Why am I not seeing results?

Classicamyxo

I started exercising 4 months ago in hope of losing weight(fat). I go to the gym 3-5 times a week and 2 of those days I work with a trainer.

I eat relatively healthy so I don't think that is the issue. My trainer thought I was under eating so I've slowly increased my intact over the last month and I'm up to 1800 calories a day.

My starting weight was 178 and 4 months later I'm still 177. I'm only 5'4. There are certain areas like my legs where I have seen minor changes. Butover all I'm feeling discouraged.

I'm sticking with it because I know I should but if anyone can help or point me in the right direction thanks in advance!

quiksylver296

Buy a food scale. Weigh and log everything you eat. Start there.

smrybacki

quiksylver296 wrote: »

Buy a food scale. Weigh and log everything you eat. Start there.

Don't know who created this (was it you?) but it is a very useful flow chart!

quiksylver296

smrybacki wrote: »

quiksylver296 wrote: »

Buy a food scale. Weigh and log everything you eat. Start there.

Don't know who created this (was it you?) but it is a very useful flow chart!

No, @lemonlionheart made it.

Theo166

If weight loss is you primary goal then put 90% of your focus on meal planning and accurately logging your calories, to ensure you are in a calorie deficit.

Wait to increase your exercise until after you are in a rhythm on managing your calories, until after diet is giving you predictable results. Only then can you judge if your exercise is burning the extra calories you thought it was (and were eating back)

Chadxx

If you aren't losing weight after 4 months, you are eating more than you think. Your trainer should know this. Weigh and log everything and don't overestimate your exercise calories.

Libby283

I am 5'3" and I gain weight consuming an 1800 calorie diet. What was your goal prior to increasing to 1800?

try2again

Yep... calories first, exercise second. What does MFP give you for calories when you plug in your stats and choose a weekly weight loss goal of 1 lb/week? Log accurately and eat that.

SezxyStef

increasing calories is never the answer to a stall in weight loss.

smh.

Classicamyxo wrote: »

I started exercising 4 months ago in hope of losing weight(fat). I go to the gym 3-5 times a week and 2 of those days I work with a trainer.

I eat relatively healthy so I don't think that is the issue. My trainer thought I was under eating so I've slowly increased my intact over the last month and I'm up to 1800 calories a day.

My starting weight was 178 and 4 months later I'm still 177. I'm only 5'4. There are certain areas like my legs where I have seen minor changes. Butover all I'm feeling discouraged.

I'm sticking with it because I know I should but if anyone can help or point me in the right direction thanks in advance!

eating healthy has nothing to do with weight loss...cico does.
you need to fire your trainer.

gamerbabe14

You're either eating more than you think you are or you're over estimating your exercise calorie burn (assuming you're eating those calories back) which in turn brings us back to eating more than you think.

leanjogreen18

I'm 5'4" and 1800 is my maintenance right now and I'm 10ish more lbs but sedentary.

I'd double check that number.

joshuak30

Your trainer is misleading you, sadly. Unless your workouts are 45-minute HIIT sessions several times a week, you likely aren't in a calorie deficit eating that much. For comparison, I'm an active 165 lb, 5'10" male, and I eat 1800-1900 calories to lose. It's unlikely you should be eating that much.

As others have said, focus on your Calories In to lose weight. Calories Out is much harder to accurately track.

TavistockToad

Try 1600 cals instead. If you're not losing, you're not eating in a deficit

Classicamyxo

Before I started training I was only consuming 1000-1200 calories per day. Based off the macro calculators online they were saying I needed 2000-2200 a day based on how active I am at work etc. I track 90% of what I'm eating and already have a food scale to make sure especially with pastas and such that I'm not over consuming. I'll be more tedious with it I just didn't know if I'm headed in the wrong direction.

janejellyroll

Classicamyxo wrote: »

Before I started training I was only consuming 1000-1200 calories per day. Based off the macro calculators online they were saying I needed 2000-2200 a day based on how active I am at work etc. I track 90% of what I'm eating and already have a food scale to make sure especially with pastas and such that I'm not over consuming. I'll be more tedious with it I just didn't know if I'm headed in the wrong direction.

I realize this probably isn't what you want to hear, but when someone tells me they are active and maintaining a weight of 178 on 1,000-1,200 calories a day, I suspect logging errors. If you are only tracking 90% of what you're eating, the issue is the 10% you aren't logging, misleading database entries for what you are logging, or issues with correctly measuring your portions.

If you open your diary, we may be able to help you identify the issue. Or you may just want to start logging the other 10% to make sure it isn't sabotaging your weight loss efforts.

Classicamyxo

janejellyroll wrote: »

I realize this probably isn't what you want to hear, but when someone tells me they are active and maintaining a weight of 178 on 1,000-1,200 calories a day, I suspect logging errors. If you are only tracking 90% of what you're eating, the issue is the 10% you aren't logging, misleading database entries for what you are logging, or issues with correctly measuring your portions.

If you open your diary, we may be able to help you identify the issue. Or you may just want to start logging the other 10% to make sure it isn't sabotaging your weight loss efforts.

