Watching calories, exercising but still not losing weight!

dpotter7

So very frustrated right now. I've been watching what I eat and exercising for two months and still have not seen results. So frustrated! I'm eating an average of 1600 calories and not sure what else to do.

Unknown

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fitnurse09

Possibly over eating? Possibly not burning enough. Any medical or undiagnosed medical issues like low thyroid? I am doing the Ketogenic diet. Perhaps something to look into. What kind of exercising are you doing?

ramskermfc

You lose weight when in a caloric deficit . . . so the answer is almost always "you are eating more than you think" and/or "you are overestimating what you are burning with exercise". When you say you are watching what you eat, what does that mean? Do you have a food scale and are you carefully and meticulously weighing everything you are tracking to try to be as accurate as possible?

ThePoeToaster

If you want to be up on your actual needs, get your Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR) tested. This will tell you how many calories you burn just...living. Also, get a decent HR monitor so you know your output is accurate.

diannethegeek

1. 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.

2. 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.

3. 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.

4. 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.

5. 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.

6. 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.

7. 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.

8. 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.

dpotter7

Thanks for all if the suggestions. I have adrenal fatigue, and it has affected my thyroid function, but over the last two months I've been getting supplements from naturopath doctor to help and I feel a difference...just not seeing weight loss difference yet. I do burst training in the treadmill for about 10 minutes 3 times per weeks and strength training about 2 times per week. I also walk 8 flights of stairs 5 days per week and try to walk as much as I can. I don't exercise for long periods due to my adrenal issues but try to fit in multiple short workouts throughout the day. I'm not super​ meticulous about measuring my food with a scale but make healthier choices and watch my portions. Protein, veggies, one serving of fruit, and limited carbs (qinoua, brown rice, whole grains).

foodhasfeelingstoo

Well, sure, you could go full on psycho and measure every drop of vegetable stock you eat. Or you could just relax. If your diet and exercise bother you so much after two months already, maybe just actually eat what you like. Not sugar though, that's just an addictive substance. And if that's not enough, talk to you doctor and a decent nutritionist.

leggup

Adrenal fatigue is not a medical diagnosis. Have you had your thyroid function tested by a real doctor?

Otherwise, how are you measuring your 1,600 calories? Do you use a food scale? You're possibly eating more than you think.

leggup

foodhasfeelingstoo wrote: »

Well, sure, you could go full on psycho and measure every drop of vegetable stock you eat. Or you could just relax. If your diet and exercise bother you so much after two months already, maybe just actually eat what you like. Not sugar though, that's just an addictive substance. And if that's not enough, talk to you doctor and a decent nutritionist.

Hahah. Minding what you eat is psycho but banning sugar is reasonable? A food scale means just tipping food into a bowl until it hits a serving. I find it easier to use a food scale than measuring.

malibu927

foodhasfeelingstoo wrote: »

Well, sure, you could go full on psycho and measure every drop of vegetable stock you eat. Or you could just relax. If your diet and exercise bother you so much after two months already, maybe just actually eat what you like. Not sugar though, that's just an addictive substance. And if that's not enough, talk to you doctor and a decent nutritionist.

Weighing food does not make one "psycho". It gives the person a more accurate sense of what they're eating. Also sugar isn't addictive.

dpotter7

My real doctor said the blood test says my thyroid is fine; however, the naturopath that diagnosed my adrenal issues also said my thyroid is not functioning properly either. I've known for years something wasn't right and the naturopath confirmed it with a hair mineral analysis, instead of blood work. So adrenal​ fatigue may not be a medical diagnosis, but it is a real issue. I gained 20 lbs in less than 2 years and my eating habits hadn't changed. Also, I keep track of everything I consume, right down to the sugar i put in my coffee. I measure almost everything, except veggies. Was hoping someone here might have had the same issue and was able to offer something to try that I haven't. Decided to push the exercise more and do a bodybuilding.com program and see if that helps. Thanks everyone.

Rammer123

dpotter7 wrote: »

Thanks for all if the suggestions. I have adrenal fatigue, and it has affected my thyroid function, but over the last two months I've been getting supplements from naturopath doctor to help and I feel a difference...just not seeing weight loss difference yet. I do burst training in the treadmill for about 10 minutes 3 times per weeks and strength training about 2 times per week. I also walk 8 flights of stairs 5 days per week and try to walk as much as I can. I don't exercise for long periods due to my adrenal issues but try to fit in multiple short workouts throughout the day. I'm not super​ meticulous about measuring my food with a scale but make healthier choices and watch my portions. Protein, veggies, one serving of fruit, and limited carbs (qinoua, brown rice, whole grains).

I'm sorry but doing 10 minutes on a treadmill, and walking 8 flights of stairs a day, along with not actually tracking your calories, with a possible thyroid issue, is the reason you are not seeing any results....

You've gotta spend a little more time working out and put in a little more effort into tracking your intake in order to really see a change in your body.

Derf_Smeggle

This flowchart restates in a visual way what others have said above. While thyroid issues and adrenal issues can make things more difficult, they do not prevent one from losing weight.

leggup

dpotter7 wrote: »

My real doctor said the blood test says my thyroid is fine; however, the naturopath that diagnosed my adrenal issues also said my thyroid is not functioning properly either. I've known for years something wasn't right and the naturopath confirmed it with a hair mineral analysis, instead of blood work. So adrenal​ fatigue may not be a medical diagnosis, but it is a real issue. I gained 20 lbs in less than 2 years and my eating habits hadn't changed. Also, I keep track of everything I consume, right down to the sugar i put in my coffee. I measure almost everything, except veggies. Was hoping someone here might have had the same issue and was able to offer something to try that I haven't. Decided to push the exercise more and do a bodybuilding.com program and see if that helps. Thanks everyone.

Real doctor > Naturopath, Blood Test > Hair Mineral Tests. I did a quick google search for what a hair mineral test is.. wow. The FDA's current policy on hair analysis—adopted in 1984 and reaffirmed in 1994, is: "The AMA opposes chemical analysis of the hair as a determinant of the need for medical therapy and supports informing the American public and appropriate governmental agencies of this unproven practice and its potential for health care fraud." Go back to your real doctor with the homeopathic info and ask them what they think.

How do you keep track- is it with a food scale? I highly recommend getting one and logging everything with it, including vegetables. I get probably 100-400 cals a day from veggies alone, so not logging them would absolutely cause me to gain.