Why am i not losing!!!!!

245

Replies

  • jeffpettis
    jeffpettis Posts: 865 Member
    WOW...a bunch of clever guys..... Eat more.....regardless of what the wiseguy trio says...

    I assume I'm one of the wise guys??? If so, thank you. I'll take that as a compliment. :drinker:
  • torias
    torias Posts: 1
    I have the exact same problem - I eat between 1000 - 1200 calories a day - I'm in training for a marathon and run up to 70km a week.

    Unfortunately a lot of the posts have commented on eating too much or too little - something I would suggest to you is go to the doctors. I suffer from PCOS which means its very easy to put on weight but its is extremely hard - near to impossible to loose it.

    I think someone mentioned thyroid - you should definitely get that checked but do you suffer any of the following:

    Erratic mood swings
    Irregular periods -
    Hair growth (belly, nipples, back, bum)
    Dull aches all over body
    Severe cramps

    If you have then these could point to having PCOS (polycystic ovary syndrome) I was put on Metformin which treats type 2 diabetes to help with the symptoms of PCOS - I started taking the tablets in June 2012, it was at this time I started running I went from 98kg to 79kg - it has taken me 17th months to shift 19kgs. In fact I have been 79kg since January this year and with the all the exercise and NO drinking I have not lost one kg - measurements have only come down 1 inch since the beginning of the year so I definitely hear and understand the frustration!!

    My advice is go to the doctor get a check up and go from there, ''Hope it helps :)
  • alanlmarshall
    alanlmarshall Posts: 587 Member
    Read this:

    http://www.acaloriecounter.com/blog/why-am-i-not-losing-weight/
  • fitfreakymom
    fitfreakymom Posts: 1,400 Member
    WOW...a bunch of clever guys..... Eat more.....regardless of what the wiseguy trio says...

    They trying to point out that she is probably eating/ drinking more cals than she thinks that's all.
  • Michael_Santos
    Michael_Santos Posts: 1
    Hey whats up I'm Mike and if there is anything I am an expert in its losing weight and gaining it back LOL.

    You can do all the cardio you want but you have to add some weight training to it, make it a circuit workout if you like I have insanity and P90x' program on a hard drive if its possible to email it. I'm suggesting to send them because they work 100% and if you get tired of them they give you an idea of whats needed to work.

    P.S. 9 times out of 10 you'll enjoy the programs.
  • RonW956
    RonW956 Posts: 105 Member
    LOL! I'm going to be the odd man out and say you're eating too much... You are not in a deficit. If you are doing that much cardio and not losing weight either you are eating more than you think or burning less than you think.

    I'll have to also agree with this statement. I would first start by being honest and log everything you eat & drink, including the sugar that you put in your tea or coffee if you drink it.

    Eating more to lose more??? LOL!

    In order to lose weight there must be a calorie deficit meaning that you eat less than your body requires.
  • Mcgrawhaha
    Mcgrawhaha Posts: 1,596 Member
    LOL! I'm going to be the odd man out and say you're eating too much... You are not in a deficit. If you are doing that much cardio and not losing weight either you are eating more than you think or burning less than you think.

    agreed. your simply wrong about how much your eating or how much your burning. either your in a deficit, or your not.

    i eat 1200 calories a day, and i run. 1200 is not too low, however, you are not eating 1200, or your not burning as much as you think... your making a mistake somewhere, causing you to eat above a deficit.
  • ars1300
    ars1300 Posts: 159 Member
    Very low calories for activity and your body has probably gotten used to the running! Change up the workouts
  • ljprofitt
    ljprofitt Posts: 5 Member
    @jeffpettis Im running 7 miles daily, thats about 800 calories and eating 1,200 a day?

    You should be eating 1,200 + 800 = 2,000 calories per day. Eat back what you burn for exercise. If you are not eating it back, that means you are only getting 400 calories per day. You are starving.
    A quick google search should clear all of this up for you.
    Here is a start:
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Starvation_response
  • mommyblessed7
    mommyblessed7 Posts: 72 Member
    What are you eating? The type of food is just as important as the amount , if not more so. if its 1200 cal of chips cake and bread than it might be a problem, but I also agree with the majority you are not eating enough cals even if you dont eat all back you should eat some and still stay in deficit. Also weigh training helps with fat burn , not sure if you mentioned you did it or not, good luck!
  • pmfl123
    pmfl123 Posts: 1
    Yep! Change up your workouts. Read up on plateauing to learn more. Maybe run a bit less and spend some of your running time at the gym.
  • TheRealJigsaw
    TheRealJigsaw Posts: 295 Member
    It shows you joined MFP last month and your ticker indicates that you have lost 5 Ibs since then. What is the problem here again?
  • RonW956
    RonW956 Posts: 105 Member
    Weight loss can only be achieved through a calorie deficit – that is, taking in less calories than are used
  • megomyeggo96
    megomyeggo96 Posts: 3
    sometimes muscle groups get used to the same old workout and it no longer has such an impact. try incorporating different types of training.
  • jmp463
    jmp463 Posts: 266 Member
    You do have to love the one note wonders.

