I'm working out properly but not losing weight

HolleeERL

I'll just tell you about my workouts and weightloss/gain. I am generally a runner and do half marathons so LOTS of cardio. I lost 10 lbs over the course of 7-8 weeks. Now that I'm not in training, I have been doing Boot Camp (3 days a week) which is mostly weight training and core fitness workouts. I also try to get in 30 minutes of running on those days. I have gained ALL 10 lbs back since being out of training and my eating hasn't changed that much (a little worse over the holidays). I am VERY strong and have great muscle tone, but my belly hangs over my pants...AGAIN! UGH! So I'm back at the cardio.

StrongGwen

check out the Body For Life challenge at bodyforlife.com for efficient workout plan and solid (though uninspired) nutrition plan. You don't have to join the challnenge but you can follow the program to see if it makes a difference for you.

love22step

Keep logging your calories. Calories are a huge part of this, more so than exercise. You have to be redistributing inches with your workouts, however. I suspect you're looking great! You might want to ignore the scale.

rachelhohenbrink

You need to be eating every 3 hours. Also you need to change your routine on a regular basis. Your body adjusts to the same routine. If you don't eat every 3 hours your metabolism is not going to keep humming along. Also you should try doing a calorie zig zag. You not eating breakfast is really bad for your metabolism.

http://www.freedieting.com/tools/calorie_calculator.htm

I don't know what your food diary looks like so this is the best advice I have. If you are keeping in line with the fat , sugar & carb intake and doing good exercise you should loose the weight/fat.

stormieweather

I read every post and looked at your diary.

From experience, I would tend to think that you are NOT actually eating at a deficit. Weigh, measure and log every bite you put into your mouth. Double check your activity level settings on MFP (active, lightly active, sedentary, etc.) . Overestimate the cheats if you don't have actual numbers.

Your workouts seem ok, all the busy advice about when to eat, and what macros, etc. aren't as important as how MUCH you are eating.

To lose 1 pound a week, you need 3500 deficit, cumulatively, for the week. It is useless to have a 500 per day deficit and then blow it all on a 4000 calorie excess come Friday night out with the guys having beer and pizza.

Good luck!

Stormie

Bentley2718

Diet is sort of OK. I indulge a little here and there but usually I'm not too bad.

Breakfast: I don't usually have anything. I know I should but I'm never up early enough to have time before work.

Lunch: Usually have a couple of wraps with tuna mayo (light mayo). Maybe snack on some fruit during the day too.

Dinner: Straight from work I go to the gym, then afterwards I go home and usually grab a sandwich while the GF cooks a dinner. Something out of a jar usually, as we're not very domesticated.

I could be doing a lot better for dinners, but the way I see it I can afford to go off the rails a bit by dinnertime as I've only had about 700-900 cals for the day at that point so I've got plenty to spare.

If you're not consciously restricting calories, your body will naturally try to maintain your body weight by eating more when you exercise.

Di3012

I've been working out now since September. I go to the gym at the very least 3 times a week, usually 4 or 5 times, sometimes even more.

I spend most of my time lifting weights via the smith machines, doing medium weight for a medium amount of sets/reps (around 3 sets of 15 reps, with a weight to match that). I do these in a circuit with minimal rest inbetween to keep my heart rate high and my blood pumping.

I also do some cardio (though perhaps not as much as I should, but at least 15 minutes per gym session). Mostly I do this in interval training, so I'll sprint for a minute then jog/powerwalk for 2 mins, or do the equivalent on the bike.

From everything I read in Men's Health every month, as far as I can tell this is an almost perfect workout regime for fat loss. It's designed from the ground up to not only burn calories in the gym, but also get the metabolism boosted through resistance work to keep burning calories over the next 48 hours. It's pretty much in keeping with all the latest research I think

Why am I not losing weight? I've gone from 227lbs to 244lbs in that 3 months. I've gained 17lbs.

