Following calories - no weight loss

ST7927
ST7927 Posts: 11 Member
edited November 20 in Food and Nutrition
I am fairly new...I started and initially (about 3 weeks ago) lost 2 lbs. I am continuing to follow the calories allotted and working out...haven't seen any more weight loss. I don't always use up my calories, but some days I go over, but not by much. Also I do strength (failrly intense) training and don't count that as calories burned Bc no real way to do that. Anyway. Any suggestions or thoughts?? I am 5'2-5'3 and about 147-148 lbs and want to go back to about 125-130 lbs.

Replies

  • IsaackGMOON
    IsaackGMOON Posts: 3,358 Member
    Open your diary, we need to look at your entries.
    • Are you weighing your food with an electric scale?
    • Are you weighing foods accurately? i.e. using grams instead of cups
    • How are you obtaining your calorie burns? MFP, HRM or machines?
  • ST7927
    ST7927 Posts: 11 Member
    @IsaackGMOON
    I am not using an electric scale or non electric always. It's hard to do that when you're at a friend's place or family members place and the meal is cooked, etc.
  • IsaackGMOON
    IsaackGMOON Posts: 3,358 Member
    Are you using a mechanical scale? Are you even weighing foods?
  • juggernaut1974
    juggernaut1974 Posts: 6,212 Member
    You've lost 2 lbs over 3 weeks, correct?

    It's not going to be a steady, linear loss every week...ESPECIALLY in the early going.

    Just keep on keeping on. If after a couple months, you're not progressing at the pace you think you should be, then re-evaluate.
  • ST7927
    ST7927 Posts: 11 Member
    @ceoverturf yeah I've lost 2 lbs in about 3-3.5 weeks. I am also working out cardio and strength training....maaaaaybe a little muscle building is happening? Would you suggest cutting things out of my diet...maybe not completely, but a little like carbs (bread rice starches)? I am not big into sweets so that's not a problem. I don't eat a ton of "carbs", but do eat toast and some rice etc. I will do as I am and see after a couple months. Thanks for your advice and help!
  • juggernaut1974
    juggernaut1974 Posts: 6,212 Member
    ST7927 wrote: »
    @ceoverturf yeah I've lost 2 lbs in about 3-3.5 weeks. I am also working out cardio and strength training....maaaaaybe a little muscle building is happening? Would you suggest cutting things out of my diet...maybe not completely, but a little like carbs (bread rice starches)? I am not big into sweets so that's not a problem. I don't eat a ton of "carbs", but do eat toast and some rice etc. I will do as I am and see after a couple months. Thanks for your advice and help!

    No..you're not building muscle eating at a caloric deficit.

    You just need patience. Like I said, stick to your plan for a couple months, and THEN evaluate your progress.
  • IsaackGMOON
    IsaackGMOON Posts: 3,358 Member
    ST7927 wrote: »
    @ceoverturf yeah I've lost 2 lbs in about 3-3.5 weeks. I am also working out cardio and strength training....maaaaaybe a little muscle building is happening? Would you suggest cutting things out of my diet...maybe not completely, but a little like carbs (bread rice starches)? I am not big into sweets so that's not a problem. I don't eat a ton of "carbs", but do eat toast and some rice etc. I will do as I am and see after a couple months. Thanks for your advice and help!

    No. I'm sorry, you're not building muscle in a caloric deficit. Strength, most likely.

    No. No need to cut carbs.
  • ST7927
    ST7927 Posts: 11 Member
    Thanks!!
  • Kalikel
    Kalikel Posts: 9,603 Member
    2 pounds in 3 weeks is not bad! That's not really slow. Give it another week or two.
  • ST7927
    ST7927 Posts: 11 Member
    @Kalikel
    Well now it's been 4 and it hasn't changed...if anything I have put on 1lb. I eat healthy I am working out. Maybe my portions/calculations are off when I'm adding them to MFP. Just feeling defeated. I know Rome wasn't built in a day, but I am feeling horrible about myself. I have gained sooo much weight in the last 4 years and I'm not feeling myself.
  • ST7927
    ST7927 Posts: 11 Member
    @Kalikel 4 as in it will be 4 weeks on Monday since I've been working on this...
  • ncfitbit
    ncfitbit Posts: 1,058 Member
    Although you are probably not building muscle in a deficit, if you are new to lifting or to the level of the exercise you're doing your muscles could be holding onto some water. It's great that you've added strength training at this point though. You're going to look much better in the end and will be able to eat more at your goal weight maintenance amount than you would if you lost quickly, but lost some of your precious muscle mass along with any fat.

    If you open your diary, people can be more helpful here. :)
  • Cahgetsfit
    Cahgetsfit Posts: 1,912 Member
    what has been said before.

    And opening diary does help too.

    But - stick with it! I have only lost 3 kilos in the last 5-6 months I've been on my journey HOWEVER - my body has changed heaps and soooo many NSVs happening all the time! So even though it seems really piddly that in 5 months I only lost 3 kg (6lbs -ish) and it's disheartening and frustrating etc etc and weight fluctuates up and down, I know that in the long run things are improving and most importantly I will be able to maintain the loss because of all the muscle gain and the re-education regarding portion control.

