Starting to think weight loss is just a myth!

missfancy1980

I eat at 1,200 calories, i eat at 3,000 calories, i exercise more, i exercise less.... i still haven't lost any weight (lost 1lb the first week which i'm assuming was water). Starting to think some people are genetically pre-dipositioned to keep weight on no matter what, barring illness/ weight loss surgery. Getting really ticked off with all the posts on here about eating more calories/ eating less/ eating at or below or above BMR. It's all confusing and disheartening and really wish someone would just tell me the magic formula.

UsedToBeHusky

You need to pick a program for yourself and give it some time to let it work. If you increased your calories, then you only did it for like a day or two and that just isn't enough time to see progress.

yesthistime

You just started. Reeeelaaaax.

UsedToBeHusky

If after a couple of weeks of eating more calories, you still don't see a change. Then, I would suggest going to a doctor. There may be a biological reason for it.

srogers01

I can relate to this...I often joke about having a full body scan that tells me exactly what I should eat in order to lose weight. The body is difficult thing to figure out. I love when people tell me to find what works for my body...I have no idea what works for my body! lol!

Krizzle4Rizzle

Are you medically considered overweight? Just curious since you look so toned in ur profile pic. The less you weigh the harder it is to lose.

Phrak

You need to pick a program for yourself and give it some time to let it work. If you increased your calories, then you only did it for like a day or two and that just isn't enough time to see progress.

Was going to ask this, sounds like you have a case of diet and routine ADHD. This constantly changing things will leave you spinning your wheels and getting no where. Pick one and stay with it for an extended period of time like a couple months. Then re-evaluate from there.

Bohohippy

Are you the girl in the Display Picture? If so, your body looks perfect.

Have you tried other plans, slimming world, weight watchers? I sometimes feel the same way hun, I lost 1 stone on SW then stopped losing, Weight Watchers lost nothing and so far have lost 1lb on calories. :S

missfancy1980

You need to pick a program for yourself and give it some time to let it work. If you increased your calories, then you only did it for like a day or two and that just isn't enough time to see progress.

Lol you're probably right. I changed my goals 3 days ago and now trying to eat 1,300 - 1,400. I wish there were a healthy way to lose a lot of weight quickly because i am just crap at sticking to things unless i see quick results. Exercise i'm loving and won't find hard to keep up, sticking to cals isn't that hard either, but trying to eat the RIGHT things is a ball ache, especially when i'm not seeing results.

Are you medically considered overweight? Just curious since you look so toned in ur profile pic. The less you weigh the harder it is to lose.

No I'm about midway on the healthy weight range for my height/ age. I don't have a lot to lose and know it's supposed to be harder for us leaner/ slimmer people, but i've been doing this for a month now and expected to be losing at least 1lb a week. I'm not at all toned.. in that pic i hadn't exercised for 30 years hahaha!!

Krizzle4Rizzle

You need to pick a program for yourself and give it some time to let it work. If you increased your calories, then you only did it for like a day or two and that just isn't enough time to see progress.

Lol you're probably right. I changed my goals 3 days ago and now trying to eat 1,300 - 1,400. I wish there were a healthy way to lose a lot of weight quickly because i am just crap at sticking to things unless i see quick results. Exercise i'm loving and won't find hard to keep up, sticking to cals isn't that hard either, but trying to eat the RIGHT things is a ball ache, especially when i'm not seeing results.

Are you medically considered overweight? Just curious since you look so toned in ur profile pic. The less you weigh the harder it is to lose.

No I'm about midway on the healthy weight range for my height/ age. I don't have a lot to lose and know it's supposed to be harder for us leaner/ slimmer people, but i've been doing this for a month now and expected to be losing at least 1lb a week. I'm not at all toned.. in that pic i hadn't exercised for 30 years hahaha!!

I think you look fantastic.

missfancy1980

Thanks that's nice to know. However, i'm here because i want to lose weight. More specifically, inches off my butt/ thighs so i can fit size 8 (UK) jeans. I am 2 full sizes away from that now and not getting any closer.

heathersmilez

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love4fitnesslove4food_wechange

At 5'6 and 130 you're at a perfectly healthy weight. Perhaps, your body is defending this weight because it's a HEALTHY and DESIRABLE weight for you. I understand that everyone has goals but perhaps eating at maintenance and lifting weights will shape your body and get you closer to looking the way you want.

