Why am I not losing weight!!!!!
kaitfin94
Posts: 35 Member
i know these kinds of posts are posted all the time and I've already seen the chart but!!! It's been six weeks and nothing is budging. The first week I started, I dropped a good four or five pounds and up until now that's been it. I went from hardly ever working out to working out 5 days a week (three weight lifting and two cardio) and I've been eating fairly clean with one not too crazy cheat meal a week. I keep my carbs around 100grams and I watch my sodium. I drink at least a gallon a day. So.... Is this normal and I need more patience? Or is there something weird going on? Also.... I weigh my food out religiously... So I know that's not the problem either!
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Replies
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Start walking 1 hour a day. Not running! Keep your carbs clean. Sweet potatos, veggies.2
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Can you open up your diary?2
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Is it possible you're just gaining muscle? Have you taken your measurements? Measurements are a much better way to notice progress than the scale is.3
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Have you measured yourself? Sometimes you'll lose inches and not pounds. You have to give your body some time to adjust to the new changes. The first few pounds you lost was water weight. You've only been on this journey for a few weeks. Now if it's been 3-4 months, then you should worry. Stay focused and the pounds will come off.1
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Eating "clean" doesn't matter when it comes to losing weight, if you're burning more calories than you eat you're going to lose weight regardless of what foods they come from.
How much of your exercise calories are you eating back? Unless you're wearing a heart rate monitor the estimates provided can be really off, generally you shouldn't be eating back more than around 50% of your exercise calories. Are you logging your cheat day as well? You might think you're not eating too much on those days but if you're not weighing/logging then too you might be overeating enough to slow down your weight loss.8 -
The weight you lost initially was not mostly fat. It was mostly water. From there, the increased exercise is also causing more water issues.
So what is happening is you are most likely steadily losing fat, but gaining back water that was initially lost. This will mask fat loss.
Example:
Week 1: down 6 pounds (1 pound fat, 5 water)
Week 2: No change (1 pound fat gone, 1 pound water regained)
Week 3: No change (1 pound fat gone, 1 pound water regained)
Add in hormonal changes with menstrual cycles, and various sodium levels from eating salt foods... and you can really mask a lot of fat loss with water gains.
However, we'd need full fledged details to really get to the bottom of your case. Mine is just an idea on what COULD possibly be going on for you.11 -
trollerskates wrote: »Start walking 1 hour a day. Not running! Keep your carbs clean. Sweet potatos, veggies.
You can ignore this post.31 -
i know these kinds of posts are posted all the time and I've already seen the chart but!!! It's been six weeks and nothing is budging. The first week I started, I dropped a good four or five pounds and up until now that's been it. I went from hardly ever working out to working out 5 days a week (three weight lifting and two cardio) and I've been eating fairly clean with one not too crazy cheat meal a week. I keep my carbs around 100grams and I watch my sodium. I drink at least a gallon a day. So.... Is this normal and I need more patience? Or is there something weird going on? Also.... I weigh my food out religiously... So I know that's not the problem either!
unless you have diabetes or a thyroid issue, you're eating more than you think or burning much less than you think - or both. eating clean doesn't matter regarding weight loss, sodium certainly doesn't. low carb doesn't matter, either, unless you have PCOS, diabetes or something like that.
unless you have an endocrine issue, all that matters is CICO (calories in vs calories out).
you say you're weighing your food - are you choosing your database entries carefully? one of my favorite foods is listed about 20 times, each with a different calorie count, with 200 calories difference between the highest and the lowest. also have you got your MFP set to sedentary? that's the best way to go, as you can add exercise to get your total. and last, are you eating back all, some or none of your exercise calories?3 -
Perhaps you need to really, really get meticulous on your food logging, and lose the cheat day or cheat meal. You can easily eat 1000-2000 or more calories in a decadent meal/cocktails effectively erasing all of your hard work the previous 7 days.
Instead of cheat day or meal, incorporate your favorites into your meals - just make sure you account for the calories and stay within your limit. This way you get to eat your favorite things without going backwards. I'm able to eat ice cream, have the occasional cocktail, piece of cheesecake, etc this way.
Whenever I've failed on a diet it has been because I was underestimating what I ate. Religious logging is the way to go.3 -
Do you weigh your cottage cheese and peanut butter and protein powder? I've noticed you're using cups/spoons, so I'm not sure. DO you log any cooking oils?4
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It makes no difference if you've eaten low carb or eaten clean , if you are consuming more calories then you burn then you will not lose weight.
Weight loss comes from a calorie deficit. You must create a calorie deficit in order to lose weight . you could eat low carb all you want or eat clean all you want and still not lose a pound if your not at a calorie deficit.
