No loss, no gain

janatarnhem

Hi

I have been back to logging for 3 weeks- not everyday is perfect, but I try to eat to my calories.

My weight is 191, TDEE -20% = 1700 -1900 ( Scoobys), exercise - 3-5 hours per week - 2 or 3 x swim, 2-3 times gym - 30 mins cardio, 20 mins weights. I do not eat exercise calories as incorporated into my TDEE.

So, my problem is that I am not gaining and not losing after 3 weeks......I have some issues in that I am having a lupus flare, awaiting hospital treatment, taking 20 mgs steroids daily. I Have hypothyroidism too, but as far as I am aware, my blood work for that is fine.
I have abdo distension, which is a probable side effect of the steroids, and wonder if I am therefore retaining water or if I am not losing, because my body is feeling "out of sorts" at the moment.
Or should I reduce my calories today? I think I could manage on 1600 quite easily.
Please can you give me some advice? Thanks in anticipation!

Ninkyou

Are you weighing all of your food on a food scale? Or are you eyeballing it? Measuring cups?

The problem with the latter is they're not terribly accurate. If you're not using a food scale, I highly recommend you get one. They're really not all that expensive and it only takes a few extra minutes to weigh everything out.

This will ensure you're logging accurately and actually eating those 1700-900 calories, rather than 1900-2200 calories, which could be significantly reducing your deficit.

That aside, your medical issues could be masking your loss, or causing some sort of retention.

Until you can get your treatment, make sure your logging is accurate and keep chugging along.

janatarnhem

Ninkyou : cheers for your reply! Yes, I weigh everything, every morsel! I stick to the 1700 calorie end too, generally....sonThat if I go over, it is not gonna be masses over 1900, the upper limit!

cppeace

I would say retaining water from massive exercise. Give it another week without increasing exercise or changing diet. If still no loss at all then check back here for further suggestions.:drinker:

janatarnhem

Ccpeace: I have read elsewhere to stick to a plan for a good while! So I will give it another week before seeking more advice, and perhaps reducing! Thanks!

belgarath64

well any time you have to take any meds, it will do things to your metabolism, and steroids are not always body friendly when it comes to weight loss. They promote muscles and muscles add weight, so you could be loosing fat but gaining some muscle. Makes it hard to see an improvement. Don't give up

williams969

Ccpeace: I have read elsewhere to stick to a plan for a good while! So I will give it another week before seeking more advice, and perhaps reducing! Thanks!

Very wise! Patience, consistency, and accuracy is so necessary, especially the patience part for the first part of the weight loss journey. Your exercise and dietary plan seems sound and good (not too drastic, nice and moderate).

I can tell you that the first two weeks of increasing my activity level, I GAINED weight, but persevered, and by the end of that month, the water bloat evened out, and the scale moved back down again. I'm not on meds, but I am historically prone to edema by any little life change (a little extra sodium, menstrual changes, exercise gains, etc.).

Don't let it discourage you; it sounds like you're doin' it right, YAY!

From what you said, the meds plus the activity is adding to a little extra water retention than normal. Not to say your NOT losing fat, just that the water is masking it. Continue as you are doing, see what happens in a few more weeks. Also, if water weight seems to continue, always check with your health care provider.:flowerforyou:

janatarnhem

Thanks Belgarath and Williams969.... Backs up what I am thinking...for now! I could do ok on slightly less calories, but I do feel I exercise enough to need those 1700 to get enough protein in!

tycho_mx

Please note that the TDEE, RMR, etc. are estimates. In other words, if you're measuring everything accurately (most common source of error) and you're not losing or gaining, then time to move on to review the assumptions.

In my case, the assumptions for RMR (and hence TDEE, since exercise was measured very accurately with an ergometer, lucky me, my exercise can be metered very well) was too high. So I needed to eat less than the average person to lose weight.

Your hypothiroidism might be the largest source of discrepancy here. I don't know to what extent - not a doctor, much less an endocrynologist! but the logic is simple: you gain weight, you're eating too much. You lose weight, you're eating below (real, not estimated) TDEE. Everything stays the same? tie.

Ready2Rock206

So, my problem is that I am not gaining and not losing after 3 weeks......I have some issues in that I am having a lupus flare, awaiting hospital treatment, taking 20 mgs steroids daily. I Have hypothyroidism too, but as far as I am aware, my blood work for that is fine.

Don't steroids usually make you gain? I'd think if you are maintaining while taking steroids you're probably doing pretty good.

janatarnhem

Tycho_mx - pretty sure everything logged and accurate....suggests too many cals?!
Ready2 Rock - steroids increase appetite and cause abdo distension (less severe side effects..lol!) .....I hadn't thought that not gaining is ok! Another perspective....cheers for that!

janatarnhem

Hi

I have been back to logging for 3 weeks- not everyday is perfect, but I try to eat to my calories.

My weight is 191, TDEE -20% = 1700 -1900 ( Scoobys), exercise - 3-5 hours per week - 2 or 3 x swim, 2-3 times gym - 30 mins cardio, 20 mins weights. I do not eat exercise calories as incorporated into my TDEE.

So, my problem is that I am not gaining and not losing after 3 weeks......I have some issues in that I am having a lupus flare, awaiting hospital treatment, taking 20 mgs steroids daily. I Have hypothyroidism too, but as far as I am aware, my blood work for that is fine.
I have abdo distension, which is a probable side effect of the steroids, and wonder if I am therefore retaining water or if I am not losing, because my body is feeling "out of sorts" at the moment.
Or should I reduce my calories today? I think I could manage on 1600 quite easily.
Please can you give me some advice? Thanks in anticipation!

It's been a good few weeks since I posted this and thought I'd do an update ( especially after I have just read a post about doing yet another fad diet ( just eggs!)
Following great comments..... I have lost 6 inches and finally, 2lbs! Not massive amount of weight, but 6 inches is great!
And what did I change...... My mindset regarding the scales! .......My view that TDEE required adjusting to ME.....surprise, surprise! My numbers can be calculated into a formula, but I'm unique, right?! ...I dropped my calories by 100 and barely feel it!
And I am continuing my exercise regime, doing the exercise that I enjoy returning to 4 or 5 times a week!
Calories in =/= calories out!

It really does work, even if you just need a bit more patience like I did!!

shadow2soul

edit: Just read your update. Congrats on the loss. Hopefully things continue to go smoothly for you. :drinker:

janatarnhem

Thank you!
What a great amount of weight you have lost! Ticker tapes like yours inspire me no end!