Troubleshoot My (Lack of) Weight Loss, Please

[Polaris]

Long time no post, but the short version is: I dropped from 67 kg to 59 over the summer, carefully bulked to 62, maintained over the holidays consistently at 62-63 kg. I was planning to cut to 57 from end of January to mid-March so I could bulk a bit before the summer, but I've had to say bye-bye to that plan because nothing is happening. If anything, my weight is increasing - this morning I weighed 64, and almost fainted and/or cried because I can't recall the last time I weighed that much.

 

I don't understand. I've been told time and time again that CICO works, and it did work for me in the past, though slower than it should have. This time, nothing. According to both IIFYM calculator and my math, my TDEE is around 2000, with 2-3 times lifting and 2 cardio (taekwon-do) per week. I set my daily calories to 1500, made sure I get around/close to 1 gr protein per lbs of body weight, waited. Waited some more, knowing my body was slow to realize what's up. A month. Nothing. At some point I tweaked my macros to more fat and less carbs (except on lifting days), which didn't help, even though I was in ketosis (I knew by the 'oh my god I need caaaarbs' zombie state by day two). And I mean, I didn't even get the initial drop of water weight that usually happens at the start of any diet. Recently (about two weeks ago) I switched to a model where I eat sliiightly over maintenance (2100 cals) on lifting days but am at 1400 cals on other days, thinking maybe my metabolism got somehow stuck because of the constant deficit (which shouldn't happen anyway).

 

I'm lost, I don't know what the hap is f*ckening. I've done this before, so I know the drill - no unlogged snacking or 'accidental' calories from drinks etc., no underestimating the amount of food I eat (I make most of my meals so I know what and how much is in it, and the occasional lunch I eat at uni still has the calories and macros listed and I've got pretty good at guesstimating the amount), nothing like that. There have been days when I've eaten whatever and haven't logged, but that's been about once per three weeks and I don't eat an entire cow even then. I just got a bunch of blood tests taken and the doctor said my thyroid etc. are fine; I'm not on any new medication (aka, that I wasn't on during my marathon cut on summer) that cause weight gain. I did start ADD meds this week*, and while many people with the med say it's made them lose weight, sometimes crazy amounts (like, one pound per day), that hasn't helped me either. (*for actual ADD, I don't take regulated stimulants for weight loss. I'm desperate but not stupid.) And, for added weirdness, I'm just returning from a two-week semi training break due to weird back issue, where I trained only once a week, so my weight should've increased, right? Nope, still same.

 

Does anyone have any idea what is going on? My maintenance can't be 1400 cals/day, that's almost my BMR. I haven't lost inches either, I take measurements. But I really need to cut fat before I can build more muscle, my BF% is 25(my own estimation)-26.9(my scale), that's way too high and I hate all this fluff around my body. I eat about 75% clean (paleo + dairy), my "sins" consist mostly of rice porridge with milk, chocolate and Sodastream light soda.

[Raincloak]

Well, you could start by taking a deep breath.  It's only body mass, and it isn't that much of it.  What's a couple kilos here and there?  I have fluctuations like that every month, and I bet you do, too.  Your new medication is probably making you feel histrionic.  Try to relax.  The world is not coming to an end.  Be proud of what you've achieved so far.

 

25% bf is not bad for a healthy female.  It's not going to win you any swimsuit contests, but it's fine for normal human beings.   (If you are indeed sure that is your bf%; you said you "estimated" it, which suggests eyeballing.  You might get out a tape measure and actually take some numbers of waist/hip, bust, arms, etc.  Bathroom scales will NOT measure bf% accurately, so don't listen to what your scale thinks.)

 

If you want it lower, fine, but it may take more than a month of effort to see new changes.  Particularly when half of that month was "semi break from training."  You lose weight slower when you're thinner, because you have less to lose, it is a law of nature.

 

It might be that you actually need to eat more, even on days when you're not lifting.  I mean, rest days are when you rebuild your tissue, and you want muscle, right?  But I'm not an expert in the bulk/cut stuff so someone who knows more about it should chime in, I guess.

[Noname123]

CICO calculators are not exact. They are an estimate of the average. They likely worked a little better before because you had more weight and bodyfat to play with and the number was low enough for the cut. 

 

If you're not seeing results at all start cutting 100 calories from your total every 10 days to two weeks. Eventually you'll find where you can cut efficiently while making sure you're eating enough for performance and continuing your cut. 

[Polaris]

Well, you could start by taking a deep breath.  It's only body mass, and it isn't that much of it.  What's a couple kilos here and there?  I have fluctuations like that every month, and I bet you do, too.  Your new medication is probably making you feel histrionic.  Try to relax.  The world is not coming to an end.  Be proud of what you've achieved so far.

 

25% bf is not bad for a healthy female.  It's not going to win you any swimsuit contests, but it's fine for normal human beings.   (If you are indeed sure that is your bf%; you said you "estimated" it, which suggests eyeballing.  You might get out a tape measure and actually take some numbers of waist/hip, bust, arms, etc.  Bathroom scales will NOT measure bf% accurately, so don't listen to what your scale thinks.)

