HELP! Added exercise and now I am not losing any weight

SLLRunner

Also, I don't want to stop exercising because I do feel better....however, a friend of mine is on Medifast and has lost 75 lbs and looks amazing and added exercise a couple months ago and it also made her weight loss stop. The Medifast consultant told her to stop exercising because it was causing her stop losing weight, so she is back to just "DIETING" only and has lost another 10 lbs. in just a months time. That just doesn't make sense to me. Why would they tell her to stop exercising? I am not stopping because overall I will be healthier.

Exercising does not make a person gain fat, but it might cause a person to retain water while muscles repair. It comes off with time.

There is no need to take diet pills, etc., just eat at a calorie deficit and be patient.

You say you are losing inches but not pounds. Actually, that's a really good thing.

easjer

Hey, I know your pain. I started really exercising in late Jan/early Feb and my weight loss stalled. Here is the thing though - you need to get out of your head and stop focusing on numbers. Weight is not a great indicator of health. And your goal needs to be getting healthy. Weight is a piece of that puzzle! An important and easy to measure piece, yeah, but only a piece. You have to stop focusing on a particular number. BMI is crap. It doesn't account for any number of things - like muscle or bone density. It doesn't take into account the state of your arteries or the fat around your organs.

Moderate exercise is really important to overall health. It helps your body function more efficiently and smoothly, it relieves stress, helps oxygenate your body, helps you sleep better . . . on and on and on. It will help you be toned and strong, and look good. You are already seeing fantastic progress with inches - good for you! Keep going, and your metabolism will adjust to the new demands you're putting on your body and will let up and start burning fat again.

I'll tell you something. My first goal weight still has me obese under BMI standards. My second goal weight puts me into overweight category. My final goal weight still has me in the overweight category. And honestly, I will never have a normal BMI, ever. EVER. Because I have crazy large bones (my bone density is way above my husband's, for example) and I've built some pretty powerful muscles hauling around 300+ lbs for years. I'm not built for what my height says I should weigh - I would be grossly gaunt at that weight. My friend who is a crossfit trainer? At her ideal weight (120lb for her), she was thin and flabby. She started crossfit and now has the body she wanted - super strong, super toned - and she weighs 160 lbs. That is 40 lb of pure, compact muscle she's put on.

You cannot only rely on the scale as the indicator of fitness and health. Please don't give up exercising! It will do wonderful things for you, I promise. Eventually the scale will catch up to you.

jvl1973

Thanks! I don't have nearly as much weight to lose that my friend does who is on Medifast. So I know my results will be completely different. She is probably my size now after losing 80+ lbs (size 10). I would like to go back to a size 6 (I know I will never be a size 2/4 again). Also, I have been using the calories for circuit training under MFP to log in my exercise. I am so glad that you mentioned that my muscles are probably retaining water. I never believed the BS that I am gaining muscle. My muscles were really sore when I first began 30DS, but now they are not as sore (barely sore now).

Good for you for not believing the "you're gaining muscle" BS! You are however, as previously mentioned, retaiing water and glycogen as part of the natural healing process. When you exercise, you cause microtrauma to your muscles (this is why you're sore) and that needs time to heal.

Make sure you're not trying to lose more than a pound per week. Stop comparing yourself to your friend on MediFast. Results are not all about what the scale says. Rejoice in your lost inches!!!

Also agree that you should try to weigh in the day after a rest day. When I used to have set weigh-in days, I'd make sure I didn't exercise the day before to avoid that whole water weight impact.

You should also know there are other things that impact water weight - monthly hormone cycle, high sodium intake (restaurant foods, prepared foods, etc). And also that water weighs more than you think. One gallon is about 8 pounds...adds up quickly!

Last point - exercise calories. For 30DS, use the circuit training, general listing on the exercise database. I've found that one's pretty accurate so you can eat back all the calories and not worry about it. For your treadmill work, aim for eating back 50-70% of the calories earned that either MFP or the machine gives you.

Good luck and keep up the good work!

RGv2

I am not a Dr. or professional, but I have chosen to not eat my exercise calories. I do not know if this is something I should be doine per the medical professions however I can tell you I am getting stronger, loosing weight, and my diabetes is under control. So for me it's working.

It depends on A) how much you eat normally how much you burn off and C) how much you have to lose.

A person with a lot of weight to lose can get away with not eating back exercise calories longer than someone who has little weight to lose. If I didn't eat back exercise calories, I'd be netting somewhere around 12-1400 calories.

MFP uses a NEAT format. When it calculates how much you need to eat in order to meet your weight loss goal entered, it doesn't add exercise to the equation. It's how much you'd need to lose in a normal day without exercise.

If not eating them back works for you....great, but be advised, the closer you get to your goal weight the more you'll need them. Throwing out I don't eat my exercise calories and I'm losing isn't always the best or safest advice to post. Everyday people post on here who have unrealistic weight loss goals and are already eating VLCD's who see that and think they should try the same thing.

