My weight is still the same...HELP!!
lilcd10
Posts: 29 Member
I started my weight loss journey late December 2015 at 390 lbs. my current weight is...wait for it....390 lbs!! I always heard that the heavier you are the more weight you will lose starting off. I'm on a strict diet. I'm in the gym 6 days a week for atleast 45 minutes each day doing mostly cardio. I can say I have lost inches in different areas but my weight is still the same. PLEASE HELP!!
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Replies
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You've lost inches, right? How many? You do know that a pounds of fat takes up more space than a pound of muscle, right? I don't know your stats, but if you've lost inches, but not pounds, I would guess that you are turning fat into muscle and that is a GOOD thing! Keep it up!0
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How many calories do you eat a day? Your diary is closed. Do you log everything, every day? What did you eat yesterday (include quantities) for an example.0
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Cindy01Louisiana wrote: »You've lost inches, right? How many? You do know that a pounds of fat takes up more space than a pound of muscle, right? I don't know your stats, but if you've lost inches, but not pounds, I would guess that you are turning fat into muscle and that is a GOOD thing! Keep it up!
I've lost 4 inches in my thighs, close to an inch in my waist and about the same in my chest and arms. Thanks for the encouragement!0 -
StaciMarie1974 wrote: »How many calories do you eat a day? Your diary is closed. Do you log everything, every day? What did you eat yesterday (include quantities) for an example.StaciMarie1974 wrote: »How many calories do you eat a day? Your diary is closed. Do you log everything, every day? What did you eat yesterday (include quantities) for an example.
MFP recommends 2,930 but I eat way less than that. I just recently purchased a food scale to better calculate my portions. I log every single day. I try to make sure not to leave out any details.0 -
You are eating too much plain and simple.
Are you weighing all your foods accurately and tracking everything??
You can work out as much as you like and that will help make your body stronger etc but unless you eat less calories than you consume you will not lose a pound.
I started November 15, 2015 and as of February 18th I was down 74lbs
I'm heavier than you are but there is no way you wouldn't lose if you are in calorie deficit.
I set my calories at 2000 a day and Over a weekly average I'm around 1850 Cals per day. I am extremely sedentary due to some medical issues as well.
You can do this... Just need to reassess what you are doing and focus on it.
Good luck0 -
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StaciMarie1974 wrote: »How many calories do you eat a day? Your diary is closed. Do you log everything, every day? What did you eat yesterday (include quantities) for an example.StaciMarie1974 wrote: »How many calories do you eat a day? Your diary is closed. Do you log everything, every day? What did you eat yesterday (include quantities) for an example.
MFP recommends 2,930 but I eat way less than that. I just recently purchased a food scale to better calculate my portions. I log every single day. I try to make sure not to leave out any details.
If you're eating way less than that then I doubt you're building muscle, I'm sorry. Start using the food scale for EVERYTHING that goes in your mouth. I'd give it a few weeks and then report back if you're 100% sure you're logging accurately.0 -
You are eating too much plain and simple.
Are you weighing all your foods accurately and tracking everything??
You can work out as much as you like and that will help make your body stronger etc but unless you eat less calories than you consume you will not lose a pound.
I started November 15, 2015 and as of February 18th I was down 74lbs
I'm heavier than you are but there is no way you wouldn't lose if you are in calorie deficit.
I set my calories at 2000 a day and Over a weekly average I'm around 1850 Cals per day. I am extremely sedentary due to some medical issues as well.
You can do this... Just need to reassess what you are doing and focus on it.
Good luck
Hey thanks for the encouragement man. MFP recommends I eat close to 3,000 calories a day but clearly I need to reconsider. I log everything daily and I just purchased a food scale0 -
StaciMarie1974 wrote: »How many calories do you eat a day? Your diary is closed. Do you log everything, every day? What did you eat yesterday (include quantities) for an example.StaciMarie1974 wrote: »How many calories do you eat a day? Your diary is closed. Do you log everything, every day? What did you eat yesterday (include quantities) for an example.
MFP recommends 2,930 but I eat way less than that. I just recently purchased a food scale to better calculate my portions. I log every single day. I try to make sure not to leave out any details.
If you're eating way less than that then I doubt you're building muscle, I'm sorry. Start using the food scale for EVERYTHING that goes in your mouth. I'd give it a few weeks and then report back if you're 100% sure you're logging accurately.
