Scale hasn't moved in two weeks...why?
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Stalls happen to everyone, no matter how right you're doing things. I stalled for 3 weeks, then out of the clear blue sky lost 3 pounds.
Losses come at steady paces and a non-steady paces. It's all about the long-term trending when it comes to scale numbers. Just keep doing your best and the trends will come out on your side eventually.0 -
You've lost 6.5 pounds. Congratulations! IMO, you are doing FINE. Really! That's a little over a pound a week, which is a healthy and sustainable rate of loss. Keep up the good work. Slow and steady wins the race. :flowerforyou:
this.
hey, my scale hasn't budged in months. but my pants are getting looser. much looser.
Yep. Your loss is great so far and really, it's not about the number on the scale. It's about healthy changes all over your body. The scale is just one way to measure that, don't use it exclusively. Take measurements from all over your body, pay attention to how your clothes are fitting, even look at your face. (I just lost a noticeable amount of weight from having a baby and breastfeeding and my face is A LOT thinner.) Fat will come off of places that can't really be measured like your face, hands, and feet.0 -
I honestly think your diary looks pretty good. Do you drink over 8 glasses of water daily? I would drink as much water as possible as well as change up your exercises. Do you do strength training, or just cardio. I would alternate between the two. I like your idea of not eating all your exercise calories back and instead spreading them out over the week. I am doing that starting yesterday and I have found a group on here (eat for the body you want) that is helping me get the read calorie intake daily since I'm at a stall right now.0
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This is my two cents..and i know a lot of ppl on here do not believe in what i will say but it works for me ...i stopped logging workouts on here and stopped eating back calories and it has worked for me... i read ALOT about it before i did it..it makes no sence to eat them back..maybe you can eat back just a few..like bring your diet to 1500...the point of working out is to add defenciency not keep it the same... also just a tip your body will get use to the excersices so maybe switch it up a little and add some weights before you do your cardio (not sure what you do)... GL!0
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I was kind of hoping to see a miracle solution here, I'm having the same problem
. I've been working out/dieting for the last few months, took a break thru the holidays but didn't gain anything back and have been hitting things extra hard this month to try to lose 10 lbs in 6 weeks before spring break vacay. I'm starting to realize how cruel the scale is. I've been stuck on the same weight for the better part of two weeks. I've been working out 6 days a week, alternating weight lifting days with cardio days. I know my measurements are improving, I am pretty sure I can fit into my size smaller jeans now, but I really want that # on the scale to go down!
Is it really that typical to hold a steady weight with high exercise/weight lifting? I find it hard to believe my body is producing muscle tissue at a faster rate than I'm losing fat...0 -
I really don't know. I do use the Polar FT4 HRM for my calorie burns so it's the most accurate thing I can go by. Yesterday I burned over 1000 calories which isn't typical for me, and I don't usually workout for 90 minutes so that's why it's so high for that day
That's going to be pretty decent, though.... for women there is a decent chance of getting the estimate off by upwards of 30% even on the pretty accurate Polar.
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/459580-polar-hrm-calorie-burn-estimate-accuracy-study
What can improve accuracy is testing for true max HR, and not using the formula method the Polar defaults to.
Women's MHR is really a very wide bell curve, excellent chance you are not in the middle where the standard formula 220 or 226 minus age works, which is what the Polar does.
If so inclined, here is process for that. Oh, this also can give good estimate of VO2max, which is another setting on some Polars that allows you to nail it even better.
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/466973-i-want-to-test-for-my-max-heart-rate-vo2-max
The other problem is, if your true BMR is actually lower than estimated BMR (which the watches use as a basis for the calorie estimate) because of constantly feeding it less than it could use, then the estimate will be off too.
So not your example, but for instance if you ate 1200 constantly and not hungry, meaning your metabolism has indeed slowed down, but your healthy estimated BMR is 1600, then the watch is beginning the formula for your calorie burn 400 too high.0 -
I will probably get killed by others for this but my experience in the past month when I started working out and eating right is this. At first I lost no weight because I was eating back my calories and eating over 2400 calories a day because I would work out like an animal, didn't lose weight, so I decided to set my calories to 1600 per day and only work out a maximum of 400 calories giving me a net of 1200. I find if I go crazy and burn 1000 calories doing exercise it stalls me even if I eat them back.
So with that strategy I have lost 3-4 lbs per week steady.
I had a similar experience that goes against all the MFP rules, but it worked for me when I found I wasn't losing.
I also was more successful without eating all of my calories burned back...they can be inaccurate, even with my heart rate monitor. So I never ever ate the maximum it said I burned. I set my calorie target around 1700-1800 then ate about 100-200 in exercise if I was hungry.0 -
Thanks everyone. It's a bit harder to know that slow and steady wins the race when you find yourself in a stall this early on in the game. I have taken measurements twice since starting and between the two times saw either no change, or very little (an inch or less) and paired with no movement on the scale, it felt like a slap in the face.
