Calorie Deficit- But NOT losing weight

ksmoove2
ksmoove2 Posts: 4
edited February 8 in Health and Weight Loss
I been taking in around 2700-2900 calories a day . 2900 on workout days and 2700 or less on non workout days.

I'm 6'2 239lbs and I usually take in 240g of protein, 75g fat and the rest carbs. I've been doing this for a couple weeks now but my weight isn't going down. I train intense so I know I'm burning a lot of calories and my rest times in between sets are about 25 seconds. Just trying to figure out what's going on. I went from 245lbs to 235 and now I'm fluctuating 237-239 Any suggestions?
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Replies

  • BenjaminMFP88
    BenjaminMFP88 Posts: 660 Member
    Possibilities:

    -Water retention
    -Sodium increase + water retention
    -Muscular increase + water retention
    -Unpassed feces
    -Unadjusted calories at new weight limit
    -Inacuratly counted calories
    -Sudden increase in neural activing causing increased cellular reproduction?

    Just kidding, your macro % look good, make sure you're adjusting calorie needs every few lbs otherwise, you'll end up eating at TDEE instead of an actual deficit. Lower your caloric intake by 100 for a few weeks and see if it's the same. Also, ensure you are weighing yourself at the same time and place every time. Scales suck but you may as well be consistant. Are you drinking plenty of water? It looks like your eating at TDEE - %20, this means you shouldn't really be eating back any calories.

    If you are eating healthily as you say, and working out regularly, it's most likely a combination of water retention, muscular growth and fat loss.
  • stillnot2late
    stillnot2late Posts: 385 Member
    Judging from that picture of you . . . .
  • lisajsund
    lisajsund Posts: 366 Member
    What is your body composition? If you are already low body fat, you might have to lose muscle in order to lose weight.
  • ksmoove2
    ksmoove2 Posts: 4
    I'm around 14-15% bf so it should be easy for me to lose
  • Lizzy622
    Lizzy622 Posts: 3,705 Member
    Did you recalculate your calories after your weight loss? You should recalculate because your calorie requirement goes down as you lose.
  • ItsCasey
    ItsCasey Posts: 4,021 Member
    1. How often are you weighing? If you're not weighing every day, I think you should. Then take a 7-day average every week. It will give you a much better idea of how your weight is changing over time than trying to find meaning in daily fluctuations or weighing only once a week. I didn't realize the fallacy of once-a-week weigh-ins until I started working with my strength coach, and he helped me understand that weighing on the same day every week still doesn't remove the daily fluctuation factor. Maybe I'm retaining water on my weigh-in day this week, when I wasn't last week, so the scale will reflect weight gain when it's possible that I've actually lost weight. If I weigh every day and take an average, that alleviates the issue to some degree.

    2. Have you adjusted your TDEE, given your 10 lb loss? I hit the same kind of plateau after losing 5 lbs (I'm considerably smaller than you, though) and had to change things up a bit. If you haven't made any adjustments, try that first.

    3. If you are positive that your calorie goal is a deficit for you and you're positive you are weighing, measuring, and logging everything accurately, I'd say give it more time. After only 2 weeks, it's entirely possible that you're holding on to some water. After another week or two, if you truly see no downward change, then start dropping your intake a bit.
  • jonnythan
    jonnythan Posts: 10,161 Member
    If you're not losing weight you are, by definition, not in a calorie deficit.
  • MercenaryNoetic26
    MercenaryNoetic26 Posts: 2,747 Member
    I'm not losing either and cut 1500 from weekly intake. I did notice some body fat loss per scale. Rather than mess with numbers going to get a dexa scan this weekend. I've only been losing .1 lbs, lol, but feel leaner :grumble:
  • Showcase_Brodown
    Showcase_Brodown Posts: 919 Member
    You might try just sticking with what you are doing for at least another couple of weeks and then take another look to see where you are at.
  • happysherri
    happysherri Posts: 1,360 Member
    Take measurements. Are you noticing other changes like muscles getting larger, clothes baggier in areas? Try not to focus on the scale, if you're doing everything right it will all work out. However, if you want to lose weight you may need to shake things up with calories, switch up your work out for a couple of weeks, etc....
  • ksmoove2
    ksmoove2 Posts: 4
    Yes I did. I'm always eating in a deficit
  • ksmoove2
    ksmoove2 Posts: 4
    The scale isn't moving but I'm seeing some fat changes in my shoulder and upper back area
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    Are you weighing your food?
  • michellekicks
    michellekicks Posts: 3,624 Member
    I second the suggestion to decrease calories by 100.
  • WalkingAlong
    WalkingAlong Posts: 4,926 Member
    Possibilities:

    -Water retention
    -Sodium increase + water retention
    -Muscular increase + water retention
    -Unpassed feces
    -Unadjusted calories at new weight limit
    -Inacuratly counted calories
    -Sudden increase in neural activing causing increased cellular reproduction?

