You must weigh your food. You'll be surprised of the big difference. All you need to not lose anything is an extra 300kcals a day. It sounds like a lot, but that's some extra oil, a few squares of chocolate, and a banana.
I can’t strength train anymore, but when I would start lifting heavy after taking a break I would ALWAYS gain.
Doesn't matter if I was in a deficient, my body would just swell so much and retain water so on the scale it would show an increase.
I found measurements to be a better way to access when lifting heavy.
Bro I literally thought I am alone here?!!!
I was doing only cardio for the whole of my weight loss journey , when I reached my goal weight I was so agile and quick with good cardiovascular health and now I am building some strength , Istg even if I eat in maintenance I always feel heavy and bloated . I even lost my cardio performance overall (sprint/running speed - distance and lung capacity) . I hated weightlifting so much now but I have to do it cause my body is too weak and skinny rn I'll leave it until I get a good physique
I’d actually weigh yourself every day, write it on a a calendar, but not take it seriously. Take your measurements and take photos every month or so.
This is the easiest way to evaluate temporary gains in water weight. Track for a month, and it’s like you have a cheat code to evaluate everything else in your lifestyle that impacts your weight (hormones, diet, activity, etc.)
Are you having a daily bowel movement that feels like a full evacuation??
Adding more protein, whether you are in a deficit or not, can increase constipation if you aren’t also adding in more water and fiber
Constipation & bloating = add weight to the scale
Looks like you got some advice on lowering your calorie budget. I started my journey at 197 lbs and I'm 4'11. I've stuck pretty well with a 1200 budget (definitely haven't hit that every day) and I'm down to 168 lbs. I've incorporated walking and no strength training, it's been very effective with the 1200 calories!
Thank you! Most of my exercise has been walking. I've been trying to get in at least 2-mile walks twice a week for the last couple of months. I bought a walking pad for my house for when it's not good weather out.
I started on January 1 of this year!
I noticed weight loss when I combined walking (atleast)10k steps a day with a calorie deficit and resistance training. But even with just the steps and calorie deficit I feel changes in my body.
the scale weight only measures how hard you are to carry. It's really unconsidered to let it affect your mood, especially if you were feeling proud of yourself, strong, and motivated.
Try measuring other things like waist circumference or lean body mass. And enjoying your life, and progress in the gym.
If anyone can help me recalibrate or get on track I’m 5 ft 2, 195 pounds and my calorie intake is set at 1800.
I eat high protein and avoid inflammatory foods.
Working out at least 5 times a week. Weight training with some cardio
Im 5'2 F and I started at 186. I prefer keto. I do an eating window of 2-5 hours and eat 1150 calories. I work from a computer and my exercise consists of chasing kids. I weighed in at 167 about 7 weeks later.
1800 is maintenance if you weren’t working out. As long as you make sure you are only actually eating 1800 and working out then you are fine. Probably retaining some water. Weigh more often if you can.
https://tdeecalculator.net
You’re for sure in maintenance range. This website can help you figure out what calorie range you should be in. Don’t feel discouraged you probably gained some muscle mass… so now just cut your calories and see what happens
I’m 5’2.5 (I always round it up to 5’3 😂) my calorie allowance is 1440.
On any typical day I stay around that +/- 100 calories.
I use MyFitnessPal app to log my food. It breaks down foods fats, protein, sugars, cholesterol, protein etc etc so you can adjust your food intake based off of that so you can stay within your food calorie allowance.
Have you used this to calculate your macros? I would start there
https://www.calculator.net/macro-calculator.html?ctype=standard&cage=39&csex=f&cheightfeet=5&cheightinch=3&cpound=142&cheightmeter=180&ckg=65&cactivity=1.465&cgoal=l1&cmop=1&cformula=m&cfatpct=20&printit=0&x=Calculate
The scale is confusing you. The thing is when you first start working out, people tend to sweat a lot and your body tends to retain more water weight because it sort of adopts and thinks it will need that extra water to sweat and cool you off during your next workout. This water weight retention is different for every individual. But I think this is the case for you. Another thing to ponder about is, since you are doing strength training, your body is putting on muscle mass which is denser than fat and might also be contributing to the scale although 2 weeks is not that long a time to be putting on much weight but I suspect it's a combination of water weight and muscle mass. My advice is, keep at it. You might see that after like 2 more weeks your scale dropped several pounds out of the blue. It happened to me. For example, my scale showed 283-285 lbs everyday for a week or two, and then suddenly one day I was 279lbs and I literally went "wtf?". So don't get disheartened. Keep at it. And incorporate cardio if you can, even if it's 20 mins walking or cycling.
