No results- What am I wrong?

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christina_doubleU
christina_doubleU Posts: 29
in Motivation and Support
I have been dieting for three weeks and exercising. (kick boxing three days a week or more.) I have been very good at staying right at or under my calorie goal of 1200. (Sometimes I eat a little more when I exercise.) I think I have only gone over my daily allowance twice.. and only by about 400 calories. At first I thought I lost two pounds down to 138. Then a week later I was at 142! Now I'm at 139.5! What the heck? Why am I not losing weight? In addition to my calorie ristriction, I have also been eating good calories. (Oatmeal, fruits, veggies, whole wheat, yogurt.) The only diet that has ever worked for me was the paleo diet or low carb... but they are so hard to keep up with, I just wanted to try living healthy, but it's not working! I'm so frustrated. Should I lower my calories even more? or just go to what I know works and do low carb?
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Replies

  • drvvork
    drvvork Posts: 1,162
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    I'm not saying this is the magic cure - but taking this test (It is Jillian Michael's metabolic test) will help you in setting up your carbs and such in your settings. It helped me. You can give it a try.

    http://caloriecount.about.com/metabolic-types-eating-ft93247
  • fitaliciag
    fitaliciag Posts: 373
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    Your muscles are probably retaining some water due to the fact that it's still a "new" routine. give it more time. my first 30 days of P90X i saw almost no results.....don't look at the scale. take pictures and measurements. THAT is what you need to look at!! either way, eating right and all that exercise is surely making you feel better, right?? stick with it, you will get there. also, it helps to have a HRM to track calories burned so you know what you should be eating.......there is always the posibility that you are not eating ENOUGH, yes, sounds weird....but trust me. when you aren't eating enough to make up for what you are burning, your body will stop burning fat.
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,293 Member
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    I am assuming your weekly goal is too aggressive. Why am I saying this, well since you have less than 10lbs to lose you should not have your goal set to lose more than 0.5 lbs/week and you should be eating back the cals you burn from exercise. If your deficit is too large you risk burning a large amount of lean muscle, not just the fat you want to lose.

    On top of the above, if you just started working out your muscles are probably retaining water to protect them from the damaged caused from working out, and to aid in recovery. Once you get use to the workouts your muscles will shed the excess water. stick with it and think about changing your goal to 0.5 lbs loss/week.

    Here is a good reference, if you have over 100 lbs to lose you can lose more than 2 lbs/week safely, that being said it is best to set a realistic safe weekly loss goal and:
    If you have 75+ lbs to lose 2 lbs/week is ideal,
    If you have 40-75 lbs to lose 1.5 lbs/week is ideal,
    If you have 25-40 lbs to lose 1 lbs/week is ideal,
    If you have 15 -20 lbs to lose 0.5 to 1.0 lbs/week is ideal, and
    If you have less than 15 lbs to lose 0.5 lbs/week is ideal.

    The reasons: the less you have to lose the less fat stores you have to pull from. The less fat you have to pull from the less your body wants to take any. So if your deficit is too large given your stats you will burn a large % of lean muscle. Doing the above also helps set you up for maintenance without a large increase in caloric intake all at once.

    Good luck.
  • cheri868
    cheri868 Posts: 77
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    I have been having the SAME problem, eating healthier, exercising at least 4 times a week and no weight loss!!! :(
  • aflane
    aflane Posts: 625 Member
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    Since we can't see your food diary, we can't see what you're potentially doing wrong.
  • amaion17
    amaion17 Posts: 27 Member
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    i only drink water so it is easy for me to get that 8 or more cups. you should only weigh yourself at the same time in the morning before you eat anything to get a more accurate weight. plus if you are exercising enough you might be building muscle mass which weighs more then fat. try figuring out your BMI%. and good luck sounds like youre doing great.
  • AdAstra47
    AdAstra47 Posts: 823 Member
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    I was right there with ya for 20 years, doing everything "right" and steadily gaining weight. For me, too, low-carb has been the only solution. I didn't try it for a fad: I went to a new doctor and he found a metabolic disorder that my other docs had missed. You may have something similar going on. I have hyperinsulinemia or "insulin resistance" which means that my body doesn't process sugar and carbs properly. So no matter how "healthy" I'm eating or how few calories I'm eating or how much I'm exercising, if I eat carbs, I will gain weight.
    My doc did a long complicated test and ended up recommending that I switch my nutrient ratios to 5% carbs, 30% fat, 65% protein. Since I've done that, I've been able to lose weight for the first time in my life.

