Why aren't I losing? A question of calories...

somekindofsteph
somekindofsteph Posts: 2
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi everyone,

I've been active on and off MFP for about two years and have recently just gotten back on the bandwagon. I lost a lot of weight when I was abroad (30 lbs) but as soon as I came back to America, I gained virtually all of it back. I wasn't very diligent with what I ate up until about April. I joined a gym (Planet Fitness, wooo!) and have been pretty good about going 4-5 days a week for about an hour a day. Generally at the gym, I do about 30 minutes of cardio (either the elliptical, walking, or stationary bike) and 30 minutes of strength training (core, leg press, arms, etc). Buuut...

I haven't been losing weight. A lot of people have told me that I'm building muscle and that the scale will not show it at first, but I feel like I'm getting zero results (in reality I have actually shot up 8 lbs). I've been super diligent with what I eat as well, generally around 1530 calories a day. What I'm afraid of is that because I'm going to the gym (aka burning about 500 calories) that my body is consuming too little and entering starvation mode so I'm not losing. Simultaneously I am horrified at the prospect of eating more calories in fear that I will gain even more.

Can someone help me or offer me advice on what to do? :(

Replies

  • fit_rox
    fit_rox Posts: 83
    I don't think 1530 calories a day is extremely low. Maybe consider switching up your workout routine, especially cardio. I would throw in a couple of high intensity days (ie: do intervals one day instead of 30 minutes of low-impact cardio such as 1 minute fast, 30 seconds slow, etc.). Realistically if you are in a 500 calorie deficit per day you should see a 1 lb. (or less) fat loss per week. It takes time and patience. Don't gauge your weight loss what the scale says but rather how you feel fitting in your clothes.
  • egh1974
    egh1974 Posts: 147
    Starvation mode is a line of crap. Either you're eating too many calories - most likely due to incorrect logging, or you're estimating your calories burned wrong.
  • Rogiefreida
    Rogiefreida Posts: 567 Member
    It usually comes down to how accurately you log. Are you weighing everything you eat?

    If you open your diary people can help you.
  • Berkables
    Berkables Posts: 35
    It's hard to say without knowing more about it, but it sounds like you may be overestimating how many calories you burn at the gym? Both MFP and gym machines wayyy overestimate calorie burn. Especially if you're walking or doing the stationary bike (instead of running), it seems doubtful you'd get anywhere close to burning 500 cals, even with all the strength training you're doing.

    but I'd also like to echo what others have said. Do you look better? How do your clothes fit? If you're doing a lot of strength training, clothing fit will be a much better metric than the number on the scale. Good luck!
  • smn76237
    smn76237 Posts: 318 Member
    Definitely not starvation mode or muscle building. Weight gain without inches gain is probably because you've recently started an exercise program and your muscles are retaining water.

    But yes, open your diary so people can take a look. Almost always it's overestimating and inaccurate logging that leads to no weight loss.
  • somekindofsteph
    somekindofsteph Posts: 2
    My favorite mode of cardio is the elliptical. Normally on that I go about 5-6 mph. And I know that the counters overestimate a lot, which is part of the reason why I'm confused. When I log my exercise, 30 minutes on elliptical, according to MFP, burns 503 or something calories. First time I saw it, I thought that was really high. Normally the machine says about 300-350. So now I'm wondering if I should go by the machine or what MFP goes by? Is there a more accurate way to measure calories burned?
  • Bownzi
    Bownzi Posts: 423 Member
    Keep going...you will get there... I have had a struggle but keeping with it I finally started to lose again...=0)
  • 120by30
    120by30 Posts: 217 Member
    What's your height? Age? Current weight? How are you getting your calorie burn?

    I will go ahead and suggest taking some measurements and tracking your progress that way. You can hold water for a few days while your muscles repair when strength training, so the scale is a big fat liar.

    Edited since I saw you answered the calorie burn question. I've noticed that my treadmill gives a higher calorie burn than MFP. I bought a $20 hrm and found that it was close to what MFP gave me. I would go with the MFP number and maybe eat about 75% of those calories back and see how that goes for a couple of weeks.
  • jonnythan
    jonnythan Posts: 10,161 Member
    Forget about the machine. You're probably eating more than you think.

    Open your diary.
  • diannethegeek
    diannethegeek Posts: 14,776 Member
    My favorite mode of cardio is the elliptical. Normally on that I go about 5-6 mph. And I know that the counters overestimate a lot, which is part of the reason why I'm confused. When I log my exercise, 30 minutes on elliptical, according to MFP, burns 503 or something calories. First time I saw it, I thought that was really high. Normally the machine says about 300-350. So now I'm wondering if I should go by the machine or what MFP goes by? Is there a more accurate way to measure calories burned?

    Ellipticals are one of those exercises that are almost always overestimated in terms of calories burned. Definitely take the lower number and I'd probably suggest eating only 50-75% of even those calories. If you have the money to invest in a good heart rate monitor you can decide if it's worth it to you. It still would only be a closer estimate, though. Even HRMs aren't 100% accurate.
  • diannethegeek
    diannethegeek Posts: 14,776 Member
    You can open your diary by going here: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/account/diary_settings

    Scroll almost to the bottom and select Public.

