Lifting weights, but no real fat loss

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  • stealthq
    stealthq Posts: 4,298 Member
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    The only reason why you're gaining fat is because you're eating too much. Eat less and measure everything.

    This.

    Especially the weigh/measure everything part. I find it hard to believe that if you're actually staying within 1500 Cals you're not losing weight while doing that much exercise unless you are quite old, already underweight, or extremely short (by which I mean quite a bit under 5').

    Given that none of these is likely true, there must be a problem with your calorie counting somewhere. Either you're underestimating how much you're eating, or, if you follow MFP's method, you're overestimating how many calories you're burning doing Crossfit.
  • lisahewlett
    lisahewlett Posts: 17
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    In MFP, it asks me if i'm Sedentary, Lightly Active, etc.

    That's where I'm not sure, either, because i DO sit all day for my actual job (my walking breaks are in the afternoons). All of my lifting activity is before work.

    So am I sedentary or lightly active?
  • lisahewlett
    lisahewlett Posts: 17
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    I'm 5'1.
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,293 Member
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    In MFP, it asks me if i'm Sedentary, Lightly Active, etc.

    That's where I'm not sure, either, because i DO sit all day for my actual job (my walking breaks are in the afternoons). All of my lifting activity is before work.

    So am I sedentary or lightly active?

    set light active and don't log cals from strength training
  • grantdumas7
    grantdumas7 Posts: 802 Member
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    This might be a better calculator

    http://scoobysworkshop.com/accurate-calorie-calculator/
  • ElliottTN
    ElliottTN Posts: 1,614 Member
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    Lifting weights does not cause weight loss. Prolonged caloric level does.
  • stealthq
    stealthq Posts: 4,298 Member
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    From http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/

    Here's the calc for a woman of your stats with little exercise (desk job):

    TDEE: 1872
    BMR: 1560
    (TDEE - 20%): 1497

    So, as long as you're eating under 1872 (let's say < 1772 to allow for potentially inaccurate estimation) you should be losing weight - and that's not counting the Crossfit exercise.

    With 3-5 hrs. per wk of moderate exercise, you're looking at:

    TDEE: 2418
    BMR: 1560
    (TDEE - 20%): 1934

    Clearly, somewhere there's an error in your estimations, somewhere. Or, on the days you don't stay in 1500 Cals are you eating a lot over? Possibly enough to cancel out your efforts on the other days?
  • lisahewlett
    lisahewlett Posts: 17
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    So that's saying I need 1900 calories? I eat less than that every day.
  • stealthq
    stealthq Posts: 4,298 Member
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    It's an estimate (like MFP), so for some people it will be a bit high and for some it will be a bit low and for most it will be pretty much dead on. But, yes, it's saying that with the exercise you describe, you should be able to lose weight on 1900 cals.

    So, that gets back to an inaccuracy somewhere on calorie intake. Or, possibly, a medical issue. Calorie intake errors are pretty common, so eliminate that first. You need to weigh and measure everything everyday - even on 'cheat' days if you have them - to be sure that's not the problem.

    If it turns out that isn't it, only then I'd look at potential medical causes.
  • idontcarroll
    idontcarroll Posts: 216 Member
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    http://iifym.com
    http://iifym.com/iifym-calculator/

    Right now you are eating a little over you BMR, that is the calories needed to just live.

    1703 cals, that is the suggested cals for fat loss.

    GRAMS per day
    CARBS 87.5
    PROTEIN 178
    FAT 71.2
    FIBER 36 - 45
    1703

    These numbers will change as you lose weight. Lots of different things (diets) work for different people. this is what I go buy and what works for me. Good luck!
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,293 Member
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    So that's saying I need 1900 calories? I eat less than that every day.

    Do you weigh all your solids and measure all your liquids consumed? If not I bet you are eating at least 25% if not more than you think you are.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,867 Member
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    So that's saying I need 1900 calories? I eat less than that every day.

    I would strongly suggest that you get a food scale and start weighing pretty much anything that can be weighed and using measuring cups/spoons for anything else. My guess is that you think you're eating 1600 calories or whatever...but in reality you are eating more. This is pretty easy to do.

    For example...before I started using a scale I would log my chicken breast @ 4oz...because that's what my chicken package says..."one chicken breast 4 oz"...but in reality, 1 chicken breast is far closer to 8 oz...I was consuming roughly 50% more calories right there than I was logging. Same thing with my almonds...I was just grabbing a handful of almonds and logging 1 oz because that seemed about right...once I started weighing it I noticed that my handful was closer to 1.5 oz...so I was logging 160 calories for that but consuming 240.

    The list goes on and on, but with just those two things which are staples of my diet I was eating roughly 200 calories more per day than I initially thought I was. That doesn't even include my condiments that I wasn't logging, my guestimations of cooking oils and salad dressings, etc. In the end, I was consuming, on average, 550-600 calories more per day than I thought I was with my crappy guestimations.

    Also, if you eat out a lot, this can really mess with your numbers...restaurants are given a lot of leeway with their estimated calorie representations when the provide nutritional information. I believe they are allowed about 20% error.
  • BusyRaeNOTBusty
    BusyRaeNOTBusty Posts: 7,166 Member
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    I'd also vote that you really aren't eating 1500 calories a day. Do you weigh and measure everything? Do you log every single day without fail? Are you having any cheat days? What about the holidays?
  • grantdumas7
    grantdumas7 Posts: 802 Member
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    You do have to remember that TDEE calculations may not work for everyone. If you are accurately measuring your portions and your calories are where they should be according to the TDEE calculator and you are not loosing weight, that simple means you need to reduce your calories.
  • Smashley1947
    Smashley1947 Posts: 129
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    It seems to me like you are doing everything correctly.

    Personally I don't focus on how much I'm eating, but what I am eating.

    I would suggest visiting a doctor, you could have some underlying medical issue which is causing you to gain weight. My family has a history of thyroid issues which can cause a person to gain weight, also certain medicines can cause someone to gain as well.
  • WalkingAlong
    WalkingAlong Posts: 4,926 Member
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    The only reason why you're gaining fat is because you're eating too much. Eat less and measure everything.
    This. If you're gaining weight you're eating too much. Period.
    Unless it's water weight, which it sounds like.

    How much do you eat, in calories?
  • tigersword
    tigersword Posts: 8,059 Member
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    The only reason why you're gaining fat is because you're eating too much. Eat less and measure everything.
    This. If you're gaining weight you're eating too much. Period.
    Unless it's water weight, which it sounds like.

    How much do you eat, in calories?
    It's not water weight, water weight doesn't last for 6 months.
  • WalkingAlong
    WalkingAlong Posts: 4,926 Member
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    No, not usually. When I started lifting, though, I bet it lasted 4. With Crossfit, they keep changing things up to newly challenge the muscles. I could see it causing those effects over and over for a while. But yeah, there has to be an end.
  • tigersword
    tigersword Posts: 8,059 Member
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    Water retention doesn't have to do with specific exercises. It's about the work in general. The body adapts and regulates it's ability to repair itself. Untrained muscle receives relatively major damage, hence large amounts of water to cushion and protect while repairing. Trained muscle needs far less water for cushioning, as the damage is on a far smaller scale, as trained muscle is more efficient at doing the work, once the CNS has adapted to utilizing all the available tissue.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,709 Member
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    you need to also do cardio to lose fat
    Untrue. Fat loss is happens when calorie deficit is instituted. It's been well documented that one can lose weight with no exercise at all as long as calorie deficit is present.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

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