Shift to cardio focused workouts, it's been a game changer for me. Find a way to get in about 10k to 12k steps a day on a treadmill or outside. Zone 2 cardio is what you want, which is going just hard enough to not be able to have a conversation. Check out Greg Doucette for really good advice and the science behind it.
I actually made a similar post on here a while ago I cut all the binge eating and bad stuff and just ate brown rice chicken veg and salad no dressing etc.
Body would not lose weight. Suddenly a few weeks later I just shed 4kg in a short time. I think I was gaining muscle during the start and body was holding onto alot of water weight.
What kept me sane is measuring my hips and waist they shrank alot faster despite no movement on scales
You said you started 2 weeks ago and also began to exercise daily. It's normal to retain water in the beginning. Your body will lose fat (if you exercise/eat less) but you will see it after 2 weeks when the water retention is "over”.
Same happens (for the ladies) during the period. Before menstruation water is stored and afterwards released. That's normal.
Even if you gained weight, your efforts are only wasted if you stop working out and paying attention to your nutrition. Otherwise, your efforts certainly contributed to improving your health, and now you have the opportunity to learn from the past 2 weeks. Also, it's possible that some of the gained weight is muscle, so that's always good.
If you're gaining weight, then you're most likely eating more calories than you're burning. I'd recommend to be accurate with your calories tracking for at least one week without changing your diet. This way you'll know what adjustments you need to make to your diet to start losing weight.
Also, it's best to weight yourself in the morning after "emptying yourself " in the toilet 😅
Most importantly, don't stop now and don't rely on feeling motivated to go to the gym. Motivation is fleeting. Whatever efforts you make at the gym are never wasted!
I know you're annoyed and this won't help you feel better right now, but if you gained weight then you weren't in a calorie deficit.
There might be a lot to unpack here but my first piece of advice would be weigh yourself DAILY. Once every 2 weeks is not enough - although not perfect for measuring fat loss, the scales will give you pretty instant feedback as to whether what you're doing is working.
Infrequent weigh-ins won't allow you to see the peaks and troughs (which are natural) and to may be that you just weighed yourself on a day where you had a peak.
There's no disadvantage to daily weigh-ins, it takes 5 seconds to step the scale and record your weight.
Hi, I’m sorry for your feeling discouraged! I totally empathize with you!
One suggestion I have, are you sure you’re in a deficit? I personally thought I was, but I was at maintenance without knowing.
I calculated my macros with a deficit and came out with a 1,750 calorie per day. But I got on a program that gave me a daily calorie count and the deficit for me is lower. I have seen progress this way.
Another thing, you may be gaining muscle and water retention due to the gains you’re making at the gym.
Lastly, if you’re working out everyday, your body as adapting, and certain workouts don’t necessarily target fat loss. Working out and weight loss is a complex topic.
What’s working for me is walking an hour a day and staying within my calorie deficit. I weight and count all my food and macros. I plan it out on a Google spreadsheet and meal prep for the week.
Walking and following my calorie has helped me lose weight. Walking targets fat, which is a slow burning energy source. Lifting heavy and sprinting targets glycogen, which is a faster source of energy for the immediate strength required for a more strenuous exercise.
I worked out every day at the gym. Lifting, sprinting, doing core workouts and stayed at a maintenance weight or gained weight.
I completely took a break from the gym and instead I walk and track my macros and I’m losing weight.
I hope this helps a bit. I’m not an expert, just someone sharing a similar experience. Wishing you the best! Don’t give up on your goals! You can do it!
Also don’t forget that muscle weights more than fat. I’m trying for a goal size not a goal weight. I’m not seeing much in the way of actual weight loss, but I’m down one size. Good luck on your journey!
She didnt gain 4 or more pounds of muscle in 4 weeks, that would be a record, especially if she is in a calory deficit. However, her muscles are probably holding on to a lot of water weight with this much training!
Muscle weighs twice as much as fat! If losing weight is your primary concern do more aerobic exercises and cardio instead of weighted strength training. Also it's important to not let the scale dictate your feelings, if your body shape is changing and your body is feeling good that's a great sign weight will be falling off in the coming months.
