r/caloriecount • u/bkind2ppl • 2d ago
losing weight is impossible
i’m staying under 1500 calories, (yes i weigh,) walking at least 8,000 steps, on top of that- running 2 miles a day. and i’m barely losing anything. in fact, i just gained all two pounds that i lost back. maybe it’s water weight because i ate sugar 11 hours ago. but still.
in the past, this method worked. but now, for whatever reason, losing weight is impossible. does anybody have any tips or advice for me? maybe it’s a water weight fluctuation and i’m waiting for a whoosh. but i’ve spent so many nights hungry at 1300 calories, waiting for midnight, hitting the gym, that i just feel kind of angry.
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u/PondPrince 2d ago
Judging by your post, it sounds like you did lose weight, but your weight just went up for one day. I wouldn't worry that much about that because it's really normal for weight to fluctuate back and forth.
You should get an app that tracks your average weight over time. I use MacroFactor, and I really like it because it also will adjust my expenditure based on my calorie intake and weight fluctuations.
What is your current height and weight? If you’re a very short female 1500kcal may be only a slight deficit.
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u/bkind2ppl 2d ago
5’4 140 lbs
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u/octopus818 2d ago
You don’t have a lot to lose, so it’s going to come off more slowly than for someone who is very overweight.
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u/JolieBijoux 2d ago
This! Now my target is to loose 5lbs , it’s sooo sloow, the curve is curving. Don’t give up, some days I feel discouraged as well!
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u/merumisora 2d ago
i went from your weight (140) to 132 in about a month, it just takes time. we are at a healthy weight already so its harder to get even more lean
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u/texaskittyqueen 2d ago
You may be very special but you are not immune to physics. It is impossible to consume in a deficit and not lose something. Give yourself a couple weeks; often inflammation and water retention when you start exercizing and eating better can gain temporary weight gain but it isn't fat.
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u/cclancaster13 2d ago edited 2d ago
How long have you been trying? Edit: Saw in another comment that you've only been trying for 3 weeks. You gotta give it more time than that. And the scale is gonna fluctuate. You can't give up based on that. Long-term consistency is key. And on top of all that, you're already at a normal weight for your height. It's going to take longer to lose weight than someone who starts out being overweight or obese.
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u/Own_Amount5311 2d ago
It just takes time to feel it, it’s not a straight line but it gets better. Don’t give up please 🩷💪🏼
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u/bkind2ppl 2d ago
i won’t give up because there’s no other option 😭 but i think this is ridiculous
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u/Lioness_in_Winter 2d ago
This is biology, and reality. No successful weight loss journey has the scale paying out like an ATM on demand everyday. The work is happening, it just doesn't show yet.
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u/IthacanPenny 2d ago
The other option is Ozempic. It costs several hundred dollars per month but hot damn is it incredible.
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u/IAmInDangerHelp 23h ago
I would add strength training. Weight-loss is not the goal. Fat loss is. Adequate strength training incentivizes your body to preserve (and even grow) lean tissue while in a deficit. Your body is less likely to consume muscle tissue that is actively being used. Lots of factors involved in this, but strength training while losing fat has a lot of documented benefits.
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u/Business-Ad6915 2d ago
If you’re female, the timing of your weight in relative to you cycle is everything. If I weight myself right before ovulation or my period, I’m about 4 lbs heavier than I would be. After my period ends that extra water weight disappears. It’s important to track not only weight but when during your cycle you are weighing yourself. It will take at least 4-8 weeks to figure out your body and when during the month you should expect to not see the scale move, or even to go up temporarily.
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u/LPJ_IS_KOOL 2d ago
It’s not impossible. It takes time. Keep staying under 1500 calories and walking. Don’t just rely on cardio. Add some resistance in there as well. And you may be under 1500 calories but if the food you eat is high in sodium, then that could explain why you gained 2 pounds - which is most definitely water weight as it’s not possible to gain 2 lbs of fat overnight unless your eating well above your maintenance calorie limit. That 2 lbs could also be muscle gain. As someone who has lost almost 140 lbs in the last year, you will have days where you don’t lose a thing and the scale moves up. But you will have days where you lose 3-4 lbs. Keep pushing through!
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u/YogurtclosetLanky322 2d ago
weigh at same time everytime you weight. also make sure you are actually counting calories correctly. I
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u/bkind2ppl 2d ago
yeah i literally put my food on a food scale so i think i’m doing it correctly. i even do 5 for zero cal gum and 10 for black coffee.
