Weight Won't Come Off!! S.O.S. PLEASE HELP!!
TheKoreanVegan
Posts: 9 Member
HELP!!! I am at my WIT's end. I'm 5'1" and I've been trying to eat clean and exercising for the past 30 days. W/in the first week, I dropped 9.5 lbs. After that, I saw ZERO progress. Therefore, I increased my weights/reps, doubled my cardio, and increased my calorie deficit by 300 calories a day (I now eat a strict 1200 calorie diet). My diet is clean--only whole foods, complex carbs, very little sugar (and all from fruits), and at least 75 g of protein a day. I allow myself ONE cheat meal per week, and even then, I make sure not to go more than 500 calories over my budget for the day.
I STILL HAVE NOT LOST A POUND IN THE PAST 2.5 WEEKS.
I keep telling myself that the scale doesn't matter, but this morning, I checked to see how many inches I'd lost in the past 30 days and it was utterly deflating--only 1.5 inches around my waist after working for so hard for 30 days.
Can someone please tell me I'm just being unrealistic in my expectations and this is totes normal and that if I just trust the process, sure and steady wins the race....??
I STILL HAVE NOT LOST A POUND IN THE PAST 2.5 WEEKS.
I keep telling myself that the scale doesn't matter, but this morning, I checked to see how many inches I'd lost in the past 30 days and it was utterly deflating--only 1.5 inches around my waist after working for so hard for 30 days.
Can someone please tell me I'm just being unrealistic in my expectations and this is totes normal and that if I just trust the process, sure and steady wins the race....??
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Replies
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"W/in the first week, I dropped 9.5 lbs"
Of fat? No chance. You just need to be more patient and realistic and do something that you can maintain over a long period without describing it like it's a torture.0 -
1.5inches off your waist is amazing...I'm lucky to get .5inches off per month!
weight lost is not linear, you just got to keep at it and your body will start to go down.0 -
Yes, it's a bit unrealistic. Most people are inline with the 0-2 pounds a week weight loss being a safe rate of weight loss.
ANYTHING in the downward direction is GOOD NEWS. It's not like setting off fireworks where you light the fuse, and within seconds you have a nice visual display and you're done. This is a slooooooowwwww fizzle and it will take time.
I HATE being patient, so I understand the frustration. Hang in there!0 -
1.5 inches in a month is pretty good, and the lack of weight loss is probably due to adding some muscle. You should be celebrating your hard work and results!0
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Congrats on your loss so far.0
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When you lose so much at first, it's NOT fat. Your month has been spent catching up to that initial swoosh of weight. So it averages out to 9.5 pounds in a month, and that's a fantastic first-month total.
Just keep doing what you're doing!0 -
Thank you so much for this response. I figured that the first week of weight loss was all water weight, etc., but to hear that things are evening out makes a great deal of sense. Will keep things up and hopefully, will see similar results next month!0
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The older we get the more difficult it is to get rid of unwanted pounds. Here are a few tips.
1- Avoid carbs after lunch except dark green leafy vegetables.
2- Eliminate all sugar and artificial sugars
3- limit your fruit intake to no more than 2 servings per day (Sugar Fix - great book to read).
4- Make sure you have enough healthy fat in your diet (I have at least 3 helpings a day) It sounds strange but without fat you will have difficulty loosing eventually.
5- Make sure your fats are coming from plant sources only (coconut oil is a great source)
6- Muscle burns fat and increases your metabolism. Make sure you get enough protein to help build your muscle
loosing more than 1/2 to 1 pound a week probably means you are not loosing fat and if you are, you probably won't be able to keep it off because your body begins thinking it is entering starvation mode and your metabolism adjusts. Be patient and set more realistic goals. I know it's difficult because we live in an instant gratification society but slow and steady is a sure bet.0 -
Just remember that muscle weighs more than fat, so if you're working out with weights while losing fat don't be surprised if the scale says you haven't lost anything. You are still losing fat.0
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Just remember that muscle weighs more than fat, so if you're working out with weights while losing fat don't be surprised if the scale says you haven't lost anything. You are still losing fat.
No.0 -
Just remember that muscle weighs more than fat, so if you're working out with weights while losing fat don't be surprised if the scale says you haven't lost anything. You are still losing fat.
PET PEEVE and very misleading!! Muscle does NOT weigh more than fat - a pound is a pound is a pound.
However, a pound of fat takes up 2 - 3 times more SPACE than muscle....therefore you will notice measurements changes, but not necessarily WEIGHT changes.0 -
Just remember that muscle weighs more than fat, so if you're working out with weights while losing fat don't be surprised if the scale says you haven't lost anything. You are still losing fat.
1 pound of muscle = 1 pound of fat = 1 pound of feathers, etc.
1 pound of muscle is more dense and has less volume than fat. Meaning it takes up less space. But one pound of anything WILL ALWAYS BE A POUND.
