What am I doing wrong?

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yokosuka324
yokosuka324 Posts: 24
in Food and Nutrition
So I started my fitness journey on the first of the month. I am prior military so I've been super fit and worked out hardcore before. My problem is motivation. I've been super strict on my work out regimine. I do spin class Monday-Thursday for at least 50 mins and recently started weight lifting using Activtrax. Weight lifting takes about thirty minutes to an hour depending on whaat Activtrax has scheduled for me that day. I eat bad things rarely and usually stick to whole wheat bread, lots of water and chicken or fish. My first 9 days I dropped 3lbs of fat and gained 3.5lbs of muscle. However, I've hit a plateau I think. At least I haven't lost any fat. In fact I believe I gained a pound of fat. This is pretty disheartening especially since I even meet with a personal trainer once a week. My trainer said eating 90% clean I can eat a cheesecake here and there. I usually document everything I eat except on my "off days" which are Friday and Saturday. I drank some sodas at a concert the other day (because it was either that or Monster energy drink) and had half a cheesecake. Have I hit a plateau or do those things affect my weight that much that quickly? Any suggestions?
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Replies

  • kandi_apples
    kandi_apples Posts: 35 Member
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    Not to sound negative but there is no way you can gain 3.5 lbs of muscle in 9 days!
  • nikkiw29
    nikkiw29 Posts: 25
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    After taking a peek at your diary, it looks like you just eat a lot of processed foods and sugars. And unless you aren't logging everything you aren't taking in enough calories either. Taking days off also will hurt you and you will constantly be stuck in a yo-yo diet pattern with little to no results.
  • CrazyTrackLady
    CrazyTrackLady Posts: 1,337 Member
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    So I started my fitness journey on the first of the month. I am prior military so I've been super fit and worked out hardcore before. My problem is motivation. I've been super strict on my work out regimine. I do spin class Monday-Thursday for at least 50 mins and recently started weight lifting using Activtrax. Weight lifting takes about thirty minutes to an hour depending on whaat Activtrax has scheduled for me that day. I eat bad things rarely and usually stick to whole wheat bread, lots of water and chicken or fish. My first 9 days I dropped 3lbs of fat and gained 3.5lbs of muscle. However, I've hit a plateau I think. At least I haven't lost any fat. In fact I believe I gained a pound of fat. This is pretty disheartening especially since I even meet with a personal trainer once a week. My trainer said eating 90% clean I can eat a cheesecake here and there. I usually document everything I eat except on my "off days" which are Friday and Saturday. I drank some sodas at a concert the other day (because it was either that or Monster energy drink) and had half a cheesecake. Have I hit a plateau or do those things affect my weight that much that quickly? Any suggestions?

    Half a cheesecake? WOW. Time to start logging EVERYTHING so you can see exactly what you're doing wrong. I think the "off days" and the "half a cheesecake" might have something to do with why you're not losing weight.
  • wallaceansari
    wallaceansari Posts: 12 Member
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    Yokosuka,
    I am retired Navy myself. It's not unusual to plateau for a little while before you start to notice a little more progress. I will say this though, it's possible to add muscle on top of fat if you didn't shred the fat before hitting the weights real hard. Keep at it and you will eventually start to see more of the fat drop off. The spin class is good cardio but try to mix it up some. Your body becomes used to a certain type of workout and it will take more of the same for you to see more results. You may notice you will drop more fat if you start mixing up running and spin or elliptical and spin, something to that affect.
  • yokosuka324
    yokosuka324 Posts: 24
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    Not to sound negative but there is no way you can gain 3.5 lbs of muscle in 9 days!

    @kandi_apples I can post my Tanita Body Fat measurement print outs with the dates on them if you'd like. My trainer and I meet once a week and a weigh-in is part of the session. 5/9 I was 100lbs of lean muscle and 5/18 I was 103.5 lb of lean muscle.
  • yokosuka324
    yokosuka324 Posts: 24
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    [/quote]

    Half a cheesecake? WOW. Time to start logging EVERYTHING so you can see exactly what you're doing wrong. I think the "off days" and the "half a cheesecake" might have something to do with why you're not losing weight.
    [/quote]

    I felt really guilty after that cheesecake >_< I log everything Sunday - Thursday
  • yokosuka324
    yokosuka324 Posts: 24
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    After taking a peek at your diary, it looks like you just eat a lot of processed foods and sugars. And unless you aren't logging everything you aren't taking in enough calories either. Taking days off also will hurt you and you will constantly be stuck in a yo-yo diet pattern with little to no results.

    I usually get pretty close to my calorie intake but am absolutely terrified of eating after 8pm. I work until 11:15pm so I usually get home around midnight. Any suggestions?
  • ken_hogan
    ken_hogan Posts: 854 Member
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    After taking a peek at your diary, it looks like you just eat a lot of processed foods and sugars. And unless you aren't logging everything you aren't taking in enough calories either. Taking days off also will hurt you and you will constantly be stuck in a yo-yo diet pattern with little to no results.

