Not losing weight-- what am I doing wrong?

monrizz90
monrizz90 Posts: 26 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
For the past month and a week, I've been working out 5-6 days per week. I do various exercises each time but I usually start with a 30-40 minute 12% incline, 3.8mph treadmill walk OR a 30-40 minute intense crossfit workout. Then I always do 10-15 minutes of moderately intense to intense row machine work. After this I'll spend another 20-30 minutes doing various weights, abdominal exercises, etc etc (I have a personal trainer and I mostly utilize the various exercises she has shown me). At the end of the day I usually end up burning anywhere between 1200-1800 calories from workouts, depending on how intense the workouts were and how much I walked that day (usually 30min-2 hours of walking daily).

My daily calorie intake is around 1200-1850 calories (1850 would be the bad days, usually 1 a week). I have a food scale and religiously weigh and record everything.

Problem is.... not only have I not lost weight since I started working out again, but I've gained 2 pounds. This isn't the first time I've tried to lose weight. In the fall I lost around 15 pounds in a month and I wasn't being nearly as good with my workouts (3-4 a week).

I figured that maybe I had a thyroid issue so I asked one of my nurse friends. She says that was good thinking, but considering I was just recently losing weight, chances are the thyroid problems wouldn't kick in so quickly and perhaps the complete lack of weight loss is due to hormonal issues due to stress (ironically I'm the MOST stressed out about not losing weight....very helpful).

Has anyone else had any issues such as this before or have any insight or advice that could point me in the right direction?
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Replies

  • editorgrrl
    editorgrrl Posts: 7,060 Member
    Open your diary for personalized advice. But if you're gaining weight then you're eating more calories than you burn. So you're probably underestimating your food &/or overestimating your burns.

    Read the Sexypants post: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-Sexypants
  • redrose18577
    redrose18577 Posts: 1
    I'm in the same boat. Struggling to lose, I am also on thyroid medication. I was told to up my protein above 70 grams per day. I'm a vegetarian, so looking for high protein, low calorie foods. I'll try that and see what happens.

    Good luck!
  • 126siany
    126siany Posts: 1,386 Member
    It seems that you are grossly overestimating your calories burned through exercise. If you are also eating those back, there's your problem.
  • NY_Tigress
    NY_Tigress Posts: 6 Member
    good morning... just ran across our post... and thought I would toss my 2 cents in... since I ran into a similar issue 3 months ago when I started dieting and excercise. 2 months passed... and the scale never moved! I was devastated and in tears! I couldn't figure it out... so I asked my doctor... and lo and behold... my body was just building up muscle (which weighs more than fat) while my clothes were getting more baggy! =0) So maybe that is what is going on with you at the moment =0) It just seems to be one of those things that "catch up with you". Keep up the good work =0)
  • liekewheeless
    liekewheeless Posts: 416 Member
    Still have your thyroid checked. Just because it would be unusual, doesn't mean it can't happen.

    With that work out schedule you may also be retaining some water in your muscles.
    I would suggest talking to your doctor and see if they'll run some tests to make sure everything is in order. If you are accurate with your calories, and you're not eating back your work out calories, you should be losing.
  • editorgrrl
    editorgrrl Posts: 7,060 Member
    I figured that maybe I had a thyroid issue so I asked one of my nurse friends. She says that was good thinking, but considering I was just recently losing weight, chances are the thyroid problems wouldn't kick in so quickly and perhaps the complete lack of weight loss is due to hormonal issues due to stress (ironically I'm the MOST stressed out about not losing weight....very helpful).
    Still have your thyroid checked. Just because it would be unusual, doesn't mean it can't happen.
    I'm in the same boat. Struggling to lose, I am also on thyroid medication. I was told to up my protein above 70 grams per day. I'm a vegetarian, so looking for high protein, low calorie foods. I'll try that and see what happens.
    I have Hashimoto's (autoimmune thyroid disease), and I lost weight just like everybody else—by eating fewer calories than I burn.

    Edited to add that MFP has two thyroid groups:
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/forums/show/770-hypothyroidism-and-hyperthyroidism
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/forums/show/51427-butterfly-chasers
  • hannamae05
    hannamae05 Posts: 5 Member
    I've been on thyroid meds for over a year. I was pregnant, had the baby, and have had a hard time losing weight. Despite being on meds and my numbers being "normal", I'm still symptomatic.

    There's always the question of whether you're not eating enough. If you don't eat enough, then that can play a role in not losing wt too.

    Sometimes when you change your routine, or start a new program, you can gain weight initially.

    For me, I've found that the only way I can lose weight is by cutting gluten and going paleo. I'm waiting to see an allergist, but I'm pretty sure that I've developed a sensitivity to gluten/wheat. If I eat any bread or rice products, I gain 2-4lbs over night. No exaggeration.

    Take a closer look at your food choices. Are you consuming too much sodium? Too much sugar? Are you eating enough protein? Too many carbs?

