On paper, I'm doing everything right...so why aren't I losing weight?

AliceDark wrote: »

Woman_on_Fire wrote: »

snowflake930 wrote: »

Are you weighing and measuring EVERYTHING that you eat and drink?

Yes, I weigh and measure absolutely everything I eat. I prepare all of my meals for the week using a digital scale. I do not measure beverages as I only drink no-cal drinks (water, black coffee and unsweetened tea only).

Not to nit-pick, but you have a lot of entries for solid foods that list the units in cups (Knorr shells, beets, mango), and you also have a lot of things like 1 apple, 1.5 grapefruit, etc. Fruit calories add up quickly, so you really should be tracking these kinds of things in grams.

Agreed. Do an experiment: take 5 apples that look about the same size and weigh them. If they're all the exact same weight I'll be super shocked! You may think you're weighing everything, but you're not. Using cups and teaspoons also isn't as accurate as you think. Take a week to weigh EVERYTHING that goes into your body, even if it's just a couple of grapes. EVERYTHING. Your scale is you best friend for a week. Focus on logging that way for a week and see where you're at. You will be surprised at what you've been missing.


Also, 3 weeks isn't a plateu. There are many things that can mask weight loss, including TOM/hormones. Weight loss isn't linear, and there will be times where the scale will stick in one place or go up a little for a few weeks, then you'll shed all of that and more the next week. Frustrating, but that's how it goes. One thing that helps your perception is to look at the TREND of your weight loss. MFP has a graph function that will plot all your entered weights on a graph. If you can draw a line from start to finish and it's going down, you're fine.

You might be a monthly loser like me. You don't get extra credit for extra exercise unfortunately; sometimes all you get is swollen aggrieved muscles. All that exercise will increase your stamina and strength.

I suggest changing something and see if it has an effect. And you don't have to be 100% perfect all the time to see results. You just have to change SOMETHING. Like dropping 50 calories from your daily target.

Or you could change to intense exercise every other day to give your body time to recover.

Yes. Your exercise burns seem very high. What did you do to burn 2,392 calories

synacious wrote: »

Your logging this past Monday seems to be incomplete, as well as Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. You have a few other weekend gaps and weekday gaps. Your apple is 231 grams every single time you eat one. Your cherry tomatoes are always 100 grams. When you say you're "doing everything right" that's not really the truth. I'm not trying to be harsh to you, but I've seen that phrase on this forum a multitude of times and in the end, their diary always reflects the opposite of their claims. Be honest with yourself, invest in a food scale, and weigh and record everything you eat. You will see progress that way.

Edit: I see that you're saying you weigh everything. I can understand weighing out cherry tomatoes to 100 grams, but how are your apples 231 grams every single time? What about your entries in cups, ounces, etc?

^^ Yes her tyson chicken breast amounts are also all the same. What about the Fuji apple, logging .75 of it without any weight actually measured. Fuji apple weight can vary quite a bit. Or fuji applle 2 1/2'' diameter log. This is not measurements from a scale but an estimation. Or cucumber .5 cups of slices, that is not a proper way to measure food, it should be all in grams! Anything with measured with cup (except liquids) can be grossly under estimated, you have to measure on a scale with grams and ounces.

First of all your logging is not accurate ( days missing)
Second you dont weigh EVERYTHING

You get far more calories than you think
Move away from a cup of fruit, a medium apple, 2 cookies, 2 large of some thing, 14 shrimps ( how big are they?)
And so on

Weigh your food on a food scale that will be an eye opener.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JVjWPclrWVY


Dont use cups and spoons or serving sizes. It is inaccurate.

snowflake930 wrote: »

For all that are not seeing her previous post, she already has told us she has a cell free home on the weekends and is tracking on paper and eating the same as during the week.

I would advise to keep going for a couple more weeks. If there is no loss, contact your health care professional who may be able to rule out any issue you may have.

Best of luck to you. Do not give up.

She claims a 2392 calorie burn workout yesterday. That's a little extreme

Usually when you start an exercise program, I tell everyone not to expect to see any real results for 6 weeks, this seems to be when the body starts adapting, at least in my own experience. The other thing would be to take your measurements because if you are doing any weight training, you are probably putting on muscle that weighs more. Something you could do to try and see some instant results would be to do an apple day. eat nothing but 6 apples and 6-8 glasses of water for a day. this can help release built up water retention. Otherwise I would give it another month before stressing about the actual pounds. I used to hit the gym hard when I was younger and would get regular fat percentage tests done and as long as my fat % was going down, I wasn't too concerned with the actual weight.