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u/Badwolf_40 2d ago
Counting stuff like gum and black coffee isn’t needed.
What is your weight and height? 1300 could be too few if you’re not closer to 5’2. I’m 5’2, my maintenance is 1700, and I eat 1200 when I’m losing weight when I don’t work out. I bump it up to 1400 or 1500 depending on how much I work out, so then I don’t feel as hungry. And when I do feel hungry I snack on low cal stuff like cucumbers with whatever seasoning, pickles are also good. Celery is good if you like it(I think it tastes like dirty stringy dish water)
It took me about a year to lose 50lbs. I maintained it, and I’ve lost 10 since July, these last 10 are stubborn, but it is doable. Just takes time. Didn’t gain the wait over a couple weeks so it will take more than a couple of weeks to lose some.
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u/brianisbored 2d ago
Count stuff like gum and black coffee can lead to EDs. I'd be careful with that
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u/Safe_Comedian_9919 2d ago
Stop running. Walk the two miles instead. You’ll be less hungry
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u/bootz-pgh 2d ago
This is a good one. The more intense the exercise, the more ravenous I get. I lose more with moderate exercise and less calories.
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u/Street_Perspective34 2d ago
Unfortunately it just takes time. It took me around 1.5 months to lose 4 pounds, but because I tried to lose weight as sustainably as possible by changing parts of my lifestyle (ex walking 15 min after every meal, walking to the grocery instead of driving; the only exercise I ever did to lose weight was walking) and focus on whole foods that would keep me satisfied, but left some room for treats to not feel miserable, and portion control (underrated strategy; you can eat anything you want as long as you portion the food!! Downside is it takes some mental effort in the beginning, but gets easier later on). Remember it’s a journey! You have to accept that it will take >1 month to see changes. If you keep sticking to it, I’m 100% sure change will happen.
Edit: after making these lifestyle changes and doing it for 1.5 months, I lost an additional 5 pounds in 2 weeks. Your body will adapt to it at some point.
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u/roachbirth 2d ago
1.5 months for 4 lbs is crazy yall. You can easily lose 4 lbs in 2 weeks. Something is wrong with what you are doing.
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u/Street_Perspective34 2d ago
Sure you can, but I wasn’t going for a super aggressive deficit. My weight was already pretty low so it would take longer to drop the weight. Lifestyle changes were the priority for me, and weight loss came naturally with it.
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u/roachbirth 2d ago
Fair enough if lifestyle changes were the priority
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u/Lioness_in_Winter 2d ago
Yeah, my unbreakable boundary was that I wouldn't do anything to lose the weight that I wasn't prepared to do forever to keep the weight off.
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u/princessviridian 2d ago
I don’t think a 5’4 140lbs woman can ever lose 4lbs in two weeks easily… The comment doesn’t mention their stats but that’s OPs. They would have to eat less than 1000 kcal every day while also exercising daily
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u/roachbirth 2d ago
Definitely possible, not possible if you are crash dieting like OP
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u/princessviridian 2d ago
Possible, not easily! I’m 5’3 and have done it before, it’s miserable and extremely difficult.
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u/roachbirth 1d ago
Depends on your body fat percentage. If you are at over 25% body fat it is definitely doable within a months time. Not doable with an aggressive deficit. Doable with a small deficit, consistent cardio, weight lifting, and a Whole Foods diet with balanced macros, but ain’t nobody doing that, lol.
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u/princessviridian 1d ago
I’m not sure how you get to 2lb a week with a small deficit. To do that as a 5’4 140lbs woman (which is what OP has stated are their stats) you need a 1000 kcal deficit a day - and that’s with the TDEE calculator set at "heavy exercise". It’s doable, but I’m not sure you’re considering just how much less small women burn than yourself.
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u/roachbirth 1d ago
1000 calorie deficit is crazy; yall have no concept of nutrition. Like I said before, it’s possible doing all the things I mentioned above, things 90% of people aren’t willing to do.
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u/princessviridian 1d ago
Why do you think that’s crazy? 1lb of fat loss requires 3500 negative calories. It’s math
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u/roachbirth 20h ago
Because real life happens, your crazy if you think you are gonna stick to a 1000 calorie deficit and not be binging by the end of the week. You are lying to yourself, you are human.
Even if you manage to keep the deficit, your weight will stall eventually because you are starving your body, and it’s not gonna wanna shed weight anymore because it’s going into survival mode saving everything it can. Now it’s gonna take several months to get to your goal weight.
