Does it count as weight loss if...

aimeemanninghunter
aimeemanninghunter Posts: 85 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I remove an extremity?

I'm starting to get really discouraged. I haven't had any weight loss since July 4th or so...(and if you look at my diary I don't really have my macros set very well). I've been doing TDEE-20% but I don't typically get completely to my calories. Usually between 2000-2300. I think I am going to start doing TDEE-30%. I just increased my exercise and have started lifting but don't really think muscle gain is inhibiting my weight loss since I just started lifting Saturday....Advice is welcome.
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Replies

  • aimeemanninghunter
    aimeemanninghunter Posts: 85 Member
    I will also add that I am not seeing any inches lost in the areas I measured (waist, hips....not really concerned about neck)
  • jess6742
    jess6742 Posts: 146
    Can you list your height, weight, age, and activity level so we can make sure everything was calculated right?
  • stumblinthrulife
    stumblinthrulife Posts: 2,558 Member
    The coming of the summer months, and hence lots more time spent outside, significantly slowed my weight loss. Significant climate shifts change the amount of water your body holds on to.

    Assuming you were losing before hand, just keep doing what you were doing, and it will start to come off again.
  • micheleb15
    micheleb15 Posts: 1,418 Member
    July 4th wasn't even two weeks ago. It's not odd to not lose weight every week, especially if you just started a new workout routine. Your body is probably holding water to repair the muscles you are working with weight lifting. Give your body at least 4 weeks to adapt to something before you decide to up and change it. It's really only been a week and a half.
  • aimeemanninghunter
    aimeemanninghunter Posts: 85 Member
    Can you list your height, weight, age, and activity level so we can make sure everything was calculated right?

    I'm 5'8", 28 years old, 280 pounds and I am exercising 5 days a week.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    If you just started lifting, it is most likely that you are retaining a lot of water in your muscles for repair. Water retention from lifting can be substantial and seriously mask scale loss when you're talking about 1 Lb per week loss goal...which is roughly what TDEE - 20% is. When I take my rest week I usually drop about 8 pounds of water in 7 days....so you could imagine that does some serious masking of fat loss on the scale. When you're lifting, a tape measure and caliper are much better bed fellows than the scale.
  • aimeemanninghunter
    aimeemanninghunter Posts: 85 Member
    July 4th wasn't even two weeks ago. It's not odd to not lose weight every week, especially if you just started a new workout routine. Your body is probably holding water to repair the muscles you are working with weight lifting. Give your body at least 4 weeks to adapt to something before you decide to up and change it. It's really only been a week and a half.

    I wasn't losing anything before I increased my activity either or started lifting weight....Like I said, that just started Saturday.
  • aimeemanninghunter
    aimeemanninghunter Posts: 85 Member
    If you just started lifting, it is most likely that you are retaining a lot of water in your muscles for repair. Water retention from lifting can be substantial and seriously mask scale loss when you're talking about 1 Lb per week loss goal...which is roughly what TDEE - 20% is. When I take my rest week I usually drop about 8 pounds of water in 7 days....so you could imagine that does some serious masking of fat loss on the scale. When you're lifting, a tape measure and caliper are much better bed fellows than the scale.

    Just started the weights on Saturday...and I'm also not losing any inches or feeling any difference in clothes
  • AlongCame_Molly
    AlongCame_Molly Posts: 2,835 Member
    Give it time, girl! You only JUST started. --July 4th?? That hasn't even been two weeks! Patience, patience! :)

    You didn't put on several pounds a week, it makes no sense to expect it to come off that fast, either.