What am I going by when I'm weighing my food? What is too little? What is too much?0 -
Cindy01Louisiana wrote: »You've lost inches, right? How many? You do know that a pounds of fat takes up more space than a pound of muscle, right? I don't know your stats, but if you've lost inches, but not pounds, I would guess that you are turning fat into muscle and that is a GOOD thing! Keep it up!
LOL...no....bad "guess" - you cannot turn fat into muscle.0 -
1--count your calories accurately. Buy a food scale if you have to. Just saying you are on a "strict diet" doesn't tell us much. Clearly, you are eating more than you think you are eating. And no way are you "turning fat into muscle doing all that cardio which brings me to: 2--weight training will be MUCH more effective than cardio. You need to increase your testosterone, and cardio doesn't do squat for that. Pump some heavy iron, and keep adding weight to the bar. And even more importantly, count calories accurately and consistently eat at a 10-20% calorie deficit, no more, no less. Too much of a deficit will increase your stress hormones too much and wreck your metabolism. 10-20% caloric deficit, plus the weightlifting, should nudge you the right direction. If you have the additional energy for cardio, do HIIT only--the elliptical, jogging, etc is a dead end and won't give you results--do short, burst, high intensity training or weights--but none of this advice is squat unless you are actually counting your calories correctly. And don't drink your calories. Eat them. Live on water, tea, black coffee, and real foods.0
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StaciMarie1974 wrote: »How many calories do you eat a day? Your diary is closed. Do you log everything, every day? What did you eat yesterday (include quantities) for an example.StaciMarie1974 wrote: »How many calories do you eat a day? Your diary is closed. Do you log everything, every day? What did you eat yesterday (include quantities) for an example.
MFP recommends 2,930 but I eat way less than that. I just recently purchased a food scale to better calculate my portions. I log every single day. I try to make sure not to leave out any details.
If you're eating way less than that then I doubt you're building muscle, I'm sorry. Start using the food scale for EVERYTHING that goes in your mouth. I'd give it a few weeks and then report back if you're 100% sure you're logging accurately.
What am I going by when I'm weighing my food? What is too little? What is too much?
Well it depends on the amount of calories you're allotted for the day, you go by the package that will tell you what a serving size equals in calories. I'm not sure where you are but in the US majority of food packages will tell you the calorie amount in grams, which is the unit I use to weigh my food. Once you weigh out a certain portion you can decide how many portions you can have by comparing it to the number of calories you are allotted per day.0 -
You have not given any info (foods, quantities) on your daily food log - so we can't help you spotlight errors. But in general, since you've not been weighing your food, you've been guessing with how much you've been eating. Good intentions I'm sure, but you just can't tell 150 cals of chicken breast by looking at it. (Example.)
Other logging errors to be careful of:
*using recipes from other users, my 'spaghetti and meatballs' may have different ingredients and therefore different calorie content, than your 'spaghetti and meatballs'.
*logging fruits by the each: such as logging 1 medium banana. That could be 90 cals or 130 cals (or more or less) depending on your definition of a 'medium banana'.
*skipping drinks. Calories in drinks can add up.
To meet the minimum nutritional needs for a guy you would not really want to go below 1800 cals a day. Based on your current stats you should be able to lose weight at a reasonable pace by eating 2000-2500. Generally its recommended to aim for a max of 2 pounds or 1% body weight per week.
The other detail is patience and time. You've been at it for a little while, but I don't know if you consistently try to log your food each & every day. With no pounds lost I suspect you log some meals some days but not all. Aim for consistency. Your food choices don't need to be 'perfect' but log them accurately no matter what.0 -
1--count your calories accurately. Buy a food scale if you have to. Just saying you are on a "strict diet" doesn't tell us much. Clearly, you are eating more than you think you are eating. And no way are you "turning fat into muscle doing all that cardio which brings me to: 2--weight training will be MUCH more effective than cardio. You need to increase your testosterone, and cardio doesn't do squat for that. Pump some heavy iron, and keep adding weight to the bar. And even more importantly, count calories accurately and consistently eat at a 10-20% calorie deficit, no more, no less. Too much of a deficit will increase your stress hormones too much and wreck your metabolism. 10-20% caloric deficit, plus the weightlifting, should nudge you the right direction. If you have the additional energy for cardio, do HIIT only--the elliptical, jogging, etc is a dead end and won't give you results--do short, burst, high intensity training or weights--but none of this advice is squat unless you are actually counting your calories correctly. And don't drink your calories. Eat them. Live on water, tea, black coffee, and real foods.
