Not seeing results - this close to giving up

snufs

So I've posted like a million topics about this, but I'm really in desperate need for help and advice. For the last two years I have been working out regularly, eating clean and taking care of my body. Where does it show? Nowhere!! Except that my arms have a bit more muscle in them, but nothing else. My measurements are exactly the same (my waist is even one cm more now) as they were one and a half years ago.

I feel like I tried everything: counting calories, counting macros, not counting calories, having cheatdays/meals, not having cheatmeals, having restdays, not having restdays, eating low carb, eating high carb .. Everything except for diets like herbalife, cambridge, etc. I'm only 18 so I dont think that's necessary just yet ..

At the moment I doo strength three times a week, go for powerwalks (can't run due to pain in knees) and tabata intervals 2-3 times a week. And I ride horses. I am an active person, and I eat clean, what is it that I'm missing? What am I doing wrong? It feels like I'm trying and trying, and it must be something I do that isn't just quite right, but I cant for the love of my life figure out what it is that's keeping my measurments from getting smaller. I don't care about my weight, I just want to become a strong, toned woman. Which I most certainly don't look like now.

I'm 168 cm tall and weigh about 63 kg atm. Anyone, please?

SezxyStef

I see inconsistent logging...

To lose weight you need a consistent reasonable calorie deficet.

Eating clean does not guarantee weight loss...you can maintain or gain eating "clean"

Exercise does not guarantee weight loss....

Start logging accurately and consistently and you will lose weight.

quiksylver296

How long have you stuck with any one thing?

Calories in < calories out = weight loss

StaciMarie1974

What target calorie range do you eat daily, and how consistently? Do you weigh/measure your food? If not how do you know that you're eating in a calorie deficit range? If you do, how much time have you given it?

It sounds like you've hopped from path to path. The key to weight loss is having a consistent calorie deficit. And it takes time.

AllieBear88

My advice is this:
Stop looking.

How do you feel since you've started? Do you feel better? More energetic? Wake up without dread? If so, it's paying off. If not, add in something more intense!

I haven't checked your log or anything, but someone mentioned inconsistency. That's my biggest problem. Some people NEED structure. Set limits, set goals, write a to do list, track everything, etc. Losing weight is not all about looks and numbers. Getting healthy is good for the body.

StaciMarie1974

Ok - I'm not good w/ cm and kg so just converted. In terms that I understand you're about 5'6" and 138 pounds. I am 5' 5.5" and aiming for about 140 pounds. You also say you're not worried about weight so my prior comments about aiming for a deficit are irrelevant. I assumed you were looking for weight loss - sorry.

You are looking to tone, change your body composition. What strength training are you doing?

heronh

63kg at 168cm is a healthy weight Maybe you are already at what your body thinks its the ideal weight.
You might want to read up on body recomposition instead. I'm pretty sure there are posts for that.
Try lifting heavy or do Pilates.
I think its great that you are eating clean and being active even if you don't see the benefits, internally your body is getting the benefits. Do it so you can be a healthy and strong person. You might be too hard on yourself wanting to look perfect.
Google before and after Photoshop picturea of celebrities that might give you some perspective.
Good luck and keep up with your healthy life

Lizzy622

You are at a good weight. You also may not be done growing. Everyone has their own time table and nature can be unpredictable. Have you measured your height?

snufs

Thank you all so much for taking the time to reply! About the logging in my food diary - a year or so ago I first started measuring my food, I ate around 1500 cals back then. When nothing happened for a couple of months I stopped and just eyed everything, which I know can easily lead to one getting too much food. Then, about four months ago, I started counting calories again - this time I aimed for 1350 cals a day. Too little, maybe? I don't know, I just wanted to try to eat less food I guess. But that didn't give me noticable results either, so I talked to a PT who told me not to count calories - just eat small meals 5-6 times a day. She also gave me this workout program which consists of a one hour session with both strength and a bit of cardio. It has six "groups", each group has two exercises, and I do the program x3 each time. It includes burpees, bench press, wide squats, regular squats etc. So that's what I'm doing right now besides the tabata and riding. I also sometimes go to classes like bodycombat or bodypump, and I absolutely love them both.

Like some of you said - yes, maybe my body thinks this weight is the ideal weight for me. I wouldn't mind if it was, I'm okay with that! It's just the way my body looks that isn't satisfying me. I'm around 98 cm where my stomach is the biggest - how could I make my measurements shorter? My body fat % is also high (I think, everything except for my arms is jiggly), so that's also what I want to change. Should I still count calories or is that just for losing the actual weight?

Any thoughts on this one?

PJPrimrose

OP says :"Except that my arms have a bit more muscle in them" Gaining muscle is gaining muscle. Putting body weight aside, if your arms are more muscular, you are more muscular than you were before you started.

