It's just not working

124

Replies

  • How tall are you and how active are you are the first questions. 1300 calories is no where near enough for a active healthy female. You need to find out your BMR and your activity level. At 140 pounds if your anwhere over 5'4 you are in great shape. Before any fitness plan you need to take your measurments and not worry about weight. The measurment numbers are the true indicator. Example a 5'4 female that is around 140 pounds BMR is around 18-1900 cals per day to keep weight the same, subtract workouts and lifestyle you will have your net cals around 1500. You will shed fat and gain muscle mass, thats why the measurments are key. Don't micro manage your intake, eat good size portions of veg, fruit , and lean protine. One mid day snack one afternoon snack and keep moving . 140 is great only weigh yourself once per month and measure twice per month to track progress and keep your cals within 250-500 of goal. Its a long term health goal not a day by day numbers game.
  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,942 Member
    Dr. Lindsey Duncan, owner, CEO and product formulator for Genesis Pure, is an award-winning naturopathic doctor who believes in using top nutrition and “Cleanse, Balance, Build” to create overall healing and wellness. His philosophy includes utilizing nutrition to create an alkaline body for optimum physical health. The supplements I use from this company promote total body health, which encourages your body to function like it should and heal itself. I have been using supplments and yo-yo dieting all of my adult life, and have never found any as good as these. www.genesispure.com/rapha
    Supplements from this Duncan dude are not necessary. This is spam too.
  • Mr_Knight
    Mr_Knight Posts: 9,532 Member
    I am doing insanity so last month it was eating back about 350 calories.... I wear a hrm with a strap that tells me how many calories I burn.

    Cut that number in half, at least. HRMs don't measure calorie burns, they measure heart rate and then do fuzzy math on that number to guess at your burn. That fuzzy math does not give accurate results for interval-y type exercise like Insanity.
  • missomgitsica
    missomgitsica Posts: 496 Member
    Generally speaking, MyFitnessPal tends to greatly overestimate calories burned during exercise. So if you're eating back everything they tell you you've burned off, there's a good chance you're overeating there.

    Have you taken your measurements? Sometimes your weight fluctuates even as you get smaller, so it's helpful to do that. Don't make the number on the scale the only way you track your progress.
  • MarthaNina
    MarthaNina Posts: 10 Member
    Have you considered it is the weight of the muscles you are building up from the exercise? Muscle weighs more than fat!
  • njean888
    njean888 Posts: 399 Member
    Something to consider. I did Insanity as well, I completed the entire program. I only lost 4 pounds on the scale. I did not take measurements but I did take before and after pics and it was a huge difference in appearance. Not losing on the scale is super frustrating, I know, but sometimes it helps to look at the bigger picture.
  • Kevalicious99
    Kevalicious99 Posts: 1,131 Member
    I have gained up to 8.6 lbs in a day from eating and water. So .. do I freak out ? Never .. cause I know that the vast majority of the time, I will lose most or all of that weight by the next morning. So .. fluctuations do happen and it is all about the trends .. and over time if you eat at a proper calorie deficit you will get there.

    I have gone for up to 2 weeks and not lost any weight .. it is all about the patience and being consistent.
  • Fullsterkur_woman
    Fullsterkur_woman Posts: 2,712 Member
    Have you considered it is the weight of the muscles you are building up from the exercise? Muscle weighs more than fat!
    You're trying to cause me a seizure, right?! *eyetwitch eyetwitch*
  • DeadliftAddict
    DeadliftAddict Posts: 746 Member
    Try not eating back your calories. There is not cookie cutter way that works for everyone. Find what works for you and stick to it. Anyone who tells you one thing will work for everyone should be punched in the throat. Do what the *kitten* you want to do! Try eating a little more and see what happens. You will have to experiment with your own body. Thing of yourself as a project. Give something a try for two to three weeks and see what happens.
  • mccindy72
    mccindy72 Posts: 7,001 Member
    Dr. Lindsey Duncan, owner, CEO and product formulator for Genesis Pure, is an award-winning naturopathic doctor who believes in using top nutrition and “Cleanse, Balance, Build” to create overall healing and wellness. His philosophy includes utilizing nutrition to create an alkaline body for optimum physical health. The supplements I use from this company promote total body health, which encourages your body to function like it should and heal itself. I have been using supplments and yo-yo dieting all of my adult life, and have never found any as good as these. www.genesispure.com/rapha

