What am I doing wrong?

I'm not losing!!  I've been doing this for about two weeks now, but just found this site a week ago.  Anyway, to start off, here are my stats:

26yrs old,  5'4",  204lbs

According to this website, I burn 2330 calories a day.  So I should be eating at least 1400.  Which I have been.  My "nutrional grade" is always an A, and I always have my fat & protein percentages higher than my carb.  My sodium is usually around or under 1500, I get at least 30g of fiber a day, and I have super low cholesteral levels.  I usually consume at least 60-75g of protein a day, my fat is usually in the 40's (grams) but that all comes from walnuts or almonds, fruit, and low-fat yogurt.  I feel a lot better, and I know I'm eating really well.  I try to have at least 500 calories for breakfast (cup of low-carb low-sugar yogurt, strawberries, some flax seeds, and a scoop of soy protein powder), about 400-500 for lunch (low-carb whole wheat tortilla, turkey, cucumbers, green peppers, tomatoes, edamame, and a piece of fruit), and then for dinner usually some chicken or turkey mixed in with a ton of veggies (usually green ones).  If I snack, it's always cucumbers, celery, or fruit.

I exercise daily (at least a 30 min walk, but every other day i'm at the gym doing cardio on the elliptical, treadmill, or rowing machine) and I do weights (both machine and free weights) 3x a week.

I also take a multivitamin and Omega-3 supplements, cuz I don't eat fish or red meat.

So... what am I doing wrong?  I have not lost any weight, or inches, in two weeks!!  I drink tons of water, I'm always full, and most days I have a hard time finding enough calories in low-fat or low-sugar foods.

I know this is long, sorry, but I'm getting really frustrated here. 

It sounds like you are doing everything right. Maybe you will get up one morning and will have a big loss. I don't see how you couldn't. I wish I was as good as you are.

I know you probably don't want to hear that you aren't doing anything wrong, but it apprears you are doing everything right-I'm jealous!  That being said, keep an eye on your numbers for the next couple of weeks.  It could be that you are approaching TTOM, which for some women, can have an effect on their bodies for up to two weeks before.  If you don't see any significant change after that, see your doctor.  Tests may be in order to check for underlying causes.  Hang in there-you said you are feeling better for your efforts, so that is a great start. :)

I'm guessing you're going to see a difference soon.  I wish I was able to do it all 'right' the way you are doing.  Don't stress, you WILL see a difference.

~Brigid

You're doing amazing!  Sometimes I think it just takes a little bit for your metabolism to start cranking. Once it does it'll start happening.  I didn't lose anything for my first two weeks but I lost 4 pounds in my third week.  No worries:)

Sounds like you are frustrated, and with good reason!! Just keep going, DO NOT give up. The weight will come off if you keep it up!

When I was losing weight, I would lose a few pounds in a week, and then lose nothing for 3-4 weeks. It was an average of 1 pound per week (which was a reasonable goal for me) but it was certainly not a pound every week. I guess I'm saying I had spurts of weight loss mixed with long plateaus where I'd be stuck. I'd say that you are starting at a plateau! I know that can be very de-motivating, but just stick with it. Eventually you'll realize that plateaus are just par for the course, but it's frustrating for now. Keep in mind that as plateaus slow down your weight loss, that is a good thing. Slow weight loss is better for your body and since you'll be in losing mode longer, you'll have a better opportunity to learn habits that'll help you to maintain the loss over the long-term.

 Best wishes & good luck!

It sounds like you're eating really healthy, but somehow from the info you give, the numbers don't add up. For example: 1,400 calories a day. ... Assume 45 grams of fat, that would be 405 calories, or about 29% fat. Assume 70 grams of protein, that would be 280 calories, or 20% protein. Now, with 1,400 calories a day, that would leave 715 calories from carbs, or about 52%.

In your post you say your fat and protein percentages are always higher than your carbs. Given the above I don't understand that. Are you using the food log to keep track of everything you eat? If so are you using the Analysis tool to track your nutrients?

If you just found the site a week ago you might not yet be taking advantage of all the great stuff it has to offer. Personally I would lower the fat to about 20% and see how you go. It's good to have some nuts, but fruit doesn't have any fat, and lowfat yogurt has minimal. It's early days so to speak so you've just got to find the right balance that works for you mentally, so you stay on track, and also physically, so you drop the pounds. Good luck!

