Not losing weight
c_l_phillips72
Posts: 11 Member
So a day before Christmas my wife and I started doing cardio together at home. While she's riding the bike, I run/walk on the treadmill, and vice versa. We do 30 - 35 minutes 5 days a week (for example, Saturday off, Sunday - Tuesday on, Wednesday off, Thursday - Friday on).
We've been following that schedule since the day we started, and we have not deviated from it. Every day I've ridden the bike I have set new calorie burned records, and I'm switching between running and walking based on my heart rate (run from 150 - 170, then walk until 150 and then start running to 170 again). Each day I've ran/walked I notice that the time I run is longer and the time I walk becomes shorter, so I know I'm making fitness improvements. I did not lift any weights until Tuesday of this week.
While doing this cardio, I've also changed my diet and so far have not made any bad decisions. I used to eat out for breakfast and lunch every single day, then eat mostly healthy dinner at home that my wife cooked.
I'm now not eating out at all. I eat 1/2 cup of Quaker Oats (with Splenda) for breakfast, then eat a Healthy Choice frozen meal for lunch, and then eat a small portion of grilled chicken or fish on a salad or with other things, and eat some kind of fruit (apple, banana, pear, orange) in between those meals. I'm always eating around 1,700 calories, which is what myfitnesspal says I should be eating since I'm a lazy fat *kitten* the rest of the day.
The problem is that with everything that I've done, I have lost 0 pounds. Nothing. Zip. Zilch, Nada.
I am 6'3" and weigh 275 lbs. When I was exercising in the past, I weighed 200 lbs and had a 4 pack.
Why am I not losing any weight? It can't be because I've replaced fat with all sorts of heavier muscle. I haven't been exercising for that long, and I only started lifting weights this week.
I'm eating as healthy as I ever have, exercising, limiting my calories to what myfitnesspal says, and I've lost nothing.
We've been following that schedule since the day we started, and we have not deviated from it. Every day I've ridden the bike I have set new calorie burned records, and I'm switching between running and walking based on my heart rate (run from 150 - 170, then walk until 150 and then start running to 170 again). Each day I've ran/walked I notice that the time I run is longer and the time I walk becomes shorter, so I know I'm making fitness improvements. I did not lift any weights until Tuesday of this week.
While doing this cardio, I've also changed my diet and so far have not made any bad decisions. I used to eat out for breakfast and lunch every single day, then eat mostly healthy dinner at home that my wife cooked.
I'm now not eating out at all. I eat 1/2 cup of Quaker Oats (with Splenda) for breakfast, then eat a Healthy Choice frozen meal for lunch, and then eat a small portion of grilled chicken or fish on a salad or with other things, and eat some kind of fruit (apple, banana, pear, orange) in between those meals. I'm always eating around 1,700 calories, which is what myfitnesspal says I should be eating since I'm a lazy fat *kitten* the rest of the day.
The problem is that with everything that I've done, I have lost 0 pounds. Nothing. Zip. Zilch, Nada.
I am 6'3" and weigh 275 lbs. When I was exercising in the past, I weighed 200 lbs and had a 4 pack.
Why am I not losing any weight? It can't be because I've replaced fat with all sorts of heavier muscle. I haven't been exercising for that long, and I only started lifting weights this week.
I'm eating as healthy as I ever have, exercising, limiting my calories to what myfitnesspal says, and I've lost nothing.
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Replies
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Are you measuring your food intake with a food scale?0
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The first question everyone will ask you is, how are you calculating your calories? Are you weighing your food? Lots of the people on here have had great success with a food scale over not having one.0
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We bought a scale last night so we could start weighing, but there's absolutely no way that I could have gone over my calorie goals. Most days I was under by 200 - 300.
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1. If it's been less than 3 weeks or so, don't sweat it! Normal fluctuations happen and unfortunately sometimes we stall for a week or two even when we're doing everything right. Give your body some time to catch up with the changes you're making.
2. If you aren't already, be sure that you're logging everything. Sometimes people forget about things like veggies, drinks, cooking oils, and condiments. For some people these can add up to enough to halt your weight loss progress.
3. Consider buying a food scale if you don't already have one. They're about $10-$20 dollars in the US and easily found at places like Amazon, Target, and Walmart. Measuring cups and spoons are great, but they do come with some degree of inaccuracy. A food scale will be more accurate, and for some people it makes a big difference.
4. Logging accurately also means choosing accurate entries in the database. There are a lot of user-entered entries that are off. Double-check that you're using good entries and/or using the recipe builder instead of someone else's homemade entries.
5. Recalculate your goals if you haven't lately. As you lose weight your body requires fewer calories to run. Be sure you update your goals every ten pounds or so.
6. If you're eating back your exercise calories and you're relying on gym machine readouts or MFP's estimates, it might be best to eat back just 50-75% of those. Certain activities tend to be overestimated. If you're using an HRM or activity tracker, it might be a good idea to look into their accuracy and be sure that yours is calibrated properly.
7. If you're taking any cheat days that go over your calorie limits, it might be best to cut them out for a few weeks and see what happens. Some people go way over their calorie needs without realizing it when they don't track.