I'm well aware that of course muscle is heavier than fat so all the resistance work I'm doing has led to me gaining muscle and therefore gaining weight. Of the 17lbs I've gained, I expect that around 14lbs of it is muscle weight, and the extra 3lbs is a little Christmas weight that I'll lose pretty quickly now my eating/drinking habits have returned to normal (after an indulgent Christrmas period).

But nonetheless, aside from gaining muscle weight I should be losing fat. I'm not. So I suppose my initial question of 'why am I not losing weight' should actually be 'why am I not losing fat?'.

My body fat percentage according to some Weight Watchers scales (which, for the sake of my manhood, I will claim are the property of my girlfriend) put me at 28%, which hasn't budged throughout.

Can anybody help?

Watch your food.

I just looked at your diary, it consists of much whey protein. Then you have lots of bread, spread and other stuff high in carbs. Why do you not have chicken, fish, vegetables, fruit and other real food in there?

To burn off fat, you also need to have a deficit in your calories. Calories in versus calories out, so that your body has to burn fat for energy.

Unless you are veggie?

vjrose

http://www.onemorebite-weightloss.com/muscle-to-fat.html

Ok, as a scientist I can't let this myth perpetuate, MUSCLE DOES NOT WEIGH MORE THAN FAT. 1 lb is 1 lb. Density however is the key, muscle is more dense per pound than fat. So, if you are building muscle on a special diet for that then perhaps you are gaining muscle. However, if you have been working out frequently and eating a poor quality diet for fitness then perhaps you have sent your body into what I prefer to call Conservation Mode, others call this starvation mode but most of us aren't going to starve, lol. However when you are active and eat little or not really good calories your body will go into a mode where it conserves every calorie since it is programmed to react that way as if there is a shortage of good calories available. Hence, you gain instead of lose. You need to rethink the process, reexamine your diet and then match your diet up to your activity level. Approach yourself and your issue as a problem that has not had a good answer, time for a real answer. This mode doesn't happen overnight it takes awhile but if you've been doing this since September it is likely that is where you are at.
The link above has a graphic picture of fat vs muscle volume. That is the key.

MrsLawsonNavyBrat2B

muscle DOES NOT weight MORE than fat!!! 1lb of fat is THE SAME as 1lb as 1lb of muscle. NOW, I do believe that your muscle weight IS REPLACING your fat weight....which is GOOD.

TAKE MEASUREMENTS!!! I have not lost a lot of lbs BUT i have lost 8 inches in the past month!!! So take your measurements bc THAT is where you will see the BIGGEST DIFFERENCE!!!!

chevy88grl

Dont forget muscle weights more than fat so it could be down to that.

Muscle DOES NOT weigh more than fat!

sheryllamb72

Muscle weighs more than fat......maybe you should go by how you feel/look, rather than what you weigh?? =0)

KC5ZRQ

You're consuming 2371 calories per day! This is why you are gaining weight.

Debbe2

Losing weight begins with our food intake. You need to be in a calorie deficit. Look back over your food diary and see where you could possibly tweak it. Good luck!

chevy88grl

Here's what I noticed from your diary:

Out of the days I looked at (back to something like Tuesday?) -- you were over on your daily calories every single day. If you want to lose weight, you MUST be in a deficit. Also, I noticed you consume 3-4 protein shakes a day. While these are okay, I don't think having 3-4 a day is a good idea. I would focus on trying to consume some food (lean meats, veggies, etc) vs filling up on shakes.

I think you need to do a serious re-evaluation. Look up your BMR, look up your TDEE and figure out a deficit off the TDEE. I won't say it isn't possible to lose weight while consuming the amount of calories you're consuming (I can lose consuming 2100-2200 net calories, so it is possible). I think you need to take a step back and do some serious re-evaluation of your entire "program".

Going to the gym and working out is great, but if you aren't properly fueling your body? You won't make any progress.

