Working hard with no results

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  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,874 Member
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    Carlos_421 wrote: »
    Anyone? Gears turning? Trying to hold yourselves back from shouting out "Six weeks. Hit it hard. Get beach ready. Abs abs abs!" I know that contradicts the regular human advice of "well you really should take 19 months to slowly lose the weight."

    What is advertised on magazine covers and what actually happens in real life are two totally different things.
    I've talked to guys who are already shredded working on getting even more shredded as much as 2-3 months out before a show.

    2-3 months sounds good to me. And if a person is already heavier it should be even easier. I think this is my big issue with the "why don't you give it six weeks" advice. Six weeks for it to START working? Huh? When you have people losing 10-15lbs in 2-3 months who barely have any fat to begin with? I just like consistent logical advice.

    I think it can take some time to figure out what is really going on...but usually what is going on is people are eating more than they think they are. There are numerous ways this can happen...eyeballing servings, eating out a lot, using generic database entries, using inflated calorie burns from exercise, etc.

    I think people say to be patient and give it time because sometimes time is what is necessary to figure out what's going on and get into the actual process. I had a *kitten* of a time losing early on because I basically didn't know what I was doing...now I can drop weight without much problem.
  • CalorieCountChocula
    CalorieCountChocula Posts: 239 Member
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    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    Carlos_421 wrote: »
    Anyone? Gears turning? Trying to hold yourselves back from shouting out "Six weeks. Hit it hard. Get beach ready. Abs abs abs!" I know that contradicts the regular human advice of "well you really should take 19 months to slowly lose the weight."

    What is advertised on magazine covers and what actually happens in real life are two totally different things.
    I've talked to guys who are already shredded working on getting even more shredded as much as 2-3 months out before a show.

    2-3 months sounds good to me. And if a person is already heavier it should be even easier. I think this is my big issue with the "why don't you give it six weeks" advice. Six weeks for it to START working? Huh? When you have people losing 10-15lbs in 2-3 months who barely have any fat to begin with? I just like consistent logical advice.

    I think it can take some time to figure out what is really going on...but usually what is going on is people are eating more than they think they are. There are numerous ways this can happen...eyeballing servings, eating out a lot, using generic database entries, using inflated calorie burns from exercise, etc.

    I think people say to be patient and give it time because sometimes time is what is necessary to figure out what's going on and get into the actual process. I had a *kitten* of a time losing early on because I basically didn't know what I was doing...now I can drop weight without much problem.

    I know what I'm doing and my results are still slow and crappy. And forget fun. I had a couple beers this weekend. Boom. Literally 10lbs heavier in two days. Yeah yeah. Water. But still. Now it will take that 2 weeks to come off. Just to be 227 again. Then the slow crawl to 226 begins. One day it will be 226.2. Then maybe 227.8. Then up again randomly for no reason. Then back down. Randomly.
  • CalorieCountChocula
    CalorieCountChocula Posts: 239 Member
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    And yes, people make the beach body look easy. "Lift weights and eat at a slight deficit." This is literally the advice people give for getting a nice stomach. There's a thread on it. Hasn't worked for me yet.
  • betuel75
    betuel75 Posts: 776 Member
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    being anal is required to drop body fat at 12% or at 27%. Regardless of percentages if you are not in a calorie deficit you will not lose. Having fun usually means eating without knowing or caring the amount(calories) which then can put you over calories and not allow you to lose.
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
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    And yes, people make the beach body look easy. "Lift weights and eat at a slight deficit." This is literally the advice people give for getting a nice stomach. There's a thread on it. Hasn't worked for me yet.

    So what do you do achieve your goals

    Walk us through it..what's your day intake like, how are you measuring it, how active are you
  • CalorieCountChocula
    CalorieCountChocula Posts: 239 Member
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    So you're telling me someone can't lose weight having a few beers every 6-7 weeks? LOL I call BS.
  • betuel75
    betuel75 Posts: 776 Member
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    So you're telling me someone can't lose weight having a few beers every 6-7 weeks? LOL I call BS.

    of course they can but if your saying your not losing its because your not being accurate or honest with your calorie counting.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,874 Member
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    And yes, people make the beach body look easy. "Lift weights and eat at a slight deficit." This is literally the advice people give for getting a nice stomach. There's a thread on it. Hasn't worked for me yet.

    and time....like i said before, a fitness body is derived from living that lifestyle...for years.

    this all seems vaguely familiar to me...did you have an account before? have you been to the doctor to see if you have any vitamin deficiencies or other medical issues which could be making it more difficult to lose weight?

    beyond that, have you considered that possibly your calorie targets are incorrect? these calculators make for good starting points...but personally, i'd adjust per my real world results.
  • CalorieCountChocula
    CalorieCountChocula Posts: 239 Member
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    rabbitjb wrote: »
    And yes, people make the beach body look easy. "Lift weights and eat at a slight deficit." This is literally the advice people give for getting a nice stomach. There's a thread on it. Hasn't worked for me yet.

