NOT LOSING WEIGHT HELP?!

I am 21 and currently weight 9 stone 12 pounds. I have been exercising 4/5 times a week at high intensity and have been sticking to my 1200 calorie intake. I am looking to loose around a stone.

I drink alcohol only on Fridays and stick to vodka and soda water and won't have more than 4 drinks. I am struggling to understand that 3 weeks ago when I started his process I weighed 9stone 9 pounds and now I weigh 9 stone 12 pounds!! I am putting on weight and I am not sure how or why? Could it be water retention? I am eating incredibly well and burning around 500 calories a day.

An example would be that last weekend I weighed 9 stone 9 pounds on the Saturday morning and by the Monday morning I was 9 stone 11 pounds.

Please help! Any comments welcome.

Thanks
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Replies

  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    How long have you been doing this? Often when people don't lose when they expect to it is because of logging issues. If you open your diary, you may get some help.
  • LC107
    LC107 Posts: 41 Member
    Do you weigh your food? That was my biggest change for me to lose weight. I know it may be a hassle but when I actually saw what 31 grams of cereal (the portion size) actually looks like I knew I was not sticking to my calories as I originally thought. It really made all the difference for me. It's tedious at first but it does become habit believe it or not. :)
  • Charlotte122016
    Charlotte122016 Posts: 12 Member
    How long have you been doing this? Often when people don't lose when they expect to it is because of logging issues. If you open your diary, you may get some help.

    I have opened my diary, and have been doing this 21 days today and no sign of weight loss :(
  • Charlotte122016
    Charlotte122016 Posts: 12 Member
    LC107 wrote: »
    Do you weigh your food? That was my biggest change for me to lose weight. I know it may be a hassle but when I actually saw what 31 grams of cereal (the portion size) actually looks like I knew I was not sticking to my calories as I originally thought. It really made all the difference for me. It's tedious at first but it does become habit believe it or not. :)

    I do weigh my food, most of it anyways! Given that I can and it is prepared at home etc. Just unsure where I am going wrong as I eat very healthy. I can't eat carbs really either as I suffer from IBS so not overeating carbs either

  • BeYouTiful94
    BeYouTiful94 Posts: 289 Member
    LC107 wrote: »
    Do you weigh your food? That was my biggest change for me to lose weight. I know it may be a hassle but when I actually saw what 31 grams of cereal (the portion size) actually looks like I knew I was not sticking to my calories as I originally thought. It really made all the difference for me. It's tedious at first but it does become habit believe it or not. :)

    Exactly this. Make sure you're weighing foods. Also, maybe get some of those measuring spoons. What I thought was 2 tablespoons of peanut butter was soooo not 2 tablespoons (I'd have a whole big pile on a tablespoon and think it was a tablespoon for some reason). It's kind of silly at first, but now I feel silly for never having done it in the first place. It's kind of an activity. If I'm out of cereal, I'll go buy some more and on a Saturday or Sunday, take 30 minutes to sit down and weigh out in baggies 29 grams so that I don't have to take the time when I'm in a hurry during the week. Little changes like that can make a big difference for you. Also, how are you on water? Also, weight fluctuates during the week, so don't be too bothered if you weighed on a Saturday and then weighed something higher that very next Monday. Maybe you had a salty dinner and held onto some water.
  • Jacob1020
    Jacob1020 Posts: 115 Member
    Weighing food is a good idea, seeing as you work out High Intensity, try eliminating the alcohol for 3 weeks. Also, don't skip breakfast add a sustainable amount of protien to your breakfast. Hope it can help.
  • Charlotte122016
    Charlotte122016 Posts: 12 Member
    I have two eggs for breakfast every day! Today was the first day I only managed to have a banana because I was running late.

    I am really good on water I always drink 2L and more, today I have had 3L so far!!

    I think you are right with weighing food. I just feel so gutted because I have been trying so hard and seeing zero results sucks!!

