Been working hard, no results. Discouraged.
Replies
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2 weeks is not a plateau! People panic too much and don't realise that weight loss does not come off in near linear chunks. You may see no loss for 2-3 weeks then bang, 4 pounds off. Patience! It sounds like you are doing everything spot on to me. Just don't be discouraged, keep going. Try something new in a few weeks if the scales haven't budged then, then that's a plateau. Good luck!
Thank you, I am trying not to panic. Like I said it's just hard because last time I lost weight it DID come off in perfectly linear chunks. I don't understand why it's different this time!
Each time you lose weight will not be the same. Usually weight loss is not linear.
Don't freak out.. lower your deficit and keep going. Things will change. Change up the exercise you do as well.0 -
I appreciate all the feedback so far. But to the people who say maybe I've gained muscle weight, I don't think that's it. First off, you can't gain muscle at a calorie deficit, and I'm at a fairly big deficit. Also, if I was indeed gaining muscle but losing fat, your'e right that the scale wouldn't change, but my measurements would. My measurements haven't changed at all, that's why I'm upset.
I think a lot of this can be chocked up to measurement error. Being off by 1/4" is very possible if you're measuring yourself. Fluid retention from the new workout plan and weightlifting can cause the 1 lb difference in expected weight versus what is really on the scale too. 1 lb difference is very hard to detect with any precision especially in women who tend to fluctuate more than men. The zig-zag calorie plan could very well be contributing to this also.
Furthermore, since you have so little weight to drop, two weeks isn't nearly long enough to know if your plan is working or not. Your rate of loss is going to be very very slow right now. Most of the people I know who are this close to their goal weight, it can take a full month for them to drop a pound and a full year to drop ten pounds.
I think you just need to work on being more consistent with your diet and patient. Weigh and measure once per month, try to keep your sodium and fluid intake at a consistent level (doesn't have to be ultra-low), and be consistent with your workout routine.
Sounds to me like you're doing very well and just need to work on being more patient.
^Yep! Give it more time!0 -
I notice I gain about a pound before my cycle and lose double it a week after it ends.
If you are counting calories, be a little stricter about measuring portions. The devil is in the details. Although only calories should technically matter, if there is anything very processed / sugary, consider cutting it out for a few days and seeing if that helps at all.
Try short bouts of very intense activity during your workouts, like a 30 second sprint.
I have been close to the same weight for the past two months because I not watched my calories very closely. Don't be discouraged; at least we are not gaining it back!0 -
To build muscle, you have to eat at a surplus. Yes there are cases where some are able to build muscle wile on a deficit, but that is the exception to the rule. Try eating at maintenance (TDEE) or a little above while lifting heavy to build muscle then cutting calories while getting plenty of protein to lose any fat you gain. Keep bulking and cutting like that until you get to where you are happy with what you see in the mirror. That's just my two cents worth, but it is what I would do.
When we get close to our goal, many people find that the number they picked, just isn't where their body wants to be at. Can you get it there? Sure, but it may be at the cost of body composition.Hi, I'm 5'4" so a healthy weight range for me is supposed to be like 110-145 or something like that. So I didn't think 125 would be too unattainable. Like I said, I don't just look at the scale, I take measurements. I DO lift heavy and trust me, I wouldn't care about the scale if I was getting smaller. But I'm not getting smaller at all.
Have you seen this: http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2011/07/21/meet-staci-your-new-powerlifting-super-hero/
Great story with great pics.
Also, as close as you are to your goal weight, you should aim for less of a deficit, like half a pound a week at best.
And, as others have said, two weeks is not a plateau, so I wouldn't worry just yet.
Ah yes, I love Staci's story! Actually reading that was what got me into lifting last year
Again, I really don't care about the scale as long as I'm getting smaller - I'd kill to look like Staci - but my measurements aren't changing at all (and that's over 2 months, not 2 weeks). I am trying to take a deep breath and be patient though!0 -
Are you overexercising? Training breaks the body down, nutrition and rest builds it back up again, you say you ran every day over Christmas and now you have added Insanity. Overreaching/ overtraining puts the body into a state of stress which can encourage muscles to be burned and fat to be retained, changes in training type also can cause more glycogen fuel to be held and/ or low grade inflammation both of which mean more water held. Even professional athletes cycle hard and easy days, hard and easy weeks they don't go hammer and tongs all year round.
Sodium and alcohol completely mess with your water balance too - water alone is not the solution, are you eating a ton of foods rich in potassium, magnesium and other minerals? Many of us don't consume enough and these are lost in sweat. Also any nutrient imbalances can affect energy production and metabolism, basically how easy it is for you to drop fat. I don't see any sense in being upset when you just had a cheat day and could easily be feeling the effects of that. Maybe work on getting all the recommended servings from each food group, remembering your needs for all nutrients are increased by an intense exercise regime - they can double with am hour of moderate to intense activity five times a week. TBH there is altogether too much ready made stuff and not enough nutrient dense wholefoods in your diary.0 -
Read the first post of this thread:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/113609-relatively-light-people-trying-to-get-leaner
ideally read the whole thread if you can. It is made for people like you.
