Not losing anything. Nada. Not a bean.

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Oliveciabatta
Oliveciabatta Posts: 294 Member
in Introduce Yourself
Been doing this for 3 weeks now and tracking everything. On the minimum 1200cal and running 5k per day not really hungry but also not losing any weight. Not even a pound. Expected to see an initial dip of even just water loss and maybe some muscle gain cancelling out fat loss weight but unless my scales are seriously broken I've not gained or lost a thing apart from motivation seeing those stats on the scale. What am I missing?
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  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
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    Three weeks is a bit early to get worried, especially if the running is a new routine for you. When your body is adjusting to a new exercise, sometimes we will retain some extra water to help our muscles repair.

    It's unlikely that you are gaining actual muscle from running 5k per day.

    So a couple of options:

    1) Things are going well, you're just exercising harder than usual and your body weight is reflecting that stress.
    2) Your estimate of calories in isn't exactly accurate and you're accidentally eating more than you think you are (I can't see your diary to evaluate this possibility, but it's very common).
    3) There are other factors confounding your weight -- people who menstruate will often see temporary water weight gain during parts of the month, for example. For people cutting calories, constipation is sometimes a concern too.
    4) Maybe your scale is broken -- it happens.

    Not enough information here to really narrow down what is happening, unfortunately.
  • XLNC1981
    XLNC1981 Posts: 114 Member
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    1, patience, 2, try harder! It’s a maths thing... depends on how much you have to lose also.

    Make sure mfp stats and your goals are set, log accurately and the scale should budge or your body composition will change.

    As I say, depends on how much fat you are carrying on the first place.

    Personally I lost 2-3kg in 7-10 day’s which was pure water loss from carb reduction.

    Try, try again!
  • Oliveciabatta
    Oliveciabatta Posts: 294 Member
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    Thanks daily running is new for me but only since the clocks changed as was cycling an hour or more a day when it was lighter in the evenings so I'm sure the exercise is kind of balanced out from before. I want to lose 2 to 3 stone in total. I dont think I'm that far off on cal count either afterall an egg is an egg and an apple an apple right? If I'm unsure I pick the higher option so might even be under 1200 dome days. Just feel a bit demotivated that the scales haven't even twitched.
  • XLNC1981
    XLNC1981 Posts: 114 Member
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    Don’t be demotivated, that’s the difference between those who do and don’t. You just have to trust that the change will come.

    It’s very difficult but the magic happens. I sometimes get on the scale and expect to see a far greater number as I’ve been there for 10 years plus. Set your mind and off you go. Weigh in fortnightly btw or even better monthly.
  • Lietchi
    Lietchi Posts: 6,121 Member
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    Eating 1200 (if that's accurate) AND running 5k every day is too little. Your body might be holding onto water weight from the stress you're putting your body under. Why so few calories? Have you entered your stats and goals into MFP?
  • Oliveciabatta
    Oliveciabatta Posts: 294 Member
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    Yes that's why I said if I'm not sure i go for the higher estimate of cal. A lot of things are clear as they are marked on the pack like on cup soups but eating one small banana and marking it up as a large one I doubt would put me much over 1200 call a day.
  • Oliveciabatta
    Oliveciabatta Posts: 294 Member
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    I've entered my height weight etc and that i want to drop 3 stone and yes it says 1200 a day us my target.
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
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    xtineart wrote: »
    Yes that's why I said if I'm not sure i go for the higher estimate of cal. A lot of things are clear as they are marked on the pack like on cup soups but eating one small banana and marking it up as a large one I doubt would put me much over 1200 call a day.

    Pre-packaged foods have an allowable margin of error. You can't take for granted that each one will weigh exactly what is stated on the package. For example, I have found a degree of variance in protein bars, as well as some other snack foods.

    I'm not saying the issue is your logging. I am saying there are a high number of people asking "Why aren't I losing weight?" who turn out to be roughly estimating their intake and then begin to see the results they expect when they begin logging more accurately.

    If roughly estimating is what you prefer, you can still go with that. Just be aware that your progress may be less predictable than it would be if you were estimating intake more accurately.

    As far as the difference between a small and large banana, that can absolutely be relevant especially for people with lower calorie goals. When I weigh my fruit, even pieces that look the same size can have relevant calorie differences.
  • Lietchi
    Lietchi Posts: 6,121 Member
    edited November 2020
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    xtineart wrote: »
    I've entered my height weight etc and that i want to drop 3 stone and yes it says 1200 a day us my target.

    1200 kcal is the lowest MFP will go for a woman. It means you've chosen a weight loss rate that is too aggressive.
    On top of that, MFP gives you a goal based on your daily activity level not counting exercise. The MFP system intends for you to log your exercise separately and eat back (a reasonable estimate of) the calories burned through exercise.
  • Oliveciabatta
    Oliveciabatta Posts: 294 Member
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    See snowflake i still don't understand how much difference that would make. Weighing a cup soup that says 100 cal on the pack isn't going to change how its recorded. I only have 1 or 2 pieces of fruit a day and even wide of the mark on a guess an apple isn't going to be out by over 100 calories. I'm constantly eating what calculated cones in at around 1000 cal so I can leave an allowance f about 200 anyway for miscalculation. I dont know what I'm missing when so many others post about losing up to 8 pounds in their first week. I haven't even lost a pound?
  • Go_Deskercise
    Go_Deskercise Posts: 1,630 Member
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    If you open up your diary and we can see what you are logging - it might give us a better insight to help you.
  • snowflake954
    snowflake954 Posts: 8,399 Member
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    xtineart wrote: »
    See snowflake i still don't understand how much difference that would make. Weighing a cup soup that says 100 cal on the pack isn't going to change how its recorded. I only have 1 or 2 pieces of fruit a day and even wide of the mark on a guess an apple isn't going to be out by over 100 calories. I'm constantly eating what calculated cones in at around 1000 cal so I can leave an allowance f about 200 anyway for miscalculation. I dont know what I'm missing when so many others post about losing up to 8 pounds in their first week. I haven't even lost a pound?

