Not Losing Weight

[SunsetRunner]

Good afternoon!

I've been going at this by myself, but I finally decided to stop in and see what others may say.

In the past (while I was in college), I was very active, but a couple of years ago I got a full-time job, marriage and all the fun responsibilities, so I stopped working out like I used to (7 days a week, with breaks only if I had a cold).

I've been bringing myself back into it, but the weight doesn't seem to be coming off. It's frustrating! I only weight myself once a week on a Monday, to log it before I start the week off. For the past 3 of those, I barely saw any change, apart from 2 pounds initially.

Hence, a question of how accurate is FitBit tracking. I tend to presume it's not AWFULLY accurate, in terms of calorie burn during exercise, but what about other aspects?

I work out 6 days a week for 1.5 hours (intensive circuit for 30 minutes & elliptical for 30 minutes before and after that), my average calorie intake for a day is around 1500, which is a comfortable range for me, and allows me the benefit of eating a bit more on the weekends, when I want to have a meal out with family, for example.

Still, the fact that the weight isn't coming off is frustrating. What could be an issue? Just looking for feedback from people who've been through the process.

My averages / day:

Steps - 12000

Floors - 7

Miles - 5.2

Calorie Burn - 4000

Active Minutes - 125

Stats:

Height - 6ft

Weight, atm: 262lbs

To note after all that: I do have a lot of muscle. I did close combat martial arts for a while, so I have absolutely zero issue with exercise in terms of intensity (it's hard as hell, but my body can manage it still). Obviously, it's not perfect and I want to die after each workout, but I don't feel like I'm working at max capacity, yet.

I don't feel restricted with food, either, but I am wondering if FitBit tracks calories well. I eat almost the same thing every day though, and it's fine accourding to MyFitnessPal, as well.

Any ideas?

[Gimpycat]

Your exercise is not the problem. It's probably a question of what you eat and when you eat.

Do NOT count your calories. This almost never works in the long run! You have to bring your insulin levels down before you burn fat, and there are a few ways to do this, including intermittent fasting, which has worked incredibly well for me.

Start by tuning into The Obesity Code podcast with Dr. Jason Fung. If you follow the principles of insulin reduction and get your hormones in balance, you will lose weight. 

Also read a few articles on NEAT -- non-exercise thermogenesis.

[PappyJ]

GimpyC:
Thank you for taking the time to respond to my post! Since my original posting, my wife & I have embarked on a clean eating programme which so far is really giving us excellent results. I’m sure I already knew it, but by carefully recording caloric intake, I can readily see that I was taking in a lot of calories from mindless eating habits. I had not heard of your posted theories and I will definitely be investigating them further. We realize these life strategies we are adopting, will help not only achieve our goals but also maintain them in the long run. In the past we have “lost” weight only to let the bad habit return by dropping our guard. This time we will keep at it until they become engrained….our new good eating habits.

Cheers!
Lyle

[Dominique]

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@PappyJ wrote:
I had not heard of your posted theories and I will definitely be investigating them further.

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@PappyJ: be aware that Jason Fung believes and professes that 1) calories don’t matter (too bad now that you’ve noticed they actually do matter), and 2) everything revolves around evil carbs and evil insulin that are united in a conspiracy to make (or keep) you fat.

[pjf53]

Pappy J,

Congratulations.  It sounds like you and your better half are well on your way to a fantastic journey.  

If you are inclined read the book "The Inflammation Syndrome".  It generally promotes a balanced diet based on protein, fat, and carbohydrates.  The catch is to consume good carbs, good fats, and good proteins.  What is interesting is you can consume a lot of good carbs because they are generally lower in calories than sugar heavy carbs.  Good fats are a bit different.  As I understand it Trans fats are always bad.  The next bad thing is fat  "contaminated" with introduced materials e.g. antibiotics and feed supplements.  That is why "organic" and wild caught proteins are considered better for you.  I generally avoid beef except for a treat but otherwise don't worry about animal fats.  

I'm a Type 2 diabetic due to years of eating abuse. I take meds to increase insulin production to lower my blood sugar.  The point is in some situations lowering insulin is a bad idea although it does play a role in inflammation. Because of the diabetes I eat a higher fat diet most of which comes from nuts, avocados and olives/olive oil.  I'm about to come off the meds due to favorable blood sugar improvements due to a healthier diet.  

