Starting to think eating my exercise ain't helping

graysmom2005

I've cut out all soda...drinking tons of water...watching macros/calories etc much more than I ever have before. Switched up routine...up in weight. Thinking maybe the eating of the exercise calories isn't working. I wasn't losing before, but I wasn't gaining. The ONLY time I've gone below 150 lately was when I ate 1200 and didn't eat my calories back. Feeling like I should go back to that, even though I know everyone seems to think I should eat more. This isn't working. At all.

McKayMachina

How much weight are you losing per week these days?

Per month?

Are you tracking your weight well?

abbie017

It's worth a shot, if nothing else is working. As I'm sure you know, just avoid going below 1200, but if you don't want to eat back those calories, try it out? Listen to your body and know when you need to eat. It sounds like you've been doing everything right, but if it's not working for you, switch it up!

Good luck!

BigBoneSista

Have you tried calorie cycling? Search that on the forum and give it a try if you haven't already and see if it works.

graysmom2005

How much weight are you losing per week these days?

Per month?

Are you tracking your weight well?

I'm not losing weight. At all. I've put on weight if anything. I went down a few at one point and then shot up again. Per month...again...nothing. I'm tracking it on the same scale. Took measurements. Is that what you mean?

joehempel

Stop trying so hard. LOL.

Seriously, when I was losing (which has only been 2months now) I thought great, lets keep track and I can do better...I started keeping track reading all kinds of things...I stopped losing weight. Last week I just said screw it, I'll stay under 1800 calories...ate a healthy diet, and dropped a couple pounds.

I try not to eat my exercise calories though...I don't like eating back what I worked so hard to get off.

arewethereyet

That you in the pic with the hot guns??(insert drool smiley) I'd kill for those babies. I have neck issues and have a hard time.......strike that, I use it as an excuse not to workout. OK that feels better. Honesty.

Anywho, Who cares what the scale says> How tall are you? What size pants do you wear? Are you fit?

I wish I still had the picture of me and another gir standing side by side. We were both 150 pounds. I was round and mushy, she was the same height but strong and muscular. TOTALLY different body structures, all due to her workouts.

There is more to health than the scale. I would say if your BMI is good, and your measurements are good then the number on the scale is arbitrary.

As for the 1200 rule, if you stay down that low for too long, it will no longer work. The body gets used to it and becomes more efficient at using that amount of calories. Just like when you run. You start out and cant go 1 block and in a month your running a mile. The body gets used to it.

Just some thoughts. You look GREAT!!:flowerforyou:

joehempel

Stop trying so hard. LOL.

Seriously, when I was losing (which has only been 2months now) I thought great, lets keep track and I can do better...I started keeping track reading all kinds of things...I stopped losing weight. Last week I just said screw it, I'll stay under 1800 calories...ate a healthy diet, and dropped a couple pounds.

I try not to eat my exercise calories though...I don't like eating back what I worked so hard to get off.

myofibril

This isn't working. At all.

What is your goal? Is it to simply lose weight or body recomposition (improving the ratio of lean body mass - lbm - to fat you have so you look ridiculously sexy in swimwear.)

If it is body recomp ( which I suspect for most people it will be) then unless you have been tracking your BF% you won't know if you are being successful or not by simply using the scale to measure your success.

You look fairly lean in your photo. You need to ensure that your calorie deficit is suitable for your current level. That means making it smaller not greater to ensure you preserve as much LBM as possible whilst getting rid of that pesky fat. It also means being patient. Generally you need to grind out results when you get to this stage unless sacrificing muscle is an acceptable consequence for you.

If you haven't already read this thread:

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/113609-relatively-light-people-trying-to-get-leaner

then do it...

graysmom2005

Why gaining though? I'm the heaviest I've been in over 2 years. I usually burn between 800-1000 calories a day (teach spin/Body Pump), so I have to eat SOME back. :-/

welloiledmachine

Personally, I think your calories are set too high and your sugars are pretty high too. Not sure your height, but I'm 5'3" and eat around 1500 calories regardless if I exercise and lose weight pretty easily. Plus, I'm at 15% bf.
If you could send me your height and weight, I'd like to do the numbers for curiosity sake. Not trying to be nosy, but would like to help.

Crystalchaos72

For one thing ......look at you! What is your bodyfat cuz I see ZERO! Second you go girl! Thirdgive "cycling, zig zagging" a try.....go a little over one day then a little under the next , then meet the next.......give it a shot!

