Not Getting Results!!

Magen

I have been working out and eating right for 3 weeks now. I workout with a trainor 3/4 days a week and the others I go and do cardio on the other days. I eat peanut butter toast for breakfast, a healthy choice meal for lunch, and some type of grilled meat and a salad for dinner. and all I drink is water. I am not getting any results. Instead of losing weight I have actually gained like 2 pounds. I am getting very frustrated with all this. I am trying my hardest to get in shape for my wedding in September and if it stays like this I will not be ready! Has anyone had anything like this happen to them? If so what did ya'll do?

Magen

I have been working out and eating right for 3 weeks now. I workout with a trainor 3/4 days a week and the others I go and do cardio on the other days. I eat peanut butter toast for breakfast, a healthy choice meal for lunch, and some type of grilled meat and a salad for dinner. and all I drink is water. I am not getting any results. Instead of losing weight I have actually gained like 2 pounds. I am getting very frustrated with all this. I am trying my hardest to get in shape for my wedding in September and if it stays like this I will not be ready! Has anyone had anything like this happen to them? If so what did ya'll do?

faylou

I have not been getting results either on the scale, but check your measurements, there could be muscle gain but overall inches lost...
just a thought. but hang in there!!!

nguill6

The first thing you should do is take some measurements! The same thing happened to me, but it turned out I had lost a good 2 inches all over and was just developing muscle tone. Pay extra attention to how your clothes are fitting and maybe take some before and after shots of those legs, arms and tummy. If you're eating that well and exercising like that, you are definitely healthier! Keep up the good work and look closely for those results; it's not all about the scale. If you keep putting in the effort, you'll find what you're looking for

cstang

I've been there! The scale plateaued for 5 weeks, but I lost 5-6 inches overall. If it weren't for the weekly measurements I was taking, I would've lost all motivation. At week 5, 6 pounds were gone seemingly over night. If you haven't been taking meaurements, then you should see a difference in how your clothes are fitting and how your body feels in general. Be persistent, don't let this get you down! Get out the tape measure, write down your measurements and enjoy what you've accomplished so far Good luck!

fjtcjt

I agree with the other posts. If you have been eating right and working out that hard you must be making progress. You can use a tape measure or skin calipers to measure results. I have found that the skin calipers work well to track progress. You can measure once a week ( 3 locations or 7 locations) and track the changes that way. You can also find some handy calculators that will convert these measurements into body fat % and then you can track that also. Body fat lost is much more important than weight lost. Remember, muscle weighs more than fat and it also helps to increase metabolism.


Created by MyFitnessPal.com - Online Calorie Counter

Magen

Ok well I have noticed that my clothes arent as tight, but now how can you get rid of muscle? Thats all I have in my legs from playing basketball and softball my whole life. I want the smaller and I have no idea how. My trainer said that the best thing for me to do is cardio. but again no seeing any results....

fjtcjt

Your trainer is correct. Cardio and high rep training work on the "slow twitch" muscle fibers while heavy weights and low rep explosive movements work on the "fast twitch" muscle fibers. The fast twitch muscles usually add size while the slow twitch usually keep your muscles lean. I don't know that your muscles will actually get smaller, but the cardio will keep them lean and help to burn the fat from your legs. Again, the skin calipers will help to see results much more than the scale. My goal is to maintain my current weight while adding muscle and losing fat. So the only way I have to track progress is with this method.

laurabelle25

OK, yes I agree with everyone else, but this happened to me, and I actually kept at it for over 4 months. Hardly losing any weight, and I was working out and eating right. Then I finally said skrew it around the holidays and stopped working out and ate pretty much whatever (but really I kept up with eating "good" food). and WAM! I lost 5 lbs. Now I should have gotten back on the wagon then and there, but didn't.

But my point is I don't think your getting enough calories, from what you have written down it looks as though you're WAY low for all the exercising your doing. So that could be your main problem. And when I had your problem and asked for advice, A LOT of people said the same thing to me. But I didn't listen. I would just up my calories by 100 extra per day. That DID NOT do anything. Actually "shocking" your system with 400 or more calories over your normal amount is good for your system. (But only do that once in a while)

After you enter your all your specifications into this site, it shoots some number like 1300 cal. per day at you. THAT IS WAAAYYYY TOOOOOO LOW! If you exercising like you say (depending what your height/weight/age are) I would be eating more like 1500-1700. And really, after you get to your desired weight, I know people that eat 2000 cal. a day to maintain. If they eat less than that, they gain weight. Now if you are already eating those amounts (1500-1700) of cal. per day, I would still up it by 200-300. And just see how that works. If you're still not losing, but are now gaining a ton, I would lower it down.

