Why??? Exercise + diet change = no change

rebranding101
rebranding101 Posts: 16
in Introduce Yourself
Any advice? I've been following MFP for about 3 months now, and I'm pretty compliant on managing my calorie intake of 1200, and a "bad" day I might slip to the 1600-2000 range which is not too often.

I've also been training for a Spartan run and have been exercising 1-5 days a week, and usually average around 3. According to the treadmill, I typically burn between 500-700 calories per workout in addition to the weight training I do, and I switch up my workouts daily.

The scale hasn't budged and neither have my measurements. Not one tiny bit! I'm definately toner, I have more endurance, and can run a lot faster, but I see no phycical difference. I even have one of those % body mass scales, and I haven't even noticed a decrease in body fat and an increase in muscle mass.

Any insight of what could possibly be going on? I'm going to keep at it, but how can I reach a plateau when I haven't lost anything?

Replies

  • Shuuma
    Shuuma Posts: 465 Member
    Are you measuring all your food? It's surprising when you start measuring quantities just how many calories can be in the simplest things! (4 ounces of milk has nearly 70 calories in it!!)

    Adding a heart rate monitor to your regimen will also give better accuracy to how much you're actually burning. That, in combination with accurate food measuring, will help ensure you are burning more calories than you eat.

    Calories in vs. calories out.

    Good luck and don't give up!
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,420 Member
    Your ticker sys you are trying to lose 10 pounds? You are training for a Spartan?

    Try eating a lot more than 1200.

    Here:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants
  • jennegan1
    jennegan1 Posts: 677 Member
    Are you sure you are definitely logging your food accurately? Like for instance coffee creamers or fruits veggies. Little things that will add up in the long run? Also are you eating back some of your calories on work out days?
  • jennegan1
    jennegan1 Posts: 677 Member
    Your ticker sys you are trying to lose 10 pounds? You are training for a Spartan?

    Try eating a lot more than 1200.

    Here:

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

    Hello ppl lol :)
  • jennegan1
    jennegan1 Posts: 677 Member
    Are you measuring all your food? It's surprising when you start measuring quantities just how many calories can be in the simplest things! (4 ounces of milk has nearly 70 calories in it!!)

    Adding a heart rate monitor to your regimen will also give better accuracy to how much you're actually burning. That, in combination with accurate food measuring, will help ensure you are burning more calories than you eat.

    Calories in vs. calories out.

    Good luck and don't give up!

    I forgot to add that in. Measuring and or weighing your food helps alot. I seen some one put into their diary I think less then one ounce of milk for cereal. So I asked are you really only drinking one ounce with cereal
  • rebranding101
    rebranding101 Posts: 16
    Thanks everyone for the advice!

    I do try to accurately log everything. My morning coffee 16 oz, clocks in around 110 calories. I've measured out things in the past to get an idea of what is the "true serving size." However, some of it is a bit of mess and guess work. I get a lot of those build your own salads so it's really hard trying to determine how many egg whites are in a tong pinch, or how many sunflower seeds were added, but they typically log-in around 600 calories, which is reasonable compared to some pre-made ones.

    Does anyone know how accurate the calories are for the preloaded list of ingredients on MFP? Is 8 stalks of asparagus really only 35 calories?

    I will definately look at getting a heart monitor. Some of my runs are speed workouts and I'm definitely anerobic when I'm doing those while my long ones I just cruise. Also thanks for the links for trying to determine ideal calorie intake.

    I'm seeing a nutrionist next week, perhaps they can shed some light. Regardless of my lack of progress, I'll keep chugging along.

    Thanks again!
  • PikaKnight
    PikaKnight Posts: 34,971 Member
    Could you open your diary?
  • emmatui
    emmatui Posts: 84 Member
    I found myself on a plateau like you a couple of months ago - I was being really good with my eating and exercising, but the weight wasn't going anywhere. I've found a couple things though that might help you out if you're willing to try them:

    1. A massage that focuses on clearing build ups in your lymph nodes. Often a build up of toxins in your body can stop it from cleansing wastes, which can hinder weight loss.
    2. This was a huge help for me - do a juice cleanse. The cleanse I did contained a vegetable juice for breakfast and dinner, brown rice and salad for lunch, and a juice with fruit at afternoon tea for energy. (See the food matters website for this cleanse, I promise it is the best). Basically, the first two days you just feel hungry and you may have energy levels. But on the third day (and if you can do up to 5, 7 or even 10 days, I would recommend it) your energy comes back, you feel lighter and more energetic as well as really positive about what you're doing. I only did it for 3 days, it detoxified my body and I lost 2 kg in that week after being stuck at the same weight for about a year.
    Always drink A LOT of water as well - this also helps to clean toxins from your body.
  • rebranding101
    rebranding101 Posts: 16
    Diary is open. It's only for the past 2 days. MFP conked out on me between the Apple software upgrade and the new app, so I lost my history but I typically eat the same stuff every day. My fruit might change or I may eat broccoli rabe vs asparagus, or sometime steele cut oatmeal will make an appearance.