    Don't post this stuff. It's just a stupid copy and paste advertising blurb.
    there is no such thing as creating an alkaline body, and trying to do so is dangerous.
  • Lauren4974
    Lauren4974 Posts: 35 Member
    Also remember muscle weighs more than fat. Remember to take measurements and not rely on just your scale. If you are losing inches but not pounds it still counts!
  • DeadliftAddict
    DeadliftAddict Posts: 746 Member
    Have you considered it is the weight of the muscles you are building up from the exercise? Muscle weighs more than fat!
    You're trying to cause me a seizure, right?! *eyetwitch eyetwitch*

    I get what this person is saying. They should just not say it though. A pound of muscle and a pound of fat both weigh a pound.
  • Fullsterkur_woman
    Fullsterkur_woman Posts: 2,712 Member
    I looked at your daily goal and your carb count goal is 176. take it to 100. you're retaining water.
    I'd imagine that would make her workouts suck hard. Cutting 300-odd calories when she's already limiting to 1200 would be kinda ridiculous on non-workout days.
  • DeadliftAddict
    DeadliftAddict Posts: 746 Member
    Also remember muscle weighs more than fat. Remember to take measurements and not rely on just your scale. If you are losing inches but not pounds it still counts!


    Wrong! Simple math people.
  • Fullsterkur_woman
    Fullsterkur_woman Posts: 2,712 Member
    Have you considered it is the weight of the muscles you are building up from the exercise? Muscle weighs more than fat!
    You're trying to cause me a seizure, right?! *eyetwitch eyetwitch*

    I get what this person is saying. They should just not say it though. A pound of muscle and a pound of fat both weigh a pound.
    Which just leaves us with the small but maddening suggestion that OP has put on pounds of muscle in a month while in a deficit.
  • DeadliftAddict
    DeadliftAddict Posts: 746 Member
    Have you considered it is the weight of the muscles you are building up from the exercise? Muscle weighs more than fat!
    You're trying to cause me a seizure, right?! *eyetwitch eyetwitch*

    I get what this person is saying. They should just not say it though. A pound of muscle and a pound of fat both weigh a pound.
    Which just leaves us with the small but maddening suggestion that OP has put on pounds of muscle in a month while in a deficit.

    Exactly!
  • I am the same height as you and weigh 141. two years ago, I lost 22 pounds and got down to my goal of 125-- then i let it creep back on so i'm doing it again. I found the last 10 pounds the hardest to lose. Also, I set my calories at 1200 (eating exercise calories back and not freaking out if I was plus or minus 100 cals.). I seemed to have trouble losing if i set it higher, so maybe switch to 1,200? Or my other thought is maybe your'e recording too many exercise calories, but if you wear a band, you should have a pretty good idea of them. Good luck!
  • Definitely do what the uneducated people on here tell you instead of doing anything logical. That's what I do, then again I have lost over 120 lbs NOT doing what they say. Eating all food groups. Pretty much why I don't like to read the boards on here. I decided that I would do no fad diets, exercise regularly and eat right. I just happen to be vegetarian but there are plenty of vegetarians that eat crap too. I don't eat my exercise calories back either. I also only weigh about once a week. I figure that my body will fluctuate and that weighing once a week (even once a month) makes me feel better. It's not so much about the scale for me though, it's about how I look and feel after losing all this weight. I also don't accept friends on here, a lot of people on here are very angry and if you don't do what they think is right, they will ream you a new one!

    I fad dieted myself up to over 120 lbs above my goal weight...none of them worked. I'm not on a diet but living a way of life that is obviously working for me. What works for me may or may not work for others. :)

    Good luck on your diet,
  • Great insightful post there guy.

