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Started jogging --- and no weight loss
Replies
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kommodevaran wrote: »Genetics will not prevent someone from losing weight if a deficit is present, medical conditions will not prevent someone from losing weight if a deficit is present.
If she's not losing weight there is no deficit present. Her BMR might be making it difficult for her to achieve that deficit but it's still the only thing she needs to lose weight.
And yes it is that simple, it's not easy but it is simple.
Not necessarily true. Take for instance Hypothyroidism (extreme cases). I was working out and eating at a defecit and gained over 100lbs in 4.5 months. It wasn't until I was finally diagnosed and after years of getting my levels right that I was able to start losing weight again. And even with that being said, there are some intolerances I have that mess up my levels even on the medication (ie: soy). Just saying.
Seattlegirl25 -
Things I would try:
1. Change up your workout routine. Our bodies get used to routines very quickly, and those exercises won't do the same things for us anymore. Do you belong to a gym? Variations include new leg, arm, abdomen exercises and I would change up monthly. It targets different muscle groups, which in turn will help burn more calories. Also changing up your cardio. Start doing the stairmaster or the elliptical. You are working your body in different ways, which will stimulate weight loss in most cases
3. Add more water to your diet... a big thing (as others have mentioned) is water weight. How do you get rid of excess water weight? Drinking more water. I would strive for a gallon a day, if you are active.
5. Try changing up your diet. I just started Keto, and it's going great so far.
7. Test more than just your metabolic rate... Make sure you get some full panels done. There are lots of disorders that can cause weight gain, which could be what is happening only oyu are still buring calories and at a defecit, so you see no change.
9. Keep track of your measurements. You may be gaining muscle and therefore not seeing the scale move, but you're still losing inches.
Keep in mind the body fluctuates in weight up to and sometimes over 10lbs per day due to water weight. This is normal.
Also, make sure you are weighing yourself at the same time every day. If possible, first thing in the morning after you pee.
I hope this helps!!!
I may have a long way to go myself but I used to run bootcamps and do personal training back before my thyroid issues came about. It has been a whole new game for me. But I am educated on a lot of this.
Feel free to add me
Good luck!
31 -
dinadyna21 wrote: »2lbs a month is still progress, you haven't had any in 6 months despite working out and logging which leads a lot of us to think the issue is more than likely your food diary entries.
Yea. Everyone does. *shrug*
Honestly, I do take things on here with a huge grain of salt. Everyone believes they are a nutritionist and dietician. And thats not to attack anyone, but more of, this is the internet. You can only see snapshots of my life and make calls on that and vice-versa.
I am tired of this *kitten* (weight not coming off). But for years I have told doctors I've had *kitten* metabolism and they all chuckled and rolled their eyes. Now with this test they are pausing a bit.
I've had personal trainers.
Low carb
High intensity work outs
nutritionists
I mean you name it, I've done it. I'm sick of people just thinking I am gorging on cookies. But I've come to expect that people don't believe me.
Anyway... sorry for the rant. I'm tired and cranky.25 -
dinadyna21 wrote: »
Lentils can still pack a lot of calories if you eat too much. Do you weigh your food on a food scale OP?
Yup. I said this earlier.0 -
Seattlegirl25 wrote: »
Yea. Everyone does. *shrug*
Honestly, I do take things on here with a huge grain of salt. Everyone believes they are a nutritionist and dietician. And thats not to attack anyone, but more of, this is the internet. You can only see snapshots of my life and make calls on that and vice-versa.
I am tired of this *kitten* (weight not coming off). But for years I have told doctors I've had *kitten* metabolism and they all chuckled and rolled their eyes. Now with this test they are pausing a bit.
I've had personal trainers.
Low carb
High intensity work outs
nutritionists
I mean you name it, I've done it. I'm sick of people just thinking I am gorging on cookies. But I've come to expect that people don't believe me.
Anyway... sorry for the rant. I'm tired and cranky.
