PLEASE someone help me...no weight or girth loss in 5 months
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DebiS1972
Posts: 23
5 months ago I started to exercise and eat really healthily. I still weigh the exact same and my measurements are roughly the same. I sob now..I can't do it anymore. I try so hard. I have even had my rmr calculated properly so that I can work out what I should be eating cal wise. I wear a hr monitor to tell me my exercise cals. I tried at 1300 cals plus exercise cals...stayed the same weight (calculated by mpf). The rmr proper calc worked me out at1770 cals rmr plus the 500 for sedentary job. Minus 500 to lose weight, so at about 1770 plus exercise cals...stayed the same weight. Exercising about 5 times a week, boxercise, jogging (only just started that though), boot camp etc. nothing! I can understand a one, two or three plateau, but 5 months??? What is the point, I cry, I try different suggestions. I have about 20 pounds to lose and am 40 years old. PLEASE can someone who really knows their stuff help me and mentor me. My rmr at 1770 is really high and yet I just know I don't have a high metabolic rate so why is my rmr so high? Everything I read thar goes with a high rmr is not in line with me.
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Replies
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Since muscle weighs more than fat, it could be that you're gaining more muscle. Exercising 5 days a week would definitely increase muscle mass. You should also check your body fat percentage. If you've been counting and tracking religiously and still not losing, talk to your doctor about other possible causes.
Best wishes!0 -
I tested at 33% body fat, do not great. Yes I accept my muscle has built up a little, but after this amount of time it should be helping me burn more cals.0
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I'm over 40, and while maybe not as religious as you about exercise and the calories....I'm just having a hard time seeing progress. I will certainly check on this post to see what others have to say. Meanwhile, stay positive and upbeat!!!5 months ago I started to exercise and eat really healthily. I still weigh the exact same and my measurements are roughly the same. I sob now..I can't do it anymore. I try so hard. I have even had my rmr calculated properly so that I can work out what I should be eating cal wise. I wear a hr monitor to tell me my exercise cals. I tried at 1300 cals plus exercise cals...stayed the same weight (calculated by mpf). The rmr proper calc worked me out at1770 cals rmr plus the 500 for sedentary job. Minus 500 to lose weight, so at about 1770 plus exercise cals...stayed the same weight. Exercising about 5 times a week, boxercise, jogging (only just started that though), boot camp etc. nothing! I can understand a one, two or three plateau, but 5 months??? What is the point, I cry, I try different suggestions. I have about 20 pounds to lose and am 40 years old. PLEASE can someone who really knows their stuff help me and mentor me. My rmr at 1770 is really high and yet I just know I don't have a high metabolic rate so why is my rmr so high? Everything I read thar goes with a high rmr is not in line with me.0 -
Having been in the same situation for around 12 months, exercising like crazy, eating well nothing was working. No weight change, no inch change, no body fat % change. I was in despair like you, then a friend pointed me in the direction of the Harcombe diet. It's not easy but I was desperate, I am currently 4 days into Phase 1 which is 5 days long. Phase 1 is effectively a detox but I have to say I haven't been hungry. All I can tell you is that 3 days in I had a look on the scales and I was 3lbs down, 2.5lbs of which was body fat. My jeans are falling down, the furry crap on my tongue has all but disappeared.
The diet effectively eliminates processed food, you eat "real" food. My friend has been in Phase 2 for a couple of weeks and says she feels fantastic, better than she has done for years. I am still fighting with the withdrawal symptoms but cannot wait for Tuesday, when I can introduce certain foods back into my diet. Having said that even with the headache etc, I do feel much better on the whole, no bloat, less tired, slept like a baby last night for the first time in over a year.
It is worth a read if nothing else, I have read tons of diet books over the years, most of them I have not implemented because they were crazy. This one made so much sense, she described me to a tee and its doable, very doable.
