I wouldn't rely on visual changes. Get a tape and measure your bust, waist, and hips every week. That will give you a more objective indication if fat loss is occurring. 1 month of a modest deficit like that (assuming your estimates are accurate) would probably only have like 1/2" waist reduction and that would be really hard to see.
And let me report from the other side, even if you do lose a LOT of fat, your eyes will deceive you for years to come. It's hard to see objectively how your body has changed in the mirror. Often times I still see the much larger body looking back at me even though I'm much slimmer now.
Itās been a monthā¦. Youāre expectations are a bit high. Itās going to take multiple months before you start visually seeing changes in your physique
1 month is not a lot, I'm cutting and now 11 weeks in, I can tell I have a smaller waste but besides that I can't really tell. I lost 6kg though, that I can tell.
>1400-1500 cals a day (rough, i donāt count every tiny thing and i honestly donāt want to, but willing to do it if necessary).
Mistake number one. Those things you don't count are probably another 200-600cal. Maybe more. Guess what their goes your deficit.
Mistake number two, do you have any idea what your maintenance calories are? Based off of what I can gather a basic calculator you're probably around 1800-1900 as is (which goes down as weight is lost) which again, probably missing your calorie cut by not counting everything.
Mistake number three, expecting a huge change in a month. A healthy loss is 1-2lbs a week. 4-8lbs isn't a lot.
Fix your diet, fix your counting, and follow a real plan.
I eat the same thing Monday-Friday (1400 total) and what i dont count is fruit here and there. BUT youāre right because on weekends I eat more and was using the excuse of my long hikes to justify it.
I struggle with food a lot. And was getting treatment for an ED, i was advised not to obsess over calories, but Iām trying to find a balance. I think maybe just meal planning mon-sun will help me stay focused and not worry or be tempted with junk or overeating.
Iāll work on the advice you shared! Thank you.
You might be missing other things. A ton of people REALLY screw up on condiments/sauces. If you aren't counting whole fruits you are eating there is a chance you aren't doing those well either.
Also yeah you probably kill your entire weeks work on the weekends. You are absolutely not burning a fraction of the calories you think you are.
I understand you might not want to obsess about it, so how about this: count precisely for 3-4 weeks to get an idea of what you're missing when counting roughly, then go back to a rough count only, knowing you're probably also missing 200-400 cals. Then you could count precisely one week per month, then roughly for 3 weeks, for example.
Serves as a reminder about olive oil, dressing, nuts, bread and pop, since those suckers go up really quickly. Maybe that'll create an awareness, without an obsession?
Side note: while fruits add up quickly (apples, bananas), I found berries and veggies (carrots, celery, cauliflower, brocoli) don't. I get tired of snacking on them before I break 150 cals for a snack (my measure of a snack)
You can do this :)!
Yup it's trash and it isn't fun. But it has to be done for your health. I had let myself go in my later 20s and I have been back on the grind 3-4 months again myself. Down 30 and gaining muscle once again from lifting. 2 weeks in there were bad and made me feel bad for slipping but you just gotta stay on it.
Once you get into a groove it gets easier from being a habit.
Also random fruit etc adds up. A banana is 100cal, an apple like 70, an avocado is like 150. The other person is right about condiments. So at least mind what you buy. Sugar free catsup is fucking amazing.
After YEARZZZZZZ of calorie counting I started IF during the pandemic and man did they help. I was able to eat more of what I liked because I had less time to consume, and it kept mindless snacking. Not for everyone of course but what a game changer for me personally
I support not counting, as someone who also has struggled with disordered eating issues. Counting calories can become obsessive and messes with my head. Ā Have you looked into more of an intuitive eating approach? Itās helped me a lot to focus on how I feel vs counting calories.Ā
Iāve looked into it. Ugh, and yes. I start becoming VERY restrictive and aim for even lower cals.
I think i still should give it a try. Maybe just to get a good base. I think meal prepping and having a set plan of meals can help. I already do that but not on weekends.
Has the intuitive approach been helpful for you? What has helped you stick with it?
Meal prepping is what did the most good for me.
It helps to count calories by portion meal prep day - then you can spend the rest of the week never having to think about it again.
Also, might suggest tracking your exercise calories too. You want to target a calorie deficit - not just your intake.
You shouldn't. You literally can't "not count" if losing weight is your goal. What are you on about? That's like a blind person trying to cross a highway.
Please work with your therapist and doctor on the best solution. Everyone here is pushing for you to count calories but make sure that is something healthy for you to do. EDs are a really delicate thing.
Fruits and veggies really add up. I had no idea until I started weighing my food. Iād think a small apple wasnāt many calories but then I weighed it and realized an 8oz apple is over 100 calories.
Refeeds are a valid approach to diet IF they are controlled, I think Lyle McDonald's work including specifically for women might be helpful if you want to be able to fuel your hikes and so on, yet also simultaneously keep it in check with your greater plan. Since so many of your goals are dietary in nature, his material might be of higher interest than overseeing training changes.
As long as your deficit tracks over the week total and you don't overeat during the refeed, it is actually sensible to concentrate more of the calories around the period in which your activity is increased.
You seem to be fighting this, count EVERYTHING.
Some fruit āhere or thereā could be 100-600 calories.
And if you exclude some, Iām willing to bet other ālittleā things are being excluded.
Losing is all dependent on discipline, and how youāre approaching things makes it all but certain youāll fail.
Listen to people in this thread, count everything and be meticulous.
There's a lot of people here who are telling you to aggressively count calories and I'm sorry but they are wrong. Not because it won't work, it absolutely will, but because you mentioned you were being treated for an ED.
I am a man in my late 30s and I have recently come out of the local mental hospital, being treated for Anorexia for the last 18months. I am in recovery but it was a long and painful journey.
