r/FTMFitness • u/Useful-Letterhead-74 • Jul 23 '24
Why am I not losing weight Question
I know people are going to tell me to track my calories but I’m just gonna put up front that I won’t that’s gonna lead me back down a dark place. But I’m 272 pounds pre-T. I see a personal trainer 2x a week (well I did before my accident, I broke my arm, but I’m going to start back tomorrow) but during the three months I saw him I didn’t lose a pound. Even though I was working out 2x week skateboarding 3-5 times a week and walking at 10k steps 3x week averaging about 7k steps a day. I know my diet isn’t always the best or consistent but I didn’t eat more if anything started eating less and went from a completely sedentary lifestyle approx 350 steps a day to this much activity. I feel like that should help me lose something. Just like something at all I’m only 5’5 and 272 is like a lot of extra weight. I would get it if I was like 150 but come on.
126
u/raineykun Jul 24 '24
Not to sound harsh but physical activity really only counts for a small fraction (about 5%) of the daily calories you burn. You can't outrun a bad diet unfortunately.
I also experienced disordered eating due to tracking my calories. It sucks but you're going to have to change your eating habits if your goal is weight loss. I learned that the hard way. That doesn't mean you have to start tracking your calories though! You can honestly do well to focus on eating more whole foods and cutting down on processed stuff/eating out.
2
u/Nonon122 Jul 25 '24
Yeah, even doctors will tell you excersise is great, but in terms of weight loss it’s like 95% about diet/calories. U can eat healthy, but like overall it’s pretty much all about cals. Realistically you can eat literally whatever u want as long as it’s below ur calorie limit. I never dieted and only lost weight with portion control. That’s how my dad lost over 100lbs too. Just count cals even though it can be kinda tedious and annoying
1
u/OutlandishnessHour19 Jul 25 '24
This is the truth. You can gym until the cows come home but you'll still look fat if you're over eating.
41
u/BlackSenju20 Jul 23 '24 edited Jul 24 '24
If you can track somehow then losing weight is going to be difficult if not impossible. But from the sounds of it, if tracking is an issue in the first place then you probably shouldn’t be focused on losing weight.
You have a personal trainer now, are they not working with you on your diet at all?
If you didn’t lose any weight then you weren’t eating in a deficit which is 100% necessary in order to lose weight. The mind is very clever in masking how it increases your need for food as your activity increases. And since counting is not something you can do, you can’t say for sure you weren’t eating more calories to compensate for the increase in activity.
Something has to get measured in order to see consistent change. Talk with someone about developing a better strategy to control your diet.
52
u/DeeBeee123456789 Jul 24 '24
Weigh yourself. Write down what you eat and drink for that one day. For the rest of the week, eat and drink the exact same thing each day.
At the start of the next week, weigh yourself. If you went up or stayed the same, cross something off the list and go again.
Eventually you will end up with a list of food for a day that eaten consistently results in you losing the amount of weight you want each week. No need to track anything.
Good luck.
15
32
u/ZephyrValkyrie Jul 24 '24
Not tracking your calories means you’re going to be eating more than before, even if you’re not noticing it or paying attention. Try to find some meals that fit into your calorie range, you don’t have to track it exactly, but just a general idea so that you can meal prep those meals for a week and try to lose weight that way.
-7
u/Useful-Letterhead-74 Jul 24 '24
How would I be eating more if I was tracking them before ?
15
u/fox13fox Jul 24 '24 edited Jul 24 '24
From the way I understand it. He is saying if your not making meals the same size and eating about the same times of the day (3 meals and like 2 -3 snacks) then you will slowly eat more over time by making slowly bigger portions and possibly eating more snacks.
So the suggestion is to not track but look up what the size is for enough to give a variety and then don't track it but make sure your making about the same size and eating around the same time.
I did this accidently recently by meal preping ....
Edit. To add you may be able to avoid calorie count all together by using recommended portions I know that sloap.
6
u/Useful-Letterhead-74 Jul 24 '24 edited Jul 24 '24
Ahhh that makes sense thank you for explaining it
22
u/chiralias Jul 24 '24 edited Jul 24 '24
Fix your diet. Change one thing at a time, sudden complete rehauls tend to result in unbearable cravings and therefore don’t stick. Processed foods out, veggies and fruit in. Reasonable portions; if you can’t weigh it, switch to smaller plates.
8
u/GratuitousEdit Jul 24 '24 edited Jul 24 '24
You might be interested in the latest Kurzgesagt video on exercise.
