Loosing weight..... not according to the scales!
CharlesDixon2
Posts: 1 Member
I have been doing some fat burning programs on the treadmill and elliptical for 4 weeks - 40 mins 5 times a week. I know I have lost some belly fat and some on my face and back too but the scales say I weight the same as I did four weeks ago. I am male, 85kg and 48 years old. I have altered my diet - eating light and healthy, no booze with healthy snacks twice a day between meals and I just cannot understand why i have not changed on the scales. Any thoughts?
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Replies
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Congratulations, you've gained muscle! Sometimes a scale isn't the best way measure your fitness progress. Your mirror is! If you are gaining muscle and losing fat, your weight may stay about the same until muscle gain plateaus. But, like you've noticed, the appearance of the guy looking back at you in the mirror is improving! That's what it's all about!5
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Get a food scale and concentrate on how much you are eating because when it comes to fat loss, calories are all that matter. Healthy snacks don't matter if you're still eating too much.2
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Congratulations, you've gained muscle! Sometimes a scale isn't the best way measure your fitness progress. Your mirror is! If you are gaining muscle and losing fat, your weight may stay about the same until muscle gain plateaus. But, like you've noticed, the appearance of the guy looking back at you in the mirror is improving! That's what it's all about!
Sorry, but he isn't gaining muscle
OP, how are you measuring your calorie intake?1 -
Maybe too much cardio? When I was losing, I did cardio all the time and did not see results. When I changed my routine and added classes as well as weights and excercises using my body weight, I dropped more weight. Also, sometimes if you eat the same thing over and over, you won't lose.0
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Congratulations, you've gained muscle! Sometimes a scale isn't the best way measure your fitness progress. Your mirror is! If you are gaining muscle and losing fat, your weight may stay about the same until muscle gain plateaus. But, like you've noticed, the appearance of the guy looking back at you in the mirror is improving! That's what it's all about!
Sorry, but he isn't gaining muscle
OP, how are you measuring your calorie intake?
Why would it be that he isn't putting on muscle which is "heavier than fat"?2 -
caroldavison332 wrote: »Congratulations, you've gained muscle! Sometimes a scale isn't the best way measure your fitness progress. Your mirror is! If you are gaining muscle and losing fat, your weight may stay about the same until muscle gain plateaus. But, like you've noticed, the appearance of the guy looking back at you in the mirror is improving! That's what it's all about!
Sorry, but he isn't gaining muscle
OP, how are you measuring your calorie intake?
Why would it be that he isn't putting on muscle which is "heavier than fat"?
First, he is not putting on muscle by doing just a treadmill.
second = fat is not heavier than muscle, it is just more dence.
third - if you want to add muscle you need a progressive resistance program, coupled with a calorie surplus..
caveat - one can have newbie gains but those wont come from a treadmill exercise only...3 -
MommyL2015 wrote: »Get a food scale and concentrate on how much you are eating because when it comes to fat loss, calories are all that matter. Healthy snacks don't matter if you're still eating too much.
this1 -
Annamarie3404 wrote: »Maybe too much cardio? When I was losing, I did cardio all the time and did not see results. When I changed my routine and added classes as well as weights and excercises using my body weight, I dropped more weight. Also, sometimes if you eat the same thing over and over, you won't lose.
what????
you don't need exercise to lose weight it's all int he calorie deficit.
And why wouldn't you lose eating the same thing?2 -
Congratulations, you've gained muscle! Sometimes a scale isn't the best way measure your fitness progress. Your mirror is! If you are gaining muscle and losing fat, your weight may stay about the same until muscle gain plateaus. But, like you've noticed, the appearance of the guy looking back at you in the mirror is improving! That's what it's all about!
Sorry, but he isn't gaining muscle
OP, how are you measuring your calorie intake?
I second this. He isn't accidentally gaining muscle while doing cardio.
There MAY be some water retention from increased exercise.
OP- you haven't said anything about how much you're eating- one thing you'll quickly learn on My Fitness Pal:
it's not about WHAT you eat, it's about how much. You can eat "healthy" food all day long, but still be eating too much for weight loss. How much you eat is going to be the #1 reason whether or not you lose weight. - you can literally not exercise and still loose weight by limiting your daily calorie consumption. Exercise still has lots of great benefits though, so keeping up with it is great.
