Not losing weight
drosee91
Posts: 9 Member
Hey all! Kinda bummed right now. I've been dieting for about a month now and just started going to the gym this past Monday. I've been eating good, and I know this because otherwise my acid reflux would be flaring up. I spend at least an hour at the gym 5-6 times a week. I'm just wondering what I'm doing wrong here because I haven't lost weight. Sometimes I fluctuate 2-3lbs but still at 200. Any advice? Thanks in advance
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Replies
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Are you logging your calories?2
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Are you counting calories and making sure you're in a deficit by logging your food? Eating good and working out are great, but you have to make sure you're eating less.0
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Yupp, counting calories on this app everyday!0
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How are you managing your food portions (e.g. scale, measuring cups, eyeballing)?
Eating healthy isn't necessarily eating in a deficit and a deficit is what makes you lose weight. (Eating healthy is great for health, but if you're not burning off more than you're taking in, there won't be a weight-loss.)2 -
I measure using a scale, measuring cups, and measuring spoon. Occasionally I'll eyeball but if anything I put a little less than I think just in case0
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Yupp, counting calories on this app everyday!
Then it sounds like you need to tighten up your logging if you aren't losing. This can include any of the following: making sure EVERYTHING that crosses your lips is logged, using a food scale to weigh all solids and measuring cups for all liquids, double-checking that the entries you choose match the nutrition label or USDA database, utilizing the recipe builder over any "homemade" or "generic" entries in the database, and being mindful of exercise calories burned and eaten back.
Just an aside on top of this, it's likely even if you do this you still won't lose for about a week since you started exercising and your body will be retaining more water. But that is temporary and you would then start seeing losses with accurate logging.2 -
I don't eat the calories I burn off, that is the only thing I could think of that would halt my weight loss. I've been super strict! But also the retaining water makes sense, I didn't think of that!2
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I don't eat the calories I burn off, that is the only thing I could think of that would halt my weight loss. I've been super strict! But also the retaining water makes sense, I didn't think of that!
It wouldn't stop weight loss. You should be eating some of them back though if you're following MFP's goals.
Do you mind opening your diary? We may be able to find an issue better by looking at it.3 -
Sure! How do I do that?0
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I measure using a scale, measuring cups, and measuring spoon. Occasionally I'll eyeball but if anything I put a little less than I think just in case
Do you use a food scale for all solid (including prepackaged and prewrighed items) and semi solid foods? Do you use cups/spoons for all liquids only? Stop eyeballing (unless it is restaurant food). Do you weigh high calorie foods such as butter, peanut butter and mayo?
Do you log fruits, vegetables, cooking oils, condiments, beverages (and additions to them), bites/tastes? If yes, then you just have to give it more time. Starting a new exercise routine and hormones can cause stalls (water weight).2 -
An excellent resource is Jim Stoppani's Encyclopedia of Muscle & Strength. It's loaded with very practical and actionable advice on weight loss as well as developing muscle mass and strength.0
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Tighten up your logging a bit and give it some more time. The longer you do it the better you get at it. It took me about 3 weeks of logging and working out to start seeing progress on the scale. Water retention, as PP have mentioned, may also be a culprit. Good luck to you!1
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My diary is open! I haven't logged today yet because I haven't eaten yet today. Will be soon!
I count everything I eat with the proper measurements. There are some times where the app doesn't have what I am eating so I just try to find something close to it. Like the other day I had a turkey burger on a whole wheat bun from a baseball stadium but they didn't have it in this system.1 -
In cases like the turkey burger (I'm assuming Friday night when you don't have dinner logged?), just find a similar item in the database.
You say you're weighing things, but I don't see many items showing ounces. And there are some other days that are partially logged or not at all.4 -
This.In cases like the turkey burger (I'm assuming Friday night when you don't have dinner logged?), just find a similar item in the database.
You say you're weighing things, but I don't see many items showing ounces. And there are some other days that are partially logged or not at all.
Log the turkey burger by ingredient to get a more accurate calorie count. There are bun, cheese, condiment and patty entries.
Weigh all solid/semi solid foods on a digital scale in grams. No cups/spoons for solid foods. And log everything. This will be the key to your success with weight loss. You're doing this for you- be accurate.
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Thanks I'll do that next time!! So almonds and things like that I measure by oz, even if the serving size is in tbsp?0
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Okay awesome, maybe this will help things! Thank you all sooo much!2
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Good luck!
Yes, definitely weigh everything. Also, find database entries that have the weight instead of volume. Accurate logging us just as important as accurately weighing your food. For produce (fruits, veg, raw meat, nuts, seeds) choose USDA entries in grams. Always weigh grains, pastas in their raw state as the packaging information always refers to the raw weight.
I weigh bread slices and eggs, too. I found the bread I purchase isn't always the same weight. Eggs aren't always the same weight either.1 -
There are a few reasons you might not be losing weight.
