Getting tired of the words "Muscle weighs more than fat"...

paula04619
paula04619 Posts: 12
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi,
I signed up here three weeks ago and since have only lost 2 lbs despite a strict diet of 1200 cals a day (which I never go over) and running 4.25 miles a day on my treadmill. The scale has not budged in the last 10 days or so. I know the running is adding muscle, but I'm being so good because I want to LOSE weight! I have lost 34 lbs since last September and want to lose 20 more.

Can anyone help me?
:)

Replies

  • Mokey41
    Mokey41 Posts: 5,769 Member
    You haven't gained muscle in 3 weeks eating at a large deficit and running on a treadmill.
  • paula04619
    paula04619 Posts: 12
    well, what's happening? I'm afraid to eat more.
  • EmmaKarney
    EmmaKarney Posts: 690 Member
    water retention most likely.

    Eat more, exercise 2-3 times a week and have rest days in-between.

    Read this: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/937712-in-place-of-a-road-map-ver-3-0
  • 5ftnFun
    5ftnFun Posts: 948 Member
    I am not as good at explaining it as others here. Maybe this can help:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/937712-in-place-of-a-road-map-ver-3-0
  • 5ftnFun
    5ftnFun Posts: 948 Member
    water retention most likely.

    Eat more, exercise 2-3 times a week and have rest days in-between.

    Read this: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/937712-in-place-of-a-road-map-ver-3-0

    Like minds lol
  • KarenJanine
    KarenJanine Posts: 3,497 Member
    It is very unlikely you will have gained any muscles running on a treadmill. If people are telling you you're not losing scale weight because you've gained muscle then they are wrong.

    You say you are never going over 1200 cals which suggests you are not eating back your exercise calories. Log your exercise and eat back the exercise calories.
  • paula04619
    paula04619 Posts: 12
    checking it out...thank you :)
  • EmmaKarney
    EmmaKarney Posts: 690 Member
    water retention most likely.

    Eat more, exercise 2-3 times a week and have rest days in-between.

    Read this: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/937712-in-place-of-a-road-map-ver-3-0

    Like minds lol

    Should be compulsory reading for everyone!
  • EmmaKarney
    EmmaKarney Posts: 690 Member
    checking it out...thank you :)

    NOTE: it may seem confusing at first and possibly even counter intuitive - but I can guarantee that it works.
  • flex500
    flex500 Posts: 63
    Hi,
    I signed up here three weeks ago and since have only lost 2 lbs despite a strict diet of 1200 cals a day (which I never go over) and running 4.25 miles a day on my treadmill. The scale has not budged in the last 10 days or so. I know the running is adding muscle, but I'm being so good because I want to LOSE weight! I have lost 34 lbs since last September and want to lose 20 more.

    Can anyone help me?
    :)

    well I'm not going to say those words to you because as the above poster said you are not going to be gaining muscle eating so little and running like that. In fact I'd almost bet you've lost muscle more than anything.

    Are you specifically eating 1200 total calories or is that your "net calories"? When did your weight loss plateau? How much do you currently weigh and do you know your bodyfat? How much were you eating when you first starting losing weight? Have you just been adjusting the calories down? Or just increasing exercise?

    sorry for all the questions but there is an answer somewhere we just have to figure out what it is. If you are truly eating on 1200 calories a day and running 4.5 miles not only are you probably losing muscle you are lucky you are not wasting away to dust. More than anything i applaud you for being able to function.

    This is a common theme on here though. It seems like there are many women who lost weight upfront and run like crazy and eat super low calories and get stuck.



    as a side note have you had any bloodwork done recently? If so was it all good?
  • concordancia
    concordancia Posts: 5,320 Member
    You can't be afraid of food, it is what fuels those runs! Most people who start a new it try to go low fat. Make sure you are getting beneficial fats from nuts, avocados, olive oil, egg yolks...

    Eat more: set MFP to lose 1lb a week and eat back the calories you burn by running.

    Change your exercise: look into HIIT for your running.

    Add strength training: as you get stronger, you may come to realize that you like your body better without losing as much weight. Besides, it is good for bone health!

    Learn to accept that weight loss is not linear. If you are accurate in your logging, consistent in your intake and exercise and don't have any underlying medical issues, it will happen.
  • paula04619
    paula04619 Posts: 12
    You are right, I have not been eating back my exercise calories because I thought that would make me lose weight faster. I will eat them back starting today and see what that does for me. Been so frustrating being so strict and seeing that same damn number on the scale. Thank you for the suggestion... :)
  • LydiaShackelford
    LydiaShackelford Posts: 93 Member
    I HATE THIS SAYING! It's completely INACCURATE! I blogged about it back in February. Check it out (link below). While people have good intentions saying this statement, it does no one any good making someone else believe something that's untrue!

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/LydiaFair10?month=201302

    Gahhhh!!! Sorry, I get really fired about this. LOL!
  • mrincredible93
    mrincredible93 Posts: 146
    I've seen this, or similar issues posted frequently in the forums. I'm cutting and pasting a previuos response I provided. Some of it may apply, some may not. The measurements were for the person I was speaking to. The principles are the same. There are stong opinions on both sides of the issue. You'll need to ultimately decide what works for you. It'll be a bit of trial and error.

