under limit but not losing?

alleyoops

SO, very frustrated..
Why am I maintaining/ even gaining a little and Im staying within my means (1200) but then I exercise and eat some of them back..

and I know for a fact that I dont over estimate exercise or underestimate calories.. I probably do the opposite.
I would love some help, thanks!!

emiliewright

Same boat here...I'll be watching for replies!

JenniferH81

Same boat here...I'll be watching for replies!

me too.

kevanos

How long have you noticed these results, you should base your progress on the results after 4 weeks of trying something new. Results after 1 week don`t give you an accurate picture of what is happening.

abyt42

Make your diary public?

erickirb

Maybe you are not eating enough. Try changing your weekly weight loss goal to 0.5 lbs/week and eat the extra calories. Because you don't have much to lose your body can not sustain a large caloric deficit without negatively affecting your metabolism. If you have less than 15 or so lbs to lose you should try setting your goal at 0.5. A larger deficit, when you don't have much to lose, can cause your body to burn muscle instead of fat as fuel.

Instead of focusing on the scale focus on how you look and feel. Maybe have you BF% tested and try to improve upon that. If you don't do any resistance training you may want to add 2-3 days/week of that.

QueenofCups

I am having the same problem.
I know the typical responses will be as such:
It could be sodium, water retention, muscle building, starvation mode, or sugar consumption.

But, like me, those are probably not gonna be the answers that you want to hear b/c it seems you are doing everything "right."

My only advice is the only thing that works for me (and I rarely do it, so I need to hear this too):
Focus less on the weight and more on how you feel. Go about your day and realize you are trying to change your lifestyle to be healthier and happier, and the number on the scale does not define that.

I would give yourself a break day, go out and do something fun that doesn't include anything that would remind you about losing weight.
And don't weigh yourself for a few days (if you weigh every day, like I do, that is).

Keep it up! You are doing great!!

ztkraf01

Sounds like your body is used to eating that amount of calories. i would eat a little more and do more exercise

rileysowner

SO, very frustrated..
Why am I maintaining/ even gaining a little and Im staying within my means (1200) but then I exercise and eat some of them back..

and I know for a fact that I dont over estimate exercise or underestimate calories.. I probably do the opposite.
I would love some help, thanks!!

If that is you in the picture, you likely need to eat more that 1200 calories, maybe a lot more. Looking at your goals, more quality calories will help you get there, not less. The reality is the less you have to lose, the slower you need to do it. 1/2 pound a week max. I would actually suggest eating as many calories at the BMR estimate you can get under the tools tab.

NotAllWhoWanderAreLost

well if you really think you might be underestimating your exercise and overestimating your food, then you probably are actually falling below 1200 NET calories, see what i'm saying.... try measuring/counting/weighing everything as accurately as possible and do you use a HRM while exercising? That will give you the most reliable calorie burn estimate, but its still that: an estimate.

I'd track as closely and accurately as you can for a week or so to see what happens.... also, what are you set at to lose #/wk? If you are set at 2, maybe you want to switch it up to a slightly less agressive goal to give your body a bit more to work with. It seems like your body is fighting to hold on to your calories which makes me wonder if you are too low/too agressive of goals for where you are at currently??

Edited to add" i just took a look at your profile and hon, you are going to switch to 0.5lbs a week if you are interested in losing at all ... you are already quite thin IMO and people who are at or near their goal weight already need to lose weight slowly. Its going to try your patience but concentrate on eating well (quality) and some strength training to tone and sculpt. You are beautiful, as is, so just make sure you are nourishing yourself well and taking good care of yourself so you can REMAIN so healthy!!

bjburkstrand

Remember muscle weighs more then fat, so you may be staying the same weight but your measurements maybe changing. Do you feel yourself getting toner? Sometimes when I don't like the scale saying I did not lose that much I put on a pair of jeans and see how much better they fit and how much better I look in them.

Keep up the good work you will succeed!

ztkraf01

SO, very frustrated..
Why am I maintaining/ even gaining a little and Im staying within my means (1200) but then I exercise and eat some of them back..

and I know for a fact that I dont over estimate exercise or underestimate calories.. I probably do the opposite.
I would love some help, thanks!!

If that is you in the picture, you likely need to eat more that 1200 calories, maybe a lot more. Looking at your goals, more quality calories will help you get there, not less. The reality is the less you have to lose, the slower you need to do it. 1/2 pound a week max. I would actually suggest eating as many calories at the BMR estimate you can get under the tools tab.

Agreed^ but you say on ur profile you want toned arms and abs. i think at this point you should just start weight lifting then. And when you start doing that I think you'll end up eating a few more cals anyway

particlefizix

I agree with erickirb body fat percentage is a better indicator as to whether your diet/exercise regime is working (especially if your goal is abs) so I'd suggest monitoring that too, rather than just measuring your weight which can vary for a number of reasons...

There's a possibility that you've put on lean mass/muscle (which could weigh more than fat lost), it could even be water weight due to excess sodium levels (if you're having processed foods).

I experienced pretty much the same thing, so I'm sure you're doing fine.

tomcouch

hey alley, how are you taking the calories, in 3 big meals or through smaller regular portions throughout the day?