    Then what difference does it make if you weigh everything scrupulously for a week? You can come back and tell us how wrong we are. Try it. That's usually where the problem lies. I've been on here over 7 yrs. I'd like you to be a success.
  • Oliveciabatta
    Oliveciabatta Posts: 294 Member
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    I dont know how but I can tell you an average day. Normally breakfast is 2 eggs boiled or poached, today I treated myself and had a poached egg, 2 gosh! Sweet potato veggie sausages, done on my George foreman, a grilled tomato and some steamed spinach. A mid morning snack pink lady apple and can of coke zero. Lunch was a mug of lentil soup and a banana after a 5k hill run. Dinner was a small chicken breast seasoned with paprika and garlic and grilled on the George served with mixed salad leaves, a sprinkle of pumpkin seeds and a level teaspoon of hellmans mayo. And a can of irn bru extra sugar free to satisfy my sweet tooth. Might have an options hot chocolate later as my treat. Mfp calculator says that's about 1000 cal. So should n theory have 500 left if I was counting my run?
  • snowflake954
    snowflake954 Posts: 8,399 Member
    edited November 2020
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    xtineart wrote: »
    I dont know how but I can tell you an average day. Normally breakfast is 2 eggs boiled or poached, today I treated myself and had a poached egg, 2 gosh! Sweet potato veggie sausages, done on my George foreman, a grilled tomato and some steamed spinach. A mid morning snack pink lady apple and can of coke zero. Lunch was a mug of lentil soup and a banana after a 5k hill run. Dinner was a small chicken breast seasoned with paprika and garlic and grilled on the George served with mixed salad leaves, a sprinkle of pumpkin seeds and a level teaspoon of hellmans mayo. And a can of irn bru extra sugar free to satisfy my sweet tooth. Might have an options hot chocolate later as my treat. Mfp calculator says that's about 1000 cal. So should n theory have 500 left if I was counting my run?

    Very nice--but take a look at my diary (it's open to all), and you'll see the weights in grams on everything. I've been doing that for 7 and a half years, except for the summers. I also went for a run this morning, but I don't log exercise anymore. I've set my calories to be the same everyday.

    Another question--how much are you trying to lose? If it's 20 lbs or less, the scale will move very slowly and that apple that you think won't make a difference, will.
  • Oliveciabatta
    Oliveciabatta Posts: 294 Member
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    Yeh I've not counted my run calories as I dont trust fitbit to give an accurate number. The only things I could gave weighed today would gave been the chicken breast and my apple and banana. Those would not gave been 500 calories more than mfp suggests. For me weighting my food religiously would put me off more than anything anyway I dont weigh myself daily for the same reason.
  • snowflake954
    snowflake954 Posts: 8,399 Member
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    xtineart wrote: »
    Yeh I've not counted my run calories as I dont trust fitbit to give an accurate number. The only things I could gave weighed today would gave been the chicken breast and my apple and banana. Those would not gave been 500 calories more than mfp suggests. For me weighting my food religiously would put me off more than anything anyway I dont weigh myself daily for the same reason.

    OK. Then, good luck!
  • Oliveciabatta
    Oliveciabatta Posts: 294 Member
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    Sorry not trying to rain on what works for you but 20 odd years ago I was a competetive athlete and every gram I ate was diaried, every minute of training and I had to weigh myself twice a day. It messed me up mentally 😪 I was very underweight back then with so little body fat my periods stopped for a time but still under daily pressure to record everything to eat and weigh that few grams less to go that bit harder and faster. Friends used to comment that I virtually lived on air. I can never do that to myself again. And those demons are still with me.
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
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    xtineart wrote: »
    Sorry not trying to rain on what works for you but 20 odd years ago I was a competetive athlete and every gram I ate was diaried, every minute of training and I had to weigh myself twice a day. It messed me up mentally 😪 I was very underweight back then with so little body fat my periods stopped for a time but still under daily pressure to record everything to eat and weigh that few grams less to go that bit harder and faster. Friends used to comment that I virtually lived on air. I can never do that to myself again. And those demons are still with me.

    If you've decided that more accurate methods of estimating your intake aren't good for your mental health, that's perfectly valid. There are many who have made that same decision. But what that means is that your progress may be less linear and predictable than the progress of someone who is more accurately able to log. With not a whole lot of weight to lose, most people need to be really precise on their calorie goal because they don't have much room for error.

    The truth is that "small chicken breast" or "a banana" aren't terribly accurate methods of measurement. That doesn't mean you have to give in and count calories more accurately if you know that isn't the best thing for you. It just means you'll have to take a longer term view and not become too frustrated when you see a few weeks without the progress that you expect.

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