Getting nowhere fast

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JohnnyRedd
JohnnyRedd Posts: 19
in Health and Weight Loss
Every day I am close to, or under calories. Every now and then I may go over a little. I started at 256. I had gotten down to 245. I am at 253. This last week was my best cardio week with two bike rides to a local walking park that has fitness stations, an hour and a half road bike ride (12 mph average) last Sunday and a 9.5 mile hour and a half mountain bike ride yesterday that took just over an hour and a half. 255 249 245 and now 253.

For a month that pretty much sucks and why/how would I put 8 pounds back on in a week???

Replies

  • mcarter99
    mcarter99 Posts: 1,666 Member
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    You didn't actually gain 8 lbs. of fat in a week. You gained water, probably from new challenges to your muscles. Put the scale away for a month. It's hurting you. You're doing what you need to keep doing. Watch only your inputs. Things will change on the outside eventually. It's never immediate.
  • JohnnyRedd
    JohnnyRedd Posts: 19
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    Thanks for the input. The riding is nothing new. Started it a year ago February as recovery from a partial knee replacement. I did this for two weeks without a scale and then brought it in and was tickled to drop from 256 to 249 to 245. Then 253 the next week? VERY frustrating and no reasonable explanation!
  • JohnnyRedd
    JohnnyRedd Posts: 19
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    Still hoping for any insight from anyone. Staying on my recommended calorie list. Working out every day be it cardio or weight training and... going nowhere fast.
  • JohnnyRedd
    JohnnyRedd Posts: 19
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    What great support here in the general diet and weight loss help forum. Gained 3 pounds this week.
  • ginique
    ginique Posts: 49 Member
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    You're doing everything you need to do - your body is simply adjusting. It's been said here before, weight loss happens in months, not weeks. Also, chuck the scale as an indicator of fat loss. The only thing I use the scale for is for calculating BMR. Get a tape measure and count inches.
  • lynz4589
    lynz4589 Posts: 389 Member
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    firstly Johnny sorry you didnt get much help here I never come onto the forum as I cant acces with my mobile but I hear what you are saying!

    I have knee trouble, I have chrondomalasia, no cartlidge and twisted my knee cap 12 weeks ago, Im waiting to see the knee surgeon. Just wonder how you find the bike on your knee? I have a bike in the shed that I am happy to dust off if it would help!

    In terms of weight loss Im at a loss too! Ive been hanging around 222lbs for a few months now, 2 weeks ago I got down to 213 then last week 216.8lb and today between 218 and 216 I thought my scales were broke!

    Are you drinking enough a day? Allowing time for muscle repair? Do you change up your exercise routine every so often to shock your body into something new? Eating enough fibre? These are all things Ive been asked, ive ticked all the boxes and still got nowhere!

    I will add you as a friend and hopefully can come up with something to help you out :)
  • fmbomzo
    fmbomzo Posts: 382 Member
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    What you're experiencing is normal. Your body is responding, but weight loss is just not normally a linear process. It will dip, climb and readjust to a new low typically. Do take your measurements. Do look at your average sodium intake. Also if you're going to weigh frequently (I weigh once daily by the way), you will want to take a rest day or two before you do an official weigh-in. If you've done a decent workout the day before you may very well be carrying water weight that your muscles have pulled in for repair.

    Also, make sure you're eating enough. If you have a high calorie burn from your workouts, you may not be refueling enough.
  • JohnnyRedd
    JohnnyRedd Posts: 19
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    I am perplexed and frustrated. I have been doing this for quite some time and have even been on the diet pill (can't think of the name of it - white pill with blue spots - requires prescription) twice. Doctor not much help, pretty worthless IMHO.

    I ride hard both weekend mornings. I ride at least two days during the week for about half the miles but at least a half hour ride. I do at least two relatively light weight work outs (curls, reverse curls, military press, upright rows, stiff legged dead lifts, bend over rows - 3 sets of 15 each with 30 second break between them).

    If my calorie intake is 1510 and I ride an additional 900 I try to make that 900 back up so I am still close to what this program says should be 0. My weight went down the second week and came right back up.

