Anyone want to offer up an explanation? Please?
I started CC on October 29. I haven't lost a single pound. Not one oz. I am exercising (weight lifting, cardio), counting every calorie (save for Thanksgiving...but I didn't overindulge).
Sure, I've had "bad days" but those usually consist of me just hitting my maintenance calories, and that doesn't happen more than once a week. And I usually feel so bad about it at the end of those days that I add in an extra cardio routine at night. I am really good about entering every calorie I eat and I never (knowingly) go into a deficit of more than 1000, but I try keeping it closer to 500-700.
I am so frustrated right now I don't know what to do. I don't know what I am doing wrong. I know that dieting isn't easy, but a month with no results? Heartbreaking.
Are you sure you are getting enough calories? It sounds like you are doing everything right, and it might be that you are not getting enough calories so your body is going into starvation mode and storing everything.
What are your stats? Typical day of calories/exercise?
How old.. your stats like magnetic asked that wasn't there when i started to post.
Also what kind of gains are you seeing in cross country/weight lifting? Did you start doing both for the first time ever in October?
Could you have overestimated your activity level?
I don't think you're in starvation mode. You need to be under-eating for a long time before your body readjusts and slows your BMR. And in that situation you usually see some results at the beginning, and then plateau. Since you saw no weight loss at all, I think you might have overestimated the burn rate.
My stats: 5'9'', 170 pounds, 25 year old female. I have worked out before, this is not the first time. This is the first time that I've added in weight lifting in a while - I tend to get bulky when I lift and I'd rather look lean. But I am trying to do it in moderation now. I exercise 5-6 days/week and rotate my exercises a bit so it will look something like this:
m: weight lifting (intermixed with "cardio-like" activities such as jumping lunges or burpees
t: interval cardio training (running) and abs
w: core and leg exercises (once again, super-setted in a way that gets my heart rate up)
th: interval cardio
f: weight lifting (like monday)
s: core and cardio
s: "make-up day" if for some reason I missed a day during the week...otherwise I use this as a recovery day (but I calculate my cals accordingly)
It may vary from that, but I plan out the rotation at the beginning of each week so that I don't overwork any area. I typically get up at 5 am every day and get in the workout before work.
I haven't overestimated my activity level because I have it set to sedentary and plug in my activities and then I pay attention to the calories burned meter and make sure that my calories adjust accordingly.
I can't only have 1200 calories/day because that would put me over 1000 under. I aim for about 1700, sometimes more on more active days and sometimes less, but never under 1500. On a typical day I burn 2200-2400 calories.
As far as what I eat, I am getting in a LOT of fruits and veggies. I always have oatmeal w/ 2/3 cup blueberries and strawberries for breakfast, my snacks are usually yogurt, almonds, veggies with hummus or an apple, my lunch is either 1 cup of homemade chili or soup with a side salad or a salad with tons of veggies and 4 oz. of chicken breast. And for the dressing, I use one that is only 10 cal (I only ever use 1 Tbsp. - I measure EVERYTHING). For dinner it alternates, but it is usually either fish or a gardenburger and either broccoli, sugar snap peas or some combo of roasted veggies.
And as I mentioned in my original post...I only ever have a "bad day" once a week and at worst I usually hit only maintenance calories. I know this b/c I always add my foods to the food log, even if I am mad at myself for eating them.
I know I don't have a huge amount to lose, somewhere in the15-25 pounds (of fat, mind you) range. But I gained this weight from....I don't really know where (it happened so fast!!) My clothes are tight, I see it in my face and I don't really want to go anywhere b/c I am embarrassed with how I look. And now dieting isn't working.....*big sigh*
I feel like I am doing things right....but I guess my body disagrees with me.
Original Post by workoutaddict:
please don't listen to anyone telling you to eat an extra 100-200 cals a day which will postively cause you to GAIN weight over a period of a month. Just keep it simple--if you eat fewer cals you weigh less and if you eat too many you will carry those extra cals with you.
Your math is incorrectly applied to the situation at hand. To gain one pound of weight, one needs to eat 3,500 calories MORE than their DAILY MAINTENANCE calories.
If I need 2,200 calories to maintain my current weight, I will not gain 10 pounds a year as long as I eat less than an average of 2,200 calories every day. If I am seeking to lose weight, it is recommended by experts to eat 500 calories fewer each day (1700 in the example) for a 1 pound per week loss, or 750 calories fewer each day (1450) for a 1.5 pound per week loss. It is further recommended by this site not to go below 1200 calories per day for adult women, and to not have more than a 1000-calorie per day deficit without specific approval and monitoring by a licensed physician.
Taking this one step further ... if someone with a BMR of 2200 is eating only 1200 per day and not losing weight, it is clear that her metabolism has slowed down into what is commonly called "starvation mode", and is now storing all of the available calories rather than permitting them to be burned as fuel. In these sorts of situations, it is both common and CORRECT advice to suggest that someone increase their calories 100-200 to (a) get the body out of starvation mode; and (2) to shrink the size of the calorie deficit from (in this case) 1,000 per day to 800 or 900.