You have to remember that water will not only effect scale readings but also body fat and measurements depending on how you take them.
You're fine. Keep going.0 -
To build muscle, you have to eat at a surplus. Yes there are cases where some are able to build muscle wile on a deficit, but that is the exception to the rule. Try eating at maintenance (TDEE) or a little above while lifting heavy to build muscle then cutting calories while getting plenty of protein to lose any fat you gain. Keep bulking and cutting like that until you get to where you are happy with what you see in the mirror. That's just my two cents worth, but it is what I would do.
Thank you, I have actually done that before. In my post I said I was "maintaining" since March, but I actually did a bulking/cutting cycle in there. I enjoyed it, especially the bulking part haha. I definitely have more muscle now than I did last year. I'd just like to lose more fat.0 -
Not to get too personal, but are you about to start your period?
That was going to be my first question. I gain up to 10lbs the 7 to 14 days before she shows for her visit. USually not that much since I've lost but the little the OP has seen could easily be just simple daily weight fluctuations.0 -
I'm not an expert by any means - otherwise I'd be Mr. Olympia; however you said something and talked about something that made me instantly think I had some idea of what was going on:
You said "I've been working my butt off for two months and I've lost nothing - in fact, I've gained". You also mentioned you've been doing Insanity and that you lift.
Perhaps your body has gotten to such a point now that it has reached it's "spot" and has decided that it's time to build some muscle-mass. Again, I'm no expert but a body can only lose so much and keep burning so much. At some point it levels off and it becomes difficult to burn off excess weight and your body begins to sculpt/tone with muscle as opposed to just losing extra fat (which may just not be there to lose).
My guess is that since you've been working so hard - you've been inadvertently putting on muscle mass or sculpting/toning the existing muscle into a stronger, denser (i.e. weighs more) core.
That's just this guys outside perspective so take it for what it's worth.
Edit: before tpt1950 explains that muscle mass does not 'weigh more' than fat - what I mean is - it is denser - so you can have more mass in the same area (so you notice no size increase in your body) but your weight increases.
He brings up a good point....what's your body fat%? Has that decreased? I think it takes a good month to detox from the holidays. I would cut down on a lifting workout or two per week and increase your cardio. That will assist in flushing out all of the badness from your holiday break. Cut out alcohol for the next couple of weeks while you are getting your body chemistry back into your norm and I bet you'll see the scale start to move. Keep up your chin--you are more than your weight. Don't let your emotions derail you.0 -
I don't any advice but just wanted to stay don't beat yourself up to much. Just keep going and stay positive. You've had some great success and will continue to do so.
Good luck at your pageant!0 -
Here are a couple of my suggestions that have worked for me in the past. First give your body a break, maybe working out 6 days a week is too much?? Try every other day to allow time in between for muscle repair. That being said, change up ur wkout routines. Also try eating small frequent meals every couple hours focusing mainly on whole foods, lots of water. Read a study about increasing water to 10 c/day. And lastly, maybe even try eating ur last meal of the day at 5 or 6.0
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You're stressing over such miniscule amounts of weight. Fluid retention, hormone production, food in the digestive track, spikes in sodium etc. all have effect on your weight.
Make good food choices from variety of sources.
Drink water.
Exercise.
Get plenty of sleep.
Atop all of that, find some ways to reduce your stress...like put your scale away for a while and allow yourself to forget about it.0 -
He brings up a good point....what's your body fat%? Has that decreased? I think it takes a good month to detox from the holidays. I would cut down on a lifting workout or two per week and increase your cardio. That will assist in flushing out all of the badness from your holiday break. Cut out alcohol for the next couple of weeks while you are getting your body chemistry back into your norm and I bet you'll see the scale start to move. Keep up your chin--you are more than your weight. Don't let your emotions derail you.
Detoxing is a media concept or sales pitch. A healthy body 'detoxes' daily, every time you go to the bathroom and every time you sweat. If your body is holding on to poop or pee for up to a month you have a serious medical problem! Body chemistry is adjusted continuously throughout the day to maintain homeostasis, if this is not occurring it is a medical emergency.
A liver that has been under severe strain for an extended period such as someone who drinks heavily could well take up to a month for the enzyme levels to return to normal, but it is still 'detoxing' continuously unless they have cirrhosis or renal failure in which case they'd be a tad yellow.0 -
You're stressing over such miniscule amounts of weight. Fluid retention, hormone production, food in the digestive track, spikes in sodium etc. all have effect on your weight.
Make good food choices from variety of sources.
Drink water.
Exercise.
Get plenty of sleep.
Atop all of that, find some ways to reduce your stress...like put your scale away for a while and allow yourself to forget about it.
This is solid gold advice0 -
Have you considered that it might be muscle gain from amping up your work outs?