    So what do you do achieve your goals

    Walk us through it..what's your day intake like, how are you measuring it, how active are you

    Food scale. Diary's open. I don't eat many package things but I don't weigh packaged thing. I'm not dumping my yogurt into a separate cup to see if it's 3gs too heavy. If that's torpedoing my progress then so friggin be it. This last weekend was the first time since Christmas I've eaten/drank without attempting to log as close to 100% as possible. I had 3 slices of pizza, a couple beers, and ate at a German restaurant a couple times. Not exactly eating gallons of ice cream.
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
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    So when did you stop posting as BFDeal and why?

  • CalorieCountChocula
    CalorieCountChocula Posts: 239 Member
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    rabbitjb wrote: »
    So when did you stop posting as BFDeal and why?

    Because my weight will stall out. I'll get annoyed and I'll take a break and try it again. Basically. I consistently have trouble getting below 225-230. I give that as a range because I can literally be 225 one day and randomly 230 the next.
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
    edited January 2016
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    Everybody's weight fluctuates

    Because you don't commit and you spend your time thinking it's not fair and you're doing everything right rather than fixing what's going wrong.

    If you're not losing eating what you're eating, eat less

    If you're not honestly weighing and logging every single thing you imbibe and consume start doing that

    TBH I rarely interacted with your old persona

    I think it's a shame you haven't found your solution yet

    I'll tell you where it isn't though, it isn't in acting like everybody who has succeeded through CICO has done it to spite you and we've all got some secret we aren't sharing
  • CalorieCountChocula
    CalorieCountChocula Posts: 239 Member
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    rabbitjb wrote: »
    If you're not honestly weighing and logging every single thing you imbibe and consume start doing that

    I find it reallllllllllly hard to believe everyone having success never goes to a restaurant where they're unable to weigh and measure the items they're eating and that they never take one single day off. Some of the blogs I read even recommending taking a week off from logging every so many weeks.
  • Serah87
    Serah87 Posts: 5,481 Member
    edited January 2016
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    rabbitjb wrote: »
    If you're not honestly weighing and logging every single thing you imbibe and consume start doing that

    I find it reallllllllllly hard to believe everyone having success never goes to a restaurant where they're unable to weigh and measure the items they're eating and that they never take one single day off. Some of the blogs I read even recommending taking a week off from logging every so many weeks.

    I've gone on cruises where I don't log or weigh my food, come back gained some weight. Start back to what i was doing before I left, weighing and counting calories, boom, few days later weight is off and sometimes more.

    If you are not losing you are not in a deficit, as everyone pointed out, be more accurate with your diary.
  • CalorieCountChocula
    CalorieCountChocula Posts: 239 Member
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    And there has to be a secret. Wolfman doesn't even count calories apparently. What's the secret there? I can't ask for a secret without getting flack for not weighing my package yogurt but he doesn't even count. What's the difference maker there? What can I do to lose weight in spite of not weighing my yogurt?
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
    edited January 2016
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    rabbitjb wrote: »
    If you're not honestly weighing and logging every single thing you imbibe and consume start doing that

    I find it reallllllllllly hard to believe everyone having success never goes to a restaurant where they're unable to weigh and measure the items they're eating and that they never take one single day off. Some of the blogs I read even recommending taking a week off from logging every so many weeks.

    Oh I did and I do eat at restaurants

    Have never taken a day off though ...always log even when I'm 2000 over TDEE

    You know the difference ...my calorie counting was and is working and I lost the weight I wanted to and am in maintenance

    Your isn't ...fix that then treat yourself

    I spent 30 years yo yoing ...I get it ..it gets too hard and you can't be bothered

    But at least I realised I didn't commit properly and when I was ready to I did and it worked

    When you're ready to do the same thing you will

    you've lost a lot you're probably feeling like you've earned it ...but then you get hacked off cos it's not enough and it's hard

    You're right

    It's hard

    Do or do not
  • shadowconn
    shadowconn Posts: 141 Member
    edited January 2016
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    What are your:

    I wasn't the OP - but I was hoping you may be able to help me out any way as I'm in the same boat.

