Anybody busting their butts and seeing NO results?

linneyjayd
linneyjayd Posts: 5
in Health and Weight Loss
I have been having a hell of a time trying to lose weight. Last month I worked out like crazy. Going up to 7 days a week and working out for 5+ hours in a day. I also ate very healthy and stayed below or within my target calories. With all that work I lost a whopping (insert sarcasm) 4 lbs in a month.....Moving on to February I have been working 5 days a week and only a hour a two at a time and I have GAINED 3 lbs back.... and I am heartbroken. I dont know what to do and I dont know what Im doing wrong. I am seeing women who do nothing but walk at 3.0 pace for 20 mins on a treadmill dropping 5-10 lbs in a week and it frustrated me that I am busting my butt to to see no good results!!!

Can anyone throw some advice my way as to what Im doing wrong?
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Replies

  • Gracerrr
    Gracerrr Posts: 141
    Yes, and I have a LOT to lose, so it should be easy, right?? Pffft :P

    Trying to accept that we are all different. I'm following my MFP recommendations, eating healthier, and working out every single day for 90 minutes, heavy sweat (alternating between circuit training on even days and running/elliptical on odd days). I've lost 4 lbs in the first few weeks and a few inches at that time as well, but I'm at the two month mark with NO further results. Clothes are still fitting me like a sausage. lol.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    Just looking at a couple of days from you diary I noticed that you're not eating back exercise calories and netting very low calories. I hope you realize that MFP has a deficit baked into your calorie goal to lose weight...you actually don't have to bust hump at the gym using the MFP method. With the MFP method, exercise is extra curricular so MFP expects you to eat them back. When you don't eat them back you give yourself a mammoth sized deficit. With such a large deficit, your body slows metabolism to reserve energy and you get the opposite of what you intend...your body actually starts storing fat (and burning muscle for fuel).

    BTW...you shouldn't be dropping 5-10 Lbs in a week. Do some research on healthy and safe weight loss...it's anywhere from 1/2 - 2 Lbs per week. Those that you speak of losing 5-10 Lbs in a week are losing mostly water, not fat...they are burning up muscle as well and will quickly come to a screeching halt and will have to go to great lengths to reset their metabolisms.
  • jacksonpt
    jacksonpt Posts: 10,413 Member
    First, weight loss is about a calorie deficit, which doesn't require exercise, so yes it's very possible for someone to sit out the couch all day and still lose weight.

    Next, did you really say you are working out 5+ hours PER day 7 days a week??? That's completely unnecessary. And probably unhealthy for all but the most gifted athlete (assuming you are working out at a fairly high intensity).

    Your logging is all over the board, and not at all in line with what you posted. My guess is that you have no idea how many cals you are really taking in or how many you are burning, so being in any kind of a consistent deficit is, at best, a crap shoot for you.

    Slow down, be more strategic about what you're doing and go from there.
  • jonnythan
    jonnythan Posts: 10,161 Member
    Working out 5+ hours a day for 7 days a week? Holy cow, what are you trying to accomplish? You're killing yourself.

    4 pounds in a month is where you SHOULD be for weight loss.

    Your food diary is spotty at best. Most days are blank or obviously incomplete. Weight loss happens in the kitchen, not while you're out exercising 35+ hours a week. That's madness.

    You need to log your food. You could work out all day every day and never lose a pound if you eat too much. On the flip side, you could work out 2 hours a week and lose plenty of weight by controlling your calorie intake.

    It seems you're only doing the exercise part, and you're going absolutely nuts on it while completely neglecting the food part. You need to get that in order. Run a healthy calorie deficit and you will see the results you want.
  • emilyc85
    emilyc85 Posts: 450 Member
    Thank you!!! I am so glad I am not the only one! In my 85 days of logging I have only lost 1.5 stupid pounds, I HAD lost inches until I checked today, and I GAINED THEM BACK!!!!!!! :angry: :grumble:

    I have no idea what to do anymore! When I was working out like crazy I didn't lose, and not working out I don't lose! I am damn near tears because I have no idea what to do! :cry: :sad:

    I am willing to try anything at his point :frown:
  • smn76237
    smn76237 Posts: 318 Member
    I'm no expert, but your exercise schedule sounds nuts! I'll let the people with knowledge respond to help you out.
    Side note, I did look at your diary and noticed Jones Bros and pho. I live in Omaha...which Vietnamese place is your favorite? Haha.
  • jonnythan
    jonnythan Posts: 10,161 Member
    Thank you!!! I am so glad I am not the only one! In my 85 days of logging I have only lost 1.5 stupid pounds, I HAD lost inches until I checked today, and I GAINED THEM BACK!!!!!!! :angry: :grumble:

