Can't seem to lose weight

[Silvance1]

I've been dieting for about a month now. I lift 5x5 3 times a week, do about 7 hours of cardio per week, and have Sunday as my rest day. I'm not sure what information you need to properly answer my question, but my average daily intake is something like:

Calories: ~1900 per day
Protein: ~180g
Carbs: ~100g
Fat: ~75g

I take only fish oil, a multivitamin, and maybe 3 protein shakes per day. My cardio is fairly high intensity (boxing, kickboxing, circuit training, etc.)

With adhering to this diet for a month, I've gained 2 lbs. I'm not sure if it's fat or muscle, but I can't imagine it being muscle with my caloric count.

Edit: Btw, I'm 5'9", 190 lbs, and ~20% bf.

[matman1813]

I'm guessing the answer is yes but are you counting your fish oil and protein shakes in your macros.

Are you weighing your food? Are you accounting for all calories including any liquid calories (people often miss cooking oils)?

[MCrow]

A few questions:

#1- Are you counting the calories of everthing you eat? If you are not counting everything you put in your mouth you need to do that first.

#2- Are you weighing and measuring servings? A lot of people that think they can eyeball things can't. I know that when I used to try to do it that way I was actually under estimating my intake by about 25%.

#3- What sort of job do you have or what is your normal daily routine? If you are not very active outside of workouts your intake will likely need to be lower than you think. I sit on my ass at work 8-10 hrs a day and have an hour commute so my activity level outside of the gym is almost nothing so I have a lower TDEE than most guys my weight.

More often than not not losing weight for a month means you are eating too much.

[Vaylor]

4. Buy a kitchen scale and weigh everything that you eat.
5. Count calories using a site like MyFitnessPal. Here's how to count properly.

[Silvance1]

I'm guessing the answer is yes but are you counting your fish oil and protein shakes in your macros.

Are you weighing your food? Are you accounting for all calories including any liquid calories (people often miss cooking oils)?

I am counting cooking oils. I count the butter used to fry my eggs in the morning into my total caloric count, I count the 1-2 glasses of milk I drink with meals for added protein, and I'm counting the protein shakes.

[Silvance1]

A few questions:

#1- Are you counting the calories of everthing you eat? If you are not counting everything you put in your mouth you need to do that first.

#2- Are you weighing and measuring servings? A lot of people that think they can eyeball things can't. I know that when I used to try to do it that way I was actually under estimating my intake by about 25%.

#3- What sort of job do you have or what is your normal daily routine? If you are not very active outside of workouts your intake will likely need to be lower than you think. I sit on my ass at work 8-10 hrs a day and have an hour commute so my activity level outside of the gym is almost nothing so I have a lower TDEE than most guys my weight.

More often than not not losing weight for a month means you are eating too much.

Everything, yes. I don't weigh my food, but I may have to start. I actually have been finding it hard to actually hit that 1900 calorie mark, as I leave the house at 7:00 am and don't get back till 8:30 PM, which is when I eat dinner.

I sit a lot in my job, but I also have 3 exercise classes at school that I take as filler classes. I have a Fitness Boot Camp class for an hour twice a week, Aerobics and Fitness for 1.5 hours twice a week, and a Yoga class for an hour a week. Outside of school I take a Krav Maga class for an hour twice a week, and a TKD class for an hour twice a week (it's really 2.5 hours, but I'm only teaching for the first 1.5 hours, so it's just standing up and walking around), so I feel like I get sufficient cardio during the week. I also lift very heavy (5x5, like I said) 3 times a week.

[matman1813]

I am counting cooking oils. I count the butter used to fry my eggs in the morning into my total caloric count, I count the 1-2 glasses of milk I drink with meals for added protein, and I'm counting the protein shakes.

Do you use MFP? If you do maybe you could link us so we can find any potential discrepancies.

[Silvance1]

Do you use MFP? If you do maybe you could link us so we can find any potential discrepancies.

MFP? Is that My Fitness Plan? I have never used it before.

[braddock112233]

This might not be the case for you but at one point I was running 7 miles everyother night while keeping my calories the same as I had for months, I wasted about 5 weeks not dropping anything. when I cut out all the extra cardio, I started losing again.

[matman1813]

MFP? Is that My Fitness Plan? I have never used it before.

My Fitness Pal how do you track your calories? (click on 'My Fitness Pal')

[lsiberian]

I've had stalls before and I've found that going back to maintenance for a month and then hitting the deficit again after helps. 1900 calories should drop weight if you are a dude. I eat 2000-2100 at around your size and drop weight on a cut quickly. Be sure you are checking the mirror.

[Silvance1]

I write stuff down. I do estimate on portions though, so I'll have to invest in a scale.

[MCrow]

Everything, yes. I don't weigh my food, but I may have to start. I actually have been finding it hard to actually hit that 1900 calorie mark, as I leave the house at 7:00 am and don't get back till 8:30 PM, which is when I eat dinner.

