Not Losing Despite 2-a-day workouts

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Amazonbella
Amazonbella Posts: 338
in Fitness and Exercise
Okay, so here is my dilemma....

For the past 5 weeks I have started a NEW workout program my chiropractor (who also used to be a trainer) put me on because I have had injuries w/my back, two torn meniscus in my knees and an ankle that was broken, but has healed.

I am doing weights in the a.m. at the gym. One day UPPER BODY, Next day LOWER BODY, third day CARDIO, then repeat. I have also added cardio sessions at night, and just recently added more cardio after my weight lifting sessions.

In the past 5 weeks....I have not LOST ONE POUND!!!! NOT ONE....WTF?

I have incorporated eating more fish into my nutrition, I take a vitamin D supplement, I drink Protein shakes and drinks now instead of empty calorie breakfast items, and try to stay within a healthy range of calories.

Let me just say too, I am 5'10 and I am needing to lose at least 60 pounds! So I'm not someone at goal weight trying to lose.

I do take Celexa, but my doctor told me that this medicine is the LEAST likely ssri to cause weight gain. I have had some stress the past 3 weeks w/a relationship that had ended badly, but I feel I am coping with it pretty well, but it's been emotional. I just can't fathom with the effort I am putting out that I am not losing anything.

I would love to hear from you guys if there is something else I should try or see something I am missing :) THANK YOU!!!!
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Replies

  • SingingSingleTracker
    SingingSingleTracker Posts: 1,866 Member
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    Okay, so here is my dilemma....

    For the past 5 weeks I have started a NEW workout program my chiropractor (who also used to be a trainer) put me on because I have had injuries w/my back, two torn meniscus in my knees and an ankle that was broken, but has healed.

    I am doing weights in the a.m. at the gym. One day UPPER BODY, Next day LOWER BODY, third day CARDIO, then repeat. I have also added cardio sessions at night, and just recently added more cardio after my weight lifting sessions.

    In the past 5 weeks....I have not LOST ONE POUND!!!! NOT ONE....WTF?

    I have incorporated eating more fish into my nutrition, I take a vitamin D supplement, I drink Protein shakes and drinks now instead of empty calorie breakfast items, and try to stay within a healthy range of calories.

    Let me just say too, I am 5'10 and I am needing to lose at least 60 pounds! So I'm not someone at goal weight trying to lose.

    I do take Celexa, but my doctor told me that this medicine is the LEAST likely ssri to cause weight gain. I have had some stress the past 3 weeks w/a relationship that had ended badly, but I feel I am coping with it pretty well, but it's been emotional. I just can't fathom with the effort I am putting out that I am not losing anything.

    I would love to hear from you guys if there is something else I should try or see something I am missing :) THANK YOU!!!!

    Simple. You're not running enough of a calorie deficit to lose weight. Calories in vs. calories out is the entire rule no matter if you exercise or not.

    How do you have your settings here at MFP programmed? Are you counting the calories you eat vs. the ones you burn during your exercise? What do you use to count the exercise calories?
  • Gemini61454
    Gemini61454 Posts: 85 Member
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    Muscle weighs more than fat
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,561 Member
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    Weight loss is about calories in/out. If you're estimating how much you eat, then chances are you're eating too much.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness industry for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • brianpperkins
    brianpperkins Posts: 6,124 Member
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    Muscle weighs more than fat

    Muscle is more dense, a pound of each weighs exactly the same.

    The time span in question is not enough to put on an appreciable amount of muscle mass. Some of the weight stagnation could be water retention or miscalculation of burns and intake.
  • Deb_622
    Deb_622 Posts: 694
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    There's not always a simple solution to your issue...

    Did you take measurements and/or body fat % before you started your new workout? Also, if your muscles are sore it could be an idicator that your muscles are retaining water for repair...your body may just be adjusting to the increase in activity, or you may just be trading fat for muscle...do your clothes feel like they fit better/looser now?

