Not losing weight
joannab44
Posts: 15 Member
Hey guys! So after two years of being absolutely nuts with food, stress and emotional bingeing due to personal issues I have finally decided to buck up and get back to my healthy weight. Problem is, it’s not working, it’s like nothing I do has any effect on my weight or body comp it’s really hard on my motivation. I started being careful on feb 7th so it’s been 17 days of counting calories, working out almost everyday and I’m not dropping a single pound. Which I would be fine with IF I was at least losing inches but I’m not. I went too crazy with the workouts the first week and injured my left wrist so I have been doing cardio, HIIT twice a week and weights on lower body. My calories are usually between 1400 and 1600 a day. I’m currently at 135lbs 31yr old and 5’3.
I’m not sure what I’m doing wrong. I trying to include carbs in my diet without going nuts and enough of every food to avoid any binge. I drink usually 2 to 3L of water a day. I’m wondering if I’m eating too many calories but the problem is since I workout almost everyday I don’t want to go too low either... if anyone has a suggestion on what I might be doing wrong I’d love some help because I’m going crazy! Thanks in advance !
I’m not sure what I’m doing wrong. I trying to include carbs in my diet without going nuts and enough of every food to avoid any binge. I drink usually 2 to 3L of water a day. I’m wondering if I’m eating too many calories but the problem is since I workout almost everyday I don’t want to go too low either... if anyone has a suggestion on what I might be doing wrong I’d love some help because I’m going crazy! Thanks in advance !
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Also should mention my current bf is 28% and my goal weight is 120lbs and get my bf down to 21%0
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I weigh everything and I’m not counting what I burn at all because I have no idea how many calories I burn when I work out, my daily intake is between 1400-1600 regardless of wether I workout or not =\ I do my best to workout everyday with one day rest (where I end up sleeping poorly because lack of activity lol) because I work from home so I don’t move a ton during the day0
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As you are already a healthy weight, losing more is going to require you to eat a net amount of 1200 calories a day for weight loss. That's what I'm on and I'm 5'6" and 143lb, so considerably bigger than you! If you are accurately logging your food, you need to start counting exercise calories to make sure you are using as many calories as you think you are - it is incredibly easy to overestimate. Some apps unfortunately include resting calorie use and you end up double counting, so I go with the MFP figures. I like to eat about 1600 calories a day and for me, those extra 400 calories are earned with 4mile cycle to and from a 1 hour pilates class, or a 45 minute strenuous swim, or a 15 mile cycle. Given that I'm not perfect and have the odd day where I eat more, I'm losing weight steadily but at less than 1/2lb a week.
If that sounds about what you are doing, bear in mind also that you are already small, so even at 1200 calories you are going to lose weight pretty slowly, probably slower than 1/2lb a week or so - which is good, and healthy but frustrating if you are impatient - I so get that! But this rate of fat loss is really easily masked by non-fat weight fluctuations, so keep faith and be patient. You'll get there.
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As you are already a healthy weight, losing more is going to require you to eat a net amount of 1200 calories a day for weight loss. That's what I'm on and I'm 5'6" and 143lb
I was going to say the same thing. 1400-1600 seems more like maintainence, unless you are exercising.5 -
1200 was way too low for me at 5'5", 150-something pounds, age 59, while eating all exercise calories. (Got weak and fatigued.)
Believe MFP's calorie estimate, not some random person on the internet's calorie experience (including mine).
OP, it's early days yet. I think your exercise frenzy on start-up, and your injury, may've caused extra water weight retention, which could temporarily mask fat loss on the scale.
You may get a clearer picture by tightening up food logging if you aren't there yet (use a food scale), because precision is more important for many of us as we get closer to goal weight.
You need 4-6 weeks of experience to know the net result of a new regimen, and that's doubly true if you're premenopausal. Hang in there, be patient, and see where you are in another month.
Best wishes!
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So I think to lose I might have to go down but I’m working out 6 days a week and at least burn 100/200 calories per session minimum that’s why I’ve been keeping steady at 1400/1600 I don’t want to starve myself either =\ but maybe I’ll try going down to 1300 for a week and see if it helps!1
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Just to reiterate.
Don’t start playing with your calorie intake so soon after starting. As @annpt77 said it is probably water retention from exercise, and maybe injury, that is masking your fat loss.
Give it a whole menstual cycle, this and ovulation cause water weight too, before altering everything.
0.5lbs a week is a good goal for your stats, so it will be slow.
If after a month you decide to change your calories to what MFP recommends, be sure to eat back exercise cals, use the MFP estimate. Your other option would be to use an off site TDEE calculator that includes exercise.
Cheers, h.7 -
The thing is it’s not really a new regimen for me, before I started I was already boxing and doing cardio about three/four times a week. I have a scale that gives me water percentage and it hasn’t been higher than usual, fat percentage hasn’t gone down, nothing has gone down actually. I wasn’t expecting to lose 4lbs but at least one in over two weeks though 😅 that’s why this has been such a downer, when I have water retention my scale tells me (about 51%) right now I’m at 49% which is normal =\1
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Think carefully about what you’re doing. Weight loss, body recomp and a high level of fitness mean working with tight margins. Do you really think 2 weeks represents much of a test? Were it me, I don’t think I’d change a thing without a month or even 6 week test. Even if the scale doesn’t budge, you are gaining knowledge.
What you don’t want to do is panic and do something like a 25% calorie cut to 1200. Keep reading this board. It provides a good look at radical dieting and the resulting havoc.
Look at yourself as a kind of scientist. Your field of study is your body and your body’s reaction to fitness and nutrition. Work methodically and focus on the process. If you don’t start making headway, make small changes, conduct small experiments until you get moving in the desired direction.
Remember that to get the results you want, and keep them, you have to be able to live with the changes long term.4 -
Just a thought- we may be able to help out a little more if you made your diary public.1
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Oh I had no idea it was private! Making it public now, I’m trying to go 1300 tops this week, planned the next few days ahead but I usually do some snacking on top of what I’ve planned which I add as the day progresses0
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I say take it easy on yourself, I recently had a personal trainer she would advise on what workouts and foods I had to eat. And even though all the meals had low carbs high protein. I notice my clothes loose but I have always gone by scale it was the same like I couldn’t believe that so much hard work and nothing. I felt frustrated and I mentioned to the trainer that I was upset and she said well first off don’t become obsess with the scale. She did a comparison of when I first started and till now and I was amazed. What was leaving my body was all that fat. The pictures where choking. I am going to try to add it here. My point to all this. Don’t give up if you want to lower the calories a bit go ahead but anything little by little is better than a fast lost. I started at 185 and it has taking me more than 2 years but I am trying to get there. Good luck and keep us posted.
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Thank you! I agree about the scale, I only use it as a reference, the issue is I know I haven’t lost any weight or inches, my clothes don’t fit better or anything. I just feel like by eating healthy, not over eating and working out 6 days a week I should be seeing results in a shorter time than a month =/ congrats on the progress it’s amazing!!!1
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