Scale isn’t moving?
Replies
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Check out damnripped.com and play with the macros and such.1
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Just for a sort of benchmark or reality test:
A quarter pound of muscle-mass gain per week would be a very good result for a woman under ideal conditions (about a half pound for a man). Ideal conditions include a well designed progressive strength training program faithfully performed using weights that are heavy for that person, good nutrition (especially ample protein), relative youth, and a calorie surplus. (This is without potentially-dangerous performance enhancing drugs, by the way.)
Sometimes people believe they've added mass when they've gotten stronger, firmer, and have seen better definition (toning). But getting stronger (especially when new to strength training) is significantly about better recruiting and using existing muscle fibers (via neuromuscular adaptation, a.k.a. NMA). Getting firmer and seeing better definition/toning can be about the water retention (for muscle repair) in the tissues being worked.
Actually adding muscle tissue is a slow process. While some gain is possible in a calorie deficit, especially for people who are new to strength training and substantially overweight to obese, it will be very, very slow. Think about it: You're trying to add muscle weight while simultaneously removing fat weight, essentially gaining and losing at the same time.
For most of us, a quarter pound of fat loss per week would be extremely difficult to see on the scale amongst normal daily weight fluctuations (from water and digestive contents shifts), unless over many weeks to a few months, and then probably only with a weight trending app.
Bottom line: Sadly, it's very unlikely to be gaining so much muscle mass in a calorie deficit that it hides any reasonable rate of of fat loss on the bodyweight scale.16 -
Confused as to goals?
What's wrong with recomp @ maintenance/near maintenance? Which will generally look exactly like what you're doing now, i.e. no major scale changes other than normal fluctuations!
Actually. Are you using a weight trend app? The size of deficit you *should* be using--and which you do appear to be using--means that you could lose one or two lbs of fat in January, yet weigh more on January 31 than you did on January 1!4 -
Confused as to goals?
What's wrong with recomp @ maintenance/near maintenance? Which will generally look exactly like what you're doing now, i.e. no major scale changes other than normal fluctuations!
Actually. Are you using a weight trend app? The size of deficit you *should* be using--and which you do appear to be using--means that you could lose one or two lbs of fat in January, yet weigh more on January 31 than you did on January 1!
So I should go for “recomp”?
And no I don’t use that app, what is it exactly?
I go boot camps twice a week at my gym and other days normal weights and cardio.
And I dont count calories I just know I eat enough amount of calories to burn fat.
Keep my protein high and try to eat less fat and carbs.
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aidayazd95 wrote: »Confused as to goals?
What's wrong with recomp @ maintenance/near maintenance? Which will generally look exactly like what you're doing now, i.e. no major scale changes other than normal fluctuations!
Actually. Are you using a weight trend app? The size of deficit you *should* be using--and which you do appear to be using--means that you could lose one or two lbs of fat in January, yet weigh more on January 31 than you did on January 1!
So I should go for “recomp”?
And no I don’t use that app, what is it exactly?
I go boot camps twice a week at my gym and other days normal weights and cardio.
And I dont count calories I just know I eat enough amount of calories to burn fat.
Keep my protein high and try to eat less fat and carbs.
If you don't know how much you're eating, how are you confident that the scale *should* be moving?15 -
janejellyroll wrote: »aidayazd95 wrote: »Confused as to goals?
What's wrong with recomp @ maintenance/near maintenance? Which will generally look exactly like what you're doing now, i.e. no major scale changes other than normal fluctuations!
Actually. Are you using a weight trend app? The size of deficit you *should* be using--and which you do appear to be using--means that you could lose one or two lbs of fat in January, yet weigh more on January 31 than you did on January 1!
So I should go for “recomp”?
And no I don’t use that app, what is it exactly?
I go boot camps twice a week at my gym and other days normal weights and cardio.
And I dont count calories I just know I eat enough amount of calories to burn fat.
Keep my protein high and try to eat less fat and carbs.
If you don't know how much you're eating, how are you confident that the scale *should* be moving?
