Please read - 4 week no progress

fattymcfatterson2121 · January 2015

According to my weekly weigh in (and one day early weigh in) I have put the measly 2lbs I lost in the last 3 weeks back on. Totally don't get it! I track everything I eat and lift heavy min 4 x per week (don't log exercise calories but go over 100-200 a day when working out). I get that muscle weighs more than fat and certain areas are looking/feeling more toned but surely the numbers on the scale have to drop eventually?? I have 14lbs to lose before "healthy" weight so it's not like I only have a little to lose. Min 35lbs to goal. Help! (5ft8 178lbs uk size 12/14)

TavistockToad · January 2015

do you weigh everything you eat with scales?

fattymcfatterson2121 · January 2015

Yes

TavistockToad · January 2015

whats your calorie goal? opening your diary might help.

Sued0nim · January 2015

sodium, TOM, ovulation, change-up in exercise, dehydration

- add to the weighing - are you careful with the entries you choose, double checking them, never using other people's 'homemade' versions etc

jbwillcock · January 2015

I have found that I was fooling myself about my portion sizes. Maybe have a rethink about those and also try a variety of exercise options, go for a walk etc, I keep reminding myself to keep moving and my fitness will build up. Go swimming, anything, but don't set unrealistic exercise expectations for yourself otherwise you won't be able to maintain this. Hope this helps. Best of luck.

Ooci · January 2015

Disappointing for you, though great that you're noticing muscular progress. I was the same when I took up tennis - a lot of weeks of the scales not shifting.

I have to be honest with myself though and say that all of my plateaus have been due to not logging properly and actually telling myself I was eating less than I really was. 100 cals per day not logged correctly could make the difference ( especially in the short term) Every drop of milk, every gram of spread, every bit of fruit and meat, every portion of rice, potatoes and pasta - weighed and measured - not guessed at, not estimated in cups. It's a big ask but it does work if you are completely rigid with this, and give it time.

jimbmc · January 2015

Why are you lifting?...Do you weigh/log everything? Are you sticking to a 500Cal minimum daily deficit?

Best advice: Stop lifting. Do 30 days of cardio (30 Day Shred is a good place to start), Stick to a Calorie deficit Diet. Eat balanced. Eat every 2-3 hours. (Bfast>Fruit snack>Lunch>Fruitsnack>Dinner>Protein Shake>Snack). Train for 4 days, take one day off. Rinse and repeat.

If you are trying to get a toned athletic look, then you need to reduce your body fat percentage before you start trying to build/improve muscle definition, otherwise your never going to see any real difference. And as for Calorie Burn, 60 mins of Cardio will burn about 1000 calories, whereas 60 mins of intermittent Lifting will burn about 400 Calories. High Intensity Cardio Interval Training is the best way to Burn calories/fat/energy and improve heart/lung function as well as toning muscle.

Sued0nim · January 2015

Oh I completely disagree with this advice .. quite strongly actually

Lifting is great when at a calorie defecit, helping to preserve LBM .. save as much as possible as you lose body fat - cardio is for fitness and the burn depends on the stats of the person and the intensity of the exercise it's not a given

Liftng4Lis · January 2015

WHU????
OP ignore above, continue to lift (retains muscle). I don't know what planet one would burn 1000 calories during cardio, but we're on Earth here.
Remember, it's normal to retain water during a new exercise program. Also, with the exception of the newbie gains you'll get, one doesn't build muscle in a deficit.

acmanna · January 2015

This.
Keep going and don't get too down. Are you weighing yourself at the same time, ie, in the morning after you use the bathroom?
Personal experiences
TOM can add 5 pounds! (for me at least..)
If I do some heavy strength training routine, the next day I almost always gain weight..it comes off plus some a day or two later
Same with being dehydrated...your body will hold onto water if you aren't drinking enough
and always...your food intake, make sure you are being 100% honest with yourself. Did you weigh everything, did you forget to log something, was there a night out with friends where you guesstimated your food/drink intake?