    My exercise will change, but I usually will do some form of cardio till I hit 500, the days I don't reach the 500 mark are my heavy lifting days, and I'll typicallly clock 250 calories on the treadmill and work out more of a crossfit style.

    My lunch I typically grab at a corner store that makes everything inhouse. If I can see or taste the ingredient, I try to track it and then add additional ingredients I would expect to be in the dish.
  • rebranding101
    rebranding101 Posts: 16
    Thanks. I never drink enough water I do know that!
  • Shuuma
    Shuuma Posts: 465 Member
    Most of us usually greatly underestimate calories consumed and overestimate calories burned.

    Once you start weighing your food and putting all of it in the diary, it will help a bunch.
  • rebranding101
    rebranding101 Posts: 16
    Your ticker sys you are trying to lose 10 pounds? You are training for a Spartan?

    Try eating a lot more than 1200.

    Here:

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

    Thanks so much you were right! I saw my nutritionist who agrees with you. I need to be in the 1500 range.

    She confirmed I was measuring everything accurately, and eating the right food, but I need to eat more!
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    Body re-comp is a slow process....you're not going to see much in 3 months. With only 10 cosmetic Lbs to lose, weight loss will be very slow as well...you simply don't have the fat stores to drop weight like a 300 Lb obese person. You need to re-evalute your expectations.
  • rebranding101
    rebranding101 Posts: 16
    I love that you assume my weightloss is cosmetic! :wink: Yes, my goals are small, but I'm quite small. My BMI classified me as slightly overweight. There is plenty of snuggle fluff to loose. Over my adult life I weighted between 98-140 pounds. Could I loose more and still be healthy...yes. Will I? Perhaps. A 10 pound weigh loss puts me at a weight I'm comfortable at, and at a healthy BMI. Perhaps when I reach that goal, I may set a new one. I find small goals more attainable.

    My overall goal is to get healthy now, and stop my annual weight increase before I get older, and it becomes more challenging to loose and will affect my health negatively. Over the past 10 years, I've put on 42 pounds. If I keep on that track I would be pushing 180 pounds when I'm in my 40's.

    Technically I've been running since July. I know it takes time, but with a diet change and adding exercise I would of thought that over 5 months, I would of lost 5 pounds.
  • rvmemaw
    rvmemaw Posts: 4 Member
    I feel for you! My husband and I both started "serious" lifestyle changes this past May. By November he lost 35 pounds, I lost ZERO. I am 58. I do 3 or 4 Les Mils body combat classes a week, 2 power lifting classes, swim on the weekends, other various cardio workouts 5 to 6 times a week. I stay around 1200 calories a day and drink nothing but water and hot tea. I finally became so frustrated I stopped logging and weighing totally. It depressed me and I even started resenting him, lol. After 10 days vaca after Christmas, I decided to try again and found this program. I immediately lost 4 pounds (but that was all vacation pounds). I just feel like I spend every spare moment in the gym, eat perfectly 95 percent of the time and no ponds lost EVER. Am I healthier, stronger, of course! But it is so frustrating not to see the scale budge after so many months. And already I feel that resentment coming back. I really want this to work....but I'm sooooooo frustrated!!! So, I understand how you feel and sympathize!
  • rexiecatmeow
    rexiecatmeow Posts: 43 Member
    eat more than 1200 calories...put some muscle on your body..best advice i got.
  • bwogilvie
    bwogilvie Posts: 2,130 Member
    Does anyone know how accurate the calories are for the preloaded list of ingredients on MFP? Is 8 stalks of asparagus really only 35 calories?

    Accuracy varies greatly, depending on who entered the data. Users can add their own, and some people are, shall we say, overly optimistic about calories.

    The USDA's National Nutrient Database is a useful resource for checking info: http://ndb.nal.usda.gov

    It lists one medium (5.25-7 inch long) asparagus spear as having 3 calories, so 35 for 8 large spears is accurate. However, that's for the asparagus itself. Add 1 tsp of oil (which you might do if you're roasting the asparagus) at 40 calories and you've doubled the calorie count. Oil, salad dressings, and sauces are a significant source of calories that many people overlook.

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