Good luck
Mandy x0 -
It might be an age-issue. But I'd suggest you go get your body fat percentage checked again. Maybe you'll see a change! If you've been working out and eating healthy for the last 5 months, chances are, you're a lot healthier on the inside, unfortunately, that's not something that you can see very easily!
There are other factors that might be having an effect. Have you had your thyroid checked? Are you post-menopausal? Have you checked if you're allergic or sensitive to any foods?0 -
Having been in the same situation for around 12 months, exercising like crazy, eating well nothing was working. No weight change, no inch change, no body fat % change. I was in despair like you, then a friend pointed me in the direction of the Harcombe diet. It's not easy but I was desperate, I am currently 4 days into Phase 1 which is 5 days long. Phase 1 is effectively a detox but I have to say I haven't been hungry. All I can tell you is that 3 days in I had a look on the scales and I was 3lbs down, 2.5lbs of which was body fat. My jeans are falling down, the furry crap on my tongue has all but disappeared.
The diet effectively eliminates processed food, you eat "real" food. My friend has been in Phase 2 for a couple of weeks and says she feels fantastic, better than she has done for years. I am still fighting with the withdrawal symptoms but cannot wait for Tuesday, when I can introduce certain foods back into my diet. Having said that even with the headache etc, I do feel much better on the whole, no bloat, less tired, slept like a baby last night for the first time in over a year.
It is worth a read if nothing else, I have read tons of diet books over the years, most of them I have not implemented because they were crazy. This one made so much sense, she described me to a tee and its doable, very doable.
Good luck
Mandy x
It is great to eat like this....I already am though. I kicked it off with something very similar. I don't eat processed food, but only live, whole foods. Some days I finish with calories to use but have eaten my allowance of fat, carbs and protein because everything I eat is good and I am not eating empty cals. I did lose 5 pounds over the 4 weeks I did it, but that was back in September and since then I have continued eating in the same vain but lost nothing. I do like the idea of testing if I am allergic to any goods, but if I am, would that make me hang on to the fat? I eat good fat and enough omega 3 so I really am doing everything I should. I despair.0 -
I feel for the op...when you read these forums everyone says it is just a calorie thing... calories in and calories out..blah blah.. yet so many on here post how they are in despair....where obviously it is more complicated than calorie counting for many people.
I think you have a metabolism issue...and you will need to try different ideas beyond just counting calories and eating back exercise calories.
I also have stopped losing after only seven pounds and hope something will happen soon. I recall last time i counted calories it didn't work for me and i fear a return to the same reality. Still, I have come back because i want it to work because i enjoy eating a variety of food.
What has worked for me was the Six week body makeover diet..where you cut out all processed foods.. and sodium.. you drink lots of water and eat every three hours a balance of protein, carbs.. it worked like a charm for me..but was hard to keep up as a life style because you have to make all your food and sauces from scratch. It is the only time I've been able to get down to my goal weight. You might want to consider some of those principles as you tweak your program for success.0 -
Having been in the same situation for around 12 months, exercising like crazy, eating well nothing was working. No weight change, no inch change, no body fat % change. I was in despair like you, then a friend pointed me in the direction of the Harcombe diet. It's not easy but I was desperate, I am currently 4 days into Phase 1 which is 5 days long. Phase 1 is effectively a detox but I have to say I haven't been hungry. All I can tell you is that 3 days in I had a look on the scales and I was 3lbs down, 2.5lbs of which was body fat. My jeans are falling down, the furry crap on my tongue has all but disappeared.
The diet effectively eliminates processed food, you eat "real" food. My friend has been in Phase 2 for a couple of weeks and says she feels fantastic, better than she has done for years. I am still fighting with the withdrawal symptoms but cannot wait for Tuesday, when I can introduce certain foods back into my diet. Having said that even with the headache etc, I do feel much better on the whole, no bloat, less tired, slept like a baby last night for the first time in over a year.
It is worth a read if nothing else, I have read tons of diet books over the years, most of them I have not implemented because they were crazy. This one made so much sense, she described me to a tee and its doable, very doable.
