can't seem to lose weight.

yseultbast
yseultbast Posts: 3
in Getting Started
So, I've been tracking food intake for this year.
I'm sticking (with the exception of a few blowouts when I first started) to my kilojoule allowance, which is 5028 a day.
During that time, I've also been doing A LOT of cardio, as in 2000kj a day.
Problem is I'm not losing weight or size, considering 1kg is a standard weight fluctuation in a month.
If I was losing size but not weight, I'm sure I'd be happy, but it seems like I'm getting nowhere.
Any advice?

Replies

  • editorgrrl
    editorgrrl Posts: 7,060 Member
    The closer you are to goal, the more slowly you lose. With less than 8kg to lose, set your goal to the slowest option (in pounds, it's .5 lb. per week), and be patient.

    Read this: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants
  • katieo12321
    katieo12321 Posts: 2
    Try taking a multivitamin everyday. Not having enough iodine or vitamin b in your diet can make you gain/not lose weight.

    Drink lots of water.

    Eat real foods like fruits and veggies with lots of fiber content.

    Try to cut down on sodium because this can cause you to retain water.

    I don't know really what else to advise without knowing specifics. But a multivitamin is definitely an easy place to start.
  • PennyHarris123
    PennyHarris123 Posts: 159 Member
    I was the same last year I was a cardio bunny doing classes and hiking etc....reduced cardio, started weight training and my body changed....made a huge difference. Didn't loose much weight only 3lbs but looked like 14lbs! change your routine about a bit...maybe, I'm no expert but just a suggestion- good luck :smile:
  • bwogilvie
    bwogilvie Posts: 2,130 Member
    If you are maintaining your body weight, by definition you are in energy balance. Either you're overestimating the energy consumed by cardio, underestimating what you are eating, or both.

    These two links are useful:
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/872212-you-re-probably-eating-more-than-you-think
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/818082-exercise-calories-again-wtf
  • yseultbast
    yseultbast Posts: 3
    So, I went looking elsewhere online, and found this http://nutritiondata.self.com/tools/calories-burned
    Turns out that I'm way under what I need to be eating to lose weight. As in I could double my food intake and just get close.
    I'm not guilty of underestimating intake. I've been using a digi scale from the start, and if anything when I guess sizes (going out for dinner or spreads on toast for example) I'm more likely to overestimate. I also don't use condiments or dressings.
    I'm wondering if I should try it out at 12,000kj (that's roughly 3000kcal) for a few weeks to see if it works, but I'm not sure I can eat that much.
  • editorgrrl
    editorgrrl Posts: 7,060 Member
    I'm wondering if I should try it out at 12,000kj (that's roughly 3000kcal) for a few weeks to see if it works, but I'm not sure I can eat that much.
    Weight loss takes a whole lot of trial & error to find what works for you. Your goal should be finding the maximum number of calories at which you lose weight, not the minimum.

    Start by lowering your weight-loss goal. That will increase your calorie goal. Give it a week, then reevaluate. Start eating back all your exercise calories, if you aren't already. Give it a while, then reevaluate. Increase your activity level, then reevaluate.

    Do not double your calories all at once. Do it gradually.
  • LKArgh
    LKArgh Posts: 5,178 Member
    If you are not losing weight for a while, you do not need to up your calories, you need to redo your math. If you were in some crazy low calorie diet of 500 per day, then yes, upping your calories would be a good place to start. In your case, with numbers that are not that crazy, you eat as muxh as you burn right now. Which means, you are either eating more than you think, burning less than you thing, or most probably both. From your diary, my guess is that if you calculated about half the calories burned as something you can eat back, and then were consistent about it, you would see results. You are eating some days way more than the others, I am guessing because you believed you burned a lot of calores. Reevaluating the calories burned would be were I would start. SInce you seem to have very different calorie goals per day, trying calculations based on TDEE and not eating calories back might help too.
    If you try a 3000 cal diet, chances are ina few weeks you will be back complaining you gained 10 kilos.
  • TheGoodEmu
    TheGoodEmu Posts: 31 Member
    If you are not losing weight for a while, you do not need to up your calories, you need to redo your math...
    If you try a 3000 cal diet, chances are in a few weeks you will be back complaining you gained 10 kilos.

    Agreed. It's calories in-calories out for fat loss. But, from my experience I definitely recommend less cardio and way more strength training (and don't skimp on it - you should be pretty sore!). You'll become smaller and tighter in NO time if you stick to it. Made a huge difference for me after spending countless hours doing cardio (which basically just burns calories during the cardio rather than creating a body that burns more calories *all the time*.

    I still also do cardio for the other benefits anyway, it feels wonderful.

    If you want a specific program recommendation, I vote Insanity. It is amazing.

    Good luck!
  • janesmith1
    janesmith1 Posts: 1,511 Member
    So, I've been tracking food intake for this year.
    I'm sticking (with the exception of a few blowouts when I first started) to my kilojoule allowance, which is 5028 a day.
    During that time, I've also been doing A LOT of cardio, as in 2000kj a day.
    Problem is I'm not losing weight or size, considering 1kg is a standard weight fluctuation in a month.
    If I was losing size but not weight, I'm sure I'd be happy, but it seems like I'm getting nowhere.
    Any advice?

    First, let's convert this to language everyone here understands.

    5028 KJ = 1200.917168243 calories a day, so in plain USA English that is about 1201 calories a day.

    2000 KJ - 477.691793255 calories you BURN OFF or in plain USA English that is about 478 cals per day (about 1 hour).

    To me that 1200 cals you eat per day are pretty low. Your body may be in starvation mode and is holding onto your weight due to this. I would up your cals to 1400 or 1500 per day aka 6280.2 KJ per day. You'll still lose weight & you'll have more calories & you won't hit starvation mode.

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