Frustration about number on scale- advice appreciated!

KHal11715
KHal11715 Posts: 31 Member
in Motivation and Support
Hi everyone!

I know everyone always says not to focus on the scale, but I'm getting very frustrated!

Some background...

I am 25 years old
5'8"
188lbs Body Fat 32.7%

Currently I am eating 1440 calories a day and focusing on Macros (144g protein, 48g fat, 108g carbs)
Since the beginning of March, I have been running for 30 min twice a week and weight train with Les Mills Pump three days for 45min-1hr.

I haven't seen ANY movement on the scale since starting in March-sometimes it even goes up. I know everyone says "don't pay attention to the scale.. muscle weighs more than fat", but I am NOT at a healthy weight range for my height.

At what point does one decide to pay attention to the scale? Is there something I should be doing differently? I am not giving up in any way shape or form, but it can be very upsetting to see the number go up after I have worked so hard.

Any and ALL advice is greatly appreciated! Thanks!

Replies

  • rachface1234
    rachface1234 Posts: 227 Member
    Hi friend,

    I have similar issues. when looking at your goals, macros, calorie count, and exercise it looks like you are doing the right thing. SOME of the scale feedback could be retaining some water due to adding in new exercise.

    Some things to consider;
    1. are you weighing, measuring your food 100% accurately? you could be eating more or less than you think you are if you aren't being very precise/scientific about it.
    2. personally, I am 5'6" and 146lbs and I could NOT eat that few calories for a month with regular exercise. Is it possible that your body responded by trying to maintain homeostasis? (I am not saying this is the case I am just considering it as a possibility, perhaps some more knowledgeable mfp pals can help with that theory)
    3. is this a new routine? you could be just at a stalling point (plateau if it has been over 4 weeks)
    4. have courage, change takes time! i force myself to take a very clear picture of myself every 1-2 months and measurements every few months, sometimes the shifts aren't all on the scale, sometimes jeans fit a bit better or a top suddenly looks a little more flattering.
    5. are you getting a lot of sodium in your diet? enough fiber? drinking enough water? these things can effect the scale a good bit.
    6. good luck my friend, this can be a frustrating journey, but congratulations for not giving up, and I hope you get some helpful advice, this site can be a great resource from a lot of individuals who have made their goals through hard work and dedication!
    :flowerforyou:
  • KHal11715
    KHal11715 Posts: 31 Member
    Thank you! Everything you mentioned is great to keep in mind! I use a food scale and measuring cups for everything I eat.. I am pretty precise. I also drink about 100-128 oz of water a day (I keep track on my phone)

    I may be eating too little. That thought has crossed my mind, but I'm not really sure how much more I should be consuming.

    I haven't looked into the sodium.. I will check that out and see where I am at.

    For the past 6 months I have been pretty active. Exercising 4-6 days a week. It is only recently that I have added strength training into the mix.

    Thanks again for the advice!

    -Kim
  • 4legsRbetterthan2
    4legsRbetterthan2 Posts: 19,590 MFP Moderator


    For the past 6 months I have been pretty active. Exercising 4-6 days a week. It is only recently that I have added strength training into the mix.

    How recently? Muscles retain water when adapting to new exercises and that can show up on the scale for 1-4 weeks, maybe longer if you are increasing weights regularly trying to find a happy "working weight"

    Also just in general - 90% of the time I see posts where people are not losing what they want to be it is due to inaccurate logging. Make sure you weigh your food, select appropriate entried, and log EVERY SINGLE DAY even if it is a cheat day. As you get smaller you have less wiggle room for error. Apologies is this is not you but I see this so often.
  • KHal11715
    KHal11715 Posts: 31 Member



    How recently? Muscles retain water when adapting to new exercises and that can show up on the scale for 1-4 weeks, maybe longer if you are increasing weights regularly trying to find a happy "working weight"

    Also just in general - 90% of the time I see posts where people are not losing what they want to be it is due to inaccurate logging. Make sure you weigh your food, select appropriate entried, and log EVERY SINGLE DAY even if it is a cheat day. As you get smaller you have less wiggle room for error. Apologies is this is not you but I see this so often.

    Hi. Thank you for your advice!

    I added weight training at the beginning of March. I am currently on day 27 of Les Mills Pump.
  • 4legsRbetterthan2
    4legsRbetterthan2 Posts: 19,590 MFP Moderator
    This is annoying advice so my apologies, but I would just give it a few more weeks before you change anything up again. If you were successfully losing before adding in the weights and have not changed your intake there is no reason for loss to have stopped.
  • KHal11715
    KHal11715 Posts: 31 Member
    This is annoying advice so my apologies, but I would just give it a few more weeks before you change anything up again. If you were successfully losing before adding in the weights and have not changed your intake there is no reason for loss to have stopped.

    It's not annoying.. haha. I will give it some time and try not to be so impatient!
  • bekahlou75
    bekahlou75 Posts: 304 Member
    A pound of muscle weighs a pound. A pound of fat weighs a pound. It's just shaped differently. Keep up the good work. Don't give up.
  • KHal11715
    KHal11715 Posts: 31 Member
    A pound of muscle weighs a pound. A pound of fat weighs a pound. It's just shaped differently. Keep up the good work. Don't give up.

