Losing body fat but not weight. Seeing a nutritionist soon
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I am a nutritionist and if you came to me with your story I'd look at your food diary to insure you are getting enough protein for strength training (and if anything else is a red flag). Other than that, I wouldn't change what you are doing because it is working. There are times that our bodies need to catch up with us - that's why we see plateaus at all levels of weight loss. I'd say don't waste your time or money at this point - and DON'T become obsessed with the scale! You are doing fantastic - just keep it up!
The protein is a good point
I typically hit around 20 - 25% protein. Given that I am currently doing keto, it's more moderate protein than high protein. That being said, I'm seeing muscle gain. Would you recommend adjusting the protein macro? 0 -
Sounds like your body is doing exactly what it should be doing! You should definitely monitor inches more than weight. I lost over 10% body fat without losing any pounds. The scale is a big, fat LIAR! Sounds like you need a new trainer if they are "psyching you out".
@Panda_Poptarts what @Schuyer is telling you sounds on the money. As an old man when I started I did not lose a pound for 42 days. People were complimenting on my weight loss and I thought they were making fun of me being fat. After I realized my belt bucket had moved one inch to a new hole and I looked in the mirror and my fat jaws were missing I understood what they were seeing that my scales did not see.
Yes we can lose a lot of fat without losing a pound. I know it is not magic but I do not know the science behind it.0 -
Panda_Poptarts wrote: »
Ohhh ok, I guess I would just make sure I'm being accurate as possible. Sometimes when I find I'm not moving on the scale for several weeks I usually have day where I eat an extra 500 calories, that usually gets me dropping again, but not always, lol.
Thank you kindly Being ultra low carb, I am considering trying a refeed once a week or every other week. I'm hoping the nutritionist (while perhaps not as skilled as a dietician - yikes!) may be able to offer some insight into how this will affect my progress.
By refeed do you mean a high carb day? Is the low carb for PCOS, the pre-diabetes and hormonal issues? If yes I wouldn't mess around with high carb days.
I think you should just keep doing what you are doing. You started strength training which often leads to water retention for a small period of time. Give it one more month before trying something else. I bet you will have a whoosh soon!0 -
GaleHawkins wrote: »
@Panda_Poptarts what @Schuyer is telling you sounds on the money. As an old man when I started I did not lose a pound for 42 days. People were complimenting on my weight loss and I thought they were making fun of me being fat. After I realized my belt bucket had moved one inch to a new hole and I looked in the mirror and my fat jaws were missing I understood what they were seeing that my scales did not see.
Yes we can lose a lot of fat without losing a pound. I know it is not magic but I do not know the science behind it.
Thanks so much I've received lots of compliments too, and pictures don't lie. Not sure if you've seen some of the ones I've posted in LCD, but there is clearly major progress happening. I went down a whole pant size this month!
I think we should call it sparkly rainbow fairy magic and move on. Here's hoping for some scale weight loss in my future. In the meantime, I think I need to take what the nutritionist says with a grain of salt.
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By refeed do you mean a high carb day? Is the low carb for PCOS, the pre-diabetes and hormonal issues? If yes I wouldn't mess around with high carb days.
I think you should just keep doing what you are doing. You started strength training which often leads to water retention for a small period of time. Give it one more month before trying something else. I bet you will have a whoosh soon!
Yes. Well, higher that is. I was thinking to aim around 100g net on a "refeed" day. Currently I stay around 25g total. I switched over the keto for the pre-diabetes primarily, but it has had an astonishing impact on my hormones / PCOS too. I'll admit, a carb day sounds pleasant. Ha! I definitely won't be moving back to carbs without the guidance of an actual medical professional who knows my history. And honestly, that likely won't be something I seek until I move much closer to maintenance weight.0 -
Just need to flag this, you are not gaining muscle if you are eating at a deficit. There be some small, teeny tiny, newbie gains but not enough to discredit seeing fat loss. My guess is a whoosh is coming. I'm a whoosher.0
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VintageFeline wrote: »Just need to flag this, you are not gaining muscle if you are eating at a deficit. There be some small, teeny tiny, newbie gains but not enough to discredit seeing fat loss. My guess is a whoosh is coming. I'm a whoosher.
My strength has improved dramatically. I'm not sure it's possible to get stronger without some impact on my muscles?
I keep waiting for the whoosh 0 -
Panda_Poptarts wrote: »VintageFeline wrote: »Just need to flag this, you are not gaining muscle if you are eating at a deficit. There be some small, teeny tiny, newbie gains but not enough to discredit seeing fat loss. My guess is a whoosh is coming. I'm a whoosher.
My strength has improved dramatically. I'm not sure it's possible to get stronger without some impact on my muscles?
