Weight Loss - Not Working? :(

whiplash2411

Hey guys,

I'm somewhat new here. I started going on a calorie conscious diet January 1st, and have been working out every day since then. I usually do total muscle conditioning workouts two times a week and cardio and core workouts the other five days. However, since I started, I've barely noticed any weight loss. I feel like I'm getting more fit but I'm just afraid my calorie goals might be too low?

My BMR is shown as 1940 and MFP set me at 1330 calories for losing 1.5lbs/week. When I exercise, I add those calories to my diet, and I'm never under the goal by more than, say, a 100 calories. I definitely make sure I don't go under 1200 a day, but I am not seeing any weight loss. This is kind of disappointing, but I'm not gonna give up. Just wanted to throw it out here to see if you guys had similar experiences?

Much appreciated, thanks!

ILiftHeavyAcrylics

Do you mind opening your diary? Also what's your BMR? Have you been measuring or just weighing?

mallory3411

Eat your exercise calories. Are you actually measuring out all your food to get proper portions? Drinking enough water? Eating too much sodium? So many reasons for weight not changing.

Take measurements... sometimes those go down when the scale won't. Are you only eating 1200 calories per day? If so eat more!

whiplash2411

I am not sure how to open my diary. To add a bit of context, I have a meal plan in my college, and I am vegetarian, so I have to manage with the few options they have here. I try to eat healthy, but I think my sodium intake might be on the higher side.

I eat my exercise calories. Usually what goes into my calorie count is what's printed as serving size and calorie per serving at the nutritional information cards that go with the food at the dining commons. Drink at least two to three Aquafina bottles worth of water a day. I eat roughly 1330 calories a day, sometimes more but never under 1200. My AMR is 1940, according to MFP.

And no, I haven't been measuring.

whiplash2411

Also, I just made my food diary public.

mallory3411

Might be a good thing to start measuring yourself and the portions you eat.

Unless the things you get are pre-measured single portion packages with the information on them measure! What you think is a serving size is usually larger than it actually is. Pay attention to serving sizes listed on packages items. For example, 500mL carton of chocolate milk actually contains TWO serviings per carton. Keep a stash of fresh fruits and veggies in your room for snacks and to add to what the dining hall is providing. Two - three bottles of what size of water? You are probably not drinking enough.

jc1229

I'm having the same problem... I haven't lost any weight for over a month and half and its getting frustrating. I did get a hrm the other week and realized that mfp had my calories burnt from exercising a lot higher than the hrm. I thought after I got this all straightened out that the weight would start coming off, but its not happening yet. I've even been playing with the amount of calories I eat a day...lowering them for one week and even raising them for one week, eatting my exercise calories back. Not eatting them back. Still nothing, aagghhh! I did order a book today on amazon called "spike diet" where you eat a certain amount of calories all week and then you have one day during that week that you kind of pig out on. I've seen some post on this website about it, so figured what do I have to lose.

mallory3411

whiplash - I looked at your food diary and you are no where near getting proper nutrition. You seem to barely eat in a day based on what is currently in your food tracker. You really need to be eating more fruits and vegetables... I rarely saw any in your diary.. no fruits at all over the past few days in fact. That could be your problem.

crudd123

The only thing I can see is to give up Starbucks or get the skinny version so it's lower calories! Also switch to diet Dr. Pepper instead of regular! That might help! Try to eat more vegetables and fruit if you can! Good luck to you!

whiplash2411

Might be a good thing to start measuring yourself and the portions you eat.

Unless the things you get are pre-measured single portion packages with the information on them measure! What you think is a serving size is usually larger than it actually is. Pay attention to serving sizes listed on packages items. For example, 500mL carton of chocolate milk actually contains TWO serviings per carton. Keep a stash of fresh fruits and veggies in your room for snacks and to add to what the dining hall is providing. Two - three bottles of what size of water? You are probably not drinking enough.