Under this scenario, it is IMPOSSIBLE for someone to "gain weght over a period of a month" by adding in that extra 100-200 calories per day ... because that person still has a large calorie deficit.
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=^..^= MOLLY
zukita- it sounds like you are doing pretty well. Have you considered that the lack of weight change could be that you are losing fat, but gaining muscle?
I'm in a similar position. I've been training for the last month and have actually gained weight! Its tough to let the scale rule all, but that's how I feel.
A work out buddy of mine mentioned the whole muscle not fat thing to me and I blew it off, until they said, hey, if you gained 5 lbs of fat, you'd feel it with the way your clothing fits. So considering that my clothes feel the same, I'm going to look at it positively.
Is your clothing fitting differently?
Maybe instead of looking at weight, maybe you should take your measurements and then in a month, check out the difference...
I'm still not quite sure how I gained the weight so fast! At first I thought it was a med the doc put me on in Feb, but he swears it couldn't have caused the weight gain, and I've since taken it again with no weight gain.
It took me awhile to start losing again. In June I started walking an hour a day and watching my diet (though not counting - I was probably in deficit though!). In October I started running. From June until Jan 2007 I only lost 5 lbs! I started counting in January and it was painfully slow at first, then something just clicked in and the weight came pouring off.
I don't know if there's any advice here... just commiseration! I can say one thing was weird: all of 2006, I noticed my body temp ran 1 degree lower. Sometime this year, that changed, and it's back to normal 98.6. So I do suspect something just went awry with my metabolism last year, and eventually it rectified itself.
Another possibility is that if you were weight training before, then slacked off, over time the muscle turns to fat. You may not notice it's happening until one day BAM suddenly you hit a point where your body starts piling on fat. I have been an on-again/off-again weight trainer for decades and I've always noticed this effect. In other words, the weight training before gave you a measure of protection - up to a point. Since you're doing it again now, you may be turning fat back into muscle and you would see yourself losing inches before you lost pounds. So do measure yourself.
Another thing I did was start eating a cup of plain nonfat yogurt with active cultures each day. I'd read somewhere about how microorganisms in your gut can influence your metabolism, so I figured it couldn't hurt, especially since I was having all sorts of heartburn issues so I figured maybe my gut flora had gotten screwed up somehow.
It probably doesn't hurt to get an annual physical too. Check out your thyroid and all that. Make sure there's nothing else going on here.
Oh - and I do agree with those who recommend eating a little bit more. I'm assuming you are weighing your food and counting closely, not just eyeballing and guessing. If so, I can say that I had the best success keeping my deficit small - no more than 300 calories. The closer you are to your goal, the smaller the deficit. Yes, the weight came off slowly and gently but it works.
The interesting thing is I weigh now what I weighed about 5 years ago, and yet, the same clothes from 5 years ago slide right off my body and are a few inches too loose. Still can't figure that one out, since I haven't been weight training, just running.
I had basically the same problem... no real explanation... but now I am seeing results under a slightly different program... eating more frequently, small meals and LOTS of water. You didn't mention your water intake. I think it really makes a big difference (you need water for the fat-burning process)... also fiber binds with fat and carries it out of your body.... and makes you feel fuller. There's also lots of therories about the carb/protein relationship to max your metabolism. You might start focusing on the types of calories your taking in. General guidelines are 25% from fats (good fats), 15% protein (mine's usually closer to 25%) and 60% carbs (complex not simple). But I think the other responses about gaining muscle are probably on track too. Especially if you've only recently gotten back to lifting.
I agree with some other posts...I'm in the same boat as well and equally as frustrated. I decided to go get a fat analysis done with those calipers to track my fat loss. I can see a change in the definition on my body, but not much of a change on the scale :(
I'm giving it about 6 weeks between my last analysis. If I go back in and nothing has changed, then I'll freak out. It's only 10 bucks at my gym. I know that I did lose a little bit at first, before I really kept track of everything because my clothes fit better. I wish I had done an initial analysis then.
I would recommend that you try it. If you're adding weights, then you may be losing 2 pounds of fat, and gaining 2 pounds of muscle, which may be why you're not seeing it on the scale.
I hope for both of our sakes that is the case! Please keep us updated!
(EDIT-FOR CLARIFICATION) I'm not implying tha fat magically transfroms it's cellular structure to a muscle cell. I'm trying to say that while she's losing fat weight, she may be also gaining muscle weight.
Original Post by zukita21:My stats: 5'9'', 170 pounds, 25 year old female. I have worked out before, this is not the first time. This is the first time that I've added in weight lifting in a while - I tend to get bulky when I lift and I'd rather look lean. But I am trying to do it in moderation now. I exercise 5-6 days/week and rotate my exercises a bit so it will look something like this:
m: weight lifting (intermixed with "cardio-like" activities such as jumping lunges or burpees
t: interval cardio training (running) and abs
w: core and leg exercises (once again, super-setted in a way that gets my heart rate up)
th: interval cardio
f: weight lifting (like monday)
s: core and cardio
s: "make-up day" if for some reason I missed a day during the week...otherwise I use this as a recovery day (but I calculate my cals accordingly)
It may vary from that, but I plan out the rotation at the beginning of each week so that I don't overwork any area. I typically get up at 5 am every day and get in the workout before work.
