UGH`what am I doing wrong

jenniferinfla
jenniferinfla Posts: 20
edited October 2024 in Motivation and Support
I must be doing something wrong... I am always right at or a lil under my 1430 calorie goal for day..I always exercise on elipptical and burn off at least 400 calories which I don't eat back..I drink atleast 15 glasses of water a day.
I started doing abdoer twist 4 times a week. When I am in the pool I al always working out my legs......SO why am I NOT losing weight? I started 80 days ago and lost 28 lbs but in the last 5 weeks ZERO lose...no gain but no lose....
Any suggestions? I need to lose another 60-75 and at this rate its never gonna happen. I just don't get it why all of a sudden stopped. :mad:
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Replies

  • 3dogsrunning
    3dogsrunning Posts: 27,167 Member
    Diary is private. It would be really helpful if it weren't.

    How do you measure your food?
    Do you log everything?
    How accurate are the values you choose?
    Have you measured yourself? Scale weight is. It always an accurate indicator of fat loss.
  • dewgirl321
    dewgirl321 Posts: 296 Member
    It's time to change up your workout. Try the bike instead of the elliptical. Add some weight training or BodyPump classes. Your body is used to what you're doing, so you need to do something different to get your weight moving again! You may also need to change up your calorie goal if it's been set at 1430 for quite some time. Try setting it for 15% less than your total daily energy expediture (TDEE) (BMR + exercise cals).
  • escloflowneCHANGED
    escloflowneCHANGED Posts: 3,038 Member
    I am always right at or a lil under my 1430 calorie goal for day..I always exercise on elipptical and burn off at least 400 calories which I don't eat back

    I think you answered your own question...
  • JacksMom12
    JacksMom12 Posts: 1,044 Member
    Plateaus are normal. Try switching things up.
  • jenniferinfla
    jenniferinfla Posts: 20
    Everyone is telling me that I am gaining muscle and eeryone but ME sees progress...I get everyday wow all your hard work is paying off but i shrug it off cause I want the dang number on scale to reflect my hard work.
    I log everything..I don't weigh food but do measure say rice and stuff to like 1/2 cup etc. I won't give up just fusterated.
  • ladyace2078
    ladyace2078 Posts: 460 Member
    Use something other than the scale to track your success. Tape measure, take pictures, how your clothes are fitting, your resting HR, etc. Also try increasing your calories and try something new in your exercise routine to make it more challenging.
  • escloflowneCHANGED
    escloflowneCHANGED Posts: 3,038 Member
    You're not gaining muscle with a net calorie count of <1000 per day, what do you do for work? You're TDEE is probably 2500-2800 and you are eating 1400 calories a day... that's a deficit of 1100 to 1400 per day. Eat more or at least eat back all your exercise calories!
  • JayElleOh
    JayElleOh Posts: 61
    this!! If you eat 1430 and burn 400 (& not eat back) your body only has 1030cals to fuel itself = not enough.. Try to eat back your exercise cals and if you're not feeling hungry have something small but healthy & high cal like nuts, etc.
  • jenniferinfla
    jenniferinfla Posts: 20
    So I should eat back what I burned off?
  • stacey1172
    stacey1172 Posts: 43 Member
    Measure and weigh your food- you may be surprised to find you are over or under by much more than what your diary shows. Also, eat some of those exercise calories back and switch up your workouts.
  • KodAkuraMacKyen
    KodAkuraMacKyen Posts: 737 Member
    You're not gaining muscle with a net calorie count of <1000 per day, what do you do for work? You're TDEE is probably 2500-2800 and you are eating 1400 calories a day... that's a deficit of 1100 to 1400 per day. Eat more or at least eat back all your exercise calories!

    I agree. It's a strange concept to wrap your brain around but you're probably not eating enough. Check out the group Eat More to Weight Less. There's a LOT of great informaiton there that talks about high calorie deficit for extended periods of time and why it's not a good idea.
  • 3dogsrunning
    3dogsrunning Posts: 27,167 Member
    Everyone is telling me that I am gaining muscle and eeryone but ME sees progress...I get everyday wow all your hard work is paying off but i shrug it off cause I want the dang number on scale to reflect my hard work.
    I log everything..I don't weigh food but do measure say rice and stuff to like 1/2 cup etc. I won't give up just fusterated.

