Not Losing :(

alortego
alortego Posts: 11 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi all, I am on a 1200/day calories and this week and last when I weighed in I haven't lost anything. I am going to the gym 4 days a week and am lifting and increasing the weights. I do 40 minutes of cardio each time I go to the gym as well. My clothes are fitting looser, but the number on the scale isn't moving like I thought it would be. Any ideas? Has anyone else been through this? Oh and I am 5'3".

Replies

  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    You've lost inches... This Is a good thing!!

    How long have u been doing your routine? If its less than a month, u need to wait longer!
  • KBE1990
    KBE1990 Posts: 38
    You're losing, but gaining muscle, that's probably why the scales aren't moving.
  • alortego
    alortego Posts: 11 Member
    I started MFP towards the end of July.
  • Whiskybelly
    Whiskybelly Posts: 197 Member
    Like the ladies above have said, you are on the right path. Ignore what the scales say if you know that you're losing body fat. Scales are evil.

    Just give it time.
  • NuggetLovesEdie
    NuggetLovesEdie Posts: 477 Member
    Muscle weighs more than fat. It sounds like you are adding lean muscle mass, based on the fact that you are losing inches instead of pounds.

    Count it as a non-scale victory!
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,426 MFP Moderator
    I can guarantee you that you are not gaining new muscle. It is impossible. It is virtually impossible to gain muscle while cutting fat. When you cut fat, your body is catabolic (consuming less than you burn) and you need a anabolic state for your lean body mass to grow... so hate to say it,but not, it's not new muscle.


    Your issue probably is you are not fueling your body enough. So your body is release hormones to prevent weight loss. Also, when you just start a gym routine, then you body will retain water to repair muscle. Also, MFP already has the deficit built in, so you should eat back 50-75% of the exercise calories (MFP is a bit high for most). Or if you go to the gym 5 days a week consistently, set your account to moderately active and don't worry about exercise calories.


    BTW, how much d o you have to lose to get to a normal weight (not a goal weight)?
  • yowza101
    yowza101 Posts: 196 Member
    You losing inches is a wonderful thing. I haven't lost any weight in two weeks but I know my clothes are looser, my face is slowly getting thinner too.. Do you rest your body and give yourself a free day of not working out? My day is Sunday. Keep on working out and change up your routine, doing something different boost your body as well.
  • Erykah3584
    Erykah3584 Posts: 324 Member
    I was at a plateau for about a month. Scale wasnt moving at all! I was eating 1270 plus I eat my exercise cals. I recently raised my cals to 1570, plus eating back exercise cals and the scale has started to drop again. :) I am 5'2.5 and do cardio 3 days a week and strength train for 2-3 days a week.
  • marie_2454
    marie_2454 Posts: 881 Member
    I can guarantee you that you are not gaining new muscle. It is impossible. It is virtually impossible to gain muscle while cutting fat. When you cut fat, your body is catabolic (consuming less than you burn) and you need a anabolic state for your lean body mass to grow... so hate to say it,but not, it's not new muscle.


    Your issue probably is you are not fueling your body enough. So your body is release hormones to prevent weight loss. Also, when you just start a gym routine, then you body will retain water to repair muscle. Also, MFP already has the deficit built in, so you should eat back 50-75% of the exercise calories (MFP is a bit high for most). Or if you go to the gym 5 days a week consistently, set your account to moderately active and don't worry about exercise calories.

    this!!!!
  • adelitas_star
    adelitas_star Posts: 91
    Scales aren't the only way to measure that you're losing weight. Progress pictures, tape measures to measure your waist, hips, etc, and feeling a difference in how your clothes fit are the best way to find out if you're losing or not. If your clothes fit looser, then you're clearly doing something right. Who cares what the damn scale says!?
  • wasking
    wasking Posts: 6
    The same has happened to me - I lost ten pounds really quickly, but then didnt lose anything for nearly four weeks despite sticking to 1200 calories and going swimming three times a week and exercising on the other days. I have increased my daily calorie intake to 1500 and I have started losing again, and definitely changing shape! Try increasing your calories for a couple of weeks.
  • AmandaD100
    AmandaD100 Posts: 9 Member
    I can guarantee you that you are not gaining new muscle. It is impossible. It is virtually impossible to gain muscle while cutting fat. When you cut fat, your body is catabolic (consuming less than you burn) and you need a anabolic state for your lean body mass to grow... so hate to say it,but not, it's not new muscle.


    Thank you!!!
  • alortego
    alortego Posts: 11 Member
    I guess I need to acutally take my measurements so that I can track that also. I just don't understand the whole BMR thing and what I should be at. I know here in order to lose 1.5 lbs per week it has me at the 1200 calories/day, but I have myself set at sedentary due to sitting all day at a desk. On my workout days, which is 4 days a week I do cardio & weights, but I do not use all my exercise calories. Are you "suppose" to use all of them? I know on the 1200 calories when I dont work out, I am using all 1200!
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,426 MFP Moderator
    Well you can't aim for 1.5 lbs of weight loss per week.. It's a very aggressive goal. I can bet you are already in a normal range but are aiming to lose 15 lbs of fat (according to your ticket). At most, you want to aim for 1lb per week, but realistically, it's more like 1/2 lb per week. In ten weeks, I have lost 5 lbs and only have 8 more lbs of fat I can lose to maintain my lbm. This would put me at 187 lbs at 6% body fat. The next bigger question is, do you know your body fat? If you don't, you should spend $10 and get some calipers. Knowing your body fat will allow you to understand you true weight goal and here is why. When I first started my weight loss journey, I wanted to be 175 (i started around 205) because that is what I was in high school. Well after researching and finding out I had 167 lbs of lean body mass, I would have to cut 10 lbs of muscle to achieve those results. So I upped my weight goal by 10 lbs. Muscle is key to a healthy body. The more you have, the better your body will function. You will be less prone to injury, have a better immune system, a faster metabolism and better insulin control. Also, muscle is lean... so your body will be tighter (as demonstrated in the two links below).


