Discouraged

[Chef_Evie]

My family bought me a FitBit Blaze for Mother's day and since then I have been working out 5-6 days/week for about 30 - 45 minutes on the elliptical and I try to fit in weights when I can. I have religiously logged my food on Myfitnesspal (eating no more than 1400 calories) and I have not lost any weight and I also have not lost any inches. My legs have gotten a little more muscular and I seem to have a lot more stamina. I am a chef and feed college athletes, so I know my way around nutrition. I am discouraged and feel like a failure. Any suggestions are welcome. I have to add that I am still working on my water intake. I am trying to drink more. Today I have had about 60 ounces of water and I am trying to drink more, but that is not normal for me. I have to remind myself to drink.

I am 5'5 and weigh 183 lbs. 

[CarolS]

Chef Evie, I'm sorry you're feeling discouraged.  Please be kind to yourself.  Some people see results quickly and others don't.  You are not a failure and you are doing wonderful things for your body and your physical and mental health.  Keep with it and the results you want will come.  Hang in there, my friend!

[etvete]

From the sounds of it you may not be getting enough calories for the amount that you are burning. Using MyFitnessPal's calculator for BMR, If you are 60 and have the same height and weight that you do your BMR would be 1400. Granted you don't say your age, but I am assuming from your workouts that you are a touch younger than that. I would suggest trying to up your calories by a little bit. Use the MFP calculator to find your BMR and then don't eat below that level. Remember that amount is essentially free calories and the weight loss is coming from your work outs, if you dip below your BMR for an extended period of time, it will adjust itself.

I did this same thing and ate 500 calories below my BMR and was not losing what ever I did. The first week after raising my intake I did gain a pound but quickly lost it after my body adjusted to the new amounts of food that I was getting.

In the end, I think of it as eat a minimum of your BMR, unless your deficit is too big.In that case, allow yourself to eat more so that you don't starve your body of the resources it needs to function. After a little time you start to know how much this will be on any given day so you don't get to the end of the day with a huge deficit and a hungry belly before bed.

[DJC_63]

I know the feeling, Evie. I've done the elliptical at the gym for over 15 years now. I think it's great for your heart and lungs, but I'm not sure that any cardio makes you lose a lot of weight, especially if you're over 50 (I am). Last summer I think I was doing a fairly even amount of weights and cardio, and I lost some weight although very slowly. This spring I was getting frustrated because I had gained weight back over the winter and wasn't losing anything, so I started doing more walking outside and less time with weights.  I've lost some volume from the waist and up, but my thighs have actually gotten bigger! I'm not losing any weight. I also log my food daily and am usually around 1500 - 1600 calories a day. 

So don't feel alone! I'm not sure what my issues are, but I'm guessing that if you do more weights you will lose inches. I lost quite a bit last summer. I know some other women my age and older who have the same problems. I suspect that it gets harder as we get older, and for myself, I think some medications that I take might be part of my problem (since a side-effect is weight gain for several of them).  

You may have to adjust your expectations a little, but don't  give up! I know that when I slacked off last winter I quickly gained back 10 lbs that I worked hard to lose. That's REALLY discouraging!

[ingenuetwo]

You might want to try to exercise a little longer or exercise at a higher intensity. Supposedly it takes 30 minutes of cardio at the moderate exercise intensity (50 - 70% max heart rate) to burn off the daily glucose stored in your liver and then afterwards you start burning fat. If you don't have a heart rate monitor, then moderate exercise is when you are sweating but can still breath and talk whereas high intensity exercise is harder breathing where you can't talk. Also, what works for me is to have 4-5 days of 1000+ calorie deficit, and then 1-2 days where I reprogram my body with normal eating where there is little to no calorie deficit. Your body starts going into starvation mode if you are in deficit for too long and it will hold onto more calories and store more fat.

Hope this helps.

[Chef_Evie]

I should have mentioned that I am 41. Thank you so much for your response,
but I don't know what a BMR is and how to calculate it.

[Chef_Evie]

Thank you for your kind words. I am not giving up, I would just like to see
some kind of results.

[Dave001]

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@ingenuetwo wrote:

Your body starts going into starvation mode if you are in deficit for too long and it will hold onto more calories and store more fat.

