Help, doing all I can, not working!!!

jayraycee
jayraycee Posts: 33
in Health and Weight Loss
I have only lost 3lbs in the last month. I am working my butt off at the gym 4-5 days a week. I do circuit training, as hard as I can for 30-40 min 3-4 days a week and cardio 20-30 min 4-5 days a week. I stay below 1400 calories a day, I dont eat back my workout calories. I can't work this hard and only lose 3lbs in 4 weeks. I am still 60lbs overweight at the minimum, and I am soooooo discouraged! I have lost 49lbs since Feb. 1st. I have to far to go to be losing so few!!! Any advice would be greatly appriciated! Ty!:)

Replies

  • rompers16
    rompers16 Posts: 5,404 Member
    Your calories may be a little low if you're working out that much. I recently upped mine and it really helped.
  • sweebum
    sweebum Posts: 1,060 Member
    1- You're not eating enough for the exercise you've been doing.
    2- You're going to gain a bit of water when you start a new exercise routine. It usually levels out around week 4.
    3- 3 lbs is great!
    4- If you've lost 49lbs in 6 months, when have you taken a diet break?
  • marijasmin
    marijasmin Posts: 160 Member
    I can't see your diary so can't help much!
  • evarkonda
    evarkonda Posts: 1
    You are definitely eating too few calories. You are killing it with your workouts and your body NEEDS to refuel after those. I would suggest making sure that you eat back those calories. If you are doing too high of a calorie deficit, your body goes into 'starvation mode', and it starts to hold onto every calorie you eat, slowing your metabolism. Your workouts are also less effective if you aren't fueling them properly. I'd suggest eating 'net' 1400 -1500 per day, so eat back what you burn so that you can lose 1-2 lbs. per week! You go girl :)
  • AlphamaleBAMF
    AlphamaleBAMF Posts: 373 Member
    Any advice would be greatly appriciated! Ty!:)

    Don't look a gift horse in the mouth. You lost 3lb in the last month.
  • Desitweety
    Desitweety Posts: 37
    I believe your not eating enough calories also you are gaining muscle...
  • 12774
    12774 Posts: 1,416 Member
    You have put your body in "starvation mode" meaning that you r burning up too many calories and not replacing it with food which is necessary for your metabolism. Hope this makes sense to youI I have not been eating an adequate amt of calories and I was not losing wt. I joined MFP 3 weeks ago and have lost 7.5lbs since I have understood the concept of what starvation mode means
  • kaybrannen
    kaybrannen Posts: 1
    I am having the same issue. I am only eating 1260 calories per day, which is hard for me to do. Plus working out, 4-5 days per week doing cardio only. I have lost 3 lbs in the past 4 weeks, which is a bit discouraging. This week I will attempt to eat more...but honestly it is hard to eat that many healthy calories...I feel like I am eating all the time! Should you eat all of the work out calories?
  • AlphamaleBAMF
    AlphamaleBAMF Posts: 373 Member
    Plus working out, 4-5 days per week doing cardio only. I have lost 3 lbs in the past 4 weeks,

    Try doing 2-3 hours of cardio a day and weight training 6 days a week for a month and not losing any. Seriously 3lb is pretty good.

    Weight loss takes time.
  • beachlover317
    beachlover317 Posts: 2,848 Member
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-1

    Try this. Use the road map to run your numbers and see if you're eating enough. Can't hurt. It helped me. I was working out like a fool and starving on MFP's 1200 cals a day. At least do this to insure you're eating enough. Good Luck.
  • 12774
    12774 Posts: 1,416 Member
    Hi wrote to you afew weeks ago . Wondering how you are doing?
  • teez52
    teez52 Posts: 104 Member
    1- You're not eating enough for the exercise you've been doing.
    2- You're going to gain a bit of water when you start a new exercise routine. It usually levels out around week 4.
    3- 3 lbs is great!
    4- If you've lost 49lbs in 6 months, when have you taken a diet break?

    Read number 4, please. I know some people don't prescribe to this, but take about 2 weeks off and just eat at your maintenance and let your body recover from the hell you've been putting it through to lose 49 pounds (Congrats on that by the way!). Keep working out, just eat at whatever your maintenance would be and then after the 2 weeks get right back to the diet.
  • EccentricDad
    EccentricDad Posts: 875 Member
    I can't see your diary so can't help much!

