Frustrated & ready to give up (kind of long, sorry)

[CrabbyCakes]

Ok, so let me start out by saying that this is the 3rd time I have hit this wall and I really don't want to give up on myself yet again. I'm HOPING that maybe someone else has been in this position and can give me insight rather than general knowledge.

Every other time I say, "what is the point of doing all this work and seeing no results." Logically I know my body is becoming more lean, but how long does it take before I actually notice any loss? At 240lbs I would think that I could shed 2 lbs per week, easily.

So up until a few days ago, my routine was:

1 day upper body
1 day lower body
2-3 days of cardio (Zumba/elliptical/treadmill)
1 day yoga

I've been eating about 1500-1800 calories per day (I've attached a screenshot of my FitDay log which is about what I eat on average).

My ratios have been in the 40/40/20 range, but in 2.5 weeks I haven't lost ANYTHING...

Here is what I've decided to change - and please tell me if you think I am on the right track:

Day 1: Lower body & 45 mins cardio (HIIT on treadmill)
Day 2: Upper body & 60 mins cardio (Zumba)
Day 3: rest
Day 4: Lower body & 45 mins cardio (HIIT on treadmill)
Day 5: Upper body & 60 mins cardio
Day 6: 45 mins cardio
Day 7: 60 mins Yoga

I would really appreciate the advice of anyone who has lost a significant amount of weight and has maybe run into the same problem.

Thanks in advance!

[sonti]

2.5 weeks is not very long at all.

Remember this is for LIFE and you cannot possibly eat that way and stay 240lbs forever.

2.5 weeks is a drop in the ocean at your age You have another 60+ years to go! You need to stick with it. If you "give up" at 240lbs, you'll likely continuing gaining and honestly... probably will lose a good 10-15 years of that 60 years left!!! It's not just about a number on the scale or your looks - your health is at stake. You are looking at diabetes, high blood pressure, heart problems.

Weight loss is NOT linear. You will face this over and over again. KEEP GOING, you are doing great.

I haven't lost a "significant" amount of weight (40lbs in 2004) but I have kept it off by not being a slave to plateaus (mentally). I also lost another 40lbs last summer after having my baby by sticking to a nutrition workout plan. It took a long time yes, over 6 months, but I stuck to it.

[svespie]

Weight loss is NOT linear. You will face this over and over again. KEEP GOING, you are doing great.

All of what Sonti said is valid, however this is very important to understand. Great respons, Sonti. REP!

OP, you need to keep working. Forget the scale. Watch other things, that do not rely on many factors. I posted this information for someone else but can't find the post to link here, so I will repeat the basics.

1. Weight is a force, thus a product of mass times acceleration. Your weight number depends on the acceleration due to gravity and the mass of your body (mass is simply the amount of stuff you are composed of). Acceleration due to gravity is considered constant, so your mass must change for your weight to change. There are many factors that change the amount of stuff you are composed of, so forget this method of identifying progress (especially on a short term period like weeks).

2. Use other measurable (objective) measures like measuring key body parts (i.e. hips, waist, thighs, etc). Measuring body fat, my recommendation is monthly, is another good thing to watch.

3. Go by how you look in the mirror and how you feel overall! This is subjective observation but important none the less.

In so many TV programs, fitness articles, etc the experts say forget the scale. It's true. Forget the scale. Do you feel as if you have made progress in the past couple weeks? Do your clothes feel a bit looser? Do you notice changes in your body?

Keep working hard!

[CrabbyCakes]

2.5 weeks is not very long at all.

Remember this is for LIFE and you cannot possibly eat that way and stay 240lbs forever.

Thanks for the reply and honestly this is exactly what I keep telling myself yet I would think that I would see SOMETHING.

You are quite right that 2.5 weeks is not a long time, but its also not the longest I've gone being strict and sticking to a plan with minimal change which is why at this point I am scared I am doing something wrong and won't see any change yet again.

I haven't started taking pics or measurements yet, but I plan to tonight and I WILL stick with it, but I am feeling myself getting increasingly frustrated.

[CrabbyCakes]

In so many TV programs, fitness articles, etc the experts say forget the scale. It's true. Forget the scale. Do you feel as if you have made progress in the past couple weeks? Do your clothes feel a bit looser? Do you notice changes in your body?

