Help, diet/exercise not effective??

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pinkela
pinkela Posts: 4
in Health and Weight Loss
Hello! I could use some advice.....

I am 28. I was VERY active in HS and College, but then not active whatsoever for the last 5 or so years.

I am: 5'3
Weight (lbs) 140
BMI 24.5
Body Fat % 35%
Bone density 4.4

Starting two months ago I made a drastic diet change, cut out all munchie foods, candy, ice cream, soda,frosted cereal, pasta, most bread ( i eat some whole wheat sandwiches from time to time).... all the sugary crap I was eating. I added in 32-64 oz of water a day, I eat salad every day for lunch with various fruits/veggies and a balsamic vinaigrette dressing. I eat an omelette every morning for breakfast (mushrooms/spinach/2 eggs/cheese/small diced potato/turkey). Then for dinner I have a meat (salmon/pork chop/chicken are the main stays) and a veggie.

Two weeks ago I also added in p90x3 everyday to my schedule.


I have lost.......0 lbs and 0%body fat. WTH?? lol Shouldn't I have lost at least a pound or two by now? I only want to drop like 10-15lbs....its more about my body fat percentage.... but DANG its getting SO DISCOURAGING to not see ANY results other than the inner knowledge that my body is most likley healthier lol. There has been no change in my measurements anywhere...

Just looking for encouragement/tips/suggestions on what i might be doing wrong...or if I'm just expecting results too fast?? Am I off base?...Thanks!

Replies

  • kgeyser
    kgeyser Posts: 22,505 Member
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    Your diary isn't open - are you weighing and measuring all your food and liquids? If you're not losing, you're not in a deficit.
  • pinkela
    pinkela Posts: 4
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    I have not been using the food diary, but I guess its the next step to my success. I will start logging in that to keep track, maybe I'm taking in more than I think I am? Thanks!
  • StaciMarie1974
    StaciMarie1974 Posts: 4,138 Member
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    Cutting out some foods and increasing quantities of others isn't enough to know how many calories you consume each day compared to how many your body uses. If you go to the bank every week and deposit your paycheck and then use your debit card regularly & often without keeping track of your spending, how do you know if you still have money in the bank? Its kind of the same scenario. It doesn't matter where you use your debit card; ultimately its the sum total of the debits & credits that determine whether or not you have money left in the bank.
  • terbusha
    terbusha Posts: 1,483 Member
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    Hi,

    Sometimes when you start an intense program like P90X3, the stress can make you retain water, which will hide any progress you are starting to make. Keep going, you'll start to see results soon enough. Are you feeling that you are doing better in the workouts (getting stronger or more endurance)? These are great signs of progress too.

    If you are not logging your food, you should be. You are most likely either eating too much or too little. You need to fit into your optimal calorie zone to reduce your body fat efficiently. Finding this zone can be a bit tricky as well. What I do and what I recommend to people is to eat at a calorie level that allows you to drop 1-2 lbs/week. This assumes an average calorie burn from you getting in all of your workouts. This will be different for everyone, so you'll have to do some trial and error to figure it out. I'd start ~1600 cal/day. Hit this goal, along with your macros and getting in your workouts, for a week. If you lose 1-2 lbs, you're good to go. If you lose too much, increase your intake and repeat. If you don't lose enough, reduce your intake a bit and repeat. After a few weeks, you'll figure out what works for you in your situation.

    If you have any questions, please let me know.

    Allan
  • pinkela
    pinkela Posts: 4
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    Thanks! and....HOLY MOLY I did NOT know how many calories I was eating in the peanut butter for my morning snack! Sheesh!! lol Here I was thinking I was eating a smart snack and the peanut butter alone has been at least 380cal each time I eat it! Oy.

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