3 months working out, and STILL no results

Steezburt
Steezburt Posts: 23
in Motivation and Support
Hey MFPers,

I'm currently discouraged but I am trying to pick myself up. Currently, I am 178 lbs and I've been working out for the last 3 months, doing workouts 4 times a week and playing softball once a week. I started at 178 lbs, and I am STILL 178 lbs. WTFFF!!!! It's so frustrating. I've been reading up on various workout routines and I have logged my workouts as well. I've stuck to upper body, lower body and full body workouts throughout my weeks, for example:

Monday: upper
Tuesday: softball
Wednesday: off
Thursday: lower
Friday: full body
Saturday: off
Sunday: full body

Apparently, this it not working or I am doing something completely wrong here. I log my meals and snacks...I eat 5x a day do all the necessaries to live a healthy lifestyle. My current goal is to get back to 145 or 150 lbs and build a little muscle. My daily caloric intake on MFP is set to 1900 cals but I've done some of those online calorie counters and for my height and weight, it says I should be eating around 2000-2200 cals.

Do any of you have suggestions on maybe workout routines, eating habits or just anything that would likely help me in my situation (aside from diet pills and those herbalife things)? I want to lose weight the right way and the rewarding way.

Thanks guys :)

Replies

  • healthyscratch1978
    healthyscratch1978 Posts: 76
    Damn, that sounds almost exactly like my situation. I wish I had an answer for you. I have only been at it for 3 weeks, but I haven't gotten that scale to budge at all. I'm not starving myself, but I definitely feel a *little* hungry most nights, so I know I've got to be at some kind of lowered number.

    I'm cutting off about 10% more of my calorie intake, down to 1700, and try that for a few weeks, to see how it works.

    It's really discouraging, makes you want to just give up and say "f@!# it".
  • Steezburt
    Steezburt Posts: 23
    Yeah it's super frustrating but I just keep telling myself that I just have to keep going. I try not to weigh myself and I go like 3 weeks without doing it, then boom! Step on it and that sh**** hasn't moved lmfao. Like wtf!!! And I try to tell myself that I should just focus on my measurements and appearance, rather than the scale but my mind can't forget about the number.

    I wish you luck! Keep pushing
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    You won't lose weight if you're eating too much - do you weigh all your food? Do you log everything, down to the pat of butter you use for your eggs or the cream in your coffee?
  • Steezburt
    Steezburt Posts: 23
    You won't lose weight if you're eating too much - do you weigh all your food? Do you log everything, down to the pat of butter you use for your eggs or the cream in your coffee?

    Yep, I most certainly weigh my
    Food and calculate the calories for every single thing I eat. I have a food scale and I prep all my food for the week and make sure I have a balance of meat, fruits and veggies, and healthy snacks. When I go grocery shopping, I only shop the putter rim and skip the processed foods. Also, I have a smoothie with protein after workouts. I think I'm going to just switch up the routine or maybe add more cardio or something.

    Also, I read that you should strength train and then do cardio and I was doing the opposite, so now I'm going to try lifting weights first and then finishing with cardio and seeing if maybe that will make some kind of difference but as of right now, I'm lost and thinking maybe it's a health issue. Idk
  • letherout
    letherout Posts: 2 Member
    I don't have to much to offer except I started working out and eating healthy in November of 2013, and I did not lose any weight or see results until the end of March 2014.I worked out ( cardio and weight lifting) 3 times a week for about 45 min to and hour and ate super clean with advise from a dietician. My friends are the ones who told me i look way better, but I can't see it in myself yet. I know it's happening b/c my clothes fit nicer, but when I look in the mirror I still look the same to me. It took four months for me to lose one pants size, and I kind of feel it's going to take me another four to lose the next pants size. Some bodies hold their weight differently and it can take awhile for the process of losing to start. Make sure you measure yourself in other ways such as how do your clothes feel? Are your pants getting a bit looser? Are you feeling more energy throughout the day? Are you feeling more confident about yourself? These are all successes! Not just the number on the scale.
    Just stay motivated and keep working hard. It will happen! You are puttin in so much terrific effort right now I totally believe you can do it,and you'll see good things happening to yourself.
  • healthyscratch1978
    healthyscratch1978 Posts: 76
    Yep, I most certainly weigh my
    Food and calculate the calories for every single thing I eat. I have a food scale and I prep all my food for the week and make sure I have a balance of meat, fruits and veggies, and healthy snacks. I have a smoothie with protein after workouts. I think I'm going to just switch up the routine or maybe add more cardio or something.

