I'm obviously doing something wrong here

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Replies

  • EmilySG2011
    EmilySG2011 Posts: 82
    I'm also in your same boat....although I'm not working out like you are. I have cut my calories way back focusing mainly on protein keeping carbs to a minimal in my diet. I don't like food in general so this diet isn't too hard for me. However, I'm adding lbs instead of losing. I would be excited to see a drop in any increments at all. I have however lost a few inches. It's so hard to know the right mix and what is most effective---I think this varies from each indiviudal. I have also heard from a friend that met with a dietician---they recommended 3 weeks of lower calories 1 week boosting calories to a higher level. This helps increase your metabolism. I think sometimes our bodies get in a rut from routine.
  • peppa33
    peppa33 Posts: 4
    I'm not an expert, but it could be that if you've only just started working out you'll be delveloping your muscles, muscle weighs heavier that fat so you may have lost weight in terms of fat but the scales don't reflect this because of the developed muscle. Please don't be disheartened, keep going and the scales will start to show a difference as will your clothes x
  • EmilySG2011
    EmilySG2011 Posts: 82
    We both are doing something wrong. I am at the point of giving up. I try to eat the allotted amount of calories that MFP calculated but I am so used to eating 2000 calories until I feel hungry all of the time and I keep a headache.

    I have just recently started to get more physically active but I can only do five minutes of Jillian Michaels at one time. By the time I catch my breath and do 2 of the 5 minutes I am like "forget it". I need some help. One weigh in will be positive and the next one will be aweful.

    What do I do?
    ____
    Try the Special K Protein shakes. These are great for breakfast or snacks and will help with the hungry feeling. Increase protein snacks---they stay with you longer.
  • Merithyn
    Merithyn Posts: 284 Member
    Have you been tracking your body fat percentage? That will tell you more about what is going on with your body. You mention that you feel like your muscles look too bulky. If you are losing fat at the same time as you are gaining muscle, your overall measurements are going to be the same, but the ratio of muscle:fat that creates those numbers are changing. HANG IN THERE! I know this is a hell of a lot easier for me to say than to actually do, and I have friends yelling this same thing at me because I struggle too... but you will reach that tipping point where you start losing faster because you have built up enough muscle for your body to burn more calories 24 hours a day. If you are concerned about looking bulky (I personally like the athletic look), look into pilates or ballet based methods which focus on low weights/high reps to strengthen without bulking.

    Is there a way to do this without a body fat caliper? Or a way to get a cheap set of calipers? My gym doesn't have them, so I have no way to track this. I think it would do wonders for me if I could!

    Actually, a lot of my measurements are going up (biceps, calves, thighs), so I know I'm building muscle. The question is why am I not losing fat? Diet seems the most likely culprit, specifically carb/protein/fat ratios. Time to shake that up a bit and see what happens.
  • SatchGallamax
    SatchGallamax Posts: 549 Member
    My primary focus is NOT gaining strength. It's to lose fat/gain better cardio.

    I could be wrong here, but the best way to lose fat and have better endurance is by gaining strength.

    I can say from my personal experience that it takes time... I'm in my 6th week of a weight lifting & cardio routine (alternating days) and I'm just now s-l-o-w-l-y starting to see the inches come off and the weight go down. I do my best to eat clean, eat enough, and hit my macros. I'm not perfect, but I know if I stick with it I'll get where I need to be - even if it takes longer than I'd like.

    Don't give up!
  • Merithyn
    Merithyn Posts: 284 Member
    I can say from my personal experience that it takes time... I'm in my 6th week of a weight lifting & cardio routine (alternating days) and I'm just now s-l-o-w-l-y starting to see the inches come off and the weight go down. I do my best to eat clean, eat enough, and hit my macros. I'm not perfect, but I know if I stick with it I'll get where I need to be - even if it takes longer than I'd like.

    Don't give up!

    Thank you. This may be exactly what I need to hear right now. I need to get off the instant-gratification wagon, I guess. Damn microwave mentality. *sighs*
  • mturgeon05
    mturgeon05 Posts: 204
    I can say from my personal experience that it takes time... I'm in my 6th week of a weight lifting & cardio routine (alternating days) and I'm just now s-l-o-w-l-y starting to see the inches come off and the weight go down. I do my best to eat clean, eat enough, and hit my macros. I'm not perfect, but I know if I stick with it I'll get where I need to be - even if it takes longer than I'd like.

    Don't give up!

    Thank you. This may be exactly what I need to hear right now. I need to get off the instant-gratification wagon, I guess. Damn microwave mentality. *sighs*

    I completely agree. Weight training is exactly what you need, but you need to be consistant and patient...so hard, right? If you love the cardio, then don't give it up. Maybe cut down on the weights a bit...I do 3 weight training sessions a week with at least a day of rest in between them to allow my muscles time to heal. I don't think you are helping anything by lifting so many days in a row...and if you don't like it, all the more reason to cut back a bit, but don't eliminate it completely!