    I am also 5' 10" and when I started (with Weight Watchers) last summer, my weight was very slow to start coming off (which I thought was weird, because most people say that a lot of weight comes off quickly and then slows down...) ...anyway...I have now lost 65 pounds in 10 months (with a few ups/downs/stalls along the way)...

    so...keep watching your calories - make healthy choices - don't overestimate your workout calories (so you don't "eat back" more than you actually burned) - and good things will happen!! absolutely take measurements and photos...they are a much better indicator than the scale (even though its really nice to see it go down!!)

    Good Luck!! :flowerforyou:
  • Amazonbella
    Amazonbella Posts: 338
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    I did weight watchers for a year...I track food very accurately. I use MFP and scan labels to calculate all food. . . . even if I have ONE bite of something I will add it in as calories, it's how I was taught to be accountable.

    I also feel the calories that you earn from working out here on MFP is WAAAAAY too high and I never go by that. I use an app on my Ipad. So if MFP says I burned 450 calories I put in 220 calories burned, and I always try not to "eat back" calories.

    I know a lot of people think it's "THAT SIMPLE" and trust me you would think it would be. I'm doing almost 60 minutes of Cardio a day along with 30-60 minutes of weight lifting a day. My calories generally stay within 1600-1900. I have even tried weeks of staying between 1200-1400 and still no weight loss.
  • Amazonbella
    Amazonbella Posts: 338
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    I by no means am giving up...I almost just don't want to weigh anymore as it depresses me, and I feel GREAT, doing the workouts I am doing....and I do feel I am getting MUCH stronger and (knock on wood) my back issues, are almost NONE right now, which is amazing. So Thank You for your ideas and suggestions, I do appreciate it :)<3
  • ericzanetti
    ericzanetti Posts: 41 Member
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    It would help if you open up your diary so that we can see what you're eating.
  • Amazonbella
    Amazonbella Posts: 338
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    OKAY Diary is Public now.
  • asciiqwerty
    asciiqwerty Posts: 565 Member
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    some WW users get causght in the trap that in WW some things are counted as null whereas when they're counting calories like in mfp they're not

    eg. fruit and veg

    other obvious ones are cooking oils, and alcohol

    without seeing your diary it's really hard to tell the only thing we can suggest is going to be really generic so here goes the generic:
    what you log whether consumption or excercise is and estimate, so is your target
    if you're not loosing hten calories in = calories out
  • BusyRaeNOTBusty
    BusyRaeNOTBusty Posts: 7,166 Member
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    http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/another-look-at-metabolic-damage.html#more-9313


    When someone complains about not losing at X number of calories there's several possibilities.

    1. They aren't really eating X calories. They are logging incorrectly, either not weighing, forgetting binges, or not logging on the weekends, etc.

    2. They are losing weight but due to messed up stress hormones they could be retaining an incredibly large amount of water, masking their weight loss.

    3. They aren't really eating at a deficit because the weight they've already lost has resulted in a lower TDEE.

    4. They aren't really eating at a deficit because their activity level has dropped considerably due to the fatigue caused by eating less calories and/or stress hormones.

    5. Or some kind of combination of points 1-4.
  • asciiqwerty
    asciiqwerty Posts: 565 Member
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    so i just looked at your diary (only a couple of weeks)

    lots of your entries are cups/tbsp/servings/things(like fillets, slices, qusadillas)
    these entries can be more inacurate than you might assume

    i also didn't see any alcohol or cooking fats
    and there's not much in the way of fruit or veg i couldn't live without these
  • Amazonbella
    Amazonbella Posts: 338
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    Today's workout:

    10 Minute warm-up on Treadmill 3.0 mph
    Upper body weights: Bicep, tricep, chest press, overhead press, lateral pull downs, row, back extensions 4 sets, 12 reps, heavy weight to exhaustion on last set
    20 Minute Recumbent bike at level 7

    Tonight: 45 min. cardio-Treadmill incline 4% 3.0 mph

    Tomorrow's workout:

    10 Minute warm-up on Treadmill
    Lower body weights: leg curls, leg press, leg extensions, hip adductor, hip abductor, calf raises, hamstring machine, abs. 4 sets, 12 reps, heavy weight to exhaustion on last set
    20 Minute Treadmill-incline 2% 3.0 mph

    Day 3 workout:

    30 minute treadmill in the a.m. incline 6%
    45-60min. treadmill in the p.m. incline 2%

    That is basically how my workouts line up for the weeks. This is the program I've been doing for about 5 weeks now.