People suspecting that you may be eating more than you think doesn't equate to assumptions that you're "gorging on cookies." People can fail to lose weight due to all types of foods, some of them in relatively moderate serving sizes. And none of us are born with an innate sense of how to log accurately.17 -
herownkindofwonderfull wrote: »
Not necessarily true. Take for instance Hypothyroidism (extreme cases). I was working out and eating at a defecit and gained over 100lbs in 4.5 months. It wasn't until I was finally diagnosed and after years of getting my levels right that I was able to start losing weight again. And even with that being said, there are some intolerances I have that mess up my levels even on the medication (ie: soy). Just saying.
Seattlegirl25 -
Things I would try:
1. Change up your workout routine. Our bodies get used to routines very quickly, and those exercises won't do the same things for us anymore. Do you belong to a gym? Variations include new leg, arm, abdomen exercises and I would change up monthly. It targets different muscle groups, which in turn will help burn more calories. Also changing up your cardio. Start doing the stairmaster or the elliptical. You are working your body in different ways, which will stimulate weight loss in most cases
3. Add more water to your diet... a big thing (as others have mentioned) is water weight. How do you get rid of excess water weight? Drinking more water. I would strive for a gallon a day, if you are active.
5. Try changing up your diet. I just started Keto, and it's going great so far.
7. Test more than just your metabolic rate... Make sure you get some full panels done. There are lots of disorders that can cause weight gain, which could be what is happening only oyu are still buring calories and at a defecit, so you see no change.
9. Keep track of your measurements. You may be gaining muscle and therefore not seeing the scale move, but you're still losing inches.
Keep in mind the body fluctuates in weight up to and sometimes over 10lbs per day due to water weight. This is normal.
Also, make sure you are weighing yourself at the same time every day. If possible, first thing in the morning after you pee.
I hope this helps!!!
I may have a long way to go myself but I used to run bootcamps and do personal training back before my thyroid issues came about. It has been a whole new game for me. But I am educated on a lot of this.
Feel free to add me Good luck!
How low was your BMR with I'm guessing untreated hypothyroidism? Based on how much you say you gained during the course of 4.5 months you would need to be eating 2500 calories over your TDEE to gain that much that quickly.
Clearly there was no deficit present, Hypothyroidism can't create matter out of thin air.
Anyone here with Hypothyroidism can tell you that while it might challenging it's not impossible to lose weight with this condition.9 -
You asked for help. We try to help, even if we don't have to, and don't get paid. You don't have to listen to any advice. But if what you're doing now, isn't working, it could be useful to check out if you've overlooked something. You could buckle down and stick to a calorie deficit. No diets, no trainers, no nutritionists. Just set your calorie target to 1200 - this is the absolute minimum MFP will go, but it's also below your measured BMR, so it has to produce weight loss. Nobody thinks you are gorging on cookies. Just a small surplus of calories, daily, but over time, is enough to gain considerable weight. But this also means that just a small deficit, over time, is enough to lose considerable weight.Seattlegirl25 wrote: »
Yea. Everyone does. *shrug*
Honestly, I do take things on here with a huge grain of salt. Everyone believes they are a nutritionist and dietician. And thats not to attack anyone, but more of, this is the internet. You can only see snapshots of my life and make calls on that and vice-versa.
I am tired of this *kitten* (weight not coming off). But for years I have told doctors I've had *kitten* metabolism and they all chuckled and rolled their eyes. Now with this test they are pausing a bit.
I've had personal trainers.
Low carb
High intensity work outs
nutritionists
I mean you name it, I've done it. I'm sick of people just thinking I am gorging on cookies. But I've come to expect that people don't believe me.
Anyway... sorry for the rant. I'm tired and cranky.
Challenging you beliefs is harder than any physical exercise, and way more important and useful.24 -
Seattlegirl25 wrote: »
Yea. Everyone does. *shrug*
Honestly, I do take things on here with a huge grain of salt. Everyone believes they are a nutritionist and dietician. And thats not to attack anyone, but more of, this is the internet. You can only see snapshots of my life and make calls on that and vice-versa.
I am tired of this *kitten* (weight not coming off). But for years I have told doctors I've had *kitten* metabolism and they all chuckled and rolled their eyes. Now with this test they are pausing a bit.