I keep waiting for the whoosh
It is. I got a lot stronger while losing weight (220 to 125), but I'm sure I lost muscle mass overall (tried to keep it to the minimum).
Anyway, I'm betting on the whoosh/body catching up to you theory too, and if you are losing inches I wouldn't worry about it. If the nutritionist is good (registered dietitian, I hope) he or she should realize that and be able to focus on things beyond the scale.0 -
lemurcat12 wrote: »Panda_Poptarts wrote: »VintageFeline wrote: »Just need to flag this, you are not gaining muscle if you are eating at a deficit. There be some small, teeny tiny, newbie gains but not enough to discredit seeing fat loss. My guess is a whoosh is coming. I'm a whoosher.
My strength has improved dramatically. I'm not sure it's possible to get stronger without some impact on my muscles?
I keep waiting for the whoosh
It is. I got a lot stronger while losing weight (220 to 125), but I'm sure I lost muscle mass overall (tried to keep it to the minimum).
Anyway, I'm betting on the whoosh/body catching up to you theory too, and if you are losing inches I wouldn't worry about it. If the nutritionist is good (registered dietitian, I hope) he or she should realize that and be able to focus on things beyond the scale.
Here's hoping! I'm not sure what her credentials are, but I'll find out soon. At the very least she should be abl to take a look at my TDEE and macros I presume.0 -
I was going to link the whooshes and squishy fat as well. If you have not read it, do so, I wish more people would read it. It is possible to lose inches, yet not have the scale more for a period of time. It is unlikely you are putting on muscle, but if your measurements are going down, you are losing fat, that is the purpose behind this.
I am concerned when a trainer is hired for a specific purpose (train in free weights) and then does not do that. You are the client, you are the one who says what you want. If he does not provide that, you need a different trainer. For that matter, a trainer who is that focused on the scale is a problem in itself. The scale is so easily thrown off by water retention (even the type that doesn't make your fingers swell), food digesting slowly, and the like. In your case assuming your logging is as accurate as you say, 1800 should be a reasonable deficit. Your measurements are going down, so it is likely fat is coming off, so him getting in a twist because of the scale not moving is silly.
I do suggest taking pictures so you can compare month to month how you look different. That is yet another measure of progress, and more data is always better than less.0 -
I wouldn't worry about it. When I went from dieting only to strength workouts + diet I couldn't drop a single pound for a month or so. It was much harder to stick to my deficit, too! But give it time and stay constant and you'll be back in track in no time. Meanwhile, you can and should celebrate your current progress!0
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rileysowner wrote: »I was going to link the whooshes and squishy fat as well. If you have not read it, do so, I wish more people would read it. It is possible to lose inches, yet not have the scale more for a period of time. It is unlikely you are putting on muscle, but if your measurements are going down, you are losing fat, that is the purpose behind this.
I am concerned when a trainer is hired for a specific purpose (train in free weights) and then does not do that. You are the client, you are the one who says what you want. If he does not provide that, you need a different trainer. For that matter, a trainer who is that focused on the scale is a problem in itself. The scale is so easily thrown off by water retention (even the type that doesn't make your fingers swell), food digesting slowly, and the like. In your case assuming your logging is as accurate as you say, 1800 should be a reasonable deficit. Your measurements are going down, so it is likely fat is coming off, so him getting in a twist because of the scale not moving is silly.
I do suggest taking pictures so you can compare month to month how you look different. That is yet another measure of progress, and more data is always better than less.
I am also concerned with the trainer. I figured we were working up to free weights. While he confirmed that I should be able to lift very light on free weights, we still didn't move that direction. Only to be informed that I have one remaining session. I'm encouraged to do machine weights and cardio, which is what I've been doing for a year. Not really sure what I paid him for.
Pictures are awesome, aren't they? I've included 2 of mine. In the white shirt, I was 50lb below starting. The most recent (grey shirt) is right around 75lb down. In both pictures, I'm wearing the same shirt and pants, same size, different color.
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Another thing. Calculating my TDEE gives me the following:
This would indicate that sticking around 1800 would be good, right?
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All of these calculators should be used as a starting point. There will be a some variance from person to person. I am currently at maintenance but eat slightly more than on-line calculators tell me I should - or I lose weight at a very slow pace. Some people might need to eat a little less.
Don't stress about changing your calorie intake for now. Give it one more month. If you don't see a drop in the scale by then I would say it is time to change things up. A lot of what you describe is what happens to people before they see a whoosh.0 -
All of these calculators should be used as a starting point. There will be a some variance from person to person. I am currently at maintenance but eat slightly more than on-line calculators tell me I should - or I lose weight at a very slow pace. Some people might need to eat a little less.
