Not losing weight, please help - - very frustrated!!

sdania
sdania Posts: 8
edited January 6 in Health and Weight Loss
Hi Everyone, I'm 5'4 and I fluctuate between 145 to 147. Sometimes 150. I work out, Ive done everything. i cut carbs, I cut sugar, I do 5 meals a day I do 3 meals a day, i do fad diets, i did Weight watchers. I'm not the most patient person when it comes to this, but I have been very good.

MFP says I should eat 1200 cals a day if i want to lose weight. I would say that 1 out of 10 times I may hit that goal. Usually I don't and I am in the 1000 to 1100 range. I work out 5 or 6 days a week. Doing something similar to crossfit, but much harder. Trainer said we burn 600 - 700 cals in a workout. I eat a LOT of veggies, and dont' always meet my water intake.

I got on the scale after 3 weeks of working out, i noticed inches lost, but the scale was at 150. I got so upset. I know muscle weighs more than fat, but I do NOT want to be 5 foot 4 inches and weight 150 lbs even if it is all muscle. I want to lose 15 to 20 lbs. My goal is by the end of March.

What am I doing wrong? Is it really cuz I'm not eating enough????????? I'm sooooooooooo frustrated. I've been depriving myself and not getting anywhere. so I'm really upset. I just don't feel good about myself at all and am not seeing the results I want.
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Replies

  • calisunrise
    calisunrise Posts: 307
    If you burn so many calories, you should be eating more, so your metabolism doesn't slow down.

    Anyway, it's not the scale that matters. It's all about how you look. NOBODY is going to see what you see on the scale. It's better to look slim and weigh a lot than be skinny fat and weigh very little. Focus on the inches, not pounds.
  • LMBalfour
    LMBalfour Posts: 14 Member
    Are you eating back your exercise calories? Sometimes that can slow down your weight loss if you're not eating enough. Also, if you're doing heavy workouts and not drinking enough your muscles will retain water. Try drinking more. :)
  • ChristyRunStarr
    ChristyRunStarr Posts: 1,600 Member
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12
  • sdania
    sdania Posts: 8
    No, I don't eat my exercise calories. I'm not that hungry...

    I need to drink more water for sure.

    Thanks for the link.... I glanced at it. it's a lot to take in..... I'm sure I'll have questions...that is overwhelming information...
  • AmyRhubarb
    AmyRhubarb Posts: 6,890 Member
    I've been depriving myself and not getting anywhere.
    Bingo. There is no reason to deprive yourself - and you are finding out the hard way that it really doesn't get you anywhere. I was in that same boat with the 1200 a day plan.

    And then I found the link that Christy posted:
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12
    Best thread I ever read here at MFP, and best move I ever made was following the plan that is laid out there. Food is fuel - eat too little and weight loss stalls, you lose lean body mass, and give your body a reason to store fat.

    For more inspiration in the eat more, lift heavy, ignore the scale and enjoy losing the fat and inches category, read this: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/709987-how-wrong-i-was-600-days-of-mfp-lotsa-pics
  • secretlobster
    secretlobster Posts: 3,566 Member
    I'm not the most patient person

    This is the problem
    And you're not looking at the fact that you've lost INCHES, which is a lot more meaningful than POUNDS. Honestly, the only one who sees the scale is you. Nobody else cares.

    Your priorities are really convoluted and I think you're going to fail as long as you keep setting yourself up to fail. After three weeks, many people don't see a change at all. You lost inches off your body, how is that a failure?

    Be careful of eating below your calorie target. It won't get you to your goal faster, and if your target is only 1200, you'll probably get there even slower by eating less than you should.
  • Ready2Rock206
    Ready2Rock206 Posts: 9,487 Member
    Hi Everyone, I'm 5'4 and I fluctuate between 145 to 147. Sometimes 150. I work out, Ive done everything. i cut carbs, I cut sugar, I do 5 meals a day I do 3 meals a day, i do fad diets, i did Weight watchers. I'm not the most patient person when it comes to this, but I have been very good.

    MFP says I should eat 1200 cals a day if i want to lose weight. I would say that 1 out of 10 times I may hit that goal. Usually I don't and I am in the 1000 to 1100 range. I work out 5 or 6 days a week. Doing something similar to crossfit, but much harder. Trainer said we burn 600 - 700 cals in a workout. I eat a LOT of veggies, and dont' always meet my water intake.

    I got on the scale after 3 weeks of working out, i noticed inches lost, but the scale was at 150. I got so upset. I know muscle weighs more than fat, but I do NOT want to be 5 foot 4 inches and weight 150 lbs even if it is all muscle. I want to lose 15 to 20 lbs. My goal is by the end of March.

    What am I doing wrong? Is it really cuz I'm not eating enough????????? I'm sooooooooooo frustrated. I've been depriving myself and not getting anywhere. so I'm really upset. I just don't feel good about myself at all and am not seeing the results I want.