    This is such a mental journey. You need to be realistic and patient with yourself. You are going to have days when you feel amazing about your progress and other days when you feel like you have taking 2 giant steps backwards...this is all normal! Keep your goal in mind and focus on the small victories.

    Good luck.
  • riverain
    riverain Posts: 55 Member
    I don't know if it's true, but it seems like it takes less time to build muscle than to burn fat (for women at least). And there is some universal law that the body part with the fat you dislike most is going to be that last stubborn area to let go.

    Your gym should have one of those handheld body fat devices, they are not as accurate as calipers but they should be willing to let you use it for free. I have a Tanita brand body fat scale at home which was about $50 and worth every penny, I have had it for 10 years now. Omron is supposed to be a good brand too.

    [I don't really think these online calculators are useful for monitoring change, but more as starting points]. This thread (http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12) points to an online fat estimator (http://www.fat2fitradio.com/tools/). The Military one might not tell you much since it is so general, but the Covert Bailey might be more informative since it makes you measure body parts you haven't really thought about where fat loss might be occurring.

    I just did a quick search on amazon.com, and there were also several different calipers for less than $10! I might invest in one myself.

    Now, I really just need to motivate myself to be as motivated as you have been! I have great days and ok days and then days I would rather not remember, but entering them into MFP has really forced me to be more honest with myself. :-)
  • lilylight
    lilylight Posts: 128 Member
    My non-expert thought... I'm 5'4" and currently weigh 173.5 (down 45 pounds) and when I entered that I want to lose 1-2 pounds a week and my lifestyle is inactive (not including my exercise that I track) MFP set my goal net calories to 1200. I noticed that yours is 1400. Perhaps, again just my non-expert opinion, that yours should be 1200 as well?

    I was wondering this, too (above). When I gave MFP my age, height and weight data, put in "sedentary," and said I wanted to lose 1 lb. per week, it gave me 1200 calories. But even that is too many to lose 1 lb per week, based on other calculations. When I compute my BMR on MFP, and use that to compute TDEE (from another site -- it says multiply BMR by 1.2), I get 1505 calories -- i.e., what I need to maintain. If I net 1200, this is a calorie deficit of 305 per day or 2135 per week or only .61 of a lb., not 1! In actuality, I've averaged .8 of a lb per week loss (thus far) -- maybe because I tend to net a bit fewer than I'm allowed. One week I showed NO weight loss whatsoever! But the 3-week average is .8 per week. Out of curiosity, you might want to try these calculations if you haven't.

    I certainly share your frustration! When I was younger, all I had to do was cut back on food, and I would definitely lose more than this. And I'm dreading my weekly weigh-in tomorrow because I fear if I have enough "no loss" week I'm going to get depressed.

    But hey, make sure you're giving yourself a big pat on the back for all the exercise! Even if you're not getting thinner as fast as you would like, you're surely healthier, stronger, firmer. And like others have said, if the current weight training is neither giving you the look you want nor helping you lose fast enough, I say, a change is in order!
  • Merithyn
    Merithyn Posts: 284 Member
    My non-expert thought... I'm 5'4" and currently weigh 173.5 (down 45 pounds) and when I entered that I want to lose 1-2 pounds a week and my lifestyle is inactive (not including my exercise that I track) MFP set my goal net calories to 1200. I noticed that yours is 1400. Perhaps, again just my non-expert opinion, that yours should be 1200 as well?

    I was wondering this, too (above). When I gave MFP my age, height and weight data, put in "sedentary," and said I wanted to lose 1 lb. per week, it gave me 1200 calories. But even that is too many to lose 1 lb per week, based on other calculations. When I compute my BMR on MFP, and use that to compute TDEE (from another site -- it says multiply BMR by 1.2), I get 1505 calories -- i.e., what I need to maintain. If I net 1200, this is a calorie deficit of 305 per day or 2135 per week or only .61 of a lb., not 1! In actuality, I've averaged .8 of a lb per week loss (thus far) -- maybe because I tend to net a bit fewer than I'm allowed. One week I showed NO weight loss whatsoever! But the 3-week average is .8 per week. Out of curiosity, you might want to try these calculations if you haven't.

    Because I walk so much, Berry suggested that I change my activity to lightly active, and then not log the walking. It's not really beneficial to me anymore since my average distance is 4 miles a day, so it made sense. I've since tweaked a few things in my goals (macros, etc.) and changed it to 1300 calories. That seems a happy compromise between what MFP suggests and what I feel is appropriate for me.
    I certainly share your frustration! When I was younger, all I had to do was cut back on food, and I would definitely lose more than this. And I'm dreading my weekly weigh-in tomorrow because I fear if I have enough "no loss" week I'm going to get depressed.

    But hey, make sure you're giving yourself a big pat on the back for all the exercise! Even if you're not getting thinner as fast as you would like, you're surely healthier, stronger, firmer. And like others have said, if the current weight training is neither giving you the look you want nor helping you lose fast enough, I say, a change is in order!

