What am I doing wrong....no results in 3 months

Hello, let me start off by saying I am 52 117 lbs and 25% body fat (mostly around my middle). I decided in Jan it was time to tone up lose a few % bodyfat. I started using MFP to track calories 1200 a day and working out at the gym, doing body pump classes 2x a week for the 1 st month with some cardio and seen no results. Changed it up month 2 by doing step classes and free weights....no change. Month 3 tried something else HIT training 2x a week followed by the weight machines and 2 nights a week running 20-30 which is anywhere from 3-5 k for me at my speed......still no results.

Now starting month 4 I have decided to change it up again and hoefully start to see some result i have decided to still run Tues and Thurs and Saturdays and joined a running clinic so I will run anywhere from 5k and up 3x a week with this group. As the weeks go on the distance gets further. I have upped my calories too 1400 which i am really worried about that i will see an increase instead of the loss I am looking for. I do drink wine only on weekends and have decided if I must have one or two to make it a spritzer with flavoured sparkling water. I have also considered doing the 6 week boot camp at goodlife 2x a week for 60 mins to get my strength training in and oh yes i have started riding my bike to work 7km each way so I feel that I am active enough that I should be SEEING SOME RESULTS What am I doing wrong???

Any help would be greating appreciated, I used to eat very little so jumping up to 1400 calories a day is a big thing for me afraid of gaining instead of losing.

Replies

  • jkbear40
    jkbear40 Posts: 37 Member
    Sounds like you need to eat a lot more with that much exercise. There are a lot people here on MFP that help you figure out you daily calorie goal.
  • AngieM76
    AngieM76 Posts: 622 Member
    I would say for the amount of exercise you do, you should eat more to see results.
  • Mads1997
    Mads1997 Posts: 1,494 Member
    Opening your diary would be a big help so members can see what, how much etc you are eating.
  • bethanylaugh
    bethanylaugh Posts: 237
    I agree... 1400 may seem like a lot (trust me, I know from experience) but even though you might gain a little at first, it will be better for you. up your calories and don't weight yourself for a few weeks while you adjust!
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  • RoseTears143
    RoseTears143 Posts: 1,121 Member

    ^ this is very very helpful
  • ramonafrincu
    ramonafrincu Posts: 160 Member
    Putting up a picture would be nice, this is a community of people.
    Only if she want to...Is not Facebook...:)
  • ChgingMe
    ChgingMe Posts: 539 Member
    You say you aren't seeing results. What kind of results are you looking for? Weight loss? That is not a good indicator of your success. You could be losing inches, which in my opinion is much better than a number on a scale. Eat more and measure/take pics. And stay off the scale

    Good luck to you!
  • TedStout
    TedStout Posts: 241
    I agree... 1400 may seem like a lot (trust me, I know from experience) but even though you might gain a little at first, it will be better for you. up your calories and don't weight yourself for a few weeks while you adjust!

    This. I would stay away from the scale for awhile and just log your food and exercise. You are definitely exercising enough. Don't get frustrated. Everyone reacts differently to calorie intake, exercise, and the types of food you eat. If you let the scale be the only goal, you will end up obsessing over it. Focus on the gains...you are getting in shape! You are eating better (assumption on my part). Do your clothes fit differently? Do you feel healthier? Concentrate on those little gains. Just my advice and my opinion. Take it for what its worth.
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  • JPal5
    JPal5 Posts: 178
    How do you know you aren't making any progress? Since you are looking only to tone up and lose body fat then I'm assuming you are taking measurements? At 117pounds I don't think you have any weight to loose so don't bother with a scale.
  • rduhlir
    rduhlir Posts: 3,550 Member
    Okay, it seems you have your thinking just slightly off. From what you are saying in your OP is that you aren't really trying to lose weight, just shed body fat, yes? That being said, you have your focus drawn to something other than what you -should- be focusing on.

    To be honest, you don't need that big of a deficit, and depending on how much body fat you want to cut it is going to take some time. You should be focusing on building muscle, cutting fat...and you won't be building muscle by doing all the cardio you are doing. The cardio is great, but it won't do for you what you are wanting.

    Honestly, I believe you could eat at maintenance, or just slightly below (maybe -5%) and be getting what you want. But it is going to take time, and you should be shifting your focus from calorie intake to hitting those macro marks. Since you aren't really out to lose weight, but shift from fat to muscle it is going to take a lot longer than say someone who is wanting to lose weight. Just think of how long it takes to lose that last few pounds, then think of body fat. It is the same thing. People with more body fat lose it faster than people with less body fat.
  • harleygirl00
    harleygirl00 Posts: 4 Member
    Thank you everyone for your advice. I went to the link provided and figured out my BMR=1255 and TDEE=2008 seems pretty high.

    I will try to stay off the scale they provied at the gym that gives weight and % body fat for the month and see what happens, and just track my food and exercise daily. The inches will hopefully start to come off, I need to fit into last year's shorts :smile:

    Have a great day!
  • likitisplit
    likitisplit Posts: 9,420 Member
    Okay, it seems you have your thinking just slightly off. From what you are saying in your OP is that you aren't really trying to lose weight, just shed body fat, yes? That being said, you have your focus drawn to something other than what you -should- be focusing on.

    To be honest, you don't need that big of a deficit, and depending on how much body fat you want to cut it is going to take some time. You should be focusing on building muscle, cutting fat...and you won't be building muscle by doing all the cardio you are doing. The cardio is great, but it won't do for you what you are wanting.

    This. At your bf%, you will see more results through building muscle rather than losing weight. Start taking measurements, throw out your scale, eat at maintenance and find a good lifting program.