28, 250lbs, not losing weight, please help

navyrigger46

Are you eating back any exercise calories? I am 30, built like you, and started at 264. I only lift 3-4 days a week, and do about half as much cardio and I was losing on 2500 per day, now at 199 and eating 2300 per day with the same routine. You may not be eating enough.

Rigger

The issue is that he doesn't really know how much he is eating as he measure rice in cups and converts grams/oz to cups to log.

He needs to log accurately in grams/oz for a few weeks before making changes. :noway:

Edit: I'm out.

Good call, need to log accurately OP, otherwise you have no idea what you're eating. Still, just arbitrarily reducing your calories without good cause is a no go, and 1700 is nowhere near enough to fuel that level of activity.

Rigger

Will_Thrust_For_Candy

Wow there is a lot of crap in this thread.

OP you are really over thinking this....so first things first, take a deep breath, step back and relax

You didn't mention (or if you did I missed it because of all the misinformation after your original post) how overweight you are/how much you are trying to lose. Can you give us your stats please?

You DO NOT need to stop eating anything. You DO NOT need to further reduce your calories.

You DO need to stop exercising so much. Lifting 3-4 days/week plus cardio 1-2 days per week is totally sufficient. The magic happens during recovery, not during the workout.

Now as far as not losing....something is definitely off. Now I know that you are saying that your logging is 100% but as others have mentioned I think something could be off. Like for example if you are logging your meat as cooked vs raw, cups instead of weight. If possible, it can also help to scan the labels of the things that you are cooking, like rice. Also, are you like packing the cup of rice ( I am not judging....I have done it :laugh: ) rather than just simply filling the cup. You do need to log your pre-workout but I don't know that would account for not losing on its own.

Also, when is the last time you had a complete physical. It's certainly something you should consider just to ensure everything is on the up and up.

And lastly, you mentioned that you don't log calories earned for lifting but you do for cardio. Do you eat those calories back? It could be that you are horribly overestimating your burn during cardio and eating back too many exercise cals.

I hope that this gives you some insight but please realize that you don't need to eliminate things like rice, honey and bloody protein powder from your diet. You got this :flowerforyou:

CiaLater86

Im not sure if this has been said but:

Muscle weighs more then fat !, you need fat too turn it into muscle, and with weight lifting your probably building muscle and losing fat but its just not showing up on the scale yet !.
also, A person doesn't need anymore then 30-40 minutes of intense excersize a day after that your just straining your self (newer studies suggest)
my advise is to stick to mostly cardio, get those calories burning, until your closer to 200-210. then hit the weights.
You'll slim down in no time.

Hartman1986

First off, good decision to cut back the amount of exercise. Every body needs a bit of rest. Second, where did you get the 2100 and then the 1700 calorie goals? I'm 5'10 & 250 lbs and my calorie goal is the same as yours was originally. It might be possible that if you have a active job that your body thinks it is starving with all the exercise added in. I would recommend changing only one thing at a time. That way you can see what is working and what is not. I would bump your calories back to 2100 level and keep the reduced training schedule and see what happens in a few weeks. If your still not dropping weight, then reduce the calorie level.

Supertact

I agree with a lot said here and I would stress do not cut to 1700 cals a day.

navyrigger46

Im not sure if this has been said but:

Muscle weighs more then fat !, you need fat too turn it into muscle, and with weight lifting your probably building muscle and losing fat but its just not showing up on the scale yet !.
also, A person doesn't need anymore then 30-40 minutes of intense excersize a day after that your just straining your self (newer studies suggest)
my advise is to stick to mostly cardio, get those calories burning, until your closer to 200-210. then hit the weights.
You'll slim down in no time.

Umm, No.

Muscle doesn't weigh more than fat, it merely takes up less space. Fat doesn't magically convert into muscle, and if he's lifting in a deficit he is not building muscle. Additionally, cardio and less weights? Really? Cardio is great for the heart and lungs, but when you're losing weight, you need to lift, otherwise the weight you lose will be muscle as much as fat.

Rigger

Ladyluna39

Muscle weighs more than fat, so you may be losing fat as you gain muscle making it hard to tell you have lost fat.

charles91108

I believe that the amount of calories you burn during your workout, through no fault of your own, is exaggerated. A general rule of thumb is 1 mile of running (at 6+ mph) burns 100 calories. For those times that your fitbit thingy records 500 calories burned, think to yourself, do you really feel at that time like you would after a 5 mile run?

nicxenophontos

And you checked your BMI and BMR and have not seen that the fat has turned in to muscle, which is heavier than fat?

MKStrausser1980

I have not had the chance to read your food diary yet but one thing I always make sure I do and that is include every condiment that I use such as mayo, mustard, bar-b-q sauce, dressings etc. as well as anything used in the cooking preparation such as oils/nonstick sprays, butter, seasonings or if it was deep fried in something. All of those things can add calories and sodium, some are very small amounts but they have calories or added sodium.

healthygreek

And you checked your BMI and BMR and have not seen that the fat has turned in to muscle, which is heavier than fat?

