counting cals doesnt work

redraidergirl2009

Apparently it doesn't work. I have been stuck at this plateau for months. 144-145.
I work out, I've changed my work outs. I've tried eating less cals, I've tried eating my exercise cals. No change. Wtf am I doing wrong? I even eat way healthier food. I lost weight faster back when I ate crap and just busted my *kitten* on the elliptical 45-60mins a day. But then I try and lose weight the "right" way it doesn't work.

Sidesteal

Apparently it doesn't work. I have been stuck at this plateau for months. 144-145.
I work out, I've changed my work outs. I've tried eating less cals, I've tried eating my exercise cals. No change. Wtf am I doing wrong? I even eat way healthier food. I lost weight faster back when I ate crap and just busted my *kitten* on the elliptical 45-60mins a day. But then I try and lose weight the "right" way it doesn't work.

I understand your frustration but the counting of calories isn't to blame here.

I have a legitimate question and I'm not saying this to irritate you:
If you lost weight faster by eating crap and busting *kitten* on the elliptical, why did you change that and why aren't you going back to that?

ninerbuff

Apparently it doesn't work. I have been stuck at this plateau for months. 144-145.
I work out, I've changed my work outs. I've tried eating less cals, I've tried eating my exercise cals. No change. Wtf am I doing wrong? I even eat way healthier food. I lost weight faster back when I ate crap and just busted my *kitten* on the elliptical 45-60mins a day. But then I try and lose weight the "right" way it doesn't work.

What is your exercise program?

A.C.E. Certified Personal Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

KCarpenter83

It SHOULD work, and if you really are doing it correctly and logging every single thing you put in your mouth without fail, etc, and its not working you need to consult someone. Go see a nutritionist for a personalized plan, and go see your doctor and explain this situation. You could have something medical going on, like low thyroid for example, that could be keeping you from losing the weight. How long have you been trying?

redraidergirl2009

Apparently it doesn't work. I have been stuck at this plateau for months. 144-145.
I work out, I've changed my work outs. I've tried eating less cals, I've tried eating my exercise cals. No change. Wtf am I doing wrong? I even eat way healthier food. I lost weight faster back when I ate crap and just busted my *kitten* on the elliptical 45-60mins a day. But then I try and lose weight the "right" way it doesn't work.

I understand your frustration but the counting of calories isn't to blame here.

I have a legitimate question and I'm not saying this to irritate you:
If you lost weight faster by eating crap and busting *kitten* on the elliptical, why did you change that and why aren't you going back to that?

I genuinely don't like eating the crap I did before and had elevated bp from it so I don't want to eat crap for health reasons. I will try going back to the elliptical like before though

Sidesteal

I would answer Ninerbuff's questions and see what he has to say.

My first thoughts on this however, are one of the following possibilities:

1) Your hormone levels are interfering with fat loss.
2) You are eating too many calories.

That's just my opinion.

rainbowbow

I didn't lose ANYthing for 7 weeks and then out of nowhere without changing my routine the weight started coming off. My best advice stick to a healthy lifestyle and focus less on the weight. Incorporate more strength training. And lastly realize that if this is a lifestyle change you have a long long long time to enjoy your body, don't rush your goals or expect to see immediate results.

redraidergirl2009

Apparently it doesn't work. I have been stuck at this plateau for months. 144-145.
I work out, I've changed my work outs. I've tried eating less cals, I've tried eating my exercise cals. No change. Wtf am I doing wrong? I even eat way healthier food. I lost weight faster back when I ate crap and just busted my *kitten* on the elliptical 45-60mins a day. But then I try and lose weight the "right" way it doesn't work.

What is your exercise program?

A.C.E. Certified Personal Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

I mostly do videos. I was doing turbofire. That didn't work so I went back to doing my jillian ones and added weight and do the more advanced versions of her exercises. I was doing the killer buns and thighs 3 days a week and ripped in 30 four days a week and piloxing 2 days a week. So some days I did more than one video. I can workout at the student gym which is pretty crappy but it has some weights and cardio equipment so I guess I will try that. When I do go there I do interval cardio.

