5 weeks at the gym and no weight loss?? Help!!

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randijward
randijward Posts: 2
in Health and Weight Loss
I have been going to the gym 5 days a week for the past 5 weeks now... I have been taking 2 classes. Cardio 3 times a week and a strength training class 2 times a week. I have been eating approximately 1800 calories a day. Low carb high protein diet. I am stuck at 161 pounds. I figured I would start losing weight like crazy once joining the gym and eating healthy, but I'm only getting discouraged. Does anyone have any other tips to try to start losing this weight? I have not been eating processed foods, and MOST my calories come from all natural good healthy food. I have also been drinking a lot of water. My husband and I started P90X last summer and I gave up after 8 weeks and no weight change. I am pushing myself and really getting a work out, but nothing changes. I am also 5'1 and should weight about 115-130.
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  • sirthickness
    sirthickness Posts: 133
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    What is your BMR? (MFP calculates it for you in the tools section) It doesn't matter what you eat (junk food or 100% natural/organic food), if you don't have a caloric deficit, you will not lose weight. Also, if you are just starting to workout for the first time, you may be losing "fat" weight, but gaining "muscle" weight. Granted, muscle weight takes longer gain that fat weight takes to lose, but still take that into consideration. Check your BMR (the amount of calories you burn, on average, per day WITHOUT doing any exercise) and go from there. Don't get too caught up in what the scale says. The best measure is how your clothes fit and what you see in the mirror.

    In general, the higher your caloric deficit the greater your weight loss. That being said, people with more weight to lose will lose weight faster. The closer you get to your ideal weight, the slower the weight comes off. MFP goes on the calcualation that 3500 calories equals about 1 pound of weight loss or weight gain (meaning, a 3500 calorie deficit equals one pound of weight loss, so, if you have a 500 calorie deficit per day, based on your BMR, you should lose about 1 pound per week).
  • sirthickness
    sirthickness Posts: 133
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    Also, go to settings and "update your diet profile". This will give you your recommended daily caloric intake based on your selected weight lose goal. If you stay within the daily calories, you should lose weight.

    Good luck!
  • gddrdld
    gddrdld Posts: 464 Member
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    My advise would be to decrease your calories to 1500. If you are not losing on 1800 after 5 weeks then you are taking in too many calories to promote weight loss at the rate you desire. Most people overestimate how many calories they burn during exercise.
  • Gallowmere1984
    Gallowmere1984 Posts: 6,626 Member
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    My advise would be to decrease your calories to 1500. If you are not losing on 1800 after 5 weeks then you are taking in too many calories to promote weight loss at the rate you desire. Most people overestimate how many calories they burn during exercise.

    This, exactly. Also, make sure you aren't 'eating back' the calories from your cardio work, at least not all of them. All methods of measuring calorie expenditure are woefully inaccurate and tend to overestimate. At most, I'd say eat back half to a quarter of them. At best, I'd say eat back none, if fat loss is your primary goal.
  • pennaal
    pennaal Posts: 18
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    Have you had your thyroid tested recently? Hypothyroidism makes it almost impossible to lose weight. It means that your thyroid isn't producing enough hormones that affect basically all the systems in your body, including your metabolism.
  • gina4766
    gina4766 Posts: 13 Member
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    I have been going to the gym 5 days a week for the past 5 weeks now... I have been taking 2 classes. Cardio 3 times a week and a strength training class 2 times a week. I have been eating approximately 1800 calories a day. Low carb high protein diet. I am stuck at 161 pounds. I figured I would start losing weight like crazy once joining the gym and eating healthy, but I'm only getting discouraged. Does anyone have any other tips to try to start losing this weight? I have not been eating processed foods, and MOST my calories come from all natural good healthy food. I have also been drinking a lot of water. My husband and I started P90X last summer and I gave up after 8 weeks and no weight change. I am pushing myself and really getting a work out, but nothing changes. I am also 5'1 and should weight about 115-130.

