Why am I not losing weight?

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letsgetskinny2020
letsgetskinny2020 Posts: 5 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
So, I’ve started dieting around a week and a half ago and have been used MFP to track my food. I have been aiming to eat around 1,100 calories with 69g protein, 138g carbs and 31g fat. I weigh 166lbs and I have not lost a single bit of weight since I started nearly 2 weeks ago. I also go to the gym around 3-4 times a week cardio and resistance training. The odd day I’ve gone max 200 calories over the goal but surely I should still have lost some weight by now. HELP!!

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  • smolmaus
    smolmaus Posts: 442 Member
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    Is the exercise a new thing? That can cause water retention which can temporarily mask weight loss.

    Or, are you sure you're actually eating what you think you are? Are you weighing solids with a scale (yes) or eyeballing things (please no)? If you know you're eating at a deficit you know you will be losing weight but you have to actually check and be accurate.

    Finally, the calorie goal you're aiming for is way too low. 1200kcal minimum for women and 1500kcal for men. Absolute minimum. Virtually nobody has to eat this little to lose weight and no matter what your sex or height (telling us this would be helpful), at 166lb this is not you. Put your actual stats into MFP, chose a goal no more than 1% of your bodyweight (so 1.5lb a week max) and eat the number of kcal it tells you to eat, being as accurate as possible. This is the system that works.
  • letsgetskinny2020
    letsgetskinny2020 Posts: 5 Member
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    Thank you, I’m 5ft 2 so relatively short. I might try upping my calorie intake a small amount and see if that changes anything. + yes exercise in the gym 3-4 times a week is a new thing so hopefully you’re right and it is down to water retention.
  • emilysusana
    emilysusana Posts: 416 Member
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    Upping your calorie goal is definitely a good idea. It may or may not allow you to eat more depending on whether you’ve been logging accurately so far. I had no idea what a difference a food scale made until I started using one.

    Also, it can take time to see results. For many of us, it doesn’t look like we’re losing any weight at all during parts of the month (due to mentrual cycle), and but it evens out the rest of the month. Double down on accurate logging, eat at a reasonable deficit, and be patient. GL!
  • Pipsqueak1965
    Pipsqueak1965 Posts: 397 Member
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    and to be honest - 2 weeks is nothing - you could have a bit of water retention. Just persevere - sometimes I don't shift anything for a couple of weeks, sometimes it comes off quicker.
  • tinkerbellang83
    tinkerbellang83 Posts: 9,107 Member
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    curlykraut wrote: »
    If you are doing strength training your muscle mass can increase and muscle weighs more than fat, try measuring your areas with a tape measure. Arms, legs, hips, stomach, circumference. When I got into shape I lost no weight initially but went down in my clothes size! It was an eye opener for me for sure! Keep up the great work .

    You lost no weight initially because you would have been retaining water to repair the muscle. Women are rarely able to build muscle whilst in a calorie deficit, it takes a calorie surplus, decent protein intake and a structured strength training routine. OP certainly wouldn't be gaining muscle in a 700 calorie deficit.

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