Am I expecting too much from myself too soon?

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PhysicsOnIce
PhysicsOnIce Posts: 46 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I am starting to get a frustrated with myself... I was careless at Christmas/New Year time and put on the three kilos I'd lost. I've also just started working out again after a long injury that had left without being able to do ANY sport for the last 6 months. I was very careful to not gain weight during that time, but Christmas/New Year's came around and all *kitten* hit the fan.

I've steadily tracking and going to the gym since early January and I not seeing much progress. I've been sitting at 69.2-69.5 kg for a while...(starting Jan weight was back to 70.5kg). My muscles are sore, I am beating my lifts and increasing the weight and my 5km time keeps decreasing but the scale is not moving.

I'm 5'3'' (160 cm) and want to lose another approximately 5 kgs. I'd love to be down to 64 kg to 63 kg. Am I expecting too much from myself too soon? Someone please beat some sense into me.

Replies

  • emmaprocopiou
    emmaprocopiou Posts: 246 Member
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    Are you see changes in measurements ?
    Have you been logging / weighing all your food?
    What is your cal goal ?
    Are you eating back exercise cals ?
    It may be that it is water weight from all the exercise .

    Don't beat yourself up , maybe you need to just give it a bit longer

    I'm sure someone will be along soon to give a bit better advice x
  • oolou
    oolou Posts: 765 Member
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    How big is your calorie deficit each day?
  • PhysicsOnIce
    PhysicsOnIce Posts: 46 Member
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    Yeah, I've been weighing and logging all my food. Down to a point my boyfriend thinks I am turning into a mad chemist (we are both scientist so he associates measuring with chemicals).

    My cal goals is 1,240 cals per day plus a up to 200 cals from my workout. My typical work out is anywhere between 600 to 800 cals according to my heart-rate monitor. On long run (5km) days my cardio cals are approximately 440 and on short run days (3 km) the cardio cals are 250 or so. The extra calories from the HRM come in from Strength Training where I keep my heart rate in the 65%-85% zone. I know that the calories from ST are typically over-estimated from HRMs, so I tend to just got with the calories that MFP gives me instead of those read on my HRM.

    If I am correct this should put me on a deficit equivalent to 0.5 kg per week... which is clearly not happening. Actually now that you mention it is there a way of checking exactly what the deficit is using MFP?



  • eldamiano
    eldamiano Posts: 2,667 Member
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    Yep. Way too much. Have a lie down....
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
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    It's normal not to lose because your muscles retain water when you start exercising again. Give it time.
  • PhysicsOnIce
    PhysicsOnIce Posts: 46 Member
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    But it's been a month since I started working out again. I have a hard time believing that my muscles are still retaining water.
  • FitnessTim
    FitnessTim Posts: 234 Member
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    Personally I don't trust any estimates regarding calories expended during a workout. Usually those estimates don't account for calories that would have been burned at rest. I don't discount it completely but when the weight doesn't go down overcompensating for exercise is the first place I look.

    I started focusing on my diet and fitness about a month ago and I lost 2.7 kg (6 pounds). I didn't starve myself or do anything else to extreme. My main focus was on diet, not on exercise.

    I see too many people go crazy at the gym when starting to get back in shape when their priorities should be on managing their diet first. I'm not saying exercise is not essential but when the goal is to lose weight it is all about the diet.

    Have you considered using calipers to measure your body fat percentage? With your fitness routine perhaps you've seen some improvements there.

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