Hkeemom

you really need to eat breakfast.. even if its like protein bar, shake, oatmeal. or even dry cereal on the way to work. try to make something night before if you are on the go. Try to eat fiber foods because that will make you "fuller" and definitely snack in between meals. You have to eat to keep your metabolism going. Great job on the workouts, by the way!!
Also, you need to watch how many calories you are taking in. You can try to decrease your intake by 500 for a month to see if it makes any difference.

I am working with a health coach so some suggestions are what I have learned from her, AND, agree with what others say. go by how you feel, look, any change in clothes fitting and if you are losing inches.

Good luck!

MrsLawsonNavyBrat2B

Muscle DOES NOT weigh more than fat!!! How can 5lbs of muscle weigh more than 5lbs of fat? Fat is thicker than muscle but does not weigh more!! That is an old myth!!

5 lbs of ANYTHING weighs the same as 5 lbs of ANYTHING ELSE! What a maroon!!!! Try weighing 1 cubic inch of fat vs 1 cubic inch of muscle and you will see that muscle weighs more.

THAT ONLY PROVES THAT MUSCLE IS MORE DENSE THAT FAT!!! It does not WEIGH MORE only TAKES UP LESS SPACE!!! Again, this is why it is important to keep track of inches, not just lbs. BEFORE you call someone a MAROON you should THINK about what you are saying

Di3012

The piccie in this link shows muscle and fat, sitting side by side. Both weigh exactly the same weight, however, as you will see, the SIZES are different.

Now, if both pieces of tissue were exactly the same size, their weights would be different, the muscle would weight more.

I think this is what people are trying to get across.

http://www.onemorebite-weightloss.com/muscle-to-fat.html

MrsLawsonNavyBrat2B

I agree with you. I just do not approve of the previous girl calling another person a maroon bc of what they were saying, even tho the person before her had been correct.

mikeyrp

If I read the 'Muscle weighs more than Fat' debate one more time I will be forced to burn my eyes out with hot coals. (I hear they are low calorie if anyone wants them afterwards)

crunchybubblez

You're not eating enough calories, and you need to put a lot more fresh produce in
your diet. Like much on some organic carrots, celery, apple, banana, grapes...
Eat fruit for breakfast office you want, but you need to eat breakfast.
If you don't eat your metabolism will slow down.
When you're not eating a net of at least 1,200 cals a day, when you do indulge a little here and there
your body will pack it on for safe keeping.
Found out that's why I gained so much weight...
Hope that helps.

crunchybubblez

Muscle DOES NOT weigh more than fat!!! How can 5lbs of muscle weigh more than 5lbs of fat? Fat is thicker than muscle but does not weigh more!! That is an old myth!!

5 lbs of ANYTHING weighs the same as 5 lbs of ANYTHING ELSE! What a maroon!!!! Try weighing 1 cubic inch of fat vs 1 cubic inch of muscle and you will see that muscle weighs more.

THAT ONLY PROVES THAT MUSCLE IS MORE DENSE THAT FAT!!! It does not WEIGH MORE only TAKES UP LESS SPACE!!! Again, this is why it is important to keep track of inches, not just lbs. BEFORE you call someone a MAROON you should THINK about what you are saying

That's like saying bricks aren't heavier than feathers.
Give me a break!

crunchybubblez

If I read the 'Muscle weighs more than Fat' debate one more time I will be forced to burn my eyes out with hot coals. (I hear they are low calorie if anyone wants them afterwards)

Thank you!
It seems like the people that keep hashing it up are over compensating for something...
So how 'bout them Broncos...

crunchybubblez

You're consuming 2371 calories per day! This is why you are gaining weight.

Ok, I retract my previous statement.
Less calories, more produce.

david_swinstead

People in this thread keep saying I'm eating too many calories but I only eat 2000+ because I'm eating back my exercise calories, which is what everyone says I'm supposed to do.

My MFP target is 1710, and I usually burn off anywhere from 300-800 calories a day at the gym, which is why my calorie intake is high after eating back the exercise calories (or at least some of them).

