Muscle vs Fat

K8losesW8

I have been living a healthier style for about two months now. My start weight was around 195 and my current weight is around 191.

I'm so frustrated because I have been busting my butt in the gym at least 3 times a week. I've cut back drastically on all of my vices (ie alcohol and sweets) and stayed within 1300 calories everyday. This is been really hard for me because all of my friends are partiers and my boyfriend can eat whatever he wants.

I feel so negative right now because I feel like I've been making a lot of sacrifices and there is no payoff. All of my friends are thinner than I am and indulge much more often.

I feel like I should have lost more weight than I have. Am i doing something wrong? Is it possible that right now my body composition is just changing and my fat is converting to muscle?

Please help. I'm happy to be living healthier, but not happy with the results.

agarlits

You could always go to your doctor and ask for a skinfold, it'll tell you what your actual BMI is. That would answer your question with 100% accuracy. I'd say just stick with the diet and exercise, its good for you and teaches you self discipline that you'll use to lead a long healthy life.

dimplzz

Ya it is possible that you are gaining more muscle and losing fat. Maybe 1300 calories isn't enough for you? Do you eat all of your exercise calories and are you drinking at least 8 glasses of water per day?

roserex

according to other posts that I have read if you are cutting calories too much you can impede your weight loss efforts. When you exercise your calorie count goes up that you can have. I find it hard to hit the extra calories as well as we have all been trained to cut as much as possib le. Have you measured yourself to see if you are in fact losing inches? Many times we are doing that when we are not loosing pounds. Hope this helps - stick with it!

rheston

It's not clear whether you're eating just your base calories or you base calories plus your exercise earned calories that MFP calculates for you. If, by some chance, you're eating to the latter number then you are part of the select few of us who either gain or don't lose weight unless you eat to just the base calories provided by MFP. It's a complicated story but that's the simple fact of it.

On the other hand if that isn't the issue for you the question should be asked whether you're taking in enough water to help your body flush your system naturally and to stimulate the weight loss effects of working out.

There is also the issue of changing body fat for muscle so the next question to ask is are you seeing any changes in your physical self? Waist size smaller, thighs smaller, arms more shapely, etc., etc. If the answers to these questions are yes then you're having a very positive impact and eventually the weight loss will come about.

A rule of thumb to follow is to remember that the body adjusts easily to routine so if you're doing the same things day in and day out at the gym I would suggest switching things up. For example, I do the elliptical for 90 minutes one day followed by free weights and ab workout on the exercise ball for another 40 minutes. The next day I will do 60 minutes on the bike followed by machine weights and the abs on the exercise ball for 40 minutes. I had to do this because I hit a "wall" and stopped losing weight so I decided to tone things up and live with what was happening and discovered that I was losing weight again -- less quickly than before but the loss is happening anyway.

This is a long winded answer but as you see there's too many possibilities that could be affecting your program of weight loss and exercise.

Stick with it and don't lose hope!

BubiBBubillion

It's easy to tell yourself that you are busting your butt, but the reality is very different. I thought I was busting my butt 3 times a week at the gym and wouldn't lose any weight. Fact is, that it wasn't till I made a real sacrifice and started going 6 or 7 times, getting at least 5 days of cardio for 45min-1hr, that I didn't really start losing weight. If you do that, there should be no reason why you can't at least lose your first couple of dozen desired pounds. I don't know how much you want to lose, but in my case, I needed to lose 40 lbs. I lost the first 30 working out like that and I've sort of plateaued. I'm now working on conditioning and toning so I can put more into my workouts and get those last stubborn pounds off... but your first chunk, if you will, should come off at a pretty good pace if you really "bust your butt." Hit that gym 7 days a week, always making sure that you rest your individual muscle groups. In other words, don't work out chest and work out chest the next day. Muscles need time to recooperate. Don't do spinning two days in a row. Do the stair climber or elliptical to change up where you put the stress on your legs. I recommend running outdoors. It may be tougher on your legs, but you'll get used to it. You'll find that when you can run a couple of miles outdoors, the treadmill becomes too easy. Don't tell yourself that you are doing everything you can, when you are not. It's easy to fall into that trap... I've done it many times myself. Have at least one meal that really satisfies you every day, that way you don't crave more food. (My biggest meal is usually lunch) If you want to lose 30 lbs, then work out 7 days a week till you get close to it. Make a real sacrifice for a couple of months and you'll see that it will pay off. Also, very important... never settle for doing the same work out time or intensity. In other words, if you are lifting 40 lbs 10 times today, the next time you do that exercise, try to lift 45 10 times. If you can't make it to the 10 reps, do it 8 or as many as you can. eventually, you'll get to 10. when you do, move up to 50 lbs and so on. Don't ever stay at the same weight or intensity. If you can run a mile today, try to run 2 next time or 1 1/2. Try to keep pushing yourself beyond what you are comfortable with, every single time. If you follow all this advice, I guarantee you will lose the weight. Good luck.

