28, 250lbs, not losing weight, please help
cjfrankum
Posts: 13
Hello everyone.
This is my first post and I'm desperately seeking help. I'm a 28 year old male. I'm built like an overweight linebacker. Always been very strong, never in great cardiovascular shape, and always overweight. I've been tracking my calories for 3 weeks now, about 2,100 calories per day. I lift weights very heavy for 30-45 minutes 7 days a week and I do 30-45 minutes of treadmill exercise for 30-45 minutes afterwards.
I have lost .5 lbs and no body fat in 3 weeks. I'm extremely frustrated and don't understand. My diet is clean. 5 small meals a day, tons of water (150 or more ounces). But this makes zero sense. I'm very fat, so the weight is there to lose. I don't understand what I'm doing wrong.
This is my first post and I'm desperately seeking help. I'm a 28 year old male. I'm built like an overweight linebacker. Always been very strong, never in great cardiovascular shape, and always overweight. I've been tracking my calories for 3 weeks now, about 2,100 calories per day. I lift weights very heavy for 30-45 minutes 7 days a week and I do 30-45 minutes of treadmill exercise for 30-45 minutes afterwards.
I have lost .5 lbs and no body fat in 3 weeks. I'm extremely frustrated and don't understand. My diet is clean. 5 small meals a day, tons of water (150 or more ounces). But this makes zero sense. I'm very fat, so the weight is there to lose. I don't understand what I'm doing wrong.
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Replies
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Do you log accurately? Do you weigh everything?
All you need is a calorie deficit to lose weight, and if you are not losing there is a miscalculation. (calorie intake and/or overestimation of calories) You can achieve a calorie deficit with all types of foods and meal timing is personal preference.0 -
I record everything. I weigh every meal. My current caloric defecit is 400-600 calories a day. Still, no weight loss and I've even gained weight. Friday I weighed in at 251 and then today I weighed 253.0
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This!Do you log accurately? Do you weigh everything?
All you need is a calorie deficit to lose weight, and if you are not losing there is a miscalculation. (calorie intake and/or overestimation of calories) You can achieve a calorie deficit with all types of foods and meal timing is personal preference.
You are not eating at a deficit.0 -
Can you open your diary so we can see and possibly help?0
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Bumping for more responses0
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I record everything. I weigh every meal. My current caloric defecit is 400-600 calories a day. Still, no weight loss and I've even gained weight. Friday I weighed in at 251 and then today I weighed 253.
Keep in mind that weight fluctuation is normal for everybody.0 -
I have opened my diary to the public.
But yes, I do weigh everything. I work out enough and I have enough muslce that 2,100 calories should absolutely have me at a deficit. But I also have a very sedentary desk job.0 -
I have opened my diary to the public.
But yes, I do weigh everything. I work out enough and I have enough muslce that 2,100 calories should absolutely have me at a deficit. But I also have a very sedentary desk job.
what are you putting the protein powder in? i don't see anything logged for that unless you're just having a spoonful or you're having it with water - i don't use protein powders so not sure. the balsamic rice are you measuring dry or is that cooked? 1/4 cup cooked vs. dry is a big difference. little things like this make a difference. are you using a food scale or measuring cups? a food scale is going to be way more accurate than a measuring cup.
editted to add: love your dog pic.
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It will be either your eating far more than you think. Your overestimating your exercise calories or your figures for calories need etc are wrong and need recalculating. So go back to basics check your figures check how you weigh and measure your food etc.0
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I wear a fitbit to track my exercise calories. I don't input my weight training so only my cardio gets added.
I take the protein only with water. Only other liquid I drink is alcohol once a week (i record it) and cherry coke zero. I don't add that and I only drink maybe 1 cup a day.
The rice is measured cooked.
I weigh everything on a scale. It has a tare option and weighs in grams and ounces. So everything is accurate.0 -
When did you start lifting? - if you are new to lifting / exercise or change it dramatically your muscles will hold water for repair and this will mask any weight loss for about 4-6 weeks.
Also stop using cups and buy a set of scales - cups are not accurate enough.
EDit: you say you use a scale - but the measurments in your diary are in cups and spoons? You need to find entries in grams or oz and use those. 1/4tsp of honey may not equal 25g or whatever.0 -
Have you started a new exercise routine? And why do you lift heavy 7 days per week? and then do the treadmill? Where are your rest days?
Three weeks (although can feel like forever) really is not a long time in the grand scheme of things.0 -
The lifting routine is not new. I've been lifting for about 16 weeks now. The cardivascular routine is new.
I used heavy just to show that I'm not going through the motions. It's intense. I vary my weight and reps to make sure it's not the same thing all the time.
I lift and then do the treadmill to get into shape. I'm very tired of being overweight and I'm willing to work hard to get there...but it seems the harder I work the less I get.0 -
You seem to be overthinking it and stressing too much about it. Relax, breathe, eat your foods, exercise and give yourself a rest day to recoup mentally and physically. You can do this, it takes time.0
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Have you had a complete physical lately?The lifting routine is not new. I've been lifting for about 16 weeks now. The cardivascular routine is new.
