Anonymous wrote:You know who also severely restrict calories, workout excessively, swear they are eating healthy and keeping weighing themselves because that damn scale doesn't seem to change?

Those with disordered eating. This thread should have a trigger warning on it.

Anonymous wrote:How are your clothes fitting? Doing what you’re doing with eating and exercise (although I’d cut the awful protein powders and add nuts and nut butters as snacks or components instead) and have a pair of “reference pants”. If your clothes are still fitting the same then some thing is really off. I’d also get your thyroid checked.

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Anonymous wrote:I’ve been working out in the gym with a trainer for about two months. I recently took my cardio outside and it’s definitely using different muscles and INTENSE. I’ve upped my water. I’ve been tracking macros diligently (I paid to have my macros and use a digital scale) I’m in a calorie deficit. I’ve been doing two-a-day intense cardio workouts for three weeks (training for a race) and checked the scale again for the first time a week ago. It hasn’t moved, not even an ounce! I thought the scale was broken, so I changed the batteries, placed weights on the scale (it’s accurate!) and weighted myself on two other scales. Just checked it today and also not an ounce! How is this possible?

I can’t cut calories any more with this level of intensity. I asked. My trainer says “you’re building muscle”. That’s fine, but not even an OUNCE of difference in the scale? What could be going on?

You talk a LOT about exercise but what I really want to know is how is the diet. I know you said you are tracking but what is your current weight, goal weight and your calories? With all that exercise are you possibly eating more than you think?

Are you tracking ALL calories and consistency; how many days out of the month you are hitting your calorie? Should be hitting calorie target at least 85-90% of the time.

How often are you weighing yourself? I find more often gives a better picture as once a week can mask normal weight fluctuations.

Now if you are doing a lot of cardio your body will build glycogen stores/retain more water. This will eventually even out. I know when I trained for a marathon I stored more water and was 3-4 lbs heavier, but as soon as the race was over and I cut back on all the running that went away quickly.

You are probably getting stronger, but like gaining fat building muscle also required a calorie surplus. You can't build fat or muscle without excess energy (calories) to do so.

Not entirely true. First, if you are overweight, your body can absolutely use fat stores as fuel to build muscle. Secondly, the calorie surplus only needs to be right after the lifting. So you eat more calories than you burned right after you lift and then a deficit the rest of the day.

AS for fat, for a long time I had insulin resistance and was technically in a calorie deficit every day, but still gained weight.
The point is, the old rules are not accurate and too simplistic.

Different poster - how did you get out of the insulin resistance?

Metformin, 1000. After two months on it, with zero changes to my diet, I started dropping weight. 20 pounds. I am now maintaining...6 months. For the two years before MF, I was eating about 1400 calories a day with an estimated burn of about 2000-2300. I continued to gain weight. After the metformin, 14-1500 calories got me to drop the weight instead of continually gaining. I now eat about 1700-1800 calories. I am 48 years old.

What were the side effects?

Anonymous wrote:OH nevermind just saw you’re only eating 1300 calories?? That’s insane. Bump it to 1700 and you’ll see more progress, guaranteed. You are not fueling properly.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’ve been working out in the gym with a trainer for about two months. I recently took my cardio outside and it’s definitely using different muscles and INTENSE. I’ve upped my water. I’ve been tracking macros diligently (I paid to have my macros and use a digital scale) I’m in a calorie deficit. I’ve been doing two-a-day intense cardio workouts for three weeks (training for a race) and checked the scale again for the first time a week ago. It hasn’t moved, not even an ounce! I thought the scale was broken, so I changed the batteries, placed weights on the scale (it’s accurate!) and weighted myself on two other scales. Just checked it today and also not an ounce! How is this possible?

I can’t cut calories any more with this level of intensity. I asked. My trainer says “you’re building muscle”. That’s fine, but not even an OUNCE of difference in the scale? What could be going on?

You talk a LOT about exercise but what I really want to know is how is the diet. I know you said you are tracking but what is your current weight, goal weight and your calories? With all that exercise are you possibly eating more than you think?

Are you tracking ALL calories and consistency; how many days out of the month you are hitting your calorie? Should be hitting calorie target at least 85-90% of the time.

How often are you weighing yourself? I find more often gives a better picture as once a week can mask normal weight fluctuations.

Now if you are doing a lot of cardio your body will build glycogen stores/retain more water. This will eventually even out. I know when I trained for a marathon I stored more water and was 3-4 lbs heavier, but as soon as the race was over and I cut back on all the running that went away quickly.

You are probably getting stronger, but like gaining fat building muscle also required a calorie surplus. You can't build fat or muscle without excess energy (calories) to do so.

Not entirely true. First, if you are overweight, your body can absolutely use fat stores as fuel to build muscle. Secondly, the calorie surplus only needs to be right after the lifting. So you eat more calories than you burned right after you lift and then a deficit the rest of the day.

AS for fat, for a long time I had insulin resistance and was technically in a calorie deficit every day, but still gained weight.
The point is, the old rules are not accurate and too simplistic.

Different poster - how did you get out of the insulin resistance?

Metformin, 1000. After two months on it, with zero changes to my diet, I started dropping weight. 20 pounds. I am now maintaining...6 months. For the two years before MF, I was eating about 1400 calories a day with an estimated burn of about 2000-2300. I continued to gain weight. After the metformin, 14-1500 calories got me to drop the weight instead of continually gaining. I now eat about 1700-1800 calories. I am 48 years old.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OH nevermind just saw you’re only eating 1300 calories?? That’s insane. Bump it to 1700 and you’ll see more progress, guaranteed. You are not fueling properly.

NP but how would this even work? If I’m stranded on a deserted island and getting fewer calories, I will drop weight. I won’t drop EVEN MORE weight if another 200 calorie fish swims to shore for my consumption. Can you elaborate because I feel stupid.

Anonymous wrote:OH nevermind just saw you’re only eating 1300 calories?? That’s insane. Bump it to 1700 and you’ll see more progress, guaranteed. You are not fueling properly.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:You may not be eating enough. Your body may think you are in crisis, so is storing calories.

Ya, no, this is not a thing.

Are you an idiot? Of course it’s “a thing.”

No it’s not. If you eat too little you burn muscle and fat for energy. You don’t store the calories you do eat because your body is in “crisis” mode. Like WTF??? If that were the case it wouldn’t be possible to starve to death.

Stop believing this BS. No one is getting fat or holding onto fat because they are eating too little.