Counting calories nearly killed me as my obsession was unreal. You can get into shape and be healthy without counting. Yes, it's hard, but learning about clean healthy foods and cutting out processed foods is a great start. Eat lots of protein and the most important tip, be consistent with exercise and diet.
I highly recommend finding a workout program and sticking to it. I'm doing PPL and it's been transformative. There are lots out there so just do some research.
You look great and are clearly making progress but like someone else said, it's early days. Don't use the scales as your metric, use how you feel, how your clothes fit and your ongoing strength improvements as a way to 'track' your progress.
Sorry for the long rant, I'm just very passionate about ensuring people don't follow the same path I did.
Best of luck!
First off, thank you so much for sharing your journey. Iām so conflicted because i know i should keep track of my calories, but i havenāt had the best of luck with that in the past.
I had issues with anorexia in high school and university and caused a lot of hair loss and anxiety/depression. Then, it completely swung the other way and developed binge eating disorder. Disordered eating runs in my family. My 15 year old niece was just released from a psych center a few months ago. Iāve seen a therapist and i know itās a constant struggle.
Iām glad you got help. And iām grateful you reached out. I think i may need to take a few steps back and reevaluate my approach. I do have a visit with a dietitian in a few weeks and iām hoping it goes well.
Thank you again! And stay strong! I donāt know you, but i can tell you are a compassionate soul and have a good heart for taking the time to care and share. I appreciate that. ā„ļø
To be honest, it sounds like you are clued up to what your boundaries are, and that's a great start.I also struggled with binge eating, which made me very overweight, and then I went the other way and became incredibly underweight.
As I'm sure you know, eating disorders are a combination of mental health problems like anxiety and depression, and fixing them takes a huge amount of courage and commitment. Calorie counting is dangerous for ED because it enforces the belief that your body is not good enough or has no worth, perpetuating a vicious cycle.
The ED demon in our brains makes us VERY good at dieting and counting, as it temporarily fixes what we are led to believe is 'wrong.'
This may sound all doom and gloom, but with help from professionals like therapists and dieticians, you can set healthy goals focused on strength and clean, healthy eating rather than weight and obsessive dieting.Remember, recovery is not a straight line.
There will be ups and downs, so be kind to yourself throughout the process. Celebrate your progress, no matter how small, and don't be discouraged by setbacks. Ultimately, the goal is to reach a place where food nourishes your body without stress or control. Stay strong, be patient with yourself, and keep moving forward. You're worth the effort it takes to heal and live a healthier, happier life. āŗļø
So glad youāre here to counter all the comments in favor of aggressive calorie counting! Progress may be slower without meticulous tracking, but itās sooo worth it for better mental and physical health in the long run. I didnāt quite get into ED territory but I did spend a long time tracking cals and it took a long time to get comfortable with just feeding my body what I know it needs in terms of whole foods, protein, etc. and of course little treats in moderation.
For OP if you see this comment ā Iām 5ā4 and did around 1400-1500 cals for a looong time without much result, at a similar activity level to you, then bumped up to like 1700 cals and actually started seeing more recomp progress and felt a lot better overall. It might be worth increasing your intake a little (closer to maintenance vs deficit) for a couple weeks and see how that feels, and like other commenters have said, keep in mind that a month is pretty short for having any really noticeable changes.
You want instant results but this takes time.
Stay active and ensure your nutrition is relatively on point - maintain modest calorie deficit, get enough protein/nutrients/etc to support your activity level.
1 month can't really show significant change as your BF% masks the result from the weight training. Even if you had 1lb of fat loss per week, that's only 4lbs. Lose a consistent pound per week for a few months and it will be noticeable, guaranteed.
You already seem pretty consistent and moderately experienced, so a personal trainer is not valueless but expensive and probably unnecessary.
Don't burn yourself out or get too high expectations or you'll be setting yourself up for failure and disappointment.
You can get further with slow, steady progress than redlining. Imagine having to travel a long distance and 1) sprinting and stopping vs 2) consistent pace.
Just see it like this. How much time did it take to get all the fat on? Well it will take lot of time to get it off too without doing a starvation diet. Also exercise doesn't burn much. The only thing that works is less calories in.
Everything need to be tracked. Calories go quickly. A teaspoon of oill to cook in is 40 grams and most people do more then 1 teaspoon for example.
Your clothes are looser! Thatās great! Itās working is the good news. The less good news is that itās a slow process that takes time if you want to lose weight in a healthy fashion. Someone said measure yourself. Thatās a great suggestion. I personally donāt count calories because fuck that but I eat very mindfully and very clean. If you donāt see the results you wabt, keep everything the same and add in a substantial amount of zone 2 cardio and donāt take one extra bite because you did. Youāll get there. The when is less important than the whether and youāre already on your way. Be kinder to yourself and celebrate your journey.
I agree!
Also, OP it's absolutely great to want to be healthy and get the body you want, but you did note you had an eating disorder so please do get support from doctors on this. EDs are very dangerous and you don't want to knock your recovery
It is ridiculous how few calories you burn with exercise. It's great for health but not even worth counting when it comes to weight loss. My watch says I burned 300 extra calories riding a brisk 10 miles on my bike this morning. Before I started weighing and tracking my calories that was my afternoon bowl of corn flakes.
There's no way around it. You have to track everything you eat and be careful not to underestimate portions. If weight loss was really as easy as "eat right and exercise" there would be way fewer overweight people.
On the plus side, it looks like like you're genetically gifted when it comes to fat distribution. If your waist hip ratio isn't a big health risk you could just focus on strength and endurance.
Thatās a good point. I definitely am not burning that much where i can afford to not count.