I do weights and do cardio, I pretty much do something different every day of the week that I workout (stationary bike, treadmill, real biking outdoors, hiking, walking outdoors, Zumba, a lifting class, weight machines) so there is no way my body is used to the same thing. Honestly I've read a lot both on MFP and other resources, and I feel like I'm doing it right so asking advice is sort of a last resort, to see if there is something that I've overlooked, but I know that ultimately my body isn't a robot and won't do everything I tell it to, when I want it to.0 -
I was kind of hoping to see a miracle solution here, I'm having the same problem . I've been working out/dieting for the last few months, took a break thru the holidays but didn't gain anything back and have been hitting things extra hard this month to try to lose 10 lbs in 6 weeks before spring break vacay. I'm starting to realize how cruel the scale is. I've been stuck on the same weight for the better part of two weeks. I've been working out 6 days a week, alternating weight lifting days with cardio days. I know my measurements are improving, I am pretty sure I can fit into my size smaller jeans now, but I really want that # on the scale to go down!
Is it really that typical to hold a steady weight with high exercise/weight lifting? I find it hard to believe my body is producing muscle tissue at a faster rate than I'm losing fat...
Why so hung up on the number on the scale. If you measurements are going down, but your weight isn't, it means you are losing fat and maintaining muscle. Eventually the scale will come down. It would only be if your measurements were not changing that I would suggest you worry. As another person on MFP has said, "Unless you are writing the number on your forehead, no one knows what the scale says." All people see if how you are getting smaller. If my weight did not change at all, but my measurements kept dropping, I would be quite happen.0 -
Maybe you should try measuring yourself every few weeks or once a month in addition to the scale. I know sometimes I lose no weight for a couple of weeks then I measure again and find that I have lost as much as a inch around my waist. Muscle weighs more than fat, and not only is muscle healthier than fat, but it also helps you start to burn more calories even while doing nothing in the long run. Measuring can be discouraging for some people, but I find it helps me especially when the scale doesn't seam to be changing. Keep up the good work and try not to get discouraged!0
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Too much salt!!! Cut back on that, drink more and you will see a difference...0
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I am sort of stuck at my weight right now but I am down from size 42 blue jeans to size 38 and from 2XL Shirts to XL. Love not having to shop in "Big and Tall" any more.0
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I took a look at your diary and sodium is high...not sure what your workouts consist of, but I hope you are doing some lifting as well as cardio....you build muscle you will burn more fat.
I think your cals are a bit low on some days especially when you are working out...if you are doing 1700 daily you need at least 200 more on your workout days.
My personal experience - I am a huge proponent of eating more to weight less. My macronutrient ratios are 40/30/30, I eat 1800 daily non-workout days and at least 2000 workout days (been avg about 2200), no less than 30 gr of fiber and I drink a protien shake after each workout. I do some cardio, but I focus on lifting heavy. I been lifting heavy for a while and doing cardio and when I ate 1500-1600 I couldn't loose anything I kept bouncing up and down 3lbs and it drove me crazy and I looked fattier. I read New rules of Lifting Weights for Women and bumped up my calories...it has been 8 wks and I have lost 6lbs. I am not hungry, I don't carb binge anymore (it was out of control I tell ya), lifting heavier than ever, feel stronger, lost an inch off my waist, loosing serious fat AND it is so wonderful TO EAT!0 -
I really don't know. I do use the Polar FT4 HRM for my calorie burns so it's the most accurate thing I can go by. Yesterday I burned over 1000 calories which isn't typical for me, and I don't usually workout for 90 minutes so that's why it's so high for that day
That's going to be pretty decent, though.... for women there is a decent chance of getting the estimate off by upwards of 30% even on the pretty accurate Polar.
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/459580-polar-hrm-calorie-burn-estimate-accuracy-study
What can improve accuracy is testing for true max HR, and not using the formula method the Polar defaults to.
Women's MHR is really a very wide bell curve, excellent chance you are not in the middle where the standard formula 220 or 226 minus age works, which is what the Polar does.
If so inclined, here is process for that. Oh, this also can give good estimate of VO2max, which is another setting on some Polars that allows you to nail it even better.
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/466973-i-want-to-test-for-my-max-heart-rate-vo2-max
The other problem is, if your true BMR is actually lower than estimated BMR (which the watches use as a basis for the calorie estimate) because of constantly feeding it less than it could use, then the estimate will be off too.
So not your example, but for instance if you ate 1200 constantly and not hungry, meaning your metabolism has indeed slowed down, but your healthy estimated BMR is 1600, then the watch is beginning the formula for your calorie burn 400 too high.
