2 Months of nothinggg..getting frustrated!

Options
2

Replies

  • ChangingAmanda
    ChangingAmanda Posts: 486 Member
    Options
    That does sound frustrating. Have you calculated your BMR and TDEE? There's a great link with resources: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12

    I second the suggestion on using a heart rate monitor especially since you're doing circuit training type workouts. MFP calculations on calorie burn is nearly double what my HRM says.
  • beez89
    beez89 Posts: 182 Member
    Options
    Play around with your calories. You're doctor COULD be wrong for what works best for you. Try still eating the 1500 cal/day. Still workout and get in your burn, but instead of eating back all of the calories, try eating half and see what happens. Then try NOT eating them back, see what happens. Also, are you using a HRM to see what you are actually burning? You could be overestimating how much you actually burn and UNDERestimating how much you are actually eating.

    Thats kinddddd of what i was thinking. Honestly eating 1900 calories is a pain in the butt. I just worry about not listening to her because I also have Hypoglycemia which is low blood sugar and not eating right causes me to crash and then I end up going over on calories anyways because of the giant glass of orange juice. I am using a heart rate monitor :/ I use it to calculate calories and since Insanity can be intense I like to make sure I stay safe.
  • ChangingAmanda
    ChangingAmanda Posts: 486 Member
    Options
    Another thought, have you had your thyroid levels checked?
  • phildawson75
    phildawson75 Posts: 205 Member
    Options
    Its going to be under estimating food calories which is the most likely reason for not losing. You don't need to exercise at all to lose weight, its all about calories in.

    If you take exercise out of the equation for a couple of weeks, and eat what you think is your TDEE is. If you are gaining weight then your TDEE is either too high for your activity level or you're simply under reporting calories eaten.

    Once you have this figure where you are neither gaining or losing then take 20% away from it as your goal. As long as you log exactly what you eat then you'll lose weight as your body needs to get the energy from stored fat if you're using more than you're eating.
  • dmw45
    dmw45 Posts: 73
    Options
    I once did Nutrisystem for 2 mos and didn't lose any weight at all. Don't ask me how but that's what happened. Then I gave up. Because I was hungry. This time around I got a BodyMedia Fit which is a monitor you wear on your arm that is supposed to accurately measure how many calories you are really burning. I've had it for a month and I've been eating 1,000 calories a day less than what I'm burning with some success. Maybe it would work for you too. I got one from Amazon cheaper than on the company's website. I'm mostly just trying not to give up this time!
  • ldrosophila
    ldrosophila Posts: 7,512 Member
    Options
    Try this little experiment. Weight just once a week and a day or two before you weigh rest. No exercise or strength training. There is supposed to be some inflammation and water retention as muscles are being repaired. I notice on the weeks that I do diet alone my weight loss is much more than the weeks I combine exercise.

    If MFP isnt working for you then there isn't anything wrong with looking elsewhere. Talk to your doctor about your frustration too. Make sure you are up to date on all your lab work.
  • Lt_Starbuck
    Lt_Starbuck Posts: 576 Member
    Options
    wait what kind of workouts are you talking about?

    Are you dividing yourself equally between stretch/flex, cardio and strength or just going balls to the wall with cardio??

    All of January I was doing Jillian Michaels burn fat boost metabolism workout dvd. and now Im doing Insanity which i think is a pretty standard cardio and strength and it even mixes some simple yoga moves into it.

    This is pretty cool but I would watch to see how you are doing when you get good at it. Exercise only changes our bodies if we aren't efficient at it. Does that make sense? If you can now handle your workouts physically, then your body has no need to change so you can do them, right?

    So if you work on some cardio that you are bad at (with the intention of becoming a lady boss at it) and combine that with one or two days of lifting weights (which you will always be adapting to and changing for - hello Jessica Biel arms) (not strength training, I mean - picking up weights, heavy ones lol -while you are eating at a deficit (so you dont add more muscle mass)) and make sure you are taking one or two full-on active rest days (you can do yoga or pilates or go for a walk, but dont go for big burn or heavy weights).