No, they're not pre-packaged portions, but the people who serve at the commons usually separate the food out into portions based on the serving sizes listed and we just pick up a plate usually. How would you suggest measuring serving sizes? It's about 3 20oz bottles maybe? With respect to the fruits, I usually get a serving of fruits every day, but I just don't log them because I wasn't sure what the calories would be (they weren't listed and I wasn't sure if searching would be a good idea). Would you suggest having one big meal and then having fruits and veggies as snacks throughout the day?

cktylr1

Hello. I must say I am right there with you. I been at it for three weeks and I do not see anything as well. I feel my calories is to high that they got my on. My weight go from 250 to 248 or back up. And I am working out at least 3 times a week and I bowl 3 times a week. So I am getting my exercise in so what is the problem? I feel I need to take my cals down to 1500. What do you think?

meanness67

I had the same problem and this week decided to stop eating potatoes, rice or bread with dinner. I dropped 5 pounds this week after the scale not moving for over a month. I still eat these things, I just have them earlier in the day. Dinner is usually salad and veggies with chicken breast or some other meat source.

Kilotango55

I have to say that looking at your diary your diet is not too healthy!! I'm sure if you got your carbs from more veggies and ate some lean protein like Quorn you might notice a difference. Don't think your body is getting what it needs....so is hanging on to what it gets!

Darlis

No, they're not pre-packaged portions, but the people who serve at the commons usually separate the food out into portions based on the serving sizes listed and we just pick up a plate usually. How would you suggest measuring serving sizes? It's about 3 20oz bottles maybe? With respect to the fruits, I usually get a serving of fruits every day, but I just don't log them because I wasn't sure what the calories would be (they weren't listed and I wasn't sure if searching would be a good idea). Would you suggest having one big meal and then having fruits and veggies as snacks throughout the day?

If you aren't logging every bite that goes in your mouth then you aren't staying within calorie guidelines. You need to search the database for that fruit, it contains more calories than you might think. Your best bet it to spread those calories out throughout the day. My avg meal is about 300-400 calories, and then low calories snacks in between.

whiplash2411

I try to incorporate foods that have vegetables as much as I can but being vegetarian makes it harder. I will have to cut down on the potatoes and try to eat a less heavy dinner hereon, I think.

ironanimal

From looking at your diet, nearly everything was processed. I didn't see anything made fresh by your own fair hand in there, so it's safe to assume there's a tonne of sodium in your diet that you don't need. Try and get some more of your nutrition from fresh fruit and veg, beans, lentils, nuts etc.

My other suggestion is to try and rebalance your intake so that you're eating a larger portion of your calories earlier in the day - your system works more slowly in the evening, so eating more than 40% of your calories in your evening meal isn't ideal.

whiplash2411

From looking at your diet, nearly everything was processed. I didn't see anything made fresh by your own fair hand in there, so it's safe to assume there's a tonne of sodium in your diet that you don't need. Try and get some more of your nutrition from fresh fruit and veg, beans, lentils, nuts etc.

My other suggestion is to try and rebalance your intake so that you're eating a larger portion of your calories earlier in the day - your system works more slowly in the evening, so eating more than 40% of your calories in your evening meal isn't ideal.

I live in the dorms and we don't have a kitchen, so I pretty much have to rely on pre-cooked food. The closest I can get to eating non-packaged food is when I eat at restaurants/have food at the commons, but that's not a great substitute either. I am definitely going to eat lesser calories during dinner time and start balancing my diet more, and I'll try to incorporate more vegetables and nuts into my meals hereon.

Thanks for the suggestion!

whiplash2411

No, they're not pre-packaged portions, but the people who serve at the commons usually separate the food out into portions based on the serving sizes listed and we just pick up a plate usually. How would you suggest measuring serving sizes? It's about 3 20oz bottles maybe? With respect to the fruits, I usually get a serving of fruits every day, but I just don't log them because I wasn't sure what the calories would be (they weren't listed and I wasn't sure if searching would be a good idea). Would you suggest having one big meal and then having fruits and veggies as snacks throughout the day?

If you aren't logging every bite that goes in your mouth then you aren't staying within calorie guidelines. You need to search the database for that fruit, it contains more calories than you might think. Your best bet it to spread those calories out throughout the day. My avg meal is about 300-400 calories, and then low calories snacks in between.

