How to still lose weight whilst exercising?

bea10989

ahhhh
i'm 22 5'3 and 140-138lbs (depending on time of day)
i eat a healthy 12-1400 cals a day and workout 4-5 times a week with biking, running, jumping rope, and lifting. i've been the same weight for the last 4 years and can't seem to lose anything but motivation.

any suggestions... i'm open to anything

bcattoes

Depending on how much you have to lose, .5 to .75 lbs per week is not bad. In fact, it's pretty great if you are losing inches at the same time. You are likely losing more slowly because you are not losing as much muscle now as before you started the strength training, and despite all the silly arguements about it on here, muscle really does weigh more (i.e. is heavier) than fat.

If you want to lose weight more quickly, stop working your muscles so hard and you'll lose some of them too which will show a greater weight loss on the scale. Otherwise keep up the good work and rejoice in the tape measure losses and don't even step on the scale.

CnocNaCu

I'm in the same boat with you . Am exercising every day (otherwise sedentary) and eat a pretty healthy diet, low cholesterol, low fat, low sodium. My weight loss went to 0=ZERO the last few weeks, just since I've upped exercise. I've tried to stick to a 40-40-30 (Protein-Carbs-Fat) ratio, drink a lot of water or herbal teas....NOTHING! Yes, I've lost 1 inch during the last 2 weeks but not a single pound. I thought, maybe it's water retention because the more you exercise the more glycogen your body has to store and in order to do that it needs water. But I'm not sure. Waiting for other posters/opinions

The OP's diary is closed, but yours is not.
You are not eating enough - deficits too high.
It looks like you're not eating your exercise calories back. That will stifle progress every time.
MFP determined our total daily calorie goal that DOES NOT include exercise to lose 1 pound [recommended].
And after we complete an exercise and log it in, our daily calorie limit increases.

This is because MFP advising us to eat back those exercise calories.
Large deficits are not recommended, because while you will lose weight, what's the quality of the weight loss?
In that healthy?
What happens is decreased lean body mass - MUSCLE - which LOWERS metabolic rate, making weight loss even harder.

The quick loss, low-calorie diets may do wonders on the front end, but once the diet is over, you have a body that burns calories more slowly -- and you gain weight.
Think long term, and be wise.
Exercise intensely, but eat back the calories.
The exercise will RAISE your metabolism and burn more fat at rest.

Thank you very much for your honest opinion. I 've opened my diary so that people can see..if I'm doing anything wrong, dietwise. I thought that not only the number (calories) is important but also WHAT I eat. I don't eat processed food and always make sure I meet the vit and min targets. But you might be right: I'm not eating enough. What about my age? Do I have to take that into my calculations? I thought I better eat less because I'm not a 20-something any more :blushing:
Ok, I have decided: I will up my calories and give myself 4 weeks. Should I gain weight then I will stop this experiment. I'll keep you posted:flowerforyou:

inge88

Thank you very much for your honest opinion. I 've opened my diary so that people can see..if I'm doing anything wrong, dietwise. I thought that not only the number (calories) is important but also WHAT I eat. I don't eat processed food and always make sure I meet the vit and min targets. But you might be right: I'm not eating enough. What about my age? Do I have to take that into my calculations? I thought I better eat less because I'm not a 20-something any more :blushing:
Ok, I have decided: I will up my calories and give myself 4 weeks. Should I gain weight then I will stop this experiment. I'll keep you posted:flowerforyou:

Good luck to you! Good idea to stick with it for 4 weeks - you are likely to see a little gain in the first 1-2 weeks, but after that it will come off twice as fast! There is a great thread on the forum about eating more to lose more, in case you're interested in other people's experiences:

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/395881-people-who-lost-weight-eating-more

Pebble321

I can understand that's it's frustrating, but if my maths are right you've lost 5 pounds in four weeks PLUS youve lost inches.
It sounds to me as though you are doing a great job, if you keep it up you'll be looking even more fabulous soon

For me, the best thing has been to chart my weight loss monthly - then it is much easier to see the trend and the numbers have more significance. But, it takes patience and persistence!