Why is my weight not coming off?

JoelleMonique
JoelleMonique Posts: 107
edited October 3 in Health and Weight Loss
I have been trying so hard, going to gym, keeping active and eating healthily. I drink lots of water too. For the last 6 weeks my weight has not changed. I still have lots of weight to lose but this is so frustrating.

Replies

  • Babieseverywhere
    Babieseverywhere Posts: 311 Member
    Are you measuring yourself, maybe you have lost inches instead ?
  • RoanneRed
    RoanneRed Posts: 429 Member
    Looking at your food diary, you still have a lot of calories available after exercise - maybe you need to try eating more of them.
  • rajivdubey
    rajivdubey Posts: 382 Member
    Try different timing for Gym and change your exercise routine. Alter the food you eat. Confuse your body!
  • chivalryder
    chivalryder Posts: 4,391 Member
    Are you measuring yourself, maybe you have lost inches instead ?

    That is true. You could be building muscles which is counter-acting the loss of fat.

    Also, when measuring calorie intake, could you be missing the condiments (cream and sugar in coffee,, for example)?
  • beautyonhold
    beautyonhold Posts: 25
    i've been having the same problem.. I've even put on two pounds, i can't figure out what i'm doing wrong.
  • Blackthorne99
    Blackthorne99 Posts: 250 Member
    When I look at your food diary, what I see is way too many carbs and not enough protein. You're average 180g of carbs a day but only about 50 grams of protein. I have found that I only lose weight when my carbs are between 100-140g a day. Try bringing your protein up to about 80g a day.
  • ewatters8
    ewatters8 Posts: 5
    Yeah, you should measure yourself as well as weigh. I have done that and there have been times I have lost nothing on the scale but when I measured I lost quite a few inches. Also,you could be building muscle. That would keep your weight where it looks the same but you are in fact gaining muscle and losing fat. that happens also.
  • ♥_Ellybean_♥
    ♥_Ellybean_♥ Posts: 1,646 Member
    When I look at your food diary, what I see is way too many carbs and not enough protein. You're average 180g of carbs a day but only about 50 grams of protein. I have found that I only lose weight when my carbs are between 100-140g a day. Try bringing your protein up to about 80g a day.

    Agree!
  • MrsWibbly
    MrsWibbly Posts: 415 Member
    Agree with the posts above, most days you are well below your allowance, I would suggest eating more, so that you are no more than 100-200 below. It is important to eat back your exercise calories and on days when you exercise more then you definitely need a lot more protein. If you change things, to eat more and especially to eat more protein don't expect instant results. You also may need to do more strength training, as by building more lean muscle you body then has the potential to burn more calories. If you have had the large calorie deficit I have seen in your diary for a long time then you have probably lost lean muscle mass, which will have slowed your metabolism.

    I also noticed you are sometimes missing meals and that breakfast and lunch are often less than 200 calories. Try and balance your food through the day - so if you have 1500 calories for the day thats 500 per meal or 400 per meal with 2 150 cal snacks.

    p.s. don't look at my food diary for reference as it's been all over the place for months due to some medication I have been on!
  • sugarbone
    sugarbone Posts: 454 Member
    Way less carbs, WAY more protein!! Aim for less than 100g of carbs a day, although 150 is okay if you can't make it. The less the better. Protein is also key for weight loss and a healthy body, ESPECIALLY if you're exercising! 80-100+g a day!

    If anyone says you are building muscle, they don't know what they're talking about. You have not built any muscle on a caloric deficit. It can get stronger, but not heavier/larger (how can it get bigger when there's no extra food to create new mass from?? you need to eat a surplus to build muscle).

    Edit: it also doesn't matter when you eat, as some suggest. Literally at all. As long as at the end of the day you got it in your body.
  • JoelleMonique
    JoelleMonique Posts: 107
    Thank you. Going to try less carbs and more protein.
  • hazedot
    hazedot Posts: 111 Member
    Looking at your food diary, you still have a lot of calories available after exercise - maybe you need to try eating more of them.

    This sounds pretty much like the best advice on here. You're probably starving your body... I know that's what I did. I didn't mean to and had only the best intentions but sometimes I know I got carried away. if you want to lose weight, it's better to lose it slowly than try and do too much and starve your body. You starve it and it'll hang on to all your weight for dear life.
  • morganadk2_deleted
    morganadk2_deleted Posts: 1,696 Member
    Are you eating to enough? Are eating back your exercise calories, oh and water , water, water!

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/10589-for-those-confused-or-questioning-eating-your-exercise-calo

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/61706-guide-to-calorie-deficit

    Go to the tools section and figure out your BMI:

    Generally someone with a BMI over 32 can do a 1000 calorie a day (2 lbs a week) deficit
    With a BMI of 30 to 32 a deficit of 750 calories is generally correct (about 1.5 lbs a week)
    With a BMI of 28 to 30 a deficit of 500 calories is about right (about 1 lb a week)
    With a BMI of 26 to 28 a deficit of about 300 calories is perfect (about 1/2 lb a week)
    and below 26... well this is where we get fuzzy. See now you're no longer talking about being overweight, so while it's still ok to have a small deficit, you really should shift your focus more towards muscle building, and reducing fat. This means it is EXTRA important to eat your exercise calories as your body needs to KNOW it's ok to burn fat stores, and the only way it will know is if you keep giving it the calories it needs to not enter the famine response (starvation mode).