 

If you want it lower, fine, but it may take more than a month of effort to see new changes.  Particularly when half of that month was "semi break from training."  You lose weight slower when you're thinner, because you have less to lose, it is a law of nature.

 

It might be that you actually need to eat more, even on days when you're not lifting.  I mean, rest days are when you rebuild your tissue, and you want muscle, right?  But I'm not an expert in the bulk/cut stuff so someone who knows more about it should chime in, I guess.

Actually the new meds are making me less of an anxious ball of worry - that's the magic of stimulants on an already over-stimulated mind. (Btw, you probably meant 'hysteric'? I googled 'histrionic' and that means... something else. )

 

I know 25% BF is not bad for normal female human beings, but it's bad for me. I want to actually LOOK like I lift, which isn't happening now because there's just too much fat in certain places so my hard-earned (albeit still modest) muscles aren't visible. And yeah, it's a visual estimation based on those BF% charts with pictures floating around the internet. All the tape measurement based calculators I've found give me a ridiculously high BF%, like... about 30, and I look way closer to 25 than 30. (I also read that the electric current that scales use only pass through the legs, which might explain the higher reading because I carry like 85% of my fat in my legs and butt.) So, because I need to lose fat, I can't eat the amount of calories it would take to build more muscle before I've got rid of that fat.

 

CICO calculators are not exact. They are an estimate of the average. They likely worked a little better before because you had more weight and bodyfat to play with and the number was low enough for the cut. 

 

If you're not seeing results at all start cutting 100 calories from your total every 10 days to two weeks. Eventually you'll find where you can cut efficiently while making sure you're eating enough for performance and continuing your cut. 

I know they're not exact, but it still stands that my maintenance can't be 1400 cals/day. And it's not like I have much leeway to cut from there without going to a really unhealthy number and/or nuts. It's like no matter how much or how little I eat, my weight and fat stores won't budge; it might increase slowly when I'm on a bulk, but I can eat at maintenance or -500 calories from that and it's not decreasing, which is just illogical, it's not like it can only work one way, right?

 

I took new measurements, and I've lost... one centimeter at the waist. Whee. (Which is probably just less bloat.) Also noticed my left arm has more fat than the right one, don't know what's up with that. Since 1400 calories wasn't doing anything, the current game plan is to a) up to 1600/1700 cal/day and see if I could sneakily shed weight little by little, as I've accidentally done in the past go on LCHF again, it's worked for me in the past, plus it should spare more muscle mass since I can't exercise with my normal routines or intensity (same weird issue continues) c) add a few 20-30 min cardio sessions/week, post-workout, pre-breakfast, or whenever I manage to drag myself to the gym to use the elliptical since it's about the only cardio I can pretty safely do. (No, I can't walk, walking hurts. Or stand up, or roll around in bed, or bow to pick something off the floor... I can do squats, even with weights, but I can't walk.) If anyone has any more input/advice/anything, I'd be grateful.

[Noname123]

I believe that it may be entirely possible that maintenance could be 1700 a day if you're a shorter female with the activity you're doing. That's the average of your 2100 cals during lifting days (3 times a week) and 4 on 1400. Calories don't reset on a daily basis, it's an over time process. Try to cut down on your lifting days and see if you see a shift. 

[QuothTheDragon]

Hello fellow medicated ADHD-er! First thing's first- don't expect to drop a ton of weight just due to the meds. It happens to some people because the appetite suppression hits them hard. I only have a touch of appetite suppression after a year of being on them. (Side note: supposedly, stims can also raise your BMR. I act like this doesn't exist because any extra cals burnt can just surprise me.)

 

Second, deep breath. If you just started meds, they can make you feel a bit 'up' and intense at first. This will go away if it's the right med & dose for you (doesn't mean that the meds aren't working, you want to build a tolerance to the side effects!).

 

Slates had a great suggestion with dropping by 100 calories every week or two and see when you begin to see a difference. It may also be worth staying where you're at and giving yourself another month or so. That will let you adjust to your meds and see if things just needed more time.

 

On a related note, one of the biggest differences I've seen with being medicated is that I have a better perspective on time. Right now, it may seem like it's been forever since you've seen change and you need to try everything right now(!!!) or else change will never happen. The hardest thing I've learned is that things like this needed to be handled with patience. Continuing what you're doing for another 2-4 weeks is a very good idea. It's not very stimulating (in that you won't necessarily feel like you're doing everything you can because jerkbrain), but progress isn't generally exciting all the time.

 

 

(Sorry if that came off too ADHD/meds-oriented, I just know some of what you might be going through there haha)

[Polaris]

O hai, another lady with ADHD! It's good to hear from others with overdrive brain.

 

I know the meds act as an appetite suppressor, but I found it hard to attribute a pound per day weight loss to just that. I'm hoping for a BMR raise because I feel like mine's generally really sluggish. (I also have mysterious fatigue issues, which might or might not be related.) And I am in LOVE with my medication right now because it makes me feel so much better, so much... sharper? Like, when you have bad eyesight and everything's just fuzzy without glasses, these meds are like glasses for my brain. I'm less tired throughout the day, less anxious and neurotic, more focused and in control, even more articulate. I still have Wandering Thought Syndrome when I'm reading course books, though they are very boring, and I can redirect my attention more quickly now. The only downside is, I hate how I am on off-days, or when the med wears off, now that I know how much better I can be.

