In need of advice! Workout 5-6 times per week and no weight loss! :(
jsteinke
Posts: 8 Member
Have been working out now for over two months about 5-6 times per week, as well as keeping calorie intake right around 1300-1500 per day. My workouts consist of 30-35 mins of cardio and about 45 minutes of resistance training followed by stretching. I'm getting frustrated with the fact that I have not been able to lose any weight. Not sure what else I should be doing? I can feel myself getting stronger and my muscles getting toned but I would think with a starting weight of 205 (currently fluctuate between that and 200lbs), as a 28 year old female, I would have lost something by now! Any suggestions?? I was an athlete in high school, but I am in no means well versed about fitness and I would love any advice. My goal is to get to a fit 160 or 165.
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Replies
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There's something wrong with your logging
You're either eating more than you think, or burning less than you imagine .. or a little of both
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Set your diary to public for specific advice0
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There's something wrong with your logging
You're either eating more than you think, or burning less than you imagine .. or a little of both
Yup.
We need more info. How are you tracking your portions? (i.e. are you weighing and measuring?) Do you eat back exercise calories? If so, how do you calculate them?
What is your height and weight? I was also working out a lot and eating about 1500 calories a day, not eating back exercise calories, and the weight loss was excruciatingly slow. I finally had to give in and admit that I just can't lose weight on 1500 calories. I dropped down to 1300 (which I was hitting a few days a week before) EVERY day and the scale finally started moving.0 -
Just changed it to public... I've only been logging about the last month and I try not to eat back exercise calories, but I do slip on occasion. I have a Garmin Vivofit that I have been using the last two weeks, not sure how accurate it is with my calories burned. I use it more as a guideline.0
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Height - 5'7", weight 200-205 depending on the day...0
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It still shows as private. I use a Garmin Vivofit (I love it!).0
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Ok, should be updated now.0
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Three things:
Weight is the worst measure of health. What you want is fat loss, which is a subset of weight loss. Instead of using the scale, have your body fat measured, or measure your body (neck, chest, stomach, waist, hips, upper arms, upper legs). If these measurements aren’t changing over time, then change something.
Fat loss comes from what and how much you eat. Exercise should be focused on other health and fitness things (strength, muscle mass gain/retention, cardiovascular, endurance, mobility, speed, balance, etc.). Realize that lifting weights might cause you to gain weight (which as noted above isn’t a valid measure). Also, you may be retaining more water now.
Calories in/calories out is all based on estimates. So, if what you’re doing isn’t working, you should tweak your estimates.0 -
Looking back, it looks like your carbs and fat are a little high. (I love my pizza too.) Try eating something higher in protein for an early lunch (besides a salad) so you aren't so ravenous later in the day and prone to heavy snacking. Pizza is great but I find personally that it doesn't really fill me up. I can eat 2/3 slices and be hungry an hour later.
I eat 3 meals a day with an apple/orange/string cheese in between to tide me over. Lots of water to feel full. I'm shorter than you but about the same (5'-0" but started at 203 and ramped up to 5-6 workouts a week).0 -
It doesn't look like you're weighing with grams. It looks like you're using cups, tablespoons, slices and one whole potato etc. This is not going to be very accurate for the most part. Whether you under or over estimate. Unfortunately, where you're not losing weight I suspect you're underestimating your food intake. I suggest getting a new scale and using that instead for at least a month and seeing where you sit.0
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It doesn't look like you're weighing with grams. It looks like you're using cups, tablespoons, slices and one whole potato etc. This is not going to be very accurate for the most part. Whether you under or over estimate. Unfortunately, where you're not losing weight I suspect you're underestimating your food intake. I suggest getting a new scale and using that instead for at least a month and seeing where you sit.
Yeah I was just going to say that the problem could be in the meals. Like for instance you have "Meatloaf - 1 slice" and "Veggie Fajitas". There are a zillion ways you can make these two meals and who knows how big "1 slice" really is? I know it sounds nit-picky but honestly getting a food scale and weighing out everything, and creating my recipes on MFP made all the difference. I had the most success when I set my calories at 1450, logged religiously, and ate back half of my exercise calories.0 -
Looking at your diary, my guess would be that accurate logging is your downfall. I've noticed that you log stuff like "homemade fajitas" or "meatloaf". Are you creating and entering these recipes yourself or just finding the closest thing to what you ate in the database? Personally I enter all my own recipes so I know I'm getting the most accurate measurement.
Also, are you using a food scale to measure portions?0 -
Not currently using a scale. Sounds like I might need to make an investment
Thanks for all of the feedback! 0 -
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Hi! It's great you are feeling stronger and more toned, that usually is a precursor to movement on the scale. I am close to where you are weight and height wise, and with all the working out, maybe you are not eating enough. Through a test at my gym, i found out that my basal metabolic rate is higher than most calculators, and to lose about a pound a week, with my current workout schedule, I am eating 1800-1900 calories per day and consistently losing.
I know I am by no means perfect, but by looking at your diary, i have noticed a lot of eating out. One thing with eating out, is that the calories for foods can be way off from what they post. For instance, 1 piece of pizza could have more meaty toppings on part of the pizza, giving more calories that what the restaurant posts. As well as the slices are not always uniform, some bigger than others, so there is a lot of room for error. Also, there is a lot of sodium in those types of foods, which could make you retain water.
I understand how frustrating it can be with the scale not movine (february didn't really move for me), just keep at it and make little tweaks and you should see something soon.
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If you aren't weighing your food, you are eating more than you think you are. Buy a food scale!0
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Use a food scale. It can make an enormous difference.
