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MyFitnessPal Community

Not Losing Despite 2-a-day workouts

Amazonbella

Okay, so here is my dilemma....

For the past 5 weeks I have started a NEW workout program my chiropractor (who also used to be a trainer) put me on because I have had injuries w/my back, two torn meniscus in my knees and an ankle that was broken, but has healed.

I am doing weights in the a.m. at the gym. One day UPPER BODY, Next day LOWER BODY, third day CARDIO, then repeat. I have also added cardio sessions at night, and just recently added more cardio after my weight lifting sessions.

In the past 5 weeks....I have not LOST ONE POUND!!!! NOT ONE....WTF?

I have incorporated eating more fish into my nutrition, I take a vitamin D supplement, I drink Protein shakes and drinks now instead of empty calorie breakfast items, and try to stay within a healthy range of calories.

Let me just say too, I am 5'10 and I am needing to lose at least 60 pounds! So I'm not someone at goal weight trying to lose.

I do take Celexa, but my doctor told me that this medicine is the LEAST likely ssri to cause weight gain. I have had some stress the past 3 weeks w/a relationship that had ended badly, but I feel I am coping with it pretty well, but it's been emotional. I just can't fathom with the effort I am putting out that I am not losing anything.

I would love to hear from you guys if there is something else I should try or see something I am missing

THANK YOU!!!!

Replies

irisherine

Don't give up! I too had this exact problem last year. the whole "calorie deficit" didnt work for me. Nor does it work for anyone in my family. My trainer and I went carefully over my food log and exercise regimen, and I had blood work done, no explanation.

All I can say is, again, don't give up. Try a few adjustments, like adding in protein or adding in 200 calories. Maybe you are working out a little too much. My sister had luck with adding in a piece of cheese and dropping 20 min off her cardio, then the next week lost 5 lbs. I just had a baby so I'm back to trial and error again, let me know what works for you!

Ang108

If this is a new exercise regimen for you, than it is normal to not appear to lose weight at first. Your muscles go through a great deal of stress with such a new routine and need to repair much more in the beginning of a new routine than once you are used to it. When muscles are torn down by a lot of exercise and especially heavier weight lifting they are injured and it is our body’s natural reaction to rebuild and repair the torn muscles or damaged tissue. That is where Glycogen comes in to do the repair work. Glycogen binds to water and both are stored in the muscle tissue , because without it muscle repair is impossible, or at least very, very slow.
My guess is that that is the reason that it looks as if you have not lost any weight. Once your body is used to the new exercise, you will shed this weight ( basically water weight ) and you will be fine.

Unless you are absolutely new to exercise and/or have to lose a lot of weight ( 100 pounds or more ) it is very unlikely that you have built muscle, especially when eating at a deficit. In order to build muscle we need an energetic surplus and not the opposite. An even an ounce or two gained would not make the scale stop or be visible. Also for women weightlifters it is very, very difficult to gain new muscle mass due to our hormonal set-up and will, if it happens take a very long time . This is especially true if we are not high performance weight lifters who also unfortunately often get involved in illegal and unhealthy ways to gain muscle mass apart from eating a very specific diet.

PS: I also would suggest that for improved weight loss you look at and focus on your diet . Usually weight loss is diet related and general health & fitness is aided by exercise. If it comes down to it, for weight loss alone you would not even have to exercise....just a fact and something I personally do not approve of.

leggup

Muscle weighs more than fat

How do you figure? 1 pound = 1 pound whether it's feathers or bricks!

They clearly meant in terms of volume/density, which is how we know that a feather the size of a brick still weighs less than a brick.

diannethegeek

Muscle weighs more than fat

Actually 1lb of muscle = 1lb of fat, it just takes up less space.

Actually 1 inch of muscle = 1 inch of fat, it just weighs more when comparing equal volumes.

But surely we can all agree that the OP hasn't put on enough muscle in the past 5 weeks to offset the losses she should be seeing, which makes the whole point moot in this scenario.

kjo9692

Don't give up! I too had this exact problem last year. the whole "calorie deficit" didnt work for me. Nor does it work for anyone in my family. My trainer and I went carefully over my food log and exercise regimen, and I had blood work done, no explanation.

