A bit confused, please help

jlshort6
jlshort6 Posts: 10
in Health and Weight Loss
I'm new here, only been on about a week now so I know my diary won't be a lot of help. I'm 44 and weigh 208. I started working out with weights 5 days/wk, 6 weeks ago. Last week I added cardio, 25 to 30 minutes about 3 to 4 times per week. I haven't seen the scale move and my measurements are also holding steady. I'm trying not to get discouraged but It's difficult when I don't see any type of progress.
I seem to do best with a lower carb lifestyle. I cut out breads, grains and sugars. Have I cheated? yes a few times but nothing crazy and went right back to eating right. Please feel free to look over my diary and any suggestions are welcome and appreciated. A friend said I'm gaining muscle that's why I'm not losing but wouldn't I see a difference in my clothes by now?
It doesn't show it on my diary but I do drink at least 8, 8oz glasses of water per day and I also drink tea (unsweet) throughout the day.
Thanks in advance for the help.

Replies

  • cqoconnell
    cqoconnell Posts: 19 Member
    It's only been a week? You probably have to give it a little more time before you start seeing results.
  • jlshort6
    jlshort6 Posts: 10
    I've only been on here for a week but my workouts and healthy eating began 6 weeks ago and no loss in weight or inches.
  • diannethegeek
    diannethegeek Posts: 14,776 Member
    Well, let's start with the basics. How accurately are you tracking your food? A food scale would be ideal. Are you guesstimating any of your portion sizes? Are you logging everything? Including veggies, condiments, cooking oils, etc?
  • jlshort6
    jlshort6 Posts: 10
    I do have a digital food scale and am really trying to figure this all out so yes I have put everything on there. I think I missed one day logging for dinner. We ate out but I still just had salad, HB steak with mushrooms, onions and cheese also grilled veggies. Most days I am able to keep accurate account of my food.
  • jlshort6
    jlshort6 Posts: 10
    could my muscle gain be the issue? I have really been pushing myself and increasing the intensity.
  • datguy2011
    datguy2011 Posts: 477 Member
    It could be muscle gain.... but how much water are you retaining?!

    Are you drinking enough to filter items out of your body?
  • BigT555
    BigT555 Posts: 2,067 Member
    no it is not muscle gain.
    you cannot build muscle at the same time you are losing fat. my guess is you werent eating at a deficit before you started counting and now you just are retaining water, or perhaps still eating too much due to poor tracking/overestimating your TDEE
  • diannethegeek
    diannethegeek Posts: 14,776 Member
    could my muscle gain be the issue? I have really been pushing myself and increasing the intensity.

    Most people have an incredibly hard time putting on any significant amount of muscle while eating at a caloric deficit. What you might see is that our bodies flood sore muscles with excess fluid after exercise to help cushion and repair them. This can give the muscle a "pumped" look and cause a slight stall or gain on the scale and some people mistake it for new muscle growth. But this should be a temporary stall. If your diet and routine have been consistent for 6 weeks it shouldn't still be an issue. If you've changed your exercise or calorie goals in the last few weeks it could be masking any fat loss that's happening.
  • jlapey
    jlapey Posts: 1,850 Member
    If you are weight lifting, it may be water retention rather than muscle gain. It's not likely you gained muscle THAT quickly. Just keep going, it'll balance out. Other than that, perhaps your calorie goal is not correct or there are mistakes in your logging.

    Good info for all beginners:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/Robin_Bin

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/833026-important-posts-to-read

    Just don't give up. Good luck to you in reaching your goals.
  • jlshort6
    jlshort6 Posts: 10
    before last week, I had not been counting calories but still stayed away from processed foods, sugars etc. I guess I was hoping that since I've been watching the calories for a week now and added cardio, that I would magically see progress.
  • RavenLibra
    RavenLibra Posts: 1,737 Member
    Be patient, and don't count on the scale as an accurate indication of your success. the weight loss will come... your body is adjusting... and pay attention to your macros... you can log all you want and be under your caloric goal but if your getting all your calories from processed foods, OR are too heavy on one side or the other of your macros...you could be sabotaging yourself and not know it... a calorie from a potato chip is not the same as a calorie from a carrot ... a chicken breast Sammy from KFC is NOT the same as a broiled boneless skinless chicken Sammy from home...

