HELP - What am I doing wrong?

All,

I began on this site February 12 of this year. I started out at 200lbs and have tracked my daily caloric intake as suggested. To maintain my current weight, I need 2700 cals/day, so, according to what I have been reading here, I need 2200 cals/day to loose 1 lb/week. I have been steady at about 1700-1800 cals/day and have been working out (wt training and aerobic) 5 days a week for about 1 hour a day. My training level is intense, so I get good, hard workouts. I eat 6 meals a day and they are made up of good healthy food. I weigh myself daily so I can see the daily fluctuations on the weight tracker and get enough data for an accurate perspective. So, enough of the background...here is my question:

I realize that by weighing in daily, the lbs will fluctuate, but for 19 days now, i have been bouncing back and forth from 199 - 203. essentially, my average weight for the 19 days is about 200...that is what I started out at, and I don?t understand why the scale is not moving...even at a pound a week. I do drink plenty of water (about 120 ox a day) and am not in starvation mode...can anyone offer any insight as to why the weight is not coming off? I also know that the scale is not the only measuring stick...my clothes have not been feeling looser, and I am seeing no progress at all. Your advise would be appreciated.

Chances are you're gaining more muscles faster than you're losing the fat. Have you thought of investesting in a body fat reader? Might help motivate you and explain what's going on.
Give it time, keep up the good work, good luck :D

Hi Snaggle,

I'm not an expert, by any means, but I'd say that you are making progress! Maybe just not in the numbers on the scale. One thing to keep in mind is that muscle weighs more than fat. If you're doing a lot of strength training, you're probably increasing your muscle mass and decreasing your fat. Which is fantastic, by the way. Not only are you getting some great, healthy habits, but the more muscle you have - the more calories you burn while at rest.

How often are you weighing yourself?

I weigh in daily. And as I said in my original post, I am not so concerned with the fluctuations of the daily numbers. I do it because I am a geek and love to see trends. I know that I may be gaining muscle which weighs more than fat, and I accept that...I am not even that concerned about what it is that the scale is telling me when I step on it. The problem that I have is that I am not seeing ANY difference at all. My pants are not looser, my close fit the same what as if I never started to eat right and excersise...it just does not make any sense to me and would like to know if anyone else has had the same experience, and if so, what did they do to change, or when did they eventually start seeing it "happen" for them. My scale at home is digital and it has a body fat meter on it. whether it is accuare or not is another debate, but what I do know is that the body fat % is not moving that much either...stays at a constant 29%-31%.

i know it's frustrating. i've been going up and down between where i started at 172 and 167 for the last month. the scale is not really moving, the measurements aren't moving, and my clothes don't feel that much looser. and i get bummed, and swear my bum is getting larger. but sometimes i catch myself in the mirror and i look different. a little more toned, a little less love handles. and i like i said, i'm a little mad that the scale is not moving like i think it should, but i have to stop and remind myself that my goal was to get healthy; eat better, exercise and lose weight. ok, so i'm eating better, and conscious of what i'm eating (something i didn't really do before), i'm exercising, and looking for more opportunities to exercise (walking instead of driving, etc.) and i am losing weight, even if it comes back (maybe in the form of muscle?) two out of three isn't bad. it took a while to gain it, it might take me a while to lose it, but if i'm working out and eating better, that's a good start. and i think the same goes for you. the weight will come off. at least you're laying the ground work. keep it up.

hey, well first of all GOOD JOB! it's awsome that your exercising and stuff, you shoudl be proud of how far you've come. I woudl say, you probbaly platued, and belive iot or not, you might need to actually up your cals for abtou a week. it might help. but yeah, leik the obove, you might not feela difference, btu muscle ways MORE then fat, so when you gain muscle you'll gain wieght. I'm a runner, and I gain about 7 lbs when I'm in a good shape. so keep uyp the good work!
-Alex

If it makes you feel any better, I also started Feb. 12th and have only lost a pound and a half. Dunno why, but I feel better and I know it will come off eventually.

Sparkle...yes I FEEL better, meaning that I have more energy, and dont get winded going up stairs, etc. I just dont think this is normal. It has always been my understanding that the first few weeks is when the wieght really comes off easily, and THEN you hit a plateau. It seems like I started off on a plateau and dread to think what is in store for me if the first few weeks are the easiest!

I'd just keep at it, give it a few more weeks. If you still don't notice any changes I'd suggest checking with your doctor to make sure you don't have any medical issues like a thyroid problem that could be making it more difficult to lose weight.

In any case, I'm sure that you feel a lot better since you are eating healthier and exercising. Keep it up. :)

i had that problem the last time i tried to lose this weight.. and i got to the doctor 2 years later and i had a barely functioning thyroid.. i have spent the last year getting the medicine levels right and now i'm back to normal and losing weight for the first time in over 5 years.. maybe you should have those things (thyroid, blood sugar, cholestrol.. a full work up) checked to make sure that your body is receptive to losing the weight..

Try dropping another 500 calories.

