% statistic, there are a lot of factors that go into weight loss. I agree that much of the time people are not in a calorie deficit but it is no where near 99.9%. Get off your high horse.
  • jkal1979
    jkal1979 Posts: 1,896 Member
    _Figgzie_ wrote: »
    I'm not TRYING to tell everyone. I AM telling everyone............scale not moving? Not in a deficit. Clear enough?

    I think the flowchart is a lot more useful. At least that gives more specific solutions than the generic one you are passive aggressively trying to get across.
  • _Figgzie_
    _Figgzie_ Posts: 3,506 Member
    no flow chart needed. not losing weight? eat less, move more. simple.
  • _Figgzie_
    _Figgzie_ Posts: 3,506 Member
    Muscle is denser than fat and takes up less space.....if you're losing adipose tissue and gaing lean body mass the scale may not move but the mirror should show you looking smaller and "tighter"

    I think the point is that muscle gain is much slower than weight loss and not very common while someone is eating at a deficit. Someone whose weight has stalled simply isn't swapping equivalent amounts of fat for muscle every wekk. Muscle gain doesn't happen fast enough to offset the fat loss someone should be seeing. And they need to look elsewhere for the cause (generally either water retention, patience, or food intake).

    yes! I am reading so many threads where people actually say that on a week to week basis the scale is not moving because they are losing fat and gaining muscle equally at the same time! Or their weight loss has stalled because they are in "starvation mode" and need to UP their calories to start losing weight again. It's incredible.
  • ElizabethOakes2
    ElizabethOakes2 Posts: 1,038 Member
    I completely disagree with your 99.9% statistic, there are a lot of factors that go into weight loss. I agree that much of the time people are not in a calorie deficit but it is no where near 99.9%. Get off your high horse.

    Yup this,
    SOmeone who doesn't have any kind of metabolism problem doesn't/won't/will never get it. "No flow chart needed"... obviously it's needed or it we wouldn't have one. (I love flowy-charty!).
  • _Figgzie_
    _Figgzie_ Posts: 3,506 Member
    I completely disagree with your 99.9% statistic, there are a lot of factors that go into weight loss. I agree that much of the time people are not in a calorie deficit but it is no where near 99.9%. Get off your high horse.

    no high horse here, just common sense

    http://www.acaloriecounter.com/blog/why-am-i-not-losing-weight/comment-page-2/#comment-35848
  • _Figgzie_
    _Figgzie_ Posts: 3,506 Member
    _Figgzie_ wrote: »
    I'm not TRYING to tell everyone. I AM telling everyone............scale not moving? Not in a deficit. Clear enough?

    you seem very upset. do you need a snickers bar?

    I love a Snickers bar, Kit Kats are better though
  • diannethegeek
    diannethegeek Posts: 14,776 Member
    _Figgzie_ wrote: »
    no flow chart needed. not losing weight? eat less, move more. simple.

    Here we're going to disagree. The flowchart is great because it helps people figure out where their thinking if off. Eat less isn't always useful information. Sometimes the answer is to wait more than 3 days before expecting results. Sometimes it's to use better estimates or stop trusting overblown exercise calories. Arming people with information above and beyond "eat less" gives them more tools for long term success.
  • Expatmommy79
    Expatmommy79 Posts: 940 Member
    Your attention seeking behaviour is worrying.
  • _Figgzie_
    _Figgzie_ Posts: 3,506 Member
    I think people over complicate things, I did it for a long time when I was having trouble losing weight. A personal trainer friend of mine told me the simple words that have help me lose 100 pounds........."eat less, move more"............scale not moving? do one or both. losing weight? don't change a thing!
  • trjjoy
    trjjoy Posts: 666 Member
    I agree the flowchart is unnecessary. Eat at a deficit and bam! Weight loss.
  • _Figgzie_
    _Figgzie_ Posts: 3,506 Member
    Your attention seeking behaviour is worrying.

    people's lack of common sense is worrying!! I got tired of reading threads with eat more to lose weight, starvation mode, you're losing fat and gaining muscle at the same time, blah blah blah
  • _Figgzie_
    _Figgzie_ Posts: 3,506 Member
    trjjoy wrote: »
    I agree the flowchart is unnecessary. Eat at a deficit and bam! Weight loss.

    a voice of reason, FINALLY lol..............I'm being told I'm seeking attention in here lol! thanks for stating what I agree with and what is obviously not obvious!
  • _Figgzie_
    _Figgzie_ Posts: 3,506 Member
    Mavrick_RN wrote: »
    I think it's a response to those posts about someone lifting weights for three weeks, whining about not losing weight and getting a response that they're gaining so much muscle that it weighs more than the fat they've lost, blah da blah.

    That does indeed get old.

    INDEED! It's maddening. That's the reason I posted this thread.
  • _Figgzie_
    _Figgzie_ Posts: 3,506 Member
    CollieFit wrote: »
    The constant responses of "you're probably building muscle / turning fat into muscle" and (based on no evidence) "you need to eat MORE you're probably in starvation mode" make me want to weep too. LOL

    AMEN!!!
  • _Figgzie_
    _Figgzie_ Posts: 3,506 Member
    gia07 wrote: »
    What's the point of this thread. If there is a debate here, there is a debate forum.

    I love being yelled out in CAPS!!

    the point of the thread is obvious. I hope.