Dominiques input matches my thinking on both eating and exercise.  The only point I'd make is it is easier to exercise if you are enjoying it.  It is not unusual to pick up a sport as you age.  I started biking at 55 and  playing tennis at 59 and am finally getting reasonably good at 65.

If you haven't discovered aged balsamic vinegar try it.  It has a wonderful flavor and is low in calories.

[Gimpycat]

More on diets -- ongoing calorie restriction will actually slow your metabolism, a fact that has been validated in several studies. That's why you always regain the weight -- and then some -- when you begin eating normally.

A better approach is intermittent fasting. The body reacts very differently. Short term fast actually boosts metabolism, lowers insulin, and comes with a host of health benefits.

I do two 24 or 36-hour fasts per week, I skip breakfast on Saturday and Sunday, and I do 3 or 4 day fasts every few months. I lost over 50 lbs last year and continue to shed body fat with this approach, even though I'm very close to my ideal weight.

[Dominique]

@Gimpycat: first of all, congrats for your impressive weight loss! However, you didn’t lose 50 pounds by being in a caloric surplus, or even at equilibrium. Just because you don’t count calories doesn’t mean you don’t restrict them. With intermittent fasting, you’ve found a way to restrict calories that works for you (hence the weight loss). And it would really have been a pity if you lost all the weight from lean tissue rather than fat: while losing 50 pounds, it can be expected a large portion will come from fat, regardless of diet and eating style (IF vs. frequent meals).

[Gimpycat]

The point is that continual calorie restriction will slow your metabolism,
intermittent fasting will not.

Not only have I lost weight, I've gained a considerable amount of muscle.
So the actual fat loss probably exceeds 50 lbs.

I was 30 lbs into my fat loss before I tried intermittent fasting. What the
fasting did, which I was never able to manage before, was help me lose the
most difficult last few lbs and keep the weight off. I'm no longer young,
and yet I have definition in my upper body that I haven't had since I was
30.

[pjf53]

Gimpycat,  

My experience is different.  I've restricted calories while increasing activity and am confident I've avoided "starvation mode" while increasing my metabolism.  I'm just arriving at my intermittent goal and will be increasing my calorie count to slow down my weight loss and adjust my consumption closer to my end goal diet with a desire to lose the last 10 pounds slowly.  There is overlap in your approach and my approach in controlling bad carbs and fats.  

There is no question reverting to bad habits will quickly reverse the weight loss efforts.  The key is to develop a healthy life long diet.  I've fallen prey to reverting and hope to succeed this time.  It will likely come down to no alcohol, no added sugar, and no deep fried foods.  I find all three to be addictive.

I know of some very well built men who do intermittent fasting because it enables exactly what you are saying and it does work for them.  If I get to a point where I can not seem to lose the bit of spare tire I have left I may try the fasting but for the time being I'm pretty happy with the results I am getting.  I recently added weight lifting to my routine and definitely like those results.

By the way you probably lost muscle mass and fat during your first 30 pounds of weight loss unless you were deploying measures to maintain and/or build muscle.

Bottom line is congratulations for taking control and finding something that works for you.  That is not easy for most. 

[SunsetRunner]

@Gimpycat  conngratulations on your results!

According to this literature review (meta-study): http://lambdastrength.com/intermittent-fasting/, 1) being in an overall caloric deficit will slow your metabolism, whether you are on an IF protocol or not. If you compare being on an IF protocol with having say 3 meals every day, with the same overall caloric intake, there is no difference in RMR. 2) In one study with rats on an every-other-day IF protocol on maintenance caloric intake, there was a measurable fat redistribution "...from visceral to subcutaneous depots without altering body weight overall". However, this effect has not yet been studied in humans.

So, this could in fact explain your results with getting rid of stubborn visceral fat, combined with being in a caloric deficit.

IF is in itself not a magic bullet for losing fat. It's all about being in a caloric deficit, and using whatever nutrition protocol that makes it easiest for you to consitently adhere to your caloric goals.

Another thing, when your body fat drops to about 10% and below, you will become very muscular looking with as little as an extra 10-15 lbs of muscle.

[Gimpycat]

My exercise routines are based on weights first -- P90X and kettlebell --
and cardio second. I keep cardio sessions short, but make sure that I also
move a lot. Yesterday I was lifting more weight than I had in years, prior
to major surgery. So no, I'm not terribly concerned about muscle loss.

