I’m 5’4, 23y, and 170lbs and been going to the gym every week and seeing a trainer since the start of February as a commitment my New Year goals. However, despite my efforts I ended up gaining a couple pounds that first month before returning back to the weight I started at and hitting just an absolute plateau. I’m absolutely at my wits end because I’ve been near consistently staying at 1300cals a day and although there’s maybe the occasional going out once or twice a month where I go over, I’ve been seriously committed to trying to make this happen. I prioritize my protein intake usually consuming about 70-100g protein a day, cooking from home and I don’t even use oil or anything besides maybe the occasional light can’t believe it’s not butter. I’m driving myself crazy. I do mostly weight training at the gym paired with 30 minutes of cardio (usually walking 2 miles), and I know I’ve gotten significantly stronger but I thought the whole thing about muscle build up was supposed to help with the weight loss. Not to mention I’ve invested a lot of money into making sure I’m doing everything right and I’m seriously at a loss for why the scale isn’t going down. Any advice or ideas on what I could be doing wrong here?
Calorie deficit and gym 3-4 times a week and not losing weight?
- Thread starter thomasjh
- Start date
@thomasjh The only thing I can think of is not tracking correctly. I stayed stalled for 3 months after I started weight lifting when I was eating 1300 calories the whole time. Or so I thought. Until I started looking at bites of things I didn’t track because “it was just a small bite”, sauces etc. are you using a food scale? Incorrect tracking is usually the reason like 99% of the time. If you’re sure you’re tracking everything then I’m stumped. Pregnancy? New medication or birth control maybe? Thyroid issue?
marks1mpson
New member
@thomasjh Hey I’d recommend you read this post: https://www.reddit.com/r/PetiteFitness/s/sWEGUY4fV8
@marks1mpson Thank you!
@thomasjh Hi! 5'2 168 lb 30 yrs old. Started working out 5x a week and caloric deficit in December. I plateaued for several weeks here recently even though I was working my ass off almost daily and was most definitely in a caloric deficit. I took a week off from working out and that seemed to kickstart things again, dropped an additional 3 lbs without any visible muscle loss. IDK why it worked - and it may not work for you - I had just seen a post on here recommending a week off every once in a while, tried it and it worked. Just an idea
@simplefem Breakfast is usually one of these three things:
-atkins protein coffee shake with maybe like another cup of coffee added to it to kind of stretch it
-coffee w abt a 1/4 cup almond milk creamer and Chobani 60 cal zero sugar yogurt with another 1/4 cup protein granola
-almond creamer coffee again multigrain 100 cal English muffin with abt two tablespoon strawberry jam I get from farmers market or two table spoon honey goat cheese
Lunch is usually just this every day :
-sola 40 cal bread or 45 cal tortilla and abt a cup of handpulled chicken breast with a slice of low fat Swiss cheese. If i don’t have chicken breast then it’s rotisserie chicken lunch meat and I put about 3-4 slices on there.
Or
-two cups chicken with about a half cup of low fat mozzarella melted in. I just like eating it
Or
-if I have left over pizza from dinner night before then I usually take that
Dinner where I usually switch it up so it’s either:
-homemade pesto pizza on ultra thin flatbread crust I get from store with fat free mozzarella, I eat half of it and it’s usually estimated abt ~450 for the half. Pretty much never put toppings but if I do it’s sriracha, black olives, or mushrooms. Occasional powder parm on top.
-sola bread again but with Swiss again and the morning star veggie “chicken patty” or more chicken (shocker
)
-pesto chickpea pasta (abt a cup) with cup of pulled chicken
-chicken soup dumplings (steamed) about 6
Snack: I’m not very snacky because I just don’t
like snacks so usually it’s another coffee or atkins coffee protein shake if I’m dying for caffeine
Dessert: (very rarely) one of those Twix ice cream bars or literally another chobani yogurt with granola
I air fry pretty much anything and everything.
