2 week of exercise 5 days/week & nothing happens!

AhlaWahda

So I started exercising a little over 2 weeks ago, at least 5 days a week (my goals is 6) for 1 hour. I don't really count calories but my estimate is that I eat around 1200-1400. I'm not losing any cms or kgs and it's really frustrating! I can feel my body getting harder but no other change.
What am I doing wrong? I read that some say you should eat more but I figured that a low calorie intake and a high calorie outflow will get me to my goal faster, plus I don't feel hungry. If I do, I eat.
Should I up my calorie intake?
How long should I continue with this regime before I know it's not working?

AllTehBeers

For as much working out as you're doing, that's a small amount of calories.

You have to take into account when you start a new exercise program, your muscles and retain water to help repair themselves. Also, your time of the month can make you retain water.

Wanting to get to your goal faster is one of the reason's most people fail. Eating very low calories with high intensity workouts can make you feel drained and exhausted.

You should do a specific program for at least 1 month before evaluating the overall progress.

AhlaWahda

Thank you for answering! I've been reading a lot here in the forum and it seems that many people have the problem of eating too little which causes the body to retain fat or how do you say. Everywhere I read you should eat 1,200 kcal like it's a magical number. MFP and the Tumblr Fitness community supports it. Clearly it's not working for everyone. I will try to eat not below my BMR of 1,425 but aim for around 1,500. I'm really scared I'll gain weight and get fat but I will give it a try to see what will happen. :-)

AllTehBeers

Thank you for answering! I've been reading a lot here in the forum and it seems that many people have the problem of eating too little which causes the body to retain fat or how do you say. Everywhere I read you should eat 1,200 kcal like it's a magical number. MFP and the Tumblr Fitness community supports it. Clearly it's not working for everyone. I will try to eat not below my BMR of 1,425 but aim for around 1,500. I'm really scared I'll gain weight and get fat but I will give it a try to see what will happen. :-)

That sounds more reasonable. Don't be scared of gaining weight. The number on the scale can fluctuate for many reasons (sodium, TOM, exercise) but you can not gain fat if you are eating in a deficit.

spamantha57

I just started working out about 3&1/2 weeks ago, doing Insanity. It took me 2&1/2 weeks to lose my 1st lb, & just lost my 2nd one yesterday. Though the scale hasn't moved much, my body is definitely changing for the better. Patience isn't really a virtue of mine, but I know things are working & I just have to stick with it. It can be disheartening seeing all these people losing 3-5lbs in a week or 2, but we're all different & our bodies do things at different paces. Try & be patient & consistent & you should be fine.

SatchGallamax

I wouldn't worry too much, it's only been 2 weeks. Unfortunately losing weight the healthy way takes time and a lot of patience. Also, if you went from little/no exercise to 5 days/week your body is going to need some time to adjust. I'd honestly up your calories a bit and put the scale away for a while. Start taking body measurements - you'll notice results there sooner.

taso42

what IS your goal?

_namaste_

Aside from all of the other advice I would say you should absolutely start counting calories. "Estimating" what you think you are eating can be a very slippery slope. I have heard people who estimate portion sizes, and how much they eat often under-estimate by 25 - 50% or more. I would start counting, set a fair goal (1500 or 1600) and eat back exercise calories (if you have a heart rate monitor - if not, eat back only 50% exercise calories since MFP often over estimates on calorie burn). I have been doing this and am at 50lbs lost as of last week. I eat more (average 1650 every day while calorie cycling) and lose more. If I eat less I lose less and my body suffers because of it.

janeite1990

Aside from all of the other advice I would say you should absolutely start counting calories. "Estimating" what you think you are eating can be a very slippery slope. I have heard people who estimate portion sizes, and how much they eat often under-estimate by 25 - 50% or more. I would start counting, set a fair goal (1500 or 1600) and eat back exercise calories (if you have a heart rate monitor - if not, eat back only 50% exercise calories since MFP often over estimates on calorie burn). I have been doing this and am at 50lbs lost as of last week. I eat more (average 1650 every day while calorie cycling) and lose more. If I eat less I lose less and my body suffers because of it.

