Why am I not losing any weight or body fat?

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  • msf74
    msf74 Posts: 3,498 Member
    edited July 2015
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    Basically, you suck at dieting. I expect you are inconsistent with your attempts, you are impatient and you allow your emotions to regularly derail your best intentions. You are in good company though. Most people start off that way. Some never get passed it.

    So:

    1) Set a realistic time frame - 3 months of solid effort
    2) Set 3 realistic goals - to be as accurate with your logging as you can without driving yourself nuts, to eat 2 servings of fruit per day but more vegetables (particularly leafy greens), to allow a sensible proportion of your calorie goal towards treats (say 20%)
    3) Your mission for these 3 months is to get confident in the process and become informed, not to lose weight (although I rather suspect you will.)

    Once you know what you are doing and can execute it well you will have skills that last you a lifetime. Invest in yourself, not your weight.

    Edited: in light of the recent post by the OP...
  • _Terrapin_
    _Terrapin_ Posts: 4,302 Member
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    If you really want help start by opening your diary. Nobody here knows you and you have an excellent chance to create the life you want at 26. Well?!?
  • Kalici
    Kalici Posts: 685 Member
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    I may have misread this and if so I'm sorry, but did you say you eat a cup of honey every morning along with your breakfast? I'm fairly sure that would be 1,000 calories right there.
  • Therealobi1
    Therealobi1 Posts: 3,261 Member
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    Kalici wrote: »
    I may have misread this and if so I'm sorry, but did you say you eat a cup of honey every morning along with your breakfast? I'm fairly sure that would be 1,000 calories right there.

    oh wow, your so right, i just re read the OP.
    thats a lot of honey esp if done every day.
    OP get your scales out.
  • WBB55
    WBB55 Posts: 4,131 Member
    edited July 2015
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    Just your fruit and dinner could easily be 1200 if you're not weighing the food. I hope you consider the obvious answer that we all can see.

    Also, were you accurate with your intake calories, it's likely you could eat more than 1200 per day and lose weight.
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
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    I think that's probably honey and water drink ..so possibly a couple of teaspoons? I assume

    That's not such a high calorie hit

    But the breakfast itself is probably around 400 calories (who knows? How much oats, how prepared, how much bread what's on it?) plus lunch, snack and eating out each night

    Hopefully OP will realise we are trying to help her realise the patently clear truth that she is eating far more than she think she is
  • reallyregina
    reallyregina Posts: 62 Member
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    Personally I think I'd speak with a doctor. Have you told them you are losing hair? I haven't had an issue with it but several friends had thyroid problems and lost hair and gained weight. Just a possibility. Also before you get too down maybe focus on the positives. Do you feel stronger? Faster? Then you are doing something right. Good luck.
  • KeairaSedai
    KeairaSedai Posts: 138 Member
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    rabbitjb wrote: »
    I think that's probably honey and water drink ..so possibly a couple of teaspoons? I assume


    But the breakfast itself is probably around 400 calories (who knows? How much oats, how prepared, how much bread what's on it?) plus lunch, snack and eating out each night

    Even if you're not being accurate..
    1 kiwi - 42 calories
    1 banana (Average sized) - 124 calories (and if you ARE watching carbs, 30 grams of those)
    1 boiled egg - 92 calories
    1 teaspoon of honey - 25 calories, so assuming you have a few teaspoons in a drink, 75 calories
    Total: 333 calories, BEFORE the oats or bread.

    Lunch (usually stir fried vegetables and chicken breast or fish, so let's guess, I'm being generous)
    Vegetables stir fried 1 cup - 60 calories
    Small chicken breast of 3.5oz, also fried - 164 calories

    Snack:
    If soup (assuming a vegetable no cream soup, 1 cup) and small bun: 240 calories

    Dinner, let's assume the salad, mashed potatoes and grilled fish:
    Mashed potatoes 0.5 cup: 134 calories
    Grilled fish, let's say a lean white fish, 4oz: 109 calories
    Salad: 200 calories (well, this can vary between 15 calories and 300 calories based on ingredients and dressing)
    Total 443 calories

