Eating 20% below TDEE and not losing.

yarnfanny

Hi everyone,

I'm 38, 5'5" and 157 lbs. Body fat is 28.8% (via calipers at gym). Something kicked on inside of me in early June and I started hitting Jazzercise hard, deciding I'd workout 5-6 hours a week. I started feeling better and better. Over two weeks ago I started eating super clean. I cut out all sugar and alcohol (I was drinking 2-3 glasses of wine a night--not healthy!). I cut out all processed foods. And I added in some weight training.

Through all of these changes and hard work the scale hasn't budged. I calculated my TDEE and I'm eating 20% below it, averaging 1500-1750 calories a day (I weigh and measure religiously, so I'm not cheating on portions). Do I need to cut down on carbs? Be patient? I'm feeling discouraged because neither the measurements nor the scale are changing and I've really overhauled my lifestyle.

Thank you!

arttchref

I am right there with you! For the past 7 weeks, I have been working out 6 days a week doing cardio, weights, water cardio, boot camp class and I even worked with a trainer. I have lost no weight at all and I am eating clean...no wheat, no cow's milk, very little sugar. I went and had my thyroid rechecked and my meds are working. The only thing that was low was vitamin D3 so I am now on a supplement. I am hoping that is the answer to my troubles because it is frustrating. It is like studying for a test all week and failing the test.

musicteacher40

I'm having the same issues... and it's starting to get depressing to the point that when my alarm goes off in the morning for me to get out of bed and work out, I've almost just turned it off and not worked out!... I'm almost on the verge of being obese, so I knew I needed to make a change, but just not seeing it and see how everyone loses weight and I'm not!

cupcakes_and_cardio

I would say to up your cals to about 1826 based on the formula/site I use. You may not be getting enough calorie intake for what you're exerting out. How many carbs do you eat now? I would say set your macros at 40p 30c 30f and see how that works out - the way I see it, the less carbs the better, the more protein, the better. I hope I could help a little.

This is the site I use: http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/#projectedweightloss

prattiger65

When did you start? I took a peek at your diary and really can't tell anything, not many days and some incomplete. Here is the thing, you calculated your TDEE, that may be off from reality to some degree. Also, you need to make sure you NET your calorie goal, meaning if you burn 200 exercising, you need to add 200 more calories for the day. So, 1380-200(exercise)=1180. You have to add that back, in other words you would consume 1580 to net 1380. With all that said, you have to give it two or three weeks, if you still have no loss, drop it by a couple hundred. Keep playing around until you find a combination that works, then stick with it. Good luck.

AJ_G

If you're new to lifting, you will gain muscle and strength pretty quickly, which will slow your overall weight loss, but you will be losing fat. Try to lower your BF% without worrying about your scale weight. Also, the TDEE calculators just give you a place to start, you have to find your own TDEE from that point. Based on my calculations, your BMR is 1465 calories, so your TDEE is anywhere from 1800 to 2300 calories depending on your activity level. Most important thing is regular weight lifting and try to do HIIT for cardio as opposed to steady state to prevent metabolic adaptation. Good luck

Francl27

It's totally normal at first not to lose weight. Muscles will retain water and whatnot. Keep doing what you're doing.

deksgrl

Did you calculate your TDEE before you increased your exercise? If so, recalculate with your new level of activity included.

Also, be sure you aren't also eating back exercise calories. Some people confuse that when using MFP.

And keep in mind that TDEE calculators are essentially just estimates. You personally may need more or less.

PepperWorm

When did you start? I took a peek at your diary and really can't tell anything, not many days and some incomplete. Here is the thing, you calculated your TDEE, that may be off from reality to some degree. Also, you need to make sure you NET your calorie goal, meaning if you burn 200 exercising, you need to add 200 more calories for the day. So, 1380-200(exercise)=1180. You have to add that back, in other words you would consume 1580 to net 1380. With all that said, you have to give it two or three weeks, if you still have no loss, drop it by a couple hundred. Keep playing around until you find a combination that works, then stick with it. Good luck.

No. If you're following the TDEE -20% method, you don't eat exercise calories back at all.

PepperWorm

- Are you measuring yourself with a tape?
- Calipers aren't that accurate. Use the above Scooby's Workshop.
- Your TDEE sounds too low in comparison to the level of exercise you have. Re-calculate your TDEE and eat according to those totals.
- Don't eat exercise calories. In fact, don't even bother with logging them. You can log them as a 1 calorie burn if you'd like to track your progress.
- The scale lies to you. You are changing your body composition and at times, it will not reflect on the scale. Don't let it bother you.
- Weigh your food on a digital food scale for accurate measuring of what you are consuming.

Good luck!

AmyRhubarb

Eat the food. As others have said, make sure your calculations are correct, and then aim for that daily goal. Not several hundred cals under - goal means GOAL! Your body needs that fuel, and you gotta feed that furnace if you want it to burn.

Faye_Anderson

Make sure you give all changes around 8 weeks to take effect

yarnfanny

Thanks, everyone. I guess I just get frustrated because there seems to be two schools of thought (eat more healthy fuel vs. cut back calories to 1200-1400, i.e. Weight Watchers and general diet advice). I'm doing the first and it's not coming off.

BUT!!!

This morning I measured and I've lost an inch off my waist in the past two weeks. The scale gave me the same stupid number, but the tape measure showed progress.

AmyRhubarb

Thanks, everyone. I guess I just get frustrated because there seems to be two schools of thought (eat more healthy fuel vs. cut back calories to 1200-1400, i.e. Weight Watchers and general diet advice). I'm doing the first and it's not coming off.

BUT!!!

This morning I measured and I've lost an inch off my waist in the past two weeks. The scale gave me the same stupid number, but the tape measure showed progress.

A loss on the tape measure trumps the dang scale every single time!! :drinker: If it helps, I went six months last year without losing a single pound - but during that time I lost many inches, more fat, and dropped a full size in my clothing! Who cares what the scale says if the inches are coming off?? No one sees your scale number, but they see you getting slimmer, more fit, wearing new clothes! That's a WIN! You're on the right track - stick with it.

NicoleDlugosz

In addition to the above suggestions about making sure your TDEE is calculated correctly, I have set my protein/carb/fat content percentages at 50% protein, 30-35% carbs (closer to 35% on hard workout days), and 15% fat to help with fat loss. I'm also drinking between 3 liters and 1 gallon of water per day. This will help with water retention.

musicteacher40

Check the sodium intake of your diet. I found that mine was high... when I began to reduce it, below what MFP said for me to be at, I began to lose weight!

bound4beauty

Be patient. I was in the same boat not too long ago. I would go for weeks without showing any scale weight loss and then I'd lose 1/2 pound or some weeks even gain. One week I showed a gain of 3 pounds. I was diligently tracking my calorie intake and calorie burn according to my Fitbit and knew that I was doing what I needed to be doing. In just the last two weeks, the scale has started moving again and I'm down 5 pounds. You also need to let your body adjust to weight training. Just keep doing what you're doing and give it at least 4 - 6 weeks and then see if you need to adjust. The most important things are consistency, the overall trend, how you're feeling, if you're getting stronger, if your clothes are fitting better and if what you're doing is sustainable for the long haul. Don't be in a rush. It will happen.