Good luck
Mandy x
It is great to eat like this....I already am though. I kicked it off with something very similar. I don't eat processed food, but only live, whole foods. Some days I finish with calories to use but have eaten my allowance of fat, carbs and protein because everything I eat is good and I am not eating empty cals. I did lose 5 pounds over the 4 weeks I did it, but that was back in September and since then I have continued eating in the same vain but lost nothing. I do like the idea of testing if I am allergic to any goods, but if I am, would that make me hang on to the fat? I eat good fat and enough omega 3 so I really am doing everything I should. I despair.
The Harcombe Diet identifies any food intolerances, in the first five days you exclude, wheat and dairy. You also don't count calories ever! In Phase 2 you do not mix carbs and protein in any meal, its one or the other, so your body has no option but to use fat for energy with a purely protein meal. All I know that so far its broken my massive plateau and I am loving it, I don't have much weight to lose and look forward to hitting my goal soon. Hope you find something that works for you. xx0 -
Have you tried changing your exercise?
Are you measuring your food?
Have you calculated your maintenance calories at your current weight and activity level and tried eating that for a couple of weeks before going back to reduced calories?
Have you tried reducing carbs?0 -
So, OP, why are you still eating exercise calories since you have decided to go with TDEE minus 500? Because, your RMR should work as your weight loss number. RMR and BMR are not the same. RMR plus the 500 for your daily activity should work out the same as your maintenance amount. I'm just confused why you are using TDEE minus 500 and THEN adding exercise cals. That's backwards. Try eating between 1700 and 1800 - don't add in exercise cals, and do that for a month. You don't have much to lose, it's a very fine line to walk when you are there.
There's no sobbing in weight loss. Chin up.:flowerforyou:0 -
I would need to see your food diary to tell you what's going on...0
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So, OP, why are you still eating exercise calories since you have decided to go with TDEE minus 500? Because, your RMR should work as your weight loss number. RMR and BMR are not the same. RMR plus the 500 for your daily activity should work out the same as your maintenance amount. I'm just confused why you are using TDEE minus 500 and THEN adding exercise cals. That's backwards. Try eating between 1700 and 1800 - don't add in exercise cals, and do that for a month. You don't have much to lose, it's a very fine line to walk when you are there.
There's no sobbing in weight loss. Chin up.:flowerforyou:
ok - the guy i went to see who measured my RMR. The cal afterwards was:
1770 RMR (the cals burned to maintain vital bodily functions
Lifestyle : 531 cals
Exercise 300 a day
Total: 2600.
To lose weight, minus 550 a day = 2050 cals per day.
(Rather than allow for 300 cals per day of exercise i thought it would be better to not count them in at the beginning but then just eat them back when i do eat them.)
Then he said eat the "2050" (no more, NO LESS)
Before doing this, i was eating 1300 per day plus my exercise calories. Both ways i am not losing weight.0 -
Don't know what your eating habits were before you started on your journey but I thought I'd share my story because I felt the same way you do now.........Before I started exercising and trying to lose weight my eating habits were horrible. I would go a whole day without eating or I'd eat only one meal a day that was usually loaded with fat and high in calories. Once I started lifting and doing cardio, I worked really hard to change my eating habits. I started eating at least 3 healthy meals a day and kept track of my calories to ensure I was eating enough. Even though I was doing everything right, it still took me 6 months to lose one single pound. I was told that my metabolism was probably so screwed up because of my bad eating habits that it took 6 months for my body to start functioning properly again. I'm happy I didn't throw in the towel and decided to stick with it because I'm now finally starting to see results!!0
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I know if I ate 2000 cal per day I would never lose weight. I would probably gain. I'm about at my goal weight but I eat between 1200-1600 cal per day. I don't know your stats so it's hard to tell, but 2000 seems very high for a female to lose. I'm not saying you can't, but seems high.0
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How long have you been jogging and how long/ far do you go each time?? I've just began jogging myself in the past two weeks...and I have lost more weight in those two weeks than I did the entire month of January. I started only being able to run (jog) for 2 mins and now I can run for 40 mins. I really think you should keep up with the jogging for a bit and see if it helps you.
