Why am I not losing weight?!?

Options
2

Replies

  • albayin
    albayin Posts: 2,524 Member
    Options
    Yes go and check a Doctor. Even if you were to make a mistake of 500 calories while estimating, you should lose something while being 300 pounds.

    This^^ Or give it more time, like consistently for another 2-3 months and see what happens. This has not happend to me but some of my friends swear by a sudden drop of pounds after weeks even months of "nothing". If you feel ok with what you are doing, keep doing it...
  • lostbuthappy
    lostbuthappy Posts: 7 Member
    Options
    I am 5'3 and weighed 170 at my heaviest. I started my own weight loss diet which consisted of me eating low calories 900-1000 calories a few days a week and then 1500-1800 calories other days of the week.Sometimes I would throw my calories to the wind and eat and drink whatever I wanted on the weekends. By not sticking to a strict set of calories per day I kept my metabolism confused and revved up. I did not exercise but I do have a job that keeps me on my feet and walking 8 hrs a day. Over a period of 6months I dropped my weight to 128. I continue to keep my weight steady by doing yoga a few times a week and every now and then having a day or two of low calorie days (900).

    During my weight loss journey I remember I would go a few weeks every now and then where I did not lose an ounce. I just kept doing what I was doing and eventually I'd lose 3-4 pounds in a day! I think the body just needs to recheck itself every now and then.

    Don't be discouraged! The healthy lean body you will eventually achieve is well worth the occasional hunger pains. Good luck!
  • earlnabby
    earlnabby Posts: 8,171 Member
    Options
    Two things:

    1) as others have said, you are eating far too little. My weight is not much under yours and I am eating net 1800 calories a day and losing.

    2) Your initial weight loss was a lot of water and it takes anywhere from 3-6 weeks for your body to regulate itself. Instead of gaining that water weight back in one lump, your body just retains more of it in small increments so you may be losing 1/2 lb of fat, but gaining 1/2 lb of water which makes it look like you are not losing.

    My suggestion would be to start eating more, limit your weigh ins to no more than one a week, make sure you are drinking at least 8 cups of water (10 is better for people our size), and start some form of weight bearing exercise (even if all you can do is walk to the end of the block and back). Most of all, keep at it and PATIENCE!
  • weird_me2
    weird_me2 Posts: 716 Member
    Options
    OP, going back to read a post you made 3 weeks ago, you lost 16 pounds in 6 weeks, that's 2.7 pounds per week ...then gained a pound and started immediately changing your food and lowering your intake. You are still at a very healthy rate of loss if you average out your losses over the 9 weeks you have now been doing this - your average is 1.75 pounds, which is pretty darn quick. As a woman, you will probably notice over time that you will have weeks with gains and weeks where you don't seem to lose and then weeks where it just seems to run away. When I ovulate, my weight usually plateaus, maybe drops a bit the following week, goes up before I start then dramatically goes down right after I start. Even if I'm doing everything "right" and should be losing 2 pounds per week, I'll maybe drop 1 or 2 pounds before I start and then gain it back and then drop 5-6 pounds that following week. It all averages out in the end, as long as you keep doing what you are supposed to be doing.
  • inky16
    inky16 Posts: 113 Member
    Options
    How much water are you drinking? Whatever it is, add more. :) The more you drink, the less your body holds on to.

    And how much of those 1300 calories are high-sodium foods that will make your body want to retain water? My biggest lesson on this journey is that, at the end of the day, everyone is different. It could be when you're eating (right before bed), how the meals are spread throughout the day (150 cal breakfast and lunch, followed by a 1000 cal dinner), hormones, sleep patterns, daily activity (not just exercise- small choices like taking the closest parking spot you can find). It all adds up.