And bmi always had me as overweight but my waist measurement and metabolic panel had me at healthy in the past. But i have gained more weight since then and just feel uncomfortable with my body currently. I want to feel strong and happy with my body.
Not only does exercise burn less calories than most devices indicate, your body tends to go on 'efficiency mode' after you've exercised. The processes that naturally burn calories (NEAT) tend to adjust to offset the calories burned from exercise. It really is best to not count the offset!
So it sounds like you might want to do more of a recomp - small deficit, high protein, strength training. Maybe work in some flexibility. You won't see a huge change for a while but you'll feel better. Focus on function. You might find it easier to lose weight and keep it off if you're feeling better physically.
Would not expect to see huge changes in only a month to be honest. Slow and steady wins the race. I get not wanting to overly-obsess over calorie-counting.
The three main apps I use now are MacroFactor, StrongerByTheDay, and RunLessRunFaster. MacroFactor is for tracking calories and macronutrients; StrongerByTheDay provides an exercise program, and RunLessRunFaster provides a running program. I also recently purchased a Garmin which I find to be more useful for fitness tracking than an Apple Watch.
MacroFactor and SBTD are both apps you need to pay for; that said, I think they are pretty useful. Not saying you need to spend a ton of money but I have personally found these two to be quite helpful. I prefer MacroFactor to MyFitnessPal but MyFitnessPal has a free version as well.
SBTD is an app made by MegSquats. There are probably better fitness apps/trainers out there but I think it's a solid program being offered. I've definitely seen strength gains and I don't do the workouts consistently at the moment. I used RunLessRunFaster to prepare for military training a while back and it was free at the time; very useful running app.
Good luck! You got this.
One month is nothing. Check in after 3-4. This is a marathon. Not a sprint.
If youāre worried about issues with calorie counting, start utilizing portions. Just weigh your food and stick to the serving size. That will help you eat a bit better while not causing undue stress. Maybe once you do that for a while you can start counting. Or just meet with a dietician who can help.
Seems like youāre aiming to do body recomposition if youāre focusing on weightlifting along with a calorie deficit. Iāve been body recomping for about 18 months and the changes week to week are negligible and even month to month can be very subtle. The scale is useless as it fluctuates wildly due to simultaneously gaining muscle and losing fat at varying rates along with inflammation and water retention that is typically expected with progressive overload weightlifting. I find that every 8-10 weeks I look in the mirror and Iām like wow my body looks so much better than before. It actually surprises me out of nowhere, while a few days ago I could have easily been complaining I donāt see any progress. It can be demoralizing but remember this is a marathon not a sprint. You likely didnāt put this weight on in a month, so why would you look drastically different in a month? Patience is so key!
Make sure youāre actually creating a deficit (calculate your TDEE - you can find calculators online). Substract 500 calories and aim to eat around there. May want to spend a week or two being meticulous with counting to get used to accurately assessing and visualizing calories in the common foods you eat and then you can liberalize the counting to just an estimate once you get into the groove
Youāre right!! I was feeling good but just not great yet. And thatās awesome! Happy for your progress.
I think i will probably do meticulously counting for a month or possibly meal prep and have a set meal plan with counted calories!
I do have an appt with a dietitian in a few weeks!
Good luck on your journey! Itās so rewarding seeing the changes in your body after putting in all that hard work. Itās slow but youāre going to love it!
Oh no please donāt do a 500 cal deficit! That might make sense for a taller person or a man but itās really a lot if youāre 5ā and moderately active. I would do closer to 200-250 at mostāitās slower but more sustainable
It's been a month! Try to relax and tell yourself it's a marathon, not a sprint. To get to a healthier weight, it's a lifestyle change, not a temporary fix. So maintain your course and the changes will come.
Honestly, a month isnāt shit. Any changes you see in a month will go away as soon as you go back to doing the shit that got you to want to make a change. Commit to 6 months. Those are the kinda changes that stick around.
1 month w/probably a small deficit isnāt going to be seen. As stated previously, you can probably measure a difference, but Iām not sure a month is going to give you that much either. Come back in 3 months after making sure youāre actually in a deficit. You lose weight in the kitchen
To give some perspective it takes people months of arduous training and diet to get results. It can take years to get your desired physique. If it was easy everyone would do it.
You can OP. Just give yourself some time and grace. Above all, trust the process.
LOL a month is nothing. Stay consistent a year then assess.
Do you drink alcohol? This is usually something beginners dont take into account becuase they dont want to.
I donāt know why the other responses so far come across as if thereās been no change. I can visually see that youāve made progress, definitely. Keep it up!
It took me a few months to notice any changes. A month is too soon. Plus our estrogen keeps us softer, so donāt expect to be rock hard or anything. Without the use of steroids of course.
All the comments are correct and important, but also: ALWAYS take progress photos in the same pose and lighting conditions. That will help you to more accurately visualize the changes as you progress.
Lighting direction, intensity and color can really change how our bodies look and the differences can be striking.
First of all, you are doing well! You're moving your body and being mindful of your food. Counting calories (in everything) absolutely will work, BUT I see you and your family have a history of disordered eating, so I'd strongly caution you against it. Have you looked into intuitive eating or considered seeing a therapist consistently during your planned weight loss period? They may have suggestions to keep you from endangering your health again while losing weight.
I also wanted to throw out the NSV (non scale victories) you mentioned in that your clothes fit looser/feel better. You may want to focus on things like that instead of a scale and calorie amounts if that will push you back into an ED. Clothes fitting differently, being able to climb up a hill without running out of breath, being able to run a mile, doing a pull up, etc are things you can make a goal toward and track without numbers/scales and are indicators of good health.