If it's been 4 weeks, you probably might want to start calorie-counting. Try to use a food scale if you have one, and be honest about everything you're eating.
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Annamarie3404 wrote: »Maybe too much cardio? When I was losing, I did cardio all the time and did not see results. When I changed my routine and added classes as well as weights and excercises using my body weight, I dropped more weight. Also, sometimes if you eat the same thing over and over, you won't lose.
1. Is it because of too much cardio? no
2. Will eating the same thing over-and-over prevent weight loss? no
OP, four weeks is not really enough to tell what is happening. But if you are not losing, it is because you are not eating at a deficit.1 -
Annamarie3404 wrote: »Maybe too much cardio? When I was losing, I did cardio all the time and did not see results. When I changed my routine and added classes as well as weights and excercises using my body weight, I dropped more weight. Also, sometimes if you eat the same thing over and over, you won't lose.
what????
you don't need exercise to lose weight it's all int he calorie deficit.
And why wouldn't you lose eating the same thing?
Because everybody is different, and maybe, just maybe eating the exact same thing, exercising the exact same way doesn't work for us. Did that ever occur to you?
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Annamarie3404 wrote: »Maybe too much cardio? When I was losing, I did cardio all the time and did not see results. When I changed my routine and added classes as well as weights and excercises using my body weight, I dropped more weight. Also, sometimes if you eat the same thing over and over, you won't lose.
what????
you don't need exercise to lose weight it's all int he calorie deficit.
And why wouldn't you lose eating the same thing?
And when exactly did I say that you didn't need to exercise to lose weight? Did you even read my post? Or did you make an assumption based on the first sentence? SMH0 -
Annamarie3404 wrote: »Annamarie3404 wrote: »Maybe too much cardio? When I was losing, I did cardio all the time and did not see results. When I changed my routine and added classes as well as weights and excercises using my body weight, I dropped more weight. Also, sometimes if you eat the same thing over and over, you won't lose.
what????
you don't need exercise to lose weight it's all int he calorie deficit.
And why wouldn't you lose eating the same thing?
Because everybody is different, and maybe, just maybe eating the exact same thing, exercising the exact same way doesn't work for us. Did that ever occur to you?
CICO applies to everyone as it is basic math and science.3 -
Annamarie3404 wrote: »Annamarie3404 wrote: »Maybe too much cardio? When I was losing, I did cardio all the time and did not see results. When I changed my routine and added classes as well as weights and excercises using my body weight, I dropped more weight. Also, sometimes if you eat the same thing over and over, you won't lose.
what????
you don't need exercise to lose weight it's all int he calorie deficit.
And why wouldn't you lose eating the same thing?
And when exactly did I say that you didn't need to exercise to lose weight? Did you even read my post? Or did you make an assumption based on the first sentence? SMH
Bottom line is- too much cardio is not the problem. That's your anecdote, but you were probably eating too much when you weren't seeing results. It wasn't because you were doing cardio all the time. Maybe you had some water retention or something, but doing cardio is not going to stop anyone from losing weight.
Also- if you eat the same thing over and over, and maintain a deficit, you will lose. If you eat the same thing over and over but are eating too much for weight loss (no calorie deficit) you won't lose weight. What you eat doesn't matter- it's how much.1 -
Annamarie3404 wrote: »Annamarie3404 wrote: »Maybe too much cardio? When I was losing, I did cardio all the time and did not see results. When I changed my routine and added classes as well as weights and excercises using my body weight, I dropped more weight. Also, sometimes if you eat the same thing over and over, you won't lose.
what????
you don't need exercise to lose weight it's all int he calorie deficit.
And why wouldn't you lose eating the same thing?
And when exactly did I say that you didn't need to exercise to lose weight? Did you even read my post? Or did you make an assumption based on the first sentence? SMH
I think you should re-read hers...SHE said you don't need to exercise to lose weight, it's all in the calorie deficit, because that is fact. CICO. You can lose weight by adjusting your eating, you don't have to exercise.