I just purchased a scale but I'm lost to what's too much and what's not enough when weighing my food. What guidelines am I suppose to follow??0 -
Did you weigh on the same scale, same time of day, etc?0
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StaciMarie1974 wrote: »How many calories do you eat a day? Your diary is closed. Do you log everything, every day? What did you eat yesterday (include quantities) for an example.StaciMarie1974 wrote: »How many calories do you eat a day? Your diary is closed. Do you log everything, every day? What did you eat yesterday (include quantities) for an example.
MFP recommends 2,930 but I eat way less than that. I just recently purchased a food scale to better calculate my portions. I log every single day. I try to make sure not to leave out any details.
If you're eating way less than that then I doubt you're building muscle, I'm sorry. Start using the food scale for EVERYTHING that goes in your mouth. I'd give it a few weeks and then report back if you're 100% sure you're logging accurately.
What am I going by when I'm weighing my food? What is too little? What is too much?
Well it depends on the amount of calories you're allotted for the day, you go by the package that will tell you what a serving size equals in calories. I'm not sure where you are but in the US majority of food packages will tell you the calorie amount in grams, which is the unit I use to weigh my food. Once you weigh out a certain portion you can decide how many portions you can have by comparing it to the number of calories you are allotted per day.
Florida...and ok thanks!0 -
StaciMarie1974 wrote: »How many calories do you eat a day? Your diary is closed. Do you log everything, every day? What did you eat yesterday (include quantities) for an example.StaciMarie1974 wrote: »How many calories do you eat a day? Your diary is closed. Do you log everything, every day? What did you eat yesterday (include quantities) for an example.
MFP recommends 2,930 but I eat way less than that. I just recently purchased a food scale to better calculate my portions. I log every single day. I try to make sure not to leave out any details.
If you're eating way less than that then I doubt you're building muscle, I'm sorry. Start using the food scale for EVERYTHING that goes in your mouth. I'd give it a few weeks and then report back if you're 100% sure you're logging accurately.
What am I going by when I'm weighing my food? What is too little? What is too much?
Well it depends on the amount of calories you're allotted for the day, you go by the package that will tell you what a serving size equals in calories. I'm not sure where you are but in the US majority of food packages will tell you the calorie amount in grams, which is the unit I use to weigh my food. Once you weigh out a certain portion you can decide how many portions you can have by comparing it to the number of calories you are allotted per day.
Florida...and ok thanks!
No problem! @StaciMarie1974 posted some very great advice above
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1--count your calories accurately. Buy a food scale if you have to. Just saying you are on a "strict diet" doesn't tell us much. Clearly, you are eating more than you think you are eating. And no way are you "turning fat into muscle doing all that cardio which brings me to: 2--weight training will be MUCH more effective than cardio. You need to increase your testosterone, and cardio doesn't do squat for that. Pump some heavy iron, and keep adding weight to the bar. And even more importantly, count calories accurately and consistently eat at a 10-20% calorie deficit, no more, no less. Too much of a deficit will increase your stress hormones too much and wreck your metabolism. 10-20% caloric deficit, plus the weightlifting, should nudge you the right direction. If you have the additional energy for cardio, do HIIT only--the elliptical, jogging, etc is a dead end and won't give you results--do short, burst, high intensity training or weights--but none of this advice is squat unless you are actually counting your calories correctly. And don't drink your calories. Eat them. Live on water, tea, black coffee, and real foods.
I just purchased a scale but I'm lost to what's too much and what's not enough when weighing my food. What guidelines am I suppose to follow??
Start by just weighing and logging what you are currently eating. See how it measures up in your food diary. Too many calories? Cut down. Not enough protein? Add some in. It takes a little trial and error.0 -
I just purchased a scale but I'm lost to what's too much and what's not enough when weighing my food. What guidelines am I suppose to follow??
You mean you don't know how many calories per day you should be eating? Cause it seems that what MFP has given you as a goal (almost 3,000) is too many?
If that's the case, I'd start with something like 2,500 and see what happens. Once you start weighing your food and eating fewer calories, you'll have a better picture.
Good luck!
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You are eating too much plain and simple.
Are you weighing all your foods accurately and tracking everything??
You can work out as much as you like and that will help make your body stronger etc but unless you eat less calories than you consume you will not lose a pound.
I started November 15, 2015 and as of February 18th I was down 74lbs
I'm heavier than you are but there is no way you wouldn't lose if you are in calorie deficit.
I set my calories at 2000 a day and Over a weekly average I'm around 1850 Cals per day. I am extremely sedentary due to some medical issues as well.
