Why am I not losing weight

[chargrill44]

Slash your calories. 2k is plenty. It'll take time to adjust to the hunger. Chewing Gum helps.

[codek]

maybe switch up ur workout routine and not do the same thing over and over again.

am doing that. but my body is really f'ed up. I just cycled and did elliptical while watching the laker game and did it at the slowest speeds. The next day my knee was hurting and really wobbly. If I were to try to jog that day, it would have fell apart. I can only do maybe 2 easy cardio legs per week. with two easy sessions of swimming per week. Maybe burn 400-500 per hour. I want to do more but my body is seriously f'ed up.

I also do medium weights for upper body only, (I can't do legs at all) about 2.5 times a week.

In conclusion, I'm not burning a whole lot in my workouts.

[codek]

My 2 cents:

From 35/4500 to 2800 is too many cals reduced to fast. Slow it down by 300/500 and move down slowly.

Your bodys metabolism tries to play catchup.

2 - Was your before weight perhaps - water weight and now it has more water weight thus you haven't budged that much on the scale?

2 lbs a week x 3 weeks = 6 lbs. You can easily carry +/- 6 lbs.

Are you sure your cals in are that low?

If you feel that you've trimmed up and gained muscle .. keep going .. look for long term results not just 3 weeks.

I just started calorie counting 3 weeks ago and I have to admit for the first two weeks, I was horrible.

First week 3000kcal on average including binge days. I was a horrible calorie counter. working out hard 4x to 5x per week

Second week 2700kcal on average. Better but still bad at counting. working out medium due to injury 3x to 4x per week

Third week 2300kcal on average. Getting better. working out medium/light due to injury 3x to 4x per week

I'm trying to get it down to 1600-1800kcal on average in the next two weeks. working out medium 3x to 4x per week.

I think it went naturally that gradually because I was getting hungry and would go through hunger sessions. It's more controlled now.

[codek]

A typical meal at pollo loco is 1600 kcal? Sound like a binge meal. You don't have to eat that much just because you're going out, if the food is unhealthy, just eat less, don't drink soda. if your still hungery, fill up with vegtables or something after wards. If your not loosing weight you need to drop daily calorie intake, or you eat too much calories on your cheat days.

Well that was a typical meal for me before the diet. I used to eat the 3piece meal(2breast 1thigh) mashed potatoes, and mac n cheese, 3 orders of tortillas, two refills of coke... Well come to think of it that should be more than 1600kcal probably closer to 2000kcal

I stopped eating at el pollo loco and maybe once a month will I go. And if I go, I'm pretty much eating only a shake that day besides the pollo loco.

I realized after week two I was eating like 3-4k on binge days. Now I dropped the binge to 2500-2800 and am going to try to average 1600-1800 per day.

[AlphaBrass01]

I'm sorry to say it like this, and you arent going to like it, but the problem is that you still have a fat mentality. You're not gonna get anywhere if you keep thinking like a fat unhealthy person.

Cutting cals is not hard. If you eat a ton of vegetables you will be full all the time. A pound of broccoli is less than 100 cals...

Also "light exercise" is BS, I'm sorry. "Joints wont stand up to cardio" yeah I'm sorry I heard all that bullsh*t too many times in my life. Your joints hurt because you are fat and weak. The only way to make it better is to quit making excuses and do some good hard exercise.

And the "cheat day" is such a pathetic excuse to find any way to keep things easier for you. You got the way you are by taking the easy way out, so its time to man up and realize that change is difficult and you might aswell just make the commitment.

I agree with some points in here. I lost a ton of weight at the beginning of my journey and it took me a long time to figure out how to do it effectively for MY body. Veggies definitely help you feel full longer without taking in a lot of calories. Also, if you're someone who "doesn't like vegetables," eating more of them will force you to find the ones you do like, which can lead to making healthy choices easier later on.

Also, I don't like the idea of cheat days. I found it much easier to somehow fit a very small amount of some treat into most days without missing my macros/calorie intake goals.