JDHINAZ

Hi K8! I' have some suggestions.
1 - Weigh all your food. ALL of it. If it goes in your mouth, weigh it. Weighing is more accurate than measuring. An example - the box of oatmeal says a serving is 40 grams dry or 1/2 cup. When I weigh out 40 grams, it actually measures out to 1/3 of a cup. And eat healthy food, not just low calorie food (eat lots of fresh veggies and fruit, complex carbs....)
2 - Consider how often you work out. Try working out 5 times a week - at least 30 minutes of cardio AND do weights. And don't worry, you really do have to lift a LOT of weight before you would start to bulk up. But weights build muscle, and muscle burns fat more efficiently so you get longer lasting benefits from your workout if you add weights to your cardio.
3 - Measure yourself once a month.
4 - Be honest about how much of your vices you consume. A little booze has a lot of calories, and if you're like me, a little booze can lead to more booze, then more, then munchies, then, well anyway, you get the idea.
5 - Drink lots of water. Take the pee test. You're getting enough if it's a LIGHT yellow.
6 - Eat all or most of you allowed calories.
7- If you're already doing these things....see your doctor.
8 - Most importantly - STICK WITH IT! You're doing good! This isn't an easy thing we're doing! And it can be even more difficult when it seems everyone else around us can eat and drink what they want with no downside. But you can do it. I know you can! Keep posting and reading posts. Something will click and soon you'll have that A-HA! moment and you'll see those results you want. I'm rooting for you!!!:flowerforyou: :flowerforyou: :flowerforyou:

lnwallace

Are your clothes starting to fit differently? I'm back at my original weight that I was a couple of years ago, but my clothes from those days fit so much better now than they did back then. Which means even though I'm the same weight, I have more muscle now but I am smaller than I was.

dimplzz

Hi K8! I' have some suggestions.
1 - Weigh all your food. ALL of it. If it goes in your mouth, weigh it. Weighing is more accurate than measuring. An example - the box of oatmeal says a serving is 40 grams dry or 1/2 cup. When I weigh out 40 grams, it actually measures out to 1/3 of a cup. And eat healthy food, not just low calorie food (eat lots of fresh veggies and fruit, complex carbs....)
2 - Consider how often you work out. Try working out 5 times a week - at least 30 minutes of cardio AND do weights. And don't worry, you really do have to lift a LOT of weight before you would start to bulk up. But weights build muscle, and muscle burns fat more efficiently so you get longer lasting benefits from your workout if you add weights to your cardio.
3 - Measure yourself once a month.
4 - Be honest about how much of your vices you consume. A little booze has a lot of calories, and if you're like me, a little booze can lead to more booze, then more, then munchies, then, well anyway, you get the idea.
5 - Drink lots of water. Take the pee test. You're getting enough if it's a LIGHT yellow.
6 - Eat all or most of you allowed calories.
7- If you're already doing these things....see your doctor.
8 - Most importantly - STICK WITH IT! You're doing good! This isn't an easy thing we're doing! And it can be even more difficult when it seems everyone else around us can eat and drink what they want with no downside. But you can do it. I know you can! Keep posting and reading posts. Something will click and soon you'll have that A-HA! moment and you'll see those results you want. I'm rooting for you!!!:flowerforyou: :flowerforyou: :flowerforyou:

Excellent post.....

stylistchik

Please remember that being HEALTHY is much more important than being THIN. There are many thin people out there who live unhealthy lifestyles. Learn to be happy with who you are and not what you look like. Negativity can have a detrimental effect on your weight. Keep up the good work!

staclo

There was a great post on here that I saw last night about your question of not losing weight. You should look around for that. Also, if you are doing everything that you know to do and aren't seeing any results, see your doctor. There could be a medical problem such as hypothyroidism, which would prevent you from losing weight.

K8losesW8

Thank you guys so much for your input.

My clothes have been fitting better and I feel more confident than I was for sure. I know I'm more tone, but I just really thought weight loss would come easier at my age.

I also really appreciate the tough love about how I could be busting my butt more. I know that there is always room for improvement. I'm just doing so much better than I was doing that it feels like a drastic change, but there is even more room for improvement ( I was eating burgers, pizza, and drinking beer everday....). I can't compare myself to those around me because they aren't the ones who are living in my body.

I will especially heed the advice of varying my workouts, drinking more water, and making sure that my calories are made up of healthy foods.

Thanks so much, again. I know I can do this. Thirty pounds is nothing compared to what a lot of people on this site have lost!!!