    This is just a part of it! please read the link above
  • JoelleMonique
    JoelleMonique Posts: 107
    Please check my food diary of yesterday and see if my carb protein ratio is better, also how do you change that on MFP?
  • babyblake11
    babyblake11 Posts: 1,107 Member
    Are you measuring yourself, maybe you have lost inches instead ?

    That is true. You could be building muscles which is counter-acting the loss of fat.

    Also, when measuring calorie intake, could you be missing the condiments (cream and sugar in coffee,, for example)?

    cant gain muscle without a calorie surplus.
  • lulukan
    lulukan Posts: 76 Member
    I think my thyroid is preventing me from losing weight at the rate most other do. I see you have hypothyroid. Last time I tried to lose weight it took 6 full weeks for the scale to budge one pound. Then it started coming off slowly. I felt like my body was a train that had been in the station for a long time and once I started eating right and working out, it took a while for it to get warmed up. Haha. I have been on here a month and have only lost 3 pounds. Do you see a difference in they way your clothes fit?

    Best of wishes to you!
  • JoelleMonique
    JoelleMonique Posts: 107
    My thyroid is a huge problem as my weight comes off super slowly and drives me insane. I've never had a complete stand still of my weight before, 6 weeks not going up not going down! I record everything that passes my lips I'm very serious about getting this weight off. My clothes do fit a lot better and I have lost inches on my hips and waist but I would love to see the weight coming off too.
  • lulukan
    lulukan Posts: 76 Member
    The scale moving is what makes all this effort (pain? lol) worth-while. I mean, it is nice to lose inches and all of that, but when the BMI tells me I am overweight, I would really like to see the weight off. I totally understand your frustration. Add me as a friend and we can support one another. :)

    L.
  • mzl1sa
    mzl1sa Posts: 1
    I FEEL EXACTLY THE SAME WAY!! I'VE BEEN WATCHING WHAT I EAT, MAKE SURE I EAT PROTEIN AND VEGGIES ETC BUT I STILL GAINED 1 LB AND I DONT KNOW WHY.. SOMEONE SAID I MIGHT BE GAINING MUSCLE BUT I DONT REALLY CARE FOR MUSCLE GAINING I JUST WANTED TO BE TONED SO IF ANYONE CAN HELP ME THAT WOULD BE GREAT!
  • ambermichon
    ambermichon Posts: 404 Member
    I would increase your protein and a lot of days you leave ALOT of calories left over. You need to eat your exercise cals!
  • d2rala
    d2rala Posts: 54
    To change your goal calories start out on your home page
    click the tab that says "Goals"
    towards the middle center of the page there should be a tab that says "Change Goals"
    click the line that says "Custom" then continue.
    This should take you to goal calories page.
    I recently changed my to reflect higher protein intake as well.

    Good luck!
    Diane
  • JoelleMonique
    JoelleMonique Posts: 107
    Thanks for the comments
  • katkins3
    katkins3 Posts: 1,359 Member
    I don't know if you use a HRM, but if not it might help.
    I was using the exercise calories MFP gives me for exercise, but when I got a HRM I found that I was really burning quite a bit less. On the elliptical I was burning 100 calories and MFP said 400! This could mean the difference between losing weight and gaining or being "stuck"
  • rosied915
    rosied915 Posts: 799 Member
    Joelle~

    I would like to comment on your exercise calorie too~ I can't tell how much you weigh, but your numbers seem HIGH. I just got a HRM and ALL of my exercise calories from MFP were MUCH higher than my actual burn. You may want to consider getting one.

    Also, I would caution you about using activities like cleaning as an "exercise".

    And I think your food calories are too low too.

    I'm stuck too and just raised my calories to see if I can get something "started"~ I admit I am VERY nervous about it but the posts I've read here on MFP are quite convincing about the effects of NOT eating enough.

    We shall see......
  • MrsWibbly
    MrsWibbly Posts: 415 Member
    My thyroid is a huge problem as my weight comes off super slowly and drives me insane. I've never had a complete stand still of my weight before, 6 weeks not going up not going down! I record everything that passes my lips I'm very serious about getting this weight off. My clothes do fit a lot better and I have lost inches on my hips and waist but I would love to see the weight coming off too.

    This might be useful

    http://www.weightlossresources.co.uk/weight_loss/advice/underactive_thyroid.htm
  • Raf702
    Raf702 Posts: 196 Member
    I have been trying so hard, going to gym, keeping active and eating healthily. I drink lots of water too. For the last 6 weeks my weight has not changed. I still have lots of weight to lose but this is so frustrating.


    First off, what's your maintenance calories and current stats? Weight not be changing but possibly inches? Have you tried taking measurements? Waist, arms, etc. If you can post your maintenance calories, we can try helping you out further.
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