    What was it about the low-carb that you found unsustainable? I've met people with similar conditions who have been on low-carb diets for over a decade. You just have to figure out what works for you, with your lifestyle. Have you checked out the paleo & primal recipe / lifestyle threads here? You can find a lot of support and helpful suggestions there. Also check out Mark's Daily Apple.

    Good luck!
  • mgmlap
    mgmlap Posts: 1,377 Member
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    could be cause its a new routine..when I changed up my routine..I maintained my weight for a month...now its slowly coming back off again...i suggest you take measurments..cause sometimes the inches drop before the weight does..
  • carrie564
    carrie564 Posts: 44 Member
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    Definitely need to make sure you're weighing yourself at the exact same time under the same circumstances, & only do it once a week. Your weight can fluctuate by 3 lbs easily just by water being retained, eating during the day, before & after using the restroom, etc. Only weigh in once a week, right in the morning before eating & after going to the bathroom, to get the most accurate weight.

    Also, stress can be freaking you out. If you're always stressed about WHY ISN'T THIS WORKING!!!!, then you will retain more weight. Stop worrying about the scale (maybe even hide it for a few weeks at a time), and start tuning into how your body is feeling. Even if your weight isn't moving much, you're still getting HEALTHIER inside. Your breathing probably feels great, you can probably book it up stairs without a problem, you probably feel less jiggly, and your clothes probably fit better. Focus on THIS, and how good you feel, and then you'll lose more weight just by not worrying. Then check your weight again in a month or so if you're dying to know (but don't get angry if it's not 5 lbs- just keep FEELING good about feeling good inside)! You're doing great!
  • hyenagirl
    hyenagirl Posts: 206 Member
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    I'm not saying this is the magic cure - but taking this test (It is Jillian Michael's metabolic test) will help you in setting up your carbs and such in your settings. It helped me. You can give it a try.

    http://caloriecount.about.com/metabolic-types-eating-ft93247

    It's interesting that you posted this! I've tried many different types of lifestyle diets, and Atkins/low carb works wonders for me. I also need to eat something before bed, else I have a difficult time falling asleep. So much diet info is all about "don't eat 3 hours before bed". I tried this for a couple of years and it just is hard to fall asleep then I have all sorts of whacky dreams. I find I do great in intermittent fasting and eating right up until bed.

    I do best on 20% carbs, 30-35% fat and 45-50% protein
  • tmontgomery69
    tmontgomery69 Posts: 180
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    I'm not saying this is the magic cure - but taking this test (It is Jillian Michael's metabolic test) will help you in setting up your carbs and such in your settings. It helped me. You can give it a try.

    http://caloriecount.about.com/metabolic-types-eating-ft93247

    Bump....thanks for this website. =)
  • Southernsister
    Southernsister Posts: 198 Member
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    Took the test..thanks...seems I am doing pretty vvell on hovv I tested. Great knovv.
  • therealkittymao
    therealkittymao Posts: 194 Member
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    I bet you are getting results you don't realize you are getting. I lost 8 pounds really fast when I started dieting and then I plateaued for like three weeks (I am still kind of mid-plateau, I think), and I was almost getting discouraged until I measured my hips and was like WHAAAAT. I lost a whole INCH. My weight didn't change at ALL since my last measurement, but I lost a whole inch. So Before and After pics and measurements are definitely the way to go when you are gauging your progress.