I sit a lot in my job, but I also have 3 exercise classes at school that I take as filler classes. I have a Fitness Boot Camp class for an hour twice a week, Aerobics and Fitness for 1.5 hours twice a week, and a Yoga class for an hour a week. Outside of school I take a Krav Maga class for an hour twice a week, and a TKD class for an hour twice a week (it's really 2.5 hours, but I'm only teaching for the first 1.5 hours, so it's just standing up and walking around), so I feel like I get sufficient cardio during the week. I also lift very heavy (5x5, like I said) 3 times a week.

I would also look at how you weigh yourself. For instance, every week I know for a fact that I will weight the least on Wed morning and the most on Sunday morning, it's just due to the fact that I lift on Mondays, Tuesday is a day off and over the weekend I don't watch my sodium intake much. Also my weight can be +/- 5 pounds from morning to night. So you should weigh in on the same day of the week right away in the moring after you piss and with the least amount of clothes on as possible. This way you take out as many of the variables as you have control over.

However, if you are not weighing and measuring servings that could be the reason you are not getting results.

[costahobo]

Maybe you're not calculating your TDEE right? Seems like you're doing a lot of exercise for just 1900 calories.

[Tommy W.]

It doesn't matter if you're counting right or what your TDEE is or whatever. Whatever you're eating it's too much. Eat whatever you're eating and drop 500 cals from that. That's the easiest way to get going in the right direction. Once you start losing get very exact on your calorie counting and use that number as the basis of all further dieting protocols

[Adam1125]

This seems like a lot of physical exertion on 1900 calories. I agree with everyone here about getting a solid, accurate reading on your calorie intake.

How do you feel? Are you tired and sluggish during the day or do you have good energy levels? I ask because you may be overtraining. If you are doing too much on not enough fuel, your body can go into survival mode and your gains/loss will stagnate. If your energy levels are still good, however, try dropping daily calories by 250.

How many times do you eat a day? Spread your calories out over 5-6 small meals. Also, eat the majority of your carbs post workout while your body is anabolic. Use fats for energy during the day when you are not training.

Ditch the 5X5 routine, swap it for higher reps, faster paced weight training. Like 4 sets of 15-20 reps per exercise with 30-45 seconds rest in between.

[Silvance1]

This seems like a lot of physical exertion on 1900 calories. I agree with everyone here about getting a solid, accurate reading on your calorie intake.

How do you feel? Are you tired and sluggish during the day or do you have good energy levels? I ask because you may be overtraining. If you are doing too much on not enough fuel, your body can go into survival mode and your gains/loss will stagnate. If your energy levels are still good, however, try dropping daily calories by 250.

How many times do you eat a day? Spread your calories out over 5-6 small meals. Also, eat the majority of your carbs post workout while your body is anabolic. Use fats for energy during the day when you are not training.

Ditch the 5X5 routine, swap it for higher reps, faster paced weight training. Like 4 sets of 15-20 reps per exercise with 30-45 seconds rest in between.

I don't have a schedule that will allow 5 meals a day. I can only eat at breakfast, a small meal during a break at school, and a bigger meal for dinner. Also, I never, and I mean never feel tired or sluggish. I'm usually wired all throughout the day, including before and after any and all workouts. That in itself is kinda strange, but I never questioned it before. I thought heavy weight prevented catabolism better than lighter weight, higher reps.

[poloralphloren]

How do you feel? Are you tired and sluggish during the day or do you have good energy levels? I ask because you may be overtraining. If you are doing too much on not enough fuel, your body can go into survival mode and your gains/loss will stagnate. If your energy levels are still good, however, try dropping daily calories by 250.

How many times do you eat a day? Spread your calories out over 5-6 small meals. Also, eat the majority of your carbs post workout while your body is anabolic. Use fats for energy during the day when you are not training.

Ditch the 5X5 routine, swap it for higher reps, faster paced weight training. Like 4 sets of 15-20 reps per exercise with 30-45 seconds rest in between.

Ignore all of this except the dropping calories part. Except drop them by 400-500 cals/day, since you are currently eating at just a bit over maintenance. This could be neatly accomplished by simply eliminating the 3 protein shakes per day. Why are you consuming liquid calories that don't satiate you if you are trying to cut? That is all there is to it, period.

[xbayrockx]

If you aren't weighing food then you aren't calorie counting. You don't know what your calorie intake is, sorry.

[jasowhit]

I know the feel, OP. I'm finishing up my fourth week and for whatever reason this has been the most non-linear cut I've ever experienced. And do yourself a favor and buy a digital kitchen scale. Best $20 I've spent in a long time. I weigh everything, even the protein powder.

[Silvance1]

Ignore all of this except the dropping calories part. Except drop them by 400-500 cals/day, since you are currently eating at just a bit over maintenance. This could be neatly accomplished by simply eliminating the 3 protein shakes per day. Why are you consuming liquid calories that don't satiate you if you are trying to cut? That is all there is to it, period.

I don't know any other way to get my daily 180g of protein besides protein shakes though.