    I am 5' 4" 145 lbs and if I eat 1800 calories I gain weight, I gain weight at anything above 1600, which are the calories needed to maintain my current weight without exercise.
  • wllibera
    wllibera Posts: 3
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    Where did you arrive at 1800 calories. I am 5"4" and weighed 148. My goal is set at 1200 calories plus more on days i exercise. My exercise is normally 30 minutes on the treadmill adding an additional 220 calories bringing my total to 1420 fo the day. I eat basically no wheat with most of my carbs coming from fruits and vegetables. I do eat corn and rice products very occasionally. Don't know is this helps at all but don't get discouraged and don't give up. I am not a nutrition expert by any means but i think Maybe you should try reducing your calories and see what that does. good luck.
  • mmapags
    mmapags Posts: 8,934 Member
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    My advise would be to decrease your calories to 1500. If you are not losing on 1800 after 5 weeks then you are taking in too many calories to promote weight loss at the rate you desire. Most people overestimate how many calories they burn during exercise.

    This, exactly. Also, make sure you aren't 'eating back' the calories from your cardio work, at least not all of them. All methods of measuring calorie expenditure are woefully inaccurate and tend to overestimate. At most, I'd say eat back half to a quarter of them. At best, I'd say eat back none, if fat loss is your primary goal.

    Without knowing height, weight and body measurements including a body fat test, how can you make any recommedation? You don't know enough to say this!!
  • mmapags
    mmapags Posts: 8,934 Member
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    Your height is 5'1" and you've given what you believe to be an ideal weight. I'm not sure what you are basing that on? What is your current weight? Have you taken starting and current body measurements? is it possible that you have developed your muscle tissue, are retaining water and glycogen for muscle repair and you have lost fat but not weight? This is emminently possible in over an initial 5 weeks.
  • keina629
    keina629 Posts: 29 Member
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    This happened to me too! I like to think it was because I was building muscle... but weight isn't always the best indicator - have you taken your measurements? Maybe mix things up a bit and try reduce your calories with same exercise. See what works for you! Keep at it :)
  • WendyTerry420
    WendyTerry420 Posts: 13,274 Member
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    Your height is 5'1" and you've given what you believe to be an ideal weight. I'm not sure what you are basing that on? What is your current weight? Have you taken starting and current body measurements? is it possible that you have developed your muscle tissue, are retaining water and glycogen for muscle repair and you have lost fat but not weight? This is emminently possible in over an initial 5 weeks.

    ^^^ This

    When you start using muscles that haven't been worked regularly, you are literally tearing the fibers in your muscles. So your muscles retain water and glycogen (sugar) and use protein to repair those fibers. And they get a teeny bit longer to prepare to be worked again. You are doing all the right things. I would not be surprise if you didn't have a sizeable "whoosh" of body weight drop once your body starts feeling more comfortable with it's new stresses.

    It is hard to say for sure about your calories without knowing your metabolic rate (BMR/RMR). It could be that you need to up them to get more protein in your diet. While it is possible that you might have to drop your calories down a hair, it is also possible that you aren't getting enough. For myself, I aim for 80-90 grams of protein as a minimum and have my protein macro set to get 113 grams. I am also on 1800 calories, so that should give you an idea when you look at your totals. So check your diary. If you are not consistently getting at least 60-70 grams then that could be part of the problem.

    How are you determining your calories burns? Overestimating burns and/or underestimating caloric intake is a fairly common issue. Are you using a food scale?
  • gddrdld
    gddrdld Posts: 464 Member
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    My advise would be to decrease your calories to 1500. If you are not losing on 1800 after 5 weeks then you are taking in too many calories to promote weight loss at the rate you desire. Most people overestimate how many calories they burn during exercise.

    This, exactly. Also, make sure you aren't 'eating back' the calories from your cardio work, at least not all of them. All methods of measuring calorie expenditure are woefully inaccurate and tend to overestimate. At most, I'd say eat back half to a quarter of them. At best, I'd say eat back none, if fat loss is your primary goal.

