FRUSTRATING!

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christina_michelle
christina_michelle Posts: 225
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi Everyone!

So I have been back at it for a month or so working out / lifting weights.

I try to do at least an hour of cardio (usually some sort of class - kickboxing, spin, bootcamp, zumba, etc) and another 45 minutes of weight lifting (switch off on legs, arms and such)

I have been REALLY watching my diet, trying to keep around a 40% carbs 40% protein 20% Fat and make sure i'm eating enough. Drinking between 13 - 18 glasses of water.

However, I haven't lost A POUND. NOT ONE POUND. This is so frustrating and I have seen myself being able to keep up better in classes, but still haven't seen that significant of a difference.

Before the last couple months, I was eating alright, but not healthy (drinking, late night foods, etc) and working out maybe once a week? and definitely not as strong as now. I just don't understand!

Please feel free to look at my journal.
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  • christina_michelle
    christina_michelle Posts: 225
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    BUMP
  • Greenrun99
    Greenrun99 Posts: 2,065 Member
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    Not sure how tall you are or what you currently weigh, but your calories seem ok.. I would make sure you have a food scale, and measure everything your eating.
    I can tell you your probably overestimating your exercise calories..700-800 calories doing 1 hour of kickboxing.. probably not. that would be total 90% HR for a large majority of people.
    Might want to switch to TDEE method, and eat what it tells you for activity daily instead of cycling.. plus its only 1 month.. give it some time.
  • CMorning99
    CMorning99 Posts: 916 Member
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    I would recommend getting a HRM to help you zero in on calories burned...I burn 350 cals in 60 min of zumba and that is dancing my butt off! I barely burn anything in straight up toning classes..I think in JM 30 day shred I barely burn 100 cals. Once you have your exercise figured out, I would start figuring out your TDEE....I love scoobies calculator (you can google it).
  • deksgrl
    deksgrl Posts: 7,237 Member
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    1- what did you choose for how many pounds you want to lose per week? If it is not 1 pound, set it to 1 pound.

    2- Are you accurately measuring / weighing everything you eat? If not, get a food scale and track meticulously. You may be eating more than you think you are.

    3- If you see no difference after a few weeks of logging meticulously, then begin to eat only 75% of your exercise calories back. Your exercise calories may be inflated.
  • christina_michelle
    christina_michelle Posts: 225
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    Thanks everyone!

    I unfortunately lost my HRM a few months back - however, it usually said I burned between 550 - 700 calories.
    I actually lower the amount of time I do the classes by a little cause I know it could be over estimating and that is why I most of the time go under my calories between 200 - 400 calories for error.

    But I am at the gym between an hour and a half and three hours daily (three hours = Cardio Class, Hour long Pilates, 45 minutes of weights)

    I'll keep going at it!
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
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    do you weigh/measure your food?

    Do you log everything???
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,404 MFP Moderator
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    do you weigh/measure your food?

    Do you log everything???

    This..

    Also, have you considered dropping your cardio down to 2-3 days. Because 1500-1700 calories doesn't seem like a lot for a person who is working out 2 hrs a day.

    Also, you really don't need a HRM. And what are your stats.
  • christina_michelle
    christina_michelle Posts: 225
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    do you weigh/measure your food?

    Do you log everything???

    Yes! I log everything. I do not weigh my food, but I measure it.

    So the only thing I don't really have complete accurate weight of is my meat.
    But, I don't eat extremely large portions and have weighed in the past and know about the size of a 4 oz piece.


    What do you mean stats?
  • christina_michelle
    christina_michelle Posts: 225
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    do you weigh/measure your food?

    Do you log everything???

    This..

    Also, have you considered dropping your cardio down to 2-3 days. Because 1500-1700 calories doesn't seem like a lot for a person who is working out 2 hrs a day.

    Also, you really don't need a HRM. And what are your stats.

    That is what my friend says, she said 1,800 on my low workout days and 2,100 on my high? I just don't know how to eat that much to be honest. Getting to 1,800 a day is hard.
  • NRSPAM
    NRSPAM Posts: 961 Member
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    If your food logging is accurate, you are probably gaining muscle and losing inches. Have you measured yourself? Are your clothes fitting any better? Those things are better at determining your weight loss than that scale. :)))
  • NRSPAM
    NRSPAM Posts: 961 Member
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    do you weigh/measure your food?

    Do you log everything???

    This..

