2 months with a trainer and no weight loss

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Tim_Boshoff
Tim_Boshoff Posts: 5
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi my name is Tim Boshoff
I'm 23 years old
Weight: 88 Kilograms
Height: 167 centimeter

In July a started traing with a trainer and restricting my diet to around 1600 calories. A month in I got myself a polar loop fitness tracker with a heart rate monitor and it estimates that I burn about 800 calories every session. I hit the gym 4 to 5 times a week and my training consists of circuit traing and some weights. Since July my weight has only 2 kilograms so I'm getting a bit frustrated. Anyone out there with any advice or tips?

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  • juggernaut1974
    juggernaut1974 Posts: 6,212 Member
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    How are you determining that you're eating 1600 calories? Do you measure and/or weigh and log every piece of food that goes into your mouth?

    If not, I suspect you're eating more than you think you are - that's not a criticism; almost everyone does.

    And I am not inclined to believe you can burn 800 calories doing weight training and circuit training, unless you're doing it for 5-6 hours a day.
  • Tim_Boshoff
    Tim_Boshoff Posts: 5
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    It depends, if can scan the bar code I do that, but when I eat beef, chicken breast or cars like pasta a weight my food. The diet I am following it one I got from a dietician. I don't completely believe the 800 calorie burn either, but I'm just going with what my heart rate monitor calculates after I take it off.
  • WalkingAlong
    WalkingAlong Posts: 4,926 Member
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    When I first started weight training, I plateaued for months, but then I adapted and lost the water (I assume it was water) in a quick span and my weight loss over the span turned out about what you'd expect. So my advice would be wait it out. Though 800 does sound high, unless you're spending a couple hours at it. But if you're not 'eating back', it doesn't matter.

    Good luck!
  • AliceDark
    AliceDark Posts: 3,886 Member
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    Well, if you've lost 2kg you are losing, just really slowly. Do you eat back your exercise calories?
  • junglejd13
    junglejd13 Posts: 55 Member
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    I disagree with the calorie burn. I workout 2x a week with a trainer in a group setting, we do interval training, HIIT, circuit, etc, and I burn anywhere from 800-1000 calories in a 45 min to 90 minute class. I also have a polar HRM, which is extremely accurate.

    TO OP: I have some questions for you to consider: Have you been taking measurements/ pictures of yourself? This is a much better indication of actual body fat loss. The scale does not tell the entire truth, especially if you are weight training, or doing circuit exercising that uses your own body weight, i.e. squats, pushups, etc.

    Has anyone told you that you look thinner or lost weight? Also a good indication. What does your trainer have to say about your progress so far?

    In the past month I have lost several inches all over my body, 1 inch from my neck, 4 inches from my bicep, 6 inches from my waist, and 4 inches from my thigh but the scale has only gone down 3 lbs.


    I would do some more research, but you maybe need to eat more protein and calories for the amount that you are working out.

    Keep working out and eating healthy, you're on the right path.
  • juggernaut1974
    juggernaut1974 Posts: 6,212 Member
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    A couple other things I noticed...

    Even if you've been working out for 2 months, it looks like you've only been logging food for a week or so. Give it some more time.

    If your workout program is new - as in you weren't exercising before - it's not uncommon for fat weight loss to be masked temporarily by additional water weight, as your body adjusts to your new activity level.
    Since July my weight has only 2 kilograms so I'm getting a bit frustrated. Anyone out there with any advice or tips?

    Are you saying you've lost 2 kilograms in that timeframe? If so, then you're doing just fine. That's about 1/2 lb a week - which if you weren't logging foods for most of that time is great progress.

    My guess is as you continue to monitor and log your food intake, that you'll continue to see that progress and perhaps accelerate it a bit.
  • Tim_Boshoff
    Tim_Boshoff Posts: 5
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    For the first to months I strictly sticked to the 1500 calorie diet the dietician gave me. The month I have bumped it up to 1600 - 1700 because the same dietician told me it could be that my body is holding back fat because I'm not eating enough.
  • juggernaut1974
    juggernaut1974 Posts: 6,212 Member
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    I disagree with the calorie burn. I workout 2x a week with a trainer in a group setting, we do interval training, HIIT, circuit, etc, and I burn anywhere from 800-1000 calories in a 45 min to 90 minute class. I also have a polar HRM, which is extremely accurate.

    For HIIT and interval training, I might be inclined to be persuaded...but not simply for circuit/weight training (unless said circuit training contains several rounds of intense cardio).

    I would have to jog/run at a fairly decent clip for a couple hours to burn 800-1000 calories (understanding of course, that at a lower weight I burn less than others...)
  • Tim_Boshoff
    Tim_Boshoff Posts: 5
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    Ok so what I have been doing with my trainer is HIIT training. The reason I have only been logging for a week is because I was using the samsung health app the 2 months prior. I'm not new to training if been training since 16. What happens was last year I had a thorn ACL and I didn't train for the whole year and picked up 10 kg. In my sport injuries are very common. When I was 18 I broke my tib and fib and I was out for a year, after that I followed the same diet and training program as the one I'm using now and I lost 7 kg in 2 months.
  • Tim_Boshoff
    Tim_Boshoff Posts: 5
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    If just made my profile pic the reading of my average workout session.
  • colors_fade
    colors_fade Posts: 464 Member
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    Are you saying you've lost 2 kilograms in that timeframe? If so, then you're doing just fine. That's about 1/2 lb a week - which if you weren't logging foods for most of that time is great progress.

    My guess is as you continue to monitor and log your food intake, that you'll continue to see that progress and perhaps accelerate it a bit.

    Yep.
  • Jbarbo01
    Jbarbo01 Posts: 240 Member
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    For 5'5 male at 194 lbs thats really not enough food with working out on top of it. 1600 only if you are eating your exercise calories back. I would cut down on the workouts and hone in on your calories hardcore or eat closer to 1800 and most of your exercise calories and go really hard. Its difficult for your body to do really intense muscle building exercises at a deficit. It seems counter intuitive from the calories in calories out but I find i lose more weight (actual pounds) when I exercise very moderately and track like a bandit. That is just my experience but I think you up calories and keep activity high or keep calories low and cut activity, I think your body is holding on to the fat.

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