Not losing weight but exercising and counting calories/macros?

[delisuzy]

I am 5' 7" and weigh 270 pounds.  I have been religiously riding my recumbant bike every morning before I go to work and have been working really hard at eating the right foods and decreasing my calorie count. I also do some weight work every day along with cardio.  I almost always get at least 9,000 steps in.  I still don't seem to be able to lose any weight. Any ideas?  I have had a hip replaced and certain exercises are not an option for me.

[JLC614]

How are your clothes fitting? If you are doing weight work as well you maybe gaining muscle as well which maybe why you aren't seeing movement on the scale. Try checking your measurements instead of weight on the scale.

[Dominique]

@delisuzy: for how long have you been doing this? which Fitbit tracker do you have? What average caloric deficit do you have, based on calories burned as estimated by your Fitbit and your dietary intake as logged by you? It’s possible your Fitbit is overestimating your energy expenditure. For instance, right now (9.20pm) my Surge says I’ve burned 2,744 calories so far, while my Alta HR says 3,074 calories. Estimating energy expenditure with an activity tracker isn’t exact science, there’s a margin of error.

You may want to plug in your numbers in an online calculator such as this one. Based on the description of your activity and your step count, I would put your activity level somewhere between "light" and "moderate".

Also take into account calculators and Fitbit use a standard equation that assumes an average metabolism. However, we are all different and may have higher or lower metabolism, for instance based on our diet history.

You need to fine-tune your intake and/or your activity until you reach the real caloric deficit needed for weight loss.

[Daves_Not_Here · Accepted solution]

Hi @delisuzy - congrats on your efforts and welcome!  My opinion is that weight loss is 90% about eating and 10% about exercise.  My suggestion is to focus on your eating, track ALL your consumption, and confirm you are at a significant calorie deficit.

May I gently challenge you?  You mention that you "have been working really hard at eating the right foods and decreasing my calorie count".  Very gently:  I suggest that working hard, selecting the right foods, or decreasing calorie count does not cause weight loss.  Eating less calories than you burn causes weight loss.  If you burn 3,000 calories per day and reduce your eating from 3,500 to 3,000 calories per day, you will not lose weight, no matter how healthy the foods are and no matter how hard it feels like you are working.  And if you became overweight, as I did, you are accustomed to eating more calories than you burn.

Here are actions I suggest you try, if you have not already:

• Use a food scale -- it's easy to visually underestimate portion sizes.  A scale helps train your eye.
• Log EVERYTHING you eat, without fail.  Eat a single potato chip, enter it.  You will be amazed at how grazing calories add up.  Plus, knowing you will have to log every nibble acts as a gentle deterrent to snacking.
• Reduce your appetite - 8 glasses of water a day, satiating breakfast, 8 hours of sleep, low glycemic index carbs, no artificial sweeteners (if you like drink diet soda, do so after you have had 8 glasses of water, if you can), an avocado a day in quarters
• Reduce exercise intensity - (I'm alone here on this) if all your exercise leaves you with an increased appetite, I think it makes it harder to eat less.  I don't think you can burn enough calories to offset an increased appetite.  At least mortals like me that have no willpower.  Also, you may find when you work out hard, you feel entitled to eat more (I do).

PS - I feel your pain - a few months ago, I was stuck in the same rut - constantly exercising, "eating right", but not losing - I'm the fittest fat guy in Southern California.  It wasn't until I got serious about changing my eating did I start to lose.