    And then Save Changes.
  • nutmegoreo
    nutmegoreo Posts: 15,532 Member
    My favorite mode of cardio is the elliptical. Normally on that I go about 5-6 mph. And I know that the counters overestimate a lot, which is part of the reason why I'm confused. When I log my exercise, 30 minutes on elliptical, according to MFP, burns 503 or something calories. First time I saw it, I thought that was really high. Normally the machine says about 300-350. So now I'm wondering if I should go by the machine or what MFP goes by? Is there a more accurate way to measure calories burned?

    Most accurate for steady state cardio would be a heart rate monitor. But the machine sounds more accurate than the MFP guesstimate.

    I also agree with reevaluating your food intake. Weigh solids on a food scale, measure liquids (unless you can find nutritional information which is weight based).
  • _Zardoz_
    _Zardoz_ Posts: 3,987 Member
    In all likelihood you're eating more than you think double check all your logging before you start changing things. Have a look at the link a great guide to get the most accurate logging

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1234699-logging-accurately-step-by-step-guide
  • 1princesswarrior
    1princesswarrior Posts: 1,242 Member
    For stead-state cardio I'd recommend a heart rate monitor with a chest strap. I use a Polar FT4 and love it. I agree you are overestimating your calories burned and probably underestimating your calorie intake. Are you weighing every piece of solid and measuring all liquids? And logging accurately? If not, you might want to invest in a food scale, around $20, and start weighing all solids and measuring all liquids. It makes a huge difference. Check out this link: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/872212-you-re-probably-eating-more-than-you-think
  • WhizGidget
    WhizGidget Posts: 62 Member
    First the questions:
    Are you being really honest with yourself about what you eat and how much of it you eat? This isn't a game, you're only cheating yourself if you're trying to "win" by eating less calories than what your daily goal is.
    Are you weighing and measuring all of your food - ALL OF IT? Even that one piece of fruit that you don't think will matter - it matters.
    How old are you, what's your current weight? These are important factors. Yes, really, age is important.
    How are your clothes fitting? Are they feeling looser in places, or tighter in others? Have you gone up a size, or down a size for something?

    Comments:
    You should open your diary - be honest with yourself and honest with the community. There are some great people here who can help with suggestions, or substitutions of things to eat. The biggest problem I've had is making sure I get enough protein and eat enough vegetables. I look back through my diary (when I started in 2012, and when I dropped off for a while and picked back up again last month), and I know I wasn't eating enough of anything (but my purpose for tracking is to make sure I eat enough every day, not that I'm eating too much).

    I wish you luck with your weight goals...
  • jeffpettis
    jeffpettis Posts: 865 Member
    The only thing absolutely required for weight loss to occur is a calorie deficit. Period. If you are not losing you are not in a deficit. You are either overestimating the calories you are burning, or under estimating the calories you are consuming, or a combination of both.

    It's possible that it could be water retention but this is only going to last until your muscles and nervous system acclimate to a new routine. It is not muscle being built, or starvation mode, and if you keep going without figuring out what is wrong you will continue to get the same results you are currently getting. Actually I think that is the definition of insanity; doing the same thing over and over again expecting different results...

    Don't make it harder than it is. Figure out why you are not in a deficit and fix it, you will start to lose weight once you do. Good luck...:drinker:
  • stephanieharms1290
    stephanieharms1290 Posts: 48 Member
    I agree with most of the posts above. Logging your food is crucial. Eating healthy meals everyday surpasses an hour workout everyday. If you aren't eating properly, the workout means next to nothing.
    ;
    Have you tried using a calorie calculator? (There are several examples right on Google) To see the recommended calorie intake for your age/weight/height/activity level, etc? This absolutely helps. With that, I also recommend multiple, smaller meals throughout the day, rather than a standard breakfast, lunch, and dinner. If you break up your meals to 5-6 smaller portions, your metabolism is never at a slow pace. Your body is continuing to burn. This varies depending on every person's schedule, but I can speak personally by switching to 6 small meals is when I started to see a huge turn around for results.

    Also, I do agree that maybe you should switch up your cardio routines. Steady cardio isn't going to burn fat nearly as quick as HIIT training. HIIT training can be performed on treadmills, bikes, elypticals, etc. My personal favorite is HIIT intervals on the treadmill for 20-25 minutes. Its a great way to burn fat quickly, 4-5x a week. Don't be afraid to lift heavier, with smaller reps. Increase weights slowly, and you will notice a difference. You burn a tremendous amount of calories during strength training. If you aren't really pushing yourself during a workout (ex: intense sweating, out of breath, etc) you aren't pushing yourself to the limit. I know everyone dreads this feeling, but you want to feel like you can't go any more during every workout. You can do it! You lost the weight before, you can certainly do it again. Never be afraid of a challenge.

    Feel free to add/message me for anything!

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