Help, not losing weight.

twinmom01

I'll reply to you since I have been where you have been....and I will probably get slammed by someone...

2 years ago I decided to take charge - and I did all the "right" things - counted every last calorie - ate low fat - ate Healthy Choices for lunch, made sure I only had 100 calories of nuts, fruit, etc... - worked out every day - I would use the elliptical and then when my daughters were doing swim practice I would walk laps around the parking lot (walk, sprint, do lunges, walk with 3 lb weights raising my arms looking like a fool) - I spent 5 months doing all this and lost 6 lbs...frustrated I went to my Dr. thinking surely there must be something wrong with me if I am doing all the right things and not loosing weight...did tests and everything came back "normal" except for my cholesterol being a little high and my Vit D being a little low...

So that just frustrated me more and more and more...because why wasn't I loosing the weight if I was doing what medical Dr's said I should...I wasn't binging - I wasn't cheating - I was eating skinless chicken I weighed on my scale, I was measuring out the precise amount of whole grain pasta and I kept gaining and loosing the same 5 lbs...

Over time as I read more and more and more i started dropping things out of my diet - first soda...bye bye...then a lot of the processed "diet" foods...(you know all those diet bars and snacks)...then I took a look at my exercise and cut majorly down on the cardio and majorly upped to do more strength training/boot camp type workouts (which I did mostly in my own home via DVD's like the Biggest loser Boot Camp ones and via on-demand...) then I started looking for classes to take in the outside world - I found a kick boxing class close to my home 2x's a week...

So by the beginning of last summer I was about 195 - I had lost 10 lbs in a years time...kept at kickboxing - the scale didn't register much but I saw a big difference in my body shape - people noticed it too and would ask me how much weight I lost - they thought I had lost 20 -25 lbs...but for me the scale still frustrated me...I could physically see a change in my body and my clothes were looser but just like anyone else I wanted something on that scale...

Fast forward to this past fall - based on things I read I decided to drop out pretty much all processed food and really focus in on my macros...I also dropped most things like Pasta and breads - that helped a bit the scale started going down a little bit at a time (.3, .4, . 2) - but never the 1lb a week that I have MFP set to...the past 6 weeks I dropped even a bit farther and decided to really watch my carbs and try and keep them under about 85 a day....(hence why I said I'l probably get blasted....from all the people who don't like a low carb way of eating) - but since I have done that I have pretty much consistenly lost weight more then a few increments....I also started focusing on lifting weights 2-3 x's per week beginning in January - Since the beginning of the year i have lost 10 lbs...so 3 months - when it took me a year to do the same thing - the calories were about the same - so was the calories burned from exercise....the difference for me was - the food I ate and the exercises I did to burn the calories. - So while the old addage of calories in = calories out worked on a VERY SLOW scale for me...changing my food and exercise has had a much more dramatic effect then focusing solely on the calories in = calories out

You can message me if you want to chat more...like I said this is what I found worked for ME

Jameslemond

I'll reply to you since I have been where you have been....and I will probably get slammed by someone...

2 years ago I decided to take charge - and I did all the "right" things - counted every last calorie - ate low fat - ate Healthy Choices for lunch, made sure I only had 100 calories of nuts, fruit, etc... - worked out every day - I would use the elliptical and then when my daughters were doing swim practice I would walk laps around the parking lot (walk, sprint, do lunges, walk with 3 lb weights raising my arms looking like a fool) - I spent 5 months doing all this and lost 6 lbs...frustrated I went to my Dr. thinking surely there must be something wrong with me if I am doing all the right things and not loosing weight...did tests and everything came back "normal" except for my cholesterol being a little high and my Vit D being a little low...

So that just frustrated me more and more and more...because why wasn't I loosing the weight if I was doing what medical Dr's said I should...I wasn't binging - I wasn't cheating - I was eating skinless chicken I weighed on my scale, I was measuring out the precise amount of whole grain pasta and I kept gaining and loosing the same 5 lbs...

