Body getting toned, scale not moving

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thexxxbee
thexxxbee Posts: 4
in Health and Weight Loss
Hello everyone!
I'm struggling... I'm exercising 3 times a week on average (sometimes more sometimes less). I have a personal trainer, I do mainly weight lifting and a little bit of cardio. It's been a month now, I can see a little bit of difference - toner muscles and such but I feel like I'm not losing fat, actually I fear that my weight has gone UP :/ I know the muscles are heavier but still I'm confused.
I'm 5.4 tall and weigh about 141 pounds now. I do not know how many calories should I be eating. My fitness pal calculated around 1300 for me but I'm having an extremely hard time counting my calories. For example when I eat at the restaurant or pick something up at the bakery I have NO IDEA what caloric value does it contain whatsoever :( Sometimes I don't have the time to prepare the food at home so I have to eat out....
Please, please help me, give me some advice. Am I eating too little or too much (around 1300cal)? It's like I'm trying so hard but gaining more weight? I want to lose around 10 pounds.
Thanx for your help!

ps- I'm 29years old female (ex competitive swimmer)

Replies

  • mr_mitch
    mr_mitch Posts: 176 Member
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    If you're toning muscle and presumably getting slimmer then it does not matter what the scales say. Forget about weight. You're already doing a great job.

    As for calories, your personal trainer should be able to advise you on diet. Other than that, have you calculated your tdee?

    1300 is probably too low... But it sounds like you're probably eating more than that. (Which is a good thing) ...

    I know for some things its impossible to calculate the calories for. That's why its best to plan ahead and prepare your own meals wherever possible!
  • KikiBerry
    KikiBerry Posts: 64 Member
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    Have you spoken with your personal trainer about your concerns? If you are toning you are losing body fat and that's a great thing. Since you mentioned that you don't accurately log, I'm sure you're eating more calories than you think. (Over 1300) Try healthier options when eating out (i.e. grilled chicken salad, dressing on the side) and cut back on bakery foods. Depending on your trainer's certification, they may not be qualified to give nutrition advise.
  • nilbogger
    nilbogger Posts: 870 Member
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    You can still estimate when you go out to eat... or choose restaurants that provide nutrition information if possible.
  • thexxxbee
    thexxxbee Posts: 4
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    You are right, my trainer is certainly not qualified to give me nutritional info I need. The thing is, I live in a small country and a in my city it's hard to find trainers who monitor both the physical activity and eating habits so I'm all by myself... There is not a single restaurant providing nutritional value of the meals so I have to calculate that myself, too. It's a struggle but I have to do this!
  • MelodyandBarbells
    MelodyandBarbells Posts: 7,725 Member
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    You could look at nutritional info on packages in the grocery store to estimate calories. Heh. If you have your smart phone with you, you could edit the entries as you look up the items. Most of my estimating is based on items I have eaten in the past, though
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,401 MFP Moderator
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    How often do you go out to eat? And are you even trying to guess? I know when I go to restaurants that don't provide calorie values, I try to get foods it's easier to estimate (salmon) or steaks if it's dinner or even chicken without a lot of sauces. I generally add a tbsp of oil to each of those as well since many are cooked in oils. Or if I do breakfast, it's usually eggs with veggies or meat.
  • RGv2
    RGv2 Posts: 5,789 Member
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    How do you know you're not losing fat? Are you using a tape measure?

    When weightlifting is the primary source of exercise, the scale can be misleading. When you lifting in a deficit you are MAINTAINING muscle mass while losing mostly fat and water so the scale won't move as fast because you're maintaining muscle mass. Along with that, your body will retain water for muscle repair, thus "tricking" the scale.

    As others have said, 1300 is probably low and your goal is probably too aggressive. Along with that the tracking needs to be looked at.
  • galprincess
    galprincess Posts: 682 Member
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    Im also 29 not an ex competitive swimmer though but that means you know discipline if i eat out i try and find out roughly what calories are i don't eat at bakeries so not a problem , if youre looking good and feeling more toned ditch the scale i weigh very rarely now as i work out i gain more than i lose but i only register losses
  • thexxxbee
    thexxxbee Posts: 4
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    Thank you for your advices. This is the kind of feedback I needed <3

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