Yeah, the accuracy of the HRM concerns me a bit. I don't even know if it was worth buying in the first place,0 -
I am shooting for 1500 calories on no exercise days and 1700-1800 on exercise days. I do not have an HRM, so even though MFP things I burning four billion calories, I am skeptical. Even though I might log a walk or whatever, if it wasn't intense, I don't really think of it as a real calorie burn and ignore any calories it counts.
Keep at it, and keep measuring!
You'll get there! You are due for a nice surprise on the scale shortly!
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I will probably get killed by others for this but my experience in the past month when I started working out and eating right is this. At first I lost no weight because I was eating back my calories and eating over 2400 calories a day because I would work out like an animal, didn't lose weight, so I decided to set my calories to 1600 per day and only work out a maximum of 400 calories giving me a net of 1200. I find if I go crazy and burn 1000 calories doing exercise it stalls me even if I eat them back.
So with that strategy I have lost 3-4 lbs per week steady.
highly agreed, stop eating so much food!! as of today 21 pounds in 38 days.0 -
I will probably get killed by others for this but my experience in the past month when I started working out and eating right is this. At first I lost no weight because I was eating back my calories and eating over 2400 calories a day because I would work out like an animal, didn't lose weight, so I decided to set my calories to 1600 per day and only work out a maximum of 400 calories giving me a net of 1200. I find if I go crazy and burn 1000 calories doing exercise it stalls me even if I eat them back.
So with that strategy I have lost 3-4 lbs per week steady.
I had a similar experience that goes against all the MFP rules, but it worked for me when I found I wasn't losing.
I have had the best results if I don't eat back my exercise calories. But I don't do exercise classes. I work out on an eliptical and generally burn around 400 calories/ 40 minutes each day. I have had pretty good luck with this.0 -
I didn't loose anything nearly all of the month f Janurary even though I was sticiking with not eating back my workout calories and then all of a sudden I dropped a few without doing anything different. Just stick with what you are doing. It will come off eventually!0
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If you are a woman and using a Polar, im afraid its not giving you the correct number of calories burned. There was a topic about this last week some time. Please search for it, if you can. If i remember correct, it paid Solar is of by about 25 or 30%. If i were you, i would not eat all my calories back esp if im not hungry. You still pretty heavy, you can get away with a somewhat large deficeit. Im currently 30kg overweight, my deficeit is +-800 per day. When i started, it was plus minus 1000.Its gonna get less the more i lose. I have not hit a plateau yet.Do you think you may be overestimating your calorie burn? To me your dairy looks pretty good, even though some days you might have too big of a deficit, but I don't think this should hurt you just beginning. You also may be retaining water from your muscles due to all the exercise. My advice is to keep doing it, and the weight should come off. If it doesn't, check with your doctor, maybe there is some reason.
I really don't know. I do use the Polar FT4 HRM for my calorie burns so it's the most accurate thing I can go by. Yesterday I burned over 1000 calories which isn't typical for me, and I don't usually workout for 90 minutes so that's why it's so high for that day0 -
you have probably heard this before, but the scale is not the final authority. as many other posters have mentioned, you could be gaining muscle, offsetting fat loss. Are you monitoring your body fat %? there are some inexpensive scales out there with Bioelectrical impedance analysis. while they may not be accurate, they are usually fairly consistent, i.e. they are always off by the same amount so you can at least see trends. the trick to using them is to always measure at the same time every day. best is first thing in the morning after your bathroom visit, before you have eaten or drank anything,
if you don't mind spending the cash, you can have a DEXA Scanning. about $50 a pop but it is the most accurate around.
before doing that though, I would get a tape measure and start tracking measurement of: neck, chest, abs, waist, upper arms, thighs etc... since muscle is denser than fat, this method will not be as skewed as just #lbs +/-.
if you find that you are indeed not loosing fat at the rate you want, you may want to make sure the information you are getting on your food. since MFP data is user submitted there can be some inaccurate info. double check it if you have any doubts. Also, be sure you are completely tracking your food intake. I have seen people that were getting several hundred extra calories a day from, what they considered, inconsequential sources. a bite of this and a bite of that can add up.
There is also some debate about what is called "starvation mode". i.e. making to drastic of changes to you diet can cause your body to slow the metabolism, therefore making it harder to loose fat. many experts advocate the "cheat meal" once a week. the idea is that it 1. keeps your body out of starvation mode and 2. helps to reduce cravings throughout the week. I have had success with this method, but it is important that you diligently stick to your diet the rest of the week.
it seems more the rule than the exception that people with a lot of weight to loose (30+ lbs) will loose fairly quickly at first then slow down. this may support the "starvation mode" theory, but more importantly, it becomes a source of discouragement, causing people to give up. it is important to remember that in weight loss, and almost any other endeavor, you will hit plateaus. these are not the end of the race, they are only another small hurdle to jump.
good luck.0
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