    Not losing weight you say?? Well eat more that should fix it.

    People stop and think about it. I am not being mean but you see it a dozen times a day on here. Someone says they are not losing and sure as night follows day someone will tell them blindly to do the very thing that made them join this site in the first place. But do it more. Good god.

    I have lost 50lbs since last year and I assure everyone here I did it by eating far less than what I did before. And no I have not suffered any side effects of eating too little other than having to buy 3 rounds of smaller work pants and the expense of that.

    The OP asked a well intentioned question. The real answer is no one knows why you are not losing. And since you don't either it is worth the effort to really make sure you are logging both your food and exercise correctly.

    Based on what you have said. It just does not add up. You should be losing. And no it's not because you are not eating enough. So that would make a thinking person to ask the question. Are you sure your numbers are right???

    If they are then go to your doctor because there is something else at play. If so advice from people like us is not going to serve you well.

    I do wish you luck.
  • TigerBite
    TigerBite Posts: 611 Member
    I agree with jeff. Her math has to be off somewhere. Unless you're 5% body fat, starvation mode is BS. Meaning, unless you're weight lifting, a calorie deficit will ALWAYS equal weight loss.

    Edit: Except if you have weird crazy hormonal or thyroid crap which would suck. If your numbers are indeed 100% accurate you should go see a doctor :)

    The edit ... Crazy Amount of Cardio + Crazy Low Deficit (Can)= Disruption in Hormone Balance (Especially thyroid, Google it )
  • alanlmarshall
    alanlmarshall Posts: 587 Member
    Very low calories for activity and your body has probably gotten used to the running! Change up the workouts

    Wow.
    Now I know why Olympic marathoners are so fat.

    Seriously, running will burn the same calories after 2 weeks or twenty years.
  • Pcv04c
    Pcv04c Posts: 2 Member
    Maybe you're not drinking enough water and your body might be retaining fluid. If I don't drink plenty of water I start to gain water weight. I try to get at least 8 cups a day but when I'm running a lot I usually drink around 16 cups per day. How long have you been in a slump? It's normal to not loose weight for a few weeks sometimes. As long as you stick to it your body will catch up.
  • MuseofSong
    MuseofSong Posts: 322 Member
    I literally saw this thread from another new person yesterday.

    Except her story was that she was SUPPOSED to eat 1350 calories, but got too full after only 1100 calories and burned 700 calories on her elliptical, so her net was also 400 calories a day. That poster was nearly 200 lbs. Her question wasn't why am I not losing though. Her question was 'am I doing it right?' The answer was no.

    This OP is very fit and only has a few lbs to lose. Hmmm...

    Sometimes I wonder if this site is used for psychological experiments to see how people react to the exact SAME problem from a fat person's account and a skinny person's account.

    Now, this fit person, with the same net calories, cannot lose weight. I'm not going to tell you to eat more, if you're getting your 1200 net, whatever, that's healthy for a lean woman, boogie on. If you're not netting 1200, you're doing it wrong. :tongue:

    I'm going to side with Team Math, as other posters already alluded to. It's not the S-word; it's not the M-word; it's just numbers. Your math is not correct. Get a kitchen scale for your food, a digital scale for you, and hydrate well.

    If after a month or two of careful, measured logging of caloric intake and your regular exercise, you still cannot lose, consult your doctor for other issues and bring your food and exercise data with you. Check out the sticky posts for 'what to expect'. Those last few pounds are the most difficult to lose. And really, that's all you have is a few pounds to deal with.
  • davepearson86
    davepearson86 Posts: 158 Member
    Overdoing the cardio and/or not eating enough. Less cardio, more food.

    Calories in vs calories out is lies lies lies, your body is smarter than math and knows what's up with that.
  • alanlmarshall
    alanlmarshall Posts: 587 Member
    Read this:

    http://www.acaloriecounter.com/blog/why-am-i-not-losing-weight/


    ^^^did you read it yet?^^^
  • _Zardoz_
    _Zardoz_ Posts: 3,987 Member
    Overdoing the cardio and/or not eating enough. Less cardio, more food.