    This balancing out between Weights (Push/Pull - using your body as a machine) and High Intensity Cardio (JM/Insanity, choose your poison!) and two rest days for stretching, flexibility, foam roller, meal planning, workout planning, motivation maintenance!!! - this should definitely get you progressing again.

    Also- monitor your food! Dont be eatin a bunch of fried mozzarella sticks and then be like Oh Noes why is there another 2 pounds there? Know what I mean?

    :bigsmile:
  • nursedebra2000
    nursedebra2000 Posts: 26
    Options
    Your doctor is telling you the right way to lose weight and keep it off. The problem is not how much you are eating if you are calculating everything correctly, it may be what you are eating! Processed foods and pre-pakaged items are loaded with sodium and preservatives. If you are not drinking enough water, you will retain massive amounts of fluid, which is weight. If you have hypoglycemia, you need to ensure you eat enough....hang in there and plan your meals in advance to include a protein, carb, and green veggie. Trust me.....I have competed in Bodybuilding and gotten down to 7% bodyfat eating almost 2000 calories a day! I have gained and lost and I have even lost eating 1500 calories a day with no exercise and a sedentary job. You can do it and if you have to take a break from logging in your food, do it! Do not let stress get to you!
  • tempest501
    tempest501 Posts: 329 Member
    Options
    What about your measurements?

    I can't speak for everyone but my weight loss is really slowing down now but my bodyfat is still dropping and my measurements are going in the right direction.

    You sound dedicated and trust me when I say this, I totally understand what you are going through but remember in a years time from now you will be transformed it just takes time.

    I try my best not to fuss about what the scales say ( I do lapse and worry sometimes though lol).

    I noticed when I have been doing insanity my weight can fluctuate as well but I just put this down to water weight and muscles repairing etc.

    Do you do any strength training? This really helps more muscle = burn more calories and don't worry about getting bulky as a girl it is not easy to bulk up takes a lot of time it will just help you more toned etc.
  • nklunk
    nklunk Posts: 149 Member
    Options
    What kind of foods are you eating???
  • fanceegirl75
    fanceegirl75 Posts: 620 Member
    Options
    You could try calorie cycling.
  • CristinaL1983
    CristinaL1983 Posts: 1,119 Member
    Options
    You could just wing it. The results may or may not be the same as you are getting right now.

    Try that for a month and see how you feel - this is a long term journey, not some race with a countdown.

    However, the fact is that producing a consistent weight loss via a caloric deficit does work and has worked for millions of people. If you are consistent and do your best not to over or under estimate things, this process will work for you. If you really feel like you are as honest as possible about your intake and output, then you may consider having your metabolic requirements clinically checked. I felt like my weight loss was stalling out and had my BMR checked, only to find that it was 300 calories lower than any of the equations used by MyFitnessPal - therefore, I was essentially overeating by 300 calories per day. Once I accounted for that discrepancy, my loss picked back up.

    The energy in / energy out equation is valid, and you are not broken. There is merely some variable for which you haven't adequately controlled.

    I agree with this! If you are not losing any weight and are not gaining any weight for a whole two months that's a pretty good period of time and you are probably eating right at your maintenance calories right now (for your workout). If you say that that is your TDEE, then to lose weight, just subtract 10 or 20 percent of what you are eating.
  • fanceegirl75
    fanceegirl75 Posts: 620 Member
    Options
    Easy one. Calorie intake too high. So what if doc says eat back your exercise cals? You're not losing so it's not working. Try 1,650, or 1,750...play with the numbers until they start to go down. As previously mentioned, eat back some of your exercise cals but not all. Watch sodium and drink water. Be consistent. The scale will start to move over time.

    I agree.
    You're eating too many calories and on top of that you are eating back your exercise cals. I'd be willing to bet if you dropped your calorie intake to 1350 and only ate back no more than half of workout cals you will see the scale move. I don't eat back all of mine just so I can leave room for error with food I've logged. Drink at least half your body weight in ounces of water, no carbs after 7pm and make sure the carbs you are consuming are good carbs. Stay away from processed foods. Even those great low calorie frozen will have lots of sodium & preservatives that will stump progess.

