Why am I not losing Weight?!!!!

perfect_storm

As other people mentioned open up your diary for better input. With out seeing your diary I can guess you may be over estimating your calories and actually eating less then you should. Try weighing and measuring everything, once you start doing this it stops being a pain in the butt and becomes second nature. Please eat at least the 1200 and eat your exercise calories back. It worked for me and I lost 40 lbs in 4 months. Good luck.

thefreestove

Are you monitoring your ratios? Make sure you keep an eye sugars as well as carbs. Before I used myfitnesspal I was on 'Light and Easy' - each meal was prepared for me to a low cal and I lost nothing. Now that I am using myfitnesspal - I can see that I was eating too many carbs and also too much sugar - even though I didn't have anything with added sugar - the fruit and vegetable choices meant that I was exceeding my daily sugar allowance. So it's not just total calories you need to look at - it's the sugars and carbs. Also make Low GI (Glycemic Index) choices - as anything with a high GI elevates your insulin levels and makes burning fat virtually impossible. I had been overweight for many years despite low calorie diets. These are the secrets that have enabled me to FINALLY drop 26kg (57.5lbs). Keep going - and monitor EVERYTHING! It's very educational.

jonnythan

Are you monitoring your ratios? You must to and make sure you keep an eye sugars as well as carbs. Before I used myfitnesspal I was on 'Light and Easy' - each meal was prepared for me to a low cal and I lost nothing. Now that I am using myfitnesspal - I can see that I was eating too many carbs and also too much sugar - even though I didn't have anything with added sugar - the fruit and vegetable choices meant that I was exceeding my daily sugar intake. So it's not just total calories you need to look at - it's the sugars and carbs. Also make sure make Low GI (Glycemic Index) choices - as anything with a high GI elevates your insulin levels and makes burning fat virtually impossible. I had been overweight for many years despite low calorie diets. These are the secrets that have enabled me to FINALLY drop 26kg (57.5lbs). Keep going - and monitor EVERYTHING! It's very educational.

Sugar and the glycemic index are completely irrelevant. They are not worth even thinking about unless you have a medical condition that requires it.

SHobbs1975

Thanks for the suggestion, aimforhealthy! That's what some of the other posters have said to. Sounds like I need to give it a shot!

Ang108

Excess carbohydrates is usually the decisive factor in not being able to lose weight - irrespective of how many calories you consume.

" Usually " means more often than not and that is according to WHO, World Hunger Projects and UNICEF not true. There is a small % of people were that applies,. I do believe the whole very generalized issue ( because there are indeed people who cannot handle carbs, or more specifically grains ) issue surrounding carbs is a very US-American focussed fad, because in no other country people look at carbs as evil/dangerous/bad. Also most people when they think/speak of carbs, they forget that sugar fruit and vegetables are carbs and they refer to grains and other starches.Therefore suggesting that someone cut down carbs in general is very irresponsible advise.
I have severe Lupus and RA and if I would live in the US I would have been off carbs a long time ago. But since I do not live there I still eat around 100-150grs of carbs a day, but avoid all those that are processed and I am better in regard to my health problems than some of my friends in the US who eat something like 30grs a day and are forever trying for even less.
I think we need to stop generalizing what works and what not based on our own experiences. Some things might work very well for you, but might not work for anyone else.
I agree with one thing however. If a person is carb/grain sensitive ( and actually very few truly are ) than indeed it makes no difference how many calories from carbs that person ingests......even a few will be too much. But that has nothing to do with weight loss.

nm212

Wow you all are funny, crazy, and some of you rock with great advice! LOL I actually exercise at super HIGH intensity at my spin classes! I need to get a heart rate monitor but I know that I really push myself hard every time for 45 min class. I actually think MFP under-estimates calories for Spinning so I started using the "vigorous stationary bike" for my log....but even that I think is low because when I use the spin bike myself (not in class) , it says I burn between 450-650 every time. The bikes in the class don't have the calories on it...but I work even harder on those, soooo I don't think that is the issue! It's definately what I am eating or NOT eating.

thefreestove

Interesting comment Jonnythan. Have you got more information on why they're completely irrelevant? Articles? Links? I'm interested to learn where you got that information from as it's contrary to the latest research. There's a huge (and growing) body of evidence that shows reducing daily sugar intake and sticking to Low GI foods facilitates weight reduction. I have experienced it first hand, and I don't have a 'medical condition'.

nm212

I think the key is to eat healthy carbs.

jonnythan

There's a huge (and growing) body of evidence that shows reducing daily sugar intake and sticking to Low GI foods facilitates weight reduction.

No, there's not.

The key is not "to eat healthy carbs."

Sigh.

