Eating healthy, exercising and still fat!
tabilw
Posts: 50 Member
So I'm really on the struggle bus lately. I feel like my diet has been a lot better, and I'm exercising 5 days a week including cardio 3 days a week and strength training twice a week. I'm really watching my calorie intake..... But I'm not making any headway! I don't really look at the scale as much to determine if I'm making progress, I really look more at the way my body looks and how my clothes fit. But I feel like nothing is changing, in fact I feel like things are getting worse! My belly feels fat!! Anyone else dealing with this? any suggestions? Any diets or programs that have worked really well for you? HELP!!
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Replies
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How long have you been following your diet and exercise program?2
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Your post contains a lot of 'I feel like' and 'really watching' your calorie intake doesn't give us much detail either.
Are you weighing your food, checking that you are using the right database entries?
What stats and goals did you enter in MFP and what calorie goal did that give you? Are you following that goal? Are you eating back exercise calories?
Not weighing is fine, though it wouldn't be my choice. But are you measuring yourself?
And how long have you been doing this?16 -
I got fat suddenly at age 31 (injury was the trigger) and stayed fat for over 20 years while eating healthily and exercising. Fat but fit described me pretty well.
Neither a healthy diet or exercise guarantees weight loss / fat loss:- Healthy food has calories too.
- I now probably have a higher exercise calorie burn than most (160,000+ cals p.a. just from cycling) but because I eat at a calorie balance that exercise doesn't result in weight loss.
Your measures of success are extremely vague, your main focus seems in the wrong place.
There's lots and lots of diets that work as long as they cause a sustained and sensible calorie deficit. Suggest you tighten up your food logging as a first step (log everything you ingest including drinks with calories, don't use cups and spoons for measuring) then at least you have an idea about your intake and then have a serious think about how you intend tracking progress - feelings aren't a measurement!11 -
Your food diary is public so I checked it out. You say you're "watching what you eat"---Your problem is right there. Get out the digital food scale and start weighing and measuring everything--everyday. You need data if you want to resolve problems and you don't have any. So, encouraging you to start with complete and as accurate as possible logging for a month and then you'll get more help if things aren't working.19
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I changed some words to illustrate your issue:
So I'm really on the struggle bus lately. I feel like my household budget has been a lot better, and I'm working 5 days a week. I'm really watching my credit card swipes..... But I'm not making any headway! I don't really look at my bank account as much to determine if I'm making progress, I really look more at the way my billfold looks and how much stuff I have. But I feel like nothing is changing, in fact I feel like things are getting worse! My bank says I'm overdrafting all the time!! Anyone else dealing with this? any suggestions? Any diets or programs that have worked really well for you? HELP!!
The issue is you're not tracking. I was about to say you have no data, but in fact, you do --> If you're gaining weight, then you're consuming more calories than you're burning. Now you need to find out what those numbers are, with some precision, and work on shifting them. The most straightforward path is to reduce calories in. "Abs are made in the kitchen." "You can't outrun a bad diet." "Other cliches."27 -
You need to weigh your food and track everything. There are no short cuts, or magic diets. You also can't out exercise a bad diet. If your diet isn't in check, it doesn't matter.6
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Yeah, in recovery circles they say, "Feelings aren't facts."15
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Fat is not a feeling.
I gave you a hug.
A choice without motive is like an effect without cause. There's only choices and consequences. You choose to keep tooling along or give yourself a permission slip to throw in the towel and just quit.
When I hear the massive rationalization and excuses machine start grinding gears... it turns into a whirrrrr and a blur. Do you know how many people quit because their results aren't happening fast enough. They keep starting over and over and over again trying to reach their dream weight.
Do you know how many people write long drawn out explanations why they can't get off the couch from the speed of zero without ever making one single step towards fitness and health. This isn't about willpower. It's not about motivation. It's about building skills.
What's really heartbreaking is to hear it coming from someone that needs to make some immediate changes due to the toll it's taking on their health. Delicate health conditions can be so very hard.
Most of this stuff is mental. You're fighting against your brain. There will days you'll have to tell it to just shut UP.
Do that and keep going.
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As everyone else has said: WEIGH AND LOG YOUR FOOD.
You can’t out exercise your kitchen. You have 0 data to determine if you are eating in a deficit. Eating in a deficit is how you lose weight. You can do so with any number of diets or with what you already eat normally, just in smaller portions. Either way, you’ll never progress if you aren’t in a deficit.3 -
Sorry you're having a tough time, tabilw. I know how frustrating it can be to feel like you're doing all the things and yet weight loss has ground to a halt. Some suggestions:
Try eating low calorie prepackaged meals for awhile, so you'll know exactly how many calories you're taking in for every meal.
Weigh yourself regularly, take your measurements, and take pictures. Even if you don't feel like you're losing weight, you may surprise yourself.
In other words, track everything. That way, you'll have a sense of what's going wrong and how to correct it.
