4 weeks not losing... demotivated

mileysmiley2018

Hello all

I am really demotivated right now ...maybe someone can give some advice. My weight is 146 lbs on 5f7 and I have religiously been lifting heavy with a trainer twice a week and then one hour HIIT trainings twice. I want to be at my old weight of 135.
He put me on a low carb, high protein diet.. 1500 cals and macros are 50 p, 30 c, 20 f.
I see a big difference in my shoulder and arms that I gained muscle but on the scale I weigh exactly the same. Not an ounce less.
How can that be? I am so strict with weighing every morsel and still nothing.
Will the weight ever come off? We tried going down to 1300 cals this week but still nothing on the scale.

I am 36...

Why..or does the muscle I gained equal out fat loss on the scale? I doubt it...

jdog022

How are you measuring your intake? That’s likely the issue. Food scale? Low carb must suck on such an intense training program. That’s a mistake for no increased fat loss

MikePTY

What makes you feel as if you need to be a certain weight? 146 pounds at 5'7" is a perfectly healthy BMI. If you are in fact building muscle, that is what would explain it. Muscle is denser than fat, and so if you do feel like you are gaining some muscle, if you are weighing the same, that means you are also likely losing some fat, which is a good thing. Have you been getting your body fat percentage measured? That is something that would be a much more accurate reflection of your progress. The number of the scale doesn't mean anything except something strictly psychological, especially if you are at a normal weight.

I would not try to go below 1500 calories a day, especially if you are working out as well. At your weight, if you are trying to lose weight, you should be targeting slow weight loss. You're not going to be dropping weight as fast as someone who has a lot to lose.

Overall, it sounds like you are actually doing very good, I think you just need to look at it from a different angle.

sardelsa

You might be retaining water from exercise, or a logging issue. Maybe if you open up your diary people can help. I started at similar stats as you and 1300 is really low for your stats and activity level.

bcwagneripad1

I am weighing all the foods on a scale... even salad. Mornings it’s usually 184 g egg whites, 20g oatmeal, 1 egg. Lunch is 4 oz chicken with 180 g broccoli or any other greens. Dinner is again 184 g egg whites and 2 eggs with 2 cups of spinach.
Snacks are 4 oz chickenbreast midmorning, afternoon 15 almonds, evening, 1 cup fat free Greek yogurt with 1\2 berries.

That’s what I eat pretty much every day..

I am female. I know I am perfectly at a ok weight but not for me, myself.. I gained 15 lbs in one year that I am trying to get rid of.

sardelsa

When did you start working out? Are you taking measurements? How are your clothes fitting?

rheddmobile

My guess is your muscles are retaining water from the new exercise routine. Measure your waist and check how your clothes fit.

AnvilHead

Every possible reason you're not losing weight, and what to do about it: https://www.aworkoutroutine.com/why-am-i-not-losing-weight/

beatyfamily1

The number on the scale means absolutely nothing. I think the only time the scale actually means something is for someone who is severely overweight. When you get down to smaller numbers the scale no longer holds the same value. Muscle is more dense than fat. It is common to gain muscle, lose fat at the same time, and the number on the scale to show absolutely no change. This is a body recomposition. Measure your success based on body measurements and progress pictures. If you are seeing muscle gains so far, you are doing great. Trust the process.

MikePTY

beatyfamily1 wrote: »

The number on the scale means absolutely nothing. I think the only time the scale actually means something is for someone who is severely overweight. When you get down to smaller numbers the scale no longer holds the same value.

A lot of people clearly don't want to hear it, but this is true and our collective obsession with the scale is unhealthy and counter productive. This is especially true when you are at a healthy weight. What those of us who are trying to do when we are trying to lose is lose fat, not weight.

Home scales also tend to be terribly inaccurate. They can fluctuate wildly, and be off several pounds from another scale. I weighed myself at home and at the doctor's office yesterday. The difference in the same conditions an hour apart from each other was 5 pounds. That goes to show how much we can actually rely on the scale. Many would be better served if they would throw the scale at the *kitten* window.

If you are not taking measurements and calculating your bf% with your trainer, I strongly suggest that you start now. That will give you a much better indicator of progress. If you are not losing any BF, that may be an indicator that what you are doing is not working. But if you are losing BF, then who cares what the scale is saying. People can woo this all they want, but I firmly believe that it sounds like what you are doing is actually working, and getting away from focusing on the number on the scale would be healthy and productive for you.

PigHerder

bcwagneripad1 wrote: »

I am weighing all the foods on a scale... even salad. Mornings it’s usually 184 g egg whites, 20g oatmeal, 1 egg. Lunch is 4 oz chicken with 180 g broccoli or any other greens. Dinner is again 184 g egg whites and 2 eggs with 2 cups of spinach.
Snacks are 4 oz chickenbreast midmorning, afternoon 15 almonds, evening, 1 cup fat free Greek yogurt with 1\2 berries.

Apart from the fact that eating like this every day sounds depressing as hell (sorry - maybe you like it, but I'd die of boredom on day three), that "every day" diet sounded calorie-light. I just ran your normal day through my own diary so see how it shakes out and it came out to 1199 calories a day. 301 calories under your goal. I used medium eggs, but even if you chose large, it would only net you another 60-70 calories. But I noticed that you don't mention logging things like oil, seasoning, or whatever you use to make up your tiny spoonful of oatmeal - or whether you drink coffee with milk/creamer/sugar/etc. So hopefully when all is accounted for, you're coming in closer to goal!

