fear of 213.8 lbs and all muscle

californiagirl2012

I am 5'4, 213.8 lbs. ( used to be 135 lbs 6 years ago ) I work out 3 hours a day, one hour running, one hour walking, one hour strength training. It has been 12 days since I started, and I eat clean, rarely have junk. I burn about 3000 calories a day, and eat about 2100. My BMR is 1700. I have not lost any weight yet. I am a bit nervous since it has been almost 2 weeks.. I know muscle weighs more then fat, and so on and so forth, but I have like 90 lbs to lose! mathematically I should be losing weight.. but I am not! How is this possible? I also drink a **** ton of water everyday, no less then 15 cups. I am doing everything right... so what am I doing wrong?

That sound like me for the last 15 years. I ran marathon after marathon and ultra marathon and worked my butt off at the gym and still gained weight. It was because I'm small (smaller than you, I'm only 5'1"). You can't out exercise too many calories. The calorie burns are not what they say they are. Most people have a smaller RMR than they think they do or the online calculators say. The only way to know for sure is to go to a lab to have it tested. But you don't have to do that. You can notch your calories down by 100 until you find what is right for you. Always check with your doctor. No one here can tell you how many calories to eat, not even MFP which is why they have the warnings they have (erroring on the side of caution).

There is no mystery to weight loss, everyone thinks something is wrong, their metabolism is broken, they have low thyroid, they have menopause or whatever issue, they are as unique as a snowflake, whatever. I thought a lot of these things once too but once the doctor helped resolve the health issues for me I learned there is still no magic pill. Most people eat more than they need to and are not at good at estimating calories as they think they are. Most people have a lower BMR than they think they do. The only way to know for sure is to go to a lab and have it tested. It doesn't seem fair to have to eat less and feel a little hunger. It's hard to face the truth of it, very hard. It's not fun. It's drudgery at times. But if you learn to enjoy your smaller amounts of food (necessary to lose weight, since the reason we got fat in the first place was eating too much whether we knew it or not), and rejoice in your victories it can be done.

All I can do is share what worked for me. I achieved my goal at age 50 after beating my head against the wall for 15 years. Yeah anyone can do it, but I can tell you that you are up against a lot when you are older and I believe females have some unique issue to face with hormones and such. The sooner you can get a handle on it the better. DO NOT GIVE UP. As I got older and the weight piled on (and I didn't feel I was eating too much!) everyone kept telling me to give up, this is what happens when you get older. I'm small, and I didn't realize how small I was until I lost the weight. Everyone said I had big bones. I looked hefty because I worked out. Once I lost the weight I realized how small I really was and that small people don't need to eat as much as big people. HINT: If you are short you are probably small.

Your body loses weight in chunks, not linear. I have found that you can do everything right and your weight loss seems to plateau but if you are patient and keep exercising and eating at a deficit (however slight) you will lose it, it will suddenly "whoosh". There are so many variables for the scale; water retention, digestion, hormones, allergies, sodium, carbs, water intake, DOMS, inflammation, the list goes on. People mistakenly think they lose or gain weight when they eat more or less because of these fluctuations.

Losing weight requires tremendous patience. You will not lose it when you want it or where you want it. The body does its thing. Some apparent plateaus can last a month or so. You cannot make it happen faster. You must focus on two things; calories and exercise. Nothing else matters. Scales and metrics don't matter. The day in and day out grind of exercise and calories are all that matters. It is not very exciting until things fall into place. You get your victories and you ride one victory to the next.

The scale is a trend tool. The scale is good but put it away and only check once a week and only use it as a trend tool. It will fluctuate, it does not matter. Take front side and back progress pictures at least once a month. You will see differences that the metrics won't tell you and it's that little bit of NSV that will keep you going until the next victory.

To say eat more is wrong.

To say eat less is wrong.

To find the exact calories needed for YOU to be in a healthy sustainable calorie deficit is the right answer. Wait, if you need to adjust by 100 do it, wait, adjust, wait, adjust, wait. The tortoise wins this race.

All that matters is calories. A healthy balanced diet within a calorie budget for a deficit that is right for YOU is all that matters for weight loss. Don't make it complicated.


Also people play mental accounting games with calories just like with finances. Make steps to make sure you are making accurate measurements. Packaged foods can have MORE than they say but not less (they get in trouble if less so they would rather error with MORE).