    Without knowing height, weight and body measurements including a body fat test, how can you make any recommedation? You don't know enough to say this!!

    Actually, she did give her height and weight. And, this is a general recommendation I gave based on the info provided and my professional opinion.
  • lexusgirl1
    lexusgirl1 Posts: 34
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    I agree with the above posts, 1800 cal is way too much to expect weight loss.
  • meshashesha2012
    meshashesha2012 Posts: 8,326 Member
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    OP i bet you're losing inches like a mofo though, right?
  • reenielovesthebeach
    reenielovesthebeach Posts: 98
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    I agree that you should cut your calories back. I am 5'7" and started off at 262 pounds at the beginning of August. I am now 228 pounds- a 34 pound loss. I lost a bunch fast because I am obese and had 65 pounds to lose.I do 1200 calories per day and I do eat very well at that level. Make sure you're eating a lot of fruits and veggies. I include greek yogurt and or oatmeal for breakfast every day. Eat a big breakfast, mediocre lunch and smaller dinner- with not so many carbs for dinner.

    I started at 1300 calories for about a month and a half and I plateaued so I reduced it to 1200. It depends on who you talk to as to how many calories you should have. My doctor told me that 1200 to 1300 is a good starting point. I went from a totally sedentary life to working out four to five days a week doing nothing but treadmill. I decided a week ago to add in resistence/weights because I am starting to get flabby. I'm also 43 and I know the elasticity in my skin is not so good anymore. I do a day of cardio and a day of weights and take two days off. I have another 30 pounds or so to lose and I should be at my goal weight. You have to switch it up and try different things and see what works for yourself. I can't tell you exactly what to do, but I can tell you what is working for me. Oh and my biggest victory- I am now off the high bp medicine and my bp is good now.

    Good luck to you.
  • paulynchew
    paulynchew Posts: 1 Member
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    I would probably slowly reduce from 1800, to 1600 the next week then 1400 the following week. Give yourself 8 weeks before you expect to feel/see any improvements. If you are doing the same workout for the last 5 weeks, try and throw in 1 new activity every week, eg. try a 45min spin or boxing class to work different muscles. just don't give up, you'll get there.
  • journalistjen
    journalistjen Posts: 265 Member
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    Everyone has given you really good advice.

    1. Reevaluate your calorie goal.
    2. Understand that you will build muscle--the scale will not change at times, but you should be losing size somewhere.
    3. If you feel you are doing the work you are suppose to do with a good eating plan and nothing is happening, see your doctor to get blood work done to check basic hormone levels, sugar, etc. (Especially ALL thyroid hormones--T1, T2, T3, T4. A lot of test only check T1 and T2).
    4. Take monthly body measurements.
    4. Stick with it and don't give up.

    I'm in a two month plateau right now. People have been telling me that I look like I've lost weight, but the scale has not moved. I am going to compare body measurements tomorrow, and I think the scale has finally moved.
  • WendyTerry420
    WendyTerry420 Posts: 13,274 Member
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    OP i bet you're losing inches like a mofo though, right?

    That's what I am thinking.
  • jba314
    jba314 Posts: 1
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    Keep up the good work! 1200 calories and 20 g fat per day and watch the weight fall off! Best wishes!!:flowerforyou:
  • sselraef
    sselraef Posts: 66 Member
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    A lot of people over exaggerated their workout
    and under exaggerated their calorie intake

    Example: My step mom hardly eats anything...
    but eats really high calorie food

    Goes to the gym, with her makeup on...
    doesn't sweat off her makeup or mess up her hair

    Nooot really getting anywhere. :(

    If that's not the case,
    I suggest checking your thyroid or see if you have diabetes
    and if you are taking meds, that could be it too


    drink lots of water
    sweat while youre at the gym
    count every calorie
    see a physician

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