8. If you weigh yourself frequently, consider using a program like trendweight to even out the fluctuations. You could be losing weight but just don't see it because of the daily ups and downs.
9. Some people just burn fewer calories than the calculators predict. If you continue to have problems after 4-6 weeks, then it might be worth a trip to the doctor or a registered dietitian who can give you more specific advice0 -
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Do you know your body fat percentage? If not, get something to help figure it out. Calculate what your Lean Body Mass when you weigh yourself, that's the best way to know if you're replacing fat with muscle.
How's your water retention? A gallon of water weighs 8lbs. Weigh yourself first thing in the morning on an empty bladder, that's the best measurement of your weight. Do you need to consume less sodium? I guarantee you're getting sodium from your frozen lunches.
How's your stress level? When you stress your body out, your body produces cortisol. Cortisol is produced by your adrenals, which are directly related to your thyroid, think of them as a scale. When your adrenals are producing a lot of cortisol, your thyroid function is lowered. Your thyroid produces hormones that control the metabolism in all of the body's cells. So, if you are stressed, your body doesn't metabolize efficiently, which is a reason we don't lose weight. Sleep matters here too. The more sleep you get, the more your body is in a state of relax, which is a low cortisol, high thyroid, state. Which is why you're told that you lose more weight in your sleep then you do during the day.
Keep lifting weights, the more lean muscle mass you have, the more your calories your body burns.
Good luck!0 -
I'm sure your eating "healthy" foods but you still can just be eating to much. Open your logs if you want honest responses. You could be very easily over eating on fruit or possibly drinking calories. Use the scale for everything and you'll be suprised.0
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Do you know your body fat percentage? If not, get something to help figure it out. Calculate what your Lean Body Mass when you weigh yourself, that's the best way to know if you're replacing fat with muscle.
How's your water retention? A gallon of water weighs 8lbs. Weigh yourself first thing in the morning on an empty bladder, that's the best measurement of your weight. Do you need to consume less sodium? I guarantee you're getting sodium from your frozen lunches.
How's your stress level? When you stress your body out, your body produces cortisol. Cortisol is produced by your adrenals, which are directly related to your thyroid, think of them as a scale. When your adrenals are producing a lot of cortisol, your thyroid function is lowered. Your thyroid produces hormones that control the metabolism in all of the body's cells. So, if you are stressed, your body doesn't metabolize efficiently, which is a reason we don't lose weight. Sleep matters here too. The more sleep you get, the more your body is in a state of relax, which is a low cortisol, high thyroid, state. Which is why you're told that you lose more weight in your sleep then you do during the day.
Keep lifting weights, the more lean muscle mass you have, the more your calories your body burns.
Good luck!
Not gaining muscle after 1 week of lifting0 -
singingflutelady wrote: »
Not gaining muscle after 1 week of lifting
I'm not sure if you are saying that you're not gaining muscle after 1 week, or if you're saying that he can't.
Regarding him gaining muscle after 1 week of lifting, he actually can! Muscle memory is a real thing, I've experienced it myself. He said that he used to be 200lbs, lean, with a 4 pack. If he started lifting and putting real work into his lifts, he can gain a lot in 1 week. I myself got lost along the path of the "low calorie" diet. I was eating 1500 calories (I weighed 280lbs at the time), and wasn't doing any strength training. Over time, my body cannibalized energy from my muscles, making those cells smaller, which made me lose weight slower... not the right way to losing weight. But then when I started strength training again, eating a LOT more protein, I gained 5lbs of muscle that first week. At least, those were what the numbers were telling me from my body fat analyzer.0 -
singingflutelady wrote: »
Not gaining muscle after 1 week of lifting
I'm not sure if you are saying that you're not gaining muscle after 1 week, or if you're saying that he can't.
Regarding him gaining muscle after 1 week of lifting, he actually can! Muscle memory is a real thing, I've experienced it myself. He said that he used to be 200lbs, lean, with a 4 pack. If he started lifting and putting real work into his lifts, he can gain a lot in 1 week. I myself got lost along the path of the "low calorie" diet. I was eating 1500 calories (I weighed 280lbs at the time), and wasn't doing any strength training. Over time, my body cannibalized energy from my muscles, making those cells smaller, which made me lose weight slower... not the right way to losing weight. But then when I started strength training again, eating a LOT more protein, I gained 5lbs of muscle that first week. At least, those were what the numbers were telling me from my body fat analyzer.
Not likely also bf% calc have a range of inaccuracy due to hydration levels and other factors. What is more likely is you started a new workout and retained 5 pounds in water weight.0 -
Sodium!! Don't eat frozen meals. Prepackaged foods are loaded with sodium. Try to cook your own fish, chicken lean meats. I've been on a plateau after losing 80lbs. My last 10 are a fight. I've recently revamped my diet and killed a lot of the hidden sodium....
Keep going!! Don't get discouraged...this is not a temporary deal. It has to be a life long change or you'll be back to square one eventually.