    I usually get pretty close to my calorie intake but am absolutely terrified of eating after 8pm. I work until 11:15pm so I usually get home around midnight. Any suggestions?

    Yes....don't be terrified to eat after 8.
  • geomuscles
    geomuscles Posts: 1
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    It sounds like you are doing a lot of things right: a regular exercise routine, eating a modest diet, staying away from most bad foods, and tracking everything.

    My recommendation is to have some more patience and to continue to track your weight and calories religiously for at least a month before making any conclusions. After weighing myself every single day at the same time each day for 3 months, I noticed there is a very random jitter of about 1-3 pounds up or down depending on the fluctuation of how much sodium I've eaten, when I last went do the bathroom, and how much I just ate.

    However, after 3 months, I was able to see a slight downward trend, and I could draw a straight downward-sloping line through the random up and down swings on the weight chart. The real fat loss I've noticed comes from consistently eating 400 calories under what my body needs per day and doing this for at least a month.

    Finally, I have found that fat loss (or gain) is usually more rapid than muscle loss (or gain), so I doubt you were able to put on 3.5 lbs of muscle in 9 days. Let's just say you did actually gain 3.5 lbs of muscle in 9 days. A little math will show that this rate of gain is either unrealistic or unsustainable:

    Assuming you are a man who weighs 190 lbs, a 3.5 lb gain is 1.84% of your current weight. If you were to gain 1.84% of your body weight in muscle every 9 days, this effect would compound (multiply) 40.58 times during 1 year (365.25 days / 9 days). Since we are dealing with percentages we have to multiply them all together to get your final weight after 1 year, assuming zero fat loss or fat gain, thus the 1.84% to the power of 40.58 times:

    (1.0184 ^ 40.58) * 190 lb = 398.54 lbs

    So in one year at your current rate, you will be a 398.54 pound abominable beast of pure muscle able to lift cars off of trapped women and children.

    Anyway, the point is, I have found that most of the day-to-day swings in weight are due to sodium regulation by your body; it is neither muscle nor fat usually. The more sodium / salt you take in, the more water your body retains to dilute the sodium level to the "proper" level your body needs/wants. Water is heavy, so it is easy to gain or loss water weight by just cutting out all the salt from your diet. Try cutting all sources of salt or sodium from your diet for 2 days and watch the weight you will supposedly "lose."

    Avoid the soft drinks. You have to run a mile to work off the ~100 calories from one 8oz can of non-diet coke. Try coffee, teas, diet soda if you have to.
  • yokosuka324
    yokosuka324 Posts: 24
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    After taking a peek at your diary, it looks like you just eat a lot of processed foods and sugars. And unless you aren't logging everything you aren't taking in enough calories either. Taking days off also will hurt you and you will constantly be stuck in a yo-yo diet pattern with little to no results.

    I usually get pretty close to my calorie intake but am absolutely terrified of eating after 8pm. I work until 11:15pm so I usually get home around midnight. Any suggestions?

    Yes....don't be terrified to eat after 8.


    I always thought it was a weight loss killer to eat after 8pm so I never do, which cuts out a major opportunity to eat since I usually get up at 10am, get to the gym by 11:30am, stretch for 30 mins, go to spinning class from 12pm-12:50pm, do weight training from 1pm-1:30-2pm then get to work.
  • billsica
    billsica Posts: 4,741 Member
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    In the end. its only been a month. you are a returning athlete in essence. All that weight you dropped and gained is mostly just water weight. Give it 3 or 4 months.
    Now start logging the weekends too, and live your life with something that is going to be sustainable for your life.
  • tcraw15
    tcraw15 Posts: 223 Member
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    I don't understand why people freak out when they have one off day - this is generally speaking. So you ate half a cheesecake. So what? Don't stress out about it. The more stress you are under, the more likely you will keep your weight on, or gain weight, and won't be able to lose weight.. I agree with staying away from processed foods. You'd be surprised how bad they really are for you. And even bread turns into sugar once it hits your stomach.

    I pretty much eat whatever I want and I have still been losing weight, or inches, rather. The BIGGEST thing, is controlling my stress levels. Granted, I have been eating clean 80-90% of the time. But I'm not going to beat myself up for having some treat here and there. Remember, it's a lifestyle change.. And it's going to take time for the weight to come off. It didn't pack on overnight, so it certainly won't come off overnight.

    And throw the "don't eat after whatever time" out the window. It doesn't matter when you eat. It matters what you eat, and how much. But even then, one off day isn't going to kill you..