    Calories in vs calories out is lies lies lies, your body is smarter than math and knows what's up with that.
    so what you are doing as I am running more than the original poster I haven't really lost 97 pounds but in fact put it on? You guys do come out with some rubbish sometimes what's scary is you actually believe it. I'm afraid it'll all come down to the maths and the posters figures being incorrect.
  • peachcats
    peachcats Posts: 99
    You're counting your calories wrong, starvation mode is a myth unless you're at 5% bodyfat which is the point where your body is going to start consuming your muscles and you'll look like you were just in a POW camp.

    If starvation mode is real we should start sending less food to starving nations.

    If you meant "not losing weight for a short term period of 1-2 weeks", it could just be waterweight and a high sodium diet. Decrease your sodium, increase your potassium intake.
  • thesophierose
    thesophierose Posts: 754 Member
    You are over exercising and not eating enough. Eat more.
  • jenilla1
    jenilla1 Posts: 11,118 Member
    really u think, when i entered height and weight that's what it said, 1,200... :(

    You're being too aggressive. 2 pounds a week at your weight is way too fast, especially with your training regimen. I run long distance, too, and it's hard to imagine how you fuel your workouts with that low a calorie count. I would crash and burn. Try 1/2 to 1 pound a week. It's a healthier, more sustainable plan. No need to rush, you'll get there! :flowerforyou:
  • Knsclptr30
    Knsclptr30 Posts: 38
    Losing muscle mass no good strength and explosive resistant training in your program. Your results are to be expected
  • ddpiel
    ddpiel Posts: 52
    *
  • jimmmer
    jimmmer Posts: 3,515 Member
    I have the exact same problem - I eat between 1000 - 1200 calories a day - I'm in training for a marathon and run up to 70km a week.

    Unfortunately a lot of the posts have commented on eating too much or too little - something I would suggest to you is go to the doctors. I suffer from PCOS which means its very easy to put on weight but its is extremely hard - near to impossible to loose it.

    I think someone mentioned thyroid - you should definitely get that checked but do you suffer any of the following:

    Erratic mood swings
    Irregular periods -
    Hair growth (belly, nipples, back, bum)
    Dull aches all over body
    Severe cramps

    If you have then these could point to having PCOS (polycystic ovary syndrome) I was put on Metformin which treats type 2 diabetes to help with the symptoms of PCOS - I started taking the tablets in June 2012, it was at this time I started running I went from 98kg to 79kg - it has taken me 17th months to shift 19kgs. In fact I have been 79kg since January this year and with the all the exercise and NO drinking I have not lost one kg - measurements have only come down 1 inch since the beginning of the year so I definitely hear and understand the frustration!!

    My advice is go to the doctor get a check up and go from there, ''Hope it helps :)

    Most of those symptoms you mention would be the result of not eating enough and training for a marathon.

    You need to eat enough to support your training regime.

    You can't put in the kind of training that you need for a marathon and gross 1200 calories without: mood swings, lack of sleep, dull aches, cramps and eventually erratic periods. The hair growth might be the only one I'd struggle to explain!

    But to the OP:-

    1) you need to start being honest about your intake. Measure everything you eat. Make sure to include cooking oil, sauces, ketchup, etc

    2) you need an accurate estimate of the calories you burn and then you need to eat most (or all) of those calories back

    3) you need to set up the app so that the weightloss is appropriate to how much you have to lose. If you have it set to 2lbs a week and you only have 15lbs to go, this is going to make your body prioritise bone density, muscle tissue, etc over fat. Get in a sensible deficit (i.e. 1/2-1 lb a week) and be patient.

    Try the above for 2-3 weeks and then see how things go. Don't judge yourself by the standards of others (your mother was probably carrying an excessive amount of water weight. She wouldn't have dropped that weight of fat in that short of a time).

    Above all: to thine own self be true

    be accurate, be smart, get results.
  • jeffpettis
    jeffpettis Posts: 865 Member


    Calories in vs calories out is lies lies lies, your body is smarter than math and knows what's up with that.

    So I assume you have scientific evidence supporting this?

    LOL! :laugh: That's a good one. I'll have to remember that one.
  • Boogage
    Boogage Posts: 739 Member
    I didn't believe in eating more to lose but after netting around 800 for a few months (very bad idea) I slowly upped my cals to 1400 and continued to lose weight. I think in the 2 weeks it took to increase my food intake I lost 3lbs going from 115lbs to 112lbs. Being at the lower end of a healthy weight I wasn't aiming to lose anymore but it came off anyway :)

    Edited to say you don't have to be less than 5% body fat to look like a POW. I'm constantly being told I look anorexic after netting so low for so long and according to my scale (which won't be particularly accurate I know) I am around 24/25% bf. I look pretty awful naked hence why I'm upping my cals slowly so I can bulk and try to recomp.

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