    I have no idea what to do anymore! When I was working out like crazy I didn't lose, and not working out I don't lose! I am damn near tears because I have no idea what to do! :cry: :sad:

    I am willing to try anything at his point :frown:

    Drop your calorie intake by 250. If you're doing everything right and not losing weight, then you're eating too many calories. Drop it by a bit and see what happens.
  • Cara75
    Cara75 Posts: 52 Member
    I totally hear you both!!! I am having the same issue! I work out hard, im eating well and i have even tried to add more cals to my diet because i have been training so hard, tho i will admit i do have a tough time taking in enough cals, never thought id say that!!! BUT I am NOT a small girl, this is not my last troubling 10lbs to lose, i have over 50lbs to go so you think it would be coming off. First two weeks i lost about 8 lbs, all water n belly bloat of course, last month i have yo-yoed between a 2 lb and a 4lb loss... TOTAL!!! Sometimes my cloths feel loose, other times i think its just in my head... i dont know, but i agree... getting discouraged! I do have problems always logging in all my food, have a crazy busy house one of my goals this weekend is to log.
  • ladyace2078
    ladyace2078 Posts: 460 Member
    Muscle burns fat. If you lose muscle you burn less fat. Your goal should be to maintain muscle and lose fat, not lose weight. If you exercise too much or eat too little for the activity levels you are doing then you are very likely losing mucle and fat. The more muscle you lose the harder it becomes to lose the fat. Also rest is as important as eating enough and exercise so that your body can repair itself.

    My recommendation: Eat at a reasonable cut from TDEE (10-20%) and exercise for about 60 min 3-5 days per week, primarily focusing on strength training and interval cardio (rather than steady state cardio). Balance your macros to get enough protein, fat and carbs. Do this for at least 3 months before saying it doesn't work. Take pictures and watch your progress.
  • emilyc85
    emilyc85 Posts: 450 Member
    Thank you!!! I am so glad I am not the only one! In my 85 days of logging I have only lost 1.5 stupid pounds, I HAD lost inches until I checked today, and I GAINED THEM BACK!!!!!!! :angry: :grumble:

    I have no idea what to do anymore! When I was working out like crazy I didn't lose, and not working out I don't lose! I am damn near tears because I have no idea what to do! :cry: :sad:

    I am willing to try anything at his point :frown:

    Drop your calorie intake by 250. If you're doing everything right and not losing weight, then you're eating too many calories. Drop it by a bit and see what happens.

    I have a Body media armband. Still try dropping my cals?
  • xXMandiiXx
    xXMandiiXx Posts: 4
    I just want to say you might be losing inches, which is very good!! Have you tried measuring yourself weekly? But also, Muscles weigh more then fat. Working out in the gym will give you muscles!! I wish I could help you in other ways, but I'm not as good as some of the others on here!
  • jonnythan
    jonnythan Posts: 10,161 Member
    Thank you!!! I am so glad I am not the only one! In my 85 days of logging I have only lost 1.5 stupid pounds, I HAD lost inches until I checked today, and I GAINED THEM BACK!!!!!!! :angry: :grumble:

    I have no idea what to do anymore! When I was working out like crazy I didn't lose, and not working out I don't lose! I am damn near tears because I have no idea what to do! :cry: :sad:

    I am willing to try anything at his point :frown:

    Drop your calorie intake by 250. If you're doing everything right and not losing weight, then you're eating too many calories. Drop it by a bit and see what happens.

    I have a Body media armband. Still try dropping my cals?

    Well assuming you're spot on with your food logging, you know your calories in. So the only thing left is your calories out. Somewhere your calorie expenditure calculation/measurement is not reflecting reality. So make a small drop in your calorie intake.

    I don't know what your exercise is like, but I assume it's reasonable and regular and you are adjusting for it using the BodyMedia.
  • ladyace2078
    ladyace2078 Posts: 460 Member
    I just want to say you might be losing inches, which is very good!! Have you tried measuring yourself weekly? But also, Muscles weigh more then fat. Working out in the gym will give you muscles!! I wish I could help you in other ways, but I'm not as good as some of the others on here!