    Thank you. I won't!
  • Emerald_light
    Emerald_light Posts: 5
    Have you kept track of your measurements along with your weight? When I hit my rut a few weeks back, it helped to keep me motivated by seeing that I was losing inches as well. I had to revamp my exercise routine to start losing weight again. I went to Zumba and added a Spin class here and there.
  • KHal11715
    KHal11715 Posts: 31 Member
    Have you kept track of your measurements along with your weight? When I hit my rut a few weeks back, it helped to keep me motivated by seeing that I was losing inches as well. I had to revamp my exercise routine to start losing weight again. I went to Zumba and added a Spin class here and there.

    Yes, I will measure myself on day 30 again (I'm on day 27) This week I added extra cardio for some more calorie burn. I will have to wait a few weeks to see if adding the extra cario has helped with the weight loss.
  • markja
    markja Posts: 270 Member
    You seem to be working really hard for only 1440 calories. Are you "eating them all back"? That is, if you do 300 calories of exercise are you eating an additional 300 calories?
  • sushidulces
    sushidulces Posts: 69 Member
    I had to increase my cals from 1200 to 1400 to 1600 with the increase in physical activities. I also track macros :) I learned pretty soon after a long lasting plateau, that once you implement weights, you need more cals. That was my case, anyhow. I lost 3 lbs the first 2 weeks of doing 1600 cals.

    I am 5'7
    165 lbs
  • KHal11715
    KHal11715 Posts: 31 Member
    Yes, I may need to change it up a bit, add in some more calories. I almost never even hit 1440 (except on weekends, I have a tendency to go a little over) My goal was at 1550 when I got home from vacation, but like I said, I don't think I ever actually hit that... It's definitely something to think about.

    Thank you everyone for all of your advice! It is greatly appreciated!!! :flowerforyou:
  • misscem94
    misscem94 Posts: 114 Member
    Yes, I may need to change it up a bit, add in some more calories. I almost never even hit 1440 (except on weekends, I have a tendency to go a little over) My goal was at 1550 when I got home from vacation, but like I said, I don't think I ever actually hit that... It's definitely something to think about.

    Thank you everyone for all of your advice! It is greatly appreciated!!! :flowerforyou:

    I'd definitely up the calories. I'm the same - I've gone from 1200 to 1680 now, although on exercise days (which is 5/6 days a week), it can rise up to 2550. If you are working out regularly and hard, you need to eat more. Trust me, you'll feel better :)
  • Commander_Keen
    Commander_Keen Posts: 1,179 Member
    keep track of how many calories you burn
    then for a week do this.
    eat 100 calories less
    burn 100 calories more

    Keep repeating once a week until the scale moves...
  • lrmall01
    lrmall01 Posts: 377 Member
    At what point does one decide to pay attention to the scale?
    If you aren't attached to a certain number I guess it is fine just to get some information but IMHO it really isn't all that useful. You don't want to lose weight, you want to lose fat. You would probably be happy with your current weight if you only had 20% body fat. Accumeasure fat calipers or even a tape measure around your waist is a better indicator of which way your fat is trending and it doesn't have the daily fluctuations that a scale has. Here is a short read with some food for thought regarding this if you like: http://everydaypaleo.com/attention-scale-addicts-part-2/
    Is there something I should be doing differently?
    See my first comment - perhaps consider a set of calipers or use a tape measure and the US Navy formula to estimate your body fat. Worry about trending your body fat % down, not your weight.

    Good luck!
  • Commander_Keen
    Commander_Keen Posts: 1,179 Member
    Hi everyone!

    I know everyone always says not to focus on the scale, but I'm getting very frustrated!

    Some background...

    I am 25 years old
    5'8"
    188lbs Body Fat 32.7%

    Currently I am eating 1440 calories a day and focusing on Macros (144g protein, 48g fat, 108g carbs)
    Since the beginning of March, I have been running for 30 min twice a week and weight train with Les Mills Pump three days for 45min-1hr.

    I haven't seen ANY movement on the scale since starting in March-sometimes it even goes up. I know everyone says "don't pay attention to the scale.. muscle weighs more than fat", but I am NOT at a healthy weight range for my height.

    At what point does one decide to pay attention to the scale? Is there something I should be doing differently? I am not giving up in any way shape or form, but it can be very upsetting to see the number go up after I have worked so hard.

    Any and ALL advice is greatly appreciated! Thanks!

    If the scale is not moving,
    Follow the instructions here.

    http://www.fourhourworkweek.com/blog/2013/05/06/how-to-cut-weight-ufc/
  • KHal11715
    KHal11715 Posts: 31 Member
    went on IIFYM.com and did the calculation. If I workout 5 days a week it says I should be at 1774... that just seems CRAZY high to me..

    Does that seem high to anyone else?
  • lrmall01
    lrmall01 Posts: 377 Member
    Does that seem high to anyone else?

    No, seems fine to me. As long as you are accurately tracking then 1800 calories would be fine.