    It is difficult to gain muscle while eating in a deficit. Even with newbie gains you aren't going to put on a considerable amount of muscle.

    Like someone else above said, plateaus are normal.

    Also, like I mentioned, try tracking your progress in other ways besides the scale.

    Without seeing the diary, it is hard to make other suggestions.
  • jenniferinfla
    jenniferinfla Posts: 20
    I am a mom to 4 busy kids...
    Yesterday I just looked MFP GOAL 1430 FOOD +1395 EXERCISE-345 NET 1052 so was 378 UNDER what I should of put in my body Yesterday was a busy day I only got a 30 minute workout in usually My calories burned is over 500 to 600..

    So ya'll think I should EAT more?
  • escloflowneCHANGED
    escloflowneCHANGED Posts: 3,038 Member
    So I should eat back what I burned off?

    You're not really eating back the burned off calories, look at it this way:

    1450 calories a day = 2lbs per week weight loss, you don't need to workout and you will have a calories deficit of 1000.

    You burn 400 calories so you now have a deficit of 1400, instead of your body saying "hey I get to burn more fat" it says "I better hold onto as much as I can and burn muscle"

    I noticed at 260 lbs I could run a deficit of 1500 and be fine, now if I go over 1000 I don't lose any weight.
  • JayElleOh
    JayElleOh Posts: 61
    Absolutely yes! When I was a few months into MFP I figured that the more cals I burned = the more pounds I lost so I would eat my 1200 cals as MFP suggested but then I'd go to the gym for hours on end doing cardio..It worked for a short period of time but then my body got exhausted and plateau BIG TIME..I also posted on here for fellow MFPers suggestions and this is the #1 piece of advice I got..I began to eat my 1200cals plus the equivalent to what I burned at the gym and my body thanked me for it :) Good Luck!
  • Wpbarr
    Wpbarr Posts: 142 Member
    1. Sell the scale, buy a tape measure.

    2. Take a front, profile and back photo of you in a bathing suit once/month.

    3. Skip the aerobics and just lift weights for 2-4 weeks.

    Measure results and re-evaluate.
  • Capt_Apollo
    Capt_Apollo Posts: 9,026 Member
    I am always right at or a lil under my 1430 calorie goal for day..I always exercise on elipptical and burn off at least 400 calories which I don't eat back

    eat them back. for like, 2-3 weeks. but use a protein shake, imo.
  • LuckyLeprechaun
    LuckyLeprechaun Posts: 6,296 Member
    exercise takes effort. You need fuel to run your motor. Eat. Your car can't drive across the city on no fuel, and your body won't do the work of burning up your fat if you don't fuel your body.
  • MonkRocker
    MonkRocker Posts: 198
    You're not gaining muscle with a net calorie count of <1000 per day, what do you do for work? You're TDEE is probably 2500-2800 and you are eating 1400 calories a day... that's a deficit of 1100 to 1400 per day. Eat more or at least eat back all your exercise calories!

    This. I know it seems counter intuitive, but if you are eating too little, your body will think you are starving and you will lose LESS weight. Bump up your intake a little bit - at least enough to recover your exercise calories.
  • jenniferinfla
    jenniferinfla Posts: 20
    So I should eat back what I burned off?

    You're not really eating back the burned off calories, look at it this way:

    1450 calories a day = 2lbs per week weight loss, you don't need to workout and you will have a calories deficit of 1000.

    You burn 400 calories so you now have a deficit of 1400, instead of your body saying "hey I get to burn more fat" it says "I better hold onto as much as I can and burn muscle"

    I noticed at 260 lbs I could run a deficit of 1500 and be fine, now if I go over 1000 I don't lose any weight.

    Thank you Thank you... I will try to everyday eat my FULL 1430 calories and not concentrating on calories burned...I am also going to change up my cardio and see what happens ya'll are the best
  • justdoit2105
    justdoit2105 Posts: 2
    Reduce your calories on My fitness pal to 1200 - you will then have a 2lb per week target. I do know that people often lose lots of weight quickly then slow down - this is normal, just keep going. You might want to increase your exercise by another session or doing more high intensity short burst cardio fitness (speak to a fitness instructor at a gym).
  • jenniferinfla
    jenniferinfla Posts: 20
    exercise takes effort. You need fuel to run your motor. Eat. Your car can't drive across the city on no fuel, and your body won't do the work of burning up your fat if you don't fuel your body.

