Lots of exercise, eating right calories - no weight loss

ottomark14
ottomark14 Posts: 6 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Wondering if someone can help on here.... I really just started my fitness program Jan 4. Since then I have eaten the right amount of calories MFP says to eat to lose 2 pounds - sometimes spot on, sometimes (if you include exercise) way under. I have worked out 18 days since then, burning over 19,000 calories. I use a HRM. Most of my calories are cardio, although I started doing weight training recently. Results: week 1 lost 10 pounds; week 2 lost 3 pounds; weeks 3-4 no weight loss. I need to lose at least 50-70 pounds, so it's not like I just have a few pounds to lose.

Thanks for any help you can offer....

Replies

  • AmyRhubarb
    AmyRhubarb Posts: 6,890 Member
    Results: week 1 lost 10 pounds; week 2 lost 3 pounds; weeks 3-4 no weight loss.
    This is not "no weight loss". :smile: Look at the big picture - you HAVE lost weight in your first month, congrats!

    A big loss at the start, and then leveling off to slower drops is normal - especially as you add in new exercises, especially weight training, which can cause water retention due to muscles repairing themselves. And as the pounds come off, your weekly loss goal will drop as well - and some weeks you may see several pounds come off, other weeks no change on the scale - weight loss isn't linear.

    If you haven't yet, start taking your measurements and snap some photos of yourself to compare to down the road. Sometimes the scale may not show you any progress, but the measuring tape will show inches lost, which is a better measure of progress anyway. And often we can see progress in comparison pics while the scale is busy messing with our heads. :smile:

    Hang in there and have patience. It will happen!
  • tegalicious
    tegalicious Posts: 629
    13 pounds in one month is great!! That's a smidgen over 2 pounds a week!
  • eroica27
    eroica27 Posts: 1 Member
    this is not uncommon. just keep drinking water and change up your workout routine. The body can plateau like this for up to a few weeks at a time (I've been there twice now). the important take-away is not to get discouraged. your body is still toning up and it can be simple water weight thats just being a little stubborn. so keep up on your water intake and push through it. you'll see the numbers on the scale fall again.
  • tegalicious
    tegalicious Posts: 629
    Results: week 1 lost 10 pounds; week 2 lost 3 pounds; weeks 3-4 no weight loss.
    This is not "no weight loss". :smile: Look at the big picture - you HAVE lost weight in your first month, congrats!

    A big loss at the start, and then leveling off to slower drops is normal - especially as you add in new exercises, especially weight training, which can cause water retention due to muscles repairing themselves. And as the pounds come off, your weekly loss goal will drop as well - and some weeks you may see several pounds come off, other weeks no change on the scale - weight loss isn't linear.

    If you haven't yet, start taking your measurements and snap some photos of yourself to compare to down the road. Sometimes the scale may not show you any progress, but the measuring tape will show inches lost, which is a better measure of progress anyway. And often we can see progress in comparison pics while the scale is busy messing with our heads. :smile:

    Hang in there and have patience. It will happen!

    All of this!!
  • DemoraFairy
    DemoraFairy Posts: 1,806 Member
    Weight loss ins't linear, some weeks you'll lose, some you won't, some you'll even gain.

    Other than that, make sure you're weighing & measuring everything and not just estimating what you're eating.

    Also, if you're weighing once a week and not everyday, it's possible that did lose weight, but had a fluctuation the one day you weighed. Everyone fluctuates day to day, sometimes by a few pounds. For example, 2 days ago I was a pound heavier than I was 2 days before that and than I am today. If I only weighed once a week and that was my weigh in day, I wouldn't have known I was actually a pound lighter and that was just a fluctuation.
  • horndave
    horndave Posts: 565
    You have lost 13 lbs in 4 weeks, that is freaking awesome. At a rate of 3 lbs per week, I don't see the issue.

    One you need to realize this isn't a race. You didn't put on 50 to 70 lbs overnight and they are not going to come off overnight. Have some realistic expectations. You might not lose every week. Overall you are doing great. Keep up the work, it will come off.
  • Slasher09
    Slasher09 Posts: 316 Member
    Are you taking any other measurements besides your weight? I only ask because for instance I have only lost a quarter of a pound or so in the last few weeks, but I've lost a good 2-3 inches. If you are adding in strength training you may be retaining water and/or building muscle which weighs more than fat.
  • keldastar
    keldastar Posts: 1 Member
    Hi There. Congratulations on your weight loss so far! You're doing a great job!

