I can't lose!!!

tlwsmith

Help!!! I've been sticking to my calorie goal, exercising HARD, and not eating my extra exercise calories. Yet I cannot seem to lose any appreciable weight. Any ideas/suggestions?

mrsgoodwine

You may not be eating enough. Try eating back your exercise calories. It worked for me.

Lynda4aska

me either !!! i have read so many messages about it, people say to eat back your calories you earned with exercise, but doesn't that kind of defeat the purpose of exercising???
I am getting a bit discouraged with my lack of loss, that's for sure !

akintscher

Green Tea! This stuff is key. I drink it about three times a day which has definetly helped me.
I also drink this green tea diet stuff called green tea hawaii which is amazing!

SoulNeedsBeauty

if you could open your diary for us, that would be helpful

stevwil41

me either !!! i have read so many messages about it, people say to eat back your calories you earned with exercise, but doesn't that kind of defeat the purpose of exercising???
I am getting a bit discouraged with my lack of loss, that's for sure !

You should already be at a calorie deficit so if you're set to lose 1 lb/week (for instance) and you eat all of your exercise calories back then you should still lose 1 lb/week.

stevwil41

stupid double post

rachf2013

me either !!! i have read so many messages about it, people say to eat back your calories you earned with exercise, but doesn't that kind of defeat the purpose of exercising???
I am getting a bit discouraged with my lack of loss, that's for sure !

It does seem counter-intuitive, but its true. If you are not eating enough then your body will refuse to give up any pounds. The reason is because your body knows how much nutrients it needs and if its not getting all that, then its going to go into starvation mode where it holds on to every pound.
Don't focus on the scales. Focus on your clothes, are they fitting better? Muscle weighs more than fat so if you are exercising a lot you may be gaining muscle mass.
Just listen to your body, eat when you are hungry and dont obsess over the scale

MamaMel71

Have you had your thyroid checked recently? I just had mine done since my sister found out last year she had a problem with hers and low and behold, I have an issue with mine as well. Sometimes also it can be any medications you are on. I was put on new diabetes medication last September and was getting really discouraged like you when I was busting my butt and nothing happened week after week. But then the doc said the medication stopped me from losing. I was not impressed and am now off of it.

tlwsmith

I didn't know you could do that! I'll figure it out and share. Any help/suggestions would be most appreciated. Thanks

tlwsmith

Clothes are definitely fitting better, not where I want to be yet, but definitely better

sblueyez

me either !!! i have read so many messages about it, people say to eat back your calories you earned with exercise, but doesn't that kind of defeat the purpose of exercising???
I am getting a bit discouraged with my lack of loss, that's for sure !

Yes, eat back those exercise calories. Always net your minimum. Mine is 1200. I try to eat at least that much. If I want to eat more I will exercise more.

Please think about exercise as something you're doing for your health rather than your weight. You can probably lose without exercising but your heart, bones, muscles, stress level, cholesterol, A1c (even if not diabetic) will thank you for it. Focus on being healthy rather than losing weight. Eat back those exercise calories. Your body needs healthy fuel!

MaximalLife

Help!!! I've been sticking to my calorie goal, exercising HARD, and not eating my extra exercise calories. Yet I cannot seem to lose any appreciable weight. Any ideas/suggestions?

You're not eating your exercise calories?
BINGO!
You need to eat those calories to fuel the furnace.
MFP has calculated our total calories required each day WITHOUT exercise to lose 1lb per week.
And after we log in our exercises, our calorie limit goes up.
Why?
Because it's telling us to eat our exercise calories.
Large deficits are unhealthy, because while you will lose weight, what's the quality of the weight loss?
In many cases you'll lose lean body mass - MUSCLE - which LOWERS your metabolic rate, making weight loss harder.
Then you have to lower calories even more to compensate, and the cycle continues.
Be smart.
Exercise well both cardio and resistance, and eat back the calories.
The exercise will RAISE your metabolism and burn more fat at rest.

KKRKIM

Where do you get the Green Tea hawaii at?

tlwsmith

I am on thyroid med, but it's time for a recheck. Maybe I do need an adjustment. Thanks

Elizabeth_C34

Please read this: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/470367-tips-for-newbies

DKBelle

What kind of foods you eat? What you eat is 80% important if you are trying to lose weight and only 20 % of working out.

Check out my site where I share what I eat daily with recipes.
I workout 6 times a week and eat healthy daily and I have lost 25lbs already this way.

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Cooking-ideasHomemade-Healthy-Foods/179121125503371?ref=tn_tnmn

JeSuisPrest

It could be several things, but no one can properly help you if we can't see your diary.

eileencorry

Eat back those calories... Its hard to get your head around, but it does work....

Cal28

I'm VERY confused with this whole eat exercise calories...

My BMR (or whatever it is that my body need to just exist) is 1530kcal. We need to burn 3500kcal to lose 1lb, yes? So does that mean its physically impossible for me to loose more than 1.5lb every two weeks?

Also I exercise at night (mostly) so I don't want to eat these calories prior to burning them (just in case I don't go or don't burn as much as usual) So should I really be eating 600-1000kcal+ after 8pm at night? Because it just doesn't seem healthy.

The lady who takes the gym class told me not to eat them all back...unless I was feeling like I really needed to?

I've only been on here 2 1/2 weeks (weigh day is Fri) but only shifted 3lb and that was in the first 3 days...

Elizabeth_C34

I'm VERY confused with this whole eat exercise calories...

My BMR (or whatever it is that my body need to just exist) is 1530kcal. We need to burn 3500kcal to lose 1lb, yes? So does that mean its physically impossible for me to loose more than 1.5lb every two weeks?

Also I exercise at night (mostly) so I don't want to eat these calories prior to burning them (just in case I don't go or don't burn as much as usual) So should I really be eating 600-1000kcal+ after 8pm at night? Because it just doesn't seem healthy.

The lady who takes the gym class told me not to eat them all back...unless I was feeling like I really needed to?

I've only been on here 2 1/2 weeks (weigh day is Fri) but only shifted 3lb and that was in the first 3 days...

You don't want to eat below your BMR. BMR doesn't take into account anything but existing. So all the walking and movements you do during the day are not counted in that number. Your effective burn (without exercise) is called the TDEE (total daily energy expenditure), and depending your activity level, is much higher than your BMR.

MFP's anticipated weight loss (your counter goal of 1, 1.5, or 2 lbs per week when you setup your account) assumes that you eat all your calories back. You body needs food and fuel to get through the day, so eat your workout calories back as much as you can. You will still lose.

Cal28

Thanks for the reply Elizabeth. Still quite confused but sure I'll figure it all out at some point x

ange0628

bump for later

KKRKIM

Green Tea Hawaii? I have never heard of it, where do you buy it?