I used heavy just to show that I'm not going through the motions. It's intense. I vary my weight and reps to make sure it's not the same thing all the time.
I lift and then do the treadmill to get into shape. I'm very tired of being overweight and I'm willing to work hard to get there...but it seems the harder I work the less I get.
Perhaps there is something amiss.0 -
OP:
It sounds like your logging is not as accurate as you think, you need to take some rest days and give it some time. By all means, it is awesome that you are willing to put in the hard work, but rest is important in this process. Get a hold of accurate logging, give your body some time to repair/rest, keep going and have some patience.0 -
You shouldn't lift 7 days a week - your body really does need time to rest and heal.
I I think it is a combination of
new exercise - treadmill,
overworking your body - take a rest day
Not accurate logging - stop using cup and tsp measurements for weighed items.
Take at least one rest day a week and log correctly - find the food with a weight and double check the cal amounts - lots of the entries are incorrect.
If you weigh the honey you cannot log it as 1/2 tsp - you don't know how much that weighs. It can create enough of an error to slow or stop the weight loss.0 -
You shouldn't lift 7 days a week - your body really does need time to rest and heal.
I I think it is a combination of
new exercise - treadmill,
overworking your body - take a rest day
Not accurate logging - stop using cup and tsp measurements for weighed items.
Take at least one rest day a week and log correctly - find the food with a weight and double check the cal amounts - lots of the entries are incorrect.
If you weigh the honey you cannot log it as 1/2 tsp - you don't know how much that weighs. It can create enough of an error to slow or stop the weight loss.
All of this.0 -
Hello everyone.
This is my first post and I'm desperately seeking help. I'm a 28 year old male. I'm built like an overweight linebacker. Always been very strong, never in great cardiovascular shape, and always overweight. I've been tracking my calories for 3 weeks now, about 2,100 calories per day. I lift weights very heavy for 30-45 minutes 7 days a week and I do 30-45 minutes of treadmill exercise for 30-45 minutes afterwards.
I have lost .5 lbs and no body fat in 3 weeks. I'm extremely frustrated and don't understand. My diet is clean. 5 small meals a day, tons of water (150 or more ounces). But this makes zero sense. I'm very fat, so the weight is there to lose. I don't understand what I'm doing wrong.
Hi, friend; have you talked to your doctor? Get a complete bloodwork done to ensure that everything is okay. If your choestoral is high, concentrate on lowering it. If your lipids are high, concentrate on lowering them. My point is this. Fix what's on the inside, and the outside will follow. I am hypothyroid. It sucks because i have to work 3x's harder than a person with a working thyroid to lose up to a pound---and it may take a month's time to do so. It's discouraging, but….If you clean up your diet to clean up your blood--oatmeal for breakfast, leans and greens through the day, lose the white bread, sugar and other white, starchy, floury/ processed stuff and you will see a difference. Use the elliptical for cardio, balance with weight training-making sure you are not doing the same thing day after day. Make sure you take one recovery day----not meant to lay around and be lazy, but use that day to take in a nice walk. I will send you a friend request. Take it one day at a time; your body needs time to respond and adjust to what changes you are making to it.0 -
I will start adding in a rest day, may start today.
I just can't fathom how my recording isn't accurate. The only thing that might be inaccurate is the rice? The only measuring I have found is in cups and it doesn't give a gram weight conversion.
I don't use measuring cups except for rice. Because I don't know how to convert this from cups to grams.
The honey I weighed and calculated based on something I found on the internet. The 1/2tsp i put on there was because it was the only way I could get the calories recorded.
I just realized the only thing I don't record is a pre-workout. I take 1 scoop of pre-workout everytime I lift, which has been 20 some straight days.0 -
There's a 'rice cooked' entry somewhere, without star in the front... It's from MFP database, and it comes in grams too.
Your honey should have the number of grams in a serving on it? Otherwise it's usually 21g for a tablespoon, if that helps.
Other than that, only lift every other day, and wait it out... you will start losing again.0 -
I will start adding in a rest day, may start today.
I just can't fathom how my recording isn't accurate. The only thing that might be inaccurate is the rice? The only measuring I have found is in cups and it doesn't give a gram weight conversion.
I don't use measuring cups except for rice. Because I don't know how to convert this from cups to grams.
The honey I weighed and calculated based on something I found on the internet. The 1/2tsp i put on there was because it was the only way I could get the calories recorded.
I just realized the only thing I don't record is a pre-workout. I take 1 scoop of pre-workout everytime I lift, which has been 20 some straight days.
If you can't find it - add it to the database yourself, you really can't accurately convert grams to cups - it just doesn't work.
There are listings for almost everything in grams - rice long grain white cooked is there in both 100g and cup measurements. look for entries on the database without a star - they are not entered by users and tend to be more accurate. (this only works on a computer not the app)
Honey is listed under grams - took me 30 seconds to find it, look for the entry without a star. You do realise when it says "how much" there is a drop down box for you to change the units?0 -
Hello everyone.
