What would you do in this situation?

I haven't been getting anywhere, making no progress whatsoever. I eat healthy, track all my food, exercise, yadda yadda yadda... lol I thought, "Well maybe my activity is set too high" so I set it to Sedentary and log workouts. But according to my math it STILL doesn't add up right. Lemme show ya what I mean! These are the stats for the past 2 weeks:

Total Calories Eaten: 18,452 (1,318/day)
Extra Calories Burned through exercise: 1,770
Daily living calories: 19,600 (1,400/day)
TOTAL calories burned: 21,370 (1,526/day)

This should mean in 2 weeks my deficit shoulda been 2,912.. or about 3/4 pounds. But I ain't seein' none of that. If it turned out that between my lazy living burn and my exercise, what I was eating only maintained my weight, that means I would only be burning 1,200 on an average day. (1,200 x 14 + 1,770 / 14). And even though I'm only 5'1", that seems AWFULLY low. When I was working I lost 1/2 pound every week eating 1,500.. without exercise.

Any suggestions for a frustrated and desperate female?

Edit: And no, there are no changes in measurements.

A 2,900 calorie deficit over 2 weeks, if in fact you calculated correctly, probably actually did result in the loss of about 3/4 of a pound.  The trouble with what you've presented in this post is you're dealing with fairly small margins of error regarding calorie counting vs calorie burn.  And additionally, 3/4 of a pound can be completely hidden due to water retention, when you weigh yourself, etc.

For example, to lose an average of 2 pounds a week, I have a calorie deficit of between 6,500 and 7,000 calories a week.   This translates to a calorie deficit of around 14,000 calories compared to your example of 3,000.  That's a big difference.  I'm not saying one way is better than the other, but your deficit is too small to necessarily see what you want to see on the scale consistently.  But if you're patient, your calorie deficit will show results over time.

Good luck!

A few notes that helped me achieve some inspiration.

Only weigh your weight in the morning when you wake up and compare it at the same time next week. Exercise should include cardios, When I say cardio it doesnt mean walking or running at a constant rate on the treadmill for 30 mts. You have got to break a good sweat, your heart beat needs to vary between 120 and 150, What I do is run very hard for a minute and then slow next minute, try to do that and I bet you wont last 15 mts. Secondly, mix and match, Exercise your whole body and not just the problem areas. You will realise you had parts in your body which you never thought existed.

Try to eat a dinner with less carbs than you usually do. I know its tough, but you will feel the difference.

Best of luck and dont give up.

What Sputmayer means to say is that cardio excercise is most effective when you are working your heart between 50 and 75% of your maximum heart rate.  It is important to rephrase what he said because your numbers will probably not be 120 and 150.  This is called your target zone and it is very individualized. 

While it's somewhat disputed, many researchers would say you have something called a set point in weight.  When you gain too much, it curbs appetite and increases metabolism.  When you lose, it increases appetite and curbs metabolism.

This doesn't mean it's impossible to lose weight, it just takes time.  Your body has to get used to new calorie intakes.

Very simple answer with a question. How long have you been doing this? My best guess is less than a month. At first, exercise makes you gain weight even in a calorie deficit. I gain about 2 lbs of water weight and beginner muscle even with a 300-400/day calorie deficit in the first month or 2. You can't gain muscle and burn fat at the same time...except in the beginning. Eventually the weight will fall off as long as you keep up the calorie deficit. Just remember, it doesn't happen overnight. If it was easy we would all have perfect bodies.

When I do cardio exercise I always make sure I stay in zone. My zones are 130-195, and I usually average out about 160 or around there. I do lift free weights (at home, no heavy machines) twice a week.

My weight's been really stable. I actually have not had a fluctuation of water on days I do or don't exercise. That's why it's hard for me to believe.