    Don't fret. You'll get there!
  • ken_hogan
    ken_hogan Posts: 854 Member
    Options
    After taking a peek at your diary, it looks like you just eat a lot of processed foods and sugars. And unless you aren't logging everything you aren't taking in enough calories either. Taking days off also will hurt you and you will constantly be stuck in a yo-yo diet pattern with little to no results.

    I usually get pretty close to my calorie intake but am absolutely terrified of eating after 8pm. I work until 11:15pm so I usually get home around midnight. Any suggestions?

    Yes....don't be terrified to eat after 8.


    I always thought it was a weight loss killer to eat after 8pm so I never do, which cuts out a major opportunity to eat since I usually get up at 10am, get to the gym by 11:30am, stretch for 30 mins, go to spinning class from 12pm-12:50pm, do weight training from 1pm-1:30-2pm then get to work.

    I, along with a lot of others trying to lose weight, work shift work. I work 11PM to 7AM sometimes and eat at 2 or 3 AM. No negative effects eating then.
  • determinedbutlazy
    determinedbutlazy Posts: 1,941 Member
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    I eat around 10-11pm every night. It has never affected my weight loss.
  • yokosuka324
    yokosuka324 Posts: 24
    Options
    It sounds like you are doing a lot of things right: a regular exercise routine, eating a modest diet, staying away from most bad foods, and tracking everything.

    My recommendation is to have some more patience and to continue to track your weight and calories religiously for at least a month before making any conclusions. After weighing myself every single day at the same time each day for 3 months, I noticed there is a very random jitter of about 1-3 pounds up or down depending on the fluctuation of how much sodium I've eaten, when I last went do the bathroom, and how much I just ate.

    However, after 3 months, I was able to see a slight downward trend, and I could draw a straight downward-sloping line through the random up and down swings on the weight chart. The real fat loss I've noticed comes from consistently eating 400 calories under what my body needs per day and doing this for at least a month.

    Finally, I have found that fat loss (or gain) is usually more rapid than muscle loss (or gain), so I doubt you were able to put on 3.5 lbs of muscle in 9 days. Let's just say you did actually gain 3.5 lbs of muscle in 9 days. A little math will show that this rate of gain is either unrealistic or unsustainable:

    Assuming you are a man who weighs 190 lbs, a 3.5 lb gain is 1.84% of your current weight. If you were to gain 1.84% of your body weight in muscle every 9 days, this effect would compound (multiply) 40.58 times during 1 year (365.25 days / 9 days). Since we are dealing with percentages we have to multiply them all together to get your final weight after 1 year, assuming zero fat loss or fat gain, thus the 1.84% to the power of 40.58 times:

    (1.0184 ^ 40.58) * 190 lb = 398.54 lbs

    So in one year at your current rate, you will be a 398.54 pound abominable beast of pure muscle able to lift cars off of trapped women and children.

    Anyway, the point is, I have found that most of the day-to-day swings in weight are due to sodium regulation by your body; it is neither muscle nor fat usually. The more sodium / salt you take in, the more water your body retains to dilute the sodium level to the "proper" level your body needs/wants. Water is heavy, so it is easy to gain or loss water weight by just cutting out all the salt from your diet. Try cutting all sources of salt or sodium from your diet for 2 days and watch the weight you will supposedly "lose."

    Avoid the soft drinks. You have to run a mile to work off the ~100 calories from one 8oz can of non-diet coke. Try coffee, teas, diet soda if you have to.

    I'm actually a 23-year old female. When first weighed I was at 30% body fat. After my second weigh in I was 28% body fat. This was all in 9 days. I was super strict in those 9 days so I don't know if that makes a difference. All I ate was chicken breast and zucchini and all I drank was water. I did strictly stretching and spinning class. I don't know if it was accurate or not, but this was all from the print out from my personal trainer. After that reading it has slowed or back tracked I should say. I gained a pound of fat which is incredibly odd since I also incorporated weight training into my schedule. I don't usually drink soda. I usually drink sparkling water or Propel Zero. I guess my recent off day delights have affected it and the fact that I'm usually below my calorie intake.
  • kittyhasclaws
    kittyhasclaws Posts: 446 Member
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    After taking a peek at your diary, it looks like you just eat a lot of processed foods and sugars. And unless you aren't logging everything you aren't taking in enough calories either. Taking days off also will hurt you and you will constantly be stuck in a yo-yo diet pattern with little to no results.

    I usually get pretty close to my calorie intake but am absolutely terrified of eating after 8pm. I work until 11:15pm so I usually get home around midnight. Any suggestions?

    Yes....don't be terrified to eat after 8.


    I always thought it was a weight loss killer to eat after 8pm so I never do, which cuts out a major opportunity to eat since I usually get up at 10am, get to the gym by 11:30am, stretch for 30 mins, go to spinning class from 12pm-12:50pm, do weight training from 1pm-1:30-2pm then get to work.