    Thanks for the support guys
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    edited March 2016
    It looks like you're using a fair number of generic entries -- those can throw you way off as you have no way of knowing how the person who created the entry for, say, coconut rice, did it the same way you did. You also have some selections that seem odd like "1 cup" of crumpet (I thought that was a baked item? I don't know, I'm American) and some that seem way off for calories (1 "small jam tart" for only 36 calories?).

    I understand you aren't preparing all your own meals, but this looks like a case of inaccurate logging meaning you may be eating much more than you think you are.

    Are you logging the alcohol? I don't see any logged. You have several weekend days with nothing logged or very little logged. What is happening on those days?
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    Jacob1020 wrote: »
    Weighing food is a good idea, seeing as you work out High Intensity, try eliminating the alcohol for 3 weeks. Also, don't skip breakfast add a sustainable amount of protien to your breakfast. Hope it can help.

    It looks as if OP eats breakfast every day.
  • Charlotte122016
    Charlotte122016 Posts: 12 Member
    Most of them say from 'tescos' and they were the tarts I ate? So I figured I was doing that right, maybe I am doing it wrong???

    I didn't know you could log alcohol, how do you log this? On what section? I always stick to only 4 single vodkas and sodas when drinking.
  • MarziDeThrall
    MarziDeThrall Posts: 98 Member
    80 proof vodka has about 64 calories per ounce according to google.
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    Most of them say from 'tescos' and they were the tarts I ate? So I figured I was doing that right, maybe I am doing it wrong???

    I didn't know you could log alcohol, how do you log this? On what section? I always stick to only 4 single vodkas and sodas when drinking.

    The tart I saw said "homemade," I think. I'm not sure what kind of tart it was, but 36 calories is very optimistic for the calorie count unless it was very, very, very small.

    You can log alcohol for any meal -- simply search for it in the database like any food. Enter it by the ounce. For a vodka and soda, I would think it would be at least 120 calories for the vodka (assuming two ounces) and then whatever calories are in the mixer. Drinks can add up pretty quickly.
  • queenliz99
    queenliz99 Posts: 15,317 Member
    Most of them say from 'tescos' and they were the tarts I ate? So I figured I was doing that right, maybe I am doing it wrong???

    I didn't know you could log alcohol, how do you log this? On what section? I always stick to only 4 single vodkas and sodas when drinking.

    Vodka is in the database
  • Charlotte122016
    Charlotte122016 Posts: 12 Member
    edited March 2016
    Thanks guys!! This has been so helpful. I think I am going to weigh my food, log my alcohol and keep at it for two weeks and see if there is any improvement.

    Hopefully that will help, thanks for the support. I clearly needed it!!! X
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    Thanks guys!! This has been so helpful. I think I am going to weigh my food, log my alcohol and keep at it for two weeks and see if there is any improvement.

    Hopefully that will help, thanks for the support. I clearly needed it!!! X

    Good luck! You got this. :smiley:
  • CurlyCockney
    CurlyCockney Posts: 1,394 Member
    Don't forget that bars can sell vodka in 25ml or 35ml units (or multiples), so check what you're getting.
  • kerryntrainor106
    kerryntrainor106 Posts: 3 Member
    I've also heard the saying "muscle weighs more than fat" so maybe you've lost actual fat but gained muscle mass and weight from your exercise? There are machines in most boots stores that you pay for and stop on and they tell you your weight height Bmi and body fat mass or possibly doctors could tell you? I hope this helps?
  • juggernaut1974
    juggernaut1974 Posts: 6,212 Member
    How tall are you? 138 lbs (9 st 12) isn't going to be terribly overweight unless you're very, very short. Not only does having little weight to lose mean you have to be uber-accurate with your measuring, but I'd also question whether or not you really have a stone of weight to lose, or perhaps if some body recomposition work would be a better goal for you.
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    I've also heard the saying "muscle weighs more than fat" so maybe you've lost actual fat but gained muscle mass and weight from your exercise? There are machines in most boots stores that you pay for and stop on and they tell you your weight height Bmi and body fat mass or possibly doctors could tell you? I hope this helps?

