Fitness & Exercise Community

Losing fat and weight is not as simple as eating less and working out more. It's consuming fewer calories than you burn to create the deficit that you described that makes it happen. Anyone can eat "less" and still not consume fewer calories than they burn. They would be consuming fewer calories than before, but not enough to create the deficit.

Don't be fooled into thinking that just because you are working out intensely and consuming a "healthy" diet that you are creating a deficit. Many, many, many people believe this. Eating "healthy" does not have to mean a calorie deficit. It just doesn't. "Healthy" foods still have calories, and they add up if you consume lots of them. The facts are, you haven't lost any weight (albeit just 17 days), and so you cannot be consuming fewer calories than you burn no matter how "healthy" your diet is, no matter how much exercise you do, nor how badly you think you are creating the deficit. Most people under estimate ho many calories they consume, and in some cases up to 40% or more. As for age, yes, it's easier when you're younger, but that doesn't matter. You still need to consume fewer calories than you burn to lose weight.

To change it? I suggest that you keep up with your exercise (although you don't need 2 hours a day, 6 days a week of it, which importantly might even make you very hungry, or lead you into a false sense that you can eat however much you like of the "healthy" food since you did so much exercise).

But more important, I suggest that you write down every single morsel of food you eat, and every ounce of beverage with calories you drink, in the next week. And I mean every single thing you put in your mouth. Weigh and measure everything. Buy a food scale and measuring cups if you don't have them. Estimate portion sizes when you eat out using something like a deck of cards or a measuring cup to compare objectively with.

During this time go to the following site to figure out how
many calories you are consuming:

www.webmd.com/diet/healthtool-food-calorie-counter

Then go to http://www.webmd.com/diet/healthtool-metabolism-calculator to determine your calorie needs, and for general nutrition and diet questions click here

http://exchanges.webmd.com/diet-exchange

You didn't mention your height or weight and so I can't say, but it's possible that you are already at a weight where your body will resist more loss. If that's the case, then you may be able to lose, but it might be difficult to maintain, and you might be better off focusing on body fat and muscle and not body weight.

And finally, 17 days is an infinitesimally trivial amount of time in the big picture to get very disheartened at no weight loss. You asked what can change your situation and I said to keep up exercising and to record everything you consume. I also suggest one word ...patience. Weight loss can be frustrating. If you're disheartened after just 17 days, how will you keep it off for the rest of your life? You're being too hard on yourself. Be good to yourself instead.

I agree 100% with the expert's advice.

You have to further reduce your calorie intake, difficult as it may be, if you want to lose weight.

Instead of eating 5 meals, you could maybe try eating 3 moderate meals and 1 or 2 small snacks (no more than 100 cal per snack).

OK. I bought a bodybugg and the watch that goes with it, and {unless this devise is not working properly} I consume out 1500 to 1900 energy; I take in between 650 and 950 calories a day and still I cannot loose weight;what is going on? I am 59 and in menopouse.

That is exactly why-you do not consume enough calories for your body to afford any to burn. You should eat no less than 1200.

Not to discount this advice, but I have a different take on it. I asked pretty much the same question of my personal trainer, but it was after many months. I WAS losing weight but NOT the BODY FAT I'd hoped to lose. Both she and the dietician I consulted told me that the problem was not that I was consuming too many calories, but too FEW. With running three days per week and doing cardio 3 days per week, they told me that if I was not consuming enough calories to support my level of activity, my body would conserve energy by storing fat. The dietician gave me a diet plan to try because I had a daily 500-1000 calorie deficit. I've been counting calories (as well as protein grams) but I'm still really struggling with this.

Anon:
I am 47 and also in menopause. You need to fuel your day. 650-950 calories a day sends your body into a starvation mode where it will strive to hold on to every bit of weight it can. Going through menopause puts a different spin on everything. If you keep your calories between 1600 and 1800 a day, you will lose weight.

Eat something nutritious and unprocessed every three hours. Make your own 100 calorie snacks: Fresh fruits and nuts are a great snack, a hard boiled egg is a good snack. Veggie sticks and hummus is wonderful. For breakfast have a piece of fruit, a serving of old fashioned oatmeal sweetened with a dab of honey and a Tablespoon of rice protein. Lunch could be a salad with diced cooked chicken breast, and a simple vinaigrette Dinner could be a nice Salmon fillet with a cup of brown rice, some steamed vegetables and a salad.

Try treating yourself once in a while to dessert, I have dessert once a week. What ever I am in the mood for, tonight it's a frozen peppermint patty. I know I will only be having one serving since that's all I bought.

You have to eat to lose weight. But you also have to educate yourself on what to eat and what you like. Going through menopause puts us in a different category but only because the weight that use to drop off of us now takes work. Staying physically active on a daily basis is more important than training for hours a day.

I agree that if you do not consume enough energy, your body will conserve fat. With that said you should change your focus to what you eat rather than counting the calories. Try eating 1 small (about the size of your first) portion of lean protein (best found in fish and kidney beans, etc) , 1 of complex carbohydrate (like whole wheat bread or whole wheat pasta) and 1 of fiber (best found in vegetables or fruits) at every meal. Eat 5-6 meals a day every 3, 3 1/2 hours and don't forget to eat breakfast first thing in the morning and you should see results. Also watch for products that are low in sugar. Keep in mind that 4 grams of sugar is a teaspoon.

Hi all, just to add on the calorie deficit issue, I have read a study which found no additional weight loss with daily consumption lower than 1200cal. So yes, there is no need to starve yourself and have a large energy deficit

Hi,
just to add to the calorie deficit topic - I have read some research that claims that daily calorie intake of less than 1200cal does not produce greater weight loss than the 1200cal intake. It is commonally stated that you should only reduce your intake to a 500cal deficit, and doing more may be harder to maintain, and not produce any greater results.

I have been keeping track of my calorie intake using an app by sparkpeople that will track your calories and fitness. I had a deficit of 7200 c in 1 week and did not loose any weight.

I have a heart rate monitor that keeps track of my calories burned during exercise which I input the data into my app along with measuring and weighing my food and put every little thing I consume every day so I know the calories I am eating and calories that I am burning through exercise.

My app has a reporting section that gives you the deficit each day so I know exactly how much it is.

The week before I had a deficit of 6500 and lost 3 lbs but none this week when I have a deficit of 7200.

Can you please explain why I would not lose any weight I am 49 weigh 176 and 5' 5". My goal is to get to 158 by the end of May but having my doubts with how slow I am losing weight. Started this in December and I started at 184.