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How tall are you and what is your weight?0
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So I've definitely been measuring everything out including oils and peanut butter and what not. I use the scanner in the app to get the food so I know it's the right ones. Sometimes the food I'm logging doesn't give me the option to put things into grams so I just see how many grams a serving is on the package and add it in that way. I'm trying to eat clean but I am also still on a deficit. I use a Fitbit hr to get a more accurate calorie burn count but I still try to eat only a tiny bit of exercise calories back. But I haven't been weighing things on my cheat meals so that could definitely be my problem. I'm 5'2 and only have ten pounds to lose so that could also be why?1
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So I've definitely been measuring everything out including oils and peanut butter and what not. I use the scanner in the app to get the food so I know it's the right ones. Sometimes the food I'm logging doesn't give me the option to put things into grams so I just see how many grams a serving is on the package and add it in that way. I'm trying to eat clean but I am also still on a deficit. I use a Fitbit hr to get a more accurate calorie burn count but I still try to eat only a tiny bit of exercise calories back. But I haven't been weighing things on my cheat meals so that could definitely be my problem. I'm 5'2 and only have ten pounds to lose so that could also be why?
Yes, the less you have to lose, the slower the weight comes off.
But you say you've been measuring everything. That's not the same as weighing. Get a food scale.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XpHykP6e_Uk
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I meant weighing. Not measuring. Sorry, yeah I do have a good scale.2
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So I've definitely been measuring everything out including oils and peanut butter and what not. I use the scanner in the app to get the food so I know it's the right ones. Sometimes the food I'm logging doesn't give me the option to put things into grams so I just see how many grams a serving is on the package and add it in that way. I'm trying to eat clean but I am also still on a deficit. I use a Fitbit hr to get a more accurate calorie burn count but I still try to eat only a tiny bit of exercise calories back. But I haven't been weighing things on my cheat meals so that could definitely be my problem. I'm 5'2 and only have ten pounds to lose so that could also be why?
The scanner leads to the same MFP database as typing does, with the same possible errors.3 -
CurlyCockney wrote: »So I've definitely been measuring everything out including oils and peanut butter and what not. I use the scanner in the app to get the food so I know it's the right ones. Sometimes the food I'm logging doesn't give me the option to put things into grams so I just see how many grams a serving is on the package and add it in that way. I'm trying to eat clean but I am also still on a deficit. I use a Fitbit hr to get a more accurate calorie burn count but I still try to eat only a tiny bit of exercise calories back. But I haven't been weighing things on my cheat meals so that could definitely be my problem. I'm 5'2 and only have ten pounds to lose so that could also be why?
The scanner leads to the same MFP database as typing does, with the same possible errors.
I don't understand this comment - scanning by bar code leads to the exact product one is scanning not a generic or broad range of products like typing in say, vanilla ice cream, would do.
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trollerskates wrote: »Start walking 1 hour a day. Not running! Keep your carbs clean. Sweet potatos, veggies.
Why shouldn't she run?2 -
paperpudding wrote: »CurlyCockney wrote: »So I've definitely been measuring everything out including oils and peanut butter and what not. I use the scanner in the app to get the food so I know it's the right ones. Sometimes the food I'm logging doesn't give me the option to put things into grams so I just see how many grams a serving is on the package and add it in that way. I'm trying to eat clean but I am also still on a deficit. I use a Fitbit hr to get a more accurate calorie burn count but I still try to eat only a tiny bit of exercise calories back. But I haven't been weighing things on my cheat meals so that could definitely be my problem. I'm 5'2 and only have ten pounds to lose so that could also be why?
The scanner leads to the same MFP database as typing does, with the same possible errors.
I don't understand this comment - scanning by bar code leads to the exact product one is scanning not a generic or broad range of products like typing in say, vanilla ice cream, would do.
Scanning by bar code leads to one of the entries in the MFP database rather than a list of entries, but it's no guarantee that it's the correct one.3 -
paperpudding wrote: »CurlyCockney wrote: »So I've definitely been measuring everything out including oils and peanut butter and what not. I use the scanner in the app to get the food so I know it's the right ones. Sometimes the food I'm logging doesn't give me the option to put things into grams so I just see how many grams a serving is on the package and add it in that way. I'm trying to eat clean but I am also still on a deficit. I use a Fitbit hr to get a more accurate calorie burn count but I still try to eat only a tiny bit of exercise calories back. But I haven't been weighing things on my cheat meals so that could definitely be my problem. I'm 5'2 and only have ten pounds to lose so that could also be why?
The scanner leads to the same MFP database as typing does, with the same possible errors.
I don't understand this comment - scanning by bar code leads to the exact product one is scanning not a generic or broad range of products like typing in say, vanilla ice cream, would do.
Even scanning the product, you have to make sure that the entry for calories is correct... even the green check "verified" entries are not always correct. So OP must make sure she's posting the correct amount of calories and not just trust the entry is actually correct.2 -
paperpudding wrote: »CurlyCockney wrote: »So I've definitely been measuring everything out including oils and peanut butter and what not. I use the scanner in the app to get the food so I know it's the right ones. Sometimes the food I'm logging doesn't give me the option to put things into grams so I just see how many grams a serving is on the package and add it in that way. I'm trying to eat clean but I am also still on a deficit. I use a Fitbit hr to get a more accurate calorie burn count but I still try to eat only a tiny bit of exercise calories back. But I haven't been weighing things on my cheat meals so that could definitely be my problem. I'm 5'2 and only have ten pounds to lose so that could also be why?
