Not Losing... I don't understand

DaddyGoofball
DaddyGoofball Posts: 9 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
23 days ago I started an intense journey. Changed behaviors, broke habits and created new ones. I am seeing results and I am happy and motivated by them BUT I am still not seeing the results I am looking for.

Where I was...
Physical Activity: Sit behind a desk 9 hours a day then go home and sit in front of the TV till bedtime then start the day over again
Diet: I'd eat 2 meals a day. Lunch was usually fast food and dinner I would over eat enough to feed a small family. Even though my dinners were home cooked they were full of fat, carbs, hardly any green vegies and almost no fruit. In a weekly basis I'd drink at least 12 Sodas and clean out the pantry from snacks.

When I made my change I knew that if this was going to work I'd have to make an abrupt change. I quit smoking 10 years ago and for me the only successful method was cold turkey.

Physical Activity: Insanity Workout 6 days a week. Ride 30 miles in 2 hours on a bicycle one day a week. Also I get up from my desk when others take "Smoke Breaks" and walk a mile 5 days a week.
Diet: I eat 3 meals a day + health snacks 2 hours in between. I drink 8-10 glasses of water every day. (required Hydration for Insanity) I am eating more fish and less red meat. Dropped unhealthy carbs (min bread, almost no pasta, etc) NO SODA IN 23 days. When I am calorie deficient I add in something unhealthy and I have cheat days here and there but I really watch my portions now.

Good Results that keep me motivated: I feel so much better physically. I sleep better. I have more stamina. I have more energy. I am getting stronger. My workout fitness tests show improvement. I have improvement in my physical abilities every day.

The discouraging results: The first week I lost 6 lbs and my clothing were looser. Since then my weight goes up or down a lb or 2 and physically I have not seen any additional physical changes.

I log all my food/exercise data into this app. I am open to suggestions. Please help
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Replies

  • All4Me2014xx
    All4Me2014xx Posts: 155 Member
    Your diary is private, so I can't give any suggestions there. I had the same with Insanity the first week. I dropped 3 pounds.

    Bottom line: Give it some more time. 3 weeks in, your body is still adapting to the changes you made. Just keep on going.
  • rjefferies
    rjefferies Posts: 2 Member
    I can sympathize!!! You are doing better than me though....I too have cut calories to about 1200 a day, an hour of cardio/cycle/elyptical 5 days week. Almost no potatoes, pasta, no fast food, no soda. BUT, I have lost nothing....not a pound!!! Getting very frustrated.
  • juliafromrf
    juliafromrf Posts: 106 Member
    Are you weighing and logging all your food`?
  • xixshaiyaxix
    xixshaiyaxix Posts: 83 Member
    I have hypothyroidism and that makes losing weight much harder. Focus on getting healthy and developing good habits.
  • FatFreeFrolicking
    FatFreeFrolicking Posts: 4,252 Member
    1 or 2 lbs a week means you ARE losing… That's normal weight loss.
  • AmyG1982
    AmyG1982 Posts: 1,040 Member
    Have you taken measurements? you might see results on a tape measure more than on the scale for a while.
  • diannethegeek
    diannethegeek Posts: 14,776 Member
    Would you be willing to open your diary for us to take a look?

    Since it's only been a few weeks and you've started Insanity, it's very likely that your muscles are holding onto extra fluid to help cushion and repair them, which can mask the fat loss going on in the background. I've never done Insanity, but I know from others here that it's common not to see much loss in the first month. You may just need to keep doing what you're doing and wait for your body to catch up.

    You're logging everything you eat? Including condiments, cooking oils, veggies, cheat days, etc? Are you using a food scale, measuring cups, or eyeballing your portion sizes? Most people can be off in their estimates by several hundred calories when they eyeball portions. Measuring cups are better, but a food scale is going to be the most accurate.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1234699-logging-accurately-step-by-step-guide
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1290491-how-and-why-to-use-a-digital-food-scale

    And make sure that you've calculated your calorie goals appropriately. Remember that these are just estimates. You may need to play around a little to find what works best for you.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/819055-setting-your-calorie-and-macro-targets

    If you're exercising and eating back your earned exercise calories, be sure that you're using accurate estimates of your burn. MFP and gym machines have a tendency to overestimate certain activities, which can cause you to eat back more calories than you need to. Even a heart rate monitor isn't 100% accurate. If you're eating those extra earned calories it might be a good idea to eat only 50-75% of those.
  • Smpo1979
    Smpo1979 Posts: 13 Member
    OP....you said:

    " I feel so much better physically. I sleep better. I have more stamina. I have more energy. I am getting stronger. My workout fitness tests show improvement. I have improvement in my physical abilities every day."

    My opinion....you're already a winner. and as someone already said, you're a few weeks in. You need more data points to be able to assess your strategy.