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I didn't change my calorie intake, I changed my diet. No processed foods, very low carb, no sodas, no red meat, etc. It worked for me. The point is, everybody loses differently. I eat a near vegetarian diet, and do yoga, swimming, weights, cardio (treadmill, bike, fx), zumba. IT worked for ME.0
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Annamarie3404 wrote: »I didn't change my calorie intake, I changed my diet. No processed foods, very low carb, no sodas, no red meat, etc. It worked for me. The point is, everybody loses differently. I eat a near vegetarian diet, and do yoga, swimming, weights, cardio (treadmill, bike, fx), zumba. IT worked for ME.
so you replaced high calorie foods with low calorie foods and created a calorie deficit. So CICO worked for you, congrats.5 -
Annamarie3404 wrote: »I didn't change my calorie intake, I changed my diet. No processed foods, very low carb, no sodas, no red meat, etc. It worked for me. The point is, everybody loses differently. I eat a near vegetarian diet, and do yoga, swimming, weights, cardio (treadmill, bike, fx), zumba. IT worked for ME.
no everyone loses because of a calorie deficit, how they achieve that deficit is different.
you chose to exercise more and eat the same...grats. CICO proved again...gotta love science.3 -
Annamarie3404 wrote: »I didn't change my calorie intake, I changed my diet. No processed foods, very low carb, no sodas, no red meat, etc. It worked for me. The point is, everybody loses differently. I eat a near vegetarian diet, and do yoga, swimming, weights, cardio (treadmill, bike, fx), zumba. IT worked for ME.
so you replaced high calorie foods with low calorie foods and created a calorie deficit. So CICO worked for you, congrats.
Yes that is what she did.. so if you consider:
She went low carb lost a lot of water weight, cut out processed foods hense lower sodium, and if she by chance was cutting calories enough to be in a deficit, then yes weight was lost.
That weight could be fat, water and muscle and muscle depends on how aggressive the loss rate.
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Annamarie3404 wrote: »I didn't change my calorie intake, I changed my diet. No processed foods, very low carb, no sodas, no red meat, etc. It worked for me. The point is, everybody loses differently. I eat a near vegetarian diet, and do yoga, swimming, weights, cardio (treadmill, bike, fx), zumba. IT worked for ME.
so you replaced high calorie foods with low calorie foods and created a calorie deficit. So CICO worked for you, congrats.
Yes that is what she did.. so if you consider:
She went low carb lost a lot of water weight, cut out processed foods hense lower sodium, and if she by chance was cutting calories enough to be in a deficit, then yes weight was lost.
That weight could be fat, water and muscle and muscle depends on how aggressive the loss rate.
i am assuming if she truly went low carb that it was a cut in calories as low carb foods tend to be less calorie dense...but yes I agree that the loss was fat, muscle, and water...1 -
Annamarie3404 wrote: »I didn't change my calorie intake, I changed my diet. No processed foods, very low carb, no sodas, no red meat, etc. It worked for me. The point is, everybody loses differently. I eat a near vegetarian diet, and do yoga, swimming, weights, cardio (treadmill, bike, fx), zumba. IT worked for ME.
so you replaced high calorie foods with low calorie foods and created a calorie deficit. So CICO worked for you, congrats.
Yes that is what she did.. so if you consider:
She went low carb lost a lot of water weight, cut out processed foods hense lower sodium, and if she by chance was cutting calories enough to be in a deficit, then yes weight was lost.
That weight could be fat, water and muscle and muscle depends on how aggressive the loss rate.
i am assuming if she truly went low carb that it was a cut in calories as low carb foods tend to be less calorie dense...but yes I agree that the loss was fat, muscle, and water...
We are on the same page!
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CharlesDixon2 wrote: »I have been doing some fat burning programs on the treadmill and elliptical for 4 weeks - 40 mins 5 times a week. I know I have lost some belly fat and some on my face and back too but the scales say I weight the same as I did four weeks ago. I am male, 85kg and 48 years old. I have altered my diet - eating light and healthy, no booze with healthy snacks twice a day between meals and I just cannot understand why i have not changed on the scales. Any thoughts?
1. If it's only been 4 weeks or so, don't sweat it! Normal fluctuations happen and unfortunately sometimes we stall for a week or two even when we're doing everything right. Give your body some time to catch up with the changes you're making.