    1 lb = 1 lb whether it's muscle or fat.

    1 lb of muscle takes up less space (more dense) than fat.
  • LokiOfAsgard
    LokiOfAsgard Posts: 378 Member
    I have been having a hell of a time trying to lose weight. Last month I worked out like crazy. Going up to 7 days a week and working out for 5+ hours in a day. I also ate very healthy and stayed below or within my target calories. With all that work I lost a whopping (insert sarcasm) 4 lbs in a month.....Moving on to February I have been working 5 days a week and only a hour a two at a time and I have GAINED 3 lbs back.... and I am heartbroken. I dont know what to do and I dont know what Im doing wrong. I am seeing women who do nothing but walk at 3.0 pace for 20 mins on a treadmill dropping 5-10 lbs in a week and it frustrated me that I am busting my butt to to see no good results!!!

    Can anyone throw some advice my way as to what Im doing wrong?

    Okay, slow your roll, first off lol. 4 lbs in a months is good. That's about a lb a week which is the recommended .But. The second month if you continued the same routine, you put yourself on a plateau. I hear that your exercise should be switched up about every month (or when you start to plateau (or gain in your case) I think giving yourself a rest day or two would be optimal. (You don't have to do nothing, just don't do a lot. A small walk on a rest day if perfect.)
    And if you're not eating back your exercise calories, get on that! It does help :D

    EDIT: Not to mention, exercise can make you gain if you're losing fat, but not muscle or if you're retaining water. Rule of thumb- clear or pale urine. If it's not either of those colors drink more water!

    EDIT EDIT: when through your diary and I also see you go over your calories quite a bit. Plan better and get those numbers down. That'll help too :)
  • emilyc85
    emilyc85 Posts: 450 Member
    [/quote]

    Well assuming you're spot on with your food logging, you know your calories in. So the only thing left is your calories out. Somewhere your calorie expenditure calculation/measurement is not reflecting reality. So make a small drop in your calorie intake.

    I don't know what your exercise is like, but I assume it's reasonable and regular and you are adjusting for it using the BodyMedia.
    [/quote]

    Thanks I will try moving around calories to see if that helps :) I really appreciate it!
  • sugboog29
    sugboog29 Posts: 630 Member
    After reading some of the replies I went and checked my own diary!!! WOW...what an eye opener....guess I should take a better look at it daily!! I am low almost daily on my protein! AND...I LOVE cottage cheese...what a great reason to eat more!! So glad I read this thread! Thanks!
  • ellejay1214
    ellejay1214 Posts: 42 Member
    Just looking at a couple of days from you diary I noticed that you're not eating back exercise calories and netting very low calories. I hope you realize that MFP has a deficit baked into your calorie goal to lose weight...you actually don't have to bust hump at the gym using the MFP method. With the MFP method, exercise is extra curricular so MFP expects you to eat them back. When you don't eat them back you give yourself a mammoth sized deficit. With such a large deficit, your body slows metabolism to reserve energy and you get the opposite of what you intend...your body actually starts storing fat (and burning muscle for fuel).

    BTW...you shouldn't be dropping 5-10 Lbs in a week. Do some research on healthy and safe weight loss...it's anywhere from 1/2 - 2 Lbs per week. Those that you speak of losing 5-10 Lbs in a week are losing mostly water, not fat...they are burning up muscle as well and will quickly come to a screeching halt and will have to go to great lengths to reset their metabolisms.

    I lost 7 pounds in January and then started adding in harder workouts in February and have now gained back the weight. I was told that it was my body responding to low glycogens with water weight. Your post sounds very informed so I have a question for you: are you supposed to eat back ALL the workout calories or a percentage of them? I know when I was doing Weight Watchers, you didn't want to eat back the exercise calories unless you burned off more than half of what you had eaten that day.

    I've been eating back until I'm not hungry anymore and *trying* to eat more protein than carbs (if you look at my tracker you can see I'm struggling with this). Also, does the *kind* of calories you eat affect weight gain or loss when eating back your exercise calories?
  • andreagreen1974
    andreagreen1974 Posts: 64 Member
    Most often, lack of results seem to come from a coiuple of things.

    The TYPE of food being eaten should be clean, free of chemicals, not processed, etc.

    Not getting enough calories. Many people don't track their calories burned. You have to eat back those calories, that's why MFP reduces your net calories when you track exercise.

