URGH......Not loosing yet! Working out 3 wks now! :(

erikasmith2013
erikasmith2013 Posts: 104
in Health and Weight Loss
Hello Everyone:

I value all of your opinions and that is why I am posting again. I Have been working out now for 3 wks...the first 11/2 wks the cardio was iffy...(just the Ellyptical for 30 min, I am NOT a cardio person) and weight training, breaking it down per body parts such as "arm day, leg day, etc) Anyways...The past week and a half I have built up to running at 4.5 for 5 min. then rest at 3.5 or 3.0 for 2 min, then all over again with the 5 min for a duration of 30 minutes. Although it kills me, since I hate running...lol, after running I feel GREAT!!!!

However I would've thought that by now I would have some some pounds...I am 203 lbs :( .
What am I doing wrong...I am counting my calories...drinking water, fruits and veggies...the only day in which I indulged on some Puerto Rican (thanks to mua') food was yesterday but for the most part I try to walk everywhere at work and I thought it would have made me drop a few lbs. by now!!!!

I feel sad, sonfused and discourage....what is up with my body? Am I getting too old (36 lbs) for my body to loose faster?

HELP??? any suggestions other than some videos...my place is NOT built for doing videos at all (lol)

Thanks
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Replies

  • ladynocturne
    ladynocturne Posts: 865 Member
    Hi there!

    To better help you please post your current height and weight.

    Also how many calories you are eating a day and how many calories you're burning during exercise. Thanks! =)
  • erikasmith2013
    erikasmith2013 Posts: 104
    I am 5'4 and I weigh 203. I have always been a sports junkie doing tons of them when I was younger and coached Volleyball and Softball for many years. Anyways... I hide my weight well (since I am Latina) but it is CRAZY to me that I am 203 lbs.
  • ladynocturne
    ladynocturne Posts: 865 Member
    I am 5'4 and I weigh 203. I have always been a sports junkie doing tons of them when I was younger and coached Volleyball and Softball for many years. Anyways... I hide my weight well (since I am Latina) but it is CRAZY to me that I am 203 lbs.

    Your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE) is 1997 calories a day, this is how many calories you can eat to maintain your current weight. http://www.fitnessfrog.com/calculators/tdee-calculator.html

    To lose 1lb a week you need to consume 500 less calories, so (lets round up to 2000 from 1997)
    2000-500=1500 calories a day with zero exercise to lose 1lb a week.

    If you exercise eat 1500+ whatever you burn. If you feel that MFP over estimates your caloric burn, you can choose to eat closer to 50%-80%. Some things like walking at 3.0mph are more accurate than... lets say Zumba or the elliptical, since there aren't any specifications for how fast you're going or what resistance you're at.
  • erikasmith2013
    erikasmith2013 Posts: 104
    I am running at 4.5 (mpg?) is that how to say it?...lol Anyways... I am running at that speed and I kick it up to 5.0 (speed) at times! I am pretty much doing 2 miles and a bit longer in 30 minutes!
  • lisajsund
    lisajsund Posts: 366 Member
    How much protein are you eating? MFP gives the standard 15% based on USDA recommendations, but I've had better luck striving to obtain 25-30% of protein in my daily diet. Might be something to try.
  • iwillbetinytea
    iwillbetinytea Posts: 264 Member
    You've not answered the key question - how many calories are you eating a day??
  • MzManiak
    MzManiak Posts: 1,361 Member
    I am 5'4 and I weigh 203. I have always been a sports junkie doing tons of them when I was younger and coached Volleyball and Softball for many years. Anyways... I hide my weight well (since I am Latina) but it is CRAZY to me that I am 203 lbs.

    Your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE) is 1997 calories a day, this is how many calories you can eat to maintain your current weight. http://www.fitnessfrog.com/calculators/tdee-calculator.html

    To lose 1lb a week you need to consume 500 less calories, so (lets round up to 2000 from 1997)
    2000-500=1500 calories a day with zero exercise to lose 1lb a week.

    If you exercise eat 1500+ whatever you burn. If you feel that MFP over estimates your caloric burn, you can choose to eat closer to 50%-80%. Some things like walking at 3.0mph are more accurate than... lets say Zumba or the elliptical, since there aren't any specifications for how fast you're going or what resistance you're at.