If you are being accurate I would say just wait it out, keep on doing what you are doing for another 2 weeks and see what happens, until then I wouldn't worry too much about the lack of progress.

CharlieBeansmomTracey wrote: »

MadeOfMagic wrote: »

How much do you weigh and what is your height? How are you measuring your exercise? How are you measuring all your food?
The only accurate way to measure food is with a scale and measure liquids as well. The most accurate way to measure calorie burn is using a heart rate monitor with chest strap. Do not trust gym equipment estimates and fit bit can be inaccurate for many people. Just looking at your tyson chicken breast logged food the amount is always the same, chicken pieces never come in same sizes, your weight would vary which leads me to believe you are not using a scale to measure your food. Every little ounce counts and can be the difference between you losing and not losing weight. Same goes for a lot of the other foods you log they are all the same weight.

Your exercise calorie burns seem extremely high, unless you are extremely obese like I am and exercising for 2 and half hours of hard cord weight training/cardio then your calorie burns aren't right especially the one logged for yesterday of amount of 2,392! And your others are 1,000-1400. These kind of calories burns are pretty unusual, I will burn 1100 calories with my HRM if I do 45 mins of hard cord weight training (with heart rate range of 155-175, resting is 62) followed by hard core cardio for another 45mins (with heart rate range 165-185 from resting 62), and I weight 240lbs. Please describe what activity you are doing, you heart rate measurements, your weight, and duration.

Next...you didn't log Friday, Saturday or Sunday. You seem to skip weekend logging quite a bit. What are you eating on those days? You have to log every day! Every bit!

a chest strap HRM is not 100% accurate either and is only good for steady state cardio. its going to be off for other types of workouts.weight training also doesnt burn a crap load of calories either.

Of course it's not 100% accurate, but it's as accurate as it can possibly get. I also have a fancy heart rate monitor that has much more complex algorithms than most which takes into account VO2max, resting and max heart rate, age, weight, gender, etc. which I update on regular basis (which applies to cardio based workouts). Weight training for most people won't burn a lot, but for someone obese (240lbs, 5'7, 27yrs old) like myself it does because I am lifting weights as well as my body weight and I do combination of whole body weight training (including lunges, push ups, etc that use large muscle groups which do burn higher amount of calories than other weight training exercises) followed by specific muscle groups. When I weight train I weight train for hour and half and my heart rate gets as high as when I do cardio, I break almost same amount of sweat as I do when I do cardio and I work just as hard. Now I know weight training can't be measured same way as cardio with HRM (because of oxygen expenditure) and because it's not 100% accurate I don't eat any of my exercise calories back, I eat extremely clean and make sure to eat well above recommended protein goals to maintain muscle mass. Exercise in my regimen is used to improve my fitness level and preserve muscle mass-not to earn calories so I can eat more.

lorrpb wrote: »

snowflake930 wrote: »

kimberlee_45 wrote: »

I have been in the same boat as you. Remember that muscle weighs more than fat. Don't let the scale discourage you. If you feel better and your clothes are fitting looser, then you are doing everything right and you will start seeing the loss on the scale. Trust me, I know how frustrating this journey can be when this happens. Don't give up! You got this!

Please add me if you like.

Seriously, muscle does not weigh more than fat. A pound is a pound, whether it is fat, muscle, feathers, lead.

The same VOLUME of muscle DOES weigh more than the same volume of fat. Just like a gallon bucket filled with nails weighs more than a gallon bucket filled with feathers. But a pound of nails weighs the same as a pound of feathers. Duh. OK?

Muscle is denser than fat and takes up less volume pound vs pound. So yes, she should take measurements to see if she has lost inches.

I apologize, I misread your post. Sorry. I think the duh was uncalled for however. I am not as ignorant as you think.

3 weeks doesn't mean much. Is your period due soon? That would explain it.

jemhh wrote: »

How tall are you?

Did I miss the answer to this?

3 weeks is not long at all. your body is probably retaining water. If you don't have too much weight to lose it's little harder to lose it in that short time. Stay consistent and you will see result - "it takes 4wks for you to start seeing changes in your body, it takes 8wks for your friends to notice, it takes 12wks for everyone else to notice, so keep going"

MadeOfMagic wrote: »

CharlieBeansmomTracey wrote: »

MadeOfMagic wrote: »

How much do you weigh and what is your height? How are you measuring your exercise? How are you measuring all your food?
The only accurate way to measure food is with a scale and measure liquids as well. The most accurate way to measure calorie burn is using a heart rate monitor with chest strap. Do not trust gym equipment estimates and fit bit can be inaccurate for many people. Just looking at your tyson chicken breast logged food the amount is always the same, chicken pieces never come in same sizes, your weight would vary which leads me to believe you are not using a scale to measure your food. Every little ounce counts and can be the difference between you losing and not losing weight. Same goes for a lot of the other foods you log they are all the same weight.