You can do this... Just need to reassess what you are doing and focus on it.
Good luck
Hey thanks for the encouragement man. MFP recommends I eat close to 3,000 calories a day but clearly I need to reconsider. I log everything daily and I just purchased a food scale
The scale will be an eye opener into just how much you are eating. My calorie count suggestion was 3750 per day to lose 1lb a week
I said forget that..... The people in the know say you can safely lose approx 1% of your body weight per week. So for you that's approx 4lbs
You need a deficit of 500 Cals per day to lose 1lb per week. So if it's saying 3000 to lose 1lb you could drop down to 2000 cal per day and lose approx 3lb per week.
Your exercise Cals would help you lose even more.
But be prepared.... 2000 Cals sounds easy but for guys our size it's a huge lifestyle change. Looking back at my old eating habits I can see where I was eating 2000 Cals for 1 meal many times.
Sauces are a killer so watch those and really measure those carefully.
Eat whatever you like but try to keep your macros in line, I find protein is the biggest bang for the calories.... And you can eat a ton of veggies with a low calorie count but watch butter and oil and sauces cuz those will kill you.
Fats are ok and needed by the body but try to eat good fats and keep your macros in line
Breads and pasta and starchy foods are good in moderation but the calorie counts are high... 1 whole wheat wrap is 200 Cals. That's 10% of your daily intake without any filling. I remember eating 4 wraps and thinking I was eating healthy.
Processed foods are the worst for you, so many hidden calories they will leave you hungry and out of calories for the day.
Weigh your foods and check cal counts on things and you will find where you are overeating and be able to adjust. But be honest with everything or the only person you are cheating is you!
Good luck
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The food scale doesn't tell you how much to eat - it helps you know how much you are eating.
Go by your daily calorie intake goal, and focus on getting enough protein, some healthy fats, some complex carbs. Eat based on what you need & what you want. (Wants are ok, just make sure needs are met.) There is no right or wrong. You may like to eat 400-500 cals every 3-4 hours. Or you may eat a small breakfast and a big dinner. Go with what makes you feel satisfied and energetic.
Some tips for using a food scale:
1. If you weigh the food raw, then log it using a raw entry. Cooking changes the weight because of changes in the moisture levels. So if you weigh 5 ounces (raw) chicken breast/no skin and then bake it: log it as 5 ounces raw chicken breast. Or if you weigh it after cooking and its 3.75 ounces baked chicken breast/no skin: log it as 3.75 ounces baked chicken breast/no skin.
2. Use the tare button on the scale. It resets the scale to 0. Such as put your plate on scale. Tare. Put your bread on plate. Note the weight, tare. Put your sliced turkey on bread. Note the weight, tare. Etc. for each food item. It really does not take that long once you get used to it.
3. Log according to what you're actually eating. You can change the serving size or the # of servings. Like if 1 serving = 140 grams, and you eat 70 grams, you can log .5 servings.
I just purchased a scale but I'm lost to what's too much and what's not enough when weighing my food. What guidelines am I suppose to follow??
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Cindy01Louisiana wrote: »You've lost inches, right? How many? You do know that a pounds of fat takes up more space than a pound of muscle, right? I don't know your stats, but if you've lost inches, but not pounds, I would guess that you are turning fat into muscle and that is a GOOD thing! Keep it up!
Fat doesn't "turn into" muscle. It's impossible. What you mean (I think) is he could be losing fat, thus the change in inches. Doing only cardio, it's unlikely he's building muscle. It's really hard to do that on a caloric deficit. Maintaining (or losing as little as possible) lean body mass is a good goal when trying to lose weight.0 -
OP, regarding the weighing--it's a real eye-opener! My eggs are rarely the weight per serving stated on the carton (66g). They're usually more like 80. Same thing with beans (130g or a 1/2 cup). 130g doesn't fill a 1/2 cup. Over time, all those little additions really add up!
Hang in there--you'll get there! It takes patience and persistence. Weight loss is a marathon, not a sprint.