Somebody once said, "If you're stuck, change something." Simple advice. It just takes experimenting to figure out which tweaks make the difference for you. Eat the same thing for lunch every day? Try eating a different lunch for a couple weeks and see what happens. Do the same workout every morning? Try trading your usual workout for a different one for a week or two and see if that budges the numbers on the scale. Sometimes even stuff we think *should* be working isn't, so we need to try something different.
Also, be patient with yourself. You may just be a few simple changes away from starting things moving in the right direction.1 -
I had similar struggles for the past few years and it took me a while to figure it out. It's possible you have an unhealthy gut. An inflamed gut can cause a myriad of issues: poor nutrient intake, chronic fatigue, extra inches around the middle due to the inflammation, and extra stress which leads to another host of problems by throwing off your hormone levels.
I've been doing an anti-inflammatory/elimination diet since End of March, beging of April. During the time I stuck to the diet I lost weight while maintaining a calorie deficit. Then the last two weeks of September I relaxed my standards a bit and started eating things that were not on my diet for me and the pounds started creeping back on. My gut began to show expansion too (inflammation). I felt a little fluffy. I recommitted back again to my diet for me on October 1st. The extra fluff disappeared and I ended up losing a few more pounds.
If you're not already doing an anti-inflammatory diet I would suggest giving that a try first. If you don't notice a difference after the first few weeks then try starting an elimination diet for 6-8 weeks to allow the gut to fully heal. Following that, reintroduce foods very slowly and gradually to see if you have a reaction to any foods. When I started my elimination diet the first thing that happened was that I lost 4.5 inches off my waist. After continuing my elimination diet I now know that I can't eat gluten unless I want my abdomen to swell making me look like I'm pregnant.
Constantly irritating the intestines with foods that you are sensitive to can lead to poor health. It would be a good idea to rule out whether you have any food sensitivities as a possible culprit contributing to your extra weight. If it's not, I would recommend seeking some professional help through your doctor. It might be good to have a second pair of eyes take a look at your habits and what you're eating. Your doctor can also test you for hormone levels and nutrient deficiencies you might have.1 -
couple thoughts, the best way to burn calories is not to put them in your mouth hole in the first place, ha ha you sound like me before I figured this out, I had the work hard play hard mentality, and that's not the right way to go about it, so I recommend fasting, nothing crazy nothing extreme, assuming you are healthy otherwise, pic a day, a busy schedule day works great because events will keep you distracted, wake up in the morning and weigh yourself, write down that number and do not eat or drink anything but water all day, drink as much water as you like especially when you feel hungry, if it's meal time like lunch time or dinner time and you feel that urge to eat, write down the time the urge starts and play a little game with yourself, say ok hunger how long will you last, and go do something, read a book, surf the web, and I bet you will forget to write down when the hunger ended, ha ha
the next day weigh yourself not when you wake up but right before you have your first meal, don't skip any meals if you usually eat breakfast fine, if you always skip breakfast then treat this as any other day, wait till lunch to weigh yourself and eat lunch
I do not mean to micromanage you at all, I am just sharing what has worked for me, fasting clears your mind as well as your belly and sort of reboots your system, it also gives you a clean canvas sort of speak, and makes you go hmmm do I really want peanut M&Ms to be the first thing I shove in my mouth after not eating for say 30 hours
and you also will find out how much weight you can actually loose max in a days time, it's just a good way to gauge yourself, hope this helps2 -
Like others I would recommend weighing your food and also weighing yourself. Sometimes you don't feel or look like you've lost any weight but actually you have.2
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Incorporate strength training with weights... and eat MORE. I made the same mistake of cutting my calories back too much, so I just became skinny fat. Still fluffy around the mid section.. You need to get some muscle under the fat and you'll start to look more toned and firm. Don't worry about the number on the scale. You might actually gain some, but you'll look better overall. Again, eat plenty of protein and carbs and lift as heavy as you can. As a woman, you won't get big and bulky. It is very difficult for a woman to get huge unless they're on steroids. You'll just get really fit.0
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reedbryant wrote: »It's impossible for a woman unless you're on steroids. You'll just get really fit.
So all women body builders are on steroids then??? interesting....2 -
I will correct myself. Body builders are eating huge amounts of calories. If you stay at maintenance calories or a deficit, you won't get huge. More of the toned look you want.0
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reedbryant wrote: »I will correct myself. Body builders are eating huge amounts of calories. If you stay at maintenance calories or a deficit, you won't get bigger.
Sure you can if you eat enough protein and follow a progressive lifting program. Not saying it’s easy or that you’ll get a ton bigger, but to say it won’t happen at all is simply nonsense. The article below talks about how to do both simultaneously. Of course it’s easier to build muscle in a surplus, but that doesn’t mean it is IMPOSSIBLE in a deficit.
https://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/lose-weight-and-build-muscle-or-do-one-then-the-other/2 -
You are right @Dogmom1978 . My point is to lift weights and not only rely on cardio and cutting calories to the extreme.3
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So I'm really on the struggle bus lately. I feel like my diet has been a lot better, and I'm exercising 5 days a week including cardio 3 days a week and strength training twice a week. I'm really watching my calorie intake..... But I'm not making any headway! I don't really look at the scale as much to determine if I'm making progress, I really look more at the way my body looks and how my clothes fit. But I feel like nothing is changing, in fact I feel like things are getting worse! My belly feels fat!! Anyone else dealing with this? any suggestions? Any diets or programs that have worked really well for you? HELP!!