I read that you shouldn't weigh yourself for the first month because you do gain the most muscle during that time. Most people give up when they don't see the numbers dropping. But also with gaining more muscle, you burn more fat. Just hang in there. You should start seeing it soon. A motivation for me and my sister when we first started was to take pics every 2 weeks. It really keeps us motivated.

try a local hospital or YMCA for a phsical..thingy..lol..my mate goes once a week and they measure her weight AND fat loss with these pinchy things..(fat callippers?) You can tell I dont go right..lol..She has lost 30lbs in fat but gained 19lbs in muscle..so the scales show a loss of only 10 this month..(K is seriously over weight..@ 405lbs so 30lbs in a month is OK)

bear in mind that for the same volume, muscle weighs more than fat, so you might be slimmer, but the same weight.

Also, muscular changes aren't visible for around the first 12 weeks of exercise. Any improvement in performance in that time is down to the muscle groups being worked becoming more efficient in those motions. So you might well feel fitter, and be able to perform better, but it might not be a physiological change just yet, but just you getting used to exercise.

Don't give up, as if you keep going at the same rate beyong the 12 week period, you'll notice some significant changes in the following 4 - 6 months.

(all this is based on a very hazy memory of a sports science course I did at college several years ago)

a

Thanks all for the input! i am not giving up by any means...just wanted to know if this was normal. Thanks again and best wishes in your goals!

Here's a thought. Have you taken your measurements? If not, that's a great way to see progress as well. That way, when the muscles are building and the fat is dropping you'll really see it.
I've been in the same boat... started Jan 3rd... dropped 18lbs really quick and the last 2-3 weeks... i've gained 5... dropped 3... gained 2... dropped 2 and so on... BUT I take my measurements and even though I gained 5... I lost 2 inches in my belly area as well as my hips! My arms went up and my thighs went down.
I usually take the measurements every other week and it keeps me going when I see that changing.
Good luck =)

one thing to consider, did you change both your diet and you activity at the same time? Good if you did, but your body may take a bit to get used to it all. From what I understand, first controling your portions and foods will help start the weight drop even without regular excersize. Throw in a regular weight routien and you might actually need MORE calories so your body doesn't get into 'storage' mode. Your body could be telling you, "EEP! less fuel and more energy is getting spent! Save what you can!" hence you're not seeing the weight loss you might expect.

Also, if you've been at a platteau for some time at the same weight, I've been told your body 'remembers' that number and really wants to stay there. so maybe the first few pounds dropped, but now you're stuck. Your body is just waiting for you to stop fighting cuz it's at a familiar spot and thinks the work is really done...

Keep up the fight. You'll win. ;)

Nymo...very interesting comments. I have never heard before that changing the diet and training at the same time may work against you...do you have any reference that I can read more on? That is, in fact, exactly what I did. When I say that I plateaued, that is not exactly right...I simply have not lost...that is my problem. I am staying the same weight. Now, I know that some of that is due to muscle gain, but I am really measuring on how my pants are fitting. And they are fitting no differently. :-(.

Thanks for your input and I look forward to reading more on what you had to say if you have any links you can post.

Happy training!

Ok...May be your weight is water weight gain. And that is why you are going up and down with the weight.

so do this for a week and get back to me. Do muscle toning 3 days out of the week. mix it up. like this..

toning 30 mins for one day. then sweat ( hard cardio for another day) and then toning of your trouble areas the next day. offset this work out every day of the week and mix your order every week of how you do your work out.

and follow this diet for a week as well,

Breakfast ( eat 3 from this list)

1 cup of oatmeal- 1 slice of wheat bread -2 egg beaters- 1 sm yogurt less that 140 cals- 2 pieces of fruit -1 cup of slim or fat free milk.

Lunch ( eat 2 from this list)

1 can of tuna or 1 serving of protein all the vegetables you want cook or raw  -1 small salad with fat free dressing- 1 small yogurt less than 140 cals- 1 piece of fruit-- diet coke or diet sweet tea.

Dinner ( only have 1 from this list)

1 meal replacement shake high in protein

1 serving of protein

try this for a week and see what it does for you. it may help you some. make sure you drink 8 to 10 glasses of water daily...

If it don't work for you.. you can yell at me later..

Lynn.....

I read your post and hate to be the bearer of bad news, but something isn't right.  I just joined this site today, but I actually started watching what I eat and working out 4-5 times per week on Jan. 21 (six weeks ago).  I eat 1200/1300 calories per day.  I've lost approximately 10 pounds.  I figure that's about 1.5 pounds per week (I weigh weekly).  I would recommend lowering your caloric intake to no more than 1400/1500 and continue your workout schedule and see what happens.  I also am a big fat gram watcher and eat between 20-25 grams of fat per week.  No more than that.  I do think that my weight would show a bigger lose if I wasn't weight training, but I want to be toned rather than see a different number on the scale.  I've definitely noticed loser clothing, my ring is slipping off and and I can see the difference.  Good luck and I hope my suggestion works for you.