What am I doing wrong?

kat160505
kat160505 Posts: 12 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
For the last month I have been actively noting all my food and water intake as well as becoming more active.
I take part in a spin or aerobic class every day and maintain calories of 1200 a day.
I've lost nothing.... Maybe gained 1lb.
Fat percentage initially seemed to be decreasing, 1st week 28%, 2nd 26%, 3rd 25% and then last week 32% [I am seriously hoping the machine was just going crazy].
Granted I do feel quite a bit fitter than I did this time last month. My calories are mainly healthy eating [lowering my sugars and bad fats etc].
I've cut out alcohol and I'm having a decent amount of sleep too!

I just cant work out what I am doing wrong, if anyone has any tips that would be great?

Replies

  • eldamiano
    eldamiano Posts: 2,667 Member
    You are eating at a maintenance level....
  • tiptoethruthetulips
    tiptoethruthetulips Posts: 3,371 Member
    Just so you know a lot of italics together can be hard to read for some people (including me).

    How are you measuring body fat?

    How tall are you and what do you weigh? What is your current weight?

    While you are noting your food, are you actually measuring and weighing all your food and drink?

  • Steve_ApexNC
    Steve_ApexNC Posts: 210 Member
    someone will post the flowchart soon enough, but the first big question you are going to get is do you weigh and log everything you eat/drink? If not, start there. Yes, weight of food is important as it is the most accurate way of measuring portions. Second, I don't know how you are measuring body fat %, but it simply doesn't fluctuate like that. Most methods of measuring body fat are inaccurate at best. Last, if you are doing the measuring and the logging and the correct caloric intake each and every day (binges and cheats do matter to the intake numbers; don't know if you are having those) then it is going to be a matter of time. Your body is not a calculator and it is not a machine...it is a complex biological organism. It will adapt, but it will adapt on its own timescale which doesn't necessarily match your desired timescale.
  • seska422
    seska422 Posts: 3,217 Member
    xtq59i7lyncs.jpg
  • kat160505
    kat160505 Posts: 12 Member
    Apologies, I dont know why it put my writing in italics - that wasnt my intention!
    I had been informed that reducing my calories to 1200 would help with losing weight, what should I be reducing them to?
    I weigh all my food intake, even whilst at work as I take in premade and pre-weighed lunches.
    I do not eat back my calories burned.
    Im not really trying to lose weight overall, more of reduce fat percentage
  • seska422
    seska422 Posts: 3,217 Member
    edited February 2016
    There isn't a super-accurate way to measure body fat percentage. Scales are notoriously inaccurate for that.

    Put your info into MyFitnessPal and it will tell you how many calories to eat. Add back 25-50% of your exercise calories. Don't go below 1200 calories.

    Read through the flowchart above to try to narrow down where you might be having difficulties.
  • kat160505
    kat160505 Posts: 12 Member
    Thanks, I did think it would be a bit tricky to go below 1200, I have quite a high energy job and I think i'd just end up wilting!
    Ive been using the scales at the gym, I am going with something being wrong with them as after speaking to a few ladies this week they've all had funny results and it now has a sign saying 'it needs fixing'.
    I have been putting the info into MFP to make it a bit more accurate.
    The flow chart is good, i'll just keep at it and hopefully in a few weeks/months there might be some results!

    :) thanks
  • tiptoethruthetulips
    tiptoethruthetulips Posts: 3,371 Member
    kat160505 wrote: »
    Apologies, I dont know why it put my writing in italics - that wasnt my intention!
    I had been informed that reducing my calories to 1200 would help with losing weight, what should I be reducing them to?
    I weigh all my food intake, even whilst at work as I take in premade and pre-weighed lunches.
    I do not eat back my calories burned.
    Im not really trying to lose weight overall, more of reduce fat percentage

    Just to clarify you mention you reduced calories to 1200 to help losing weight, but then say you don't want to lose weight overall, but in the first post you are concerned you are not losing weight? I take it you are already in the healthy weight range for your height, looking to lose body fat but increase lean body mass?

    If you are happy with your weight but want to reduce body fat % while increasing lean body mass, you can eat at maintenance and look at doing some weight/resistance training as well as your cardio, but you may want to reduce the amount of cardio you are doing.

    Set your MFP to either maintain (if you don't want to lose weight) and follow the calories set by MFP.