Serah87

I eat carbs, I eat sugar, I eat fats and I eat proteins, see ticker below. :bigsmile:

nm212

The Asian culture does not eat any bread or gluten products! They eat alot of white rice! They also eat alot of spicey food which speeds up your metabolism. I went to Thailand about 5 yrs ago and when I came back, I was 10 lbs lighter. They eat alot of vegetables, fish, and rice. It's that easy ...but it's all about resisting temptation here in the U.S.! It's not easy when unhealthy foods are so readily available and advertised everywhere you look.

thefreestove

I hit the gym again 5 weeks ago and have been consistent for all 5 weeks ago- but up until 1 week ago I saw NOTHING on the scale and was getting discouraged.. but then I started studying and talking to trainers at the gym and they said because I am working out- I am replacing fat with muscle (which weigh the same) so I may not see anything on the scale. Here I am 5 weeks later, (and I've stopped weighing myself all together)- and I am 2 pant sizes down and my bras and shirts are even loose. It took 5 weeks to see this.. but my body is getting smaller! Don't focus on the scales - just eat clean and keep working.. your body will change!

Congratulations, you have found the lost city of gold of weight loss...please explain this magical process by which you converted fat into muscle...

Look again and you'll see that she said "REPLACING" not "CONVERTING" fat to muscle, which refers to the WEIGHT she sees on the scales (not a magical process where the body converts fat to muscle).

nm212

Carbs are not the enemy...It's all about what kind of carbs you eat and how much!

bkyoun

No, it has nothing to do with the carbs, read this again:

You already have all the good advice you need in this thread, but there is also a lot of bad advice here, so let me sum up the good stuff:

1. You are NOT at a deficit if you are not losing.
2. You are likely overestimating the calories burned because MFP exaggerates them. Only eat back half your exercise calories.
3. Measure and log everything that goes in your mouth. You need to make sure you are accurately logging.
4. It doesn't matter what you eat (carbs, fat, unclean, etc) as long as you eat fewer calories than you burn. The number of calories is what matters, NOT what type of food or beverage makes up those calories.

If you do those things, I have no doubt that you will lose weight.

And then read this again: http://www.acaloriecounter.com/blog/why-am-i-not-losing-weight/

And then go get a HRM because I really think you are overestimating those spinning burns no matter how intense you think you are doing it.

jonnythan

Carbs are not the enemy...It's all about what kind of carbs you eat and how much!

No, weight loss/gain about how many calories you consume. Carbs have nothing to do with it other than carbs are one source of calories.

thefreestove

I eat carbs, I eat sugar, I eat fats and I eat proteins, see ticker below. :bigsmile:

CONGRATULATIONS - that's AWESOME!

I also eat all of the above, I just stick to my daily allowances. That's all I'm saying. Don't OVER eat them is my message. Keep an eye on them and keep them in check.

Well done, you are a champion.

So how does one get a ticker to appear on their forum posts?

Serah87

I hit the gym again 5 weeks ago and have been consistent for all 5 weeks ago- but up until 1 week ago I saw NOTHING on the scale and was getting discouraged.. but then I started studying and talking to trainers at the gym and they said because I am working out- I am replacing fat with muscle (which weigh the same) so I may not see anything on the scale. Here I am 5 weeks later, (and I've stopped weighing myself all together)- and I am 2 pant sizes down and my bras and shirts are even loose. It took 5 weeks to see this.. but my body is getting smaller! Don't focus on the scales - just eat clean and keep working.. your body will change!

Congratulations, you have found the lost city of gold of weight loss...please explain this magical process by which you converted fat into muscle...

Look again and you'll see that she said "REPLACING" not "CONVERTING" fat to muscle, which refers to the WEIGHT she sees on the scales (not a magical process where the body converts fat to muscle).

No....what she is seeing is fat disappearing and the muscle, that's always been there, you are now able to see. You can't gain muscle on a deficit!!

arlenem1974

if you don't think MFP is accurate with the cals look to the site I use instead. http://www.healthstatus.com/perl/calculator.cgi

thefreestove

Carbs are not the enemy...It's all about what kind of carbs you eat and how much!

Yes yes yes - I agree - my goodness, I can see how what I've said has been interpreted in so many ways.

I was just pointing out to keep an eye on ratios and sugars. Stay within your daily limits. That's all.

When I was on Light and Easy - the ratios where out and there were too many carbs and sugars (in terms of ratios and daily allowances). Myfitnesspal calculates all of that so it's easy to monitor and stay within the limits. That's all I'm saying. If you are already doing that - then I'm at a loss. Sorry.

MityMax96

Carbs are not the enemy...It's all about what kind of carbs you eat and how much!

actually your body processes simple and complex carbs the same
the only difference between the two is when they are on the table in front of you