Just saw your post saying you didn't think it was muscle gain.0 -
That sort of weight fluctuation is very normal for me. I can be up or down up to 2 pounds from one day to the next. Several things can contribute to that - water retention, PMS, constipation, etc. It's only been a couple weeks since we all hogged out over the holidays, so give yourself a little more time to see results. I'm going through the exact same thing. Was at 126.4 before Christmas, then up to 132 after the holidays. I'm at 129.2 now and have been there most of the week. I'm going to keep working out and staying within my calorie limits. It will drop again eventually.0
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Looking at your diary, I say wayyyyyy too much processed food, fast food, and not enough in the way of fresh vegetables, fruit and lean protein. Real food. Try one solid week of eating ONLY fresh veggies, fresh fruit and lean protein (not always lean, but 2/3 of the time) and I guarantee you will notice a difference.
Sit down in the next day or two, figure out a meal plan, go shopping Saturday or Sunday and get what you need for the week. Ideally you'll make a pitstop at the market mid-week to get fresh food.0 -
Its ur muscle gain, its does actually weigh more than fat. if you look the same size having muscles as you did having fat, you will find you actually weigh more with the muscle body0
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Are you logging everything? It's easy to not do when drinking alcohol and eating fast food.
You keep repeating that you did not have these problems in the past. When you wanted to lose you lost at a steady pace. Was what you were eating and drinking then similar? I think if you cut the alcohol and the fast food regardless of how much stress you have that you'd be back on track.0 -
I'm thinking sodium/water retention. I was pretty sure I was going to be in for a bit of dissapointment this AM for my official weekly weigh in as I weighed unofficially yesterday and was at the same exact weight as last week. I was really bad with my sodium on Mon and Tues...but really good on Wed and Thurs...When I weighed in the AM I was right on track at down 1.2 Lbs.
Also, remember that the scale really doesn't tell the whole story. Also, being at an already very healthy weight is going to make it more dificult to lose; your body wants to hold on to some of that fat. I would think you'd benefit most from heavy lifting for body composition and ignore the scale at this point.0 -
Wrong, why do people reply when they don't read the whole thread. This has already been brought up in this thread.Its ur muscle gain, its does actually weigh more than fat. if you look the same size having muscles as you did having fat, you will find you actually weigh more with the muscle body0 -
Looking at your diary, I say wayyyyyy too much processed food, fast food, and not enough in the way of fresh vegetables, fruit and lean protein. Real food. Try one solid week of eating ONLY fresh veggies, fresh fruit and lean protein (not always lean, but 2/3 of the time) and I guarantee you will notice a difference.
Sit down in the next day or two, figure out a meal plan, go shopping Saturday or Sunday and get what you need for the week. Ideally you'll make a pitstop at the market mid-week to get fresh food.
I see your point, I would get that impression from looking at my diary too haha, but it's actually not the most accurate representation of how I normally eat. I love to cook at home and I do it as much as I can. Unfortunately the pat few days I've had no chance to cook (I've been away from home for 12+ hours at a time with no access to a fridge), so I've been forced to eat out. And there was the Wednesday incident with the drinking and the fast food, but that really is unlike me.
A couple of you have mentioned the alcohol, though, and I appreciate that because I totally forgot that when I drink my weight ALWAYS goes up for a couple of days! So hopefully that has something to do with it. I don't drink that often so I should be fine having no alcohol for at least the next month.0 -
Its ur muscle gain, its does actually weigh more than fat. if you look the same size having muscles as you did having fat, you will find you actually weigh more with the muscle body
It's not muscle gain.. please read the whole thread before you post a reply that is false and doesn't answer the question.0 -
I appreciate all the feedback so far. But to the people who say maybe I've gained muscle weight, I don't think that's it. First off, you can't gain muscle at a calorie deficit, and I'm at a fairly big deficit. Also, if I was indeed gaining muscle but losing fat, your'e right that the scale wouldn't change, but my measurements would. My measurements haven't changed at all, that's why I'm upset.
I think a lot of this can be chocked up to measurement error. Being off by 1/4" is very possible if you're measuring yourself. Fluid retention from the new workout plan and weightlifting can cause the 1 lb difference in expected weight versus what is really on the scale too. 1 lb difference is very hard to detect with any precision especially in women who tend to fluctuate more than men. The zig-zag calorie plan could very well be contributing to this also.
Furthermore, since you have so little weight to drop, two weeks isn't nearly long enough to know if your plan is working or not. Your rate of loss is going to be very very slow right now. Most of the people I know who are this close to their goal weight, it can take a full month for them to drop a pound and a full year to drop ten pounds.
I think you just need to work on being more consistent with your diet and patient. Weigh and measure once per month, try to keep your sodium and fluid intake at a consistent level (doesn't have to be ultra-low), and be consistent with your workout routine.
Sounds to me like you're doing very well and just need to work on being more patient.
Bump..0
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