Not Losing - Advice Appreciated

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angeldaae
angeldaae Posts: 348 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I am hesitant to post this here because I know there are so many differing opinions, but I’m hoping to find some good advice.

I (re)started MFP on January 1 (like a good resolutioner) at 278 lbs. At that time, I was eating 1,500 calories a day.

After the first two weeks, I saw a great loss of about 7 pounds and was down to 271.

The next day, I started taking Zumba classes. This is my first time ever to do any real, regular exercise. I wear a heart rate monitor (Polar FT7) and burn 600 calories in the one-hour class.

Since that time, I have not lost a pound. In fact, I actually crept up a few pounds and have been teeter-tottering between 273 and 276.

After three weeks of Zumba 2 – 3 times a week with no loss, I decided I probably needed to eat more. I adjusted my daily intake to 1,950 calories per day, which is what MFP gives me to lose one pound per week. (This is right in line with my BMR, which is 1960, and my TDEE – 20%, which is 1920.)

I do not always eat back all my exercise calories. Usually I eat about 200 of them. Sometimes I eat them the next day when I have Zumba class at night and find myself hungrier than usual in the morning.

I drink my water and eat well (although the last week has not been the best example). I cook at home as often as possible and bring my lunch to work as often as possible. My food plan is simply counting calories, as any additional “rules” would over-complicate things for me and make it far more difficult to stick to.

But still, I have not lost a pound since my initial loss, and it has been 6 weeks now.

Any advice is appreciated.
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Replies

  • moustache_flavored_lube
    moustache_flavored_lube Posts: 849 Member
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    Are you measuring your food to be sure that you are really eating the portion sizes you think you are.
    If cooking at home are you adding oils, sugars, or sauces these can have a surprising amount of calories and the service sizes are small

    Coffee creamer, butter ... are also often culprits that are not tracked.

    Are you sure your BMR is accurate (mine is 7% below average so less than what MFP calculates)


    I would redouble my efforts to measure food to ensure I was tracking accurately, and then reduce calorie consumption by 300 calories per day, and see if I noted progress
  • angeldaae
    angeldaae Posts: 348 Member
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    Are you measuring your food to be sure that you are really eating the portion sizes you think you are.

    Yes, I absolutely am weighing and measuring correctly (a skill I learned during my days of Weight Watchers). I have a digital food scale and many, many sets of measuring cups and spoons.

    I am also sure to measure out any oils I use for cooking, as well as the 1 tbsp of creamer I sometimes enjoy in my coffee.
  • d2footballJRC
    d2footballJRC Posts: 2,684 Member
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    Reduce Calories by 250 a day for 2 weeks (Meaning just eat 250 less daily, don't decrease it 250 more every day), see if you have any progress.

    Make sure you are drinking enough water, and this is key. Make sure you are sleeping enough. Sleep is key to weight loss, and many people over look it.
  • angeldaae
    angeldaae Posts: 348 Member
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    Oh, I definitely sleep enough! I LOVE to sleep! :happy:

    (Seriously, though, I get at least 7 hours a night, and more on weekends).
  • jkedslie
    jkedslie Posts: 1
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    I've run into the same thing a few times, and it has always come back to carbohydrate consumption. Anything you do that prompts your body to release insulin will stop the fat burning process. Anything you eat after you're flushed with an insulin response will be stored as fat. It's a difficult game and sometimes it feels like your body is fighting you. - because it is. We're genetically programmed for survival, so you have to fight that response. It's frustrating to know you're eating less calories and exercising but not seeing results. Try adjusting the carbs down about 15% and raise the protein/fat up just a notch and you'll be amazed at how it turns around. Yes - this goes against all traditional wisdom, but it does work! The hard part is eliminating the carbs. Good luck on your challenge and I hope you're successful in breaking through the plateau! :)
  • LeanButNotMean44
    LeanButNotMean44 Posts: 852 Member
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    Too many processed carbs, too much sugar (2 sugary snacks in a day?), little to no veggies - from what I saw in your food diary.
  • dlg1467
    dlg1467 Posts: 68 Member
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    Make sure you eat your good fats. I did the low-fat thing once and I didn't lose anything, but discovered that without any good fat, everything stalls.
    its only been 6 weeks. keep up the good work and it will come. everyone loses at a different pace, some are slow and steady and others go in spurts.
  • happysherri
    happysherri Posts: 1,360 Member
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    I am the same way. I can loose when I'm not exercising, but when I start exercising I don't loose. I did P90X religiously, sometimes on the same night as my competitive volleyball games. However, not loosing much weight I noticed WAY more definition in my muscles and the small dimples I had (you know as women on our legs) vanished! Oh, and my clothes were way to big for me! I just don't let the number on the scale take over. I think I feel better, I am healthier and I look better. Don't stress just do your best! Keep going!
  • pink_ribbon_1
    pink_ribbon_1 Posts: 46 Member
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    I've run into the same thing a few times, and it has always come back to carbohydrate consumption. Anything you do that prompts your body to release insulin will stop the fat burning process. Anything you eat after you're flushed with an insulin response will be stored as fat. It's a difficult game and sometimes it feels like your body is fighting you. - because it is. We're genetically programmed for survival, so you have to fight that response. It's frustrating to know you're eating less calories and exercising but not seeing results. Try adjusting the carbs down about 15% and raise the protein/fat up just a notch and you'll be amazed at how it turns around. Yes - this goes against all traditional wisdom, but it does work! The hard part is eliminating the carbs. Good luck on your challenge and I hope you're successful in breaking through the plateau! :)