I've had personal trainers.
Low carb
High intensity work outs
nutritionists
I mean you name it, I've done it. I'm sick of people just thinking I am gorging on cookies. But I've come to expect that people don't believe me.
Anyway... sorry for the rant. I'm tired and cranky.
Seattlegirl25 I feel your frustration, I was in your same boat. Exercising like mad, eating right and still my weight would barely budge. It all came down to realizing that I was still eating at maintenance to meet the needs of my body. Please know that no one is trying to attack you, we all want you to succeed. Take the database I gave you, https://ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/search/list, and look up everything you eat, weigh it on a food scale and log them in MFP. I can assure you, you'll see changes.7 -
dinadyna21 wrote: »
Seattlegirl25 I feel your frustration, I was in your same boat. Exercising like mad, eating right and still my weight would barely budge. It all came down to realizing that I was still eating at maintenance to meet the needs of my body. Please know that no one is trying to attack you, we all want you to succeed. Take the database I gave you, https://ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/search/list, and look up everything you eat, weigh it on a food scale and log them in MFP. I can assure you, you'll see changes.
Been weighing my food. Weight loss-- 0.4 -
kommodevaran wrote: »You asked for help. We try to help, even if we don't have to, and don't get paid. You don't have to listen to any advice. But if what you're doing now, isn't working, it could be useful to check out if you've overlooked something. You could buckle down and stick to a calorie deficit. No diets, no trainers, no nutritionists. Just set your calorie target to 1200 - this is the absolute minimum MFP will go, but it's also below your measured BMR, so it has to produce weight loss. Nobody thinks you are gorging on cookies. Just a small surplus of calories, daily, but over time, is enough to gain considerable weight. But this also means that just a small deficit, over time, is enough to lose considerable weight.
Challenging you beliefs is harder than any physical exercise, and way more important and useful.
Thanks for the pep talk.2 -
Dear OP,
It would still be very helpful if you could tell us how you are measuring the calories you are eating (e.g. measuring cups, weighing in grams, using packaging information) and how long you've done that for. Then you might get some more tailored advice to help see if you are achieving the deficit you need.
Regarding exercise, when I started a new routine I had a little over two weeks of gaining (water) weight before it normalised, so you might see some changes in a couple of weeks.0 -
OP
What is your TDEE? How many calories do you eat daily? Do you weigh your food with a scale? Will you open your diary?0 -
Seattlegirl25 wrote: »
Been weighing my food. Weight loss-- 0.
It's possible your diary entries might be incorrect then, most of the entries in the database are user added meaning a good portion of them are horrendously wrong.
For example:
This entry is from the MFP database and it's wrong.
This is from the USDA Database, and it's right.
Edit: Edited for clarity.
3 -
You mentioned your goal weight but you didn't say how far away from it you were. It's not that difficult to lose a couple of pounds in the first week when you're 100 pounds or more over weight. But if you're only 5 lbs over weight, those 5 pounds can take a long time and a lot of effort. A week is probably too soon to think it's not working. Stick with it a few weeks, and then judge your progress, possibly by taking body measurements both now and then, as they can be a better indicator of progress than the scale, especially if you have added weight training to your regimen. Good luck!0
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dinadyna21 wrote: »
How low was your BMR with I'm guessing untreated hypothyroidism? Based on how much you say you gained during the course of 4.5 months you would need to be eating 2500 calories over your TDEE to gain that much that quickly.
Clearly there was no deficit present, Hypothyroidism can't create matter out of thin air.
Anyone here with Hypothyroidism can tell you that while it might challenging it's not impossible to lose weight with this condition.
It can't create matter, but it can create water retention -- and retention that typical diuretics won't remove.
It's not impossible to lose weight once it is well treated, but it is mind-boggling difficult to lose it if it is uncontrolled.
I've been hypothyroid for 30 years. Suddenly this summer, gained 9 pounds in a matter of months.
I track *everything* to a level of unhealthy meticulousness. Had my BMR tested -- came back higher than expected. I know without a doubt that I am in a calorie deficit. (And my dietitian would actually like to see me eat more.)
