Months of lifting but no results?!

snowbab · May 2013

I have been following the NROL program for a long time now. I'm halfway through Stage 5. I started in September, but re-started properly around Christmas.

I have an active lifestyle and do lifting 3x a week usually. On top of my clubs like dancing and walking around my uni campus a lot each day.

I have been eating at a deficit as far as I'm aware, though I've always been unsure about my numbers. Never in starvation-low type numbers though. I only wanted to lose a little bit of weight.

No matter how much I have been eating though in all these months, my weight just hasn't budged. i up my calories, lower them. My diet is healthy and I watch my salt intake and macros. I started eating more carbs again but only healthy ones. My weight didn't change in any way up or down.

Now I'm not even bothered about losing weight, but focussed on losing inches and looking toned. I do look a bit more toned than when i started but I'm always bloated and I still have a thin layer of fat

I haven't lost any inches either. In fact I have gained a few pounds and a few inches?! I have been working really hard for months now. Before that i was active and healthy fitness/diet-wise as well.

I recently upped my calories to 2150 a day, not adding exercise calories. I want to see if this improves my performance or magically makes me put on muscle and lose inches. Not getting my hopes up

I usually burn 350-400 ish calories during my weights sessions. I struggle to get that much but I have been working particularly hard this week. I have upped in the past but I have always been under my goal at the end of the weeks. Even less explanation of the gains in weight and inches! (Both small gains which don't bother me overall, it's just i really want something to show for so much hard work-I really push myself in my lifting!)

My stats:
Age: 20
Height: 5"8 (68 inches)
Weight: 120-ish? (was 116 at one point :S)

Any answers? I'm so lost! I love the feeling of lifting and definitely won't stop-I enjoy fitness a lot! I just can't help feeling a bit unmotivated after so long :S

snowbab · May 2013

Bump?

nz_deevaa · May 2013

Have you had any changes since Christmas? Weight or inches?

Claire_x90 · May 2013

I have no clue... my only guess would be that you are either still at a deficit with calories and therefore your body can't grow muscle ( you look very slim in your pic so cals would be going to vital functions etc ) or maybe not enough protein etc? or maybe the program is just a crap one haha I have no idea what it entails I have a personal trainer that I see 40 mins a week and often don't do any weights work between sessions because it's hard and I get intimidated by the men but even that little bit I've seen a massive increase

3dogsrunning · May 2013

I have been following the NROL program for a long time now. I'm halfway through Stage 5. I started in September, but re-started properly around Christmas.

I have an active lifestyle and do lifting 3x a week usually. On top of my clubs like dancing and walking around my uni campus a lot each day.

I have been eating at a deficit as far as I'm aware, though I've always been unsure about my numbers. Never in starvation-low type numbers though. I only wanted to lose a little bit of weight.

No matter how much I have been eating though in all these months, my weight just hasn't budged. i up my calories, lower them. My diet is healthy and I watch my salt intake and macros. I started eating more carbs again but only healthy ones. My weight didn't change in any way up or down.

Now I'm not even bothered about losing weight, but focussed on losing inches and looking toned. I do look a bit more toned than when i started but I'm always bloated and I still have a thin layer of fat

I haven't lost any inches either. In fact I have gained a few pounds and a few inches?! I have been working really hard for months now. Before that i was active and healthy fitness/diet-wise as well.

I recently upped my calories to 2150 a day, not adding exercise calories. I want to see if this improves my performance or magically makes me put on muscle and lose inches. Not getting my hopes up

I usually burn 350-400 ish calories during my weights sessions. I struggle to get that much but I have been working particularly hard this week. I have upped in the past but I have always been under my goal at the end of the weeks. Even less explanation of the gains in weight and inches! (Both small gains which don't bother me overall, it's just i really want something to show for so much hard work-I really push myself in my lifting!)

My stats:
Age: 20
Height: 5"8 (68 inches)
Weight: 120-ish? (was 116 at one point :S)

Any answers? I'm so lost! I love the feeling of lifting and definitely won't stop-I enjoy fitness a lot! I just can't help feeling a bit unmotivated after so long :S

Can you clarify the bolded part?