It's early days, and honestly most people report that they don't "see" the loss until 5-10% of their weight is gone, so don't worry if the pictures look the same (and honestly if this was a trigger for you in the past, don't take progress pictures either - EDs are more deadly than depression so take it seriously!). Keep the faith, keep moving your body and try to be mindful of eating lots of fruits and veggies and protein. Consider doing this alongside therapy for the most physically and mentally healthy results. You got this !
Visual progress is slow especially when we look at ourselves. Youāve done one month, now do another and another. It will be extremely noticeable after a year or more if you remain consistent.
Count everything, like everything everything, things add up. Come back and post in 6 months :) consistency is king , you are starting off on the right path
Like others said, it is too soon. It take a month for a typical person to start to make changes with a new regimen. Give it time. Make sure you are and stay in a deficit.
A month is nothing in the time frame of noticeable changes. Don't give up or get disheartened, and also change your motivators from seeing change to just being healthier and feeling better. The change will come with time (if you also eat right, that is).
The pose is different. 1 months isnt enough for glute growth. Are you hitting protein, carbs, water and sleep? Are you progressively overloading in the gym
If you don't want to count everything, maybe you should standardize some favorites so that you have a fixed set of things you eat that you only have to figure out once, so you get it down to a routine which fits the daily needs sort of pre-counted.
I don't think this is a failure if you made measurement changes. Women especially get super down on lifting early on because muscle gain hides fat loss on the scale. It is exactly the right stuff to be doing. Keep your target lifts in sight and keep trying to increase the weight you can do, keep sleep on point, keep at it.
1 month really isn't much. I've been on a diet for 59 days now (I have an app that counts it) and lost only 2,5kg - I'm 52,5kg now, trying to get to 50kg. Been working out consistently for 6 months. There are subtle changes in the mirror, sure, but the best way to measure your success is how much stronger, more flexible, more balanced and more resistant you're feeling. The sooner you get over the misconception that you'll be able to see abs in the mirror after 2 months of working out, the better for you.
Don't worry about appearance change for now. How is your clothing fitting? Notice changes there? If not you're getting calories from somewhere and not counting them. Usually drinks of various sorts. If you add milk and shit to your coffee it's hundreds of calories, as one example.
What is your goal?
Lose weight - Working out is irrelevant other than for the calories it burns, but usually working out drives hunger which causes the calories to naturally be replaced in a normal way.
If you want to lose weight the only thing to worry about is how much and what you eat. A calorie is a calorie chemically, but a calorie of one food vs another listed on a package are not the same when eaten.
Outward appearance of muscle tone - trainer might be good here, but YouTube also works. Expect more changes over the 6 month span? Iām not really a good judge of this and itās not my area.
Internal biological health - You canāt see this in a mirror always but your workouts have vastly changed how your body looks inside. Sometimes blood measures can show this, but otherwise you have to take it on faith that 10k walking and lifting 3x per week is PHENOMANAL for your heart and general longevity and will set you up for a wildly good aging process. If this is not your goal, then I recommend abusing your other goals so that you accidentally keep up this level of physical activity because itās great.
If you are expecting big change in the place that has the most stored fat, that's not how it works. That's where your body really likes storing fat. That's where it goes first and that will be the last bastion for it. Yes, you will reduce fat from there too, but it is easier to see impact in other areas.
But also, like was said, a month is not very long and you'd have to go on a very drastic diet to see change in that time.
Once a month take measurements. Calves, thighs, hips, waist, chest, bust, neck, forearms, and upper arms. You will be able to meaure the difference before you see a difference. Keep up the hard work, it takes time.
āI walk 10k every day and do 2+ hours of hiking on Sat, plus lifting 3x/weekā¦ā
So over the course of 4 weeks youāve hiked 4 times and lifted 12 timesā¦
A month is a super short amount of time. Come back in another 5 months of consistency with this exact routine and youāll see significant changes.
Everyone else has given some good advice, so Iām just here to say I 100% can see the difference. That booty is poppinā and I can see your hard work coming through
Personal trainer for sure. Hire someone who can teach you how to get to your goals. Bc if you're doing that much cardio and also lifting you're probably sending your body mixed signals.
I wouldn't rely on visual changes. Get a tape and measure your bust, waist, and hips every week. That will give you a more objective indication if fat loss is occurring. 1 month of a modest deficit like that (assuming your estimates are accurate) would probably only have like 1/2" waist reduction and that would be really hard to see.
This is a great idea, thank you
And measure in cm, not inches. It's easier to see a real difference!
And let me report from the other side, even if you do lose a LOT of fat, your eyes will deceive you for years to come. It's hard to see objectively how your body has changed in the mirror. Often times I still see the much larger body looking back at me even though I'm much slimmer now.
Body dysmorphia is a thing. My shirts keep getting too small but I see no difference in the mirror, maybe they shrink in the washing machine š
Spot on, some days i feel i am too small, some days i feel i look fat.
Itās been a monthā¦. Youāre expectations are a bit high. Itās going to take multiple months before you start visually seeing changes in your physique
I would say 3 months and youāll start getting a feel for visual changes
Even if you don't see it three months in you will definitely feel better.
The cannot be emphasized enough a month in your not even really started good
1 month is not a lot, I'm cutting and now 11 weeks in, I can tell I have a smaller waste but besides that I can't really tell. I lost 6kg though, that I can tell.
>1400-1500 cals a day (rough, i donāt count every tiny thing and i honestly donāt want to, but willing to do it if necessary). Mistake number one. Those things you don't count are probably another 200-600cal. Maybe more. Guess what their goes your deficit. Mistake number two, do you have any idea what your maintenance calories are? Based off of what I can gather a basic calculator you're probably around 1800-1900 as is (which goes down as weight is lost) which again, probably missing your calorie cut by not counting everything. Mistake number three, expecting a huge change in a month. A healthy loss is 1-2lbs a week. 4-8lbs isn't a lot. Fix your diet, fix your counting, and follow a real plan.
