2 months and a half and almost no results?

imdoune · May 2011

Hello folks..

I am a bit discouraged

I eat well and work out consistently since 2 months and a half and I can barely see results.
In the past, at this point, I could see results, thats why I'm asking myself: what am I doing wrong?

I eat very well, diversified and enough. Lot of fruits and vegetables (its normal to me, even before MFP)
I train 5-6 times a week, always 1 or 2 days off. I calculate my exercise calories with my heart rate monitor..
I stopped filling in my diary since I know my eating is OK and It takes a lot of time.. though im still entering calories lost during my workout
I'm drinking maybe 5-6 glass of water per days..
I'M 5'2 and 148 pounds.

I took some before / after pictures and there is almost no difference. I was loosing "weight" during the first month but now im hitting a plato. Seing no result, I have the impression the first 7 pounds that I lost were no real pounds but something like water.. not fat..

Now I don't loose anymore, but still work out and eat very well. I really don't understand what's going on... I will never be able to attain my goal

The only improvment I saw (and still a very good one despite of not loosing) is the fact that my cardio is real better than before and that I can run / work out much longer than before without being exhausted...

I tried to convince myself I was doing it for my health (what is in fact true), but not seeing result on my body really discourage me

bethvandenberg · May 2011

eat more calories.

Try uping it to 1500 for a while

foxxybrown · May 2011

Have your body fat measured to track your progress. If you are only doing cardio, you are most likely just losing water and muscle during your sessions. Make sure you are eating plenty of protein to replenish your muscles and add in some strength training.

mamadragon · May 2011

I did read that you need to change how you do things, from eating to workouts when you hit that point. I forgot the website but search the web and see what you can find. I'm sure there are others here that can really help you.

You should be very proud of how much you have lost and keep up the great work! Don't give up!!!

ebgbjo · May 2011

I also suggest taking measurements and not just relying on the scale.

Wish you the best of luck

SMorris317 · May 2011

You prob need to change up your routine, body is used to your workout.

imdoune · May 2011

In fact I didnt mention it, but im doing strenght training, the only change I see in my body is that I have way more muscle (mayble a little bit too much according to me LOL) and yes, I upped my calories but not to 1500, I'll try..

healthyJenn0915 · May 2011

You sound a lot like myself. I have been watching what I eat and exercising regularly for nearly 3 years now. I hit a plateau after 4 months, and not until recently have I been able to get passed it. It actually wasn't until I started logging my calories on here that I started seeing the number drop again. And, it is dropping at a very slow pace! However, I have noticed that my clothes are fitting differently. I put on a pair of jeans yesterday that I hadn't worn in about 3 weeks, and they fit way looser than they did last time! So, my only advice is, keep logging the calories. You may think you are doing ok with it, but in all actuality you don't really know until you log it! Also, don't worry so much about the actual number on the scale! That is what I keep telling myself! Good luck, I hope you can get past your plateau!

carlye14 · May 2011

Try switching up your workouts. I try to switch mine up weekly just to do some "muscle confusion" so that I don't hit a plateau. Maybe try a new class, such as spin, or yoga or something you haven't done before. Good luck!

maysflower · May 2011

I know it is time consuming, but start logging all of your calories consumed. You might be surprised that maybe your sodium is to high, or your lacking some nutrients. When you hit a plateau, which is very normal, you need to change things up. Change your exercise routine, eat all of your exercise calories, get some more sleep. Little changes to what you are currently doing will probably help you break through your plateau. Good luck, and don't give up. Be proud of what you have accomplished. :happy:

koch34 · May 2011

Make sure your not doing the same exercises every week. Change the sets and reps each workout. Say you bench 80 pounds 3 sets of 8, change it to 70 pound 4 sets of 12, or 90 pounds 3 sets of 6. Change it up. and believe it or not, strength training is better for weight loss than cardio. working out your chest area on monday will boost the metab in that area to 180% for the next 48 hours

lucisept61 · May 2011

How many fruit servings are you eating? You may want to cut back to no more than 2 servings per day and cutting out refined grains, potatoes, corn, and other things that send your blood sugar into a spike. If you haven't looked at the Glycemic Index for which foods shoot sugar right to your blood stream do a search for the Glycemic Index (there will be a lot of sites) and see if anything catches your attention.

To boost your metabolism it is best to eat several small meals/snacks per day rather than just 2 or 3 meals a day. It also helps to exercise within an hour of eating - but do give your stomach a little time to realize it's been fed! Then, as the other person posted, it helps keep your metabolism alert if you switch up your calorie intake every couple of weeks so your body doesn't settle on a lower number as "normal" for you.

Congratulations on being so motivated and dedicated. I'm sure it will eventually pay off.

Meg2012 · May 2011

Hey there,

I'm also 5'2", and we short ladies know that a few extra pounds looks EXTRA EXTRA on us.

How much protein are you eating per day?

If you're doing all of that and seeing no change, I'd check to see if maybe you're not eating enough. If your body's in starvation mode, it won't let go of anything. Try eating more protein and cutting back on fruit. (With fruit's ready sugar, your body has no incentive to turn the fat stored in your cells into burnable energy.)

Also... how do your clothes feel? How do your muscles look? What is your overall body fat percentage? You may be at what your body thinks is ideal.