The scanner leads to the same MFP database as typing does, with the same possible errors.
I don't understand this comment - scanning by bar code leads to the exact product one is scanning not a generic or broad range of products like typing in say, vanilla ice cream, would do.
I scan all the time. Wrong calories for the correct package pop up all the time. I end up manually entering it then.1 -
OP, I only bring these up because I never used to weight this stuff, and I was shocked by how off my volume measurements of them were when I finally started doing it. Do you weigh on a food scale:
Peanut butter
Jam
Canned tuna
Nuts & seeds
Protein powder
Fruit
Oats
"Servings" of guacamole
These are all calorie dense foods that might be throwing you off. Also I went back several days and saw no oil, butter, ketchup, beverages, sauce, etc. If you are using any of that, again they are calorie dense so make sure you measure and log.
The only other thing I can offer is that if you have less than 20 lbs to lose, progress will be very slow and can be offset week to week by water weight fluctuations and that can be really frustrating so patience is key. And if you aren't accurately logging your cheat meal, that might be a problem as well. Hang in there, and good luck!1 -
trollerskates wrote: »Start walking 1 hour a day. Not running! Keep your carbs clean. Sweet potatos, veggies.
This is dumb7 -
Definitely. Using spoons can easily tip the calories over, which is why I weigh butter, peanut butter, mayonnaise, oil. Actually, the only items I use measuring cups for is juice, stock, pop... basically any liquid with calories. Everything else, even fruit and veg gets weighed.OP, I only bring these up because I never used to weight this stuff, and I was shocked by how off my volume measurements of them were when I finally started doing it. Do you weigh on a food scale:
Peanut butter
Jam
Canned tuna
Nuts & seeds
Protein powder
Fruit
Oats
"Servings" of guacamole
These are all calorie dense foods that might be throwing you off. Also I went back several days and saw no oil, butter, ketchup, beverages, sauce, etc. If you are using any of that, again they are calorie dense so make sure you measure and log.
The only other thing I can offer is that if you have less than 20 lbs to lose, progress will be very slow and can be offset week to week by water weight fluctuations and that can be really frustrating so patience is key. And if you aren't accurately logging your cheat meal, that might be a problem as well. Hang in there, and good luck!
Oh... Weigh pre-packaged and pre-weighed foods, too, like bread slices and eggs. In the database a large egg is 50g, but when you weigh th eggs in the carton, the weights of the eggs vary from 50-70g, and that's a big difference. Weigh cold-cuts/salami... Everything.
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Thanks for all the tips0
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Calimama123 wrote: »trollerskates wrote: »Start walking 1 hour a day. Not running! Keep your carbs clean. Sweet potatos, veggies.
Why shouldn't she run?
Probably the same reason she has to wash her potatoes.5 -
Calimama123 wrote: »trollerskates wrote: »Start walking 1 hour a day. Not running! Keep your carbs clean. Sweet potatos, veggies.
Why shouldn't she run?
It makes the carbs unclean. #magic #broscience4 -
Hi, I looked at your diary and to me it seems that the little deficit you're making is undone by the cheat days. Your logging seems fine to me. Maybe try to cut the cheat days and instead eat some time at a deficit then some time at maintenance (to be able to enjoy those extra calories and not get crazy) and so on. Don't go over maintenance. It's that you have so little to lose and you metabolise at such low calories now that it is very difficult to lose weight anyway.
ETA: I'm at a healthy BMI too and I lose very slowly and almost never allow myself to go over maintenance. If I had cheat days I'd probably be stalled like you. This is just my opinion and it could be wrong.4 -
i know these kinds of posts are posted all the time and I've already seen the chart but!!! It's been six weeks and nothing is budging. The first week I started, I dropped a good four or five pounds and up until now that's been it. I went from hardly ever working out to working out 5 days a week (three weight lifting and two cardio) and I've been eating fairly clean with one not too crazy cheat meal a week. I keep my carbs around 100grams and I watch my sodium. I drink at least a gallon a day. So.... Is this normal and I need more patience? Or is there something weird going on? Also.... I weigh my food out religiously... So I know that's not the problem either!
Bottom line: if you are not losing weight, you are supporting that by eating at maintenance. Your macro distribution, food type, etc.-none of that matters as to weight loss. What matters is eating less calories than you burn.
Someone upstream mentioned that she looked at your diary and noted "cheat days" which could be killing your deficit. That can happen so easily!
I see you weigh foods. Way to go!
Do you measure your calorie liquids? Log everything you eat?
Do you eat exercise calories back? If so, where do you get your burn numbers from?0 -
trollerskates wrote: »Start walking 1 hour a day. Not running! Keep your carbs clean. Sweet potatos, veggies.
I disagree with this. 100%.1
This discussion has been closed.
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