The reality of the situation? At the last test, when I hammered home to my endo that Things Are Not OK, my TSH was found to be trending upward and was the highest level it had been in 10 years. It's only been after adjusting my meds that things have started leveling out.
It wasn't that my metabolism was crashing (that was the first thought and what led us to the BMR testing -- that years of an eating disorder had taken its toll). It's that poorly controlled hypothyroid *can* lead to weight gain that isn't fat gain -- you don't have to eat over your TDEE to gain water weight.7 -
collectingblues wrote: »
It can't create matter, but it can create water retention -- and retention that typical diuretics won't remove.
It's not impossible to lose weight once it is well treated, but it is mind-boggling difficult to lose it if it is uncontrolled.
I've been hypothyroid for 30 years. Suddenly this summer, gained 9 pounds in a matter of months.
I track *everything* to a level of unhealthy meticulousness. Had my BMR tested -- came back higher than expected. I know without a doubt that I am in a calorie deficit. (And my dietitian would actually like to see me eat more.)
The reality of the situation? At the last test, when I hammered home to my endo that Things Are Not OK, my TSH was found to be trending upward and was the highest level it had been in 10 years. It's only been after adjusting my meds that things have started leveling out.
It wasn't that my metabolism was crashing (that was the first thought and what led us to the BMR testing -- that years of an eating disorder had taken its toll). It's that poorly controlled hypothyroid *can* lead to weight gain that isn't fat gain -- you don't have to eat over your TDEE to gain water weight.
I'm not trying to discount your experience but 9lbs of water weight is understandable with your condition. 100 lbs of water weight? I find that a lot harder to believe. With that much water weight she'd be in the hospital with edema, that much fluid retention is life threatening.7 -
Seattlegirl25 wrote: »I mean you name it, I've done it. I'm sick of people just thinking I am gorging on cookies. But I've come to expect that people don't believe me.
Well, of course people don't believe you because we all "know" it's impossible, don't we?
I wouldn't have believed you if I hadn't had the same situation happen to me. It turned out my deficit to lose weight was eating somewhere around 400-500 calories a day. I do not recommend trying to sustain life on that amount of food. Get the health situation figured out first so you can eat normally.
It sounds like you're on the right track with getting some medical tests done. If they've ruled out hypothyroid issues (depression and weight gain are about the two most common symptoms), make sure they didn't rule it out using the popular TSH test. That's a pituitary test, not a thyroid test and it more often than not does NOT correlate to thyroid levels. Get some actual thyroid tests and some other hormone tests to see what may be causing this.
You also sound like you have the weighing, measuring and calorie tracking down. Great job! Keep it up and don't let yourself get frustrated.
And now you've just started a more intense exercise plan. That's fantastic, but new exercise means you're working your muscles. When you do that, they retain fluid like water and lactic acid. Fluid is very heavy. It makes it seem like you've gained fat when you step on the scale. Take your measurements instead. You may find you lose inches several weeks before you begin losing weight when you begin exercising. You'll likely lose weight, too, but that won't start for a couple or three weeks, probably. And the excess muscle will help increase your metabolism over the long run.
12 -
Tried30UserNames wrote: »
Well, of course people don't believe you because we all "know" it's impossible, don't we?
I wouldn't have believed you if I hadn't had the same situation happen to me. It turned out my deficit to lose weight was eating somewhere around 400-500 calories a day. I do not recommend trying to sustain life on that amount of food. Get the health situation figured out first so you can eat normally.
It sounds like you're on the right track with getting some medical tests done. If they've ruled out hypothyroid issues (depression and weight gain are about the two most common symptoms), make sure they didn't rule it out using the popular TSH test. That's a pituitary test, not a thyroid test and it more often than not does NOT correlate to thyroid levels. Get some actual thyroid tests and some other hormone tests to see what may be causing this.
You also sound like you have the weighing, measuring and calorie tracking down. Great job! Keep it up and don't let yourself get frustrated.