    What are your Net Calories like? Are they over 500? Over 1000? They could be too high per day. Which in turn would stress your body and cause you to store and gain weight.
  • monrizz90
    monrizz90 Posts: 26 Member
    I have a Polar heart rate monitor that keeps track of exactly how many calories I'm burning, so I'm not leaving anything to estimation. I work out anywhere from 2-3 hours per day.

    Trust me, I wouldn't be asking if I didn't understand how calories work. I'm very frustrated.

    Perhaps I am allergic/sensitive to something like gluten. That's a really good idea
  • monrizz90
    monrizz90 Posts: 26 Member
    Oh and my net calories range from -310 to around 500.
  • OllyJ_79
    OllyJ_79 Posts: 126 Member
    This article explains the problem quite well.

    http://www.acaloriecounter.com/blog/why-am-i-not-losing-weight/
  • 126siany
    126siany Posts: 1,386 Member
    I have a Polar heart rate monitor that keeps track of exactly how many calories I'm burning, so I'm not leaving anything to estimation. I work out anywhere from 2-3 hours per day.

    Trust me, I wouldn't be asking if I didn't understand how calories work. I'm very frustrated.

    Perhaps I am allergic/sensitive to something like gluten. That's a really good idea

    Still seems HIGHLY unlikely that you are actually burning 1200-1800 a day through your workouts, regardless of your method of calculation.
  • monrizz90
    monrizz90 Posts: 26 Member
    I've been losing weight on and off for years. I've lost as many as 60 lbs in a half a year. I know HOW to lose weight. I'm just wondering if perhaps there are other people like me who KNOW they are doing things right, but the weight isn't coming off. Like...perhaps if someone has high anxiety levels which lead to higher production of hormones or someone who has a slow thyroid who figured out a way around it.
  • OllyJ_79
    OllyJ_79 Posts: 126 Member
    I have a Polar heart rate monitor that keeps track of exactly how many calories I'm burning, so I'm not leaving anything to estimation. I work out anywhere from 2-3 hours per day.

    Trust me, I wouldn't be asking if I didn't understand how calories work. I'm very frustrated.

    Perhaps I am allergic/sensitive to something like gluten. That's a really good idea

    Still seems HIGHLY unlikely that you are actually burning 1200-1800 a day through your workouts, regardless of your method of calculation.

    To put that in context, as a 6ft 180lb man, I would have to run around 16 miles to burn 1800 Net calories, for someone of around 120-125lb this would increase to over 20 miles.

    Its important to remember that Net calories are the important item i.e calories you burn in addition to what you would burn anyway sitting still.

    http://www.shapesense.com/fitness-exercise/articles/net-versus-gross-calorie-burn.aspx
  • smarieallen85
    smarieallen85 Posts: 535 Member
    I'm sorry but I doubt you're actually burning that many calories when you work out. That sounds like a really high number and you can't be so sure how many you're burning when you're weight training.

    I saw a difference in weight loss when I started doing my cardio AFTER weight training. Also, I stopped doing as much cardio, less running etc and more heavy weight training. Dropped 8 pounds in June. I don't know the logistics of it all though...Just listening to my trainer.
  • editorgrrl
    editorgrrl Posts: 7,060 Member
    I have a Polar heart rate monitor that keeps track of exactly how many calories I'm burning, so I'm not leaving anything to estimation.
    All calorie burns are estimates—including heart-rate monitors.

    The only way to gauge their accuracy is by evaluating your progress. If you're gaining weight, then you are eating more calories than you burn.
  • monrizz90
    monrizz90 Posts: 26 Member
    Okay. Fine. Thanks for advice.
  • kimberlyblindsey
    kimberlyblindsey Posts: 266 Member
    I think that article was grossly inappropriate considering many people have medical problems that inhibit weight loss. To say something ALWAYS leads to something else 100% of the time for everybody seems very close-minded.

    I've been losing weight on and off for years. I've lost as many as 60 lbs in a half a year. I know HOW to lose weight. I'm just wondering if perhaps there are other people like me who KNOW they are doing things right, but the weight isn't coming off. Like...perhaps if someone has high anxiety levels which lead to higher production of hormones or someone who has a slow thyroid who figured out a way around it.

    Like... this sentence from the article “Oh, I was on the elliptical for 25 minutes today, so I can surely afford to eat this extra 1000 calories now… right?”

    No. No. No. I TOTALLY understand that when I'm on the elliptical for around 25 minutes that I'll maybe burn 230 calories. And I'm not going to reward myself with 1000.


