Exercising to death and loss is slow
tml0119
Posts: 7 Member
Hi, I was 262, now 254.5, 5'4", 61 yo, woman. I work out every day (well, 26 days in July) doing cardio and weights and machines. I have a PT I work with 3-4 times a week for 30 minutes after I do my cardio. On my off days, I swim laps or do water aerobics, flexibility classes or bike classes. I eat less than 1200 calories a day and concentrate mainly on getting 100 grams of protein in which is difficult. I eat protein, vegetables and fruit - in that order. I don't eat red meat or bread. I try to get 10 cups of water in each day. My calorie count is usually around 800-900 a day.
But as of 7/23, I have only lost 7.5 pounds, 5 pounds of that was fat. Haven't lost anything since then. What's the point of doing all this work if I can't lose the weight? My doctor told me to get off the Fit Bit walking and get in the gym. So I did.
Ranting ... sorry.
But as of 7/23, I have only lost 7.5 pounds, 5 pounds of that was fat. Haven't lost anything since then. What's the point of doing all this work if I can't lose the weight? My doctor told me to get off the Fit Bit walking and get in the gym. So I did.
Ranting ... sorry.
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Replies
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How are you determining that you're actually consuming 1200 or less (bad idea...) calories per day. Are you/weighing / measuring & logging every morsel of food that crosses your lips? If not you should start, it's very common for people to underestimate their portion sizes and intake.
Based on the description of your exercise routine I have a difficult time believing that you're this active on less than 1,000 cal per day, exercise takes fuel.
and.....7.5 lbs lost in a month is not a slow rate. Weight loss is not linear.4 -
How long have you been on this journey for?
7.5 pounds is pretty good for a month...even two.2 -
You definitely aren't eating enough calories (assuming your calorie counting is accurate). Are you able to work with a nutritionist at all? Honestly I think that would be more beneficial than a PT (personal trainer, I assume you meant that and not physical therapist). Other tips I'd have:
-Make sure you are logging/weighing things properly.
-Try to move to whole foods over packaged goods.
-Make sure stress is down....this means cutting down on too much exercise. Exercise stresses the body, if you are doing too much for your current level, you could be effecting your weight loss.
-Make sure you are getting enough quality sleep.
-Stay consistent....weight loss goes through peaks and valleys and doesn't happen overnight.2 -
First off, I'm going point out, as I am sure others will, too, you aren't eating enough. I'm not trying to be mean just realistic and I think you may need some harsher language to put the point home. Tough love, if you will.
At your weight and with your activity level you should be eating more. 800-900 calories per day is, frankly, ridiculous, especially since you're working out. There's no reason to starve yourself to lose weight and eating too little will cause you to lose more muscle than you should. In your 60s you should be working hard to maintain as much muscle mass as possible, its loss is what contributes to a slower metabolism as we age. The amount of protein you're eating is not going to help with muscle loss since you aren't eating enough of anything else. You are starving your body and when you do that it starts to cannibalize your muscle mass because it doesn't know when it's going to get the proper amount of food again and wants to conserve your fat stores. Your doctor was right about the gym but your calorie intake isn't supporting what you're doing and it's counterproductive to your long term goals.
If you've increased your exercise lately it's possible that water gain for muscle repair is masking your fat and muscle loss. Hormones and your sodium intake can also cause increased water retention.
How are you validating your calorie counts? Are you weighing your food to be sure your portion sizes are correct? Are you entering your exercise into MFP? I'll assume you aren't eating back those calories since you're eating so little.
Has the scale moved at all since 7/23? A little up, a little down? If not, it could be your scale. Are you also taking body measurements?
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7.5 lbs in a month is not slow. You may need to adjust your expectations a bit.7
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First off, I'm going point out, as I am sure others will, too, you aren't eating enough. I'm not trying to be mean just realistic and I think you may need some harsher language to put the point home. Tough love, if you will.
At your weight and with your activity level you should be eating more. 800-900 calories per day is, frankly, ridiculous, especially since you're working out. There's no reason to starve yourself to lose weight and eating too little will cause you to lose more muscle than you should. In your 60s you should be working hard to maintain as much muscle mass as possible, its loss is what contributes to a slower metabolism as we age. The amount of protein you're eating is not going to help with muscle loss since you aren't eating enough of anything else. You are starving your body and when you do that it starts to cannibalize your muscle mass because it doesn't know when it's going to get the proper amount of food again and wants to conserve your fat stores. Your doctor was right about the gym but your calorie intake isn't supporting what you're doing and it's counterproductive to your long term goals.
If you've increased your exercise lately it's possible that water gain for muscle repair is masking your fat and muscle loss. Hormones and your sodium intake can also cause increased water retention.