If you want some other advice, go to the general/introduce yourself board (or just do a search) and look at what other people have said about the same topic: "not losing anything".

hope this helps,
Laura

MisoSoup79

OK, yes I agree with everyone else, but this happened to me, and I actually kept at it for over 4 months. Hardly losing any weight, and I was working out and eating right. Then I finally said skrew it around the holidays and stopped working out and ate pretty much whatever (but really I kept up with eating "good" food). and WAM! I lost 5 lbs. Now I should have gotten back on the wagon then and there, but didn't.

But my point is I don't think your getting enough calories, from what you have written down it looks as though you're WAY low for all the exercising your doing. So that could be your main problem. And when I had your problem and asked for advice, A LOT of people said the same thing to me. But I didn't listen. I would just up my calories by 100 extra per day. That DID NOT do anything. Actually "shocking" your system with 400 or more calories over your normal amount is good for your system. (But only do that once in a while)

After you enter your all your specifications into this site, it shoots some number like 1300 cal. per day at you. THAT IS WAAAYYYY TOOOOOO LOW! If you exercising like you say (depending what your height/weight/age are) I would be eating more like 1500-1700. And really, after you get to your desired weight, I know people that eat 2000 cal. a day to maintain. If they eat less than that, they gain weight. Now if you are already eating those amounts (1500-1700) of cal. per day, I would still up it by 200-300. And just see how that works. If you're still not losing, but are now gaining a ton, I would lower it down.

I agree... it does sound as if you are not eating adequately. Your body will continue to hold onto your stored fat unless you give it enough fuel. Eat what MFP is telling you to eat and then, when you exercise, eat your exercise calories!

I've only been at this for 2 weeks and I'm seeing results. I eat ALL my calories most days, occasionally a little more or a little less. I want my body to know I'm not trying to starve it to death so it will cooperate!

psyknife

Here's an article you may find an interesting read... by Chalene Johnson (creator of Turbo Jam, ChaLEAN, Hip Hop Hustle, Turbo Kick, PiYo... I could go on...)

The temporary weight gain explained:
When someone starts a new exercise program, they often experience muscle soreness. The more intense and "unfamiliar" the program, the more intense the muscle soreness. This soreness is most prevelant 24 to 48 hours after each workout. In the first few weeks of a new program, soreness is the body trying to
"protect and defend" the effected or targeted tissue. Exercise physiologists refer to this as delayed-onset muscle soreness, or DOMS.

This type of soreness is thought to be caused by tissue breakdown or microscopic tears in muscle tissue. When this happens the body protects the tissue. The muscle becomes inflamed and slightly swollen with fluid retention. This temporary retention of fluid can result in a 3- to 4-pound weight gain within a few weeks of a new program. Keep in mind that muscle soreness is not necessarily a reflection of how hard you worked. In fact, some people feel no signs of muscle soreness, yet will experience the muscle protection mechanisms of water retension and slight swelling.

Most people are motivated enough to put up with this temporary muscle soreness. Yet, many, especially those who really need immediate weight loss to keep them motivated in those first couple of weeks become discouraged and quit!

Cutting forward a bit...

When to be concerned:
If you experience a significant weight gain (exceeding 5 pounds) which does not begin to decrease rapidly after the second week, guess what it is??? I'll give you one hint... you put it in your mouth and chew it. You know it! You're food (or calorie laiden beverages). Newsflash friends.. exercise doesn't make you gain weight. Consuming more food than you burn makes you gain weight!

So if after two weeks you are not losing weight, have gained weight that's not coming off, it's time to take a close and honest look at your food intake. It's time to find out what youre burning in calories each day. Have your RMR or BMR tested. This can be done for less than $50 and the information is invaluable. It takes out the guess work. Google "hydrostatic body fat testing _______ " and insert the name of the big city you're closest too. Companies that do HBFT also do BMR testing. Knowledge is king.