Over time as I read more and more and more i started dropping things out of my diet - first soda...bye bye...then a lot of the processed "diet" foods...(you know all those diet bars and snacks)...then I took a look at my exercise and cut majorly down on the cardio and majorly upped to do more strength training/boot camp type workouts (which I did mostly in my own home via DVD's like the Biggest loser Boot Camp ones and via on-demand...) then I started looking for classes to take in the outside world - I found a kick boxing class close to my home 2x's a week...

So by the beginning of last summer I was about 195 - I had lost 10 lbs in a years time...kept at kickboxing - the scale didn't register much but I saw a big difference in my body shape - people noticed it too and would ask me how much weight I lost - they thought I had lost 20 -25 lbs...but for me the scale still frustrated me...I could physically see a change in my body and my clothes were looser but just like anyone else I wanted something on that scale...

Fast forward to this past fall - based on things I read I decided to drop out pretty much all processed food and really focus in on my macros...I also dropped most things like Pasta and breads - that helped a bit the scale started going down a little bit at a time (.3, .4, . 2) - but never the 1lb a week that I have MFP set to...the past 6 weeks I dropped even a bit farther and decided to really watch my carbs and try and keep them under about 85 a day....(hence why I said I'l probably get blasted....from all the people who don't like a low carb way of eating) - but since I have done that I have pretty much consistenly lost weight more then a few increments....I also started focusing on lifting weights 2-3 x's per week beginning in January - Since the beginning of the year i have lost 10 lbs...so 3 months - when it took me a year to do the same thing - the calories were about the same - so was the calories burned from exercise....the difference for me was - the food I ate and the exercises I did to burn the calories. - So while the old addage of calories in = calories out worked on a VERY SLOW scale for me...changing my food and exercise has had a much more dramatic effect then focusing solely on the calories in = calories out

You can message me if you want to chat more...like I said this is what I found worked for ME

AWESOME WORK!!!!! Great Job on sticking with it!!! :-)

Coco_Puff

You're starving your body with such low calorie intake. You have to fuel the fire to keep it burning. Eat more and lose weight. There are alot of blogs on the site to support this. There are a ton of women on here, me included, eating 1800 to 2200 calories a day and losing weight and inches. We eat and we burn fat.

heybales

So I started my weight loss journey over 5 weeks ago, I'm not losing weight. I have lost 2 pounds and not measurement loss. I am feeling very discouraged. I exercise almost daily, and on average burn at least 600 calories a workout. It seems to me that with my healthier eating and exercise I should be seeing numbers drop.
Food is a struggle for me, not eating too much, but too little. I find it very hard to eat 1200 calories a day, and that isn't including what I am burning! I could really use some support here...I am feeling very down on myself today, which seems to happen at least once a week since I started this because I am seeing no changes. I do feel stronger, which is great...at least something is changing.

So lets do the math as to why no weight loss.

You eat, lets be generous and say 1200, though less than that.
You exercise on avg daily 500, though you said more than that most days.

That leaves your body with 700 calories of food for basic metabolism for functions of life, BMR.
If that is all it has available, some stuff is left not done, and it slows way down, to that level. That effects all daily activity burn. Which of course means you no longer burn 500 avg for the workouts, but close enough since we underestimated that anyway.

You seem to have daily activity including exercise what would probably be considered between Moderate and Very Active - about 1.63 multiplier.
So true suppressed BMR of 700 x 1.63 = 1141 daily activity burn.

The body will adjust that up as it balances out though. So you are actually eating at maintenance level, if you could even eat 1200.

Just want to be clear that you are going the right direction trying to get suggestions.

In the meantime, to save the muscle you've got, you really should stop working out. You are not doing yourself any favors right now.

You aren't eating enough for metabolism to increase because of it, it can't. It just means more things the metabolism would normally take care of, it can't. Your muscle can't repair fully, can't build more, can't store glucose for energy, because diet is probably in deficit for providing what you need each day, muscle breakdown is occurring to offset lack of blood sugar. Fat burning is still going on, but at such a slow rate because your general daily burn is so low now.