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It really sounds like you are making a great effort - so your frustration is ver yunderstandable. Have you contacted your physician? Maybe getting some blood work done would be helpful. Have your thyroid checked, etc. There could be something else going on with you medically that might be able to explain why you aren't seeing progress as you'd like.
I know the goal is weight loss - as is mine, but remember... everytime you eat something healthy or you exercise, you are doing something GOOD for yourself regardless of what that stupid scale might say.
Good luck.0 -
Hi. I'm really sorry for your troubles. I know how discouraging it is. I've been telling my story all around the community because I've needed to talk about it, so you've probably already seen it.
The bottom line is this: for those of us who have been overweight for a long time or have yo-yo'd from fat to thin to fat again, I think the biochemistry of the body gets stuck in fat storage mode. No matter what we do, the body does what it knows how to do best - hang onto that fat. I don't what it takes to change it, but I've decided to hang in there and do the "right things" as I understand them - get some exercise (cardio and resistance), change it up regularly, really push for the burn, and eat at not-too-high of a calorie deficit. I decided to stick with the 1320 to lose 1 pound per week that MFP gave me for a sedentary life-style (desk job) plus eat back at least part of my exercise calories. I don't know what's going to happen, but I feel that I am more likely to succeed if I stick with the plan and be patient. I hope my body is going to eventually figure it out - that there's a steady supply of food and it can let go of some of that fat.
At least I feel better about having lost that image of myself as an eating machine, and I'm not gaining significant weight (only losing/gaining the same 2-3 pounds). That's a victory right there.
Best wishes to you.0 -
wow guys thank you so much for all your tips and encouragement. I want to read and digest them again properly tonight and then I will reply over the weekend.
THANK YOU - from the heart.0 -
Go to a hormone replacement doctor and get all your hormones checked.0
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My first question is, are you eating 80-90% natural whole foods? Anything that comes out of package doesn't count. If you can't grow it or farm it or hunt it yourself, it isn't a natural food.
There has been recent scientific evidence that processed foods are the cause of inflammatory diseases. Get off any processed foods and avoid any restaurants that are not organically sourced/ fresh and natural foods (this pretty much means no chain restaurants).
Other items to avoid: vegetable and corn oil (canola and safflower may be as bad as trans fats), artificial sweeteners, flavored beverages-even the diet kind, grain based foods like breakfast cereal, bread, pasta, crackers, tortillas etc., and sugar of course.
Make sure you are getting most of your daily fat from saturated fat sources. Saturated fats are the building blocks of new muscle tissue. Saturated vegetable fats are best such as coconut oil and palm kernel oil. But it's okay to get some saturated fat from meat sources and dairy, too. Stick with the monounsaturated oils as much as possible. Olive oil and Grapeseed oil are both great natural sources of fat. Grapeseed oil is wonderful for cooking as it has a very high smoke temp and is practically flavorless.
Are you eating vinegar or other fermented foods daily? Add in some fresh (not canned or jarred) sauerkraut or kim chee to your weekly diet. Also yogurt or kefir are excellent sources for replenishing gut flora necessary for nutrient absorption.
I managed to fix a lot of medical problems through changing up my diet. I suffered from depression, IBS, fatigue, frequent colds and flu (I had a flu that lasted 29 days in Dec 2011-Jan 2012), insomnia and boughts of sleeping 12+ hours a day. I had female issues like horrible periods, fibroid tumors on my uterus, ovaries and fallopian tubes.
Oh yeah, and I was fat. I'm pretty sure the standard American Diet was to blame. Of course, I'm not a doctor or a scientist or a dietician, but I do know that I feel better now and I feel worse when I eat junk food too often.0
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