not losing, need some help

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KiraFlint
KiraFlint Posts: 8 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Let me give you a bit of background. I am an irish dancer. I lost about 100lbs back in 2008. I got hurt back in July and had to stop all activity completely and had to have foot surgery back in December which left me totally non weight bearing for 10 weeks. people kept bringing me junk food to eat because I couldn't prepare my own food. I ate a lot of junk. It was the perfect storm. I gained 40lbs back and lost a lot of muscle mass too. I wasn't able to wear normal pants over the cast so I didn't realize how much I had gained, once I did I started tracking and dropped 10. thats where it stopped. That was 6 weeks ago :( Since then I have been cleared to start low impact exercise. Which I have been 6 days a week. Elliptical, water aerobics, light treadmill. I stick to around 1600-1800 calories. But I haven't lost ANY weight at all. I started at 1200 which I was told by multiple personal trainers at the gym was damaging to my metabolism, but I didn't lose anything with any of those either. Which I realize muscle weighs more than fat, I would think I would be seeing SOMETHING by now? When I lose the initial 100 it was medication assisted. So I cant really base this off that...


any advice?
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Replies

  • bajoyba
    bajoyba Posts: 1,153 Member
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    Would you be willing to open your food diary?

    We can probably give more specific advice that way. :smile:
  • KiraFlint
    KiraFlint Posts: 8 Member
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    Ok. It's open. My totals look a bit wonky because I changed the calorie totals and it changed them across the board. I've had a few bad days but for the most part I plug in almost all my food for that day at once in the morning and then remove it after work so I know what I have left for dinner. I'm thinking I need to stop eating my calories back? I was told to do this but thinking I shouldn't now :(
  • wilsoje74
    wilsoje74 Posts: 1,720 Member
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    So is your calorie goal 2000? Seems a bit high to lose, and just looking back a couple days you had a day you were quite a bit over (pizza?)
  • cbhubbybubble
    cbhubbybubble Posts: 465 Member
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    I'm too new to give much advice from long experience, but what I see is a lot of processed foods and a lot of sodium. Seems everyone has an opinion on eating "clean", but if what you're doing is not working, maybe try real foods and lower sodium for a while and see what happens. It has been working for me so far....not that I never eat fast or processed food, but I try to make it the exception rather than the rule.

    And double check that you are actually in a deficit.
  • dmenchac
    dmenchac Posts: 447 Member
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    Let me give you a bit of background. I am an irish dancer. I lost about 100lbs back in 2008. I got hurt back in July and had to stop all activity completely and had to have foot surgery back in December which left me totally non weight bearing for 10 weeks. people kept bringing me junk food to eat because I couldn't prepare my own food. I ate a lot of junk. It was the perfect storm. I gained 40lbs back and lost a lot of muscle mass too. I wasn't able to wear normal pants over the cast so I didn't realize how much I had gained, once I did I started tracking and dropped 10. thats where it stopped. That was 6 weeks ago :( Since then I have been cleared to start low impact exercise. Which I have been 6 days a week. Elliptical, water aerobics, light treadmill. I stick to around 1600-1800 calories. But I haven't lost ANY weight at all. I started at 1200 which I was told by multiple personal trainers at the gym was damaging to my metabolism, but I didn't lose anything with any of those either. Which I realize muscle weighs more than fat, I would think I would be seeing SOMETHING by now? When I lose the initial 100 it was medication assisted. So I cant really base this off that...


    any advice?

    In which world does muscle weigh more than fat?
  • KiraFlint
    KiraFlint Posts: 8 Member
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    Yeah I have a friend who is a personal trainer who thinks I need 2000. But I don't think so? So after a couple days I switched. I stopped actually tracking my exercise the last few days because the machines at the gym are inaccurate. The Pizza was a cheat day. :( A big one. I'm trying to find the sweet spot I guess. I keep being told no matter what my calorie intake is that I'm not eating enough.
  • KiraFlint
    KiraFlint Posts: 8 Member
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    It's just what I always hear from docs and PTs and stuff when I lose inches instead of pounds. Not really sure where they get it from
  • dmenchac
    dmenchac Posts: 447 Member
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    It's just what I always hear from docs and PTs and stuff when I lose inches instead of pounds. Not really sure where they get it from

