Exercise is not helping me lose weight. Am I doing something wrong?

Hello to everyone :)

I've been reading a bit here and there and I can see there are some successful and knowledgeable people around here, so I thought I could ask for advice:

I always enjoyed and did sports, but a death in the family beginning last year sent me to a dark place and I put on a lot of weight. Stopped exercising, closed myself and the more weight I would gain, the more depressive I would get. Clothes were not fitting and I lost joy in getting dressed. It was pretty much whatever that would fit.

I'm 1.70 and have a desk job. But I used to be active: ran one marathon a few years ago, 3 half marathons, enjoyed going to the gym...etc...until well...until last year.

On June 13th (2 months and 10 days ago), after reaching my heaviest weight ever - 75 kgs - I decided it was time to change.

So I downloaded MFP and started counting calories - 1.200. I think I am fairly accurate. Bought a scale for home and have another one in the office. Everything I cannot weight, I try to overestimate.

First month went fairly well, I think I lost some 4 kgs. Then another death in the family happened (yeah, shoot me, right?), and of course dieting stopped being a priority for maybe a month. But all in all by August 2nd I had 5kgs less.

When August began, I started counting the calories every day again and decided to go to the gym more often. I asked the trainer to give me a programme where I would be using more weights, instead of only cardio, so I could have more muscle and tone the body as well. (My body fat levels were / are embarrassing - 34%, begging of the month.)

My programme consists of:

Step Up on a Box with 6kgs Kettlebells on each hand - 3 times / 1mnt reps / 45 secs rest time
Squat Jumps - 3 times / 15 reps / 45 secs rest time
Front Squats w/ 8kgs weight - 3 times / 20 reps / 45 secs rest time
Kettlebell Swings / 8kgs weight / 3 times / 20 reps / 45 secs rest time
Machines: Vertical Pulldowns / Rowing / Chest Press
I finish with 20mnts in the Elliptical Cross Trainer. In total the whole thing lasts around 1h20 / 1:30.

This is how frequently I have been exercising:

Aug 1st - Trainning programme + Functional Training Class
(was too sore in between to move!)
Aug 6th - Training programme
Aug 8th - Functional Training Class
Aug 9th - Training Programme
Aug 11th - Training Programme
Aug 12th - Functional Training Class
Aug 14th - Training Programme
Aug 15th - Functional Training
Aug 17th - Training Programe
Aug 18th - HotYoga (90mnts)
Aug 20th - Training Programme
Aug 21th - Functional Training
Aug 23rd - Training Programme

So in August, on my 1200 calories and this exercise regime, I only lost 1 kg. I am currently at 69kgs and I don't seem to be able to bring the number down...

I don't eat all my exercise calories back. Perhaps 20%..or not even that..I'm still on a average of 1200 calories (total). I'm even going to say 1300, just to account for some underestimation..

I didn't measure myself...probably a mistake.

Question is: I feel I only really lose weight if I stay on 1000 calories day / average. But I read everywhere it is wrong to do that. The assistant at the gym told me the same. But that's impossible to be on 1000 calories and exercise, because I lose energy to move. Do I just stick to the plan and wait? Do I increase gym frequency? Seems like I was having better results before starting exercising.

I surely still have a lot of fat to lose and muscle to gain...do I do more weight training?

Curious to read your opinions / feedback.

Thank you so much in advance! :)
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Replies

  • changeconsumeme
    changeconsumeme Posts: 229 Member
    Unrelated: If that is your true calorie count, you aren’t eating enough. If you’re working out that frequently, you need to change your MFP settings to reflect that.


    Weight loss is a marathon, not a sprint. .5-1lb of loss a week is progress in the right direction! Not being consistent with weighing and measuring food could mean you potentially overeat without realizing. Calorie deficit is the only way to lose weight. Could you be overestimating how much you burn? How many calories from exercise do you eat back?
  • tweekedgirl
    tweekedgirl Posts: 114 Member
    Hi Maria,

    I have very similar stats to you, and also started exercising and eating well at the start of August. I've been strict with food and have been doing a mixture of strength and cardio classes 4 times a week at the gym.

    In just short of 4 weeks I've gone from 72.2kg down to 71.2kg, and I've dropped body fat from 34.5% down to 33.5%, which I understand can feel a little slow when you see other people posting huge losses, but you just need to remember that down is down. If I stick to this weight loss then I'll be half a stone lighter by Christmas which for me would be a great achievement.

    Food wise, I'm eating between 1400-1600 calories per day, and eating back some exercise calories if I feel hungry, and I'm still seeing a consistent loss. I definitely couldn't cope reducing this any further, so I think you should actually increase your amount.

