Not losing weight

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elesley
elesley Posts: 5
in Motivation and Support
I have been watching my calories for 4 weeks now on this site and have lost only one pound. I keep my calories around 1300-1400, and exercise with a trainer 2x/week, ride my bike 15 miles 2x/week and swim for an hour 1-2 times a week. Just starting to run again after knee surgery. I think I should have lost some weight. Any suggestions?
Thanks.

Replies

  • End6ame
    End6ame Posts: 903
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    I have been watching my calories for 4 weeks now on this site and have lost only one pound. I keep my calories around 1300-1400, and exercise with a trainer 2x/week, ride my bike 15 miles 2x/week and swim for an hour 1-2 times a week. Just starting to run again after knee surgery. I think I should have lost some weight. Any suggestions?
    Thanks.

    An increase in exercise volume can increase water retention. Also food high in sodium and simple carbohydrates can increase this as well. Your best gauge of progress is a measuring tape not the scale.
  • cupfanncbms
    cupfanncbms Posts: 101
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    I lost very little weight my first three to four weeks, but I was down 16 inches and then the weight started to come off too. :)

    Good luck!
  • jmatsko19
    jmatsko19 Posts: 10
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    your tracking must be off, if you were meeting your calorie goals you would be losing regularly, remember track anything with a calorie value
  • LuRox
    LuRox Posts: 520 Member
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    Make sure that the nutritional values of the food/calories you are eating are good too. I was eating the right amount of calories but wasn't really paying attention to the nutritional values of the food. When I started eating whole foods and clean foods, the weight started dropping. Also, I agree about the sodium content. Don't eat processed foods unless you don't have another choice. They will make you retain fluids!

    Good luck!
  • keepsiejess
    keepsiejess Posts: 51 Member
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    That seems like a lot of working out for the amount of cals you re taking in. You might want to up them for a week and see what happens.
  • tinkerbell1964
    tinkerbell1964 Posts: 152
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    I lost very little weight my first three to four weeks, but I was down 16 inches and then the weight started to come off too. :)

    Good luck!




    I can only echo this post , have weeks where by the weight doesn't move and plateaus , this is normal too , small changes like more water somtimes cutting out certain foods , or more exercise kicks starts my body into losing again
  • Louiselesley
    Louiselesley Posts: 166 Member
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    I have the exact same problem but i found that the measuring tape was showing the difference even if the scale wasn't - all my clothes got looser and more comfortable and i definitely saw a change in my body
  • copperdave
    copperdave Posts: 146
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    Are you eating your exercise calories back??? You should be!
  • End6ame
    End6ame Posts: 903
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    I have the exact same problem but i found that the measuring tape was showing the difference even if the scale wasn't - all my clothes got looser and more comfortable and i definitely saw a change in my body

    Losing inches/fat while not losing weight is not a problem. In fact, this is the best possible result because it means you are losing fat while maintaining muscle mass.
  • Suzannejl
    Suzannejl Posts: 212
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    I've been in the same boat. Howevver I started reducing my calories by around 300 a day lower than what MFP says and I started losing weight. Can't do it very well on days I don't exercise, stay around 1200, or at least full! Good luck. My hypothesis is that MFP gives me too much calorie credit for exercises and thus I eat back more than I should.

    p.s. there are a couple of good articles/posts on here about "skinny fat" and people with thin builds losing weight. I will see if I can find them for you, but basically it states that we can't lose weight like other people, we lose a little at a time, so it takes a LONG time. Just be patient.
  • kel7298
    kel7298 Posts: 1,542 Member
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    I've been in the same boat. Howevver I started reducing my calories by around 300 a day lower than what MFP says and I started losing weight. Can't do it very well on days I don't exercise, stay around 1200, or at least full! Good luck. My hypothesis is that MFP gives me too much calorie credit for exercises and thus I eat back more than I should.

    Thank you for that. Perhaps that is my problem. I have done the whole net 1200 for the past month. All I do is lose and gain the same 2lbs. Here is my diary if anyone has any suggestions

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/food/diary/kel7298
  • Lyndzo
    Lyndzo Posts: 142
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    People's bodies are different. Some lose pounds first, some lose inches. I've been doing this for 5.5 weeks and I'm only down ten pounds, but the inches are coming off much faster. I'm frustrated too but trying to be patient.
  • elesley
    elesley Posts: 5
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    Thanks for all the quick responses. No..I am not eating my exercise calories back, and no... I have not been watching they types of food that I am eating, only the calories. I am starting to train for a triathlon in August, and I think I should be eating more calories, but the right kind of calories. Thanks for all the encouragement. Lesley.
  • kel7298
    kel7298 Posts: 1,542 Member
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    Lesley, I would say with all the exercise you do, you need to eat back some of them. Try increasing your caloric intake some. Good Luck!
  • keepsiejess
    keepsiejess Posts: 51 Member
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    I've been in the same boat. Howevver I started reducing my calories by around 300 a day lower than what MFP says and I started losing weight. Can't do it very well on days I don't exercise, stay around 1200, or at least full! Good luck. My hypothesis is that MFP gives me too much calorie credit for exercises and thus I eat back more than I should.

    Thank you for that. Perhaps that is my problem. I have done the whole net 1200 for the past month. All I do is lose and gain the same 2lbs. Here is my diary if anyone has any suggestions

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/food/diary/kel7298

    I think that is pretty likely. If you are using a HRM to estimate cals, you should read some blogs and threads about how unreliable it is to get a good number if you dont know your VO2 max. Also, i never count cleaning, unless im doing something really above and beyond and very vigorous. I have never felt as physically challenged cleaning as I do running or yoga or elliptical, so i just use cleaning and gardening as my little calorie buffer.
  • keepsiejess
    keepsiejess Posts: 51 Member
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    and then there is always this:

    http://shouldieatmyexercisecalories.com/


    such wisdom is rarely found.
  • Louiselesley
    Louiselesley Posts: 166 Member
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    I have the exact same problem but i found that the measuring tape was showing the difference even if the scale wasn't - all my clothes got looser and more comfortable and i definitely saw a change in my body

    Losing inches/fat while not losing weight is not a problem. In fact, this is the best possible result because it means you are losing fat while maintaining muscle mass.

    oh i know - i'm not worrying about the numbers! although that scale on my profile annoys me lol

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