This is my first post and I'm desperately seeking help. I'm a 28 year old male. I'm built like an overweight linebacker. Always been very strong, never in great cardiovascular shape, and always overweight. I've been tracking my calories for 3 weeks now, about 2,100 calories per day. I lift weights very heavy for 30-45 minutes 7 days a week and I do 30-45 minutes of treadmill exercise for 30-45 minutes afterwards.
I have lost .5 lbs and no body fat in 3 weeks. I'm extremely frustrated and don't understand. My diet is clean. 5 small meals a day, tons of water (150 or more ounces). But this makes zero sense. I'm very fat, so the weight is there to lose. I don't understand what I'm doing wrong.
Hi, friend; have you talked to your doctor? Get a complete bloodwork done to ensure that everything is okay. If your choestoral is high, concentrate on lowering it. If your lipids are high, concentrate on lowering them. My point is this. Fix what's on the inside, and the outside will follow. I am hypothyroid. It sucks because i have to work 3x's harder than a person with a working thyroid to lose up to a pound---and it may take a month's time to do so. It's discouraging, but….If you clean up your diet to clean up your blood--oatmeal for breakfast, leans and greens through the day, lose the white bread, sugar and other white, starchy, floury/ processed stuff and you will see a difference. Use the elliptical for cardio, balance with weight training-making sure you are not doing the same thing day after day. Make sure you take one recovery day----not meant to lay around and be lazy, but use that day to take in a nice walk. I will send you a friend request. Take it one day at a time; your body needs time to respond and adjust to what changes you are making to it.
Nope nope nope
Ignore the clean up your diet nonsence. :noway: Nothing wrong with white food
Why the elliptical for cardio - nothing wrong with the treadmill.
You don't neeed to see a Dr yet - you need to log in grams not convert to cups, log everything and have some rest days, plus give it a bit more time.0 -
I'm around your weight (was up over 300 at one point, started MFP at 276) - I found that going hard all the time (7 days) was counter productive for me.. I cut back to 4 or 5 days a week, and would only lift 2 of those days, and lbs started dropping again. Some of my biggest losses came on the days AFTER I hadn't worked out and ate what i thought would make me gain (pizza, getting close to or going over cals, drinking bunches of beer) .. Just my 2 cent.0
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Thanks again everyone. The help is hugely appreciated.
What I've decided to do is this:
1. Cut back working out to 6 days a week. Lift 3 days with cardio afterwords and have 3 days dedicated to only cardio.
2. Cut calories down to 1,700
3. Stop taking protein shakes, giving me more calories to physical eat (instead of drink) so I don't feel hungry all the time
4. Weigh out rice/honey/etc
Thanks for all the advice and help everyone. Any other advice is seriously appreciated.0 -
One thing to note is that it is very difficult to accurately count all of the calories/macro levels of the food you eat (and even harder to measure the calories you are burning). I'm not going to disagree with those that say you are not losing because you are not in calorie deficit - however, that is not particularly helpful advice.
Looking at your diary I would suggest
- get rid of the protein powder crap - who knows what's really in it and as a big guy you need real food
- cut down on protein - you do not need 266 gms of protein (do the above and you should be set)
- cut down on refined carbs/sugar - you don't need white rice and honey bread (it's 'honey' because they add high fructose corn syrup to it)
- eat non-starchy vegetables - salads, broccoli, asparagus, etc... Put a salad dressing (check sugar content), butter or olive oil on them
- eat some meat/fish/eggs/poultry
Try something like this
Breakfast - Omelet with veggies and bacon, sausage, or cheese
Lunch - Giant salad with chicken, non-starchy veggies and dressing (low-sugar)
Dinner - Fish/Meat/Chicken, vegetables with butter or olive oil, if you like a starch try brown rice, sweet potatoes, a bit of whole wheat bread or something with a low glycemic index
Snacks - nuts, yogurt, veggies&dip, fruit, and the occasionally real treat0 -
There is nothing wrong with white bread or protein power. :noway:
I don't think you should drop down to 1700 cals op - I'm a 5'2 woman and I lose on 1600 cals a day and do less exercise than you.
Please please just try to log accurately for a few more weeks before cutting your calories down to drastic amounts.0 -
There is nothing wrong with white bread or protein power. :noway:
I don't think you should drop down to 1700 cals op - I'm a 5'2 woman and I lose on 1600 cals a day and do less exercise than you.
Please please just try to log accurately for a few more weeks before cutting your calories down to drastic amounts.
Yep. I'm a 35 female, 5'5", 139 lbs, and I've been losing at 1600 calories a day... and I'm really only lightly active.0 -
Are you eating back any exercise calories? I am 30, built like you, and started at 264. I only lift 3-4 days a week, and do about half as much cardio and I was losing on 2500 per day, now at 199 and eating 2300 per day with the same routine. You may not be eating enough.
Rigger0 -
Are you eating back any exercise calories? I am 30, built like you, and started at 264. I only lift 3-4 days a week, and do about half as much cardio and I was losing on 2500 per day, now at 199 and eating 2300 per day with the same routine. You may not be eating enough.
Rigger
The issue is that he doesn't really know how much he is eating as he measure rice in cups and converts grams/oz to cups to log.
He needs to log accurately in grams/oz for a few weeks before making changes. :noway:
Edit: I'm out.0
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