    Hope this helps, good luck.
  • Maria_FFM
    Maria_FFM Posts: 25 Member
    ceiswyn wrote: »
    A new exercise routine often results in retaining water, so that could be a part of it. But I'd be looking at your logging. Weighing is only a part of it, and there are a lot of common mistakes that people make that can mean they underestimate calories: not counting fruit/veg, not counting cooking oils, using cooked rice/pasta counts for dry weight, things like that. If you make your diary public, people can maybe see if there's anything of that sort going on?

    Thank you for offering and taking the time to look at my diary. I just made it public. Im logging everything I put in my mouth.. even olive oil when I cook. I weigh the pasta dry and then cook it. Could be that I am eating more than I think? Didnt consider the water retain... And I probably should drink mlre water too..
  • Maria_FFM
    Maria_FFM Posts: 25 Member
    Unrelated: If that is your true calorie count, you aren’t eating enough. If you’re working out that frequently, you need to change your MFP settings to reflect that.


    Weight loss is a marathon, not a sprint. .5-1lb of loss a week is progress in the right direction! Not being consistent with weighing and measuring food could mean you potentially overeat without realizing. Calorie deficit is the only way to lose weight. Could you be overestimating how much you burn? How many calories from exercise do you eat back?

    Thank you for the input.
    I believe I eat 20-30,% of the exercise calories.

    Good point on being a marathon. Might be focusing too much on this.

    You think I should change the MFP settings? I thought I was suppose to keep it as Not Very Active and then add when I exercise. Isnt this right?
  • Maria_FFM
    Maria_FFM Posts: 25 Member
    Hi Maria,

    I have very similar stats to you, and also started exercising and eating well at the start of August. I've been strict with food and have been doing a mixture of strength and cardio classes 4 times a week at the gym.

    In just short of 4 weeks I've gone from 72.2kg down to 71.2kg, and I've dropped body fat from 34.5% down to 33.5%, which I understand can feel a little slow when you see other people posting huge losses, but you just need to remember that down is down. If I stick to this weight loss then I'll be half a stone lighter by Christmas which for me would be a great achievement.

    Food wise, I'm eating between 1400-1600 calories per day, and eating back some exercise calories if I feel hungry, and I'm still seeing a consistent loss. I definitely couldn't cope reducing this any further, so I think you should actually increase your amount.

    Hope this helps, good luck.

    Hi!
    Im not any expert but 1% body fat less in 4 weeks sounds very good to me. Well done. I will measure mine again in one week to check if there is any progress there..

    Now reading your comment and the previous one, I think I might be hoping flr results too quick. Maybe I should just chill :p

    I really hope that by xmas you reach your goal. What a great way to start the year! :)
  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 24,707 Member
    Maria_FFM wrote: »

    You think I should change the MFP settings? I thought I was suppose to keep it as Not Very Active and then add when I exercise. Isnt this right?

    Set at sedentary and add exercise.

    So you'll have 1200 calories + exercise calories.

    What is your estimated calorie burn from exercise?

  • Maria_FFM
    Maria_FFM Posts: 25 Member
    Machka9 wrote: »
    Maria_FFM wrote: »

    You think I should change the MFP settings? I thought I was suppose to keep it as Not Very Active and then add when I exercise. Isnt this right?

    Set at sedentary and add exercise.

    So you'll have 1200 calories + exercise calories.

    What is your estimated calorie burn from exercise?

    That's what I thought was the way to do it; thats what I have "sedentary". Thank you!

    Well, for the Training Programme the Welness App gives me an average of 320 calories. (1h20)
    The Functional Trainning, between 45 to 60mnts around 600 calories. It is a hard combination of non stop HIIT exercises. Thats the minimum amount of calories the guys at the gym said we would be burning.
  • lja507
    lja507 Posts: 1 Member
    edited August 2019
    I too am experiencing a really tough time shifting weight!

    I joined a gym back in June, starting weight was around 156lbs and guess what? It hasn't moved. Neither have any of my measurements changed.

    At the gym I do a mixture of cardio/weights for an hour a day (sometimes more if I add in a yoga or pilates class). To begin with I only ate 1000 calories a day, but having seen no change and reading up on it, I increased this to 1300 a few weeks ago and nothing. I'm eating healthy, with at least 4-5 pieces of fruit and veg a day, and most of the time do over 10,000 steps on top of the exercise. What am I doing wrong?

