Scale won't move :(

iheartveggies
iheartveggies Posts: 3
edited September 26 in Health and Weight Loss
Hi all,
I am 5'3" and weigh 138 lbs. I am trying to reach my goal/ideal weight of between 115 and 120. I gained the weight just over the past two years. For the past month I have been SOOOO GOOD. I work out every single day, I always stay under my calorie goal and even stay under the sugar and carb goals. I used to drink 1 alcoholic beverage a day (if not more) and for the past month have not had a single drink!

The first week I lost 5 pounds (I started at 143). Since then, I haven't lost any. I am eating back my workout calories, I am never more than 100 cals. under the calorie intake goal for the day. I just can't understand why I am not losing anything?!?!

Kinda discouraged and sad. Any tips or ideas as to what's going on?

Thanks a bunch,
=o)

Replies

  • FairyMiss
    FairyMiss Posts: 1,812 Member
    b***hslap it
  • Ash10Dent
    Ash10Dent Posts: 75
    The same thing is happening to me. I lost 10 lbs but the scale won't move. The only thing I can think is that we're gaining muscle which weighs more than fat.I don't really mind if I lose anymore or not though as long as I'm toned, which is slowly happening. Don't give up!
  • luv2ash
    luv2ash Posts: 1,903 Member
    maybe try cutting back more on the sugar/carbs than what MFP suggests? You can't go wrong by cutting back sugar.
  • NoAdditives
    NoAdditives Posts: 4,251 Member
    The same thing is happening to me. I lost 10 lbs but the scale won't move. The only thing I can think is that we're gaining muscle which weighs more than fat.I don't really mind if I lose anymore or not though as long as I'm toned, which is slowly happening. Don't give up!

    You're not gaining muscle if you're eating at a caloric deficit. Also, muscle does not weight more than fat. A pound of muscle weighs exactly the same as a pound of fat. Muscle is denser than fat so it has less volume.
  • ruchilady
    ruchilady Posts: 8
    Hello! My recommendation is look at what you are eating - i.e. the composition of carbs to fats to proteins. Over the last month I limited carbs to no more than 100 a day and lost 15 pounds just by doing that!!!! I'm slowly going up to about 120g carbs a day because I'm exercising more. I eat about 1200 calories a day (sometimes 900-100) but try to eat 1200.

    I have now hit a slight plateau but I know that my body is just re-adjusting....change a little something and see what works...

    good luck!!

    -r :)
  • RMinVA
    RMinVA Posts: 1,085 Member
    I agree that building muscle is probably not an issue. It just doesn't happen at a caloric deficit...or @ least not enough to make a significant difference.

    Assuming you are eating a healthy balanced diet, try cutting back on your calories a bit - just 100 or so a day. Even if you are tracking everything, for reasons too complicated to go into, you still may be underestimating what you are eating. AND unless you have an HRM, it's hard to get an accurate read on your burn, and you may be overestimating that. So you could actually be eating maintenance cals.

    The alternative is to look @ WHAT you are eating: that is the real key to weight loss - about 80% of it. So if there are still a lot of processed/fast food/refined carbs and sugar in your diet, may be time to clean it up a bit more.
  • NoAdditives
    NoAdditives Posts: 4,251 Member
    Hi all,
    I am 5'3" and weigh 138 lbs. I am trying to reach my goal/ideal weight of between 115 and 120. I gained the weight just over the past two years. For the past month I have been SOOOO GOOD. I work out every single day, I always stay under my calorie goal and even stay under the sugar and carb goals. I used to drink 1 alcoholic beverage a day (if not more) and for the past month have not had a single drink!

    The first week I lost 5 pounds (I started at 143). Since then, I haven't lost any. I am eating back my workout calories, I am never more than 100 cals. under the calorie intake goal for the day. I just can't understand why I am not losing anything?!?!

    Kinda discouraged and sad. Any tips or ideas as to what's going on?

    Thanks a bunch,
    =o)

    If you open up your food diary we can take a look at your eating and exercise habits and can make some suggestions based off those habits.
  • Deacjr
    Deacjr Posts: 8
    Increase your water intake, which I am sure you've already heard. Yet if you don't maintain the water consumption you will quickly gain the water back. Also the alcohol is absorbing your nutrients whether before or after you eat. I know you said you hadn't a drink in a while yet your body is readjusting itself. Stay the course and keep us up to date w/your progress.

