Please help...why am I not losing any weight?

Options
axoxmine
axoxmine Posts: 9 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I'm wondering what else I can do to lose weight. I'm eating 1400-1500 calories a day and exercise about 3-5 times a week for about an hour to an hour and half. I do elliptical and circuit training. Every once in awhile I do treadmill for 15-20 mins. My weight has gone up and down for the past few months. I'm at 180 right now and I want to be 135-145. Please tell me what other ways I can do to lose this weight. Thanks!
«1

Replies

  • Mr_Knight
    Mr_Knight Posts: 9,532 Member
    Options
    Diary isn't open.
  • Greenrun99
    Greenrun99 Posts: 2,065 Member
    Options
    Height/weight?
    Do you use a digital food scale?
    Do you eat your exercise calories?
    Cheat Meals?
  • cookiealbright
    cookiealbright Posts: 605 Member
    Options
    :flowerforyou: Calorie deficit the only thing that works. Good luck to ya!
  • axoxmine
    axoxmine Posts: 9 Member
    Options
    Well I don't do too much heavy weight. When I'm on the circuit training I'm doing my whole body. A minute per machine and steps in between the machines. I don't use a food scale. When I log in my food and exercises, my net is less then my calorie goal. I have cheat days, but I still don't go over my calorie goal with no exercise. Is it because my net is not at my calorie goal?
  • rileysowner
    rileysowner Posts: 8,224 Member
    Options
    Well I don't do too much heavy weight. When I'm on the circuit training I'm doing my whole body. A minute per machine and steps in between the machines. I don't use a food scale. When I log in my food and exercises, my net is a little more then my calorie goal. I have cheat days, but I still don't go over my calorie goal with no exercise. Is it because my net is not at my calorie goal?

    If you don't use a food scale how do you measure your food? Are you using actual measures, or just estimating? If you are estimating, that is likely your problem. Serving sizes generally tend to be much smaller than you would guess, and I know my own experience is that what I think is the right amount is generally wrong, what I usually think is a serving, is actually 1.5 or more of a serving. This adds up pretty quickly.

    This is not to mention the inaccuracy of using something meant for liquid or powder measures for solids like fruits, veggies, cereal, meat and the like. A food scale for solids is much more accurate which is why it was pretty much the best purchase I made in terms of training what I eat.
  • timberowl
    timberowl Posts: 331 Member
    Options
    I suggest playing around with MFP's "fitness goal" settings.......I JUST realized today that mine was set to lose 1.2 lbs per week bc they won't set a "net" caloric goal below 1200. I generally "cheat" one day a week, which explains why I have been losing less than a pound per week when for the last year I thought I had it set to lose 2 lbs per week. OOPS!!!!

    Set your own net caloric daily goal, and look at the "lbs/week" adjust.
  • axoxmine
    axoxmine Posts: 9 Member
    Options
    I don't underestimate my servings when I log in my food. I don't put the correct amount or less because then I'm thinking I'm going to gain weight if I did because I don't use a food scale. But sometimes I don't need the food scale because I scan most my food.
  • JenMc14
    JenMc14 Posts: 2,389 Member
    Options
    So are you saying you scan the package and the info is automatically uploaded? What do you do if there's more than one serving in a package? If you're not measuring/weighing, how do you know you're only getting one serving?
  • axoxmine
    axoxmine Posts: 9 Member
    Options
    Then I would change the amount or estimate still.
  • amdarosa619
    amdarosa619 Posts: 98 Member
    Options
    I also dont own a food scale. Although I realize my estimations may not be spot on, I know I am not underestimating by hundreds of calories that would cause me to not have a caloric deficit on a daily basis.

    Generally speaking, to compensate for this, I make a habit of overestimating my food intake and underestimating calorie burn. that makes me feel as though there is a better balance in case my estimations are off.

    I also have a hard time losing weight, with genetics working against me. Some advice I've received in the past is to switch it up. Try a more intense workout 1-2x a week to confuse your body, like a boodcamp or HIIT class.