PBJunky

Are you on the pill?

redraidergirl2009

I also use a hrm to get more accurate cl counts on my.workouts.

rainbowbow

Are you on the pill?

Multiple studies show that the pill does NOT affect weight loss. The only form of birth control that is proven to cause weight gain is the depo provera shot. so, are you on depo? Do you have thyroid problems? Are there any other medical factors that could be causing this?

redraidergirl2009

I take loestrin24 Fe which is the lowest dose pill I think. The only other thing I take is allegra d. I also had a decrease in appetite with this pill, with others I had an increase.

Rae6503

If you opened you're diary to the public it might help people help you. If we don't know how many calories you are eating we can't tell why it might not be working.

amyllu

I counted calories and from April 2010 till the xmas time that year I lost 30lb thereabouts. I then had a bit of a relaxing time and got back to it in the January this year and on the same amount of calories as before ..1200, only to find that my weight wouldnt budge. I then dropped it to 1000 and later on to 800 for a few weeks but even that wouldn't shift any more pounds. I do have an under active thyroid which I take meds for and am disabled so exercising is out for me, but I can well understand that with all your exercising and not loosing any more can be most annoying to say the least.
Do get your thyroid checked out as suggested and perhaps your doc will prescribe some tabs to help you.
Unfortunatley my doc won't agree to that for me altho' I would do ANYTHING to get my weight shifting again!!
Wish you all success and hope you get your problem sorted soon...

PBJunky

Are you on the pill?

Multiple studies show that the pill does NOT affect weight loss. The only form of birth control that is proven to cause weight gain is the depo provera shot. so, are you on depo? Do you have thyroid problems? Are there any other medical factors that could be causing this?

Is this your multiple studies that you are referring to?
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16389209

beyg

i can related to your problem; consider this the next time you see your gp ask for a tsh fsh hormone panel hormones will affect weight on females. Good luck and the most important part is not to gain back.

marianne_s

I mostly do videos. I was doing turbofire. That didn't work so I went back to doing my jillian ones and added weight and do the more advanced versions of her exercises. I was doing the killer buns and thighs 3 days a week and ripped in 30 four days a week and piloxing 2 days a week. So some days I did more than one video. I can workout at the student gym which is pretty crappy but it has some weights and cardio equipment so I guess I will try that. When I do go there I do interval cardio.

When you say Turbo Fire didn't work, what do you mean?

How long did you do it for? What was your expectations?

I've been doing Turbo Fire since March and since then I have lost 28 pounds and arond 20 inches all over. Was it all from Turbo Fire? Maybe... but I have no way of knowing that it definitely was. I'm just happy to have achieved that loss.

adhillman01

Are you on the pill?

Multiple studies show that the pill does NOT affect weight loss. The only form of birth control that is proven to cause weight gain is the depo provera shot. so, are you on depo? Do you have thyroid problems? Are there any other medical factors that could be causing this?

Is this your multiple studies that you are referring to?
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16389209

Not sure if you were supporting her or saying that birth control hinders weight loss. That study supports what she said, that Depo Provera (DMPA) is shown to cause weight gain. The girls on oral contraceptives (OC) actually gained less weight then the control group. Also, that study has nothing to do with people actively trying to lose weight. It was a study that just observed the amount of weight gain over time on different methods of birth control. There was no mention of if the study participants were trying to lose weight or not.

PBJunky

Are you on the pill?

Multiple studies show that the pill does NOT affect weight loss. The only form of birth control that is proven to cause weight gain is the depo provera shot. so, are you on depo? Do you have thyroid problems? Are there any other medical factors that could be causing this?

Is this your multiple studies that you are referring to?
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16389209

Not sure if you were supporting her or saying that birth control hinders weight loss. That study supports what she said, that Depo Provera (DMPA) is shown to cause weight gain. The girls on oral contraceptives (OC) actually gained less weight then the control group. Also, that study has nothing to do with people actively trying to lose weight. It was a study that just observed the amount of weight gain over time on different methods of birth control. There was no mention of if the study participants were trying to lose weight or not.