  • kat160505
    kat160505 Posts: 12 Member
    Sorry, I meant I am not trying to lose overall weight, for example two years ago I weighed 9st4, I now weight 9st6. However my body fat % went from 15% to what it is now - 25-26% [im not exactly what it is this week].
    Sorry for the confusion, I didnt explain myself well.
    My weekly gym routine involves a mixture of cardio and weights, so for example monday is spin class, tuesday is weights, weds is a kettle bell class, thursday is cardio, friday is cardio before work and then weights in the evening, saturday is a class that involves weights and a little cardio and if the weather is good a short cycle, sunday I do nothing except the hoovering which can be quite hard work :p
    I think I am expecting too much too soon, I've made a plan on working a bit more on my diet and keeping more notes and I think I shall try harder with the weights, managed a nice set of 66kg leg press the other day and seeing as I was only on 30kg at the beginning of the year I am obviously improving [well, I think I am and I know thats prob still a small amount for some but baby steps for me :) ]
  • jerseyhank
    jerseyhank Posts: 7 Member
    I cant see your diary so I cant see exactly what you are eating which makes a big difference. In order for you to effectively burn stored fat you need to reduce your sugars considerably and lower your carbs as well. When the body tops out of natural glucose that is stored in your muscles and organs it turns to look for a source of energy. If there is excess sugar in your body that's what your body will burn. If there is no sugar for your body to burn then it turns to your stored fat and then you will effectively burn more fat. Google "becoming fat adapted"
  • _Figgzie_
    _Figgzie_ Posts: 3,506 Member
    eldamiano wrote: »
    You are eating at a maintenance level....

    +1
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    Could be that you're eating more than you think, or your muscles are retaining water because you just started exercising. Just too early to worry, IMO.
  • Nuke_64
    Nuke_64 Posts: 406 Member
    kat160505 wrote: »
    Sorry, I meant I am not trying to lose overall weight, for example two years ago I weighed 9st4, I now weight 9st6. However my body fat % went from 15% to what it is now - 25-26% [im not exactly what it is this week].

    Are you a woman? 15% BF is very fit for a woman.



  • kat160505
    kat160505 Posts: 12 Member
    Nuke_64 wrote: »
    kat160505 wrote: »
    Sorry, I meant I am not trying to lose overall weight, for example two years ago I weighed 9st4, I now weight 9st6. However my body fat % went from 15% to what it is now - 25-26% [im not exactly what it is this week].

    Are you a woman? 15% BF is very fit for a woman.



    Yes I am a woman and I was a very active cyclist. An injury last summer caused my fitness to suffer and hence the large BF change.
  • Nuke_64
    Nuke_64 Posts: 406 Member
    kat160505 wrote: »
    Nuke_64 wrote: »
    kat160505 wrote: »
    Sorry, I meant I am not trying to lose overall weight, for example two years ago I weighed 9st4, I now weight 9st6. However my body fat % went from 15% to what it is now - 25-26% [im not exactly what it is this week].

    Are you a woman? 15% BF is very fit for a woman.



    Yes I am a woman and I was a very active cyclist. An injury last summer caused my fitness to suffer and hence the large BF change.

    I don't think your can go from 15 to 25% BF, only gain 2lbs in 9 months. You measurement method for BF is probably not that accurate.

    As others said, you are eating more than you realize. Especially considering the amount of exercise you are doing and you are not eating back those calories.
  • kat160505
    kat160505 Posts: 12 Member
    Nuke_64 wrote: »
    kat160505 wrote: »
    Nuke_64 wrote: »
    kat160505 wrote: »
    Sorry, I meant I am not trying to lose overall weight, for example two years ago I weighed 9st4, I now weight 9st6. However my body fat % went from 15% to what it is now - 25-26% [im not exactly what it is this week].

    Are you a woman? 15% BF is very fit for a woman.



    Yes I am a woman and I was a very active cyclist. An injury last summer caused my fitness to suffer and hence the large BF change.

    I don't think your can go from 15 to 25% BF, only gain 2lbs in 9 months. You measurement method for BF is probably not that accurate.

    As others said, you are eating more than you realize. Especially considering the amount of exercise you are doing and you are not eating back those calories.

    I didnt, I said over 2 years. two years ago I weighed 9st4 and now I am 9st6 and it went from 15 - 25/6
  • LINIA
    LINIA Posts: 1,159 Member
    Ok--so are you asking how to reduce the body fat %?
  • kat160505
    kat160505 Posts: 12 Member
    LINIA wrote: »
    Ok--so are you asking how to reduce the body fat %?