You sound like you're pretty fit and active. So I can't understand why you'd be eating so little if you're 5ft 7. Your maintenance level would be about 2100, which means you're creating a 600+ daily deficit when you're already a healthy weight. That seems... bonkers.

pinuplove

bcwagneripad1 wrote: »

I am weighing all the foods on a scale... even salad. Mornings it’s usually 184 g egg whites, 20g oatmeal, 1 egg. Lunch is 4 oz chicken with 180 g broccoli or any other greens. Dinner is again 184 g egg whites and 2 eggs with 2 cups of spinach.
Snacks are 4 oz chickenbreast midmorning, afternoon 15 almonds, evening, 1 cup fat free Greek yogurt with 1\2 berries.

That’s what I eat pretty much every day..

I am female. I know I am perfectly at a ok weight but not for me, myself.. I gained 15 lbs in one year that I am trying to get rid of.

I gave you a hug because there's no way I could stick to that food plan and be happy. Only you can decide if it's worth it. Just be aware that at your current height and weight, it will be a long slow process.

Psychgrrl

Gaining strength isn’t the same as gaining muscle. With your deficit, it’s likely you’re doing as good a job as possible preserving existing muscle tissue, but you’re not giving your body the calories it needs to increase muscle tissue. You should consider doing a “recomp” — body decomposition. Maintaining a very small deficit while working through a progressive lifting program. That sounds like it will give you the results you want.

kshama2001

mileysmiley2018 wrote: »

Hello all

I am really demotivated right now ...maybe someone can give some advice. My weight is 146 lbs on 5f7 and I have religiously been lifting heavy with a trainer twice a week and then one hour HIIT trainings twice. I want to be at my old weight of 135.
He put me on a low carb, high protein diet.. 1500 cals and macros are 50 p, 30 c, 20 f.
I see a big difference in my shoulder and arms that I gained muscle but on the scale I weigh exactly the same. Not an ounce less.
How can that be? I am so strict with weighing every morsel and still nothing.
Will the weight ever come off? We tried going down to 1300 cals this week but still nothing on the scale.

I am 36...

Why..or does the muscle I gained equal out fat loss on the scale? I doubt it...

How long have you been doing this workout routine? Has your trainer spoken to you about water retention?

How are your jeans fitting these days? Are you closer to getting into your 135 # jeans despite your current weight?

Muscleflex79

beatyfamily1 wrote: »

The number on the scale means absolutely nothing. I think the only time the scale actually means something is for someone who is severely overweight. When you get down to smaller numbers the scale no longer holds the same value. Muscle is more dense than fat. It is common to gain muscle, lose fat at the same time, and the number on the scale to show absolutely no change. This is a body recomposition. Measure your success based on body measurements and progress pictures. If you are seeing muscle gains so far, you are doing great. Trust the process.

do you have any idea how hard it is to put muscle on? especially for a female? no woman is going to put muscle on at a rate that would out-pace fat loss - especially not while eating 1300-1500 calories per day. much more likely to be a water retention or measurement issue.

CharlieBeansmomTracey

Muscleflex79 wrote: »

beatyfamily1 wrote: »

The number on the scale means absolutely nothing. I think the only time the scale actually means something is for someone who is severely overweight. When you get down to smaller numbers the scale no longer holds the same value. Muscle is more dense than fat. It is common to gain muscle, lose fat at the same time, and the number on the scale to show absolutely no change. This is a body recomposition. Measure your success based on body measurements and progress pictures. If you are seeing muscle gains so far, you are doing great. Trust the process.

do you have any idea how hard it is to put muscle on? especially for a female? no woman is going to put muscle on at a rate that would out-pace fat loss - especially not while eating 1300-1500 calories per day. much more likely to be a water retention or measurement issue.

yep muscle gain to fat loss is not a 1:1 ratio. so you are correct. heck Im eating at to a little over maintenance and its very slow going for me and my calories are 1800-2100 calories a day.(My bmr is 1272 and Im lightly active,calculators for BMR and TDEE give me 200-300 more than actual for me)

quiksylver296

You haven't answered. Is the workout new to you? Water weight from new exercise is my first guess. Here's an awesome article...

http://physiqonomics.com/the-weird-and-highly-annoying-world-of-scale-weight-and-fluctuations/

Onyx_MCG

If you’re on a high protein diet the muscle will replace the fat and muscle is heavier than fat. Are you are lifting heavy you will put on muscle. Try working out with lighter weights. Add me as a friend.

kami3006

Muscleflex79 wrote: »

beatyfamily1 wrote: »

The number on the scale means absolutely nothing. I think the only time the scale actually means something is for someone who is severely overweight. When you get down to smaller numbers the scale no longer holds the same value. Muscle is more dense than fat. It is common to gain muscle, lose fat at the same time, and the number on the scale to show absolutely no change. This is a body recomposition. Measure your success based on body measurements and progress pictures. If you are seeing muscle gains so far, you are doing great. Trust the process.

do you have any idea how hard it is to put muscle on? especially for a female? no woman is going to put muscle on at a rate that would out-pace fat loss - especially not while eating 1300-1500 calories per day. much more likely to be a water retention or measurement issue.

^^^ this bears repeating.

roseburgett9

I lost fat and gained muscle weight too. I started seeing a difference in the scale week 6 so be patient. Like someone said earlier. You don't have a lot of weight to lose so it will take longer. Just keep at it. Also, don't go below 1500 or else you will start feeling tired and lose energy.

kimny72

Onyx_MCG wrote: »

If you’re on a high protein diet the muscle will replace the fat and muscle is heavier than fat. Are you are lifting heavy you will put on muscle. Try working out with lighter weights. Add me as a friend.

A woman eating 1500 calories is probably not going to be building muscle, certainly not enough to offset fat loss on the scale.