    It just has less volume :D 5 lbs of fat weights the same as 5 lbs of muscle
  • wilsoje74
    wilsoje74 Posts: 1,720 Member
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    Yeah I have a friend who is a personal trainer who thinks I need 2000. But I don't think so? So after a couple days I switched. I stopped actually tracking my exercise the last few days because the machines at the gym are inaccurate. The Pizza was a cheat day. :( A big one. I'm trying to find the sweet spot I guess. I keep being told no matter what my calorie intake is that I'm not eating enough.
    really? I would gain on 2000 for sure.
  • BigT555
    BigT555 Posts: 2,067 Member
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    Let me give you a bit of background. I am an irish dancer. I lost about 100lbs back in 2008. I got hurt back in July and had to stop all activity completely and had to have foot surgery back in December which left me totally non weight bearing for 10 weeks. people kept bringing me junk food to eat because I couldn't prepare my own food. I ate a lot of junk. It was the perfect storm. I gained 40lbs back and lost a lot of muscle mass too. I wasn't able to wear normal pants over the cast so I didn't realize how much I had gained, once I did I started tracking and dropped 10. thats where it stopped. That was 6 weeks ago :( Since then I have been cleared to start low impact exercise. Which I have been 6 days a week. Elliptical, water aerobics, light treadmill. I stick to around 1600-1800 calories. But I haven't lost ANY weight at all. I started at 1200 which I was told by multiple personal trainers at the gym was damaging to my metabolism, but I didn't lose anything with any of those either. Which I realize muscle weighs more than fat, I would think I would be seeing SOMETHING by now? When I lose the initial 100 it was medication assisted. So I cant really base this off that...


    any advice?

    In which world does muscle weigh more than fat?

    the real world.
  • dmenchac
    dmenchac Posts: 447 Member
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    Let me give you a bit of background. I am an irish dancer. I lost about 100lbs back in 2008. I got hurt back in July and had to stop all activity completely and had to have foot surgery back in December which left me totally non weight bearing for 10 weeks. people kept bringing me junk food to eat because I couldn't prepare my own food. I ate a lot of junk. It was the perfect storm. I gained 40lbs back and lost a lot of muscle mass too. I wasn't able to wear normal pants over the cast so I didn't realize how much I had gained, once I did I started tracking and dropped 10. thats where it stopped. That was 6 weeks ago :( Since then I have been cleared to start low impact exercise. Which I have been 6 days a week. Elliptical, water aerobics, light treadmill. I stick to around 1600-1800 calories. But I haven't lost ANY weight at all. I started at 1200 which I was told by multiple personal trainers at the gym was damaging to my metabolism, but I didn't lose anything with any of those either. Which I realize muscle weighs more than fat, I would think I would be seeing SOMETHING by now? When I lose the initial 100 it was medication assisted. So I cant really base this off that...


    any advice?

    In which world does muscle weigh more than fat?

    the real world.

    which weighs more 5 lbs of fat or 5 lbs of muscle?
  • hill8570
    hill8570 Posts: 1,466 Member
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    Yeah, agree with others -- 2000 seems to be pretty high (I'm a big guy, exercise regularly, and my target is 1840 a day for a 1.5 pound / week loss rate). If you're not going to log exercise (which I consider a bad idea unless your exercise schedule is very predictable), then I'd suggest hitting a site like iifym.com and figure out your TDEE.

    Oh yeah -- are you tracking your measurements? If your measurements are dropping, I personally wouldn't worry about the scale.
  • KiraFlint
    KiraFlint Posts: 8 Member
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    Yeah I have a friend who is a personal trainer who thinks I need 2000. But I don't think so? So after a couple days I switched. I stopped actually tracking my exercise the last few days because the machines at the gym are inaccurate. The Pizza was a cheat day. :( A big one. I'm trying to find the sweet spot I guess. I keep being told no matter what my calorie intake is that I'm not eating enough.
    really? I would gain on 2000 for sure.

    But not eating back calories
  • BigT555
    BigT555 Posts: 2,067 Member
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    Let me give you a bit of background. I am an irish dancer. I lost about 100lbs back in 2008. I got hurt back in July and had to stop all activity completely and had to have foot surgery back in December which left me totally non weight bearing for 10 weeks. people kept bringing me junk food to eat because I couldn't prepare my own food. I ate a lot of junk. It was the perfect storm. I gained 40lbs back and lost a lot of muscle mass too. I wasn't able to wear normal pants over the cast so I didn't realize how much I had gained, once I did I started tracking and dropped 10. thats where it stopped. That was 6 weeks ago :( Since then I have been cleared to start low impact exercise. Which I have been 6 days a week. Elliptical, water aerobics, light treadmill. I stick to around 1600-1800 calories. But I haven't lost ANY weight at all. I started at 1200 which I was told by multiple personal trainers at the gym was damaging to my metabolism, but I didn't lose anything with any of those either. Which I realize muscle weighs more than fat, I would think I would be seeing SOMETHING by now? When I lose the initial 100 it was medication assisted. So I cant really base this off that...


    any advice?

