Not seeing any results - GAINED inches too?!

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Hello everyone!
so...this is officially two weeks into my new diet/workout routine. I make sure to eat only 1,200-1,400 calories a day ( i dont eat back my calories) , avoid junk food and dairy as much as i can (only once a day max, some days i just avoid it completely), as well as limiting carbs. I workout for about 2 hours a day, where the usual is 30 minutes of jogging, an hour of muscle toning (with weights) and then sometimes 20 minutes of interval training on a stationary bike which amounts to about 600-800 calories burned a day, at least 5-6 times a week.

Im a bit frustrated because at this point i havn't lost a single pound. Not even 0.1 pound. I know its not all about weight so ive been measuring inches too, and not a single inch has been lost either! in FACT, i gained about 0.25-0.5 inch on my thighs and arms (which i guess could be from the muscle) and an inch around my hips (where that little stomach pooch everyone hates is at) but at this point its as if i havnt lose fat at all, and i could just be adding more fat on ?!

i'm 5'7 and im 20 years old, and right now i dont seem to budging from 153.6 pounds, with a body fat % of around 29.1% (according to a scale im using)
Finally, i am also on the last day of my menstrual cycle.

so thats all the info i could think of . any help or advice would be greatly appreciated, as i feel extraordinarily under-motivated at this point since ive been dying at the gym lately.

Replies

  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
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    why are you only eating 12-1400 cals and working out for 2 hours a day? MFP works by you eating exercise cals back.
  • 2013sk
    2013sk Posts: 1,318 Member
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    First things first - Your exercising for 2 hours a day, eat 1200 calories & don't eat any back????

    I THINK THATS IT!!!!

    That is where your going wrong.

    Have you worked out your BMR & TDEE? You need to eat between these numbers.

    Food is fuel for your workouts - Aint you hungry???

    I am starving working out for that amount of time.

    I think you need to eat more!!

    Weigh once a week, same time, same day!!!
  • Liftng4Lis
    Liftng4Lis Posts: 15,150 Member
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    Two weeks is not enough time to see results as in a new program, especially 2 hours a day, you will see water retention. Additionally, for that extent of a workout, you're not eating enough.
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
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    eat back half your exercise calories

    give it a few more weeks and you will probably whoosh when your body lets go of the additional water it is retaining (period or workout or both)

    but seriously, eat back your exercise calories
  • sasasasa1
    sasasasa1 Posts: 29 Member
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    my bmr is 1,435 and my tdee (if i calculate it 5 times a week) is about 2,099.
    because my bmr is so low i thought that if i ate a net 1,200 calories, id only be burning 200 calories a day and so would not get any results!
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
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    my bmr is 1,435 and my tdee (if i calculate it 5 times a week) is about 2,099.
    because my bmr is so low i thought that if i ate a net 1,200 calories, id only be burning 200 calories a day and so would not get any results!

    no... if you eat at TDEE you will maintain your weight... you should take 20% off your TDEE to lose. you shouldnt eat under BMR especially when you're already a healthy weight for your height.
  • SlimMe37
    SlimMe37 Posts: 133 Member
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    my bmr is 1,435 and my tdee (if i calculate it 5 times a week) is about 2,099.
    because my bmr is so low i thought that if i ate a net 1,200 calories, id only be burning 200 calories a day and so would not get any results!

    no... if you eat at TDEE you will maintain your weight... you should take 20% off your TDEE to lose. you shouldnt eat under BMR especially when you're already a healthy weight for your height.

    I second that x
  • GlamourVintage
    GlamourVintage Posts: 60 Member
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    bump...
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
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    my bmr is 1,435 and my tdee (if i calculate it 5 times a week) is about 2,099.
    because my bmr is so low i thought that if i ate a net 1,200 calories, id only be burning 200 calories a day and so would not get any results!

    I'm 5'8

    my BMR is also around 1435 - I don't do 2 hours of exercise a day - I do about 40 mins daily averaged out from 2 x gym sessions of about 70 mins, 1 x pilates and the other days walking 10,000 steps - my TDEE averaged out over the last 3 months at 2350

    I think your TDEE is too low - have you tried a range of calculators

    and you cut on TDEE not on BMR - so you should lose wait, if your 2099 is accurate at around 1500 calories
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,268 Member
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    my bmr is 1,435 and my tdee (if i calculate it 5 times a week) is about 2,099.
    because my bmr is so low i thought that if i ate a net 1,200 calories, id only be burning 200 calories a day and so would not get any results!

    that's not a low BMR...I think mine is about the same...and I lose on 2k a day...you do know what BMR is right???? the calories you burn while just being alive...

    as for your burns probably over esitmated anyway...if you eat 1400 calories a day and some of your exercise calories back you should be fine.

    Exercise isn't for weight loss btw...it's your intake...ie food and there is no need to eliminate anything you love/want/crave...your goal should be to eat as much food as possilbe and still lose a reasonable amount of weight on a weekly basis...for you about 1/2lb a week is good.

    As for weight loss making you happy don't count on it...get happy and you will lose weight...lose weight while unhappy you will still be unhappy.
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
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    my bmr is 1,435 and my tdee (if i calculate it 5 times a week) is about 2,099.
    because my bmr is so low i thought that if i ate a net 1,200 calories, id only be burning 200 calories a day and so would not get any results!

    That BMR is a bit low. How did you calculate it? Your TDEE also looks too low with that amount of exercise and your stats. As others have noted - you take a cut off your TDEE, not your BMR.

    In any event, you have not gained muscle in that time - what you are probably have happening is some water retention from the exercise you are doing as well as experiencing water weight fluctuations from your normal cycle.