I'll definitely take this into account. I am kind of new here and it's taken me a while to figure out what's going on. Thanks for the suggestion!!

Nana_Booboo

1330 calories is what you should be eating on "non-exercise" days. If you're exercising you should be eating well over 1200.

Eat healthy

eat less processed

but do eat

and it will work. Don't give up, you're hard work will show up in the end.

whiplash2411

From looking at your diet, nearly everything was processed. I didn't see anything made fresh by your own fair hand in there, so it's safe to assume there's a tonne of sodium in your diet that you don't need. Try and get some more of your nutrition from fresh fruit and veg, beans, lentils, nuts etc.

My other suggestion is to try and rebalance your intake so that you're eating a larger portion of your calories earlier in the day - your system works more slowly in the evening, so eating more than 40% of your calories in your evening meal isn't ideal.

I live in the dorms and we don't have a kitchen, so I pretty much have to rely on pre-cooked food. The closest I can get to eating non-packaged food is when I eat at restaurants/have food at the commons, but that's not a great substitute either. I am definitely going to eat lesser calories during dinner time and start balancing my diet more, and I'll try to incorporate more vegetables and nuts into my meals hereon.

Thanks for the suggestion!

Being overweight is the greater health risk when compared to food consumption. My view is, get down the weight first then work on cleaning up your diet. If you have a specific diet like "low carb" or "low sugar" or vegan/vegeterian, you can mess up 2 wys, by not sticking to the dietary guideline and over eating. If your main focus is staying under your calories, you can only mess up 1 way. Over eating. make it easy on yourself, focus on calories and clean up your diet later.

Now here is what we need to know to help you, what is your AMR(Go up to Goals and click on it. See where it says "Calories burned through daily activity" What does it say? I also need to know how many calories you're currently eating on average.

So what is your AMR(calories burned through daily activity)?
How many calories are you currently consuming?

My Goals Tab says that my AMR is 1940 calories per day. MFP recommends I eat 1330 calories per day to lose approximately 1.5lbs per week and I usually stick to that amount (mostly slightly lesser by like 50 calories or so, and once in a while, over by 50-100 calories). I also exercise daily and burn around 200-300 calories every day, so I add that to my calorie intake. So I guess I consume approximately 1500-1600 calories, while I burn 200-300 calories.

InvictusPheonix

I have to say that looking at your diary your diet is not too healthy!! I'm sure if you got your carbs from more veggies and ate some lean protein like Quorn you might notice a difference. Don't think your body is getting what it needs....so is hanging on to what it gets!

It's more unhealthy BEING OVER WEIGHT. People shouldn't make radical changes in their diet, that's how failure happens.

I completely disagree with this. Even people of a "healthy weight" can have heart disease and diabetes. Once you start eating healthier options, the weight will come off naturally (aka don't diet, change your lifestyle into something that can last) **aka less processed food**

CarolynB38

If you started 1st Jan then you are losing about 1lb a week (as you have lost 3lb total). That is a good rate to lose weight. You could try upping calories a little but the main thing is the processed stuff. If you could just incorporate a little fruit into your diet it would be healthier. If you do decide to increase your calories a little, make it fruit or raw veggies or something. Even dried fruit is better than no fruit. Perhaps there are better choices of pre-cooked/packaged foods available. It is hard living in dorms where food is concerned but fruit is something you don't have to cook. Just grab the occasional apple or handful of grapes. In an ideal world where you had access to a kitchen you would be able to completely change your diet to a healthy one but you are not in that situation so just do what you can. Little changes can make a big difference.

Carri1

I peeked at your diary too...and I saw lots of junk foods and you are over on Carbs alot. If you see it's in the red than you are over.
It's not WHEN you eat...it's WHAT you eat. It's sort of like putting hardly any gas in your car and trying to go on a trip. It can't do it.
Your body need nutrients and what you are eating will keep you alive but you need more. It's a learning process! good luck!

