Counting Calories and Exercising and Still Not Losing Weight

rayeofsun2017

Like many others this year I decided that enough was enough and that the weight I had packed on over the past years has to come off. I am 40-50 pounds overweight. I joined Orangetheory Fitness a month ago and began going three times a week and then exercising at the gym in my neighborhood 1-2 days a week. I then decided to start counting calories and did a major diet modification to include better foods. I recently just amped up my workouts and will be doing Orangetheory 5 days a week. Well i've been at this a month and the scale has not budged at all!! Is this normal?
Here are key points:
- Orangetheory 4-5 days a week average burn is 550 cal
- Average daily meal: Half protein bar and banana for breakfast, almonds for a snack, veggies for a snack, protein/salad for lunch, greek yogurt and other half of protein bar for snack and high protein low carb dinner. Averaging between 1200-1400 calories a day.
- Cut out all alcohol and fried foods
- Drink 8 glasses of water/caffeine free tea a day
- 8 hours of sleep a night
- Sedentary at work (desk job) try to take walks around the building when i take certain phone calls
- took measurements a week ago - will remeasure tomorrow

Personal Information:
5'1"
SW 153 pounds
Weight today 154.5
Goal 115** Weighed 100 in my best shape ever (eating whatever i wanted and swimming laps 5 days a week) about 8 years ago, would like to have more muscle and not sure if it's even realistic

I'm just feeling a little lost as it's been a month and the scale hasn't moved and i have a couple events to attend next month and throughout the year. Any thoughts input is greatly appreciated!

tanyaderryrussell

Hi there - just want to share my experience. I also started OTF a month ago. I adjusted my diet as well to 1400 to 1500 calories per day. The first 2 weeks I didn't lose any weight but noticed a huge difference in the way my clothes fit. I spoke to my trainer and others at OTF and basically you build muscle which offsets your weight loss. It can be frustrating to not see the scale move but don't give up! Now in week 5 I've starting seeing the weight come up. Keep up the great work..

janejellyroll

We can offer more specific advice if you open your diary. Two questions: How are you measuring your portions? And are you choosing any generic/homemade entries from the database?

rayeofsun2017

I just opened my diary @janejellyroll - I am still figuring everything else. As far as selecting from the database, I try to scan everything I have or input the recipes. There are some foods that I am not certain so I generally try to pick the average item calorie wise. I measure my portions by either using cups or weighing it.

rayeofsun2017

Thank you @tanyaderryrussell I was able to put on a pair of jeans I haven't attempted to wear in forever. They were tight but good when all my clothes were dirty from vacation lol!! That's why I chose to measure! I think that would be a little more accurate!

janejellyroll

rkuhl wrote: »

I just opened my diary @janejellyroll - I am still figuring everything else. As far as selecting from the database, I try to scan everything I have or input the recipes. There are some foods that I am not certain so I generally try to pick the average item calorie wise. I measure my portions by either using cups or weighing it.

Are the days with nothing logged or the days with really low calorie counts (like 500 or under) accurate or are there days when you're eating things that aren't making it in?

CSARdiver

Just skimming through your log there are sporadic entries, especially on weekends. Focus on tightening those entries and ensure you are weighing food with a scale. Know that there is a 20% margin of error in nutritional labeling - that is typically where most errors come from. Other than that I don't see any obvious errors. As a note you can customize your diary to suit your needs - my diary is open as are many others if you want to check this out.

Congrats on the Non Scale Victory (NSV)! Give it time - weight loss is not linear and focus on other gains when the scale isn't cooperating - measurements, performance improvement, etc.

Also - are you set for 2lb/week loss? If you aren't hungry and dealing with calorie deficit, don't change up. Long term success in this is much more about identifying the root cause behaviors that caused you to eat too much rather than following a diet.

StaciMarie1974

Ditch the cups for solid food and weigh everything. Cups are not meant for solid food and you could easily be putting 25-50% more in the cup than the serving you're logging.

Weigh your It Works scoop. Again, you could be packing in more than intended.
Weigh your protein bar - packaged food can be off by 20% and still meet FDA guidelines.
Weigh anything calorie dense. Cheese, bananas, almonds: you're likely eating more than you think.

Looking at your dairy, some days are partially logged or not at all. Are you not eating the days with nothing logged, eating only 300-500 on the partially logged days? Probably not...

First advice: Improve your logging accuracy. Aim for as much accuracy as is reasonably possible. Log everything, every day.

Second advice: Have patience. Your new workout routines and increased workout activity likely is causing water weight, and TOM/hormones can do the same.

Third advice: Make sure your weigh ins are comparable. Same time of day, same level of clothing, etc. Comparing Tue night to the following Mon morning would not be a reasonable comparison.

Do this, and I suspect your scale will show results in the next 4-6 weeks.

rayeofsun2017

Thank you everyone! I will definitely take to weighing everything instead of using measure cups. Generally not logging on weekends is just because I have eaten the same thing but never had time to log it. Like this past weekend we went to Disney, I portioned out all of my food and packed it and never ate anything outside of what I packed so I knew I was within range so I never got down logging it but was confident where I was.