    Stick to it! Slow and steady wins the race :)
  • Kalikel
    Kalikel Posts: 9,603 Member
    edited July 2015
    ST7927 wrote: »
    @Kalikel
    Well now it's been 4 and it hasn't changed...if anything I have put on 1lb. I eat healthy I am working out. Maybe my portions/calculations are off when I'm adding them to MFP. Just feeling defeated. I know Rome wasn't built in a day, but I am feeling horrible about myself. I have gained sooo much weight in the last 4 years and I'm not feeling myself.
    Are your portions off? You could be taking in more calories than the log shows. If you have a food (or postage) scale, use it to weigh your portions. It will get you the most accurate estimate possible, so there is little room for confusion. If weighing the food is too much, drop your calories by 100 and see how that goes for a week or two.

    Rome wasn't built in a day, but we don't really care how long it took to build Rome, do we? I don't know about you, but I want the fat off and I want it off NOW! Being patient is hard. I wouldn't even be patient if I had another choice. But I don't. You don't. Nobody does. We HAVE to wait.

    Hang in there. Lots of adjustments are required as you go along. You may change your diet, exercise, goals, etc. but whatever you do, you gotta wait.

    Good luck. :)


  • ST7927
    ST7927 Posts: 11 Member
    Thanks everyone for the encouragement. After a few days I lost that pound that I had gained and hopefully it will get better from here!
  • liddy0218
    liddy0218 Posts: 1 Member
    Omg I totally understand you. I'm the same way. I started working out 4Xweek (zumba) about 5 weeks ago eating clean for about 2 weeks now and so far only 1lb lost I feel like giving up but I need to learn to have faith and be patient. It's a lifestyle change I want not just a temporary fix. Hopefully I can see results soon. Btw I'm 5'2 cw 151lbs and gw 130lb. I'm aware it's gonna take time as long as we keep ourselves motivated. Keep it up and good luck!
  • Laurenjenai
    Laurenjenai Posts: 197 Member
    3 weeks isn't that long yet, give yourself time but if you log accurately and truthfully you can't go wrong.
  • ST7927
    ST7927 Posts: 11 Member
    @liddy0218 you and I are almost the same height and weight. I am 5'3" and 147. You're right it takes time. I didn't gain this weight in a day so can't expect to lose it in a day! My goal weight is 125. We can do it!!!

    @Laurenjenai I am tracking truthfully and accurately to beat of my knowledge and ability.
  • BWBTrish
    BWBTrish Posts: 2,817 Member
    Start weighing ALL your food in grams. Don't use cups or spoons.
    The most common error is people thinking that they know how much they eat, while they dont weigh all their food.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JVjWPclrWVY
  • apmat
    apmat Posts: 12 Member
    I have been losing 1/2 lb per week for 18 months. My weekly weight fluctuates up and down 5 lbs so it sometimes seems I am gaining weight for weeks before the scale shows results. Calories are more accurate for me than the scale in the short run.
  • ST7927
    ST7927 Posts: 11 Member
    edited July 2015
    I have been weighing my food with my food scale so hopefully that will work things out.

    What do you mean you've been losing 1/2lb for 18 months but your scale sometimes shows weight gain?
  • nordlead2005
    nordlead2005 Posts: 1,303 Member
    ST7927 wrote: »
    I have been weighing my food with my food scale so hopefully that will work things out.

    What do you mean you've been losing 1/2lb for 18 months but your scale sometimes shows weight gain?

    Let's say his water weight is low on week 1, and goes up by 1lb every week for 5 weeks and then drops 5lb on week 6, and at the same time his actual body mass drops by 0.5lb/week.

    End week 1: scale shows up 0.5lb from start weight
    End week 2: scale shows up 1lb ...
    End week 3: scale shows up 1.5lb ...
    End week 4: scale shows up 2lb ...
    End week 5: scale shows up 2.5lb ...
    End week 6: scale shows down 3lb from start weight

    The entire time he was loosing fat (and possibly other body mass). He didn't lose 5.5lb of fat in 1 week. It was 0.5lb/week for 6 weeks, and a large change in water weight.

  • akwest21
    akwest21 Posts: 15 Member
    If you're new to lifting weights you will get stronger and possibly build muscle, in exercise physiology we call this the novice effect. You're giving your muscles a stimulus and they have to adapt to it whether you're in a deficit or not. If you are eating adequate protein your body will use it to repair muscle tissue and by repairing it, which it has to do, you will build muscle. If you're not interested in cutting carbs completely you could try only eating them after workouts to restore muscle glycogen. This will keep you using stored fat for energy throughout the day but allow you some leeway with macros and keep you fueled for your next workout.
  • VanillaGorillaUK
    VanillaGorillaUK Posts: 342 Member
    First step would be get confident in the calories your eating. You need to be sure the numbers are 90%+ accurate.
  • November_Fire
    November_Fire Posts: 165 Member
    Your numbers won't be remotely accurate if you're eating at friends' houses or eating meals you didn't cook yourself. Counting calories means you count all the calories you eat. A small bowl of a random cooked meal could be 200 cals or 700 cals. It's not something you can really guess.
  • StatJC84
    StatJC84 Posts: 1 Member
    With no profile pic, I'm going to assume you're a woman... If so, your weight may vary a lot over a month due to periods. A lot of women will retain water at some point in their cycle, and its really not worth counting a weight gain as a failure until you see the pattern over a few months.
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