LaurenDanielle014

as soon as I stopped stressing about it and stayed positive and did my thing as far as eating clean and exercising daily, the Lbs flew off. maybe your stressing yourself about it too much and its reversing the hard work? dedication will get you there, you have to want it so bad you can taste it.

snufs

as soon as I stopped stressing about it and stayed positive and did my thing as far as eating clean and exercising daily, the Lbs flew off. maybe your stressing yourself about it too much and its reversing the hard work? dedication will get you there, you have to want it so bad you can taste it.

Yeah, actually I've thought about that! Stressing too much, I mean, most of the time it's the only thing I can think about! Maybe my body just hates the way I'm so obsessed so it decides to mess with me and not give my hard work any credit at all .. How did you do to stop obsessing/stressing about it?

AliceDark

You're at a healthy BMI, so losing more weight is going to be a struggle. Plus, you're 18 and still growing.

If you would be okay at your current weight but would like to change your body composition (more muscle, less fat), what you want to do is called a body recomp. Do some searches on MFP for recomp threads -- there's a TON of great information here! It's a slow process, but over time you can gain a little muscle and lose some fat, so you'll become smaller and tighter overall without seeing the number on the scale change significantly.

jbyesh

Talk to your doctor and ignore all of these wonderfully blessed people for whom simply cutting calories works. I am working with my doctor because I am in the same boat as you. I spent 6 months journaling EVERYTHING (good/bad/ugly). I worked my way down, gradually, from 1600 to 1200 calories. When that didn't work I gradually increased my activity from 0 to 2 HOURS per day (P90X at 4:30am and powerwalking on my lunch for 1 hour). I firmed slightly and lost about 9 pounds total over the 6 month period. I have over 65 pounds to be at the TOP of my goal weight.

I finally took it to a bariatric doctor because i knew I could look him in the eye and say this is EVERYTHING I've eaten the last 6 months, every activitiy, etc. WHAT am I doing wrong? He is slowly convincing me it's genetic. I've never believed that until now; but at this point I don't know what else it COULD be.

We tried something that didn't work.

Now we are trying something new. I was looking for info on it when I saw your post and my heart went out to you because I know your frustration.

I don't post on here much because the community isn't very supportive for people like me. You get the same BS one size fits all "it's water! it's muscle! don't eat carbs! you need carbs! Calories<Calories out = WL!" it's wonderful that it works for them, I'm jealous! But if you know in your heart of hearts that you're doing it all and it's still not working, you may want to talk to your doctor.

hasta_la_vista_belly

How long have you stuck with any one thing?

Wondering this. You said you've tried everything but you're only 18. Weight loss takes time. Stick with a sustainable plan for a while and you'll start to see some results.

lindsey1979

Talk to your doctor and ignore all of these wonderfully blessed people for whom simply cutting calories works. I am working with my doctor because I am in the same boat as you. I spent 6 months journaling EVERYTHING (good/bad/ugly). I worked my way down, gradually, from 1600 to 1200 calories. When that didn't work I gradually increased my activity from 0 to 2 HOURS per day (P90X at 4:30am and powerwalking on my lunch for 1 hour). I firmed slightly and lost about 9 pounds total over the 6 month period. I have over 65 pounds to be at the TOP of my goal weight.

I finally took it to a bariatric doctor because i knew I could look him in the eye and say this is EVERYTHING I've eaten the last 6 months, every activitiy, etc. WHAT am I doing wrong? He is slowly convincing me it's genetic. I've never believed that until now; but at this point I don't know what else it COULD be.

We tried something that didn't work.

Now we are trying something new. I was looking for info on it when I saw your post and my heart went out to you because I know your frustration.

I don't post on here much because the community isn't very supportive for people like me. You get the same BS one size fits all "it's water! it's muscle! don't eat carbs! you need carbs! Calories<Calories out = WL!" it's wonderful that it works for them, I'm jealous! But if you know in your heart of hearts that you're doing it all and it's still not working, you may want to talk to your doctor.

Did you doctor check for the common culprits -- thyroid, insulin resistance/glucose metabolism issues, vitamin deficiencies (D, magnesium, etc.), PCOS, etc.?

MeganAnne89

To be honest I'm a bit confused as to why not more people are taking your age into account. First off, you're only 18. Your body is still changing and while it can be frustrating for you, this might just be what's going on here. When I think back to the way that my body looked when I was your age it's very different from what it is now (I just turned 25 last month).

While I understand that you want to make a positive change in your life and get the body that you desire, I'm of the firm belief that a person who is of high school age, even though they're about to be adults, shouldn't highly restrict what they're eating (unless they're obese and need a lot of help) because then I get concerned that they're not getting all of the nutrients that their body requires.

