when will I see the results. Advice.

Lisaliftsandruns · February 2012

I need some impute and advice please. I have been working out and watching calories for over a month. I am showing almost no results from it. I would like to know if I just need to be more patient or if I'm doing something wrong. I did the 30 day shred workout. It's tough but a short workout. I finished it and I had a few days of rest and have started over. I am now on day 8 of it. I nearly have given up soda. I have it maybe once every two weeks. I try and drink 64oz of water a day but I haven't been able to finish all of it lately. I try to get in all the protein I'm supposed to. I also do elliptical machine 3 or 4 days a week 15-30 mins a session. I have a two year old though and I don't want to waste my whole day ignoring her and working out.

Now I have actually gained weight since working out. Which I'm assuming it has to be (at least some of it) muscle that I gained. I can tell I have gained some. MY body shows little improvement overall though. I just thought this muscle would start eating my fat and I would start looking leaner. I'm just frustrated. I workout, try and drink nothing but water and a lot of it, try and eat within my calories. I have been doing it for about 6 weeks with no visible results. I don't know what to do. Be more patient? Give up and save for liposuction?

Some additional info I am 5'1" I weigh 129lbs. I know that I'm not exactly over weight but I still have a lot of embarrassing midsection fat left over from pregnancy. It is so hard to get off. I have belly fat and huge love handles. I would like to lose inches. I would not mind the weight if I could just have a flat stomach and thinner love handles. Before baby I was 98lbs. I ate all the time and never gained. I packed on weight with the pregnancy over 50lbs. I really want to ideally be 115lbs though. Ok sorry for the novel.

russellma · February 2012

How many calories are you eating per day?

japruzze · February 2012

Since your diary isn't open, I can't tell what and when you're eating. So its hard to make suggestions on ways to help. If you are showing a deficit in calories (burning more than you are consuming), you should be seeing a weight loss unless you aren't eating enough. If you think you are gaining muscle, then you should be able to see it and notice in your clothes. Muscle dosn't weigh more than fat. Its a volume thing. Think softball and golf ball. Both weigh the same but the softball (fat) is bigger and the golf ball (muscle). Also, losing weight isn't necessarily going to mean a flat(er) stomach. Losing fat will help, but toning is what you need to do and you can't spot tone. Although some serious ab work wouldn't hurt. Good luck. If you open your diary, I'll try to come back and take a look and see if I notice anything you may want to consider changing.

SFalconStorm · February 2012

If you're not used to vigorous exercise, it could be that you are retaining water to repair stressed muscles. Also, are you doing any resistance training? That's what really builds muscle. I'm not familiar with 30DS.

erickirb · February 2012

I would say if you are new to working out that your muscle are retaining water to protect them and aid in recovery.

purpleipod · February 2012

You only weigh 129 pounds. As far as weight loss goes, that's going to work against you. The less you have to lose the slower it comes off. Are you sure the stomach issue is actually fat and not loose skin from being pregnant? If it's loose skin it may only ever come off with surgery.

PANZERIA · February 2012

Honestly, it didn't take you one month to put on the weight, so it will take you more than a month to lose it.

I have been working out hardcore for three years, and while in that time I've only lost about 30lbs, my fitness level is at a place where I can outdo any of my friends, I'm strong, and I exercise because I enjoy it.

Keep going. It takes you 4 weeks to see results in yourself, 8 weeks for your friends and family, and 12 weeks for the rest of the world. Keep going and do this for you and your daughter - let her have a mommy for the rest of her lie.

lauehorn · February 2012

Since your diary isn't open, I can't tell what and when you're eating. So its hard to make suggestions on ways to help. If you are showing a deficit in calories (burning more than you are consuming), you should be seeing a weight loss unless you aren't eating enough. If you think you are gaining muscle, then you should be able to see it and notice in your clothes. Muscle dosn't weigh more than fat. Its a volume thing. Think softball and golf ball. Both weigh the same but the softball (fat) is bigger and the golf ball (muscle). Also, losing weight isn't necessarily going to mean a flat(er) stomach. Losing fat will help, but toning is what you need to do and you can't spot tone. Although some serious ab work wouldn't hurt. Good luck. If you open your diary, I'll try to come back and take a look and see if I notice anything you may want to consider changing.

Agree with this.

Also, with 30DS, did you take measurements? That's a much better gauge for progress with any strength training based program than weight. You should see the inches coming off, even if the weight loss is stagnant or there is a small gain.

