FRUSTRATING!

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  • cafeaulait7
    cafeaulait7 Posts: 2,459 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.

    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.

    Your muscles will be retaining water (and glycogen, I believe) because of all the exercise you are now doing. Definitely take measurements. As much as you do, you might even get muscle swelling a bit at first (I do). So even give measurements a little time.

    I don't know if it helps, but after 3 weeks I started losing inches (and have been consistently after a big jump at first that was probably the swelling going away). However, my scale is stuck, stuck, stuck. Which may be a great thing, since inches are coming off.
  • fatfrost
    fatfrost Posts: 365 Member
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    Maybe try to change up the timing of your intake a bit. See what happens if you go a week without eating after nine pm.
  • JcMey3r
    JcMey3r Posts: 431 Member
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    Are you losing inches/cm's. My scale will go up but I'm losing inches. Weight loss isn't always on the scale.
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,391 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.

    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.

    I would suggest 1900 calories if you were only working out 1 hour a day but if you are going to workout 3 hours (especially with lots on intensity) it's probably going to be more like 2400 calories. Honestly, I would suggest dropping exercise down to 1 hour a day for 6 days a week. There is NO benefit from working out as much as you are. I would suggest doing 3 days of weight training, 2 cardio and 1 yoga. And then eat 1900 calories a day and macro's around 40% carbs, 30% protein and 30% fats.

    If you have trouble getting enough calories, just go dirty. You can either eat peanut butter out of a jar, eat some ice cream (i prefer a klondike each night), high calorie protein shakes, high calorie protein bars, adding cheese to your menu, or even drink some calories.. milk/almond milk. Add avocado to some of your meals or cook foods in olive oil
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,391 MFP Moderator
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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. :)))

    You can't gain muscle without gaining weight and you can not gain muscle really unless you are eating a surplus of calories to include progressive load lifts. And two major things going against her on a deficit, she is a women (lacks high levels of testosterone) and she is already lean.
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,139 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.

    this is not good advice...

    First, you can't be eating in a deficit and going the amount of cardio OP is and gain muscle.
    Second, muscle does not weight more than fat.

    Third - drinking more water does not make you retain water, it actually helps you release water retention and release excess sodium and what not ...

    Please look these things up before you give someone advice that is dead wrong.
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,139 Member
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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?

    if you are not weight your food get a food scale...

    Consider this, if your were off 100 by calories per day that means that you would consume an additional 1200 calories per week ...

    You really need to be weighting everything...
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,391 MFP Moderator
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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?

    if you are not weight your food get a food scale...

    Consider this, if your were off 100 by calories per day that means that you would consume an additional 1200 calories per week ...

    You really need to be weighting everything...

    100% this. Food scales are cheap ($15 off amazon) and it's amazing how much different measuring has vs weighing. I can tell you I was way off when I weighed oatmeal, peanut butter, or even my meats.
  • tigersword
    tigersword Posts: 8,059 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. :)))
    50849-Grumpy-Cat-GOOD-and-NO-memes-flSp.jpeg
    You don't gain muscle in a calorie deficit. Water retention.
  • Kat5343
    Kat5343 Posts: 451 Member
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    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.

    One thing, have your doctor check your thyroid.. Before going on my meds my (now ex-) husband and I both went on a low-fat and reduced calorie diet for 3 weeks and I walked at least a mile nightly for those 3 weeks... My husband did NO exercise and still drank light beer... we both weighed in the same day on his parent's scale.... guess what??? He lost 13 pounds and I GAINED 5!!!! I never cried so hard in my life.

    To make a long story short... I was diagnosed with Hashimoto's and my TSH level was 22 and normal is 2-4!! So my metabolism was not moving at all. I went on my meds and followed a low(er) carb diet and walked and in about 6 months I dropped 80 pounds!!!!!

    So, I would recommend a trip to your doctor just to see. It couldn't hurt.
  • MACnificence
    MACnificence Posts: 419 Member
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    I wouldnt go changing anything drastic just yet , when I first started the gym I didn't lose for a few weeks actually my weight starting fluctuating up and down mad before that I was just walking and losing steadily .
    I just kept at it and it started coming off so it was more than likely just water retention from a new exercise regime
    Don't panic just yet I know it's hard but as people have said the scale isn't the best indicator of progress , the fact you feel fitter and stronger is progress in itself

    Also agree with the amount of cardio your doing is overkill , I know we all want the weight off fast but 3 hours of cardio is likely not substainable and is not necessary ,
  • dbm037
    dbm037 Posts: 125 Member
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    I have enjoyed reading everyone's thoughts. I too am having the same problem . I don't have a scale and I just figure I must be under estimating how much I eat and over estimating exercise. I feel better, some people have asked me if I lost weight. It is frustrating for sure. My gym partner is a man and in 4 weeks he has lost 12 pounds. But he has a lot to lose and I am just trying to lose 10 more pounds. I am 5'9 160 pounds
  • vertor81
    vertor81 Posts: 17
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    I think 1900 is a lot when you try to loose and I would also suggest going to TDEE method. I had 1900 when I was reducing and it gave me a 500cal deficit per day.
    Additionally apart from weighting the food you log try to make sure you eat at exactly the same time and same calorie level not like you do from to time frame.
    Drinking a lot of water is good but overdoing it gives a oposite result because you also need microelements and vitamines to lose fat and water removes them from your system.
    The sports you do are not full cardio, I would suggest adding a 30-60 min bike ride or run to your workout for 2-3 times a week.