All I can say is, again, don't give up. Try a few adjustments, like adding in protein or adding in 200 calories. Maybe you are working out a little too much. My sister had luck with adding in a piece of cheese and dropping 20 min off her cardio, then the next week lost 5 lbs. I just had a baby so I'm back to trial and error again, let me know what works for you!

Calorie deficit works. If it didn't work for you then you are probably not eating at a deficit, maybe you are not logging everything or maybe you are not weighing your food.

Please ignore the above post as it's the 1st post ever of this user. I never trust these.

OP like others have said you are using measuring cups instead of weighing solids. Buy a food scale and that will work really good. Trust me, at the beginning I was losing but not as fast as I should've (I aimed to lose 2 a week but was losing like 1 a week) then I got my food scale and realized I was eating way more than I actually thought I was. After that my logging is very accurate and it seriously makes my life easier than estimating everything I eat. Even if the container suggest 3/4 cups of something, use the weight of the food instead of measuring it. For everything: bread, tuna, waffles, ham slices, whatever it is you eat weigh it. For liquids use measuring cups and tablespoons.

negator5543

Muscle weighs more than fat

How do you figure? 1 pound = 1 pound whether it's feathers or bricks!

If I cut one cubic inch of fat and one cubic inch of muscle and weigh them, the muscle will way more.

Muscle does weigh more than fat, just like a fat person does way more than a short slim person.

Weight is the effect of gravity on an object, the denser the object the greater the effect of gravity.

Taking the same weight of two things does not mean they are equal. Losing a pound of fat is a much more noticeable difference than a pound of muscle because so much more of it needs to come off to equal a pound.

RGv2

Muscle weighs more than fat

How do you figure? 1 pound = 1 pound whether it's feathers or bricks!

If I cut one cubic inch of fat and one cubic inch of muscle and weigh them, the muscle will way more.

Muscle does weigh more than fat, just like a fat person does way more than a short slim person.

Weight is the effect of gravity on an object, the denser the object the greater the effect of gravity.

Taking the same weight of two things does not mean they are equal. Losing a pound of fat is a much more noticeable difference than a pound of muscle because so much more of it needs to come off to equal a pound.

Ang108

Muscle weighs more than fat

How do you figure? 1 pound = 1 pound whether it's feathers or bricks!

If I cut one cubic inch of fat and one cubic inch of muscle and weigh them, the muscle will way more.

Muscle does weigh more than fat, just like a fat person does way more than a short slim person.

Weight is the effect of gravity on an object, the denser the object the greater the effect of gravity.

Taking the same weight of two things does not mean they are equal. Losing a pound of fat is a much more noticeable difference than a pound of muscle because so much more of it needs to come off to equal a pound.

The previous poster spoke about weight, which means a pound is always a pound. You are mentioning volume, which is not the same as weight and therefore cannot be compared. It's like comparing apples and green beans. Apart from that you get things mixed up in general.....

bhdon

I can empathize - it's hard to watch so much time go by with little or no movement on the scale. But say you lose 20 pounds in a year, which is, on average, 0.38 pounds per week. You can see, that in 5 weeks time - that feels pretty negligible ( 0.38#/wk x 5 weeks = 1.9 lbs). Shoot, my weight can fluctuate that much just day to day based on water weight, etc. So I do think it's very possible that what you're doing is working....slowly. It's only been 5 weeks. Keep monitoring your intake, keep exercising and do what you can live with long term. Then give it time. Even small changes show results over time.

negator5543

Muscle weighs more than fat

How do you figure? 1 pound = 1 pound whether it's feathers or bricks!

If I cut one cubic inch of fat and one cubic inch of muscle and weigh them, the muscle will way more.

Muscle does weigh more than fat, just like a fat person does way more than a short slim person.

Weight is the effect of gravity on an object, the denser the object the greater the effect of gravity.

Taking the same weight of two things does not mean they are equal. Losing a pound of fat is a much more noticeable difference than a pound of muscle because so much more of it needs to come off to equal a pound.

