Why aren't i losing weight? Am I eating too little?

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gworksharder
gworksharder Posts: 3
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi, so like most people on MFP I'm trying to lose weight but lately the number on the scale hasn't been going down despite my pretty intense workouts. I do a lot of biking (outside along the lakefront) and I'll usually go for 2 hours if not 2 and a half hours. On a typical bike ride, I burn 1000-1300 calories. The longest I've ever riden for was 3 hours and 12 minutes, and I burned 1714. I don't take very many breaks when riding (only the occasional stoplights or to change a song on my ipod). Otherwise, my bike rides are nonstop.
I usually ride 3 times a week, maybe more sometimes, and I definitely feel like my thighs have gotten so much stronger, but the number on the scale hasn't been going down...it's been going up!!! I don't know if this is the whole "muscle weighs more than fat argument" or "muscle is more dense than fat," but I'm getting pretty frustrated over this because I've been tracking calories and working out.
Yesterday, for example, I ate 1800 calories, and then I burned 1316 calories on a 2 hour and 29 minute bike ride. Because it was pretty late when I got home, I showered, ate a mango, and went to bed, so I didn't eat too many of those calories back (and I usually don't anyway). On days when I don't exercise, I try to eat between 1200-1400 calories.
My question is why aren't i losing weight? Is it because I'm gaining muscle? Am I eating too little on days I work out?

BTW I'm 18, 5'3, and currently 142 lbs. My goal is 130, but if I can look how I want to even with being at a higher weight due to muscle, I'd be okay with that.

Replies

  • herblackwings39
    herblackwings39 Posts: 3,930 Member
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    If your goal is set through MFP and not TDEE you are not eating enough. The point is to net your MFP calorie goal by eating your exercise calories back. Otherwise you're leaving your body with little to work with. If you eat 1400 calories and then burn off 1300 you're left with really only 100 calories to use.
  • nomeejerome
    nomeejerome Posts: 2,616 Member
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    Hi, so like most people on MFP I'm trying to lose weight but lately the number on the scale hasn't been going down despite my pretty intense workouts. I do a lot of biking (outside along the lakefront) and I'll usually go for 2 hours if not 2 and a half hours. On a typical bike ride, I burn 1000-1300 calories. The longest I've ever riden for was 3 hours and 12 minutes, and I burned 1714. I don't take very many breaks when riding (only the occasional stoplights or to change a song on my ipod). Otherwise, my bike rides are nonstop.
    I usually ride 3 times a week, maybe more sometimes, and I definitely feel like my thighs have gotten so much stronger, but the number on the scale hasn't been going down...it's been going up!!! I don't know if this is the whole "muscle weighs more than fat argument" or "muscle is more dense than fat," but I'm getting pretty frustrated over this because I've been tracking calories and working out.
    Yesterday, for example, I ate 1800 calories, and then I burned 1316 calories on a 2 hour and 29 minute bike ride. Because it was pretty late when I got home, I showered, ate a mango, and went to bed, so I didn't eat too many of those calories back (and I usually don't anyway). On days when I don't exercise, I try to eat between 1200-1400 calories.
    My question is why aren't i losing weight? Is it because I'm gaining muscle? Am I eating too little on days I work out?

    BTW I'm 18, 5'3, and currently 142 lbs. My goal is 130, but if I can look how I want to even with being at a higher weight due to muscle, I'd be okay with that.

    1. You are not gaining muscle
    2. People need to see your diary to be able to provide accurate information
  • gworksharder
    gworksharder Posts: 3
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    How is it possible to work out your muscles that much and not gain the least bit of muscle? This makes no sense to me.
  • herblackwings39
    herblackwings39 Posts: 3,930 Member
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    How is it possible to work out your muscles that much and not gain the least bit of muscle? This makes no sense to me.

    Gaining muscle requires more calories than you're taking in. My understanding is that muscle gain doesn't happen when in a deficit. That's why lifters go through bulking and cutting phases to build muscle and the lose fat.
  • Michellemarg
    Michellemarg Posts: 18
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    When I stop losing I add an other 8 ounces of water to my daily consumption. It always seems to get it started for me. I do not really buy into the not eating enough calories so I am not losing weight belief, I am still researching the topic. But for me a low calorie diet coupled with moderate exercise has been effective. Though I have A LOT of weight to loose so it just may come off easier because there is so much. Good luck! Sounds like you are working hard.
  • h9dlb
    h9dlb Posts: 243 Member
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    no one can help you unless you open your diary
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
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    You can't gain muscle with such a big calorie deficit. You want to eat at least 1200 plus exercise calories... so in your case, probably 2400 or something.