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There is no good quality evidence to support this assertion.

[etvete]

@ingenuetwo is not entirely wrong with what the body does, but @Dave001 is partially correct in that Starvation Mode as people call it doesn't exist. What does exist is called Adaptive Thermogeneisis, where the body's metabolism compensates and adapts to what you are eating on average long term. For some people it doesn't really effect them, for others it can be a 500 - 800 calorie difference. I would suggest googling it if you want more information, most tend to be scientific studies from what I see. There is a pretty good description from TNation (yes is is a body building site, but it is really well described.) It is also quite long so if you just search for the part where Adaptive Thermogenesis is described is easiest.

[etvete]

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@Chef_Evie wrote:
I should have mentioned that I am 41. Thank you so much for your response,
but I don't know what a BMR is and how to calculate it.

---

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/tools/bmr-calculator

Using the information provided I calculate that your BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate) is 1500 calories a day. This means that in a day that you spent laying in bed doing absolutely nothing you would use 1500 calories in order to maintain your body function. Any movement above and beyond that laying in bed will burn extra calories, those combine with your BMR to be your TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure). 

[Chef_Evie]

On your suggestion I have figured out my BMR and TTDE and I have upped my caloric intake to 1700. I hope it helps.

[Chef_Evie]

When I do work out on the elliptical I have a hard time talking and I am sweating like a beast. I think I will add more weights or try HIIT

[Dave001]

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@Dave001 wrote:

---

@ingenuetwo wrote:

Your body starts going into starvation mode if you are in deficit for too long and it will hold onto more calories and store more fat.

---

There is no good quality evidence to support this assertion.

---

Firstly, please allow me to offer my sincere apology to @ingenuetwo. My response to your well intended post last night was curt at very best, perhaps even rude to the point of hostility. That is unacceptable and I beg your pardon. 

Secondly, I'll try to offer a better explanation of why the "starvation mode" theory is little more than myth and misunderstanding. 

I often like like to use an analogy to explain tricky concepts. So please come on a journey with me in which I'm transmogrified into an iPhone! Instead of carrying my energy reserves as fat, they are now a battery. 

If I start my day with my battery at 80% and trickle charge a little as I use my reserves, I might maintain my 80%.

If I have a lazy day and do very little, but stay plugged in, I might increase my battery to 100%.

If however, I have a very busy day and forget to charge up, my battery might drop to 30%.

Everything so far is very easy to apply to maintaining, gaining or losing weight (charge).

But now I'm going on a crazy day out! I'm starting at 95%. But I'm going to leave my charger at home. I'm going to make some calls, take pictures, play games, use GPS and update my Facebook status with alarming regularity. 

All so far, so good. I'm using my charge at a predictable rate. 

But then hen a friend calls and invites me to a club. I'm down to 20%, but go anyway. 

While I'm in the club, I send some text messages and add some pictures to Instagram!

By the time I'm in the taxi heading home, my battery is at 4%. I've gone into "power save" (starvation) mode. I can't do all the things I usually do, but I can can still do the essential stuff I need. In power save mode, my battery will still drain, but at a much slower rate than before. If I use energy, it is still going to come from the battery, I can't magically do things that use power without taking it from the reserves I have. 

If at this stage I don't charge soon, I might slip in to a coma!

I hope this tale helps to explain why "starvation mode" is a myth? If you use energy it must come from somewhere. Whether that is fat or muscle is a story for another day, but the essence is, if you burn energy you will lose weight. What you might not be able to predict is the rate of loss when doing so to extremes. 

[lionsroar]

Hang in there, @Chef_Evie. It has taken me a good while to see any weight related results, as well. I am just a couple of years your senior and have been working out and watching my calorie intake since January. I am finally down a total of 10 pounds. It seemed like forever before that scale moved. In the past, I lost a significant amount of weight much easier and in less time. I don't weigh nearly what I did back then, but I had put back on about 30 of the 100 pounds I had previously lost. I didn't want to add to that number. When I started feeling tempted to be discouraged, I started focusing on other, non-scale related victories. I took note of specific increases in stamina, increased time on cardio workouts, increased weight in resistance training, etc. It helped me get through the weeks of no scale movement, because I knew I was improving my cardiovascular health and building both muscle and bone. Knowing that I was doing something positive for my health, even if the scale wasn't moving, helped me get through the plateau stage. I hope it will do the same for you. 

