Busting my butt but the scales not moving

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  • shellbatronic
    shellbatronic Posts: 193
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    Maybe you've added a lot of muscle mass.

    NO. You will only gain significant amounts of muscle eating at surplus. Which clearly you are NOT. Am I correct in understand that you are netting in the negative everyday? You are not eating enough. That's why you haven't lost much weight. Your body isn't going to shed pounds if it's afraid it may not get to eat tomorrow, or all week, or goodness knows when.

    I suggest you ALWAYS net at 1200 or above. Prepare for possible health issues and an almost certain protein deficiency if you don't (splitting/cracking/peeling fingernails, bad hair and skin)

    PS. Eating at such a large deficit plus your steep exercise deficit it actually going to cause you to LOSE lean body mass.

    This x 1000. You need 1200 just to be able to think straight and for your body to get enough to keep your organs functioning, it's really dangerous to run that much of a deficit every day.
  • rjmudlax13
    rjmudlax13 Posts: 900 Member
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    And yes. If you are not eating enough it is not good. Just follow the calories that MFP set up for you. Log all your workouts and eat your exercise calories.

    And stop obsessing about the scale for goodness sake!
  • angelamistkowskistrunk
    angelamistkowskistrunk Posts: 10
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    Thank you. I usually dont post on these pages for the exact reason that everyone has a different opinion. Just needed to vent a little today lol
  • angelamistkowskistrunk
    angelamistkowskistrunk Posts: 10
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    And yes. If you are not eating enough it is not good. Just follow the calories that MFP set up for you. Log all your workouts and eat your exercise calories.

    And stop obsessing about the scale for goodness sake!
  • grimendale
    grimendale Posts: 2,153 Member
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    There are a couple of cheap scales which will do a body fat analysis by electrical inductance so that you can get a sense of whether you are losing fat even if the scale is not moving. I got a weight watchers one from Target for about $30 that I have liked so far.
  • HelloDan
    HelloDan Posts: 712 Member
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    I think you need to check your figures.

    Not trying to be funny, but if you've genuinely netted -800 (1200 in - 2000 out) calories a day since Jan 17, you major concern would be remaining alive, rather than weight loss. Are you sure you have your figures right?
  • lacurandera1
    lacurandera1 Posts: 8,083 Member
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    Thank you. I usually dont post on these pages for the exact reason that everyone has a different opinion. Just needed to vent a little today lol

    While I get what you're saying...I feel the need to point out that yes, everyone has an opinion and they may differ. But there IS a right answer here. You should never net below your BMR. It's the minimum healthy calorie intake you need to live, breathe, lay in bed all day. And, it's fact. Not opinion.

    Here's a thread with instructions on how to calculate it. http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/817548-calculating-bmr-and-tdee?hl=calculate+bmr#posts-12252394


    Good luck in your endeavors and congratulations on losing inches. Sometimes, that is just as fantastic as losing weight.
  • mommamills
    mommamills Posts: 437
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    Maybe you've added a lot of muscle mass.

    NO. You will only gain significant amounts of muscle eating at surplus. Which clearly you are NOT. Am I correct in understand that you are netting in the negative everyday? You are not eating enough. That's why you haven't lost much weight. Your body isn't going to shed pounds if it's afraid it may not get to eat tomorrow, or all week, or goodness knows when.

    I suggest you ALWAYS net at 1200 or above. Prepare for possible health issues and an almost certain protein deficiency if you don't (splitting/cracking/peeling fingernails, bad hair and skin)

    PS. Eating at such a large deficit plus your steep exercise deficit it actually going to cause you to LOSE lean body mass.


    AGREED TOTALLY!!!! What are you fueling your workouts with??

    This x 1000. You need 1200 just to be able to think straight and for your body to get enough to keep your organs functioning, it's really dangerous to run that much of a deficit every day.
  • eyeshuh
    eyeshuh Posts: 333
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    I am eating approx 1200 calories a day. I am exercising and burning approx 2000 a day so yes that would put me around -800 a day. Thats why I am frustrated but I know all good things take time

    Yes, everyone has different opinions on weight loss, but no one will tell you this is a good idea. This looks like an eating disorder.