    All that being said, it never hurts to add a little more water to your day. Best of luck!
  • nosebag1212
    nosebag1212 Posts: 621 Member
    Options
    You Need to Excerise.Period.You should be losing some weight because You have decreased your calorie intake but if you dont excercise it's not going to help tooo much.Also thats a small intake of calories and your body is probably thinking its being starved from such a significant decrease so its storing the calories it does take in as fat.
    please stop with the broscience, starvation mode is a myth
  • Snapshotgirl
    Snapshotgirl Posts: 57 Member
    Options
    Well, I'm not sure why you aren't losing weight but I have the same problem. I exercise everyday, am usually at my calorie goal but my weight loss has been absolutely minimal. It's a long road and perhaps you just have to keep hammering away at it until your body gets the message. And yes, do go see both an MD and a nutritionist.
  • inky16
    inky16 Posts: 113 Member
    Options
    Two things:

    1) as others have said, you are eating far too little. My weight is not much under yours and I am eating net 1800 calories a day and losing.

    2) Your initial weight loss was a lot of water and it takes anywhere from 3-6 weeks for your body to regulate itself. Instead of gaining that water weight back in one lump, your body just retains more of it in small increments so you may be losing 1/2 lb of fat, but gaining 1/2 lb of water which makes it look like you are not losing.

    My suggestion would be to start eating more, limit your weigh ins to no more than one a week, make sure you are drinking at least 8 cups of water (10 is better for people our size), and start some form of weight bearing exercise (even if all you can do is walk to the end of the block and back). Most of all, keep at it and PATIENCE!

    Also, this! Good advice! :)
  • daybehavior
    daybehavior Posts: 1,319 Member
    Options
    If you're not losing, you aren't at a calorie deficit. PERIOD. Stop telling her to eat more. It's either water retention or there's something amiss with the tracking. Worst case scenario there is a thyroid issue going on. It's nearly impossible to be 287, eat at 1300 cals and not lose.

    please stop with the broscience, starvation mode is a myth

    This too.
  • wilsoje74
    wilsoje74 Posts: 1,720 Member
    Options
    You Need to Excerise.Period.You should be losing some weight because You have decreased your calorie intake but if you dont excercise it's not going to help tooo much.Also thats a small intake of calories and your body is probably thinking its being starved from such a significant decrease so its storing the calories it does take in as fat.
    not true. Weight loss happens in the kitchen. Exercise is for fitness.
  • 3dogsrunning
    3dogsrunning Posts: 27,167 Member
    Options
    You Need to Excerise.Period.You should be losing some weight because You have decreased your calorie intake but if you dont excercise it's not going to help tooo much.Also thats a small intake of calories and your body is probably thinking its being starved from such a significant decrease so its storing the calories it does take in as fat.
    please stop with the broscience, starvation mode is a myth