Crystalchaos72

By the way by zero I mean I don't see any.......obviously no one can be zero

myofibril

Why gaining though? I'm the heaviest I've been in over 2 years.

What are you gaining though? That is the question...

Ok, if it's bodyfat then yeah that might be a problem if your goal is reducing your bf%. However, in reality it could be anything: water (the most obvious culprit) undigested food in the GI tract, muscle (gasp!) waste material etc. Who cares how much you weigh? If you look fantatsic, feel great, are healthy and are strong then does it make any difference what the needle points to?

Read the thread I linked if you have time. It will save you a migraine worrying about a minor detail like scale weight...

graysmom2005

Personally, I think your calories are set too high and your sugars are pretty high too. Not sure your height, but I'm 5'3" and eat around 1500 calories regardless if I exercise and lose weight pretty easily. Plus, I'm at 15% bf.
If you could send me your height and weight, I'd like to do the numbers for curiosity sake. Not trying to be nosy, but would like to help.

I'm 5 ft 6 and keep bouncing around between 153-155. A trainer on here did some serious math and came up with 1542 a day, and at .5 pounds a week with MFP it says 1550. I try and eat back at least 80% of my exercise calories as I burn a ton during the day. Not nosy. Thanks for your helpl!

graysmom2005

Why gaining though? I'm the heaviest I've been in over 2 years.

What are you gaining though? That is the question...

Ok, if it's bodyfat then yeah that might be a problem if your goal is reducing your bf%. However, in reality it could be anything: water (the most obvious culprit) undigested food in the GI tract, muscle (gasp!) waste material etc. Who cares how much you weigh? If you look fantatsic, feel great, are healthy and are strong then does it make any difference what the needle points to?

Read the thread I linked if you have time. It will save you a migraine worrying about a minor detail like scale weight...

Didn't see the link! I guess I thought I figured out why I had plateaued and got so excited. I wasn't eating nearly enough! Who knew! So I found a new goal and have been doing it for a number of weeks now thinking that was the missing link...and it's blowing up in my face which is frustrating. Even if it looks like I don't NEED to lose any, why CAN'T I? It's the frustration that no matter what I change it doesn't move. At all. Week after week, day after day. I feel a total lack of control because no matter what I change there are no results. Even if I decided this was a good weight for me, the fact that I have no ability to make it go down makes me insane. Hence all the *****ing. ;-)

fionarama

personally I wouldnt' expect to lose weight if I ate my exercise calories, the whole point is to create a deficit. Actually your photo looks great though, not sure you need to lose weight????! Great arms, have always wanted arms like that!

ejmcam

Your eating a lot of calories! I'm 5'7 and now weigh about 125, but was 142 when I started MFP in march and my daily calories were set to 1290, i execise between 400-500 calories and eat somewhere around 1350. I dont eat most of my calories back and I have lost 25 lbs almost (some before joining mfp). I know people swear you have to, but it was never an issue for me. Also, in looking at your diary (just from yesterday) you are way over on your sugar by 39 grams, which is a lot especially since your daily amount was 50. I would try to cut back on the sugar atleast, it might make all the difference.

rfcollins33

Do you wear an HRM? Curious bc maybe since you teach class, you don't burn as much as you used to when just starting? Just a thought... You know I've said many times I think you look great. But, I also know it is your body and you know what you want/need out of it.

welloiledmachine

Personally, I think your calories are set too high and your sugars are pretty high too. Not sure your height, but I'm 5'3" and eat around 1500 calories regardless if I exercise and lose weight pretty easily. Plus, I'm at 15% bf.
If you could send me your height and weight, I'd like to do the numbers for curiosity sake. Not trying to be nosy, but would like to help.

I'm 5 ft 6 and keep bouncing around between 153-155. A trainer on here did some serious math and came up with 1542 a day, and at .5 pounds a week with MFP it says 1550. I try and eat back at least 80% of my exercise calories as I burn a ton during the day. Not nosy. Thanks for your helpl!

I was looking at your diary and the past week your calories were set at 2400-2600, that's why I thought you were eating too much. The numbers you just gave me sound more reasonable.

graysmom2005

Personally, I think your calories are set too high and your sugars are pretty high too. Not sure your height, but I'm 5'3" and eat around 1500 calories regardless if I exercise and lose weight pretty easily. Plus, I'm at 15% bf.
If you could send me your height and weight, I'd like to do the numbers for curiosity sake. Not trying to be nosy, but would like to help.