How are you validating your calorie counts? Are you weighing your food to be sure your portion sizes are correct? Are you entering your exercise into MFP? I'll assume you aren't eating back those calories since you're eating so little.
Has the scale moved at all since 7/23? A little up, a little down? If not, it could be your scale. Are you also taking body measurements?
No, she is eating enough, but very likely not calculating it correctly.
OP, unless you are using a food scale to measure the pre-cooked weight of the protein you are eating, AND calculating for the fat used to cook it, you're underestimating your calorie consumption, probably by a lot.
Please make sure you're being accurate.1 -
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Alas, the weight comes on way faster then it comes off.1
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Why are you restricting your calories so severely? That is unnecessary and unhealthy. You need to eat to lose not just fat but maintain your muscle.0
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AmandaHugginkiss wrote: »First off, I'm going point out, as I am sure others will, too, you aren't eating enough. I'm not trying to be mean just realistic and I think you may need some harsher language to put the point home. Tough love, if you will.
At your weight and with your activity level you should be eating more. 800-900 calories per day is, frankly, ridiculous, especially since you're working out. There's no reason to starve yourself to lose weight and eating too little will cause you to lose more muscle than you should. In your 60s you should be working hard to maintain as much muscle mass as possible, its loss is what contributes to a slower metabolism as we age. The amount of protein you're eating is not going to help with muscle loss since you aren't eating enough of anything else. You are starving your body and when you do that it starts to cannibalize your muscle mass because it doesn't know when it's going to get the proper amount of food again and wants to conserve your fat stores. Your doctor was right about the gym but your calorie intake isn't supporting what you're doing and it's counterproductive to your long term goals.
If you've increased your exercise lately it's possible that water gain for muscle repair is masking your fat and muscle loss. Hormones and your sodium intake can also cause increased water retention.
How are you validating your calorie counts? Are you weighing your food to be sure your portion sizes are correct? Are you entering your exercise into MFP? I'll assume you aren't eating back those calories since you're eating so little.
Has the scale moved at all since 7/23? A little up, a little down? If not, it could be your scale. Are you also taking body measurements?
No, she is eating enough, but very likely not calculating it correctly.
OP, unless you are using a food scale to measure the pre-cooked weight of the protein you are eating, AND calculating for the fat used to cook it, you're underestimating your calorie consumption, probably by a lot.
Please make sure you're being accurate.
Whether or not she's eating enough, and I also suspect she's eating more than she thinks she is, she's trying not to and that's the problem. Anyone aiming for 800-900 calories per day is on the wrong track.7 -
A few pieces of advice, most of which echo the good people above me:
1) buy a food scale. I, too, resisted this advice. It's $10 on amazon prime and it will change your life
2) use said food scale religiously when cooking meals and make sure you log them
3) If after #1 and #2 you still find that you are eating less than 1000 cal a day- EAT MORE. Starving yourself will work in the short term, that's why anorexia is effective, but it will wreck you long term and it's not sustainable.
4) I also eat a ton of protein, but 100g/day has gotten easier for me. Foods that may help: Deli meat, turkey pepperoni, surimi, turkey jerky, hardboiled eggs (pop the yolk out if it screws up your fat macros, or if like me, you think its nasty), greek yogurt, pre-cooked chicken/turkey, frozen tyson chicken strips, smoked salmon, nuts, beans
5) Push your strength training. You'll see faster changes in body comp (hello motivation booster!), it will help you burn more calories, and it will help you build up the strength/endurance you need to push your cardio harder. Don't be afraid to lift heavy. Given that you are 61, its going to be tough for you to "bulk."
6) Buy a fitbit HR. I had the same issue, I lost almost nothing for a month even though I was logging religiously, running 3 miles a day, and eating less than 1500 cal. During that first month my resting heart rate dropped from 82bpm to 58bpm, which is absolutely insane. My body wasn't letting the weight go, but it was doing something. That was a huge motivator, and once my HR settled down, the weight started to fall off.
