Stay the same weight!!!

annasor70

I exercise A LOT! I take about 8 to 9 hours of intensive ballet a week including pointe work, I weight train and I take a lot of boot camp and intense drive classes..some days I am burning about 800 calories or even more! I mix it up too, not letting my body get used to any one exercise!

But I NEVER seem to really lose weight. I am 5 foot 6 and about 130 lbs give or take a pound or three...I can go down to 127 and up to 132 but never stay up or down. I am a pear shape with measurements of 32- 27-34
I eat SUPER well, on a plant based diet, always getting the nutrients I need. I often don't make my goal calories even!

For example I might have a vegan protein shake with raw berries, kale and fresh pressed juice I make myself for breakfast, a red lentil soup for lunch with a green salad and another salad for dinner followed by a wholewheat pasta with veggies and nut cheese.
I don't drink much...0-1 glass of wine a day. I eat very little dessert....maybe apples, berries or a little piece of raw chcolate. on weekends maybe a little more.

I seem to get firmer but not smaller or lighter. What am I not doing? My goal is to weigh about 125 with measurements of 34-25-34, evening myself out more (I do heavier weights for chest/ back/ biceps, etc )
Help and thanks!!!

psuLemon

How many calories do you eat? I seriously hope it's a lot. Also, don't get caught up in a vanity weight. Go by how you look.

Mini_Medic

Burning 800+ cal during a ballet routine is a lot of working out and great exercise, however I think you may be under eating. Easy fix, slowly increase your calories by 100-200/ every few days. Typically someone your size and height can feasibly eat 1400-1800 and still be losing body fat. You said you seem to get "firmer" but not lighter/smaller. That is possibly because you are going through body recomposition where your weight stays about the same but you start building muscle and increasing your lean body mass at the same time as gradual fat loss. So the scales tip in the right direction as far as lowering body fat % and increasing your muscle mass %. Being 5'6" and 130 lbs it is going to be a slow process of losing "the last 5lb" you say is your goal to hit 125lb. You already look awesome based on your profile pic! Seems like your exercise is great, perhaps try to increase your calories or eat the same but change up your macros to lower your fat and up your protein. Keep your carbs reasonably high if you are exercising a lot, you need carbs to burn working out!

Good luck!

annasor70

Thanks for the advice..I never thought the answer would be to eat MORE!
I take in about 1300 to 1700 calories per day. On an occasional "binge" I take in 2000 but on a day where I burn A LOT maybe doing ballet classes aAND bootcamp so about 3.5 hours of cardio, give or take.
Maybe I am not getting enough carbs. Sometimes I am lacking a bit in carbs according to my calorie counter on here. I alwasy seem to get plenty of protein and fat.
I am a bit addicted to cardio..not running but hiking, ballet and classes at my gym!


"That is possibly because you are going through body recomposition where your weight stays about the same but you start building muscle and increasing your lean body mass at the same time as gradual fat loss".

This indeed may be what is happening. I have only started adding heavier weights and bootcamp to my regime in the last two and a half months or so.

Thanks for the great comment! AND for saying I look good

psuLemon

You definitely need to eat more. How old are you? I ran a range of ages, but you should probably stay around your binge number consistently. Also, drop some of the cardio. It just burns tons of cardio and requires you to eat a lot more. High protein can help with muscle retention and carbs for energy, but calories itself is what determines fat loss. I would say just use Ballet as your cardio and then weight train. I wouldn't even do boot camp as it's pretty intense. Also, do you take off any days for recovery?

annasor70

I am in my mid/ late 30's. I take Saturday off, usually just do a hike with my dogs. And Thursday and Friday I don't do ballet, just classes at the gym and weight training.
So what us the benefit of doing less cardio? I maybe don't completely understand.

psuLemon

I am in my mid/ late 30's. I take Saturday off, usually just do a hike with my dogs. And Thursday and Friday I don't do ballet, just classes at the gym and weight training.
So what us the benefit of doing less cardio? I maybe don't completely understand.