We can't help with your diet without an open diary or more information about how much you are eating. You could be eating too little, which is common when folks start a weight loss program, because it seems counter intuitive to eat for loss.

marycmeadows · February 2012

You only weigh 129 pounds. As far as weight loss goes, that's going to work against you. The less you have to lose the slower it comes off. Are you sure the stomach issue is actually fat and not loose skin from being pregnant? If it's loose skin it may only ever come off with surgery.

this.
And chances are you aren't eating enough.

roander · February 2012

You could be me. Except I'm 5/1 and weigh 154. I have had exactly the same experience as you! I've never exercised and I have a belly pooch. I eat right and almost always leave a deficit. I exercise 6x a week (JM Ripped in 30). My pants are no looser nor has my weight gone down more than 3 pounds in 8 weeks. Now I have age and daily medications against me, but still, NOTHING?? I'm not going to give up though. I feel things tightening up under there so I think I will do more cardio to help with the fat burning.

kchabby76 · February 2012

Its going to take you AT LEAST 4-6 weeks of regular exercise and healthy diet to see any results. Weight loss is universal so you will lose all over, not just "trouble zones." If you drink enough water, (which is half your body weight in ounces), then you won't retain water. You have to eat LEAN protein, not just any protein. Remember to eat high fiber with the protein. You will be okay, just keep moving and give it more time.

Lisaliftsandruns · February 2012

I def do have belly fat and once I lose it I'm 90% sure I will have some saggy skin but I wouldn't mind it so much if I could get the belly fat off.

I opened my diary but I'm scared what you guys will say because I was eating a lot of cheetos last week :blushing:

I know that I gained an inch in my hips and waist since finishing the 30DS.

purpleipod · February 2012

Um.. most days your diary is blank. Do you not track normally? A lot of the days you have filled in you aren't even hitting 1200 calories/day.

SunnyAndrsn · February 2012

While your long term goal is 115 pounds and a flatter tummy/decreased love handles, please take a look at the progress from a health POV. You've been exercising regularly for a month, and you are monitoring what you put in your mouth. This is a great step in the right direction, take pride in this!

Many, many times I've "fallen off the wagon" because I became frustrated with how I *STILL* looked or what that the number on the scale was not the one I wanted. Had I stuck with it and looked at it from a health POV, I wouldn't be starting over now.

tretheb · February 2012

i was not looking to lose weight just get in shape ... but .. i got this stair stepper .. and lost 5 pound fast ... kinda pisses me off ..LOL but the toning results was noticeable fast ... it's small and can be moved around easy .. and they say muscle weighs more than fat ... so expect some period of weight gain .. then it should start dropping when your muscle mass gets regulated ..

Lrt4uk · February 2012

I def do have belly fat and once I lose it I'm 90% sure I will have some saggy skin but I wouldn't mind it so much if I could get the belly fat off.

I opened my diary but I'm scared what you guys will say because I was eating a lot of cheetos last week :blushing:

I know that I gained an inch in my hips and waist since finishing the 30DS.

have you only been logging for a week?? It's hard to give advice based on just that, except that it appears that you've not been hitting your goal calories. I'm sure most will say you need to eat more.

Lisaliftsandruns · February 2012

some days I just don't fill it out correctly. I won't find what I am looking for or don't know how much I ate. I recentlyish started to keep up with it.

I do have a question though With the added exercise to burn more than I take in I just stop when I hit the food one instead of the net one. Is that right? or should I always hit 1200 for the net?

erickirb · February 2012

some days I just don't fill it out correctly. I won't find what I am looking for or don't know how much I ate. I recentlyish started to keep up with it.

I do have a question though With the added exercise to burn more than I take in I just stop when I hit the food one instead of the net one. Is that right? or should I always hit 1200 for the net?

No your goal is your net goal. If MFP tells you you have x cals remaining you are supposed to eat those in order to lose your goal amount of weight, otherwise you may lose faster but will not be fueling your body properly.

DirrtyH · February 2012

Since you havent' been logging very regularly it's hard to say, but I would recommend setting it to show you your sugar and sodium. I have a feeling you're going way over on those. While technically you should still lose weight while at a deficit even if your sugar and sodium are high, I would still recommend trying to stay within your daily goal for those.

If you havent' been logging because you can't find the foods or don't know how much you ate, how can you know you're eating within your calorie goal? It is really really easy to underestimate your calories. You really need to get a food scale and start measuring everything. It sounds like overkill and it's not all that appealing, but it's going to save your life. And if you're eating foods that aren't in the database - add them! You can't lose weight if you don't know what you're putting in your body.

sbeisel1 · February 2012

Dont be scared of what people say about your diary, learn from it and improve. Take posted coments with a grain of salt and watch out for trolls that leave hideous comments to get you or others riled up.

im not a medical professional, but here is what ive learned from my MFP journey and lots of research.