    That's an old-wives' tale. Your metabolism never shuts down. If it did, you'd be dead. Your body is always going, always digesting. Just making your brain function takes a large amount of your daily calories, and you're brain is ALWAYS working.

    Frankly, I seriously doubt you're eating as well as you say. I peeked at your diary, and it's not so good. Also, depending on your height, age, and weight, you might not even be consuming enough calories considering your extreme exercising routine.

    And I'd log every single day that you possibly can. It helps so much. Even if you go over on your calories, just account for it and move on.
  • yokosuka324
    yokosuka324 Posts: 24
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    I eat around 10-11pm every night. It has never affected my weight loss.

    That is awesome to hear guys! Thanks so much! I am usually pretty hungry when I get off of work but refuse to eat because I think it'll affect my diet negatively. Also, what do you think about eating before working out, particularly cardio? I've always heard that you should eat before working out, but when I eat before my work out I usually feel sick when working out.
  • determinedbutlazy
    determinedbutlazy Posts: 1,941 Member
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    Also you only started on the 1st of the month... Not to sound unduly mean but come back when your weight hasn't changed in two or three months... THAT'S a plateau. I got stuck around 190-195 for two months and it drove me crazy, but it will start to move again.
  • jkal1979
    jkal1979 Posts: 1,896 Member
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    I see a lot of gaps in your diary. Start working on being consistent on that, even on your "off" days. It might give you an idea of why you are not getting the results that you want. It will also help you get in the habit of logging. Eating out as much as you do might also be the cause of having a stall (you are not on a plateau). Try eating more meals that you prepare if you can and invest in a food scale to make sure your calories are accurate.
  • GODfidence
    GODfidence Posts: 249 Member
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    It sounds like you are doing a lot of things right: a regular exercise routine, eating a modest diet, staying away from most bad foods, and tracking everything.

    My recommendation is to have some more patience and to continue to track your weight and calories religiously for at least a month before making any conclusions. After weighing myself every single day at the same time each day for 3 months, I noticed there is a very random jitter of about 1-3 pounds up or down depending on the fluctuation of how much sodium I've eaten, when I last went do the bathroom, and how much I just ate.

    However, after 3 months, I was able to see a slight downward trend, and I could draw a straight downward-sloping line through the random up and down swings on the weight chart. The real fat loss I've noticed comes from consistently eating 400 calories under what my body needs per day and doing this for at least a month.




    Finally, I have found that fat loss (or gain) is usually more rapid than muscle loss (or gain), so I doubt you were able to put on 3.5 lbs of muscle in 9 days. Let's just say you did actually gain 3.5 lbs of muscle in 9 days. A little math will show that this rate of gain is either unrealistic or unsustainable:

    Assuming you are a man who weighs 190 lbs, a 3.5 lb gain is 1.84% of your current weight. If you were to gain 1.84% of your body weight in muscle every 9 days, this effect would compound (multiply) 40.58 times during 1 year (365.25 days / 9 days). Since we are dealing with percentages we have to multiply them all together to get your final weight after 1 year, assuming zero fat loss or fat gain, thus the 1.84% to the power of 40.58 times:

    (1.0184 ^ 40.58) * 190 lb = 398.54 lbs

    So in one year at your current rate, you will be a 398.54 pound abominable beast of pure muscle able to lift cars off of trapped women and children.

    Anyway, the point is, I have found that most of the day-to-day swings in weight are due to sodium regulation by your body; it is neither muscle nor fat usually. The more sodium / salt you take in, the more water your body retains to dilute the sodium level to the "proper" level your body needs/wants. Water is heavy, so it is easy to gain or loss water weight by just cutting out all the salt from your diet. Try cutting all sources of salt or sodium from your diet for 2 days and watch the weight you will supposedly "lose."

    Avoid the soft drinks. You have to run a mile to work off the ~100 calories from one 8oz can of non-diet coke. Try coffee, teas, diet soda if you have to.

    I'm actually a 23-year old female. When first weighed I was at 30% body fat. After my second weigh in I was 28% body fat. This was all in 9 days. I was super strict in those 9 days so I don't know if that makes a difference. All I ate was chicken breast and zucchini and all I drank was water. I did strictly stretching and spinning class. I don't know if it was accurate or not, but this was all from the print out from my personal trainer. After that reading it has slowed or back tracked I should say. I gained a pound of fat which is incredibly odd since I also incorporated weight training into my schedule. I don't usually drink soda. I usually drink sparkling water or Propel Zero. I guess my recent off day delights have affected it and the fact that I'm usually below my calorie intake.

    It is IMPOSSIBLE to put on 3.5 pounds of muscle is less than 2 weeks.
    Especially at a deficit. Not happening.
    Good job working out though and keep doing what you're doing!
    Eat in your calorie range and train hard,everything else should fall in place

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