    So VERY true..thanks ya'll I will keep ya posted....
  • justdoit2105
    justdoit2105 Posts: 2
    Don't forget - muscle weighs more than fat so you are probably still losing fat weight but replacing it with healthy muscle - get the tape measure out record your waist and hips.
  • jenniferinfla
    jenniferinfla Posts: 20
    1. Sell the scale, buy a tape measure.

    2. Take a front, profile and back photo of you in a bathing suit once/month.

    3. Skip the aerobics and just lift weights for 2-4 weeks.

    Measure results and re-evaluate.

    Good solid advice which I will take and use..Thanks
  • escloflowneCHANGED
    escloflowneCHANGED Posts: 3,038 Member
    Whatever you do, don't do this lol
    Reduce your calories on My fitness pal to 1200 - you will then have a 2lb per week target. I do know that people often lose lots of weight quickly then slow down - this is normal, just keep going. You might want to increase your exercise by another session or doing more high intensity short burst cardio fitness (speak to a fitness instructor at a gym).
    Don't forget - muscle weighs more than fat so you are probably still losing fat weight but replacing it with healthy muscle - get the tape measure out record your waist and hips.
  • jenniferinfla
    jenniferinfla Posts: 20
    Don't forget - muscle weighs more than fat so you are probably still losing fat weight but replacing it with healthy muscle - get the tape measure out record your waist and hips.

    Looks like I am not eating enough through out day and my body is going into starvation mode and storing fat. I am going to eat more and still exercise but main goal is to eat more so my body is fueled for workouts.
  • lizziebeth1028
    lizziebeth1028 Posts: 3,602 Member
    It's time to change up your workout. Try the bike instead of the elliptical. Add some weight training or BodyPump classes. Your body is used to what you're doing, so you need to do something different to get your weight moving again! You may also need to change up your calorie goal if it's been set at 1430 for quite some time. Try setting it for 15% less than your total daily energy expediture (TDEE) (BMR + exercise cals).


    ^^^ This! Try strength training and calisthenics, or walking, running, jogging, invest in some exercise DVD's. Your body is no longer challenged because your doing the same exact thing over and over again.
  • jenniferinfla
    jenniferinfla Posts: 20
    WOW ya'll got me to thinking..so I went thru my daily summarys and some days My NET calories was 574, 743,810, 1156 all under my 1430 GOAL for day....I do need to eat more dang it.. I can do that thats the easy part..... now the exercise should I do it everyday? whats your input on that
  • lizziebeth1028
    lizziebeth1028 Posts: 3,602 Member
    WOW ya'll got me to thinking..so I went thru my daily summarys and some days My NET calories was 574, 743,810, 1156 all under my 1430 GOAL for day....I do need to eat more dang it.. I can do that thats the easy part..... now the exercise should I do it everyday? whats your input on that

    Wow those are some HUGE deficits! That will definitely slow the bodies metabolism down and make you burn less! You need to fuel your workouts.

    You would not be gaining muscle being in such a huge deficit.

    Also how is your protein intake? MFP has this set too low..you should strive to be over on protein everyday.
  • jenniferinfla
    jenniferinfla Posts: 20
    WOW ya'll got me to thinking..so I went thru my daily summarys and some days My NET calories was 574, 743,810, 1156 all under my 1430 GOAL for day....I do need to eat more dang it.. I can do that thats the easy part..... now the exercise should I do it everyday? whats your input on that

    Wow those are some HUGE deficits! That will definitely slow the bodies metabolism down and make you burn less! You need to fuel your workouts.

    You would not be gaining muscle being in such a huge deficit.


    Also how is your protein intake? MFP has this set too low..you should strive to be over on protein everyday.


    I guess a can of tuna and a cucumber is not enough for lunch after burning 600 calories in a RPM spin class huh?
    PROTEIN suggestions..and what time of day to eat?
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