    The carb to protein ratio needs to be appropriate. Food is fuel for your body. Fuel it for what activities you are putting it through!!

    5 hours in a day is TOO MUCH. I'd have to be eating up to 3000 calories a day if I worked out that much!!! Your body adjusts to the calories in and out. If you broke your leg tomorrow and couldn't exercise for 2 months, how may calories would you have to eat to maintain your weight? If you're working out that much, you'd have to still have negative calories, that's too much!!!
  • jonnythan
    jonnythan Posts: 10,161 Member
    Also, does the *kind* of calories you eat affect weight gain or loss when eating back your exercise calories?

    Not to any significant degree, no. Focus on the macros.
  • Gracerrr
    Gracerrr Posts: 141
    I just want to say you might be losing inches, which is very good!! Have you tried measuring yourself weekly? But also, Muscles weigh more then fat. Working out in the gym will give you muscles!! I wish I could help you in other ways, but I'm not as good as some of the others on here!

    1 lb = 1 lb whether it's muscle or fat.

    1 lb of muscle takes up less space (more dense) than fat.

    Oh geez. My eyes just rolled out of my head. She never said that 1lb of fat is lighter than 1lb of muscle.
  • Liatush
    Liatush Posts: 627 Member
    Are you also taking measurements? You are probably building muscles, and shrinking, but just not seeing those numbers on the scale...
  • WendyTerry420
    WendyTerry420 Posts: 13,274 Member
    Also, does the *kind* of calories you eat affect weight gain or loss when eating back your exercise calories?

    Not to any significant degree, no. Focus on the macros.

    ^^Agreed. If you have a decent deficit, then you will lose. If you aren't losing then either your calories-in aren't being logged accurately or there's a medical condition or some miscalculation in the calories-out. The difference that your macros make is mostly in satiety and adherence.

    ETA: And "medical condition" can actually be simply that you've been on a VLCD for a long time and screwed up your hormone levels and metabolism, which can be reversed by slowly upping them to maintenance and staying on maintenance calories for several weeks.
  • wormy80
    wormy80 Posts: 64 Member
    bumping for later
  • linneyjayd
    linneyjayd Posts: 5
    Thanks every one that is really helpful and youre right I went back and looked at my calories and what Ive been eating and its not as good as I thought.

    Also silly question but am I suppose to stay under the calories deficiet even after a work out? Say Im suppose eat 1350 calories a day and I burn 500 working out does that mean I should eat 1850 calories a day bc I dont get it?

    Ive never really been good at understanding what Im suppose to do because there are so many different ideas and techniques that my brain is over whelmed and Im not sure where to start.

    Also I have really bad asthma so my time at the gym is split between working out and having to wait to get my breath under control so I basically can run a little walk a little or lift some weights and then I have to stop for 5-10 mins to get my lungs under control so my actual work out time may be 2 hours a day once in the morning and once at night but my heartrate never gets elevated.....I am having tests done next week to see what I can do so wish me luck that I will the potential to have a good workout in soon :happy:
  • jacksonpt
    jacksonpt Posts: 10,413 Member
    Thanks every one that is really helpful and youre right I went back and looked at my calories and what Ive been eating and its not as good as I thought.

    Also silly question but am I suppose to stay under the calories deficiet even after a work out? Say Im suppose eat 1350 calories a day and I burn 500 working out does that mean I should eat 1850 calories a day bc I dont get it?

    Ive never really been good at understanding what Im suppose to do because there are so many different ideas and techniques that my brain is over whelmed and Im not sure where to start.

    Also I have really bad asthma so my time at the gym is split between working out and having to wait to get my breath under control so I basically can run a little walk a little or lift some weights and then I have to stop for 5-10 mins to get my lungs under control so my actual work out time may be 2 hours a day once in the morning and once at night but my heartrate never gets elevated.....I am having tests done next week to see what I can do so wish me luck that I will the potential to have a good workout in soon :happy:

    If you're following MFP's guidelines, then yes you should be eating 1850.

    Read these for more:
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/383956-exercise-calories-explained
    and
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/818082-exercise-calories-again-wtf

    As for all the different ideas...
    The fundamentals are the same for everyone, period. To lose weight, eat less than you burn throughout the day. To gain weight, eat more than you burn. How you accomplish that is up to you. It can be done with diet alone, or diet and exercise. If you choose to incorporate exercise, cardio and strength training affect the body differently but are generally good to do.
  • GlorianEversea
    GlorianEversea Posts: 22
    All of the theories here are solid

    As a beginner, here's my two cents about what you might do. I only offer it, because a year ago I probably would have posted exactly as you did!

