Help! No progress whatsoever after 2+ months...
yellowbrickroad369
Posts: 11 Member
I am a 51 year old woman, 158 pounds and 5'8" tall, no stranger to fitness and eating healthy. I gained 15 pounds over the past year and a half due to some very stressful events in my life. I eat clean - avoid processed food, grains and things made with flour, as much as possible. For the past two months I've been tracking my calories, carbs, protein, etc. assiduously, and working out on an average of 45 minutes per day 6 [freaking] days per week. I do a combination of running, swimming and strength training, the latter at least 3 x week.
Result? I have not lost one godforsaken pound!! I can't even get on the scale anymore because I just cry. And yes, I'm measuring with the tape measure too and no, I haven't lost any inches either. WHAT is wrong with me?? I'm finally giving in and going to see my doctor next week and I'm going to ask about bio-identical hormone replacement therapy - could be I need some progesterone possibly? I've already had thyroid checked and it's within normal range.
Now, I know my problems may seem small to others who are trying to lose much more weight, but it is very frustrating nonetheless, because none of my clothes fit, I don't feel good in my own skin, and I don't want to just give up and have this larger me become 'the new normal.' I don't see why aging needs to equal weight gain. I'd be grateful to hear if anyone on here has had any kind similar experience.
And yes, I have also tried staying off the scale altogether and also taking the median of several days weight - makes no difference. It doesn't budge off this number.
Thanks for reading!
Result? I have not lost one godforsaken pound!! I can't even get on the scale anymore because I just cry. And yes, I'm measuring with the tape measure too and no, I haven't lost any inches either. WHAT is wrong with me?? I'm finally giving in and going to see my doctor next week and I'm going to ask about bio-identical hormone replacement therapy - could be I need some progesterone possibly? I've already had thyroid checked and it's within normal range.
Now, I know my problems may seem small to others who are trying to lose much more weight, but it is very frustrating nonetheless, because none of my clothes fit, I don't feel good in my own skin, and I don't want to just give up and have this larger me become 'the new normal.' I don't see why aging needs to equal weight gain. I'd be grateful to hear if anyone on here has had any kind similar experience.
And yes, I have also tried staying off the scale altogether and also taking the median of several days weight - makes no difference. It doesn't budge off this number.
Thanks for reading!
1
Replies
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Are you measuring everything you eat with a food scale?11
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I see no mention of how many Calories you're eating every day. I'm thinking around 1350?2
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If you're staying the same weight, you're eating at maintenance. If you're gaining, you're eating too much.6
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No, I don't use a food scale. Good point, I forgot to mention calorie intake! After doing all those BMR, TDEE calculations and aiming for a 500 calorie deficit based on my activity level, I'm averaging 1600-1800 calories a day. I've tried loads of online calculators and this is what keeps coming up. Am I that far off??1
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yellowbrickroad369 wrote: »No, I don't use a food scale. Good point, I forgot to mention calorie intake! After doing all those BMR, TDEE calculations and aiming for a 500 calorie deficit based on my activity level, I'm averaging 1600-1800 calories a day. I've tried loads of online calculators and this is what keeps coming up. Am I that far off??
apparently yes if you haven't lost anything.
I am 44...5 ft 7 about 150 lbs and I use a food scale and lose on 1600-1800...6 -
yellowbrickroad369 wrote: »No, I don't use a food scale. Good point, I forgot to mention calorie intake! After doing all those BMR, TDEE calculations and aiming for a 500 calorie deficit based on my activity level, I'm averaging 1600-1800 calories a day. I've tried loads of online calculators and this is what keeps coming up. Am I that far off??
Invest in a digital food scale and make sure what you're actually eating matches what you're logging. Small differences between weighing your food and measuring with cups/spoons can result in hundreds of calories of difference per day.
Here's a video that shows this:
https://youtu.be/vjKPIcI51lU 16 -
If the scale has literally not changed at all, up or down, have you tried replacing the batteries (if digital) or using a different one? It could be something as simple as a problem with your actual scale, even though you say you haven't lost inches either.
If it's not that, then the next thing to look at is your logging. As @Baxie23 said, are you weighing everything with a food scale? I know that in pretty much every thread of this type people come in and say this, and folks get tired of hearing it as the first advice offered! But it really is so common that weighing/measuring and logging errors (including choosing incorrect database entries) are the cause of many people eating more calories than they realise and thus not losing weight. (Some people resist the "you're eating too much!" idea because it feels like they're being accused of greed, when that's not the case at all... it's just quite hard for many people to accurately estimate by eyeballing their portions.)