    I have been dieting, weight watching since 2012 (I was an obese teen). At my skinniest I was 138lbs and I'd really like to get back to that again. Have I ruined my metabolism with the constant calorie counting?
  • ceiswyn
    ceiswyn Posts: 2,253 Member
    Maria_FFM wrote: »
    ceiswyn wrote: »
    A new exercise routine often results in retaining water, so that could be a part of it. But I'd be looking at your logging. Weighing is only a part of it, and there are a lot of common mistakes that people make that can mean they underestimate calories: not counting fruit/veg, not counting cooking oils, using cooked rice/pasta counts for dry weight, things like that. If you make your diary public, people can maybe see if there's anything of that sort going on?

    Thank you for offering and taking the time to look at my diary. I just made it public. Im logging everything I put in my mouth.. even olive oil when I cook. I weigh the pasta dry and then cook it. Could be that I am eating more than I think? Didnt consider the water retain... And I probably should drink mlre water too..

    I see you are weighing and logging diligently! Well done :)

    One thing that jumps out to me is that you seem to be using quite a lot of 'generic' and 'home made' entries. You might want to be careful about that; someone else's 'generic' recipe, or someone else's 'home made' one, might be very different to yours!
  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 24,707 Member
    lja507 wrote: »
    Have I ruined my metabolism with the constant calorie counting?

    No.

  • lauragreenbaum
    lauragreenbaum Posts: 1,017 Member
    My doctor has told me that exercise is great in so many ways and essential to good health, but when it comes to losing weight it's 20% exercise, 80% calorie intake. Be careful about putting calories back in for exercise- people often overestimate how many calories to add back in. For me, I do Pilates an hour every day and walk a minimum of 8,000 steps but I don't add the calories back in. I stick to the 1350 regardless.
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,292 Member
    kimny72 wrote: »
    ceiswyn wrote: »
    Maria_FFM wrote: »
    ceiswyn wrote: »
    A new exercise routine often results in retaining water, so that could be a part of it. But I'd be looking at your logging. Weighing is only a part of it, and there are a lot of common mistakes that people make that can mean they underestimate calories: not counting fruit/veg, not counting cooking oils, using cooked rice/pasta counts for dry weight, things like that. If you make your diary public, people can maybe see if there's anything of that sort going on?

    Thank you for offering and taking the time to look at my diary. I just made it public. Im logging everything I put in my mouth.. even olive oil when I cook. I weigh the pasta dry and then cook it. Could be that I am eating more than I think? Didnt consider the water retain... And I probably should drink mlre water too..

    I see you are weighing and logging diligently! Well done :)

    One thing that jumps out to me is that you seem to be using quite a lot of 'generic' and 'home made' entries. You might want to be careful about that; someone else's 'generic' recipe, or someone else's 'home made' one, might be very different to yours!

    This. The Vegan Wrap, the Homemade - Cheese Tomato Sandwich, the Homemade bread. Are these entries you created using a recipe? If not, don't use them. For wraps and sandwiches you buy premade, try to log individual ingredients (tomato, cheddar cheese, whole wheat wrap) using trusted entries and estimating the portion. If you go to a restaurant, you can also try using a similar restaurant that's in the database.

    Also, if I'm doing my maths right, you are 5'5 and @ 151lbs. You are just outside the healthy weight range for your height, and losing 1 kg in 3 weeks is actually good progress. You should be expecting to lose 0.25-0.5kg per week at this point, and even considering that, weight loss isn't linear. It's perfectly normal to have water weight swings completely mask fat loss on the scale for a week or two here and there, especially as you get closer to goal and fat loss slows.

    So honestly, I think your main problem is simply expecting weight loss to be more dramatic and consistent than it typically is at this point :smiley:

    https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10084670/it-is-unlikely-that-you-will-lose-weight-consistently-i-e-weight-loss-is-not-linear/p1

    Hang in there!

    5'7", 152 (170 cm to 56.9" 0.1 inches short of 5'7") so given that 2", she would be in a healthy rate range already.

    OP: 0.5 lbs/week should be your weekly weight loss goal, unless your BF% level is quite high, then 1 lb may be okay
  • J72FIT
    J72FIT Posts: 5,958 Member
    OP what are your stats?
    Height.
    Weight?
    Age?
  • Maria_FFM
    Maria_FFM Posts: 25 Member
    ceiswyn wrote: »
    Maria_FFM wrote: »
    ceiswyn wrote: »
    A new exercise routine often results in retaining water, so that could be a part of it. But I'd be looking at your logging. Weighing is only a part of it, and there are a lot of common mistakes that people make that can mean they underestimate calories: not counting fruit/veg, not counting cooking oils, using cooked rice/pasta counts for dry weight, things like that. If you make your diary public, people can maybe see if there's anything of that sort going on?