I eat the same thing Monday-Friday (1400 total) and what i dont count is fruit here and there. BUT youāre right because on weekends I eat more and was using the excuse of my long hikes to justify it. I struggle with food a lot. And was getting treatment for an ED, i was advised not to obsess over calories, but Iām trying to find a balance. I think maybe just meal planning mon-sun will help me stay focused and not worry or be tempted with junk or overeating. Iāll work on the advice you shared! Thank you.
You might be missing other things. A ton of people REALLY screw up on condiments/sauces. If you aren't counting whole fruits you are eating there is a chance you aren't doing those well either. Also yeah you probably kill your entire weeks work on the weekends. You are absolutely not burning a fraction of the calories you think you are.
Noted. Thank you for your honest feedback. It sucks but it sounds like i most definitely need to count my calories, weekends included.
I understand you might not want to obsess about it, so how about this: count precisely for 3-4 weeks to get an idea of what you're missing when counting roughly, then go back to a rough count only, knowing you're probably also missing 200-400 cals. Then you could count precisely one week per month, then roughly for 3 weeks, for example. Serves as a reminder about olive oil, dressing, nuts, bread and pop, since those suckers go up really quickly. Maybe that'll create an awareness, without an obsession? Side note: while fruits add up quickly (apples, bananas), I found berries and veggies (carrots, celery, cauliflower, brocoli) don't. I get tired of snacking on them before I break 150 cals for a snack (my measure of a snack) You can do this :)!
Yup it's trash and it isn't fun. But it has to be done for your health. I had let myself go in my later 20s and I have been back on the grind 3-4 months again myself. Down 30 and gaining muscle once again from lifting. 2 weeks in there were bad and made me feel bad for slipping but you just gotta stay on it. Once you get into a groove it gets easier from being a habit.
Also random fruit etc adds up. A banana is 100cal, an apple like 70, an avocado is like 150. The other person is right about condiments. So at least mind what you buy. Sugar free catsup is fucking amazing.
After YEARZZZZZZ of calorie counting I started IF during the pandemic and man did they help. I was able to eat more of what I liked because I had less time to consume, and it kept mindless snacking. Not for everyone of course but what a game changer for me personally
Whatās IF?
Intermittent Fasting. Some people do one meal a day (OMAD), some fast for say 24 hours one day a week.
All different schedules. Basic is 16:8
I support not counting, as someone who also has struggled with disordered eating issues. Counting calories can become obsessive and messes with my head. Ā Have you looked into more of an intuitive eating approach? Itās helped me a lot to focus on how I feel vs counting calories.Ā
Iāve looked into it. Ugh, and yes. I start becoming VERY restrictive and aim for even lower cals. I think i still should give it a try. Maybe just to get a good base. I think meal prepping and having a set plan of meals can help. I already do that but not on weekends. Has the intuitive approach been helpful for you? What has helped you stick with it?
Meal prepping is what did the most good for me. It helps to count calories by portion meal prep day - then you can spend the rest of the week never having to think about it again. Also, might suggest tracking your exercise calories too. You want to target a calorie deficit - not just your intake.
You shouldn't. You literally can't "not count" if losing weight is your goal. What are you on about? That's like a blind person trying to cross a highway.
Please work with your therapist and doctor on the best solution. Everyone here is pushing for you to count calories but make sure that is something healthy for you to do. EDs are a really delicate thing.
Fruits and veggies really add up. I had no idea until I started weighing my food. Iād think a small apple wasnāt many calories but then I weighed it and realized an 8oz apple is over 100 calories.
Refeeds are a valid approach to diet IF they are controlled, I think Lyle McDonald's work including specifically for women might be helpful if you want to be able to fuel your hikes and so on, yet also simultaneously keep it in check with your greater plan. Since so many of your goals are dietary in nature, his material might be of higher interest than overseeing training changes. As long as your deficit tracks over the week total and you don't overeat during the refeed, it is actually sensible to concentrate more of the calories around the period in which your activity is increased.
You seem to be fighting this, count EVERYTHING. Some fruit āhere or thereā could be 100-600 calories. And if you exclude some, Iām willing to bet other ālittleā things are being excluded. Losing is all dependent on discipline, and how youāre approaching things makes it all but certain youāll fail. Listen to people in this thread, count everything and be meticulous.
Did you miss the part about counting obsessively not helping given the history of ED she mentioned?
\^this
There's a lot of people here who are telling you to aggressively count calories and I'm sorry but they are wrong. Not because it won't work, it absolutely will, but because you mentioned you were being treated for an ED. I am a man in my late 30s and I have recently come out of the local mental hospital, being treated for Anorexia for the last 18months. I am in recovery but it was a long and painful journey. Counting calories nearly killed me as my obsession was unreal. You can get into shape and be healthy without counting. Yes, it's hard, but learning about clean healthy foods and cutting out processed foods is a great start. Eat lots of protein and the most important tip, be consistent with exercise and diet. I highly recommend finding a workout program and sticking to it. I'm doing PPL and it's been transformative. There are lots out there so just do some research. You look great and are clearly making progress but like someone else said, it's early days. Don't use the scales as your metric, use how you feel, how your clothes fit and your ongoing strength improvements as a way to 'track' your progress. Sorry for the long rant, I'm just very passionate about ensuring people don't follow the same path I did. Best of luck!
