Getting frustrated

sexymom04
sexymom04 Posts: 263 Member
edited November 15 in Motivation and Support
I'm getting frustrated, I do strength training 5 days a week, cardio every day and watch my diet but yet the scale hasn't moved still the same for the last three weeks. I did start this program at the beginning of the month but no change for 3 weeks?? I don't get it?

Replies

  • L1zardQueen
    L1zardQueen Posts: 8,753 Member
    Do you use a food scale?
  • sexymom04
    sexymom04 Posts: 263 Member
    Yes I use a food scale
  • singingflutelady
    singingflutelady Posts: 8,736 Member
    EricaCraigie wrote: »
    Don't worry.. the fat loss could be balanced out by muscle gains. This is why it's important to take progress photos and do body measurements. . Going by weight isn't very accurate. Keep it up!

    How much muscle do you think a woman can gain in a month of strength training?
  • singingflutelady
    singingflutelady Posts: 8,736 Member
    Fluid retention is a likely cause
  • fiddletime
    fiddletime Posts: 1,868 Member
    If you use a food scale then it sounds like you know the drill for the calories in side. I'd double check your settings in MFP. I put in the lowest activity (Im not really the lowest tho) and eat back only 1/2 to 2/3 my exercise calories. That got me losing when I stuck.

    I also don't trust the exercise calorie burn on MFP and put in a third less than what they say, based on my Polar chest strap burn based on a very accurate heart rate. I used the Polar a lot to check burns for running, biking, and walking. Now I just know that it's way too high, for me and my metabolism.
  • treesha450
    treesha450 Posts: 321 Member
    I'm in the same boat. I'm staying within my calories. Cardio every day. I've even put on 1 1/2 pounds. So frustrating. I'm just going to keep doing what I've been doing. The weight has to come off eventually.
  • sexymom04
    sexymom04 Posts: 263 Member
    singingflutelady wrote: »
    EricaCraigie wrote: »
    Don't worry.. the fat loss could be balanced out by muscle gains. This is why it's important to take progress photos and do body measurements. . Going by weight isn't very accurate. Keep it up!

    How much muscle do you think a woman can gain in a month of strength training?

    Depends on the weights being lifted. And water retention? Ok to a certain level but not buying it.

  • CafeRacer808
    CafeRacer808 Posts: 2,396 Member
    sexymom04 wrote: »
    singingflutelady wrote: »
    EricaCraigie wrote: »
    Don't worry.. the fat loss could be balanced out by muscle gains. This is why it's important to take progress photos and do body measurements. . Going by weight isn't very accurate. Keep it up!

    How much muscle do you think a woman can gain in a month of strength training?

    Depends on the weights being lifted. And water retention? Ok to a certain level but not buying it.

    Why are you not buying it? Muscles retain water to aid in the recovery and repair process after a workout. Also, gaining an appreciable amount of muscle mass in one month at our age (I'm 2 years younger than you) is insanely difficult, especially if you're eating at a deficit.
  • kimny72
    kimny72 Posts: 16,011 Member
    OP, if your profile is correct, you don't have much to lose, so you should be expecting to lose around half a lb per week, so 1.5 lbs in the last three weeks. It would be very easy for water weight fluctuations to disguise that loss.

    You also have a lot of foods logged as 1 cup of rice, 4 mini muffins, 2 scoops of protein powder, etc., are those being weighed? If you have never weighed those items, try weighing them once at least to make sure the package info is accurate. The nutritional info on the package is correct for the weight listed (say 56 grams) then an estimated volume serving is given to make it easier to estimate. Sometimes it is on point, but it's often way off. Hang in there!
  • kimny72
    kimny72 Posts: 16,011 Member
    sexymom04 wrote: »
    singingflutelady wrote: »
    EricaCraigie wrote: »
    Don't worry.. the fat loss could be balanced out by muscle gains. This is why it's important to take progress photos and do body measurements. . Going by weight isn't very accurate. Keep it up!

    How much muscle do you think a woman can gain in a month of strength training?

    Depends on the weights being lifted. And water retention? Ok to a certain level but not buying it.

    My weight can fluctuate as much as 5lbs either way in one day. Salty food, alcohol, intense exercise, TOM can all cause it.
  • JeromeBarry1
    JeromeBarry1 Posts: 10,179 Member
    Keep doing what you're doing. Be patient.

    Fat cells are funny. They'll lose fat as you burn it, but replace the lost fat volume with water. Once every last molecule of fat is out of the cell, it suddenly releases all the water. When that happens to millions of fat cells on the same day, that's called a "whoosh" and you lose more than 1 pound in one day.

    You eat sodium and your body wants to keep that in aqueous solution so that sticks around as water weight.

    You have undertaken a new, strenuous exercise program. This raises your expression of the stress hormone cortisol. Cortisol also must be kept in aqueous solution and it also sticks around as water weight.

    You are female and have water sticking around for mysterious female hormonal reasons. I'm sorry.

    You're doing weight lifting. This might be causing micro-tears in your lifting muscles if you are attempting heavy lifts. Any muscle soreness you experience after lifting means that your muscles are retaining water to do repairs.


    You cannot affect the timing of your fat cell whoosh.
    You can affect the retained water due to sodium. Drink 3 liters or more of water each day. Your kidneys will work hard to get rid of excess water and that takes excess sodium away.
    You can affect the retained water due to cortisol. Take a day of rest.
    You can affect the retained water due to muscle repair. Take a day of rest.
    I have no idea how to affect the mysterious female hormonal stuff. I'm sorry.
  • rileysowner
    rileysowner Posts: 8,321 Member
    wy3lbrz1q895.jpg
  • adipace815
    adipace815 Posts: 112 Member
    Rileysowner- this chart is awesome!
  • jdwils14
    jdwils14 Posts: 154 Member
    kimny72 wrote: »
    OP, if your profile is correct, you don't have much to lose, so you should be expecting to lose around half a lb per week, so 1.5 lbs in the last three weeks. It would be very easy for water weight fluctuations to disguise that loss.
    Hang in there!

    Hear hear! The closer you are to ideal weight, the more your body gets smarter
  • rileysowner
    rileysowner Posts: 8,321 Member
    adipace815 wrote: »
    Rileysowner- this chart is awesome!
    adipace815 wrote: »
    Rileysowner- this chart is awesome!

    Thanks, but I didn't make it. Another user here, whose user name I cannot remember, put it together. It is very helpful though.
  • stephie59
    stephie59 Posts: 23 Member
    Have you noticed a change in clothing? A lot of times the scale won't change but clothing size will because your getting muscle! It definitely is frustrating and I'm in the same boat.
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