    Also, I highly recommend NOT upping your deficit to anything past 20%. I'm assuming one of the reasons you want to lose weight is to look nicer, right? There's nothing nice-looking about excessively saggy skin, which is a direct result of losing weight too fast. Going slow gives your skin time to keep up and shrink back normally. You can also risk losing lean muscle mass, which compromises future weight loss, and generally overall makes you feel like crap. I speak from experience, here.
  • afreelandgti
    afreelandgti Posts: 73
    What did you set you activity level and weight loss goal to when you set up your calorie tracker? I had a look at your diary and I think you're taking in too many calories.
  • MsEndomorph
    MsEndomorph Posts: 604 Member
    Seems legit to me. Maybe a nice hair cut?
  • AlongCame_Molly
    AlongCame_Molly Posts: 2,835 Member
    In again to add:

    It sounds like you are doing everything right. Just give it a little more time. Give yourself a solid 4 whole weeks of consistent good eating and exercising, including heavy lifting, and you'll start to see progress, I promise.

    Also, are you taking progress pic, and recording measurements? The scale is a big fat dirty liar, and if you go by just what it says, you may not notice marked improvements not scale-related, and get discouraged.
  • aimeemanninghunter
    aimeemanninghunter Posts: 85 Member
    Give it time, girl! You only JUST started. --July 4th?? That hasn't even been two weeks! Patience, patience! :)

    You didn't put on several pounds a week, it makes no sense to expect it to come off that fast, either.

    Also, I highly recommend NOT upping your deficit to anything past 20%. I'm assuming one of the reasons you want to lose weight is to look nicer, right? There's nothing nice-looking about excessively saggy skin, which is a direct result of losing weight too fast. Going slow gives your skin time to keep up and shrink back normally. You can also risk losing lean muscle mass, which compromises future weight loss, and generally overall makes you feel like crap. I speak from experience, here.

    You'd be surprised...I have gained several pounds a week before. Maybe I just need to head back into low carbsville....I don't know. I lose faith quickly....
  • micheleb15
    micheleb15 Posts: 1,418 Member
    July 4th wasn't even two weeks ago. It's not odd to not lose weight every week, especially if you just started a new workout routine. Your body is probably holding water to repair the muscles you are working with weight lifting. Give your body at least 4 weeks to adapt to something before you decide to up and change it. It's really only been a week and a half.

    I wasn't losing anything before I increased my activity either or started lifting weight....Like I said, that just started Saturday.

    What are you doing for workouts? Do you have a heart rate monitor for a more accurate calorie count of what you are burning? What is the rest of your day like? Are you at a desk all day? The activity levels should encompass your lifestyle too.
  • aimeemanninghunter
    aimeemanninghunter Posts: 85 Member
    What did you set you activity level and weight loss goal to when you set up your calorie tracker? I had a look at your diary and I think you're taking in too many calories.

    My calorie goal is set at TDEE-20% based on the fitnessfrog TDEE calculator. Since I increased activity I have it set on moderate exercise. Last week I walked at least 40 minutes every day. Several days it was closer to 90 minutes. And I don't typically track cleaning and what not...or the fact I try to stand most of the day at work. And I don't eat back calories
  • AlongCame_Molly
    AlongCame_Molly Posts: 2,835 Member
    Give it time, girl! You only JUST started. --July 4th?? That hasn't even been two weeks! Patience, patience! :)

    You didn't put on several pounds a week, it makes no sense to expect it to come off that fast, either.

    Also, I highly recommend NOT upping your deficit to anything past 20%. I'm assuming one of the reasons you want to lose weight is to look nicer, right? There's nothing nice-looking about excessively saggy skin, which is a direct result of losing weight too fast. Going slow gives your skin time to keep up and shrink back normally. You can also risk losing lean muscle mass, which compromises future weight loss, and generally overall makes you feel like crap. I speak from experience, here.

    You'd be surprised...I have gained several pounds a week before. Maybe I just need to head back into low carbsville....I don't know. I lose faith quickly....