    http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2011/07/21/meet-staci-your-new-powerlifting-super-hero/

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/392784-skinny-fat-vs-fit-photo?hl=skinny+fat


    Now, that I have my rant out of the way, lets try to look at your caloric requirements. If you want to post your age, weight, height and workout routine, we can estimate your true needs and then get you to slowly increase your calories. If you don't want to publicly post, then send me a private message. Generally, women are around 1700-2000 if they are active.
  • RedHairedChiliPepper
    RedHairedChiliPepper Posts: 26
    Very wise people on this post.
  • RedHairedChiliPepper
    RedHairedChiliPepper Posts: 26
    Like the ladies above have said, you are on the right path. Ignore what the scales say if you know that you're losing body fat. Scales are evil.

    Just give it time.

    AMEN
  • KittieLea
    KittieLea Posts: 1,156 Member
    Why is the number on the scale so GD important?
  • 76scenic
    76scenic Posts: 22
    Try not to worry until it's been like 4 months and no progress. Then see a doc for some lab work on thyroids and the endocrine system.
    That is where I currently am. Going at it since April only shed ~10lbs .... Seeing an endocrinologist in October.
  • lizziebeth1028
    lizziebeth1028 Posts: 3,602 Member
    1 - losing inches is a better indicator of progress than the bathroom scale
    2 - 1200 is not enough calories, especially if you're lifting weight. Up your calories to above your BMR
    3 - make sure you're getting enough protein!
  • Akimajuktuq
    Akimajuktuq Posts: 3,037 Member
    Another person asking for help, but not opening their diary. hmmm...

    Likely you are not eating enough. 1.5 pound loss per week for someone who has so little to lose is too much. I hope that you are not avoiding healthy dietary fat too, that will hinder your progress as well.
  • joebob66
    joebob66 Posts: 38
    the number on the scale is just a number,,,but, it is a validation for all of your hard efforts. No doubt, if the scale said you lost 4 pounds this week, you would be on cloud 9. the same way that when it says no gain, it is a mental slap in the face. we all need validation for our hard efforts, and the scale is just one place
  • abirkel
    abirkel Posts: 60
    Well you can't aim for 1.5 lbs of weight loss per week.. It's a very aggressive goal. I can bet you are already in a normal range but are aiming to lose 15 lbs of fat (according to your ticket). At most, you want to aim for 1lb per week, but realistically, it's more like 1/2 lb per week. In ten weeks, I have lost 5 lbs and only have 8 more lbs of fat I can lose to maintain my lbm. This would put me at 187 lbs at 6% body fat. The next bigger question is, do you know your body fat? If you don't, you should spend $10 and get some calipers. Knowing your body fat will allow you to understand you true weight goal and here is why. When I first started my weight loss journey, I wanted to be 175 (i started around 205) because that is what I was in high school. Well after researching and finding out I had 167 lbs of lean body mass, I would have to cut 10 lbs of muscle to achieve those results. So I upped my weight goal by 10 lbs. Muscle is key to a healthy body. The more you have, the better your body will function. You will be less prone to injury, have a better immune system, a faster metabolism and better insulin control. Also, muscle is lean... so your body will be tighter (as demonstrated in the two links below).


    http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2011/07/21/meet-staci-your-new-powerlifting-super-hero/

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/392784-skinny-fat-vs-fit-photo?hl=skinny+fat


    Now, that I have my rant out of the way, lets try to look at your caloric requirements. If you want to post your age, weight, height and workout routine, we can estimate your true needs and then get you to slowly increase your calories. If you don't want to publicly post, then send me a private message. Generally, women are around 1700-2000 if they are active.

    This. ^^^ I agree 110%
  • katevarner
    katevarner Posts: 884 Member
    I guess I need to acutally take my measurements so that I can track that also. I just don't understand the whole BMR thing and what I should be at. I know here in order to lose 1.5 lbs per week it has me at the 1200 calories/day, but I have myself set at sedentary due to sitting all day at a desk. On my workout days, which is 4 days a week I do cardio & weights, but I do not use all my exercise calories. Are you "suppose" to use all of them? I know on the 1200 calories when I dont work out, I am using all 1200!

    Are your just trying to lose 18 more lbs or is that just an interim goal? If just those few, you shouldn't try to lose them at 1.5 per week. Try .5 to 1 per week instead. The closer you get to your goal, the slower it's going to come off.

    In other words, eat more, even if it's just eating your workout calories back.
  • MrsDrk
    MrsDrk Posts: 153 Member
    the number on the scale is just a number,,,but, it is a validation for all of your hard efforts. No doubt, if the scale said you lost 4 pounds this week, you would be on cloud 9. the same way that when it says no gain, it is a mental slap in the face. we all need validation for our hard efforts, and the scale is just one place

    Thank you, thank you, thank you!! I understand that it's the best of intentions when folks say ignore the scale, but then cheer at a loss, but it's disheartening to see that stupid number stay the same day after day or week after week!

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