30 days and the scale hasnt moved, frustrated
getoffin1year
Posts: 87 Member
24 of the last 30 days I've had at least a 700 (often more) calorie deficit. I log everything. I exercise 3x a week and 10k steps daily. The scale hasnt moved an ounce all month. What gives??? Steady weight loss since December, total 74lbs but August NOTHING.
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Do you weigh your food? Do you have cheat days or cheat meals?
Set your food diary to public: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/account/diary_settings0 -
If you're gaining muscle in the process, you won't see the scale move very much, since the weight you lose in fat is replaced by muscle. It's more important to go by noticeable differences, inches lost, and how you feel. Good luck!
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Also, be sure you're not starving yourself by cutting out too many calories. Otherwise your body will hold on to what it has. Small healthy meals throughout the day to keep your metabolism high, and keep you from feeling hungry. Protein is good, just keep an eye on your carbs.10
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analyzedis03 wrote: »If you're gaining muscle in the process, you won't see the scale move very much, since the weight you lose in fat is replaced by muscle. It's more important to go by noticeable differences, inches lost, and how you feel. Good luck!
Women who are bulking can gain about 1 pound of muscle per month. Someone working to lose weight will gain less than half of that, so the exchange rate of fat lost and muscle gained is not fast enough to equal no weight loss.2 -
analyzedis03 wrote: »Also, be sure you're not starving yourself by cutting out too many calories. Otherwise your body will hold on to what it has. Small healthy meals throughout the day to keep your metabolism high, and keep you from feeling hungry. Protein is good, just keep an eye on your carbs.
This is also not true. You don't have to eat small meals through the day, your metabolism will keep on working no matter what. If you starve yourself it will have negative impacts like destroying muscle, hair loss, loss of fertility, and eventually some hormonal impacts. Eating too little will not cause your body to hold on to what it has and if that was the case nobody would starve to death. Also, carbs are not bad. Carbs are not going to prevent weight loss unless someone has a medical condition.6 -
That sounds super frustrating! We don't have a lot of details here to work with. Opening your diary so we can take a peek might help you get more specific answers, but otherwise:
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. You might also be sure your scale is working and doesn't need new batteries or anything.
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.6 -
Your program seems to be pretty aggressive. When you get closer to goal, some areas where you've been able to cut corners a bit will catch up with you.
Do a top to bottom review. Crunch all your numbers like its day #1. Track closely.
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Very good advice here. I think tweaking somethings will help. #1 as diannethegeek pointed out, recaluating my goals on mfp. I suppose because of the weight loss, my daily calorie goal dropped ~250 even with everything else the same. I also stopped breastfeeding this month which must have been helping my calorie deficit in all the prior months.
I also think that my exercise routine isnt driving my heart rate up like it used to and it is time to be more aggressive.
Measured myself and have lost almost an inch from my hips and an inch from each thigh so there is that.
Thanks for everyone's help, especially 88olds to refocus like its day #1.3 -
Be mindful that the body's sole purpose is to survive. So, it adapts to what you give it. It adapts up, or it adapts down. It also becomes very efficient with things (read: it needs less energy to do the same tasks once it becomes very accustomed to doing those tasks).
Take a few days off of your "diet" (I do not like the word diet as it has very negative connotations for most folks....). Just chill for a few days. Rest. Enjoy life (not suggesting that you are not). Do not go hog wild and eat anything and every thing, but enjoy life for a few days. Go to the spa, get a massage, get your nails done (not being sexiest with these comments, I promise). It sounds like you have stalled and that you just need a rest. And, no gym. NONE! Take a complete break. From everything.0 -
So, adding more comments as I did not want to write a novel (very good at that!).
I am going to ask you a few questions and then provide potential answers (will assume a few things - will make it VERY CLEAR when I am assuming....assuming is usually a really bad idea!).
Do you know your basal metabolic rate? Meaning, the number of calories that your body requires to survive if you just laid in bed all day and did absolutely nothing....
Do you know your maintenance calories? Meaning, if you eat this number of calories everyday you will not gain any weight but you will also not loose any weight.....