A few of the other points might be a possibility as well, though. It's possible that maybe working out and eating more clean is something that will benefit your body and will produce a noticeable change but maybe your body needs to just hop on board with that first so maybe it can take longer than you'd like for it to. And regardless of everything, any kind of yo-yo dieting, which is what it sounds like you've been doing, isn't good for you.

Another option, which may be less likely considering your age, have you ever thought that maybe you have a thyroid problem? Not being able to lose weight despite putting in what seems to be a lot of effort can be a sign of something else. Maybe your body has an increasingly slow metabolic rate which makes it so that the pounds aren't dropping off like you wish they would. Granted, I'm not a doctor, but it's always a possibility since you've been working out so much and eating better, maybe that's been compensating for a slow metabolism which has been why you've been plateauing - you've perhaps been just "evening out" everything.

snufs

To be honest I'm a bit confused as to why not more people are taking your age into account. First off, you're only 18. Your body is still changing and while it can be frustrating for you, this might just be what's going on here. When I think back to the way that my body looked when I was your age it's very different from what it is now (I just turned 25 last month).

While I understand that you want to make a positive change in your life and get the body that you desire, I'm of the firm belief that a person who is of high school age, even though they're about to be adults, shouldn't highly restrict what they're eating (unless they're obese and need a lot of help) because then I get concerned that they're not getting all of the nutrients that their body requires.

A few of the other points might be a possibility as well, though. It's possible that maybe working out and eating more clean is something that will benefit your body and will produce a noticeable change but maybe your body needs to just hop on board with that first so maybe it can take longer than you'd like for it to. And regardless of everything, any kind of yo-yo dieting, which is what it sounds like you've been doing, isn't good for you.

Another option, which may be less likely considering your age, have you ever thought that maybe you have a thyroid problem? Not being able to lose weight despite putting in what seems to be a lot of effort can be a sign of something else. Maybe your body has an increasingly slow metabolic rate which makes it so that the pounds aren't dropping off like you wish they would. Granted, I'm not a doctor, but it's always a possibility since you've been working out so much and eating better, maybe that's been compensating for a slow metabolism which has been why you've been plateauing - you've perhaps been just "evening out" everything.

Actually, yes, I've been wondering about the whole metabolism thing. Abot four years ago I had a complicated relationship with food and hardly ever ate for a couple of months before I got help and understood that one needs to eat. Perhaps my body is stuck in starvqtion mode? If so, how do I get out from there?

eldamiano

People in the same position as you who eat at a deficit lose weight. You are not a special case. You arent eating at a deficit.

Exercise does not equal weight loss. Calorie deficit = weight loss, whatever way you look at it...

snufs

People in the same position as you who eat at a deficit lose weight. You are not a special case. You arent eating at a deficit.

Exercise does not equal weight loss. Calorie deficit = weight loss, whatever way you look at it...

Of course I'm not a 'special case', but everybody (and every body) is different. I'm sorry for not having the knowledge to lose fat (not weight!!) and therefore seeking advice.

TavistockToad

if you give up, you definitely wont see results....

Jen800

Honestly, that sounds ridiculous.

"I'm not seeing results, so therefore I'm going to quit."

Why not do it for your health most of all?
Why not be consistent and form habits to GET the results you want?

If you dropped your phone and cracked it, would you just give up on the phone and stomp on it? No, you wouldn't. So just because you're not seeing the results you want YET, doesn't mean you should just throw in the towel because you think you're not getting anywhere. The biggest changes start on the inside.

Jen800

To be honest I'm a bit confused as to why not more people are taking your age into account. First off, you're only 18. Your body is still changing and while it can be frustrating for you, this might just be what's going on here. When I think back to the way that my body looked when I was your age it's very different from what it is now (I just turned 25 last month).

While I understand that you want to make a positive change in your life and get the body that you desire, I'm of the firm belief that a person who is of high school age, even though they're about to be adults, shouldn't highly restrict what they're eating (unless they're obese and need a lot of help) because then I get concerned that they're not getting all of the nutrients that their body requires.

A few of the other points might be a possibility as well, though. It's possible that maybe working out and eating more clean is something that will benefit your body and will produce a noticeable change but maybe your body needs to just hop on board with that first so maybe it can take longer than you'd like for it to. And regardless of everything, any kind of yo-yo dieting, which is what it sounds like you've been doing, isn't good for you.

Another option, which may be less likely considering your age, have you ever thought that maybe you have a thyroid problem? Not being able to lose weight despite putting in what seems to be a lot of effort can be a sign of something else. Maybe your body has an increasingly slow metabolic rate which makes it so that the pounds aren't dropping off like you wish they would. Granted, I'm not a doctor, but it's always a possibility since you've been working out so much and eating better, maybe that's been compensating for a slow metabolism which has been why you've been plateauing - you've perhaps been just "evening out" everything.