 

Anyhow - I still have almost total appetite suppression, which I only view as a positive thing. I hate feeling hungry, and I used to snack out of bad habits and boredom rather than actual need. Now I just have to learn to remember to eat, tracking all my food helps though.

 

My weight's creeped down towards 62 kg for an entire week, this morning it was 62.0. I'm hoping it'll continue to drop. It might have something to do with the fact that I've had some very low-calorie days - like around or below 1000 - because I've forgotten to eat, or I've slept off my sleeping debts most of the day. Or the low-carb diet. Whatever it is, I'm continuing on keto, my calorie limit is still 1600-1700 but I might end up eating less. So many people claim that macros don't matter, only calories do, but I've noticed my body seems to respond better to lack of carbs. I don't get that lack of energy either that some people report, quite the opposite; I ended up doing about an hour of almost-fasted cardio today and I felt better than normally.

[QuothTheDragon]

O hai, another lady with ADHD! It's good to hear from others with overdrive brain.

 

I know the meds act as an appetite suppressor, but I found it hard to attribute a pound per day weight loss to just that. I'm hoping for a BMR raise because I feel like mine's generally really sluggish. (I also have mysterious fatigue issues, which might or might not be related.) And I am in LOVE with my medication right now because it makes me feel so much better, so much... sharper? Like, when you have bad eyesight and everything's just fuzzy without glasses, these meds are like glasses for my brain. I'm less tired throughout the day, less anxious and neurotic, more focused and in control, even more articulate. I still have Wandering Thought Syndrome when I'm reading course books, though they are very boring, and I can redirect my attention more quickly now. The only downside is, I hate how I am on off-days, or when the med wears off, now that I know how much better I can be.

 

Anyhow - I still have almost total appetite suppression, which I only view as a positive thing. I hate feeling hungry, and I used to snack out of bad habits and boredom rather than actual need. Now I just have to learn to remember to eat, tracking all my food helps though.

 

My weight's creeped down towards 62 kg for an entire week, this morning it was 62.0. I'm hoping it'll continue to drop. It might have something to do with the fact that I've had some very low-calorie days - like around or below 1000 - because I've forgotten to eat, or I've slept off my sleeping debts most of the day. Or the low-carb diet. Whatever it is, I'm continuing on keto, my calorie limit is still 1600-1700 but I might end up eating less. So many people claim that macros don't matter, only calories do, but I've noticed my body seems to respond better to lack of carbs. I don't get that lack of energy either that some people report, quite the opposite; I ended up doing about an hour of almost-fasted cardio today and I felt better than normally.

 

Oh yes, I remember starting meds. It was glorious. Your glasses metaphor is perfect for it. Suddenly, you realize that your feeling that everyone around you had figured something out and you missed it is validated! They have a nice little brain secretary whereas you've been dealing with having one that's permanently out to lunch. Just remember, this feeling will last for 3-6 months, then the focus you feel now will be your new normal. Now is the time to build good habits and get your life together. It's really freaking difficult to try to learn years and years of life skills by yourself!

 

Give your body a chance to get used to the meds. That appetite suppression should start going away or at least localizing itself to only part of the day (mornings for me!). If low carb works for you, then keep it up! Personally, it tends to destroy me after a few days if I'm working out a lot. I just make sure I'm not going crazy-overboard with them.

 

I'm glad the meds are helping though! Us ADHD-ladies need to stick together haha.

[No Regrets Lifestyle]

There will always be ups and downs in weight loss so avoid looking at the scale. The fact is if you continue to workout hard, change things up and keep your diet in check, then you will get your results. If you are so focused on the scale and numbers, then you will be demoralized as it is natural for the bodys weight to fluctuate. Water weight, and also, muscle weigh more than fat so the scale is not always accurate to judge fitness level or progress.

 

Are you changing up your workouts? Something that will happen to everyone is hitting a pleataeu. Your body needs constant changes in its routine, whether thats different reps ranges, or a whole different style of training. Also, are you resting enough? A lot of times when you feel like you are not moving towards your goals as fast as you like, you tend to push harder in the gym or go more often when really your body is asking for a day to relax and recuperate. Take these into consideration and just dont give up, youre doing it all right. Try this type of training to raise your metabolism:

 

[Flagwaver]

 The scale is a liar and a thief.  It will tell you that you aren't doing anything and take your morale.  I'm not saying that you should never weigh yourself, just don't do it every day or even week.  You should weigh yourself monthly.  But, don’t just weigh yourself.

 

You should be taking body measurements and judging yourself based on those.  Most of your Resolution exercisers stop after about a month because they don’t see any change in their weight.  The problem is that they’re losing fat and gaining muscle at a rate to make the scale not move a great deal.  Using measurements, you can track how much your body changes.  This also includes caliper or circumference measurements of your BFI (the real number when it comes to losing fat).

There are various methods to measure, but I like the ones shown in the video below.