How long do I wait for the scale to move?

Jess5825

So, I hade been eating 1200 calories (gross), no exercise calories or anything for about 8 months. I lost about 60 lb during that time. I still have about 50lb to go, til I reach the high end of a normal BMI. So after those 8 months I stopped losing. I workout mostly 6 days a week, occasionally 5. Burning around 500 calories per workout. I do kickboxing 5 days and 1 day elliptical. So I got more involved here at MFP and read about starvation mode. So figured 1200 was to low, because I got a body media fit and realized most days I burn 3000 calories. Giving me a deficit of 1800 calories. Way to high, so I started upping calories. Did it slowly. went to 1400 - lost 1 lb, 1500 lost 4 lb (with end of TOM), went to 1600 went up a tiny bit, another week at 1600 stayed same. Dropped back to 1500 no change, still up a little. Stayed there again, did not weigh. Did these for 1 week each.

Now for the past week I've been eating basically all my exercise calories, which is giving me about 1700-1800 per day, finally netting 1200. I stepped on the scale today after not stepping on for 2 weeks and I'm basically the same weight I was a month ago. Which I guess is a loss kind of since the scale had been up, but I knew it wasn't actually fat weight. Should I just keep eating all my exercise calories this week and see what happens? How long should it take to get out of starvation mode and for the scale to move a little again?

I did start last week doing one day of heavy lifting on 5 machines till my muscles gave out. Per instructions from a trainer. You lift heavy til muscle failure on 5 machines one day a week and it should reduce body fat. She said this may slow the scale movement, but should reduce BF%. She's gonna measure my BF on Sunday and then again in a few weeks.

deathstarclock

yeah because of EPOC. That's the way to go! Lifting to failure ensures that as much muscle fibers are recruited as possible. What did your trainer say about nutrition in terms of increasing the intensity?

mynika

bump

Onesnap

My advice is to stop jumping around so much. Pick a goal of losing 1 or 2 lbs/week and stick to that goal. Meet your calorie goals that MFP gives you. Log every bite, and every workout.

I would also invest in a HRM with a chest strap. This is the only way to get an accurate calorie burn reading from your workouts. Polar has the best ones and they are found on Amazon for less than other retailers.

Losing 1-2 lbs/week is considered safe and is recommended by experts in order to keep the weight off for good.

My guess is the 1,200/day is too low for your body to let go of any weight (that would be the NET calories, your total consumption per day would be more after those workouts).

Also, I find that pre-logging your workouts is the way to go. That way you can spread the extra around as healthy calories.

msjac23

I had the same problem. I up my calories to 1620. Changed my intake to 40% Carbs, 40% Protein, and 20% fat. I work do cardio 5 days a week and weight training with a trainer 3 days a week. I stop weighing myself, finally after 4 weeks on not weighing myself I step on the scale today and lost 3.5 pounds, My body fat dropped from 32% to 31.3 %. After this pleasant surprise I decide I will probably only weighed myself once a month.

Jess5825

yeah because of EPOC. That's the way to go! Lifting to failure ensures that as much muscle fibers are recruited as possible. What did your trainer say about nutrition in terms of increasing the intensity?

Well she went over what I've been eating, which was very little carbs. She told me to add in carb, but low GI ones, must have 3 g fiber or more in them. Barilla Plus pasta, and bread with the fiber. No carbs before working out, about 3 hours and none 3 hours before going to sleep. Also she recommended Apple cider vinegar which I've started taking in tablet form. And she said definitely 1200 calories per day is to low. But she said not really to count calories. That she and the other trainer there don't count calories. Just eat 6 meals a day. So I've been doing those things for a week. She also recommended doing intervals on the elliptical which I was just doing it at one level. Which I did and it seemed to do a lot better, actually stayed on for an hour instead of 45 min.

deathstarclock

Sounds about right. As long as you fuel your body to work properly, just be patient with the results. You can't rush beauty!

Remember, health first. Vanity second.

Jess5825

My advice is to stop jumping around so much. Pick a goal of losing 1 or 2 lbs/week and stick to that goal. Meet your calorie goals that MFP gives you. Log every bite, and every workout.

I would also invest in a HRM with a chest strap. This is the only way to get an accurate calorie burn reading from your workouts. Polar has the best ones and they are found on Amazon for less than other retailers.

Losing 1-2 lbs/week is considered safe and is recommended by experts in order to keep the weight off for good.

My guess is the 1,200/day is too low for your body to let go of any weight (that would be the NET calories, your total consumption per day would be more after those workouts).

Also, I find that pre-logging your workouts is the way to go. That way you can spread the extra around as healthy calories.

As for the jumping around, I'm trying to figure out what is going to work for me. As for a goal, I would love to lose like 1.5 lb per week, and I did have that average, until I hit this wall. I know losing more than the 1-2 is not healthy. I had a polar HRM for a long time and I still do. But like I said now I have a body media fit, so I know exactly what I burn all day long.

As for pre logging my workouts, I'm not exactly sure what you mean. I am not sure how much I will burn each class. Also I workout in the morning, so I have all day to eat those calories anyways.

Onesnap

ah, okay. I see what you mean. I would still track, because tracking works. The people that told you not to track have VERY active lifestyles and do not work behind a desk all day (I'm guessing).

Also, I'm a night workout person so the pre-logging makes sense.

The HRM is still going to give you a more accurate reading when compared to other devices. It is the chest strap. Once you wear it for a few of your sessions you will know (on average) how much you burn. I would not look at the calorie burn (esp all day calorie burn) from other devices.

I know you're trying to figure out what works, but set the MFP goal to the 1.5lb/week, wear the HRM for your workouts and go from there. Otherwise you're just guessing and that's not helping you out at all. You're doing so much right...but if you stop logging your food (and listen to someone else like a trainer) you are not listening what works for thousands of users on here.

Jess5825

I wasn't going to not track. I'm still tracking, I was just saying what she said when I asked her about calories.