-atkins protein coffee shake with maybe like another cup of coffee added to it to kind of stretch it
-coffee w abt a 1/4 cup almond milk creamer and Chobani 60 cal zero sugar yogurt with another 1/4 cup protein granola
-almond creamer coffee again multigrain 100 cal English muffin with abt two tablespoon strawberry jam I get from farmers market or two table spoon honey goat cheese
Lunch is usually just this every day :
-sola 40 cal bread or 45 cal tortilla and abt a cup of handpulled chicken breast with a slice of low fat Swiss cheese. If i don’t have chicken breast then it’s rotisserie chicken lunch meat and I put about 3-4 slices on there.
Or
-two cups chicken with about a half cup of low fat mozzarella melted in. I just like eating it
Or
-if I have left over pizza from dinner night before then I usually take that
Dinner where I usually switch it up so it’s either:
-homemade pesto pizza on ultra thin flatbread crust I get from store with fat free mozzarella, I eat half of it and it’s usually estimated abt ~450 for the half. Pretty much never put toppings but if I do it’s sriracha, black olives, or mushrooms. Occasional powder parm on top.
-sola bread again but with Swiss again and the morning star veggie “chicken patty” or more chicken (shocker
)-pesto chickpea pasta (abt a cup) with cup of pulled chicken
-chicken soup dumplings (steamed) about 6
Snack: I’m not very snacky because I just don’t
like snacks so usually it’s another coffee or atkins coffee protein shake if I’m dying for caffeine
Dessert: (very rarely) one of those Twix ice cream bars or literally another chobani yogurt with granola
I air fry pretty much anything and everything.
georgedanielleonard
New member
@thomasjh "It's usually estimated about", "about a cup"
There's your problem.
Honestly if I were you, just cut the creamer from your coffees and you're immediately in a 200kcal/day deficit.
Other than that you are eating a lot of carbs. Make your proteins the star of the show. And get rid of the fat free stuff, it's no good for you.
Fat is satiating and will keep you full longer, plus its so good for your skin.
There's your problem.
Honestly if I were you, just cut the creamer from your coffees and you're immediately in a 200kcal/day deficit.
Other than that you are eating a lot of carbs. Make your proteins the star of the show. And get rid of the fat free stuff, it's no good for you.
Fat is satiating and will keep you full longer, plus its so good for your skin.
@georgedanielleonard I just went out and bought a food scale! I’m going to check my measurements on everything and see if that’s been the problem.
Unfortunately the creamer has already been cut down from what it used to be which did contribute to a large amount of weight loss last year. I am experimenting with using honey and unsweetened almond milk just as is or using two tablespoons almond creamer and then 1/2 cup almond milk so it’s only 50 for the creamer and then 15 cal for the almond milk. That’s just the one thing I can’t let go. I tried so desperately to cut it out last year because I was an order a latte a day kind of girl especially during college so I stretched my days with school and working so much so coffee was my huge lifeline but unfortunately with that and my lack of sleep had huge repercussions. I tried just tea where I would normally have my midday and afternoon coffee but instead but then I just ended up consuming more cals by ordering lattes at cafes as “treats” then in the long run consuming probably about the same amount I was in the first place but I was miserable all week because of it. Unfortunately I do not have the willpower to cut out all my coffees so I’m trying to find ways to make them as low cal but still taste as good as possible. It’s definitely a work in progress.
Unfortunately the creamer has already been cut down from what it used to be which did contribute to a large amount of weight loss last year. I am experimenting with using honey and unsweetened almond milk just as is or using two tablespoons almond creamer and then 1/2 cup almond milk so it’s only 50 for the creamer and then 15 cal for the almond milk. That’s just the one thing I can’t let go. I tried so desperately to cut it out last year because I was an order a latte a day kind of girl especially during college so I stretched my days with school and working so much so coffee was my huge lifeline but unfortunately with that and my lack of sleep had huge repercussions. I tried just tea where I would normally have my midday and afternoon coffee but instead but then I just ended up consuming more cals by ordering lattes at cafes as “treats” then in the long run consuming probably about the same amount I was in the first place but I was miserable all week because of it. Unfortunately I do not have the willpower to cut out all my coffees so I’m trying to find ways to make them as low cal but still taste as good as possible. It’s definitely a work in progress.
georgedanielleonard
New member
@thomasjh Have you done photos, measurements, or tried on a pair of jeans (any clothes with minimal stretch that you know used to be tight)?