    Here's what I got out of this.

    You do 100 different things each for a very short time and get upset when they don't work.
    All you care about is the number on the scale - not about being healthy (don't want muscle just want a low scale number)
    You under eat while exercising a lot.

    And you wonder what is wrong?!

    Stick to one thing for long enough for it to work or not work. If you switch your plan every week you have no idea what actually works or not.
    The number on the scale is not tattooed on your forehead - if you are 150 lbs of muscle that looks way better than 140 lbs of belly jiggle.
    Net at least 1200 - fuel your body so you can work out and still lose weight.
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
    I got on the scale after 3 weeks of working out, i noticed inches lost, but the scale was at 150. I got so upset. I know muscle weighs more than fat, but I do NOT want to be 5 foot 4 inches and weight 150 lbs even if it is all muscle. I want to lose 15 to 20 lbs. My goal is by the end of March.

    This paragraph seems ridiculous to me as I've always been more concerned with inches than lbs, but if you want to lose weight quickly and weight is your only concern, then stop working out and keep eating the low calories. You'll lose fat and muscle and the pounds will disappear quickly.

    But if you want to do it right, then eat more and keep working out intensely. It took almost a full month before I saw any weight loss, then the pounds just starting falling off consistently. Sometimes your body just needs to adjust to a new routine.
  • kristen6022
    kristen6022 Posts: 1,923 Member
    The only way to do this right is to be patient. Sorry. Everyone with the great results will tell you trial and error and patients is the only way the weight is going to come off.

    And you aren't eating enough, working out that much you need to eat 1200 + your at least 1/2 of your exercise calories OR figure out your TDEE and eat - 20% of it.

    Oh, and if you are a high stress person the stress will make it so your body holds on to the weight. So, calm down, relax and realize this is gonna be a long road.
  • keepitcroosh
    keepitcroosh Posts: 301 Member
    You are answering your own questions. Dont do fad diets, eat more than 1200 cals a day, dont work out if you only care about a stupid number on a scale, and i agree with ready2rock206, she says its better to be 150lbs of muscle, than 140lbs of fat. You may become skinnier, but its going to be all flabby. I mean if thats what your into, go for it, but if your trying to achieve a stomach with definition, dont go all this way to half *kitten* it. ....... The stupidest thing you could do is listen to a scale instead of your own body.

    The best suggestion i could give you is to really really do your research. Start subscribing to womens health magazines, go on their websites, etc. Even the fact that you cut out carbs and sugar completely is not smart. Read up as to what these types of foods (and others!) do for your body and WHY it is essential. Drink 8 glasses of water per day, if not more ( i have a 32oz water bottle at work and as soon as its empty i keep refilling it all day so i dont pay attention to how many cups etc) , stick to your meal plans, 5-6 meals per day! If some days you do it and some days you dont, you will not see the results your looking for.

    You need to commit and stick to it .
  • taso42
    taso42 Posts: 8,980 Member
    undereating
  • Rachelle1016
    Rachelle1016 Posts: 61
    Eat, drink, and be merry! Meaning...up your calorie intake. Drink more water. And be merry - quit worrying about numbers so much! It's the health and fitness that matters. 150 isn't Satan's number or anything like that, so relax.
  • Ge0rgiana
    Ge0rgiana Posts: 1,649 Member

    I got on the scale after 3 weeks of working out, i noticed inches lost, but the scale was at 150.

    What is the problem, sweetheart? Seriously. If you could be a size 4 or whatever, but only if the scale said 200lbs, would you CARE what the scale said? Or would you just jump all over being a size whatever? The number on the scale means nothing if you're seeing the number you want on the tag on your pants! :flowerforyou:

    Oh, and yeah, if what you say is correct you're almost certainly undereating.
  • Pepper2185
    Pepper2185 Posts: 994 Member
    You need more food IMHO.
  • BaconMD
    BaconMD Posts: 1,165 Member
    You're too obsessed with keeping the wrong numbers low. Fix that mindset, and you'll fix your frustration.
  • micheleld73
    micheleld73 Posts: 914 Member
    When I increased my calorie intake, that's when I started losing again. Your body needs the fuel to burn or it will store and you will gain weight.
  • cjsacto
    cjsacto Posts: 1,421 Member
    I absolutely sympathize with the OP. I am feeling the same, only I'm 5"7' and my weight has stubbornly stayed right around 188. I haven't had a rest day in 30 days, always do at least 30 minutes and sometimes much more, I join challenges and do everything I can to stay motivated but I am very frustrated, too. It is hard to make yourself eat back those calories! My daily target is 1200, I usually eat 1400-1800 but my exercise calories take my net down to 500-1000. I do that partially on purpose because I am not sure if the exercise calories in the MFP database are right and I don't want to eat too much.

    At least you are losing inches!

    For me, I need to be more consistent as far as how much I am eating and I will try to eat more, at least reasonably. I almost always get 6 glasses of water and often 8 (always try to get 8). I also need to eat more protein, can't speak for you.