    Give it a few more weeks - however, I would suggest cutting back on the exercise a bit - sometimes more is not always more. Keep it consistent and reasonable - something that is sustainable - same with the size of your deficit which seems as though it is too large - but this assumes you are logging accurately.
  • SingRunTing
    SingRunTing Posts: 2,604 Member
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    Patience.

    Listen to the advice above. It's legit.

    Also, if you are at the end of your TOM, I'm assuming the last two weeks have been PMS and TOM. It's a hard time of your cycle to be weighing and measuring. I know that I always bloat during PMS and don't lose it until after TOM, so my measurements go up. Also, I've heard a lot of women (not all) say that they never lose during those weeks. It's during the other times that they see any weight loss.

    So, patience due TOM issues and the whole "just started a new diet" issues.
  • Redheadllena
    Redheadllena Posts: 353 Member
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    Yeeeeep what all the other ladies said.

    Exercising 2 hours a day and not eating back any calories, plus it looks like you're eating below your BMR = definitely the reason you're not seeing any change (not to mention it's been only 2 weeks).

    As another user mentioned, you should be eating 20% under your TDEE, NOT under your BMR. Your BMR is the number you should never go below, even on days you're not working out. That's what your body needs to run regardless.

    I recommend measuring yourself every 3ish weeks and weighing in every 5 weeks. Again, as someone else mentioned, do it at the same time every day you measure/weigh in, preferably first thing in the morning after a good nights sleep.
  • sasasasa1
    sasasasa1 Posts: 29 Member
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    thankyou for all the feedback and information everyone!
    ive kicked up my calories today to 1,550 and i'll be staying between 1550-1680 and see how that goes. i didnt think that undereating could actually make the weight stay on...
  • StaciMarie1974
    StaciMarie1974 Posts: 4,138 Member
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    2 weeks is not enough time. Give it 4-6 more and check back.

    The inches 'gained' could be due to measurement errors.
  • StaciMarie1974
    StaciMarie1974 Posts: 4,138 Member
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    It can't. Mathematically not possible. But eating too low can help you lose a higher % of muscle which is not good in the long run. And eating low/working out extreme is setting you up for failure if its not something sustainable.

    When you give the body enough nutrition, it works better. You have more energy, you feel better, etc. The weight loss 'issue' is likely due to timing (new exercise + TOM) and needing to have patience to see results on the scale.
    thankyou for all the feedback and information everyone!
    ive kicked up my calories today to 1,550 and i'll be staying between 1550-1680 and see how that goes. i didnt think that undereating could actually make the weight stay on...
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
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    thankyou for all the feedback and information everyone!
    ive kicked up my calories today to 1,550 and i'll be staying between 1550-1680 and see how that goes. i didnt think that undereating could actually make the weight stay on...

    It cannot - at least not fat - it can make you retain more water. However, the main issues here are more likely water weight due to your cycle and exercise.
  • sasasasa1
    sasasasa1 Posts: 29 Member
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    thankyou for all the feedback and information everyone!
    ive kicked up my calories today to 1,550 and i'll be staying between 1550-1680 and see how that goes. i didnt think that undereating could actually make the weight stay on...

    It cannot - at least not fat - it can make you retain more water. However, the main issues here are more likely water weight due to your cycle and exercise.
    It can't. Mathematically not possible. But eating too low can help you lose a higher % of muscle which is not good in the long run. And eating low/working out extreme is setting you up for failure if its not something sustainable.

    When you give the body enough nutrition, it works better. You have more energy, you feel better, etc. The weight loss 'issue' is likely due to timing (new exercise + TOM) and needing to have patience to see results on the scale.
    thankyou for all the feedback and information everyone!
    ive kicked up my calories today to 1,550 and i'll be staying between 1550-1680 and see how that goes. i didnt think that undereating could actually make the weight stay on...

    is there any way i can ease the water retention off slowly? or is this something that will just happen with time?
  • Mirabai77
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    1. If you have an iPad, iPhone or iPod, download Happy Scale. You enter your weight every morning and as more data is entered, it smooths out the variations to tell you the trend of your weight loss. It also makes predictions at the rate you will lose. I cannot help but be an obsessive weigher, but this app allows you to do that without going nuts. You're body is totally happy and comfortable fluctuating up to 4 lbs entirely due to water storage, so you could be losing weight and not know for several weeks!

    2. It's also very likely that you are bloated from your period and that the water weight will fall off over the next few days. For me, it's about 1-2 lbs that I lose at the end of my period, and the scale just stays flat for the 5-6 days leading up to it, even though I'm losing.

    3. Sore muscles are inflamed muscles, and they retain water also, so if you're exercising a lot and your muscles are sore, you're likely also holding on to additional water for this reason.

    4. You mention that you are keeping carbs low. How low? If you are a fairly carb sensitive person, weight loss can be hard, if not impossible, and will defy mathematics, unless you drop your carbs low enough. Below 50 net carbs is the general recommendation I've read that seems to work for everyone, although some folks actually need to sty as low as 20 long term. For carb-sensitive people, cutting carbs (but keeping your fat intake up), is often as important, if not more important, to weight loss than cutting calories very low.

    5. If you have found an estimate you trust for your resting metabolic rate and a prediction about how many calories you burn on top of that during the day, and your calorie deficit is set based on those numbers, then you will lose weight. If it's not showing up, it's these confounding factors that are making it so. Trust the fact that it's not mathematically possible for you not to be losing.
  • StaciMarie1974
    StaciMarie1974 Posts: 4,138 Member
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    For sodium related water retention, I understand drinking more water can help. Otherwise, time is your friend.