Since you've only just created your account here you have no diary information for us to look at and advise on. How have you been tracking your calorie intake so far? "Eating clean" (whatever your personal definition of it may be) means nothing with regard to weight loss unless you're also accurately tracking your intake. Make sure that you log everything you eat and drink, including oils, condiments, sauces and dressings, coffee/tea, etc. Don't think that fruit and vegetables don't count because they may have been "free" on another plan. And weigh prepacked food as well, don't trust the weight given on the label.
Also, have you recently started this exercise regimen or were you previously working out just as much? There could be a certain amount of water weight related to that which is masking any fat loss, and you might just need to keep at it and be patient. (I know that can be difficult!) Purely for weight loss, your calorie intake is the most important thing and exercise is more for fitness. (You can create your deficit through exercise rather than reducing calories, but it tends to be more difficult for many people to do it that way.)
Check out some of the threads listed in this post, and make sure your logging is spot on. You're already at a healthy weight, so with only a few pounds to lose your daily deficit should be small and you don't have much room for error.
It is possible that there's a medical issue making things more difficult for you, but unless you actually feel unwell then I'd focus on getting your weighing and logging in order first and give it more time, before worrying that there might be another cause.
Good luck!
[edit: I see that a bunch of other people posted while I was composing this!
And you said you don't use a scale, so definitely start there and give it a few more weeks.] 5 -
There's no way in all that time that a single fluctuation wouldn't have happened on the scale. I'd have to agree, if it's saying the exact same weight all this time to the pound then it's faulty. I also second the food scale, no way to be sure you're accurate unless you're using one. So if you are sure the scale is fine, and don't want to buy a food scale, then you'll probably have to drop your calories more, or double your exercise. I, personally, would use the food scale. I love mine.4
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Thanks a lot for your answers on here! I've actually been a member here for several years and have been tracking calories and what I'm eating on here for the past month and a half at least - so I'm not sure why you can't see it or it's not showing up. Maybe I have to change some privacy settings or something?
Anyway, I'm definitely aware of tracking absolutely everything I eat and I do my best to do that whether it's a pad of butter or oil and vinegar dressing. I'm sure there is some margin for error in recording stuff without a food scale, but I do often look up photos of portion sizes, or for example what does 4 oz. of chicken breast look like, etc. before logging it.
Bought a new scale already - check! (body weight scale)
I have always worked out a lot and I do a LOT of heavy weight lifting and strength training, especially the last three years. However, I know this is not just extra muscle I'm carrying around, the fat is obvious, as my clothes are tighter and not looser.;)
No on on here has mentioned anything about hormonal changes though and I'm curious to talk to my doctor about it. I have read some places that it is often extremely difficult for perimenopausal women to lose weight at all. Obviously everyone's different, but maybe I"m one of the unlucky ones. I will read those other posts you linked too. and try to keep the faith!
Thanks again!0 -
yellowbrickroad369 wrote: »No, I don't use a food scale. Good point, I forgot to mention calorie intake! After doing all those BMR, TDEE calculations and aiming for a 500 calorie deficit based on my activity level, I'm averaging 1600-1800 calories a day. I've tried loads of online calculators and this is what keeps coming up. Am I that far off??
If you're not using a food scale then you're estimating on portion sizes and that can lead to all sorts of problems. Get a food scale, set it to grams, and use it to measure out all your foods. You'll be very surprised at the difference it makes!9 -
yellowbrickroad369 wrote: »Thanks a lot for your answers on here! I've actually been a member here for several years and have been tracking calories and what I'm eating on here for the past month and a half at least - so I'm not sure why you can't see it or it's not showing up. Maybe I have to change some privacy settings or something?
Hmm... well, when I clicked on your name it said your "first visit" was 1:09pm today. Maybe there is something weird about your settings!yellowbrickroad369 wrote: »No on on here has mentioned anything about hormonal changes though and I'm curious to talk to my doctor about it. I have read some places that it is often extremely difficult for perimenopausal women to lose weight at all. Obviously everyone's different, but maybe I"m one of the unlucky ones. I will read those other posts you linked too. and try to keep the faith!
Thanks again!