    This is the case for me, too. Carbs - and sugars in particular - are a real hindrance to my weight loss efforts. I am not Atkins by any stretch, but I seek out high protein, high fiber, low sugar offerings.

    Good luck...it sucks to be working so hard and not see the results.

    Someone else will probably post this as well - but you might want to take your measurements and track those instead of the relying on the scale to assess progress. Sometimes (actually OFTEN!) you're losing inches but not pounds. With your workouts, especially - muscle is more dense than fat tissue.

    Good luck....I know it's "hard going" sometimes.
  • felixthehat
    felixthehat Posts: 2
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    I've had no success in losing weight by exercising 3 times a week (I don't have the energy for more), eating almost all organic whole foods cooked at home, staying under 1500 calories most days. I've tried to minimize white foods: sugar, white rice, potatoes, grains and dairy. When I eat no sugar or grains I feel weak and tired and still don't lose weight. I really don't know what to eat anymore and am very frustrated. There are so many web sites and books and coaches saying different things. All of them promising I'll have more energy if I just follow their plan.
  • pink_ribbon_1
    pink_ribbon_1 Posts: 46 Member
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    Reduce Calories by 250 a day for 2 weeks (Meaning just eat 250 less daily, don't decrease it 250 more every day), see if you have any progress.

    Make sure you are drinking enough water, and this is key. Make sure you are sleeping enough. Sleep is key to weight loss, and many people over look it.

    The key to weight loss is burn more calories than you consume. Nothing to do with sleep or water.

    This is not true....sleep and hydration status are critical components to hormones and metabolism....which play a major role in calorie burn.
  • d2footballJRC
    d2footballJRC Posts: 2,684 Member
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    Reduce Calories by 250 a day for 2 weeks (Meaning just eat 250 less daily, don't decrease it 250 more every day), see if you have any progress.

    Make sure you are drinking enough water, and this is key. Make sure you are sleeping enough. Sleep is key to weight loss, and many people over look it.

    The key to weight loss is burn more calories than you consume. Nothing to do with sleep or water.

    Correct, but guess what.. Sleep and Water both promote hormonal balances in your body, which help your....get this.. metabolism.. which controls ... how many calories you burn.. Thus making it easier to burn more calories then you consume.

    Your metabolism isn't this set thing like mfp has.. You don't burn a set 1900 calories a day... it will be different each and every day and it fluctuates, proper sleep, hydration, and rest, will promote your metabolism and will help you burn and use the fuel more efficiently. Hormones are a **** in other words :-D From reading your profile and seeing you are a lifter I'd expect you to know that most of all. Train hard, and rest hard bro.
  • lawandfitness
    lawandfitness Posts: 1,257 Member
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    I just wanted to say that when I started working out hard (like 4-6 days per week) I didn't lose a pound in 3 weeks. I find sometimes when you start a new regime your body has to adapt.

