No Weight loss after 6 weeks?

Aaron_K123

So I care much more about losing fat than losing weight but yet given my diet and exercise routine where I am regularly at a 750 cal daily deficit (conservatively estimated) I would have expected to have lost some weight over a period of a month and a half and yet my weight, although fluctuating, has averaged pretty much the same over that time. Considering calculators like MFP have me 9 pounds down by this point I'm starting to find it harder and harder to chalk it up to water retention.

DrJenO

How close are you to your goal weight?

Has your body fat% or measurements changed?

How strict are you in your food/exercise tracking?

Nice2BFitAgain

Are you weighing and measuring your food or estimating?
Are you using MFP exercise calculators for calorie burn? because MFP gives you WAY more than they should.
Are you eating back you exercise calories burned?
Is that you in the avatar photo? I don't see fat to lose....are you trying to bulk up?

redheaddee

Perhaps your deficit is too much. If you have a 2000 carolie goal (for example), 750 calorie deficit would be 37.5%. That is far too high.

http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/

Ninkyou

In my opinion, you're not logging accurately or consistently. You haven't even been logging 6 weeks, according to your diary. Also, It doesn't look like you are weighing your food. Based on your entries, you're using measuring cups/spoons/rounded scoops/diameters/etc. Which means you're eating more than you think. To have accurate logging, you should weigh your food in grams.

Log consistently, everyday. Weigh your food. Give it time.

Aaron_K123

In my opinion, you're not logging accurately or consistently. You haven't even been logging 6 weeks, according to your diary. Also, It doesn't look like you are weighing your food. Based on your entries, you're using measuring cups/spoons/rounded scoops/diameters/etc. Which means you're eating more than you think. To have accurate logging, you should weigh your food in grams.

Log consistently, everyday. Weigh your food. Give it time.

I haven't been using MFP for 6 weeks I was just playing with it for the last two days but I have been logging very consistently with excel and tracking everything. I've been eating very clean and only home prepared meals. I have used a food scale. It is about as accurate as I can possibly make it. I logged 2.5 "scoops" of protein powder because although I used three scoops the scale weight matched the serving size equivalent to 2.5 since they weren't "rounded". I'm sure there is the potential for error but I am confident that the error is not large. I suppose that since my entries are in an excel spreadsheet and not on MFP where you can see for yourself you will have to trust me when I say the two days of entries on MFP are representative for what I have eaten every day for 6 weeks.

Aaron_K123

How close are you to your goal weight?

Has your body fat% or measurements changed?

How strict are you in your food/exercise tracking?

I am at 186 right now and my goal weight is 155 although its more goal bodyfat percentage so if my lean mass changes that weight goal might change.

Yes my bodyfat measurements indicate I have lost 3% bodyfat during that time (28% to 25%) and I have lost 1.5 inches off of my abdomen. I'm actually happy with my progress and don't care that much about my scale weight, I'm just surprised and confused by the fact that I haven't lost anything (its not that it depresses me).

I have been very strict with my diet and very regular in my exercise sticking with the exact same routines day in and day out. Every Mon Wed Fri I perform a 55 minute cardio-abs rountine where my heartrate is elevated into an aerobic zone for 40 min of that duration with an estimated calorie expenditure of 400. Every Tues, Thurs, Sat I weight lift for 30 minutes doing a circuit style with minimal rest that also raises my heartrate for an estimated expenditure of 200.

Aaron_K123

Perhaps your deficit is too much. If you have a 2000 carolie goal (for example), 750 calorie deficit would be 37.5%. That is far too high.

http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/

Although I agree I may not be eating enough to sustain my diet I fail to see how this would result in no change in my scale weight if true.

Escloflowne

Based on your goals I would do more lifting, 3 times a week might help but to be honest, if that's you in the picture, there is no way you're 25% BF...

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Aaron_K123

Based on your goals I would do more lifting, 3 times a week might help but to be honest, if that's you in the picture, there is no way you're 25% BF...

I.C.E. Cream Official Tester
IKEA Professional Put Together-er
Kickboxing Class Attender
Been in fitness for about 2 years and have studied kitty-gif-ology, nutrition and Dinosaurs

My profile picture is there to remind me of where I'm trying to get to. That is me 3 years ago when I was at 15% bodyfat and weighed about 158 pounds. For the last three years I became very career focused and my health suffered as a result and I put on 30+ pounds of fat. If you click on my profile I have a second picture that is me now. Both pictures are of my back so doesn't show the largest problem area which is my belly fat but trust me I have a gut. If I put my arms down a shot of my back has big creases at my sides where the fat folds on itself.