    1. Make sure you have your activity level, height, and current weight up to date in MFP.

    2. Do not short sell yourself on calories. Pam, coffee creamer, condiments do have calories.

    3. If you did the moronic approach of avoiding carbs for a long time, and started eating them again, glycogen will fill back up and cause temporarily weight gain. (it's ok, it's not fat)

    4. Stop eating back exercise calories. If you want to lose 1lb a week. find your MAINTENANCE calories and subtract 500. If you would rather cut slowly take away about 200-300.

    5. Sodium can, and WILL make you hold on to a lot of water weight. Don't go crazy avoiding it, but be mindful of it.

    It's simple. As long as you DO NOT eat over the allotted calories you will lose weight. And do NOT weigh yourself daily. Weight changes daily from sodium, eating a lot at night, etc. I gain 10lbs. at night before I go to bed because I have my "Flex Bowl" with nothing but carbs and sweets. But in the AM I'm back to normal.


    And remember, it's not a defined straight line science to building muscle/ losing weight. It takes time, and trial & error. Don't get frustrated and quit.

    Thank you for the reminder from someone other than the OP. I needed that and recommend that others read it, especially #5 especially if disheartened with anything related to this lifelong journey you're on.

    To OP - patience. I know that's the last thing you want to hear but being in the healthy weight range means it's going to go slow and yes, there will be times that you gain instead of lose. Also, if you're not tracking water, track it. I always say water rather than liquid because with my body, liquid doesn't cut it. It has to be no sodium, plain (okay filtered) water. I have a tendency of adding too much of the "water flavorings" if I add anything. And the water weight gain takes a few days to go down or away. Also if you're still experiencing a "time of month", then that's going to throw your body out of whack too when it comes to the scale. If it's even close to that "time", then only 1 pound gain is a godsend, most women experience more of a gain than that. Basically there are other factors that might result in a slight gain and most will reverse within a week if you're doing everything right.
  • ecanales52
    ecanales52 Posts: 74 Member
    If your ready to quit after a month.. its already over.

    over a month and only seeing a pound gained on the scale, yes it's frustrating

    I know you are frustrated....believe me, I've been there. But what you CANNOT do is quit! I kept telling myself, "Just keep doing what you know is right. Healthy foods, counting calories, and moderate exercise." It WILL work. Keep evaluating what you're eating, how you feel, and don't quit!!
  • kbeckley11
    kbeckley11 Posts: 203 Member
    This may have already been said, but if you are eating out a lot, and relying on websites for nutritional info, you are going to go over on calories. I have worked in the kitchens of many restaurants. What is listed on the website is based on the recipe, which is rarely followed exactly. Portions are eyeballed. A salad may call for 1/4 cup of cheese, but more will likely be used. Or a sandwich may call for 1 tablespoon of mayo, but really, a cook is just going to cover the bread in mayo, and it will likely be over 1 tablespoon. Also, sometimes the calorie count on a website does not include sides, especially in cases where you choose your side from a list of sides.
  • jwdieter
    jwdieter Posts: 2,582 Member
    Also remember muscle weighs more than fat. Remember to take measurements and not rely on just your scale. If you are losing inches but not pounds it still counts!


    Wrong! Simple math people.

    Muscle, fat, water, air, and lead weigh the same. True or false?
  • Fullsterkur_woman
    Fullsterkur_woman Posts: 2,712 Member
    Also remember muscle weighs more than fat. Remember to take measurements and not rely on just your scale. If you are losing inches but not pounds it still counts!


    Wrong! Simple math people.

    Muscle, fat, water, air, and lead weigh the same. True or false?
    It is an ill-posed question. It is true that a pound of each of them weighs the same. It is not true that those pounds will occupy equal volume, of course!
  • Dont quit!! You're at the beginning of your journey, the healthy lifestyle. If you're working out you could also be building muscle and losing fat at the same time. Remember muscle weighs more then fat! Measure yourself and stop paying so much to the actual weight.
  • pagefan
    pagefan Posts: 31 Member
    I hear that... I am going through much of the same.... :cry: trying to just break through it.. guru trainer said the sodium content in some of my fave veg burgers might be too high, and or higher than what I normally eat.. water water water water...
    I have found it a bit difficult to figure out cal. counts on homemade foods... and now are erring on the higher side... so that my counts daily are more accurate..(I think) the measuring thing, yeah, I have that down.. but it is difficult when there is no shift.. and or... my scale went UP too! a lot UP! so I think I was just under estimating what I was really eating. :drinker: you'll get there!!
  • What people mean when they say that muscle weights more than fat is not that if you take a pound of fat and a pound of muscle, that's stupid. BUT WHAT THEY MEAN, which is true, if you take the same volume of fat and the same volume of muscle the volume of muscle will weigh more than the same volume... so a cup of muscle will weigh more than a cup of body fat. Muscle weight will take up less room than body fat does. IT's very stupid to say if you take 5 lbs of muscle and 5 lbs of fat that they weight differently.