    Still 250 @#$!@ pounds and my clothes still fit tight after what 5 or 6 weeks?
  • JohnnyRedd
    JohnnyRedd Posts: 19
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    As far as the bike: I was told after the partial (inner) knee replacement to ride as much as I wanted to - that it is 0 impact. Considering my mountain biking habits I disagree with that but it's not given me a minute's problem. I also ride what is called the greenline here. (google shelby farms greenline - WONDERFUL) and ride the adjacent park. It's 19.6 miles and we do it in an hour sixteen is I think the best time to an hour and a half. 14-16 mile average. We also ride a 12 mile course downtown Memphis every third weekend to break up the mountain biking. MTB requires a good deal more overall fitness than road biking. As long as you don't have a good case of arthritis causing swelling in the knee I would recommend the bike just to get out of the house and get some cardio going. I also do 20-30 minute cardio sessions on the stationary while playing x-box or watching tv during the week. My legs and lungs are great.
  • marydlugo
    marydlugo Posts: 10 Member
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    I totally feel your pain, had to take steroids for an infection/ reaction and to date gained almost 10 lbs in less that two weeks. First of all.....WATCH YOUR SALT!!! Experience has taught me, that working out does increase muscle mass, and they swell, like an injury. increase salt will only make them swell more, adjust your settings to monitor your salt and sugar.
    2nd hide the scale, you will only sabotage your efforts.
    3rd....push the water. drink drink drink that's water not crystal light, diet soda, etc.....water!!!!
    4th cut down on the artificial sweetener. these can also contribute....get this.....weight gain.
    I never give up. my body rebels, I give it he__.
    Hang in there and again ditch the scale, focus on the exercise, and eating healthy......
  • kfitzs
    kfitzs Posts: 48 Member
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    i agree with the post about taking a rest day before weighing your self i have a pretty physical job and weigh in officially once a week o my second day off but i often jump on the scale just to see what it says and yesterday on my first day off i was 3kgs or roughly 6pounds heavier then i was today on my official weigh in. I also drink lots of water the day before my weigh in its all about trying to get that water retention down. But i get that its really frustrating to see the scale go up. Also i take my measurements all over my body (neck, chest, waist, hips, bum, bicep, thigh) and so far i havnt had a single week where i havn't lost a cm from a few places if they ever go up then ill start to worry. Just keep at it and remember no matter what ur doing ur doing more then all the couch potatoes.

    edited to say i also dont eat back exercise cals i have added all my exercise as it is regular into my tdee so that the calories are spread out through the week but in saying that i have a few smaller days and a few bigger days sort of like cheat days but i keep everything within my weekly cals
  • fmbomzo
    fmbomzo Posts: 382 Member
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    One other suggestion. Alter one thing about your normal schedule for about 2-3 weeks. Either decrease your exercise (meaning add in a rest day or two per week) OR eat about 100-200 more calories consistently for that time. This should help "jolt" your body out of the current state. I think your body has adapted to your routine. It doesn't mean there's anything wrong with what you're doing. It's just that our bodies are awesomely made and they catch on quickly to "stresses". You have to alternate the stress to keep your body guessing and working... hence burning more calories.
  • choc_rox
    choc_rox Posts: 1
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    Are the calories you are eating good ones, or 'empty' ones.

    If you are eating a lot of carbo's, bread, pasta, processed foods, etc. even though you are at your calorie intake they may not be helping.

    Fill up on protein, increase your intake of fruit/veg, and drink LOTS of water! Keep away from pasta, rice, bread, potatoes, processed foods. Only eat food that you cook from scratch, don't eat anything that is 'premade'.

    Cut a little back on the exercise - have a rest day in between to allow your body time to recover. Maybe even cut out the exercise all together and just focus on getting the calories right. It takes about a week of eating less for your body to get used to it so maybe just spend a week focusing on reducing your portion sizes and what you eat, and once you are at your calorie goal then incorporate exercise back into the mix.