My primary goal is fat loss right now so my lifting is full body circuit workouts that elevate my heartrate with limited rest. When I get back into the fit 12-15% bodyfat range I will switch to a more 5x5 strength training regimine and up my calories for muscle gain.

Escloflowne

Based on your goals I would do more lifting, 3 times a week might help but to be honest, if that's you in the picture, there is no way you're 25% BF...

I.C.E. Cream Official Tester
IKEA Professional Put Together-er
Kickboxing Class Attender
Been in fitness for about 2 years and have studied kitty-gif-ology, nutrition and Dinosaurs

My profile picture is there to remind me of where I'm trying to get to. That is me 3 years ago when I was at 15% bodyfat and weighed about 158 pounds. For the last three years I became very career focused and my health suffered as a result and I put on 30+ pounds of fat. If you click on my profile I have a second picture that is me now. Both pictures are of my back so doesn't show the largest problem area which is my belly fat but trust me I have a gut. If I put my arms down a shot of my back has big creases at my sides where the fat folds on itself.

If you're dropping BF% and inches I would say you're doing great. incorporate a lifting program and you will see better results than just focusing on cardio

Aaron_K123

Based on your goals I would do more lifting, 3 times a week might help but to be honest, if that's you in the picture, there is no way you're 25% BF...

I.C.E. Cream Official Tester
IKEA Professional Put Together-er
Kickboxing Class Attender
Been in fitness for about 2 years and have studied kitty-gif-ology, nutrition and Dinosaurs

My profile picture is there to remind me of where I'm trying to get to. That is me 3 years ago when I was at 15% bodyfat and weighed about 158 pounds. For the last three years I became very career focused and my health suffered as a result and I put on 30+ pounds of fat. If you click on my profile I have a second picture that is me now. Both pictures are of my back so doesn't show the largest problem area which is my belly fat but trust me I have a gut. If I put my arms down a shot of my back has big creases at my sides where the fat folds on itself.

If you're dropping BF% and inches I would say you're doing great. incorporate a lifting program and you will see better results than just focusing on cardio

I do have a lifting routine.

45 sec pushups (x15 usually)
45 sec bent over rows (8-12 rep)
45 sec bicep curls (8-12 rep)
45 sec lateral raises for delts (8-12 rep)
45 sec tricep extension (8-12 rep)
1.5 min lunges

repeat 3x to 4x varying the exercises but hitting the same muscle groups. Using dumbbell free weights.

Its just a bit cardio because I don't rest between exercises during the circuit. If I did I could lift more and focus more on strength. RIght now though I care more about endurance, vascularity and fat loss.

I do think I'm doing well I'm just befuddled by the lack of weight loss, not upset by it. I mean heck in an ideal situation I'd go to 10% bodyfat and stay at 186 pounds right? That'd make me happy :-)

It is the scientist in me, I feel a strong need to understand why I haven't lost weight and I don't have a good answer.

Unknown

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Aaron_K123

Based on your goals I would do more lifting, 3 times a week might help but to be honest, if that's you in the picture, there is no way you're 25% BF...

I.C.E. Cream Official Tester
IKEA Professional Put Together-er
Kickboxing Class Attender
Been in fitness for about 2 years and have studied kitty-gif-ology, nutrition and Dinosaurs

My profile picture is there to remind me of where I'm trying to get to. That is me 3 years ago when I was at 15% bodyfat and weighed about 158 pounds. For the last three years I became very career focused and my health suffered as a result and I put on 30+ pounds of fat. If you click on my profile I have a second picture that is me now. Both pictures are of my back so doesn't show the largest problem area which is my belly fat but trust me I have a gut. If I put my arms down a shot of my back has big creases at my sides where the fat folds on itself.

If you're dropping BF% and inches I would say you're doing great. incorporate a lifting program and you will see better results than just focusing on cardio

I do have a lifting routine.

45 sec pushups (x15 usually)
45 sec bent over rows (8-12 rep)
45 sec bicep curls (8-12 rep)
45 sec lateral raises for delts (8-12 rep)
45 sec tricep extension (8-12 rep)
1.5 min lunges

repeat 3x to 4x varying the exercises but hitting the same muscle groups. Using dumbbell free weights.