Yeah sure, gonna start the calories counting again maybe.1 -
Unless you have health issues, or you're lifting like a beast and on gear, there's only one reason you're not losing weight, you're eating the same number of calories that you're burning. Eat less or burn more.
What do you mean by not losing weight though? Has your weight not moved in a week or more? You can't base calculations on weight over a day or two, or three, you have to base it on what your weight is doing over a week or two so that variations due to hydration and nutrient transit aren't what you're seeing.5 -
Unless you have health issues, or you're lifting like a beast and on gear, there's only one reason you're not losing weight, you're eating the same number of calories that you're burning. Eat less or burn more.
What do you mean by not losing weight though? Has your weight not moved in a week or more? You can't base calculations on weight over a day or two, or three, you have to base it on what your weight is doing over a week or two so that variations due to hydration and nutrient transit aren't what you're seeing.
I mean by like a week - 2 weeks.
Maybe yeah it’s true.. I eat more that I don’t know of.
But all I know is I’m very active like excercise a lot and stand/walk a lot plus don’t really eat that much.
It could be the nuts, the good fats (that are high in calories) Cuz I eat a lot of that.
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The fact that I don't see weight loss as a priority for you, doesn't mean that you don't have that as your goal. And as long as your goal is sane and healthy (and I recall something like 5 lbs which probably would be), that's all that matters!
In general losing/not losing is independent of best performance. Thus my suggestion that there is no reason why you can't just concentrate on not gaining weight while concentrating more on optimizing performance = recomp.
You have two measurement problems. They are equally problematic in terms of precision but, frankly, the scale one is more problematic to your sanity and goal attainment!
We don't have a single weight. Our weight changes. Rapidly. The rapid changes are not caused by fat changes.
Also, you are a woman. You quite probably have some hormonal water weight variation. Looking at one or two weeks of not daily weigh-ins and thinking you'll see a 5lb drop is a recipe for disaster.
Why? because you will end up applying too large of a deficit for your current excess fat availability in an attempt to see rapid results.
Hence my suggestion to use a weight trend application or web site. You record your weight and you see your trendline as opposed to looking at your daily or weekly weight and trying to come to decisions.
Below you will see the trendline of someone in the normal weight range who is applying a rate of loss that would be suitable for someone like you wanting to lose 5lbs someday while maximizing gym performance. However, you would probably need to extend that trend line to 4 to 6 weeks to see meaningful results depending on how susceptible you are to cyclic water retention.
Eating a small or large quantity of food matters less than the total calories for the food. Of course nuts and good fats are highly caloric and packed in small packages.
Whether you are actually eating a little bit too much or not does depend on your goals. Since rapid loss should NOT be your goal... I have no issues with you not counting! Furthermore, counting not always good and appropriate for everyone and anyone depending on their past experiences with food intake and management.
The only issue I see is that you may be forcing yourself to eat "un-naturally" to "lose weight" and then ending up frustrated because you are forcing yourself to make choices that are not suitable for you long term.
I advocate small and gradual changes that are suitable for the long term and easy for you to implement.7 -
Two weeks is no time at all at your size - when you are fairly small/light, it takes blinking ages to lose any weight (unless you amputate something).5
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aidayazd95 wrote: »Unless you have health issues, or you're lifting like a beast and on gear, there's only one reason you're not losing weight, you're eating the same number of calories that you're burning. Eat less or burn more.
What do you mean by not losing weight though? Has your weight not moved in a week or more? You can't base calculations on weight over a day or two, or three, you have to base it on what your weight is doing over a week or two so that variations due to hydration and nutrient transit aren't what you're seeing.
I mean by like a week - 2 weeks.
Maybe yeah it’s true.. I eat more that I don’t know of.
But all I know is I’m very active like excercise a lot and stand/walk a lot plus don’t really eat that much.
It could be the nuts, the good fats (that are high in calories) Cuz I eat a lot of that.
It is totally normal to not see the scale move for 2 or 3 weeks, even when you are doing everything right, because of normal weight fluctuations.
It seems like you really don't like this answer, but the answer is that you need to be more patient, focus on your goals, and settle in for the long haul. No matter what you eat, what workouts you do, how much water you drink, etc etc, you need realistic expectations. Once you are already lean, further improvements are really slow, over months and even years, that's just real life.
