If I am at a deficit, why am I not losing weight?

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  • Springfield1970
    Springfield1970 Posts: 1,945 Member
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    Because you are not at a deficit. Nothing to do with water, or what type of food you eat, or when you eat it, or what you are wearing while you are eating it.

    You're eating too much, not logging accurately, or overestimating your maintenance calories, or your exercise burns.

    What is your height, weight, age and average exercise routine weekly?

    I can try and help you dial it in.
  • MyChocolateDiet
    MyChocolateDiet Posts: 22,281 Member
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    thyroidism

    pcos

    certain meds

    things that make you not lose weight even when everything is perfect.
  • Aaron_K123
    Aaron_K123 Posts: 7,122 Member
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    First question is how long have you been tracking your calories and hitting your deficit for? If it is less than 6 weeks you probably just haven't given it enough time.

    Honestly I think people are too quick to jump to solutions before bothering to ascertain if there is actually a problem. I see lots of people posting on these forums about how they aren't losing weight when they have only been at it for like 2 or 3 weeks, a length of time where really it is impossible to tell through weight fluctuations associated with water retention whether you are losing fat or not.
  • initialdei
    initialdei Posts: 4 Member
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    Here's a suggestion for one of your workout days.
    Your cardio workouts must be high intensity in order to lose fat.

    Try this:

    8 Second sprints
    12 Second moderate pace (rest)
    Repeat 2 more times.
    So, 8+12 = seconds
    20 x 3 = 60 seconds (1min)

    Now do that do for 20minutes straight.
    It won't be easy and you will die.

    Have fun..
  • MyChocolateDiet
    MyChocolateDiet Posts: 22,281 Member
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    Here's a suggestion for one of your workout days.
    Your cardio workouts must be high intensity in order to lose fat.

    Try this:

    8 Second sprints
    12 Second moderate pace (rest)
    Repeat 2 more times.
    So, 8+12 = seconds
    20 x 3 = 60 seconds (1min)

    Now do that do for 20minutes straight.
    It won't be easy and you will die.

    Have fun..

    have fun dying?
  • Springfield1970
    Springfield1970 Posts: 1,945 Member
    Options
    Here's a suggestion for one of your workout days.
    Your cardio workouts must be high intensity in order to lose fat.

    Try this:

    8 Second sprints
    12 Second moderate pace (rest)
    Repeat 2 more times.
    So, 8+12 = seconds
    20 x 3 = 60 seconds (1min)

    Now do that do for 20minutes straight.
    It won't be easy and you will die.

    Have fun..

    have fun dying?

    I wish MY first post was as funny as this one!
  • Myhaloslipped
    Myhaloslipped Posts: 4,317 Member
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    I just looked at your diary for the past week. The majority of your diet seems to be comprised mostly of junk food, fast food and high calorie items with minimal nutritional value. As someone stated earlier, you are also consistently over your calories by 200-600. Treats are fine, but you can't have them all day every day and expect to lose and feel satisfied. Try incorporating more fruits and vegetables into your diet and focus on meeting your macros while staying under or meeting your calorie goal. I usually pre-plan my meals and play around with the macros and calories using the database until I adjust my daily goals to my liking. Good luck!
  • goldthistime
    goldthistime Posts: 3,214 Member
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    There are several key concepts you must understand to start to assess why this may be happening, and let's first start with the word deficit. Normally deficit means to people I'm eating less calories than my body is burning; however, there's no way to verify that because the calculations used to determine TDEE are incredibly error prone. Additionally BMR (the largest component) can change +- 25% according to caloric intake. This is one of the many ways the body can adjust caloric expenditure without having to touch fat stores. This leads to the next distinction that eating "at a deficit" does not equate to burning fat. On top of BMR the body can increase efficiency of both digestion and of expenditure to balance the equation. Thirdly, while we like to use deficit this last point drives home that our body is never actually at a deficit as the conservation of energy tells us the net caloric change is always zero. Of course the goal is to eat less, exercise more, lose more fat but these can be independent as shown.

    The next thing that you need to understand is that small changes in caloric intake have no scientific evidence of causing long term weight change - both up and down. Studies on thermogenic substances that increase BMR by 100 or so calories a day have no evidence of weight loss. Studies in general that small deficits don't have any long term effects. And for observational evidence the average American eats 300 excess calories a day yet only gains .75 lbs per year. The end result is that 100 - 500 calorie "deficits" may very well not equate to long term fat losses.