What?

RachelG2983

I do see a lot here that I agree with.

1 day of rest might not be enough but it's a start at least.

Have you taken your measurements? Sometimes your progress will not show on the scale.

http://www.everydayhealth.com/weight/busting-the-muscle-weighs-more-than-fat-myth.aspx

A lot of people here have said that muscle weighs more than fat but that is a myth. Up until I found this article I thought the same thing.

Also check out this article geared towards men's fitness:

http://www.mensfitness.com/training/lose-weight/how-to-get-lean-25-ways-to-lose-fat-faster

I also recommend looking at your usual foods and finding out if they are good for targeting your metabolism.

Remember - everyone loses weight differently. It takes time don't give up!

rattleh3ad

Exactly in the same boat as you OP.

Will_Thrust_For_Candy

*sigh*

Muscle does not weight more than fat. His fat is NOT magically turning into muscle.


He is NOT, for sure, at 250lbs in bloody starvation mode.


OP....I just realized that you posted in the title that you are at 250lbs. How tall are you please?

cjfrankum

For the sake of transparency, here is what I look like. I'm 6' 253.

http://i512.photobucket.com/albums/t330/frankum187/me_zps4199377b.jpg

I want to be 200 pounds. I haven't been 200 pounds since I was 18 years old.

I understand what people say when they say "muscle weighs more than fat". It's denser, so 1 lb of fat has more mass than 1 lb of muscle.

I truly understand what everyone says by weight my food better, but there is only ONE ITEM I haven't been accurately measuring. That's rice. I went back and it added about 150 calories per day to my totals. I should still be losing so I don't really buy into this as a good reason.

My BMI and BF% have not changed since January 1. My weight has dropped a half pound since January 1. I am so overweight that the exercising alone should have me losing weight, but it's not.

I don't use any condiments except mustard. I only cook my meat with olive oil.

My meat that I weigh is cooked. Does this make a difference in recording?

EDIT:***not honey mustard, pure 0 calorie yellow mustard. No, I don't drown my food in it.

gamergirl180

When I first started losing weight I lost a little bit of weight my first week and then nothing for about 2 months. Then it just started falling off. Our bodies are strange like that. It sounds like you are doing a great job, just keep at it and you will see results.

gamergirl180

My meat that I weigh is cooked. Does this make a difference in recording?

You should be weighing it before it's cooked or else you are underestimating the calories.

cjfrankum

My meat that I weigh is cooked. Does this make a difference in recording?

You should be weighing it before it's cooked or else you are underestimating the calories.

bah...so when I cook a BUNCH of meat to eat for 2-3 days, how to accurately record the caloric value? Is there a way to take the un-cooked weight, and the cooked weight, and calculate the difference?

Hezzietiger1

whenever i look at a food log and see .13 of a cup or some measurement like that, I can almost guarantee that the problem is inaccurate calorie counting. How do you measure .13 of a cup? Start weighing/measuring everything accurately and you will see a loss.

Hezzietiger1

For the sake of transparency, here is what I look like. I'm 6' 253.

http://i512.photobucket.com/albums/t330/frankum187/me_zps4199377b.jpg

I want to be 200 pounds. I haven't been 200 pounds since I was 18 years old.

I understand what people say when they say "muscle weighs more than fat". It's denser, so 1 lb of fat has more mass than 1 lb of muscle.

I truly understand what everyone says by weight my food better, but there is only ONE ITEM I haven't been accurately measuring. That's rice. I went back and it added about 150 calories per day to my totals. I should still be losing so I don't really buy into this as a good reason.

My BMI and BF% have not changed since January 1. My weight has dropped a half pound since January 1. I am so overweight that the exercising alone should have me losing weight, but it's not.

I don't use any condiments except mustard. I only cook my meat with olive oil.

My meat that I weigh is cooked. Does this make a difference in recording?

EDIT:***not honey mustard, pure 0 calorie yellow mustard. No, I don't drown my food in it.

I don't see olive oil in your food log?? That's a lot of calories.

Hezzietiger1

Thanks again everyone. The help is hugely appreciated.

What I've decided to do is this:

1. Cut back working out to 6 days a week. Lift 3 days with cardio afterwords and have 3 days dedicated to only cardio.
2. Cut calories down to 1,700
3. Stop taking protein shakes, giving me more calories to physical eat (instead of drink) so I don't feel hungry all the time
4. Weigh out rice/honey/etc

Thanks for all the advice and help everyone. Any other advice is seriously appreciated.

I think this is very smart.

cjfrankum

For the sake of transparency, here is what I look like. I'm 6' 253.

http://i512.photobucket.com/albums/t330/frankum187/me_zps4199377b.jpg

I want to be 200 pounds. I haven't been 200 pounds since I was 18 years old.

I understand what people say when they say "muscle weighs more than fat". It's denser, so 1 lb of fat has more mass than 1 lb of muscle.