    Please go speak to your doctor about eating at such an extreme deficit.
  • onyxgirl17
    onyxgirl17 Posts: 1,721 Member
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    holy wtf are you an all or nothing type of person? That seems like A LOT of activity for that low of calories. Do you eat your exercise calories back?
  • angelamistkowskistrunk
    angelamistkowskistrunk Posts: 10
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    Just to clarify. No eating disorder. Just a stay at home mom who homeschools her kids. I havent really changed my eating habits since I started exercising( just stopped going to chinese every saturday lol) I feel Fine. I know I am building muscle. My hair, nails and skin are all fine. Im just a very active person who choses to exercise instead of watching tv. Thats all. :smile:
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,867 Member
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    Thank you. I usually dont post on these pages for the exact reason that everyone has a different opinion. Just needed to vent a little today lol

    While I get what you're saying...I feel the need to point out that yes, everyone has an opinion and they may differ. But there IS a right answer here. You should never net below your BMR. It's the minimum healthy calorie intake you need to live, breathe, lay in bed all day. And, it's fact. Not opinion.

    Here's a thread with instructions on how to calculate it. http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/817548-calculating-bmr-and-tdee?hl=calculate+bmr#posts-12252394


    Good luck in your endeavors and congratulations on losing inches. Sometimes, that is just as fantastic as losing weight.

    ^^^^This

    Ignore opinions and go with science. Science will tell you that netting below your BMR for significant amounts of time is indeed very dangerous and unhealthy.
  • elainecroft
    elainecroft Posts: 595 Member
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    How are you measuring calories burned?
  • angelamistkowskistrunk
    angelamistkowskistrunk Posts: 10
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    How are you measuring calories burned?


    www.Fitchick.com has a converter
  • eyeshuh
    eyeshuh Posts: 333
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    Just to clarify. No eating disorder. Just a stay at home mom who homeschools her kids. I havent really changed my eating habits since I started exercising( just stopped going to chinese every saturday lol) I feel Fine. I know I am building muscle. My hair, nails and skin are all fine. Im just a very active person who choses to exercise instead of watching tv. Thats all. :smile:

    You aren't building muscle at an extreme calorie deficit. You may feel fine for the time being, but what you are doing is very unhealthy. I stand by my recommendation that you speak with a doctor.

    Not trying to be rude or mean, just worried that you're not understanding what you're doing to your body. A doctor visit would be beneficial and is usually a good idea when starting a new diet anyway.
  • AmyRhubarb
    AmyRhubarb Posts: 6,890 Member
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    I dropped a full pants size without losing a pound - no one knows what my scale says, but people sure noticed I was wearing smaller clothes! Who cares what the scale says if you're body is changing for the better? Grab a tape measure and a camera - much better way to see progress!

    Edited to add: And I agree with those who say you need to eat more if you are indeed sticking to 1200 and not eating back your exercise cals. No bueno. :noway: Food is fuel - don't give your body a reason to store fat - feed it well, exercise, sleep, repeat = success!
  • angelamistkowskistrunk
    angelamistkowskistrunk Posts: 10
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    I dropped a full pants size without losing a pound - no one knows what my scale says, but people sure noticed I was wearing smaller clothes! Who cares what the scale says if you're body is changing for the better? Grab a tape measure and a camera - much better way to see progress!

    Thank You. I really am glad that I took measurments. And I see a huge difference in my body already<3
  • jess7386
    jess7386 Posts: 477 Member
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    I'm getting slightly annoyed with the people who are encouraging this weight loss, saying she's gained muscle, etc.

    Netting 800 calories below BMR is NOT healthy. It's not a difference of opinion, it's a fact.

    Further, you can't build muscle on an 800 calorie deficit. It's scientifically not possible. To the contrary, you are LOSING muscle, even if you're strength training.

    OP may be losing weight now, but eventually her body will get used to so little food that her metabolism will slow down drastically. At this point, she will not be able to lose weight.

    OP, figure out your BMR & TDEE, and eat 20% below your TDEE. Otherwise, you're setting yourself up for long-term failure and malnutrition. Please speak to a doctor and find out why this is the case.
  • AmyRhubarb
    AmyRhubarb Posts: 6,890 Member
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    I dropped a full pants size without losing a pound - no one knows what my scale says, but people sure noticed I was wearing smaller clothes! Who cares what the scale says if you're body is changing for the better? Grab a tape measure and a camera - much better way to see progress!

    Thank You. I really am glad that I took measurments. And I see a huge difference in my body already<3
    And let me add that this happened while I was (and still am) eating 1800+ calories a day, and never netting below my BMR of 1400. Gotta fuel that machine!
  • Lisah8969
    Lisah8969 Posts: 1,247 Member
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    EAT MORE! PLEASE! Try and net 1,200 calories a day! What you are doing isn't healthy.

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