I don't think getting to 115 pounds is necessarily the answer.

meerkat70

At 5'6 and 130 you're at a perfectly healthy weight. Perhaps, your body is defending this weight because it's a HEALTHY and DESIRABLE weight for you. I understand that everyone has goals but perhaps eating at maintenance and lifting weights will shape your body and get you closer to looking the way you want.

I don't think getting to 115 pounds is necessarily the answer.

This sounds spot on to me. Your body looks great, and you're a perfectly healthy weight. Perhaps it's not so much that weight loss is a myth, as that you do not need to lose weight? Why force your body to give up something you don't have? You're genuinely lovely just as you are.

I can understand, perhaps, wanting to get fitter. But even there, your body looks very well toned, so it's a question of building on what you already have.

Don't bough to stupid pressure to be ultra thin. Skeletal figures look skeletal, not sexy.

missfancy1980

I understand tnat you're trying to be helpful, and i take your comments as a compliment honestly. However, I am here because I want to lose 2 dress sizes and be the size i was before i got lazy and just allowed myself to pig out and not do any exercise. A size 12-14 may look nice to you, but I don't want to be a size 12-14. I feel happy and more attractive at a size 8 - 10.

At age almost 32 I'm well beyond the stage of being influenced by the media or society. I know what looks good "to me", and that's slimmer than I am now. I didn't just become this size through nature... i worked at it by drinking hot chocolate after hot chocolate with marshmallows and cream (my weakness), sometimes up to 5 per day for over a year!!! Among other things of course..

I don't so much care about reaching 115lbs, so long as the size 8 jeans fit me

Meaganandcheese

You're allowed to have whatever goals you feel will make you happy, but I think your expectations about how fast you'll meet them might be unrealistic. Losing a pound a week when you're already in your healthy weight range is a lot to expect. Plus, over 30, things might just be naturally slower.

Maybe focus on fitness instead of the scale. It might not significantly impact the scale, but incorporating strength training will change the shape of your body.

CallmeSbo

Hang in there.

ebaymommy

You're allowed to have whatever goals you feel will make you happy, but I think your expectations about how fast you'll meet them might be unrealistic. Losing a pound a week when you're already in your healthy weight range is a lot to expect. Plus, over 30, things might just be naturally slower.

Maybe focus on fitness instead of the scale. It might not significantly impact the scale, but incorporating strength training will change the shape of your body.

I totally agree with this.

At your weight, losing 1lb a week is an unrealistic expectation. I'm similar in stats to you (5'5" and 122lbs, 34 years old). I really don't need to lose any more, although ideally I'd like to lose 4 more pounds just for vanity's sake. LOL! Since January I've been UPPING my calories and trying to keep a very, very small deficit between my eating and my total calorie burn for the day (around 250 calories). My weight when I started (January 1) was around 125lbs....so it has taken me 9+ weeks to lose about 3lbs and quite honestly, I'm thrilled with that.

Also, when you are already small-ish and don't have a ton of weight to lose, it's so important to remember that the scale only tells a small portion of the story. Make sure you are taking measurements (waist and hips at the very least) or taking some pictures that you can compare to. I've lost inches off my waist and hips during times when the scale really isn't budging at all. Body Fat % is another good measurement.

I would also recommend that you do a mix of strength training and cardio for your workouts. If you build muscle and lose fat you're going to be more compact even at the same weight. You might find doing it that way that you can lose the inches/pant sizes that you are desiring without any change on the scale at all (or very minimal).

Check out this blog by a fellow MFP'er. She's got amazing pictures to show just how much the scale doesn't tell the whole truth.

http://www.isthisbliss.com/

StephEwell

Lift weights! Seriously.

In the beginning of my healthy lifestyle change, I was doing lots of cardio (Read: elliptical) and eating less. I lost weight but I still looked flabby and felt flabby and awful, basically.

Fast forward - I've been lifting weights, incorporating cardio into my weight training (think 30 day shred or Insanity or P90x) and getting amazing results. I've lost about 15 pounds, and dropped two dress sizes. The goofy part is that I still weigh about 167 but! I'm now a Size 8! (Two different pairs of pants, one jean, one dress pants - can't be lying to me right?!) I know for a fact that I've been 167 and could not squeeze into a size 8. Period.

So in short, the number doesn't matter on the scale. What matters are your inches, like you said, and possibly even GAINING weight (in muscle) to reach the figure that you want. Most likely you'll lose some weight and gain some muscle.

