Healthy Diet But No Progress One Month In
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AGetsFit1
Posts: 13 Member
Hi there,
So I've been trying to eat healthy lately (yes I've had a few slip ups) but I am not losing weight. I've remained 145lbs (I'm 5ft 6in) for a month now. Though I've had the occasional cheat meal, I thought that I'd be five pounds down by now. Before I have been eating steamed veggies, grilled chicken (about the size of my palm), oatmeal, fruit, and have been drinking lots of water since I month before I created this account. During the holidays I watched my portion size and didn't eat food that I knew was super unhealthy. But, the weight isn't coming off. I eat six small meals a day (usually: if not I eat three normal size meals), sticking to the diet that was recommended to me. Everyday I spend an hour doing strength training and dance. I look the exact same as when I started this journey. Can anyone give me some explanation? Advice?
So I've been trying to eat healthy lately (yes I've had a few slip ups) but I am not losing weight. I've remained 145lbs (I'm 5ft 6in) for a month now. Though I've had the occasional cheat meal, I thought that I'd be five pounds down by now. Before I have been eating steamed veggies, grilled chicken (about the size of my palm), oatmeal, fruit, and have been drinking lots of water since I month before I created this account. During the holidays I watched my portion size and didn't eat food that I knew was super unhealthy. But, the weight isn't coming off. I eat six small meals a day (usually: if not I eat three normal size meals), sticking to the diet that was recommended to me. Everyday I spend an hour doing strength training and dance. I look the exact same as when I started this journey. Can anyone give me some explanation? Advice?
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Replies
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Have you been counting calories accurately? Even if all the food is healthy, eating at maintenance or possibly over maintenance is entirely possible and that will lead to a lack of progress.14
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You mentioned nothing about calorie counting. Are you logging everything on MFP with as close to 100% accuracy as possible? Additionally, since you're at a healthy BMI already, your loss will likely be slow (around half a pound a week).16
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You mentioned nothing about calorie counting. Are you logging everything on MFP with as close to 100% accuracy as possible? Additionally, since you're at a healthy BMI already, your loss will likely be slow (around half a pound a week).
^^ this
also have you been measuring yourself? if you have been working out there has to be inch loss?
the most likely answer is that you have been eating more than you think so time to get serious about accurate logging.
All the best.5 -
Healthy does not mean you are in a calorie deficit!17
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how many calories though?
you only have a little to lose, so should be aiming for 0.5lbs per week which means its easy to eat at maintenance, like you are doing now.8 -
Hi again! I have a food journal I keep since that is what I used before I joined MFP a few days ago. I eat 1300 to 1400 calories a day. Yea, maybe it might be taking me longer because I'm at a decent weight already. Or maybe I might need to focus more on veggies and less fruit?0
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OP--I agree with all of the above. Get a digital food scale and log accurately for a couple of weeks. If you're still not losing come back for a tune-up.1
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Also, no I haven't been measuring myself either. I need to buy a new tape.1
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How accurate is that count of 1300/1400 though? Are you weighing everything?3
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AdriGetsFit1 wrote: »Hi again! I have a food journal I keep since that is what I used before I joined MFP a few days ago. I eat 1300 to 1400 calories a day. Yea, maybe it might be taking me longer because I'm at a decent weight already. Or maybe I might need to focus more on veggies and less fruit?
can you open your diary?0 -
trigden1991 wrote: »Healthy does not mean you are in a calorie deficit!
I would disagree.
I would say "healthy" is eating firstly consuming the proper energy balance needed to lose, gain, or maintain a proper body weight AND THEN consuming the proper macronutrients and micronutrients. One's diet cannot be "healthy" without all of these factors being met.
OP, I believe if you were in a calorie deficit you would have seen some weight loss during this time. This leads me to believe that you are eating more calories than you think you are, OR, those "cheat days" are undoing your weekly calorie deficits.
My advice to you would be to invest in a food scale and hit your calorie goal consistently and re-evaluate in 4-6 weeks.2 -
rainbowbow wrote: »trigden1991 wrote: »Healthy does not mean you are in a calorie deficit!
I would disagree.
I would say "healthy" is eating firstly consuming the proper energy balance needed to lose, gain, or maintain a proper body weight AND THEN consuming the proper macronutrients and micronutrients. One's diet cannot be "healthy" without all of these factors being met.
OP, I believe if you were in a calorie deficit you would have seen some weight loss during this time. This leads me to believe that you are eating more calories than you think you are, OR, those "cheat days" are undoing your weekly calorie deficits.