There is a formula for figuring out your basal metabolic rate. This is a time-tested, tried and true formula:
Women: BMR = 655 + (4.35 x weight in pounds) + (4.7 x height in inches) – (4.7 x age in years)
Now, this is a formula. You are not a formula. So, use this as a great starting point. It is very likely to be pretty close. Just keep in mind that it is a formula.1 -
So, to continue....
What are your current macros? You do not need to post them, this question is more for you to answer to yourself. Are you below your basal metabolic rate? If you are, and you are doing all that cardio, then I might have an idea or two for you to consider.
Are you adjusting your macros as the weight drops?
In that whole equation, your caloric intake is the most important to track.
*You should try to stay within 5% of that number. So, to keep the math easy....if your targeted caloric intake is 1,000 calories every day then you should be consuming somewhere between 950 and 1,050 calories every day.
Each of your macro numbers are important as well.
*You should try to stay within 10% of each number. So, again, to keep the math easy.....you are are eating 100g Protein and 200g of Carbs and 50g of Fats then you would want to be within 90g and 110g of Protein, 180g and 220g of Carbs and 45g to 55g of Fats. Again, some mixture thereof!
Keep in mind that caloric intake and caloric output are both super important.1 -
Okay....last of the questions! I like to write (almost as much as I like to speak)!
So, regarding the weigh-ins: you should try to weigh yourself everyday, on the same scale, at the same time. Log the weight from every weigh-in and then take a weekly average. And, if your scale allows it, do the 1/10....so, 126.3 lbs (for example). Just understand that the body does fluctuate so don't worry too much about a slight increase on any given day....
Also, the scale is not always the best indicator of progress. It is *possible* - generally speaking - that your body composition is changing. So, while the scale is not showing any movement, your body composition could be making a lot of progress. I never recommend to people that their sole focus of progress is the "number that the scale spits out". There are several other factors involved here.
How do you feel? Forget about what the scale says! How do you feel? How is your energy?
How much water are you drinking each day? Eight glasses? 10 glasses? 12 glasses?0 -
[CWShultz27105 wrote: »So, to continue....
What are your current macros? You do not need to post them, this question is more for you to answer to yourself. Are you below your basal metabolic rate? If you are, and you are doing all that cardio, then I might have an idea or two for you to consider.
Are you adjusting your macros as the weight drops?
In that whole equation, your caloric intake is the most important to track.
*You should try to stay within 5% of that number. So, to keep the math easy....if your targeted caloric intake is 1,000 calories every day then you should be consuming somewhere between 950 and 1,050 calories every day.
Each of your macro numbers are important as well.
*You should try to stay within 10% of each number. So, again, to keep the math easy.....you are are eating 100g Protein and 200g of Carbs and 50g of Fats then you would want to be within 90g and 110g of Protein, 180g and 220g of Carbs and 45g to 55g of Fats. Again, some mixture thereof!
Keep in mind that caloric intake and caloric output are both super important.
no one should be eating less than 1200 calories unless under the care of a dr. as for 10% of your number it should be 10% less than your TDEE but most calculators calculate 20% less. if someone is eating 950-1050 in calories in most cases they will be eating under their BMR and you dont want to do that. you want to eat under your TDEE.not under what your body burns by just being alive (BMR)0 -
CWShultz27105 wrote: »Be mindful that the body's sole purpose is to survive. So, it adapts to what you give it. It adapts up, or it adapts down. It also becomes very efficient with things (read: it needs less energy to do the same tasks once it becomes very accustomed to doing those tasks).
Take a few days off of your "diet" (I do not like the word diet as it has very negative connotations for most folks....). Just chill for a few days. Rest. Enjoy life (not suggesting that you are not). Do not go hog wild and eat anything and every thing, but enjoy life for a few days. Go to the spa, get a massage, get your nails done (not being sexiest with these comments, I promise). It sounds like you have stalled and that you just need a rest. And, no gym. NONE! Take a complete break. From everything.
Sound advice this! Sometimes I stall for weeks. After a couple of maintenance days, some bathes and relaxing walks in the woods and a having a "word" with my subconscious to tell it that it's safe to lose weigh, my body relaxes and I literally lose 3lbs the next week. It's annoying, but relieving.
Also randomly, someone once told me that you can burn up to 400 cals a day breastfeeding. Can't even begin to imagine all the processes your body must go through as well when you stop feeding, it must panic and have a lot of fluid retention and hormone surges while
it figures out what it needs to do next.