This is not a good direction obviously, so keep eating, great suggestions given to get your body going again.

You can get out of this slump. Isn't it strange your assignment is to eat more so you can lose weight.

stormyjo59

I was like you and I found out that I was not eating enough now I am eating around 1500 and loosing 200 to 400 grams a day. I also found that my body type is mixed and needed to eat more protein and only 2 carbs at each meal, I believe that you have to find what works for your body and go with it. Hope this helps you.

dwtimeoutt

2 lbs is better than 0 pounds. On the other hand check your portion sizes and if you are within range then you may need to add some things. For example: One day I was way under my calories. The next day I added non dairy creamer, 1 tsp sugar to my tea and added 1/4 avocado to my sandwich. This added a few extra calories that were not unhealthy as the Avo is a healthy fat and the creamer was non dairy. My dietician said granulated sugar is better for me than artificial sweetener. Next, add your exercise calories. If you aren't real hungry, a fruit shake can help and it will add calories. Use 6 ounces Greek Yogurt, 1 cup of fresh strawberries , a dash of almond extract, on tsp sugar and blend it up. It is a simple 160 calories and good for you. Try some almonds too as they have calories, are healthy and have fiber. Good luck and please, don't give up. You can do this.

Jules_1111

I read somewhere that it takes 4 weeks for you to see a difference, 8 weeks for your friends to see a difference, and 12 weeks for the world to see a difference. Perhaps the scale is only slightly moving bc you are adding muscle? Give yourself time! BUT- it does look like you are not eating enough as many others have said. My advice is to up your calorie count, eat less processed and refined crap, eat more whole grains, nutrient dense foods, lean protein, take a multi vitamin, and drink lots of water. Treat your body right and the weight will come off!! Our bodies are amazing machines designed for self preservation. If you aren't eating enough your metabolism will slow and you'll create a starvation cycle. Good luck! (p.s...I wish I had your stamina for exercise. :P )

katysmelly

I'm just not hungry, I eat till I am full...and some days force myself to eat more because I KNOW I am not getting enough calories in...well I don't "know" it but it's what keeps being said.

Perhaps you should try to eat more calorie-dense foods.

MissyLibra

I was in the same situation as you for a while, I had to eat more, and I wasn't hungry.
If I added more oil, butter or whatever, it didn't make a difference, I was just fuller quicker.

Then, someone suggested I drink the calories. I started having a protein shake (1 scoop=120~ish calories) with a cup of milk (1cup=100~ish calories).

It already added 220 ish calories, and after a while, it helped me be more hungry.
I also drank smoothies and stuff. I get less full by drinking than by eating.

Mardill

How are your Sodium levels? Check out your Reports > Nutrition > Sodium over 7 days & 30 days. Make sure they are under 2500 grams daily. If over most of the time, you may be retaining water. I found I had to keep an eye on my Sodium in order to lose weight & now have it as one of my Food Diary Settings. You may friend me if you want support. :flowerforyou:

Mommypiepie

So I started my weight loss journey over 5 weeks ago, I'm not losing weight. I have lost 2 pounds and not measurement loss. I am feeling very discouraged. I exercise almost daily, and on average burn at least 600 calories a workout. It seems to me that with my healthier eating and exercise I should be seeing numbers drop.
Food is a struggle for me, not eating too much, but too little. I find it very hard to eat 1200 calories a day, and that isn't including what I am burning! I could really use some support here...I am feeling very down on myself today, which seems to happen at least once a week since I started this because I am seeing no changes. I do feel stronger, which is great...at least something is changing.

So lets do the math as to why no weight loss.

You eat, lets be generous and say 1200, though less than that.
You exercise on avg daily 500, though you said more than that most days.