Except for today. LOL I was up 1 1/2 lbs. because I took a cheat day yesterday. Ate too many carbs and drank an entire lake. (water, not alcohol lol)

So do you think I should continue on eating the same amount? If I keep myself set at Sedentary to be on the safe side, I should eat back calories to make sure my deficit isn't TOO large, is this correct?

Original Post by ezzied:

So do you think I should continue on eating the same amount? If I keep myself set at Sedentary to be on the safe side, I should eat back calories to make sure my deficit isn't TOO large, is this correct?

ezzied, you got some good advice from these people and to answer your question it's very simple and requires virtually no explanation: 

Set your calorie deficit at how much weight you want to lose, then do it.  Eat at least 1200 calories a day. 

Obviously many other factors enter the equation, but those two things are your baselines.  Don't overcomplicate it! 

How long have you been working out?

If I were you I wouldn't mind about not losing 3/4 pounds. It is a very small number and negligible. I think these figures obviously show that you should change your lifestyle. Your daily living calories are way too low. You should move a little bit more. Also, burning only 1770 calories through excersize in 2 weeks doesn't look impressive to me at all. I don't want to be mean but if you really want to lose weight you should burn more calories (through excersizing or having a more active day). Hope I didn't offend you. Good luck.

Original Post by redsweatshirt:

Original Post by ezzied:

So do you think I should continue on eating the same amount? If I keep myself set at Sedentary to be on the safe side, I should eat back calories to make sure my deficit isn't TOO large, is this correct?

ezzied, you got some good advice from these people and to answer your question it's very simple and requires virtually no explanation:

Set your calorie deficit at how much weight you want to lose, then do it. Eat at least 1200 calories a day.

Obviously many other factors enter the equation, but those two things are your baselines. Don't overcomplicate it!

I have to over complicate it. LOL Because "simple" just does not work for me. Eating less than I burn to create a deficit hasn't been working because it seems that any BMR calculator I use isn't accurate. I'm either eating too little and not losing, or eating at maintenance thinking I'm creating deficits, so I still don't know what I really burn just by breathing. I've gotten results anywhere from 1,200 - 1,500 being Sedentary depending on the calculator, and those little calorie differences can make a big impact on progress.

Original Post by tommy21pmp:

How long have you been working out?

I've been a member of my gym for a year now. I've been exercising and dieting for about 3.

Original Post by k7nixen:

If I were you I wouldn't mind about not losing 3/4 pounds. It is a very small number and negligible. I think these figures obviously show that you should change your lifestyle. Your daily living calories are way too low. You should move a little bit more. Also, burning only 1770 calories through excersize in 2 weeks doesn't look impressive to me at all. I don't want to be mean but if you really want to lose weight you should burn more calories (through excersizing or having a more active day). Hope I didn't offend you. Good luck.

I couldn't possibly do anymore than what I did last week. I burned myself out to the point of exhaustion, almost passed out on the treadmill because I was pushing myself too hard. So yes, I am slightly offended. I would have to eat 1,200 AND work out for 5 hours a day to obtain any results. That's just asking to kill myself.

*sighs* I'm sorry for wasting everyone's time. I appreciate the effort you guys put into trying to help me, but I think I'm beyond help at this point.

I can totally relate to what you're living right now.  It seems that for some people it is just simply harder to lose weight. I've tried eating less, more, starving myself at 700, 800, 900 calories a day, killing myself at the gym but almost 3 years later, 3 memberships at the gym, I'm still struggling to lose weight... and every time I fall A LITTLE off the wagon, I put on lbs like crazy...

Unfortunately for me, I just have to continiously go to the gym (4 times a week minimum), eat my RMR on days I don't exercise and about 100-200 calories more on other days and never really binge... otherwise, it's all going downhill...

Sorry to be such a bummer but I've come to realize that losing weight or maintaining is a lifelong battle for me... So I might as well focusing on other things (like being healthy, having a healthy BMI, be physically active) I hope that one day, I'll be able to do that instead of just focusing on that number...