I'm 51 and in perimenopause, and haven't had any trouble losing weight this year. Not to say that it couldn't be an issue for you, but I personally don't see it as an obvious (or even common) reason for a woman not losing weight.
I do think that your not weighing your food is the most likely culprit here, and there is a LOT of margin for error in not doing so! Definitely watch that video when you have a few minutes. I found it an eye-opening experience when I started weighing mine. A food scale is cheap, and although it might seem a pain to begin with (I found it tedious at first) it really does help so much and it soon becomes second nature. I wouldn't be without mine now! 8 -
Just to reiterate the need for a food scale.2
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All right, I'm in for the food scale!! Will get one. Just changed my food diary settings to public, I had everything on private before. This is the first time I've posted on this discussion thread, just today, but as I said I've been on here and tracking since early October, and I used it more a couple of years ago. Thanks for all your help!7
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yellowbrickroad369 wrote: »All right, I'm in for the food scale!!
Excellent choice!
I see your diary now - and yes, you need to start weighing. There's absolutely nothing wrong with the foods you're eating, but many of them can be high in calories so if you're not weighing them you could well be far over the amount you think you're eating! Check out this list and make sure that you're very careful about the amount you eat of any of these things. It starts to add up fast!
(In light of your comments I'm going to guess that the "first visit" thing refers to a member's first visit/post to the forums, and not to their account creation date! ) 2 -
I'd just like to add... when you do get your food scale and start weighing, please do come back and update us with your findings! I think that sometimes people are a bit embarrassed to admit they've been consuming more than they thought (presuming that that is the case), but it would be very helpful to other folks browsing the threads to see if it really does make as much of a difference as people always say. 2
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OK will do, thank you Sue!1
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You're welcome! I hope that this does turn out to be the source of your problem and you'll be comfortable in your clothes again soon! 0
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One more question...am I understanding the math right that we should aim for about 500 calories below our TDEE?2
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It depends on how fast you want to lose... slower is usually considered better (unless one is severely obese), and -500 would be around 1lb per week for most people. Because you don't have much to lose, the recommendation would usually be to aim for 0.5lbs/week which would be -250 calories. It would take you longer to lose the excess weight, but the general advice seems to be to slow things down as you approach your goal. I guess really it's up to you and what seems to work best for you, but I wouldn't go for more than 1lb/week.
Don't forget, too, that MFP is designed for you to eat back at least some of your exercise calories. Most people set their activity level based on their job or regular daily activity and then log exercise separately, but you could also set yourself as active (or maybe very active) based on your workouts and not add anything more. Sometimes it just needs a bit of experimentation to figure out what works best for you and your particular lifestyle.
(For reference I've been at 1lb/week all along, and although my weight fluctuates a lot the overall trend has been almost exactly that - 46lbs in 44.5 weeks right now. I still have 25-30lbs to go, so I don't intend to increase my calories just yet, but because I'm inactive my allowance is currently only 1290 per day. As I get smaller that will decrease even more, so my losses will naturally slow down anyway because I want to be able to actually eat!
) 0 -
Wow, congratulations on impressive results! Sorry, I don't know what MFP stands for. Considering I'm not losing ANY weigh at all yet, I'd be happy with 1/2 lb. per week. 1
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yellowbrickroad369 wrote: »Wow, congratulations on impressive results! Sorry, I don't know what MFP stands for. Considering I'm not losing ANY weigh at all yet, I'd be happy with 1/2 lb. per week.