I know that is why I asked her whether this is the study that she was referring to...

lol you kinda spoiled a good argument for me

Sublog

Apparently it doesn't work. I have been stuck at this plateau for months. 144-145.
I work out, I've changed my work outs. I've tried eating less cals, I've tried eating my exercise cals. No change. Wtf am I doing wrong? I even eat way healthier food. I lost weight faster back when I ate crap and just busted my *kitten* on the elliptical 45-60mins a day. But then I try and lose weight the "right" way it doesn't work.

You must be doing something wrong then. Losing weight is a function of burning more calories than you consume.

PERIOD. Either you're counting wrong, (likely), overestimating your needs, or simply not being patient enough to see results. A moderate deficit is easily masked by water fluctuations.

Edithrenee

ha ha me too!!! i have been at 144 and it goes up to 146 then back down. before I got on this site i was watching what I ate i lost 6 pounds it took a while but not this long. Then i get on here and log in my food and exericse and nothing... been doing it since end of july.

I have tried to eat exercise calories and I tried to not eat them wow. Still no change. I went to doctor and my thyroid is fine. My conclusion is i have to eat less, I mean before, i was guessing what i ate, and how much, and i was losing now i see what im eating and i think well i have caloires i have to eat so i eat, even if im not hungry. So I dont know maybe im eating more now.

marthafox1

Going off on a tangent here - PBJ can I just say, your last two profile pics have been lovely.

Now to the point in question my own recommendation would be to go back to basics:

weigh everything & log it
drink plenty of water
Take your vital stats and monitor them
Throw the videos away (OK just put them in the cupboard instead), get yourself outside and workout in the fresh air. The addition of other people seeing you exercising will give you a boost and naturally make you work that bit harder. Incorporate resistance, interval and weight training. Set yourself some small circuits and build up from there intersperced with some jogging/sprinting/walking. You should know a whole library of exercises from the videos you have been doing - but doing them outside will add a different dimension - get your MP3 blasting your favourite tunes and you will find yourself worker harder and for longer. Ensure you are doing the exercises correctly and maintain form throughout - none of this half arsed stuff I see people doing - give it your ALL.
Incorporate a rest day.
You could try zig zagging your calories at the same time that you make these changes to kick start things.
Try fiddling with your macros to increase protein and reduce carbs - this works for some people and worth a try.

If all else fails, a quick visit to your doctor can determine if there is a medical reason for a prolonged plateau.

All the very best.
M

AandJsMommy

Are you watching the amount of sodium you eat? This site recommends no more than 2500mg of sodium a day and I have heard the FDA recommends no more than 2300mg a day. Sodium can cause bloating which can make you not lose weight. Are you making sure you drink at least 8 glasses of water day? also very important. Just a thought!

redraidergirl2009

I mostly do videos. I was doing turbofire. That didn't work so I went back to doing my jillian ones and added weight and do the more advanced versions of her exercises. I was doing the killer buns and thighs 3 days a week and ripped in 30 four days a week and piloxing 2 days a week. So some days I did more than one video. I can workout at the student gym which is pretty crappy but it has some weights and cardio equipment so I guess I will try that. When I do go there I do interval cardio.

When you say Turbo Fire didn't work, what do you mean?

How long did you do it for? What was your expectations?

I've been doing Turbo Fire since March and since then I have lost 28 pounds and arond 20 inches all over. Was it all from Turbo Fire? Maybe... but I have no way of knowing that it definitely was. I'm just happy to have achieved that loss.

I followed the turbo fired schedule for a month. I expected to see more toning and a harder work out but I was disappointed and found the work outs too easy, especially the sulpting ones and I even had harder resistance bands than she was using

adhillman01

I'll argue with you!

Sarahbara76

Are you on the pill?