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weight loss, diet and exercise is a permanent lifestyle change. Just eat right every day and find some exercise you like and do that, forever. And dont worry about the weight loss, it WILL happen once you accept its a new lifestyle.5
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It takes time. Consistency is more important than anything. It took you how long to put the weight on? It did not happen overnight did it? It's not going to go away overnight. Like mentioned above, it's a lifestyle change, not a quick fix.3
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You're 254 pounds, your workout everyday and you only eat 800-900 calories a day?? You're doing it wrong. Your body would actually respond better if you weren't under nourishing it. Without running your numbers (which I will do for you if you PM me), I would say at that weight you need to eat at at least a MINIMUM of 1200 calories a day, plus your workout calories as well. Give it time, then you would start seeing healthy weight loss.0
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Eating low calories (if accurately counted) will result in more weight loss. However, eating very low calorie diet is a great way to get yourself to start binging after a while.0
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Wow, lots of feedback from you all. I appreciate it. To clarify some info ... I started back on the journey around June 22. I document every morsel of food I eat on Myfitnessplan. I weigh and measure my food. The PT is a personal trainer :-). Yes, I'm not eating enough but my nutritionist says that as long as I'm getting in my protein, that's a "good start". Had bariatric surgery 3 years ago, lost 80, put half back on. Blood work good - no issues with mal-absorption or vitamin deficiencies. Anyone know a good site or book to help understand how building muscle and losing weight work? Thanks again for your input! Very nice of you to respond.0
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You definitely aren't eating enough calories (assuming your calorie counting is accurate). Are you able to work with a nutritionist at all? Honestly I think that would be more beneficial than a PT (personal trainer, I assume you meant that and not physical therapist). Other tips I'd have:
-Make sure you are logging/weighing things properly.
-Try to move to whole foods over packaged goods.
-Make sure stress is down....this means cutting down on too much exercise. Exercise stresses the body, if you are doing too much for your current level, you could be effecting your weight loss.
-Make sure you are getting enough quality sleep.
-Stay consistent....weight loss goes through peaks and valleys and doesn't happen overnight.
Great pointers: I try to use fresh foods since packaged foods have so much sodium. I am stressed in my life right now and I'm working on that and you know, I may be exercising too much. And my sleep has been awful lately.
Thanks again for the pointers!1 -
thatdesertgirl777 wrote: »You're 254 pounds, your workout everyday and you only eat 800-900 calories a day?? You're doing it wrong. Your body would actually respond better if you weren't under nourishing it. Without running your numbers (which I will do for you if you PM me), I would say at that weight you need to eat at at least a MINIMUM of 1200 calories a day, plus your workout calories as well. Give it time, then you would start seeing healthy weight loss.
Hi, Yes, I'm supposed to be eating 1200 calories a day. That is my goal. Lately, I've been able to get it up to 984 and sometimes 1100. So I'm getting closer. Thank you.0 -
BrianSharpe wrote: »How are you determining that you're actually consuming 1200 or less (bad idea...) calories per day. Are you/weighing / measuring & logging every morsel of food that crosses your lips? If not you should start, it's very common for people to underestimate their portion sizes and intake.
Based on the description of your exercise routine I have a difficult time believing that you're this active on less than 1,000 cal per day, exercise takes fuel.
and.....7.5 lbs lost in a month is not a slow rate. Weight loss is not linear.
Yes, it's true. I have been this active since June 22. And yes, I can tell that it is wearing me down because of not eating enough which is why they boost my protein from 90 to 100-120 grams a day.0 -
Your body is probably on starvation mode. It thinks you're starving so its storing everything away. It will even out as long as you consume healthy calories and stay active. Also, once we hit a weight, our body fights to keep or bring us back to that weight. Hence part of the difficulty of weight loss. It honestly sounds like you are taking all of the necessary steps and as long as you keep up with the doctor visits and nutritionist. Good luck on your journey!
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Envious! I dropped 10 lbs this past year. I am very happy about that.
You are making great progress. A year at that rate will make amazing differences in your health and how you feel!1 -
Stop starving yourself and eat more. As a guy who is only 170. I eat 3x as much as you do with half the exercise and still lose weight. It takes time. But Jesus, actually eat something, why would your body give up precious energy when it's literally starving?1
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Post bariatric surgery and the VLCD that brings you will have a lower TDEE
Also I would warrant your med team know better about your personal circumstances than anyone here
The important thing to note is that you're on the right track...you are losing ..,yes it might be slower than you wish but even so it's going down
If you started June 22 that's 6 weeks ...and over a pound a week is great
So you just have to keep on keeping on
Because, seriously, what's your alternative?2 -
Post bariatric surgery and the VLCD that brings you will have a lower TDEE
Also I would warrant your med team know better about your personal circumstances than anyone here
The important thing to note is that you're on the right track...you are losing ..,yes it might be slower than you wish but even so it's going down
If you started June 22 that's 6 weeks ...and over a pound a week is great
So you just have to keep on keeping on
Because, seriously, what's your alternative?