Now that i've changed up what I was eating - I used to eat waffles for breakfast because they were low calorie for two waffles but was always starving within a couple hours. Now that I've changed I eat every two hours but am not necessarily hungry. I know a huge portion of my issue was serving size! @CSARdiver

Thank you for the advice on the cups @StaciMarie1974 I definitely got into the habit of that from the 21 day fix. They give you color coordinated cups for portioning out your food (green for veggies) blue for fruit etc. The days not logged I ate foods that are normal routine and I wouldn't be out of my calorie range. But i know it's a comfort thing. I did it with weight watchers saying I know how many points this is I can do it in my head (but you really can't - at least I can't). So thank you for helping me catch that. As far as weigh ins go I weight every day but only log on tuesdays. I do it right when I wake up after the bathroom and do it naked.

So logging seems to be where I need to strengthen myself! Thank you everyone!

rachelr1116

For days, like the weekends, where you know you're going to be busy it might help to pre-log. If you took the time to pack all your food for a trip to Disney it really wouldn't take much longer to just go ahead and log all of it before you left the house.

There are some days that I get busy and I don't manage to find time to log until the end of the day and I'm sure that I've stayed within my calorie goal but once I log everything I realize I did end up going over a bit. I tend to look at my calories by the week instead of the day so that if I eat a little under my goal during the week I can eat a little more on the weekends. If I didn't log every single thing I ate every single day my weekly calorie totals would be way off.

jessicalferrara

I started Orangetheory Fitness the weekend after Thanksgiving. I have been going 3-4 times a week almost every week since then, but have found that the weight is just starting to come off. The scale is extremely frustrating because I am fitting into clothes that I wore when I was 12 pounds less. Also, I am the same way with my logging. I do skip days and don't log, so I am right there with you! Good luck with your journey!

rayeofsun2017

That's a good idea @Rachelr116 - i often log most of my food at the end of my work day just because i don't have time. I'm trying to plan my calories by the week now writing out a meal plan for next week now to know my goals.

rayeofsun2017

Thank you @jessicaferrara! I try not to judge the scale that's why i measured and am trying to go off clothes etc but its hard to not pay attention!

crzycatlady1

rayeofsun2017 wrote: »

Thank you everyone! I will definitely take to weighing everything instead of using measure cups. Generally not logging on weekends is just because I have eaten the same thing but never had time to log it. Like this past weekend we went to Disney, I portioned out all of my food and packed it and never ate anything outside of what I packed so I knew I was within range so I never got down logging it but was confident where I was.

Now that i've changed up what I was eating - I used to eat waffles for breakfast because they were low calorie for two waffles but was always starving within a couple hours. Now that I've changed I eat every two hours but am not necessarily hungry. I know a huge portion of my issue was serving size! @CSARdiver

Thank you for the advice on the cups @StaciMarie1974 I definitely got into the habit of that from the 21 day fix. They give you color coordinated cups for portioning out your food (green for veggies) blue for fruit etc. The days not logged I ate foods that are normal routine and I wouldn't be out of my calorie range. But i know it's a comfort thing. I did it with weight watchers saying I know how many points this is I can do it in my head (but you really can't - at least I can't). So thank you for helping me catch that. As far as weigh ins go I weight every day but only log on tuesdays. I do it right when I wake up after the bathroom and do it naked.

So logging seems to be where I need to strengthen myself! Thank you everyone!

Yep, I bet that's the culprit and with a little tweaking you'll be good to go Also, one other thing-if you're incorporating new exercise/more intensity in your worksouts that can cause water retention. It's not a big deal and will calm down after you do it for a while, but that could be masking losses as well.

Francl27

Measuring high calorie foods like almonds or salad dressing with a cup vs weighing means that you can be 100 calories off.

Same for some generic things you're using, like the spaghetti squash and meat sauce... it could be anywhere from 100 to 400 calorie a cup depending on what's in the sauce. Did you make the recipe yourself?

I'd just tighten up your logging and give it time (and keep in mind that you're probably not burning off 550 calories in an hour of exercise - I'd eat back 300 max).

rayeofsun2017

Okay i'll definitely try weighing it @Franci27 as far as the spaghetti squash and meat sauce - i made the recipe myself so I know exactly whats in it. I do wear a heart rate monitor during my workouts so I take the information from that for my calories. There was a point where I was actually wearing two heart rate monitors for accuracy because the one for Orangetheory is on my wrist and I'm used to wearing a chest one, they are probably 98% in sync with each other so now i only wear one.

StaciMarie1974

Prelogging is helpful in many ways. It allows you have a guideline for your day, and to see in advance if there are any holes in your nutrition. Such as if you're a little low on protein, or particularly high somewhere. You can adjust accordingly. You can always go back and edit quantities. Like last night I logged for today. And as I actually have my meals/snacks thru the day, and weigh the items, I can update.

I saw your comment about having a couple of waffles for breakfast and then being hungry soon after. This may be due to lack of macro variety. Try having an egg with them and some fruit. Everyone differs, but personally I find that having protein and fat in a meal or snack keeps me full longer. Having just waffles/bread/fruit/etc. that is pretty much pure carb would not have a lasting effect.