MFP= MyFitnessPal.. The site you are on right now.3 -
Oh. Duh. Thanks!2
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I feel your pain. I'm a fitness instructor, nutritionist and chef. I eat clean( in the true sense of the word), I am not working as a chef at the moment so I'm not getting hidden tasting calories. I track my water, food and exercise and have gained 15 lbs in 3 months. Unfortunately I do have a thyroid problem which I take meds for and my levels are ok, I've been diagnosed with fibromyalgia , but I am still active everyday. I walk 60 min a day on top of my hour swims, hot yoga, boot camps, strength training and cycling. I also struggled with major depressive disorder for the past 20 years and been on countless meds. I'm almost 40 and I question my hormones being on the level, but I know these meds are causing the weight gain. My doctors don't seem to care and just say workout or eat less!!! Wtf how much more can I do. So I can totally empathize with you and just wonder if you are on any meds or dealing with stress?0
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Thanks for sharing your story. It sounds like your body is dealing with a lot of other issues at the moment, so not surprised to hear you can't lose the weight. Have you tried any alternative practitioners who might be more open to listening to you rather than throwing up their hands and saying there's nothing that can be done? I'm not taking any major meds other than melatonin and a low dosage of Doxipene for sleep. I struggle with chronic insomnia. The worst stress of the past year has subsided and I'm sleeping much better. It sounds like you do a ton of exercise! Maybe your body is stressed and I know it sounds hard, when you've gained weight, but try to just give it the rest and healing it needs, while maybe just staying lightly active, like walking and maybe yoga? I'm no one to be giving advice really, but it's just a suggestion. I'm sure others on here can be much more helpful than me. Hang in there!!0
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dawnwells6172 wrote: »I feel your pain. I'm a fitness instructor, nutritionist and chef. I eat clean( in the true sense of the word), I am not working as a chef at the moment so I'm not getting hidden tasting calories. I track my water, food and exercise and have gained 15 lbs in 3 months. Unfortunately I do have a thyroid problem which I take meds for and my levels are ok, I've been diagnosed with fibromyalgia , but I am still active everyday. I walk 60 min a day on top of my hour swims, hot yoga, boot camps, strength training and cycling. I also struggled with major depressive disorder for the past 20 years and been on countless meds. I'm almost 40 and I question my hormones being on the level, but I know these meds are causing the weight gain. My doctors don't seem to care and just say workout or eat less!!! Wtf how much more can I do. So I can totally empathize with you and just wonder if you are on any meds or dealing with stress?
What is the "true" sense of clean eating?8 -
ValerieMartini2Olives wrote: »dawnwells6172 wrote: »I feel your pain. I'm a fitness instructor, nutritionist and chef. I eat clean( in the true sense of the word), I am not working as a chef at the moment so I'm not getting hidden tasting calories. I track my water, food and exercise and have gained 15 lbs in 3 months. Unfortunately I do have a thyroid problem which I take meds for and my levels are ok, I've been diagnosed with fibromyalgia , but I am still active everyday. I walk 60 min a day on top of my hour swims, hot yoga, boot camps, strength training and cycling. I also struggled with major depressive disorder for the past 20 years and been on countless meds. I'm almost 40 and I question my hormones being on the level, but I know these meds are causing the weight gain. My doctors don't seem to care and just say workout or eat less!!! Wtf how much more can I do. So I can totally empathize with you and just wonder if you are on any meds or dealing with stress?
What is the "true" sense of clean eating?
Exactly. Like I said to @yellowbrickroad369 earlier, that is meaningless for weight loss if you're not estimating your calories correctly.
If you've been gaining then you're not in a deficit (even if you think you are) and that's all there is to it, I'm afraid. As I understand it meds don't "cause" weight gain in and of themselves, but they can lead to increased appetite which in turn leads to over-consumption and extra pounds.
Look back over the advice already given in this thread, and see if you can apply any of it to yourself. I wish you all the best! 6 -
You really need to get the food scale! You can't possibly know what portions you are eating without one. Start weighing foods and then you will see some progress.2
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Just a wee follow up, nothing changed on the scale yet, but did see my doc and we looked at the results of my blood test and it turns out, wasn't all completely normal as they told me over the phone weeks ago. My thyroid number is high - still within the 'normal' range - but high end of that. Plus he did an iodine test on me and it looks like I'm deficient in iodine (big player in the thyroid equation), plus all my methyl Bs and B12s were low. So upshot is, thyroid is not working optimally, which is good to know and I'm not dreaming. He wants me to try treating it with supplements for several weeks to see if that helps the number go down, but if it doesn't then he'll prescribe something. Other than that, still counting, weighing, and exercising and hope for some progress soon!
Again, thanks for all your advice on here!4 -
Thanks for popping back in! At least you have some more medical info now - always good to know if there IS something not quite right! I hope they can sort out some appropriate treatment for you soon and get that side of it figured out for you.
Did you start actually weighing your food yet, and have you seen any difference in the amount you thought you were eating as opposed to actual measurements, or was your estimating pretty good? (Some people are good at eyeballing, but I suspect a lot more of us struggle with it! I'm getting better with some foods (e.g. cheese), but not others.) 2 -
If the scale is still not moving, you are not in a calorie deficit.3
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