Why do I lose more weight just dieting rather than combined

hofficoffi

So far I lost 50+lbs by myself just dieting, no exercise really and the weight came off really easily. Now I have around 30lbs to lose I am working my *kitten* off exercise wise and trying to eat as healthily as possible. Yea ive had a few slip ups but nothing major, but I still work out every day. A mixture of strength and cardio and have a rest day yet the weight loss is really slow.
Now i'm not complaining I am happy with a loss and i'm currently losing 2lbs a week but can someone explain to me why when I 'diet' I lose weight so much faster? It just doesn't make any sense to me.
I did kinda get disheartened today stepping on the scales and seeing i've 'only' lost 2lbs but then I got myself together and realised i'm in this for the long haul and its going to take me ages to get to goal.
But if anyone could shed some light i'd be really grateful!
D xxx

alyson820

It could be because you're gaining muscle mass when you're working out. So you can be losing fat, but the added muscle is making it appear as though your weight loss has slowed.

kent4j

Bump

drivermarshy

It's because building muscle as well as burning fat. I had. PT assessment the other week and lost 3kgs of fat, gained 2nd muscle hence only a 1kg scale loss but many many inches. Stick with it

MaggieMay131

To be honest you probably aren't "gaining" muscle unless you're lifting really heavy and eating over maintenance calories.

That being said, you do tend to retain water when your muscles are hard at work repairing after a workout. Also, many people tend to overestimate the amount of calories they burn, and then eat too much back after workouts.

Just keep doing what you're doing, keep track of your food extra well (measure portions, etc.) and don't overestimate your workouts. Drink LOTS of water! YOu will be fine! 2 lbs a week is a great loss.

thatsnumberwang

Also, weight comes off a lot slower as you get closer to your goal, regardless of how much you're exercising.

peacek

It is easy to lose pounds initially and it gets tough as it gets close to your goal weight.
Also, people tend to eat more when they workout.
Many of us under-estimate what we eat and over-estimates what we burn.
Try the reverse and see if it works.:grumble:

deeannhill

Two pounds a week is not slow going. That rate of loss is very difficult to maintain for any long period of time. Look at the percentage of weight loss instead of the actual number.

(you've lost 50# so run with this)
1% of 230# is 2.3#
1% of 180# is 1.8#

The lower you go, the slower it'll get. Plus, you're adding muscle with the weights. Definition is so much better when it's not covered with a layer of insulation!

Don't despair, you're on the right track.

hofficoffi

Thanks guys. I do tend to retain water sometimes and my muscles have been very sore recently from doing the shred so I will up my water intake. I have a HRM but I don't know how accurate it is so I try not to eat any more than 50% of my exercise cals back, and only then if i'm really hungry. I was naughty today though and was craving sweet things so let a few treats into my mouth! eek! Never mind, an hour long bike ride tomorrow should reverse some of that damage! lol

Thanks again
xxx

fatty_to_fitty

Get some scales that measure fat and water %

If you are closer to your goal weight it slows down. Join some new groups on the forum for people in the same position.

toffee322

i heard that poeple always lose more at the beginning.. how that you start exercising, it'll actually firm your body.. and build some muscles which is great.. sometimes the number on the scale is not that important, as long as you feel you are leaner and healthier.. and 2 lbs/week.. i'm jealous!!!!!

SmallerBecky

^^^ That! It could also be that now you are burning way more calories with exercise but still eating the same amount, so now your body is going into "starvation mode," trying to hang onto what it has. It could also be that while you were JUST dieting (eating at a calorie deficit), you actually made your metabolism slow down (again, a starvation mode thing) so now it's a little sluggish...BUT it will get better now that you're working out, especially if you're doing some weight training! You may actually need to eat more calories! Give it about a month to work itself out. I recommend working out WITH diet over JUST diet any day!

TeaBea

The less amount of weight you have to lose - the slower the weight comes off. Bigger people burn more calories than little people. As you get really close to your goal - you might even slow down to losing 1/2 pound a week.

Exercise is good for soooooooo many reasons. Keep up the good work. You want a slim AND toned body, not small (but jiggly).

orodee

bump

deksgrl

Did you recalculate and adjust your caloric needs to your new weight and activity levels?

hofficoffi

Did you recalculate and adjust your caloric needs to your new weight and activity levels?

Yea I did hun, MFP wants me to eat 1200 with no exercise, but sometimes I burn around 800 cals and there's no way I could eat all those back i'd be eating every five minutes!! xx

deksgrl

Well, MFP sets you lower than you maybe need to be. Search around the web for some different calculators for figuring BMR and TDEE. You might find you should be eating more.