    I'd throw out all of your previous calculations and start over....Maybe even get some professional guidance. I had a false start in trying to get fit. I think I failed because I just toyed with the idea of calorie tracking, estimating based on my assumptions and strategically "forgetting" a Twinkie here or there, or a Latte. (LOL) Looking back, I can clearly see that I waaaay underestimated my caloric intake. At best, i was simply maintaining my weight on most days, and then gaining small amounts on splurge days or at special events.

    Exercise is another place that I'd be really careful. I was primarily using my martial arts exercises to lose weight, but, because I've done those moves thousands of times, my body can do them with maximum efficiency. Simply put, my caloric burn just wasn't what I hoped it would be. It was the opposite of the muscle confusion theory.

    Also, I'd really be interested in how you feel???? Do you feel alert and strong. Or are you hungry and tired? This time around i am really listening to body. If I feel lightheaded or foggy, I eat - period! And i am also beginning to be able to tell when I've eaten enough, even if what i'm eating is great and i'd like more of it. I think maybe we underestimate what our body can tell us - IF WE LISTEN!

    Just some thoughts from a newbie!!!!!! All the best!
  • linneyjayd
    linneyjayd Posts: 5
    Can someone please tell me what macros are and any other acronym on here because I honestly done get it and I feel so dumb when Im trying to understand and I get more and more acronyms that I have never heard of or dont know what they truely are.....so frustrating :cry: I feel that I am the only person who doesnt understand because there is so much I dont know what to believe
  • jonnythan
    jonnythan Posts: 10,161 Member
    At the end of the day, you want your calorie intake to be 500 calories lower than the total number of calories you've used that day.

    The simplest way to do this is BMR * 1.2 (sedentary) is your TDEE if you don't do anything active in a day besides normal stuff like walking to the car and going to the bathroom. Take 500 off that for your baseline.

    If you do any vigorous exercise, that increases your TDEE that day. So, yes, eat more calories to make up for it.

    Example: if your BMR is 1400, your sedentary TDEE is 1680. Shoot for 1200 calories a day. If you go run for an hour, that's another 600 calories or so you should be eating, bringing your total up to 1800.

    Don't kill yourself exercising. Completely pointless. Just run that 500 calorie deficit every day.

    And LOG YOUR FOOD.
  • cubbies77
    cubbies77 Posts: 607 Member
    Yes, if you're supposed to eat 1350 and you burn 500, you should eat those 500 back. Otherwise, your net is only 850 calories, and that's too low.

    Think of it like a tank of gas. When you use up the gas in your car, you have to replace it, or your car won't run. It's the same with your body. If you're working out like crazy and not getting enough fuel, your body is going to start to break down and do whatever it can to conserve fuel.

    If you burn 500 calories every day, then you should eat 1850 calories to stay at your net of 1350.
  • linneyjayd
    linneyjayd Posts: 5
    Thanks every one that is really helpful and youre right I went back and looked at my calories and what Ive been eating and its not as good as I thought.

    Also silly question but am I suppose to stay under the calories deficiet even after a work out? Say Im suppose eat 1350 calories a day and I burn 500 working out does that mean I should eat 1850 calories a day bc I dont get it?

    Ive never really been good at understanding what Im suppose to do because there are so many different ideas and techniques that my brain is over whelmed and Im not sure where to start.

    Also I have really bad asthma so my time at the gym is split between working out and having to wait to get my breath under control so I basically can run a little walk a little or lift some weights and then I have to stop for 5-10 mins to get my lungs under control so my actual work out time may be 2 hours a day once in the morning and once at night but my heartrate never gets elevated.....I am having tests done next week to see what I can do so wish me luck that I will the potential to have a good workout in soon :happy:

    If you're following MFP's guidelines, then yes you should be eating 1850.

    Read these for more:
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/383956-exercise-calories-explained
    and
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/818082-exercise-calories-again-wtf

    As for all the different ideas...
    The fundamentals are the same for everyone, period. To lose weight, eat less than you burn throughout the day. To gain weight, eat more than you burn. How you accomplish that is up to you. It can be done with diet alone, or diet and exercise. If you choose to incorporate exercise, cardio and strength training affect the body differently but are generally good to do.

    Thank you

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