    Rude. I'll just go see my doctor.
    I don't know how much you weigh right now, but if you are on the smaller side, I'd gather you may not really be burning that many calories, case in point. I thought with my HRM and the calories burns on MFP that I was really burning 600-800 cals with my WOs.
    Since I've gotten a fitbit, the absolute most cals I've burned in a day was with an a.m. And p.m.workout where I reached up to 19,000 steps and some of that was weight lifting, was 600 cals, and that's extreme. I would have to run something near a marathon to burn the kind of cals you're describing, IMHO, but maybe I just don't burn a lot of cals bc of my smaller frame.
  • monrizz90
    monrizz90 Posts: 26 Member
    I'm 5'7 and weigh 203 lbs. I'm considered obese by my doctor. I dunno if that means I'd burn more or not.
  • kimberlyblindsey
    kimberlyblindsey Posts: 266 Member
    Yes, you would burn more, but maybe use an HRM if you can to get a better measure on your burn. I do believe MFP overestimates cal burns. For example, when I do a 30 min Kettlebell WO I burn around 200 cals, some cardio, but mostly weight based. Some people are logging it as a 900 cal burn, which seems high, but again I don't burn as much bc I'm small.
  • monrizz90
    monrizz90 Posts: 26 Member
    I've been trying not to use the MFP numbers and focusing mostly on my HRM numbers. But maybe it is overestimating as well like people on here are saying. That's a shame too, cause it was expensive haha (Polar FT-60). I just want accuracy.
  • DianeinCA
    DianeinCA Posts: 307 Member
    I'm going to agree with everyone else: there isn't a chance that your workouts are burning anywhere near 1200 calories. I wish it would! I have a treadmill desk and I literally walk 4-6 hours a day! But most exercises don't burn that many, I'm sorry.

    A simple calculation for walking and running (very, very simple, for purposes of rough calculation only) is that it takes about 100 calories to go a mile. Figure out how far you're walking, multiply by 100, and take that as your calorie burn. Start by eating back 50% of those calories. Report back.

    I would also get a HRM for the other exercises, and once again eat back 50%.
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  • 126siany
    126siany Posts: 1,386 Member
    I've been trying not to use the MFP numbers and focusing mostly on my HRM numbers. But maybe it is overestimating as well like people on here are saying. That's a shame too, cause it was expensive haha (Polar FT-60). I just want accuracy.

    Some folks in the "Fitness and Exercise" section may have advice on how to use the HRM and what you can use it for. I'm far from expert in it, but I do recall that it is better at accurately recording some activities than others and that you need to back out the calories you would have burned during the period of exercise if you hadn't spent it exercising. Apparently HRMs are tricky to use properly.

    Anyway, there will be some folks in that subforum who should be able to help with that.
  • monrizz90
    monrizz90 Posts: 26 Member
    I'm not just walking 2-3 hours. I'm doing that in addition to being at the gym for an hour or 2. In an average day I'm up and moving around 4 hours.

    But like everyone seems to be saying, I guess I'm eating too much. I already feel like I'm starving and light-headed all day so Idk how eating even less is supposed to make me healthy... but apparently I need to.

    Please don't tell me I'm making "excuses". I'm trying VERY VERY VERY hard. It's all I think about and all I've been focusing energy on. I'm not making excuses. I'm very frustrated, hurt, and confused. No sass is necessary. I'll just see my doctor.
  • JonathanLepoff
    JonathanLepoff Posts: 46 Member
    I use a Polar heart rate monitor too 1200-1800 is an intense workout. If your monitor has the own cal feature and you use it your results would be more accurate than if not. One person mentioned maybe you were gaining muscle and losing inches rather than losing weight and that's a good thing to check.
  • editorgrrl
    editorgrrl Posts: 7,060 Member
    I've been trying not to use the MFP numbers and focusing mostly on my HRM numbers. But maybe it is overestimating as well like people on here are saying. That's a shame too, cause it was expensive haha (Polar FT-60). I just want accuracy.
    OK, so you've finally acknowledged that you may be overestimating your burns. But what about your logging?

    Open your diary for personalized advice. Do you weigh everything you eat—even packaged foods? Do you verify database entries against the label? For food without labels, do you use USDA values whenever possible?
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  • monrizz90
    monrizz90 Posts: 26 Member
    I have lost an inch an a half from my waist and an inch from my hips though.
  • jesseme
    jesseme Posts: 51 Member
    Oh and my net calories range from -310 to around 500.

    Perhaps this is why you are feeling hungry and light-headed.
  • JoeCampbell85
    JoeCampbell85 Posts: 140
    I've been losing weight on and off for years. I've lost as many as 60 lbs in a half a year. I know HOW to lose weight. I'm just wondering if perhaps there are other people like me who KNOW they are doing things right, but the weight isn't coming off. Like...perhaps if someone has high anxiety levels which lead to higher production of hormones or someone who has a slow thyroid who figured out a way around it.

    HRM monitors are not very accurate especially in high intensity workouts and lifting. they are best for steady state aerobics. The disparity increases as you become slimmer and your deficit likely decreases.

    It sounds like you want to be told that "it's not your fault" and will disregard all the other evidence until you hear just that.

    Here: It's not your fault :wink:

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