    Agreed. I'd love to help you too but if you're working that hard at the gym, it must be something wrong with your diet and something going wrong inside your body. Are you eating too much sugar? Is your sodium high? Is your Potassium low? Is your protein under 1.1g for each kilogram of scale weight to repair the amount of exercise you're doing? Is your saturated fat higher than 10% of your calories? Are you trying to go low fat & low carb simultaneously? Are you not getting enough iodine foods to improve your thyroid? The diary may feel private to you, but you have to share it in order for us to seriously help you. :flowerforyou:
  • Gramps251
    Gramps251 Posts: 738 Member
    How do you expect any useful advice without any information?

    Please show your food diary.
  • jenneal89
    jenneal89 Posts: 243
    3lbs in a month is healthy weight loss. When you start out and have a bit to lose it normally comes off a bit quicker because 1. You're heavier so it takes more energy to do the exercises which in turn burns more calories and 2. There will be times that you hit a plateau and don't lose as much or anything for several weeks but if you stick with what you're doing, the weight will start coming off again
  • grountree
    grountree Posts: 4 Member
    Post your diary. Just because you are under 1400 calories doesnt mean you are eating the best types of calories. Additionally, if you are doing intense workouts especially cardio then you need to up your intake of clean foods. You should be eating small meals not snacks which consist of carbs,protein, and a little healthy fat every three hours. If you arent eating enough your body can go in to starvation mode which will slow down your metabolism. Good luck!
  • grountree
    grountree Posts: 4 Member
    also, sustainable weight loss is typically 2 or so pounds a week. Lose any faster than that and you risk putting it all back on just as quickly
  • steph1278
    steph1278 Posts: 483 Member
    I would agree that you aren't eating enough to fuel your workouts. I eat over 2000 calories a day and lose 1-2 pounds per week on average.
  • fit4lifeUcan2
    fit4lifeUcan2 Posts: 1,458 Member
    .5 to 2 lbs per week is healthy weight loss. you've lost 3 lbs in a month? Thats healthy and right on track. Remember, you didn't gain it over night your not going to lose it over night either.

    I haven't lost anything for a couple of weeks but I'm not all that worried. I know to expect stall in WL now and then plus I'm not home much and have been missing meals due to college and now I have a bad bug thats just kicking my rear. I've barely done any exercise at all lately.

    My point is look at the whole picture not just those couple of numbers. Your doing great and have a loss. Its not a gain so don't worry about it. Cut yourself some slack and don't be so hard on yourself. This isn't the biggest loser or Extreme makeovers weight loss edition. You'll make your goal sooner or later. Take some time away from that scale and try not to worry about it too much.
  • SunnyAndrsn
    SunnyAndrsn Posts: 369 Member
    I don't have anything else to add, just wanted to tell you stop and smell the roses. You've lost 54 pounds since 2/1! That's amazing! That's more than a pound a week average thus far. FWIW, I started about the same time and am down 45 pounds.
  • gsager
    gsager Posts: 977 Member
    You need to eat back you exercise calories or stop working out so much.
  • lustergirl
    lustergirl Posts: 123 Member
    I know the feeling. I have only lost 1 lb this month. I exercise 4 days a week with 3 days cardio for an hour plus weight lifting. I don't eat enough but I am having a problem where I am just not hungry. Sometimes I have no appetite.
  • LorinaLynn
    LorinaLynn Posts: 13,247 Member
    First off, 3 pounds in a month isn't bad. It's close to one pound a week. You're halfway to your goal... the weight isn't going to come off as fast as it did in the beginning.

    I think you might do better doing LESS than all you can. It sounds like you're spinning your wheels working as hard as you can.

    Working hard isn't enough. Work smart. You can push against a tree all day long, and you'll be working really hard, but that tree isn't going to get anywhere. Use some math, science and the right tools, and you can take down that tree in minutes.

    Use some math and science and the right tools for weight loss, too. Eat right and don't overtrain. The people on here with the best results aren't the ones killing themselves at the gym and adhering to a strict calorie goal. Change your goal to one pound a week (which is where you should be with about 50 pounds to go), eat back most of your exercise calories, get about 30-45 minutes of exercise a day including strength training, not just cardio, and track your progress in ways beyond the scale. Measurements, how clothes fit, photos, fitness goals... they'll all keep you motivated when the scale acts like a stubborn lying *kitten*.

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