When does the scale catch up?

feydruss

I'm getting a little frustrated and I'm hoping that someone has some words of wisdom. I've been on MFP for a while, started off well (postpartum) then regained due to a knee injury. I ended 2012 at the same weight that I started it, but that included a 20lb gain/loss. I had a bad few months before the holidays but am doing better again now in terms of diet and regular exercise. I really want to get closer to my goals, which means losing another 40-odd pounds, 15% BF, and another 6-8" or so on all my measurements. I'm currently 5'2", 39 years old and 175lbs.

I'm not officially doing SL, but I stalk you ladies like a Twihard at Comicon and have been lifting 3x a week for 45-60min. Last session included DLs 165, squats 135, bench 65, row 80, as well as other stuff (but those are the biggies). I'm doing about 2-3hrs of cardio a week total on top of that, and I'm basically eating somewhere between BMR and TDEE -20%. My diary is closed right now, but I try to eat Primal (includes dairy) as much as possible, with some chocolate and peanut butter (hey, I'm human). Admittedly I was eating too much crap before with the philosophy of IIFYM, but I'm seriously working on eating cleaner now.

My weight is not going down, but I've lost 8" (total) in the past six weeks or so (and depending on the calculator, my BF has decreased 4-5%). Yay, I think. Great. People are seeing changes, including myself. And I know the scale is not as important as measurements. So I'm probably losing fat and adding some lean mass (if that's possible at the same time).

But when will I actually lose consistent and significant WEIGHT? I can't possibly lose enough inches to make up for the 40-50lbs I still want to lose! I love lifting heavy, but is it just going to stall me with actual loss?

Does anyone have a better strategy? Focus on cardio then lift when closer to goal in order to "tone" up? (I threw up a little in my mouth just writing that). Increase calories? Down to 1200? Stay the course?

Don't get me wrong, I love that I'm making strength gains and progress of a kind. I just want the scale to catch up!

DaniH826

Throw your scale out the door and pat yourself on the back. Looks to me like you're doing perfectly.

I got nothing. :flowerforyou:

madisons_mummy

Put it this way

If you were size 6 (or whatever you want to be) and weighed 200lbs would you really care?

Fittreelol

Hi!

Twihard and comicon made me giggle. Michael K fan?

I'm in the same boat as you. I want to lose 40 lbs or so and see where I'm at after that. Been lifting for 7 weeks. I'm noticing way more changes in body composition and inches, but I did lose about 3 lbs in January. Are you losing no weight whatsoever? or is it just really really slow. My guess is after the new gains honeymoon is done ~6 months I'll see the weight drop faster (if I stick to a deficit,) but as long as I keep getting hotter I really don't care too much

Also while it's probably healthier in the long run for you to be eating mostly whole foods (which is what primal is more or less with a few exceptions,) calories do still matter. If you're eating at a deficit, then you should be losing weight.

On another note: one thing to keep in mind is usually when people lose "weight" they are losing lean mass and fat. Weight lifting helps mitigate the lean loss, so you might not see the numbers you want but you'll be losing mostly fat. I think most of use would choose to lose say 10lbs of fat vs 20lbs composed of 12 fat and 8 lean mass.

feydruss

I guess I wouldn't care if I was 200lbs and a size 6, but I don't think it's physically possible (I'm 5'2"). When I've gone to BF calculators, the measurements I would have to achieve to get to a preferred percentage of body fat simply aren't possible without WEIGHT loss, not just fat loss.

I am eating at a deficit, and have been for a long time (give or take a few bad days/weeks here and there). I use a Fitbit as well to track my TDEE, which is pretty much in line with Scooby, etc. I try to stay 500cals or so below that number daily. But my progress over the past six months has basically been non-existent. I gained a few pounds over the holidays, and dropped those in the first few weeks of January. Then back up to basically my highest weight since last December.

We're talking only within a range of 5-8lbs, but right now I'm at 175.6 and I've been trying to get under 170 since I started with MFP 1.5 years ago!

Maybe all the calculators I'm using are wrong? I just don't know how to get the scale moving at the same time as making the progress with recomposition.

tameko2

What are you eating, calorie wise, what macros, how consistent are you with logging, do you ever have cheat days or meals, do you log em?

And -- I'm not clear on the timeline here so lets just identify a timeframe. Starting from January 1st this year, what have you been doing in terms of calories and exercise and what kind of progress have you made in inches/pounds (if any)?

feydruss

Ah, BAMF Tameko! So glad you replied!

Yes, I "cheat" but I log it all, even if it's a whole carton of Haagen Dazs (not something I do often!). I have good days and bad days like everyone, but I try to look at the overall trend.

Now, let's keep in mind that I'm not always diligent about wearing my Fitbit but I am very diligent in logging with MFP. So the calories in will be accurate, and at the most the calories burned will be underestimated if I've just left the FB on my dresser all day. Make sense? Doing some calculations with reports on Fitbit... <crunch tap bleep whir>

In January I was in deficit by 19,316 calories and lost 3.6lbs (post holiday bloat, likely!).
So far in February I have been in deficit by 6,522 calories and gained at least 2lbs back.
Mathematically that could theoretically be a loss of more than 7lbs, yet I am standing still. In fact, I have been floating around the same 5lbs for MONTHS.