    Also, have you considered dropping your cardio down to 2-3 days. Because 1500-1700 calories doesn't seem like a lot for a person who is working out 2 hrs a day.

    Also, you really don't need a HRM. And what are your stats.

    That is what my friend says, she said 1,800 on my low workout days and 2,100 on my high? I just don't know how to eat that much to be honest. Getting to 1,800 a day is hard.

    Oh, it's easy, trust me! Lol. Just look at my diary. Well, not today. Some healthier things that are high in calories are nutella, peanut butter, and protein shakes, if you add 2 scoops. ;)
  • SweetSailor
    SweetSailor Posts: 81 Member
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    Stats=current height/weight

    I can tell you being smaller, and you look smaller in you pic, can make losing slow going. absolutely have someone regularly measure your body fat. I dropped several percent over a year when I only lost seven pounds over that same time period which can be frustrating for sure.

    Edited-I just glanced at your diary, but it looked pretty good to me.
  • christina_michelle
    christina_michelle Posts: 225
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    Stats=current height/weight

    I can tell you being smaller, and you look smaller in you pic, can make losing slow going. absolutely have someone regularly measure your body fat. I dropped several percent over a year when I only lost seven pounds over that same time period which can be frustrating for sure.

    Edited-I just glanced at your diary, but it looked pretty good to me.

    Oh 5 feet 5 inches and 160 lbs.
  • pinkiemarie252
    pinkiemarie252 Posts: 222 Member
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    This. Muscle weighs more than fat so that could be part of it.

    I'm also curious why 13 to 18 glasses of water. Are you forcing it down or are you drinking when you're thirsty? You could be retaining water.
  • christina_michelle
    christina_michelle Posts: 225
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    This. Muscle weighs more than fat so that could be part of it.

    I'm also curious why 13 to 18 glasses of water. Are you forcing it down or are you drinking when you're thirsty? You could be retaining water.

    I read that the more water you drink, the less you retain actually.

    I have this dasani bottle that is 36 oz, and I fill it up 4 times most of the time. I most of the time drink about 4-9 glasses of water in the morning/ gym between 8 - 1 pm then drink another 9 in between then..


    I could be retaining water I guess? But I'm not exactly forcing it down.
  • SweetSailor
    SweetSailor Posts: 81 Member
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    This. Muscle weighs more than fat so that could be part of it.

    I'm also curious why 13 to 18 glasses of water. Are you forcing it down or are you drinking when you're thirsty? You could be retaining water.

    No. No. No.

    One, a pound of feathers and a pound of sand weight the exact same. A pound.

    A pound of muscle is more dense than a pound of fat on the other hand, so have someone at your gym measure your body fat.

    Second, drinking plenty of water will not make you retain water, actually opposite, it will help your body shed excess water because it's not holding on to it.

    I drink up to 25 glasses of water or tea a day because I also often work out hard, spin, heated yoga, etc. no forcing necessary, it's replenishment.

    Our stats are identical. Seriously, start tracking your body fat and take photos for your own measurements.
  • Nicolee_2014
    Nicolee_2014 Posts: 1,572 Member
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    When I was going to a personal trainer 2 x a week & eating right etc. I found that the weight didn't really shift but it sure made a HUGE difference in my body shape. Clothes fit me better than they did when I was wearing them when I was 10kgs lighter.

    Keep at it, take measurements.
  • haymancm
    haymancm Posts: 280 Member
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    Just create a bigger deficit with your calories eaten & burned. If you are eating too much, the scale will not budge, regardless of how much you burn. I love your workouts! (((feeling the sweat!))) Are you weighing yourself often? I weigh daily just to make sure I'm on the right track.

    Add me if you'd like. :)
  • Kevalicious99
    Kevalicious99 Posts: 1,131 Member
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    Don't freak out over the scale .. it is not a good indicator of progress. Do some measurements .. and track that here at MFP. Probably a much better way to determine if you are making progress.

    You really need to stop worrying about what the scale says.

    I personally will take an inch lost over a pound lost any day of the week.

    - Kevin -
  • Sashyteds
    Sashyteds Posts: 11
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    Hi Christina, it might be worth checking your energy expenditure for your exercise routines. I struggled to lose weight for years thinking that exercising a lot would help counteract calorie intake, but sadly the truth is you would have to spend hours and hours in the gym to knock off a few hundred calories, so in the end I cut down my calorie intake and only used exercise to help earn an extra treat here or there, and voila! it worked! Best of luck!

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