[Chef_Evie]

Thank you so much for your answer. I am getting so frustrated. I will just
keep plowing on.

[SunsetRunner]

Hang in there @Chef_Evie. Unfortunately this journey can take a long time to see results but stay focused and you will start to see changes. 

[rachiti]

How many steps are you getting in overall during the day?  It could be that your workout sessions are causing you to move less throughout the day and actually reducing the number of calories used by your body.  Additionally, do you have the Fitbit Aria?  It shows body fat as a percentage.  It is possible (as you mention your body being more tone) that you're losing weight at the same rate as gaining muscle at which point if you're only measuring overall weight, you won't see your progress even though it's there.  Even my doctor agrees with that one.

Additionally, at only 1400 calories per day it's also possible that your body thinks you're starving and is hoarding calories and reducing your metabolism to compensate.  Finally, it's also possible that you have a metabolic condition like hypothyroidism that's impeding your progress.  You've been working at this for months and if none of the other things I've mentioned make a difference...then seriously consider seeing a doctor to rule out medical reasons.  If you do see one though be prepared by bringing your fitbit data with you to prove you ARE getting in exercise and eating "right" so they don't dismiss your concerns as "not trying hard enough" even though you are.

Here's my story - I have hypothyroidism.  It causes your metabolism to drop.  I eat 2200 to 2400 calories a day and I get in 30 miles of steps on my fitbit every week.  If I drop my calories under 2000, my weight doesn't budge, if I increase them beyond that my weight goes down for a short while but then increases again.  For me, the sweet spot is 2200 calories of healthy (no diet or "low fat" foods) food & walking and moving every single day throughout the day NOT just a "workout".  In just over a year I've lost nearly 65 pounds.  Not every month has been met with weight loss - even when my calories and movement were the same - that's just something I've learned to accept.  As long as I continue to eat real foods and move, my body has gotten healthier and healthier and will continue to do so.  Oh, final point - eating over 2000 calories per day I've gone from a size 34 pants to a size 18 - so it's quite possible you're simply not eating enough for your metabolism to start burning at maximum capacity.

[rachiti]

Dave001 I eat just over 2000 calories per day and I'm consistently LOSING weight.  If I try to drop below 1900 calories a day, I DON'T lose weight, feel tired and hungry, and move less because of it.  Every body is different.

[Chef_Evie]

First of all thank you for replying. On a normal "non work day" I get in
between 8000 to 10000 steps in (not always including my workouts. Yesterday
there was no time to workout and I hit 8000 steps). I was just at the
doctors and all my blood work came up normal. I have raised my calories up
to 1700, but literally can't manage to eat that much. My issue was always
not eating enough. I try to eat, but I just don't get hungry.
I am trying to be more conscious of my food intake and trying hard to drink
more.

[DanielleinDC]

I'm a few years older than you, and I easily get over 10,000 steps a day on weekdays (not so much on weekends), with walking videos five mornings a week and strength-training two or three afternoons a week when I get home, plus a one-hour barre-type class once a week. (A local BID offers free outdoor fitness classes.) Not to mention I live in a city and rely on public transit. I'm not losing much weight (although maybe I could eat better), but my clothes are fitting more loosely on me. I wish I could say, I want to fit into smaller size jeans than I want to lose X number of pounds.

Remember, a pound of muscle takes up less space than a pound of fat. I've read a couple of stories of women who worked out, got very fit, and lost maybe two pounds total. But the difference in their bodies is incredible.

The fact that you have more stamina is one indicator that you aren't a failure. You also said your legs were more muscular; hey, I think you're doing something right. Perhaps you could change up your routine to target other parts of the body. Maybe you could spend a little less time on the elliptical (especially if your job has you running around a lot) and more time with the weights. Or look for whole-body workout videos that combine cardio and strength.

Whatever you do, don't get discouraged!