    Typically the formual for weight loss is 75% food and 25% exercise, so if you're putting weight on I would think there is something going on with your food intake, rather than your exercise.
  • JohnnyRedd
    JohnnyRedd Posts: 19
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    250. I didn't really adjust this week and add more food for exercise. I did go to ham sandwiches for lunch. Dinner is a meat and two veggies. I stay away from potatos and fried foods. Worst thing I probably do is pop-tarts for breakfast. I drink a lot of water during the day... a lot. I do not drink soft drinks. I may drink Hawaiian Punch through the week and/or green tea. I added an hour of soccer (light) yesterday. Calves are sore. 12.6 miles on the MTBs Saturday at 9 mph average. 19.6 miles today on the road bikes at 13 mph average. I should look like stick boy, not the @#$@!# Michelin Man.

    I wore 34s before the hip replacement. 36s before the knee replacement. Now it's 40s and I can't get away from them. Wife is eating same things. Losing weight like a champ with probably half the exercise.

    It absolutely sucks.
  • caraiselite
    caraiselite Posts: 2,631 Member
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    250. I didn't really adjust this week and add more food for exercise. I did go to ham sandwiches for lunch. Dinner is a meat and two veggies. I stay away from potatos and fried foods. Worst thing I probably do is pop-tarts for breakfast. I drink a lot of water during the day... a lot. I do not drink soft drinks. I may drink Hawaiian Punch through the week and/or green tea. I added an hour of soccer (light) yesterday. Calves are sore. 12.6 miles on the MTBs Saturday at 9 mph average. 19.6 miles today on the road bikes at 13 mph average. I should look like stick boy, not the @#$@!# Michelin Man.

    I wore 34s before the hip replacement. 36s before the knee replacement. Now it's 40s and I can't get away from them. Wife is eating same things. Losing weight like a champ with probably half the exercise.

    It absolutely sucks.

    have you tried limiting carbs?
    maybe working out a bit less?
    pop tarts and hawaiian punch are horrid.
  • caraiselite
    caraiselite Posts: 2,631 Member
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    you could also try fasting, that likes to kick start my weight loss.
  • JohnnyRedd
    JohnnyRedd Posts: 19
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    I am slimming down. Just not losing weight so now my 38s are loose on my but I am still at 250. As far as slowing down on the exercise... I want to go harder. I was a very competitive speed skater and soccer player growing up. If I ride the 19 mile course in an hour 19 today I want an hour 18 the next time. I started skating again. First time out was 2.4 miles in 20 minutes. Next time I want 2.5 miles in the same time. I know I probably sound like I am whining for a 46 year old guy but after spending over 15 years all but crippled by arthritis I am proud to say that I am able to go out and knock down right at 20 miles in just over an hour and a quarter. I want to get back into 34s and weigh less than most NFL linebackers at 5'10"... I seem to be making one of those goals but the other is alluding me.
  • teez52
    teez52 Posts: 104 Member
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    Are the calories you are eating good ones, or 'empty' ones.

    If you are eating a lot of carbo's, bread, pasta, processed foods, etc. even though you are at your calorie intake they may not be helping.

    Fill up on protein, increase your intake of fruit/veg, and drink LOTS of water! Keep away from pasta, rice, bread, potatoes, processed foods. Only eat food that you cook from scratch, don't eat anything that is 'premade'.

    Cut a little back on the exercise - have a rest day in between to allow your body time to recover. Maybe even cut out the exercise all together and just focus on getting the calories right. It takes about a week of eating less for your body to get used to it so maybe just spend a week focusing on reducing your portion sizes and what you eat, and once you are at your calorie goal then incorporate exercise back into the mix.

    Typically the formual for weight loss is 75% food and 25% exercise, so if you're putting weight on I would think there is something going on with your food intake, rather than your exercise.

    I agree with this in part, the carbos can effect your water weight so that could be part of the issue. Fruits and veggies are more healthy for you in the end than carbos and protein is a cheap way to fill up and keep that full feeling.

    Where I don't agree is that a person who is 250 and I'm going to guess around 25-30% BF, I don't think that the macro's will have that much of an effect on the weight loss. I would take another look at your calories and make sure that the calculation is spot on, do the real math just to double check MFP. Make sure that you count EVERYTHING including condiments, juices, and all the little thing that a lot of us forget to count. Do you have a food scale and are you weighing everything you eat? If not, you really have no idea how much you're actually eating and you could be overeating.

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