    I would also suggest another change.
    The 40/40/20 propotions are good when you do not work out at all. If you train that much as you wrote then I would suggest changing this to 50/30/20 or so.
    You can also calculate it in the following way:
    2g of protein per kilogram of body weight (multiply total by 4 to get how many calories you get from protein)
    total daily target of fat can be calculated by the following formula: fat (g) = ((total calories per day)*20%)/9
    rest should be carbs so you calculate: (total calories per day) - fat(cal) - protein(cal) = carb (cal) to get grams just divide by 4.
    There is no use to provide more protein than the above mentioned, but giving more carbs will allow you to boost your metabolism with the training program you described.
    I would calculate the total calorie per day base using the TDEE method. This gives the best estimation in my opinion.

    Also I do not agree to the version that you cannot gain muscle while on deficit. According to the mesurements I made using a skinfold caliper, scale and an excell sheet (plus some fat calculators that can be found in the internet) I didn`t lose muscle during my deficit stage, but actually gained a bit.

    So good luck and do not give up the results will come if you`re dedicated.
  • gagoh360
    gagoh360 Posts: 3 Member
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    Did you take your measurements when you started? you are working out a lot. granted a pound of fat is the same weight as a pound of muscle, BUT the muscle is denser. You can lose inches but not necessarily pounds. I can bet that even if you aren't seeing it on the scale, the tape measure will show a change. My fitness Pal lists just a couple of spots to measure. But increase the measure points. include upper arms, thighs and calves. Loosing the inches will definitely keep you motivated, since that is really what you want to see.
  • gphclue
    gphclue Posts: 6 Member
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    Maybe you should try doing a keto diet. For me I just do not lose weight if my carbs are over 100g. I stay close to 50g if not less. Some people are able to handle a diet with more carbs, but most people cant without even knowing it.

    Good luck
  • tigersword
    tigersword Posts: 8,059 Member
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    Maybe you should try doing a keto diet. For me I just do not lose weight if my carbs are over 100g. I stay close to 50g if not less. Some people are able to handle a diet with more carbs, but most people cant without even knowing it.

    Good luck
    Totally false. The people that actually need a low carb or ketogenic diet to lose weight are incredibly few. Anyone that tells you otherwise is working some kind of sales pitch.
  • christina_michelle
    christina_michelle Posts: 225
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    I enjoy working out a lot..

    And I feel like I eat a ton! Plus isn't there such thing as too much protein? I am eating 150 - 180 grams per day everyday...
    I feel like to keep my macros I couldn't eat any more!

    Also, I am doing an hour of cardio 6 times a week, and weights 4 times a week and pilates 3-4 times a week.

    I divide it by:
    Monday -Kickbox cardio then Hamstrings, calves and outer thighs
    Tuesday- Bootcamp class, Pilates then Biceps, Triceps, Chest
    Wednesday - Pilates, Kickbox cardio
    Thursday - Bootcamp, Pilates, Quads and Inner thighs
    Friday - Kickbox Cardio then Shoulder and Back
    Saturday - Zumba
    Sunday - Pilates or off


    The classes are about an hour, liftings is 30 - 45 minutes.
  • christina_michelle
    christina_michelle Posts: 225
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    I know to eat enough carbs as my body weight and that lots of water is good for you!
  • JTick
    JTick Posts: 2,131 Member
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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?

    if you are not weight your food get a food scale...

    Consider this, if your were off 100 by calories per day that means that you would consume an additional 1200 calories per week ...

    You really need to be weighting everything...

    I completely agree that OP needs to weigh her food...I was shocked to learn how much I was really consuming. BUT, where do you live that has 12 days in a week? :huh:
  • 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?

    if you are not weight your food get a food scale...

    Consider this, if your were off 100 by calories per day that means that you would consume an additional 1200 calories per week ...

    You really need to be weighting everything...

    I completely agree that OP needs to weigh her food...I was shocked to learn how much I was really consuming. BUT, where do you live that has 12 days in a week? :huh:


    I work in television, so sometimes I travel and am unable to log.

    On that note, when I am on set especially in my most recent travels, I ate very healthy, worked out every morning and was running around a resort like crazy for 12 hours a day.

    But I have been going at it for a little over a month.

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