When I exercise I don't lose weight?

CLDKess
CLDKess Posts: 40
in Fitness and Exercise
Has anyone had a similar experience when they work some moderate exercise into their day that they don't lose weight as steady as when they are just creating a calorie deficit?

My food diary is open. However, I'd prefer to NOT have people complaining at me about how I don't eat enough. I tried upping my calories for 3 months and I gained 6 pounds. I am happy with my calories right where they are.

:)

Replies

  • CLDKess
    CLDKess Posts: 40
    so I'm the only person this happens to?
  • mbreed75
    mbreed75 Posts: 125 Member
    No, you are not. I think exercise makes you retain water for muscle repair.
  • imjenjen00
    imjenjen00 Posts: 75
    Your diary is not open...but I think the lack of responses may be because people don't want to tell you what you said you didn't want to hear :)
  • now_or_never13
    now_or_never13 Posts: 1,575 Member
    Depending on your routine exercise can make you gain water weight for muscle repair. Weigh in after a rest day to lessen any water weight you have.

    Just a word of warning on low calories... Too low and you will lose more muscle than with a proper deficit. Less muscle means a lower metabolism.

    If you have trouble eating enough I would suggest not adding in cardio as you will just be increasing an already high deficit.
  • Troublemonster
    Troublemonster Posts: 223 Member
    What kind of exercises are you doing and how much of a deficit are you eating? Do you eat your exercise calories back or do they just create a BIGGER deficit for you?
  • sammniamii
    sammniamii Posts: 669 Member
    Your dairy isn't open, so can't really look to see what & how much you eat. Plus, what are you classifying as "moderate exercise"?

    Your moderate could be my easy or visa versa.... more info or people can't begin to offer suggestions.
  • TGGolfer
    TGGolfer Posts: 35 Member
    I started this plan at the beginning of Jan 2013 and I dropped 10 pounds very quickly and then........stalemate! Up 2 pounds on day and down 1 the next. Then no weight loss for 4 days in a row......so frustrating! Just this week, worked out hard 1 1/2 hours Mon through Thurs and I have lost nothing.....not even a half a pound. My wife says one thing eveny time, Honey your losing your belly and your arms and back are getting more definition in them. So I have to look at it this way...I may not be dropping pounds but I'm losing inches.

    Stay with it....It too will pass and things will happen!!!!!:happy:
  • Serah87
    Serah87 Posts: 5,481 Member
    I started this plan at the beginning of Jan 2013 and I dropped 10 pounds very quickly and then........stalemate! Up 2 pounds on day and down 1 the next. Then no weight loss for 4 days in a row......so frustrating! Just this week, worked out hard 1 1/2 hours Mon through Thurs and I have lost nothing.....not even a half a pound. My wife says one thing eveny time, Honey your losing your belly and your arms and back are getting more definition in them. So I have to look at it this way...I may not be dropping pounds but I'm losing inches.

    Stay with it....It too will pass and things will happen!!!!!:happy:

    ^^^^THIS and NO your diary is NOT open!! :smile:
  • Jaulen
    Jaulen Posts: 468 Member
    Just a thought, a person can weight more and have a lower body fat % than someone else, and fit into smaller clothes.

    A pound of muscle takes up less physical space than a pound of fat.

    Have you taken your measurements, or your BF%?

    Women, IMHO (and I am one) are too dependant on the scale # as a success metric instead of other metrics which show a better indication of health (BF%, RHR, BP, Cholesterol)
  • babybanks23
    babybanks23 Posts: 6 Member
    It's possible that your metabolism isn't sure what you're up to, so it's just kind of holding on until you either 1) give up & your body sighs in relief that it doesn't have to change or 2) keep exercising and it will start getting used to your new energy. I've been watching Biggest Loser season 13 and they have some great tips. For example, if you plateau, mix-up your routine e.g. pedal backwards rather than forward or do wall pushups instead of floor. Drinking half of a protein shake before and after a workout can also give your muscles and body a metabolism boost as far as I understand. My husband puts cut up apples and a few cinnamon sticks in his water throughout the day to help his metabolism. And, of course, the more exercise, the more your body will want to eat, so eating something healthy right after a good workout is recommended. My thought of the day was this weight loss math sentence: My healthy choices must be greater than my unhealthy choices (Healthy choices > Unhealthy choices). Good luck on your fitness journey!
  • CLDKess
    CLDKess Posts: 40
    Its open to the public now, I think :)
  • CLDKess
    CLDKess Posts: 40
    I work out with my personal trainer 1x/week doing full body strength training and cardio and try to get to the gym by myself 2-3/week to do some weight lifting and cardio. I'm trying to teach my body to be able to run.

