Why am I not losing weight???!!

[redfathom]

Why am I not losing weight

 

I have been keeping track of my calories both in and out for weeks and have been exercising more, yet I am not losing (hardly) any weight. I think I lost 2 lbs.

 

For the past four weeks I have eaten a deficit of 4000-6200 calories a week.

 

Here is the breakdown:

 

7-21 to 7-27 – I went to the gym twice, figure skating once and Aikido once. I had a calorie deficit of 4,000 calories for that week.

 

7-28 to 8-3 – I went to the gym once and figure skating once. I had a calorie deficit of 5,800 calories for that week.

 

8-4 to 8-10 - I went to the gym twice, figure skating once and Aikido once. I had a calorie deficit of 6,250 calories for that week.

 

8-11 to 8-17 – I went to the gym once (started personal training) and figure skating twice. I had a calorie deficit of 4,900 for that week.

 

My personal trainer setup an account to monitor my progress and said I can have 2,250 calories a day (prior to that I was targeting 1600), but to lose a pound a week I should only eat 1,750. I ate on average less calories and exercised to burn more.

 

7-21 to 7-27 –I ate 1680 calories on average that week, per day.

 

7-28 to 8-3 – I ate 1420 calories on average that week, per day.

 

8-4 to 8-10 - I ate 1350 calories on average that week, per day.

 

8-11 to 8-17 – I ate 1550 calories on average that week, per day.

 

So for months I have been trying not to eat more then 1600 calories and also exercising, yet I have only lost 2 lbs. Even for the past month I should have lost around five pounds. What gives??? I mean according to her input I should have been losing weight with out exercising because I have been eating about 500 calories less per day for what my body needs (2250 is what I need a day and I have been eating around 1600 a day).

 

Any advice?

[mark982]

well if what you're doing isn't working,i'll guess you'll have to up yourgym time, hit cardio more. stay more active.

[2sunny]

are you sure you're counting ALL your calories?

 

sometimes people forget that if they snack or have sodas/alcohol through the day - that they have to count those calories as well. they can add up, especially if overlooked.

[underpants]

Those plateaus can be very, very hard to deal with.

 

This is when your body levels off to a new weight/change and the standard and wants to stay there.

 

I don't know your battle but plateaus are a part of your body's retraining process. The more you weigh, the more plateau periods you wll face.

 

The trick is to not give up. This is a lifestyle change, not a cosmetic fix.

 

Flip the script on your body and change your routine. If you have been working out on day this or day that. Switch them up and do something different.

 

Everyday walking (even if just a couple of miles)...but every single darn day, will work. I promise. Come back in 3 months and tell me I suck and lied. However, to hold water, every darn day and in addition to everything else you are currently doing.

 

Rent Rocky...you will get there.

 

Anymore problems then you can come to Under's boot camp and I have many projects that will give you a work out and I promise 3 saltines/a day.

 

You can do this.

[johan]

I'm guessing the most you burn in a session in the gym is 150 calories. You aren't going enough to make a difference. Aikido and figure skating might be good workouts, but it depends how you do it.

 

I suggest you get to the point where you're doing sustained aerobic efforts of 35 to 45 minutes four to five times a week. I also think you need one or two days where you go over an hour, maybe up to 90 minutes.

 

On top of that, you need to watch your diet. Eat healthy, fresh foods, cut the carbohydrates down a bit, and go for high nutrient foods such as turkey or fish and fruits and vegetables. Stay away from processed foods.

 

Some of this you may already be doing.

 

It takes a lot of discipline to stay fit. There's a reason why relatively few people actually do it.

[underpants]

I suggest you get to the point where you're doing sustained aerobic efforts of 35 to 45 minutes four to five times a week. I also think you need one or two days where you go over an hour, maybe up to 90 minutes.

 

Yes, I used to do a 20 or so minute walk daily. Then I read someplace about the magical 45 minute mark. When your body starts to change coping mechinisms. I stepped up my semi fast walk/jog routine daily and it did make a difference.

 

You want to do something everyday that works your body for a least 45 minutes. For me, that 45 minute fast stroll is not negotiable. It stands no matter how tired I am or what I have done in addition. Clock it out with you odometer for a nice walk around the neighborhood.

 

I also really love a good stretching routine. You can incorporate this throughout the day. However, I do miss my nightly 15-20 minute all muscle stretch routine. Currently it is all broken up but I'm trying.

 

Stretching and walking in combo, very regularly will do wonders for your mental and physical health.

 

It is a good thing.

 

I look forward to your progress.

[LucreziaBorgia]

Perhaps it is because of your increased exercise? Its likely that you are losing fat but gaining muscle. Muscle weighs more. I would wager that even though you don't like the numbers on the scale, that you are looking pretty toned given your workouts.