Good luck!

Meg

imdoune · May 2011

Maybe I'm eating too much fruits... for breakfast, 2 times as snack during the day and one time for dessert at dinner.. is it too much?? I eat this because I don't like things like nuts. I sometimes eat potatoes, but not that much, my motto is moderation :P

For my workout, i have 4 different workout + running so its pretty rare im doing the same training 2 times in a week, can my body still get used to it if I do that???

+ I'm always drinking chocolate milk after my workout...

I think my clothes fit better but sometimes I think its more psychological than true because I dont see the difference on picture / scale...

I dont know my fat body percentage and dont have means to calculate it, unfortunatly

And yes, ill change my calories intake.. currently im trying to zigzag to see if it will do something!

imdoune · May 2011

and thanks a lot for all the answers

I really appreciate

foxxybrown · May 2011

It is possible to eat too much fruit. I love grapes but the recommended amount is only 15 a day, not the pound I would eat. It's suggested that you should have no more than 1 banana a week. Some will debate that's it's natural sugar but once your body gets used to something, it stops using it as efficiently. I'd say trying cutting back on the fruit. I stopped eating grapes and apples and switched to strawberries only and saw a 5 lb lost in a matter of days.

NowGoWorkout · May 2011

Remember a pound of fat does not equal a pound of muscle...at least in terms of mass. With that mass you're putting on - the sexy lean muscle - you're proportionately gaining weight...and that's good. Muscle is dense...so that sculpted (enter your favorite body part here) is sexier, and it weighs more now than if it was just flabby goo.

Scales suck, and are unreliable measurements of health. If you want success, you need to change your view of what you're looking to accomplish. You may be at an ideal weight for someone with excellent muscle mass. I, for example, tip the 'scales' of the BMI at close to obese, yet currently am at about 14.8% body fat.

Keep doing what you're doing, but change how you measure success. If you want me to help, PM me.

In fact I didnt mention it, but im doing strenght training, the only change I see in my body is that I have way more muscle (mayble a little bit too much according to me LOL) and yes, I upped my calories but not to 1500, I'll try..

Twinsytoo · May 2011

Remember a pound of fat does not equal a pound of muscle...at least in terms of mass. With that mass you're putting on - the sexy lean muscle - you're proportionately gaining weight...and that's good. Muscle is dense...so that sculpted (enter your favorite body part here) is sexier, and it weighs more now than if it was just flabby goo.

Scales suck, and are unreliable measurements of health. If you want success, you need to change your view of what you're looking to accomplish. You may be at an ideal weight for someone with excellent muscle mass. I, for example, tip the 'scales' of the BMI at close to obese, yet currently am at about 14.8% body fat.

Keep doing what you're doing, but change how you measure success. If you want me to help, PM me.

In fact I didnt mention it, but im doing strenght training, the only change I see in my body is that I have way more muscle (mayble a little bit too much according to me LOL) and yes, I upped my calories but not to 1500, I'll try..

Good advice!

imdoune · May 2011

Thanks a lot, your absolutely right! It is frustrating because at beginning at was loosing weight + gaining muscles. Now i'm doing more strenght training, which can explain the difference.

imdoune · May 2011

It is possible to eat too much fruit. I love grapes but the recommended amount is only 15 a day, not the pound I would eat. It's suggested that you should have no more than 1 banana a week. Some will debate that's it's natural sugar but once your body gets used to something, it stops using it as efficiently. I'd say trying cutting back on the fruit. I stopped eating grapes and apples and switched to strawberries only and saw a 5 lb lost in a matter of days.

And what do you eat instead? I'm craving b/w my meals (and I really dont like nuts) so I dont know what can "sustain" me (except yogurt)

MistyMtnMan · May 2011

It is possible to eat too much fruit. I love grapes but the recommended amount is only 15 a day, not the pound I would eat. It's suggested that you should have no more than 1 banana a week. Some will debate that's it's natural sugar but once your body gets used to something, it stops using it as efficiently. I'd say trying cutting back on the fruit. I stopped eating grapes and apples and switched to strawberries only and saw a 5 lb lost in a matter of days.

And what do you eat instead? I'm craving b/w my meals (and I really dont like nuts) so I dont know what can "sustain" me (except yogurt)

Hey I thought I would offer some advice too. I was eating too much fruit there for a while and although it's not bad sugar and carbs like candy or a pastry would be, it's still a lot of sugar and carbs if you aren't burning it off. It will still turn to fat. For alternatives why not try a complex filling carb like steel cut oats or a low cal protein powder.

I use one called ISO-Sensation 93. They make it in cookies n cream, chocolate, vanilla, coffee, banana ice cream, strawberry and natural. The natural is great cause it has no flavor and you can add it to anything. I am currently using the cookies n cream and its great. The nutrition is the best that I have found so far, 130 cals, 0 fat, 2mg cholesterol, 50mg sodium, 1 carb, 1g sugar and 30g of protein. I haven't found one better and it's a great filling snack with loads of good protein.

foxxybrown · May 2011

I now drink protein shakes (GNC Ampliefied Wheybolic in Chocolate) instead of eating all that fruit. I try to only eat strawberries as fruit now. If I have grapes, I'll actually only have a handful and not a whole bag full.

2 months and a half and almost no results?

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