I dont see sodium as an option in your tracking, track your salt. I see a lot of foods that have high levels of salt in them. salt in all forms can hinder weight loss, you may be retaining more water than you think and if youve been building muscle you can retain water at first(when they hurt you are building muscle, its repairing and is often heavier with water as it repairs) that being said, it will help you lood better in the mid section, give it time though the false water weight will come off if you eat right and drink water.
Try to cut out or cut back on the processed deli meats or choose salt reduced ones if you must.
aim for whole grains avoid over processed grains.
MORE VEGGIES much much more. they are good for you if you dont like them google Vega whole food (im not vegan but love this stuff) message me if you want some tips on veggies.
you need to drink more clear, caffiene free liquids, water, try lemon juice in water I like that hot it also helps with weightloss, try herbal teas, peppermint helps relevie water retention.

finally, you might not be getting enough food, if you are working out like crazy perhaps your body is hungry and as a result you are in starvation mode and your body is storing every little bit it can.

good luck,

russellma · February 2012

some days I just don't fill it out correctly. I won't find what I am looking for or don't know how much I ate. I recentlyish started to keep up with it.

I do have a question though With the added exercise to burn more than I take in I just stop when I hit the food one instead of the net one. Is that right? or should I always hit 1200 for the net?

For me, I wasn't really able to moved the scale until I started eating! I started trying to hit right around 1200 calories, per MFP's recommendation, but it was really disappointing, because I stalled after 5 lbs. or so. At that time, I wasn't eating back my exercise calories, so I struggled to stay under and felt desperate.

So, what I did was lower my weekly goal to 0.5 lb/week and enjoyed an extra 180 calories (nom nom). I also have found success in eating back part of the exercise calories as well.

So now, I get to eat 1500-1700 calories most days and hardly feel like I'm dieting, but I'm still losing weight! I'm not sure if it works for everyone, but you might consider giving it a try! Good luck!

lewandt · February 2012

I think when you don't have as much to lose that is when you have to be very accurate on your calorie counting. Make sure you count everything and weigh or measure everything. It really does make a huge difference!

Also, 20 - 30 minutes of exercise or more is ideal if possible.

Lisaliftsandruns · February 2012

Sometimes I just find it intimidating to track my food. I don't know I'm weird about stuff. I'll start doing better at it. I feel dumb now though. I'm like why cant I lose the weight!? All the while I was eating junk food. :embarassed: :frown:

jumptothebeat · February 2012

I'm 5'1 (and a half lol) and I'm at the lower end of the weight loss scale as well and I am also a mummy to two - so can share your aims regarding toning and slimming down -especially the tum. As has been said that last few pounds are the hardest as your body has less fat to burn. I'm happy to plod along and aim to lose whatever comes off - as much as I would like to be about 10lbs lighter and hope it happens, what I really want is to eat healthily (tonnes of fruit and veg for me and protein). I also have the problem that high-impact cardio training like running always tends to make my thighs bulk out with muscle, which with short legs is not a good look. So instead I walk at brisk pace for 40 mins/1hr every day. And then 3 times a week I do light weights and toning exercises. For my tummy I have found pilates based exercises have worked wonders on my lower stomach. Don't lose heart its just a case of finding the right balance between calories and exercise for you.

tigersword · February 2012

If you aren't logging everything you eat, you have no way of knowing whether you are eating correctly, eating too much, or eating too little. In that case, there is no way anyone can really give you advice, as there just isn't enough information.

purpleipod · February 2012

You could be grossly overestimating or underestimating how many calories you're eating if you aren't even tracking correctly. You can't question why you aren't losing if you aren't even tracking.

psuLemon · February 2012

Also keep in mind, you should have your goal set to .5 lbs per week and should aim to eat 50-75%of your exercise calories.

Lisaliftsandruns · February 2012

yep Purpleipod that why I said I would do better at it. Thanks! :happy:

amymimi12 · February 2012

My random recommendation - check out Jillian Michaels' book "Making the Cut". She talks about how different it is trying to lose less than 20 pounds, as opposed to those of us with significantly more to lose

. She explains how to eat and work out to lose what she calls "vanity pounds". You have to eat more, and do more strength training rather than cardio. And you should try doing "Ripped in 30" instead of what she calls the "easier" 30DS. (Yeah, that's in quotes because I still have trouble getting through it!).

pspetralia · February 2012

As others have already stated, you need to fill out your diary every day. Measure and/or weigh your food so you know exactly what is going into your body. Logging in your diary daily will help focus you as well as give you something to look back on to see if you are on the right track. Figure out what your goals are and then come up with a plan to get there. If you aren't meeting your goals you can look back in your diary and see why not, what needs to be tweeked, etc.
Based on what you have said, I would recommend eating a TON more veggies, logging daily, add sodium in your diary and try to avoid processed foods as much as possible (i.e cheetos).
Good luck... you can do it!!

when will I see the results. Advice.

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