Eating and exercising but no weight change?

cameronwheeler

So I can't seem to lose anymore weight. I'm eating within my daily goals but after months of being on MFP I just quit logging food. I keep a mental track of each day now and I know that i'm under my daily goad but still within a good range. I'm also exercising at the YMCA and i'm just not seeing results but a little bit of weight gain. Its not muscle. I joined the Y 4 weeks ago and I go 5-6 days a week for 2-4 hours a day. I burn on average 800 calories a day. any help?

Escape_Artist

How do you know you are under your calorie goal if you don't track?

nomeejerome

Start tracking your food again and account for overestimation of exercise calories.

ETA: If you increased your exercise, your body will hold onto some water.
Is there a reason you are exercising so much?

Kicker12

How do you know you are under your calorie goal if you don't track?

^^ This

foleyshirley

You do not need to work out for 2 to 4 hours. Are you eating back those calories? You may not be eating enough.

foleyshirley

Start tracking your food again and account for overestimation of exercise calories.

ETA: If you increased your exercise, your body will hold onto some water.
Is there a reason you are exercising so much?

If OP is really working out 2 to 4 hours, then 800 is probably not an overestimation. But I do agree with tracking again.

T_ThomasXOXO

WHAT are you eating? Not all calories are created equal. My trainer always says weight loss is 70% diet 30%exercise.

Mokey41

Why does everyone start one of these threads with how much they exercise instead of how much they eat, weigh, age, etc that might actually be useful information?

It doesn't really matter if you exercise 24/7 if you out eat it and exercise isn't the key to losing weight. Your food intake is. Exercise is for fitness.

Just to give a little background of why I think this. I lost weight by eating within my budget and exercising. I was religious with running, cycling, lifting etc and thought if I didn't do all those things then I would gain weight again. The first part of January my mother fell and broke her hip then suffered a stroke. I'm an only child so it all fell on me to look after both my parents. Exercise time went right out the window but I maintained my calorie budget even though a lot of days it was junk food sitting in hospital waiting rooms or running back and forth. My dad passed away in April, my mom just last week. I haven't done a thing as far as exercise in 7 months and I can tell I've lost a lot of the muscle I had built up but I weigh exactly the same amount. My eating controls my weight not all the crazy hours I put in sweating.

auddii

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/872212-you-re-probably-eating-more-than-you-think

nomeejerome

Start tracking your food again and account for overestimation of exercise calories.

ETA: If you increased your exercise, your body will hold onto some water.
Is there a reason you are exercising so much?

If OP is really working out 2 to 4 hours, then 800 is probably not an overestimation. But I do agree with tracking again.

Fair point.

Armyantzzz

One pound equals 3500 calories..:noway: so in order to reasonably "lose weight" there would have to be a deficit of what is taken in vs what is "burned"..:huh: also, salt and sugar intakes should be monitored / dieted to make things work.:noway: among others factors... The real key is ...stay committed:bigsmile: :bigsmile:

Goin4goal

So sorry for your loss. I know how hard that is on you - my parents passed away 4 months apart and it was definitely stressful. Hope you can get your life back together and focus on you now. You deserve it!!!

OP - I agree start tracking again, you'd be surprised how little bites here and there can add up.

MyaPapaya75

Invest in a good HRM if you don't have one, start logging your food...What it seems to me and not to be harsh but you appear to be done with the over all tracking and somewhat giving up. I could be wrong but if your not you need to hop back on the wagon buy the proper tools and put your best foot forward, people offer advice in turn giving part of their time to help you out....you should put in the effort and get it together the best you can. I know a week or so ago you had a thread about eating certain foods like burgers and such and how they didn't play a part..but perhaps they could be catching up to you..sodium does that and it will stall your weight loss...trust Ive been there ...I love me a good old burger and fries as much as the next person....we all have struggles but we also have choices to make.

FoodLoverDeb05

You are keeping track of the calories in your head, but what about the sodium or fat count? If your diet has too much sodium then your body will retain water. And as for your exercising, if you are burning 800 calories are you eating it back in your daily intake. If you use MFP then it will tell you how many calories you should be taking in and it does change as your weight changes and your activity level changes. Plus are the foods you are eating helping your body to burn fat (kick start your metabolism) or does it keep your body in storing the fat instead?

Mokey41

dbl post!

Graceious1

I was out for 5 weeks with a knee injury and it got me a bit down so I stopped logging too (I did martial arts and also ran 3x a week). Then I had a word with myself, i.e., "What are you doing this for in the first place?". I got it together and did things like low impact exercises and lifting weights. After a while I found that I was heavier than when I started almost a year ago yet a smaller dress size.

So in your case it could be that you may be heavier because of muscle but the trick is if you want to know what progress you're making get a tape measure or consult your clothes. They'll tell you the truth, and start logging again.

Francl27

It's really not complicated... Track and log your food correctly (by weighing it), eat a reasonable amount of food for your size/age/exercise routine, lose weight.