    Good luck!
  • stephanj
    stephanj Posts: 898 Member
    Options
    OK, the one comment I have is about insanity -- I didn't lose while on doing it either. I was losing crazy inches, but I just think it stressed my body out so it was hanging onto fluids kwim? So I stopped after the first month and switched back to JMBR and started losing. Caveat: the people I know who carried into 2nd month of insanity started dropping weight in the second month, that is very common, so I might have been missing out. Don't give up!!!
  • jlapey
    jlapey Posts: 1,850 Member
    Options
    I know how you feel i've lost any weigh. But my clothes have been fitting better. I just want the number to go on the scale. sick of seeing the same number (150) and i'm 5 foot tall ugh. I feeel like giving up I don't want to start over again. I guess I got to be patient.

    150 must be be b**** number for us 5 footers. I can't seem to get below it to save my life. Frustrating! I eat 1500-1700 depending on if I workout that day and I do heavy lifting 3 times a week plus a little cardio. Been fluctuating the same 3-5 pounds for quite a while now.
  • kcritter77
    kcritter77 Posts: 162 Member
    Options
    Are you tracking net vs. gross calories burned on your HRM? My HRM shows Gross Calories burned. Didn't even know that was a thing until I went online to check the validity of my HRM. If you wear your HRM around the house or watching TV, it's still going to show that you burned calories. You did... but that's a part of your TDEE. I was overestimating my calories burned by taking what my HRM monitor said at face value.

    If you work out for an hour and your HRM says you burned 400 calories, how many would you have burned in that same time frame not working out? You can't count that portion of calories towards your exercise.
  • beez89
    beez89 Posts: 182 Member
    Options
    I agree but give it time when you make an eating change... say two weeks. Try 2 weeks eating 1/2. If that doesn't work, 2 weeks eating all calories back, etc.

    Just remember, there is more to this than the scale. How do you feel? Are your clothes fitting better? Maybe the weights are too heavy and you need to use lighter ones. Just don't stop. You are worth the time and effort to see what works for you.


    clothes and everything feel the same. I agree...I think ill try the temporary change :)
  • beez89
    beez89 Posts: 182 Member
    Options
    You could just wing it. The results may or may not be the same as you are getting right now.

    Try that for a month and see how you feel - this is a long term journey, not some race with a countdown.

    However, the fact is that producing a consistent weight loss via a caloric deficit does work and has worked for millions of people. If you are consistent and do your best not to over or under estimate things, this process will work for you. If you really feel like you are as honest as possible about your intake and output, then you may consider having your metabolic requirements clinically checked. I felt like my weight loss was stalling out and had my BMR checked, only to find that it was 300 calories lower than any of the equations used by MyFitnessPal - therefore, I was essentiall overeating by 300 calories per day. Once I accounted for that discrepancy, my loss picked back up.

    The energy in / energy out equation is valid, and you are not broken. There is merely some variable for which you haven't adequately controlled.

    This also makes a lotttt of sense! The only reason Ive been contemplating winging it is because I lost weight previously in my life just listening to my body and running on a treadmill. (cant run anymore though, have a knee issue with the treadmill)
  • beez89
    beez89 Posts: 182 Member
    Options
    Easy one. Calorie intake too high. So what if doc says eat back your exercise cals? You're not losing so it's not working. Try 1,650, or 1,750...play with the numbers until they start to go down. As previously mentioned, eat back some of your exercise cals but not all. Watch sodium and drink water. Be consistent. The scale will start to move over time.

    EXACTLY!!!!! And i always thought it was kind of silly trying to eat allllll those calories back. And then it kind of makes me feel like working my butt off like that is useless ya know? Because then I just feel like i worked out that hard so I could all that food. Because it seems like for me unless ur eating garbage its harddddd to get all that extra food in there.
  • beez89
    beez89 Posts: 182 Member
    Options
    Do not always go by the scale...take your measurements. Also we tend to under estimate our calorie consumption...there could be a difference of 5-10%. So check that out as well. "DON'T CHANGE YOUR GOAL, CHANGE YOUR ACTIONS". Keep trying..your will reach your goal soon and your patience and effort will definitely pay off. Good luck :-)


    Thats a good way to look at it! Thank you :smile:

Categories