Your exercise calorie burns seem extremely high, unless you are extremely obese like I am and exercising for 2 and half hours of hard cord weight training/cardio then your calorie burns aren't right especially the one logged for yesterday of amount of 2,392! And your others are 1,000-1400. These kind of calories burns are pretty unusual, I will burn 1100 calories with my HRM if I do 45 mins of hard cord weight training (with heart rate range of 155-175, resting is 62) followed by hard core cardio for another 45mins (with heart rate range 165-185 from resting 62), and I weight 240lbs. Please describe what activity you are doing, you heart rate measurements, your weight, and duration.

Next...you didn't log Friday, Saturday or Sunday. You seem to skip weekend logging quite a bit. What are you eating on those days? You have to log every day! Every bit!

a chest strap HRM is not 100% accurate either and is only good for steady state cardio. its going to be off for other types of workouts.weight training also doesnt burn a crap load of calories either.

Of course it's not 100% accurate, but it's as accurate as it can possibly get. I also have a fancy heart rate monitor that has much more complex algorithms than most which takes into account VO2max, resting and max heart rate, age, weight, gender, etc. which I update on regular basis (which applies to cardio based workouts). Weight training for most people won't burn a lot, but for someone obese (240lbs, 5'7, 27yrs old) like myself it does because I am lifting weights as well as my body weight and I do combination of whole body weight training (including lunges, push ups, etc that use large muscle groups which do burn higher amount of calories than other weight training exercises) followed by specific muscle groups. When I weight train I weight train for hour and half and my heart rate gets as high as when I do cardio, I break almost same amount of sweat as I do when I do cardio and I work just as hard. Now I know weight training can't be measured same way as cardio with HRM (because of oxygen expenditure) and because it's not 100% accurate I don't eat any of my exercise calories back, I eat extremely clean and make sure to eat well above recommended protein goals to maintain muscle mass. Exercise in my regimen is used to improve my fitness level and preserve muscle mass-not to earn calories so I can eat more.

ok but sweat doesnt mean you are working just as hard. sweat is not an indicator of calories burned either. its just your body's response and you sweat to cool your body down,I can walk a few miles and sweat more than I do when doing weight lifting or cardio,doesnt mean Im burning more calories. .as for being obese you may burn more calories than someone overweight. but its still not going to be a high number like you think. I was obese and burned just a little more calories than I do now, being just slightly overweight. same with cardio. heart rate also doesnt mean that you are burning more calories either though. I can get my heart rate up while weightlifting too but its never going to be as high as it is when doing cardio. not to mention once you keep doing the same exercise for awhile your body will get stronger and you wont have to make as much of an effort to do those things so you will burn less calories. the only thing about not eating your exercise calories back is its creating a bigger deficit.

I was looking at your diary,on some days you have logged you are burning 12-1300 calories a day through exercise alone. not counting what you burn by being alive. but you are only eating 1200-1300 calories a day(on those big burn days) and most days you are netting way under 400 calories,you dont eat any of your exercise calories back? what you are doing is dangerous and too aggressive.being 5'7(Im 5'6 1/2), 1200 is too low of a caloric goal as it is,also with your weight you could eat more and you need to be eating more. netting so little is not healthy.

CharlieBeansmomTracey wrote: »

MadeOfMagic wrote: »

CharlieBeansmomTracey wrote: »

MadeOfMagic wrote: »

How much do you weigh and what is your height? How are you measuring your exercise? How are you measuring all your food?
The only accurate way to measure food is with a scale and measure liquids as well. The most accurate way to measure calorie burn is using a heart rate monitor with chest strap. Do not trust gym equipment estimates and fit bit can be inaccurate for many people. Just looking at your tyson chicken breast logged food the amount is always the same, chicken pieces never come in same sizes, your weight would vary which leads me to believe you are not using a scale to measure your food. Every little ounce counts and can be the difference between you losing and not losing weight. Same goes for a lot of the other foods you log they are all the same weight.

