Not losing - please help

lillydlc

Hello all,

I have been following this approach since the beginning of April and have been lurking around the forums reading and educating myself. Unfortunately I have had no loss either on the scale, measurements or body fat. I'm 40 years old, 5.4, and weigh 167 pounds.
According to scoobysworkshop.com my 'numbers' with a 20% cut are as follows:

TDEE: 2048
BMR:1490
Daily Cals: 1639

This is based on light exercise. I am currently a stay at home Mom (40 years old), in the process of job seeking since I recently completed my Masters. In terms of formal exercise I do Body Pump 3 x a week but have also recently started doing HIIT using the elliptical or treadmill for 15 -20 mins straight after my class. Other than that I am pretty much sedentary.

If I set the calculator to moderate exercise then I get:

TDEE: 2309
BMR: 1490
Daily cals: 1847

On the whole, I have been fluctuating between 1600 and 1800 calories, and log obsessively. I have set my macros to 40/30/30, and eat healthily most of the time. Weekends are often trickier and I almost always go over my calorie allowance, but not hugely.

Any suggestions would be gratefully received. :flowerforyou:

Lilly

steph_arena

Do you weigh every single portion size... I find that i trend to underestimate my portion sizes when eyeball them instead of actually getting out the measuring cups and scale. Over time we tend to get out of the weighing habit and the sizes tend to slowly get bigger...

Also I am sure the girls will chime in...but 1 month is really not that long if you have been not eating a lot of calories..your body needs to get used to it..

lillydlc

Yes, I have scales, measuring cups, and a measuring jug. I usually use these when I am making my food. Of course there are times when I estimate, so I will pay closer attention to this.

steph_arena

Kiki and Lucia the moderators will get on a little later I am sure They more be a little more helpful than i have:)

lillydlc

Kiki and Lucia the moderators will get on a little later I am sure They more be a little more helpful than i have:)

Thanks for your reply anyway :-)

ecrogers4

I recently cut out "grains" (versus carbs) so I follow the Primal Blueprint style of eating... it's been really helpful in dropping the last 8 lbs...

I know it's a hard change for some people - for me it felt like a natural next step. I tried going full Paleo (no grains, no sugar, no dairy) but that was too restrictive and I had cravings...

Anyways - if you don't mind giving up grains (bread, pasta, rice) check out "Mark's Daily Apple" He does a pretty good job of explaining it.

HeidiHoMom

I could be wrong but it sounds like you are more in the moderate exercise range, not light...so maybe you are still eating too little.

lillydlc

I recently cut out "grains" (versus carbs) so I follow the Primal Blueprint style of eating... it's been really helpful in dropping the last 8 lbs...

I know it's a hard change for some people - for me it felt like a natural next step. I tried going full Paleo (no grains, no sugar, no dairy) but that was too restrictive and I had cravings...

Anyways - if you don't mind giving up grains (bread, pasta, rice) check out "Mark's Daily Apple" He does a pretty good job of explaining it.

Hi,
Thanks for your input. I am familiar with the whole Primal way of life, and have tried cutting out grains, but I still tend to just maintain when eating this way. Realistically I don't feel that I could never eat grains again, but I do try to limit refined flour, and stick to brown rice, wholemeal etc. I do still regularly read the posts on the main page, as I do like his philosophy and approach to exercise.

lillydlc

I could be wrong but it sounds like you are more in the moderate exercise range, not light...so maybe you are still eating too little.

I was wondering if this was the case, because I have tried to be conservative on my activity estimation as some non-workout days are seriously sedentary due to sitting around making job applications all day. My activity levels do vary, that's why I was fluctuating between 1600 and 1800.

rosied915

You might want to make your Diary public so the girls can take a look.

lillydlc

It's open now :blushing:

gemiwing

Yeah, I can see the doubt creep in on your diary. You were doing better a week ago with eating your cals. Looks like the Doubt Monster is on your back this week. Sorry you're dealing with that feeling- it's no fun at all.

Even adding in your totally sedentary days you are quite active. Not saying you're running a marathon every weekend- but I have a feeling you are more active than you're giving yourself credit for.