1200 calorie diet will not build any significant muscle volume unless you are 3 feet tall.0 -
I just can NOT get enough of the muscle weighs more than fat comments!!! lmao.0
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Patience0
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same for me Miss
I am not losing that body fat, I lost some pounds on the scale but I can see no change in my overall shape, I still have the fat after 1 month, all I'm losing is motivation 
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Just remember that muscle weighs more than fat, so if you're working out with weights while losing fat don't be surprised if the scale says you haven't lost anything. You are still losing fat.
There's really no way that the OP has put on any significant amount of muscle on 1200 calories/day. They may be retaining water from the increased strength training, though, which often masks whatever weight loss is going on.0 -
Just remember that muscle weighs more than fat, so if you're working out with weights while losing fat don't be surprised if the scale says you haven't lost anything. You are still losing fat.
There's really no way that the OP has put on any significant amount of muscle on 1200 calories/day. They may be retaining water from the increased strength training, though, which often masks whatever weight loss is going on.
I have to disagree with this. I usually maintain 1200 which is my TDEE-500 for fat loss, and I KNOW I'm building muscle because I can see it, just saying....0 -
When you lose so much at first, it's NOT fat. Your month has been spent catching up to that initial swoosh of weight. So it averages out to 9.5 pounds in a month, and that's a fantastic first-month total.
Just keep doing what you're doing!
What she said.
If you have a boatload of weight to lose (like me), that first week will have the scale literally jumping. A lot of that is water weight and weight shed because you have stepped away from the salt shaker, the processed foods and the fast food.
Now you will have weeks where you might actually gain a pound. The next you might lose two pounds, or three, or four. You might hit many mini-plateaus along the way.
Not sure what your caloric intake might need to be, because it is different for each us, based upon weight, age, height, activity, etc. 1200 sounds low and with added exercise in there, it may take you to a counter-productive level of calories.
You might want to think of looking at loss on a monthly basis or even every six weeks to better identify patterns and respond to those changes.
Myself, I weigh every day. My weight can change by as much as five or six pounds overnight, depending upon a whole host of things: water and salt mostly though. A really good morning pee can result in a two-pound weight loss. Not kidding here.
Point is: If you know that you are eating better and know that you are exercising and living better, in the long run, the weight loss will come.
(That is a mantra I keep telling myself because to be honest, as F'ing hard as I have worked I should be losing more weight than I am). But I know this: when it comes off fast, it comes BACK fast too.
Turtle not the rabbit. Marathon not the sprint.0 -
same for me Miss I am not losing that body fat, I lost some pounds on the scale but I can see no change in my overall shape, I still have the fat after 1 month, all I'm losing is motivation
How long did it take to add 10 lbs. of body fat? More than a month I would bet. More like six months, or maybe even a year. Fat creeps slowly on us and comes off slowly too.
We might all be happier if we quit expecting the stupid results of Biggest Loser and infomercials. They are not typical and not realistic and -- sometimes -- not healthy.
I wanna be skinnier, too, but it took me 30 years as an adult to wreck myself. It will take a few to correct myself. (Another inner mantra when the negativity gets in my head like an earworm).0 -
Just remember that muscle weighs more than fat, so if you're working out with weights while losing fat don't be surprised if the scale says you haven't lost anything. You are still losing fat.
1 pound of muscle = 1 pound of fat = 1 pound of feathers, etc.
1 pound of muscle is more dense and has less volume than fat. Meaning it takes up less space. But one pound of anything WILL ALWAYS BE A POUND.
1200 calorie diet will not build any significant muscle volume unless you are 3 feet tall.
I never meant that it wouldn't be a pound. Essentially what I meant was what you said about the density and how much space it takes up. Sorry, guess I should have rephrased.0 -
Uhm, so, how many pounds more until you get to your goal weight? Your ticker seems confusing.... are you really 1 pound from goal weight?0
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Just remember that muscle weighs more than fat, so if you're working out with weights while losing fat don't be surprised if the scale says you haven't lost anything. You are still losing fat.
There's really no way that the OP has put on any significant amount of muscle on 1200 calories/day. They may be retaining water from the increased strength training, though, which often masks whatever weight loss is going on.
I have to disagree with this. I usually maintain 1200 which is my TDEE-500 for fat loss, and I KNOW I'm building muscle because I can see it, just saying....
You may be getting rid of the fat over the muscle and it looks more defined but you can't gain muscle eating that little, sorry0 -
Just remember that muscle weighs more than fat, so if you're working out with weights while losing fat don't be surprised if the scale says you haven't lost anything. You are still losing fat.
There's really no way that the OP has put on any significant amount of muscle on 1200 calories/day. They may be retaining water from the increased strength training, though, which often masks whatever weight loss is going on.
I have to disagree with this. I usually maintain 1200 which is my TDEE-500 for fat loss, and I KNOW I'm building muscle because I can see it, just saying....
You may be getting rid of the fat over the muscle and it looks more defined but you can't gain muscle eating that little, sorry
Again, sorry I have to disagree.0 -
And your proof is what??? Your body is different than others and can put on muscle eating at a deficit??? You can disagree but can you prove that?Just remember that muscle weighs more than fat, so if you're working out with weights while losing fat don't be surprised if the scale says you haven't lost anything. You are still losing fat.