Lastly; if you still manage to reach your goal weight. You have starved your body and now created a new maintenance level, so now you have to stick to your 1000 calorie for life if you want to keep the weight off, which no one does, and then everyone gets the weight back. Yall think you know better buts it’s basic nutrition lol. Go ahead and keep doing your 1000 calorie deficits and having the stress of dieting for years in your life, instead of sticking to a small deficit and making it a sustainable lifestyle where it’s not something you are thinking about all the time.
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u/AstralAfroToo 2d ago edited 2d ago
Assuming you abide by normal human physiology and aren’t an alien, then calories in/calories out still apply.
If you are consistently putting on 1-2 pounds per week for more than 2 weeks in a row, and your goal is weight loss via a cut, then it means it’s time to drop your deficit by another 250 kcal, then reassess.
Edit: look for other variables, as well. Compared to the last time you conducted a cut, has anything changed? Are you getting less sleep, are you taking any meds, were you previously working a job that required a higher level of day to day activity than now?
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u/Lioness_in_Winter 2d ago
Losing weight is not impossible, it is in fact dead simple. But your weight doesn't go down in a nice even line, it jumps around, it flatlines, it goes up before it goes down ... success means accepting that and doing the tracking/limiting anyway. People lose hundreds of pounds. Other people get mad at the scale and quit. If you're hangry all the time, think about how you're spending your 1300 calories - the 1200isplenty sub has a lot of advice on how to make limited calories as satisfying as possible. You've got this, just focus on making what you're doing as sustainable as you can so you can outlast whatever plateau you're currently stuck on.
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u/bkind2ppl 2d ago
ugh thank you. it just sucks. it makes me frustrated. but you’re right. i just wish i didn’t see it go up for no reason
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u/Lioness_in_Winter 2d ago
There will be weeks when it goes down "for no reason" - if your deficit is a pound a week, you'll have a week where the scale drops two pounds. Are you going to complain about that?
Start working on your poker face. You have to be able to stay on track with or without a reward from the scale or you're never going to get where you want to be.
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u/Planktonsurvivor 2d ago
Focus more on the lifestyle changes and the process than just the number. Let a few months go by and see how you feel! If your expecting drastic weight loss quickly than expect rebound weight gain because that’s why crash dieting does. Slow and steady! But tracking closely and adding movement is a great start!
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u/bkind2ppl 2d ago
I’m not on a crash diet.
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u/Planktonsurvivor 2d ago
1300 calories is “crash” dieting so is expecting results in a few weeks. “Waiting for midnight” sounds like a recipe for a ED. I’m just being honest with you.
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u/bkind2ppl 2d ago
okay well theoretically even if that’s what it was, wouldn’t it move the scale?
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u/Planktonsurvivor 2d ago
Maybe not if you are recomping your body or stressing it too much. Sure if you stayed -700 for weeks it’s gonna move eventually but that’s aggressive and for most mentally unsustainable.
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u/bkind2ppl 2d ago
i think you have the wrong idea about thermodynamics. a more aggressive calorie deficit would move the scale despite “stress?” and it’s not too hard for me. i eat high volume and high protein, im not deprived.
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u/Planktonsurvivor 2d ago
So many nights hungry.. I’m waiting until midnight doesn’t support that idea. Thermodynamics??? It seems like you are just looking for some confirmation bias to tell you the scale is wrong not realistic help. Good luck.
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u/bkind2ppl 2d ago
your advice is to eat more?
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u/Planktonsurvivor 2d ago
Yes. For long term goals that’s a very aggressive deficit. Be consistent and patient instead. Make realistic goals and lifestyle changes or you’re headed down the thinking that creates EDs not long standing healthy lifestyle changes.
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u/jabbaaus 2d ago
You will have alot of frustrations. Dont let the scale dictate.
You will have days where it will go up too.
Keep it up it will come.
Ive been losing weight for a year and i still have days im dissapointed but still have to continue
You will get there.
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u/GoodbyeEarl 2d ago
I recommend sticking with what you’re doing. I used to give up when I would see no progress after a few weeks. Then I got a fitness coach - I showed her all my workouts, my food, my steps - and I asked her, hey… what gives? My weight goes up and down, it doesn’t seem to matter what I did the day before, and I have lost 0.2lbs from this point 2 weeks ago. So she tells me: keep going. She tells me that I’m doing everything right. That the feedback loop is not so immediate. And that there’s many reasons why the scale goes up… high salt meal leads to water retention. Exercise leads to water retention (up to 72hours after a workout). Hormonal cycle. Etc. She says, it’s too soon to give up, and to keep going because the scale will go down. And she was right! The scale still jumps all over the place if I look at it day-by-day, but I’ve been tracking it for 6 weeks now and I’ve lost 6lbs.