How many minutes a day to you spend cleaning? Dishes, laundry, vacuuming.
How many minutes shopping- grocery, pet supplies, school clothes etc.
How many minutes walking in the park or for relaxation?
How many minutes of moving around household items?
How many minutes do you spend cleaning?
How many minutes do you spend playing with your kids?

It adds up- and then put three or four days of exercise on top- you might be looking at needing a bit more. I do think you're close though- so I don't think you'll end up needing 600+ more lol I do think you might do good to add more though and try it out.

At 2000 I didn't lose- at 2300 I am. It's the tipping point for my body apparently.

You've also got another two weeks before it's time to evaluate 'for real'. There's still some time to be had as it's 4-6 weeks recommended to wait. You know this, you read all the posts I have no doubt.

Try not to let the doubt demon have too much of your brain space. You'll get there!

lillydlc

Yeah, I can see the doubt creep in on your diary. You were doing better a week ago with eating your cals. Looks like the Doubt Monster is on your back this week. Sorry you're dealing with that feeling- it's no fun at all.

Even adding in your totally sedentary days you are quite active. Not saying you're running a marathon every weekend- but I have a feeling you are more active than you're giving yourself credit for.

How many minutes a day to you spend cleaning? Dishes, laundry, vacuuming.
How many minutes shopping- grocery, pet supplies, school clothes etc.
How many minutes walking in the park or for relaxation?
How many minutes of moving around household items?
How many minutes do you spend cleaning?
How many minutes do you spend playing with your kids?

It adds up- and then put three or four days of exercise on top- you might be looking at needing a bit more. I do think you're close though- so I don't think you'll end up needing 600+ more lol I do think you might do good to add more though and try it out.

At 2000 I didn't lose- at 2300 I am. It's the tipping point for my body apparently.

You've also got another two weeks before it's time to evaluate 'for real'. There's still some time to be had as it's 4-6 weeks recommended to wait. You know this, you read all the posts I have no doubt.

Try not to let the doubt demon have too much of your brain space. You'll get there!

Thanks so much for your reply. It's true about 'the doubt monster' - it's a constant companion for me. lol. I think I'm just convinced that other people's total energy expenditure is more than mine - like in terms of constant activity through the day, not formal exercise as such.
I do intend to stick with this though, purely because I have a proverbial degree in dieting and diets - I have tried them all, as I'm sure many others have, and have found that I am never able to sustain highly restricted ways of eating. This approach is the most sane way I have ever tried to manage my weight. I would genuinely be happy with a gentle downward trend - nothing radical.

jyska

You've also got another two weeks before it's time to evaluate 'for real'. There's still some time to be had as it's 4-6 weeks recommended to wait. You know this, you read all the posts I have no doubt.

This.

I'm at the end of week 4 myself and I'm currently 3lbs heavier than when I started this journey. I still need to measure myself though....I plan to do that on Mon or Tues. (1 month in). It takes time for the body to trust you. I know that I have a long haul ahead of me because I ate very low for many years. Patience is so important - just know that you aren't alone in your fears.

ANewLucia

Hello all,

I have been following this approach since the beginning of April and have been lurking around the forums reading and educating myself. Unfortunately I have had no loss either on the scale, measurements or body fat. I'm 40 years old, 5.4, and weigh 167 pounds.
According to scoobysworkshop.com my 'numbers' with a 20% cut are as follows:

TDEE: 2048
BMR:1490
Daily Cals: 1639

This is based on light exercise. I am currently a stay at home Mom (40 years old), in the process of job seeking since I recently completed my Masters. In terms of formal exercise I do Body Pump 3 x a week but have also recently started doing HIIT using the elliptical or treadmill for 15 -20 mins straight after my class. Other than that I am pretty much sedentary.

If I set the calculator to moderate exercise then I get:

TDEE: 2309
BMR: 1490
Daily cals: 1847

On the whole, I have been fluctuating between 1600 and 1800 calories, and log obsessively. I have set my macros to 40/30/30, and eat healthily most of the time. Weekends are often trickier and I almost always go over my calorie allowance, but not hugely.

Any suggestions would be gratefully received. :flowerforyou:

Lilly

Whew, the boards are active today, I almost missed this one...

