Please help me understand where I am going wrong...

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  • Laurenlen
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    Oh also I weigh myself same time each week. I am guilty of weighing myself in between but take my weekly ones as 'actual' weigh ins if that makes sense. I guess I'll do my cm measurements tomorrow and see if there is a change! I don't know what a good amount of cm to lose a week is, I think that's what is hard to, as I know the context of weight.
  • FitFunLosAngeles
    FitFunLosAngeles Posts: 36 Member
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    1) Weigh yourself exactly the same time every day. Preferably upon waking up in the morning.
    2) Spend at least a couple weeks being ruthless about tracking every bite you eat/every sip you drink. use a food scale. you want to make absolutely sure you are accurate about your caloric intake for a couple weeks as a "test" to see if you get results or not.
    3) drink a LOT of water. this will quickly get rid of "water weight" and retaining water problems. Plus for some reason you need extra water when you are losing weight.
    4) Don't freak out about a one- or two-day "bounce" back up on the scale after losing. It happens briefly and then you continue going down again.
    5) There are a lot of people, including people on these boards, who regularly or even weekly lose 2 lbs a week. That has not been the case for me (even on weeks in which I have followed my diet/exercise regime religiously) but I am satisfied if the scale is less than last week, even if it is just a tiny bit. Sometimes I lose 0.3 of a pound (digital scales help), sometimes a whole pound. Either way I am getting closer! Don't get discouraged if you don't lose as much as other people seem to be on these boards. I feel like a lot of people get discouraged over that.
    6) it helps if you have objective goals that are a) scale-related (e.g. your weight) and b) non-scale related (people on MyFitnessPal refer to these as NSVs=non-scale victories.) Take for example one measurement like your waist. Or take an item of clothing in your closet that ALMOST fits or ALMOST (but doesn't quite) button. See if it doesn't button in a couple weeks or a month. That would be an objective victory right? Even if the scale hasn't budged as much as you would have liked?
    7) You really should see scale- and non-scale results. If you don't after 2 weeks, then I would see a doctor because a 24 yr-old woman with that kind of calorie intake and that kind of exercise routine should be losing weight regularly.
    You are off to a great start! Good luck!
  • CTcutie
    CTcutie Posts: 649 Member
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    My 2 cents: use a tape measure (neck, upper arms, waist, hips, thighs, calves). These measurements may not change in a month or 2, but over time they will.
    AND- it can take 8 weeks for your body to adjust to lifting. Just give it a little time! Measure and weigh your food should go without saying! :wink:
  • lindsey1979
    lindsey1979 Posts: 2,395 Member
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    Water retention plays a huge role and can easily mask 4-6 weeks of hard work, for women especially. Here's a really good article on the idea behind it:

    http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/of-whooshes-and-squishy-fat.html
    http://www.leangains.com/2010/01/how-to-deal-with-water-retention-part_28.html

    I know it can be really frustrating not to see progress on the scale like you'd like to, but you're probably losing a decent amount, but just can't see it right now due to the water retention. Lyle even recommends if you're a woman to track on a monthly basis -- comparing each week of your cycle to the previous month -- to get a better idea of your true loss.

    If after 8 weeks, you're still seeing no movement and you're confident in your measuring/weighing of food intake, time to go see the doctor to make sure nothing else is at play throwing a wrench into things -- insulin resistance, thyroid, PCOS, adrenal issues, etc.
  • 1Cor1510
    1Cor1510 Posts: 413 Member
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    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/818594-building-muscle-and-losing-fat-at-the-same-time?hl=Building+muscle+and+losing+fat

    Also looks to me like your macros (cals) are pretty low for you. May want to check some of the calculators referenced in the earlier posts.
  • rjmelton
    rjmelton Posts: 37 Member
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    Another thing to keep in mind is that with all that lifting, you are building muscle. Muscle weighs a bit more than fat, we all hear that, but what we often forget is that exercise, even cardio, is building muscle. So the more you exercise, the more you gain in muscle weight while burning fat. It's a bit confusing and disheartening, because you can't trust a scale. That's why measuring your self with a tape measure is actually much more accurate in terms of success.
    Err you don't build muscle in a Calorie deficit.

    Err your body metabolizes fat. Per pound fat contains around 3500 calories the body burns that 3500 calories to rid the fat. You only eat the calorie deficit, your body metabolizes fat to go back to equilibrium.
    That myth is almost as poor as the "muscle weighs more than fat" argument. A pound still weighs a pound no matter if it's fat or muscle or water. 16 oz is a pound.
  • Mischievous_Rascal
    Mischievous_Rascal Posts: 1,791 Member
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    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/818594-building-muscle-and-losing-fat-at-the-same-time?hl=Building+muscle+and+losing+fat

    Also looks to me like your macros (cals) are pretty low for you. May want to check some of the calculators referenced in the earlier posts.

    This is a great link! And the calculator I use is this one: http://scoobysworkshop.com/accurate-calorie-calculator/
  • Laurenlen
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    Well, just did my weekly measurements. Weight is 238.6 - so 2lbs higher than lowest. But all torso measurements (hips waist etc) are 1cm down and arms and calves are 0.5cm down. I can deal with no scale movement if measurements move (my boyfriend measures me for accuracy lol) although I still don't understand why I can't bloody weigh less!

    Thanks again everyone, this week I will make sure I'm absolutely strict and drink loads of water and see what happens. ..
  • Dewymorning
    Dewymorning Posts: 762 Member
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    Well, just did my weekly measurements. Weight is 238.6 - so 2lbs higher than lowest. But all torso measurements (hips waist etc) are 1cm down and arms and calves are 0.5cm down. I can deal with no scale movement if measurements move (my boyfriend measures me for accuracy lol) although I still don't understand why I can't bloody weigh less!

    Thanks again everyone, this week I will make sure I'm absolutely strict and drink loads of water and see what happens. ..

    If you are losing inches eventually you will see a weight loss.