I agree. You may find that you are on target and estimating well, but you may find that you are underestimating. I was. That's why I love MFP. Log it for a couple of weeks and see what the numbers say.

TinaBaily

One issue might be that you are underestimating your calorie count for the day. I was doing that for years, and imagine my shock when I learned, after weighing and measuring and logging everything, how much I was actually taking in. You may be doing the same thing, and that could be negating your wonderful calorie burn. It's worth trying. I have 2 sets of measuring cups, 3 sets of measuring spoons and a postal scale that works in metric and U.S. measure, so I can be as accurate as possible. My results speak for themselves, and I work out 6 days a week, averaging 70 minutes a workout. Good luck to you!

edited to add: looks like I was beaten to the punch with the underestimating idea. Great minds think alike, I guess!

CherokeeBabe

Log everything to see how much you're really eating. You might be waaay under and it's stalling your weight loss, or you might be a fair bit over and sitting at your maintenance level. The daily log will show you.

mooglysmom

You've gotten a lot of good advice. Make sure you're eating enough.
It took a month before I saw a real change. I log all my food, and try to stay close to what MFP tells me I should be getting calorie wise. I eat back my exercise calories as well.
Change does not happen overnight.

acpatts

You need to be tracking your measurements as well. Muscle takes up less room than fat so you may get to a point where the amount of fat you are losing is about the amount of muscle you are gaining - which leads to no change on the scale but a smaller you if you are checking your measurements. You may also need to change how many calories you are eating. Last time I was on a 1200 calories diet and working out 5-6 days per week I actually got better results when I bumped up my calories to 1500, especially on days I worked out. And I made sure to space those calories around my workout so I had something before and after each workout. And like someone else said, you need to be counting, not estimating. You would be surprised at how wrong you can be. My husband hit a plateau and started counting calories. Found out he was eating 3000 per day or more. So even though he was burning 1000 or more running he still wasn't doing enough to offset what he was eating. Good luck.

WJZR

I too am exercising every day, and my calorie goal is 1200 daily. Howevrr, after loggingi log my exercise... it gives me more calories... plus the exercise makes me want a little snack. I have not yet lost anything worth posting about. I've been at it about three weeks... i think.

DaniH826

I can feel my body getting harder but no other change.

Have your measurements changed any? How are your clothes fitting??

jeme3

Also, you are very close to your goal- within ten pound it looks like, according to your ticker. It's harder to lose weight when you are closer to your goal.

How tall are you? You may be at a very healthy weight already.

AhlaWahda

Firsty, thank you all for your advice! It's really helpful! I'm totally new to MFP (although I registered a time ago).
I never logged my food because I never found it. I live in Sweden. At first I tried to find the equivalent but that took a long time.
I usually eat almost the same every day so instead I counted the calories in my constant meals like breakfast and lunch.
So it's only dinner I don't keep complete track of so I would guess the chance is bigger that I'm too much under my 1200 than over it. I also exaggerate the calories in what I eat and underestimate how much I burn.
Here's what I eat; Breakfast: yoghurt with wholegrain cereal. Lunch: 1 piece of wholegrain sandwich with cheese and salami. Dinner: wok with quorn/soup/chicken with veggies. Snack: nuts, almonds and fruit.
This doesn't sound a lot right? I also walk to the gym, the store and everywhere. I work out a kind of aerobics with strength and cardio.
I'm 5'6" and last time I checked 132 lbs. My weight goal is about 120-122 lbs and to have a 23" waist.
I take measurements as well but nothing has changed for many months (granted I started working out two weeks ago).
Maybe all this information can help you give more accurate advice? :-)

