I'm about to give up, please help! Why am I not losing weight?

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sonofdog
sonofdog Posts: 1 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I have been working out for almost a month, cardio everyday for 30 minutes, weight lifting every other day. On the cardio I do 30 minutes at 2.7 miles per hour and at 1% incline for 2 minutes and then I do one minute of 2.7 miles per hour and a 10% incline, switching back and forth 30 minutes. I'm taking in under 2000 calories, eating healthy foods, but the scale is not budging. I'm 6 foot 2 inches tall 34 years old ,male and weigh 334 pounds. I'm noticing some muscle definition, but the weight isn't coming off. I'm heart broken after all of this hard work and losing motivation. Please help!

Replies

  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
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    New exercise routines can often lead to temporary water weight gain.

    If you open your diary, we may be able to help you troubleshoot your logging.
  • jgnatca
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
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    Have you noticed any improvement in your cardiovascular health? Can you run up the stairs without running out of breath? All that hard work you have been doing is reaping rewards even if it is not on the scale.
  • malibu927
    malibu927 Posts: 17,565 Member
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    How are you measuring your calorie intake?
  • stanmann571
    stanmann571 Posts: 5,728 Member
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    jgnatca wrote: »
    Have you noticed any improvement in your cardiovascular health? Can you run up the stairs without running out of breath? All that hard work you have been doing is reaping rewards even if it is not on the scale.

    THIS!!

    taking the stairs faster or at all is certainly something that can be motivating.
  • namelesshere
    namelesshere Posts: 334 Member
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    Breathe. Don't give up. The exercise will help define your body but will do nothing for weight loss. CICO is what will get you the weightloss. Do you own a food scale? Are you using it for everything that goes in your mouth? You may be eating more than you think. For example, I was just taking an apple at face value, and not weighing it. Once I threw it on the scale, I realized my "average" apple was actually 2 servings instead of one. So many other foods can easily fool you. What does MFP say for calories for you? Do you eat back your exercise calories? What are the calories in your beverages? Do you measure and log them as well? Do you have an open diary so others can take a look and offer suggestions. Remember, the weight didn't come on instantly, it will not come off instantly. Don't give up. It is a lifestyle change.
  • jjpptt2
    jjpptt2 Posts: 5,650 Member
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    Taking your post at face value, it sounds like you are checking all the "start here" boxes, so I'd stick with what you're doing. Since you seem to be really focused on the number on the scale, would you consider putting the scale away for a month and trusting the process?

    It sounds like you are off to a good start. If the scale is killing your mojo, then take the scale out of the picture for a while.
  • Aaron_K123
    Aaron_K123 Posts: 7,122 Member
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    I'm not saying this is for sure the reason but if you go from not doing much exercise to doing exercise your muscles often react by recruiting a lot of glycogen for storage in the muscle tissue which along with it comes a lot of water retention. The muscles swell up like balloons and the retained water adds to your weight. Just the act of starting to exercise for the first time in a long time can end up adding many pounds to your overall bodyweight (in added water). It is possible that you actually have lost fat weight but that that weight loss is masked by the additional water weight you are carrying in your muscles.

    I am not saying that is true, I am saying it is possible. In fact, many many different things are possible in the first month that will mask or obscure your weight loss making you think you are losing less or more than you actually are. You have to just believe that the changes you are making in your life (eating less, exercising more) will have effects on your health and weight long term and just keep at it. If you haven't lost any weight after 12 weeks I'd be surprised.
  • JasonMcS
    JasonMcS Posts: 96 Member
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    I worked out really hard (I thought) for 2 years. I had no real weight reduction at all. Try to keep your heart rate up more than patterning your cardio. I try to keep mine over 140 to 150 but I think you need to find a balance that works for you.

    I assumed that I was not eating over about 2000-2500 calories a day. Turns out I was VERY wrong. When I started tracking my actual calories I realized that I drank that many calories in a day with my sweet tea and Sodas. Also when you do plug in your calories you will see that some log them inaccurately into MFP and you find a range of calories for the same thing. I.E. KFC chicken breast comes up with many different calories. If I cant weigh the meat I go with the web site and on the higher end of the spectrum. Go with the packaging and web sites to get a better idea of what you actually are eating measure and weigh when you can. Remember that inaccurate logs cheat you and you are here to loose.

    If that is all being done, Get your Thyroid checked.
    That is my 2cent worth. Don't give up on you. When you get this thing figured out it is amazing how good it feels to make your goals. Do it for you.
    I am 38 and 6 foot tall. I weighed 321 just 3 months ago. I don't have super powers. If I can do this you can do this too!
    I am down 35 pounds+. It is actually fun to me now. I keep hitting my marks and when I don't I regroup and get back at it.
  • Lesscookies1
    Lesscookies1 Posts: 250 Member
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    malibu927 wrote: »
    How are you measuring your calorie intake?

    Honestly, good question!! Op you may be eating more than you think are you using a food scale?
  • mrsllp51510
    mrsllp51510 Posts: 10 Member
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    If you follow the mfp suggestion for daily calories, drink water and measure correctly you will lose weight. Make sure you refresh your starting weight and activity level on the goals calculator. Your body may be totally used to that exercise routine. It is all abut the calorie deficit.
  • Momepro
    Momepro Posts: 1,509 Member
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    Remember measuring cups are nowhere near as accurate as actual weight in measuring food. And serving sizes on boxes are totally non helpful. Go by actual weight not portion size.
  • ccsernica
    ccsernica Posts: 1,040 Member
    edited November 2017
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    janejellyroll wrote: »
    New exercise routines can often lead to temporary water weight gain.

    Indeed. I started weight lifting a couple of weeks ago, after doing nothing but running for about a year, and immediately put on 5 lbs.

    Now, I'm in maintenance. I keep to a smallish deficit throughout the week so I can enjoy my weekends without tracking my intake. I find it very unlikely I went on such a bender a few weekends ago that I ate an extra 17,500 calories without noticing.

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