What am I doing wrong?

kelbwjax
kelbwjax Posts: 89 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I am trying to get back to being happy with my body a year after having my first baby. I recently invested in a gym membership, and having being going 5 days a week for around a month. I can see that my body is improving visually but not by numbers when I look at the scale. I have started a well balanced diet of mostly chicken, lots of veggies, and healthy carbs. I drink a lot of water, and am using whey protein for breakfast smoothies, and after workouts. I take no explode before workouts. I try to focus on cardio, with interval running and have noticed my endurance, building but I do get bored quite a bit. After running for about 30 minutes, I then do 30 minutes of strength training. I am getting a little discouraged so I have started using slimquick, thinking that may help for faster results. I am not sure why my weight isn't changing on the scale, before baby I had a super fast metabolism, and was actually had a problem with gaining weight. This is really getting me down, and I am thinking I will never be happy with my stomach again :(
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Replies

  • holothuroidea
    holothuroidea Posts: 772 Member
    Hello!

    Step one: Know how many calories you need to eat. Here's a helpful link,

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/937712-in-place-of-a-road-map-ver-3-0

    Step two: Count those calories!! Accurately log every little taste of food.

    Don't stop the gym work, you're doing great! Weight loss happens at the caloric, level, though. :) Happy counting.

    P.S.: Track your measurements as well as your scale weight to get a better picture of your progress.
  • Heather_Rider
    Heather_Rider Posts: 1,159 Member
    Hello!

    Step one: Know how many calories you need to eat. Here's a helpful link,

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/937712-in-place-of-a-road-map-ver-3-0

    Step two: Count those calories!! Accurately log every little taste of food.

    Don't stop the gym work, you're doing great! Weight loss happens at the caloric, level, though. :) Happy counting.

    P.S.: Track your measurements as well as your scale weight to get a better picture of your progress.

    ^ that pretty much sums it up! You can work out ALL DAY, but if you eat more than you are burning.. you wont lose! Good luck! =)
  • conniemaxwell5
    conniemaxwell5 Posts: 943 Member
    Hello!

    Step one: Know how many calories you need to eat. Here's a helpful link,

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/937712-in-place-of-a-road-map-ver-3-0

    Step two: Count those calories!! Accurately log every little taste of food.

    Don't stop the gym work, you're doing great! Weight loss happens at the caloric, level, though. :) Happy counting.

    P.S.: Track your measurements as well as your scale weight to get a better picture of your progress.

    ^ that pretty much sums it up! You can work out ALL DAY, but if you eat more than you are burning.. you wont lose! Good luck! =)

    And if you undereat you won't lose weight either.
  • kelbwjax
    kelbwjax Posts: 89 Member
    I am within my caloric range which I set on here as about 1460 which I thought was a pretty good start. I am currently at 130 and have yet to loose anything really.
  • herblackwings39
    herblackwings39 Posts: 3,930 Member
    Are you eating back your exercise calories?
  • kelbwjax
    kelbwjax Posts: 89 Member
    I'm sure its quite possible, maybe I really should just opt for low cal food items, but I do like to have a recovery drink after the gym is that something I shouldn't do? I thought whey protein was really helpful?
  • Requiembell
    Requiembell Posts: 106 Member
    I am within my caloric range which I set on here as about 1460 which I thought was a pretty good start. I am currently at 130 and have yet to loose anything really.

    Are you eating back the exercise? That is the key question.

    Someone asks this same question here every day, so your answer is important in order to receive a reasonable answer from us.
  • kelbwjax
    kelbwjax Posts: 89 Member
    Well just added up todays and yes I did go over. Which sucks, but apparently I need to make calculating my calories a priority.
  • Requiembell
    Requiembell Posts: 106 Member
    Well just added up todays and yes I did go over. Which sucks, but apparently I need to make calculating my calories a priority.

    Ok, I don't know if you are understanding the question, so here is the stick:

    When you exercise, you must replace that or you will start to starve. When you starve, you burn muscle and don't build. When you don't build, you don't burn fat, tighten skin or anything good. You will slowly loose weight, but it is lean body muscle LBM and that is bad.