Your exercise calorie burns seem extremely high, unless you are extremely obese like I am and exercising for 2 and half hours of hard cord weight training/cardio then your calorie burns aren't right especially the one logged for yesterday of amount of 2,392! And your others are 1,000-1400. These kind of calories burns are pretty unusual, I will burn 1100 calories with my HRM if I do 45 mins of hard cord weight training (with heart rate range of 155-175, resting is 62) followed by hard core cardio for another 45mins (with heart rate range 165-185 from resting 62), and I weight 240lbs. Please describe what activity you are doing, you heart rate measurements, your weight, and duration.

Next...you didn't log Friday, Saturday or Sunday. You seem to skip weekend logging quite a bit. What are you eating on those days? You have to log every day! Every bit!

a chest strap HRM is not 100% accurate either and is only good for steady state cardio. its going to be off for other types of workouts.weight training also doesnt burn a crap load of calories either.

Of course it's not 100% accurate, but it's as accurate as it can possibly get. I also have a fancy heart rate monitor that has much more complex algorithms than most which takes into account VO2max, resting and max heart rate, age, weight, gender, etc. which I update on regular basis (which applies to cardio based workouts). Weight training for most people won't burn a lot, but for someone obese (240lbs, 5'7, 27yrs old) like myself it does because I am lifting weights as well as my body weight and I do combination of whole body weight training (including lunges, push ups, etc that use large muscle groups which do burn higher amount of calories than other weight training exercises) followed by specific muscle groups. When I weight train I weight train for hour and half and my heart rate gets as high as when I do cardio, I break almost same amount of sweat as I do when I do cardio and I work just as hard. Now I know weight training can't be measured same way as cardio with HRM (because of oxygen expenditure) and because it's not 100% accurate I don't eat any of my exercise calories back, I eat extremely clean and make sure to eat well above recommended protein goals to maintain muscle mass. Exercise in my regimen is used to improve my fitness level and preserve muscle mass-not to earn calories so I can eat more.

ok but sweat doesnt mean you are working just as hard. sweat is not an indicator of calories burned either. its just your body's response and you sweat to cool your body down,I can walk a few miles and sweat more than I do when doing weight lifting or cardio,doesnt mean Im burning more calories. .as for being obese you may burn more calories than someone overweight. but its still not going to be a high number like you think. I was obese and burned just a little more calories than I do now, being just slightly overweight. same with cardio. heart rate also doesnt mean that you are burning more calories either though. I can get my heart rate up while weightlifting too but its never going to be as high as it is when doing cardio. not to mention once you keep doing the same exercise for awhile your body will get stronger and you wont have to make as much of an effort to do those things so you will burn less calories. the only thing about not eating your exercise calories back is its creating a bigger deficit.

I was looking at your diary,on some days you have logged you are burning 12-1300 calories a day through exercise alone. not counting what you burn by being alive. but you are only eating 1200-1300 calories a day(on those big burn days) and most days you are netting way under 400 calories,you dont eat any of your exercise calories back? what you are doing is dangerous and too aggressive.being 5'7(Im 5'6 1/2), 1200 is too low of a caloric goal as it is,also with your weight you could eat more and you need to be eating more. netting so little is not healthy.

Okay let's not measure by sweat but how intense a workout is-as in by how out of breath one is, some of my sessions leave me out of breath, I am not just obese I am morbidly obese technically. I have tracked my calorie burns with same HRM when I weighed 160(overweight) and 200 (obese) and there were significantly lower than they are right now. The intensity of my workouts are almost equal to intensity of my cardio. Regardless I don't eat those calories back because I have no idea how much I actually burn from weight training and since it's majority of my training I focus on my body's response instead. I am constantly changing what workouts I do so my muscles don't get use to working same muscle group unfortunately viewing my diary can't demonstrate that unless you are logged in as me, I have almost every beachbody program there is and I do different ones on different days. I know what I am doing seems aggressive but I am not losing weight aggressively. I listen to my body carefully, if I feel my workouts are suffering at all I up my calories, I had to do that 2 weeks ago but now I am getting enough and have ton of energy during my workouts. I also eat quality foods with quality nutrition, I go well and above my daily requirements for protein and other nutrients, I always eat quality protein after my workouts and hydrate like crazy (drink way more water than my diary logs). More than half my workouts are weight training so cut those calories in half at very least, it's not as aggressive as it appears, I just log what my HRM says so I have history of my workouts and how it affects my performance.

Only days when I do cardio after weigh training do I really create a higher deficit but my workouts are composed of mostly weight training. I did quite a bit of research and found study where obese people had 800 cals a day with 3 a week weight training sessions 1 hour each and they didn't lose any muscle mass, I am eating above that and my deficit from exercise isn't as high because weight training doesn't actually burn that much. When I get to "overweight" I will re-evaluate my goals, exercise and nutritional needs.