Seriously though, read up on weight training and its benefits. Women tend to be very uninformed (I was one of them!) on what it actually means and all of the fabulous benefits that come with it.

Good luck!

Sublog

I eat at 1,200 calories, i eat at 3,000 calories, i exercise more, i exercise less.... i still haven't lost any weight (lost 1lb the first week which i'm assuming was water). Starting to think some people are genetically pre-dipositioned to keep weight on no matter what, barring illness/ weight loss surgery. Getting really ticked off with all the posts on here about eating more calories/ eating less/ eating at or below or above BMR. It's all confusing and disheartening and really wish someone would just tell me the magic formula.

Read this:

http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/you-are-not-different.html

KareninCanada

My recommendations?

1 - Throw away your scale.
2 - Start lifting heavy. (Recommend New Rules of Lifting for Women as a good starting point)
3 - Consistently eat enough to support your body.
4 - Start shopping for smaller clothes.

meerkat70

I understand tnat you're trying to be helpful, and i take your comments as a compliment honestly. However, I am here because I want to lose 2 dress sizes and be the size i was before i got lazy and just allowed myself to pig out and not do any exercise. A size 12-14 may look nice to you, but I don't want to be a size 12-14. I feel happy and more attractive at a size 8 - 10.

At age almost 32 I'm well beyond the stage of being influenced by the media or society. I know what looks good "to me", and that's slimmer than I am now. I didn't just become this size through nature... i worked at it by drinking hot chocolate after hot chocolate with marshmallows and cream (my weakness), sometimes up to 5 per day for over a year!!! Among other things of course..

I don't so much care about reaching 115lbs, so long as the size 8 jeans fit me

This is of course your prerogative. But at what age were you a size 8 previously? Has your overall body shape shifted since then? Your photo looks curvy - like you have a beautiful hourglass shape? I guess I just wonder whether you're trying to hit a target that's not necessarily entirely in keeping with your body shape and body composition.

At the weight you're at, i suspect that getting the right exercise routine is going to be what you need to lose the inches, rather than focusing on weight loss per se. You have too little to lose to be able to sledge hammer the body into giving it up, so eat more, lift some weights, and do regular moderate cardio. See how that works?

kimw91

I hear ya, I'm right where you are: healthy weight but not completely happy. I've decided to up my intake to currently 1600ish but probably more as I'm planning on starting the New rules of lifting for women plan. Have also started doing more strength and interval training and I just ordered a device to keep track of my body fat percentage as that (along with dress size) will probably tell me a lot more about my progress than the scale! I can imagine the same overall idea would work for you as you don't really have to lose either. Keep in mind that your body needs fuel to build up muscle (and reduce the amount of fat) if you're doing strength training, so you probably won't benefit from eating too little! But then again, I'm still stuck and trying things out as well so can't say for sure what will or won't work I'm afraid. I can tell you I didn't lose on eating around 1200 cals for a couple of months and that I have a lot more energy now that I've started eating more.

missfancy1980

Make sure you are taking measurements (waist and hips at the very least) or taking some pictures that you can compare to.

I would also recommend that you do a mix of strength training and cardio for your workouts. If you build muscle and lose fat you're going to be more compact even at the same weight. You might find doing it that way that you can lose the inches/pant sizes that you are desiring without any change on the scale at all (or very minimal).

Check out this blog by a fellow MFP'er. She's got amazing pictures to show just how much the scale doesn't tell the whole truth.

http://www.isthisbliss.com/

Brilliant thanks, just checked out her blog and it's an eye opener

I do a mix of cardio and strength training already though I am pretty reliant on the cardio, and trying to focus more on weight training with PT help. I'm taking measurements as I know the scale isn't the be all and end all.

I've had a lot of suggestions to do more weight training to get the shape I want. But, and this is no offense to anyone here, I don't want to be muscular/ ripped/ shredded, or any of those terms that get bandied about. I LOVE the more curvy glamour model look (Lucy pinder for e.g), but i want the slim waist and thighs/ hips/ bum that don't wobble or spread out when I sit down! I know people say you won't bulk etc, but you DO, I've seen the pics of girls on here with only moderate weight training. I want soft curves, not muscles, just want them all to be 3 inches smaller LOL!

ebaymommy

Make sure you are taking measurements (waist and hips at the very least) or taking some pictures that you can compare to.

