Scale not moving?

emme_rose
emme_rose Posts: 6
in Health and Weight Loss
I've been eating between 1200-1500 calories a day for the past TWO weeks, with ALL of those calories coming from fruit and vegetables. Or healthy snacks like unsalted nuts or rice cakes and graham crackers. I walk for an hour almost every day, swim once a week and this past monday I did 2 hours of Muay Thai. My basal metabolic rate is about 1580 calories.

My scale hasn't budged. It has stayed at 156, occasionally going down as low as 154 or as high as 157. I don't understand. I can see a bit of a difference in the mirror, but not much. I have been pretty strict with my diet. The only thing I don't count is drinks, and I usually get the diet version of whatever I'm having. Excluding coffee, but even then, I'll only get one and its about 200 calories which would still put me well below 2000. I'm getting really frustrated and I don't understand whats going on.

Keep in mind that before I decided to get strict I was eating anything and everything. One night I had a pizza and two lava cakes to myself. I never went above 158. I just don't understand why eating clean, exercising and consuming fewer calories is doing literally nothing. I should be losing weight even without exercising with the amounts I've been eating. AND I'm careful eat back my calories, so it's not that I am accidentally eating too few.

Help meeeee this is balls bro

Replies

  • zoeysasha37
    zoeysasha37 Posts: 7,088 Member
    Are you weighing and measuring everything???
    If not, how are you sure that your really eating at a deficit?
  • emme_rose
    emme_rose Posts: 6
    I haven't been measuring but I am really really really careful about recording EVERYTHING and if I'm not sure about how much I actually took, I will over estimate just to be sure.
  • eldamiano
    eldamiano Posts: 2,667 Member
    The scale isnt supposed to move unless you have lost weight....
  • mschicagocubs
    mschicagocubs Posts: 774 Member
    Weight Fluctuates. Have you taken measurements? Do clothes feel more loose?

    If the scale doesnt move after a month, I suggest buying a food scale to weigh everything.
  • stevesample76
    stevesample76 Posts: 248 Member
    My first suggestion would be to take measurement and pictures. I can tell you first hand that I do not see myself the same in the mirror as I do in a picture.

    Track your measurements for 2-4 weeks and see if there are any changes there and then you can start tweaking your calorie intake. I would not go any lower than where you are now. It actually more possible that you are currently under-eating and need more.
  • emme_rose
    emme_rose Posts: 6
    I'm aware Eldamiano. I don't understand how it's possible that I haven't lost weight considering my levels of activity and eating habits.

    Ms Chigagocubs I might start taking measurements if I don't see any changes soon.

    The only thing I can think of is that I did just finish my period, and that might be affecting my weight but I dont know.
  • hill8570
    hill8570 Posts: 1,466 Member
    Might want to open your diary -- easier to see stuff.

    (1) When I see handwaving about "not logging everything" and "this shouldn't matter", that's a serious red flag. The difference between losing and maintaining is generally around 500 cals a day -- there's very little room for slop.

    (2) Eating back all the calories. That's another red flag. The exercise database is notorious for overestimating calorie burn. If you're already sloppy with logging calories *and* eating back more than you're really burning, it'd be easy to just be eating at maintenance, more or less.
  • easjer
    easjer Posts: 219 Member
    Well, here's the problem with that approach - how do you know what you are logging is accurate? As a random example, on Monday I had a tall chocolate chai from Starbucks. I noticed the calorie count on the menu was 250 for a regularly made tall. None of the entries I could find on here were for a regularly made tall chocolate chai were accurate. Not a single one. They were all 190 calories (a regularly made tall chai tea latte).

    Now, one day, one time - 60 calories isn't necessarily that big a deal. But if that is multiplied over half your entries for the day (large apple? medium apple? small apple? 4 oz of protein that is really 6 oz?), you can easily end up with 300+ calories you don't realize you are eating.

    Now I'm not a weigh/measure enthusiast. I don't actually weigh my food, because it's not right for me. But I also have some practice with measuring, and we make most of our food, so I can appropriately determine serving size. I also have a lot more room to play with than you do.