So I can't get my head around the advice. Is eating that many calories ok (as long as it's exercise cals) or should I be cutting down? Seems like everyone is contradicting everyone else. I'm honestly starting to wonder how seriously to take advice on here, and how many people are just making it up as they go along

Helloitsdan

Dont read mens health?
They only want you to buy supplements!

Stay off the smith machine so you can trigger better growth from muscles doing deadlits, squats and any other compound lifts.
Work within a 5-8 rep 2 set routine.

david_swinstead

Dont read mens health?
They only want you to buy supplements!

Stay off the smith machine so you can trigger better growth from muscles doing deadlits, squats and any other compound lifts.
Work within a 5-8 rep 2 set routine.

I wish I could! The free weights area of my gym is always rammed

deedermooney

Eating all of your calories is the most important thing. I remember when I was on Weight Watchers and there would be people not losing because they were not eating all of their points(calories). We have that number for a reason and if you don't eat them there will be nothing to burn off when you work out.

tigersword

People in this thread keep saying I'm eating too many calories but I only eat 2000+ because I'm eating back my exercise calories, which is what everyone says I'm supposed to do.

My MFP target is 1710, and I usually burn off anywhere from 300-800 calories a day at the gym, which is why my calorie intake is high after eating back the exercise calories (or at least some of them).

So I can't get my head around the advice. Is eating that many calories ok (as long as it's exercise cals) or should I be cutting down? Seems like everyone is contradicting everyone else. I'm honestly starting to wonder how seriously to take advice on here, and how many people are just making it up as they go along

Where are you getting the calorie burn numbers from? How do you know they are accurate?

mikeyrp

OK, lets try and give you some good advice

Looking at your diary I have the following facts:

1) You haven't historically tracked all of your food and exercise
- Although you did from Jan to May 2011: were you more successful in this period?
2) Some of the exercise calories seem on the high side
- I normally estimate 220 cals per hr doing weights and you have nearer 330
- Running at 12 minute miles*, I estimate 600 cals per hour, you have about 900
- I know you weigh more than I do now, but you're only a short way off my starting weight
3) I have no reason to believe you have any sort of medical condition causing unusual patterns of weight loss or gain

* Normally I run faster than this - between 8 and 9 minute miles - thats about 850 cals per hour.

Conclusions:

1) Logging food
My best guess is that you have been estimating the calories you have been consuming during the period you haven't been logging. And probably, you are making mistakes.

Like many of us who have spent some time on here, There is a good chance that you started to estimate the weights based on experience - I did a test this lunchtime and put what I thought was a 100g portion of oven chips on a plate - then weighed it... 120g. Not enough out to be a big problem, but proof that its hard to guess - and over time this adds up.

Add to that the lack of accountability if you don't track it properly, plus the fact you cant look back at a whole week very easily to see what the net impact would have been (100 cals over one day is fine, 100 cals over every day = weight gain)

2) Logging exercise
I believe you are over estimating the amount of calories burned - can I check what you use as your source data for this?


I do not believe that your weight/fat gain is due to your choice of work outs - however it is my personal belief that if you want to loose fat quickly its better to do CV - simply because it burns more calories per hour!

I would be tempted to say that with your current choice of work out you don't need to eat back your exercise calories - this will never take you under 1200 calories net and will be fine from a health perspective as long as you keep eating a balanced diet. If you decide to do this then pay careful attention to how you feel. Being hungry isn't a problem but feeling sluggish or run down is - that's a sign your body needs more fuel: you are going to have to experiment to see how it goes.


Suggest you re-read the whole thread, make a decision about which, if any changes to make - let us know then revisit the whole thing in a couple of weeks time with a progress report.

stormieweather

What ^ he ^ said...plus your cheat meals.

And are you absolutely sure on those exercise burns? I found out I'm not even close to burning the 500 calories the machines and MFP said I did. It's more like 200-250 for me. That demolished my supposed deficit.