    In which world does muscle weigh more than fat?

    the real world.

    which weighs more 5 lbs of fat or 5 lbs of muscle?

    5 lbs of fat is way more, volume wise ;)
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,268 Member
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    Yeah I have a friend who is a personal trainer who thinks I need 2000. But I don't think so? So after a couple days I switched. I stopped actually tracking my exercise the last few days because the machines at the gym are inaccurate. The Pizza was a cheat day. :( A big one. I'm trying to find the sweet spot I guess. I keep being told no matter what my calorie intake is that I'm not eating enough.
    really? I would gain on 2000 for sure.

    I wont...I am still in a deficet at 2000 calories...but random numbers are random.

    Finding your deficet is fairly easy. You just input your data in MFP, set your reasonable weekly weight loss goal and it will give you a good esitmate. Follow that and see how it goes..but that means tracking exercise here and eating back 50-75% of your exercise calories.

    As for the muscle weighing more than fat..eh logically no..it does take up less space.
  • Sinisterly
    Sinisterly Posts: 10,913 Member
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    Let me give you a bit of background. I am an irish dancer. I lost about 100lbs back in 2008. I got hurt back in July and had to stop all activity completely and had to have foot surgery back in December which left me totally non weight bearing for 10 weeks. people kept bringing me junk food to eat because I couldn't prepare my own food. I ate a lot of junk. It was the perfect storm. I gained 40lbs back and lost a lot of muscle mass too. I wasn't able to wear normal pants over the cast so I didn't realize how much I had gained, once I did I started tracking and dropped 10. thats where it stopped. That was 6 weeks ago :( Since then I have been cleared to start low impact exercise. Which I have been 6 days a week. Elliptical, water aerobics, light treadmill. I stick to around 1600-1800 calories. But I haven't lost ANY weight at all. I started at 1200 which I was told by multiple personal trainers at the gym was damaging to my metabolism, but I didn't lose anything with any of those either. Which I realize muscle weighs more than fat, I would think I would be seeing SOMETHING by now? When I lose the initial 100 it was medication assisted. So I cant really base this off that...


    any advice?

    In which world does muscle weigh more than fat?

    the real world.

    which weighs more 5 lbs of fat or 5 lbs of muscle?

    5 lbs of fat is way more, volume wise ;)
    Only in volume, not in weight. A ton of feathers still weighs a ton.
  • BigT555
    BigT555 Posts: 2,067 Member
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    thatsthejoke.jpeg
  • KiraFlint
    KiraFlint Posts: 8 Member
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    I let MFP dictate the deficit number for over a month with no results. And I was pretty strict about sticking to it.


    Guess I'll just keep plugging away! Thanks for the help!
  • AliceDark
    AliceDark Posts: 3,886 Member
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    Former Irish dancer here! :flowerforyou:

    It's hard to tell what your calorie goal should be without knowing your current weight/height, but my first thought was that 1600-1800 isn't necessarily too high, depending on how much muscle mass you have. Especially since you want to keep the muscle you do have, going slow is going to be way better for you in the long term than dropping down to 1200. At 1200, you're going to be losing muscle along with fat.

    I took a quick peek through your diary, and your totals are all over the place. Go to http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/ and calculate your TDEE, then choose a modest deficit (maybe -10%?), then stick to that very consistently for a month. (This is assuming you don't eat back exercise calories). You need a good, solid baseline before you make any further changes. At that point, you can look at things like sodium, maybe adjusting your macro ratios, etc.
  • lindsey1979
    lindsey1979 Posts: 2,395 Member
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    It's just what I always hear from docs and PTs and stuff when I lose inches instead of pounds. Not really sure where they get it from

    It just has less volume :D 5 lbs of fat weights the same as 5 lbs of muscle

    Right, so the same volume of muscle will weight more. Geez. It's a comparison of the same volume, not weight.

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