Ezzied, a quick question, how are you tracking your calories burned during your workouts?  Are you using a heart monitor or using the equipment monitors?  I have found the gym's monitors on the equipment are not even close to correct.  I am wondering if you are actually burning more calories then you think you are if you are working as hard as you have stated, I have no reason not to think this is not the case.  If your way underestimated on your burned calories and eating too little your body may be holding on to everything it can.

We are only trying to help and not offend :)

1400 calories/day seems very low for a daily burn.  If that number's correct, you must be very small.  In that case, you don't have a lot of weight to lose so it will tend to come off very slowly.  Which means you need to have patience - probably more patience than you want to have to have.  And I'm assuming you're not actually aiming to be underweight; your body will fight that very hard and you should listen to it, if that's the case.

Keep up the good work.  It will eventually show up; weight loss doesn't happen in a nice linear predictable fashion.  It's not at all unusual for someone to do the right thing for a month and see no result then all of a sudden a few pounds drop off - even though they didn't change their routine at all. 

Original Post by ezzied:

I couldn't possibly do anymore than what I did last week. I burned myself out to the point of exhaustion, almost passed out on the treadmill because I was pushing myself too hard. So yes, I am slightly offended. I would have to eat 1,200 AND work out for 5 hours a day to obtain any results. That's just asking to kill myself.

*sighs* I'm sorry for wasting everyone's time. I appreciate the effort you guys put into trying to help me, but I think I'm beyond help at this point.

 To be honest, I was a little offended myself. Burning 150 calories per cardio workout (according to the machines) isn't a cakewalk.

Have you been at this for long? If you have, it sounds like you've hit the classic plateau (though it's hard to tell with only two weeks worth of information). Try upping your calories to maintenance for a week - couldn't hurt right, if you're not losing either way, might as well eat well at the same time. Then drop back to 1300, maybe you can shock your body out of it.

And if you've just started weight loss, give it more time, two weeks isn't an indicator.

Problem: Plateau!!!

What is a plateau?
A plateau occurs when you stay at one level without rising or falling. Once you reach a plateau in your routine, it takes a great deal of motivation to keep plugging away. For most of us, a plateau brings discouragement, excuses and an unfortunate fall from our physical, mental and emotional high.

Why does a plateau happen?
Our bodies adapt beautifully to whatever stimulus is applied. Because of this property, an exercise program becomes ineffective after a short period of time as our bodies reach a state of adaptation. As our bodies become accustomed to the exercises, a program is no longer challenging or stimulating enough to promote gains in strength, cardiovascular conditioning or fat loss. Yes, you’ve guessed it—your reward for getting fit is hitting a plateau. The good news is there are tricks you can use to bust through any plateau.

Simple solution, change it up.

1) Do a different kind of cardio, also called cross training. Your muscles and body adapt to repetitive motion. Try a bike ride, elliptical, swimming, etc. Maybe your heart and lungs say this is hard but your muscles and body say this is cake.

2) Try High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT). This is a for sure way to break through a plateau.

3) Change your diet not your deficit. Try different foods. Sometimes eating a really unhealthy meal once every 10 days can stimulate your metabolism. Try eating a high protein, low fat, and moderate carb diet. High fiber can also help. Fiber is hard to digest and keeps you full longer.

4) Do different resistance exercises. Use the machines and free weights at the gym. Once again, your muscles and body adapt to repetative motion. If you do dumbbell curls, try a preacher curl. If you do lunges, try walking lunges. If you do push ups, try flat dumbbell presses and so on.

5) Water, water, water!!! Water is a necessity in weight loss. Increase your water intake.

Dear Ezzied,

I can tell you are trying your best and doing what you can! Just keep that up.  Over time a healthy diet and healthy living habits will get your body to the place it should be.... let being healthy be your focus instead of the scale (which we all know fluctuates according to so many factors).  Most importantly, be kind to yourself, it makes a difference.