    Also, try the Jillian Michaels Detox Drink! It gets rid of bloat. It actually doesn't taste that bad either. You can google it, it's the one with the lemon juice, cranberry juice, and dandelion root tea.
  • Blackthorne99
    Blackthorne99 Posts: 250 Member
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    I'm not saying this is the magic cure - but taking this test (It is Jillian Michael's metabolic test) will help you in setting up your carbs and such in your settings. It helped me. You can give it a try.

    http://caloriecount.about.com/metabolic-types-eating-ft93247


    Very interesting. I've been shooting for 30% carbs, 35% protein and 35% fat, but my weight loss has leveled off. I'm definitely a fast oxidizer, so I'm going to adjust to the ratios she mentions and see if it helps. Thanks for the link!
  • fitaliciag
    fitaliciag Posts: 373
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    I'm not saying this is the magic cure - but taking this test (It is Jillian Michael's metabolic test) will help you in setting up your carbs and such in your settings. It helped me. You can give it a try.

    http://caloriecount.about.com/metabolic-types-eating-ft93247

    yes thank you!!!
  • f8thwks
    f8thwks Posts: 11 Member
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    I hope things are working out for you now... I am about to tell you my life story… It may be long, but I want to share with you what worked for me.

    I have had the same problems for years... I worked out all the time basically doing the same thing (spin classes) for about 2 years and literally not losing anything... Maintaining what I had, but not losing... For a while, I was satisfied with maintaining what I had, but hoping to lose some weight eventually...

    Well, then one day, my spin instructor told us that in order to see a difference in your weight lost, we have to do something different... Of course, I did not want to hear that... I was just fine with the spin classes and I did not want to experience anything else.... I had to push myself to try out the weights and to do a little walking… Well living in Mississippi doing the summer months, walking outside was virtually impossible… So I start working out on the treadmills at the gym… I even tried the stair climbers/ elliptical. I literally found them to be boring… Plus, they hurt because you had to do most if not all the work… I also tried lifting very little weights… At this point, I start seeing a little difference in my weight…

    Well, once I started doing different things, I had a big appetite increase, too… The more I worked out the more I want to eat… Plus working out with the weights hurt so bad that my muscles were always sore… It was just too much for me (so I thought) and of course, I stopped the lifting weights… Then I was just walking on the treadmills, the elliptical and spin classes again… Once again, I was just maintaining what I had and not losing anything…

    So then, my daughter told me that I had to do more than walking on the treadmill to see a difference… So I start trying to run and walk on the treadmill… Well, that only made my knees buckle (all of that heavy impact on the knees is not good)… So I was off the treadmill a while only to go back to going to spin classes only and not losing any weight…

    Then one day, I decided to go to another classes at the gym called HEAT… At first, I thought I had LOST my mind to go to that class… The very first day for SO HARD for me that I thought to myself that I will not go back to that class… I thought of all kind of excuses of why I was not going back… One of the excuses was that I was too old to be trying to keep up with those young people… The workout was entirely too hard for me… I kept saying to myself that I am not going back; I am not going back…

    Well, my daughter is my biggest cheerleader and my biggest supporter… She said, “Momma, you got to try… At least give the class two weeks before your give up”. So, I went back and tried it for two weeks… Those two weeks were the most difficult two weeks that I have every experience… However, during those two weeks was when I saw a difference in my weight lost… It was a BIG different, too…

    It was just like my spin instructor told us. In order to see a weight difference, you got to do something different with your body… Your body gets use to you doing the same thing all the time… So your body makes an adjustment on its own… My body was telling me… “Wow… Spin again… Oh… I got this… We can handle this… Come on with this exercise… Of course, your heart rate will go up, your legs and hips will get stronger and firmer, blood pressure will go down, and your cholesterol will stabilize and we may even be healthier, but as long as SPIN is all we are going to do, we will maintain with what we got.”