    SO, you need to know what you need for the day, what you are eating. How much do you burn when you exercise and are you getting the proper nutrition.

    SO go here: http://www.fitnessfrog.com/calculators/tdee-calculator.html

    do the thing and see how many calories you use in a day. I would suggest NOT compensating for your workouts, just choose the option for your every day life. If you have a desk job or whatever, put that in and then we can look at exercise.
  • JessHealthKick
    JessHealthKick Posts: 800 Member
    already been asked about 3 times... do you eat back your exercise calories or not?

    Please look at my diary from yesterday for reference - I ate as much back from yesterday as I could. You won't lose if only eating 1400 and not eating back exercise. Your body will freak out and hold on to all it can.

    Also remember the scale won't change in just a week... allow a couple of months before getting concerned.
  • 3foldchord
    3foldchord Posts: 2,918 Member
    ... I can see that my body is improving visually but not by numbers when I look at the scale. .... I try to focus on cardio, ......his is really getting me down, and I am thinking I will never be happy with my stomach again :(

    My guesses/suggestion for what you are doing wrong....
    #1 focussing on the scale,too much. What do numbers matter if,you are getting healthier and you see your body improving?

    #2 maybe focus less on cardio and more on strength , it will help more with the stomach thing.

    Get enough protein. 80-110 grams a day might be a safe bet to keep you from losing too much muscle while working out and eating at a deficit.
  • kelbwjax
    kelbwjax Posts: 89 Member
    Okay.... apparently I made this hard to understand. I went over my daily that I had set up by nearly 170 ish calories..... I went and exercised and burned around 200 or so calories. AFTER that I did not eat anything else. So NO I am not eating back my calories. Sorry for the confusion, I do appreciate the help. I do think that I should still focus on cardio, because my main goal is losing fat, I do want to gain muscle, but I don't that muscle that I work to gain to be hidden under fat.
  • NRSPAM
    NRSPAM Posts: 961 Member
    Since you recently started exercising, You probably won't see a change in the scale for usually a week or two, depending on how much muscle you're gaining. However, you are likely losing inches, which is way better than losing weight! Also, you're exercising 5 days a week, and unless you're sitting around most of the day, you're probably undereating. Do yourself a favor, and go to the link that was posted to calculate your calorie goals. Aim to lose 1lb a week, and give it a little more time. I know it's discouraging, but don't give up yet!!! good luck to you!!! :happy:
  • kelbwjax
    kelbwjax Posts: 89 Member
    And earlier I said how I am drinking protein shakes, and eating protein rich foods so I think I'm good on my protein intake.
  • NRSPAM
    NRSPAM Posts: 961 Member
    Okay.... apparently I made this hard to understand. I went over my daily that I had set up by nearly 170 ish calories..... I went and exercised and burned around 200 or so calories. AFTER that I did not eat anything else. So NO I am not eating back my calories. Sorry for the confusion, I do appreciate the help. I do think that I should still focus on cardio, because my main goal is losing fat, I do want to gain muscle, but I don't that muscle that I work to gain to be hidden under fat.

    You're not going to get all bulky and ripped, I promise you! Muscle burns calories, so you really do want muscle, but you said you do 30 of cardio, and 30 of weights, so you're probably good on the weights part. I would probably up the cardio a little. Try a live zumba class. It burns tons of calories and it's fun as heck! :D Also, muscle replaces fat, and is smaller than fat, by volume, thus, you will lose inches, and look more toned, so keep it up!!!
  • Requiembell
    Requiembell Posts: 106 Member
    Okay.... apparently I made this hard to understand. I went over my daily that I had set up by nearly 170 ish calories..... I went and exercised and burned around 200 or so calories. AFTER that I did not eat anything else. So NO I am not eating back my calories. Sorry for the confusion, I do appreciate the help. I do think that I should still focus on cardio, because my main goal is losing fat, I do want to gain muscle, but I don't that muscle that I work to gain to be hidden under fat.