I haven't overestimated my activity level because I have it set to sedentary and plug in my activities and then I pay attention to the calories burned meter and make sure that my calories adjust accordingly.
I can't only have 1200 calories/day because that would put me over 1000 under. I aim for about 1700, sometimes more on more active days and sometimes less, but never under 1500. On a typical day I burn 2200-2400 calories.
As far as what I eat, I am getting in a LOT of fruits and veggies. I always have oatmeal w/ 2/3 cup blueberries and strawberries for breakfast, my snacks are usually yogurt, almonds, veggies with hummus or an apple, my lunch is either 1 cup of homemade chili or soup with a side salad or a salad with tons of veggies and 4 oz. of chicken breast. And for the dressing, I use one that is only 10 cal (I only ever use 1 Tbsp. - I measure EVERYTHING). For dinner it alternates, but it is usually either fish or a gardenburger and either broccoli, sugar snap peas or some combo of roasted veggies.
And as I mentioned in my original post...I only ever have a "bad day" once a week and at worst I usually hit only maintenance calories. I know this b/c I always add my foods to the food log, even if I am mad at myself for eating them.
I know I don't have a huge amount to lose, somewhere in the15-25 pounds (of fat, mind you) range. But I gained this weight from....I don't really know where (it happened so fast!!) My clothes are tight, I see it in my face and I don't really want to go anywhere b/c I am embarrassed with how I look. And now dieting isn't working.....*big sigh*
I feel like I am doing things right....but I guess my body disagrees with me.
I don't think you, or anyone else, is going to like what I have to say, but my two cents is:
1. I think your calories are a little too high. It sucks, and goes against what is bandied about as "healthy weight loss", but you should probably be more like 1500 max. (To whit, there's a girl here who has lost 158 pounds and I saw her mention somewhere that she never goes over 1200. Personally speaking, I dropped my own calories to about 1700 a day over a year ago, when I started kickboxing six days a week, and I saw absolutely no results on the scale or in my clothes until I dropped my calories to 1300. I'm not starving, and I'm not burning muscle. I'm strong and I have great tone. I eat whatever I want; I just never go over 1300. As a result, I've finally lost the ten pounds I gained when I turned 30 and had heretofore been unable to take off.)
2. I don't think you're doing enough cardio to see results after a month; you really need to be putting in at least 45 minutes a day five days a week to see the weight loss start. That said, the bigger issue is calories. I bet if you kept your exercise routine as it is and dropped those calories down a little, you'd see results fairly quickly.
3. You can't 100% trust the calories here. I've logged foods with their packaging right in front of me, and what comes up on the site is usually on the low end.
Anyway, for me, it does take a little while for the weight loss to "kick in" once I start working at a calorie defecit (my activity levels are fairly constant). I say stick with it for another few weeks and then reassess.
One other thought, is there any chance you are logging anything incorrectly? Some of the serving amounts on CC (like cereal and other boxed items) aren't the same as they are on the box.
To add in rebuttal to ofthrees:
When I started cc the calc suggested I eat 1900 cals a day, and I was not very active. I was also only a few pounds over a healthy BMI (5'8", 158 lbs) I lost a bunch of weight at once (but, I think that just goes to show how much I was eating BEFORE I started counting). I think a lot of it depends on the individual. Read the post "Had to post this as its own topic." I have also found sometimes that cutting back on my activity level or upping my calories to maintenance for a few days seems to give my metabolism a bit of a boost. I do have to agree that in order to drop pounds, it is more effective to do cardio & incorporate weight lifting later on in your program. Of course, it all depends on what your priorities are - pounds or tone?
The thing is, maybe you need to cut your calories back to 1400. Or, maybe you need to increase your calories to 1900. Or, maybe you need to zig zag your calories. Or, maybe you need to change your exercise routine. Or, maybe if you keep with what you're doing, the pounds/inches will come off eventually. You have to find what works for you. However, since you're becoming frustrated with your progress, it might be best to change things up for awhile -- if only so that you feel that you are taking a more active approach to your weight loss. Just make sure you're making healthy choices. :)
my 2cents
Here are some suggestions.
I'd start wearing a device that will track your heart rate to make sure your body is burning at it's peak performance. Sometimes we don't burn as much as we think we do.
Stick with the weight training. Muscles burn more than fat; so although you may not see a drop in lbs right away you will thin down and in the long run lose more weight (besides, what's more important.. the # on the scale or how you look?)
look into your portions. Everyone's different. Some need more carbs; others, like me, need a good amount of protein to really see a difference.
Either way hang in there... weight loss takes trial and error. Hth!
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