In a calorie deficit but not losing weight

leah9985
leah9985 Posts: 66 Member
edited January 2021 in Health and Weight Loss
Hey everyone! I’m looking for a bit of advice. I started my diet on 1st Jan. Both diet and exercise. Working out around 4 times a week with a mix of cardio and weights. I am consuming 1200-1300 calories a day (never over 1300 calories), and eating a clean diet.

In the 13 days I have been doing this diet I have not lost any weight at all. Pictures have shown my shape has changed and I’ve lost 3.5inches off my waist, 1inch off my arms and 2 inches off my legs but no weight loss.

How can this be? Before people jump and say I’m probably not in a deficit. I 100% am. I weigh all of my food, even down to if I have a light salad dressing. I am not consuming more calories than I think, I am very strict.

I am 5ft 2inch tall and I weigh 61.2kg. My goal weight is 54kg.

Any ideas or advice would really help. Thank you x
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Replies

  • leah9985
    leah9985 Posts: 66 Member
    That’s very helpful thank you. Also, can I drink too much water? I am trying to drink 2 litres a day, should I reduce this? Patience is key, I know this, it’s just hard as the scales can become obsessive but actually, I feel I look better, which is why the weight not dropping is becoming frustrating x
  • bubus05
    bubus05 Posts: 121 Member
    5.2 at 61.2 kg, I am no expert at female measurement but this seems to be ok, you are certainly not fat or obese. Why lose weight? If unhappy with shape and you want a better body that makes sense but you have progress so I wouldn't really worry to much about weight loss. I just think I could be wrong here, if the body feels it is at its ideal weight, it really doesn't want to lose any weight at all, it kind of recognises what is good, healthy and what is not. In your case the metabolism is probably slowed down by your own body to defend itself against unreasonable weight loss. If you are in calorie deficit there is no way not lose weight, excluding the impossible.
  • yirara
    yirara Posts: 9,329 Member
    yes, all what litchi said. Patience, leah, patience. It's just been 2 weeks, which is nothing in the grand scheme of things. I take it you don't have too much to lose? Then the weight loss in two weeks will be very small anyway, maybe 2lbs, which can easily be masked by water weight. But congratulations to your change, and for using a scale :)
  • leah9985
    leah9985 Posts: 66 Member
    I want to lose a stone in total. Maybe that’s not realistic but we will see
  • yirara
    yirara Posts: 9,329 Member
    You'll get there! Really, you seem to be doing everything correctly. With only a stone to lose (about 14lbs?) then 0.5lbs per week might be the most appropriate rate of loss. If mfp has given you 1200 then it means you've chosen a too high rate of loss as 1200 is the smallest you'll get for health reasons. So you might have lost 1-2lbs, but it's hidden in a bit of water weight. Yep, needs patience <3
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,457 Member
    2 things: If you started with adding exercise, first your body will retain more water because it needs it for muscle repair AND 2nd when the body senses physical use of muscle, glycogen conversion rate is higher. Glycogen requires water to be stored in the cell.
    So water will be stored at a higher rate than when you were more sedentary. This can last 2-3 weeks initially. Just keep up with the program. It'll all catch up.


    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

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  • SnifterPug
    SnifterPug Posts: 746 Member
    It might help to consider why you want to lose weight. What is it about a less heavy you that will please you? It's easy to get fixated about the number on the scale (as you are discovering) but I don't know of anyone who only cares that the scale says X. They think that's the case but often they will reach X and discover they don't look or feel how they thought they would.

    You say you feel fitter, healthier and stronger and you have made some impressive inch losses already. The loss on the scale is bound to follow given the information you have provided, but it's probably only validation of the results you already have. The process is hard enough, so I'd suggest you celebrate the wins along the way
  • leah9985
    leah9985 Posts: 66 Member
    That’s great thank you all so much! It’s so good to get what I would say is an expert opinion. You all sound like experts!
    I will of course stick with it, I had no intention of quitting as I feel great and I will celebrate the change regardless of whether the number on the scales moves.
    Just one other thing, I’m not sure if anyone knows, but is cream cheese (such as phillidelphia), acceptable on a clean eating diet? I know cheese seems to be a big no no (especially cheddar), but I’m not sure where I stand with soft cheeses. I am thinking of lunchtime choices and wondered if eating ryvita and cream cheese is an option. I want to be as lean as possible so don’t want to risk eating a food that could prevent that. Thanks in advance xx
  • leah9985
    leah9985 Posts: 66 Member
    Aww ok, so I thought a clean diet meant only eating whole foods, nothing processed?

    I am worried that if I don’t eat only whole foods...vegetables, fruit, fish, meat etc then I won’t get the results that I am looking for.

    I eat all of the above daily, but sometimes I don’t feel like chicken/ fish and veg/salad for lunch so looking for an alternative.

    I feel so lost when it comes to foods. I understand that being in a deficit means that I will lose weight, but why do so many fitness fanatics live off chicken and veg for pretty much their whole diet? It must have some benefit? Or am I wrong.

    I have whey protein daily to up my protein intake as well as sourcing it from normal foods but feel like I shouldn’t touch anything processed if I want the results I am after.

    Sorry for the long reply! Feeling so confused.
  • leah9985
    leah9985 Posts: 66 Member
    edited January 2021
    That’s very helpful wunderkindking, thank you so much! I want to be realistic about it all. I want to exercise, eat well but also not deprive myself of some of the foods I like. It’s ridiculous that I am even classing ryvita and soft cheese as ‘bad’, but it’s hard when living in a world full of salmon and asparagus posts!! 🤦🏻‍♀️
  • leah9985
    leah9985 Posts: 66 Member
    Sijomial - I don’t actually know why to be honest. I think because when I see these diet plans from a lot of personal trainers etc, there isn’t a slice of cheese in site. If there is then it’s protein cheese (which I recently found out was a thing!). I guess I’m scared to eat anything other than non processed foods. The worst thing in my diet at the moment is a little bit of salad cream or Mayo on my salad 🤦🏻‍♀️