    Thank you for offering and taking the time to look at my diary. I just made it public. Im logging everything I put in my mouth.. even olive oil when I cook. I weigh the pasta dry and then cook it. Could be that I am eating more than I think? Didnt consider the water retain... And I probably should drink mlre water too..

    I see you are weighing and logging diligently! Well done :)

    One thing that jumps out to me is that you seem to be using quite a lot of 'generic' and 'home made' entries. You might want to be careful about that; someone else's 'generic' recipe, or someone else's 'home made' one, might be very different to yours!

    Thank you for looking and the tip!
    Im going to take a better look on how im selecting my entries! Appreciated.
  • Maria_FFM
    Maria_FFM Posts: 25 Member
    kimny72 wrote: »
    ceiswyn wrote: »
    Maria_FFM wrote: »
    ceiswyn wrote: »
    A new exercise routine often results in retaining water, so that could be a part of it. But I'd be looking at your logging. Weighing is only a part of it, and there are a lot of common mistakes that people make that can mean they underestimate calories: not counting fruit/veg, not counting cooking oils, using cooked rice/pasta counts for dry weight, things like that. If you make your diary public, people can maybe see if there's anything of that sort going on?

    Thank you for offering and taking the time to look at my diary. I just made it public. Im logging everything I put in my mouth.. even olive oil when I cook. I weigh the pasta dry and then cook it. Could be that I am eating more than I think? Didnt consider the water retain... And I probably should drink mlre water too..

    I see you are weighing and logging diligently! Well done :)

    One thing that jumps out to me is that you seem to be using quite a lot of 'generic' and 'home made' entries. You might want to be careful about that; someone else's 'generic' recipe, or someone else's 'home made' one, might be very different to yours!

    This. The Vegan Wrap, the Homemade - Cheese Tomato Sandwich, the Homemade bread. Are these entries you created using a recipe? If not, don't use them. For wraps and sandwiches you buy premade, try to log individual ingredients (tomato, cheddar cheese, whole wheat wrap) using trusted entries and estimating the portion. If you go to a restaurant, you can also try using a similar restaurant that's in the database.

    Also, if I'm doing my maths right, you are 5'5 and @ 151lbs. You are just outside the healthy weight range for your height, and losing 1 kg in 3 weeks is actually good progress. You should be expecting to lose 0.25-0.5kg per week at this point, and even considering that, weight loss isn't linear. It's perfectly normal to have water weight swings completely mask fat loss on the scale for a week or two here and there, especially as you get closer to goal and fat loss slows.

    So honestly, I think your main problem is simply expecting weight loss to be more dramatic and consistent than it typically is at this point :smiley:

    https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10084670/it-is-unlikely-that-you-will-lose-weight-consistently-i-e-weight-loss-is-not-linear/p1

    Hang in there!

    Thank you, Kimny!
    You see, that stupid half wrap and cheese sandwich was at a lunch meeting where we only had wraps and sandwiches. I had half vegan sandwich and a slice of bread with tomato. I didnt know exactly the calories so I chose randomly from the suggestions. But more often that not I go for sliced bread where I can record the nutrition value.
    But I def see your point!! Im going (or try) to be more accurate.

    I also agree with you I might be wanting too much too soon :)
  • Maria_FFM
    Maria_FFM Posts: 25 Member
    J72FIT wrote: »
    OP what are your stats?
    Height.
    Weight?
    Age?

    1.70
    69kgs
    38
  • unicorngems
    unicorngems Posts: 56 Member
    Maria_FFM wrote: »
    J72FIT wrote: »
    OP what are your stats?
    Height.
    Weight?
    Age?

    1.70
    69kgs
    38

    I'm the same as you!! I'm 5''4 69kgs and 30 years old!

    Very slow loss for me, exercising and tracking everything. Figured I was expecting results too quickly...it wont be as we are considered only slightly overweight.
    Don't give up!!
  • J72FIT
    J72FIT Posts: 5,958 Member
    edited August 2019
    Maria_FFM wrote: »
    J72FIT wrote: »
    OP what are your stats?
    Height.
    Weight?
    Age?

    1.70
    69kgs
    38

    At your height, weight, age and activity level I have you at...
    1845 calories per day for 1/2 pound loss per week and or,
    1595 calories per day for 1 pound loss per week.

    To be sure, I have you as 5'5", 152 pounds and 38 yrs and you're looking to lose probably about 25 or so pounds...