Fat will not come off

I'm so frustrated! I can't figure out why I'm not losing weight -

A year ago I put on about 5 pounds on my honeymoon, and they will not budge.

I'm 5'3" and 121-123 pounds. I was 115-116 about a year ago (eating 1200-1400 cals). I do have quite a bit of muscle.

I eat 1700-2000 calories a day, with one "cheat" day a week. I measure/weigh and track everything.

I speed walk two miles, and then run five to six miles, six days a week, burning on average 500-530 calories.

Then, I do a second workout, a weight/cardio mix, burning on average 300 calories. I do this also six days a week.

So in summary, I eat 1700-2000 cals a day, and burn around 800-900 calories a day, six days a week.

I find it so hard to believe that I'm eating at maintenance, I feel like maintenance should be higher. But I guess all our bodies are different.

Any tips or help?

Thanks!

Replies

  • 4legsRbetterthan2
    4legsRbetterthan2 Posts: 19,590 MFP Moderator
    your burn estimates sounds ok, are you sure you are logging accurately? weigh solids, measure liquids and select the correct entries

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1234699-logging-accurately-step-by-step-guide
  • terbusha
    terbusha Posts: 1,483 Member
    I sounds like you may need to eat a little more, based on how many calories you are going through during your workouts. What are your macros? Also, are you tracking any other fitness stats other than weight, such as body fat % and body measurements? You can be getting leaner at a heavier weight. If you've added muscle, you can very well be heavier and in better shape. There is nothing wrong with that. When people get pretty lean, using the scale to track progress is actually not very good.

    Allan
  • SugaryLynx
    SugaryLynx Posts: 2,640 Member
    Your cheat day may be where you're destroying your deficit. When you're leaner, there's less room for error. Track your cheat day and see. Maybe?
  • albayin
    albayin Posts: 2,524 Member
    that's a LOT of workout every day...
  • uwdawg07
    uwdawg07 Posts: 372 Member
    I should clarify, for my cheat day, it's like half a cheat. I track breakfast and lunch, eating my usual foods, and then go out for dinner. I don't go crazy, I just can't imagine that one meal is erasing my deficit.

    I track everything, ever bite of something, etc. I don't drink anything with calories.

    Argh!! I feel like my metabolism is really screwed up or something. I was only overweight for a year or so, due to illness. Before that I never paid attention to what I ate and stayed very thin. So irritating!

    Any more ideas? Thanks!!
  • uwdawg07
    uwdawg07 Posts: 372 Member
    Help :)
  • fatcity66
    fatcity66 Posts: 1,544 Member
    Your cheat day may be where you're destroying your deficit. When you're leaner, there's less room for error. Track your cheat day and see. Maybe?

    THIS
  • DR2501
    DR2501 Posts: 661 Member
    I would say that if you need to do all that exercise and eat such a low amount of net cals just to maintain and have a cheat meal once per week, then you're aiming for too low a weight.
  • DawnieB1977
    DawnieB1977 Posts: 4,248 Member
    I would say that if you need to do all that exercise and eat such a low amount of net cals just to maintain and have a cheat meal once per week, then you're aiming for too low a weight.

    This.

    Do your clothes still fit you? How do your measurements compare?

    I'm 5'6 and 11 years ago weighed 145lbs. I put on weight over the years but kept my old clothes. After baby no.2 I fit back into all those clothes at 154lbs. So 9lbs heavier and the same size.

    I'm currently losing weight after baby no.3 and if those clothes fit at say 157lbs I'm not going to complain!
  • ScottDowell
    ScottDowell Posts: 95 Member
    Your are daily doing enough workout, as per you have written, there are so many reasons, just think about your regular diet. This should be pretty obvious with most of the people after lots of workout they are unable to cut the fat. I think the main problem is your diet, may you eat some starchy carbs at wrong time. If you are taking any protein shake then avoid it please. Properly not doing exercise is also one reason of fat will not come off.
  • _Zardoz_
    _Zardoz_ Posts: 3,987 Member
    may you eat some starchy carbs at wrong time. If you are taking any protein shake then avoid it please. Properly not doing exercise is also one reason of fat will not come off.
    This is just nonsense. Weightloss is just calories the time you eat some carbs or how you do some exercise has no bearing.