[AmySterling]

I would think the calories might be off too!

[Gimpycat]

Yup, estimates are probably on the high side. Although I do find Fitbit to
be much better than online calculators or gym equipment like treadmills and
ellipticals.

[Dominique]

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@SunsetRunner wrote:

... with as little as an extra 10-15 lbs of muscle.

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This makes me smile, because it makes it sound like adding that amount of muscle is child play. Well, maybe if you’re a male teenager or in their early twenties with good genetics. If you’re a woman or an older guy like me, it could take years of dedicated training and proper eating to add that much muscle mass. I actually don’t think I’ll ever be able to add that muscle in the rest of my lifting "career". I do agree that being leaner creates the illusion of being more muscular. I tried to illustrate that with photos of my own physique at different body fat % level.

[Buzybee8196]

Maybe your not eating enough... I had this problem when I used to work out intensively for 2-3 hours a day.  My brother in law who owned the gym I was at during that time told me I worked out like an athlete so my body was hanging on to everything I took in.  His suggestion was to cut back on intensity, so I did and lost weight rapidly after that and hit my goal pretty quickly.  Just a thought.

[kasayounga]

I have heard this as well. I myself am hitting plateaus week after week, barely losing anything, with some ups and downs of weight on the day by day. I run an average deficit of 2300 kcal. I have been told to back down on the exercise to match my intake. Would the same be true if I were to increase the kcal in to match my activity? I ask for two reasons. First, I keep hearing it as decreasing outgo to match income and not ever the other way around. Second, one of the reasons for me doing fitbit is to become a more active person and it scares me a bit to decrease the activity I have maintained for 2 months.

Any thoughts?

Thanks,

kasayounga

[Jeff_W]

First, sounds like you are really doing great with willpower & energy;  keep it up!!!  Second, I suggest you  try varying your diet.  For me, carbs are evil (especially the liquid ones... beer).  I swapped oatmeal for eggs in the morning and starting losing weight within a week. 

The biggest thing I didn't see you mention is WATER.  I have a hard time late in the afternoon and always went to caffeine and a snack for energy.  I recently started intentionally drinking a whole water bottle first with a promise to myself that if I am still hungry/tired then a coffee and protein bar will follow.  That protein bar in my lunch-bag has been there ever since!  Try tracking your water intake with the Fitbit app and see if that helps.  Go for 64 oz at first and work your way up.  I have the Thermos Smart Water Bottle and it helps me a lot.

Personally, I weigh myself daily to minimize the minor error in scale measurements.  The weight TREND is what is important, not the specific weight on any one day.  I use the Fitbit Aria and I like that it records & stores the data for me in the Fitbit app.

Looks like you got a lot of replies!  Take a moment to feel the positivity of the community!! We are all in this together!  Happy Mother's Day!

[YJK]

Thank you for this very helpful message and your kind wishes.

Sent from Yahoo Mail on Android

[PappyJ]

Jogger!
Thanks for the feedback! We’ve been at it now for some 4 1/3 months and have both dropped 25 lbs. About half way there. We actually lost 27 lbs but went away on a 2 week cruise where we gained 4 lbs & lost 3 of ‘em after we got back. Now we are off to Vancouver for two weeks so another challenge awaits! I think it’s called life! 😛

It will be a journey for the rest of our life I think!

Cheers!
Lyle

Sent from my iPhone

[YJK]

Hi Lyle,coming to Vancouver? We live here! Can you please tell me what exactly you did to lose the 25 lbs? What would an average day look like food wise. Any supplements?

Sent from Yahoo Mail on Android

[Duffpic]

Do yourself a favor and commit to logging in EVERYTHING you eat for a week. That means (unfortunately) getting a scale and measuring exact portions or weighing and logging what you are actually eating.  I was having the same issue - this past week I decided to do this. Well... let me tell you.. what I "THOUGHT" I was eating calorie wise was way off.  I have spent the week measuring the wine at night, even veggies, etc.  Because of this I have found that the snacking I was doing was my enemy - and I was consuming WAY more than I imagined.  I have started not eating what I did previously and found after a week I've lost 4 pounds just by being truthful and tracking.  I am not eating things I used to because I don't want to have to log it in - I found myself truly sticking to eating 1,500 calories - I probably was eating over 2,000 before doing this.  Try it for a week ... it's a real eye opener!