Not losing anything. Nada. Not a bean.

xtineart wrote: »

Yeh I've not counted my run calories as I dont trust fitbit to give an accurate number. The only things I could gave weighed today would gave been the chicken breast and my apple and banana. Those would not gave been 500 calories more than mfp suggests. For me weighting my food religiously would put me off more than anything anyway I dont weigh myself daily for the same reason.

With 3 stone (42 pounds) to lose, a moderate target would be 1-1.5 pounds a week. (The goal weight you put in MFP has no effect on your calorie goal. The goal depends on size, activity level, and loss-rate goal.)

You're right, with your running, and something even reasonably near 1200 calories (but not eating the running calories), it's unlikely you're eating over maintenance calories.

A think to consider is that an aggressive loss rate, for some people, can increase the water retention weirdness on the scale. (If you actually are eating 1200 or less, and running without fueling it, you could be in that realm - hard to know, except by experimenting.)

Beyond that, a trade of running for former biking doesn't necessarily mean you wouldn't see new-exercise water weight. It's about muscle repair, and conditioning can be remarkably sport-specific. Again, hard to know, but water retention from new exercise remains a possibility.

Then there's the "being female" thing. Your profile says you're female, and if your profile photo is you and reasonably current, you look young enough to still be having monthly hormonal cycles (a thing that can be true even after hysterectomy, BTW, if ovaries still present). Most women see fluctuations around the cycle, and the timing can differ from one woman to the next. (I've seen women here say they'll gain 5+ pounds of water at certain points, maybe even as many as 8-10, though smaller numbers seem more usual.) Since you don't want to weigh frequently (and I understand why, and am not arguing), it will be a little more challenging to understand what your personal pattern is. For sure, if hormonal cycles are a factor for you, you should compare the same relative time-point in two (or more) different menstrual cycles, to get a better idea what's going on with fat loss.

Finally, it can matter how your eating patterns have changed, not just the calories, when it comes to short-term scale weight, especially at the start of a new routine. If someone is eating more veggies/fruits than before, maybe "eating cleaner", that can mean more carbs or fiber, either of which can increase scale weight through water retention (to metabolize the carbs) or average digestive system contents (the fiber). People who see a fast loss at first have frequently reduced their carb intake - not necessarily by intentionally going low carb, but just from reducing "filler foods" like bread, rice, pasta if those aren't important to their happiness; or they may have significantly reduced sodium (which also will typically reduce water retention) by reducing take-away or snack foods or the like.

So, there are *a lot* of things that could be going on here. With you already having a pretty low calorie goal, and not fueling the exercise calories, I wouldn't encourage you to make a change yet. I'd encourage you to wait for *at least* one full menstrual cycle, perhaps 2, to see what your true trend is, once your changes in routine net out on the scale. Beyond that, the "open your diary" advice might produce some other advice, but that's hard to know in advance.

Wishing you the best, for longer-term success!