Yes. Patience...3 -
So I'm really on the struggle bus lately. I feel like my diet has been a lot better, and I'm exercising 5 days a week including cardio 3 days a week and strength training twice a week. I'm really watching my calorie intake..... But I'm not making any headway! I don't really look at the scale as much to determine if I'm making progress, I really look more at the way my body looks and how my clothes fit. But I feel like nothing is changing, in fact I feel like things are getting worse! My belly feels fat!! Anyone else dealing with this? any suggestions? Any diets or programs that have worked really well for you? HELP!!
I took a look at your food diary and see a lot of days where you didn't log anything and also a lot of one plate, pieces, tablespoons, and other measurements that are not terribly accurate.
So, you are not losing weight because you are eating more than you think. I suggest you get a food scale.
A bathroom scale would be useful as well. If you have a valid reason for not wanting to use one, you can indeed go by your clothes. I'd suggest using the same pair of non-stretchy jeans. But you will get better data from a scale.
Another thing you can do is take pictures and measurements. Our eyes can often deceive us. "I feel" is not a great way to measure.14 -
So I'm really on the struggle bus lately. I feel like my diet has been a lot better, and I'm exercising 5 days a week including cardio 3 days a week and strength training twice a week. I'm really watching my calorie intake..... But I'm not making any headway! I don't really look at the scale as much to determine if I'm making progress, I really look more at the way my body looks and how my clothes fit. But I feel like nothing is changing, in fact I feel like things are getting worse! My belly feels fat!! Anyone else dealing with this? any suggestions? Any diets or programs that have worked really well for you? HELP!!
I had about 20 lbs to lose. I followed all sorts of workout programs, tried to stay active, and eyeballed servings trying to eat less and less for years with no success. I felt like I ate next to nothing and was really active and there must be something wrong with me. Then I started logging my food and using a food scale. I also got a step tracker. I found that outside of my workouts, I was a couch potato, and I was shocked by how many calories I was eating. Once I started legit eating the right amount of calories, I started losing around 2-3 lbs per month.
Get a food scale. Weigh everything you possibly can. Log every damn thing - meals, snacks, condiments, cooking oil, late night snacks, cooking nibbles, everything. I bet if you commit to that for a month or two you will start to see real results. Our perception of what we eat and what we do can be tragically off, sometimes you just need to get all exact and scientific for a little while to reset your perception. For me, it's something I continue to have to rely on in maintenance, I just lose sight of what I'm really consuming without that helping hand.
Check out the Most Helpful Posts threads pinned to the top of each sub-forum - lots of great info there too.
Strength training is a great idea, but if you are eating too much, you will not lose much if any fat. Getting your calories in line should be priority #1.11 -
As someone else mentioned, lots of "I feels" in your statement without much actual solid information. You can "feel" like you're eating better, but are you sticking with a calorie goal and tracking/weighing everything to ensure you're meeting that calorie goal fairly accurately? Exercise is great as a tool, but you can't outrun a bad diet. If you're still eating too many calories, it won't help with the scale. Generally, exercise is for fitness and diet is for weight loss. You "feel" like nothing is changing, but did you get a starting weight and body measurements, and check back with them periodically to see if you are actually, in fact, losing? Right now you don't really know...sounds like you're just doing a lot of feeling and guessing. I'd start by getting some solid facts so you know what you're really working with.5
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Your post contains a lot of 'I feel like' and 'really watching' your calorie intake doesn't give us much detail either.
Are you weighing your food, checking that you are using the right database entries?
What stats and goals did you enter in MFP and what calorie goal did that give you? Are you following that goal? Are you eating back exercise calories?
Not weighing is fine, though it wouldn't be my choice. But are you measuring yourself?
And how long have you been doing this?
I'd also suggest taking measurements every 4 weeks.
I used to work with weight loss clients..... body fat DOES move around as you lose. Keep going.💗0 -
I had a look at your diary, but it does seem like you're only tracking sporadically. Most days there is either one meal tracked or nothing at all. Without the data of a fully tracked diary, it's honestly hard to see where it's going wrong.
I would start by just measuring and tracking everything you eat & drink. Don't worry about restricting anything, just eat what you've been eating and track it. That gives you somewhere to start - you'll soon see whether you're eating a bit too much or underestimating your serving sizes etc. From there you can start to make some changes when you're ready. But the first step is collecting that data and giving yourself time to build the habits.3 -
When I first joined mfp I thought I was eating well and moving well, but I was still gaining weight. That's why I joined. Then I started logging... I learned that what I believed my calorie intake to be and what it was were two different things! I lost weight steadily once I started tracking properly.1
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