    Finally, without looking at your diary, only going on what you posted - I wonder if you are getting enough protein and fat. While caloric deficit is the main piece to losing weight, macros are important as well, particularly if you haven't got tons to lose.
  • easjer
    easjer Posts: 219 Member

    The only thing I can think of is that I did just finish my period, and that might be affecting my weight but I dont know.

    That always makes a difference for me, about 5 lbs of difference on average.
  • mschicagocubs
    mschicagocubs Posts: 774 Member
    I'm aware Eldamiano. I don't understand how it's possible that I haven't lost weight considering my levels of activity and eating habits.

    Ms Chigagocubs I might start taking measurements if I don't see any changes soon.

    The only thing I can think of is that I did just finish my period, and that might be affecting my weight but I dont know.

    Period could definitely be a factor. I usually gain 2-3 lbs during the first few days of it. I never weigh myself around that time. I avoid the 2 days before my period and the 2 days after. After your period is over ... weigh yourself, you might see some movement. Even a .5lb would be good!

    Definitely measure. Go ahead and start today, just to get an idea. Then wait like 2 weeks. I'm someone that cannot weigh myself weekly or I get mad.
  • emme_rose
    emme_rose Posts: 6
    Hill- the only thing I don't log is drinks, and always get calorie free versions. I don't get coffee every day, maybe 3-4 times a week.

    Easjer- that's a good point. I've been relying on the entries being accurate to begin with. I'm going to get a food scale, I think. I eat a lot of avocado and peanut butter and nuts, but I dont have a lot of animal proteins.
  • 1948sixty
    1948sixty Posts: 24 Member
    You said that ALL of your calories are coming from fruits and veggies. For the first six weeks of this year I was doing much of the same...eating salads for lunch and dinner and hardly seeing any change at the scale. I decided to start using a personal trainer at the gym. Besides him helping me with my workouts (adding strength training since all I was doing was cardio), he also said PROTEIN AT EVERY MEAL. It doesn't have to be animal protein...I include plant based protein such as edamame, tofu, beans. Once I made these changes, I am seeing results. PS...another suggestion he made was to greatly increase my water intake. Wishing you success...sometimes it can be just subtle changes that can make the difference.
  • emme_rose
    emme_rose Posts: 6
    I'm aware Eldamiano. I don't understand how it's possible that I haven't lost weight considering my levels of activity and eating habits.

    Ms Chigagocubs I might start taking measurements if I don't see any changes soon.

    The only thing I can think of is that I did just finish my period, and that might be affecting my weight but I dont know.

    Period could definitely be a factor. I usually gain 2-3 lbs during the first few days of it. I never weigh myself around that time. I avoid the 2 days before my period and the 2 days after. After your period is over ... weigh yourself, you might see some movement. Even a .5lb would be good!

    Definitely measure. Go ahead and start today, just to get an idea. Then wait like 2 weeks. I'm someone that cannot weigh myself weekly or I get mad.

    Yeah I'm going to start measuring. I'm just frustrated just cause I started at 187 almost two years ago and got to my goal weight, then gained back 10 pounds. It came off really easily and quickly the first time, not so much now.
  • Pusheenthecat
    Pusheenthecat Posts: 20 Member
    I find the scale is always behind. And I mean always! I was told not to weigh myself every week as the body needs time to change. I weigh myself every month and have better results.

    I eat 1800 cal a day and I lose about 5-8 pounds a month or more depending. If I weighed my self every week I would be really disappointed.

    If you don't lose weight slow, which sucks, the weight will come back fast and you may even gain more weight.
  • emme_rose
    emme_rose Posts: 6
    You said that ALL of your calories are coming from fruits and veggies. For the first six weeks of this year I was doing much of the same...eating salads for lunch and dinner and hardly seeing any change at the scale. I decided to start using a personal trainer at the gym. Besides him helping me with my workouts (adding strength training since all I was doing was cardio), he also said PROTEIN AT EVERY MEAL. It doesn't have to be animal protein...I include plant based protein such as edamame, tofu, beans. Once I made these changes, I am seeing results. PS...another suggestion he made was to greatly increase my water intake. Wishing you success...sometimes it can be just subtle changes that can make the difference.

    I definitely don't drink enough water. I'll start drinking more and adding more proteins to my meals!

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