No progress.... EVER! Frustration!

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RKAY89
RKAY89 Posts: 45
in Health and Weight Loss
I train 6 days per week, I eat perfectly, and still there are no inches coming off my damned naval. I know it takes time but SURELY I should see SOME kind of progress.. even half a damned inch?! I've been at this for like 2 months or something and I've been running 3 times a week since March ffs!
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Replies

  • crazyvermont
    crazyvermont Posts: 171 Member
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    Definitely frustrating when you plateau..........I did for almost three months. Sometimes, body simply saying I need to adjust or maybe even need a few more calories. Rest is also essential.....use to work out six or seven days per week and now give myself at least two days every week just to recoup. Hang in there........you will reach your goals!
  • RKAY89
    RKAY89 Posts: 45
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    Thanks.. but like nothing has really come off like at all! I lost like 6lbs but tbh, I don't even really want to lose any weight.. my weight doesn't bother me as I'm not really "big".. I now weight 9 stone 2 lbs (128lbs/58kg).. it's the inches around my naval and hips/love handles.. My "natural" waist is about 30.5 inches but around my belly-button is 36" and it's just not going anywhere! :( I was 10/10 motivated from March until this week, cuz nothing is happening and I don't know what else to do!
  • debdelilah
    debdelilah Posts: 82
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    I have struggled with my weight - ups and downs and various attempts at weight loss - throughout my life. Between January and the end of April 2009 I lost 30 lbs (going from 158 to 128lbs) under a low calorie diet. At the end of that time, when I started excerising more, I realized I needed to intake more calories - considerably more - to fuel what I was doing, because I felt weak and even frail on the low calorie diet. I lost more weight after I consumed 2,600 calories a day while active, and ended up at a low of 114 lbs(at 5'4"). I am now 120 lbs 3 years later, having let things go a little, and I'm trying to get back on track. I do believe the low calorie diet I started with helped fuel my weight loss in the beginning, but ultimately what ended up being my long-term thing was regularly eating between 2000 and 2400 cals and still excerising(but not as intensely or frequently as the year I lost the weight).
    The average American consumes 3700 calories per day - if I'm honest with myself, that's about what I ate when I was a size 12 and about 15 lbs over the top of my BMI range, which is about the size of the average American woman. Keeping in mind- an Uno's "individual size" pizza has 2000 calories - even though it looks small and is marketed for one person. Some restaurant desserts have 800plus calories for a size where you might "guestimate" 200. So you have to read labels on everything.
    So even reducing your calories to 2200(an honest 2200, not leaving anything out) can help you maintain a lower weight over time. I also do strength training to keep a high metabolism.
    One thing I do remember from my strength training/exercize in 2009 - not eating enough can make you frustrated with both the diet and the exercize. Try making a list of foods to keep off limits, and give yourself permission to have other things as you feel the need.
  • RKAY89
    RKAY89 Posts: 45
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    When I started dieting I ate way too little.. about 1200 cals.. but I've been eating 1600-1700 cals for the past month or two.. but it's all clean food.. Monitoring my sodium and sugar intake.. but as I say, nothing's happenin :( I run 3 times a week before breakfast (although now it's on the exercise bike as it's gotten too cold at that time of the morning) and I do 3 weights sessions (#1 = back, biceps, traps... #2 = chest, shoulders, triceps... #3 = legs etc)... and yeah... nothin's happenin! :(
  • RKAY89
    RKAY89 Posts: 45
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  • Dolsica
    Dolsica Posts: 3
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    You're focusing too much.. Your body needs time to change, humans can't do magic! Give it time.
  • pkw58
    pkw58 Posts: 2,038 Member
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    I have weighed the same for over 30 days now. I am maintaining the same eating plan and adding activity. I use very light weights and do barre 3 (you can do at home mybarre3.com) I have upped my walking, skipping and horn playing. (I have a behind the desk and in seated meetings kind of job).. my waist is shrinking, and my strength/edurance is increasing. (BTW,have lost 42 pounds since December 2011)...

    For whatever reason, the Barre 3 and maintaining a strong hold on what goes in my mouth helps - it seems like most days I end up 35% protein, and the fats/carbs are each in the 30's. I never drink less than 64 ounces of water a day. I weigh 132 lbs at 5'8"...

    I do't eat bread, pasta, potatoes or rice. In nine months, the only time I have had ice cream or bread was last weekend at my 84 year old mom's house, and I stayed in my calories for those days. Drank a lot of water. Stayed active!

    I wear size 8 jeans, but they now fit every where but the waist... it works for me, but I will say I feel like my body is transitioning now as I develop more long lean looking muscle. and I am sticking with my program
  • RKAY89
    RKAY89 Posts: 45
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    Yeah I know it deffo won't happen overnight kinda thing.. but.. it just doesn't seem to be happenin at all?! Like Should I be workin out more/for longer?