I try to keep my carbs <100 and my protein >100, and fat somewhere in between. At "lightly active" (I am the mother of 2yr old twins), the calculators and Fitbit tell me that my TDEE is generally around 2000/day before exercise, and I net anywhere from 1200-1600. Sometimes I eat exercise calories back, sometimes I don't.

I've been lifting heavy 3x a week and doing maybe 2-3hrs total cardio (mostly elliptical and swimming) per week. I have lost probably 8-10 inches in the above time frame.

I want so badly to reach my goal this year and I'm getting frustrated. I know I'm not a snowflake, but surely something should be happening?

nexangelus

I have lost probably 8-10 inches in the above time frame.

Here we go...you've lost inches (a lot of inches by the looks of it! Way to go!)...ignore the scale to some degree because lean mass will make big changes to the way you look and your measurements, etc.

Will_Thrust_For_Candy

I am completely sympathetic to what you are going through as I have been stuck at my weight for some time as well, however I'm just finishing my first cycle of SL and I also got the Mirena at the end of November which I think sent my body into a tailspin. I know that my body is changing.....but all the "numbers" are a little slow in catching up!

A couple of things stick out to me about what you have mentioned so far.

1) You have lost SICK inches since January.....I would be WAY happier with that than the scale. From everything I have read and researched, if you hare losing the inches, the scale WILL catch up eventually.

2) I would increase your protein quite a bit.....I am taller than you but around the same weight and I am aiming for 150g/day.

3) With the amount you workout and the fact that you have toddler twins I would be putting your activity level at moderate although you did mention that you have a fitbit (I think??) so do you eat according to that or according to Scooby?

4) The 2lb "gain" that you say in February would not be fat if you were still in a deficit of over 6,000 calories for the month. Is it possible you weighed at a different time in your cycle or that you had consumed a fair bit of sodium? Also, your muscles might just be holding onto some water or filled with glycogen.

I think those are all the thoughts I have right now lol

tameko2

8-10 inches in 6 weeks is pretty awesome so I think I wouldn't worry about your calories or changing your exercise just yet. If you don't have a net loss since January at the end of this month I do think its worth reevaluating because you're eating a pretty solid deficit to not see ANYTHING change on the scale for 8 weeks.

Also If you don't already weigh your food, I'd do that for a while just to be 100% sure you're logging correctly, plus be extra diligent about stray bites, particularly of high cal things (like I have a friend that would forget to log the extra 3 bites of her daughters PB&J sandwich, and the spoon licking she did while preparing it, and so on). Also anything put in coffee, condiments, etc. Just to rule that out as a factor. You averaged 433/day deficit this month, but if you were eating 200 calories of little bits and pieces here and there it'd only be 200, and that would be a small enough deficit that it would be really hard to see changes.

tameko2

I am completely sympathetic to what you are going through as I have been stuck at my weight for some time as well, however I'm just finishing my first cycle of SL and I also got the Mirena at the end of November which I think sent my body into a tailspin. I know that my body is changing.....but all the "numbers" are a little slow in catching up!

A couple of things stick out to me about what you have mentioned so far.

1) You have lost SICK inches since January.....I would be WAY happier with that than the scale. From everything I have read and researched, if you hare losing the inches, the scale WILL catch up eventually.

2) I would increase your protein quite a bit.....I am taller than you but around the same weight and I am aiming for 150g/day.

3) With the amount you workout and the fact that you have toddler twins I would be putting your activity level at moderate although you did mention that you have a fitbit (I think??) so do you eat according to that or according to Scooby?

4) The 2lb "gain" that you say in February would not be fat if you were still in a deficit of over 6,000 calories for the month. Is it possible you weighed at a different time in your cycle or that you had consumed a fair bit of sodium? Also, your muscles might just be holding onto some water or filled with glycogen.

I think those are all the thoughts I have right now lol

^^ these are good thoughts too.

and for the record, I haven't REALLY lost any weight in a whole year but I did drop an entire clothing size, and I feel like this year I might see some weight loss (or not, but I'm actually pretty comfortable here even though this time last year I was SURE I needed to lose at least 10 lbs more - and I am heaaavy for my height and size)

Will_Thrust_For_Candy

8-10 inches in 6 weeks is pretty awesome so I think I wouldn't worry about your calories or changing your exercise just yet. If you don't have a net loss since January at the end of this month I do think its worth reevaluating because you're eating a pretty solid deficit to not see ANYTHING change on the scale for 8 weeks.

Also If you don't already weigh your food, I'd do that for a while just to be 100% sure you're logging correctly, plus be extra diligent about stray bites, particularly of high cal things (like I have a friend that would forget to log the extra 3 bites of her daughters PB&J sandwich, and the spoon licking she did while preparing it, and so on). Also anything put in coffee, condiments, etc. Just to rule that out as a factor. You averaged 433/day deficit this month, but if you were eating 200 calories of little bits and pieces here and there it'd only be 200, and that would be a small enough deficit that it would be really hard to see changes.