First off consistency is key in this journey...When you eat 1600/1800 on your workout days, with Body Pump and HITT I guarantee you are way under your BMR.

I would strongly suggest, that you eat the 1850 every single day...give me 4 straight weeks of consistency to really see how you are trending. On workout days, make sure you that you net no less than BMR. So that means if you burn more than 360 cals on a work out day then you should eat the excess over 360.

I know it is hard, and it seems like a lot of food, but if you aren't eating enough you can still hold on to weight. I have stalled my process in times past where I was eating my cut value, but not netting bmr on workout days, the weight loss stopped...that was it. MaryDreamer kept calling me out on that one. I just felt like whew, I am eating so much, but that was hindering the process. I found on days I splurged ( I would do one a week back then) I would have a loss. So that told me, that my body need the calories. I started really paying attention to net at least BMR on workout days (now a days I net higher than BMR because I am ravenous after a good lift...) and scale started trending down again.

So, I say, you are giving this a shot so let's do it "all the way". Also, are there days you could actually work on doing more of a lift routine in the weight room. Body Pump is more endurance, which does ton, but you won't build muscle doing it. Just a suggestion... Also, get out the tape measure. I hope you took before measurements.

I just noticed you went for 20% cut...so now I really see that you are still under eating at the numbers you listed above. So, again, shoot for that 1847 daily my friend and eat the excess cals over 360 on workout days.

Please keep us posted!

tangiesharp

Hello all,

I have been following this approach since the beginning of April and have been lurking around the forums reading and educating myself. Unfortunately I have had no loss either on the scale, measurements or body fat. I'm 40 years old, 5.4, and weigh 167 pounds.

I just wanted to point out the obvious. You've increased your calories for 4 weeks and have not gained any weight. I think that's a small victory to know that your body needs the additional calories you added during the month. Hang in there. I know it can be frustrating, but it will be worth it.

lillydlc

@Lucia -

Thank you so much for your detailed reply. I will take your advice with regards to eating at the 1800 mark and eating more on workout days. I will stick with this because it feels so much better than starve, binge, starve!

I would desperately like to get into the straight lifting - I have been watching everyone's progress closely, and have a copy of NROLFW, and have checked out stronglifts and other straightforward routines. Problem is my local gym only has machines. They do have a good range of dumbbells though. So upset that they don't more free weights equipment. Do you think I could just make a start using what is available?

@Tangiesharp -

This is so true! I am relieved that I have not gained, although I have done the usual fluctuation of around 3 -4 pounds

ANewLucia

@Lucia -

Thank you so much for your detailed reply. I will take your advice with regards to eating at the 1800 mark and eating more on workout days. I will stick with this because it feels so much better than starve, binge, starve!

I would desperately like to get into the straight lifting - I have been watching everyone's progress closely, and have a copy of NROLFW, and have checked out stronglifts and other straightforward routines. Problem is my local gym only has machines. They do have a good range of dumbbells though. So upset that they don't more free weights equipment. Do you think I could just make a start using what is available?

@Tangiesharp -

This is so true! I am relieved that I have not gained, although I have done the usual fluctuation of around 3 -4 pounds

Yes, start lifting those dumbells. I believe with NROLW you will do fine. I am sure they have cables so you can do the routines.

AND UMMM, I would like to see you hit 1850 daily not 1800:flowerforyou:

Oh and fluctuations are natural, wait until you get into the heavy lifting...but you will start to note when you will have extra water weight...TOM, heavy lift w/i last two days, high cardio burn, HIGH SALT!!!

lillydlc

Ok great, will take all your advice on board. I will get in that gym even though I have an over developed sense of embarrassment - I know once I'm in there doing my thing I won't care! I'll keep you posted, and thanks again for your input!

Lilly

ANewLucia

Ok great, will take all your advice on board. I will get in that gym even though I have an over developed sense of embarrassment - I know once I'm in there doing my thing I won't care! I'll keep you posted, and thanks again for your input!

Lilly

Awesome...I too was so shy about going into the weight room, but now...Girl I strut in there and don't pay them any mind. Now it is funny because I get some looks because I lift "heavy" for a "girl"...LOVE IT!