    Some people refer to weight loss as a simple mathematical equation: eat less = weigh less, but it's more like a chemistry experiment. :ohwell:
  • sdania
    sdania Posts: 8
    THANK YOU EVERYONE. I really appreciate it. I know I may sound like my priorities are off or my thoughts are wrong. I just wanted to be completely honest in my post. I don't see any point in being in denial about how I think, but I'm trying to change that.

    I don't want to be flab and thin, but I want to be fit and thin.

    I'll up my calories. I need to read the article and see how to figure out my TDEE. I'm not sure what mine is.
  • micheleld73
    micheleld73 Posts: 914 Member
    THANK YOU EVERYONE. I really appreciate it. I know I may sound like my priorities are off or my thoughts are wrong. I just wanted to be completely honest in my post. I don't see any point in being in denial about how I think, but I'm trying to change that.

    I don't want to be flab and thin, but I want to be fit and thin.

    I'll up my calories. I need to read the article and see how to figure out my TDEE. I'm not sure what mine is.

    Helloitsdan did a blog post about how to accomplish this. Try going to fat2fitradio.com/tools and it has calculators to help you figure out what is best for your goals.
  • RikkiDominey
    RikkiDominey Posts: 134 Member
    Try Intermittent Fasting
  • sdania
    sdania Posts: 8
    I just calculated what I should be eating based on my activity as well as just regular TDEE. and WOW.... i didn't realize I am that low compared to what I should be.

    Thank you everyone. i'll start today on this and see what happens. :)

    one thing I don't understand is, why when I fill out the info on the goals page, it is telling me to have 1200 cal a day.
    my job is primarily a desk job. but I run around a lot in general even with that being said. what am I doing wrong with this??
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,432 MFP Moderator
    I just calculated what I should be eating based on my activity as well as just regular TDEE. and WOW.... i didn't realize I am that low compared to what I should be.

    Thank you everyone. i'll start today on this and see what happens. :)

    one thing I don't understand is, why when I fill out the info on the goals page, it is telling me to have 1200 cal a day.
    my job is primarily a desk job. but I run around a lot in general even with that being said. what am I doing wrong with this??

    First, it tells you to eat 1200 calories because you inputted what you want to lose (probably 2 lbs a week) and you didn't include exercise in your TDEE. Since you do crazy exercise, set your account to 1/2 lb per week and make it moderate active and compare it against Dan's method. I bet they are close.

    Also, just for fun, I posted what a women looks like at 140 lbs and 5'4. I bet you never thought a women can look that lean and mean?

    Fuel your body or it will fuel itself. So if you are working out like crazy, you need to eat more calories, probably around 1800 and concentrate on pictures and inches rather than weight. If you care more about weight, you will end up like the before pictures in both links. If you concentrate on recomposition, then you have a chance at ending up like the after photos. More muscle = more weight = a tighter and leaner body.

    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
  • sdania
    sdania Posts: 8
    Thank you psulemon. After doing that it said 1350 cals a day.
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,432 MFP Moderator
    Thank you psulemon. After doing that it said 1350 cals a day.

    Did you add in exercise or at least make it lightly active due to your lifestyle? That seems low still.
  • Oblivion13
    Oblivion13 Posts: 6
    Its not that you are not losing weight, what it sounds like you are doing is turning the fat into muscle, which of course is going to cause you to stay the same weight because muscle weighs more that fat, So the leaner you get, the more muscle you will get.


    [mod edit] <-- serves no relevance to this thread.
  • taso42
    taso42 Posts: 8,980 Member
    Its not that you are not losing weight, what it sounds like you are doing is turning the fat into muscle, which of course is going to cause you to stay the same weight because muscle weighs more that fat, So the leaner you get, the more muscle you will get.



    alchemy!
    :laugh:
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,432 MFP Moderator
    Its not that you are not losing weight, what it sounds like you are doing is turning the fat into muscle, which of course is going to cause you to stay the same weight because muscle weighs more that fat, So the leaner you get, the more muscle you will get.


    [mod edit] <-- serves no relevance to this thread.

    Just bad advice.. Fat can NOT turn into muscle.
  • glitteredgrave
    glitteredgrave Posts: 194 Member
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12

    Everybody. Go here
  • Kathrynaline
    Kathrynaline Posts: 42
    I bust my butt and don't lose either. I found out mine is a hormone imbalance. Your body doesn't get the estrogen it needs so because fat cells do make estrogen your body reprograms the fat to stay and make up the difference. I've started hormaone therapy to try to rebalance it all.
  • 20shan08
    20shan08 Posts: 219 Member
    Try increasing your calories by about 100 for about a week, then go another 100, and so on. I found that when I stopped losing, if I increased my calories, I'd start losing consistently again. Your body won't lose weight if you're not eating enough. It doesn't take much, an extra handful of nuts, a couple pieces of cheese.
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