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I'm confused. You are at a very healthy weight. Why do you want to lose more? To rework your body composition, follow the advice people have given you for recomp. But I'm not getting why you feel you need to lose weight or want the scale to move.5
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Pipsqueak1965 wrote: »Two weeks is no time at all at your size - when you are fairly small/light, it takes blinking ages to lose any weight (unless you amputate something).
I seeaidayazd95 wrote: »Unless you have health issues, or you're lifting like a beast and on gear, there's only one reason you're not losing weight, you're eating the same number of calories that you're burning. Eat less or burn more.
What do you mean by not losing weight though? Has your weight not moved in a week or more? You can't base calculations on weight over a day or two, or three, you have to base it on what your weight is doing over a week or two so that variations due to hydration and nutrient transit aren't what you're seeing.
I mean by like a week - 2 weeks.
Maybe yeah it’s true.. I eat more that I don’t know of.
But all I know is I’m very active like excercise a lot and stand/walk a lot plus don’t really eat that much.
It could be the nuts, the good fats (that are high in calories) Cuz I eat a lot of that.
It is totally normal to not see the scale move for 2 or 3 weeks, even when you are doing everything right, because of normal weight fluctuations.
It seems like you really don't like this answer, but the answer is that you need to be more patient, focus on your goals, and settle in for the long haul. No matter what you eat, what workouts you do, how much water you drink, etc etc, you need realistic expectations. Once you are already lean, further improvements are really slow, over months and even years, that's just real life.
Oh no I totally get it,
Patience that’s exactly what I need.
I was just curious since I’m new to the muscle building and if that could be the reason of the scale not moving/going up.
But thank you so muchI'm confused. You are at a very healthy weight. Why do you want to lose more? To rework your body composition, follow the advice people have given you for recomp. But I'm not getting why you feel you need to lose weight or want the scale to move.
I know but I just wanted to be a little less or maybe it’s the body fat.
Because when I gain weight it goes mostly in my face, my thighs and butt.
The problem is the face, it’s still little chubby Lol and still have little bit of double chin and lower belly fat.
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Ok, but I don't think losing more weight is the best choice for that. Recomp is. You will (slowly) reduce fat and add muscle. You will look great over time and should lose that last little bit of fat. But either way, it's going to be slow going and require lots of patience. When you are already fairly lean, it's hard to lose that last bit of body fat in the trouble spots.3
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Ok, but I don't think losing more weight is the best choice for that. Recomp is. You will (slowly) reduce fat and add muscle. You will look great over time and should lose that last little bit of fat. But either way, it's going to be slow going and require lots of patience. When you are already fairly lean, it's hard to lose that last bit of body fat in the trouble spots.
Got it, thank you!
Most are saying recomp.
I have no clue what that is exactly.
Where can I find the best info all about it?
What is it exactly?3 -
aidayazd95 wrote: »Ok, but I don't think losing more weight is the best choice for that. Recomp is. You will (slowly) reduce fat and add muscle. You will look great over time and should lose that last little bit of fat. But either way, it's going to be slow going and require lots of patience. When you are already fairly lean, it's hard to lose that last bit of body fat in the trouble spots.
Got it, thank you!
Most are saying recomp.
I have no clue what that is exactly.
Where can I find the best info all about it?
What is it exactly?
Great thread on recomp here.
https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10177803/recomposition-maintaining-weight-while-losing-fat/p1
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aidayazd95 wrote: »Ok, but I don't think losing more weight is the best choice for that. Recomp is. You will (slowly) reduce fat and add muscle. You will look great over time and should lose that last little bit of fat. But either way, it's going to be slow going and require lots of patience. When you are already fairly lean, it's hard to lose that last bit of body fat in the trouble spots.
Got it, thank you!
Most are saying recomp.
I have no clue what that is exactly.
Where can I find the best info all about it?
What is it exactly?
Great thread on recomp here.
https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10177803/recomposition-maintaining-weight-while-losing-fat/p1
Yay thanks!