Yeah, the reason they were so high was from the high calorie burn. I wear a HRM so I know they are accurate.

I'm 5 ft 6 and keep bouncing around between 153-155. A trainer on here did some serious math and came up with 1542 a day, and at .5 pounds a week with MFP it says 1550. I try and eat back at least 80% of my exercise calories as I burn a ton during the day. Not nosy. Thanks for your helpl!

I was looking at your diary and the past week your calories were set at 2400-2600, that's why I thought you were eating too much. The numbers you just gave me sound more reasonable.

yeah, the high calories were from my workouts. I would burn 1000 calories and had been told to eat back at least 80% so that's why it's so high. I teach two spin classes today, so I'm not sure how I should proceed today. I'll burn over 1000 I'm sure.

graysmom2005

personally I wouldnt' expect to lose weight if I ate my exercise calories, the whole point is to create a deficit. Actually your photo looks great though, not sure you need to lose weight????! Great arms, have always wanted arms like that!

The deficit is already in there. MFP builds in a 500 calorie deficit.

Morglem

Just my opnion. I think that we all will get to a certain point where your body will say enough with that! Looking at your pictures I don't think you have anything else to loose, so your body is probably holding on to whatever it can. As you said on your profile that you have had a hard time with weight for your whole life maybe you are not seeing what everyone else can see. You look great! Very lean and toned!

myofibril

I feel a total lack of control because no matter what I change there are no results. Even if I decided this was a good weight for me, the fact that I have no ability to make it go down makes me insane. Hence all the *****ing. ;-)

I completely understand your frustration. It is normal.

However, you need to look at this logically. If you really wanted to see the number on the scale change then you could. It's simple. Either starve yourself or take duiretics and flush water out of your sysyem. Would you put your health in danger? Yeah. Would you risk hospitalisation? Yeah. Would you end up with a crappy physique? Yeah. Would you suffer from reduced energy and moodiness? Yeah. However, the needle would move...

Your goal is none of the above. You know it, I know it. Your goal is health, athletic performance and a slamming physique. They are the same goals that I have. None of these goals are dictated by the scale solely. Weight is only one small marker of success.

Your need for control is not a physiological issue. It's a psychological one. Control = rigidity = failure (in most instances.) Your body will do what it is programmed today and doesn't care a dime for what your mind wants. You have to work with it. If you try and beat it into submission it will kick your *kitten*.

Look, you may need to revisit your calorie calculations. You may need to take a full diet break to let your body reset. But what you need most at your level is patience.

welloiledmachine

Personally, I think your calories are set too high and your sugars are pretty high too. Not sure your height, but I'm 5'3" and eat around 1500 calories regardless if I exercise and lose weight pretty easily. Plus, I'm at 15% bf.
If you could send me your height and weight, I'd like to do the numbers for curiosity sake. Not trying to be nosy, but would like to help.

Yeah, the reason they were so high was from the high calorie burn. I wear a HRM so I know they are accurate.

I'm 5 ft 6 and keep bouncing around between 153-155. A trainer on here did some serious math and came up with 1542 a day, and at .5 pounds a week with MFP it says 1550. I try and eat back at least 80% of my exercise calories as I burn a ton during the day. Not nosy. Thanks for your helpl!

I was looking at your diary and the past week your calories were set at 2400-2600, that's why I thought you were eating too much. The numbers you just gave me sound more reasonable.

yeah, the high calories were from my workouts. I would burn 1000 calories and had been told to eat back at least 80% so that's why it's so high. I teach two spin classes today, so I'm not sure how I should proceed today. I'll burn over 1000 I'm sure.

Well, with that being said.....you are doing too much cardio. Your body can only handle so much. I know it's tough having to teach classes.
Are you lifting weights?

graysmom2005

Personally, I think your calories are set too high and your sugars are pretty high too. Not sure your height, but I'm 5'3" and eat around 1500 calories regardless if I exercise and lose weight pretty easily. Plus, I'm at 15% bf.
If you could send me your height and weight, I'd like to do the numbers for curiosity sake. Not trying to be nosy, but would like to help.

Yeah, the reason they were so high was from the high calorie burn. I wear a HRM so I know they are accurate.

I'm 5 ft 6 and keep bouncing around between 153-155. A trainer on here did some serious math and came up with 1542 a day, and at .5 pounds a week with MFP it says 1550. I try and eat back at least 80% of my exercise calories as I burn a ton during the day. Not nosy. Thanks for your helpl!