Keep up the awesome work!! Best wishes!!!0 -
singingflutelady wrote: »
Not gaining muscle after 1 week of lifting
I'm not sure if you are saying that you're not gaining muscle after 1 week, or if you're saying that he can't.
Regarding him gaining muscle after 1 week of lifting, he actually can! Muscle memory is a real thing, I've experienced it myself. He said that he used to be 200lbs, lean, with a 4 pack. If he started lifting and putting real work into his lifts, he can gain a lot in 1 week. I myself got lost along the path of the "low calorie" diet. I was eating 1500 calories (I weighed 280lbs at the time), and wasn't doing any strength training. Over time, my body cannibalized energy from my muscles, making those cells smaller, which made me lose weight slower... not the right way to losing weight. But then when I started strength training again, eating a LOT more protein, I gained 5lbs of muscle that first week. At least, those were what the numbers were telling me from my body fat analyzer.
Nobody is going to gain five pounds of muscle in a week. Newbie gains will happen, sure, but those are minimal. Plus most methods of measuring body fat are quite inaccurate.
OP, once you start using your food scale, I'm sure you'll see a difference in what you believed you were eating compared to what a serving actually weighs. It's very easy to underestimate calorie intake if you aren't weighing things.0 -
You can gain muscle memory and strength in 1 week, but not muscle mass/weight. There's a diff.0
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My husband has similar stats... Try working out 60 minutes a few of those days.0
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My husband is 6'6 now 255 was 300. Ditch most of that cardio, you have to go to weights. That's what worked for him. He only does cardio 1-2 days a week, weights 5-6.
Oh and
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1296011/calorie-counting-101/p10 -
starwhisperer6 wrote: »The first question everyone will ask you is, how are you calculating your calories? Are you weighing your food? Lots of the people on here have had great success with a food scale over not having one.
I'm not sure what took so long for me to see any progress AT ALL, but ever since I posted my initial message on 1/22 I have lost 10 pounds.
We did buy a scale and started measuring dinner ingredients when I knew dinner would get me super close to my calorie goal. On other nights when I knew my calorie intake would end up being much less than my calorie goal, we didn't measure nor did I enter anything into my diary. I don't want to enter something if it's not exactly accurate. One other change is that I've continued to lift weights, but had just started that just a couple of days before my initial post.
But the good news is that I've lost 10 pounds in 5 days, so I must be doing something right.
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My husband is 6'6 now 255 was 300. Ditch most of that cardio, you have to go to weights. That's what worked for him. He only does cardio 1-2 days a week, weights 5-6.
Oh and
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1296011/calorie-counting-101/p1
I just started incorporating weights into my routine, and it seems as though it may have been the missing ingredient. I can't ditch the cardio though, because my ultimate goal is to complete a triathlon.0 -
One additional comment - Now that I'm using a scale, I can't BELIEVE how far off the volume vs weight measurements were. For example, cereal said 120 calories for 3/4 cup (30 grams), but when I measured 3/4 cup it was actually 44 grams! Not sure why the box isn't being updated to reflect a more accurate volume measurement.0
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Because volume will always be different depending on how the solid food 'settles' into the cup. Weight is constant.
But you learned a useful lesson.
In the example of the cereal, you were consuming almost 50% extra by using the measuring cup. If all things solid averaged to 20% over, someone with a 1500 calorie goal would be consuming 1800. Someone with a 2000 calorie goal would consume 2400.c_l_phillips72 wrote: »One additional comment - Now that I'm using a scale, I can't BELIEVE how far off the volume vs weight measurements were. For example, cereal said 120 calories for 3/4 cup (30 grams), but when I measured 3/4 cup it was actually 44 grams! Not sure why the box isn't being updated to reflect a more accurate volume measurement.
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singingflutelady wrote: »
Not gaining muscle after 1 week of lifting
I'm not sure if you are saying that you're not gaining muscle after 1 week, or if you're saying that he can't.
Regarding him gaining muscle after 1 week of lifting, he actually can! Muscle memory is a real thing, I've experienced it myself. He said that he used to be 200lbs, lean, with a 4 pack. If he started lifting and putting real work into his lifts, he can gain a lot in 1 week. I myself got lost along the path of the "low calorie" diet. I was eating 1500 calories (I weighed 280lbs at the time), and wasn't doing any strength training. Over time, my body cannibalized energy from my muscles, making those cells smaller, which made me lose weight slower... not the right way to losing weight. But then when I started strength training again, eating a LOT more protein, I gained 5lbs of muscle that first week. At least, those were what the numbers were telling me from my body fat analyzer.
LOL...keep dreaming if you think you gained 5lbs of muscle in a week!0 -
c_l_phillips72 wrote: »My husband is 6'6 now 255 was 300. Ditch most of that cardio, you have to go to weights. That's what worked for him. He only does cardio 1-2 days a week, weights 5-6.
Oh and
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1296011/calorie-counting-101/p1
I just started incorporating weights into my routine, and it seems as though it may have been the missing ingredient. I can't ditch the cardio though, because my ultimate goal is to complete a triathlon.
Absolutely. I've seen it work him tremendously. A little on the heavy side. Less reps, more weight0
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