Hmm just saw your other post in the Eating carbs thread and see your fat might be in the 40 "percents" not in the 40 "grams." Big difference. Drop the fat to about 25% for a week and see how you go....

You're eating 1400 calories with a 2300 burn.  Does the 2300 take into account your exercise?  If you're getting some extra exercise, then you're just not eating enough.  I would up my calories to 1600-1800 and see if your body starts losing.  Essentially, until you get a good idea of how your body is responds, feel free to eat up to your sedentary burn rate and the exercise should take the weight off.  Once you know how you're doing and are seeing some results, then start playing with the calories and lower them a bit if you feel like it. 

as of right now (6pm) , this is what my analysis looks like for today.

 Fat - 41.8% (51 grams)
 Protein - 35.7% (97 grams)
 Carbohydrates - 22.5% (61 grams)
 Alcohol - 0.0% 
 Other - 0.0%

Daily Sodium Intake - 811 mg
Daily Cholesterol Intake - 101 mg
Daily Fiber Intake - 25 grams
Nutrition Grade

DateCaloriesGramsFatCarbsProteinGrade2007-09-231,0601,201516197A

 

and this is what i've eaten today:

Breakfast

Egg, White - Raw, FreshA-18295

Olive OilB14124

Flax SeedsA1893

RaspberriesA1910

BlueberriesA2011 

DinnerFresh Ground Turkey - Lean - Fresh Turkey Ground Turkey 140188

Peppers, Sweet, Yellow - RawA5214

Broccoli - Cooked, Boiled, Drained, Without SaltA18063

Tomatoes - Cherry 14628Flax SeedsA1893 

SnacksLight 'n Fit Carb Control Strawberry 'n CreamB226120

Soy Protein IsolateB-2895

StrawberriesA14446

AlmondsB+1481

 

any suggestions FigureTheFat? as you can see, all the fat i take in is from olive oil or the almonds.  i'm having difficulty getting it too much lower...

i think you need to lower your fat intake  :D

I agree that you need to lower your fat intake. Also; don't be so quick to write off carbs. Carbs are your bodies main way of fueling itself and low carb diets can have a negative effect on your body through ketosis.

Try using nonstick cooking spray to cook your eggs instead of olive oil; and go light on the nuts. If you are taking omega supplements you won't need to eat tons of nuts, and if you are eating protein shakes they won't be so necessary for a protein source. Also your fiber intake could be upped a little; fiber is your friend.

Flax seeds are important if you are a vegan to get your omegas and protein, but you don't appear to be vegan- flax seed can be very high in fat(healthy fats, yes) and it would be easy to cut some of the fat out by reducing the flax intake if you don't need it for the protein.

The national health guidelines suggest a ratio of 70/20/10 percentile for carb/protein/fat for healthful eating; with 60 minutes exercise daily.

Hang in there, the weight will come off. Sometimes it's hard to get started. If you are always full as you say you are, then your  metabolism probably isn't revved up yet. Try getting some good, sweaty cardio workouts a few times a week. Bike riding, hiking, dancing, etc...

Good luck!

is there fat in supplements?  because i was considering taking out the nuts and flax seeds, and taking a flax seed oil supplement instead.  but is there still fat in that?

It also took me about 2.5 weeks to notice a change in weight even though i was being so good and doing everything right.  I only weigh myself once a week at the same time in the am, last week i had lost 8 lbs, so you will lose them...its just takes longer for some of us, which sucks.  Good luck.

When was the last time you had your thyroid checked?  Also, what intensity level are you training at?  Figure out your target heart rate and train at that.  220-age times 60 or 70 percent.......

 

Good luck

I would say lower your fat some and up your carbs!!! Carbs are good for you if you are able keep em whole wheat. whole wheat pasta is fantastic!

other then that it sounds like you are doing eveything right...and I doubt the higher fat levels are really holding you back since your calories are in your daily allowances. maybe TTOM is on its way? I usually dont lose for a few days about a week before I start TTOM so it could be. dont give up though! it hasnt been long enough to worry :)

anyone have any suggestions for what type of cardio is most effective and for how long?  i've been walking at least 30  min and then trying to do about 15-20 min of elliptical 4-5x per week.  maybe i should up that?