    Wow, yeah, we do all the same stuff. I don't measure the 1/8 cup of 2% milk I put in my coffee in the morning, but that is really a negligible amount of calories. Unless my scale isn't calibrated right, I don't know what else I can do! As a man, I'm supposed to get even more calories, the TDEE calculator I use says my maintenance should be 2600 and eating at 2100 should put me at 1.1 pound per week. I've been 10% under that, and had no progress!
  • brenn24179
    brenn24179 Posts: 2,144 Member
    I only know I went to the gym for a year and never lost a pound. I then started watching my eating and the weight came off. SO it is mostly in what you eat not the exercise as much. You are young so you can probably eat more but maybe not as much as you eat now. I eat around 1400 calories a day and do good, if I go over 1600 I gain but I am only 5'4. I was told I could eat 1900 but it does not work for me.
  • Transatlantic20145
    Transatlantic20145 Posts: 94
    I'm including this to make you feel better, you're not the only one, weight loss isn't so easy like an equation guaranteed to happen. If weight loss were certain after doing X activities, everyone would be losing weight. I did Insanity/30 day shred/gym classes daily for over 2 months and my weight, like yours, stayed exactly the same. Now I just swim every day, not because I think I'll see any results, but because I like swimming and it's summer.
  • brianpperkins
    brianpperkins Posts: 6,124 Member
    You're either underestimating your caloric intake or overestimating your burn.
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
    First of all, I would suggest re-posting this in the fitness and exercise board. You'll probably find better workout advice there.

    Second, I would ask if you know your BF% and how confident you are of your scale? If that is a current pic of you in your profile pic, you look pretty lean. Do you really have 30 lbs to lose without losing LBM?
  • Steezburt
    Steezburt Posts: 23
    First of all, I would suggest re-posting this in the fitness and exercise board. You'll probably find better workout advice there.

    Second, I would ask if you know your BF% and how confident you are of your scale? If that is a current pic of you in your profile pic, you look pretty lean. Do you really have 30 lbs to lose without losing LBM?

    No, my current pic is me about a year ago, when I weighed around 145. I'm trying to get back to that. And I'm not so confident in my scale either. But I will definitely post this in the other board and see what they say about some different exercise routines. Thanks for the suggestion!
  • Steezburt
    Steezburt Posts: 23
    I don't have to much to offer except I started working out and eating healthy in November of 2013, and I did not lose any weight or see results until the end of March 2014.I worked out ( cardio and weight lifting) 3 times a week for about 45 min to and hour and ate super clean with advise from a dietician. My friends are the ones who told me i look way better, but I can't see it in myself yet. I know it's happening b/c my clothes fit nicer, but when I look in the mirror I still look the same to me. It took four months for me to lose one pants size, and I kind of feel it's going to take me another four to lose the next pants size. Some bodies hold their weight differently and it can take awhile for the process of losing to start. Make sure you measure yourself in other ways such as how do your clothes feel? Are your pants getting a bit looser? Are you feeling more energy throughout the day? Are you feeling more confident about yourself? These are all successes! Not just the number on the scale.
    Just stay motivated and keep working hard. It will happen! You are puttin in so much terrific effort right now I totally believe you can do it,and you'll see good things happening to yourself.

