Help! 3 weeks in and no loss!

Jessicanlee1987
Jessicanlee1987 Posts: 3
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi everyone,

I've been on fitness pal and weight watchers for about 3 weeks and sticking to both plans. I work out anywhere from 30-90 mins per day, 7 days a week and haven't lost one pound or one inch. I suppose I'm just looking for support since I have heard every piece of advice. Just not sure where to go from here. I eat my exercise calories and only go over my protein grams. Any help? I also drink at least 8 glasses of water a day...yikes.

Replies

  • Lozze
    Lozze Posts: 1,917 Member
    Without knowing what you eat it's hard to comment. Can you open your diary?
  • Tizitizi
    Tizitizi Posts: 1 Member
    You may be over doing it. Too much stress on your body due to too much exercise and too little food can cause cortisol levels to go up, which in turn reduces your metabolism and also gives you water retention.

    My suggestion is don't exercise ever day, just 4-5 days a week. Not sure what sort of exercise you are actually doing but too much cardio is doesn't work too well. Preferebly, lifting weights is better because as you build muscle your metabolism also goes up because your body needs more fuel to maintain the muscle than other tissue. If you must do cardio, try intermittent training, which is cardio with 30 second to one minute bursts of really intense running/cycling/rowing etc inbetween 2 minutes of moderate exercise.

    Also at least once a week have a day where you're not dieting. Let yourself have a treat and eat more carbs but don't over do it. No sweets just bread and pasta, rice etc.

    Hope that helps. It's been working for me.
  • Tempe729
    Tempe729 Posts: 270 Member
    One suggestion, and I know alot of people may disagree, but don't eat back your extra calories from exercise--and if you're extra hungry on a workout day and need to eat a few extra exercise calories shoot for 50% or less of them. Also, do you have a set routine day-to-day, or week-to-week for workouts & eating habits? I only workout 4 times a week but what I do each day is always different (thank goodness for fitness classes at my university). Trying changing up your eating & exercising habits every so often. :flowerforyou:
  • MsKekeSoFocused
    MsKekeSoFocused Posts: 383 Member
    How is your sodium intake?? What are you eating on a daily basis? Are you eating too much or not enough?? Having a closed diary is ok, but at the same time without knowing what you are eating it is hard to give you an answer. Everyones body is different, but maybe its something you are doing and not listing it here in your post. Not sure..
  • em435
    em435 Posts: 210 Member
    Hi,
    I'm having the exact same problem. I've been on here for 3weeks too, working out regularly (30minutes running followed by 30minutes of pilates). I'm able to run faster and further each day and the pilates exercises are becoming easier.. not to mention my quads seem to be making an appearance after years of neglect!
    However, I weighed myself yesterday on the same scale at my gp and I've somehow managed to regain the 5lb loss in the first week!

    I know I should persevere and focus on how my body feels and not on a few numbers but it's a little demoralising!
    Has anyone had any success eating foods at particular times? (I've heard that carbs are best eaten for breakfast/lunch but I tend to eat most of mine at dinner)
  • jaabee11
    jaabee11 Posts: 322 Member
    I'd be looking firstly at how you set up yur goals. Maybe something is not quite right here. Check your height, starting weight, etc
    In the beginning it's probably easier to set your activity as sedentary and then you can add exercise if you want.
    Be really careful how much you enter for exercise, unless you have a heart rate moniter your entries could be way off.
    Sometimes people have also mistakingly clicked to gain weight instead of lose so your calorie goal could be way over.
    Without seeing your diary it's all guesswork for us really.
    Maybe give us some more info. Hope you work it out, must be so frustrating.

    edited to say.. have a rest day, you don't need to exercise every day and your body needs to rest.
  • shannp
    shannp Posts: 29 Member
    Without being able to see your food diary it is a bit hard to guess. But as most have already said, keep an eye on your sodium intake. Also ensure that you are not have too many (if any) carbs for dinner - best to have your cabs for breakfast and lunch so that you still have time to burn it off rather than it sitting in your stomach over night.

    I have also found that if I am hungry, celery sticks and carrot sticks are good, but I also tend to reach for a bottle of water over food

    Stay positive and keep working at it. No one ever said it would be easy but the end result will be worth it :)
  • Jessicanlee1987
    Jessicanlee1987 Posts: 3
    Thanks for the responses. I think my exercise routine is good. It is a mix between weights and cardio. Monday and Wednesday are a body sculpt class and tuesday and thursday are kickboxing. Friday I jog and do some weights, Saturday is yoga and sunday's are typically a hike. I'm not going too crazy everyday but 4 of those workouts are pretty intense. I enjoy being active everyday which i'm really happy about, wasn't always the case. Do you mind sharing some meal ideas? I eat carbs everyday and with most meals so am wondering if maybe that's the problem.

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