It's been 3 months now, no fat loss

aisikitaisi
aisikitaisi Posts: 20
in Fitness and Exercise
Ok, so I started my fitness journey on Dec 6 2013, I did C25k everyday and a situps and pushups program for every other day when i started out. After finishing C25k, i have been trying to work on improving my speed and run 2-3 a week. The days that I don't run, I ride a stationary bike and burn around 500 calories, 30 minutes at a pace of around 16-20 mph. I am also a martial artist and do that 3-5 hours per week. And I am always doing other exercises (like squats, lunges, planks, etc.) here and there while watching TV (idk if they really count).

I have been working out REGULARLY atleast 3-5 times a week for atleast 30 minutes since Dec 2013, and it's Mar 2014 right now. I have barely lost any weight. I was eating at around 1200 calories, all healthy foods, up unitl a couple of weeks ago when I discovered the TDEE-20% method. I have been doing that since last week. I have upped my calories from 1200 to 1600. I started out at around 140 in December and am now 134 lbs. Just last week I hit my all time low which was 132.7, but now it shows 134.8 again :( My goal weight is 110 lbs. and my height is 5' 1".

I am just so discouraged now because I know I am building muscle and my fitness is improving, but I wanna lose the fat too. I have cut out junk food from my diet, and I eat all the necessary food groups. I really love the fit lifestyle, but I am just kind of upset since its been 3 months, and no fat loss. My clothes still fit me the same and everything. I really don't know what I am doing wrong. I will be joining the gym in April, and I will try to work my best to do cardio 5 days a week, and weight lifting 3 days a week.

I would really love to have a nice body for the summer, and it was the reason I started working for it. But it hurts to see that I put so much effort into it and no results. Please help me, I would really appreciate it. Thanks :)

Replies

  • aisikitaisi
    aisikitaisi Posts: 20
    BUMP, please guys I really need help!
  • BetesBitch
    BetesBitch Posts: 234 Member
    You are getting results. You are 6lbs lighter and that day u went up a bit was prob just water retention after a mean weight workout or u had too much salt the night before. When you say stronger and fitter, those are results too! Keep at it and enjoy :)
  • aisikitaisi
    aisikitaisi Posts: 20
    Aww, thank you so much for being optimistic! But I was just expecting a little more, and it could be that those 6 lbs. were just water weight. I just don't know what more to do..I really don't care about time anymore, I wanna keep at it and I want to be fit for life!
  • Mr_Knight
    Mr_Knight Posts: 9,532 Member
    Lots of empty/incomplete days in your diary.

    Bottom line: you're eating more than you should be.

    Good luck!
  • Flab2Fab27
    Flab2Fab27 Posts: 461 Member
    Under estimating calories consumed or over estimating calories burned. Measure/weigh & log absolutely everything you consume and you will get a better idea of what's going wrong & where.

    Edited to add, I'm the same height & you have already lost some weight! If you don't have a lot to lose, it may com off slower and 110 may either be too low or will definitely take quite awhile to achieve ( this based on my own experiences over the past 6 months). Try to focus more on inches lost, NSV's, how you feel & look rather than just the number on the scale.

    Good luck!
  • scubasuenc
    scubasuenc Posts: 626 Member
    Diligent with logging and weighing all of your food is necessary.

    Also, how are you estimating your calorie burns for your exercise? For example you mentioned 30 minutes, stationary bike 16-20 MPH, 500 calories. I'm 250 lbs and ride the stationary bike at an avg pace of 18.5 mph 45 minutes every morning. I usually burn in the 350 to 400 calorie range according to the HRM. A 30 minute 500 calorie burn for someone your size seems high.
  • sblyler
    sblyler Posts: 1
    I just want to say that I have been multiple sizes smaller than I currently am and did not WEIGH much less. If you hadn't before, take measurements of your neck, your arms, waist, hips, thighs, ankles. Measure and compare those over time. Weight is not the only indicator that your body is stronger, leaner, and healthier.
  • DKBingaman
    DKBingaman Posts: 12
    I would say (if you are able to, i know a lot of people aren't) get some blood work done and make sure all of your vitamins and hormones and stuff are at the correct levels. I have a friend who struggled with weight for YEARS went and got that stuff balanced out and she has started seeing amazing results. i can't give you specifics to what was unbalanced for her (because i don't know) but its just a suggestion. I know my blood work was covered by my insurance and they told me i had a vitamin D deficiency.
    **i'm not claiming that i know a lot about that kind of stuff. just something that happened with a friend and thought it might help.
  • Kevalicious99
    Kevalicious99 Posts: 1,131 Member
    I was going to say that your story is kinda typical .. panicked cause I am not losing weight.