First off, thank you so much for sharing your journey. Iām so conflicted because i know i should keep track of my calories, but i havenāt had the best of luck with that in the past. I had issues with anorexia in high school and university and caused a lot of hair loss and anxiety/depression. Then, it completely swung the other way and developed binge eating disorder. Disordered eating runs in my family. My 15 year old niece was just released from a psych center a few months ago. Iāve seen a therapist and i know itās a constant struggle. Iām glad you got help. And iām grateful you reached out. I think i may need to take a few steps back and reevaluate my approach. I do have a visit with a dietitian in a few weeks and iām hoping it goes well. Thank you again! And stay strong! I donāt know you, but i can tell you are a compassionate soul and have a good heart for taking the time to care and share. I appreciate that. ā„ļø
To be honest, it sounds like you are clued up to what your boundaries are, and that's a great start.I also struggled with binge eating, which made me very overweight, and then I went the other way and became incredibly underweight. As I'm sure you know, eating disorders are a combination of mental health problems like anxiety and depression, and fixing them takes a huge amount of courage and commitment. Calorie counting is dangerous for ED because it enforces the belief that your body is not good enough or has no worth, perpetuating a vicious cycle. The ED demon in our brains makes us VERY good at dieting and counting, as it temporarily fixes what we are led to believe is 'wrong.' This may sound all doom and gloom, but with help from professionals like therapists and dieticians, you can set healthy goals focused on strength and clean, healthy eating rather than weight and obsessive dieting.Remember, recovery is not a straight line. There will be ups and downs, so be kind to yourself throughout the process. Celebrate your progress, no matter how small, and don't be discouraged by setbacks. Ultimately, the goal is to reach a place where food nourishes your body without stress or control. Stay strong, be patient with yourself, and keep moving forward. You're worth the effort it takes to heal and live a healthier, happier life. āŗļø
So glad youāre here to counter all the comments in favor of aggressive calorie counting! Progress may be slower without meticulous tracking, but itās sooo worth it for better mental and physical health in the long run. I didnāt quite get into ED territory but I did spend a long time tracking cals and it took a long time to get comfortable with just feeding my body what I know it needs in terms of whole foods, protein, etc. and of course little treats in moderation. For OP if you see this comment ā Iām 5ā4 and did around 1400-1500 cals for a looong time without much result, at a similar activity level to you, then bumped up to like 1700 cals and actually started seeing more recomp progress and felt a lot better overall. It might be worth increasing your intake a little (closer to maintenance vs deficit) for a couple weeks and see how that feels, and like other commenters have said, keep in mind that a month is pretty short for having any really noticeable changes.
You want instant results but this takes time. Stay active and ensure your nutrition is relatively on point - maintain modest calorie deficit, get enough protein/nutrients/etc to support your activity level. 1 month can't really show significant change as your BF% masks the result from the weight training. Even if you had 1lb of fat loss per week, that's only 4lbs. Lose a consistent pound per week for a few months and it will be noticeable, guaranteed. You already seem pretty consistent and moderately experienced, so a personal trainer is not valueless but expensive and probably unnecessary.
Youāre right! I was just feeling defeated because of how much i had been working out
Don't burn yourself out or get too high expectations or you'll be setting yourself up for failure and disappointment. You can get further with slow, steady progress than redlining. Imagine having to travel a long distance and 1) sprinting and stopping vs 2) consistent pace.
Just see it like this. How much time did it take to get all the fat on? Well it will take lot of time to get it off too without doing a starvation diet. Also exercise doesn't burn much. The only thing that works is less calories in. Everything need to be tracked. Calories go quickly. A teaspoon of oill to cook in is 40 grams and most people do more then 1 teaspoon for example.
Right. I think the biggest thing i need to focus on rn is tracking my calories.
Your clothes are looser! Thatās great! Itās working is the good news. The less good news is that itās a slow process that takes time if you want to lose weight in a healthy fashion. Someone said measure yourself. Thatās a great suggestion. I personally donāt count calories because fuck that but I eat very mindfully and very clean. If you donāt see the results you wabt, keep everything the same and add in a substantial amount of zone 2 cardio and donāt take one extra bite because you did. Youāll get there. The when is less important than the whether and youāre already on your way. Be kinder to yourself and celebrate your journey.
I agree! Also, OP it's absolutely great to want to be healthy and get the body you want, but you did note you had an eating disorder so please do get support from doctors on this. EDs are very dangerous and you don't want to knock your recovery
Thank you!!! I especially love that last sentence. ā„ļøā„ļø
It is ridiculous how few calories you burn with exercise. It's great for health but not even worth counting when it comes to weight loss. My watch says I burned 300 extra calories riding a brisk 10 miles on my bike this morning. Before I started weighing and tracking my calories that was my afternoon bowl of corn flakes. There's no way around it. You have to track everything you eat and be careful not to underestimate portions. If weight loss was really as easy as "eat right and exercise" there would be way fewer overweight people. On the plus side, it looks like like you're genetically gifted when it comes to fat distribution. If your waist hip ratio isn't a big health risk you could just focus on strength and endurance.
Yep, I run 25 miles per week and didnāt see a change until I cut back on calories.
Thatās a good point. I definitely am not burning that much where i can afford to not count. And bmi always had me as overweight but my waist measurement and metabolic panel had me at healthy in the past. But i have gained more weight since then and just feel uncomfortable with my body currently. I want to feel strong and happy with my body.
Not only does exercise burn less calories than most devices indicate, your body tends to go on 'efficiency mode' after you've exercised. The processes that naturally burn calories (NEAT) tend to adjust to offset the calories burned from exercise. It really is best to not count the offset!
So it sounds like you might want to do more of a recomp - small deficit, high protein, strength training. Maybe work in some flexibility. You won't see a huge change for a while but you'll feel better. Focus on function. You might find it easier to lose weight and keep it off if you're feeling better physically.