    You're absolutely right! I shouldn't just base it on the scale. Some of my clothes do for a little better but not as lose as I would have thought they would be by now. I'll have to just stay motivated and calculating everything and possibly buy a heart rate monitor or watch to calculate my calorie burn more accurately, because I may be over estimating my calorie burn. We shall see. I'm going to stay motivated and see what happens over another 3 month period.

    THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR YOUR ENCOURAGEMENT AND FEEDBACK! I APPRECIATE IT SO VERY MUCH. ITS GREAT TO KNOW THERE ARE PEOPLE OUT THERE WHO HAVE THE SAME ISSUES AND I CAN COME ON HERE AND VENT AND GET ADVICE

    :)
  • NRBreit
    NRBreit Posts: 319 Member
    At your current weight of 178, if your total calories are 1,900 for the day, the scale should be moving. Your calorie goal is in the right range. Make sure you weigh and log everything you eat. Are you eating exercise cals back in addition to the 1,900 cals?
  • martinel2099
    martinel2099 Posts: 899 Member
    Keep up the hard work my friend.

    It's possible you may be overstating your calories burned when you exercise and play softball. If you are already off on your food estimates this could also be compounding the problem.

    You seem like a pretty active person, why not stop recording your calories burned exercising and consider an adjusted daily calorie goal that already includes your activity? If you notice you're not losing weight in a 4-6 week time zone slightly lower it and rinse and repeat.
  • healthyscratch1978
    healthyscratch1978 Posts: 76
    At your current weight of 178, if your total calories are 1,900 for the day, the scale should be moving. Your calorie goal is in the right range. Make sure you weigh and log everything you eat. Are you eating exercise cals back in addition to the 1,900 cals?

    I've been at 1900 cals for three weeks--not eating anything back from exercise--and am stuck at 188. I'm a 5'8 male that's 35 years old, Does it make sense to cut 10% off of that? What am I doing wrong?
  • NRBreit
    NRBreit Posts: 319 Member
    At your current weight of 178, if your total calories are 1,900 for the day, the scale should be moving. Your calorie goal is in the right range. Make sure you weigh and log everything you eat. Are you eating exercise cals back in addition to the 1,900 cals?

    I've been at 1900 cals for three weeks--not eating anything back from exercise--and am stuck at 188. I'm a 5'8 male that's 35 years old, Does it make sense to cut 10% off of that? What am I doing wrong?

    I wouldn't reduce cals any more right now. Your maintenance should be in the 2,300-2,500 range at your height/weight. Give it a few more weeks at 1,900 and make sure you are weighing your foods and tracking precisely. Weight loss is not linear and it is not uncommon to stay at the same weight for a few weeks and then drop a few pounds seemingly overnight.
  • healthyscratch1978
    healthyscratch1978 Posts: 76
    I wouldn't reduce cals any more right now. Your maintenance should be in the 2,300-2,500 range at your height/weight. Give it a few more weeks at 1,900 and make sure you are weighing your foods and tracking precisely. Weight loss is not linear and it is not uncommon to stay at the same weight for a few weeks and then drop a few pounds seemingly overnight.

    Yeah, I've seen that from the online TDEE counters, too. Hmmm...It's tough to keep the faith if the scale isn't reassuring you even a little. Like 1 pound, I'd be cool with. The problem is that I've gone up and down in weight before, coupling a deficit of almost 1000 calories along with pretty strenuous workouts for some great short-term results. Like 10% Body Fat, 6 pack abs, all that. My goal this time is to do it in a more sustainable fashion--even if the 6 pack is gone forever--that produces a more consistent long term result. I mean, I expected to lose more slowly than I had, but not losing anything at all is tough to swallow.

    I guess I'll try to stay around my same calorie intake. I definitely do my due diligence with weighing food and logging and all that. I don't think that's an area that I can improve much on. Maybe start logging the splash of 2% milk i put in my coffee in the morning, but considering my target versus what the calculators say I should be eating, it seems pretty insignificant.
  • NRBreit
    NRBreit Posts: 319 Member
    I wouldn't reduce cals any more right now. Your maintenance should be in the 2,300-2,500 range at your height/weight. Give it a few more weeks at 1,900 and make sure you are weighing your foods and tracking precisely. Weight loss is not linear and it is not uncommon to stay at the same weight for a few weeks and then drop a few pounds seemingly overnight.