    Women are not going to gain significant muscle mass in 21 days on a 1,200 calorie diet. It just isn't going to happen.
  • Charlotte122016
    Charlotte122016 Posts: 12 Member
    I've also heard the saying "muscle weighs more than fat" so maybe you've lost actual fat but gained muscle mass and weight from your exercise? There are machines in most boots stores that you pay for and stop on and they tell you your weight height Bmi and body fat mass or possibly doctors could tell you? I hope this helps?

    Amazing thank you!
  • Charlotte122016
    Charlotte122016 Posts: 12 Member
    How tall are you? 138 lbs (9 st 12) isn't going to be terribly overweight unless you're very, very short. Not only does having little weight to lose mean you have to be uber-accurate with your measuring, but I'd also question whether or not you really have a stone of weight to lose, or perhaps if some body recomposition work would be a better goal for you.

    I am 5'6 and weigh 9 stone 12 currently. I would be happy to be a solid 9 stone and then do body re composition work, any advice you can offer in terms of my workouts? What would be best?

  • kerryntrainor106
    kerryntrainor106 Posts: 3 Member
    I've also heard the saying "muscle weighs more than fat" so maybe you've lost actual fat but gained muscle mass and weight from your exercise? There are machines in most boots stores that you pay for and stop on and they tell you your weight height Bmi and body fat mass or possibly doctors could tell you? I hope this helps?

    Women are not going to gain significant muscle mass in 21 days on a 1,200 calorie diet. It just isn't going to happen.
    That's alright, was just thinking that COULD have been why. I was saying she could have found that out lol. I don't know it was just a thought
  • kerryntrainor106
    kerryntrainor106 Posts: 3 Member
    I've also heard the saying "muscle weighs more than fat" so maybe you've lost actual fat but gained muscle mass and weight from your exercise? There are machines in most boots stores that you pay for and stop on and they tell you your weight height Bmi and body fat mass or possibly doctors could tell you? I hope this helps?

    Amazing thank you!

    You're welcome! I hope it helps another girl just told me that's not possible or something so I might be wrong :/ but at least you know where the machines are, I hope they help! Xx

  • queenliz99
    queenliz99 Posts: 15,317 Member
    I've also heard the saying "muscle weighs more than fat" so maybe you've lost actual fat but gained muscle mass and weight from your exercise? There are machines in most boots stores that you pay for and stop on and they tell you your weight height Bmi and body fat mass or possibly doctors could tell you? I hope this helps?

    Amazing thank you!

    You're welcome! I hope it helps another girl just told me that's not possible or something so I might be wrong :/ but at least you know where the machines are, I hope they help! Xx

    Read this

    http://weightology.net/weightologyweekly/index.php/free-content/free-content/volume-1-issue-3-the-pitfalls-of-body-fat-measurement-parts-1-and-2/the-pitfalls-of-body-fat-measurement-part-1/
  • mellyo77
    mellyo77 Posts: 214 Member
    edited March 2016
    :D
  • mellyo77
    mellyo77 Posts: 214 Member
    Also on some days where your calories are closer to your goal, its because you drank a latte that came in over 200 calories. Not trying to pick, just observations
  • queenliz99
    queenliz99 Posts: 15,317 Member
    mellyo77 wrote: »
    I took a peek at your diary you calories seem very low on some days....like on one day you only ate just over 700 calories. If you aren't eating enough your body goes into starvation mode and holds on to the food you do eat. Also I think logging your alcohol is huge. You have to log everything and pay close attention. I meal prepped for the week and so I added in my whole day of calories this morning - I wasn't paying enough attention and I had logged chicken breast fillets that were actually 60 calories more than what the verified entry was - so I would have over eaten 120 calories - not a huge deal but it shows the importance of paying attention

    Starvation mode is a myth. read this

    http://www.aworkoutroutine.com/starvation-mode/
  • Charlotte122016
    Charlotte122016 Posts: 12 Member
    mellyo77 wrote: »
    Also on some days where your calories are closer to your goal, its because you drank a latte that came in over 200 calories. Not trying to pick, just observations

    Interesting to know, no love the picking!! Thanks for the help