You have some items in your diary that look like they were created by other people. Did you create the entry "Butter - 12 Grain Toast W/ Butter, 1 slice toasted," because 12 grain of different brands/sizes could make a huge difference in calories. That entry doesn't even say how much butter.
Homemade - Veggie Fajitas , 1.5 tortilla: Did you weigh the ingredients individually, or did you use someone else's entry?
Meatloaf - Meatloaf, 1 slice: Uhh.. depending on how big this is, how much is ground beef, how much is tomato (or whatever else you put in meatloaf), this entry is pretty much useless. Was the pan greased?
Sunday, March 22nd you had bacon but no oil. It's possible you microwaved it, but people often forget to log cooking oils.
Subway - Six Inch Subway Melt, 1 sandwich Did you create this entry? Because I believe that includes no toppings, just the meat and bread.
Fried - 2 Egg Whites, 1 cup This is useless. Is it 2 egg whites, or is it 1 cup of egg whites? It says fried, is oil included? How much? Olive or canola?
Fish - Deep Fried, 6.25 oz Again, is this your entry? What brand of fish? is that the pre-frying weight? Are there breadcrumbs? How much oil? Which oil?0 -
I have the same dam problem. Im working out at least 4-5 times a week , pretty much coming under my calories every day. But the weight loss is so slow. It seems like I was losing so well , then I get on the scale 2 days later expecting it to be even lower , but to my surprise I gain 2. Dont know whats going on .Im doing yo yo right now trying to get to 200 in the next 2 weeks by my 47th birthday. Im eating kashi with 2% milk for breakfast. A weight watchers meal for lunch and dinner sometimes and having my 3 -4 snacks for and still coming under my suggested calories and working out every other day for 30- 65 minutes. What am I doing wrong?0
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Also, with your workouts, especially at the beginning, when intensity isnt as hard, you could be overestimating your workout calories. I tend to shave off a lot from what myfitnesspal says I burned. And if you are using a fitbit or similar, those are way off for calories burned.0
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Hi, I've struggled with the same kind of trouble most of my life. In my case I suspect that I really messed my metabolism up as a ballet dancer from age 3-20. My body learned to expect a couple hours of strenuous exercise every day and hardly any food and when I started eating and exercising in a healthier way, my weight went out of control, leveled out, then seemed to adjust to hold that weight gain no matter what I tried.
I've struggled up and down for many years now and feel like I'm just coming to a healthy place with my eating habits, workouts, and healing. And Fitnesspal has really helped me in this process!
I'm no expert but for me one of the most helpful things has been to focus somewhere other than the weight loss. The couple times in my life where my weight has dropped with a feeling of effortlessness was in situations where I felt empowered or inspired such as when I was traveling and actively engaged all day, every day in exploring new and beautiful surroundings, or when my creativity has found a really good focus.
Also focusing on physically healing my body's confusion about how to process food has been really important. There are so many complicated aspects to the way our bodies work and what they need to function properly. Being tired or stressed can alter your brain's chemistry enough for your body to feel like it's in danger and needs to hoard it's calories. There are also certain kinds of food and spices that encourage digestion, integration, and healing for our system. Again, I'm no expert but I've found that it really helps, when you know you're eating well and exercising plenty, to look outside the box for a solution. I also think, in your case, that the effects will be cumulative. The muscle you're gaining will burn those calories faster as will the energy you're receiving from feeling stronger. I know it can be really disheartening to be working so hard and diligently and not seeing the reward of those numbers dropping, or those clothes finally fitting again, but don't give up! You and your body can figure this thing out!
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Yes, I think I need to be a little more accountable. Its easy to feel justified when you feel like you are working out so much! blush:0
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Went back 2 days in the diary, all kinds of entries that appear unmeasured.
"1 slice of homemade meatloaf" is not a meaningful entry, unless you created the recipe yourself and weighted every ingredient that went into it.
Similarly "toast with butter" is not a meaningful entry. What kind of bread? How much butter?
Almost certainly you are eating more than you think you are.
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Thank you everyone for your comments! I have never used this portion of MFP and had no idea how helpful it could be! I think I definitely need to make some tweaks to my diet. I'm going to keep doing what I am doing at the gym because it does make me feel great! Hopefully I start seeing some lbs drop soon!0
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I looked at your diary, it appears you are having to much carb and not enough protein.0
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I don't really eat meat...and yes, I think I do eat too many carbs
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I would say dont worry about your macros so much right now, get your cals/weighing/logging sorted, and watch out for salt in meals you havent cooked from scratch yourself. I gained 9lbs in a weekend and learned my lesson on the old sodium front, drink lots of water on the days you are eating out etc, be kind to yourself, and take measurements of your body, the scales are born liars lol!
Good luckx0 -
I don't really eat meat...and yes, I think I do eat too many carbs
For weight loss it does not matter how many carbs you eat, so long as you stay within your calories for the day. Protein can be more filling, but I've had high-cardio days when I do something sick like 80% Carb, 10% Fat, 10% Protein. It's fine.0 -
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Work out for health and fitness. Control your diet for weight loss. Forget everything you ever learned about weight loss. It is ALL about Calories in, Calories out. You can worry about the other stuff when you get used to eating within a certain calorie window.
Log accurately, which means avoiding vague entries to save time. If you eat toast with butter, log the actual bread and weight you ate, and the weight of the butter you ate.
Weigh as much solid food as you can. I have a scale at home and own my desk at work. I'm considering putting one in my purse too. You almost get addicting to weighing things. Knowing exactly what you are eating.
Start slow, set your goals for 1lb/week, which will give you a more manageable deficient.0 -
notnikkisixx wrote: »
Truth. I thought I had a good 'eyeball' way of logging and I was surprised once I actually started weighing out my food. I was consuming much more that I thought.0
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