Do right and not lose a pound ... WHY?

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  • nhradeuce
    nhradeuce Posts: 168 Member
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    I joined the "Biggest Loser" competition at my gym last month and so far have lost 4 1/2 inches in my waist, 2 inches in my chest and an inch in my hips
    Seems like you are making great progress to me. Ignore the scale, it doesn't tell the whole story.
    Per volume, muscle weighs more than fat. That is what the vast majority of people mean when they say "muscle weighs more than fat". Just like most people would say that lead weighs more than chocolate, even though yes, 1 lb of lead = 1 lb of chocolate.
    Muscle is more dense than fat. That is what people mean. It drives me crazy when people say that too.
  • ChristyRunStarr
    ChristyRunStarr Posts: 1,600 Member
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    I agree...you lost 4 /12 inches in a month. 30 days...that's freaken AMAZING!! Your trainer should be looking at you with pride nothing else. How are you clothes fitting, better I'm guessing so don't worry so much about the scale but how you feel and look. If you aren't already doing it, start taking pictures for before, during and after. You'll be amazed at what you can see in them but not in the mirror or on the scale.
  • tigersword
    tigersword Posts: 8,059 Member
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    Tasha your actually doing great but what is happening is that your gaining muscle which is why certain aspects on your body is growing and you not losing any weight. In track we called it "Plateau-ing". Without knowing your actual workout program it's hard to tell what you actually need. But "Insanity" might be a good idea at this time as it focuses on Max interval Cardio.. The commercials make it look worst then it actually is but you do lose the weight if you actually "DO THE WORK" (meaning keeping the FORM). I've been doing it for 4 weeks now and I can see the difference. I'm not promoting, just recommending.
    No. You do not gain muscle on a calorie deficit. This is terrible advice. That and a woman doing intense weight lifting and eating a caloric surplus would be lucky to add half a pound of muscle in a month, certainly not adding pounds of muscle to mask fat loss by accident. If you don't understand human biology, please don't try to comment on it.
  • Amberonamission
    Amberonamission Posts: 836 Member
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    Ditch the trainer and the scale. Buy a pair of too tight jeans and keep trying them on.

    And for all of you Muscle fat weight blah blah blah people. Cram it. Nobody cares. Everybody means the same thing.
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,411 MFP Moderator
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    For the hundredth time, muscle does not weigh more than fat.

    If you are losing inches and your clothes fit better you shouldn't worry about the scale.

    That being said, we can't see your diary.

    For the hundredth time, it doesn't matter, she isn't gaining muscle unless she is eating in a surplus and doing a lot of heavy weight training and on tho of that consistently gaining weight. Because muscle gain = weight gain.



    OP, how many calories are you eating and what is your workout routine?
  • Doodlewhopper
    Doodlewhopper Posts: 1,018 Member
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    Ditch the trainer and the scale. Buy a pair of too tight jeans and keep trying them on.

    And for all of you Muscle fat weight blah blah blah people. Cram it. Nobody cares. Everybody means the same thing.

    ^^^This
  • warrior63
    warrior63 Posts: 46
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    Ditch the trainer and the scale. Buy a pair of too tight jeans and keep trying them on.

    And for all of you Muscle fat weight blah blah blah people. Cram it. Nobody cares. Everybody means the same thing.
    Totally agree!!!
  • leanlucyluu87
    leanlucyluu87 Posts: 8
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    Thank you. I know they keep saying not to worry about the numbers... but it was my last weigh in that acutally just busted my bubble. I lost so many inches those first two weeks, and then the next two weeks I only lost an inch and a half. As far as advice, I wouldn't call it that, but I will say that I do try to keep within my calorie goal (typically below it actually) and try to take my vitamins and minerals... and then workout. I have a nifty little Suunto M4 watch and this morning it said "Work out for 35 minutes at a massive pace (166-178 bpm) ... and I did. I feel amazing but I avoid the scale like the black plague. As far as core though, yoga, machines that are designed to work on the core or simply sitting on a exercise ball will help.
  • bagge72
    bagge72 Posts: 1,377 Member
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    Thank you. I know they keep saying not to worry about the numbers... but it was my last weigh in that acutally just busted my bubble. I lost so many inches those first two weeks, and then the next two weeks I only lost an inch and a half. As far as advice, I wouldn't call it that, but I will say that I do try to keep within my calorie goal (typically below it actually) and try to take my vitamins and minerals... and then workout. I have a nifty little Suunto M4 watch and this morning it said "Work out for 35 minutes at a massive pace (166-178 bpm) ... and I did. I feel amazing but I avoid the scale like the black plague. As far as core though, yoga, machines that are designed to work on the core or simply sitting on a exercise ball will help.