Doctorpurple

Firsty, thank you all for your advice! It's really helpful! I'm totally new to MFP (although I registered a time ago).
I never logged my food because I never found it. I live in Sweden. At first I tried to find the equivalent but that took a long time.
I usually eat almost the same every day so instead I counted the calories in my constant meals like breakfast and lunch.
So it's only dinner I don't keep complete track of so I would guess the chance is bigger that I'm too much under my 1200 than over it. I also exaggerate the calories in what I eat and underestimate how much I burn.
Here's what I eat; Breakfast: yoghurt with wholegrain cereal. Lunch: 1 piece of wholegrain sandwich with cheese and salami. Dinner: wok with quorn/soup/chicken with veggies. Snack: nuts, almonds and fruit.
This doesn't sound a lot right? I also walk to the gym, the store and everywhere. I work out a kind of aerobics with strength and cardio.
I'm 5'6" and last time I checked 132 lbs. My weight goal is about 120-122 lbs and to have a 23" waist.
I take measurements as well but nothing has changed for many months (granted I started working out two weeks ago).
Maybe all this information can help you give more accurate advice? :-)

You already at a healthy weight that is why it's hard for you to lose weight. I'm in the same boat and it takes me a loooong time to lose a pound. I get really happy with just 1 lb of weight loss in a month. That is with diet and exercise of 5 times a week. You will not instantly lose a bunch of weight in two weeks with the weight you have. Eat more, vary your meals, add more fruits and vegetables. You will get some progress but it will not be instant

flynnfinn

i would REALLY REALLY REALLY consider logging in every single bite of food you eat. you would be surprised at how many calories you actually consume. you very well may be eating more than you think (in terms of calories) therefore negating any exercise you do.

measure everything. i made the mistake of eyeballing vegetables and olive oil...then i realized that 100g of vegetables was really more like 300g! it sounds silly but that type of thing adds up. and one chug of olive oil in the pan for cooking is really like 1 overflowing tablespoon! do that 3x a day and there you go. an extra 200-300 calories.

as for me, i am very similar in size and weight as you. i would exercise 5x a week, 1hr a day just like you. since the new year started, i backed off on exercise and started religiously measuring everything i eat. everything is measured/weighed BEFORE i put it in my mouth. now i eat an honest 1400 calories a day, i exercise for 1hr 3x a week and i've lost 6lbs since i've made these changes.

it starts with you being honest with yourself as far as what you put into your mouth. and then give it some time. best of luck to you!

AhlaWahda

i would REALLY REALLY REALLY consider logging in every single bite of food you eat. you would be surprised at how many calories you actually consume. you very well may be eating more than you think (in terms of calories) therefore negating any exercise you do.

measure everything. i made the mistake of eyeballing vegetables and olive oil...then i realized that 100g of vegetables was really more like 300g! it sounds silly but that type of thing adds up. and one chug of olive oil in the pan for cooking is really like 1 overflowing tablespoon! do that 3x a day and there you go. an extra 200-300 calories.

as for me, i am very similar in size and weight as you. i would exercise 5x a week, 1hr a day just like you. since the new year started, i backed off on exercise and started religiously measuring everything i eat. everything is measured/weighed BEFORE i put it in my mouth. now i eat an honest 1400 calories a day, i exercise for 1hr 3x a week and i've lost 6lbs since i've made these changes.

it starts with you being honest with yourself as far as what you put into your mouth. and then give it some time. best of luck to you!

This is a dilemma because I don't really want to start counting everything because I know it will be an obsession and I couldn't stop. That's why I try to just eat what is healthy and in a moderate amount. I eat the same as when I was losing my 29 lbs but now I added the exercise. So now I'm really confused if I should eat less or more. Different people, different advice..