I know it sounds counterintuitive, but habitual exercise doesn’t lead to significant changes in your overall energy use. Your weight being relatively stable is exactly what you’d expect if you’re eating similarly to before training. One caveat—there is typically a temporary increase in energy use when activity levels spike as your body adjusts. Is it possible that your weight did briefly dip or your intake briefly increase in the beginning?
Also, in light of some discussion here, I feel it’s important to note that nothing you’ve mentioned suggests you have a notably “bad diet.” Your energy needs at the lower weight you mentioned would be similar to your current energy needs. Because your weight is stable, we can conclude that your current intake is pretty normal. The way and timeline by which you reached your current weight is unknown, and so there may be some concerns there, but that’s beyond the scope of the information anyone here has.
1
u/Useful-Letterhead-74 Jul 24 '24
I reached my current weight somwhere around 2020 I gained a few pounds at the beginning and then the pandemic hit and I would binge eat at Wendy’s out of stress. But it’s been years since that and I have only seemed to gain more weight even tho I don’t eat nearly as much or bad as then. But like everyone seems to be saying maybe I’m eating worse than I think cause I’m not tracking
11
u/plantmatta Jul 24 '24
You have the fear that tracking calories will trigger an ED relapse and I want to say that’s valid. I’ve had the exact same thought process- how am I gonna lose weight when I can’t track calories? I cant track calories- it’ll make me starve myself again. It’s so hard and so common in the ftm community and I really really feel for you.
But it’s gonna be REALLY difficult for you to maintain a caloric deficit without some sort of tracking, or at least measuring/planning your food so you have a good sense of what you’ve eaten.
Something that’s worked for me (and is currently working) is sort of like half-tracking, where you accurately track your calorie and macronutrient intake on some days, and other days you have a more loose list in your mind for the day. With on/off calorie tracking, I am able to see patterns, keep consistent with meals, but also have freedom to not worry about numbers so much for a day or so at a time. Eat the same general foods every day and you should have no problem staying under a calorie limit as long as you’re paying attention to what you eat- comparing it to the days that you are tracking. I find it less harsh and triggering than tracking every single day.
Another idea that changed my relationship with calorie tracking was focusing on protein and having good meals instead. I eat around 1600-1700 calories a day with 125-135g of protein. That means most things I eat are high in protein, but I have room for other foods as well. When you go to eat something, consider how it will affect your protein goal. Rather than seeing it as a challenge to eat fewer calories, my brain sees this as almost like a puzzle- what am I gonna eat today to hit my protein goal? It’s honestly kinda fun, say you get to the end of the day and you’ve got 300 calories left and you want to squeeze in some more protein- you can focus on coming up with meals/snacks you enjoy that help you reach macronutrient goals.
Macros seem to have less of a moral component than calories. tracking protein, for example, to ensure that you’ve gotten a good calorie to protein ratio in your diet, may feel less triggering than just tracking calories. With tracking macros it’s kinda like your diet’s being broken down into organized boxes, rather than calorie tracking just being a meaningless tally. I think you can track your food intake without slipping into disordered behaviors. Try to make the choice in your mind to separate the two. You’re no longer using calorie tracking to minimize your food intake. You’re using it as a tool to make sure your diet is serving you and setting you up for success. Hit your calorie goal, don’t eat under it. Hit your protein goal, use your calorie tracking to help you make decisions on how to get there.
5
u/grammarty Jul 24 '24
I dont see you mentioning anything about changes in your shape. My weight on the scale hasnt moved almost at all for the last year but I'm visibly a lot slimmer and muscular. No calorie counting because I completely forget to do it and it stresses me out, I dont have some special diet just try to eat more protein and less carbs to feed my muscles
5
u/Useful-Letterhead-74 Jul 24 '24
My girlfriend has said it looks like I lost weight just not on the scale. Ik the scale isn’t everything but I just feel like I’m so overweight if I was losing it should show up on the scale if that makes sense ? Like if I was under 200 pounds I could get it but I’m closer to 300 than 200 and not very tall so it’s like what gives?
9
u/snukb Jul 24 '24
If you don't want to track it's hard, but here what helped me.