    So obviously the next question is, so what do I do? The only way to scientifically guarantee weight loss is to get your BMR measured while in caloric deficit and eat at or below that number. I'm not a fan of the "just exercise more club" because that puts more strain on your body creating more nutritional demand. Additionally evidence from examples like "Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead" show us that extreme exercise isn't required. I'm not saying don't exercise or don't push yourself and by all means you should take a hard look at the exercise you're doing, but don't feel you have to go to the gym for 12 hours a week. Now if you're watching TV and/or holding hand rails while doing a bunch of cardio you need to take a serious look at changing your workout. You should be incorporating plenty of weights into your workouts (i.e. Olympic lifts and full body routines).

    References:

    http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMsa1208051

    http://ajpregu.physiology.org/content/292/1/R77

    http://www.nutritionandmetabolism.com/content/7/1/68

    http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/ad/ad347.pdf

    MFP wisdom says ALWAYS eat above your BMR. Eating below it is dangerous to you health. You disagree? Sorry, I did not read all your quoted sources before asking the question. Which one of these, if any, pertains to eating at or below you BMR?
  • joelann10
    joelann10 Posts: 46 Member
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    I just looked at your diary for the past week. The majority of your diet seems to be comprised mostly of junk food, fast food and high calorie items with minimal nutritional value. As someone stated earlier, you are also consistently over your calories by 200-600. Treats are fine, but you can't have them all day every day and expect to lose and feel satisfied. Try incorporating more fruits and vegetables into your diet and focus on meeting your macros while staying under or meeting your calorie goal. I usually pre-plan my meals and play around with the macros and calories using the database until I adjust my daily goals to my liking. Good luck!

    This! ^
  • TrailRunner61
    TrailRunner61 Posts: 2,505 Member
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    This is a bunch of random stuff, but here goes. Don't estimate anything. Move more. Eat healthier, fewer processed foods, if you eat that stuff now. One thing that works for me is to eat whatever I want on Friday night and the rest of the week I am very strict with my calories. They may, rarely, like this week, include an entire Hershey bar covered in almond butter, but I know how many calories I eat. I weigh my food, and don't measure it. There is actually a big difference, especially when you're trying to eat at a deficit. That would not work for everyone, but it works for me and I don't feel deprived. Eat protein with every meal. What do you do for exercise? Maybe you can increase the duration or intensity. I try to get in some sort of exercise EVERY single day. It doesn't have to be a full blown workout but I at least go for a walk, work in my garden/yard, play with grandkids, do some crazy cleaning, etc. It all adds up!

    Edited to add: If you are only at a 100 calorie deficit, you will lose less than one pound per month, @3000 calories. It takes a deficit of 3500 calories to lose one pound!
  • SuperC_85
    SuperC_85 Posts: 393
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    OMW!! What the heck is going on here with all the terrible advise!
    HIIT to boost metabolism/Meal Timing/STARVATION MODE!
    If you aren't losing weight, you aren't in a deficit. Simple as that.

    Reasons why you aren't in a deficit:
    1) You are underestimating how much you eat. Solution: Weigh all solids, measure all liquids. OR
    2) You just have your calorie goal set too high in general for how active you are. Solution: Knock 100-200 cals off your daily goal for a week or two and see what happens with the scale.
    3) Both option 1) and 2)

    This I agree with.
    And there is no 100% accurate formula to calculate what you should be eating. So again all this above

    And this I want to leave here for you. Accurate logging is so so important to really get a picture of what you are doing.
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1234699-logging-accurately-step-by-step-guide
  • rose313
    rose313 Posts: 1,146 Member
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    Some good advice here. I agree that you must not be at a deficit. Take an objective look at your own diary and your own habits. There is always room for improvement. If you are over your (reasonable) goal, then your deficit gets smaller and smaller. Absolutely keep a close eye on those cheat days and log EVERYTHING. That could be throwing your averages off.
  • _Resolve_
    _Resolve_ Posts: 735 Member
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    Advice: get a food scale and start weighing everything you eat.
  • marialynn2014
    marialynn2014 Posts: 89 Member
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    Try giving up fast food for the next few weeks and start eating real food. I am very sensitive to sodium myself, so I have found I need to be under sodium as well as calories to see the scale move. I think you will find you feel better when/if you decide to give up fast food. You can still have it in moderation, but it doesn't seem like you have a healthy relationship with it at this point, so it may be best to give it up for a bit. Good luck on your journey!
  • rodduz
    rodduz Posts: 251 Member
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    Erm has anybody checked her diary, I wouldn't even say you're in a deficit! It's all over the shop and often is over your target!