Jessb1985 · May 2013

Have your weights increased dramatically since you began? I started with light weights and I lift heavier every time now, the workouts leave my muscles shaking and dripping with sweat

I ask because I am currently half way through stage 2 of NROLFW and while I have not seen the scales move dramatically (probably at most 5 kilos loss), I really see results in the mirror, and I feel so much stronger!

I eat around 1700-2000 cals per day.

Maybe you are at your ideal weight? I hope you work it out

3dogsrunning · May 2013

Also, how long are you waiting before upping/lowering calories?
How are you measuring your calorie burns?

pennydreadful270 · May 2013

You will need some surplus to build muscle for sure. The way the bikini models do it is to cycle between building muscle at a surplus, then continue to lift at a deficit to lose the layer of fat over it for definition. I think they do about 6 months of each, but not totally sure on that.

phjorg1 · May 2013

What are your lifting numbers?

geebusuk · May 2013

I would consider upping your protein count, I go for at least 1g/lb of body weight.

For me as I lost weight and became fitter, the HRM started to show lower and lower calories burnt through exercise.
As you look fairly svelte*, I do wonder if you're eating too many calories if you've got yourself into good shape.
Are you lifts progressing up the weights?

*Looks like you've got a pretty hot body, to me, from your profile pic; for an independent and unbiased opinion

.

I wonder if the bloating could be something to do with a specific item in your diet?

It turned out I was intolerant to Casein protein, which caused me various troubles - especially because the initial symptoms when using some 35% Casein/65% whey protein were pretty mild and gave the feeling of hunger - which was cured if I ate something else.

DopeItUp · May 2013

You look very lean, what is your body fat percentage? And what was it when you started? That's the real question. 116-120lbs at 5'8" is pretty low, it's technically underweight in fact. I wouldn't really want to lose even more weight at this point.

snowbab · May 2013

Yes i have been at a deficit. I have woried recently it's been too much of one as I'm quite active. Hence the recent up in cals. Here's the last few months weekly averages:

Fevruary 11: 1313
Feb 18: 1352
Feb 25: 1328
March 4: 1435
March 11: 1131
March 18: 1306
March 25: 1348
April 1: 1599
April 8: 1718
April 15: 1916
April 22: 1895
April 29: 2090 (last week-really trying to get to right weekly amount for once)

Nothing has really changed since September last year really. Definitely not since xmas except I've added a couple of inches (1 on waist and thighs and a bit more elsewhere). And my weight went up from it's brief moment at 115 to about 118 at the end of february. Then ince then it's crept up to 119.5-120.5 depending on time etc... I was at 118.6 for AGES. months and months.

It went down again a couple of weeks ago from 120-ish to 118-ish when i had a week away in Paris (end of April 8 week- start of April 15 week). I was walking a lot and obviously wasn't weight-lifting. My calories varied from 1400/500 to 2200 day-to-day.

Since i got back though i am back at the weight I was before

Yes I am always increasing my weights, I have definitely got stronger! I deadlifted 60kg for 8 reps the other day. And bulgarian split squats with 22.5 dumbells in each hand. I have found that i am increasing less than when i started though-another reason I'm trying harder now to eat more to see if it makes a difference.

I had my BF% taken mid april at my home gym, but it was using an electric current so don't know how accurate it was. Results:

BF% 12.5
Total body weight: 55kg (in gym clothes an hour or so after breakfast)
Total body water: 33.5 ltr

And it calculated my BMR: 1584

Then TDEE (for medium, though the instructor said I'm probably medium-high): 2534

I just thought this sounded like too much though? Since then though i started eating mre carbs as he said it was important for my energy with weight lifting. I only eat porridge oats, veggies and a bit of fruit sometimes (and rice recently but rarely). I especially struggle to get enough here at university because I want to be healthy but that is very hard here and so i live mainly off tuna salads, yoghurt, veggies, eggs and then the rest is stuff i have to buy myself even though I've paid for catered -_-)

I eat lots of protein already so that isn't the problem

craigmandu · May 2013

If your bf% measurements are accurate...you are at a competition level for women. That is a very low bf% for a woman.

What exactly are you trying to achieve? At this point, you are extremely lean already.