I would also recommend that you do a mix of strength training and cardio for your workouts. If you build muscle and lose fat you're going to be more compact even at the same weight. You might find doing it that way that you can lose the inches/pant sizes that you are desiring without any change on the scale at all (or very minimal).

Check out this blog by a fellow MFP'er. She's got amazing pictures to show just how much the scale doesn't tell the whole truth.

http://www.isthisbliss.com/

Brilliant thanks, just checked out her blog and it's an eye opener

I do a mix of cardio and strength training already though I am pretty reliant on the cardio, and trying to focus more on weight training with PT help. I'm taking measurements as I know the scale isn't the be all and end all.

I've had a lot of suggestions to do more weight training to get the shape I want. But, and this is no offense to anyone here, I don't want to be muscular/ ripped/ shredded, or any of those terms that get bandied about. I LOVE the more curvy glamour model look (Lucy pinder for e.g), but i want the slim waist and thighs/ hips/ bum that don't wobble or spread out when I sit down! I know people say you won't bulk etc, but you DO, I've seen the pics of girls on here with only moderate weight training. I want soft curves, not muscles, just want them all to be 3 inches smaller LOL!

I lift really heavy (for me, anyway, the heaviest I can lift!) but do a lot of cardio (training for my 5th full marathon) and I'm certainly not bulky/ripped/shredded in any way shape or form.

SteveHunt113

My recommendations?

1 - Throw away your scale.
2 - Start lifting heavy. (Recommend New Rules of Lifting for Women as a good starting point)
3 - Consistently eat enough to support your body.
4 - Start shopping for smaller clothes.

This is what I was thinking ... except for #4. That should be reserved for a reward (IMHO)

missfancy1980

I lift really heavy (for me, anyway, the heaviest I can lift!) but do a lot of cardio (training for my 5th full marathon) and I'm certainly not bulky/ripped/shredded in any way shape or form.

You look great for you But your tummy is obviously very toned.

This is more the look I'd love to have. I guess it's just a slimmer waist, and a few inches off the hips/ bum. And yes I know Kelly is actually a size 12 ,not 8, but she looks very slim and toned in this pic and that's the exact look i'm aiming for.

love4fitnesslove4food_wechange

my thighs spread when i sit--so if you get that figured out please send me a message!

SteveHunt113

I've had a lot of suggestions to do more weight training to get the shape I want. But, and this is no offense to anyone here, I don't want to be muscular/ ripped/ shredded, or any of those terms that get bandied about. I LOVE the more curvy glamour model look (Lucy pinder for e.g), but i want the slim waist and thighs/ hips/ bum that don't wobble or spread out when I sit down! I know people say you won't bulk etc, but you DO, I've seen the pics of girls on here with only moderate weight training. I want soft curves, not muscles, just want them all to be 3 inches smaller LOL!

Myth: Muscle growth happens quickly! You'll wake up one day and be ripped!
Fact: It takes forrrrrevvvvverrrrrrr to grow muscle ... anyone who wants muscle growth will attest to this.

Myth: Smooth curves come from un-toned muscles
Fact: Smooth curves come from a layer of fat OVER the muscles. Take away the fat, take away the smooth curves.

Here are more facts:
-Muscle helps burn calories. Having more muscle means you burn more calories while your body is at rest.
-At a certain age, we start to lose about 15% of our muscle mass each year! As you get older, it's harder to burn the calories.
-It is possible to add muscle, lose some fat, and still have smooth curves. Really! :happy:

MIMITIME

I have had good luck just sticking to the MFP guidelines and I have a thyroid problem so that is saying a lot. You said you exercise a lot. Do you eat back your exercise calories? If not, you may not be eating enough calories as odd as it sounds. There are lots of opinions on eating back your exercise calories and you can search the topic. If you are eating 1200 calories for a day but burned 500 calories, if you don't eat the 500 calories back you are only at 700 calories which isn't enough for your body.

UsedToBeHusky

I lift really heavy (for me, anyway, the heaviest I can lift!) but do a lot of cardio (training for my 5th full marathon) and I'm certainly not bulky/ripped/shredded in any way shape or form.

You look great for you But your tummy is obviously very toned.

This is more the look I'd love to have. I guess it's just a slimmer waist, and a few inches off the hips/ bum. And yes I know Kelly is actually a size 12 ,not 8, but she looks very slim and toned in this pic and that's the exact look i'm aiming for.

But she has defined abs and biceps in that picture. She didn't achieve that look without some weight lifting.