    Total for day: 1180

    So yes, this keeps you below 1200 (if you have NO oats or bread for breakfast), but please take a look at the portions I've picked.. because chances are you are not eating as little as this. And my dinner is generous, too.. because eating out will be worse.
  • reallyregina
    reallyregina Posts: 62 Member
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    I just re-read about you having low blood pressure. I do too. I find that eating a little something throughout the day helps. If I'm really dizzy then I go for a little orange juice or crackers. Doesn't take much. Just a few sips or one or two crackers.
  • ChrisJHudson
    ChrisJHudson Posts: 2 Member
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    with all due respect you appear to have absolutely no idea what a low carb diet is - also counting calories is great for low fat diets like weight watchers but can be misleading when on a low carb diet. You need to decide what type of diet you are on and stick to it.

    Your narrative contradicts itself constantly e.g. after saying you're on a low carb diet you then describe a breakfast so loaded with carbs that you've over-consumed carbs for the entire day and you haven't even left the breakfast table! How many carbs should you consume? Atkins says 20g per day when you start; Dr Clark's diet is 40g per day; the Drinking Man's Diet allows you 60g per day. Now compare those with the carb grams in the breakfast above. Make sure your myfitnesspal food diary displays carbs for the food you eat - I think you can change it is settings tab.

    I think 6 days in the gym is counterproductive for you. Of course, exercise will make you more hungry and you are satisfying the hunger your exercising creates by consuming a diet loaded with carbs - which is just another name for sugar! BTW Soup and roll is full of flour = loaded with carbs, as is mashed potato, rice, sushi, chinese food (rice, noodles, batter, cornflour thickener, potato starch used as thickener, sugar in sweet n sour sauces). Also apple-beetroot-carrot, your favourite drink - you'd be hard pushed to find a 3 fruit/veggie combo that have more sugar in them, there's no way you can have that on a proper controlled low carb diet, sorry.

    I guess you drink 3 litres of water because of all the gym work - cut down the gym, try drinking less - a proper low carb diet will cure you of water retention, you'll probably lose 7lbs in weight just from that! :-)

    Get the low carb diet right first and then the gym may work for you - but until you do I see the exercise as making your problem worse. You train harder than we did in the Infantry and I never had a weight problem!

    I realise much of what I say may seem contrary to the advice you receive from your trainer and other people - but let's be honest I've never seen anyone work so hard at achieving nothing, zero targets, so what have you got to lose?

    Good luck whatever you decide to do.

    Oh, one last point: "I'm losing hair, i'm breaking out in acne, my body doesn't seem to be cooperating" and "i'm fighting with my partner every single day about this - he wants me to be healthy and not overweight, and i need to try harder but i am trying so hard so hard"
    Stress produces hormones that adversely affect your heart and body - so tell your partner you need encouragement and cuddles not endless criticism, otherwise dump the selfish **** :-)

  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,139 Member
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    OP - if you are not losing weight then you are eating more than you think you are.

    Get a food scale and weight all your solid foods for three to four weeks, the results will be eye opening.

    Do you eat back 100% of exercise calories? If yes, then you should only be eating back half of those, as calorie burned estimates tend to be wildly inaccurate on the high side.

  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
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    christopherjhudson1 wrote: »
    with all due respect you appear to have absolutely no idea what a low carb diet is - also counting calories is great for low fat diets like weight watchers but can be misleading when on a low carb diet. You need to decide what type of diet you are on and stick to it.

    Your narrative contradicts itself constantly e.g. after saying you're on a low carb diet you then describe a breakfast so loaded with carbs that you've over-consumed carbs for the entire day and you haven't even left the breakfast table! How many carbs should you consume? Atkins says 20g per day when you start; Dr Clark's diet is 40g per day; the Drinking Man's Diet allows you 60g per day. Now compare those with the carb grams in the breakfast above. Make sure your myfitnesspal food diary displays carbs for the food you eat - I think you can change it is settings tab.