    This summer I was averaging about 1500c/day and was working out MWF with my trainer and was NOT losing any weight. Stopped working out, cut calories, lost 6#. I got on the scale this AM and I was up 2# from last week :(
  • djamigolxr50
    djamigolxr50 Posts: 2
    Your body can reach a plateau after a while. Switch it up with exercises and don't forget that muscle weighs more than fat. You may be gaining some muscle and losing fat and therefore you weigh more (or are having hard time losing weight).
    A change in exercise (muscle-confusion) will do the trick. Change the intensity, work our different muscle groups, drink plenty of water,..etc..
  • sp98
    sp98 Posts: 46
    I have increased my gym work to 5 days a week in the last month and lost absolutely nothing but my clothes are definitely a lot looser. Good luck :-)
  • Kelly_Runs_NC
    Kelly_Runs_NC Posts: 474 Member
    Have you tried adjusting teh macros? I noticed your carbs and fats are on the higher side. Protien on teh lower side. Maybe switch those up a little?
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    1.) When you workout, and particularly when you lift, your muscles retain more water for repair. Make sure you're drinking a lot of water...it won't completely eliminate the retention, but it'll go a long way towards it.

    2.) Weight loss is not linear...you have natural body weight fluctuations day to day and even within a given day attributable to water retention and food/liquid intake/output. Here's an example of this past week for me since last Friday just as an example:

    Last Friday: 187.9 Lbs (official weigh in logged)
    Saturday: 191.3 Lbs
    Sunday: 193.4 Lbs
    Monday: 190.2 Lbs
    Tuesday: 189.1 Lbs
    Wednesday: 190 Lbs
    Thurs: 187.3 Lbs
    Friday (today): 187.4 Lbs (official weigh in logged).

    A couple of hours after I weighed in this morning I was at 188.5 Lbs...

    From last Friday to this Friday I only lost .5 Lbs...but last week I lost 1.5 Lbs. This is the way it's pretty much been going for me the last 3 months or so. It's a general trend downwards of roughly 1 Lb per week over a longer period of time, but not necessarily 1 Lb per week linearly. Friday AM is always my official weigh in and log it day.
  • edge_dragoncaller
    edge_dragoncaller Posts: 826 Member
    Time to start taking measurements and not just what the scale tells you.

    I am at 266 pounds and I would have no problems looking like this....

    brock-lesnar-ufc-91-weigh-in.jpg

    Instead of this....

    7778465268

    ((( FYI, that is not me in the second pic.....but very comparable )))
  • now_or_never13
    now_or_never13 Posts: 1,575 Member
    Weight loss won't be linear... you will not lose each week regardless of what you are doing.
  • HartJames
    HartJames Posts: 789 Member
    Because, if you are eating enough and the right kinds of food AND working out (especially with weights) your body will get smaller but the scale may not change. If you care about what the scale says just do cardio if you care about a smaller toned body then use a measuring tape!
  • run2bfree
    run2bfree Posts: 108 Member
    I have this same issue. I have always had a tummy on me. I have toned legs and arms, but I have ALWAYS had a tummy. SUCKS... But I have figured out it is ALL ABOUT DIET NOW - I have to eat very little food (900-1000 cals) and workout 45-60 mins 5-6 days a week. I run or/and lift every other day.

    When I lost my most weight last year. I was eating about 900 cals a day and running 30-45 mins a day. It really depends on what your goals are. Skinny or Toned. Weight lifting will put the pounds on your before you start losing. just the way it goes. Remember that alot of your initial weight loss is water weight until you get into a solid routine.

    I think your diary looks fine. you eat about the same as I do. I would look to see how much sodium you are taking in. maybe up your protein and lower your carbs and or dairy.

    Good luck and keep on going!!
  • housegirl2
    housegirl2 Posts: 79 Member
    Don't know what your goals are for loss, maybe if you are working out you are gaining muscle because it weighs more than same volume of fat. Your foods look great and for some might be on the low calorie side of things but I know I have to be around that 1200-1300 calorie range or really work out pretty intensely to burn a ot of calories to lose.I'm stuggling with that now after upping calories to 1400- clearly too high for me unless I burn 300-400 calories a day. So totally understand.
  • jmcreynolds91
    jmcreynolds91 Posts: 777 Member
    I had this same problem. I would work out 6-7 days a week and not see any weight loss. As opposed to not working out, and loosing weight. I think it makes things confusing. But, i recently had someone tell me that if i was eating back my exercise calories, i was probably eating back too much. I rely on a HRM for calories burned and i do eat back my exercise calories. Therefore, i believe that my HRM was telling me wrong. I know its only an estimate, but the amounts would be insanely high! So, i still use a hrm but only log about half of what my hrm tells me. Ive found that i have started loosing again. Im not sure if you use a hrm, but this was my case.
  • CLDKess
    CLDKess Posts: 40
    Its just frustrating...
  • babybanks23
    babybanks23 Posts: 6 Member
    You can do it! Let yourself feel the frustration for five more minutes and then tell yourself you've just hit a bump in the road and are moving on. Whenever you do something that can burn calories, consciously tell yourself, this is exercise, so your body will treat it that way. Keep it up!
  • osualex
    osualex Posts: 409 Member
    When I started lifting I didn't lose scale weight for a month despite eating at a deficit. Measured, turns out I had lost inches instead. I'd rather have my clothes fit better than see a number on a scale. And now the scale weight is dropping too. You have to give it time and not be too motivated by the scale. Easier said than done, I know.

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