    Well .. first of all. You have to realize that you are making progress .. just not on the scale. But who cares ... I sure don't I am much much happier when I lose an inch .. rather than a lb. I don't care about the number .. just my body fat percentage and the number of the tape measure. That is all that is important.

    You are probably eating more than you think you are .. which is extremely easy to do. And .. working your *** off will likely not get you there either. Losing lbs if that is your goal .. is made in the kitchen. Working out is for getting fit and healthy.

    I think you need to adjust here .. and concentrate on logging very very accurately (using a digital scale) .. and you will get there. Just remember that that scale measures ALL OF YOU .. so it really does suck at telling you anything worthy. Making regular measurements and checking your body fat .. is much better than just concentrating what that scale says. Don't worry .. you are not alone in your thinking that working out like a madman will get you there. It is very very common here. Losing body fat is all about the calorie in / calorie out idea.
  • ILiftHeavyAcrylics
    ILiftHeavyAcrylics Posts: 27,732 Member
    You're already at a healthy weight and that means it's going to be slower going. Your body can't burn fat as quickly as someone who is obese. 2 lbs per month is a reasonable rate of loss for you.

    That said you can do some things to ensure accurate. Are you weighing out your portions, logging everything including "cheat days", creamer, coffee, oils, condiments etc? Choosing database entries with no asterisk and entering your own recipes? If you're doing all of that, then the next step is to just be patient.
  • rogerOb1
    rogerOb1 Posts: 318 Member
    Youll probably need to pay more attention to your nutrition. If you genuinely think you may be under eating, try adding a cheat meal/day. If you don't take a multivitamin, add one. Try adding fish like salmon to your eating plan. Sometimes the body doesn't react the way we want/expect it to because it isn't getting the nutrition it wants/needs, but once you find the right balance, you'll be OK.
  • xsmilexforxmex
    xsmilexforxmex Posts: 1,216 Member
    There's a lot of empty days in your diary so it's hard to say if you're overeating... BUT if you are working out as much as you say and the days that are logged are correct w/o the workout entered - you are under eating. Add about 250 calories to your meal plan and NEVER *NET* under 1400. Give that about 6 weeks and see if you start seeing progress. You May gain some in muscle, BUT once your body realizes you're getting the nutrition you need, it will start to burn fat.

    Also, take a fully body pic about 1x a month and do measurements. Weight alone is not the best way to measure fat loss as so many factors can affect it like sodium/water intake, sleep and when you eat during the day.
  • missyk00
    missyk00 Posts: 1
    A few thoughts...
    BTW I'm 5'3" fluctuate between 125-130. I am pretty stagnant around 128-130 though despite like you upping my running and reducing my calories.
    1) Healthy fats, are you taking any? Check out your local nutrition store there are some that supposed to promote fat loss ironically.
    2) Consider paying a bit of money and paying for a real body comp test. I do one that tells me how much each limb weighs, intracellular and extracellular water, everything. i have found out that I've actually lost 2 lbs of fat this past week and gained 2 lbs of muscle even though same weight and clothes same.
    3) Are you eating carbs before you work out and protein after? Healthy carbs like strawberries are good pre-work out. I use Progenix Recovery post work out shakes. I just found a product I LOVE today 100 cal/20 grm protein it's called Cocotein (protein coconut water). Tried it at GNC, I ordered a case of it on line at luckyvitamin.com
    4) b-12? Vitamin or even injections can help some people have more energy to work out harder. I didn't think I needed it because I work out pretty hard but it helps, maybe only mentally ;)
    5) Water lots and lots of water. I drink about 100 oz/day
    6) As others have said, don't starve, don't let yourself get hungry. Try to eat something every 2 hrs.

    Nothing scientific here but just some things that are worth a shot.
  • malbecaddict
    malbecaddict Posts: 1
    Just a few points to support you.
    0. 6 pounds is a result!
    1. Have you checked the volumes? If you don't have a measuring tape, try a few old clothes to see how it fits
    2. Do you have enough of water? Your system may need up to 8-10 oz of pure water every day if you exercise that much. You might want to cut off the caffeine intake (all coffee, tea (except infusions)), alcohol intake, even juice for 2-3 weeks and see the results.
    3. Do you check your pulse while training? If you base your calories burned only on calories counter on your bicycle it may overestimate calories spent. The best way is to invest into pulse meter.
    4. 70% of the results come from your kitchen)

Categories