    I think 6 days in the gym is counterproductive for you. Of course, exercise will make you more hungry and you are satisfying the hunger your exercising creates by consuming a diet loaded with carbs - which is just another name for sugar! BTW Soup and roll is full of flour = loaded with carbs, as is mashed potato, rice, sushi, chinese food (rice, noodles, batter, cornflour thickener, potato starch used as thickener, sugar in sweet n sour sauces). Also apple-beetroot-carrot, your favourite drink - you'd be hard pushed to find a 3 fruit/veggie combo that have more sugar in them, there's no way you can have that on a proper controlled low carb diet, sorry.

    I guess you drink 3 litres of water because of all the gym work - cut down the gym, try drinking less - a proper low carb diet will cure you of water retention, you'll probably lose 7lbs in weight just from that! :-)

    Get the low carb diet right first and then the gym may work for you - but until you do I see the exercise as making your problem worse. You train harder than we did in the Infantry and I never had a weight problem!

    I realise much of what I say may seem contrary to the advice you receive from your trainer and other people - but let's be honest I've never seen anyone work so hard at achieving nothing, zero targets, so what have you got to lose?

    Good luck whatever you decide to do.

    Oh, one last point: "I'm losing hair, i'm breaking out in acne, my body doesn't seem to be cooperating" and "i'm fighting with my partner every single day about this - he wants me to be healthy and not overweight, and i need to try harder but i am trying so hard so hard"
    Stress produces hormones that adversely affect your heart and body - so tell your partner you need encouragement and cuddles not endless criticism, otherwise dump the selfish **** :-)

    You can ignore most of this

    Low-carb is a way of eating that helps you achieve CI<CO..it does not work outside the scientific principle of CICO

    A low carb diet is generally considered less than 100g carbs

    Reducing calories burned (eg exercise) if she's happy with her exercise level just makes the equation harder, not easier...she has a rest day ...it's more than I would do but not of any great issue

    Low carb may work for OP or may not ..she should decide for herself

    Relationship advice, whilst well meant, is not appropriate ..
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
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    KeairaSedai wrote: »
    rabbitjb wrote: »
    I think that's probably honey and water drink ..so possibly a couple of teaspoons? I assume


    But the breakfast itself is probably around 400 calories (who knows? How much oats, how prepared, how much bread what's on it?) plus lunch, snack and eating out each night

    Even if you're not being accurate..
    1 kiwi - 42 calories
    1 banana (Average sized) - 124 calories (and if you ARE watching carbs, 30 grams of those)
    1 boiled egg - 92 calories
    1 teaspoon of honey - 25 calories, so assuming you have a few teaspoons in a drink, 75 calories
    Total: 333 calories, BEFORE the oats or bread.

    Lunch (usually stir fried vegetables and chicken breast or fish, so let's guess, I'm being generous)
    Vegetables stir fried 1 cup - 60 calories
    Small chicken breast of 3.5oz, also fried - 164 calories

    Snack:
    If soup (assuming a vegetable no cream soup, 1 cup) and small bun: 240 calories

    Dinner, let's assume the salad, mashed potatoes and grilled fish:
    Mashed potatoes 0.5 cup: 134 calories
    Grilled fish, let's say a lean white fish, 4oz: 109 calories
    Salad: 200 calories (well, this can vary between 15 calories and 300 calories based on ingredients and dressing)
    Total 443 calories

    Total for day: 1180

    So yes, this keeps you below 1200 (if you have NO oats or bread for breakfast), but please take a look at the portions I've picked.. because chances are you are not eating as little as this. And my dinner is generous, too.. because eating out will be worse.