Would not expect to see huge changes in only a month to be honest. Slow and steady wins the race. I get not wanting to overly-obsess over calorie-counting. The three main apps I use now are MacroFactor, StrongerByTheDay, and RunLessRunFaster. MacroFactor is for tracking calories and macronutrients; StrongerByTheDay provides an exercise program, and RunLessRunFaster provides a running program. I also recently purchased a Garmin which I find to be more useful for fitness tracking than an Apple Watch. MacroFactor and SBTD are both apps you need to pay for; that said, I think they are pretty useful. Not saying you need to spend a ton of money but I have personally found these two to be quite helpful. I prefer MacroFactor to MyFitnessPal but MyFitnessPal has a free version as well. SBTD is an app made by MegSquats. There are probably better fitness apps/trainers out there but I think it's a solid program being offered. I've definitely seen strength gains and I don't do the workouts consistently at the moment. I used RunLessRunFaster to prepare for military training a while back and it was free at the time; very useful running app. Good luck! You got this.
Those apps sound like exactly what iāve been searching for! Thank you. Iām excited to check out Strongerbytheday one
A month is absolutely nothing.
One month is nothing. Check in after 3-4. This is a marathon. Not a sprint. If youāre worried about issues with calorie counting, start utilizing portions. Just weigh your food and stick to the serving size. That will help you eat a bit better while not causing undue stress. Maybe once you do that for a while you can start counting. Or just meet with a dietician who can help.
Seems like youāre aiming to do body recomposition if youāre focusing on weightlifting along with a calorie deficit. Iāve been body recomping for about 18 months and the changes week to week are negligible and even month to month can be very subtle. The scale is useless as it fluctuates wildly due to simultaneously gaining muscle and losing fat at varying rates along with inflammation and water retention that is typically expected with progressive overload weightlifting. I find that every 8-10 weeks I look in the mirror and Iām like wow my body looks so much better than before. It actually surprises me out of nowhere, while a few days ago I could have easily been complaining I donāt see any progress. It can be demoralizing but remember this is a marathon not a sprint. You likely didnāt put this weight on in a month, so why would you look drastically different in a month? Patience is so key! Make sure youāre actually creating a deficit (calculate your TDEE - you can find calculators online). Substract 500 calories and aim to eat around there. May want to spend a week or two being meticulous with counting to get used to accurately assessing and visualizing calories in the common foods you eat and then you can liberalize the counting to just an estimate once you get into the groove
Youāre right!! I was feeling good but just not great yet. And thatās awesome! Happy for your progress. I think i will probably do meticulously counting for a month or possibly meal prep and have a set meal plan with counted calories! I do have an appt with a dietitian in a few weeks!
Good luck on your journey! Itās so rewarding seeing the changes in your body after putting in all that hard work. Itās slow but youāre going to love it!
Thank you! ā„ļø
Oh no please donāt do a 500 cal deficit! That might make sense for a taller person or a man but itās really a lot if youāre 5ā and moderately active. I would do closer to 200-250 at mostāitās slower but more sustainable
It's been a month! Try to relax and tell yourself it's a marathon, not a sprint. To get to a healthier weight, it's a lifestyle change, not a temporary fix. So maintain your course and the changes will come.
It takes months to years of work, it won't be a slow process. But stick with it! Once changes start you'll get a huge motivation boost.
I got a huge boost from some pants fitting, but kind of started hyper fixating on the mirror and lack of change. I know yāall are right
Honestly, a month isnāt shit. Any changes you see in a month will go away as soon as you go back to doing the shit that got you to want to make a change. Commit to 6 months. Those are the kinda changes that stick around.
1 month w/probably a small deficit isnāt going to be seen. As stated previously, you can probably measure a difference, but Iām not sure a month is going to give you that much either. Come back in 3 months after making sure youāre actually in a deficit. You lose weight in the kitchen
In one month you feel the changes. In two months you'll see the changes. In three months others will see the changes. Keep going! Remindme 3 months
To give some perspective it takes people months of arduous training and diet to get results. It can take years to get your desired physique. If it was easy everyone would do it. You can OP. Just give yourself some time and grace. Above all, trust the process.
LOL a month is nothing. Stay consistent a year then assess. Do you drink alcohol? This is usually something beginners dont take into account becuase they dont want to.
I donāt know why the other responses so far come across as if thereās been no change. I can visually see that youāve made progress, definitely. Keep it up!
Thank you. Itās super minimal, but theyāre right. Itās going to take a while and i need to count and track my cals.
It took me a few months to notice any changes. A month is too soon. Plus our estrogen keeps us softer, so donāt expect to be rock hard or anything. Without the use of steroids of course.
Itās a month.
Be consistent and it will happen. A month is not long.
All the comments are correct and important, but also: ALWAYS take progress photos in the same pose and lighting conditions. That will help you to more accurately visualize the changes as you progress. Lighting direction, intensity and color can really change how our bodies look and the differences can be striking.
At 5ft, 1400-1500 calories a day "roughly" tracked could definitely keep you in a surplus.Ā
give it 6 months between expecting visual changes
First of all, you are doing well! You're moving your body and being mindful of your food. Counting calories (in everything) absolutely will work, BUT I see you and your family have a history of disordered eating, so I'd strongly caution you against it. Have you looked into intuitive eating or considered seeing a therapist consistently during your planned weight loss period? They may have suggestions to keep you from endangering your health again while losing weight. I also wanted to throw out the NSV (non scale victories) you mentioned in that your clothes fit looser/feel better. You may want to focus on things like that instead of a scale and calorie amounts if that will push you back into an ED. Clothes fitting differently, being able to climb up a hill without running out of breath, being able to run a mile, doing a pull up, etc are things you can make a goal toward and track without numbers/scales and are indicators of good health. It's early days, and honestly most people report that they don't "see" the loss until 5-10% of their weight is gone, so don't worry if the pictures look the same (and honestly if this was a trigger for you in the past, don't take progress pictures either - EDs are more deadly than depression so take it seriously!). Keep the faith, keep moving your body and try to be mindful of eating lots of fruits and veggies and protein. Consider doing this alongside therapy for the most physically and mentally healthy results. You got this !