Ive found that eating roughly every 1-2 hours (even just an apple of a handful of raisins) and having smaller main meals has helped a lot.

also ive made sure i dont eat for 2 hours before going to bed.

erickirb

Remember muscle weighs more then fat, so you may be staying the same weight but your measurements maybe changing. Do you feel yourself getting toner? Sometimes when I don't like the scale saying I did not lose that much I put on a pair of jeans and see how much better they fit and how much better I look in them.

Keep up the good work you will succeed!

No, you will not gain muscle eating 1200 cals, it is next to impossible to gain muscle while in a caloric deficit.

love2bfree

I am having the same issue with working out and eating right but not losing. Lots of good advise - Thanks!

alleyoops

thanks for all of the great advice. I am going to try and reduce my deficit this week and see what happens, I'll be sure to let everyone know! Thanks everyone!

ps, making my diary public. if anyone has any insight from my diary, let me know!!

NotAllWhoWanderAreLost

thanks for all of the great advice. I am going to try and reduce my deficit this week and see what happens, I'll be sure to let everyone know! Thanks everyone!

ps, making my diary public. if anyone has any insight from my diary, let me know!!

good call

I just looked thru a bit of your food diary and (not including today's entries) i see that you've been under 1200 net for quite a while now... between that and what you said in your original post about over-estimating food and under-estimating exercise, i am confident that you were running into trouble because you were eating too little and especially too little for the amount of activity you do, especially considering your already slim physique. ... Switch up to 0.5lbs a week loss (or none!), continue to make the excellent food choices you are already making, just eat more of them And start with the strength and toning regimine. Like a previous post said, as you tone you may find the scale inches up a bit but thats OK if we know its toned muscle, right? Get out a tape measure and get to measuring!! Good luck with your endeavours!

ebgbjo

Remember muscle weighs more then fat, so you may be staying the same weight but your measurements maybe changing. Do you feel yourself getting toner? Sometimes when I don't like the scale saying I did not lose that much I put on a pair of jeans and see how much better they fit and how much better I look in them.

Keep up the good work you will succeed!

No, you will not gain muscle eating 1200 cals, it is next to impossible to gain muscle while in a caloric deficit.

Also, muscle does not weigh more than fat- a lb is a lb- Don't care if it is muscle, fat, cheetos or feathers

erickirb

Remember muscle weighs more then fat, so you may be staying the same weight but your measurements maybe changing. Do you feel yourself getting toner? Sometimes when I don't like the scale saying I did not lose that much I put on a pair of jeans and see how much better they fit and how much better I look in them.

Keep up the good work you will succeed!

No, you will not gain muscle eating 1200 cals, it is next to impossible to gain muscle while in a caloric deficit.

Also, muscle does not weigh more than fat- a lb is a lb- Don't care if it is muscle, fat, cheetos or feathers

I disagree, because muscle is more dense than fat it weighs more. Saying the weight the same would be like saying a carrot and chocolate have the same amount of caloires because a calories is a calorie. Chocolate is more calorie dense hence has more calories, Muscle is more dense hense weighs more. When people say muscle weighs more than fat they are comparing volumes. Either muscle weighs the same amount of fat but takes up less space or the same volume of muscle weighs more than the same volume of fat. We all know this is what is meant when they say "muscle weighs more than fat" no need to argue that point. You may compare lbs to lbs but most compare the weight by volume.

Bridgetc140

Remember muscle weighs more then fat, so you may be staying the same weight but your measurements maybe changing. Do you feel yourself getting toner? Sometimes when I don't like the scale saying I did not lose that much I put on a pair of jeans and see how much better they fit and how much better I look in them.

Keep up the good work you will succeed!

No, you will not gain muscle eating 1200 cals, it is next to impossible to gain muscle while in a caloric deficit.

Also, muscle does not weigh more than fat- a lb is a lb- Don't care if it is muscle, fat, cheetos or feathers

I disagree, because muscle is more dense than fat it weighs more. Saying the weight the same would be like saying a carrot and chocolate have the same amount of caloires because a calories is a calorie. Chocolate is more calorie dense hence has more calories, Muscle is more dense hense weighs more. When people say muscle weighs more than fat they are comparing volumes. Either muscle weighs the same amount of fat but takes up less space or the same volume of muscle weighs more than the same volume of fat. We all know this is what is meant when they say "muscle weighs more than fat" no need to argue that point. You may compare lbs to lbs but most compare the weight by volume.

Muscle does NOT weigh more than fat. Like pp said "A pound is a pound is a pound" Muscle is more dense therefore takes up less space, but it doesn't weigh more per pound....that's silly. And comparing calories in chocolate and carrots is completely ridiculous and irrelevant.

AllyS7

Muscle does NOT weigh more than fat. Like pp said "A pound is a pound is a pound" Muscle is more dense therefore takes up less space, but it doesn't weigh more per pound....that's silly. And comparing calories in chocolate and carrots is completely ridiculous and irrelevant.

