Why no weight loss?

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  • barbcouperus
    barbcouperus Posts: 49 Member
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    I've had the same issue as you. I was eating the stricter side of 1200 calories and hardly eating back any exercise calories or if I did, it wasn't very many. I stopped losing pounds and was losing only inches. I went into MFP and started reading what other ladies had put on the community board about the same struggle I was having. Utlimately, it all came down to I wasn't eating enough calories. My body was storing everything because it was in starvation mode from the calories I was expending on exercise and not eating enough to compensate. You DON'T have to give up your alcohol either! You can have A glass of wine or A beer but I wouldn't waste the calories on more than one drink - too many carbs and sugars to worry over. I learned a few things about Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE) on the community board on MFP. I google searched on the internet "What is TDEE" and found several sites that will figure out what your BMR/TDEE is. This will tell you how many calories you should be eating for the fitness your are performing. I did mine and I went from eating only 1200 a day (which is what MFP suggested) to eating between 1700 and 2400 a day. I'm averaging about 1600-1800 a day and I'm back to losing weight. It's weird science because we are conditioned and told all of our lives that you eat less and move more, you'll lose weight. NOT TRUE! I'm no expert by any means but I'm in the same boat as you, I've struggle all my life, I'm a large girl and I've done very diet out there. This is the one program that has been a huge help for me and keeps me focused. I don't skip one day, NO MATTER HOW BAD, journaling my food/drink. It keeps me more accountable to me. The weekends are where I struggle the most so I have to track it or I'll blow it. If you are performing cardio 3-4 times a week and strength training 3-4 times a week, you're fine in the exercise area - adjust your food intake and the amount you consume and you should go back to losing. I hope this advice helps.

    thanks so much, I'm going to check out that TDEE thing...
  • barbcouperus
    barbcouperus Posts: 49 Member
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    found the settings..it should be public now...
    try changing the 1% milk to fat free.... thats all i can say lol

    Negative. That isn't going to make or break your weight loss. Definitely track your weekends. You may find that you're consuming more than you thought. As for completely giving up anything, you really don't have to, but you should do the "bad" foods/beverages in moderation. Definitely drink your water. Make sure you're eating enough protein. But as another person wrote, and I am not quoting, 4 out of 7 days isn't enough. Also, calculate your TDEE and BMR to make sure your calorie intake isn't too low (this is why I said that changing your milk to FF wasn't going to make or break it).

    thanks...I didn't think the 1% switch would make that much of a difference! I do drink a ton of water ( a pitcher a day at work, 2 glasses first thing in the morning, and at least 2 more glasses at night). I'm not of the mind that I should give up on a beverage or food group completely, it's just not realistic and it's not like I'm getting hammered every night on the weekend and eating nachos every day. I'll go back to tracking on the weekends, seems to be the best thing I can do.
  • thrld
    thrld Posts: 610 Member
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    Have you tried increasing your calories? Your body could be in starvation mode if your not eating your exercise calories.


    This. On the days you track you look to be under eating 297-700 calories. Remember MFP has a built in deficit -- so you don't need to undereat! Try searhing "Eat to Lose" -- you are not the first to have this problem.
  • dvisser1
    dvisser1 Posts: 788 Member
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    I. Try eating back your exercise calories, or at least the bigger part of them, MFP already substracts the necessary amount.

    II. As suggested by the others, try getting a HRM. Kickboxing is an intense sport, but sometimes MFP's estimations are over the top.

    III. Caffeine and alcohol might be problematic, although I don't know how much of that you take in every day exactly. Alcohol can be especially bad for the muscles, even if it's just one glass of vodka.

    IV. As mentioned before: log the weekends.

    V. Try fixing more on strength? I only saw push-ups and kick boxing in the entries I looked at, you might want to try lifting or something similar. Every pound of muscles burns addition calories.

    VI. I read something about your doctor not knowing what the problem is, but did you get checked for allergies? Perhaps you don't react well to some of the things you eat....

    That's all I can think of right now~
    thanks for your comments...
    re: lifting...I lift weights 2 x per week, but don't log them because they don't show calories burned, so I didn't think it was useful to do so? And the alcohol is never during the week, just a glass or two of wine or beer on Saturday nights. and coffee is only one a day...

    There is a "strength training" entry under the cardio exercise to count the calories.
  • twinmom01
    twinmom01 Posts: 854 Member
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    Had the same issue as you - once I changed what i eat and dropped my carbs to under 100 per day I saw big differences in the scale...

    I know it may not work for everyone but I know that is what works for me...if i want to actively loose weight I have to keep my carbs below about 80 for a good chunk of time...to maintain I need to keep it below 125.

    I spent a year a half stuck loseing the same 5-7 lbs (fluctuating between about 192-198) while doing the "standard" way of eating - low-fat, fancy "diet" food....and getting frustrated out the wazoo - espeically when I went to the Dr. and all my tests came out normal - but once I cleared out pretty much most processed food and cut out large carb sources like breads, pastas and increased my good fat intake (to keep me fuller longer) it has worked out much better for my body. Right now I will loose a lb or two and then stall for a bit then down a little more - it isn't a weekly thing...but it is better the constantly losing the same 5-7 lbs...
  • barbcouperus
    barbcouperus Posts: 49 Member
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    [
    There is a "strength training" entry under the cardio exercise to count the calories.
    [/quote]

    thanks!
  • Springer007
    Springer007 Posts: 84 Member
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    Wow, everyone is an expert.

    At the end of the day its calories in vs calories burned. Dont buy in to this crap about "eating more." Fat people love to find reasons to eat more and they love to spread that propaganda to others so they can justify it. If you are not losing weight its simple, your are taking in more calories then you are burning. Cut it back or work out more. Sooner or later it HAS to come around. Its just basic science. You cant make something out of nothing. Its against physics.

    Maybe drink more water.... but dont eat more.
  • Riles713
    Riles713 Posts: 2
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    I feel your frustration. I've been doing alot of the same things as you, also with no success. I'm a 37 year old female, 5'7, 165 lbs. It's been about 1.5 months for me- doing the p90x program faithfully, keeping my caloric intake to about 1500 cal/ day (5- 300 calorie meals), drinking 80 oz of water daily....... and no weight loss. I bought a scale that measures weight and body fat, so that I could monitor any changes since I'm doing weight training. Not sure what elso to change. I just joined My Fitness Pal today.... hopefully this will help me keep a tighter monitor on my diet?
  • eyebex
    eyebex Posts: 12 Member
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    . I give myself the weekends off for tracking, but I don't binge. I just let myself have a glass of wine or beer with my dinner, the rest of my food is within reason..

    I recommend not giving yourself weekends off for tracking. Eat a bit more if you like but track. It's the only way you'll know your overall caloric intake.

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