Help Scale not moving

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dbetts74
dbetts74 Posts: 1 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hello All,

I am hoping somebody can give me some insight as to why my scale is not moving. I am 39 year old female with about 80 pounds to lose. I have lost weight in the past without much difficulty when following a plan. I have been eating 1200-1400 calories for past 3 weeks - i am working out at least 4 days a week which is typically for an hour of cardio such as spin class or elipitcal. I am drinking water. The scale does not want to move. Not a bit. I can't understand how I can do this without cheating for 3 week and not lose a pound. In tha past I have been able to drop about 10 pounds in the first month. I have opened my diary up for anyone to look at for suggestions. I have an appointment with my physician today and will ask about seeing a nutritionist. I am very frustrated. thanks for you help. Seems like simple math to me to burn more than you are taking in and my numbers are just that - grrr :-(

Replies

  • SmashBob1984
    SmashBob1984 Posts: 8 Member
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    Have you been taking your measurements as well? I found that when I was going to the gym about 4 - 5 times a week and working out a lot, I either maintained or gained weight and got really disheartened. Someone suggested to me that I should take measurements (eg waist bust and hips) and sure thing my shape was changing but because it was turning the fat into muscle it wasn't showing on the scales.

    Fingers crossed for you!
  • Mokey41
    Mokey41 Posts: 5,769 Member
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    Are you logging everything or just randomly entering some times? You haven't been at it long enough for it to be a problem but some days you are way under eating if that really is all the food you've eaten. That said some of your exercise looks really high. You have a Fitbit, why not let it log the dog walking instead of over riding it?
  • suel6542
    suel6542 Posts: 3 Member
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    I am having the same problem. I am older than you and I dropped about 12 lbs initially but have been playing with the same 2-3 ever since. The weekends are hard because we have so much going on but I still try to watch. I upped my calories after looking at TDEE info but am wondering why the stupid scale won't move.
  • TINAHUNTER1969
    TINAHUNTER1969 Posts: 219 Member
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    Are those the calories MFP gave you when you filled your details in?

    I told the calculator I want to lose a 1lb a week and I am eating more calories than you and steadily losing weight.

    Do you eat your exercise calories back??

    Do you drink plenty of water?

    Take your measurements from all over as well, sometimes the scales don't move for a couple of weeks for me and then I will have a decent loss.

    At the end of the day if you are eating healthy and exercising you are getting fitter and this is just as important as losing weight so keep it up and I am sure the scales will show a loss.

    Good luck x
  • ohmyword9
    ohmyword9 Posts: 35
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    Measurements are key. I followed a SlimmersWorld plan about a year ago and gave up because all my hard work and effort was not reflected on the scales. I have just started back eating healthy and have only recorded measurements, but can already see a difference. Measure in cms to get an extra boost.
    Don't give up what you are doing will make a visible difference - just give it time.
    Good luck!!
  • trogalicious
    trogalicious Posts: 4,583 Member
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    If you're legitimately eating what you're logging in your diary, you're not eating enough.
  • rhileyschubbygranny
    rhileyschubbygranny Posts: 145 Member
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    I feel your pain. Last Wed 9/18 was the end of my first week. I got on the scale and I had lost two pounds. My next weigh in is tomorrow. I got on today just for the heck of it and I have gained that whole two pounds back. I made sure Iowered my sodium this past week even and started strenght training also. I sure hope you start noticing a difference in either the scale or measurements!! Stick with it, I plan to. :smile:
  • thehappyfitmusician
    thehappyfitmusician Posts: 50 Member
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    I lost 44 lbs with nutrition alone and then I started working out and the scale didn't budge at all. ARG. I realized that I wasn't eating enough and my body went into starvation mode once I was burning so many calories. Now I track everything I eat and force myself to eat my exercise calories back... Here are my typical numbers:

    1480- BMR (set at -2lbs per week)
    +700 (give or take) exercise cals

    I have to eat this much per day in order to burn... you may need to look at trying this for a week and see if the scale starts moving. It feels so weird to eat more and my mind labels it as counterproductive, but my metabolism is proving otherwise. Good luck!
  • firstsip
    firstsip Posts: 8,399 Member
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    Have you tried picking it up?

    In all seriousness though, three weeks is a relatively small amount of time. With any new change in exercise, expect water retention to last anywhere up to six weeks. Keep doing what you're doing for another few weeks and then see if there's any changes. The initial "10 pound in a month" drop was probably water weight, which can fluctuate up again with exercise/your body trying to repair. Make sure you're accurately weighing your food (for food accountability) and not overestimating calorie burns (for calories out accountability). If those are good... take an aspirin and see me again in three weeks.

    ETA: Just checked your diary. Add "sodium" to your diary settings to track it. Sodium does not always affect everyone the same way, but you are definitely eating high-sodium foods (I wouldn't be surprised if you're hitting even the FDA standard in one meal). Between that and exercise, you could definitely be retaining water.
  • CaeliGirl11
    CaeliGirl11 Posts: 108 Member
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    I don't think you're actually eating enough calories overall. As long as I stick to around where MFP tells me to stick to...even if I don't eat back my exercise calories I will lose weight consitently. But it doesn't look like you hit 1200 calories on some days, which is the very minimum that you should be hitting no matter what. I'd say, try upping your calories to the minimum that MFP tells you to eat based on what you want to lose (their calculations have worked great for me the past 4 months) and see what happens. Its great that you've been drinking lots of water..that will help, no doubt! Good luck and feel free to add me as a friend if you want:)
  • Docpremie
    Docpremie Posts: 228 Member
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    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/975025-in-place-of-a-road-map-short-n-sweet?hl=roadmap+short+and+sweet&page=1#posts-14891590

    Read the first post of this thread, as it explains the TDEE-20% method of weight loss. Trust me, it really works!!! It will give you more calories to eat & makes sure you get adequate protein. If your protein intake is high enough & you add in some resistance training, you'll burn fat without burning a lot of muscle. I've lost 57 pounds & only 10% of that weight loss has been lean muscle mass. Your protein intake should be AT LEAST 1 gm/pound of lean body mass or alternatively 0.8 gm/pound of weight. For most women that is 100-125 grams of protein/day as a MINIMUM. I'm now 160 pound & 5-8 and eat at least 135 grams of protein/day. In fact, on Sunday I ate 205 grams of protein!

    Once you figure out your calorie requirement, DO NOT eat under that goal & expect to lose weight. Eating below you BMR (basal metabolic rate) is always wrong, as your BMR only accounts for basic body functions for survival. Your TDEE (total daily energy expenditure) is what you burn in a day. If you eat at TDEE, you should maintain your weight. If you eat at a deficit to your TDEE, you will lose weight, hence the idea of TDEE-20%. As you get closer to your goal, your deficit should get smaller. Eating at a deficit of >20% should ONLY be done under the guidance of a physician! And as a physician myself, I will add that most physician do not have adequate training in nutrition & weight loss. You need to be under the care of a physician who specializes in weight loss, such as a bariatric physician in conjunction with a well trained dietician.

    One other point, a weight loss rate of 1 pound/week is ideal & sustainable. In the very beginning you may lose more due to water loss, but pushing for greater weight loss (unless you are morbidly obese & under a doctor's care) is not advisable or sustainable.

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