    "Key to understanding whether you have gone into starvation mode is tracking bowel movements. If you aren't having them or if what you do have is very minor, you are crossing into starvation. With both food and water, your body has an autonomous ability to react to input. If you put in too little in (food or water), your body notices and will hold on to every little bit...causing you to retain food or retain water. If you put in too much, again you will gain weight. Give your body enough water and food for your activity levels and it will learn that it doesn't have to hold on to what comes in. Effective weight loss is not built on starving yourself until you lose. It is finding the Goldilocks point of just the right amount of calorie deficit to encourage loss and stimulate metabolism.
    At 5'6" and 144, you may be getting close in on your minimum recommended fat percentage. Consider getting a professionally done body assessment. There are different methods of getting the calculations done 1) Water immersion method - very accurate but takes time and you have to be put into water, which some people don't like. 2) Bod Pod - next level of accuracy. Found at many college & university athletic programs. You sit in a pod chamber for about 30 seconds or so and a computer measures displacement and other things (it's magic to me) and then gives your your readings. 3) Caliper measurements - easiest to find someone to do this but is not as accurate as the other 2 methods as there is some subjectivity to it. Also involves pinching of skin wich may be uncomfortable.
    When I did the bod pod, I had it in my mind that I wanted to get to 145lbs. The bod pod told me I had 140 lbs of lean mass (bones, muscle, organs) making a 145lbs goal unrealistic. In order to do this, I would have had to actually lose lean muscle mass which is NOT what I want to do. At a 160lbs goal, I can maintain all my muscle mass and have a fat content of between 10%-12% which is considered athletic for a male. They are slightly higher for females. (If you did the math, 160 vs. 140 is actually 12.5% but as I get closer to my ideal goal weght, I am actually building more muscle mass. When I do the bod pod at 160 I may have increased my lean mass to 142 or 144, making my fat % into that range).
    If someone is 250 and 5'1", they can go ahead and start losing without having to worry about how close they are to their lean mass figures.
    At 144 and 5'6", you should find these out to determine if your weight loss goals are reasonable or if you really just need some toning and muscle building. Toning & building will have you lose inches but may have little impact on the scale as muscle is denser than fat so it weighs more but takes less space. "
  • tryinghard71
    tryinghard71 Posts: 593
    Measure weekly. When I first started out the scale did not move much for two months but I was losing 1/2 inch to an inch a week. The scale does not tell the whole story of your success. Also, you will get many opinions on eating back your exercise calories. You will have to choose what is right for you. I sometimes do and sometimes don't. If I have already eaten 1400 calories for the day, not hungry, I am not going to force food in my mouth just because MFP tells me I have 200 left. On other days I may go over by 200 for the day. So it all balances out. The key for me is to stay on track for the week not just the day. I am a believer in eating them back. You are already set a deficit so eating them back is fuel for body not only for nutrition but for energy to workout and maintain muscle.
  • Schmidty102
    Schmidty102 Posts: 168 Member
    I see you said you have been logging for only 3 weeks. I would like to show my last few weigh in days.
    2/19 - 178 lbs
    2/26 - 177
    3/5 - 177
    3/12 - 174
    3/19 - 174
    3/26 - 171

    I have eaten a strict 1800 net calorie diet since I joined MFP. As you can see, weight loss is not linear. Some weeks you will go down, some weeks you may go up, and some you may stay the same. I, personally, would up your calories to at least 1200 net, or 1400 gross minimum. Make sure you drink 8+ cups of water a day to help flush your body. Also make sure you are logging every little thing that goes into your mouth. Condiments and salad dressing can add up really fast.
  • paula04619
    paula04619 Posts: 12
    thanks 5ftfun...I'm checking it out now.
  • paula04619
    paula04619 Posts: 12
    Hi flex500,

    I was eating about 1700-1800 calories a day back when I started this last September, it was my 50th birthday and I had a little melt-down and got serious about losing weight. Like I said, I've taken off 34 pounds of the 54 that I need to. I hit this hellish plateau about 2 weeks ago. My guideline here is 1200 calories a day, which many times I'm under by about 100 or so. I also don't eat back the 500-600 that my treadmill and MFP say I'm burning with my runs. I should be "wasting away"...lol, but I'm not. I am on thyroid meds as I have an underactive thyroid, I haven't had my blood checked for about 8 mos. Is there something I should be testing for?

    I am being meticulous and keeping track of all I eat and exercise. Anyone would think that the weight should be falling off, but when I hit that 34 lb mark two weeks ago, that's been about it.
  • mreeves261
    mreeves261 Posts: 728 Member
    I HATE THIS SAYING! It's completely INACCURATE! I blogged about it back in February. Check it out (link below). While people have good intentions saying this statement, it does no one any good making someone else believe something that's untrue!

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/LydiaFair10?month=201302

    Gahhhh!!! Sorry, I get really fired about this. LOL!

    Last time I made that comment on here (about hating that saying) I got called pretentious, arrogant and ignorant. I read your blog and that is EXACTLY how I feel about it!
  • Revonue
    Revonue Posts: 135 Member
    "Hi flex500,

    I was eating about 1700-1800 calories a day back when I started this last September, it was my 50th birthday and I had a little melt-down and got serious about losing weight. Like I said, I've taken off 34 pounds of the 54 that I need to. I hit this hellish plateau about 2 weeks ago. My guideline here is 1200 calories a day, which many times I'm under by about 100 or so. I also don't eat back the 500-600 that my treadmill and MFP say I'm burning with my runs. I should be "wasting away"...lol, but I'm not. I am on thyroid meds as I have an underactive thyroid, I haven't had my blood checked for about 8 mos. Is there something I should be testing for?

    I am being meticulous and keeping track of all I eat and exercise. Anyone would think that the weight should be falling off, but when I hit that 34 lb mark two weeks ago, that's been about it."

    Well, I'm definitely no expert, but I think raising your calories might help you here. From what I've been reading, 1, 200 calories is for people who medically need to lose weight quickly.

    Personally, I often eat back at least 1/4 of my exercise calories.

    Have you calculated your BMR and TDEE lately?

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