    Yeah, I've seen that from the online TDEE counters, too. Hmmm...It's tough to keep the faith if the scale isn't reassuring you even a little. Like 1 pound, I'd be cool with. The problem is that I've gone up and down in weight before, coupling a deficit of almost 1000 calories along with pretty strenuous workouts for some great short-term results. Like 10% Body Fat, 6 pack abs, all that. My goal this time is to do it in a more sustainable fashion--even if the 6 pack is gone forever--that produces a more consistent long term result. I mean, I expected to lose more slowly than I had, but not losing anything at all is tough to swallow.

    I guess I'll try to stay around my same calorie intake. I definitely do my due diligence with weighing food and logging and all that. I don't think that's an area that I can improve much on. Maybe start logging the splash of 2% milk i put in my coffee in the morning, but considering my target versus what the calculators say I should be eating, it seems pretty insignificant.

    Log everything and give it a couple more weeks. If still no loss after 5 weeks, drop another 150-200 cals. Give it time, it'll happen.
  • nameyesrey
    nameyesrey Posts: 1
    Be careful in limiting your caloric intake - The initial thought on a lot of people is to immediately cut calories, but that might not give you the results you're looking for, or could even potentially having the reverse.

    If you are indeed diligently logging everything you consume (taste tests in meal prep count, coffee creamer counts, the butter on the dinner roll counts), you might need to reconstruct your workouts into a slower paced low heart rate based exercise (For example, long slow run versus medium/high intensity runs).

    You previously mentioned that you might pick up a Heart Rate monitor - PLEASE DO! I use a Polar FT7 HR monitor which helps keep track of your calories burned and gives you a better estimate of things. These things are a huge helper!.

    http://www.amazon.com/Polar-Heart-Monitor-Watch-Silver/dp/B001U0OFDC/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1401814385&sr=8-2&keywords=polar+ft7

    Also, I'm not sure what your diet is consisting of - Are you consuming empty calories such as sodas or high sugar fruit juices? While it might be tough, try and stick to water or non sweetened iced tea. I know this is an easy thing to say, and might not be an easy thing to practice - One thing that helped me kick the soda / juice habit is using Crystal Light Single Drink Packs (My favorite is Peach Tea). I found these to be very helpful in the transition to water only.

    It sounds like you're doing a good thing in avoiding the middle aisles of the grocery store, and I recommend keeping it up - But also, maybe toss in a cookbook to help give you healthy ideas to make meals fun - My wife and I recently added this to our collection of recipe books: http://www.amazon.com/Biggest-Loser-Cookbook-Healthy-Delicious-ebook/dp/B000QXCZV8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1401815294&sr=8-1&keywords=biggest+loser+cookbook

    Another consideration: While I don't advocate using a diet that is "no-carbs" or "no-fat" or "no-protein", consider the nutrients your using as a primary source of fuel. Proteins and Carbohydrates both contain 4 calories per gram while lipids (Fats) contain 9 calories per gram - You might see better results if your reducing your carbohydrates (again, not eliminating them - that's not sustainable) and increasing your protein intake. Just make sure you listen to what your body is telling you.

    Make sure the healthy habits of weighing yourself once a week are in place - your body will naturally fluctuate a few pounds depending on bowel movements and water retention. Pick a day and weigh in only on that day and at the same time (preferably in the AM). This can help you get a solid baseline, and the fluctuations won't dishearten you nearly as much.

    I hope this helps somewhat - Be sure to keep up the good work!!
  • blue696
    blue696 Posts: 94 Member
    One major thing I can tell you is that doing the same thing every week is not good for your body. It gets used to it and it will not be helpful. You should switch up your work out and add in different workouts, like spin for example or other intense cardio exercises. The other thing is what are you eating, the calories can only do so much, its more about the balance of food and nutrients. In addition when you gain muscle it doesnt necessarily mean that you have lost weight, but you will see it in how your body looks, and muscle is more compact, so you are probably healthier than you were before.