AhlaWahda

Firsty, thank you all for your advice! It's really helpful! I'm totally new to MFP (although I registered a time ago).
I never logged my food because I never found it. I live in Sweden. At first I tried to find the equivalent but that took a long time.
I usually eat almost the same every day so instead I counted the calories in my constant meals like breakfast and lunch.
So it's only dinner I don't keep complete track of so I would guess the chance is bigger that I'm too much under my 1200 than over it. I also exaggerate the calories in what I eat and underestimate how much I burn.
Here's what I eat; Breakfast: yoghurt with wholegrain cereal. Lunch: 1 piece of wholegrain sandwich with cheese and salami. Dinner: wok with quorn/soup/chicken with veggies. Snack: nuts, almonds and fruit.
This doesn't sound a lot right? I also walk to the gym, the store and everywhere. I work out a kind of aerobics with strength and cardio.
I'm 5'6" and last time I checked 132 lbs. My weight goal is about 120-122 lbs and to have a 23" waist.
I take measurements as well but nothing has changed for many months (granted I started working out two weeks ago).
Maybe all this information can help you give more accurate advice? :-)

You already at a healthy weight that is why it's hard for you to lose weight. I'm in the same boat and it takes me a loooong time to lose a pound. I get really happy with just 1 lb of weight loss in a month. That is with diet and exercise of 5 times a week. You will not instantly lose a bunch of weight in two weeks with the weight you have. Eat more, vary your meals, add more fruits and vegetables. You will get some progress but it will not be instant

Do you count calories? I would also be happy with 1 lb of weight loss in a month. Anything to see a change and know I'm doing it right. Now I don't know if I should eat more or less. Aahh.. Maybe I should keep doing what I do and be patient or I should change my regime, I don't know.

CassieReannan

FUEL YOUR BODY!!!!!!! :noway: If you are working out 5 days a week on 1200 calories your body is going to store fat not lose it. You also state you eat the same thing everyday, switch it up.

strickland8052

1. Are you weighing yourself first thing in the morning, right after you pee and before you eat or drink, wearing nothing but underwear, on an accurate scale?
2. Are your 1200-1400 calories good healthy food? tons of fruits, veggies, lean protein and whole grains?
3. Are you getting enough high intensity cardio exercise?
4. Are you about to start your period? Maybe you are bloated, retaining water because it is the week before your period?
5. Are you drinking enough water?

I had the same problem. I went about one month and had only lost 1 pound. I was so frustrated I had a brownie binge session (at least they were no fudge pudge brownies.. but still bad....). Anyway, then I decided to make a few more changes and see if that helped. I started going to bed earlier and waking up earlier and doing atleast 15 minutes of exercise in the morning to jump start the metabolism(5 minutes yoga and a 10 minute walk). I also started eating only fruit for breakfast (but a lot of it!). I also started drinking tons and tons and tons of water, about 10 big glasses a day with lemon or cucumber in it. I also tried eating a larger lunch and limiting the carbs at dinner. Finally, I started doing higher intensity cardio exercise (jogging or Jillian Michael's Shred DVD). Within two days I lost 3 pounds... but I also started my period in those 3 days so I don't know if it is because of that or because of all the changes I made. However, I do feel fantastic with so much more energy. I really feel like the morning exercise, water, and cardio has picked up the weight loss and my mood. Whatever you do, do not give up! I don't think the problem is not enough calories... I'd try making other changes before bumping up the calorie intake or atleast give it a month and a half to account for horomone changes that could be the culprit.

Noor13

If you have lost 29 lbs eating the same as you do now, exercising, you definitely ave to increase your calories.
You want to fuel your workouts! What you do, is the opposite!
Eat enough food to support your workouts!

stuntpilot51

You really need to start logging and tracking your intake. Most everything is in the food database and once you get it into your diary it's right there for easy access
When you mention nuts and fruit those are very high calorie foods, albeit very good for you.
I'm a nut addict too! and 1 oz of roasted peanuts is around 180 calories, I could eat a whole jar of planters roasted peanuts in a day but that would be all I could eat.

AhlaWahda

FUEL YOUR BODY!!!!!!! :noway: If you are working out 5 days a week on 1200 calories your body is going to store fat not lose it. You also state you eat the same thing everyday, switch it up.

Some say I should fuel it by eating more and some think I'm over my calorie outflow.. Hard to know what to do.

flynnfinn

FUEL YOUR BODY!!!!!!! :noway: If you are working out 5 days a week on 1200 calories your body is going to store fat not lose it. You also state you eat the same thing everyday, switch it up.

