Frustrated with lack of results

kristigraupman

I started working out mid-May and have continued a 6-day/per week schedule since. I alternate daily between 25-minuteof of walk/run intervals on the treadmill and a 30-minute boxing video. On treadmill days I also do pushups and core work. I feel much healthier and see a small change in how my clothes feel HOWEVER I have stayed at 220 - 221 lbs. and a 40-41 inch waist since May. I weigh/measure myself weekly because I didn't want to get discouraged and I'm one of those people who has always weighed more than I appear because of large core/butt/thigh muscles. I am not obsessed with the actual number so much as frustrated with the fact that I've worked my butt off (no pun intended!) for five months and have seen NO change - literally. I was tracking my eating habits in my food journal faithfully for awhile however I admit I stopped doing that because my diet doesn't change much.
I am beyond frustrated and would welcome any insights or suggestions.

janejellyroll

Exercise is never going to make someone lose weight, you need a calorie deficit for that (which exercise can be part of, but many people -- like you -- find it very easy to increase exercise and then eat enough to be able to maintain).

Your diet may not change much (as in the foods you're choosing), but the AMOUNT of each food you're eating probably isn't static if you aren't tracking it.

You have made some great fitness gains and that is a worthwhile achievement. Introduce a calorie deficit for weight loss.

L1zardQueen

When you tracked your food intake, did you use a food scale? Do you eat the calories back that you burn?

cgvet37

If you aren't tracking your food intake, then you really can't say your diet is on track. You can exercise until you pass out, but it doesn't matter. Diet is the key. I train six days a week, but I wouldn't be losing weight if I didn't track my calories.

Diatonic12

The math doesn't lie. You're not eating in a deficit.

Here's a great thread about Intuitive Eating and why it doesn't work for most people. Track your data points. Weigh and measure your food portions.

https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10530819/you-can-eat-whaver-you-want-as-long-as-you-eat-at-a-deficit-is-true-but-its-garbage-advice/p1

ninerbuff

You're NOT in deficit if you're not losing. That or there's an issue with health you're unaware of.

A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

kristigraupman

I guess I'm just surprised that the numbers haven't changed at all - like not even two pounds!

nanastaci2020

kristigraupman wrote: »

I guess I'm just surprised that the numbers haven't changed at all - like not even two pounds!

It is very easy to increase your consumption when you increase your activity. It is natural really. You have to make an effort to accurately & honestly track your calories, and eat at a deficit. Put your stats in and set a goal to lose 1-2 pounds weekly. Eat at that level for 6-8 weeks. Report back your progress.

Diatonic12

If you'll read through that thread, ninerbuff goes into greater details. It's all about the deficit.
That's it in a nutshell without the whole bushel.

Lietchi

The numbers might not have changed, but that doesn't mean you haven't lost fat, if you can feel a difference in the fit of your clothes. In the best case scenario, you might be doing a very slow recomp (building muscle and losing fat while eating at maintenance) although that ideally implies doing resistance training (more than just pushups and core work).

So I would start logging your food again, weighing everything (no volume measurements such as cups, tablespoons...), checking that you're using correct database entries, to make sure you are in a calorie deficit.

Dogmom1978

As everyone else has said, it’s simple, you aren’t eating in a deficit.

You don’t HAVE to exercise to lose weight although it’s fantastic for health purposes and can help some people (myself in that category) stay IN a deficit. You DO have to be in a deficit to lose weight. You can’t KNOW if you’re in a deficit if you aren’t weighing and logging your food intake accurately.