    Please note these sample portion sizes are tiny

    Much much smaller than a standard piece of chicken or fish and a restaurant serving you 4oz protein would be doubtful ...and nobody but nobody eats half a cup of mash (unless they are really controlling their calories well..and even then it's very disappointing :) )
  • Liftng4Lis
    Liftng4Lis Posts: 15,150 Member
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    You're not in a deficit.
  • Iron_Feline
    Iron_Feline Posts: 10,750 Member
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    Weigh your food - no way are you eating 1200 calories a day.
  • Alatariel75
    Alatariel75 Posts: 17,959 Member
    edited July 2015
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    There is no way you're eating 1200 calories. I hope you read the answers here and take them on board because you're fooling yourself, and you're body is refusing to believe the lie. Oh and multiple pieces of fruit, oats or wholemeal bread at breakfast, a wholemeal roll for a snack, mashed potato at dinner, sushi... that's is nowhere near low carb. Not even close.
  • irejuvenateme
    irejuvenateme Posts: 96 Member
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    This may sound counterintuitive but it seems like you are not taking rest days. It may be the measurements sure, but if you do not let your body rest it cannot benefit from the "good" you are doing it.
    I am not a believer in cutting out carbs - there are good carbs that can provide fuel for the day and for your work outs.

    Are you enjoying any of the types of exercise you are doing? If you really want a lifestyle change it should be sustainable.

    Also I would just bet you are in a heck of a lot better shape than you were before all this activity.
    Perhaps one of these days you could do hatha yoga? It does wonders for inner calm.

    If you dedicating all this time, you may want to see a trainer to get on a strength training regimen, or a nutritionist to help customize your diet.

    I know for myself I had lost 20 pounds with barely a change in body fat percent, doing cycling, tennis and lots of cardio - but until I got on a good strength training routine I didn't see any change in body fat percentage. I am at about 15% from my last caliper test, down from 24% 5 years ago. I had a trainer show me a good workout and it really helped a lot. But I pay for it when I don't do proper rest days.

    Good luck, sounds like you are doing great! Just be patient and agree with others your partner needs to be supportive of your journey.
  • heymayer
    heymayer Posts: 34 Member
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    Your first step should not be worrying about your weight but finding a better and more supportive partner. No one should ever put up with a partner that is embarrassed of being seen with them.
  • Iron_Feline
    Iron_Feline Posts: 10,750 Member
    edited July 2015
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    irejuvenateme wrote: »
    This may sound counterintuitive but it seems like you are not taking rest days. It may be the measurements sure, but if you do not let your body rest it cannot benefit from the "good" you are doing it.
    I am not a believer in cutting out carbs - there are good carbs that can provide fuel for the day and for your work outs.

    Are you enjoying any of the types of exercise you are doing? If you really want a lifestyle change it should be sustainable.

    Also I would just bet you are in a heck of a lot better shape than you were before all this activity.
    Perhaps one of these days you could do hatha yoga? It does wonders for inner calm.

    If you dedicating all this time, you may want to see a trainer to get on a strength training regimen, or a nutritionist to help customize your diet.

    I know for myself I had lost 20 pounds with barely a change in body fat percent, doing cycling, tennis and lots of cardio - but until I got on a good strength training routine I didn't see any change in body fat percentage. I am at about 15% from my last caliper test, down from 24% 5 years ago. I had a trainer show me a good workout and it really helped a lot. But I pay for it when I don't do proper rest days.

    Good luck, sounds like you are doing great! Just be patient and agree with others your partner needs to be supportive of your journey.

    What? How is she doing great - the scale has not moved.

    She's eating more than she thinks - end of. She need to weigh her food.
  • tonysan65
    tonysan65 Posts: 23 Member
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    Looking over your food intake it seems reasonable. The aerobic exercise gives you an addition 200 cal, the resistance will not use up a lot of calories. You need to watch that eating out, that may be your problem. I am counting every calorie that goes into my food trap yet when I go out it is so difficult to do the count. What I have done the last few times I went out to eat was to eat half of the food and take home the other half and weigh the individual parts and look up the calories. I was amazed how many calories I had eaten, yet looking at it in the dish it looked pretty much to be the amount I have been weighing at home. Also, look at your Sodium intake, especially if you eat a lot of Chinese food. You could be retaining water. The bottom line is get a good scale, weight watchers has a very good digital scale. Weigh as much of the food as possible and record everything you eat for awhile. Don't forget to take a day off from exercising, the body needs time to recuperate.

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