The light exercise comment also makes some sense. I have lifted as heavy as I can since I started, simply because I enjoy it more, and am better able to stick to it if I enjoy it (granted, when I started, heavy for ME wasn't really heavy at all, but we all start somewhere). Recently, I switched to a routine that has me lifting a lot heavier for a lot fewer reps, and have been looking to gain some size. I lost 6 pounds in the first few weeks - a testament that lifting heavy CAN burn a whole lot of calories.

Either way, please don't find any of the comments given here discouraging. Take what you can and try some new things - finding the best way for you to move forward and ENJOY it may take awhile. Good luck with your goals, and just keep a healthy mindset!

[codek]

I agree with some points in here. I lost a ton of weight at the beginning of my journey and it took me a long time to figure out how to do it effectively for MY body. Veggies definitely help you feel full longer without taking in a lot of calories. Also, if you're someone who "doesn't like vegetables," eating more of them will force you to find the ones you do like, which can lead to making healthy choices easier later on.

Also, I don't like the idea of cheat days. I found it much easier to somehow fit a very small amount of some treat into most days without missing my macros/calorie intake goals.

The light exercise comment also makes some sense. I have lifted as heavy as I can since I started, simply because I enjoy it more, and am better able to stick to it if I enjoy it (granted, when I started, heavy for ME wasn't really heavy at all, but we all start somewhere). Recently, I switched to a routine that has me lifting a lot heavier for a lot fewer reps, and have been looking to gain some size. I lost 6 pounds in the first few weeks - a testament that lifting heavy CAN burn a whole lot of calories.

Either way, please don't find any of the comments given here discouraging. Take what you can and try some new things - finding the best way for you to move forward and ENJOY it may take awhile. Good luck with your goals, and just keep a healthy mindset!

Thanks man. Looks like you accomplished a lot. Thanks for the encouragement.

[codek]

My 2 cents:

From 35/4500 to 2800 is too many cals reduced to fast. Slow it down by 300/500 and move down slowly.

Your bodys metabolism tries to play catchup.

2 - Was your before weight perhaps - water weight and now it has more water weight thus you haven't budged that much on the scale?

2 lbs a week x 3 weeks = 6 lbs. You can easily carry +/- 6 lbs.

Are you sure your cals in are that low?

If you feel that you've trimmed up and gained muscle .. keep going .. look for long term results not just 3 weeks.

For each drop of 500 cal or so, how long should you wait?

I was dropping too fast I think

I was eating around 3000-3500 on avg kcal a day and maintaining weight at 204-206, exercise 2x a week

then the diet/exercise

week 1 avg 3035 cheat day 4470 4x medium exercise
week 2 avg 2727 cheat day 5680 4x medium exercise
week 3 avg 2354 cheat day 5400 3x light exercise (keep getting injured, reduce exercise)
week 4 avg 1667 cheat day 3070 3x light exercise

Currently 201 lbs

[AlwaysTryin]

Do you really need those huge calorie cheat days?

[AlphaBrass01]

Do you really need those huge calorie cheat days?

Seriously. I have nothing against a day that's way over your intake goal when something comes up, or there's something different going on - there are always reasons, and a day won't ruin anything, but I never understood the point of intentional periodical cheats. If you're going to intend to eat that many extra calories one day, I would just assume up your calories a little for every day, leave out the cheat, and keep some of the "fun" foods every day's diet, if that makes sense.

[codek]

Do you really need those huge calorie cheat days?

that was when I didn't know how much I was eating. I was way underestimating everything until I found this site 2 weeks ago.

A cheat day will consist now of 2500kcal only. I'm trying to eat on average 1600kcal a day so I will probably eat 1450 each day with the binge day.

I'm really only doing the binge day to boost metabolism.

I used to eat 3-4k a day, and now down to 1600kcal in a month. I'm hoping that wasn't too fast of a drop.

[codek]

Seriously. I have nothing against a day that's way over your intake goal when something comes up, or there's something different going on - there are always reasons, and a day won't ruin anything, but I never understood the point of intentional periodical cheats. If you're going to intend to eat that many extra calories one day, I would just assume up your calories a little for every day, leave out the cheat, and keep some of the "fun" foods every day's diet, if that makes sense.

I agree. I only do those cheat days to trick my body and boost metabolism because I dropped cal intake drastically in the last month from 3-4k down to 1600kcal.