Finding weight loss extremely difficult

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loxemori
loxemori Posts: 6 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Having gained 10-12 kilos in my first year of university, I've been trying to lose it with very little success and was wondering whether someone could advise me on this.

I have been tracking my calorie intake since last March and exercising 4-6 times per week including both cardio (mostly HIIT) and free weights. (I've been doing free weights since October and before that I still did machine weights)

The only times when I have lost a little bit of weight is either when I did intermittent fasting (for about 5 weeks) or when I have followed a very low carbohydrate diet. The rest of the time I have been in calorie deficit (usually netting 1200-1300 calories per week), but with absolutely no results. I recently increased my calorie goals to 1400, but it hasn't been long enough for me to tell whether this is working. I also started carb cycling because I didn't have enough energy to workout properly on just a low carb diet.

Is my calorie intake too low? Could this be why I'm not losing weight? Any thoughts would be appreciated.

Replies

  • Ninkyou
    Ninkyou Posts: 6,666 Member
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    Are you weighing your food with a food scale? If not, you're eating more than you think. If you're eating more than you think, you're probably not in much of a deficit.

    Also, how are you measuring your calorie burns? Are you using MFP, Equipment or a heartrate monitor? If you're not using a HRM your burns can easily be overestimated. And if you're eating those exercise calories back, then again, you could be eating too many calories.
  • flame_retardant
    flame_retardant Posts: 49 Member
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    Most people's bodies have a set weight & like a thermostat maintains temperature, your body tries to keep you within 15% of that weight. So your body could've just decided that 10-12kilos heavier is where you need to be to keep you healthy and you might not be able to diet down to a smaller size.
  • loxemori
    loxemori Posts: 6 Member
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    Yes, I weigh my food and track everything meticulously so I know I'm definitely not underestimating. I'm just going by what it says on the equipment, which is probably not that accurate, that's true.
  • lavender_fairie
    lavender_fairie Posts: 76 Member
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    [ I have been in calorie deficit (usually netting 1200-1300 calories per week), but with absolutely no results....
    [/quote]



    ^^^if you have been netting 1200-1300 per WEEK, then that's the problem. In fact, if you have been netting 1200-1300 per DAY, even, that could be the problem, depending on your stats.

    Also, did you say you were taking the burn that the machines give you (No HRM or anything)? Bc those things r generally inaccurate and overestimate up to 30%...

    More information is needed, methinks.
  • loxemori
    loxemori Posts: 6 Member
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    Yes, no HRM. I'll look into buying one, but I've heard they're not that accurate for HIIT?

    I am 1.62 (5 ft 4) and I weight around 67 kilos. When I started trying to lose weight, I was 68, but I've added quite a bit of muscle (and lost 2 inches around my waist) so I'm going by measurements, not scale weight.
  • loxemori
    loxemori Posts: 6 Member
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    ^^^if you have been netting 1200-1300 per WEEK, then that's the problem. In fact, if you have been netting 1200-1300 per DAY, even, that could be the problem, depending on your stats.

    Also, did you say you were taking the burn that the machines give you (No HRM or anything)? Bc those things r generally inaccurate and overestimate up to 30%...

    More information is needed, methinks.


    Sorry, I meant an average of 1200-1300 per day.

    Yes, no HRM. I'll look into buying one, but I've heard they're not that accurate for HIIT?

    I am 1.62 (5 ft 4) and I weight around 67 kilos. When I started trying to lose weight, I was 68, but I've added quite a bit of muscle (and lost 2 inches around my waist) so I'm going by measurements, not scale weight. What other information should I post?
  • _Zardoz_
    _Zardoz_ Posts: 3,987 Member
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    You're not eating 1200-13000 a day. If you were you would lose weight unless you were some freak of science (very unlikely). Weigh and measure your food accurately everything that passes your mouth needs to be counted.
  • AwesomeGuy37
    AwesomeGuy37 Posts: 436 Member
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    What are you drinking?
  • loxemori
    loxemori Posts: 6 Member
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    What are you drinking?

    I've stopped drinking alcohol. I had 250ml of rum last Tuesday for the first time in 3-4 months. No soft drinks apart from the occasional diet coke.
  • loxemori
    loxemori Posts: 6 Member
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    You're not eating 1200-13000 a day. If you were you would lose weight unless you were some freak of science (very unlikely). Weigh and measure your food accurately everything that passes your mouth needs to be counted.

    I'm *netting* 1200-1300. And I have been weighing and measuring everything I eat since about April last year until now with a few months break in summer (June - September) when I wasn't tracking calories but eating at about maintenance.

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