    Now, I can say that what I like best about this HEAT Class is that every time we go to the class, the instructor always has something different for us to do… The class is never repetition… Now to tell you a little about the class and about some of the things we do that I have almost master. The class is held in a basketball half court. The exercises consist of:
    Running
    Push-ups
    Sit-ups
    Planks
    Burpees
    Weight lifting
    Weight boxing
    Swats
    Walking Lunges
    Mountain climbing
    Crunches
    Steps
    Bicycles
    Jumping jacks
    Other exercises the instructor creates most with using the weights and with a weight ball…
    Now, keep in mind that we do not do all of the things at the same time or during every class, but we do them and for 30 to 45 minutes, we work our butt off…

    Then my daughter introduced me to MyfitnessPal.com and I start watching my calories intake and I promise you, I really see a difference in my weight now… What I have been doing is staying below what I suppose to take in even before I do any exercises. Even those I burn calories doing my exercises and it added to my calories intake, I do not eat that many more.

    I still go to spin classes because I absolutely love ‘Spin’… However, now, I considered my spin classes an incentive because my real workout is when I go to HEAT… Now, when I put my clothes on, they look so good to me… As a matter of fact, some of them are actually getting too BIG… I am 55 years old and even younger guys tell me that I look good… Believe me that make me feel really good… I am so excited and I am definitely looking forward to the END results…
  • christina_doubleU
    christina_doubleU Posts: 29
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    WOW! I am blown away by all the support and suggestions. Thank you all!

    only trying for .5 pounds a week does sound good... except that I have a specific date that I want to lose the weight by! My husband is helping me with motivation and I asked him to give me a reward for making a goal.. a new wardrobe! So I have till November 15th.... three weeks gone already and lost .5 pounds! boo.. What we got married I was 126... I'd be happy with 132 even!.. but I will push on... I do feel better. The low carb diet is hard because I like to enjoy family time.. and cooking dinner at night. and I just feel so sad when I see my husband eating all kinds of yummy things and all I get is chicken salad!.. so now I just try to eat very very small portions of what I make for the family dinner.
  • AdAstra47
    AdAstra47 Posts: 823 Member
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    The low carb diet is hard because I like to enjoy family time.. and cooking dinner at night. and I just feel so sad when I see my husband eating all kinds of yummy things and all I get is chicken salad!.. so now I just try to eat very very small portions of what I make for the family dinner.

    Don't know what to tell ya if your husband is cooking, but when you're cooking, I'd encourage you to make a family dinner that's low-carb & you can all eat the same thing. You don't even have to tell them, and they may not even notice; low-carb food doesn't have to be boring or low-flavor! Again, check out the low-carb recipe sites, you can make "mashed potatoes" out of cauliflower, you can make pizzas using portabella mushroom caps instead of bread crust, you can do Chinese stir-fry & just eat it by itself without any rice... there are all sorts of substitutions and suggestions out there. A juicy grilled steak with some grilled asparagus on the side is an awesome low-carb meal that doesn't make you feel deprived at all.

    Try
    http://www.diabeticconnect.com/recipes
    http://www.marksdailyapple.com/primal-blueprint-recipes/
    http://www.lifeasaplate.com/recipe-database/

    Good luck!
  • christina_doubleU
    christina_doubleU Posts: 29
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    wow.. according to that link I am a balanced oxidizer.. but I still shouldn't have more than 40% carbs.. I'm gonna try this!
  • christina_doubleU
    christina_doubleU Posts: 29
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    my husband would take one look at califlower wanna be mash potatoes and laugh! haha.. He is a real southern boy.. with very limited ideas of what a meal should be. He likes baked chicken, spaghetti, hamburgers, fried fish, roasts... that sorta thing.

    but I feel much better know my new ratios! I'm going to try to just cut out some carbs.. and see what happens!

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