    I agree with other posters, it would be helpful to see your diary in order to see if your portion sizes and food choices could be holding you back, but just stay active, drink lots of water, and avoid starches after 3pm. Should give you a head start.

    Good Luck!!
  • meshashesha2012
    meshashesha2012 Posts: 8,326 Member
    Options
    OP you should open your diary if you want more specific ideas on where you might be going awry
  • donyellemoniquex3
    donyellemoniquex3 Posts: 2,384 Member
    Options
    Diary isn't open.
  • axoxmine
    axoxmine Posts: 9 Member
    Options
    Thanks I like your comment. It's a lot more helpful. But I think that's one of the things I need to do too is switch up my workouts because I've been doing the same things for the past few months. And yes I do the same estimations like you.
  • davadoto
    davadoto Posts: 105 Member
    Options
    bump
    To read later. Having a similar problem.
  • jcorpern
    jcorpern Posts: 96 Member
    Options
    http://evidencemag.com/calories-count/

    Especially see the part about estimating intake
  • ajhugz
    ajhugz Posts: 452 Member
    Options
    Maybe you should change your workout routine. I would also invest in a food scale. How is your water intake? Do you get enough sleep?
    Are you using a heart rate monitor?
    In my experience you're either eating more than you think or burning less calories than you think.
  • Mandi5Dogs
    Mandi5Dogs Posts: 17 Member
    Options
    I had a lot of weight to lose so I hired a personal trainer. I keep my calories around 1200 but also keep my carbs around 65 grams. When I start to plateau she tweaks the carb intake some and that always seems to give me the push I need. I know the carb number is way under MFP recommended, but it has made a huge difference in my weight loss.

    Good Luck!!!!
  • meshashesha2012
    meshashesha2012 Posts: 8,326 Member
    Options
    I also dont own a food scale. Although I realize my estimations may not be spot on, I know I am not underestimating by hundreds of calories that would cause me to not have a caloric deficit on a daily basis.

    Generally speaking, to compensate for this, I make a habit of overestimating my food intake and underestimating calorie burn. that makes me feel as though there is a better balance in case my estimations are off.

    I also have a hard time losing weight, with genetics working against me. Some advice I've received in the past is to switch it up. Try a more intense workout 1-2x a week to confuse your body, like a boodcamp or HIIT class.

    I agree with other posters, it would be helpful to see your diary in order to see if your portion sizes and food choices could be holding you back, but just stay active, drink lots of water, and avoid starches after 3pm. Should give you a head start.

    Good Luck!!

    what happens to starches after 3 pm ? and is that eastern time? mountain time? greenwich time?
  • Escape_Artist
    Escape_Artist Posts: 1,155 Member
    Options
    and avoid starches after 3pm

    Please elaborate on this

    @OP, if you don't use a scale you have no idea how much you are really eating. Plain and simple
    Also would really help if you would open your diary
  • just_Jennie1
    just_Jennie1 Posts: 1,233
    Options
    I don't underestimate my servings when I log in my food. I don't put the correct amount or less because then I'm thinking I'm going to gain weight if I did because I don't use a food scale. But sometimes I don't need the food scale because I scan most my food.

    So basically you're doing a WAG with the your portions, how much your consuming and the calories.

    I don't understand the scanning (I understand what it means to scan) but what I don't understand is without a food scale and without measuring your food out how do you know how much you're consuming? For example if the package says "4 servings" and a serving is 4 ounces how do you know you're consuming just 4 ounces of that serving? With meat items, like chicken, how do you know what you're putting on your plate is 4 ounces? I measure my chicken out before I cook it and trust me. 4 ounces is a lot smaller than one would think. 2 tablespoons of peanut butter is 32 grams. Trust me when I say that when it's measured out it's a lot less on the spoon than one would think.

    I honestly think you're eating more calories than you think you are because you're not weighing and measuring everything. And I mean EVERYTHING.

    Get yourself a digital scale. They're not that expensive. I got this one:
    http://www.amazon.com/EatSmart-Precision-Digital-Kitchen-Silver/dp/B001N07KUE/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1390424728&sr=8-2&keywords=digital+food+scale

    It wasn't that expensive and I use it all the time.

Categories