    Starvation mode is not a myth but it is very misunderstood and misused term. I do agree that it is not likely applicable here.
  • lostbuthappy
    lostbuthappy Posts: 7 Member
    Options
    By the way, you are not going to go into "starvation mode" by restricting your calories. That is all a myth that has been disputed long ago. Listen to your body but ignore the hunger grumbles. If you feel tired or lightheaded eat something like an apple or almonds. Low calorie days are no big deal. I think it allows our digestive systems time to rest. There is no need to constantly keep it moving and overstuffed with food.
  • 3dogsrunning
    3dogsrunning Posts: 27,167 Member
    Options
    We can sit here and throw ideas all day. If you opened your diary at least we could have a better idea of what the problem actually is.
  • nmfitch
    nmfitch Posts: 5 Member
    Options
    Although exercise is not "needed" for weight loss, it will help A LOT, especially since it appears you may be plateauing. Increase calories to at least 1500/1600 and started incorporating small amounts of exercise into your routine. Even if it is just walking around the block a few times a week. It is very important for your metabolism and it will help you to be encouraged to eat healthier. Also make sure you are meeting daily vegetable/fruit and protein requirements. If you are eating too much fruit the sugar may be affecting your weight loss. Protein is very important for your body to maintain muscle and lose fat. Good luck! Weight loss is quite a journey!
  • lostbuthappy
    lostbuthappy Posts: 7 Member
    Options
    I also agree that exercise is for fitness and weight loss is more for calorie counting. I lost my 30lbs by restricting what I ate. I avoided the gym because I knew that exercising would increase my hunger pains. Once I had a routine and felt more control over my eating habits I then turned to fitness to gain strength and tone up.
    I recommend working on weight loss/calories first then once you have seen pounds starting to melt away and you are able to control your eating add in the fitness. But fitness before weight loss is a big mistake. It causes people who are trying to lose weight to eat more and gain, and eventually become so discouraged they quit attempting to lose weight.
  • nosebag1212
    nosebag1212 Posts: 621 Member
    Options
    Although exercise is not "needed" for weight loss, it will help A LOT, especially since it appears you may be plateauing. Increase calories to at least 1500/1600 and started incorporating small amounts of exercise into your routine. Even if it is just walking around the block a few times a week. It is very important for your metabolism and it will help you to be encouraged to eat healthier. Also make sure you are meeting daily vegetable/fruit and protein requirements. If you are eating too much fruit the sugar may be affecting your weight loss.Protein is very important for your body to maintain muscle and lose fat. Good luck! Weight loss is quite a journey!
    wrong, the amount of weight lost depends entirely on caloric deficit, not whether you're eating carbs or not, you could get all your calories from table sugar and you'd still lose the same amount of weight as you would from a ketogenic diet of the same caloric intake
  • wilsoje74
    wilsoje74 Posts: 1,720 Member
    Options
    Although exercise is not "needed" for weight loss, it will help A LOT, especially since it appears you may be plateauing. Increase calories to at least 1500/1600 and started incorporating small amounts of exercise into your routine. Even if it is just walking around the block a few times a week. It is very important for your metabolism and it will help you to be encouraged to eat healthier. Also make sure you are meeting daily vegetable/fruit and protein requirements. If you are eating too much fruit the sugar may be affecting your weight loss. Protein is very important for your body to maintain muscle and lose fat. Good luck! Weight loss is quite a journey!
    no it may help A LITTLE as going for a short walk may burn maybe 100-200 cal which will give you a little more to eat is all
  • Pixi_Rex
    Pixi_Rex Posts: 1,676 Member
    Options
    So as someone who totally understands tracking everything you eat and not losing (I weigh, and measure everything that literally goes in my mouth) I get your frustration.

    What kind of foods are you eating? Are you eating mostly pre-packaged meals? I only ask because it could be sodium that is not helping you. I can't see into your diary at all so I can't be super helpful.

    For me I have a thyroid problem coupled with an extremely sedentary life (unless I am careful I can get 2000 - 3000 steps a day) and without exercise I just do not lose weight. Exercise doesn't have to be in the form of anything more than a walk. you say you don't have time to exercise do you get 15 minute breaks and a lunch? I go for a walk every break - around the block, 3 times a day it adds up quickly, and it gets you away from work for a couple minutes.

    Its true you don't technically NEED exercise to lose weight, majority of weightl oss happens in the kitchen but exercise may be where your downfall is.


    Only you know what is good for you and your lifestyle, you could also go talk to your doctor and have tests done but I would highly suspect it is something in the form of - you aren't eating the most healthy, you need to get up and walk, you aren't consistent, or you aren't being 100% honest with yourself and until you are you wont see any weightloss, and trust me the last 2 took me the longest to figure out. And it sucks to say but in all honestly you are probably the reason that you aren't losing weight.
  • nmfitch
    nmfitch Posts: 5 Member
    Options
    The point of the exercise is to rev up the metabolism, not the actual calorie burn during the exercise. I am not suggesting eating the additional 100/200 calories burned. The way our bodies metabolize food is much more complex than simple calories in calories out. Although I agree tracking this is a simple way to maintain weight loss attention must be payed to what types of foods you are consuming.
  • wilsoje74
    wilsoje74 Posts: 1,720 Member
    Options
    The point of the exercise is to rev up the metabolism, not the actual calorie burn during the exercise. I am not suggesting eating the additional 100/200 calories burned. The way our bodies metabolize food is much more complex than simple calories in calories out. Although I agree tracking this is a simple way to maintain weight loss attention must be payed to what types of foods you are consuming.
    i disagree as I believe for a majority it is cals in/ cals out unless you have a medical condition

Categories