I was looking at your diary and the past week your calories were set at 2400-2600, that's why I thought you were eating too much. The numbers you just gave me sound more reasonable.

yeah, the high calories were from my workouts. I would burn 1000 calories and had been told to eat back at least 80% so that's why it's so high. I teach two spin classes today, so I'm not sure how I should proceed today. I'll burn over 1000 I'm sure.

Well, with that being said.....you are doing too much cardio. Your body can only handle so much. I know it's tough having to teach classes.
Are you lifting weights?

Yes, I teach Body Pump too, which is a strength training/barbell class. :-) I teach that 4 times a week.

AI1108

check out this thread with advice that I gave someone else about eating exercise calories...

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/282165-confused-about-remaining-calories

Honestly because you do a lot of strength training, which I'm assuming you do through your pics, I don't think you should eat those calories back too late. That's what body builders do to bulk up so they have extra for the next day's lifting. Eat the calories back earlier to fuel the workout. That way you would have already burned them off while you're working out.

fteale

TBH it's not working for me either, but I have got to the point where I am not prepared to further cut my calories. I am set to lose half a lb a week, and although I am slightly under my cals every day, I clearly haven't lost a thing in a month, but I am losing the drive to get to my goal these days. I look ok, my weight is healthy. I have stopped caring that much.

Papillon22

I completely understand your frustration. It is normal.

However, you need to look at this logically. If you really wanted to see the number on the scale change then you could. It's simple. Either starve yourself or take duiretics and flush water out of your sysyem. Would you put your health in danger? Yeah. Would you risk hospitalisation? Yeah. Would you end up with a crappy physique? Yeah. Would you suffer from reduced energy and moodiness? Yeah. However, the needle would move...

Your goal is none of the above. You know it, I know it. Your goal is health, athletic performance and a slamming physique. They are the same goals that I have. None of these goals are dictated by the scale solely. Weight is only one small marker of success.

Your need for control is not a physiological issue. It's a psychological one. Control = rigidity = failure (in most instances.) Your body will do what it is programmed today and doesn't care a dime for what your mind wants. You have to work with it. If you try and beat it into submission it will kick your *kitten*.

Look, you may need to revisit your calorie calculations. You may need to take a full diet break to let your body reset. But what you need most at your level is patience.

I think this answer is spot on. Sometimes we just need to let go (psychologically) for things to happen. I don't know if it has to do with hormones triggered by stress or energy (if you believe in such things), but if you're doing everything you can physiologically, then try to take a deep breath and let it be. You will still take care of your body, but you will also be doing your mind a favor.

I know it's easier said than done, but if you give it a try, what do you have to lose? Best of luck to you

jpowell3976

Found this and thought about your post.

http://www.active.com/women/Articles/5-Weight-Loss-Mistakes-to-Avoid.htm?cmp=312&memberid=20911875&lyrisid=22456293&page=2

leighton1245

Personally, I think your calories are set too high and your sugars are pretty high too. Not sure your height, but I'm 5'3" and eat around 1500 calories regardless if I exercise and lose weight pretty easily. Plus, I'm at 15% bf.
If you could send me your height and weight, I'd like to do the numbers for curiosity sake. Not trying to be nosy, but would like to help.

Yeah, the reason they were so high was from the high calorie burn. I wear a HRM so I know they are accurate.

I'm 5 ft 6 and keep bouncing around between 153-155. A trainer on here did some serious math and came up with 1542 a day, and at .5 pounds a week with MFP it says 1550. I try and eat back at least 80% of my exercise calories as I burn a ton during the day. Not nosy. Thanks for your helpl!

I was looking at your diary and the past week your calories were set at 2400-2600, that's why I thought you were eating too much. The numbers you just gave me sound more reasonable.

yeah, the high calories were from my workouts. I would burn 1000 calories and had been told to eat back at least 80% so that's why it's so high. I teach two spin classes today, so I'm not sure how I should proceed today. I'll burn over 1000 I'm sure.

Well, with that being said.....you are doing too much cardio. Your body can only handle so much. I know it's tough having to teach classes.
Are you lifting weights?

Yes, I teach Body Pump too, which is a strength training/barbell class. :-) I teach that 4 times a week.

If you are trying to lose you shouldnt be eating back 80% of what you burn more around 50%. Also if you are teaching spin classes 2 twice a week and body pump personally I would lower your goal just a little but still make sure you hit the min 1200 cals a day because you are going to be burning over that.