    Enjoy the wins you have achieved and don't give up!
  • sadiebea25
    sadiebea25 Posts: 72
    I agree with above poster, can you open your diary? Usually no losses is a result in overestimation of calories. Do you use a food scale? The food scale is really life changing.When I started using it, I realized for instance, what I thought was 1/2 cup of cottage cheese (in a measuring cup), when weighed out, was much less than what I was eating as a serving.
  • DaddyGoofball
    DaddyGoofball Posts: 9 Member
    All4Me2014xx I just made it public
  • DaddyGoofball
    DaddyGoofball Posts: 9 Member
    juliafromrf Logging yes. Bar codes when I can. Measuring where I can but not actually weighing my food
  • jwdieter
    jwdieter Posts: 2,582 Member
    7 lbs in 23 days is definitely losing. Lost a spike of water weight early, which confuses things.
  • meridianova
    meridianova Posts: 438 Member
    1 or 2 lbs a week means you ARE losing… That's normal weight loss.

    no, what the OP indicated is that weight goes up or down about a pound... meaning losing and gaining the same pound or two over and over again.
  • AglaeaC
    AglaeaC Posts: 1,974 Member
    juliafromrf Logging yes. Bar codes when I can. Measuring where I can but not actually weighing my food
    Use the scale is my only advice.
  • DaddyGoofball
    DaddyGoofball Posts: 9 Member
    plerf is correct I am gaining and losing the same lb over and over again. Right now the benefits are keeping me pushing forward but I am curious to know if there is anything more I could do.
  • WalkingAlong
    WalkingAlong Posts: 4,926 Member
    We see this a lot. Exercise goes from 0-60mph in virtually no time, big loss in week 1, no loss for weeks after. Half the time it seems like it's people doing Insanity.

    Your muscles are retaining water from the new demands. Wait it out.

    Try to ease into things, make it livable, so if the scale doesn't follow right along you won't be annoyed and quit.
  • juliafromrf
    juliafromrf Posts: 106 Member
    juliafromrf Logging yes. Bar codes when I can. Measuring where I can but not actually weighing my food
    Use the scale is my only advice.

    ^This. And I promise that you WILL be losing.
  • Galatea_Stone
    Galatea_Stone Posts: 2,037 Member
    I'm over by as much as 50% if I don't weigh my food on a scale.

    You need a food scale to be accurate. You're weighing yourself and expecting accuracy with gains and losses, so why not weigh your food, too?
  • diannethegeek
    diannethegeek Posts: 14,776 Member
    juliafromrf Logging yes. Bar codes when I can. Measuring where I can but not actually weighing my food

    Be sure that when you're scanning those bar codes you double check the information on the app against the actual nutrition label on your product. Companies will make slight changes to their product and keep the same UPC, which can lead to inaccurate entries sometimes.
  • DaddyGoofball
    DaddyGoofball Posts: 9 Member
    Thank you all for your support. My diary is now public for those that wish to peak and have suggestions. I will look into purchasing a food scale.
  • sadiebea25
    sadiebea25 Posts: 72
    I found an inexpensive food scale on ebay for $10 that works great. Weighs in ounces and grams. It's really eye opening!
  • AglaeaC
    AglaeaC Posts: 1,974 Member
    Make sure the scale comes with a tare function. You'll soon discover why that is useful.
  • j4nash
    j4nash Posts: 1,719 Member
    Are you eating back your exercise calories?

    If so, calories burned can be highly inaccurate. Try a calculator like below and keep your calories constant on a daily basis and log exercise cals burned as 1.

    http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/
  • DaddyGoofball
    DaddyGoofball Posts: 9 Member
    On cheat days I end up eating back all of the calories. On normal days I try to net 500 Cal remaining
  • maidentl
    maidentl Posts: 3,203 Member
    1 or 2 lbs a week means you ARE losing… That's normal weight loss.

    no, what the OP indicated is that weight goes up or down about a pound... meaning losing and gaining the same pound or two over and over again.

    The initial loss of six pounds was almost certainly not all fat. Weight fluctuates daily due to water retention. So by now, he's probably actually lost six pounds as things even out. With the loss he's sustained and seeing as it's only about three weeks in, it's far too early to start panicking and messing with things. For the first several weeks since I started, my weight did what the OP's has. I'd lose a big chunk, vacillate a pound or two for a couple of weeks, then lose another big chunk.
  • Squirrel698
    Squirrel698 Posts: 127 Member
    Wow your definition of "insanity" exercise, surely isn't mine. It sounds like it's a type of exercise program perhaps from the responses?

    I run 10K at least 5 days a week and walk 20 miles on the other two days. I do strength training with a sledgehammer and a tire, plus pulls up and sit ups 3 or 4 days a week. Now that's insanity and I love it.

    I looked at your diary from yesterday, and you ate way over 2,000 calories. Were those buffalo flavored pretzel rolls really essential to you? How can you question why you are not losing weight. Eat about 1,500 good calories a day and amp up your exercise and you will lose weight.
  • AglaeaC
    AglaeaC Posts: 1,974 Member
    On cheat days I end up eating back all of the calories. On normal days I try to net 500 Cal remaining
    How many "cheat days" do you have??? I have none and I manage to eat nutritious and exciting food.
  • DaddyGoofball
    DaddyGoofball Posts: 9 Member
    http://www.beachbody.com/product/fitness_programs/insanity.do

    The Pretzels were a weak point. :sad:

    If you look at previous days you will see my normal pattern
  • slomo22
    slomo22 Posts: 125 Member
    Sounds like you're loosing weight. You didn't loose 6 pounds of fat in your first week and that's what is throwing your results. If you're still sitting at 6+ pounds lost after a month then you're doing great!
  • j4nash
    j4nash Posts: 1,719 Member
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/819055-setting-your-calorie-and-macro-targets

    the above is worth a read. try constant cals for two weeks. less complicated than eating back exercise cals and you can adjust the amount per day depending on results.

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