    Best advice is stick with it... continue to read and ask questions here. I remind people... you didn't achieve your current state in a week,or a month, or even a year it took plenty of time.. so be patient and give yourself time... one day you will check the scale.. and it will be like BAM!!! where did those pounds go? YOUR body has to get used to a new norm...once it does... look out world
  • jlshort6
    jlshort6 Posts: 10
    So, am I wasting my time with the weights if I am trying to lose fat? I thought that working out with weights would build muscle and help with fat loss. Maybe I am even more confused than I thought I was.
  • leggup
    leggup Posts: 2,942 Member
    before last week, I had not been counting calories but still stayed away from processed foods, sugars etc. I guess I was hoping that since I've been watching the calories for a week now and added cardio, that I would magically see progress.

    Losing weight has nothing to do with staying away from processed foods or sugar. I saw a lot of progress my first few weeks because I weighed every calorie that entered my body. A lot of it was processed. Some had added sugar (gasp). I think my first week I had cookies and cake and chocolate and I lost weight.

    Someone is sure to post the guide to accurately logging food. Follow it to a T. If you still don't see progress in 4-6 weeks, congrats! You've discovered your maintenance calories. Then, based on that number, you can determine a healthy deficit.
  • tryett
    tryett Posts: 530 Member
    In looking through your log I noticed that there was nothing for last weekend at all and it appears you have eaten at a deficit this week, plus your sodium is consistently high. I also don't know how much you are trying to lose but if it isn't much it isn't going to come off fast.
  • jlshort6
    jlshort6 Posts: 10
    Thanks for all the advice and links, I definitely have some reading to do.
  • jlshort6
    jlshort6 Posts: 10
    I have 60lbs to lose. My phone won't always log on and so I have to log from my computer. During the week, I'm always around my laptop. New phone next week, maybe it will work on it.
  • CodeMonkey78
    CodeMonkey78 Posts: 320 Member
    So, am I wasting my time with the weights if I am trying to lose fat? I thought that working out with weights would build muscle and help with fat loss. Maybe I am even more confused than I thought I was.

    No; doing weights is not a waste of time.

    I would recommend to try to stay the course, be patient, log everything you ingest, and make sure to eat at a caloric deficit. The results will come soon enough.

    Good luck!
  • dwarfiegodsmack
    dwarfiegodsmack Posts: 317 Member
    lifting weights is never a waste of time! keep on lifting, this will help you to retain the muscle you do have while you are losing fat.

    yes it is a long process. from january to mid april i maintained my weight while i was lifting weights. on april 21st i decided to put in a small deficit to try to lose 0.5 to 1 lb per week. has it been consistent? no. i weigh daily and the scale goes up and down. i don't let it bother me. i know i am doing this the right way.

    add me if you want, we can encourage each other :o)
  • wilsoje74
    wilsoje74 Posts: 1,720 Member
    before last week, I had not been counting calories but still stayed away from processed foods, sugars etc. I guess I was hoping that since I've been watching the calories for a week now and added cardio, that I would magically see progress.
    you probably weren't eating at a deficit and you can't out exercise too many calories
  • wilsoje74
    wilsoje74 Posts: 1,720 Member
    Your stair treadmills cal burns look pretty high as well so if you are eating back your exercise cals be careful using them all
  • diannethegeek
    diannethegeek Posts: 14,776 Member
    So, am I wasting my time with the weights if I am trying to lose fat? I thought that working out with weights would build muscle and help with fat loss. Maybe I am even more confused than I thought I was.

    Lifting now will help you to preserve the muscle that you already have. It also helps your health in various other ways. Stick with it!

    Someone mentioned the guide to logging accurately, here are a couple of good links:
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1234699-logging-accurately-step-by-step-guide
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1290491-how-and-why-to-use-a-digital-food-scale

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