    +1
    You don't have your diary open for us to see... but these numbers are a good place to start. :smile:
  • ladynocturne
    ladynocturne Posts: 865 Member
    I am running at 4.5 (mpg?) is that how to say it?...lol Anyways... I am running at that speed and I kick it up to 5.0 (speed) at times! I am pretty much doing 2 miles and a bit longer in 30 minutes!

    I'd say MFP is probably going to be pretty accurate, so I'd eat back 80%-90% of what you burn running. Also keep in mind that whenever you start a workout routine, muscles store water as they repair, it's not uncommon to not lose any weight, or to even gain a little bit temporarily. It'll pass.
  • erikasmith2013
    erikasmith2013 Posts: 104
    My bad...lol, I have been eating between 1200 to 1300 calories!
  • chantels1
    chantels1 Posts: 391 Member
    If you want real help open up your diary... Also you have not stated THE MOST IMPORTANT FACTOR... are you losing inches??? Muscle weighs more than fat, so the number really doesn't matter. It doesn't tell you if you are getting skinnier. It tells you if you are losing body mass. But what is most important is the inches. Muscle being leaner is thinner than fat. So you can lose inches and gain weight! But you will be skinnier, so who cares right? A number on the scale is irrelevant!

    So I suggest opening your diary, so we can see what's going on, and give you more advice! ;-)
  • iwillbetinytea
    iwillbetinytea Posts: 264 Member
    Well you should be losing then. Energy in is less than energy out.
  • diannethegeek
    diannethegeek Posts: 14,776 Member
    If you want real help open up your diary... Also you have not stated THE MOST IMPORTANT FACTOR... are you losing inches??? Muscle weighs more than fat, so the number really doesn't matter. It doesn't tell you if you are getting skinnier. It tells you if you are losing body mass. But what is most important is the inches. Muscle being leaner is thinner than fat. So you can lose inches and gain weight! But you will be skinnier, so who cares right? A number on the scale is irrelevant!

    So I suggest opening your diary, so we can see what's going on, and give you more advice! ;-)

    OP is incredibly unlikely to be building muscle on 1200 calories a day.
  • tara_lynn_80
    tara_lynn_80 Posts: 4 Member
    It is possible that the 1200-1300 range is not enough calories. For me personally, when I consume less than 14-1500 calories a day my body protests, it goes into starvation mode and I either maintain or gain weight. As soon as I increase my intake to 15-1700, that is when I start losing. Just a thought.
  • diannethegeek
    diannethegeek Posts: 14,776 Member
    My bad...lol, I have been eating between 1200 to 1300 calories!

    I know it sounds counter-intuitive, but a lot of us have found that our bodies won't let go of the fat if we drop our calories too drastically. Take a look at the numbers the poster above gave you and consider increasing your intake a bit.
  • ladynocturne
    ladynocturne Posts: 865 Member
    My bad...lol, I have been eating between 1200 to 1300 calories!

    1200-1300 is "okay", but its healthier to eat as close to your BMR as possible, which is:
    Your estimated BMR is: 1,596 calories/day

    The reason it's better is because when you eat below your BMR, the ratio at which you lose lean muscle mass to fat increases. Resulting in scale weight loss, but the end result you might not look the way you thought, plus a slower metabolism to boot.

    While it's completely up to you, I would suggest no matter what route you take from 1200-1500 calories a day that you eat your exercise calories back to ensure that you maintain a safe caloric deficit.
  • MyJourney1960
    MyJourney1960 Posts: 1,133 Member
    it will help if you open your diary and we can try to pinpoint any problem areas.
  • Mia_RagazzaTosta
    Mia_RagazzaTosta Posts: 4,885 Member
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JVjWPclrWVY

    I can't remember who posted this first, but it's been posted here before.

    Are you using a food scale to measure your intake? Logging daily?
  • erikasmith2013
    erikasmith2013 Posts: 104
    I opened my Diaries...please be gentle people! I am looking for support not put down (lol) Enjoy the viewing! :)
  • luckydays27
    luckydays27 Posts: 552 Member
    My bad...lol, I have been eating between 1200 to 1300 calories!

    There's your problem. Not enough cals coming in for the amount you burn off.