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I just purchased a scale but I'm lost to what's too much and what's not enough when weighing my food. What guidelines am I suppose to follow??[/quote]
There will be some trial and error, but don't over think it. Guidelines? Measure your calories for the day correctly, and don't go over. Be consistent. Weigh yourself butt naked in the morning--every day if you like, but if that stresses you out, twice a week or so. Your weight will fluctuate. If you don't even know where to begin, just use the myfitnesspal.com recommendations for starters. I see from prior posts you should eat close to 3000 calories which actually sounds about right for your size, assuming you are measuring accurately. If the scale doesn't move, cut down to about 2600. etc. My main point is ACCURACY. Do you have a smart phone? If so, did you know myfitnesspal allows you to scan any food that has a UPC code? This helps enormously. Do you cook? If so, use the recipe feature. I cook meatloaf all the time. Then I enter all the ingredients, slice it into 10 pieces, enter 10 as # of portions in the recipe, and that way I know how many calories are in a piece of my meatloaf. Once you have an idea how much you are actually eating, plus weighing yourself, you can make adjustments, such as cutting calories and increasing activity, and actually measure your progress. Just put one foot in front of the other, and the stress isn't helping you by the way. Chill out, get a lot of sleep, and pump iron. You'll get it figured out.0 -
StaciMarie1974 wrote: »The food scale doesn't tell you how much to eat - it helps you know how much you are eating.
Go by your daily calorie intake goal, and focus on getting enough protein, some healthy fats, some complex carbs. Eat based on what you need & what you want. (Wants are ok, just make sure needs are met.) There is no right or wrong. You may like to eat 400-500 cals every 3-4 hours. Or you may eat a small breakfast and a big dinner. Go with what makes you feel satisfied and energetic.
Some tips for using a food scale:
1. If you weigh the food raw, then log it using a raw entry. Cooking changes the weight because of changes in the moisture levels. So if you weigh 5 ounces (raw) chicken breast/no skin and then bake it: log it as 5 ounces raw chicken breast. Or if you weigh it after cooking and its 3.75 ounces baked chicken breast/no skin: log it as 3.75 ounces baked chicken breast/no skin.
2. Use the tare button on the scale. It resets the scale to 0. Such as put your plate on scale. Tare. Put your bread on plate. Note the weight, tare. Put your sliced turkey on bread. Note the weight, tare. Etc. for each food item. It really does not take that long once you get used to it.
3. Log according to what you're actually eating. You can change the serving size or the # of servings. Like if 1 serving = 140 grams, and you eat 70 grams, you can log .5 servings.
I just purchased a scale but I'm lost to what's too much and what's not enough when weighing my food. What guidelines am I suppose to follow??
This I so helpful thanks a lot. How do I add you as a friend lol it only gives me an option to send a message when I click on your name0 -
I just purchased a scale but I'm lost to what's too much and what's not enough when weighing my food. What guidelines am I suppose to follow??
There will be some trial and error, but don't over think it. Guidelines? Measure your calories for the day correctly, and don't go over. Be consistent. Weigh yourself butt naked in the morning--every day if you like, but if that stresses you out, twice a week or so. Your weight will fluctuate. If you don't even know where to begin, just use the myfitnesspal.com recommendations for starters. I see from prior posts you should eat close to 3000 calories which actually sounds about right for your size, assuming you are measuring accurately. If the scale doesn't move, cut down to about 2600. etc. My main point is ACCURACY. Do you have a smart phone? If so, did you know myfitnesspal allows you to scan any food that has a UPC code? This helps enormously. Do you cook? If so, use the recipe feature. I cook meatloaf all the time. Then I enter all the ingredients, slice it into 10 pieces, enter 10 as # of portions in the recipe, and that way I know how many calories are in a piece of my meatloaf. Once you have an idea how much you are actually eating, plus weighing yourself, you can make adjustments, such as cutting calories and increasing activity, and actually measure your progress. Just put one foot in front of the other, and the stress isn't helping you by the way. Chill out, get a lot of sleep, and pump iron. You'll get it figured out. [/quote]
It's just a lot to take in and figure out all at once seeing that iam a beginner. I'm sure I'll get the hang of it thanks0 -
It's just a lot to take in and figure out all at once seeing that iam a beginner. I'm sure I'll get the hang of it thanks[/quote]
You will, don't give up. I struggled like hell. Tried things that didn't work. I'm telling you--and I see it all the time and even did it myself--the two things guys do wrong are 1--inaccurate perception of what they are actually eating and 2--too much cardio and not enough heavy weight training. Once I figured this out for myself, I lost 11 inches off my waist man. It's that simple.0 -
I just purchased a scale but I'm lost to what's too much and what's not enough when weighing my food. What guidelines am I suppose to follow??
Don't change any thing. Serve up like you would have in the last couple of months. Just weigh it before you eat it. That will give you an idea of how much you have ACTUALLY been eating and you can go from there.
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