    Ok, that was a rough one, but I think we are getting somewhere now. You also havn't said what your BME is or how much you burn when you workout and how you arrived at that number.

    Gaining muscle is the only way to loose fat, so if you do not want to gain muscle, I don't know what to tell you. Cardio will not help your stomach much probably. But even doing cardio, your workout is only as effective as the muscle you gain. Otherwise you are only training your heart, and it takes a long time for your heart to burn belly fat.

    If you really want the help, use the tool I posted, answer about the exercise and diet, and we will almost be at a solid answer that is something you can use.
  • Requiembell
    Requiembell Posts: 106 Member
    And earlier I said how I am drinking protein shakes, and eating protein rich foods so I think I'm good on my protein intake.

    Hard to say. I am told this by lots of people, and then it turns out that their actually not. Once again, what is it that you are eating? Does it have all 20 essential protogenic amino acids?
  • kelbwjax
    kelbwjax Posts: 89 Member
    Okay.... apparently I made this hard to understand. I went over my daily that I had set up by nearly 170 ish calories..... I went and exercised and burned around 200 or so calories. AFTER that I did not eat anything else. So NO I am not eating back my calories. Sorry for the confusion, I do appreciate the help. I do think that I should still focus on cardio, because my main goal is losing fat, I do want to gain muscle, but I don't that muscle that I work to gain to be hidden under fat.

    Ok, that was a rough one, but I think we are getting somewhere now. You also havn't said what your BME is or how much you burn when you workout and how you arrived at that number.

    Gaining muscle is the only way to loose fat, so if you do not want to gain muscle, I don't know what to tell you. Cardio will not help your stomach much probably. But even doing cardio, your workout is only as effective as the muscle you gain. Otherwise you are only training your heart, and it takes a long time for your heart to burn belly fat.

    If you really want the help, use the tool I posted, answer about the exercise and diet, and we will almost be at a solid answer that is something you can use.

    Okay, I do want muscle lol!! I was just under the impression that if I wanted to focus on loosing this extra belly weight I needed to focus on cardio because that is the only thing that will cut down on fat.
  • hfreudenberger
    hfreudenberger Posts: 1
    I wouldn't pay so much attention to what the scale says. How your clothes fit are a better indicator of what kind of shape you are in. Muscle weighs more than fat and also helps speed your metabolism. If you did not lift weights previously you may really be gaining some muscle right now. You might also want to pay attention to what foods you are eating late in the day. Take in the majority of your carbs earlier in the day and just stick with veggies and lean protein at night. Losing weight gradually can mean you are doing it the right way, in a way that will last if you keep up your healthy habits. People who lose 20 lbs in a few weeks are likely not on a healthy diet and will see the weight come back on later.
  • kelbwjax
    kelbwjax Posts: 89 Member
    I did use the tool you posted and the calculation was 2195
  • kelbwjax
    kelbwjax Posts: 89 Member
    Okay.... apparently I made this hard to understand. I went over my daily that I had set up by nearly 170 ish calories..... I went and exercised and burned around 200 or so calories. AFTER that I did not eat anything else. So NO I am not eating back my calories. Sorry for the confusion, I do appreciate the help. I do think that I should still focus on cardio, because my main goal is losing fat, I do want to gain muscle, but I don't that muscle that I work to gain to be hidden under fat.

    You're not going to get all bulky and ripped, I promise you! Muscle burns calories, so you really do want muscle, but you said you do 30 of cardio, and 30 of weights, so you're probably good on the weights part. I would probably up the cardio a little. Try a live zumba class. It burns tons of calories and it's fun as heck! :D Also, muscle replaces fat, and is smaller than fat, by volume, thus, you will lose inches, and look more toned, so keep it up!!!
    I get so bored with running but I probably should up it some, I just find it so hard to run for that long!
  • kelbwjax
    kelbwjax Posts: 89 Member
    And earlier I said how I am drinking protein shakes, and eating protein rich foods so I think I'm good on my protein intake.

