When will I start to see my shape change?

JAT74
JAT74 Posts: 1,081 Member
edited November 18 in Fitness and Exercise
I started using MFP on 5th January and have logged in every day since then. I've been doing some form of exercise 6-7 days a week, have got myself a Fitbit and try to get at least 10,000 steps in every day.

I end up going for walks of 30-90 minutes around 4 times a week and on top of that I'm doing beachbody programs (P90X3 & T25) so it's a good mix of cardio and strenth training.

So far I've lost 14lbs in weight (aiming to lose another 18lbs) but I don't feel like I look any different than before, except for being able to wear smaller clothes. I've lost 3.5% body fat but I still want to lose a lot more and I can't see any definition in my body which is upsetting considering how hard I've been working. I am still at least 30% body fat so I suppose that's part of the problem. I've lost some inches too, but not that much and haven't seen inch loss for a few weeks.

My other half even commented about it the other day and asked why my arms aren't looking more defined and I know he's right. It's frustrating because I have always felt that I exercise a lot but no matter what I do I still look the same. I currently feel like I'm looking more of a 'normal' size but just like someone who doesn't work out yet I want to look fit and have people comment on the fact I've got definition in my arms, legs and stomach etc.

Will this come as I lose more weight (ie. is it just that there's a think layer of fat covering my muscle) and how can I get there quicker? Should I increase my cardio to lose more weight or should I continue with what I'm currently doing and just be more patient?

I am following the 5:2 diet at the moment where I fast 2 days a week (eating 500 calories) and on the other days I try and stick to no more than 1400 calories. I eat fairly low carb (no more than 100g per day) and I also fast overnight for 16-18 hours every day and eat within a 6-8 hour window. All this is supposed to promote fat loss but I just feel like it's happening at a snail's pace and the exercise I'm doing is all for nothing.

Replies

  • RoxieDawn
    RoxieDawn Posts: 15,488 Member
    edited May 2015
    The intermittent fasting protocols 5:2 and 16/8 etc.. are not diet plans.. they are feeding (eating) schedules only.. And nothing promotes weight loss or faster weight loss other than eating less than you burn on a daily basis.

    I can attest to this.. because I have been doing the 16/8 thing for years. And unless I was truly eating at a deficit (meaning I am burning more calories in the day than I consume) I would not and did not loose weight..

    If you are truly in a deficit, meaning there is no way possible that you can be over eating by either logging inaccuracies (such as not weighing all of your food intake daily or if you are eating back exercise calories that may be over estimated i.e. P9 and T25, walking from fitbit) then you can loose weight in any of these "feeding" schedules..

    Therefore I would re check my calories and/or invest in a food scale and recheck any over eating back of the exercise calories..

  • Ribbot1
    Ribbot1 Posts: 3 Member
    edited May 2015
    Body Fat Index chart ive used. You know, BFI is a good rule of thumb but the results vary between who is using the calipers. I had one trainer telling me I was 25% and another 29%.

    pl9uatp08svn.png
  • JAT74
    JAT74 Posts: 1,081 Member
    gia07 I am definitely eatingat a deficit as I count calories meticulously. I average 1150 calories per day (1400 on my non-fast days and 550 on fast days) and I rarely go over those numbers. I don't eat back exercise calories, I just log calorie burns from workouts so I stay motivated and work harder etc. I am losing weight, I didn't say I wasn't, I just said that it seems to be taking a long time to come off and for me to see definition in my body.

    I love fasting because it removes my cravings and also because I can eat 2 larger meals rather than tiny meals as I'm eating at a deficit. I enjoy my 550 calorie days because I feel that I'm giving my body a break and I feel lighter on those days).

    Ribbot1, I've seen that chart before and from the pictures I'd say I'm probably between 25 & 30% but I'm an hourglass shape so my thighs and bum plus my arms still look big while my waist is really snall. My home scales say I'm 30% (Tanity body composition scales) and I am usually carrying around 48% water weight so don't know if this makes a difference to how 'bloated' I look.

    The good thing is that when I started and got my scales my biological age was 40 which is my real age, but now the scales tell me that biologically I'm 35!