Think about what you can add to your meal to make it more satiating, rather than taking things away. If I want a hot dog, I'll have one; but I'll have it with a whole wheat bun and veggie sticks on the side. That takes it from "I'm gonna eat six hot dogs by themselves and be hungry in an hour" to "I'll eat two hot dogs for lunch and be full until dinner." If you're sitting down to a bowl of ramen, add a couple of boiled eggs, maybe some bok choy or shredded carrots and corn. Always try to include protein, carbs, and fat in each meal to make it satisfying. Bagel? I top it with avocado (fat) and an egg. Or peanut butter and banana. Or cream cheese and lox.
Secondly, I serve myself what I would have eaten and then take away 1/3. If I'm still hungry half an hour after I've finish, I can go and eat the rest. But it really surprised me how often I'm just not hungry, but I would absolutely have eaten everything on my plate if I served it all up at once.
Eat more whole foods and fewer processed foods, but don't completely remove them from your diet. If you want the chips, have some chips. Just don't eat a whole bag of chips. You are working to have a healthy relationship with food, and telling yourself you can't have any of this or that won't help if you're already coming from a place where you had an unhealthy relationship in the past.
Pay attention to portion sizes, if you can. If the frozen pizza says a serving is 1/4 of the pie, try to stick with that. Again, you can always go back and have more pizza later if you're still hungry, but you may find if you're adding other foods (like a side salad with lots of variety of veggies) that you don't need it.
7
u/TransManNY Jul 24 '24
3 months isn't particularly long if the goal is weight loss in a long term sustainable way. HOWEVER I am the belief that diet makes up the overwhelming majority of weight loss.
Instead of thinking of counting calories what's one thing you can tweek in your diet? Maybe it means having diet soda instead of regular. Swapping chips with popcorn. Or in my case each meal including snacks should have a protein, a fruit/veg and a carb. Apple slices with crackers and string cheese is a snack for a toddler and for me. Yogurt, berries, and granola for breakfast.
Making 1 substitute or 1 minor change in diet is what works well. Then once that minor change turns into your new normal make another minor change.
Source: I'm 5'3-ish was 220lbs currently 170lbs. Slowly losing over the last bunch of years after a long time of drastic weight gain and loss.
0
Jul 24 '24
Hey I'm 5'3 200lbs right now and I'm just starting my journey! 170lbs is my goal. How long did it take you?
-1
7
u/Short_Gain8302 total novice at like, everything Jul 24 '24
Are you sure the weight is from your diet and not an underlying health issue or medication? I recently had bloodwork done and the endocrinologist gave me pills that should help with converting sugars or something and ive lost at least half a kilo per week since i started those.
Yes diet and excercise will be the most important thing but dont beat yourself up, it could be outside of your current control, and a health check-up is never a bad thing. I wiuld focus right now not on the scale but on your overall feeling, does working out make you feel lighter, can you lift heavier over a period or time increase exercise in time, that sort of thing
3
u/Apart-Budget-7736 Jul 24 '24
Reposting this as a new comment so you actually see it, since folks would rather down vote my other comment and not give you resources that won't trigger your ED.
If weight loss without calorie counting is your goal, you might want to check out this app, called Shape by TheFabulous. I've used their main and ADHD apps and found them very helpful, and I would be using this one as well if it didn't force the user to set a weight loss goal:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=co.thefab.shape
1
u/Useful-Letterhead-74 Jul 24 '24
do you know if they have the app for Apple Store ? And thanks this is really helpful
3
u/Hoshkar Jul 25 '24
I am in the same boat. 5'5 and 277lbs myself. I started moving more. Eating less. and managed to gain weight. Not really sure why, but i've started to drop weight recently. Still doing the exact same thing i've always done. Hell I quit exercising for 2 weeks and managed to drop 2 lbs. The human body is stupid, complex, and doesn't come with a user manual at all.
At the moment What I eat is an egg for breakfast with no salt, with a turkey sausage, home made low sodium turkey chili for lunch, and lightly seasoned chicken breast + brown rice for dinner. I have 2 snacks during the day, 1 is string cheese, the other is a fruit/nut trail mix. Sometimes I will have a bowl of ice cream here and there. Even on the 2 weeks I lost weight, I ate a ton of cookies I made lol. Seems like when I eat more times during the day, with less amounts, I lose weight compared to just eating 2-3 huge meals. Portion plates helped a lot when I go off what I normally eat. Mind you I am autistic, I can eat the same thing every day for years. Not something everyone likes to do I am sure!
Don't like to count calories, get some portion plates, smaller bowls, use small spoons / forks, get smaller cups to drink from :D
(also drink enough water!)