Keep working hard!

Unfortunately I DON'T see any changes yet, but I also haven't started measuring or taking any pics (which I plan to tonight).

Thanks for your response - I do agree with everything that you said, its just so hard to stay on the right path for the long run when you don't feel like you're getting anywhere.

[sonti]

When I lost my 40lbs the second time around, I took a full body bikini picture once per month (front, side, back). While I couldn't "see" my losses (scale OR mirror), it became really obvious when I suddenly put 6 months of pictures today. I should dig those out, I posted them in general chat recently in January.

[sonti]

Here it is
http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showth...hp?t=130701323

Not much of a scale change and it took a long time, but shows you how monthly progress pictures can really help you see what's happening rather than looking at numbers or the mirror daily.

[CrabbyCakes]

Here it is

Not much of a scale change and it took a long time, but shows you how monthly progress pictures can really help you see what's happening rather than looking at numbers or the mirror daily.

Thanks, I really appreciate your feedback and the pics. I will definitely get on that tonight and stick with it!

[Rowyn]

At 240lbs I would think that I could shed 2 lbs per week, easily.

So up until a few days ago, my routine was:

1 day upper body
1 day lower body
2-3 days of cardio (Zumba/elliptical/treadmill)
1 day yoga

I've been eating about 1500-1800 calories per day (I've attached a screenshot of my FitDay log which is about what I eat on average).

My ratios have been in the 40/40/20 range, but in 2.5 weeks I haven't lost ANYTHING...

Here is what I've decided to change - and please tell me if you think I am on the right track:

Day 1: Lower body & 45 mins cardio (HIIT on treadmill)
Day 2: Upper body & 60 mins cardio (Zumba)
Day 3: rest
Day 4: Lower body & 45 mins cardio (HIIT on treadmill)
Day 5: Upper body & 60 mins cardio
Day 6: 45 mins cardio
Day 7: 60 mins Yoga

While I am a proponent of watching the mirror, when one is significantly overweight, the scale is important. At your weight, yes, you should be seeing more changes on the scale. As Sonti says, though, it will not always be linear (you won't always lose the same amount every week and you can lose more/less). Eating at "about" a certain level of calories is not good enough. You need to find the correct deficit for your size and stick to it. I would think that a true 1600-1700 cals per day would give you a 1-2 lb weight loss per week, but that is if you are actually tracking ALL your food (most people do not do this well). A couple mouthfuls of this and that here and there can throw you right out of deficit. Many of the gals on here who say they have tried and tried at X level of cals often admit that they don't actually log and track all their food and that they may actually be eating a couple hundred (or more) cals than they think they do.

Fitday is also not the best for logging, Livestrong, DailyBurn, Daily Plate are all more accurate.

You aren't going to see changes in leanness if you aren't following a decent weight training program. Training once per week per body part is spinning your wheels. Go to the training section and look at the sticky called Training Basics, or just get the book New Rules of Lifting for Women. Noobs to lifting can see great gains doing full body workouts 3Xweek.

I would figure out your REAL maintenance and deficit needs for your goal not "about" or an approximation. Then your macros and a decent, basic training program.

Good luck!

[CrabbyCakes]

While I am a proponent of watching the mirror, when one is significantly overweight, the scale is important. At your weight, yes, you should be seeing more changes on the scale. As Sonti says, though, it will not always be linear (you won't always lose the same amount every week and you can lose more/less). Eating at "about" a certain level of calories is not good enough. You need to find the correct deficit for your size and stick to it. I would think that a true 1600-1700 cals per day would give you a 1-2 lb weight loss per week, but that is if you are actually tracking ALL your food (most people do not do this well). A couple mouthfuls of this and that here and there can throw you right out of deficit. Many of the gals on here who say they have tried and tried at X level of cals often admit that they don't actually log and track all their food and that they may actually be eating a couple hundred (or more) cals than they think they do.

Fitday is also not the best for logging, Livestrong, DailyBurn, Daily Plate are all more accurate.

You aren't going to see changes in leanness if you aren't following a decent weight training program. Training once per week per body part is spinning your wheels. Go to the training section and look at the sticky called Training Basics, or just get the book New Rules of Lifting for Women. Noobs to lifting can see great gains doing full body workouts 3Xweek.

