Not making any progress, Please Help
karlatytus
Posts: 8 Member
Hello! I started my recent journey 3 weeks ago and I'm not seeing very much movement on the scale. In 3 weeks I've lost .7 lbs despite sticking to my calorie deficit and exercising alot. I eat about 1700 calories daily and have a cheat meal once a week (not large enough to keep me from losing 1 lb a week by calculations). I eat 1 g of protein per lb body weight, no more than 140 g carbs per day (usu. less), no more than 65 g sugar per day, and around 40-55 g fat per day. My tdee is ~2500. I do full body weight lifting 3 times a week and 2 days of 40 min cardio/ 10 min abs, and every day I walk for at least an hour. I know its only been 3 weeks but in the past when I started lifting weights after a break (I didn't have access to a gym in August and unfortunately cheated on my diet a lot), my body lost weight quickly. I'm stressed because I have a vacation coming up in April and I don't want to wear t-shirts over my swimsuits anymore. I need to lose 1.25 lbs a week to make my goal. Please help! Thanks!
4
Replies
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Water retention will mask fat loss on the scale - seems a possible explanation since you started weight training again after a break.
Losing weight with a deadline is rarely a good idea, it can turn progress into 'failure' and also makes it hard to be patient. So try to be patient and give it a bit more time before deciding whether or not you need to make changes.
Even if you don't lose weight at the intended rate, you'll still have made progress!12 -
@karlatytus Hi Karla. Is the 1700 cal your BMR? Looking at your macros….what I would start with 1st is to reduce your carbs to no more than 75g per day. Also, look at food labels to make sure that you are not eating any hidden sugars. Eliminate high fructose corn syrup and keep added sugars to less than 25g per day. I started a weight loss/work out program last month and have been losing about a pound a week. I’m happy to answer any other questions you may have.1
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Lietchi gives great advice in my opinion. Be kind to yourself, stay consistent and be patient. You’re clearly doing great and seem very dedicated.
Lowcarbmami is correct in advising that you check out hidden calories.
Keep at it and try to be positive. Results will come5 -
When I ramped up my exercise and lowered my calories it took me 3 weeks before I began losing weight normally.7
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If you reduced calorie intake, increased exercise (especially strength exercise), maybe changed the types of foods you're eating, or the proportions of them, *and* (as you appear in your photo) are also in an age group that has monthly female hormonal cycles, there's no way that 3 weeks is long enough to be evaluating the results of a particular new regimen.
*At minimum* you'd need to go for a full menstrual cycle, compare body weight at the same relative point in two different cycles . . . and even that could mislead if significant changes alongside in what you're eating, and in your exercise routine. If changing either or both of those latter things, then think in terms of going for another cycle, compare body weight across two different menstrual cycles at the same relative point, not just one.
Water weight fluctuations are a b-word.
This is a good read, highly recommended:
https://physiqonomics.com/the-weird-and-highly-annoying-world-of-scale-weight-and-fluctuations
My advice: For now, don't change anything. Accumulate more personal data under consistent conditions. People who switch things up impatiently tend not to learn what really works for them, form imaginative theories about things that aren't really the underlying cause.
Bona fides: Lost 50+ pounds in less than a year at age 59-60, obese to healthy weight, while hypothyroid, without changes in exercise routine, while hypothyroid (and of course menopausal); have maintained a healthy weight for 5+ years since. I ate carbs, and even sugar . . . because calories are the big deal, when it comes to fat loss. Macros are more about health, body composition, energy, etc., so worth attention, but not direct drivers of body fat levels.11 -
lowcarbmami wrote: »@karlatytus Hi Karla. Is the 1700 cal your BMR? Looking at your macros….what I would start with 1st is to reduce your carbs to no more than 75g per day. Also, look at food labels to make sure that you are not eating any hidden sugars. Eliminate high fructose corn syrup and keep added sugars to less than 25g per day. I started a weight loss/work out program last month and have been losing about a pound a week. I’m happy to answer any other questions you may have.
My BMR is 1586 cal. It's hard for me to limit carbs more but I will try. I have a smoothie with 1.5 cups fruit after a workout so I can feed my muscles, and I started eating oatmeal because 1. I was eating eggs before and my LDL was high and 2. I found that the carbs helped my daily tension headaches. I will look into an healthy fat alternative to oatmeal. Thanks for the advice!!2 -
Thanks everyone for your replies! I'll stick to my current routine for another month before making any changes (such as cutting carbs).2
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karlatytus wrote: »Thanks everyone for your replies! I'll stick to my current routine for another month before making any changes (such as cutting carbs).
You don’t need to cut carbs further if you don’t want to.
I am diabetic, and am losing at an average of about a pound and a half a week, with little exercise (due to disability) and I eat between 100 and 150 carbs per day.
If you’re going to do keto that’s a whole different discussion.
But if not? Just stick to a reasonable calorie deficit. That way you can (I promise) eat reasonable portions of whatever you want.
Even carbs and HFC, if you have room for it in your calorie budget.7 -
Stick to your plan! If you’re doing what you are saying, it will work. With the amount of exercise you’re doing you need “good” carbs. Low carb diets, IMO, are for people who are not active. Be patient and keep working.3
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coryhart4389 wrote: »Stick to your plan! If you’re doing what you are saying, it will work. With the amount of exercise you’re doing you need “good” carbs. Low carb diets, IMO, are for people who are not active. Be patient and keep working.
Yeah I have to stick to my carbs. I noticed previously that I was getting muscle cramps and more headaches with lower carbs0 -
That with calories is pure math. You must always make sure that intake is less than consumption, then you go down. It is important to set a long-term goal and be patient. Reward yourself when you accomplish a sharing goal. Preferably with training clothes.
Think about all the physical and mental benefits of going down.
It is important to combine the right diet and amount of exercise. Have friends who support and motivate.
I managed 24 kg in 1 year by running and diet. It was really fun to see that I constantly had to buy new belts because there were no more holes to use. Participate in competitions. Used heart rate monitor and saw how I kept getting better health.1 -
Weight loss is not linear, and for all this calories in calories out stuff we hear, it isn't entirely that either. And you can sit for weeks bouncing around a weight, and then suddenly have a loss.
The best thing to do is:
keep to you diet and exercise plan
weight and measure your food as accurately as you can so you are pretty sure of calories in
track exercise so you know you are burning more than you are eating - I bought a fitbit that posts the calories out directly to MFP for the convenience of that, though there are several brands that do it (and I find the fitbit buggy, I think I would go with a different model, preferably one with a battery rather than needing to be recharged, if I had to do it again. So don't think I am shilling for fitbit. I just think the convenience of having the calories out posted helps me a lot)
be patient. You'll hit week long or two week long plateaus when according to what you are eating and burning you should be dropping a pound every three days, and the scale doesn't move. Just wait it out. Eventually it does move, at least so far for me. Just keep busy, keep doing the right thing, and ignore the stalls and setbacks.
If you still aren't losing weight and you're pretty sure you should be then consult a doctor or a nutritionist.1 -
Update: in 6 weeks I've lost 1.4 lbs and gained 1 lb back. Clearly my body hates me, but feeling is mutual.
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Are you taking measurements? Anytime I start over on my exercise and calorie counting, it takes a minimum of 6 weeks before the scale moves, but my measurements show progress. If you're weighing your food to be sure of calorie intake and your measurements remain the same, you probably need to lower your calorie intake or up your exercise regime. Again though, you must weigh your food to get accurate calorie counts!0
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I think I may have lost 1 inch around my waist. We'll see if my body fat percentage decreases over the next few weeks.2
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