    I don't eat some crazy restrictive diet. Yes I do have treats, and I calculate them. I could lie and say I didn't have candy or eat chips and salsa or drink some vodka, but I log it, I log it all. I keep a hard copy hand written log, so days I'm away from the computer I usually log on paper.
  • Amazonbella
    Amazonbella Posts: 338
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    YES I should incorporate more veggies...I actually like them, I'm just impatient to steam them, and I hate microwave versions. But I need to do more of that :)
  • Amazonbella
    Amazonbella Posts: 338
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    And I don't like fruit. I eat the dried cranberries and walnuts, and I will eat watermelon in the summer time. Other than the "fruit" in the Core Power drinks that is about it....I can try and incorporate more if that is something that will actually help.
  • Amazonbella
    Amazonbella Posts: 338
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    This is a good point....I do feel I am getting "smaller" despite no movement on the scale. I do have clothes that are starting to feel looser, I should of taken measurements. I will do that tonight and keep better track of that as well. And good for you doing weight watchers, I did it a couple of years ago and lost 75 pounds, I then moved and didn't like the new leader where I live now unfortunately, but I am a big believer in it working and love the community it gives you at meetings :)
    There's not always a simple solution to your issue...

    Did you take measurements and/or body fat % before you started your new workout? Also, if your muscles are sore it could be an idicator that your muscles are retaining water for repair...your body may just be adjusting to the increase in activity, or you may just be trading fat for muscle...do your clothes feel like they fit better/looser now?

    I am also 5' 10" and when I started (with Weight Watchers) last summer, my weight was very slow to start coming off (which I thought was weird, because most people say that a lot of weight comes off quickly and then slows down...) ...anyway...I have now lost 65 pounds in 10 months (with a few ups/downs/stalls along the way)...

    so...keep watching your calories - make healthy choices - don't overestimate your workout calories (so you don't "eat back" more than you actually burned) - and good things will happen!! absolutely take measurements and photos...they are a much better indicator than the scale (even though its really nice to see it go down!!)

    Good Luck!! :flowerforyou:
  • asciiqwerty
    asciiqwerty Posts: 565 Member
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    so i just looked at your diary (only a couple of weeks)

    lots of your entries are cups/tbsp/servings/things(like fillets, slices, qusadillas)
    these entries can be more inacurate than you might assume

    i also didn't see any alcohol or cooking fats
    and there's not much in the way of fruit or veg i couldn't live without these

    correction over the past 2 months i have found 5 vodka entries but still no sign of cooking fat/oil
  • asciiqwerty
    asciiqwerty Posts: 565 Member
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    what matters for weight loss is the calorie deficit

    i get spots if i don't eat enough fruit and veggies - it's not a weigh tghing

    i'm afraid to me it looks like logging accuracy > underestimating calories
  • asciiqwerty
    asciiqwerty Posts: 565 Member
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    This is a good point....I do feel I am getting "smaller" despite no movement on the scale. I do have clothes that are starting to feel looser, I should of taken measurements. I will do that tonight and keep better track of that as well. And good for you doing weight watchers, I did it a couple of years ago and lost 75 pounds, I then moved and didn't like the new leader where I live now unfortunately, but I am a big believer in it working and love the community it gives you at meetings :)

    if you're loosing size then you are making progress :)
  • kaaaaylee
    kaaaaylee Posts: 398
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    Muscle weighs more than fat


    Actually 1lb of muscle = 1lb of fat, it just takes up less space.

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