not losing weight!

pearsol2861 · February 5

I have been logging every single piece of food I eat- I am NOT allowing the app to add calories when I work out - meaning I am staying under the calorie count every day even though I work out and burn 400-600 calories almost every day (for example my calorie intake is 1800 if exercise were considered it would be 2200 but I stay under 1800 if that makes sense)- I hit the gym 5-6 days a week for lifting and HIIT. despite all this- I haven’t lost weight and have gained. HELP!! any ideas?? other than weight loss drugs??

Lietchi · February 5

What's the timeline: days, weeks, months? If days or weeks: you need more patience - our bodyweight fluctuates due to many factors that have nothing to do with fat loss. And if your exercise is new, it is more than likely causing water retention for muscle repair (especially lifting) masking fat loss on the scale.

tomcustombuilder · February 5

If you've been at this calorie amount for less than four weeks You've got to give it some time. If at that point, you still haven't lost then your weekly calorie amount is too high and you're gonna have to lower it

mary001 · February 5

My caloric intake goals are at 1200 calories. Sometimes I go over it. I always try to stay in a deficit with exercise. I have lost 50 pounds over the last 7 months

AnnPT77 · February 5

Weight loss drugs are unlikely to contribute anything useful in that scenario, except potential side effects. Generally, when they work, they reduce cravings and appetite, sometimes to such an extreme extent that people have to work at eating enough to sustain health. Since you're reporting being calorie compliant, how would that help you?

I agree with others: If you've been at this routine for less than 4-6 weeks, or one whole menstrual cycle if you have those, then whether you're losing fat or not is still an open question.

In particular, if a significant part of that pretty heavy exercise routine is new, plus you're eating pretty low calories and not fueling that exercise, you could have multiple pounds of added water retention for muscle repair; because of the physical stress on your body even beyond the exercise; and some contribution from the psychological stress I'm inferring from your post. (That's not intended as a criticism.)

In addition, if the exercise is new and fatiguing (fatigue being more likely when under-fueling), then fatigue can subtly bleed calorie burn out of daily life because we drag through the day, resting more, moving less. That won't stop weight loss, but it can make it slower than the calorie-needs estimates would predict.

Even fast fat loss is slow. 2 pounds a week of fat loss is about 4.6 ounces a day, just a bit over a quarter pound. By contrast, water retention fluctuates by multiple pounds per day, and so does waste in the digestive tract on its way to the exit. Though it's not the most common pattern, some women only see a new low weight once a month, at a certain point in their cycle, because hormonal water weight can be that weird. (And this can differ for an individual woman at different points in her life.)

That means water/waste fluctuations can mask fat loss on the scale for up to several weeks.

Water fluctuations are part of how a healthy body stays healthy. We don't want to try to mess with that. Understanding it is a better idea. This is a good read, especially the article linked in the first post:

https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10683010/the-weird-and-highly-annoying-world-of-scale-fluctuations/p1

Best wishes!

mosconec · February 5

Hi there, have you tried fasting while being in calorie deficit? This may help

totameafox · February 6

I would talk to your doctor if you have checked that you are logging everything correctly and have been doing this for a few months. My aunt tried many ways to lose weight over her life and it took getting her medical issues taken care of before she could lose weight.

Since you are lifting weights you could try recording your measurements. Your body composition might change even if the scale does not. But I would mostly emphasize patience. Health is a life long journey that we have to add knowledge to along the way. It's ok if it takes us a little longer to get to the destination as long as we are staying on the road.

age_is_just_a_number · February 9

How long have you been doing this?
You may not be eating enough calories.
I know that sounds counter-intuitive. But a small deficit over the long term will often yield better long term results.

patriciafoley1 · February 9

I would cut your calorie intake to 1500. I am at 1200 and I run from 500-900 exercise calories, but I stay under 1500 on the days when I add a few exercise calories to my 1200. I'm 5'4" 162 pounds at present, 68 yo (reportedly a hard age to lose weight at) and I've lost about 40 pounds since October. You may actually have found your maintenance calorie intake. I would be leery of weight loss drugs. I have heard reports of people having their stomach paralyzed by them, even after they go off the drugs. Also reports are, those that go off them that don't paralyze their stomach can quickly regain the weight. So its a risk with a very short term reward, at least for some.

tomcustombuilder · February 9

mosconec wrote: »

Hi there, have you tried fasting while being in calorie deficit? This may help

fasting only works if it causes you to have a weekly calorie deficit, fasting itself doesn’t really cause fat loss

tomcustombuilder · February 9

age_is_just_a_number wrote: »

How long have you been doing this?
You may not be eating enough calories.
I know that sounds counter-intuitive. But a small deficit over the long term will often yield better long term results.

if there’s no loss in four weeks, it’s not a matter of eating too few calories. It’s a matter of eating too many calories.

mgalsf12 · February 19

Your profile says you joined on Feb 5th, that's less than two weeks ago! Maybe you are eating too many calories and maybe you are not burning as many calories as you think. How tall are you and what is your weight?

MrkeepFitt · March 4

Have you tried ozempic

The_Real_Jenn_RN · March 4

You may be in body recomposition. You don't lose weight but you're losing fat and gaining muscle. (Take progress photos). Check your TDEE and see what deficit you need to be in for cutting/losing weight. Also, hormones, water retention from muscle growth, and what you ate can be a factor (salads make me gain water weight... obviously eat them but don't look at the scale the next day). If you're working out that much, you need to be over 100 grams of protein. Restrict carbs because your body can hold on to those a long time. You need it to be out of fuel fast to start burning fat.

wishingiwasfishing5037 · March 5

I weigh, measure and log all food that goes in my mouth religiously… no exceptions. I found hidden calories in my vitamins! I also found hidden calories used to cook food in restaurants. … oil to cook “grilled” chicken. I drink almost 3 liter of water daily. Try to fast 12 hours and increased my exercise. I’ve lost over 50 lbs since Aug 1

patriciafoley1 · March 5

Salt can be a factor. I love soup and the kind I make is low carb and low calorie (no noodles, etc) but the salt makes me hold onto water for a couple of days. Carbs will result in a gain of water weight. And it may just be you're losing fat but holding onto water. I have lost 40 pounds in the last few months, but it has happened a couple times where I have not lost for a week or two, in spite of substantial calorie deficits and exercise, and then will lose three pounds in a whoosh. Don't know what causes this - maybe fat cells taking on water after fat is depleted, and then letting it go? But just make sure you are weighing and measuring and if you aren't losing at your current calorie intake, subtract a hundred every week until you start losing.

marmaladepixie · March 5

I’m experiencing this also, have been gaining in fact! . Been weighing all my food in grams when logging for the last 2 months staying between 1200-1300 calories a day. Drinking only water. While doing this I’ve gained another 4 lbs. I do have PCOS (I am not insulin resistant though I have been tested thoroughly by an endocrinologist to rule this out) however I have gained 12 lbs in the last year eating 1500-1600 calories so I started logging again. I started at 115 and I’m 127 now. I’m not overweight but all I’ve gained is extra fat. I eat lean protein but I have to be careful because I have genetically high cholesterol (I do not eat much saturated fat, or animal products)

not losing weight!

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