And as others have commented, if you're fitting into smaller clothes you HAVE lost weight. That is a big indicator that water weight is preventing the scale from showing it. Keep going and it should level out.

CSARdiver

If you aren't hungry and it sounds like you're adapting well, just keep doing what you're doing. Give it time. I would tend to get stuck in a plateau for about 6 weeks and suddenly - whoosh! - losing weight with seemingly no effort.

There are so many variables at play it is difficult if not impossible to identify what is really going on. The important issue is that you don't get discouraged and just stick with it.

Jruzer

I would look more closely at your 550 kcal from exercise. How is this being calculated?

At 153 pounds that would likely take you 75 minutes or more of continuous, strenuous exercise. Is that what you're doing?

rayeofsun2017

StaciMarie1974 wrote: »

Prelogging is helpful in many ways. It allows you have a guideline for your day, and to see in advance if there are any holes in your nutrition. Such as if you're a little low on protein, or particularly high somewhere. You can adjust accordingly. You can always go back and edit quantities. Like last night I logged for today. And as I actually have my meals/snacks thru the day, and weigh the items, I can update.

I saw your comment about having a couple of waffles for breakfast and then being hungry soon after. This may be due to lack of macro variety. Try having an egg with them and some fruit. Everyone differs, but personally I find that having protein and fat in a meal or snack keeps me full longer. Having just waffles/bread/fruit/etc. that is pretty much pure carb would not have a lasting effect.

And as others have commented, if you're fitting into smaller clothes you HAVE lost weight. That is a big indicator that water weight is preventing the scale from showing it. Keep going and it should level out.

Thank you! I have pre-logged to an extent where I type out my meals for the week Monday-Sunday and write in my breakfast, snacks, lunch etc so I'm never in a black hole because that's where I go down hill. But it's no different if i were to actually log it! Thanks for that!

rayeofsun2017

Jruzer wrote: »

I would look more closely at your 550 kcal from exercise. How is this being calculated?

At 153 pounds that would likely take you 75 minutes or more of continuous, strenuous exercise. Is that what you're doing?

I do an hour of strenuous exercise. It is interval training with a combination of the treadmill, rowing machine and weights. It is determined by a heart rate monitor which ads my height and weight in the equation. I actually wore two different heart rate monitors in the beginning because I was hesitant on the number one around my wrist and one around my chest. The lined up almost perfectly within a beat or two.

CSARdiver

rayeofsun2017 wrote: »

StaciMarie1974 wrote: »

Prelogging is helpful in many ways. It allows you have a guideline for your day, and to see in advance if there are any holes in your nutrition. Such as if you're a little low on protein, or particularly high somewhere. You can adjust accordingly. You can always go back and edit quantities. Like last night I logged for today. And as I actually have my meals/snacks thru the day, and weigh the items, I can update.

I saw your comment about having a couple of waffles for breakfast and then being hungry soon after. This may be due to lack of macro variety. Try having an egg with them and some fruit. Everyone differs, but personally I find that having protein and fat in a meal or snack keeps me full longer. Having just waffles/bread/fruit/etc. that is pretty much pure carb would not have a lasting effect.

And as others have commented, if you're fitting into smaller clothes you HAVE lost weight. That is a big indicator that water weight is preventing the scale from showing it. Keep going and it should level out.

Thank you! I have pre-logged to an extent where I type out my meals for the week Monday-Sunday and write in my breakfast, snacks, lunch etc so I'm never in a black hole because that's where I go down hill. But it's no different if i were to actually log it! Thanks for that!

I'll third this. Much of this is a mental game and when you prelog it hardwires the brain into thinking "Well I can only have this much because I wrote this down." I survived a trip to Portillos today thanks to prelogging

FYI - my water weight fluctuates ~5lbs/day.

CattOfTheGarage

Bear the water retention in mind. It can be significant.

You say you started a new workout regime, and then afterwards you increased the frequency of the workouts. So you are still on a learning curve and still adapting to your workouts, which means you are probably retaining several pounds of water for muscle repair.

This is temporary and will go away once you have fully adapted - for now, it could easily be masking your fat loss.

rayeofsun2017

Love how helpful everyone has been! This was my first post so I won't lie I was worried about what some people may say but I'm only inspired now. I need to make some small changes and stay on the same path!

trwww

Its unlikely that you're burning 550 calories in an hour of exercise at your weight. More like 400-425.

To burn 550 calories at your weight in an hour you'd have to be 180-190 beats-per-minute heart pounding in your chest for the entire 60 minutes.

I plugged in your stats to https://www.healthstatus.com/calculate/cbc and it says 480 calories for intense aerobics.

But you said you're doing different things, so even changing machines or whatever, you're no longer exercising for the entire 60 mins.

Right there you're overestimating you're calories burned per week by at least 500 calories.

Being so close to your goal weight (compared to a lot of us), every calorie counts.

rayeofsun2017

@trwww I only say 550 because that is what my heart rate monitor is telling me, and I use aerobics as a general because I don't know what to enter Orangetheory exercises at