What am I doing wrong?

4People
4People Posts: 7
in Health and Weight Loss
I am a 50 yr old woman who needs to loose 50 lbs. For the past 3 weeks. I have been doing 60 min of cardio 5-6 days a week, pretty vigorously, Doing strength training 3 - 4 days a week. I am sweating to the point of dripping (something I haven't done before) and eating 1,200- 1,500 calories a day and yet I have not lost ANY WEIGHT. I am going to schedule an appointment with a personal trainer but I don't know what I am doing wrong. I would love some feed back.

Replies

  • PepperWorm
    PepperWorm Posts: 1,206
    Says you lost 5 pounds. That's something.
  • MyaPapaya75
    MyaPapaya75 Posts: 3,143 Member
    Hard to say unless your diary is open but I will agree 5lbs is a big progress since May
  • cwaters120
    cwaters120 Posts: 354 Member
    opening your diary can make more info available to help. That being said, check your calories. are you eating enough? check your water. Are you getting enough? check your sodium. is it low enough? all things (and more) people can help with if you open your diary.
  • foleyshirley
    foleyshirley Posts: 1,043 Member
    That is a lot of working out. You actually may not be eating enough for the amount of activity.

    Have you had a physical to make sure everything is in order? Also, are you consistent with your logging? Are you eating back your exercise calories?
  • cathyg321
    cathyg321 Posts: 155 Member
    Remember: whatever calories you burn during exercise you NEED to eat back!
  • PepperWorm
    PepperWorm Posts: 1,206
    Remember: whatever calories you burn during exercise you NEED to eat back!

    False. Depends on the method.

    MFP hyper overestimates the calorie burn. If you go by MFP estimations, eat back no more than 50%.

    From the looks of your exercise regimen, it's possible you aren't eating enough. Try this: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/975025-in-place-of-a-road-map-short-n-sweet

    Do you have a digital food scale? If not, invest in one and start weighing all of your food.
  • weightlossdiva1219
    weightlossdiva1219 Posts: 283 Member
    Don't be discouraged. Are you eating high sodium foods or processed foods? Diet is essential as well. Also, you could be GAINING muscle which weighs more than fat, and losing inches. Try taking pictures of yourself and measuring yourself instead. Good luck to you I'm sure you'll do great. Just DONT GIVE UP! :)
  • rezn8
    rezn8 Posts: 263 Member
    you are not eating enough to support your workouts. Plus when you first begin working out, often your body will retain fluid to supply the muscles.
  • rhinesb
    rhinesb Posts: 204 Member
    I will always ask this, "DO YOU MEASURE?" as I have this very same problem. I've been stuck at around the same pounds for 3-4 weeks. BUT I'm not worried as I've seen my body changing. I've lost quite a few inches during that same time that I've lost no weight. So if you aren't measuring then you really should start. If you measure and you still see no change then start looking at your diet and assess whether or not you are eating too much or not eating enough.
  • cathyg321
    cathyg321 Posts: 155 Member
    Remember: whatever calories you burn during exercise you NEED to eat back!

    False. Depends on the method.

    MFP hyper overestimates the calorie burn. If you go by MFP estimations, eat back no more than 50%.

    From the looks of your exercise regimen, it's possible you aren't eating enough. Try this: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/975025-in-place-of-a-road-map-short-n-sweet

    Do you have a digital food scale? If not, invest in one and start weighing all of your food.

    Thanks for the advice, I stand corrected!!
  • weightlossdiva1219
    weightlossdiva1219 Posts: 283 Member
    Remember: whatever calories you burn during exercise you NEED to eat back!

    False. Depends on the method.

    MFP hyper overestimates the calorie burn. If you go by MFP estimations, eat back no more than 50%.

    From the looks of your exercise regimen, it's possible you aren't eating enough. Try this: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/975025-in-place-of-a-road-map-short-n-sweet

    Do you have a digital food scale? If not, invest in one and start weighing all of your food.

    Yeah no you don't have to eat your calories back. I never do and I lose 10 lbs/mo so far. As long as you're eating enough FOOD calories, net isnt that big of a deal. BUT everyones body is different :)
  • Just_Scott
    Just_Scott Posts: 1,766 Member
    Not sure I want t o respond--some of what I'm reading just concerns me. TDEE minus 20% to lose weight--start there and search it in the threads. Read about TDEE and the methods to determine your BMR, go to Fit2Fat Radio and try those measurements, since they are scientific.

    Hope this helps--if you read this and are confused message me.
  • grdaze
    grdaze Posts: 195 Member
    how much water are you drinking? Whatever your weight is, divide by 2 and make sure that is the number of ounces you get each day.
  • weightlossdiva1219
    weightlossdiva1219 Posts: 283 Member
    Not sure I want t o respond--some of what I'm reading just concerns me. TDEE minus 20% to lose weight--start there and search it in the threads. Read about TDEE and the methods to determine your BMR, go to Fit2Fat Radio and try those measurements, since they are scientific.

    Hope this helps--if you read this and are confused message me.