    Also, 6 weeks is a while, so it may not be this, but I find the week I ovulate and the week I have TOM the scale doesn't budge...
  • angeldaae
    angeldaae Posts: 348 Member
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    I think we can all at least agree that getting enough water and sleep are at least not *bad* for you, whether or not we agree about how good they are.
  • d2footballJRC
    d2footballJRC Posts: 2,684 Member
    Options
    Reduce Calories by 250 a day for 2 weeks (Meaning just eat 250 less daily, don't decrease it 250 more every day), see if you have any progress.

    Make sure you are drinking enough water, and this is key. Make sure you are sleeping enough. Sleep is key to weight loss, and many people over look it.

    The key to weight loss is burn more calories than you consume. Nothing to do with sleep or water.

    This is not true....sleep and hydration status are critical components to hormones and metabolism....which play a major role in calorie burn.

    You're claming your metabolism will slow down. Lets say from 2,000 down to 1,800 calories a day... eat less than 1,800 you will lose weight..

    Once again "key to weight loss is burn more calories than you consume."

    Yeah, which is easier to do, eat less then 2,000 or eat less then 1,800... Rocket Science math here bro. Especially when someone is having problems with weight coming off. Once again, when someone is having problems losing weight, making sure they are positioning there body in an efficient burning manner would be a good method of attack.
  • estrange22
    estrange22 Posts: 210 Member
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    don't eat anything that comes with a nutrition label.
  • 88meli88
    88meli88 Posts: 238 Member
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    i would also reduce calorie intake somewhat and less of your exercise calories back .
  • angeldaae
    angeldaae Posts: 348 Member
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    don't eat anything that comes with a nutrition label.

    So I'm going to have to learn to hunt and gather? Even fresh meats cut by the butcher have NI on them these days.

    But yes, I understand what you mean.
  • LokiOfAsgard
    LokiOfAsgard Posts: 378 Member
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    Do try to eat back all your exercise calories.
    Also, you might just need to wait a bit. Anytime my mom starts up a new exercise, she gains for a few weeks, before losing a again.
    Make sure you get enough water. You might need more than the recommended 8 glasses a day, which is totally fine as long as you don't drink too fast!

    I think that's all the advice I have, I hope it helps! :flowerforyou:
  • d2footballJRC
    d2footballJRC Posts: 2,684 Member
    Options
    Reduce Calories by 250 a day for 2 weeks (Meaning just eat 250 less daily, don't decrease it 250 more every day), see if you have any progress.

    Make sure you are drinking enough water, and this is key. Make sure you are sleeping enough. Sleep is key to weight loss, and many people over look it.

    The key to weight loss is burn more calories than you consume. Nothing to do with sleep or water.

    Correct, but guess what.. Sleep and Water both promote hormonal balances in your body, which help your....get this.. metabolism.. which controls ... how many calories you burn.. Thus making it easier to burn more calories then you consume.

    Your metabolism isn't this set thing like mfp has.. You don't burn a set 1900 calories a day... it will be different each and every day and it fluctuates, proper sleep, hydration, and rest, will promote your metabolism and will help you burn and use the fuel more efficiently. Hormones are a **** in other words :-D From reading your profile and seeing you are a lifter I'd expect you to know that most of all. Train hard, and rest hard bro.

    Yes you're right it can help, but isn't required. My sleep is gettig better but through my weight loss it was crappy, and sometimes i noticed i only drank 1L of water a day. In theory you're supposed to drink half your bodyweight in oz. one litter is like um... 33.8oz when I was suppose to be drinking like 150oz.

    Water is important don't get me wrong, i am just saying she should focus on the most importat ting and keep it simple. We ca sit here tell her to drink x amount of water, eat x amount o calories at these ratios, exercise this way, ad sleep this many hours..
    just to complex, keep it simple. No need for her to be chugging down a gallon or more of water a day.

    When I played football trainers always pushed us to get at least 6-8 hours of sleep even when we weren't in season as a goal. Water was always told, clear urine is the guideline.. clear urine by the afternoon. Not a set amount. Every body will be different. Not saying she HAS to meet those things to lose weight, but she was asking for advice on what could help.

    Weight loss will always be intake vs burn, but when someone is having issues you have to adjust things to help them reach that goal. In some of my classes at college they said when you get enough sleep there was two hormones that your body produced when you got enough sleep that told your body when you'd had enough food and when you were full enough, which really helped people cut down on food consumption and could help people lose up to like 15 pounds a year on average just by getting enough sleep and these hormones telling the body properly when they are full and etc. (Sorry don't remember names and etc.)

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