How do I open it?

janejellyroll

Classicamyxo wrote: »

janejellyroll wrote: »

I realize this probably isn't what you want to hear, but when someone tells me they are active and maintaining a weight of 178 on 1,000-1,200 calories a day, I suspect logging errors. If you are only tracking 90% of what you're eating, the issue is the 10% you aren't logging, misleading database entries for what you are logging, or issues with correctly measuring your portions.

If you open your diary, we may be able to help you identify the issue. Or you may just want to start logging the other 10% to make sure it isn't sabotaging your weight loss efforts.

How do I open it?

If you're on the website, you can go to "Settings" (at the top of your screen) and then choose "Diary Settings."

StaciMarie1974

Some common food logging errors:

Using homemade database entries that were not made by you. When I make baked pasta, it is probably different ingredients and different quantities than when you make baked pasta. You can't really know how my 1 serving of X compares to yours. Its more accurate to weigh your ingredients, enter them in the recipe builder, and log how much you have from your own recipe.

Not weighing single serve items like slices of bread. The package may say 2 slices = 41 grams for 140 calories but this can easily be off by 20%. When I weigh 2 slices its usually 45-49 grams.

Using cups, spoons to measure solid food. Use scale and log by weight.

Forgetting to log condiments, cooking oils, etc.

Using vague entries like 1 medium banana, 1 small apple 1 chicken breast filet. Go by weight, always.

Forgetting to consider that a bite of this, a taste of that (such as if you're having a bite of someone else's food, or tasting while cooking) add up.

AliceDark

The very good news is that if you've been relatively weight-stable for 4 months now and you've been tracking your food, you've found your maintenance intake. Lots of people really struggle in this area, so you're ahead of the game in that respect.

The bad news is that you now have to find some way of creating a deficit.

How accurately you've been logging up until now is kind of an important question, because it will help tell you what you need to do in order to create that deficit. If you've been lax in your logging (not using the food scale for all solids, or using entries that aren't confirmed/in the correct units of measure, or using other people's "homemade" entries instead of creating your own, or using lots of Quick Adds, or not logging liquids/oils, etc.), tightening up your logging should show you where you need to cut back.

If you've been logging accurately to the best of your ability, you either need to cut out calories or increase your exercise even more to create that deficit. (I'd recommend cutting out calories rather than increasing exercise; it's easier, less impact on your body and just generally more effective).

I may have missed it up-thread: are you eating back your exercise calories? If yes, try eating back 50% instead of 100%.

MoonGazher

Just speaking for myself because everyones body is different but when I was on the Birth control pill I had a lot of water retention and weight gain and it was hard for me to lose weight. I went 4 months on a steady regimen and counted every calorie. 1500 cal intake. Im 5"4 and 182Ibs and working on it again. Dont give up the fight just change tracks and keep going.
Good luck friend

2wise4u

I just wanted to chime in to say don't give up and give it a little more time. You seem to be on the right track and if you're tracking your CICO and exercising, you WILL see results. Sending positive vibes your way!

Lesscookies

You're eating more than you think.

JenSamuel94

Have you tried measuring inches? Maybe your weight is the same based on the muscle you're building? Also what everyone said is true, we tend to underestimate the calories we consume and overestimate the calories burned during exercise. So I try my best to record as accurately as I can!

Verity1111

Classicamyxo wrote: »

I started exercising 4 months ago in hope of losing weight(fat). I go to the gym 3-5 times a week and 2 of those days I work with a trainer.

I eat relatively healthy so I don't think that is the issue. My trainer thought I was under eating so I've slowly increased my intact over the last month and I'm up to 1800 calories a day.

My starting weight was 178 and 4 months later I'm still 177. I'm only 5'4. There are certain areas like my legs where I have seen minor changes. Butover all I'm feeling discouraged.

I'm sticking with it because I know I should but if anyone can help or point me in the right direction thanks in advance!

One possibility if you're not weighing your food is inaccuracies in your food diary. Another option is you're not doing much cardio at the gym and it's more strength training. Third would be maybe you have a medical issue that makes it harder to lose weight. Fourth some people just lose weight slower than others and maybe you need to lower your calorie goal back to 1550 and see if you lose 1/2 lb more a week. 250 calories per day less in your diet x 7 = 1750calories which in theory is one half of a pound if you keep your activity level the same.

jhomar_deveza

Maybe you are working out tooo much, you are in a caloric deficit and working af...maybe your activity is too much for you body...and body starts to lower leptin level( metabolism hormone) , 4 months in a diet i think is too much in that kind of deficit and activity...just my opinion ,im not an expert

emy61032

I have some of those very same issues. It's very frustrating. Have you had your thyroid checked? Sometimes I think that weight loss really is so much more than just logging calories and exercising. If our metabolism is out of whack (from a slow thyroid, for example), it can be a real up-hill battle.

emy61032

Also, just want to add that I'm trying interval training with walking. It SEEMS like it's increasing my (sluggish and slow) metabolism. (there's few things I can do without hurting my back really badly, so I have to be very careful with exercise). I think the interval walking is really helping-at least it feels like it. Hopefully, I'll see results within a month, and can let you know if it works!