    Since last Monday you've had a Dominos, Kfc and 2x McDonalds. Lol. I highly doubt you log accurately.
  • mommyrunning
    mommyrunning Posts: 495 Member
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    If your food log is correct, it appears you are skipping meals and going over on your calories often by eating fast food meals. If you can cut back on fast food that will reduce your calories a lot. Fast food is convenient but generally terrible for you. You can buy premade meals at the store such as sandwiches and salads or even microwave foods that will probably be half the calories compared to fast food. Once you get used to not eating out so much you could try more fresh foods and cooking some meals at home. Change is hard but if you make the changes over time it won't be as bad. Good luck.
  • rodduz
    rodduz Posts: 251 Member
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    You can eat what you like as long as you stay in a deficit, you will lose, whether you live on Mars bars or lettuce, a deficit is a deficit but I'm afraid you are not in a deficit at all.
  • 1911JR
    1911JR Posts: 276
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    I'm not trying to say it is impossible for me to lose weight at all, or that I'm perfect and not doing anything wrong etc.

    I have had my cheat days, but even if I do I try to keep my week at the correct total, i.e I would eat less the next day or exercise it off, etc.

    I try my best to weigh everything correctly, or scan things I can't, and I try avoid eating anything I can't properly track to make sure I am not eating more than I am supposed to.

    I can guarantee, even if my entries are just estimates (scanning or picking from a list instead of weighing) I am never eating at any less than a 100 deficit on any given day, my goal is at about a 400-500 deficit.

    I also exercise for at leats an hour 3 times a week besides the last 2 weeks just gone as I was sick, so I think I only went one or twice a week.

    I haven't been to the doctor yet about whether it is a thyroid problem, he says I look fit so I shouldn't worry anyway, but that isn't the point. I want to lose weight for me.

    Does anyone have any tips or opinions on what I may be doing wrong?

    I don't care about criticism, I just want to get on the right track, so any help at all is greatly appreciated. I am getting very demotivated, and I don't want to give up, but I don't know why I am not losing anything.

    With a quick look at your diary it seems your cal. intake is all over the place.

    My advise is, weight your food and log everything. And I mean EVERYTHING!

    Drink more water! I drink 1 gallon everyday, sometimes 2.

    And last but not least, your 19 years old. Stop stressing about the little stuff and enjoy your youth.


    p.s. Don`t go to McDonalds anymore. Or that other burger place you ate today. But out of curiosity, how did you even eat all of this in one sitting?

    Mcdonald's (Australia) - Big Mac, 1 burger 492 35 27 25 859 6
    Mac Donalds - Medium Fries, 1 medium fries 340 41 17 4 800 0
    Mac Donalds - Quarter Pounder With Cheese, 202 g 490 37 25 30 1,180 10
    Mac Donalds - Small French Fries, 70 g 230 29 11 3 160 0
    Mac - Nuggets , 0.5 box (6 pices) 162 11 10 7 256 0
    Cocacola - Coke, 83.33 ml 36 9 0 0 8 9
  • rose313
    rose313 Posts: 1,146 Member
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    Even if you do continue eating fast food, figure out how to fit it into your calorie goal. It's okay to eat a hamburger and fries every so often but when you eat over your TDEE, no matter what the food is, you are not eating at a deficit.

    So if you have 400 calories for dinner and you really want fast food, then have it, but eat something that's 400 calories or less. Or, if that doesn't fill you up, make homemade fries or chips in the oven and chicken breast with a side of veggies, that way you can eat more food that's less calories.

    Fast food I sometimes eat:

    Fruit and yogurt parfait with granola from Mcds- 150 cals
    4 piece chicken nuggets from Mcds- 190 cals plus sweet and sour sauce packet- 50 cals
    English muffin with butter- 140-190 cals depending on restaurant and how much butter they use
    Side salad- 20 cals (I use my own low cal ranch dressing because Mcd's ranch packet is 170 cals)

    I have also had burgers with no bun in the past. No bun saves calories and the bun isn't really my favorite part anyway so I can do without it. I load mine up with lettuce, tomato, ketchup, red onions, and pickles. It's like a meat salad lol. It tastes really good. Eat it with a fork.

    That way you can still have your fast food and not go way over in calories. I was actually thinking of making my own fries at home in my oven tonight...baked saves calories because even though you still use oil, the fries aren't being dipped in oil for 3 minutes and then salted after. (You can still salt yours at home if you'd like, I don't because I don't like salt.)

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