 

If you ramp up your exercise while lowering your calorie intake, you may get some resistance from your body. Bodies are programmed to hold on to fat, and in the absence of calories will do whatever it takes to hold on to it - including dropping your metabolism. Perhaps if you add some 'good fats' into your diet it might satisfy your body's need for fats - yogurt, nuts, etc. and allow your body to let go of some stored fat.

 

I would also suggest 3-4 cardio workouts a week in addition to some light weight training. Perhaps a steady and predictable workout schedule will help your body bust that plateau.

 

Also... if you are drinking diet sodas or juices you may want to switch to just water and see if that helps.

[redfathom]

Hi all,

 

Okay going down the list:

 

Mark, I already exercise about 8 hours a week, supposedly you have to exercise four hours a week to stay active.

 

2sunny, yes, I don't drink soda and I do track everything, even if I have a mini peice of candy at 35 calories, I count that. I also look up everything I eat and make sure to accurately account for all calories.

 

Underpants, haha...I may need a boot camp. I think my body is pretty comfortable where it's at. I am currently a size 8 or so (depending on the brand) but I would like to go down to a size 4, and would like to drop about 15lbs. But since I am not that big to begin with I think it's harder to lose the weight.

 

Johan, I typically go to the gym for 1 hour 30 min. I do 45 minutes of cardio (that's how long it takes me to reach 350 calories on the machine) and then weights (I will be switching to resistance). Since I have been seeing a personal trainer, I (currently) do 50 min sessions with them and that burns 400-500 calories (according to two trainers I asked) I have been making down 400 just to be on the safe side. I figure skate on Wed. for 2 hours, that supossedly burns 700 calories, I mark down 400 on my sheet (because I do stop and talk to people while I skate). On Sunday's I try to do Iado/Aikido which is a 2 hours class and burns 1700 calories in 2 hours, I am new so I mark down 1000 calories on my sheet. So, I am burning a lot more calories then 150 a session.

 

Luc, I do try to exercise four times a week, but I guess I have to up that. I also try to walk everyday at work for 30 minutes on my lunch break. I have lost .5 inch off my waist, so maybe it is muscle that is making my weight stay the same. I guess I will know more in a month. If nothing happens soon, I think I will purchase the bodybugg so I can really see what's going on.

[Art_Critic]

Have you had your thyroid checked ?..

 

The only reason I mentioned it is that if you are not losing weight and doing the things you are doing to lose weight, the thyroid would be the next thing to look at...

[redfathom]

Not yet, but I guess I should. I think I will try to eat better for another month(more fruits and veggies), because my eating habits are not the greatest, even though they are low in calories. If I am still not losing any weight, I will go see a doctor. I will ask my trainer tonight about this also.

[FleshNBones]

8 weeks is a relatively short time.

Give it another 8 weeks.

 

You need to do cardio at least 3-4 times a week (on day, off day, on day, off day, ...). Once a weeks or less will only set you back. The trick is to increase your resting metabolic rate.

[redfathom]

I do cardio when I figure skate, I am not sure if Aikedo counts towards cardio. The resistance training does get your heart and breathing up, but I guess it's not the same and straight cardio. I did walk 1 hour on my lunch break today and I go to the gym tonight.

 

Unfortunately my exercise days are: Tues, Wed, Thurs, Sunday...I may add Saturday now as well, they have a boot camp class they are starting Saturday mornings, the thing is that I have art class that day also and I don't want to go all sweaty .

[lovestruck818]

I don't cook & refuse to learn so luckily for me, once I moved out the weight just fell off (and I walk 4 miles a day in addition)

 

The only time i eat during the day is when I am at work and I usually eat a salad, unsweetened iced tea & pita chips.

 

It is especially hard to keep track of calories when you go out to eat b/c it's not always posted or the information isn't always available to the tee, os if anything it would be an approximation had you asked the waiter for the nutritional information- did you take into consideration anytime you may have eaten out?

 

Also counting calories is great and that's what I do as well, but it also about the quality of the items you are putting into your body and the portions. Like ok, let's say you eat 1,500 calories a day...is that 1,500 calories worth of healthy things or is it soda & chips?

[littlekitty]

It's actually possible you aren't eating enough calories to keep your metabolism reved up!

 

How often are you eating? You want to be eating 6 times a day. Have fruit and nuts for snacks between each meal. Try to get protein into each meal.

 

Your personal trainer should be able to talk to you more about your diet and why your calories might not be high enough to keep your metabolism up.

