Diet, exercise, plenty of water and still no results.

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  • diannethegeek
    diannethegeek Posts: 14,776 Member
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    Also I am not sure what you mean by MFP or TDEE?

    MFP = My Fitness Pal. The site you're on now. Their method expects you to eat back the calories you burn through exercise, yes, to prevent stalls and muscle loss.

    TDEE = total daily energy expenditure. It's roughly the number of calories you burn in a day and the number of calories you'd need to eat to maintain your current weight. There are plenty of calculators available online to help you get an estimate of this number (http://iifym.com/tdee-calculator/) A number of people around here have found success by eating a moderate cut from this number (about 10-20%). With this method you wouldn't need to eat back your exercise calories since they're already figured into your total.
  • CoderGal
    CoderGal Posts: 6,800 Member
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    If you're 5.5 and 125 lbs, you shouldn't need to lose any weight.

    Maybe she isn't happy with her body composition.

    I suspect this. I was 5'8 and 120lbs and still felt squishy and unhappy with my gut and butt. Took up a strength training program, went on a calorie surplus so I'd go up a few pounds, and am much more content, with a flatter stomach.
  • rjmudlax13
    rjmudlax13 Posts: 909 Member
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    So you would suggest eating the same amount as calories that I burn in the gym?

    I'm willing to try anything but that seems counter productive to me? Surely the reason in at the gym is to burn extra calories?

    When I said that I logged a general daily intake what I meant was that as I don't use this app and have only just started today I logged my intake for today including everything and that is pretty much what I eat everyday. I'm a vegetarian and a fussy eater so don't have much in the way of variation with my diet.

    First and foremost, the key is to log accurately. Little mistakes here and there can add up. Use a food scale if you have to. Make sure you include all sauces and oils.

    Use the TDEE method. Just Google it to find a calculator. It will only give you an estimate. Play around with the activity levels and get a number you feel is pretty close to your actual. Take that number and subtract 10%. Eat the resultant number of calories every day for 3 weeks. Don't worry about eating back exercise calories. If you stay the same or gain, reduce by 100 calories and try again.

    Be patient! At your BMI, it is going to be very difficult to lose weight.

    Also, include more strength training. No, you will not get bulky.
  • CajunTexan33
    CajunTexan33 Posts: 76 Member
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    But body composition isnt ALL based on weight. I have barely moved the scale..and I dont even care as I have dropped a size. Add muscle. Forget the scale. Changes will come.
  • MoreBean13
    MoreBean13 Posts: 8,701 Member
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    So you would suggest eating the same amount as calories that I burn in the gym?

    I'm willing to try anything but that seems counter productive to me? Surely the reason in at the gym is to burn extra calories?

    When I said that I logged a general daily intake what I meant was that as I don't use this app and have only just started today I logged my intake for today including everything and that is pretty much what I eat everyday. I'm a vegetarian and a fussy eater so don't have much in the way of variation with my diet.

    The way this program works you already have the deficit built in to your base calories to lose weight. I would suggest eating back at least 75% of your gym calories. If you were to take a poll of who's been successful losing weight here and keeping it off, I would wager 95% of those people always had net calories above 1200.
  • CoderGal
    CoderGal Posts: 6,800 Member
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    So you would suggest eating the same amount as calories that I burn in the gym?

    I'm willing to try anything but that seems counter productive to me? Surely the reason in at the gym is to burn extra calories?

    When I said that I logged a general daily intake what I meant was that as I don't use this app and have only just started today I logged my intake for today including everything and that is pretty much what I eat everyday. I'm a vegetarian and a fussy eater so don't have much in the way of variation with my diet.
    MFP sets your goal to below your tdee without exercise, with the intent that you will be logging and eating your exercise cals back. Which means even if you log exercise and eat them back, you're still eating at the same deficit which is less then your energy expenditure and will lose weight. If the point for you is to burn extra calories at the gym, set your goal to about your tdee, don't eat your exercise calories back, and workout for a few hundred calories a day.

    And seriously, if you're not happy with your body composition, ditch your regular routine and hit the weights.
  • IZackV13
    IZackV13 Posts: 157 Member
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    I suspect a case of "skinny fat"...

    Hit the weights, seriously. Focus on compound movements such as squats, deadlifts, bench press, etc. SLOW DOWN on all the HIIT, 90 minutes of cardio, etc. Your body has obviously reached a state where you've maximized the effectiveness of caloric loss through cardio, so you're probably doing more harm than good at this point on that road. Lifting will still ignite the metabolism, and quite possibly shed the inches you're after.
  • keely_dc
    keely_dc Posts: 5
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    I worked out my TDEE to be 2100 calories.

    I am definitely going to add more weights to my workouts. How much would you suggest?

    Also If I do weights should I still eat more?

    And thanks again everyone for your replies, I really do appreciate your advice :)
  • deksgrl
    deksgrl Posts: 7,237 Member
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    Yes, your body will want to eat more when you lift weights. Protein is important.

    Lifting heavy is what is heavy for you. Look for a progressive loading program where you add weight every week. Not one where you stick with the same amount of weight all the time and never increase. Squats, deadlifts, overhead press.
  • Siege_Tank
    Siege_Tank Posts: 781 Member
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    Personally, I take my TDEE, subtract the daily calories needed to lose 1.5 lbs per week, and make that my goal, while adding strength training 3 times per week and HIIT twice a week.

    I don't spend more than 30 minutes in the gym per day. You just don't need to. Lifting heavy takes maybe 15 minutes total, with rest periods. Some days I feel silly for hitting the squat rack for ten minutes, doing 3 sets of 230 x8, and then cooling down on the treadmill.. But you should see my calves... In the last 6 months I've gone from 180 lbs on my squat to 230. Once you know how to lift it only takes a moment to deplete your strength reserves.