Woodster83

I love easjer's reply, it just what I need to hear too.

I'm in the same position as you and after adding more exercise, my weight loss has stopped!

I was frustrated yesterday and ate over my allowance, but this morning I'm kicking myself because how is that going to help me?

Anyhow, I'm going to carry on and maybe not weigh so often, just keep exercising, sticking to calories and eventually it'll happen.

Good luck!

emkayelle91

In my previous experience ( I lost 90lbs with exercise alone 2 years ago) the scale isn't necessarily your friend. I was weighing myself and not seeing much progress, and so I stopped weighing myself so often and just trusted the amount of exercise I was doing, and ended up dropping from a size 26 to a 12. When I lose weight just by changing my eating, I see it on the scale, but (to me) my body doesn't look much different, but when I exercise my body looks so much better but the scale doesn't always reflect my numbers as quickly. Just a thought.

jamesalytle

I've been stuck in that rut for a month. The best advice I got was to buy a measuring tape, the one tailors use. Measure the areas needed to calculate your Body Fat % and track it. What you'll find is that you really are losing size. It's hard to see when it's a quarter inch here or there but at least you'll have something tangible.

evileen99

I don't think I am overestimating my exercise calories. I am running on a treadmill and put my weight it and it records calories burned. It matches the MFP exercise calculator.

I have a BodyMedia Fit, which measures calories burned 24/7. Last week, when I did my 5 mile jog/walk, I entered all my stats in the treadmill. When I finished, the treadmill said I burned 701 calories. The BodyMedia Fit? 462. Chances are the numbers on your treadmill and MFP are too high.

enchantedgardener

A scale or hand-held device that measures body fat% would be more use useful than simply just weighing yourself. You want to lose fat, not just 'weight'.

euronorris

Your Dr wanted you to lose weight to become healthier. Becoming healthier means dropping fat. If you are doing that by exercising, and thereby retaining muscle but still losing fat. That's great. Perfect. You ARE becoming healthier, which is the goal. Do not confuse losing weight, with losing fat. Here's a visual representation for you: https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=lb+of+muscle+&+lb+of+fat+picture&biw=1680&bih=820&tbm=isch&imgil=E24mn00bHN5lNM%3A%3Bhttps%3A%2F%2Fencrypted-tbn2.gstatic.com%2Fimages%3Fq%3Dtbn%3AANd9GcSnMvGW-LgPwc8CTyFti-54Jy3W6AZxfxrFL8Bd0R0yvLm3Pbco2A%3B590%3B295%3B0RsQ_1TjiXgdfM%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fhealthyshakeoutlet.co.uk%252Fhelp-why-am-i-gaining-weight-after-i-exercise%252F&source=iu&usg=__pdWzIDklpjanaN-BFDu09efRwRY=&sa=X&ei=CTMfU43dHM2u7AbG5IHQDw&ved=0CDoQ9QEwBQ#facrc=_&imgdii=_&imgrc=E24mn00bHN5lNM%3A;0RsQ_1TjiXgdfM;https%3A%2F%2Fhealthyshakeoutlet.co.uk%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2013%2F09%2Ffat-vs-muscle.jpg;http%3A%2F%2Fhealthyshakeoutlet.co.uk%2Fhelp-why-am-i-gaining-weight-after-i-exercise%2F;590;295

As for calories for exercise on MFP, it's a rough guide. Everyone's calorie burn will be different depending on age, sex, height, weight, current fitness level & intensity. For some, that average will be too high and for others too low. The only way to know more accurately, the calorie burn for YOU, is to get a heart rate monitor, with a chest strap, as someone else suggested. If you get one with bluetooth connectivity, you can connect it to an exercise app (such as Endomondo) directly, which can also then link directly into MFP. I currently use a Polar FT4, and have a bluetooth chest strap on order to upgrade it so I can link it directly to Endomondo and MFP. As an example, I power walked the 5 miles into work today. MFP's calorie estimation was about 600 I think. But I had a heavy backpack on, which meant I actually burnt 936 calories according to my HRM. Without that, it would've been less I'm sure.

Also, eat back some of those calories. They are important, for all the reasons people have already said. Aiming for an overall calorie deficit of 20-25% is the best bet.

And keep up the measuring and progress pics. Progress pics, over a month, will definitely help you to see the difference, when the scales aren't showing it. The scales are really, the least important and least accurate indicator of your FAT loss.

However, if it helps, there are some scales like these: http://www.omron-healthcare.com/eu/en/our-products/weight-management/bf511 which will help you to see the fat shifting, when the overall weight hasn't changed.

Hope that helps x

lindsey1979

I have to admit that I never understood what was meant by eating your calories back. I just look at total calories out and try to hit the same deficit. So, on days that I exercise, I tend to eat a little more and have more of a deficit than on days where I don't work out as vigorously or at all.