Its just a bit cardio because I don't rest between exercises during the circuit. If I did I could lift more and focus more on strength. RIght now though I care more about endurance, vascularity and fat loss.

I do think I'm doing well I'm just befuddled by the lack of weight loss, not upset by it. I mean heck in an ideal situation I'd go to 10% bodyfat and stay at 186 pounds right? That'd make me happy :-)

It is the scientist in me, I feel a strong need to understand why I haven't lost weight and I don't have a good answer.

I think it might be time for you to consider going with a better routine than the one you currently have. You barely work you muscles to their potential. You have virtually no leg exercises in there.

You should read up on beginner barbell routines like starting strength, ICF, All pro, Stronglifts etc. Any of those would benefit you more than what you are currently doing. You want to lift with progressive overload.

I didn't list the whole routine I listed one circuit and stated there were 3-4 circuits dependent on the day. Other circuits include squats or deadlifts. Also, again, my intent is to maintain my muscle while losing fat. Although I certainly wouldn't mind adding a little bit of muscle my goal is not to bulk my goal is to get lean. Are you saying that powerlifting routines are better for that purpose than circuit training?

Unknown

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Aaron_K123

Okay I get that but my goal, again, is to lose fat in a healthy and efficient way meaning no muscle loss. Im not really interested in putting on slabs of muscle if I have a fitness goal of endurance (like backpacking 20 miles a day) not powerlifting. I can't help but feel that you are taking your goal which I assume is muscle and power strength gains and assuming I want the same thing. I dont really.

My question was just confusion over no change in weight and I would agree with you that its probably not due to muscle gain since my workout is designed, intentionally, for max fat loss with muscle retention not gain.

Unknown

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cmurra6745

thats way too much of a deficit... your pretty much fasting aka holding onto essential fat for survival

look up your TDEE and start there do your research

lindsey1979

Okay I get that but my goal, again, is to lose fat in a healthy and efficient way meaning no muscle loss. Im not really interested in putting on slabs of muscle if I have a fitness goal of endurance (like backpacking 20 miles a day) not powerlifting. I can't help but feel that you are taking your goal which I assume is muscle and power strength gains and assuming I want the same thing. I dont really.

My question was just confusion over no change in weight and I would agree with you that its probably not due to muscle gain since my workout is designed, intentionally, for max fat loss with muscle retention not gain.

And what I recommend is a healthy efficient way to train. Caloric deficit is what will help you burn fat.
You are assuming that my goal is to have huge muscles. I never stated that.
And no matter what "program" you choose fat loss is achieved through caloric deficit. Muscle retention will come with proper weight training and adequate protein consumption. Muscle gain will come with weight training adequate protein consumption and caloric surplus. You will not be putting on slabs of muscle as you say just because you lift heavy weights. No one ever got big and muscular by mistake.

As far as why you aren't losing fat. No caloric deficit = No fat loss.

I agree with Mr. M. Lifting heavy and proper protein intake are two of the best ways to maintain LBM or minimize its loss while in a caloric deficit. You won't bulk because you're not eating enough calories for that to happen. The best you can hope for is some regional shifting and maintain what LBM you have while losing fat. It's very rare to actually increase LBM during a caloric deficit. If you want increase fat loss, you might consider adding some sprint sessions -- once or twice a week.

Aaron_K123

Okay I get that but my goal, again, is to lose fat in a healthy and efficient way meaning no muscle loss. Im not really interested in putting on slabs of muscle if I have a fitness goal of endurance (like backpacking 20 miles a day) not powerlifting. I can't help but feel that you are taking your goal which I assume is muscle and power strength gains and assuming I want the same thing. I dont really.

My question was just confusion over no change in weight and I would agree with you that its probably not due to muscle gain since my workout is designed, intentionally, for max fat loss with muscle retention not gain.

And what I recommend is a healthy efficient way to train. Caloric deficit is what will help you burn fat.
You are assuming that my goal is to have huge muscles. I never stated that.
And no matter what "program" you choose fat loss is achieved through caloric deficit. Muscle retention will come with proper weight training and adequate protein consumption. Muscle gain will come with weight training adequate protein consumption and caloric surplus. You will not be putting on slabs of muscle as you say just because you lift heavy weights. No one ever got big and muscular by mistake.

As far as why you aren't losing fat. No caloric deficit = No fat loss.

Yeah that is fair. Appreciate your input thank you.