    Volume defined: the amount of space, measured in cubic units, that an object or substance occupies.
  • Mainebikerchick
    Mainebikerchick Posts: 1,573 Member
    I think you need to give your new lifestyle SEVERAL months before you make the assumption that what you're doing isn't working.

    A month is not enough time for your body to adjust to the changes you're making.
  • jwdieter
    jwdieter Posts: 2,582 Member
    What people mean when they say that muscle weights more than fat is not that if you take a pound of fat and a pound of muscle, that's stupid. BUT WHAT THEY MEAN, which is true, if you take the same volume of fat and the same volume of muscle the volume of muscle will weigh more than the same volume... so a cup of muscle will weigh more than a cup of body fat. Muscle weight will take up less room than body fat does. IT's very stupid to say if you take 5 lbs of muscle and 5 lbs of fat that they weight differently.

    Volume defined: the amount of space, measured in cubic units, that an object or substance occupies.

    That's for normal people. Insane internet people saw an argument that only made sense in its original context (someone actually saying "a pound of muscle weighs more than a pound of fat"), and now apply it to every topic related to muscle vs fat mass.
  • albayin
    albayin Posts: 2,524 Member
    What people mean when they say that muscle weights more than fat is not that if you take a pound of fat and a pound of muscle, that's stupid. BUT WHAT THEY MEAN, which is true, if you take the same volume of fat and the same volume of muscle the volume of muscle will weigh more than the same volume... so a cup of muscle will weigh more than a cup of body fat. Muscle weight will take up less room than body fat does. IT's very stupid to say if you take 5 lbs of muscle and 5 lbs of fat that they weight differently.

    Volume defined: the amount of space, measured in cubic units, that an object or substance occupies.

    That's for normal people. Insane internet people saw an argument that only made sense in its original context (someone actually saying "a pound of muscle weighs more than a pound of fat"), and now apply it to every topic related to muscle vs fat mass.

    Right.

    However, on the flip side, there are also another group of insane internet people who are trying to sound like smart *kitten* by nit picking on this every time they see it...although they secretly know what it means. Just saying~
  • Fullsterkur_woman
    Fullsterkur_woman Posts: 2,712 Member
    What people mean when they say that muscle weights more than fat is not that if you take a pound of fat and a pound of muscle, that's stupid. BUT WHAT THEY MEAN, which is true, if you take the same volume of fat and the same volume of muscle the volume of muscle will weigh more than the same volume... so a cup of muscle will weigh more than a cup of body fat. Muscle weight will take up less room than body fat does. IT's very stupid to say if you take 5 lbs of muscle and 5 lbs of fat that they weight differently.

    Volume defined: the amount of space, measured in cubic units, that an object or substance occupies.

    That's for normal people. Insane internet people saw an argument that only made sense in its original context (someone actually saying "a pound of muscle weighs more than a pound of fat"), and now apply it to every topic related to muscle vs fat mass.

    Right.

    However, on the flip side, there are also another group of insane internet people who are trying to sound like smart *kitten* by nit picking on this every time they see it...although they secretly know what it means. Just saying~
    But "muscle weighs more than fat" is just a meaningless statement. The property under discussion is density. If you can't be bothered to be accurate in what you're saying, why in blue hell would anybody put any stock in anything you say about anything?

    Anyway, I wasn't even picking on that. The problem is, it's usually coupled with some statement like "You're probably gaining muscle from all the exercise". That's the part the more experienced people are largely taking issue with. I think we've largely stopped beating that other poor dead horse by now.