If you typically intake sodium at a certain rate your body adjusts, but if you make a sudden change then you will see a spike.

Exercise is for making your lean body mass pretty (especially lifting weights) for when the fat is gone. Losing fat with no muscle is ugly and cardio alone will not make you pretty. You cannot out exercise too many calories.

It really is about calories. I tell people this all the time and they say "Well if calories are all that matter why do you eat so clean???!!" Well, because it makes me feel better, sleep better, and perform better at my sports.

Too many changes at once can be hard on some people. I've always eaten healthy so it easy for me to simply eat less. Eating at a calorie deficit is hard on people; even a small deficit puts your body in a state of flux with hormones and such. Everyone is different. Some people can handle a deeper calorie deficit than others, this is not right or wrong, it just is. Stress in your life affects your hunger hormones; lack of sleep, fatigue, job stress, family stress, financial stress, etc. Add in emotional eating issues and it gets even more complicated. Most people can only handle so much change/stress at once, they try to do too much and fail. Sometimes it might be a better strategy to eat at maintenance and make some small changes first, it really depends on how much stress you are taking in at the moment.

What is the exact number of calories for you?

We’ve been trying to figure out an exact NUMBER of calories that everyone should be eating, without recognizing that everyone is slightly different. In truth, the calories aren’t the end game. Your body is. So the EXACT amount of Calories that are right for you is the EXACT amount that will allow you to maintain your ideal bodyweight no matter what some calculator or chart says.

In other words, an online calculator might tell you that you need to eat 2,500 calories
per day to maintain your ideal bodyweight. But the only way to know for sure if this is
the right amount for you is to test it out. If you gain weight or can’t lose weight eating
that much, then you know you need to eat less to lose weight no matter how many
calculators and text books say otherwise.

This doesn’t mean your metabolism is broken, it just means the estimate of your needs
was just a bit off.

-John Barban (The Body Centric Calorie Guide from the Venus Index and Adonis Index Manuals)

The good thing is you don't have to worry about the starvation mode myth if you are fat. Only skinny people have to worry about starvation mode. It does not mean you have the capability to eat at a large calorie deficit if you have emotional eating disorders or other issues going on, but at least you don't have to be afraid of it anymore.

The Theory of Fat Availability:
•There is a set amount of fat that can be released from a fat cell.
•The more fat you have, the more fat can be used as a fuel when dieting.
•The less fat you have, the less fat can be used as a fuel when dieting.
•Towards the end of a transformation, when body fat is extremely low you
may not have enough fat to handle a large caloric deficit anymore.

At the extreme low end, when your body fat cannot ‘keep up’ with the energy deficit
you've imposed on your body, the energy MUST come from SOMEWHERE. This is
when you are at risk of losing lean body mass during dieting (commonly referred to
as ‘starvation mode’). This happens at extremely low levels of body fat, under 6% in
men and 12% in women [Friedl K.E. J Appl Phsiol, 1994].

-Brad Pilon and John Barban (from The Reverse Taper Diet in The Adonis Index and Venus Index manuals)

Lifting weights is KEY. I recently had my DXA scan done and at 51.5 years of age I have the bone density of a super athletic 30 year old. That is a direct result of lifting for over 30 years. Now if that is not scientific proof that lifting weights keeps you younger I don't know what is! Also I believe it is why most people think I look much younger than I really am.

Start lifting now, lift heavy and change it up often, find a lot of weight routines with free weights, make it fun, embrace it, make it part of your life. Only 3 days a week is all it would take. Crank up your tunes and learn to love it, because your body will love it and it will make your quality of life better in many ways, especially when you get older like me.

Because of this I don't have to worry about osteoporosis. If you wait until you are older and your bones start to deteriorate it's a bit too late, you can't get back what you lost, and you can only start a resistance routine that will prevent further damage.

If you are female you don't have the hormones to get big naturally. I lift heavy and I'm still really tiny. My lean body mass is only 104 lbs and that is fairly heavy for a 5'1" female, and quite a bit of this is due to my having very dense bones from 30 years of lifting, not all muscle, and I'm still quite tiny.