    Just kidding, your macro % look good, make sure you're adjusting calorie needs every few lbs otherwise, you'll end up eating at TDEE instead of an actual deficit. Lower your caloric intake by 100 for a few weeks and see if it's the same. Also, ensure you are weighing yourself at the same time and place every time. Scales suck but you may as well be consistant. Are you drinking plenty of water? It looks like your eating at TDEE - %20, this means you shouldn't really be eating back any calories.

    If you are eating healthily as you say, and working out regularly, it's most likely a combination of water retention, muscular growth and fat loss.

    My money's on the water retention. Is this exercise intensity new to you?

    http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/of-whooshes-and-squishy-fat.html
  • doctorandrew
    doctorandrew Posts: 32
    You might need to recalculate your TDEE, since you are dropping weight. I think IIFYM suggest recalculating every 3-5 lbs lost.
  • lisajsund
    lisajsund Posts: 366 Member
    I'm actually wondering if you are in too much of a deficit and need to up your calories by whatever seems logical to you.
    Based off your height and weight, your BMR is approximately 2300, and even if you are working out 3-5 days a week, you are burning 3500 calories + every day.
    So, yes, you are definitely in a deficit.
    If your body is in starvation mode, it will fight off burning fat to keep your energy stores and burn off muscle instead.
    Maybe try adding 100-200 cal for a week or two and see what happens?
  • wheird
    wheird Posts: 7,963 Member
    If you're not losing weight you are, by definition, not in a calorie deficit.

    This.
  • wheird
    wheird Posts: 7,963 Member
    I'm actually wondering if you are in too much of a deficit and need to up your calories by whatever seems logical to you.
    Based off your height and weight, your BMR is approximately 2300, and even if you are working out 3-5 days a week, you are burning 3500 calories + every day.
    So, yes, you are definitely in a deficit.
    If your body is in starvation mode, it will fight off burning fat to keep your energy stores and burn off muscle instead.
    Maybe try adding 100-200 cal for a week or two and see what happens?

    He is not in starvation mode.
  • lisajsund
    lisajsund Posts: 366 Member
    Gary Taubes has written two wonderful books. I have both but have only read part of one.
    They are called "Good Calories, Bad Calories" and "Why We Get Fat and What To Do About It."
    The theory based in the second book is we have to eat closer to what our bodies actually burn in a day, not the typical calories in, calories out method. It's an interesting read.
  • wheird
    wheird Posts: 7,963 Member
    Loltaubes
  • Holly_Roman_Empire
    Holly_Roman_Empire Posts: 4,440 Member
    Loltaubes

    :laugh:

    I guess we'll never stop seeing recommendations for taubes books.
  • wheird
    wheird Posts: 7,963 Member
    Loltaubes

    :laugh:

    I guess we'll never stop seeing recommendations for taubes books.

    At least I havent seen any Kevin Trudeau's Natural Cures They Dont Want You To Know About references in awhile.

    Nothing like a mixture of broscience and conspiracy theory. :)
  • lisajsund
    lisajsund Posts: 366 Member
    I didn't say he was in starvation mode, I said it is possible that he is.
    How often do you work out and how many calories to you burn when working out?

    Fat to Fit Radio calculates your MR with exercise. It says you should be eating 3200-3600 calories a day. And, yes, that includes a deficit.
    I'm actually wondering if you are in too much of a deficit and need to up your calories by whatever seems logical to you.
    Based off your height and weight, your BMR is approximately 2300, and even if you are working out 3-5 days a week, you are burning 3500 calories + every day.
    So, yes, you are definitely in a deficit.
    If your body is in starvation mode, it will fight off burning fat to keep your energy stores and burn off muscle instead.
    Maybe try adding 100-200 cal for a week or two and see what happens?

    He is not in starvation mode.
  • p4ulmiller
    p4ulmiller Posts: 588 Member
    I didn't say he was in starvation mode, I said it is possible that he is.

    No it isn't.
  • jonnythan
    jonnythan Posts: 10,161 Member
    I didn't say he was in starvation mode, I said it is possible that he is.
    How often do you work out and how many calories to you burn when working out?

    Fat to Fit Radio calculates your MR with exercise. It says you should be eating 3200-3600 calories a day. And, yes, that includes a deficit.

    Starvation mode is not a thing.
  • DopeItUp
    DopeItUp Posts: 18,771 Member
    Are you weighing and measuring all of your food?
  • lisajsund
    lisajsund Posts: 366 Member
    How isn't it possible?
    I didn't say he was in starvation mode, I said it is possible that he is.

    No it isn't.
  • PikaKnight
    PikaKnight Posts: 34,971 Member
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/872212-you-re-probably-eating-more-than-you-think

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1122891-9-reasons-fat-loss-is-always-slower-than-you-d-like

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1105036-article-on-flexible-dieting-by-armi-legge?page=1#posts-17068746
  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,942 Member
    If you're not losing weight you are, by definition, not in a calorie deficit.

    This. Calorie deficit = weight loss, calorie surplus = weight gain, and no deficit or surplus = maintenance.

    How do you measure the calories burned during workouts?

    Are you weighting and measuring all your foods? Accurately logging?
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