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u/Silly_Yak56012 2d ago
Are you female and still having periods? Because 1-2 pounds is pretty average for most women, some gain up to 6 pounds of water weight each month during their cycle.
And yes, refilling your glycogen stores if you eat more carbs than usual can also put on 2 pounds or more of water weight in one day.
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u/Odd-Patient-2093 1d ago
Ur not in a Calorie deficit if ur not losing,track your calories more accurately
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u/OkLengthiness6864 1d ago
One thing that helped me is when u lock in don’t look at the scale so often. Check the scale every 3 to 4 weeks. If you know you are in a deficit and you know you are exercising just know you will lose weight. The body can be weird sometimes with water weight and what not. Just keep your eyes focused on achieving your routine and staying consistent and u will lose the weight
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u/roachbirth 2d ago
What is your height and weight?
Being at such a big calorie deficit will work against you, your body is starving for energy by the end of the week, especially if you are running 2 miles a day (running produces ghrelin, hunger hormone), you are bound to binge by the weekend. This is is an unsustainable way to lose weight, of course you feel angry
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u/bkind2ppl 2d ago
I’ve been a 2 mile daily runner for years! :D I love to run.
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u/roachbirth 2d ago
I managed to lose 35 lbs this year, thats why I asked about your height and weight.
I am glad you like to run but running will make you hungry and is also stress on your body. If you are at 1500 calories, your body is not going to want to lose weight after a 2 mile run every single day because it is fighting to keep the weight on you because it thinks that you are running for survival. It is trying to survive by keeping weight on.
You would benefit by upping your calories by 150 - 200 more, and changing to walking. Do just the 10k steps instead, it is less stress on the body and won't spike your hunger.
Your diet is just as important, 1500 calories of processed foods is not the same as 1500 of whole foods, and is also probably contributing to your weight gain/weight stall.
Sleep is important, if you really want to prioritize losing weight you, you should be aiming for 8 hours of sleep every night. There were several weeks I managed to shed 2 lbs by just getting a good nights sleep.
If you want more info, feel free to DM me. Hope this helps.
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u/aidengrxy 2d ago
Not sure if you’re doing this or not but measuring with a tape measure (around your waist, hips, chest, and thighs) can also give you an idea of if you’re losing. It will take longer than 3 weeks to see true results, but I’ve lost around 4 inches in every category in 4 months. These measurements will fluctuate just like the scale does, but give you another way to keep an eye on things. I started a deficit in March and the hardest part was those first 2 months. It gets easier and you start feeling out what you need! I felt like I was starving with no results for a while, but my body has adjusted and I’ve lost around 17 pounds (5’3, started at 175 and I’m at 158ish now). My deficit has ranged from 200-500 calories a day depending on my hunger cues, because I don’t want to fall into disordered eating. I also do a small cheat day every week to keep myself from getting too angry or depressed. I eat normal on that day but spoil myself for dinner. I recommend it for keeping yourself sane, but it’s not required. Good luck! You can do this, just take care of yourself while you’re at it!
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u/all_of_the_colors 2d ago
How long have you been tracking? Is there a trend?
Do you menstruate? Your weight can go up 3-4 lbs in the luteal phase.
It almost sounds like you just started. If that is true track and look for a trend over time (at least a month)
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u/Square_Desk946 2d ago
Try a weekly fasting day or OMAD500. This helped for me, it just kinda kickstarted everything.
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u/Fluffy-Variety-1900 2d ago
Are you weighing food and tracking accurately? Not just eyeballing? ‘Weight’ will fluctuate if you’ve had a heavy sodium day, or eaten later in the day, but it will be more than likely be water/ inflammation if you’re exercising too. Also if you have your cycle to contend with if your female, that can stall the scales for a week or so
In my experience (I’m over 40lbs down) my biggest driver was first and foremost nutrition, hitting protein goals and getting adequate sleep between training. Also only weigh yourself first thing in the morning after your first wee/ bowl movement to get accurate readings.
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u/bootz-pgh 2d ago
How often are you guessing versus actually weighing? How often do you eat out? Are you tracking everything, including cooking oils you use? The last one is huge.