    5'10
    195
    195 (8 lbs gained since Thanksgiving)
    183 (weight last summer. I had dropped from 208 to 181 in 2014 by changing/monitoring calorie intake)
    1650
    1700
    sedentary
    6 days a week (3 days running 3-5 miles, 3 days 60 minute boot camp)

    I got back to eating clean and exercising Jan 1. No weight loss, no inches lost - despite MUCH more exercise when I originally lost the weight. I was knocking off a 1.5/week back then.

    If anything, I'm probably not eating quite enough calories for as much as I'm working out. But it's hard to find healthy calories to add when I'm just not hungry....and hard mentally to eat more when you feel like your stuck.

    Really hoping it's just a case where it takes a few weeks to get the scale moving, but it's very discouraging.





    I am 5'9", and you are basically starting right where I stalled for 2 weeks. With that being said - eat more. If I were you, I'd jump those calories between 1700 - 2k (I do mine between 1700 and 1900 and I do not exercise.) And binge one day. Just to jumpstart things. Really just eat everything one day . . then go to 17-2k.
  • callsitlikeiseeit
    callsitlikeiseeit Posts: 8,627 Member
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    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    You're just being impatient with yourself.

    Give yourself 4-6 full weeks before you assess how things are going. Weight loss is measured in months, not days or weeks.

    If you just started your gym routines, it's likely your body is holding on to some additional water to help with muscle recovery.

    Then how to the people bulking/cutting seem to gain 10-15lbs and then proceed to lose 10-15lbs in a matter of weeks? They make it seem so automatic. But then you read things like you wrote where it's "months, years, etc."

    For one thing, I'd say people who regularly go on bulking and cutting cycles have a much better grasp of what they require calorie wise to achieve those goals...they also tend to be anal retentive where accuracy is concerned, they don't "cheat", etc...they are very disciplined in what they are doing...they tend to have a lot of experience with the process of gaining a little weight and losing a little weight, much more so than a new MFP member who's never really done this before.

    Also, it's going to be different for males vs females...females have a lot more going on from a hormonal standpoint and tend to have more and greater weight fluctuations...in my experience, while not linear, generally for men who are being disciplined and accurate, weight comes off a bit easier and in more of a linear fashion.

    Also keep in mind that a lot of people who cut and bulk don't do so in a healthy manner...especially when they're getting ready for competition or show.


    i have a good friend who competes and she puts my logging to SHAME ..... she has it down to a fine science.is it EASY? nope. but she knows what she has to do for both cycles, and works her *kitten* off to get it done.
  • betuel75
    betuel75 Posts: 776 Member
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    shadowconn wrote: »
    What are your:

    I wasn't the OP - but I was hoping you may be able to help me out any way as I'm in the same boat.

    5'10
    195
    195 (8 lbs gained since Thanksgiving)
    183 (weight last summer. I had dropped from 208 to 181 in 2014 by changing/monitoring calorie intake)
    1650
    1700
    sedentary
    6 days a week (3 days running 3-5 miles, 3 days 60 minute boot camp)

    I got back to eating clean and exercising Jan 1. No weight loss, no inches lost - despite MUCH more exercise when I originally lost the weight. I was knocking off a 1.5/week back then.

    If anything, I'm probably not eating quite enough calories for as much as I'm working out. But it's hard to find healthy calories to add when I'm just not hungry....and hard mentally to eat more when you feel like your stuck.

    Really hoping it's just a case where it takes a few weeks to get the scale moving, but it's very discouraging.





    I am 5'9", and you are basically starting right where I stalled for 2 weeks. With that being said - eat more. If I were you, I'd jump those calories between 1700 - 2k (I do mine between 1700 and 1900 and I do not exercise.) And binge one day. Just to jumpstart things. Really just eat everything one day . . then go to 17-2k.

    Sorry, no such thing as not eating enough calories as the reason for not losing. Its actually the opposite. Your eating too many calories. Either you dont know it or are in denial about what and how much your eating. Healthy does not mean losing. I can eat 1500 calories in donuts and lose weight. Innacutate counting or denial is the problem.
  • Carlos_421
    Carlos_421 Posts: 5,132 Member
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    rabbitjb wrote: »
    So when did you stop posting as BFDeal and why?

    High fives for calling it.
    I remember BFDeal. He was just as whiny then.