I’ve been on a very similar program to you and I started Feb. 12 at 148 (I took photos), 3 weeks in I was at 152 (par for the course with new exercise), March 11 -I was 148 and I took measurements, April 11- I had dropped a cumulative 10 inches from previous measurements, April 19- weighed in at 144, but my clothes from 133 last year are loose on me (I also started my cycle 2 days later so the number may be higher than it should be). I speculate that I’m carrying 10 lbs of water/blood weight from all of the exercise and recovery my body is doing. The scale is just one piece of the puzzle and a very inaccurate one at that. I’m looking forward to seeing how far I’ve come May 11 when I do measurements and photos again.
I’ve been on a very similar program to you and I started Feb. 12 at 148 (I took photos), 3 weeks in I was at 152 (par for the course with new exercise), March 11 -I was 148 and I took measurements, April 11- I had dropped a cumulative 10 inches from previous measurements, April 19- weighed in at 144, but my clothes from 133 last year are loose on me (I also started my cycle 2 days later so the number may be higher than it should be). I speculate that I’m carrying 10 lbs of water/blood weight from all of the exercise and recovery my body is doing. The scale is just one piece of the puzzle and a very inaccurate one at that. I’m looking forward to seeing how far I’ve come May 11 when I do measurements and photos again.
slimjack18
New member
@thomasjh Have you been taking progress pics? Im 5’2 and what i noticed when i first started going to the gym was that my weight stayed relatively the same but I had a complete body recomp.
Are you tracking closely? Even the condiment on your plate can add up. Also even though it may seem like forever you just started! You got this, just keep going
Are you tracking closely? Even the condiment on your plate can add up. Also even though it may seem like forever you just started! You got this, just keep going
@thomasjh You should invest in a food scale for more accurate calorie counting. Measuring things by cup is inaccurate. I see measuring things in cups and teaspoons as estimates. You won't truly know where you're landing unless you are measuring by weight.
Additionally, who set your nutrition for you? I find 1300 to be quite low, especially if you are lifting 3-4x times a week plus cardio. I also find that your protein intake is a bit on the lower end as well. You can absolutely eat in deficit while fueling your body properly. For reference I'm 5'4 as well. My calories are set at 1700 and protein at 140g. I also lift 3-4x a week, cardio at least 3x a week with 10k steps a day, and I also do pole dancing. I cannot imagine doing anything I'm currently doing at 1300 calories.
In the gym are you progressively overloading? I know you're working with a trainer so I'm not trying to overstep. But are you increasing reps, weights or time under tension? Your muscles will not grow if you don't fuel them with enough protein or not increasing the weights.
Additionally, who set your nutrition for you? I find 1300 to be quite low, especially if you are lifting 3-4x times a week plus cardio. I also find that your protein intake is a bit on the lower end as well. You can absolutely eat in deficit while fueling your body properly. For reference I'm 5'4 as well. My calories are set at 1700 and protein at 140g. I also lift 3-4x a week, cardio at least 3x a week with 10k steps a day, and I also do pole dancing. I cannot imagine doing anything I'm currently doing at 1300 calories.
In the gym are you progressively overloading? I know you're working with a trainer so I'm not trying to overstep. But are you increasing reps, weights or time under tension? Your muscles will not grow if you don't fuel them with enough protein or not increasing the weights.
@mattom I just invested in a scale so I’m definitely going to use that and see if that helps!! My trainer set my nutrition for me with the goal of raising my cals once I start seeing more significant changes but unfortunately we haven’t gotten there yet. I definitely can tell I’ve gotten a lot significantly stronger because I went from barely being able to lift 15lbs and squatting 45lbs in February to lifting 40lbs and squatting 90lbs. My trainer has me going til failure or on pretty much everything we do every session! I am perpetually sore 
@thomasjh I commented this on another post recently, but I think it’s really easy to overlook this aspect of fitness.
Take a break from the gym, just for a couple weeks.