This comes from http://chalenejohnson.blogspot.com

AmandaJ

I was also going to ask you how many calories you are eating, you are making wonderful food choices but I am not sure you are eating enough for your body.

Magen

OK, yes I agree with everyone else, but this happened to me, and I actually kept at it for over 4 months. Hardly losing any weight, and I was working out and eating right. Then I finally said skrew it around the holidays and stopped working out and ate pretty much whatever (but really I kept up with eating "good" food). and WAM! I lost 5 lbs. Now I should have gotten back on the wagon then and there, but didn't.

But my point is I don't think your getting enough calories, from what you have written down it looks as though you're WAY low for all the exercising your doing. So that could be your main problem. And when I had your problem and asked for advice, A LOT of people said the same thing to me. But I didn't listen. I would just up my calories by 100 extra per day. That DID NOT do anything. Actually "shocking" your system with 400 or more calories over your normal amount is good for your system. (But only do that once in a while)

After you enter your all your specifications into this site, it shoots some number like 1300 cal. per day at you. THAT IS WAAAYYYY TOOOOOO LOW! If you exercising like you say (depending what your height/weight/age are) I would be eating more like 1500-1700. And really, after you get to your desired weight, I know people that eat 2000 cal. a day to maintain. If they eat less than that, they gain weight. Now if you are already eating those amounts (1500-1700) of cal. per day, I would still up it by 200-300. And just see how that works. If you're still not losing, but are now gaining a ton, I would lower it down.

If you want some other advice, go to the general/introduce yourself board (or just do a search) and look at what other people have said about the same topic: "not losing anything".

hope this helps,
Laura

That is exactly what my trainer told me yesterday. She said that if I am not eating enough all the working out that I am doing is just confusing my body b/c Im not eating enough. She said something like that my body is taking like all the muscle and stuff I am gaining from working out and storing it as fat and that I am just stuck. So now I have to start eating little more, but not over do it.

Magen

I was also going to ask you how many calories you are eating, you are making wonderful food choices but I am not sure you are eating enough for your body.

I am eating around 1200-1500.

Magen

Here's an article you may find an interesting read... by Chalene Johnson (creator of Turbo Jam, ChaLEAN, Hip Hop Hustle, Turbo Kick, PiYo... I could go on...)

The temporary weight gain explained:
When someone starts a new exercise program, they often experience muscle soreness. The more intense and "unfamiliar" the program, the more intense the muscle soreness. This soreness is most prevelant 24 to 48 hours after each workout. In the first few weeks of a new program, soreness is the body trying to
"protect and defend" the effected or targeted tissue. Exercise physiologists refer to this as delayed-onset muscle soreness, or DOMS.

This type of soreness is thought to be caused by tissue breakdown or microscopic tears in muscle tissue. When this happens the body protects the tissue. The muscle becomes inflamed and slightly swollen with fluid retention. This temporary retention of fluid can result in a 3- to 4-pound weight gain within a few weeks of a new program. Keep in mind that muscle soreness is not necessarily a reflection of how hard you worked. In fact, some people feel no signs of muscle soreness, yet will experience the muscle protection mechanisms of water retension and slight swelling.

Most people are motivated enough to put up with this temporary muscle soreness. Yet, many, especially those who really need immediate weight loss to keep them motivated in those first couple of weeks become discouraged and quit!

Cutting forward a bit...

When to be concerned:
If you experience a significant weight gain (exceeding 5 pounds) which does not begin to decrease rapidly after the second week, guess what it is??? I'll give you one hint... you put it in your mouth and chew it. You know it! You're food (or calorie laiden beverages). Newsflash friends.. exercise doesn't make you gain weight. Consuming more food than you burn makes you gain weight!

So if after two weeks you are not losing weight, have gained weight that's not coming off, it's time to take a close and honest look at your food intake. It's time to find out what youre burning in calories each day. Have your RMR or BMR tested. This can be done for less than $50 and the information is invaluable. It takes out the guess work. Google "hydrostatic body fat testing _______ " and insert the name of the big city you're closest too. Companies that do HBFT also do BMR testing. Knowledge is king.

This comes from http://chalenejohnson.blogspot.com

That is exactly what has happened to me! My trainer has me doing stuff I have never even heard of. and I have even put on like 2lbs since I started working out. I really hope I start losing it soon!!!