I would figure out your REAL maintenance and deficit needs for your goal not "about" or an approximation. Then your macros and a decent, basic training program.

Good luck!

Hi Rowyn and thanks for your input.

While I wasn't aware that FitDay wasn't a great tracker (it has been recommended several times over the years), I am tracking my food religiously. I have a scale and measuring cups on my counter and I pack every meal, except dinner, the night before.

I'm not new to weight lifting and am lucky to have a former powerlifter as a boyfriend so he's given me a lot of guidance with weight routines (unfortunately not a lot of guidance on how to get from where I am to where I want to be), but I do have a question about your suggestion of "full body workouts 3x week." Do you mean working every muscle group in one workout, 3 times a week or do you mean splitting upper and lower body (twice each week) over 6 days - or does it even matter?

Also, do you have any suggestions about finding the correct deficit for my body? About a year ago I was following Steve Poynters plan (which I believe was around 1100-1200 calories) and experiencing the same lack of weight loss.

Thanks again!

[GirLInterrupted]

Whatever you do, don't give up!

It can be very frustrating, and at first when your body resists, you are more likely to just say screw it and give up. If you keep eating properly and exercising it will happen. Your weight will have no choice but to go down. If you give up, it's only going to go the wrong way. So no matter how long it takes, if you do the right thing, your weight will go in the right direction. In one year would you rather weigh more or less? Keep on keeping on and you can do it. It's not a race

Good luck!

[jagadzie]

Keep at it!! I'd def. Switch to 3 full body workouts per week. 3 days of working all major muscle groups- focusing on the big compound exercises.keep that intensity level high and do your full body workout in about an hour.

[ezjax]

I'll give you the same advice i give my wife.. your body has all kinds of chemical reactions going on. You have been fat so long that your body likes it and wantsbto stay fat... we call this homeostasis. Maybe u r expecting biggest loser numbers but their career is to lose weight.. also have two things checked.

Thyroid and pituitary gland.. my wife has a micronoma (brain tumor) that pushes on her p gland and secretes unneeded hormones

[CrabbyCakes]

Keep at it!! I'd def. Switch to 3 full body workouts per week. 3 days of working all major muscle groups- focusing on the big compound exercises.keep that intensity level high and do your full body workout in about an hour.

Thanks, I think I am going to give this a try!

[CrabbyCakes]

I'll give you the same advice i give my wife.. your body has all kinds of chemical reactions going on. You have been fat so long that your body likes it and wantsbto stay fat... we call this homeostasis. Maybe u r expecting biggest loser numbers but their career is to lose weight.. also have two things checked.

Thyroid and pituitary gland.. my wife has a micronoma (brain tumor) that pushes on her p gland and secretes unneeded hormones

Yeah, I'm going on 12 years of "fattness" so I'm sure my body has gotten pretty used to it. My thyroid (though Im not sure about pituitary gland) was checked very recently and is normal though, thanks!

[nett]

I want to say you are not alone. I too am experiencing a total stagnation. No weight loss over the past month and I work out like a crazy person. But I do in fact know my problem. Not tracking every morsel. Although I do track the main meals, I find myself taking bites of my kids meals that they don't finish or taking bites of their meals while I am cooking it to see if it is too hot/cold or too salty etc. It is a very difficult habit to break. Before kids, I never had a problem because I made my meals, ate them and that was it. Now I have to cook for the family and it can be hard not to "sample" what you are cooking. I guess it adds up to much more than I could imagine because it is keeping me from losing weight. I think I don't track the bites, because how can you possibly write the calories down of a spoonful of soup or cereal, who knows what the macros look like.

But like everyone said, if you just stick with it, unless there is something medically wrong, and you are training hard and following your diet, then your body will respond. A change of some sort is always good to kick start things too. Have you ever tried cycling you calories/carbs?

[CrabbyCakes]

Have you ever tried cycling you calories/carbs?

I can't imagine how tough that is with the kids and staying on track with food. I think it just must be one of those willpower situations that I'm sure you'll overcome.

I've never tried the cycling thing. Do you know of any resources on this site or others that I could check out?