I truly understand what everyone says by weight my food better, but there is only ONE ITEM I haven't been accurately measuring. That's rice. I went back and it added about 150 calories per day to my totals. I should still be losing so I don't really buy into this as a good reason.

My BMI and BF% have not changed since January 1. My weight has dropped a half pound since January 1. I am so overweight that the exercising alone should have me losing weight, but it's not.

I don't use any condiments except mustard. I only cook my meat with olive oil.

My meat that I weigh is cooked. Does this make a difference in recording?

EDIT:***not honey mustard, pure 0 calorie yellow mustard. No, I don't drown my food in it.

I don't see olive oil in your food log?? That's a lot of calories.

When I cook 2-3 days of meat, it's cooked in less than 10g of olive oil.

jaiblevins

I noticed that you said you are lifting Heavy for 45 minutes every day. When you do that, you are growing muscle, which may be one of the things that is causing you to not lose weight. If you really want to lose weight and fat, try light lifting instead. Also, try to reach a greater caloric deficit. something closer to 1800 calories for a couple of weeks. If that doesn't work, you may need to see your physician, and have your thyroid checked.

hollygoddess

I agree, over-exercising with the everyday weight lifing...lifting should be every OTHER day, or alternate upper & lower body.
There is nothing wrong with seeing the doctor & getting a FULL blood work up & all hormones checked/organ functions, something might be a problem you don't know about & your vitamin/mineral levels need to be known so you know what to be supplementing for optimum health. Metabolism is a very complicated thing for many of us....many times it will take 1-3 or more months for the body to adjust & "get in gear'. Don't give up, stick with it!!!( I speak from experience on the exercise thing.....It took 3 months for my body to show some response to all my efforts :-))

Akimajuktuq

OP: if you have been completely honest with yourself and what you have said here is true and all the conventional advice has failed (as it did for me for 20+ years and actually made me sicker…) it may be time to consider the food. For many of us WHAT we eat, or do not eat, does indeed matter very much. Small meals are a fail for me. I intermittent fast and eat 2 bigger meals per day. My biggest secret is the FOOD and my macro ration. Feel free to sneak a peek, keeping in mind that I am a woman working to resolve severe metabolic disorders and your situation may not be exactly the same.

And for heaven's sake don't go the route many of us go and that is most commonly advised here at MFP: eat less, eat less, eat less. Under-eating is NOT a solution. Your current deficit is fine (make sure it's not more than estimated!).

flipperscr83

Are you drinking enough water?

When I plateaued I found this helped. Drink more water. Check out this link

http://www.timeforfitness.com/?p=352

Will_Thrust_For_Candy

You can log the meat cooked or uncooked AS LONG AS the option you choose from the database is the same. So, if you are logging raw chicken breast, then make sure that you pick raw chicken breast. If you have cooked a bunch of meat, then weight each cooked portion you are eating, but log it as chicken breast, cooked (or roasted, etc).

So here's the deal....according to Scooby, at a lightly active activity level (so desk job with exercise only 1-3 times/week----I know you are doing more, but this is erring on the side of caution) These are your stats:

BMR: 2145
TDEE: 2949
TDEE -20%: 2359


Here is what I would suggest OP. Really take the next 3-4 week and MAKE SURE you are using the appropriate measurements for your food. WEIGH as much of your food as you can and avoid using cups for things other than liquids, although mL is a better measurement for liquids, not all food scales have that option. It may not be that your portions are off, but you just might be making the incorrect choice in the database. For things like EVOO when you are cooking a bunch of meat, still add a portion of that, say 0.5 of a tbsp to each serving just so that it's accounted for.

Make sure every condiment is accounted for, including cream in your coffee, alcohol, etc.

Cut back on your exercise....give yourself AT LEAST one rest day.

Make sure you are drinking enough water.

Make an appointment with your family doctor and have a full workup done.

Good luck.

edwardkim85

Your profile is more fitting for bodybuilding.com. Go post your inquiries there along with pics.

Myfitnesspal members offer great support and advice, but when it comes to heavy lifting/protein intake/diet while lifting heavy, you will need to get advice from people on a similar program.

CassieReannan

When I was bigger and wasn't losing, it was because I was doing TOO much. I would have a rest day (I mean REST, sit on my butt and watch tv all day) and what do you know the next weigh in I've lost again.

Either that, or you need to change up your routine and diet. Having a "cheat" day would suprisingly help me lose weight by curbing my cravings throughout the week. I make sure my cheat days are on weigh in days so by next weigh in the water has left. But this is your journey and everyone is different. It's a matter of trial and error I'm afraid. Goodluck.

Francl27

My meat that I weigh is cooked. Does this make a difference in recording?

You should be weighing it before it's cooked or else you are underestimating the calories.

bah...so when I cook a BUNCH of meat to eat for 2-3 days, how to accurately record the caloric value? Is there a way to take the un-cooked weight, and the cooked weight, and calculate the difference?

There are entries in the database for cooked meat. Just enter 'beef cooked' or 'chicken cooked' or whatever and find the right entry. I have to use the cooked entries most of the time here, as we just cook a bunch at once too.