I began losing weight/ calorie tracking when I was still in high school, and I wasn't incredibly obese. I was overweight, and doing so has been the best choice I've ever made.

It's not good for ANYBODY to but super restrictive in calories. To be honest, though, teenagers in this day and age are eating WAY too much and their bodies are starved for nutrients. So I have to respectfully disagree with your statements that teens should not do this. I never understood the value of food until I began this lifestyle/ logging food and calories / understanding the actual makeup and breakdown of foods.

I doubt she has a thyroid problem. Others on the thread have noticed her inconsistencies in logging and that is probably the issue. I can't tell you how many people I hear saying they "can't lose weight/aren't seeing the results" when they don't do what is required of them in order to achieve it. Maybe she's just not ready to do so, but sooner or later she'll have to decide what she really wants and how hard she's willing to work to get it.

ETA: All this being said, you ARE still growing. I don't pay attention to my scale much anymore, because (especially as a woman) it fluctuates SO much. Focus on NSV's, especially if you're not too far from your goal weight. Now, I pride myself on gaining muscle, increasing endurance, making healthy choices, and logging all my food. That is what makes me proud. Leave the scale behind and be concerned with your health and future rather than the scale weight.

tsAii

What I tell people is to weigh yourself and track your meals for one week straight. In the second week weigh yourself again and see if you gained, maintained or lost weight. according to your previous week see if you should lower your calories. Every week when you don't lose weight you lower your calories.

About 1-1.5g of protein per lbs of lean body mass
about .4g of fat per lbs of lean body mass
rest = carbs.

eldamiano

People in the same position as you who eat at a deficit lose weight. You are not a special case. You arent eating at a deficit.

Exercise does not equal weight loss. Calorie deficit = weight loss, whatever way you look at it...

Of course I'm not a 'special case', but everybody (and every body) is different. I'm sorry for not having the knowledge to lose fat (not weight!!) and therefore seeking advice.

Sorry, but the point was, you claim to have tried so many ways while missing the bottom line. Exercise doesnt equal weight loss, low carb doesnt equal weight loss, eating clean per se doesnt equal weight loss. Many people have the misconception that by exercising or changing something, that this will amount to weight loss, but this is irrelevant if the overall calorie balance does not change.

You have not mentioned in your piece that your calorie intake has dropped, and given that you have not lost weight, this is why....

By the way, 163cm, 63kg. None of my business really but this is a healthy weight?.....

hortensehildegarde

since you mention previous ED or ED leaning behavior, is it possible your perception of how you look and how you actually look are a bit off? Perhaps seek some advice on taking measurements. I find it terribly difficult to do with accuracy down to the cm, yet you seem to know you are 1 cm bigger than a year ago.

I know my perception of what I look like is totally off (though I happen to have it in the opposite direction). When you are already so small I'd imagine it can be hard/take a while to see changes.

Though I am not sure what you are planning to give up on? It sounds like you have a regular routine with a good, healthy lifestyle. Why would you stop doing the things you are already doing? So you can add more fat onto your body? That sounds like cutting off your nose to spite your face?

cgarand

Don't give up on yourself! I gave up on myself years ago and ended up 255+

snufs

Honestly, that sounds ridiculous.

"I'm not seeing results, so therefore I'm going to quit."

Why not do it for your health most of all?
Why not be consistent and form habits to GET the results you want?

If you dropped your phone and cracked it, would you just give up on the phone and stomp on it? No, you wouldn't. So just because you're not seeing the results you want YET, doesn't mean you should just throw in the towel because you think you're not getting anywhere. The biggest changes start on the inside.

I may have expressed myself a bit wrong - I won't quit, I'm just getting frustrated of trying and trying for two years without seeming to find what works for me.. I'm not even sure what I'd quit on, so yeah, you're right, it really does sound ridiculous. Thanks for putting it that way, though, I know now I will definitely not give up, but yeah, like I said, it's just so frustrating! Don't know what I'd do though, except for keep eating healthy and working out .. It's not like I want to go back to not caring about what I put in my body etc. So I'll keep up with my healthy lifestyle, just thinking that some results would be nice! Thanks again. Really, I mean it.

starrylioness

Have you had your thyroid checked? Or been checked for other medical problems? I have a bad thyroid and have been taking medication for it for a few years now but before that, NOTHING worked. I kept gaining and gaining even when trying to lose. You may want to see a doctor.

Please don't give up. You need to love yourself enough to want to keep trying. This is your body, your HEALTH here. I hope it works out for you!

RobsGirl_lds

Op what are your goals?

felonebeats

You need to be consistent,rather than trying this for a bit then that for a bit set yourself a meal plan for the week and stick to it.Losing weight properly takes time and discipline.Work out your maintenance calories and eat 500 less everyday and you should lose weight..Be patient