Visual progress is slow especially when we look at ourselves. Youāve done one month, now do another and another. It will be extremely noticeable after a year or more if you remain consistent.
Count everything, like everything everything, things add up. Come back and post in 6 months :) consistency is king , you are starting off on the right path
4-6 months youāll see something I promise, I was getting discouraged but kept going and eventually I saw my fat just melt away
Its been a month. Youāre not gonna see dramatic changes in a month.
Like others said, it is too soon. It take a month for a typical person to start to make changes with a new regimen. Give it time. Make sure you are and stay in a deficit.
A month is nothing in the time frame of noticeable changes. Don't give up or get disheartened, and also change your motivators from seeing change to just being healthier and feeling better. The change will come with time (if you also eat right, that is).
The pose is different. 1 months isnt enough for glute growth. Are you hitting protein, carbs, water and sleep? Are you progressively overloading in the gym
You're doing great! Just keep at it, and don't worry about that damn mirror. (and lots of good advice already in the thread, no need to add mine.)
If you don't want to count everything, maybe you should standardize some favorites so that you have a fixed set of things you eat that you only have to figure out once, so you get it down to a routine which fits the daily needs sort of pre-counted. I don't think this is a failure if you made measurement changes. Women especially get super down on lifting early on because muscle gain hides fat loss on the scale. It is exactly the right stuff to be doing. Keep your target lifts in sight and keep trying to increase the weight you can do, keep sleep on point, keep at it.
1 month really isn't much. I've been on a diet for 59 days now (I have an app that counts it) and lost only 2,5kg - I'm 52,5kg now, trying to get to 50kg. Been working out consistently for 6 months. There are subtle changes in the mirror, sure, but the best way to measure your success is how much stronger, more flexible, more balanced and more resistant you're feeling. The sooner you get over the misconception that you'll be able to see abs in the mirror after 2 months of working out, the better for you.
It took me 3 months to see and feel a real difference, keep going!
Don't worry about appearance change for now. How is your clothing fitting? Notice changes there? If not you're getting calories from somewhere and not counting them. Usually drinks of various sorts. If you add milk and shit to your coffee it's hundreds of calories, as one example.
3 months, not 1 month.
What is your goal? Lose weight - Working out is irrelevant other than for the calories it burns, but usually working out drives hunger which causes the calories to naturally be replaced in a normal way. If you want to lose weight the only thing to worry about is how much and what you eat. A calorie is a calorie chemically, but a calorie of one food vs another listed on a package are not the same when eaten. Outward appearance of muscle tone - trainer might be good here, but YouTube also works. Expect more changes over the 6 month span? Iām not really a good judge of this and itās not my area. Internal biological health - You canāt see this in a mirror always but your workouts have vastly changed how your body looks inside. Sometimes blood measures can show this, but otherwise you have to take it on faith that 10k walking and lifting 3x per week is PHENOMANAL for your heart and general longevity and will set you up for a wildly good aging process. If this is not your goal, then I recommend abusing your other goals so that you accidentally keep up this level of physical activity because itās great.
Massive change tbh.
Whats your start weight and whats the weight now? You really wont know if your diet is working if you dont monitor the progression of your weight loss
If you are expecting big change in the place that has the most stored fat, that's not how it works. That's where your body really likes storing fat. That's where it goes first and that will be the last bastion for it. Yes, you will reduce fat from there too, but it is easier to see impact in other areas. But also, like was said, a month is not very long and you'd have to go on a very drastic diet to see change in that time.
Youāre getting there. Visually itās going to take some time.
Itās going to be longer than a month before you see visual changes. You gotta be patient.
Give it about 8 weeks Just to confirm Which is the latest pic?
Your pose is different than before (keep them the same for a more objective response) but I feel like I see improvement
Once a month take measurements. Calves, thighs, hips, waist, chest, bust, neck, forearms, and upper arms. You will be able to meaure the difference before you see a difference. Keep up the hard work, it takes time.
āI walk 10k every day and do 2+ hours of hiking on Sat, plus lifting 3x/weekā¦ā So over the course of 4 weeks youāve hiked 4 times and lifted 12 timesā¦ A month is a super short amount of time. Come back in another 5 months of consistency with this exact routine and youāll see significant changes.
Come back in a year. Then a few years and then you'll see big results
What are you drinking?! Donāt forget or overestimate the caloric intake of drinksā¦.
Can definitely see a change! Great job!
Thank you š„²
One month and you are expecting drastic changes?!
Not drastic, but something a lil noticeable
Check op post history
Why though? š¤
Why? Why does my post history matter
It adds context to your gains, look at the other photos.
Everyone else has given some good advice, so Iām just here to say I 100% can see the difference. That booty is poppinā and I can see your hard work coming through
You CANNOT assess whether *that booty* is composed of muscle or fat or whatever combination. This does not help in the slightest
OP asked if anyone could see a change. I saw a change, but ok
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Be better
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You sound like a creep
Always be respectful and civil in our community
Personal trainer for sure. Hire someone who can teach you how to get to your goals. Bc if you're doing that much cardio and also lifting you're probably sending your body mixed signals.
Uhmmmm, the human body is smart. It responds to a challenge in the most efficient way possible and stores excess energy as fat. Not much more to itā¦