[redfathom]

Hi ladies,

 

Love, when I eat out I always look at the nutrituinal information, you can usually find in on their website, or I use www.thedailyplate.com and you can look up food there. I will usually look at the nutrition ahead of time so I can make a good choice, I also do ask the wait staff if I can't find anything. I always log what I eat, even if I eat out.

 

What I eat is not healthy or junk. I usually have a Slimfast and powerbar in the morning (staggared two hours apart). For lunch I will eat something like, soup, small sandwhich, sushi, with fruit or a small salad as a side.

 

LK, I eat about six times a day, although I could be eating better. It is possible my calories are too low. Today I am having a powerbar at 8am, slimfast at 10am, 100 calorie soup with an orange and rice cakes at noon and an energy cookie at 4pm. Then I will eat dinner at 9pm.

 

So the good news is: I bought a Bodybugg!!!!! I am so excited, the bad news I was not able to download the software yesterday so I can't start using it until tomorrow.

 

The Bodybugg is an arm band you wear just about all day and it tracks the amount of calories you burn based on your body heat, activity level, etc. So now I will be able to see how many calories I am actually burning and then can plan ny nutrition and exercise around that. No more guessing!!!

[littlekitty]

Sounds good!!

 

I think personally you may have the answer in not eating enough to fuel your metabolism enough to burn the calories off.

[redfathom]

I hope that's the case because I would sure like to eat more ...

[redfathom]

Hi Luv,

 

I don't know. The training manager said you should buy a gallon of water and try to drink 3/4 of it a day. I need to start keeping better track, sometimes I don't think I drink enough water, even though water is almost all I drink, no soda's, etc.

[redfathom]

Yeah, thanks for all the support! It's just so darn frustrating. Then to top it off I was looking at jean sizes online and I war a size 6 DNKY, turns out that like a size 10 in other brands. So here I thought I was not doing to bad...

[LucreziaBorgia]

Women's clothing sizes are 100% bullsh*t. I wouldn't pay a bit of attention to them. I would say that nearly none of them are reflective of a woman's actual size. I am waiting for the day when the sizes are standardized, but I doubt that will happen any time soon.

 

The big question is: when you are looking at yourself in the mirror in your jeans do you like what you see?

[redfathom]

Well, since I am trying to lose weight, no ...I mean I am not fat, I do have a medium build so I know I won't ever be super skinny.

 

My waist right now is 30" and my hips are 40/41", I would like my waist to be 27" and my hips 37". I also want to lose 2" off each thigh if possible and 1" off each arm.

 

I used to have a 28" waist when I was around 20 years old and a 27" waist when I was 18. I want to be thiner but I don't want to look like a 10 year old.

 

Depending on the pants I don't mind what I see, but I would like to be smaller...

[Adamagnet]

Try Orlistat. I lost 10lbs in less than two months without even changing my diet.

[Throne Of Lies]

There is some bad gouge floating around here. If you have a 6,500 calorie a week deficit, it doesn't matter if you aren't drinking enough water, it doesn't matter if you are putting on tons of muscle, it doesn't matter if you have the worlds most jacked up thyroid- it is a thermodynamic certainty that you MUST loose weight. It is pure conservation of mass-energy. Your body can't run without energy, and it isn't creating it out of thin air, regardless of your water intake or thyroid activity.

 

That means that regardless of your exercise routine, those numbers, that deficit that you stated, will bring your weight down. Full stop. There isn't anyway around that. If it isn't, than they only explanation is that the deficit is not actually as great as calculated. You have been very fastidious with your calorie counting, both in terms of rationing and expending them, but that is where the problem has to be.

 

If you are doing a lot of weight training and cardio on a 2150 calorie a day diet, you will feel it- your body is going to have to cannibalize itself to meet its survival energy requirements with these new strains. That is why the 'you are adding muscle which is heavier than fat' argument doesn't hold up. Whenever you cut, regardless of how hard you work out, you LOOSE muscle.

 

From what I've read, you have a good thing going so far- the results are just coming slower than you would like. I can relate to that too- I'm still trying to gain weight, eating a nauseating 7,000 calories a day. Sometimes, I have weeks were I don't even move the scales, and when I go back, it is almost always borne out by some irregularity in my eating that week, when I didn't eat as much as I thought I did. So make sure you are getting the right portion sizes and everything. That is really the only thing I can think it would be.

[redfathom]

Once I get the bodybugg working I will atleast know how many caloried I burn. From there I will have to keep better track of my intake. I can't understand being off by that much. I mean even if I was off by 1,000 calories for the week, if I keep my deficit at 4,500 calories a week I should still be losing a pound a week. I have to figure out a way to stop guessing.