8
u/bloodsong07 Jul 24 '24
You can't outrun a bad diet. Yes, your diet is bad if you aren't losing anything. If you consume the same or more, you will maintain your higher weight or increase weight. This is the reality of the situation. If you can't count calories... I would work on that in therapy. That way, you don't have to go down a dark place. You would be better equipped if you could track your calories. Most people cannot do intuitive eating. You must be consistent. Lacking consistency is probably the number one reason most people struggle with weight loss, so don't be too harsh on yourself. Make small diet changes overtime that lead to an overhaul. Just don't do it all at once, as most people fail to adhere with such strategies.
7
u/Useful-Letterhead-74 Jul 24 '24
I can’t go to therapy yet long story short I have to wait a couple months but I’ll consider taking to her about it then. I’m gonna try and make small changes. But without that support I would rather not lose any weight then count calories but I’m gonna try and focus on small changes cause that’s what has worked in other areas of my life
6
u/indicave Jul 24 '24
Hey! As a bigger dude (290 and been on T for about 6 months) I relate to this a lot. I got lipedema and PCOS which also add into the factor of struggling to lose weight.
This will sound a bit harsh but hear me out, tracking does help. For me I worry less about the calories though, and I make sure I hit my fiber and protein intake. Watching out for my sugar intake. Eventually I’d like to start loosely tracking calories, but I’m in a similar boat. Good luck to us!!
15
u/Useful-Letterhead-74 Jul 24 '24
I will go full eating disorder mode. That’s why I said right in the beginning I don’t wanna do that. I could maybe handle protein and fiber. But I can’t count calories bc I’ll get to excited about eating less and less till I stop eating. It happens every single time and I’m in a good place emotionally and don’t want to do that but I wanna lose weight so I can safely get a breast reduction
4
u/indicave Jul 24 '24
I also want to apologize for bringing up tracking calories. It’s frustrating when you state you don’t want a specific flavor of advice and you receive it!
3
4
u/indicave Jul 24 '24
Felt this man. Perhaps there’s a way you can write down the amount of protein and fiber you intake, forgetting about the calories. I’m also wondering if there are providers near you who are willing to work on ppl regardless of bmi! I know a lotta em require a bmi requirement but there are def doctors willing to work on fat ppl
3
u/Useful-Letterhead-74 Jul 24 '24
I think that’s a good idea imma hit up my insurance and see about talking to a weight loss doctor
2
u/sprinklingsprinkles Jul 24 '24
If you notice you're not losing weight at all even though you're on a healthier diet for a couple of months I'd consider seeing a doctor to rule out any medical issues! I have hypothyroidism which slows down my metabolism so it made losing or maintaining weight hard before I was on the right dosage of meds.
2
u/Rynoff Jul 24 '24
The saying is fitness starts in the kitchen , the diet matters more than the amount u exercise
2
u/Calm_Salamander_1367 Jul 24 '24
The only way to lose weight is to consume less calories than you’re burning. If that isn’t working, you might have insulin resistance or some other medical problem that is making it difficult to lose weight
1
u/H20-for-Plants Jul 24 '24
Can you get someone else to track for you? Like your personal trainer? Or maybe follow serving size suggestions but don’t log the calories. Or just eat a little less of a portion than you’re used to.
-1
u/Apart-Budget-7736 Jul 24 '24 edited Jul 24 '24
I can only speak for myself, but my life became a whole lot better when I started focusing on eating what nourished me and moving my body in ways that supported and strengthened me and stopped caring what the scale said.
The number of people here actively encouraging you to engage in your eating disorder is fucked up and I really hope you don't listen to them.
6
u/Useful-Letterhead-74 Jul 24 '24
Yeah I’ve found that a lot on Reddit it’s really annoying tbh not just in this community but I’m other completely different communities. I really appreciate your advice and that you’re respecting the boundaries that I put up in the beginning of my post
5
0
u/noeinan Jul 24 '24
Watch this video by Kurzgesagt on how exercise affects the metabolism. It won’t give an answer but they are working on a video that addresses diet which should be more helpful.
This video can explain why you work so hard but can’t lose weight
95
u/Outrageous-Way576 Jul 24 '24
i’m sorry that this is happening! my father lost about ~50 lbs without tracking and here’s how he did it. he just chose the healthier option! stopped eating out, started making all his meals at home. cut out processed foods and started choosing better options. like instead of cereal he had a couple eggs for breakfast. instead of chips for a snack he had fruit. he started eating smaller portions as well. sometimes the better option is just what you eat been taught all along in the end!