Not losing weight - When do you see results?

LemonLizard
LemonLizard Posts: 86 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi, just a few quick questions so I don't get down on myself.

I've been here since August but just started taking things more seriously at the beginning of January, and as of then I've been working out 30 minutes every weekday - running and walking on MWF, elliptical or a combination on T/H. I am about 5'2, and weigh around 144-147, about 21 years old..

I've been trying to eat healthier - I've been eating a lot more fruits and vegetables, along with leaner meats, trying to eat less carbs, though of course there are times where I give in or days where I don't do so well with my diet.

That being said, I started at about 145 and weighed myself, a little over a month from when I started, and I've gained 2 lbs instead of losing any. I'll take measurements on Monday to see if I've made any progress there but it's a little disappointing.

When should I start to actually see results from working out? Do I need to adjust calories or how I work out? I started at 1200 calories in January but bumped it up halfway through to about 1430 because I was always hungry.

Any other people in a similar spot? Any suggestions? Am I just being impatient? I'm going to stick with it but I'd love some advice or info.

Replies

  • d3m1urge
    d3m1urge Posts: 38
    Those measurements will tell you a lot more. You're building muscle and that's why you're not seeing a massive drop in weight. I bet your waist is smaller!
  • rileysowner
    rileysowner Posts: 8,336 Member
    How carefully are your measuring the food you eat?
  • Mr_Knight
    Mr_Knight Posts: 9,532 Member
    When should I start to actually see results from working out?

    Never.

    Weight loss comes from eating at a caloric deficit. If you are out-eating your exercise, you won't lose weight.
  • LemonLizard
    LemonLizard Posts: 86 Member
    I'm doing my best with cups and tbsps and the like, I don't currently have a scale but I'm looking to get one soon.
  • LemonLizard
    LemonLizard Posts: 86 Member
    Out-eating? I'm currently set up to be at a 500 calorie deficit every day. I only eat back calories from exercising I need to in order to reach the daily net, and even then I don't always do that depending on if I'm hungry or not.

    Sorry - didn't quote properly.
  • Maleficent0241
    Maleficent0241 Posts: 386 Member
    I'm doing my best with cups and tbsps and the like, I don't currently have a scale but I'm looking to get one soon.

    Definitely get a scale! Cups and spoons can be super inaccurate. No need to spend tons of money on one. Without weighing, you could easily be eating back your entire deficit without realizing it.

    Also, if you're sore or recently bumped up your workout routine, you could also be retaining some water as your muscles repair themselves. A few pounds difference could easily be water retention.
  • navyrigger46
    navyrigger46 Posts: 1,301 Member
    Those measurements will tell you a lot more. You're building muscle and that's why you're not seeing a massive drop in weight. I bet your waist is smaller!

    Umm, NO. At a calorie deficit it is next to impossible to build muscle, and for a female it's even less so, not to mention all cardio and no strength training means the OP is more likely breaking down muscle rather than building any.

    OP, you're probably not at a deficit, can't see your diary so I can only assume, but the fact that you're not weighing your food means you are probably eating more than you think. Get a scale, they're cheap, and quite literally the most useful tool when it comes to losing weight.

    Rigger
  • LindseyAlyssa
    LindseyAlyssa Posts: 156
    You see results with long term persistence. If you've only been serious about getting your act together for just about a month, then you're definitely going to need to continue at least for several more weeks to start getting results. Your body needs time to adjust, and initial weight gain is common as your muscles are retaining fluid to help repair themselves (someone correct me if I am wrong). Also, make sure you are doing some form of resistance/weight training so you are at least lessening the likelihood of losing muscle mass while losing weight. Just doing cardio does little in that area, and so less of the weight loss will be actual fat.

    Lastly, while weighing yourself can be a general indicator of progress, put more importance of body measurements. I can stay at the same weight for a solid month, but if my measurements are down I'm certainly happy with that. For all I care I could be as dense as a dying star, so long as I look cute in a little black dress ;)
  • turtledove773
    turtledove773 Posts: 122 Member
    [/quote]
    Also, if you're sore or recently bumped up your workout routine, you could also be retaining some water as your muscles repair themselves. A few pounds difference could easily be water retention.
    [/quote]