1.The most obvious one is that if you're incorporating weight lifting and cardio at the gym....you are building muscle!!!! Especially at the beginning, people build muscle really fast. Go by your body measurements (waist, hips, thighs) and how your clothes fit.
2. Are you accurate in your food. I would recommend using a food scale and measuring cups. Most people underestimate how much they are actually eating.
3. Are you eating healthy and consistently. Remove prepacked foods. I don't care if the package says it's healthy, most prepackaged "health foods" are as bad and sometimes worse than a candy bar. Unless it's a true protien bar aimed at weight lifters, most protien and meal replacement bars are crap. There's a reason weightlifter's (including me) hate protien bars, they taste terrible!!!! There's no sweeteners in them (artificial or otherwise), no berries, no honey, no chocolate. But to get to my protien requirements for my goals, I need to supplement one a day into my nutrition plan.4 -
BabyBear76 wrote: »There are a few reasons you might not be losing weight.
1.The most obvious one is that if you're incorporating weight lifting and cardio at the gym....you are building muscle!!!! Especially at the beginning, people build muscle really fast. Go by your body measurements (waist, hips, thighs) and how your clothes fit.
2. Are you accurate in your food. I would recommend using a food scale and measuring cups. Most people underestimate how much they are actually eating.
3. Are you eating healthy and consistently. Remove prepacked foods. I don't care if the package says it's healthy, most prepackaged "health foods" are as bad and sometimes worse than a candy bar. Unless it's a true protien bar aimed at weight lifters, most protien and meal replacement bars are crap. There's a reason weightlifter's (including me) hate protien bars, they taste terrible!!!! There's no sweeteners in them (artificial or otherwise), no berries, no honey, no chocolate. But to get to my protien requirements for my goals, I need to supplement one a day into my nutrition plan.
1. It's extremely difficult for a woman to build muscle, and it's not going to happen really fast (we're talking 1/4-1/2 pound a week under the most optimal situations, including a calorie surplus)
2. Food scale, yes. Measuring cups, only for liquids. This is part of the conclusion reached.
3. There is nothing wrong with prepackaged food or protein bars if one wants to incorporate it into their diet.5 -
What she said. All of it.BabyBear76 wrote: »There are a few reasons you might not be losing weight.
1.The most obvious one is that if you're incorporating weight lifting and cardio at the gym....you are building muscle!!!! Especially at the beginning, people build muscle really fast. Go by your body measurements (waist, hips, thighs) and how your clothes fit.
2. Are you accurate in your food. I would recommend using a food scale and measuring cups. Most people underestimate how much they are actually eating.
3. Are you eating healthy and consistently. Remove prepacked foods. I don't care if the package says it's healthy, most prepackaged "health foods" are as bad and sometimes worse than a candy bar. Unless it's a true protien bar aimed at weight lifters, most protien and meal replacement bars are crap. There's a reason weightlifter's (including me) hate protien bars, they taste terrible!!!! There's no sweeteners in them (artificial or otherwise), no berries, no honey, no chocolate. But to get to my protien requirements for my goals, I need to supplement one a day into my nutrition plan.
1. It's extremely difficult for a woman to build muscle, and it's not going to happen really fast (we're talking 1/4-1/2 pound a week under the most optimal situations, including a calorie surplus)
2. Food scale, yes. Measuring cups, only for liquids. This is part of the conclusion reached.
3. There is nothing wrong with prepackaged food or protein bars if one wants to incorporate it into their diet.BabyBear76 wrote: »There are a few reasons you might not be losing weight.
1.The most obvious one is that if you're incorporating weight lifting and cardio at the gym....you are building muscle!!!! Especially at the beginning, people build muscle really fast. Go by your body measurements (waist, hips, thighs) and how your clothes fit.
2. Are you accurate in your food. I would recommend using a food scale and measuring cups. Most people underestimate how much they are actually eating.
3. Are you eating healthy and consistently. Remove prepacked foods. I don't care if the package says it's healthy, most prepackaged "health foods" are as bad and sometimes worse than a candy bar. Unless it's a true protien bar aimed at weight lifters, most protien and meal replacement bars are crap. There's a reason weightlifter's (including me) hate protien bars, they taste terrible!!!! There's no sweeteners in them (artificial or otherwise), no berries, no honey, no chocolate. But to get to my protien requirements for my goals, I need to supplement one a day into my nutrition plan.
No one builds muscle "very easily" in the beginning. Intramuscular water retention is what is responsible for the swelling of muscles in the beginning.2 -
Thanks I'll do that next time!! So almonds and things like that I measure by oz, even if the serving size is in tbsp?
If I'm searching for a food and the only measurements that come up are tbs or cups, i keep looking until i find a gram option, if i cant find one I make my own entry. I don't even use recipes i find on the net that use cups and spoons as measurements, it just makes me bristle!!
ETA: I'm in Australia and we only use grams, we don't do ounces.0
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