    BTW, if you are doing the Les Mills program, doesn't it have a nutrution guide? All BeachBody programs do as far as I know. How much does it tell you to eat? IMHO if you are doing the program you need to eat the way the program tells you to. The BeachBody folks put together good programs so don't try to outsmart them.
  • KHal11715
    KHal11715 Posts: 31 Member
    Does that seem high to anyone else?

    No, seems fine to me. As long as you are accurately tracking then 1800 calories would be fine.

    BTW, if you are doing the Les Mills program, doesn't it have a nutrution guide? All BeachBody programs do as far as I know. How much does it tell you to eat? IMHO if you are doing the program you need to eat the way the program tells you to. The BeachBody folks put together good programs so don't try to outsmart them.

    Thanks, it definitely seems like I need to reevaluate my caloric intake. I will try adding calories and hopefully will start to get some good results!
  • knra_grl
    knra_grl Posts: 1,566 Member
    You are doing great, if you need a measure to make you feel like you are accomplishing something try measuring and forget the scale. Also you must be feeling the benefits of the added exercise? Feeling good is as good a measure as anything :drinker:
  • AshleyArleneNP
    AshleyArleneNP Posts: 77 Member
    I am stuck too. My trainer is having me try this zig zap calorie thing for the next two weeks. She has had luck from it. You can find your recommended numbers at freedieting.com.
    I will let you know if it works.
  • crystalflame
    crystalflame Posts: 1,049 Member
    went on IIFYM.com and did the calculation. If I workout 5 days a week it says I should be at 1774... that just seems CRAZY high to me..

    Does that seem high to anyone else?

    For your height and weight, that seems appropriate, but as a previous poster said, since you're new to lifting, you might not want to change anything yet. Changing too many variables all at once won't give you insight as to what the issue is. I'd give it another 2 weeks, and if nothing changes, start messing around with your calories. However, there's a decent change you'll see a loss in the near future as your body adapts. Then, if you're losing too fast, raise your calorie intake.

    Also, just want to say that your open-mindedness and politeness about accepting advice are rather refreshing for these boards :flowerforyou:
  • Avalonis
    Avalonis Posts: 1,540 Member
    A pound of muscle weighs a pound. A pound of fat weighs a pound. It's just shaped differently. Keep up the good work. Don't give up.

    Thank you. I won't!

    If you are CERTAIN you are logging correctly, than the comment above is almost certainly the case.

    Newbies to strength training in the first 4-6 weeks actually gain significant muscle mass, even on a calorie deficit. Actually, according to multiple double blind studies, newbies to strength training with fat to lose were the ONLY test group to significantly build muscle on a deficit.

    So being as how you were losing consistently, then started strength training, I would say you are fine.

    "Starvation mode" in the way people talk about it is a myth. To enter starvation mode, you literally have to be wasting away.

    With that being said undereating IS a real thing and can slow your metabolism, but not to a huge extent. Google Lepitin and weight loss, and you might see some interesting things. The biggest way I see people fail this one is by not eating any exercise calories back. If you calculate your BMR factored with lifestyle to be 1800cal/day, and cut it to 1400cal/day, then you need to be eating your exercise calories.
  • RunsOnEspresso
    RunsOnEspresso Posts: 3,218 Member
    went on IIFYM.com and did the calculation. If I workout 5 days a week it says I should be at 1774... that just seems CRAZY high to me..

    Does that seem high to anyone else?

    I'm 5'5 and am currently at 1945. The lowest I eat is usually around 1600, maybe 1500 if I am not feeling well.

    But as everyone else has said, give the new routine a bit of time, at least 4 weeks. If no changes and you don't want to jump to 1774 at once increase by 100 per week.
  • KHal11715
    KHal11715 Posts: 31 Member
    went on IIFYM.com and did the calculation. If I workout 5 days a week it says I should be at 1774... that just seems CRAZY high to me..

    Does that seem high to anyone else?

    I'm 5'5 and am currently at 1945. The lowest I eat is usually around 1600, maybe 1500 if I am not feeling well.

    But as everyone else has said, give the new routine a bit of time, at least 4 weeks. If no changes and you don't want to jump to 1774 at once increase by 100 per week.

    That's a great idea, I will try increasing to 1550 next week and see if there are any changes.
  • rachface1234
    rachface1234 Posts: 227 Member
    p.s. OP - I think its awesome that you are so receptive to all the good advice offered, this is not always the case, so basically I think you're awesome -:drinker: good luck on your journey! Sounds like you have good goals and are doing good work to get there so you are already halfway there!
  • KHal11715
    KHal11715 Posts: 31 Member
    p.s. OP - I think its awesome that you are so receptive to all the good advice offered, this is not always the case, so basically I think you're awesome -:drinker: good luck on your journey! Sounds like you have good goals and are doing good work to get there so you are already halfway there!

    Thank you! I'm glad that people are willing to give advice! I know a decent amount about health and fitness, but there is always room to learn more! Everyone is different, that's why I think its important to take in everyones advice and turn it into a way that it can benefit me personally :happy:

Categories