Thanks!

[Joey366]

Hey, don't be so hard on yourself. You have to go easy on yourself. If you push too hard, it will be harder to achieve what you want.

[nett]

Hey, don't be so hard on yourself. You have to go easy on yourself. If you push too hard, it will be harder to achieve what you want.

I can't imagine how tough that is with the kids and staying on track with food. I think it just must be one of those willpower situations that I'm sure you'll overcome.

I've never tried the cycling thing. Do you know of any resources on this site or others that I could check out?

Thanks!

Yes, its definitely willpower and something I have to try to get quickly. AS far as carb cycling, go to the main site and type in carb cycling in the search area and a lot of articles should come up. There are many ways to do it. I know it works wonders for me.

[Rowyn]

Hi Rowyn and thanks for your input.

While I wasn't aware that FitDay wasn't a great tracker (it has been recommended several times over the years), I am tracking my food religiously. I have a scale and measuring cups on my counter and I pack every meal, except dinner, the night before.

I'm not new to weight lifting and am lucky to have a former powerlifter as a boyfriend so he's given me a lot of guidance with weight routines (unfortunately not a lot of guidance on how to get from where I am to where I want to be), but I do have a question about your suggestion of "full body workouts 3x week." Do you mean working every muscle group in one workout, 3 times a week or do you mean splitting upper and lower body (twice each week) over 6 days - or does it even matter?

Also, do you have any suggestions about finding the correct deficit for my body? About a year ago I was following Steve Poynters plan (which I believe was around 1100-1200 calories) and experiencing the same lack of weight loss.

Thanks again!

At your stats, you should be able to lose about a pound a week on 1700-1800 cals. If you have no medical issues which would prevent you from losing weight, as long as you are tracking and eating that caloric intake, you should lose weight.

When I say you are new to weight lifting, I meant your body's physiological shape, not your personal experience in the gym. An advanced lifter can be off for a couple of years and return and they will experience "noob gains". You are a beginner lifter for quite some time in terms of muscle strength, regardless of your knowledge.

Full body workouts are exactly as they sound---you work all parts of your body 3 X week. Using the big compound lifts---squats, overhead press, deadlifts, bench press, rows, pullups...and all the variations of those (front squats, lunges, dumbell presses, stiff legged deadlifts, pushups, bent over rows..) . You will get the most bang for your buck for your time in the gym and see the best gains using this method over body part isolation movements. Noob lifters can make gains quickly and recover fast enough that they are able to lift three days a week for all bodyparts. I am surprised your boyfriend has not suggested this?

What is your current macro breakdown?

[CrabbyCakes]

At your stats, you should be able to lose about a pound a week on 1700-1800 cals. If you have no medical issues which would prevent you from losing weight, as long as you are tracking and eating that caloric intake, you should lose weight.

When I say you are new to weight lifting, I meant your body's physiological shape, not your personal experience in the gym. An advanced lifter can be off for a couple of years and return and they will experience "noob gains". You are a beginner lifter for quite some time in terms of muscle strength, regardless of your knowledge.

Full body workouts are exactly as they sound---you work all parts of your body 3 X week. Using the big compound lifts---squats, overhead press, deadlifts, bench press, rows, pullups...and all the variations of those (front squats, lunges, dumbell presses, stiff legged deadlifts, pushups, bent over rows..) . You will get the most bang for your buck for your time in the gym and see the best gains using this method over body part isolation movements. Noob lifters can make gains quickly and recover fast enough that they are able to lift three days a week for all bodyparts. I am surprised your boyfriend has not suggested this?

What is your current macro breakdown?

Thanks for the full body workout suggestion. I going to definitely try it and see how it goes.

As far as my macro breakdown, it is 40% each of protein and carbs and 20% fat. I have been sticking with lean proteins and whole grains and fruit for carbs, and my fats have come from healthy sources, like avocado and olive oil. Is this a good breakdown for fat loss?

Thanks again,
Susan

[freebirdmac]

Rowyn and others have given you solid advice. Your current 2 days of lifting should be your biggest calorie usage days, but if you're mailing it in and not hitting the weights heavy and hard, well then it's not going to help you much. Cardio is fine, but does no where near as much for fat loss as weight lifting. Yoga, it's good for your body but not fat loss. With that in mind your maintenance would be around 2100 so your deficit was only 300-400 cals.