    Exactly what I am asking - yes! I did say that a few posts ago but it seems to have been overlooked by most, someone did respond with an answer that makes sense.
    I was advised by my PT friend to keep eating at a maintaining level and exercise to try to reduce body fat % as well as eating the right foods [low fat, good sugars, protein etc]
  • btruesdale7
    btruesdale7 Posts: 3 Member
    This is a question I have been asking myself lately as well.. i need to lose a good bit of weight. I started in Dec at 260lbs.. :s I'm currently at 236 and have been at this weight and can't break through to the other side...lol.. i have upped my walk/run to approx. 3.0 miles a day and still nothing. I normally run around 1000 to 1200 calories a day. I was speaking with a heath nut (works out daily) in my office which stated that I was not eating enough, not eating is as bad as over eating. With my needed calorie intake plus my exercise I should be around 1500 to 1700 a day to lose weight.. Any one had this issue and found the fix.. I'm about to shot my scale... >:)
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    kat160505 wrote: »
    Fat percentage initially seemed to be decreasing, 1st week 28%, 2nd 26%, 3rd 25% and then last week 32%

    If I'm understanding you, these are based on a scale at the gym and you weigh only when at the gym. Body fat scales are not accurate, and they are especially thrown off by changes in water weight, which means that for even a trend to be helpful (and even then there will be weird off results) you need to weigh at the same time every day, typically first thing in the morning to minimize the effect of food consumption. Weighing at the gym stuff like hydration, the effect of the workout, the fact it's likely at different times and you would have eaten different things, I wouldn't expect it to be meaningful at all.

    And that includes the initial jump from 15% to 25%. 15% is really low for a woman, and 25% isn't bad (and may well be higher than the reality), even though I can understand wanting to decrease it some. I'd focus on how you look in the mirror (there are photos online showing women at different BF% to help with an estimate) and, of course, measurements and how your clothes fit.

    With the fact that you want to lose so little and are more concerned about BF%, eating with a small deficit (not 1200 calories -- set up MFP with .5 lb/week or try the calculator here http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/) and making sure you get enough protein (about .6-.8 g/lb is usually recommended) are important.

    You probably aren't eating 1200 now -- it can be hard to get logging accurate at first and someone could give you pointers if you opened your diary. However, it's possible you are but gained some water weight due to the new workouts and maybe have unconsciously started moving less in other ways because you are undereating and that has masked actual losses. The first is more likely, as 1200 would be way below your maintenance level.
  • CoffeeNCardio
    CoffeeNCardio Posts: 1,847 Member
    txioytpns7n7.jpg

    @seska422 I'm just re-posting because the one you did is showing up really really tiny font on my screen, dunno if it is on anyone else's but just to be safe for those of us who have trouble reading small print. Thank you for sharing first;)
  • kat160505
    kat160505 Posts: 12 Member
    lemurcat12 wrote: »
    kat160505 wrote: »
    Fat percentage initially seemed to be decreasing, 1st week 28%, 2nd 26%, 3rd 25% and then last week 32%

    If I'm understanding you, these are based on a scale at the gym and you weigh only when at the gym. Body fat scales are not accurate, and they are especially thrown off by changes in water weight, which means that for even a trend to be helpful (and even then there will be weird off results) you need to weigh at the same time every day, typically first thing in the morning to minimize the effect of food consumption. Weighing at the gym stuff like hydration, the effect of the workout, the fact it's likely at different times and you would have eaten different things, I wouldn't expect it to be meaningful at all.

    And that includes the initial jump from 15% to 25%. 15% is really low for a woman, and 25% isn't bad (and may well be higher than the reality), even though I can understand wanting to decrease it some. I'd focus on how you look in the mirror (there are photos online showing women at different BF% to help with an estimate) and, of course, measurements and how your clothes fit.

    With the fact that you want to lose so little and are more concerned about BF%, eating with a small deficit (not 1200 calories -- set up MFP with .5 lb/week or try the calculator here http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/) and making sure you get enough protein (about .6-.8 g/lb is usually recommended) are important.

    You probably aren't eating 1200 now -- it can be hard to get logging accurate at first and someone could give you pointers if you opened your diary. However, it's possible you are but gained some water weight due to the new workouts and maybe have unconsciously started moving less in other ways because you are undereating and that has masked actual losses. The first is more likely, as 1200 would be way below your maintenance level.

    Thank you :) a helpful reply
  • kat160505
    kat160505 Posts: 12 Member
    Also, I've been good with only weighing myself monday mornings 6am before my first class of the week as a reference point
  • Nuke_64
    Nuke_64 Posts: 406 Member
    If fat loss without weight loss is what you want, then recomposition is what you are doing. Check this out:

    https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10177803/recomposition-maintaining-weight-while-losing-fat/p1
  • kat160505
    kat160505 Posts: 12 Member
    Nuke_64 wrote: »
    If fat loss without weight loss is what you want, then recomposition is what you are doing. Check this out:

    https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10177803/recomposition-maintaining-weight-while-losing-fat/p1

    Thank you, that was a good read and very helpful!

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