    Blessings!
  • iheartveggies
    iheartveggies Posts: 3
    Thanks everyone for your input! I eat lots of veggies and whole grains. I rarely eat processed foods and only rely on some frozen all natural food items, sometimes, when time is an issue.

    I just made my diary public, so if you have time and would like to take a look, please do. I love constructive criticism.

    I think I will try doing under 100 carbs a day and definitely increase my water intake (although, all I drink is water!). I do have a HRM, so my burn is accurate. Also, it might be helpful to know that I am a waitress and work on my feet for 6-8 hours a day.

    Thanks again!
  • NoAdditives
    NoAdditives Posts: 4,251 Member
    You need to be eating more fresh fruits and vegetables, less processed foods, you should be tracking your water and should be drinking at least 8 glasses a day, if not more, and you should be tracking your sodium and sugar. You might also want to experiment with your calorie intake. Try increasing it by 100-200 calories a day for a week or two to see if that gets things moving. You may actually need more than MFP suggests.
  • kcphilly
    kcphilly Posts: 71
    I would say too to try to get the carbs under 100 for a week or two and see what happens. You can change up your protein/carbs/fat ratio. I put mine on 40-30-30...I never reach the protein goal, but for me that's not really the point. Seeing that lower carb goal has been helping to keep me in check.

    Another thought is maybe upping your fat intake, good fat of course. But I've read some things that if you don't give your body enough fat it'll hold onto what it currently has.
  • RMinVA
    RMinVA Posts: 1,085 Member
    Agree about more fruits/veggies.

    Cereal, sushi, crackers, pretzels, frozen entrees = refined carbs/processed foods. Look for healthier options. Rolled oats instead of cereal, carrots and hummus (for crunch) instead of crackers/pretzels, hit Wegmans salad bar instead of their sushi bar (I love it too!), homemade soup instead of a frozen entree (just as convenient).
  • EricInArlington
    EricInArlington Posts: 531 Member
    I would drink more water and eat 1200 for starts, try that for a week and then if thats not it try eating different type of foods, more fruit, nuts and fish
  • RMinVA
    RMinVA Posts: 1,085 Member
    Agree about more fruits/veggies.

    Cereal, sushi, crackers, pretzels, frozen entrees = refined carbs/processed foods. Look for healthier options. Rolled oats instead of cereal, carrots and hummus (for crunch) instead of crackers/pretzels, hit Wegmans salad bar instead of their sushi bar (I love it too!), homemade soup instead of a frozen entree (just as convenient).

    And I should have added that while some of those your choices aren't necessarily horrible, if you aren't getting the results that you want, it might be time to change something. Consider those items an occasional treat instead. I love Wegmans, and their sushi: while it is low-cal, it is white rice and depending on the type of roll you get, it may have a lot of sodium. It's a once a month or so treat for us, but not a weekly thing.
  • ruchilady
    ruchilady Posts: 8
    Good luck!! I did not change my diet to lose weight - but that is a side effect (and benefit) :) watching what I eat and focusing on carb reduction is helpful! I have PCOS and have been following:

    15g carbs for breakfast (a piece of earthgrains 35 wheat toast + peanut butter - and a bit of almond milk to wash it down)
    15g carbs for morning snack
    30g carbs for lunch
    15-30g carbs for pm snack
    30g carbs for dinner
    15-30g carbs for snack (1/2 cup cinnamon life cereal and 1/2 cup of regular 2% milk)

    no fruit, yogurt or milk in the AM (that was hard for me because I LOVE fruit!) - I can get away with the bit of almond milk because it's just a little bit - oh and have some protein at every meal - that's hard for me because I'm not a huge fan of meat...but I love cheese...so those babybel cheeses are AWESOME!! I try to stay away from starchy foods and always try to look for low glycemic index items.

    You can do it!
  • robertf57
    robertf57 Posts: 560 Member
    I suspect you exercise calorie burns are not accurate. I have found that the estimates here are WAY higher than I get from my HRM.

    Also my pat answer to this question is : "Are MEASURING EVERYTHING that passes your lips?" We tend to over estimate our calorie burns and underestimate our intake.

    Good luck!
  • iheartveggies
    iheartveggies Posts: 3
    I actually do measure everything, religously. I use scales, measuring cups etc. I also always wear my HRM, and I record the calories burned based on that, not based on MFP. MFP is way off, always!

    Here I go, fresh start today. I am lowering my carb intake and uping my protien :) Will let you all know how it goes. Thanks for the input and encouragement!!
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