    I tried that and I was overstuffng myself to get the calories in. That's why I don't eat back my calories. My mom has a double major (nutrition and exercise phsyiologist) is also a fitness instructor and so I kind of use her as my personal trainer :P I asked about not eating my calories back. Afterall, some days my net is under 1000. She said no problem, and thank god, cause I was not able to eat that much.
  • erinannwhalen
    erinannwhalen Posts: 1
    At around the two week mark in a new exercise regime, the body goes into survival mode and starts hanging on to anything it can. Don't worry, if you stick with this, the weight is going to start coming off, that kind of hard work does not go unrewarded. Give it two more weeks and you will be seeing bigger numbers. That being said, yes, do visit your physician/dietician for a review.
  • melindasuefritz
    melindasuefritz Posts: 3,509 Member
    nothing there says she lost 5 pounds
    maybe you aren't eating enough calories???
  • spookibride
    spookibride Posts: 2
    Try strength training 2 days a week and cardio 4 days a week.
  • PepperWorm
    PepperWorm Posts: 1,206
    Not sure I want t o respond--some of what I'm reading just concerns me. TDEE minus 20% to lose weight--start there and search it in the threads. Read about TDEE and the methods to determine your BMR, go to Fit2Fat Radio and try those measurements, since they are scientific.

    Hope this helps--if you read this and are confused message me.

    I tried that and I was overstuffng myself to get the calories in. That's why I don't eat back my calories. My mom has a double major (nutrition and exercise phsyiologist) is also a fitness instructor and so I kind of use her as my personal trainer :P I asked about not eating my calories back. Afterall, some days my net is under 1000. She said no problem, and thank god, cause I was not able to eat that much.

    This makes me so sad.

    Yeah, you may be losing weight...but 10 lbs a month?! That's most likely to be LBM and water loss with fat.

    You're not even eating enough to keep your organs functioning.
  • PepperWorm
    PepperWorm Posts: 1,206
    nothing there says she lost 5 pounds
    maybe you aren't eating enough calories???

    Her ticker says she did! At least that's what I see.
  • Crochetluvr
    Crochetluvr Posts: 3,225 Member
    nothing there says she lost 5 pounds

    Her ticker does.
  • MyaPapaya75
    MyaPapaya75 Posts: 3,143 Member
    nothing there says she lost 5 pounds
    maybe you aren't eating enough calories???

    She has an active ticker......
  • Just_Scott
    Just_Scott Posts: 1,766 Member
    What makes these threads so entertaining sometimes are the responses.

    Do you wish to lose weight, what the OP was referring to--eat at 20% of TDEE--simple. A pound a week initially is ideal and as you get closer to goal modify your profile to go to 1/2 a pound a week to continue toward the goal. It took time to put the weight on it will take time to remove it. Hopefully people understand they need to change their eating behavior in order for long term success.
  • 4People
    4People Posts: 7
    The ticker says a 5 lb loss but that was a high and my weight wasn't that high when I started working out. I've been up and down for no real reasons in that 5 lb range for awhile. The weight I am at now is what is the "high" low for me and it isn't moving

    I haven't been measuring and I will start. How depressing was THAT! oh well as someone said this weight didn't come on all at one time and it won't come off. I am addicted to the scale and want to see it move.

    I am for the first time enjoying working out which I think is good. I feel fitter and better.

    I love that site and got some good information, though it says I should eat 2096 calories a day. I am lower. I am not eating back all of the calories I am burning off but those calories burned off seem high to me.

    I don't know how to open up my reports though I would be happy to.

    I will be meeting with a trainer tomorrow. I hope he can help me balance cardio with strength and then hopefully the measuring tape and the scale will move.

    THANK YOU EVERYONE!!!
  • PepperWorm
    PepperWorm Posts: 1,206
    It's not too high.

    Don't track exercise calories or eat them back using In Place Of A Roadmap. You WILL lose weight.
  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
    PS

    Sweat /=/ effective workout.
  • Achrya
    Achrya Posts: 16,913 Member
    PS

    Sweat /=/ effective workout.


    This is true. I sweat a ton during...well, never mind the actual activity, but the point is just because I'm sweating five minutes in doesnt make it an effective workout.
  • littlesprite11
    littlesprite11 Posts: 106 Member
    You should definitely be eating at least 1500 calories or more of healthy food..also give it some time you will get there!
  • Mcgrawhaha
    Mcgrawhaha Posts: 1,596 Member
    maybe your not logging right. I know that my mom will pour herself a huge glass of wine, and then log it as a 4 oz glass of wine. I weight / measure EVERYTHING!!! maybe you are not being 100% accurate with your logging...
  • 4People
    4People Posts: 7
    THANK YOU everyone. I am not typically a "sweater" even when I worked in the horse business many years ago I was never much of a sweater. Of course I was working hard all day every day and so didn't have a weight problem.

    I will work on drinking more water.

    I have been measuring but will do a more consistant job of it

    I am not a wine drinker or a soda drinker. I have a beer maybe once or twice a month. I have a son who is disabled I don't have time to have a hangover and any commercially produced wine will give me a hangover.

    I am going to connect with a personal trainer this week. I have a call into him now and I want to find a doctor who specializes in weight loss but is NOT a pill pusher. I am not looking to connect with speed but I do want to check to make sure my hormones and such are not sidetracking my efforts.

    THANK YOU

    Susan
  • 4People
    4People Posts: 7
    Checking in to fill you in on what is going on. I started working out with a personal training. Picked up some great tips and some good moves and exercises I should be doing and am now doing. Also changed the order in how I was doing my workouts. I also saw a nutritionist. I found out that my insurance will pay for 6 visits a year. She tweaked my diet, reducing carbs, increasing protein, more veggies than fruits, more water.... and I am now loosing. I also looked back and found a list of my measurements from May and I am actually down a lot of inches even though the scale hadn't moved much. Thank you everyone. On my way to be a healthy size, weight and fitness level!!!
    :bigsmile:

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