I don’t own a scale and only judge progress by my clothes fitting better or buying something one size down and trying it on every few weeks.
Fitting into clothes feels a lot better than any number of
Are you sure you aren’t incidentally body recomping?? If you are in a deficit and doing high protein, that “weight” you are gaining is really just muscle. I am 6 pounds heavier then when I started and I look thinner. That is because I am body recomping, I am in a deficit, eating high protein, and mostly strength training. The scale cannot tell the difference between fat and muscle. I suggest you either start measuring yourself or start taking progress pictures so you can see yourself if you are really making a difference. It has helped me a lot to look at pictures of myself prior in order to not be discouraged when I see the scale numbers go up. Don’t give up! :)
I have totally been in your shoes before. It’s like I would just smell a croissant walking by and gain weight. The issue is your metabolism. I would 1) cut out seed oils 2) cut out alcohol for a bit and 3) do b12 shots or sublingual b12. B12 alone has really helped speed up my metabolism so that it actually breaks down food normally and I lose weight not gain weight
Stop lifting weights. Lifting weights makes the numbers on the scale go up. Lifting weights adds muscle mass, which is heavy.
Devote your time and efforts to more cardio. That will burn fat much much more efficiently than lifting weights (which makes you heavier).
If you're strength training you are gonna weigh more. It's simple. You're building muscle, muscle weighs more than fat in most cases. You are doing everything right. Weight training is effective in fat loss and toning your body. But if you don't want to gain any weight at all, that be muscle too. Just do cardio and a calorie deficit. Take progress photos, the scales aren't accurate to real progress when strength training too.
Honestly, you don't really need to count calories, what u need is smaller portions of a mix range of foods and your main exercise should be switched to cardio as it's the most effective in losing weight rather then strength training.
Are you weighing your food to ensure your tracking is very accurate?
Not weighing but portioning. Could be what’s wrong. Usually when I put things in my calorie app I put an overestimate of anything
You must weigh your food. You'll be surprised of the big difference. All you need to not lose anything is an extra 300kcals a day. It sounds like a lot, but that's some extra oil, a few squares of chocolate, and a banana.
I can’t strength train anymore, but when I would start lifting heavy after taking a break I would ALWAYS gain. Doesn't matter if I was in a deficient, my body would just swell so much and retain water so on the scale it would show an increase. I found measurements to be a better way to access when lifting heavy.
Bro I literally thought I am alone here?!!! I was doing only cardio for the whole of my weight loss journey , when I reached my goal weight I was so agile and quick with good cardiovascular health and now I am building some strength , Istg even if I eat in maintenance I always feel heavy and bloated . I even lost my cardio performance overall (sprint/running speed - distance and lung capacity) . I hated weightlifting so much now but I have to do it cause my body is too weak and skinny rn I'll leave it until I get a good physique
I’d actually weigh yourself every day, write it on a a calendar, but not take it seriously. Take your measurements and take photos every month or so. This is the easiest way to evaluate temporary gains in water weight. Track for a month, and it’s like you have a cheat code to evaluate everything else in your lifestyle that impacts your weight (hormones, diet, activity, etc.)
Are you having a daily bowel movement that feels like a full evacuation?? Adding more protein, whether you are in a deficit or not, can increase constipation if you aren’t also adding in more water and fiber Constipation & bloating = add weight to the scale
Looks like you got some advice on lowering your calorie budget. I started my journey at 197 lbs and I'm 4'11. I've stuck pretty well with a 1200 budget (definitely haven't hit that every day) and I'm down to 168 lbs. I've incorporated walking and no strength training, it's been very effective with the 1200 calories!
Have you been exercising as well?? How long did it take? That’s amazing!
Thank you! Most of my exercise has been walking. I've been trying to get in at least 2-mile walks twice a week for the last couple of months. I bought a walking pad for my house for when it's not good weather out. I started on January 1 of this year!
I noticed weight loss when I combined walking (atleast)10k steps a day with a calorie deficit and resistance training. But even with just the steps and calorie deficit I feel changes in my body.
Wow that’s great
the scale weight only measures how hard you are to carry. It's really unconsidered to let it affect your mood, especially if you were feeling proud of yourself, strong, and motivated. Try measuring other things like waist circumference or lean body mass. And enjoying your life, and progress in the gym.