The previous poster spoke about weight, which means a pound is always a pound. You are mentioning volume, which is not the same as weight and therefore cannot be compared. It's like comparing apples and green beans. Apart from that you get things mixed up in general.....

So by your reasoning one brick weighs the same same as one feather right?

BigGuy47

Dark beer weighs more than light beer.

grantdumas7

Don't stress so much on what it says on the scale. Does your body look better in the mirror? Have you taken before and after measurements?

jasonmh630

Muscle weighs more than fat

How do you figure? 1 pound = 1 pound whether it's feathers or bricks!

If I cut one cubic inch of fat and one cubic inch of muscle and weigh them, the muscle will way more.

Muscle does weigh more than fat, just like a fat person does way more than a short slim person.

Weight is the effect of gravity on an object, the denser the object the greater the effect of gravity.

Taking the same weight of two things does not mean they are equal. Losing a pound of fat is a much more noticeable difference than a pound of muscle because so much more of it needs to come off to equal a pound.

The previous poster spoke about weight, which means a pound is always a pound. You are mentioning volume, which is not the same as weight and therefore cannot be compared. It's like comparing apples and green beans. Apart from that you get things mixed up in general.....

So by your reasoning one brick weighs the same same as one feather right?

2fabulous2Bunfit

YES I should incorporate more veggies...I actually like them, I'm just impatient to steam them, and I hate microwave versions. But I need to do more of that

Check out the plastic baggie section in your grocery store- I found these and they are awesome! Just add the veggies and some spices and microwave!

http://www.ziploc.com/Products/Pages/ZipSteamMicrowaveCookingBags.aspx

Also try roasting- even better!!!!

http://www.bhg.com/recipes/how-to/cooking-basics/how-to-roast-vegetables/

rogerOb1

Dark beer weighs more than light beer.

Finally! Someone gets it.

Strokingdiction

Muscle weighs more than fat

oh no

Amazonbella

Thank you!!!! THIS is what I was curious about. I am on CELEXA (for anxiety) and Birth control...I have been wondering if either of these things could be causing me an issue.

As I ALREADY own a digital scale in which I weigh food. I know those are the things that people think I am doing wrong, not weighing, mis-calculating, giving myself too many credits back during my workout, I really am doing what I need to, hence the frustration. I have gone to my doctor who tells me I work out more than anyone he has ever seen to not reep the rewards (I even used to play volleyball with him, so he knows I'm not a sedentary person) I have lost 75 pounds three years ago, so I am not doing anything different now, than when I was able to lose 75 pounds in 6 months at that time. I will be 40 this year, I don't know, does that play a part of slower weight loss? I'm also taking Vitamin D now because I know I have low D.

Oh and as far as "cooking oils" and "alcohol" I don't understand what is meant by that, I do not add oil, butter, or other fats into anything I cook if that is what was asked. I do know that salt can be an issue, as well as added sugar, I am working on that as well.

I'm 5'9", 58 years old and 25 lbs too fat, mostly in my belly. Like you I was walking for miles and going to the gym constantly on top of tracking my food and after 6 weeks I hadn't lost anything. So I totally understand. Here's what I've heard. Losing weight happens in the kitchen and strength and muscle tone in the gym. This week I've lost 3 or 4 lbs. What did I do differently? I got off an anti-depressant. Could any medications you're taking cause weight gain? I just started last night walking around the block before meals, so no more gym... for now. For me, I find really working out hard is detrimental to my fat loss. I know, it makes no sense, and goes against EVERYTHING you're taught, but that's what works for me. Once I lose 20 lbs., it's back to the gym.

Good luck!

_HeartsOnFire_

I'm on an anti-depressant, anti-anxiety and birth control and I am losing weight.

Have you figured out your BMR & TDEE?

I'm 5'5", I walk 5 miles a day every day, I do the Stronglifts 5x5 program, I eat 1,940 calories a day and try to make sure I get a lot of protein. I'd suggest making sure you are actually eating enough to fuel your workouts. Especially upping the protein.

kjo9692

Thank you!!!! THIS is what I was curious about. I am on CELEXA (for anxiety) and Birth control...I have been wondering if either of these things could be causing me an issue.