    At any rate... if you want to know the answer to the question will weight training really help, read this article - it's exceptionally good and entertaining!!

    http://jasonferruggia.com/how-to-get-a-body-like-jessica-biel/

    High Intensity Interval Training is used for improving flexibility, speed, and agility, like in a sprinter. It is exceptionally good for stripping off fat in people who are overweight, but you start to see diminishing returns on fat loss for people who are average bodyfat%.

    Running and spinning and other steady state cardio is great for improving endurance and stamina. But you still see the same diminishing returns on fat loss when you get close to a goal weight.

    Kettle bells and body weight exercises and machines increase flexibility, coordination, agility, and balance. Still not getting the body to burn more calories after the workout.

    The above exercises are great for improving your skills in a given area, like training for a specific sport or event. But if you want to see your body start to fill out in the right areas and slim down with that layer of fat that seems to be immovable, you've got to shock your metabolism. Repairing sore and exhausted muscles takes DAYS, people who lift heavy target the same muscle groups 4 or 5 days apart, because that's how long it takes for them to fully recover.

    During all that time, the body is busy taking proteins and nutrients and building the muscles stronger, so that when you do it again, it won't be quite as shocking to your body. It wants to adapt =) But that repair requires a LOT of energy for those 4 or 5 days.
  • stonel94
    stonel94 Posts: 550 Member
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    if you're only eating 1200 calories and burning off that much and not eating any of those calories back you're starving your body.
    Also "low fat" isn't necesarily a good thing, you should be trying to eat 40% carbs, 30% fat and 30% protein. Your carbs should come from whole grains and fruit mostly, fat from dairy, nuts, avocados, fish: things that have healthy fats not a lot of saturated fat, and protein from lean proteins and shakes and things if you can't meet your protein goals with regular food.

    Up your calories or start eating back all of your calories burned if you use a heart rate monitor (if you don't then maybe leave a 100 cal deficit just in case) make sure you are measuing and weighing your food and being realistic with your portions and stuff, and maybe add some weight training as well.

    So do your TDEE minus the amount of calories needed to lose what you want to lose (TDEE-20% usually works pretty well) HOWEVER make sure that whatever you subtract from your TDEE makes your total calorie intake above your BMR. And then eat back cardio calories only, you can't accurately calculate how many calories you burn with strength even if you have a heart rate monitor, but on days with strength maybe just add an extra something with protein and don't worry if it puts you over on calories.
  • slimtonedfitsexy
    slimtonedfitsexy Posts: 1
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    I just joined today too. :) If you have the financial means, I recommend hiring a personal trainer 2-3 days a week. They will be able to get you on track to lose the inches perhaps without losing weight on a scale. You can gain muscle and lose fat without seeing a number change on the scale and your measurements will be smaller. A nutritionist would also be a wise investment as she/he could assist you to ensure the 1200-1300 calories you are eating are the healthiest possible calories for your body to get you to your body composition goal. They may even recommend you add a couple hundred calories of lean protein to help your body let go of any extra fat you wish to lose.

    That said, your measurements seem very healthy and your weight is appropriate for your height. Are you training to be in fitness competitions?
  • aepdx
    aepdx Posts: 218 Member
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    If you're 5.5 and 125 lbs, you shouldn't need to lose any weight.
  • sophayz
    sophayz Posts: 592 Member
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    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FDyY8mfrjP0
  • Siege_Tank
    Siege_Tank Posts: 781 Member
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    if you're only eating 1200 calories and burning off that much and not eating any of those calories back you're starving your body.
    Also "low fat" isn't necesarily a good thing, you should be trying to eat 40% carbs, 30% fat and 30% protein. Your carbs should come from whole grains and fruit mostly, fat from dairy, nuts, avocados, fish: things that have healthy fats not a lot of saturated fat, and protein from lean proteins and shakes and things if you can't meet your protein goals with regular food.

    Up your calories or start eating back all of your calories burned if you use a heart rate monitor (if you don't then maybe leave a 100 cal deficit just in case) make sure you are measuing and weighing your food and being realistic with your portions and stuff, and maybe add some weight training as well.

    So do your TDEE minus the amount of calories needed to lose what you want to lose (TDEE-20% usually works pretty well) HOWEVER make sure that whatever you subtract from your TDEE makes your total calorie intake above your BMR. And then eat back cardio calories only, you can't accurately calculate how many calories you burn with strength even if you have a heart rate monitor, but on days with strength maybe just add an extra something with protein and don't worry if it puts you over on calories.

    Ow ow ow ow ow

    I actually tried to read the above 3 paragraphs. The key to what the above poster wrote was that the above...

    WORKED FOR HER.

    Funny how everyone gets a calculator and a math formula, and are now experts.

    40/30/30 is a zone diet, and it does nicely. Paleo works well too, as do many many low carb diets and carb cycling plans. The thing that they all have in common? They are all deficits.

    Find what works for you, your personal style, your likes, and what fits your daily life.

    I didn't mean to come down so hard on that one poster, this was more of a general reply to all of the posters who feel that their personal strategy is the "Only way to Jesus"
  • deksgrl
    deksgrl Posts: 7,237 Member
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    I just joined today too. :) If you have the financial means, I recommend hiring a personal trainer 2-3 days a week.

    You don't need a personal trainer to learn how to lift properly.
  • deksgrl
    deksgrl Posts: 7,237 Member
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    At any rate... if you want to know the answer to the question will weight training really help, read this article - it's exceptionally good and entertaining!!

    http://jasonferruggia.com/how-to-get-a-body-like-jessica-biel/


    Good article!!

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