    Hard to say. I am told this by lots of people, and then it turns out that their actually not. Once again, what is it that you are eating? Does it have all 20 essential protogenic amino acids?

    Not sure, I usually have a whey protein smoothie for breakfast, and try to incorporate protein into both lunch in dinner in forms of tuna and chicken, and then try to drink almond milk with a scoop of whey after my workouts.
  • kamiev
    kamiev Posts: 5 Member
    Sorry if this was already said, but if you notice visual changes in your body not on the scale, you're probably losing body fat but gaining muscle. Muscle weighs more than fat. Honestly, you should be focusing more on the visual changes and your measurments than what the scale says. Try measuring yourself like your waist, hips, thighs, and arms. Also, you're mistaken to believe that cardio is the only thing to help burn fat. Strength training helps, too. It doesn't burn as much while you're doing it but in the long run, building muscle helps you burn more calories even when you're just sitting. :)

    P.s- If you do want to build muscle, lift weights and challenge yourself! Lift heavy and once that gets easier, lift heavier.
  • afrazier128
    afrazier128 Posts: 99 Member
    I started going to the gym 6 weeks ago, 5 days a week consistently, and the scale just moved a little this week. However, my clothes are fitting better and hubby says things aren't as jiggly! lol Stick with it!
  • Requiembell
    Requiembell Posts: 106 Member
    I did use the tool you posted and the calculation was 2195


    Ok, eat about 20% less than that and you will loose fat. On the days you work out you MUST eat the calories back OR you will loose muscle and not burn fat. That is bad. Not what you want.

    Protein that is good in shakes, supplements: Whey and Casein. Soy is fine, but it can keep your estrogen up. Doesn't do it to everyone, but it can happen.

    If you have a crossramp or some such machine that makes you climb as you do cardio, that helps with building and doing cardio at the same time.

    You want to keep track of your exercise calories as close as possible. I use a heart rate monitor device.
  • kelbwjax
    kelbwjax Posts: 89 Member
    Sorry if this was already said, but if you notice visual changes in your body not on the scale, you're probably losing body fat but gaining muscle. Muscle weighs more than fat. Honestly, you should be focusing more on the visual changes and your measurments than what the scale says. Try measuring yourself like your waist, hips, thighs, and arms. Also, you're mistaken to believe that cardio is the only thing to help burn fat. Strength training helps, too. It doesn't burn as much while you're doing it but in the long run, building muscle helps you burn more calories even when you're just sitting. :)

    P.s- If you do want to build muscle, lift weights and challenge yourself! Lift heavy and once that gets easier, lift heavier.

    I guess your right about visual changes, but it is kind of disappointing not seeing the scale change because I wanted to loose weight not just stay at the same place.
  • Requiembell
    Requiembell Posts: 106 Member
    Not sure, I usually have a whey protein smoothie for breakfast, and try to incorporate protein into both lunch in dinner in forms of tuna and chicken, and then try to drink almond milk with a scoop of whey after my workouts.

    This is really good! Maybe have yourself some eggs in there some days. But it is good you have diverse sources.
  • jennifer_417
    jennifer_417 Posts: 12,344 Member
    Cardio is great for you, but it can get boring. For me, a smart phone solves all of this. Netflix, if you have it, or YouTube has plenty of entertaining videos.
  • hausofnichele
    hausofnichele Posts: 531 Member
    It is ALL about eating the right foods. Stop eating dairy or anything containing traces of dairy for a week .. same with sugar, processed foods, soy in any form, wheat/gluten (just for starters) and watch how quickly your body will respond!! It is truly amazing the changes that the body will make on its own if given the nutrients it desperately craves.

    I admire what you are doing but really take a look at what you are putting in your body. I promise you can get over this if you ditch any ingredients that aren't truly natural.
  • kelbwjax
    kelbwjax Posts: 89 Member
    Alright that makes sense, sorry for the earlier misunderstanding. I just hope that I will eventually seen more results in the fat loss.

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