Agree with this statement. Muscle is more dense, than fat. One pound of fat = One pound of muscle.

erickirb

Muscle does NOT weigh more than fat. Like pp said "A pound is a pound is a pound" Muscle is more dense therefore takes up less space, but it doesn't weigh more per pound....that's silly. And comparing calories in chocolate and carrots is completely ridiculous and irrelevant.

Agree with this statement. Muscle is more dense, than fat. One pound of fat = One pound of muscle.

Then you and I weigh the same because 1 lb of you weighs the same as 1 lb of me, how does that make sense. In equal volumes muscle weighs more than fat, there for the statment muscle weighs more than fat is accurate as it implys by volume muscle weighs more than fat.

If you think they weigh the same, do you think carrots and chocolate have the same calories because 100 cals of chocolate is the same as 100 cals of carrots? Because something is more dense imply that it weighs more it is physics, higher density in equal volumes will always weigh more than an equal volume of something less dense. Always did and always will.

shappy22

Hey same boat here. I only have around 10 lbs to lose and it sure is frustrating. Just weighed myself and I've gained from last week! I tell myself it's just water as I notice my clothes are looser. I think the hard part is keep on and long range the weight will drop. Funny thing is a couple of years ago I was at my skinniest of my adult life and I couldn't gain weight--even when I ate junk. Sometimes the body is a mystery --but the most important thing is the long range target and not to get upset with short term fluctuations--that's what I tell myself.

ztkraf01

Muscle does NOT weigh more than fat. Like pp said "A pound is a pound is a pound" Muscle is more dense therefore takes up less space, but it doesn't weigh more per pound....that's silly. And comparing calories in chocolate and carrots is completely ridiculous and irrelevant.

Agree with this statement. Muscle is more dense, than fat. One pound of fat = One pound of muscle.

Then you and I weigh the same because 1 lb of you weighs the same as 1 lb of me, how does that make sense. In equal volumes muscle weighs more than fat, there for the statment muscle weighs more than fat is accurate as it implys by volume muscle weighs more than fat.

If you think they weigh the same, do you think carrots and chocolate have the same calories because 100 cals of chocolate is the same as 100 cals of carrots? Because something is more dense imply that it weighs more it is physics, higher density in equal volumes will always weigh more than an equal volume of something less dense. Always did and always will.

eric you're right. it all depends on volume. when people say muscle ways more than fat they're saying it when volume is constant. everyone knows one pound of anything equals one pound of anything else. that's not the point people are making. in other words you can be fat and look big weighing 200 lbs. but say you slim down, you lose a ton of fat, gain muscle and still weigh 200 lbs. at this point you look slim and not big but still weigh the same and therefore muscle weighs more per unit volume.

calories are a bad example because cals are units of energy. have nothing to do with volume or weight or mass

bridget, you said "weighs more per pound." careful because weight is already measured in lbs. i think you meant some unit of volume

rileysowner

Muscle does NOT weigh more than fat. Like pp said "A pound is a pound is a pound" Muscle is more dense therefore takes up less space, but it doesn't weigh more per pound....that's silly. And comparing calories in chocolate and carrots is completely ridiculous and irrelevant.

Agree with this statement. Muscle is more dense, than fat. One pound of fat = One pound of muscle.

Then you and I weigh the same because 1 lb of you weighs the same as 1 lb of me, how does that make sense. In equal volumes muscle weighs more than fat, there for the statment muscle weighs more than fat is accurate as it implys by volume muscle weighs more than fat.

If you think they weigh the same, do you think carrots and chocolate have the same calories because 100 cals of chocolate is the same as 100 cals of carrots? Because something is more dense imply that it weighs more it is physics, higher density in equal volumes will always weigh more than an equal volume of something less dense. Always did and always will.

The problem is "weight" is a measure of mass, not how much space that mass takes up. "Density" is the measure of how tightly packed that mass is, ie how much volume it takes up. 1 pound of feathers takes up a lot more space than 1 pound of lead, but they still both weigh 1 pound. The difference is that feathers are a lot less dense than the lead. Similarly 1 pound of fat and 1 pound of muscle weigh the same, ie. they have the same mass, but muscle is much more dense than fat, takes up less volume, and thus is substantially smaller on a person. So I as at 5'10" male could weigh 185 pounds and if it was mostly fat I would be quite a bit larger than if my body fat % was 10% and most of that weight was muscle, but no matter what, I would still weigh 185 pounds.

As for gaining muscle on a caloric deficit, it is possible especially if you are completely untrained. The simple fact that your muscles are working and having demands put on them will bring some growth as long as there is sufficient protein and other nutrients. You will not gain huge amounts of muscle though. I am living proof of that as when I crunch the numbers of my starting weight and body fat% and my current weight and body fat% my lean mass went up and my fat mass went down. That happened primarily during the first several months. Since then my lean mass has stayed pretty steady and my fat has gone down. Now if I wanted to put on more muscle, I would probably have to increase my calories, and since I am close to my goal I plan to, but it is possible for an untrained body to put on muscle in a caloric deficit simply because it is so un-fit. Once those muscles get to a healthier state, they will not grow without a lot of work. Having said that, my muscle growth may have more to do with the years I was a body builder in the past, and their having been bigger then, but either way it is possible.