    What type of exercise you were doing as your average for the 18 days of working out is 1055 calories per day / workout? I could easily be incorrect, but this number sounds a little high, but you may be training incredibly hard. This may be an area to take a close look at perhaps?
  • ottomark14
    ottomark14 Posts: 6 Member
    Wow. So many great responses already. Thanks very much! I know 13 is good. I just assumed week 1 was water/etc... As for measuring body parts, no. But I do know my pants are looser. So I have that going for me. As for the calories burned, I believe those are accurate, as I had a fitness measurement when I started and then have used a HRM every workout. I do a LOT of spinning, some Stairmaster, and some other machines like it for cardio. I do weights 2-3 days/week now. I've also started running on the treadmill. My typical workout is 1,000+ calories -- 60-90 minutes.

    Questions: when I burn so many calories, can my caloric deficit be a downfall? I find it hard to eat back those calories since I am refraining from anything that isn't fruit, vegetables, and good carbs as much as possible.

    Again, thanks for the great comments...
  • lola656
    lola656 Posts: 6
    I've been lifting weights, which is new to me, and have made incredible progress in my strength. I do lifting 2-3 days a week for about 45 minutes alternating areas and total body workouts. I do cardio (stair stepper and treadmill) for about 30-60 minutes three days a week. My friends say they can see that I've been working out, but the scale hasn't moved. I have been tracking my meals and used to eat fast food daily and haven't ate fast food in a while.
  • lola656
    lola656 Posts: 6
    Great job! Cardio gets soooo boring.
  • sweetpea03b
    sweetpea03b Posts: 1,123 Member
    Sometimes a 2#/week weightloss is really too fast for your body to get on board with you. Why not ease up and try for 1#/week. Sometimes if you try too hard it will stall your weightloss. That's the problem I've been battling most of 10 months. When I started eating a little bit more.... working out a lot less.... creating a moderate deficit of only 300-500cals/day... I started losing.

    Good luck!
  • MichaelVRenner
    MichaelVRenner Posts: 92 Member
    Open that diary please...
  • deksgrl
    deksgrl Posts: 7,237 Member

    Questions: when I burn so many calories, can my caloric deficit be a downfall? I find it hard to eat back those calories since I am refraining from anything that isn't fruit, vegetables, and good carbs as much as possible.

    Initially it is probably okay since you have quite a bit of weight to lose. But having too large of a calorie deficit is not healthy long term, and can result in burning off too much lean body mass, meaning you may still not like how you look when you reach your goal weight.

    Remember that MFP calculates your needed calories to lose the weight not including exercise, so you need to eat more fuel for working out. The deficit is already built in. You should eat some of the calories back.
  • msmonique46
    msmonique46 Posts: 80 Member
    What a great inspirational response. I agree about the inches and scale. It's just so hard, especially for women, to want to see the pounds drop. Thanks, again, for reminding me to look at the big picture. God Bless!!!
  • jos05
    jos05 Posts: 263 Member
    Patience~!!

    You didn't gain 50lbs overnight... and it won't come off overnight. There's actually a post on MFP that was posted a couple of days ago and the guy lost a bunch of weight; but it took him like 5 yrs.

    The problem is that most people don't view this as a lifestyle change they think ... Hey, I will work my butt off and lose the weight as quickly as possible and then a year or two later...they are right back where they started...

    Slow and steady will prove to be your best option. Don't weigh yourself all the time...when you have a long way to go... it can be discouraging.

    Just follow the calories...work out... change up your routine... develop things you like to do to stay fit... and I promise you... you'll get to the point where you no longer have to track every single thing you do. Because it will be a habit.

    Good luck... and just remember patience! :smile:
  • ottomark14
    ottomark14 Posts: 6 Member
    Thanks... Sent you a friend request...
  • lola656
    lola656 Posts: 6
    Sometimes a 2#/week weightloss is really too fast for your body to get on board with you. Why not ease up and try for 1#/week. Sometimes if you try too hard it will stall your weightloss. That's the problem I've been battling most of 10 months. When I started eating a little bit more.... working out a lot less.... creating a moderate deficit of only 300-500cals/day... I started losing.

    Good luck!

    My trainer has been saying this to me since I started working out with him. Eat more if you're to work out, but it's such a hard concept to grasp.

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