My muscles really are not that big, but they show a lot of definition because I'm quite lean. If I gained some fat then I would have a softer more toned look (which is OKAY too!). Then if I gained more fat I would look bulky and hefty like I did most of my life until last year. YOU CAN HAVE WHATEVER YOU WANT. Lean and ripped, soft and toned, or hefty, it all depends on how much fat you leave on your body. Calories are the only thing that changes fat. Exercise is for changing or maintaining your lean body mass only. Lifting weights will give you the best bang for your buck for shaping your body. I finally changed my shape by putting lifting first and cardio 2nd. You cannot out exercise too many calories.

Best of luck to you sweetheart!
Bobbie

Snikkee

I have not taken measurements, yes it is something I should do! and I plan on giving my way some more time. I am sure my body needs to adjust, I am assuming. IF nothing changes on the weight side of things, I will look into changing my diet.

besaro

I haven't really delved into strength training so I dont know how many calories that burns, but for an hour walk (3ish miles) my HRM says I burn about 250-300 calories and I am 225, 5,6 and for about 50 mins of cardio I can get about 350 calories. Is it possible you are over-estimating your burn?

Sarauk2sf

I plan on keeping this up for the rest of my life. I have no issues with working out, it is something I love to do. I can fit 3 hours in, any day, on any schedule. I dont plan on losing 5 lbs a week. 1-3 at the most. as I stated mathematically I should have lost at least 2 by now. I am not in this to lose the most, the fastest.

Weight loss is not linear - it is 'overshadowed' by water weight, which women are particularly susceptible to (annoying but true unfortunately). You need to look at your weight loss over at least a 4 week period.

ETA: I would cut down the volume of exercise - you are over-doing it imo.

Ducey99

I would take another look at calories burned. You're estimates seem to be over by quite a bit. I can see the approx 700 burned from walking and circuit (although maybe a stretch) but where are the extra 1300 or so coming from? It just says "Bodybugg"

C00lCountry

Have you considered you maybe over doing it?
If you burn lots,
Eat little,
you are starving yourself.
Lack of rest is not healthy either. If you do this same activity everyday, when do you rest?

Yanicka1

Holy hell!!!!!

Stop this insanity. Eat at a moderate deficite (500 cals a day in your case)

Exercise 45 minutes 4-5 times a week (mix cardio with weight)

Rest

usmcmp

Cut back on the exercise. It isn't just that you are burning tons, it's that you are screwing with hormones like Cortisol. You may not think you are overdoing it, but your body might be saying something different. Even my friends who are figure competitors do a max of two hours a day and only a month or two right before the competition.

Snikkee

THANK YOU CALIFORNIAGIR!!!!

psuLemon

I am 5'4, 213.8 lbs. ( used to be 135 lbs 6 years ago ) I work out 3 hours a day, one hour running, one hour walking, one hour strength training. It has been 12 days since I started, and I eat clean, rarely have junk. I burn about 3000 calories a day, and eat about 2100. My BMR is 1700. I have not lost any weight yet. I am a bit nervous since it has been almost 2 weeks.. I know muscle weighs more then fat, and so on and so forth, but I have like 90 lbs to lose! mathematically I should be losing weight.. but I am not! How is this possible? I also drink a **** ton of water everyday, no less then 15 cups. I am doing everything right... so what am I doing wrong?

I'll tell you how it' posible you're not losing weight, you're estimations of how much you burn, your BMR, and how much you eat are off. I can't imagine a 5'4" women eating 2,000 calories to lose weight.

Are you serious? Because i know 5' women losing at 2000+.. in fact many of them are on this board.

Snikkee

FYI I use a body bugg to calculate all of my calories I burned. ONE OF THE MOST ACCURATE calorie counters out there. IT is the amount of calories I burn in an entire day... not just the 3 hours I work out.

aproc

Eating too much. How did you calculate what you are burning? Start reducing your calorie intake more or I would say you might be overdoing the cardio a bit.. Too much of anything can be bad or detrimental to weightloss.

nhradeuce

Burning 2800-3000 calories daily seems off. Burning 900-1000 calories in an hour is pretty hard work out. Doing that 3 times in one day would be very difficult unless you are already pretty fit. On Sundays I play 2 competitive soccer games (90 minutes minimum, about 900 calories) and my net caloric intake is only 2300 calories that day.

That's probably your problem, you're not burning as much as you think you are. One thing for sure, something is not adding up or you'd have lost something by now. Maybe stick it out another couple of weeks and see if you start losing. If not it's time to adjust some numbers.