    Also what time of day do you weigh yourself?
  • Steezburt
    Steezburt Posts: 23
    Be careful in limiting your caloric intake - The initial thought on a lot of people is to immediately cut calories, but that might not give you the results you're looking for, or could even potentially having the reverse.

    If you are indeed diligently logging everything you consume (taste tests in meal prep count, coffee creamer counts, the butter on the dinner roll counts), you might need to reconstruct your workouts into a slower paced low heart rate based exercise (For example, long slow run versus medium/high intensity runs).

    You previously mentioned that you might pick up a Heart Rate monitor - PLEASE DO! I use a Polar FT7 HR monitor which helps keep track of your calories burned and gives you a better estimate of things. These things are a huge helper!.

    http://www.amazon.com/Polar-Heart-Monitor-Watch-Silver/dp/B001U0OFDC/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1401814385&sr=8-2&keywords=polar+ft7

    Also, I'm not sure what your diet is consisting of - Are you consuming empty calories such as sodas or high sugar fruit juices? While it might be tough, try and stick to water or non sweetened iced tea. I know this is an easy thing to say, and might not be an easy thing to practice - One thing that helped me kick the soda / juice habit is using Crystal Light Single Drink Packs (My favorite is Peach Tea). I found these to be very helpful in the transition to water only.

    It sounds like you're doing a good thing in avoiding the middle aisles of the grocery store, and I recommend keeping it up - But also, maybe toss in a cookbook to help give you healthy ideas to make meals fun - My wife and I recently added this to our collection of recipe books: http://www.amazon.com/Biggest-Loser-Cookbook-Healthy-Delicious-ebook/dp/B000QXCZV8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1401815294&sr=8-1&keywords=biggest+loser+cookbook

    Another consideration: While I don't advocate using a diet that is "no-carbs" or "no-fat" or "no-protein", consider the nutrients your using as a primary source of fuel. Proteins and Carbohydrates both contain 4 calories per gram while lipids (Fats) contain 9 calories per gram - You might see better results if your reducing your carbohydrates (again, not eliminating them - that's not sustainable) and increasing your protein intake. Just make sure you listen to what your body is telling you.

    Make sure the healthy habits of weighing yourself once a week are in place - your body will naturally fluctuate a few pounds depending on bowel movements and water retention. Pick a day and weigh in only on that day and at the same time (preferably in the AM). This can help you get a solid baseline, and the fluctuations won't dishearten you nearly as much.

    I hope this helps somewhat - Be sure to keep up the good work!!

    Thanks so much for your help. I definitely will be purchasing a watch to keep track of my calorie burn. I know they aren't 100% accurate but it's a better ballpark than I have been estimating. And thanks for the advice of macros also. I will try to lower my carbs by a bit and add more protein to my diet as well. I estimated about 150-160 grams of protein per day so I will do my best to reach that goal each day.
  • Steezburt
    Steezburt Posts: 23
    One major thing I can tell you is that doing the same thing every week is not good for your body. It gets used to it and it will not be helpful. You should switch up your work out and add in different workouts, like spin for example or other intense cardio exercises. The other thing is what are you eating, the calories can only do so much, its more about the balance of food and nutrients. In addition when you gain muscle it doesnt necessarily mean that you have lost weight, but you will see it in how your body looks, and muscle is more compact, so you are probably healthier than you were before.

    Also what time of day do you weigh yourself?

    I'm not doing the same exercises each week, I switch up the areas I focus on each week, I was just giving an example of one week of workouts. But I follow the same pattern of upper and lower body and full body on various days throughout the week and switching up the exercises I do for each muscle group. Also, I'm
    Not eating back all my exercise calories, but sometimes I eat back 1/2.

Categories