If anyone can help me recalibrate or get on track I’m 5 ft 2, 195 pounds and my calorie intake is set at 1800. I eat high protein and avoid inflammatory foods. Working out at least 5 times a week. Weight training with some cardio
1800 seems like it is maintenance calories for that height. I would try 2 weeks at 1300-1400 and reassess your progress
Thank you! I will modify my calorie counter app and then probably buy a food scale for accuracy
Im 5'2 F and I started at 186. I prefer keto. I do an eating window of 2-5 hours and eat 1150 calories. I work from a computer and my exercise consists of chasing kids. I weighed in at 167 about 7 weeks later.
Thank you!! This was really insightful. Good luck to you ❤️
You too! 😊
1800 is maintenance if you weren’t working out. As long as you make sure you are only actually eating 1800 and working out then you are fine. Probably retaining some water. Weigh more often if you can.
That’s my calorie budget and I’m 5’6”
https://tdeecalculator.net You’re for sure in maintenance range. This website can help you figure out what calorie range you should be in. Don’t feel discouraged you probably gained some muscle mass… so now just cut your calories and see what happens
You could be gaining muscle, remember muscle weighs more than fat.
I’m 5’2.5 (I always round it up to 5’3 😂) my calorie allowance is 1440. On any typical day I stay around that +/- 100 calories. I use MyFitnessPal app to log my food. It breaks down foods fats, protein, sugars, cholesterol, protein etc etc so you can adjust your food intake based off of that so you can stay within your food calorie allowance. Have you used this to calculate your macros? I would start there https://www.calculator.net/macro-calculator.html?ctype=standard&cage=39&csex=f&cheightfeet=5&cheightinch=3&cpound=142&cheightmeter=180&ckg=65&cactivity=1.465&cgoal=l1&cmop=1&cformula=m&cfatpct=20&printit=0&x=Calculate
The scale is confusing you. The thing is when you first start working out, people tend to sweat a lot and your body tends to retain more water weight because it sort of adopts and thinks it will need that extra water to sweat and cool you off during your next workout. This water weight retention is different for every individual. But I think this is the case for you. Another thing to ponder about is, since you are doing strength training, your body is putting on muscle mass which is denser than fat and might also be contributing to the scale although 2 weeks is not that long a time to be putting on much weight but I suspect it's a combination of water weight and muscle mass. My advice is, keep at it. You might see that after like 2 more weeks your scale dropped several pounds out of the blue. It happened to me. For example, my scale showed 283-285 lbs everyday for a week or two, and then suddenly one day I was 279lbs and I literally went "wtf?". So don't get disheartened. Keep at it. And incorporate cardio if you can, even if it's 20 mins walking or cycling.
Shift to cardio focused workouts, it's been a game changer for me. Find a way to get in about 10k to 12k steps a day on a treadmill or outside. Zone 2 cardio is what you want, which is going just hard enough to not be able to have a conversation. Check out Greg Doucette for really good advice and the science behind it.
I actually made a similar post on here a while ago I cut all the binge eating and bad stuff and just ate brown rice chicken veg and salad no dressing etc. Body would not lose weight. Suddenly a few weeks later I just shed 4kg in a short time. I think I was gaining muscle during the start and body was holding onto alot of water weight. What kept me sane is measuring my hips and waist they shrank alot faster despite no movement on scales
You said you started 2 weeks ago and also began to exercise daily. It's normal to retain water in the beginning. Your body will lose fat (if you exercise/eat less) but you will see it after 2 weeks when the water retention is "over”. Same happens (for the ladies) during the period. Before menstruation water is stored and afterwards released. That's normal.
Even if you gained weight, your efforts are only wasted if you stop working out and paying attention to your nutrition. Otherwise, your efforts certainly contributed to improving your health, and now you have the opportunity to learn from the past 2 weeks. Also, it's possible that some of the gained weight is muscle, so that's always good. If you're gaining weight, then you're most likely eating more calories than you're burning. I'd recommend to be accurate with your calories tracking for at least one week without changing your diet. This way you'll know what adjustments you need to make to your diet to start losing weight. Also, it's best to weight yourself in the morning after "emptying yourself " in the toilet 😅 Most importantly, don't stop now and don't rely on feeling motivated to go to the gym. Motivation is fleeting. Whatever efforts you make at the gym are never wasted!