    I just want to get to a point where I look more like the 20-22% picture, though at the moment this seems like an impossibility. At the moment I'm still not confident about showing off my body in shorts or a short skirt let alone a bikini. I like in Spain and it's already around 28 degrees most days but in a month it will be 5 degrees hotter and I don't want to have to cover up. I know I don't look as bad as some, but there is visible fat and wobble all over my body, I have bingo wings and my thighs look huge compared to my calves and ankles. I'd like to lose another 2-3 inches off my thighs and weight off my tummy and upper arms, I just wish it would happen a bit quicker.
  • doktorglass
    doktorglass Posts: 91 Member
    edited May 2015
    [Patience]
  • JAT74
    JAT74 Posts: 1,081 Member
    Doktorglass I already do those things, which is why I am frustrated. I do strength train using both body weight exercises and dumbbells and always try and push myself, but at the moment I have a slight shoulder injury and problems with my tendons in one arm so I can't go too heavy otherwise I make it worse. I also watch my protein intake and have been since being on MFP aiming for 100g per day, although since starting intermittent fasting I've done a lot of reading which suggests that you can still get 'ripped' while eating slightly lower amounts of protein so I'm now aiming for 80g per day.

    My point is that all these things seem to be working but very very slowly. When I get to my goal weight which will hopefully be in a couple of months then I will be eating at maintenance and when I am doing that maybe I'll be able to try and gain a little muscle depending on my fat loss results but is just seems so impossible to get the 10% body fat off that I want to.

    I am thinking about drastically changing my diet ie. cutting carbs further though I would be really unhappy doing that, but I just don't see what else I could do.
  • doktorglass
    doktorglass Posts: 91 Member
    @JAT74 Sorry. I looked through your food diary, and it looked inconsistent and erratic in terms of protein. So I thought you didn't track.
  • JAT74
    JAT74 Posts: 1,081 Member
    Doktorglass I do the 5:2 diet and due to this I eat 550 calories 2 days a week. On my fasting days I don't track macros because it's impossible as I'm eating so few calories. On the other days I try and reach my protein goals and stick to around 100g carbs. Last week my mum was here for 5 days so I had a few days where I didn't log as I wasn't able to do so. That was the first time I hadn't tracked or logged in around 4.5 months!
  • slaite1
    slaite1 Posts: 1,307 Member
    You just have to be patient. Cutting carbs will knock off some weight initially, but that's just water. Stick with what you're doing!! It is working, and all the working out will pay off as you continue losing weight. You're losing about 2 pounds a month, which is fantastic.

    You're not seeing definition yet bc you haven't lost enough weight. Don't give up or drastically change anything-that's just you being silly and impatient.
  • AllanMisner
    AllanMisner Posts: 4,140 Member
    edited May 2015
    First off, you’re female and 30% isn’t really all that bad. If you’re able to wear smaller clothes, but yet you can’t see a difference, it probably has more to do with your body image and not your actual change. If you’re still shedding fat, keep doing what you’re doing. At some point, you may be able to gradually increase the intensity of your workouts, but for now, under a strict calorie restriction, just keep keeping on (patience, persistence and progression).

    ETA - I’d also recommend getting measurements (neck, chest, stomach, waist, hips, upper legs and upper arms). As those measurements go down, you know what you’re doing is working. Looking in a mirror doesn’t work for some people as they don’t see change, only that they don’t look like they eventually want to look (I’ll likely never look like Duane Johnson or Vin Diesel, but I keep lifting and cutting fat).
  • hmontigney
    hmontigney Posts: 56 Member
    Be patient is probably the best advice you can be given. It takes time for your body to change but just know that it will. If you're progressing, keep doing what you're doing. Come back to this post in another 5 months and see how much your body has changed since then. I guarantee it will if you continue to stay on track. Good luck!
  • WhoppaChoppa
    WhoppaChoppa Posts: 3 Member
    ^^^this^^^
  • shinisize
    shinisize Posts: 105 Member
    Take pictures. Seriously. Like every week or two, in several different poses, preferably in your underwear (so you can see your shape without clothes squishing anything around), full body shots, and using the same mirror in the same room. When you see yourself every day you just don't see how much you are changing over time, but when you compare photos from over a month you start to see that there actually has been visible improvement.