So I'd say stay at it, have a quick rest if you need to and get on it.
If you still struggle, try a Fitbit too as they're great for knowing how much you're burning each day fairly reliably and link up with here. My fitbit is always spot on whereas this app is a bit generous exercise wise.
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analyzedis03 wrote: »Also, be sure you're not starving yourself by cutting out too many calories. Otherwise your body will hold on to what it has. Small healthy meals throughout the day to keep your metabolism high, and keep you from feeling hungry. Protein is good, just keep an eye on your carbs.
This is also not true. You don't have to eat small meals through the day, your metabolism will keep on working no matter what. If you starve yourself it will have negative impacts like destroying muscle, hair loss, loss of fertility, and eventually some hormonal impacts. Eating too little will not cause your body to hold on to what it has and if that was the case nobody would starve to death. Also, carbs are not bad. Carbs are not going to prevent weight loss unless someone has a medical condition.
Says who??? If you dont eat your body goes into starve mode and tries to retain fat & calories... Anorexia happens cause eventally the body has to give in to supply your body but only just what it needs to. We may be modernized but our body is still primative.3 -
That isn't true at all. Everyone is different and there art too many variables to consider when making a blanket statement like this. I've put on about 10kg of muscle since first starting to lose weight and I haven't been consistent with my diet/exercise. Gaining muscle also helps you lose fat.Women who are bulking can gain about 1 pound of muscle per month. Someone working to lose weight will gain less than half of that, so the exchange rate of fat lost and muscle gained is not fast enough to equal no weight loss.0 -
GlitchyPengy wrote: »analyzedis03 wrote: »Also, be sure you're not starving yourself by cutting out too many calories. Otherwise your body will hold on to what it has. Small healthy meals throughout the day to keep your metabolism high, and keep you from feeling hungry. Protein is good, just keep an eye on your carbs.
This is also not true. You don't have to eat small meals through the day, your metabolism will keep on working no matter what. If you starve yourself it will have negative impacts like destroying muscle, hair loss, loss of fertility, and eventually some hormonal impacts. Eating too little will not cause your body to hold on to what it has and if that was the case nobody would starve to death. Also, carbs are not bad. Carbs are not going to prevent weight loss unless someone has a medical condition.
Says who??? If you dont eat your body goes into starve mode and tries to retain fat & calories... Anorexia happens cause eventally the body has to give in to supply your body but only just what it needs to. We may be modernized but our body is still primative.
anorexics starve themselves, they dont go into starvation mode.anorexia happens because your body is not getting enough calories so it turns to fat and muscle to make energy, you dont hold onto fat or anything else so how does starvation mode make sense? if that were the case no one would lose weight because the body would try to hold onto fat. you lose fat in a deficit.now your body will go into adaptive thermogenesis but that takes awhile to happen as well. how many anorexics, people in 3rd world starving countries and concentration camps do you know or see that are retaining fat?0 -
Kasey_1994 wrote: »
That isn't true at all. Everyone is different and there art too many variables to consider when making a blanket statement like this. I've put on about 10kg of muscle since first starting to lose weight and I haven't been consistent with my diet/exercise. Gaining muscle also helps you lose fat.Women who are bulking can gain about 1 pound of muscle per month. Someone working to lose weight will gain less than half of that, so the exchange rate of fat lost and muscle gained is not fast enough to equal no weight loss.
how are you gauging muscle gain? you may get some newbie gains if lifting heavy when you first start losing weight,and if you have a LOT of fat and are obese you can gain a little more muscle than most,but for women its very hard to gain muscle in a surplus because we dont have the testosterone that men have. so we gain it half as fast and some maybe half that. what happens when you lose weight over existing muscle you do have will make it appear as if you gained a lot of muscle.
a female would have to have phenomenal genetics,plenty of testosterone in her body and be eating in a surplus to gain 22 lbs of muscle in a short time. gaining muscle helps you to burn 6-10 additional calories per lb ,where fat I think burns 4 calories per lb? fat is lost in a deficit(unless doing a slow recomp) which is why many athletes,body builders,bikini models,etc run bulk and cut cycles.0
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