    These are basically vanity pounds it will be slow going. The first thing is to ensure you are accurately weighing and measuring your food. Your deficit will be small so any errors could really impact on it
  • 4legsRbetterthan2
    4legsRbetterthan2 Posts: 19,590 MFP Moderator
    I would say that if you need to do all that exercise and eat such a low amount of net cals just to maintain and have a cheat meal once per week, then you're aiming for too low a weight.

    I have to say I was thinking this too, it sounds like you have drastically changed both your exercise level and your intake from a year ago. Your picture is only of your arm and you are flexing but it does not look like there is a whole lotta fat hanging around. If you are shooting for a number on the scale just because you used to be that number it might be time to forget about it and move on. If you are working out alot more than you were at your skinny weight then you are going to have a bit more muscle and larger glycogen stores, and you just cant expect to weigh the same amount.
  • Anniebotnen
    Anniebotnen Posts: 332 Member
    Your are daily doing enough workout, as per you have written, there are so many reasons, just think about your regular diet. This should be pretty obvious with most of the people after lots of workout they are unable to cut the fat. I think the main problem is your diet, may you eat some starchy carbs at wrong time. If you are taking any protein shake then avoid it please. Properly not doing exercise is also one reason of fat will not come off.
    This makes absolutely no sense - sorry!
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  • KaterinaTerese
    KaterinaTerese Posts: 345 Member
    Try taking a break from dieting and re-evaluate your goals and dietary needs. Do you actually know your maintenance? Sounds like you're shooting in the dark. You'll have to track weight flux for a few weeks or use a Fitbit-type device to find it.

    But you need to know your goals. If you want to be more muscular, that sounds like an awfully steep deficit. If you want to be skinnier, (which doing cardio 6x a week sounds like) then... idk, I guess the others' suggestions are right, but it sounds like a recipe for hormonal disaster with how little you're netting/how much you're working out.

    I've stopped trying to be skinnier right now and am eating to fuel my lifting so I'll actually have muscles to show when I go back to a deficit.

    EDIT: forgot how to english
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member

    I have to say I was thinking this too, it sounds like you have drastically changed both your exercise level and your intake from a year ago. Your picture is only of your arm and you are flexing but it does not look like there is a whole lotta fat hanging around. If you are shooting for a number on the scale just because you used to be that number it might be time to forget about it and move on. If you are working out alot more than you were at your skinny weight then you are going to have a bit more muscle and larger glycogen stores, and you just cant expect to weigh the same amount.

    this
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  • albayin
    albayin Posts: 2,524 Member
    not that I am expert or have been successful...but when it comes to fat loss (not scale weight) I do have a thing or 2 to try....maybe back off a bit on exercise and eat a bit less (like a couple of hundreds calories less). I know how that extra 5 pounds annoy you to a person who has been small...Maybe focus on more heavy lifting, cut back on cardio, and give Intermittent fasting a try...something different. If you can do that much workout everyday, I trust you have enough diligence. Just be patient. :) good luck. You arm look awesome. I wish mine looked like that. :flowerforyou:
  • albayin
    albayin Posts: 2,524 Member
    I would say that if you need to do all that exercise and eat such a low amount of net cals just to maintain and have a cheat meal once per week, then you're aiming for too low a weight.

    I have to say I was thinking this too, it sounds like you have drastically changed both your exercise level and your intake from a year ago. Your picture is only of your arm and you are flexing but it does not look like there is a whole lotta fat hanging around. If you are shooting for a number on the scale just because you used to be that number it might be time to forget about it and move on. If you are working out alot more than you were at your skinny weight then you are going to have a bit more muscle and larger glycogen stores, and you just cant expect to weigh the same amount.

    makes sense~:flowerforyou: