Not loosing; Getting discouraged!

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  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,293 Member
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    Have you had your thyroid tested? If you are in as much of a deficit as you calculate you are you would be losing, so maybe the cals burned are grossly overestimated.

    Wrong.

    How is that wrong? caloric deficit = weight loss, the larger the deficit the larger the weight loss, though a larger portion of said weight loss will come from lean muscle vs. fat if the deficit is too large. And over time you will slow your metabolism down to where you though you have a 1500 cal/day deficit, may only be 1200 or so due to the lowered metabolic effect of your body shutting down non life sustaining functions, and loss of lean muscle.

    Caloric deficit only equals weight loss if the body is being fueled properly otherwise. If a person is not eating enough and not providing the proper nutrition and/or energy for their body, they will not lose weight unless, as you said, the body starts cannibalizing itself for energy (which is clearly not what anyone wants).

    So, say someone has entered a goal of losing a pound a week. They would have a daily 500 caloric deficit BUILT IN (this point is often misunderstood) to their target that MFP provides. If that person NETS whatever their MFP target is (let's say it's 1500) every day, they will lose a pound a week. If that same person NETS 1000 calories a day, their body probably wouldn't be getting the proper fuel for them to function so their body will likely hold on to everything it can. Therefore, the dreaded plateau and posts such as this one where the OP is frustrated and discouraged.

    It will lose in a deficit no matter what, but the body by was of slowing down and fueling on muscle your BMR and maintenance cals will be lower than you think they should be and your weight loss would be slower due to this. Essentially BMR drops by 200 cals/day, now your deficit is 200 cals less than you think it should be, you still lose weight but slower than you would expect at that caloric intake. If is impossible not to lose weight if you are in a deficit (unless it is counteracted by increase water retention for some reason)

    Not to mention it takes weeks or months of eating at an extreme deficit to have this large of an effect on your metabolism.
  • Holly_Roman_Empire
    Holly_Roman_Empire Posts: 4,440 Member
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    The last two posters have some valid points and Bear is dead on. Try upping your calorie intake a little.

    I don't think that is something we can recommend until we get more information. If someone is not losing weight, it is rarely because they are not eating enough.

    Untrue. It actually happens quite often on this site. Just search it and you will see.

    Because EVERYONE who says they are not losing/are gaining on a 1200 calorie diet is TOTALLY tracking their calories accurately. :huh:
  • 1PatientBear
    1PatientBear Posts: 2,089 Member
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    The last two posters have some valid points and Bear is dead on. Try upping your calorie intake a little.

    I don't think that is something we can recommend until we get more information. If someone is not losing weight, it is rarely because they are not eating enough.

    Untrue. It actually happens quite often on this site. Just search it and you will see.

    Because EVERYONE who says they are not losing/are gaining on a 1200 calorie diet is TOTALLY tracking their calories accurately. :huh:

    I don't believe I said that, nor did I mention a 1200 calorie diet anywhere.
  • Cindyinpg
    Cindyinpg Posts: 3,902 Member
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    The last two posters have some valid points and Bear is dead on. Try upping your calorie intake a little.

    I don't think that is something we can recommend until we get more information. If someone is not losing weight, it is rarely because they are not eating enough.

    Untrue. It actually happens quite often on this site. Just search it and you will see.

    Because EVERYONE who says they are not losing/are gaining on a 1200 calorie diet is TOTALLY tracking their calories accurately. :huh:
    Agreed. Chances are the calories are being underestimated or burns overestimated, or both. Eating more to weigh less is more about having a smaller more sustainable deficit. It is not meant to be taken literally. Give this a read, OP. it is an excellent thread regarding logging accuracy. http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/872212-you-re-probably-eating-more-than-you-think
  • Holly_Roman_Empire
    Holly_Roman_Empire Posts: 4,440 Member
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    The last two posters have some valid points and Bear is dead on. Try upping your calorie intake a little.

    I don't think that is something we can recommend until we get more information. If someone is not losing weight, it is rarely because they are not eating enough.

    Untrue. It actually happens quite often on this site. Just search it and you will see.

    Because EVERYONE who says they are not losing/are gaining on a 1200 calorie diet is TOTALLY tracking their calories accurately. :huh:

    I don't believe I said that, nor did I mention a 1200 calorie diet anywhere.

    It was an example of the type of thread you are talking about. The point is, just because people on here say they gaining/maintaining on a caloric deficit, don't take their word for it.
  • NicoleFray
    NicoleFray Posts: 82 Member
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    First, you aren't burning 2000-2500 calories a day working out. Second, eat more. If your calorie target is 1250 and you burn 500 calories from working out, you have 750 NET calories for the day. You should aim to end the day with 1250 NET calories (again, assuming that's your target). If you net less than that, you aren't fueling your body properly (think a car with half a tank of gas). So, your body is hanging on to all it can get and that is why you aren't losing weight.



    FIrst off yes I am burning 2500 a day but thats from 9am-10pm all day including excersise I have a Polar Heartrate monitor that counts calories..

    But Yes I have been noticing my clothes are fitting looser and my trainer said I'm probably gaining more muscle, I do cardio every day but the day's I have my trainer and depending on the week I have one or two days off/rest. I lost a lb today when I weighed and started eating every 3 hours I think that was my problem not eating every 3 hours..
  • LeanButNotMean44
    LeanButNotMean44 Posts: 852 Member
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    FIrst off yes I am burning 2500 a day but thats from 9am-10pm all day including excersise I have a Polar Heartrate monitor that counts calories..

    But Yes I have been noticing my clothes are fitting looser and my trainer said I'm probably gaining more muscle, I do cardio every day but the day's I have my trainer and depending on the week I have one or two days off/rest. I lost a lb today when I weighed and started eating every 3 hours I think that was my problem not eating every 3 hours..

    1) If you are doing all cardio and no weight training, you are not gaining (any) muscle.
    2) Stop weighing yourself every day.
    3) Eat more!
    4) Your trainer sucks. No carbs after 4pm is a myth.
  • Hollie_downunder
    Hollie_downunder Posts: 192
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    Possibly because you want to LOSE weight, not LOOSE ;)
  • RawCarrots
    RawCarrots Posts: 204 Member
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    Yes, you need a new trainer! Meanwhile read over some of the advice posted above, some excellent points
  • nikki6_2002
    nikki6_2002 Posts: 31 Member
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    duplicate post
  • nikki6_2002
    nikki6_2002 Posts: 31 Member
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    Have you had your thyroid tested? If you are in as much of a deficit as you calculate you are you would be losing, so maybe the cals burned are grossly overestimated.

    Wrong.

    How is that wrong? caloric deficit = weight loss, the larger the deficit the larger the weight loss, though a larger portion of said weight loss will come from lean muscle vs. fat if the deficit is too large. And over time you will slow your metabolism down to where you though you have a 1500 cal/day deficit, may only be 1200 or so due to the lowered metabolic effect of your body shutting down non life sustaining functions, and loss of lean muscle.

    Caloric deficit only equals weight loss if the body is being fueled properly otherwise. If a person is not eating enough and not providing the proper nutrition and/or energy for their body, they will not lose weight unless, as you said, the body starts cannibalizing itself for energy (which is clearly not what anyone wants).

    So, say someone has entered a goal of losing a pound a week. They would have a daily 500 caloric deficit BUILT IN (this point is often misunderstood) to their target that MFP provides. If that person NETS whatever their MFP target is (let's say it's 1500) every day, they will lose a pound a week. If that same person NETS 1000 calories a day, their body probably wouldn't be getting the proper fuel for them to function so their body will likely hold on to everything it can. Therefore, the dreaded plateau and posts such as this one where the OP is frustrated and discouraged.

    Wow, so anorexics should not be skinny?
  • vwbug86
    vwbug86 Posts: 283 Member
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    [/quote]

    Wow, so anorexics should not be skinny?
    [/quote]

    ^^^ This. If starvation mode worked they way you say anorexics would gain weight before they lose. That's not how it works. You will lose weight while starving, it just won't be as fast and will be muscle instead of fat until there is no muscle to lose.

    Also you probably aren't gaining muscle on a deficit especially if you're not lifting.
  • Siansonea
    Siansonea Posts: 917 Member
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    Everyone knows that the way to lose weight is to just eat lots of calories, so your body doesn't think there's a famine. It'll go into Starvation Mode™, and then you'll gain weight by osmosis. It's totally scientific, y'all! Clearly people gain weight because they just don't eat enough. :smokin:
  • kiwitechgirl
    kiwitechgirl Posts: 145 Member
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    FIrst off yes I am burning 2500 a day but thats from 9am-10pm all day including excersise I have a Polar Heartrate monitor that counts calories..

    You're not using it to estimate your entire daily burn, are you? HRMs are designed for steady state cardio, not normal every day activities, so if you are it may well be giving you an inaccurate reading. Just use it for cardio...

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