I don't know what VLCD and TDEE are but thanks for the feedback. Yesterday, I took the day off from weights and cardio and worked in the pool with styrofoam weights. It was a good workout. Today, new session with personal trainer of kettleballs for 30 minutes. Yowzer!!!1 -
VLCD is very low calorie diet and TDEE is total dialy energy expenditure. What @Sued0nim is saying that you are making your body less efficient by eating too little after having bariatric surgery. I agree with her. 1lb a week is a good loss. And more importantly than the number, how do you feel?0
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Yep what she said ..sorry for acronyms I've been posting here too long
ThisPost bariatric surgery and the VLCD that brings you will have a lower TDEE
Also I would warrant your med team know better about your personal circumstances than anyone here
The important thing to note is that you're on the right track...you are losing ..,yes it might be slower than you wish but even so it's going down
If you started June 22 that's 6 weeks ...and over a pound a week is great
So you just have to keep on keeping on
Because, seriously, what's your alternative?
I don't know what VLCD and TDEE are but thanks for the feedback. Yesterday, I took the day off from weights and cardio and worked in the pool with styrofoam weights. It was a good workout. Today, new session with personal trainer of kettleballs for 30 minutes. Yowzer!!!
Sounds great
Keep going0 -
kellygreen1991 wrote: »Your body is probably on starvation mode. It thinks you're starving so its storing everything away. It will even out as long as you consume healthy calories and stay active. Also, once we hit a weight, our body fights to keep or bring us back to that weight. Hence part of the difficulty of weight loss. It honestly sounds like you are taking all of the necessary steps and as long as you keep up with the doctor visits and nutritionist. Good luck on your journey!
starvation mode is a myth ....
if starvation mode is real why are people dying of starvation in the third world? If starvation mode was true they would all be fat...0 -
Wow, lots of feedback from you all. I appreciate it. To clarify some info ... I started back on the journey around June 22. I document every morsel of food I eat on Myfitnessplan. I weigh and measure my food. The PT is a personal trainer :-). Yes, I'm not eating enough but my nutritionist says that as long as I'm getting in my protein, that's a "good start". Had bariatric surgery 3 years ago, lost 80, put half back on. Blood work good - no issues with mal-absorption or vitamin deficiencies. Anyone know a good site or book to help understand how building muscle and losing weight work? Thanks again for your input! Very nice of you to respond.
Is your nutritionist familiar with your new exercise plan? MFP is designed to eat exercise calories back, but obviously being post-surgery you have special circumstances that need a much more personalized approach. You might want to talk to them about the possibility of protein shakes to supplement your protein needs and get some additional calories in since food volume is a concern.
I would also recommend talking to your PT about the amount of exercise you are doing, and figuring out how to work in some more rest days. I know it can be hard to stop when you're trying to lose weight and are really motivated, but rest days are important for recovery, and can help you actually be more effective in your workouts because your body has the energy to push harder.1 -
AmandaHugginkiss wrote: »First off, I'm going point out, as I am sure others will, too, you aren't eating enough. I'm not trying to be mean just realistic and I think you may need some harsher language to put the point home. Tough love, if you will.
At your weight and with your activity level you should be eating more. 800-900 calories per day is, frankly, ridiculous, especially since you're working out. There's no reason to starve yourself to lose weight and eating too little will cause you to lose more muscle than you should. In your 60s you should be working hard to maintain as much muscle mass as possible, its loss is what contributes to a slower metabolism as we age. The amount of protein you're eating is not going to help with muscle loss since you aren't eating enough of anything else. You are starving your body and when you do that it starts to cannibalize your muscle mass because it doesn't know when it's going to get the proper amount of food again and wants to conserve your fat stores. Your doctor was right about the gym but your calorie intake isn't supporting what you're doing and it's counterproductive to your long term goals.
If you've increased your exercise lately it's possible that water gain for muscle repair is masking your fat and muscle loss. Hormones and your sodium intake can also cause increased water retention.
How are you validating your calorie counts? Are you weighing your food to be sure your portion sizes are correct? Are you entering your exercise into MFP? I'll assume you aren't eating back those calories since you're eating so little.
Has the scale moved at all since 7/23? A little up, a little down? If not, it could be your scale. Are you also taking body measurements?
No, she is eating enough, but very likely not calculating it correctly.
OP, unless you are using a food scale to measure the pre-cooked weight of the protein you are eating, AND calculating for the fat used to cook it, you're underestimating your calorie consumption, probably by a lot.
Please make sure you're being accurate.
How much do you think she's off by? 300 calories? 500 calories? Even if she is eating twice what she thinks (1600), that's a nice deficit for a 254 pound woman who exercises every day. She should be losing...1 -
Bariatric Surgery may be part of the clue. When the body's calorie intake is reduced by A LOT, the body intern reduces metabolic rate. That's why it's so easy for people who basically have really high deficits over a period of time, to regain weight quite quickly when they eat more than they are used to. It may take some time for you body to get used to low calories plus exercise.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
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