You burn less calories so you don't need to eat a lot more. Also, too much cardio can lead to catabolization of muscle, especially when there isn't adequate intake of food. Also, you need to give your body adequate time to recover as that is where you see the progress and training almost 10 hours a week can be excessive. You will see greater results with less working out.

annasor70

On interesting! Thanks Maybe I will just take my ballet classes, ONE class of bootcamp a week and then muscle train?
I appreciate your advice!

MyChocolateDiet

I exercise A LOT! I take about 8 to 9 hours of intensive ballet a week including pointe work, I weight train and I take a lot of boot camp and intense drive classes..some days I am burning about 800 calories or even more! I mix it up too, not letting my body get used to any one exercise!

But I NEVER seem to really lose weight. I am 5 foot 6 and about 130 lbs give or take a pound or three...I can go down to 127 and up to 132 but never stay up or down. I am a pear shape with measurements of 32- 27-34
I eat SUPER well, on a plant based diet, always getting the nutrients I need. I often don't make my goal calories even!

For example I might have a vegan protein shake with raw berries, kale and fresh pressed juice I make myself for breakfast, a red lentil soup for lunch with a green salad and another salad for dinner followed by a wholewheat pasta with veggies and nut cheese.
I don't drink much...0-1 glass of wine a day. I eat very little dessert....maybe apples, berries or a little piece of raw chcolate. on weekends maybe a little more.

I seem to get firmer but not smaller or lighter. What am I not doing? My goal is to weigh about 125 with measurements of 34-25-34, evening myself out more (I do heavier weights for chest/ back/ biceps, etc )
Help and thanks!!!

maybe you don't lose weight because you are already at a good weight?

psuLemon

On interesting! Thanks Maybe I will just take my ballet classes, ONE class of bootcamp a week and then muscle train?
I appreciate your advice!

Based on your numbers, I would suggest eating 1700-1800 calories. I like macro's around 35% carbs, 40% protein and 25% fats. This method you do not eat back exercise calories as it's in your TDEE. But you are in a healthy weight range so it will be slow.

annasor70

I know my weight is fine...just strange to me that, though increasing working out, I was not losing at all, until I read some of the advice on here.
I know I am taking things to another level and this is just vanity weight but I dance and a very lean body is the best look for the line...Being a slight pear shape, I want to even myself out a bit, reducing a little on the hips and gaining a little in the shoulders...easier said than done And if I ever do partnering in ballet, a lower weight is desired also

What is TDEE ?

psuLemon

I know my weight is fine...just strange to me that, though increasing working out, I was not losing at all, until I read some of the advice on here.
I know I am taking things to another level and this is just vanity weight but I dance and a very lean body is the best look for the line...Being a slight pear shape, I want to even myself out a bit, reducing a little on the hips and gaining a little in the shoulders...easier said than done And if I ever do partnering in ballet, a lower weight is desired also

What is TDEE ?

TDEE is total daily energy expended. Essentially, it's your true maintenance calories. And someone as active as you can burn up to 2400-2800 calories a day. This is where you form a deficit. Finding the right number can be the hard part though. BTW, how long have you been dieting? And have you taken a break?

annasor70

Ah..interesting
I don't really regard how I eat as "dieting" as such....I am into longterm healthy eating...and I am a vegan. I suppose that "dieting" for me is NOT having a vegan cupcake or an extra piece of dark chocolate, not indulging in french bread and not drinking much. I have been eating extra healthily in this way for about a month and a half..

I am a wierdo who actually LOVES lentils, salads, kale and veggie juices

psuLemon

Ah..interesting
I don't really regard how I eat as "dieting" as such....I am into longterm healthy eating...and I am a vegan. I suppose that "dieting" for me is NOT having a vegan cupcake or an extra piece of dark chocolate, not indulging in french bread and not drinking much. I have been eating extra healthily in this way for about a month and a half..

I am a wierdo who actually LOVES lentils, salads, kale and veggie juices

More power to you because I love my steaks. Just try the levels I suggested for a month. If you don't really lose, we can look at it again.

annasor70

Thanks