Multiple studies show that the pill does NOT affect weight loss. The only form of birth control that is proven to cause weight gain is the depo provera shot. so, are you on depo? Do you have thyroid problems? Are there any other medical factors that could be causing this?

the studies are WRONG! You do gain weight not always very much, I NEVER gain weight with out overeating and when I went on YAZZ I gained 10 pounds and I barely was eating anything. I have gotten rid of some of it switching to another pill ,but honey you gain and I did not over eat or get lazy your welcome to look at my profile , it changes your body because the hormones make your body think it's pregnant and need to feed a baby.

Wynterbourne

Are you on the pill?

Multiple studies show that the pill does NOT affect weight loss. The only form of birth control that is proven to cause weight gain is the depo provera shot. so, are you on depo? Do you have thyroid problems? Are there any other medical factors that could be causing this?

the studies are WRONG! You do gain weight not always very much, I NEVER gain weight with out overeating and when I went on YAZZ I gained 10 pounds and I barely was eating anything. I have gotten rid of some of it switching to another pill ,but honey you gain and I did not over eat or get lazy your welcome to look at my profile , it changes your body because the hormones make your body think it's pregnant and need to feed a baby.

When I started the pill I was NOT eating a calorie deficit, exercising or eating fewer calories then before the pill and I did NOT gain weight. Since you are 100% positive that you can't take the pill without gaining weight, was it all a dream or maybe I was just hallucinating?

LabRat529

I know it's frustrating... I've been gaining and losing the same 1 lb now for almost 3 months, but to say something 'doesn't work' is a little naive. If you are in a calorie deficit, you will almost always lose weight, eventually. If you're not losing weight, you are either 1) not burning as many calories as you think you are, 2) consuming more calories than you think you are, or 3) doing a bit of both. The same goes for me. I'm not losing weight so I must not be burning as much as I think/eating as little as I think.

Maybe your heart rate monitor isn't 100% accurate. Maybe you're calorie counts aren't 100% accurate.

Try tightening up your calorie consumption first. Measure everything. With teaspoons, tablespoons, cups, and even a scale if you have one. Its a pain in the butt, but it will give you a more accurate guesstimate on calories.

If you think your HRM is accurate, than set your calorie intake at 200 to 500 calories below your estimated calorie burn. Stick with it religiously for a month. If you still aren't losing weight, decrease your calorie intake by 200 and wait again.

Don't give up on exercise. Find something you like and stick with that religiously too.

It sounds like you are giving up on exercise programs too because they 'didn't work' and that doesn't really make much sense to me... unless by 'didn't work' you mean they caused too much discomfort.

That's what I suggest That's what I'm planning to do once I get rid of some excess cortisol (a.k.a. stress, and I'm being facetious about the cortisol). Right now, I'm just holding the course because I need to feed my brain cells.

classyhoney

I mostly do videos. I was doing turbofire. That didn't work so I went back to doing my jillian ones and added weight and do the more advanced versions of her exercises. I was doing the killer buns and thighs 3 days a week and ripped in 30 four days a week and piloxing 2 days a week. So some days I did more than one video. I can workout at the student gym which is pretty crappy but it has some weights and cardio equipment so I guess I will try that. When I do go there I do interval cardio.

When you say Turbo Fire didn't work, what do you mean?

How long did you do it for? What was your expectations?

I've been doing Turbo Fire since March and since then I have lost 28 pounds and arond 20 inches all over. Was it all from Turbo Fire? Maybe... but I have no way of knowing that it definitely was. I'm just happy to have achieved that loss.

I was going to ask the same thing. Turbo Fire is a great workout for me to do at home. You might not be burning enough calories per day. You lose weight by burning more calories than you consume.

stevwil41

Perhaps it's currently not working for you. I, however, am doing just fine with it. Are you taking measurements or are you just weighing yourself? And, while this isn't the nicest question, I'm going to ask it anyway. Is your goal weight realistic or do you want to look like an underweight runway model?

BarbWhite09

That's kind of a bold statement...Saying counting cals doesn't work. If it doesn't work then how can you explain the millions of people who have lost weight by counting cals? Lol.

Plateaus happen to everyone...It's just part of it.