There's really no way that the OP has put on any significant amount of muscle on 1200 calories/day. They may be retaining water from the increased strength training, though, which often masks whatever weight loss is going on.
I have to disagree with this. I usually maintain 1200 which is my TDEE-500 for fat loss, and I KNOW I'm building muscle because I can see it, just saying....
You may be getting rid of the fat over the muscle and it looks more defined but you can't gain muscle eating that little, sorry
Again, sorry I have to disagree.0 -
Just remember that muscle weighs more than fat, so if you're working out with weights while losing fat don't be surprised if the scale says you haven't lost anything. You are still losing fat.
There's really no way that the OP has put on any significant amount of muscle on 1200 calories/day. They may be retaining water from the increased strength training, though, which often masks whatever weight loss is going on.
I have to disagree with this. I usually maintain 1200 which is my TDEE-500 for fat loss, and I KNOW I'm building muscle because I can see it, just saying....
You may be getting rid of the fat over the muscle and it looks more defined but you can't gain muscle eating that little, sorry
Again, sorry I have to disagree.
Muscle definition and gaining muscle is not the same thing, just saying...0 -
Be happy you are doing great eating clean and exercising and not gaining! I wish I could be that disciplined and eat clean and 1200 calories. You should be proud and keep up the good work!0
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The older we get the more difficult it is to get rid of unwanted pounds. Here are a few tips.
1- Avoid carbs after lunch except dark green leafy vegetables.
2- Eliminate all sugar and artificial sugars
3- limit your fruit intake to no more than 2 servings per day (Sugar Fix - great book to read).
4- Make sure you have enough healthy fat in your diet (I have at least 3 helpings a day) It sounds strange but without fat you will have difficulty loosing eventually.
5- Make sure your fats are coming from plant sources only (coconut oil is a great source)
6- Muscle burns fat and increases your metabolism. Make sure you get enough protein to help build your muscle
loosing more than 1/2 to 1 pound a week probably means you are not loosing fat and if you are, you probably won't be able to keep it off because your body begins thinking it is entering starvation mode and your metabolism adjusts. Be patient and set more realistic goals. I know it's difficult because we live in an instant gratification society but slow and steady is a sure bet.
1, 2, 3, and 5 aren't necessary. In fact, setting really restrictive goals like some of these may make it a lot harder to develop lifestyle changes you can realistically stick to.0 -
Have a look at these two articles. When I'm tempted to start making changes to my routine to break a plateau I remember these articles. You may not be doing intermittent fasting but the underlying concept still applies.
http://rippedbody.jp/2013/09/15/how-to-manipulate-macros/
http://rippedbody.jp/2012/11/10/patience-diet-success-intermittent-fasting-leangains/0 -
Hey Everyone!
Thanks so much for weighing in with sooooo much good information and positive encouragement! I wish they had a "like' button on the replies!
I actually went to my physician the other day to see if she might be a good source of information to help me through my most recent struggle and good gracious...you be the judge:
"1. You are not getting enough cardio. You should be doing at least 60-90 minutes of cardio a day."
"2. Cut back on your weight training to only twice a week."
"3. You can TOTALLY incorporate white rice into your diet."
"4. You're getting old (35!); the weight may just not come off the way it used to."
In my opinion, you all offer far better/credible advice than she did. Except for #4 (which, i thought, was slightly insensitive), I could not disagree MORE with what she had to say.
1. I lieu of 1 hour of cardio, I've incorporate HIITs into my workouts.
2. I've INCREASED my weight training to 4x per week.
3. I've cut out all white carbs--white sugar, white rice, white pasta, white breads.
4. I may be 34.8 years old, but I don't have to look it.
Also, regarding the very interesting side-convo regarding gaining muscle and losing fat--I think it's probably true that I'm not gaining very much muscle, despite my strength training days. I've actually read numerous articles about how to lose significant fat while gaining significant muscle, and it is extremely complicated. I think most ppl in my boat see "gains" by increasing *visibility* of existing muscle mass, as opposed to actually increasing the pounds of muscle. However, once significant fat loss is achieved, the individual can increase caloric intake to contribute to actual muscle growth. Simultaneous muscle growth/fat loss is a very very slow process, though. I'm all for concentrating on losing my fat, for now, and maintaining my existing lean muscle--so that they're there when I get rid of all the extra layers of blubber!
Anyhoot, thanks all!!0 -
I'm just telling you that yes, eating at a deficit, I and others I know are able to build muscle. It is evident in the fact that my skinny legs now have muscle definitiion - and no, it's not fat loss, because I didn't have much fat on my legs to start with, they were skinny, and they have grown - not shrunk. Perhaps its not "bulking" as I would assume you are referring to but it is muscle growth none the less. Chill out. We are all different, and what may not be working for one, may in fact work for another.0
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