RandomMiranda · May 2013

From the information you gave your TDEE including 3-5 days of exercise is 2163. If you want to add muscle and not lose more weight you'll need to eat more than that amount. I'm also 5'8", but built differently (carry weight in my hips, goal is to lose 30lbs), and you are eating less than I am.

geebusuk · May 2013

I'd tend to agree with the above.

First off, if you're a deadlifting 60kg for 8 reps, a couple of internet calculators I checked quickly would put you at an 'intermediate' level - at this point it's not unreasonable to expect progress to slow a bit as far as gaining strength goes.

There's plenty of information out there about things you might want to change etc - I'm at a similar point relative to my weight and have been meaning to look into it some more.

And, of course this is pretty good going and I'm sure well better than over 99% of women out there - nicely done!

From what I saw in your diary (did skip through before writing the first post), while you're getting a fair bit of protein, still could be more. If you're trying to make a good effort with the weights, creatine might be worth considering - though may cause some water retention, which of course won't help your weight on the scales and may not help the tape measure either.

10-12% body fat is listed as 'essential body fat' for a woman. I think even women showing their body on a 'fitness' basis won't keep it at such levels year-round, they'll just get right down for a show, then go back up again.

But, as you recognise, they are often far from accurate.

Bernadette60614 · May 2013

It may well be that your body is struggling to keep you at a healthy weight.

I'm about your height and at one time weighed 116...and my physician insisted I gain weight citing the fact that women whose weight is below a 19 BMI are a greater risk for bone loss.

Lifting is awesome but I think the key is changing your routine and not your calories. Check out Oxygen magazine for some inspiration, routines and nutrition tips for women.

snowbab · May 2013

I really doubt I actually am that body fat percentage. The gym instructor agreed when i said this. He said he'd guess at around 14-16 more realistically looking at me.

So calorie-wise what should i be eating? I do my weight sessions, usually in the gym for 1.5-2 hours each time including rests. Then all of the walking on campus (10-20 minutes to get anywhere and i go a lot of places for lectures/ lunch/ back to my accommodation etc...)

Plus i do love dancing and running etc. i recently started long distance running of 1+ hours, but hurt my knee a week ago so i haven't been able to

It sucks i miss it! I still fit in a gym session though burning around 400 but that made it worse. No more for a bit!
Without my knee injury Ii aim for 4-6 exercise days a week, depending on how much time i have that week.

basically, how much should i aim to eat per day? The 2150 i recently upped to? The 2500-ish the BF% test or the 2700 the gym instructor said if i was very active?

It just seems so weird to eat MORE when I just seem to be getting heavier and bigger? hmmm. And how much protein should i aim for? I was eating more but got told too much is not good?

snowbab · May 2013

I have actually suffered from an ED in the past so haven't had my TOM in 4 years :S Finally a doctor actually decided to do something about this when i saw her last week and I'm having ablood test on Wednesday to check my hormone levels. They're probably fine but if so then I'm going to hstart taking the pill to get more oestrogen. I say this because at the moment bone loss is a bit of a worry for other reasons, but i think my weight is ok really...

snowbab · May 2013

Bump again? sorry. Just wondering if anyone had any final answers to what the problem may be/have been and what I should do?

Bernadette60614 · May 2013

I'd ask: What is your ultimate goal? To weigh a certain number? To look a certain way? To feel a certain way about your body?

If your bodyfat is under 19% you are underweight. So, at 16% you are underweight. Is your goal to become more underweight?
If you aren't happy with your definition, then I'd suggest looking at the Jamie Easton program on Bodybuilding.com. Exactly what to eat, how to lift, etc.

If it is to feel a certain way about your body...that's pretty individual.

When I w as in college I wanted to be thin at any cost (and I paid a big price with ED). Now, that I have a family, my goal is to be strong and energetic. I can't be either and starve myself, so I focus on kick *kitten* nutrition, weight training and cardio. When I'm "on track" I feel incredible.

No one can pick your ultimate goal for you...but if you are spending 90 minutes a day at the gym, counting every calorie and have an under 19% bodyfat, perhaps it is time to chose a new goal that has less to do with weight and more to do with health.

BTW, in your pix your arms looks very defined. And, I'm going to bet your have made progress, but sometimes it is hard to recognize the changes in our appearance when we are so trained to focus on numbers.

Months of lifting but no results?!

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