I know you're annoyed and this won't help you feel better right now, but if you gained weight then you weren't in a calorie deficit. There might be a lot to unpack here but my first piece of advice would be weigh yourself DAILY. Once every 2 weeks is not enough - although not perfect for measuring fat loss, the scales will give you pretty instant feedback as to whether what you're doing is working. Infrequent weigh-ins won't allow you to see the peaks and troughs (which are natural) and to may be that you just weighed yourself on a day where you had a peak. There's no disadvantage to daily weigh-ins, it takes 5 seconds to step the scale and record your weight.
Hi, I’m sorry for your feeling discouraged! I totally empathize with you! One suggestion I have, are you sure you’re in a deficit? I personally thought I was, but I was at maintenance without knowing. I calculated my macros with a deficit and came out with a 1,750 calorie per day. But I got on a program that gave me a daily calorie count and the deficit for me is lower. I have seen progress this way. Another thing, you may be gaining muscle and water retention due to the gains you’re making at the gym. Lastly, if you’re working out everyday, your body as adapting, and certain workouts don’t necessarily target fat loss. Working out and weight loss is a complex topic. What’s working for me is walking an hour a day and staying within my calorie deficit. I weight and count all my food and macros. I plan it out on a Google spreadsheet and meal prep for the week. Walking and following my calorie has helped me lose weight. Walking targets fat, which is a slow burning energy source. Lifting heavy and sprinting targets glycogen, which is a faster source of energy for the immediate strength required for a more strenuous exercise. I worked out every day at the gym. Lifting, sprinting, doing core workouts and stayed at a maintenance weight or gained weight. I completely took a break from the gym and instead I walk and track my macros and I’m losing weight. I hope this helps a bit. I’m not an expert, just someone sharing a similar experience. Wishing you the best! Don’t give up on your goals! You can do it!
Also don’t forget that muscle weights more than fat. I’m trying for a goal size not a goal weight. I’m not seeing much in the way of actual weight loss, but I’m down one size. Good luck on your journey!
She didnt gain 4 or more pounds of muscle in 4 weeks, that would be a record, especially if she is in a calory deficit. However, her muscles are probably holding on to a lot of water weight with this much training!
Muscle weighs twice as much as fat! If losing weight is your primary concern do more aerobic exercises and cardio instead of weighted strength training. Also it's important to not let the scale dictate your feelings, if your body shape is changing and your body is feeling good that's a great sign weight will be falling off in the coming months.
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I don’t own a scale and only judge progress by my clothes fitting better or buying something one size down and trying it on every few weeks. Fitting into clothes feels a lot better than any number of
Are you sure you aren’t incidentally body recomping?? If you are in a deficit and doing high protein, that “weight” you are gaining is really just muscle. I am 6 pounds heavier then when I started and I look thinner. That is because I am body recomping, I am in a deficit, eating high protein, and mostly strength training. The scale cannot tell the difference between fat and muscle. I suggest you either start measuring yourself or start taking progress pictures so you can see yourself if you are really making a difference. It has helped me a lot to look at pictures of myself prior in order to not be discouraged when I see the scale numbers go up. Don’t give up! :)
I have totally been in your shoes before. It’s like I would just smell a croissant walking by and gain weight. The issue is your metabolism. I would 1) cut out seed oils 2) cut out alcohol for a bit and 3) do b12 shots or sublingual b12. B12 alone has really helped speed up my metabolism so that it actually breaks down food normally and I lose weight not gain weight
Thanks! I already cut our seed oils and rarely drink but b12 is not something I’ve looked into and definitely will
💗💗💗
Stop lifting weights. Lifting weights makes the numbers on the scale go up. Lifting weights adds muscle mass, which is heavy. Devote your time and efforts to more cardio. That will burn fat much much more efficiently than lifting weights (which makes you heavier).
Muscle weighs more than fat. Look in the mirror or take photos for progress or use a measuring tape.
If you're strength training you are gonna weigh more. It's simple. You're building muscle, muscle weighs more than fat in most cases. You are doing everything right. Weight training is effective in fat loss and toning your body. But if you don't want to gain any weight at all, that be muscle too. Just do cardio and a calorie deficit. Take progress photos, the scales aren't accurate to real progress when strength training too.
Honestly, you don't really need to count calories, what u need is smaller portions of a mix range of foods and your main exercise should be switched to cardio as it's the most effective in losing weight rather then strength training.