  • mirrim52
    mirrim52 Posts: 763 Member
    You sound very similar to me.
    I am 5'0" and started at 140 lbs with a goal of 105-110 (ish). About 10 days ago, after I lost my first 15 lbs, I was a little discouraged because I felt like I didn't look much different. Sure, I was a little narrower, but I still have a lot of belly fat. I felt like I would never lose it, and while I was happy the scale has been moving consistently, I was expecting more dramatic results. Well, twice in the last week now an acquaintance has mentioned my weight loss. And then, a couple days ago, I grabbed an older pair of jeans from the dryer, threw them on, went to do them up, and Ooops! They were already done up! I couldn't believe I put on fresh out of the dryer jeans that were still buttoned.

    We tend to focus on what still needs to be done instead of what has already been accomplished. I've gone from approx. 36% BF to 30%, but instead of thinking about the 6% I have lost, all I think about is the 7% still to go. Trust your clothes and your measuring tape. Our brains can lie :p
  • CarlydogsMom
    CarlydogsMom Posts: 645 Member
    Do you feel like you're lifting as heavy as you can with the programs you're on? Don't forget, strength and muscle mass are two different things. You can feel yourself getting stronger, especially newbies at resistance training, but gains in muscle usually take A LOT of time, patience, and progressively heavier loads--taken to muscle fatigue in a range between 5-12 reps (fewer reps at heavier loads to build strength; more reps, i.e. 8-12, to enhance muscle growth). Massive amounts of reps, at a lower weight, is mostly a cardio exercise, even if you go to "failure."

    As others suggested, a muscle re-comp might work for you, but you really have to focus on lifting heavy weights. Or using body and lighter weights in the beginning, realizing that that will only get you so far unless you REALLY get into some pretty incredible bodyweight exercises.

    I don't know anything about those programs you mentioned, so I don't know if they're more cardio-based than lifting based.

    Regardless, muscle growth takes a long time, especially while re-comping, but even while heavy lifting. I've lifted all winter, using barbells and progressive loads (and have seen some pretty good progress), but even my muscle mass hasn't changed all that much. Now, that being said, I'm 52-53, and am not going crazy on any no-holds-barred lifting. I'm taking my time and caring for a couple old injuries. You can certainly find better examples of the results from strength training in these discussion boards than me. But it takes awhile. Especially if you're eating at maintenance.

    Been said before: Diet is your main driver to lose weight. Cardio helps with fat loss; weights help with muscle retention. It's very hard to build muscle while in a calorie deficit; it's a little easier to build muscle eating at calorie maintenance but still tricky, time-consuming, and patience-trying. Eating above maintenance to build muscles (a slight "bulk") for a few months, then do your "cutting" of calories while still lifting, may give you the results you're seeking as well.
  • trusty48
    trusty48 Posts: 75 Member
    The only advice is to be patient. Healthy eating and exercise are lifestyle choices that you will continue for the rest of your life. Imagine yourself 20 years from now and how grateful you will be that you made the choice to improve your fitness when you did.

    That said, you won't start to see any muscle definition till you lose those last few pounds. In my own experience, dieting didn't seem to be changing my shape much till I started losing the last 5 pounds. With those last few pounds though I saw huge difference seemingly overnight. I looked in the mirror one day and realized "I have abs?!?"
  • rileyes
    rileyes Posts: 1,406 Member
    I would change my diet to something more realistic for the longterm. The interval training and walking seem to be enough to put you in the caloric deficit if you eat 1400 a day. Lifting heavier and pushing harder makes a big visual difference and, if you don't see it, you should be able to feel it.
  • JAT74
    JAT74 Posts: 1,081 Member
    Thanks everyone. I'm very happy with my diet and can definitely see myself eating this way forever as my blood pressure has come down, I've got my appetite under control and I enjoy fast days as they allow me to eat more on the other days. I might switch to lifting heavier weights when I'm over my injuries but I am doing more strength now than cardio so hopefully the results still come in a few more weeks.
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