FRUSTRATED!!!

rachdlew
rachdlew Posts: 108
in Motivation and Support
I have had a great start I lost almost 6 pounds in a month. I decided to go to the Police Academy in a couple of months so I went to the gym and started working with a personal trainer. I am busing my hump 4 days a week (sometimes 5) and eating 1800 calories a day except on workout days I have to eat more to make up the calories I have burned. The trainer is amazing she stays on my and pushes me to muscle failure when we train. I am a big woman I stand 5'11 and when I started I weighed 272. I was down to 267 when I started the training program. I have been in the program for about 2 1/2 weeks. I am back up to 271. I know that muscle weighs more than fat but I am so big that with as hard as I am working out and counting calories like I am there should be more weight loss and defiantly not weight gain. I am so frustrated. My trainer has not weighed me again yet I think she will soon but I don't want to see the look on her face when she sees that i have gained weight. Oh and I have noticed that I have gone down almost a whole bra size so I don't understand what the issue is. I have tried three different scales and they all said I gained. Any ideas what I am doing wrong??

Replies

  • terbusha
    terbusha Posts: 1,483 Member
    1800 cal/day may be a little too much for you to lose weight on. Setting the right calorie level can be tricky. 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.

    Also, If you are losing inches in body measurements, then you are doing something right. Weight loss always will follow body composition changes.

    Allan
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,267 Member
    1800 cal/day may be a little too much for you to lose weight on.

    REally?

    She is 5 ft 11 and is 26xlbs I am sure she can lose weight eating less than me.

    To the OP chances are you are retaining water/glycogen in your muscles from the exercise. This can last up to 4 weeks...don't sweat it. You are not doing anything wrong as long as you are in a deficit.
  • spikrgrl503
    spikrgrl503 Posts: 247 Member
    I'm 6' and 175 and lose eating 1800 a day, so it's not that.

    If you're just starting this heavy workout routine you may be retaining water. Make sure you drink. A LOT. I know it can be frustrating but weight loss isn't a linear thing. I would take measurements if I were you. I just spent a month eating under my cal goal and not losing any weight. Pulling out the tape measure I noticed I was losing inches and my clothes fit better. Then all of a sudden, this morning I weigh in and I'm down 4 lbs from yesterday. It's totally weird, but I would try focusing on how your clothes fit and how you feel. The number on the scale can be secondary to that.
  • rachdlew
    rachdlew Posts: 108
    Thank you all for your input. My trainer did reduce my intake to 1600 but I can go up to 1800 depending on my hunger. I got up this morning determine not to let the scale bother me and when I was getting ready to go to a training session I decided to dig out an old Adidas workout jacket I haven't been able to wear in 2 years because I was to big. Well guess what IT FIT!!!!!! I don't mean squeeze into it fit I mean lose around the middle and bust a little snug on the arms ( a lot of arm days). I am so excited. Again thank you all for you help and support.
  • ilyahna2014
    ilyahna2014 Posts: 45
    I've had a fluctuating relationship with the scale lately myself, going up and down over about 5lbs, and I have been running longer distances for the last two weeks. I decided that while that is frustrating, it helps to try to foster a different mindset about your accomplishments. Instead of telling myself that "This week I will lose 2lbs" I have been telling myself that "This week I will run 2 miles." And I did! I felt great about it, and care less about the scale.

    Also, you should measure yourself, and look at what those numbers say. With strength training, you often will see results in that regard before you see it on the scale.
  • mayfrayy
    mayfrayy Posts: 198 Member
    measurements > weight.
    If you aren't losing inches in the right places, re-evaluate your diet.
  • ASKyle
    ASKyle Posts: 1,475 Member
    Water retention due to your new training program. Keep going!
  • lukewind
    lukewind Posts: 177 Member
    Go get an RMR (resting metabolic rate) test done. Everyone is different and you may burn less calories then they are estimating. Its not too expensive to get tested and its more accurate then the number MFP spits out, which is based on averages. I had mine done and I was burning about 300 more calories a day then I thought.
  • pinkyslippers
    pinkyslippers Posts: 188 Member

    To the OP chances are you are retaining water/glycogen in your muscles from the exercise. This can last up to 4 weeks...don't sweat it. You are not doing anything wrong as long as you are in a deficit.

    This is excellent advice, which I needed to hear too, thanks! :flowerforyou:
  • wilsoje74
    wilsoje74 Posts: 1,720 Member
    Thank you all for your input. My trainer did reduce my intake to 1600 but I can go up to 1800 depending on my hunger. I got up this morning determine not to let the scale bother me and when I was getting ready to go to a training session I decided to dig out an old Adidas workout jacket I haven't been able to wear in 2 years because I was to big. Well guess what IT FIT!!!!!! I don't mean squeeze into it fit I mean lose around the middle and bust a little snug on the arms ( a lot of arm days). I am so excited. Again thank you all for you help and support.
    if you are eating at a deficit you won't gain muscle.
  • mebepiglet123
    mebepiglet123 Posts: 327 Member
    When your trainer weighed you, did he/she measure as well? If so it will show up when you do weigh in. If not I suggest you measure now. If things are fitting better you are losing, just not weight loss yet.. What other posters said is correct. It may be water weight. Hang in there this takes time especially with weight training.
  • JassiBear
    JassiBear Posts: 268 Member
    I have had a great start I lost almost 6 pounds in a month. I decided to go to the Police Academy in a couple of months so I went to the gym and started working with a personal trainer. I am busing my hump 4 days a week (sometimes 5) and eating 1800 calories a day except on workout days I have to eat more to make up the calories I have burned. The trainer is amazing she stays on my and pushes me to muscle failure when we train. I am a big woman I stand 5'11 and when I started I weighed 272. I was down to 267 when I started the training program. I have been in the program for about 2 1/2 weeks. I am back up to 271. I know that muscle weighs more than fat but I am so big that with as hard as I am working out and counting calories like I am there should be more weight loss and defiantly not weight gain. I am so frustrated. My trainer has not weighed me again yet I think she will soon but I don't want to see the look on her face when she sees that i have gained weight. Oh and I have noticed that I have gone down almost a whole bra size so I don't understand what the issue is. I have tried three different scales and they all said I gained. Any ideas what I am doing wrong??

    Stop eating back your exercise calories if your daily goal is already as high as 1800...... your exercise has been accounted for already!
  • 4legsRbetterthan2
    4legsRbetterthan2 Posts: 19,590 MFP Moderator

    Stop eating back your exercise calories if your daily goal is already as high as 1800...... your exercise has been accounted for already!

    wrong... if you are using MFP methods you should be eating back exercise calories

    I second the water retention with the new routine, that is commonly seen and you would still be in the window for it. From the stats mentioned above it sounds like your calorie target is fine.
  • liddylee
    liddylee Posts: 9 Member
    Why focus on your physical weight when you have proof you're overall size is diminishing. Measuring your progress based on your weight is antiquated. Get your trainer to start taking body fat measurements with calipers (any trainer worth their stars will know how to do this). Measure every 2 weeks and toss the scale forever!

    Good luck no matter what you decide!
  • rachdlew
    rachdlew Posts: 108
    UPDATE!!!
    I hurt my back this past week and was out of the gym the whole time. I had to weigh in anyway and when I did I lost 12 pounds. I couldn't believe it. I am hoping I didnt lose too much muscle but it was nice to see the weight loss. I am starting to see the weight loss when I look in the mirror too. I really needed that after being out of the game for a week. You guys rock. Thank you all for your input.

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