Don't stress about changing your calorie intake for now. Give it one more month. If you don't see a drop in the scale by then I would say it is time to change things up. A lot of what you describe is what happens to people before they see a whoosh.
There will be differences, but they will generally be small except for those few outliers. If you remember bell curves from your school days, this is a situation where the vast majority of the population who share certain characteristics (sex, height, age, weight) will be within a fairly small range around those numbers that the various calculators give. Some will be higher, some right on, some lower, but very few will be a long distance away from their number. I would leave your calories alone. Perhaps go through the database entries you are using to verify them against the nutritional information of your food since MFP has been doing work on the database and some entries have gotten messed up. Other than that, keep going, measure yourself, and keep taking picture.0 -
All of these calculators should be used as a starting point. There will be a some variance from person to person. I am currently at maintenance but eat slightly more than on-line calculators tell me I should - or I lose weight at a very slow pace. Some people might need to eat a little less.
Don't stress about changing your calorie intake for now. Give it one more month. If you don't see a drop in the scale by then I would say it is time to change things up. A lot of what you describe is what happens to people before they see a whoosh.
I appreciate the recommendation. I agree that staying the course is the right option for now. It's certainly a head scratcher to see the scale fail to move for so long, but as I suggested in my original post, I am okay with that right now, as long as I keep seeing other progression.0 -
I wouldn't bother with a nutritionist. If anything, you'd want to see a registered dietitian. But if you're still losing body fat, then I wouldn't worry about the scale.0
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I didn't quote the post, but you said the trainer was "working you up to free weights"??? You absolutely need another trainer. Furthermore, you should ask said trainer if they intend to START on free weight doing compound movements, if not keep looking. Or even better, go buy the book "new rules of lifting for women" and you don't need a trainer.0
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I didn't quote the post, but you said the trainer was "working you up to free weights"??? You absolutely need another trainer. Furthermore, you should ask said trainer if they intend to START on free weight doing compound movements, if not keep looking. Or even better, go buy the book "new rules of lifting for women" and you don't need a trainer.
I don't know that I'll be shelling out more money for training. HIGHLY unlikely. He felt at the start that I would be unable to lift an empty bar. I can comfortably handle 70lb in various motions, and feel like it's utter BS. Over the past few months I've gotten stronger and made serious strides towards being where I want to be, but the most I've got out of it is a 26lb kettlebell, some itty bitty barbels, and a treadmill. I feel like he has consistently looked at me and seen a fat person, rather than the strong person I'm working on becoming.
Clearly, I should have asked more questions.
I will definitely take a look at that book. I appreciate the recommendation. And thanks to all of you who don't mind my venting
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You may not be able to handle an empty bar, that's what Dumbbells are for. Granted, I do use a machine here and there for some work, but it's mostly free weights.0
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Panda_Poptarts wrote: »I didn't quote the post, but you said the trainer was "working you up to free weights"??? You absolutely need another trainer. Furthermore, you should ask said trainer if they intend to START on free weight doing compound movements, if not keep looking. Or even better, go buy the book "new rules of lifting for women" and you don't need a trainer.
I don't know that I'll be shelling out more money for training. HIGHLY unlikely. He felt at the start that I would be unable to lift an empty bar. I can comfortably handle 70lb in various motions, and feel like it's utter BS. Over the past few months I've gotten stronger and made serious strides towards being where I want to be, but the most I've got out of it is a 26lb kettlebell, some itty bitty barbels, and a treadmill. I feel like he has consistently looked at me and seen a fat person, rather than the strong person I'm working on becoming.
Clearly, I should have asked more questions.
I will definitely take a look at that book. I appreciate the recommendation. And thanks to all of you who don't mind my venting
I personally recommend Stronglifts 5x5. It has the advantage of being all compound lifts, it has few exercises to learn, and the app has example videos not to mention the lifts are all easy to find tutorials on youtube to help you.0 -
rileysowner wrote: »Panda_Poptarts wrote: »I didn't quote the post, but you said the trainer was "working you up to free weights"??? You absolutely need another trainer. Furthermore, you should ask said trainer if they intend to START on free weight doing compound movements, if not keep looking. Or even better, go buy the book "new rules of lifting for women" and you don't need a trainer.
I don't know that I'll be shelling out more money for training. HIGHLY unlikely. He felt at the start that I would be unable to lift an empty bar. I can comfortably handle 70lb in various motions, and feel like it's utter BS. Over the past few months I've gotten stronger and made serious strides towards being where I want to be, but the most I've got out of it is a 26lb kettlebell, some itty bitty barbels, and a treadmill. I feel like he has consistently looked at me and seen a fat person, rather than the strong person I'm working on becoming.