I hit a plateau, so after a month I started tracking my calories more diligently, but I didn’t notice any changes on the scale or with the measuring tape for another couple of months. Then for completely unrelated reasons, I took a break off the gym for a couple of weeks (my body was exhausted from stress due to my internship and I was worried that cortisol would kill my gains). I still ate in a deficit, but I focused on relaxing and prioritizing my mental health. Lo and behold, I dropped a half inch off my waistline and four more pounds (I was at 128, now at 124, GW 115).
Exercise puts your body in a constant state of inflammation which makes your body retain water like crazy. Sometimes you have to give your body a break to heal itself and then the inflammation will go down. And systemic (systematic?) fatigue is real. Also make sure you’re getting enough sleep at night! 7-9 hours
Take a break from the gym, just for a couple weeks.
I hit a plateau, so after a month I started tracking my calories more diligently, but I didn’t notice any changes on the scale or with the measuring tape for another couple of months. Then for completely unrelated reasons, I took a break off the gym for a couple of weeks (my body was exhausted from stress due to my internship and I was worried that cortisol would kill my gains). I still ate in a deficit, but I focused on relaxing and prioritizing my mental health. Lo and behold, I dropped a half inch off my waistline and four more pounds (I was at 128, now at 124, GW 115).
Exercise puts your body in a constant state of inflammation which makes your body retain water like crazy. Sometimes you have to give your body a break to heal itself and then the inflammation will go down. And systemic (systematic?) fatigue is real. Also make sure you’re getting enough sleep at night! 7-9 hours
@iamsuperb She's only been workout out about 3 months though. A week's break may not hurt (I usually take a short break every 3 months), but I wouldn't take off weeks, especially this early on while still building the good habits of exercising regularly.
The water retention is intracellular; your muscles hoard the water as they need it to convert energy for the exercising. She seems to be beyond that initial water weight gain as she dropped back down to her starting weight. Taking a long break will just mean she'll have that water weight increase again when she starts back up.
That said, as her diet does seem to rely on low/non fat and processed foods, sodium could be causing additional weight retention. (The low fat versions tend to pump up the salt for flavor). I'd look into that. I know if I eat something processed or have a restaurant meal, my weight blips up a few pounds until the sodium is flushed out again.
The water retention is intracellular; your muscles hoard the water as they need it to convert energy for the exercising. She seems to be beyond that initial water weight gain as she dropped back down to her starting weight. Taking a long break will just mean she'll have that water weight increase again when she starts back up.
That said, as her diet does seem to rely on low/non fat and processed foods, sodium could be causing additional weight retention. (The low fat versions tend to pump up the salt for flavor). I'd look into that. I know if I eat something processed or have a restaurant meal, my weight blips up a few pounds until the sodium is flushed out again.
@thomasjh Couple things that could be happening here:
Edit: forgot to add but if none of this stuff is helping, then definitely talk to your doctor. Potential thyroid issue? Don’t know. Good luck!
- You’re not tracking precisely enough. I know, you’re probably annoyed by hearing that (I am too lol) but seriously calories add up and it’s super possible you’re either eating more than you think you are or you’re underestimating your cals and not tracking right(consider using a scale? Sounds extreme but it really does help).
- It’s possible that your metabolism has adjusted - maybe take a week off and eat near or at maintenance and then go back. Me personally, I hit a plateau when I dropped from 60kg to 57 (5’3 height) and for the past 2 weeks I’ve been eating around 1500-1800 cals (keeping up protein intake and still gymming) and marked my new weight of 55kg
Im at a consistent 55-56kg now. - It’s very possible that your weight is just fluctuating. I was pretty confused initially when some days my weight would say 60, 59, 57, sometimes in a weekspan. Weigh yourself at the same time each day, and if you’re weighing/measuring yourself after dinner, you’re obviously gonna be heavier. It’s no biggie. Bloating is very real and definitely adds on an extra pound or two, but plenty of it is water weight.
- It is possible that it’s just muscle weight. Muscle helps you lose weight in that it burns more cals+boosts metabolism.
Edit: forgot to add but if none of this stuff is helping, then definitely talk to your doctor. Potential thyroid issue? Don’t know. Good luck!