    I have, too...It's called weight fluctuations, and being a woman. :laugh:

    I meant you didn't gain several pounds of actual FAT in a week. It's almost impossible. You'd almost have to TRY to get the necessary amount of calories for that to happen.
  • robsonv
    robsonv Posts: 23 Member
    One thing I noticed looking at your diary is you are quite often over your carb limit and way under your protein limit. Maybe try lowering the carbs a bit and upping your protein. I found when I increased my protein intake I did start to lose a bit more weight and wasn't as hungry. Don't give up!....I was on a plateau for about 5 weeks but have finally started losing again.
  • aimeemanninghunter
    aimeemanninghunter Posts: 85 Member
    July 4th wasn't even two weeks ago. It's not odd to not lose weight every week, especially if you just started a new workout routine. Your body is probably holding water to repair the muscles you are working with weight lifting. Give your body at least 4 weeks to adapt to something before you decide to up and change it. It's really only been a week and a half.

    I wasn't losing anything before I increased my activity either or started lifting weight....Like I said, that just started Saturday.

    What are you doing for workouts? Do you have a heart rate monitor for a more accurate calorie count of what you are burning? What is the rest of your day like? Are you at a desk all day? The activity levels should encompass your lifestyle too.

    Mostly walking....I walked at least 40 minutes a day almost every day last week..several days I did more than that. I'm up and down at work all day just depending on the day and how busy it is. I try to stand most of the time though. I don't have a heart rate monitor but I don't eat back calories anyways....when I use the machines at the gym I do use the heart rate monitors on the gym and change the exercise calories to what it says on the machine because I figure they are more accurate. I try to stay in the fat burning zone on the machines
  • Dragonwolf
    Dragonwolf Posts: 5,600 Member
    What did you set you activity level and weight loss goal to when you set up your calorie tracker? I had a look at your diary and I think you're taking in too many calories.

    5'8" and 280 will put a woman in the 2000 calorie range (give or take up to 100), even on sedentary and with a 1lb a week deficit. MFP wants me at 2010 calories with the sedentary a 1lb/week settings, and I'm 5'9" and 265. Katch-McArdie puts me around 1900, and the rest are even higher.
  • shimmer615
    shimmer615 Posts: 55
    I am by no means a guru when it comes to this stuff - but I'm around your height and weight and I am only taking in about 1600 calories a day, sometimes a little more. Granted I'm not doing the same amount of exercise that you are, but I do eat back some of my exercise calories. I am losing steadily about 1-1.5 pounds a week. When you mentioned 2000-2300, it seemed high to me - but don't take what I say as gospel. Just offering a little bit of a different picture for you.

    Edited to add: the 1600 calories is what MFP has suggested for me.
    And also to take out a typo - ugh
  • aimeemanninghunter
    aimeemanninghunter Posts: 85 Member
    Give it time, girl! You only JUST started. --July 4th?? That hasn't even been two weeks! Patience, patience! :)

    You didn't put on several pounds a week, it makes no sense to expect it to come off that fast, either.

    Also, I highly recommend NOT upping your deficit to anything past 20%. I'm assuming one of the reasons you want to lose weight is to look nicer, right? There's nothing nice-looking about excessively saggy skin, which is a direct result of losing weight too fast. Going slow gives your skin time to keep up and shrink back normally. You can also risk losing lean muscle mass, which compromises future weight loss, and generally overall makes you feel like crap. I speak from experience, here.

    You'd be surprised...I have gained several pounds a week before. Maybe I just need to head back into low carbsville....I don't know. I lose faith quickly....

    I have, too...It's called weight fluctuations, and being a woman. :laugh:

    I meant you didn't gain several pounds of actual FAT in a week. It's almost impossible. You'd almost have to TRY to get the necessary amount of calories for that to happen.

    I just mean I have gained several pounds a week for several weeks...not up and down weight flunctuations...I can gain a lot of weight very quickly and easily which is unfortunately why my body is in the state it is now....I've thought about having my thyroid checked but last time I asked a doctor she kind of laughed at me. I lost a lot my first month but that's not atypical...
  • RAEQ127
    RAEQ127 Posts: 106 Member
    See what this says your TDEE is. I find it to be more accurate for me.

    http://www.cordianet.com/calculator.htm
  • aimeemanninghunter
    aimeemanninghunter Posts: 85 Member
    I am by no means a guru when it comes to this stuff - but I'm around your height and weight and I am only taking in about 1600 calories a day, sometimes a little more. Granted I'm not doing the same amount of exercise that you are, but I do eat back some of my exercise calories. I am losing steadily about 1-1.5 pounds a week. When you mentioned 2000-2300, it was seemed high to me - but don't take what I say as gospel. Just offering a little bit of a different picture for you.

