Could use a little support, and need to vent.

eericson51

I have been doing Insanity for a week now and sticking to a 1200 calorie a day diet. Now, I am fully aware that pounds will not just magically fall off, but I was a little disappointed this morning when I weighed in to see that I hadn't even lost a pound! I am a big time foodie, so sticking to this diet is the hardest part for me. And even seeing a 1 pound loss would have been huge motivation for me. But I got nothing. I am still going to stick to it, but just needed to vent a bit. Anybody else needing to vent?

125spring

Oh, that is soo frustrating. I bet you're gaining muscle though. I know it's no fun to hear muscle weighs more than fat. But, I'd suggest taking your measurements. I bet you'll be losing inches and that should make you feel great. I never have luck dropping any lbs until the 2nd week for some reason. And, are you eating enough calories if you're working out that much?

SNorris01

It could be that you are not eating enough. 1200 calories is the minimum that your body needs to have to burn fat and calories. When you work out you are burning off part of that 1200 calories needed so you need to eat more to compensate for the calories burned. You need to eat calories to burn calories your body will use your lean muscle before it will use the fat when that happens because your lean muscle has more of what your body needs not what is stored in the fat. So try upping your calorie intake and see what happens, try like 1500. Also try to eat smaller more often that will help too.

Good Luck

MinnieInMaine

Not sure what your fitness level was before starting Insanity but sometimes increased activity can cause water gain. When muscles heal themselves, water is naturally retained as part of that process. Make sure you're drinking your water to flush out the excess and after a week or so, I bet you'll see a better number on the scale.

You may be eating too little as well - do you eat the calories you burn through exercise? If not, you may need to eat a bit more and/or at least make sure you're getting plenty of protein.

P.S. Muscle does not weigh more than fat...

Mustangsally1000

We all concur that scales suck. For me, weight is coming off somewhere between 1/2 to 1 # a week. And, it doesn't show every week. BUT! I have gone down 2 pant sizes and still haven't lost 15#. As the fat goes, it is replaced by muscle (at least for me, I was very out of shape after having my right hip replaced twice in less than 2 years). Muscle weighs more than fat, so the weight loss is slow!!! Also, are you eating back the calories you have burned? If you are burning 400 calories, and still only eating the 1200, that is like only eating 800. That isn't enough and your body will think it's starving to death and you won't lose. Also, don't forget the water!. Try measuring yourself, and using that as a guideline as well....
Just my thoughts. Good luck!
Sally

concordancia

After a pretty perfect weekend, which included a dance workshop, a hooping meetup and dancing to live music, I actually gained a pound since the middle of last week. It happens.

I just try to remember that I am healthier, even though I may never look it.

eericson51

I always try to eat my "exercise calories" every day (which usually isn't that hard for me!). And 1200 is the minimum I eat a day. I have my goal set for that, but I've been trying to stick between 1200-1600, because I should be able to still lose weight. And I do eat VERY healthy, for the most part...lean proteins, and lots of fruits and veggies every day! I'm not going to give up but man its frustrating. Don't the Weight Loss Gods know that if they just give us an inch, we can go a mile!

Mustangsally1000

So, it is correct that muscles doesn't weigh more than fat..i think it's just a way to understand the concept that muscles takes up less space than fat, and that muscle is what you need to burn the fat. I googled it..here is the conversation that I read:

"Muscle does not weigh more than fat, any more than lead weighs more than feathers. A pound is a pound is a pound. Where the misunderstanding often comes in is that muscle is much more dense than fat, so that, by volume, it seems to weigh more. That is, a pound of muscle occupies less space than a pound of fat. In addition, because a pound of muscle burns more fat than a pound of fat, even at rest, by increasing your lean muscle tissue mass, you're helping your body burn more calories.
But back to your question. If you only have a small amount of weight to lose, then you may feel like the weight training is not helping you move down on the scale. In fact, the number may even go up, but you will look thinner. This is due to an increase in lean body mass (muscle, bone, blood volume) and a decrease in body fat. In other words, even if the scale doesn't change much, you will probably see a difference in how your clothes fit.

On the other hand, if you have a lot of weight to lose, you will also experience an increase in lean body mass and loss of body fat. But the results on the scale will probably be more dramatic. "


Hope that helps!

eericson51

Thanks everyone! I appreciate your support, and hopefully next week at this time, the damn scale will move! As a mini goal to myself, I really wanted to fit into a pair of my pre-preggo jeans comfortably by this Memorial Day. Don't know if it's going to happen (I can get them on and buttoned, they are just a little tight) but I'm going to try like hell!

Atlantique

If you are new to exercise (or at least this intensity) you are storing water and glycogen in your muscles now. This could add 1-3 pounds of water. So you may well have lost some fat this week, but added some water and glycogen.

Very common complaint when people start resistance training.

casey12105

Did you calculate your calories with the formula suggested in the nutrional guide for Insanity? Its a really tough workout and you may not be eating enough. Either way, dont' stress it and keep with it. There are weeks I dont' lose anything, and weeks I'll lose like 3 lbs.

DonnaLFitz

Eliminate all the starchy foods from your 1200 calories. Use only lo-sugar fruits (berries, citrus, apples, peaches) and non-starch veggies (cabbage, broccoli, green beans, squash, tomatoes, cucumber, celery, carrots).

Starches are the stumbling block for me. If I eat even one serving, I show a weight gain instead of a loss.

I still take in a net of 65-75 carbs each day, but all from fruits, veggies, and yogurt.

kayleeblue

Measure yourself!! Go by how you look and feel and how your clothes fit. The scale means very little, but I agree it's nice to see it change. But the big picture is how you feel and look. Good Luck! Add me if you would like.

eericson51

Ugh...weighed in today only to see a 1.8lb gain! More discouraging news. So I took measurements this morning and kept up the workouts. I also bought a HRM yesterday to make sure I was on track with the amount of calories I was burning. Gotta keep trudging on...

eericson51

I am going to try upping my calories today to 1400...This weather isn't helping, but I am getting really discouraged. I am working my butt off very early every morning (And very early is difficult with a 9 month old!) and not seeing any results. It's also discouraging to see others that are about the same size as me loosing more in two weeks. I know its not a competition, but I don't know what more I can do!