 

I know today I have had a powerbar - 230 cal, a slimfast - 190 cal and 7 mini rice cakes at 60 cal...for lunch I will have miso soup - 60 cal's and Sushi (6 pieces) with fish and veggies, so like - 160 cal's...??? I also have a large orange for a snack - 100 cal and an Apex Protein Cookie - 160 cal's.

 

I know for dinner I will likely have a 3" subway turkey sandwhich on what, with lettace, tomotaoes, mustard and pepperchinis, thats 190 for the sandwhich and about 15 extra with the veggies. If I get it with apple slices that's 35 calories.

 

Or if I go to El Pollo Loco and I can get the Chicken Tortilla Soup, minus the tortilla strips for 140 calores and a taco al carbon for 160 calories.

[Tomcat33]

How do you know how many calories exactly you are consumming? how are you tracking this?

 

Six "little peices of sushi" is about a 1/2 cup of rice maybe more, do you know how many calories are in 1/2 a cup of white rice? 160 calories which automatically turns into sugar in your system. So that alone tells me you are waaaay underestimating your caloric intake, THAT's why you are not losing weight.

 

Rice cakes are JUNK they turn into sugar too.

 

No wonder you are not losing fat you are still eating junk.

 

I know for dinner I will likely have a 3" subway turkey sandwhich on what, with lettace, tomotaoes, mustard and pepperchinis, thats 190 for the sandwhich and about 15 extra with the veggies. If I get it with apple slices that's 35 calories.

 

wrong, those subs are anywhere between 200 - 300 calories

 

You cannot be dining on a sub if you want to lose weight that is all bread turning straight into sugar.

 

Have some grilled salmon with steamed verggies, some garlic sauteed spinach (to fill you up and serve as replacement for starch or carb) and salad, with no dressing just a lemon and salt and spices to give it more flavour. If you have a TRUE diet of meat (fish poultry and grilled lean pork) and veggies for a few weeks you will kick start your metabolism into high gear and start burning fat. Subway is not a good dietary choice, that big hunk of bread is not a good option for losing weight. You can sustain a weight level with execise eating that crap but no if you want to lose fat, no way.

Rice/sushi same thing.

 

Have a slice of ligt rye bread toasted with turkey meat and veggies and mustard for flavour for lunch instead of sushi. Miso soup tons of salt.

 

and those powerbars are fattening and bad for you, anything that comes in cellophane wrapping is just not healthy no matter how they market it, snack on veggies and fruit and a handful of nuts it will curb your cravings and you can eat all the veggies you want and you won't be hungry.

 

 

 

 

 

I suggest you get to the point where you're doing sustained aerobic efforts of 35 to 45 minutes four to five times a week. I also think you need one or two days where you go over an hour, maybe up to 90 minutes.

 

On top of that, you need to watch your diet. Eat healthy, fresh foods, cut the carbohydrates down a bit, and go for high nutrient foods such as turkey or fish and fruits and vegetables. Stay away from processed foods.

 

 

Best advice on here. That's the key right there.

 

Fresh food/produce and lean meats very minimal dairy and very minimal carbs (breakfast or lunch carb but no dinner carb) and pasta and rice only once a week on your cheat day, that's what you cheat with pasta or rice. you WILL lose fat t if you follow this.

 

By the way you are not plateauing since you have not lost any weight, you plateau when you lose a good amount on a consecutive routine and then you stop, that's plateauing. Those 2 bls you lost are just the kickstart 2bls everyone loses when they start a new routine. It's just your body saying "hey I something's changed here" You can lose 3bls in your sleep, I literally do, so that's not considered weight loss. Also in regards to water consumption you more than likely consume enough water the body can only absorb so much of your water consumption the rest just goes right through you, wonder why you pee so much when you drink a lot of water? Your body is not absorbing it, it doesn't need that much water therefore it expels it. It's nonsense you need THAT much water. The colour of your pee will tell you if you are getting enough water in your diet. Clear pee is what you want to aim for. The darker the pee the more dehydrated you are.

 

Lastly, it's not just your calories you should be thinking about it is the types of calories and how much fat you intake. You can be on a 1200 calorie a day diet of candy, you would make up the 1200 calorie and even to compensate for 400 less than your nutritionist recommended ie 1600, yet you would still only be consuming EMTPY calories and pure surgar, so nothing but pure evil.

 

Work out for a minimum of 45 mins in order to really burn fat you are in the zone of burning fat after the 30 mins mark the first 30mins are not burning fat they are just burning calories not fat. Have a weight training program in place as well the more muscle you build the higher your metabolism boosts. Get a personal trainer if you don't have one, just a one time deal will do to show you a routine catered to your specific body type.

 

good luck!

 

Trust me do a mediterranean diet (what I suggested) for a month and come back and tell us what happens.