Some say I should fuel it by eating more and some think I'm over my calorie outflow.. Hard to know what to do.

because we don't know how much you are really eating! it's hard to know what to do because you don't have an exact idea of how much you really eat.

AhlaWahda

1. Are you weighing yourself first thing in the morning, right after you pee and before you eat or drink, wearing nothing but underwear, on an accurate scale?
2. Are your 1200-1400 calories good healthy food? tons of fruits, veggies, lean protein and whole grains?
3. Are you getting enough high intensity cardio exercise?
4. Are you about to start your period? Maybe you are bloated, retaining water because it is the week before your period?
5. Are you drinking enough water?

I had the same problem. I went about one month and had only lost 1 pound. I was so frustrated I had a brownie binge session (at least they were no fudge pudge brownies.. but still bad....). Anyway, then I decided to make a few more changes and see if that helped. I started going to bed earlier and waking up earlier and doing atleast 15 minutes of exercise in the morning to jump start the metabolism(5 minutes yoga and a 10 minute walk). I also started eating only fruit for breakfast (but a lot of it!). I also started drinking tons and tons and tons of water, about 10 big glasses a day with lemon or cucumber in it. I also tried eating a larger lunch and limiting the carbs at dinner. Finally, I started doing higher intensity cardio exercise (jogging or Jillian Michael's Shred DVD). Within two days I lost 3 pounds... but I also started my period in those 3 days so I don't know if it is because of that or because of all the changes I made. However, I do feel fantastic with so much more energy. I really feel like the morning exercise, water, and cardio has picked up the weight loss and my mood. Whatever you do, do not give up! I don't think the problem is not enough calories... I'd try making other changes before bumping up the calorie intake or atleast give it a month and a half to account for horomone changes that could be the culprit.

1. Well, I don't have a scale at home so I only weigh myself when I visit my mom so that's usually after breakfast and lunch and wearing clothes. Not the ideal situation I know.
2. I consider my food as healthy although maybe not very varying. Although I eat different dinners but mostly the same breakfast and lunch. I don't know I like eating the same lol. I live by myself so it's not fun to cook for myself. In the weekends I eat with my family though so that switches up my routine.
3. I would say so. This exercise that I do leave me soaking in sweat and panting and with a nice soreness the next day. When I'm starting to get used to it I will go for the highest activity level called Intensive.
4. Hmm, I didn't think of that, but it turns out I'm almost in the middle of it.
5. I drink a lot and pee a lot so I think yes.

Thank you for your input. This makes me more sure that I shouldn't eat more. I also thought that if I ate too little I would feel dizzy and weak while working out, but I don't. Maybe my body is just used to it, hard to know. I will actually switch my dinner and lunch. Before I always ate the cooked meal for dinner but I'm going to have it for lunch and then a smaller meal in the evening with less carbs. Thanks! :-)

AhlaWahda

FUEL YOUR BODY!!!!!!! :noway: If you are working out 5 days a week on 1200 calories your body is going to store fat not lose it. You also state you eat the same thing everyday, switch it up.

Some say I should fuel it by eating more and some think I'm over my calorie outflow.. Hard to know what to do.

because we don't know how much you are really eating! it's hard to know what to do because you don't have an exact idea of how much you really eat.

I understand. Well, when I counted calories for my breakfast & dinner they're 350 cals each and that's me exaggerating. What I eat for dinner is usually lower in cals than that and when I snack on nuts I eat max 1 dl. That and once piece of fruit. So I can't imagine how that could exceed 1,200 cals/day.

darrensurrey

I read that some say you should eat more but I figured that a low calorie intake and a high calorie outflow will get me to my goal faster

And that's what everyone else thinks with similar experiences to you.

http://www.phillearney.com/nutrition/the-ultimate-cutting-guide/

Also, don't estimate. Count calories or nobody can really help you. You can't even help yourself as estimates are usually out by over 50%.

Warchortle

eating fat burns fat.. broscience!