    Being sore from a workout cause water retention? I'm always sore!
  • Dreamingallday
    Dreamingallday Posts: 47
    One month is not going to show dramatic results. I weighed myself believing I lost nothing from my fat to see that I lose 8 pounds. It didn't really show to me, but my boyfriend mentioned that my hips slimmed down. Sometimes you won't notice it yourself because you are looking in the mirror for the results every day, unlikely to see the slow and subtle changes. It can be maddening.
  • dietonthego
    dietonthego Posts: 87 Member
    Yes, yes, and yes! Try eating more for a few weeks and see what happens. I had the same issue and it is very frustrating. Maryann
  • alt1268
    alt1268 Posts: 159 Member
    Just curious where did u come up with 1430 vs mfp standard of 1200.
    If you calculate your tdee and eat fruits, veggies and lots of proteins you should be fine. Carbs should be minimal. Like really small. But daily.
  • VelveteenArabian
    VelveteenArabian Posts: 758 Member
    Check your body measurements and see if those are changing.
  • wilsoje74
    wilsoje74 Posts: 1,720 Member
    You are probably eating too much!!
  • writergeek313
    writergeek313 Posts: 390 Member
    Just curious where did u come up with 1430 vs mfp standard of 1200.
    If you calculate your tdee and eat fruits, veggies and lots of proteins you should be fine. Carbs should be minimal. Like really small. But daily.

    No--carbs don't need to be minimal for the OP to lose weight.
  • rileysowner
    rileysowner Posts: 8,336 Member
    Since you are measuring as carefully as you can, you have a few options:

    1) You are eating too much which could be from inaccurate measuring, incorrect choice of food entries from the database, or less likely because you are simply not burning an many calories as people with your vital statistics normally do due to some metabolic issue like PCOS, Thyroid, and the like.

    2) You are losing fat, but you are one of the people who loses weight in whooshes. By that I mean some people, more frequently women from the little I have read on it but men as well, will be eating at a deficit but they will not lose weight. Suddenly after a few weeks of this they lose a lot of weight very quickly. Various things have been proposed to explain this, but the one that I have heard frequently is that the fat that came out of their fat cells was replaced with water which in released in a big whoosh.

    3) You are retaining water for some reason. Either extremely high amounts of sodium being eaten, or in your a working out every intensely or making major changes to your workout your body will retain water to help with the repair of muscles.

    It could be any of these. I would tend to suggest if you are measuring as carefully as you can and are confident that the foods you eat are the ones you are logging in your food log, then you should stick with it for a while longer. Plateaus can last for some people for quite a while.

    Finally, low carb will not necessarily make any difference.
  • frangrann
    frangrann Posts: 219 Member
    Hi, i'm 5'2" and starting weight was 158 (sept). I am now 133 (feb). We are different because I am almost 50.

    I am always under 1200 calories. I work out 6 days a week - weights (3) and aerobics (3). Even tho MFP lets allows me extra calories for exercise I never go there.

    Seems to me you might be eating too many calories if you are trying to lose or maybe the wrong things. Are you logging in everything? Since I was a carb junkie, I knew they had to go. At least for a while.

    You probably need to work out more than 30 min/day and try some weights or sit-ups/squats/plank/pushups etc . It's easy to get exercise specific.

    Good luck, be patient.
  • LemonLizard
    LemonLizard Posts: 86 Member
    Just curious where did u come up with 1430 vs mfp standard of 1200.
    If you calculate your tdee and eat fruits, veggies and lots of proteins you should be fine. Carbs should be minimal. Like really small. But daily.

    1430 was the number mfp gave me when I increased the activity level from sedentary to lightly active. With my tdee, and working out 5 days a week, various tdee calculators give me 2282. The discrepancy is in whether or not I should use the calculators saying moderate exercise, because I work out every weekday, or sedentary, because I'm a student and sitting around most of the time.
  • LemonLizard
    LemonLizard Posts: 86 Member
    Since you are measuring as carefully as you can, you have a few options:

    1) You are eating too much which could be from inaccurate measuring, incorrect choice of food entries from the database, or less likely because you are simply not burning an many calories as people with your vital statistics normally do due to some metabolic issue like PCOS, Thyroid, and the like.

    2) You are losing fat, but you are one of the people who loses weight in whooshes. By that I mean some people, more frequently women from the little I have read on it but men as well, will be eating at a deficit but they will not lose weight. Suddenly after a few weeks of this they lose a lot of weight very quickly. Various things have been proposed to explain this, but the one that I have heard frequently is that the fat that came out of their fat cells was replaced with water which in released in a big whoosh.

    3) You are retaining water for some reason. Either extremely high amounts of sodium being eaten, or in your a working out every intensely or making major changes to your workout your body will retain water to help with the repair of muscles.

    It could be any of these. I would tend to suggest if you are measuring as carefully as you can and are confident that the foods you eat are the ones you are logging in your food log, then you should stick with it for a while longer. Plateaus can last for some people for quite a while.

    Finally, low carb will not necessarily make any difference.

    Thank you for all the info, I'll be sure to take all of it into account. Should be able to invest in a scale soon, too, which I'm hoping will help my accuracy.

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