Clearly, I should have asked more questions.
I will definitely take a look at that book. I appreciate the recommendation. And thanks to all of you who don't mind my venting
I personally recommend Stronglifts 5x5. It has the advantage of being all compound lifts, it has few exercises to learn, and the app has example videos not to mention the lifts are all easy to find tutorials on youtube to help you.
Strong lifts is a great program, I use it. NROLW is great for women, my opinion is it better suits a beginning woman better, but you won't regret SL either.0 -
You may not be able to handle an empty bar, that's what Dumbbells are for. Granted, I do use a machine here and there for some work, but it's mostly free weights.
That's what, like 45lb? I think it's pretty likely that I can handle that. I've been primarily on machines and I'm bored. I want to be on my feet!0 -
rileysowner wrote: »
I personally recommend Stronglifts 5x5. It has the advantage of being all compound lifts, it has few exercises to learn, and the app has example videos not to mention the lifts are all easy to find tutorials on youtube to help you.
Thank you! Is getting started as intimidating as it feels? I'm afraid I'm going to hurt myself. I hang around MFP checking out lifting videos though and I'm fascinated.0 -
Panda_Poptarts wrote: »You may not be able to handle an empty bar, that's what Dumbbells are for. Granted, I do use a machine here and there for some work, but it's mostly free weights.
That's what, like 45lb? I think it's pretty likely that I can handle that. I've been primarily on machines and I'm bored. I want to be on my feet!
Lol, that wasn't an indictment, I was pointing out the fallacy in your trainers idea of not doing free weights because they didn't think you could handle the bar. Doesn't matter, empty bar or Dumbbells, either way.0 -
Panda_Poptarts wrote: »I didn't quote the post, but you said the trainer was "working you up to free weights"??? You absolutely need another trainer. Furthermore, you should ask said trainer if they intend to START on free weight doing compound movements, if not keep looking. Or even better, go buy the book "new rules of lifting for women" and you don't need a trainer.
I don't know that I'll be shelling out more money for training. HIGHLY unlikely. He felt at the start that I would be unable to lift an empty bar. I can comfortably handle 70lb in various motions, and feel like it's utter BS. Over the past few months I've gotten stronger and made serious strides towards being where I want to be, but the most I've got out of it is a 26lb kettlebell, some itty bitty barbels, and a treadmill. I feel like he has consistently looked at me and seen a fat person, rather than the strong person I'm working on becoming.
Clearly, I should have asked more questions.
I will definitely take a look at that book. I appreciate the recommendation. And thanks to all of you who don't mind my venting
I'm also female, and I just use two machines.
Even for deadlifts and squats, one can use dumbbells instead of a bar, and your trainer should know this. You may be right in how he sees you, or women in general. Get him a copy of "New Rules of Lifting for Women" as a parting gift
Yes, let this be a learning experience about asking questions and advocating for what you want. I know this is an entirely different situation, but it just happened yesterday so is on my mind - my fiance's mother is in rehab and is miserable, and she's not advocating for herself. She calls my OH or her sister to complain about the staff rather than telling the staff what she needs and wants.
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Panda_Poptarts wrote: »You may not be able to handle an empty bar, that's what Dumbbells are for. Granted, I do use a machine here and there for some work, but it's mostly free weights.
That's what, like 45lb? I think it's pretty likely that I can handle that. I've been primarily on machines and I'm bored. I want to be on my feet!
Lol, that wasn't an indictment, I was pointing out the fallacy in your trainers idea of not doing free weights because they didn't think you could handle the bar. Doesn't matter, empty bar or Dumbbells, either way.
Look at me, jumping to conclusions.
The end result remains the same: I know my body better than he does. 0 -
kshama2001 wrote: »
I'm also female, and I just use two machines.
Even for deadlifts and squats, one can use dumbbells instead of a bar, and your trainer should know this. You may be right in how he sees you, or women in general. Get him a copy of "New Rules of Lifting for Women" as a parting gift
Yes, let this be a learning experience about asking questions and advocating for what you want. I know this is an entirely different situation, but it just happened yesterday so is on my mind - my fiance's mother is in rehab and is miserable, and she's not advocating for herself. She calls my OH or her sister to complain about the staff rather than telling the staff what she needs and wants.
I think women in general may be more accurate. I've seen him with other clients similar to myself - overweight twenty and thirty somethings - and the exercises he selects are pathetic. Squats, lunges, crunches (so, so many crunches), treadmill, etc. All the gents get taken straight to the free weights, regardless of apparent ability judging by the rate at which iron is flung around.
You're absolutely right, too. In an effort to avoid conflict, I'm bitching on MFP rather than to the people who might be able to do something about it. I think I need to find myself some big girl pants.
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