** EDIT ** Guess you posted right before I did. 2800-3000 for the whole day may be a little more reasonable, but it still seems high to me.

magj0y

I am 5'4, 213.8 lbs. ( used to be 135 lbs 6 years ago ) I work out 3 hours a day, one hour running, one hour walking, one hour strength training. It has been 12 days since I started, and I eat clean, rarely have junk. I burn about 3000 calories a day, and eat about 2100. My BMR is 1700. I have not lost any weight yet. I am a bit nervous since it has been almost 2 weeks.. I know muscle weighs more then fat, and so on and so forth, but I have like 90 lbs to lose! mathematically I should be losing weight.. but I am not! How is this possible? I also drink a **** ton of water everyday, no less then 15 cups. I am doing everything right... so what am I doing wrong?

While you might Love working out, you're killing your body. Especially if you are targeting the same sets of muscles every day.

supertracylynn

I measure and weigh everything I eat. I use the bodybugg to calculate how many calories I burn in a day.

Those aren't accurate. I gained weight while using one... because it was wrong, and that was even after a month of having it.

ETA: before I got the bodybugg, I was maintaining 138# at 1500-1600 cal/day. Bodybugg said I burned 2400-3200, so I ate more to make up the cals. I gained 8# in 2 months.
Now I use a Polar FT7 only when I'm exercising, and I eat back my exercise calories. I'm about 136# and eat an average of 2000 cal/day (using a food scale for accuracy)

Snikkee

I wish you all would read everything I have posted. I DO NOT BURN 3000 CALORIES IN 3 HOURS! it is the total amount of calories I burn in an entire day, including when I sleep. THE CALCULATION IS CORRECT! I wear a body bugg, very accurate calorie counter.

psuLemon

I am 5'4, 213.8 lbs. ( used to be 135 lbs 6 years ago ) I work out 3 hours a day, one hour running, one hour walking, one hour strength training. It has been 12 days since I started, and I eat clean, rarely have junk. I burn about 3000 calories a day, and eat about 2100. My BMR is 1700. I have not lost any weight yet. I am a bit nervous since it has been almost 2 weeks.. I know muscle weighs more then fat, and so on and so forth, but I have like 90 lbs to lose! mathematically I should be losing weight.. but I am not! How is this possible? I also drink a **** ton of water everyday, no less then 15 cups. I am doing everything right... so what am I doing wrong?

I'll tell you how it' posible you're not losing weight, you're estimations of how much you burn, your BMR, and how much you eat are off. I can't imagine a 5'4" women eating 2,000 calories to lose weight.

Are you serious? Because i know 5' women losing at 2000+.. in fact many of them are on this board.

Are they obese? THe OP doesn't look obese.

No many of them are 140 or less.. its all about how active they are. I believe the OP's issue is under eating combined with too much exercise. I would suggest dropping exercise to 1 hour and maintain the 1700-2000 calories. Hormones alone can stop weight loss.. also you have to consider it hasnt been long and she is probably storing a lot of water from excessive exercise to help repair her muscle.

nhradeuce

Sorry, you posted that while I was writing my post. As I added to my original post, that number still seems suspect. I do agree that you are pushing too hard though. 3 hours a day is over working your body, dial it back a little and see what happens.

Leeannboswell

Also look at what your calories are made out of. NOT ALL CALORIES ARE CREATED EQUAL!!!!!!!!! You should try 1700cal a day with 50% protein, 30% carbs and 20% fat. I have had great success with this.

This is good. 3,000 cals per day is too much. Even if you are working out like a banshee, you have to cut the calories, but be smart about it. Lean meats, lots veggies. No cheats.

Sarauk2sf

I wish you all would read everything I have posted. I DO NOT BURN 3000 CALORIES IN 3 HOURS! it is the total amount of calories I burn in an entire day, including when I sleep. THE CALCULATION IS CORRECT! I wear a body bugg, very accurate calorie counter.

Okay since the calculations are correct, you eat 2000 calories a day, burn 3,000. SO you're in a calorie deficit of 1,000 calories a day. 7 days a week? This should be about 2lbs weight loss a week.

So what's the problem?

Pu - did you notice that she has only been doing this for 12 days - water weight fluctuations could totally mask the results.