Mom0fTwo

i would also suggest getting a kitchen scale they are really small and it helps a lot with things like fruit and veg that are hard to measure got mine of ebay for $20 incl the shipping, BEST THING EVER!!! it really sucks that when you live in dorms that make you buy a meal plan, i remember when i was in school i considered dorms, they wanted 4k for dorm and 4k for food per year, i did the math and found that i could rent a 2 bed with my friend and spend 350/month and i was spending about 200/month on food all tolled came to 6600, i know this is about food but it would suck to have to pay for food twice also saving 1400/year is pretty awesome

TamsinEllis

I don't know much about this sort of stuff, but I would suggest tracking your sugar and sodium intake along with what you already track, since (like someone else has said) you eat a lot of pre-packaged food (something you can't help) which most likely is filled with sodium which can make you retain water weight, and also you said you eat fruit most days, but I also notice from looking through your diary you eat brownies and waffles, pancakes, dr pepper and starbucks, which you might find are making you very high over your suggested sugar intake, I'm not sure (since I don't study nutrition) but I think having too much sugar will hinder your weight-loss too. Oh and you eat a lot of pasta, I'm guessing because you're vegetarian it's one of the only options served, and you go over on your carbohydrates quite a bit too which - once again I am speculating - would hinder your weight-loss as well.

Edit: In case you don't know how to change what is shown in the food diary, click on Food tab, then settings and you should be able to see when to do from there

whiplash2411

My Goals Tab says that my AMR is 1940 calories per day. MFP recommends I eat 1330 calories per day to lose approximately 1.5lbs per week and I usually stick to that amount (mostly slightly lesser by like 50 calories or so, and once in a while, over by 50-100 calories). I also exercise daily and burn around 200-300 calories every day, so I add that to my calorie intake. So I guess I consume approximately 1500-1600 calories, while I burn 200-300 calories.

Okay MFP is dead wrong about that thing. I wrote a topic about it. the thing A calorie deficit should beat 15-20%. If it's greater than 20%, you will lose muscle mass, and from a hormonal perspective, it will slow down your thyroid slowing down your metabolism even more. So you have 2 things working against you when your calorie intake is to low.

If your AMR = 1950 calories.
and you're eating 1350 calories.

That's a 31% deficit, THIS IS HUGE, you're suffering from a slowed metabolic rate due to consuming too low calories, and possible loss of muscle mass.

To do a 20% deficit you should eat 1550 calories. This is where it works against you being a woman. Women are smaller, have less muscle mass and burn less calories. With this deficit you have reduced your calorie intake by 360 calories,. It should take you about 10 days to lose 1lbs of fat. YOU CAN do "LOW INTENSITY" cardio and burn about 250 calories, with out eating your exercise calories which will help speed it up. The reason I said low intensity cardio is because most of the calories come from fat, and it doesn't use much glycogen(sugar in the muscle). So you can workout everyday, and recover very easily. You don't need food to burn fat on low intensity exercise.

If you do high intensity exercise, it will burn up glycogen(sugar) and you will need to replace that with diet(eat more calories).

Okay, so you suggest increasing my calorie intake to 1500 calories and then doing low intensity cardio for about 250 calories? Would cycling at a moderate pace count as low intensity cardio? I will try to get a kitchen sink and I'll definitely replace some of my carbs and sugar intake with more natural foods like fruit and vegetables. Thank you!

mallory3411

Try keeping a supply of fruits and veggies in your dorm room. A lot of things will be okay at room temp for a short while if you don't have access to a fridge. Does your dorm room have a fridge? If so, stock it with fruits, veggies, yogurt etc based on your likes with being a vegetarian. That way you'll be less likely to eat out and over eat on the other things.

MFP has fruits and veggies in the food tracker to track their calories. Some are high in carbs and sugars so it's always a benefit to track those.

Good luck with it. If it's too much change too quickly try focusing on one thing per week to change and than add something else that you've changed the following week and so on.

Track your sodium intake like another poster had suggested... you can easily change that under setting under the food tab I believe. You tend to consume, based on your current entries in you diary, an awful lot of sodium. Try to drink a bit more water too.