    Thanks! Hope it all goes well for you, the scale notwithstanding!
  • BeSophisticate
    BeSophisticate Posts: 132
    First, your goals are similar to mine, pound wise, that I'm guessing your stats are close, as well (I'm 5'3").

    I would like to add one more vote to the heart rate monitor suggestion. I consider mine the best investement I've made (in addition to my gym membership) for my fitness. Your burn seems a bit on the high side, though close enough that may not be it. I burn about 300 in 30 minutes on the elliptical, but I'm keeping my heart rate at target nearly the entire time (147 bpm for me).

    Also, as somebody else mentioned, your calorie estimates seem a bit high in some places. Of course, everything is an estimate, but If you're estimating even slightly high on enough things, that can really add up.

    Finally, you are making progress! That's fantastic! This isn't a race to the finish line, after all. It's not a good idea to lose weight doing things you can't or aren't likely to continue every week for the rest of your life because as soon as you stop doing those things, you'll gain everything back anyway (and possibly you'll gain more than you lost). I would be frustrated too, if I was working out so much. I'm exhausted just looking at that schedule. If you work out too much, you inhibit your body's ability to recover and will actually make slower progress than if you worked out less. I don't claim to know where the line is, though, and I'm sure everybody's different. I started with just two days per week and worked my way up. I think you just have to find what works for you.
  • varitys
    varitys Posts: 1 Member
    First off - Congratulations on making progress!! Every pound lost is a small victory so feel good that you are still marching forward. After a very quick review of your food journal, based on what I've learned via dieticians, personal trainers, nutritional specialists - etc, maybe try to lower your fat intake to under 30 grams a day, lower your sugar intake to under 25 grams a day, increase your fiber intake, and make sure that whatever you eat doesn't have more than 30 calories from fat per serving. Your carbs seem a little high, but you're exercising a lot so you need the carbs. Are you getting enough protein? You should have 1 gram of protein for every pound of lean body mass. Maybe your gym can scan you and tell you what your lean body mass is, if you don't already know. Hope these suggestions help & Good luck!!
  • ShellyShuey
    ShellyShuey Posts: 162
    If you want to eat back your exercise, set your activity level to "sedentary." The math works correctly that way.

    Make sure you eat enough, considering the amount you're exercising. Eat every 3 hours.

    Every meal/snack should contain some form of protein.

    Drink buckets of water. The colder the better. Lemon wedge a bonus.

    Get good sleep each night (yes, it matters re: weight loss).

    The rate you're losing is a maintainable, safe rate. Slow & steady. Don't give up...
  • orishp
    orishp Posts: 214 Member
    I think you have gotten good advice here, and yes, you have lost 7 lbs, not small feat and exercising lots and eating mostly healthy stuff, so you should pat yourself in the back, you are probably healthier than a lot of skinny people out there.

    My two cents, stick with it, even though its hard, even though the scale sometimes doesn't cooperate, stick with it, and in the long run you'll see the results.

    Cutting carbs and dairy has also helped me tremendously, particularly your carbs seem high. Counting calories alone doesn't work for me, I need to do something else.

    I would consider dropping 100 calories and see if you see some change, maybe that account for possibly over estimating your workouts or under estimating your caloric intake.

    Good luck! keep at it, even 0.5 lbs/week is better than nothing ;)
  • GanjaBall
    GanjaBall Posts: 31 Member
    Thanks for posting your dilemma, but, mostly thanks for everyone who has posted. A lot of good stuff in this thread.
    I think you would do well with experimenting until u hit the stride you desire. Weight loss does take time and part of that time is in finding what works for you. So, don't give up. If you keep an open mind and try new things when what u are doing isn't working you are bound to find what works for you.
  • Merithyn
    Merithyn Posts: 284 Member
    Thanks for posting your dilemma, but, mostly thanks for everyone who has posted. A lot of good stuff in this thread.
    I think you would do well with experimenting until u hit the stride you desire. Weight loss does take time and part of that time is in finding what works for you. So, don't give up. If you keep an open mind and try new things when what u are doing isn't working you are bound to find what works for you.

    This is the most important thing that I've learned from this thread, I think. There is a lot of conflicting information out there, and the only way to know which one works for you is to try it. On top of that, you really have to give each change a little time to work.

    The experts here on MFP are brilliant, and I appreciate each and every one of them. Again, I'm sorry if I seemed almost belligerent in the beginning, it was born of frustration. Thank you all for your suggestions, advice, and understanding. It means a lot to me.

    :heart:
  • januadiaboli
    januadiaboli Posts: 117 Member
    I'm going to agree with GanjaBall ... there's a lot of great information in this thread, and I think that tweaking things until they work for you is the way to go. I've been where you are--managed not to lose a pound for six months despite lots of work--and I can totally understand the frustration. All I can say is that the weight didn't get there over night, so it's going to take a while to come off. Keep at it, as from what I can see, you're doing a great job!
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