My advice to you would be to invest in a food scale and hit your calorie goal consistently and re-evaluate in 4-6 weeks.
Your definition of healthy is great and wish it was what was generally accepted BUT most other people have a different idea. Healthy on here apparently means; no bread, no carbs, no sugar, no soda.13 -
One other important thing to note is the OP is already within a healthy BMI range. This makes weightloss much tougher, and precision in measuring much more important.3
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Are you counting your cheat meals? Make sure you are weighing everything with a digital food scale using grams or oz. Also make sure you are using correct entries (no homemade or generic). Remember weight loss isn't linear. Take pics and measurements.0
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AdriGetsFit1 wrote: »Hi there,
So I've been trying to eat healthy lately (yes I've had a few slip ups) but I am not losing weight. I've remained 145lbs (I'm 5ft 6in) for a month now. Though I've had the occasional cheat meal, I thought that I'd be five pounds down by now. Before I have been eating steamed veggies, grilled chicken (about the size of my palm), oatmeal, fruit, and have been drinking lots of water since I month before I created this account. During the holidays I watched my portion size and didn't eat food that I knew was super unhealthy. But, the weight isn't coming off. I eat six small meals a day (usually: if not I eat three normal size meals), sticking to the diet that was recommended to me. Everyday I spend an hour doing strength training and dance. I look the exact same as when I started this journey. Can anyone give me some explanation? Advice?
Doesn't matter if you're eating 'healthier'-in terms of weight loss the only thing that counts is that you're eating at the correct calorie deficit for your weight goals. Are you accurately tracking all your calorie intake? Are you using a food scale to measure out portion sizes? Are you tracking calories from your slip ups/cheat meals?
And what do you mean you're following a diet that was recommended to you? Who recommended it and what does it look like like? Again-what you're eating doesn't matter for weight loss, how many calories you're consuming does
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AdriGetsFit1 wrote: »Hi again! I have a food journal I keep since that is what I used before I joined MFP a few days ago. I eat 1300 to 1400 calories a day. Yea, maybe it might be taking me longer because I'm at a decent weight already. Or maybe I might need to focus more on veggies and less fruit?
If you're not losing weight then you need to focus on being more accurate in your tracking and make sure you're eating at a calorie deficit. What you're eating to make up your calories doesn't matter though in terms of weight loss.2 -
I agree losing weight when overweight is crucial for health.rainbowbow wrote: »trigden1991 wrote: »Healthy does not mean you are in a calorie deficit!
I would disagree.
I would say "healthy" is eating firstly consuming the proper energy balance needed to lose, gain, or maintain a proper body weight AND THEN consuming the proper macronutrients and micronutrients. One's diet cannot be "healthy" without all of these factors being met.
(But the OP is maintaining a proper body weight. Her BMI is 23.4.)1 -
trigden1991 wrote: »rainbowbow wrote: »trigden1991 wrote: »Healthy does not mean you are in a calorie deficit!
I would disagree.
I would say "healthy" is eating firstly consuming the proper energy balance needed to lose, gain, or maintain a proper body weight AND THEN consuming the proper macronutrients and micronutrients. One's diet cannot be "healthy" without all of these factors being met.
OP, I believe if you were in a calorie deficit you would have seen some weight loss during this time. This leads me to believe that you are eating more calories than you think you are, OR, those "cheat days" are undoing your weekly calorie deficits.
My advice to you would be to invest in a food scale and hit your calorie goal consistently and re-evaluate in 4-6 weeks.
Your definition of healthy is great and wish it was what was generally accepted BUT most other people have a different idea. Healthy on here apparently means; no bread, no carbs, no sugar, no soda.
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" I've been trying to eat healthy lately (yes I've had a few slip ups) but I am not losing weight. "
There is your answer. A sensible calorie deficit at your size is 250 calories per day. A few slip ups in a month replenishes all the calories you lost on your few disciplined days and you are altogether eating at maintenance.
Work on understanding why you slip up. Quantify your slip-ups. Control your slip-ups. Reduce the frequency of your slip-ups. Drink more water and get plenty of sleep. You'll lose weight.4 -
Healthy to me is a good balance of fat carbs and protein. It will be different for others. My rule is if I can't go the rest of my life without it I'm not taking it out of my diet, I'm fitting it in.
You don't have much to lose, 5lbs in a month will be very hard for you 2.5 a month is reasonable, but still hard.
I think that you may be eating more than you think with your description of chicken the size of your palm. Invest in a food scale and tighten up on logging.
You're only a month in so don't be discouraged you can do this!3
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