    After looking at your diary, it looks like you have been cutting back on the calories. Don't let this stupid contest get in your head, you need to eat more than 1200 calories a day with the amount of workout you are doing.
  • leanlucyluu87
    leanlucyluu87 Posts: 8
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    Honestly, my trainer isn't a jerk at all. He's really nice and super helpful. But when I said that he looks at me "disappointed" I don't believe it was due to him being disappointed in me per say, just that he, like me, doesn't understand why I'm not losing weight since he knows how hard I have been working. Just wanted to clear the air. :)
  • leanlucyluu87
    leanlucyluu87 Posts: 8
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    Yeah, I've heard that I need to eat at least 1200 calories in order to not put my body into "starvation" mode (I'm actually going to school to become a health and wellness coach). But I have some unexplained stomach issues that I stumped the doctors with for close to 7-years now (TONS of tests done and always the same "I don't know what's wrong with you" answer). So sometimes eating really isn't the most appealing of past times. :) Thank you though. I do tend to focus on contests as I get overly competitive.
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,411 MFP Moderator
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    Well eating 1200 calories wont help the results. You would probably be better off with 1600-1800. That should supply enough fuel for the fire. Also, have you been tested for celiac disease?
  • leanlucyluu87
    leanlucyluu87 Posts: 8
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    To be honest psulemon, I haven't been officially tested. I was suggested to by a doctor to stop eating gluten and dairy to see if that helped my stomach and it did initially but has actually gotten worse (I don't always stick to the gluten free as closely as I probably should). But I was actually talking to my family a couple nights after I wrote this initial post and they think that it isn't actually celiac, but more stress. Work (as with most) isn't my most favorite past time. :P I'm currently working full time/over time, going to school and am a full time student (online so there's a TON of homework) and then of course running my homestead with two puppies and living with two men (one I want to smash his head into a wall on a daily basis) ... but that's life right. :) I deal but my body just doesn't handle stress all that well.
  • modsuperstar
    modsuperstar Posts: 9 Member
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    Thank you. I know they keep saying not to worry about the numbers... but it was my last weigh in that acutally just busted my bubble. I lost so many inches those first two weeks, and then the next two weeks I only lost an inch and a half. As far as advice, I wouldn't call it that, but I will say that I do try to keep within my calorie goal (typically below it actually) and try to take my vitamins and minerals... and then workout. I have a nifty little Suunto M4 watch and this morning it said "Work out for 35 minutes at a massive pace (166-178 bpm) ... and I did. I feel amazing but I avoid the scale like the black plague. As far as core though, yoga, machines that are designed to work on the core or simply sitting on a exercise ball will help.

    I find I personally don't avoid the scale, I'm probably OCD about it. Back when I started this process I weighed myself multiple times a day. To me it helped me get a grasp of what I do in a day and how it effects me. I find I just have a more intimate understanding of what my body is doing. I tried after meals, after workouts etc. I still weigh myself twice a day, once in the morning and once at night. I find at night just gives me a grasp of whether I had a good or bad day(which I'll usually already know since I track my calories and use a Fitbit to track steps and calories burned) and helps with my mindset to start the next day.
  • wellisawstars
    wellisawstars Posts: 16 Member
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    Stress can really affect your weight. I completed P90x and 2/3 of Insanity this year, and only lost 3 pounds over those 5 months. Some of my life stressors have disappeared, and I've been losing 2 pounds a week.
  • obsidianwings
    obsidianwings Posts: 1,237 Member
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    Honestly, my trainer isn't a jerk at all. He's really nice and super helpful. But when I said that he looks at me "disappointed" I don't believe it was due to him being disappointed in me per say, just that he, like me, doesn't understand why I'm not losing weight since he knows how hard I have been working. Just wanted to clear the air. :)
    My point was more as a trainer he should know that inches are more important than pounds. He should have been happy.
  • obsidianwings
    obsidianwings Posts: 1,237 Member
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    Thank you. I know they keep saying not to worry about the numbers... but it was my last weigh in that acutally just busted my bubble. I lost so many inches those first two weeks, and then the next two weeks I only lost an inch and a half. As far as advice, I wouldn't call it that, but I will say that I do try to keep within my calorie goal (typically below it actually) and try to take my vitamins and minerals... and then workout. I have a nifty little Suunto M4 watch and this morning it said "Work out for 35 minutes at a massive pace (166-178 bpm) ... and I did. I feel amazing but I avoid the scale like the black plague. As far as core though, yoga, machines that are designed to work on the core or simply sitting on a exercise ball will help.

    I find I personally don't avoid the scale, I'm probably OCD about it. Back when I started this process I weighed myself multiple times a day. To me it helped me get a grasp of what I do in a day and how it effects me. I find I just have a more intimate understanding of what my body is doing. I tried after meals, after workouts etc. I still weigh myself twice a day, once in the morning and once at night. I find at night just gives me a grasp of whether I had a good or bad day(which I'll usually already know since I track my calories and use a Fitbit to track steps and calories burned) and helps with my mindset to start the next day.
    I could be missing something here, but how does weighing youself at night let you know if you had a good or a bad day? Bad food doesn't weigh anymore than good food, having a belly full of veges and lean protein is going to make you weigh more, as is needing the toilet, and a multitude of other factors.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,867 Member
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    The scale is but one tool...if you're measurements are improving, you're making more progress than the scale could ever account for. You are burning fat and building muscle. Muscle is heavier than fat.
  • leanlucyluu87
    leanlucyluu87 Posts: 8
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    The scale is but one tool...if you're measurements are improving, you're making more progress than the scale could ever account for. You are burning fat and building muscle. Muscle is heavier than fat.
  • leanlucyluu87
    leanlucyluu87 Posts: 8
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    The scale is but one tool...if you're measurements are improving, you're making more progress than the scale could ever account for. You are burning fat and building muscle. Muscle is heavier than fat.
    I'm obviously still learning how to use this program. :P That's very true. Though I am very happy that I lost the inches, my clothes are honestly not fitting any better, at least not yet, but I still haven't given up. I guess, it's just in the past I would eat less and burn more and weight the same and not look any different at all. Today will be *counts* 5 weeks since I started and on Pinterest (yes, I said pinterest... haha) I read that it takes 4 weeks for you to notice a difference, 8 weeks for your friends and family to notice a difference and 12 weeks for the world to notice a difference. I will admit, I don't always eat very healthy (especially when there's cookies within grasping range) but I do try and since I'm not allowed gluten, not a lot of complex carbs reach my tummy. I like food, what can I say. :P But I lowered my daily intake to 1600 calories a day from the 18000 it suggested and raised my end goal weight to 160 instead of 145 (doctor said that's too skinny for a girl my size). I am hoping these changes will help. That and my Suunto M4 HR monitor watch really helps as well.

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