And now you've just started a more intense exercise plan. That's fantastic, but new exercise means you're working your muscles. When you do that, they retain fluid like water and lactic acid. Fluid is very heavy. It makes it seem like you've gained fat when you step on the scale. Take your measurements instead. You may find you lose inches several weeks before you begin losing weight when you begin exercising. You'll likely lose weight, too, but that won't start for a couple or three weeks, probably. And the excess muscle will help increase your metabolism over the long run.
How is this possible? Did you get your BMR tested?1 -
Hi There!
It usually takes me about a month before I see any weight loss, and that is always small. Like 1 or 2 lbs. I see visible muscle development after about 2 weeks.
It is so hard to maintain your motivation when the results seem invisible. I've personally been trying to lose the same 10 lbs for 5 years, I've fluctuated in my physical health drastically in that period. The scale alone doesn't measure how much muscle or fat you have.
I've started checking other metrics, since the scale includes everything muscle, water and fat:- Some time ago I picked up an electric BMI tool. I set my personal BMI goal and use the tool to track. This helps cut out the muscle gain vs fat loss issue with the scale.
- I also use a "measuring tape" for my problem area. I use quotes because my measuring tape is a string with a couple of marker lines drawn on. My problem area is my stomach, so I measure the diameter every couple of weeks. For me this helps reinforce the changes that are occurring, just harder to see than the number on the scale.
- Find a vanity muscle. This one is a little weird, but bear with me. Pick an area that you've been working on and flex. Does it look more defined? Are you stronger? (A concrete example of this, I started climbing. Well my weight isn't going down, actually going up. But I'm a lot stronger now and I have have great definition in my shoulders and new definition showing up in my back. The scale says I'm heavier, and I am, but I can do a pull ups now.)
With so many responses on this thread, I hope the one thing you take away is that your hard work is doing something. Remember not to rely just on the scale, take a real look at yourself, your getting healthier and stronger.7 -
dinadyna21 wrote: »
How is this possible? Did you get your BMR tested?
0 -
Seattlegirl25, maybe you should step away from the scale for a while and focus on some less weight oriented goals? Is there a way you can track changes in your metabolism? Maybe spend the next 6 weeks increasing your mileage and speed, intervals, etc, keep on track with your food tracking, and see how you feel?
There is something to be said for hunting down the cause, and you have gotten all of the standard answers, but it can be demotivational if you feel you are doing everything right and it's just not working. How about a fitness goal like, 5K in 1/2 and hour, increasing muscle mass, decreasing body fat, or something else that appeals to you, while still tracking calories but not weighing yourself?
P.S. I see you only changed your workout regime a week ago. I always gain weight with a new fitness regime, not sure if it's the inflammation or water retention or what, but it takes a good 3-4 weeks to feel and see results. Stick with it, and if you are adding weights and running, go ahead and take some body measurements, losses in inches are motivational even if the scale won't budge.1 -
Hi! I understood your original post was asking about the role of exercise in losing weight. You are running, which is great. Have you considered installing the Couch to 5K app on your phone? I was stalled with weight loss until I started that program. The first few days you’ll run (I recommend a slow pace) for a minute, walk two minutes, etc. You’ll gradually increase your running times as you develop more stamina. The whole workout is 30 to 40 minutes. It was only after pushing my limits a bit each week that the scale began moving to show my progress. I measured my waist, bust and hips, too. I’d say it was about three weeks before I saw weight loss and a smaller waist.5
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Seattlegirl25 wrote: »
I just realized I am using a different account then usual to post this. Welppp.
Goal weight is 145lbs. Height is 5 foot 3.
I am doing squats (up to 40), push-ups (30) and sit ups (30). This beginning from 0. I jog for 10-20 minutes then walk an additional 30 at a 3.5mph pace. I track distance jogged with time.
No one commented on this. You are only running 1-2 miles and walking about 1.7. That doesn't actually burn all that many calories. It's a good start, but 200 or so calories a day takes time before it will result in noticeable weight loss. If you eat extra after your workouts, you may be eating back all the calories you burned.17 -
Seattlegirl25 wrote: »I discovered my metabolism is a bit low -- I did a metabolic resting test and found it was at 1,300 calories. Which is a bit low for me (163lbs). But I haven't been able to drop weight for six months, not a pound will come off. I weigh my food and vegetables are my co-pilot.