Keep up the good work, see if there are some small changes you need to make and then see what progress you made at the next weigh in.
Also take measurements of your body, that will help too for the days that the scale doesn't move!

GiveMeCoffee · January 2015

TavistockToad · January 2015

i wish that was true, but no!

sijomial · January 2015

Absolutely awful advice!

flabassmcgee · January 2015

Do not feed the troll, kids.

benghozi · January 2015

Not seeing progress leads to loss of motivation.Since you workout a lot I recommend buying a scale with body fat percentage info. If you are losing fat and building muscle That's GREAT. Good Luck and don't give up

Laurend224 · January 2015

Body fat scales aren't accurate. At all.

Spocky · January 2015

I think maybe you should check if you are overtrained. +1 vote for lifting here. Btw I weigh myself daily maybe you should try that.

benghozi · January 2015

It's more about seeing progress then the actual value displayed

Kieta64 · January 2015

I found I was not showing any difference on the scales after 3 months. TOM does make a difference. I use a combination of straight cardio (walking, treadmill etc) and a combination of lifting with cardio. Try some squat presses with hand dumbbells, not super heavy and quite a few repetitions and a rower if you have one at the gym . I also had to adjust my kj/calorie intake in my settings and now I am losing a few hundred grams per week. Enough to see progress and I am getting fitter and stronger.

Accurate recording and plenty of water (and in need a multivitamin if you are not eating balanced diet) is a must.

Perservere, you will get results.

Therealobi1 · January 2015

Hiyah 5 ft 8 here too. and i remember when i was getting closer to the healthy weight, movement got alot slower and it got frustrating but you can see changes in your body so you are making progress. You really need to get tighter with your logging as you get closer there is little room for errors. DOnt give up.

Therealobi1 · January 2015

WIth this type of advice, youthen you get the posts that say i wished i had done some lifting from day one. I have lost the weight and I dont like the way i look.

Also not everyone sticks to those type of meal timings and still lose the weight. I am a breakfast eater, but loads do not have breakfast at all. Its more about sticking to your target and accurate logging.

cdiponio87 · January 2015

Running/Jogging (4 times a week) in conjunction with 1500 cals daily = weight loss.

prattiger65 · January 2015

I am sure you mean well, but almost all of this is wrong. OP, a calorie deficit is required to lose weight. Adequate protein and resistance training is required to retain the lean muscle you have while cutting fat. Meal timing doesn't matter at all for what you are doing. The one thing is this post that is semi correct is that high intensity cardio will burn more calories in a given time than lifting, however, as long as you keep a deficit you will be successful and in my opinion, you will like the results of lifting far more than those of cardio. I do both.

malibu927 · January 2015

Because without lifting, one runs the risk of losing more muscle and reaching their goal with a "skinny fat" look.

emdeesea · January 2015

I have lost my weight with a calorie deficit and lifting. Very mild cardio on my off days. There's no reason at all why anyone should not lift while they are losing weight.

zoecmc · January 2015

zoecmc · January 2015

Hi have you been checking your measurements? As your shape may have changed x

Therealobi1 · January 2015

if you are useless at measuring like me you can use what i called test shorts. i put on these shorts that were too tight on me every two weeks, until one day they just fell off. this really helped me when i start getting frustrated with my scales.

MrCoolGrim · January 2015

I did not start seeing any weight loss till my 4th week. It took me that long to get my macros in check and for my body to adjust to water retention, muscle gain etc. Remember this is not a race, patience and perserverance are your biggest allies. The changes will come just keep working hard.

TimothyFish · January 2015

Not that there's anything wrong with lifting weights, but jimbmc is correct that cardio tends to burn calories at a faster rate. Whether or not you're going to get 1000 calories per hour is dependent on your size and the intensity of the workout, but some people achieve those numbers. A runner burns 0.63 x (their weight in lbs) for every mile. A walker burns 0.30 x (their weight) for every mile.

Please read - 4 week no progress

Replies

Categories