    That or eat 1800-2000 every day, and don't bother logging your bike calories, which is probably the easiest.
  • AmyRhubarb
    AmyRhubarb Posts: 6,890 Member
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    When I stop losing I add an other 8 ounces of water to my daily consumption. It always seems to get it started for me. I do not really buy into the not eating enough calories so I am not losing weight belief, I am still researching the topic. But for me a low calorie diet coupled with moderate exercise has been effective. Though I have A LOT of weight to loose so it just may come off easier because there is so much. Good luck! Sounds like you are working hard.
    So the heaps of information posted here at MFP and many many many success stories from members who have had their best success (myself included) since eating the right amount of cals (which is most cases means MORE than what they've been "dieting" on) doesn't convince you? :smile:

    Food is fuel - you can expect the furnace to keep burnin' if you don't give it fuel. Eating too little for too long gives the body a reason to store fat rather than burn it, especially if you are doing a lot of exercise/physical activity.

    I went from 1200, to 1400, 1500, and eventually to 1800+ cals a day, with reasonable exercise (not usually more than an hour a day, avg burn of probably 400 cals), and had my best success with losing fat, dropping the last 10lbs, keeping the lean muscle, and actually dropping a bit below my goal weight.
  • jennifershoo
    jennifershoo Posts: 3,198 Member
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    You starving your body, dude! You need to fuel those workouts! You need to net at least your BMR to feed your organs. Now, you're just burning your muscles away.
  • jennifershoo
    jennifershoo Posts: 3,198 Member
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    How are you not exhausted?
  • brower47
    brower47 Posts: 16,356 Member
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    How is it possible to work out your muscles that much and not gain the least bit of muscle? This makes no sense to me.

    Building muscle is metabolically expensive and by that, I mean you have to have an excess of calories in your diet. If you are at a deficit, your body is going to focus on staying alive (since it doesn't know you're doing it on purpose) and will leave those metabolically expensive processes for times of plenty.
  • AbigailClarke48
    AbigailClarke48 Posts: 35
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    May want to consider whether your portions are accurate. Course it could be any number of reasons, but I am offering that as a thought because I was stuck for a long time, too, until I really measured and counted everything more carefully - then 'poof' like magic I started going down.
  • KnowHowFitness
    KnowHowFitness Posts: 3
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    How is it possible to work out your muscles that much and not gain the least bit of muscle? This makes no sense to me.
    to gain muscle, you need more calories than you should be taking in.. i dont think people understand how hard it is to gain muscle
  • kolmschenk77
    kolmschenk77 Posts: 14
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    I am in the same boat! I started the couch 25k program 3 weeks ago and have gained a pound a week despite logging everything I'm eating AND eating back my exercise calories on days I work out. I usually eat anywhere from 1200-1500 cals a day. I have no idea what is wrong. It makes it very hard to want to continue the program when I continue to gain weight.
  • AidaLott
    AidaLott Posts: 13 Member
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    I certainly relate to "gworksharder" and "kolmschenk77". Whenever I tell a health care professional (doctor-dietitian-personal trianer) that I am watching everything I eat, counting calories, avoiding all refined carbs, weighing and measuring everything, writing everything down, walking every single day, and working out 3 times a week yet still not losing weight, they look at me like I'm either stupid, a liar, or simply in denial. Common sense, they insist, (not to mention the laws of physics and probability), dictates that I must be doing something wrong. This is extremely frustrating because it is a real issue for me, and I'm not getting the help or advice I need.

    On the flip side, if i was eating too little, I would not have the energy at age 63 to be doing all that I am doing. I'm already on thyroid medication for hypothyroidism, and my test results have been normal now for almost 2 years.

    I spoke to a dietitian about "insulin resistance" and "metabolic syndrome", but the diet and exercise advice she recommended for addressing both issues is exactly what I am already doing. But I'm not giving up!
  • empera0308
    empera0308 Posts: 2
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    I was told by my doc that fruit is the last thing you want to eat when trying to lose weight. The sugars go through your body too quickly and leave you feeling hungry. Proteins and lots of veggies and grains. Your body goes into starvation mode if you're burning too much and not filling it back with the right foods. Are you eating carbs, breads, rice? Definitely would need to see maybe a screen shot of what you're actually eating. That could help a lot of people suggest what you could be missing or what you need to get rid of! Good luck :)
  • Graelwyn75
    Graelwyn75 Posts: 4,404 Member
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    For one, you are not eating nearly enough to fuel that sort of workout, if you are actually weighing and logging all your food correctly.
    For two, I lost a lot of weight when I did cycling on an almost daily basis, though admittedly, I was not eating as much as I should have been back then. I have certainly never gained weight from cycling, so you are doing something wrong somewhere. I would certainly suggest eating more, if you are logging accurately. You should be eating at least a net of 1200-1400 and then eating back the calories you burn cycling.
  • mactaffy84
    mactaffy84 Posts: 398 Member
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    No starvation mode here! Even if someone is not eating what you may consider to be "enough" calories, eating more is NOT going to make someone gain weight. It is NOT going to make someone not lose weight. Come on, let's at least try to be a little scientific! Upping calories,is not going to lead to drastic increased weight loss!

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