Great point about the stray bites and weighing Tameko! My eyes were really opened when I started weighing everything vs measuring! And stray bites are a side effect of having kids more often than not lol

feydruss

Thanks for the reassurance, ladies!

FWIW I do measure/weigh most of my food if it's not already an obvious serving size (i.e. slice of bread). I have found that to be important and illuminating!

I consider myself "lightly active" with the twins, then add workouts on top of that. Fitbit and Scooby match up pretty closely for that calculation.

My sodium can be a problem, which I'm working on, and which may also account for the scale fluctuation.

I've been reluctant to raise my protein too much, because I only have one kidney and don't want to put too much strain on it. However, I saw my nephrologist this week and he said that it's doing really well and that I don't need to be worried about my protein and potassium intake, so I will try to bump up to 150g. I find it hard to keep my carbs lower and my protein that much higher without just eating MEAT all the time! I'm open to other suggestions, diet-wise!

I guess I'm doing better than I thought, and I'm just letting my obsessive brain get bothered by the scale when I know it's not the real arbiter of progress. Thanks for reminding me that I'm on the right track! I will continue to be mindful and aim for a 500-700 deficit/day, and reassess in another month.

If I reduce my lifting to a program of slower progressive loading or focusing a little more on endurance, do you think that would make a difference at all? Like a moderate weight with reps until fatigue instead of 3x5 level heaviness? For example, instead of:
DL 165 3x5
DL 95-115 until I hit 100 or fatigue (whichever comes first).

Will_Thrust_For_Candy

Thanks for the reassurance, ladies!

FWIW I do measure/weigh most of my food if it's not already an obvious serving size (i.e. slice of bread). I have found that to be important and illuminating!

I consider myself "lightly active" with the twins, then add workouts on top of that. Fitbit and Scooby match up pretty closely for that calculation.

My sodium can be a problem, which I'm working on, and which may also account for the scale fluctuation.

I've been reluctant to raise my protein too much, because I only have one kidney and don't want to put too much strain on it. However, I saw my nephrologist this week and he said that it's doing really well and that I don't need to be worried about my protein and potassium intake, so I will try to bump up to 150g. I find it hard to keep my carbs lower and my protein that much higher without just eating MEAT all the time! I'm open to other suggestions, diet-wise!

I guess I'm doing better than I thought, and I'm just letting my obsessive brain get bothered by the scale when I know it's not the real arbiter of progress. Thanks for reminding me that I'm on the right track! I will continue to be mindful and aim for a 500-700 deficit/day, and reassess in another month.

If I reduce my lifting to a program of slower progressive loading or focusing a little more on endurance, do you think that would make a difference at all? Like a moderate weight with reps until fatigue instead of 3x5 level heaviness? For example, instead of:
DL 165 3x5
DL 95-115 until I hit 100 or fatigue (whichever comes first).

For me, I wouldn't change my weights program just to make the scale change.

You are seeing results, just not the "normal" scale results that far too many measure success by. By following a program like SL and practicing progressive loading you are helping to shed the fat and reveal that strong sexy muscle. This is just my opinion though. If you like the program and enjoy the changes it is making to your body then I say stay the course. At this stage of the game when you start lifting it's a very slow process so it's best to sit back, relax, and enjoy the journey :happy

ETA: Also, in my opinion a 700 calorie/day deficit while lifting is far too much. If I were you I would re-run my numbers at a moderate activity level and see what come back and do 500 cal deficit at most with the increase in protein. Eating too little can also cause plateaus in your progress!

bakerseve17

im no expert and not good with numbers and percentages! I just track calories and work out! What i noticed with myself was i was dropping weight really fast with just cardio, in one week at one point 12 lbs yet I didnt feel much of a difference! about a week and a half ago i began lifting weights, i wld just go with the most i cld lift and do what i call a burnout just go until i no longer could. when i weighed on saturday, i only went down 1 lb and nothing changed but the weight lifting. yet, yesterday as i was running around doing errands i noticed my pants are falling off, i have to walk around holding them. My point is...numbers arent always a good way to track our progress, well scale numbers! When i was losing 12 lbs, 7 lbs a week, clothes fit the same in a week my pants are falling off and JUST TODAY someone said I notice the weight loss on your face & i believe its been due to the weight lifting.

4themoney

Put it this way

If you were size 6 (or whatever you want to be) and weighed 200lbs would you really care?

this has become my attitude. i like the number going down on the scale, but i like the inches and clothing size going down even more!

i'm down like 7 lbs in the last 5 weeks and i'm also down 6.75 inches! the inches are what is making the difference in how i look and how my clothes fit. the 7 lbs alone might only be water, ya know????

xidia

My gut fee is you're not eating enough. I'd add 200-300 cals a day a see what happens over a month.

Sometimes, the numbers just won't behave as they should (I stalled on weightloss at 1200 net a day, upped to 1500 and shed some, then stalled again, sat on my backside for two weeks being ill while netting 1500 and dropped another 3lbs - mathematically, that puts me in some sort of alternate universe...)