That leaves your body with 700 calories of food for basic metabolism for functions of life, BMR.
If that is all it has available, some stuff is left not done, and it slows way down, to that level. That effects all daily activity burn. Which of course means you no longer burn 500 avg for the workouts, but close enough since we underestimated that anyway.

You seem to have daily activity including exercise what would probably be considered between Moderate and Very Active - about 1.63 multiplier.
So true suppressed BMR of 700 x 1.63 = 1141 daily activity burn.

The body will adjust that up as it balances out though. So you are actually eating at maintenance level, if you could even eat 1200.

Just want to be clear that you are going the right direction trying to get suggestions.

In the meantime, to save the muscle you've got, you really should stop working out. You are not doing yourself any favors right now.

You aren't eating enough for metabolism to increase because of it, it can't. It just means more things the metabolism would normally take care of, it can't. Your muscle can't repair fully, can't build more, can't store glucose for energy, because diet is probably in deficit for providing what you need each day, muscle breakdown is occurring to offset lack of blood sugar. Fat burning is still going on, but at such a slow rate because your general daily burn is so low now.

This is not a good direction obviously, so keep eating, great suggestions given to get your body going again.

You can get out of this slump. Isn't it strange your assignment is to eat more so you can lose weight.

Yes. You are saying eat more and stop working out. LOL I am trying to get my calories up...failed today as I skipped breakfast. This is so difficult for me...but, I can and will fix it.

Mommypiepie

I read somewhere that it takes 4 weeks for you to see a difference, 8 weeks for your friends to see a difference, and 12 weeks for the world to see a difference. Perhaps the scale is only slightly moving bc you are adding muscle? Give yourself time! BUT- it does look like you are not eating enough as many others have said. My advice is to up your calorie count, eat less processed and refined crap, eat more whole grains, nutrient dense foods, lean protein, take a multi vitamin, and drink lots of water. Treat your body right and the weight will come off!! Our bodies are amazing machines designed for self preservation. If you aren't eating enough your metabolism will slow and you'll create a starvation cycle. Good luck! (p.s...I wish I had your stamina for exercise. :P )

I have read the same thing...no difference to me after 5 weeks. I felt like I had given myself time, by waiting 5 weeks before "complaining". It is possible I am adding muscle because I feel stronger, I can do workouts now that I could only dream of getting through a year ago. I am trying to get my calories up...I even ate some almond butter the other day, holy crap it has 190 calories in a serving. I am not taking a multi-vitamin, I can add one.
My stamina for exercise is my motivation to get healthier, I know I can lose weight without working out, that's how I lost 60lbs before....but my body remained the same...it got smaller but still looked the same. I am doing things differently this time, exercise is more important for me right now...I am tired of being "the fat girl that can't".

Tzippy7

Just to play devils advocate for a bit, I lost nearly 30 lbs eating under 1200 every day. It was not very hard for me, it feels like the right amount for my body. (till recently that is, it changes when you get closer to the goal weight) I didnt lose anything until I randomly decided to stop eating cheese. For some reason that did it for me. I cut out cheese, and everything with cheese, and I started losing. So my advice is to just play around with your food choices. Eating more may also be a good idea because everyone is different in what their bodies need, but eating differently is what worked for me. Even reduced fat cheese stops me from losing!

nannab4

I am right with you. I also fight to find the 1200 calories, work 12 hours on my feet and then force myself to go to the gym for an hour after work. So far I can fit into pants that were hanging for a long time but no real weight loss. The inches have not disappeared but have only shifted so I can do up the buttons but the measurement is the same. Very depressing. Hang in there. Slowly but surely is the success factor so I am told. I will keep trying if you will.

Colbyandsage

I am 5'3" and I weigh 202.

I am 5'3 and eat around 1500 to 1600, burn around 400. I loose about a pound a week. Not saying it will work for u but it does for me, if I have low days, the scale doesn't move! I try to get at least 100 g of protein since I am working out alot. I watch sodium and try to keep it around 2000. I eat lots of clean food, not a lot of processed. Feel free to friend me if u wanna look at diary