I figure as long as you have your deficit around the same level or averages out over time, it's likely pretty much the same. The one caveat I'd add is to have recovery meal/drink after heavy lifting, but figure that into your overall calorie totals.

lindsey1979

I know I have read this on here before, but I really need input and help. Why is it I lose more weight when not exercising, but when I add exercise I stop losing weight. I don't believe it when people say that I am building muscle, so therefore that is why I am not losing because muscle weighs more. All I am doing is running 3-4 times a week (2 miles each time) and I am doing the Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred DVD with hand weights. I am not doing bodybuilding, and my hand weights are only 5 lbs each. The only thing that I can see is my body is getting more toned, but the weight loss is the same. I need to lose 25-30 lbs to be in my ideal weight for my age and height. When I have only dieted I lose 1 - 2 lbs per week. I have been exercising for 3-4 weeks and I have lost nothing. Actually it goes up, but then back down.

NOTE: I would say I eat most of my calories 50% of the time. I rarely go over (1270 plus any exercise calories). I know that you should eat those exercise calories to refuel your body and help your metabolism. I do most of the time, but only if I am hungry or feel that my body needs it.

Also, I finally took measurements over a week ago to see if I am losing inches and I am. However, if I am losing inches, then why is the weight not falling off like it did when I wasn't exercising? It makes no sense, especially when I need to lose 25-30 pounds to be healthy and have a healthy BMI.

My guess it that's it's not that you're actually building muscle, but that you're minimizing muscle loss and increasing fat loss in your caloric deficit. Heavy lifting and sufficient protein intake have been shown to reduce lean body mass loss when in a caloric deficit.

This is how it works. 3500 calorie = 1 lb of FAT. But 1 lb of MUSCLE releases much less calories -- something between 600 - 1500 (seems to be debate about what is the proper amount).

So, if you have a 3500 cal deficit and lose all fat, you'll only lose 1 lb of body weight. But, if you lost all muscle, you'd see a much larger drop in body weight (something like 2.3-5.8 lbs). Now, most people lose both muscle and fat and the leaner you are, the more muscle you tend to lose in the same deficit (or the fatter you are, the higher the percentage of fat you lose). This is one reason why obese people can tolerate more aggressive caloric deficits than leaner counterparts before losing equivalent lean body mass percentages.

So, likely, when you started exercising, you stopped or lowered the loss of muscle and increased the percentage of fat lost -- which is a very good thing as this will ultimately help you reach your overall fat loss goals quicker!, but it also slows the numbers on the scale.

lindsey1979

Also, I don't want to stop exercising because I do feel better....however, a friend of mine is on Medifast and has lost 75 lbs and looks amazing and added exercise a couple months ago and it also made her weight loss stop. The Medifast consultant told her to stop exercising because it was causing her stop losing weight, so she is back to just "DIETING" only and has lost another 10 lbs. in just a months time. That just doesn't make sense to me. Why would they tell her to stop exercising? I am not stopping because overall I will be healthier.

When you eat at a caloric deficit you lose water, fat, and MUSCLE. That is why some people who eat at large deficits with no exercise lose so fast. When you exercise (mostly weight training), you prevent that muscle loss so the weight lost is mostly water and fat. The scale may move slower (or not at all thanks to some water retention as well), but as you noted, the inches can come off just as fast.

What's better; lose at a high rate and drop LBM, or lose at a slower controlled rate while maintaining muscle mass (but still losing the inches)?

THIS!

DoNotSpamMe73

If you've increased your water intake or even if you don't it'll take a few days for each solid food day to come out of your system. You can be fluctuating 2 kilos one week and it'll drop down to the bottom of that fluctuation soon enough. Exercise doesn't mean weight loss though it often does mean fat loss. Also you can lose a kilo a week but it will not necessarily come off each week(trying to lose more than that intentionally isn't something you should do). Rather it averages to that. Often it comes of in blocks. I've found this true for me at least. The average will probably be 0.05 kilo to .75kg a week though.
Don't worry. Action with soon show your achievements
It isn't about speed. Everyone loses at different paces and methods. Take the time, because time is what we all have.

misty1040

Drinking water really helps. Try drinking at LEAST half of your body weight a day. Upping your calories by eating protein will be a huge bonus, too.

handyrunner

I could give a crap what the scale says as long as my body is changing and I'm noticing it's looking HOT! :drinker:

Simple and to the point...

Ill just add..the feeling you get from excercising makes it worth doing it...if i wasnt id be sitting in front of the computer..something I have to do all day as it is.

jvl1973

I am so glad I read everyone's posts. I have continued with my diet and exercise and I finally lost 4 pounds this week. My weight had stayed the same and actually went up a pound on two. I took my measurements last night and couldn't believe the difference. So anyone that is frustrated with the scale, just be patient. Hard work will eventually pay off!