She suggested I start doing some intense exercise and weight training. Done and done.
I began exercising more religiously (3-4 times a week) last week, continue with tracking my calories and all that jazz.
I gained a pound or so. At this point I am about to tear out my hair. I am doing everything correctly and no matter what happens, nothing comes off.
Anyway... my question is how soon after starting a new exercise regime do you usually see results?
You need to give your body at least! 3 weeks before you decide something isn't working. one week just isn't enough to make that kind of determination. hang in there and keep pushing forward.1 -
Have you tried interval training when you are running?
This is proven to have a better weight loss result than steady state training due to the higher and lower intensities that your body has to work at their for over time speeding up your metabolism.
Interval training can also help you keep burning calories once you leave the gym. Combine this with some resistance/ weight training (what ever other word anyone wants to use for it, its all the same thing) as well as a calorie controlled diet then you should start to see results with in a couple of weeks. Even if it is just a pound or so. You have to make sure you are overloading the body enough to make a change. Work between 12 and 15 reps, 2-3 sets with each resistance exercise, only taking a 30-60 second break between sets. Your first set the 15th rep has to be the last one you can manage. The second set you fail/ get to fatigue between 12and 15 reps and the same in the 3rd set.
Overload is key in both your cardio and resistance workouts. It has to be enough but not to much!
Keep it up.10 -
Seattlegirl25 wrote: »...My mother/grandmother are both pushing 300lbs...
Your mother/grandmother are taking in excess calories.15 -
Have you tried interval training when you are running?
This is proven to have a better weight loss result than steady state training due to the higher and lower intensities that your body has to work at their for over time speeding up your metabolism.
Interval training can also help you keep burning calories once you leave the gym. Combine this with some resistance/ weight training (what ever other word anyone wants to use for it, its all the same thing) as well as a calorie controlled diet then you should start to see results with in a couple of weeks. Even if it is just a pound or so. You have to make sure you are overloading the body enough to make a change. Work between 12 and 15 reps, 2-3 sets with each resistance exercise, only taking a 30-60 second break between sets. Your first set the 15th rep has to be the last one you can manage. The second set you fail/ get to fatigue between 12and 15 reps and the same in the 3rd set.
Overload is key in both your cardio and resistance workouts. It has to be enough but not to much!
Keep it up.
Regarding Aerobic training No, Not really. The difference in afterburn from steady state vs interval doesn't make up for the reduced time taken up by work in the intervals.
And your advice on strength training is even worse. The key to getting stronger is rest. Overload is a factor, but less important than rest.2 -
dinadyna21 wrote: »
I'm not trying to discount your experience but 9lbs of water weight is understandable with your condition. 100 lbs of water weight? I find that a lot harder to believe. With that much water weight she'd be in the hospital with edema, that much fluid retention is life threatening.
That's very true. But, my entire point was that yes, you can have hypothyroid and gain weight without eating in a calorie surplus.
2 -
JustKeepTryin wrote: »
You need to give your body at least! 3 weeks before you decide something isn't working. one week just isn't enough to make that kind of determination. hang in there and keep pushing forward.
Actually OP said earlier she hasn't lost any weight since June of last year.0 -
OP, if you just started jogging, there will be water retention for the first few weeks as your body adjusts to the new exercise. I personally notice about 3 wks before it normalizes3
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herownkindofwonderfull wrote: »
It all comes down to hormones and the endocrine system. When bodies don't metabolize correctly, as well as when other chemicals are present, it changes the body's chemistry. Honestly, there is way too much to get into and I am at work... quite irritated with your posts. Do some research and you will find what I am talking about, guaranteed. Otherwise, I am done here. Not into stupid internet debates. I have more important things on my plate.
Ah I see you're a Keto fanatic, that explains everything actually. Now please go on your merry way while we try to talk real sense and science into OP. Thank you 4
This discussion has been closed.
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