    Edited to add: the 1600 calories is what MFP has suggested for me.

    Yes, I did the MFP calories for a while and lost but then I stalled all the same...When I increased my intake I dropped like another 7-8 pounds. I'm still eating at a deficit. MFP just puts you are a much larger deficit which from what I understand can slow down your metabolism....plus the higher calorie count gives me more room to decrease calories as I lose weight.
  • micheleb15
    micheleb15 Posts: 1,418 Member
    I am by no means a guru when it comes to this stuff - but I'm around your height and weight and I am only taking in about 1600 calories a day, sometimes a little more. Granted I'm not doing the same amount of exercise that you are, but I do eat back some of my exercise calories. I am losing steadily about 1-1.5 pounds a week. When you mentioned 2000-2300, it seemed high to me - but don't take what I say as gospel. Just offering a little bit of a different picture for you.

    Edited to add: the 1600 calories is what MFP has suggested for me.
    And also to take out a typo - ugh

    To offer another side, I am 5'2 151lbs and also eat 1600 calories a day minimum. So eating around 2000 calories for her seems like it's a healthy range. That's just my opinion.
  • aimeemanninghunter
    aimeemanninghunter Posts: 85 Member
    See what this says your TDEE is. I find it to be more accurate for me.

    http://www.cordianet.com/calculator.htm


    Wow...that's a huge difference....I wonder why so different?
  • Bigjuicyhog
    Bigjuicyhog Posts: 61 Member
    You may not be tracking correctly too. Are you measuring everything exactly? Is a tablespoon of butter an actual tablespoon? Is the tablespoon of peanut butter evened or a scoop? I notice yesterday you ate 0 cups of Broccoli with dinner. I imagine that is a typo?

    If you are having trouble, measure and track everything EXACTLY. Food scale and measuring equipment is a must. No eyeballing it.
  • aimeemanninghunter
    aimeemanninghunter Posts: 85 Member
    You may not be tracking correctly too. Are you measuring everything exactly? Is a tablespoon of butter an actual tablespoon? Is the tablespoon of peanut butter evened or a scoop? I notice yesterday you ate 0 cups of Broccoli with dinner. I imagine that is a typo?

    If you are having trouble, measure and track everything EXACTLY. Food scale and measuring equipment is a must. No eyeballing it.

    Lol...the zero cups of broccoli is just because I haven't figure out how to delete something from my phone. Thought I had broccoli but I was out so I ate green beans instead. but yes, I do measure, count...whatever. I put my peanut butter in a tablespoon and level it out and everything...no guessing.
  • tatasmagik
    tatasmagik Posts: 185
    Seems legit to me. Maybe a nice hair cut?
    Exactly. Also, remember to remove all clothing, poop, and spit before weighing.
  • Bigjuicyhog
    Bigjuicyhog Posts: 61 Member
    You may not be tracking correctly too. Are you measuring everything exactly? Is a tablespoon of butter an actual tablespoon? Is the tablespoon of peanut butter evened or a scoop? I notice yesterday you ate 0 cups of Broccoli with dinner. I imagine that is a typo?

    If you are having trouble, measure and track everything EXACTLY. Food scale and measuring equipment is a must. No eyeballing it.

    Lol...the zero cups of broccoli is just because I haven't figure out how to delete something from my phone. Thought I had broccoli but I was out so I ate green beans instead. but yes, I do measure, count...whatever. I put my peanut butter in a tablespoon and level it out and everything...no guessing.

    Your calories seem a bit high as well, but that is just me.
  • micheleb15
    micheleb15 Posts: 1,418 Member
    Also, look up In place of a road map. Dan is awesome and can be very helpful.

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