As I ALREADY own a digital scale in which I weigh food. I know those are the things that people think I am doing wrong, not weighing, mis-calculating, giving myself too many credits back during my workout, I really am doing what I need to, hence the frustration. I have gone to my doctor who tells me I work out more than anyone he has ever seen to not reep the rewards (I even used to play volleyball with him, so he knows I'm not a sedentary person) I have lost 75 pounds three years ago, so I am not doing anything different now, than when I was able to lose 75 pounds in 6 months at that time. I will be 40 this year, I don't know, does that play a part of slower weight loss? I'm also taking Vitamin D now because I know I have low D.

Oh and as far as "cooking oils" and "alcohol" I don't understand what is meant by that, I do not add oil, butter, or other fats into anything I cook if that is what was asked. I do know that salt can be an issue, as well as added sugar, I am working on that as well.

I'm 5'9", 58 years old and 25 lbs too fat, mostly in my belly. Like you I was walking for miles and going to the gym constantly on top of tracking my food and after 6 weeks I hadn't lost anything. So I totally understand. Here's what I've heard. Losing weight happens in the kitchen and strength and muscle tone in the gym. This week I've lost 3 or 4 lbs. What did I do differently? I got off an anti-depressant. Could any medications you're taking cause weight gain? I just started last night walking around the block before meals, so no more gym... for now. For me, I find really working out hard is detrimental to my fat loss. I know, it makes no sense, and goes against EVERYTHING you're taught, but that's what works for me. Once I lose 20 lbs., it's back to the gym.

Good luck!

Per your own entries:

Carlos O Kelleys - Chips and Salsa, 12 chips - this is not weighing your food

Carlos O'kellys - Queso Dip, 0.5 small bowl - this is not weighing your food

Smuckers - Concord Grape Jam, 1 Tbsp (20g) - this is not weighing your food

Kroger Peanut Butter - Creamy Peanut Butter, 2 tbsp - this is not weighing your food

Pepperidge Farm - Goldfish Baked Snack Crackers Cheddar, 27.5 Pieces

Hollys Trail Mix - Walnuts/dried cranberry/white chocolate, 3/4 cup

Gortons - Skillet Crispy Tilapia , 1 fillet

Cauliflower - Cooked, boiled, drained, with salt, 0.75 cup (1" pieces)

None of that is weighed. I can go on but you get the idea. None of the food you logged has been weighed. Just measured.

_HeartsOnFire_

Also, not all entries in MFP food database are 100% accurate. I see in your diary an entry for Carlos O'Kelly's Queso dip, it has calories but no fat, no protein, no carbs, nothing else. Maybe that's correct? But I'm thinking that entry may be lacking, which is a problem with some food entries in the database.

TrailNurse

You can't out exercise a bad diet. I personally would not lose weight eating chips, queso, sub sandwiches, cookies, etc. I am VERY carb sensitive and have to "time" my carbs around workouts and then don't eat them the rest of the day. You could be the same way.

I would do a month trial on protein and veges and see if that gets things going in the right direction. Also if you are weight training....might as well throw out the scale and measure monthly. Only way you are going to see progress is through measuring and pictures.

SingingSingleTracker

You can't out exercise a bad diet. I personally would not lose weight eating chips, queso, sub sandwiches, cookies, etc. I am VERY carb sensitive and have to "time" my carbs around workouts and then don't eat them the rest of the day. You could be the same way.

I would do a month trial on protein and veges and see if that gets things going in the right direction. Also if you are weight training....might as well throw out the scale and measure monthly. Only way you are going to see progress is through measuring and pictures.

I know, in theory, that all sounds good. But it really comes down to calories in vs. calories out. Whether it's from cheese dip, cheesecake, ice cream, asparagus, eggplant, bananas, steak, french fries, beet juice, apples, etc... . If you are eating your daily calories and not exceeding your daily quota - it doesn't matter where they come from.