If you do a routine like Rowyn suggested and keep it heavy and intense then your maintenance should go up to 2800 cals. Then you should start to see some real scale weight changes. But you have to push, you cannot mail in a training session.

I'd also change your macros a bit. Go for something closer to 40/30/30. Do not cycle cals or carbs. No fancy diet work. Save that for the very end when you're trying to lose the last 5-10 pounds.

[CrabbyCakes]

Rowyn and others have given you solid advice. Your current 2 days of lifting should be your biggest calorie usage days, but if you're mailing it in and not hitting the weights heavy and hard, well then it's not going to help you much. Cardio is fine, but does no where near as much for fat loss as weight lifting. Yoga, it's good for your body but not fat loss. With that in mind your maintenance would be around 2100 so your deficit was only 300-400 cals.

If you do a routine like Rowyn suggested and keep it heavy and intense then your maintenance should go up to 2800 cals. Then you should start to see some real scale weight changes. But you have to push, you cannot mail in a training session.

I'd also change your macros a bit. Go for something closer to 40/30/30. Do not cycle cals or carbs. No fancy diet work. Save that for the very end when you're trying to lose the last 5-10 pounds.

Thanks a lot, and trust me, I am taking all of this advice to heart and REALLY appreciate it.

I'm definitely not "mailing it in" during my workouts. I'm pushing myself with heavy weight and compound exercises - staying off machines, and incorporating lots of dumbbells, barbells, kettlebells, squats, lunges, etc into my routine. I won't lie though, some days are probably weaker than others and thats something I am working on, but I do wear a HR monitor and keep myself in the 80% range (I feel like this is helpful to make sure I am exerting myself, but maybe I'm wrong?).

You suggested a 40/30/30 - is that protein/carbs/fat? Also, I'm just curious, why this breakdown?

Thanks!!!

[freebirdmac]

Thanks a lot, and trust me, I am taking all of this advice to heart and REALLY appreciate it.

I'm definitely not "mailing it in" during my workouts. I'm pushing myself with heavy weight and compound exercises - staying off machines, and incorporating lots of dumbbells, barbells, kettlebells, squats, lunges, etc into my routine. I won't lie though, some days are probably weaker than others and thats something I am working on, but I do wear a HR monitor and keep myself in the 80% range (I feel like this is helpful to make sure I am exerting myself, but maybe I'm wrong?).

You suggested a 40/30/30 - is that protein/carbs/fat? Also, I'm just curious, why this breakdown?

Thanks!!!

I used to wear my HR monitor when lifting. I think it's a good tool for seeing just how hard you really are working and also, to not over do it. Staying in the 80% range is fine.

Weak days are normal in the sense that similar weights seem heavy one week and lighter another week. As long as you are really pushing it, that's what counts. A great deal of lifting is psychological. It's amazing what a mindset can do and undo in the gym.

Yes, that was protein, carbs, and fat. With your current stats you need more fat in your diet. Good fats are essential for everything, including losing body fat. At 1700 cals and 20% fat you're only getting about 38g of fat. At 30% you'll get closer to 57g of fat. Which is much closer to the 0.3g of fat per pound of body weight that most require as a minimum.

[CrabbyCakes]

I used to wear my HR monitor when lifting. I think it's a good tool for seeing just how hard you really are working and also, to not over do it. Staying in the 80% range is fine.

Weak days are normal in the sense that similar weights seem heavy one week and lighter another week. As long as you are really pushing it, that's what counts. A great deal of lifting is psychological. It's amazing what a mindset can do and undo in the gym.

Yes, that was protein, carbs, and fat. With your current stats you need more fat in your diet. Good fats are essential for everything, including losing body fat. At 1700 cals and 20% fat you're only getting about 38g of fat. At 30% you'll get closer to 57g of fat. Which is much closer to the 0.3g of fat per pound of body weight that most require as a minimum.

I can't thank you enough for your help. The breakdown the way you describes it makes sense. I'm going to add this into my routine in addition to the 3 full body workouts per week.

Thank you, thank you , thank you!