    I do..
    3 x 40 min stationary bike per week
    3 x 50 min weights sessions per week (lifting heavy, normally 3 sets of 8 reps for most exercises)

    I aim for a NET in take of 1700 cals per day.. so if I burn 200 cals, I'll eat 1900 cals that day.. etc..

    As I say, I started this in March and nothing has changed.. I've noticed SLIGHT more muscle definition in legs and arms (but not much).. my strength and endurance has improved... but there's nothing happenin around that barrell belly! I lost 1.5 inches off my NATURAL waist (the bit just below the bottom of the bra that has a natural crease in your side when you bend to the side and am now 31.5".. but around my naval is still 36" :( I've got skinny limbs and am generally small but around my naval makes me look freakin pregnant because of the contrast with my skinny limbs etc.. grr lol
  • sharlin_e
    sharlin_e Posts: 10 Member
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    I was listening to a Jillian Michaels podcast where she talks about people trying to lose "vanity pounds", ie your body isn't overweight and therefor wanting to lose weight. She talked about how it's a totally different ballgame to someone who is trying to lose 50 or 100 pounds, because your body is healthy at the weight that it is and will do anything to keep it that way. She had callers who had the exact same problem as you, that they were incredibly fit, ate very clean and restricted calories and couldn't lose any weight.

    Apparently anything over a 1,000 calorie deficit (750 is ideal) is far too large of a deficit if you're not overweight, and your body will slow it's metabolism down, going into starvation mode to resist losing what your body views as necessary weight. Even if you are eating 1600 cals, if you're burning 3,000 a day then you might not lose any weight, it might cannibalize your muscle to reserve the fat.

    If you can afford it, maybe buy a fitbit or a body bug to accurately measure your bmr, and then you can determine what your true deficit is. Otherwise, if you've been going at it since March (well done) then maybe its worth experimenting around with changing your macros (ie proportion of carbs, protein and fat) and make sure that you are changing your workout routine every few weeks.

    Hope it helps :)
  • jvdx
    jvdx Posts: 57
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    2 months and no progress? lower the calories.
  • 2hobbit1
    2hobbit1 Posts: 820 Member
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    It can be frustrating big time - you have the diet/nutrition down and the exercise too so good job all around!

    My suggestion would be to change up a little on the workout routine and change your strength trainong to a program like
    Starting Strengt or Stronglifts 5x5 or New rules of lifting for Women.

    Heavy compound lifts do make a big change in your shape.
  • shedpoundsforgood
    shedpoundsforgood Posts: 13
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    try xenical capsils iv lost weight with those give u a boost as its a fat blocker,also change your exercise routine to boost ur weight loss,swap tea for green tea too its a metabolic booster good luck let me know how your getting on xx
  • gjanjua80
    gjanjua80 Posts: 2
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    I also train 5 days a week, mainly cardio upto to 3 miles a day, burning between 350 - 500 calories at a time. I eat healthy, limiting fats and complex carbs etc etc...but i dont seem to be losing any weight...i see a change in body shape as i can see certain parts are more looking more toned but i dont seem to be losing weight...if anything i've gained it? Any ideas?
  • MissMormie
    MissMormie Posts: 359 Member
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    If I read you correctly you are losing inches, just not in the place where you'd like to lose them. it will happen in the end, but you really cant spot reduce. So stop focusing on the belly and just accept it comes of where it wants to come off.
  • jamface11
    jamface11 Posts: 87
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    What is your sedentary TDEE, I'm 5'7 and about 134 and mine is 1700 a day so you may be eating too much if you NET this. Also how are you calculating your exercise calories, the calculators can way over (or under for some people) estimate so you may be eating back way too many calories which could be stalling your weight loss. If I ever have to estimate my cal burn (machine or MFP) I'll just add half and eat those back to buffer against any inaccuracies and to take into account net not gross calories burn.

    Hope this helps, good luck :)
  • gjanjua80
    gjanjua80 Posts: 2
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    that was very concise and well put :laugh: ....i guess i have been focusing on body parts...
  • mileah67
    mileah67 Posts: 8
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    I FEEL your frustration! I'm doing Insanity Workout - which is extreme (especially for a couch potato). My #weight loss has been slow. I don't know the answer....But it's good to know I'm not alone! If you get any GOOD tips, share! I've considered a personal coach - maybe someone with dietary knowledge can find the one or two changes that will make a difference!
  • mileah67
    mileah67 Posts: 8
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    **Also - we can't "target" the areas we want to loose in! I was told it's like a Pool - the deep end fills up first and empty's last! LOL
  • BlackTimber
    BlackTimber Posts: 230 Member
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    You're doing fantastic. just keep on doing what you're doing. It takes a long time to fine tune your body composition.
  • groomchick
    groomchick Posts: 610 Member
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    Takes a long time to get rid of belly fat.... Keep lifting, continue cardio (preferably HIIT) and keep your macs super tight....it will happen. Need to think in terms of 6 month and 1 year goals at this point!!

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