2. If you aren't already, be sure that you're logging everything. Sometimes people forget about things like veggies, drinks, cooking oils, and condiments. For some people these can add up to enough to halt your weight loss progress.
3. Consider buying a food scale if you don't already have one. They're about $10-$20 dollars in the US and easily found at places like Amazon, Target, and Walmart. Measuring cups and spoons are great, but they do come with some degree of inaccuracy. A food scale will be more accurate, and for some people it makes a big difference.
4. Logging accurately also means choosing accurate entries in the database. There are a lot of user-entered entries that are off. Double-check that you're using good entries and/or using the recipe builder instead of someone else's homemade entries.
5. Recalculate your goals if you haven't lately. As you lose weight your body requires fewer calories to run. Be sure you update your goals every ten pounds or so.
6. If you're eating back your exercise calories and you're relying on gym machine readouts or MFP's estimates, it might be best to eat back just 50-75% of those. Certain activities tend to be overestimated. If you're using an HRM or activity tracker, it might be a good idea to look into their accuracy and be sure that yours is calibrated properly.
7. If you're taking any cheat days that go over your calorie limits, it might be best to cut them out for a few weeks and see what happens. Some people go way over their calorie needs without realizing it when they don't track.
8. If you weigh yourself frequently, consider using a program like trendweight to even out the fluctuations. You could be losing weight but just don't see it because of the daily ups and downs.
9. Some people just burn fewer calories than the calculators predict. If you continue to have problems after 4-6 weeks, then it might be worth a trip to the doctor or a registered dietitian who can give you more specific advice.4 -
Things might be moving around. I'm in sort of the same boat. Clothes are fitting better, belt is another notch tighter, but the scales aren't moving. Maybe water weight, who really knows. Just keep working at things and be as accurate as possible. Don't worry about the number on the scale as much. Think more about how you look/feel.1
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Annamarie3404 wrote: »I didn't change my calorie intake, I changed my diet. No processed foods, very low carb, no sodas, no red meat, etc. It worked for me. The point is, everybody loses differently. I eat a near vegetarian diet, and do yoga, swimming, weights, cardio (treadmill, bike, fx), zumba. IT worked for ME.
so you replaced high calorie foods with low calorie foods and created a calorie deficit. So CICO worked for you, congrats.
Yes that is what she did.. so if you consider:
She went low carb lost a lot of water weight, cut out processed foods hense lower sodium, and if she by chance was cutting calories enough to be in a deficit, then yes weight was lost.
That weight could be fat, water and muscle and muscle depends on how aggressive the loss rate.
It was slow weight loss after the initial loss. I was on dialysis (I'm off now because I had a transplant ) and on a low phosphorus, low potassium, low sodium, high protein diet. Many fruits and veggies were not allowed. This is the reason I don't like meat anymore since they were in every meal I ate. I gained because of the high carbs. I also gained because I didn't have the energy to put into a workout the way I once had. I'm still losing...30 more to go. Since I'm stuck inside b/c of the weather, I'm trying out yoga (flexibility, balance and core strength). I'm also able to get back into the pool again because I have the PD cath out...and I have more energy to do this type of activity.
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caroldavison332 wrote: »Congratulations, you've gained muscle! Sometimes a scale isn't the best way measure your fitness progress. Your mirror is! If you are gaining muscle and losing fat, your weight may stay about the same until muscle gain plateaus. But, like you've noticed, the appearance of the guy looking back at you in the mirror is improving! That's what it's all about!
Sorry, but he isn't gaining muscle
OP, how are you measuring your calorie intake?
Why would it be that he isn't putting on muscle which is "heavier than fat"?
First, he is not putting on muscle by doing just a treadmill.
second = fat is not heavier than muscle, it is just more dence.
third - if you want to add muscle you need a progressive resistance program, coupled with a calorie surplus..
caveat - one can have newbie gains but those wont come from a treadmill exercise only...
Per volume, muscle does weigh more.0 -
Same with me, scale stopped moving but my clothes feel looser0
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Please read @diannethegeek's comment a few posts above to figure out what you can do differentlySame with me, scale stopped moving but my clothes feel looser
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