It talks about TDEE can someone explain what is it exactly and where can I find mine?
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aidayazd95 wrote: »aidayazd95 wrote: »Ok, but I don't think losing more weight is the best choice for that. Recomp is. You will (slowly) reduce fat and add muscle. You will look great over time and should lose that last little bit of fat. But either way, it's going to be slow going and require lots of patience. When you are already fairly lean, it's hard to lose that last bit of body fat in the trouble spots.
Got it, thank you!
Most are saying recomp.
I have no clue what that is exactly.
Where can I find the best info all about it?
What is it exactly?
Great thread on recomp here.
https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10177803/recomposition-maintaining-weight-while-losing-fat/p1
Yay thanks!
It talks about TDEE can someone explain what is it exactly and where can I find mine?
Your TDEE is your total daily energy expenditure, the total amount of calories you need to maintain your current weight (includes the calories you burn at rest, exercise, daily activities and digestion). You can find an estimate of this number with a TDEE calculator (there are many floating around the web) you can enter your stats into a few and take the average them go from there. Otherwise if you have been tracking you can use real world data to know your total intake.
At the end of the day, whether you know your TDEE or not, you want to be maintaining your weight over time to recomp.2 -
aidayazd95 wrote: »Pipsqueak1965 wrote: »Two weeks is no time at all at your size - when you are fairly small/light, it takes blinking ages to lose any weight (unless you amputate something).
I seeaidayazd95 wrote: »Unless you have health issues, or you're lifting like a beast and on gear, there's only one reason you're not losing weight, you're eating the same number of calories that you're burning. Eat less or burn more.
What do you mean by not losing weight though? Has your weight not moved in a week or more? You can't base calculations on weight over a day or two, or three, you have to base it on what your weight is doing over a week or two so that variations due to hydration and nutrient transit aren't what you're seeing.
I mean by like a week - 2 weeks.
Maybe yeah it’s true.. I eat more that I don’t know of.
But all I know is I’m very active like excercise a lot and stand/walk a lot plus don’t really eat that much.
It could be the nuts, the good fats (that are high in calories) Cuz I eat a lot of that.
It is totally normal to not see the scale move for 2 or 3 weeks, even when you are doing everything right, because of normal weight fluctuations.
It seems like you really don't like this answer, but the answer is that you need to be more patient, focus on your goals, and settle in for the long haul. No matter what you eat, what workouts you do, how much water you drink, etc etc, you need realistic expectations. Once you are already lean, further improvements are really slow, over months and even years, that's just real life.
Oh no I totally get it,
Patience that’s exactly what I need.
I was just curious since I’m new to the muscle building and if that could be the reason of the scale not moving/going up.
But thank you so muchI'm confused. You are at a very healthy weight. Why do you want to lose more? To rework your body composition, follow the advice people have given you for recomp. But I'm not getting why you feel you need to lose weight or want the scale to move.
I know but I just wanted to be a little less or maybe it’s the body fat.
Because when I gain weight it goes mostly in my face, my thighs and butt.
The problem is the face, it’s still little chubby Lol and still have little bit of double chin and lower belly fat.
If you're not making a dramatic change in weight the scale can be very confusing, even at your size your weight could fluctuate several pounds in a day just from water. You could be losing a pound or two of fat and not seeing it on the scale if you are holding water. Likewise if you are that small but have a "chubby" face lol, it may very well be water weight held in your face. If you are holding extra water then possibly changing what foods you're eating, and tracking sodium, could be the only change needed to achieve your goals.1 -
aidayazd95 wrote: »
Well, mainly loose body fat and get muscles.
Don’t wanna get big I just want to get toned/fit how do I say it. Mainly just loose BF.
There's a smart scale by Renpho that will show Bodyfat percent, water percent and calculate muscle mass, it's +/-3% accurate from what I can tell by spot checking it against the doctor's numbers and my work place's annual wellness check. If you are interested in body fat percent- I'd look into a different scale and watch the percentages vs total pounds. To reduce body fat percent when close to ideal range, it's better to watch macros and keep up on exercise from what I've been told and some of my friends who go for abs every now and again for different competitions.
2
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