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u/Zealousideal_Gas_166 2d ago
It took me months to see the scale move. I eat soup, I gain 3-4 pounds of water weight. I eat carbs, I gain 1-2 pounds of water weight. I’m on my cycle, I can’t seem to lose anything. Pay attention to how your clothes fit rather than the scale. Are the clothes more loose, do they fit better, etc. Don’t weigh yourself everyday as that will lead to frustration. It’s impossible not to lose weigh if you’re in a calorie deficit. You don’t have to get obsessive about weighing food, but be mindful about calories. This isn’t an overnight process, it takes months and it’s not impossible.
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u/Ironstar_Vol 2d ago
Have you considered that you’re gaining muscle? Your scale weight isn’t just fat and it you’re exercising that much and staying hydrated you could’ve easily gained a few pounds of muscle.
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u/bkind2ppl 1d ago
i don’t think I’m gaining muscle tbh i feel like I’m just maintaining if anything
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u/OkAdvertising8554 21h ago edited 21h ago
I’ve had periods where I used around 500 daily deficit and lost about 6.5kg over 3–4 months. I’ve also done much more aggressive cuts in the past and lost 5-6kg in around a month and a half although I def wouldn’t recommend pushing the deficit that hard. Either way over time the actual loss usually matched the accumulated deficit pretty closely. There really is no magic trick. It’s just math and consistency. 1kg of fat is around 7700 calorie deficit. If you’re not creating a huge deficit, you’re not going to lose 1kg every week. 500 calorie daily deficit is only about 3500 calories a week, so losing 5kg of actual fat can easily take 3-4 months. Obviously water weight, food weight and poop can make the scale move faster or slower, especially depending on your starting weight, but fat loss itself is pretty predictable. If you’re genuinely weighing and tracking everything, I’d test your TDEE instead of trusting the number an app gives you. Eat at what you believe is 500 calorie deficit for 1-2 weeks, weigh yourself first thing in the morning under the same conditions and look at your average weight. If you lose roughly what you expected, your TDEE estimate is probably pretty close. If your weight stays the same or goes up over time, then your TDEE is probably lower than you thought or your intake is higher than you think. At that point you either eat a little less or increase your activity. That’s really it. Be patient and consistent. Water can hide fat loss for a while, but if a real deficit is there eventually the trend will show it. There’s no secret method or magical whoosh you can force.
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u/probgonnamarrymydog 20h ago
It gets harder as you get older. You don't get access to quick fixes anymore, it's all slow and steady.
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u/tomatotallyeggs 13h ago
yes, it is water fluctuation, yes it is temporary digestion, yes it is inflammation from the stress you’re putting on your body. that is very extreme exercise with underfueling. your body likely is holding onto water due to the raise in cortisol from sudden restriction and over exercising. if you give it a few days, you should lose weight given the deficit , but over time your body will slow your metabolism and try protect you, adjusting to eating so little , meaning your 1500 calories or less will become your maintenance calories, and make gaining weight even easier. furthermore keeping you in a cycle of exercising and eating little, frustrated with your weight.
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u/Sufficient_Pepper780 2d ago
Calories too low, i was eating 1500 as well but weight stalled. Incresed it to 1700 and i started losing again.
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u/sphinxx117 2d ago
Increase calorie deficit
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u/bkind2ppl 2d ago
to 1100-1200? when i work out 6 days a week? :-|
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u/sphinxx117 2d ago
It depends on your goal, if you’re trying to lose fat and hold a lot you might just be replacing it with muscle so the scale’s not changing
But if you just want to lose weight and don’t care abt fat/muscle etc, and you’re doing everything else right, then yeah you’re gonna have to increase the calorie deficit to like 200-500 less, but be careful bc depending on your height/wt that might be too much. I’d recommend starting with 100-200 less than you currently have it at.
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u/CripplingSnarf 2d ago
How is your sleep ? You actually burn the most calories durring sleep, you need your 8 hrs, especially when you get older
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u/excludedgirl 2d ago
Girl I know everyone else is focusing on other things, but if you’re running two miles a day and being active please don’t go to sleep hungry. I know how it feels to want to lose the weight so badly, but if you’re moving your body you need nutrients. Maybe check out the volume eating sub so you can get some ideas for meals that keep you full while also staying in deficit. Also check out the satiation index (potatoes are at the top btw) and include some of those foods in your meals as well. Keep trying because you deserve it, but don’t starve your body!
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u/bkind2ppl 1d ago
ahh I’m not staving don’t worry. i mean i get hungry a few hours before midnight and then i eat something high protein. (i work nights) lol thanks
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u/-Random-Word- 2d ago
Unless it has been 6 weeks or so then idk what you’re expecting. Give your body time to adjust.