    It might not make sense but eat more food and you will lose. At least 1600 a day and probably more than that.
  • diannethegeek
    diannethegeek Posts: 14,776 Member
    I opened my Diaries...please be gentle people! I am looking for support not put down (lol) Enjoy the viewing! :)

    You say your goal is 1200-1300 calories, but most days you don't seem to even reach 1000. Please, at the very least reach your goal of 1200 calories a day with a little more on days you exercise. Although I still recommend looking at the numbers provided to you above and increasing your calories even further. I understand it can be hard for some people to accept eating that much, but it's made a huge difference for a lot of us.
  • erikasmith2013
    erikasmith2013 Posts: 104
    To be honest I am eyeing it out when it comes to food portions. That was my initial issue I am NOT a food junky...however I will eat a LOT in one sitting. So maybe I should measure the foods? and as for increasing the calories.. I like that idea....lol!
  • Bekahmardis
    Bekahmardis Posts: 602 Member
    To be honest I am eyeing it out when it comes to food portions. That was my initial issue I am NOT a food junky...however I will eat a LOT in one sitting. So maybe I should measure the foods? and as for increasing the calories.. I like that idea....lol!
    Accurate measuring and logging are the basic first steps you need to take. If you don't know how mnay calories you are eating, there's no way to accurately figure out how much to NOT eat.

    Get a food scale and start weighing EVERYTHING - I bet it will be an eye opener for you. :)
  • erikasmith2013
    erikasmith2013 Posts: 104
    I am going to up my calories then... it just makes it hard bc I think...ohh yeah more food to eat (which in terms means MORE food to eat, if that makes sense.) But i will try that and go from there. I think you guys know what you are talking about so I will change it up!
  • ladynocturne
    ladynocturne Posts: 865 Member
    I am going to up my calories then... it just makes it hard bc I think...ohh yeah more food to eat (which in terms means MORE food to eat, if that makes sense.) But i will try that and go from there. I think you guys know what you are talking about so I will change it up!

    Just give it some time. Eating more grams of food will make your body store extra waste and you'll naturally be getting more sodium, which can make you store water weight, don't freak out if you gain a little, it's temporary and not fat.
  • Mia_RagazzaTosta
    Mia_RagazzaTosta Posts: 4,885 Member
    To be honest I am eyeing it out when it comes to food portions. That was my initial issue I am NOT a food junky...however I will eat a LOT in one sitting. So maybe I should measure the foods? and as for increasing the calories.. I like that idea....lol!
    Accurate measuring and logging are the basic first steps you need to take. If you don't know how mnay calories you are eating, there's no way to accurately figure out how much to NOT eat.

    Get a food scale and start weighing EVERYTHING - I bet it will be an eye opener for you. :)

    Agree. Don't increase your calories yet. Start weighing everything to see if your eyeballing is even close. If you're weighing everything and really are eating less than 1200, then by all means increase.
  • Frank_Just_Frank
    Frank_Just_Frank Posts: 454 Member
    I was in the same situation. I kept losing and gaining the same 5 pounds for months and it wasn't until lately that my weight finally started dropping consistently. It took me 105 days to lose 10 pounds.

    Eat a reasonable amount of calories from good food and get active. Other than that, it's patience.
  • wareagle8706
    wareagle8706 Posts: 1,090 Member
    First and foremost: PATIENCE. 3 weeks is not long enough to see progress.

    Secondly, watch what you're eating more closely.
    Third, Run OUTSIDE not on a treadmill. Run 2 minute, walk 1 for at least 30 minute 3 times a week and that's plenty.
    Fourth, lift weights at least twice a week.

    That's all you need for success.

    Stick to it.
  • Beckyloo80
    Beckyloo80 Posts: 1,088 Member
    I can tell by looking at your diary that you aren't eating enough. 1200-1300 is too little for you. try to aim for 1500 and you should start losing. Invest in a food scale. that really helped me.
  • dailytammy
    dailytammy Posts: 49 Member
    looked at your diary try eating clean, less sugar and carbs and more protein and make sure your reaching the calorie goals :)
  • delaniecastillo
    delaniecastillo Posts: 284
    I went from 1200 and bumped it to 1500-1650 (sometimes 1850) and started losing weight. 1200 was too little for me and I have been steadily dropping. Can't drive a car without gas do remember you're body will hold onto all the fat if it thinks you are starving yourself. I learned the hard way. Don't make my mistake!

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