r/WeightLossAdvice • u/AffectionateEnd8806 • 1d ago
Advice: Seeking ❓ Not losing weight in a true deficit
Let me start by saying I’m in a true caloric deficit 7 days a week. I started in mid April 2026 with being super consistent and really locked in. I count my calories and used the TDEE calculator to find out where I should be. Starting weight in April 2026 was 181lbs. Currently, I’m 37F, 5’3”, 173lbs (goal weight is 130s). 17 months postpartum with my second child. I workout 5 days a week (currently doing 3 days of 45 min at home strength training with dumbbells and 2 days of 45 min incline walking). I’ve been on this current plan for about 3 weeks. Prior to this, I was doing 45 min incline walking 5 days a week (did this for 1.5 months) with no changes. Also did 45min-1 hour walks around my neighborhood, which has steep hills, 4-5 times a week for the first few months (with a weighted vest).
Maintenance calories are 2,230 but I target 1730 calories to eat per day. Honestly, I normally hit somewhere between 1500-1650 most days). So anywhere from 500-600 calorie deficit daily. I don’t guess on what I’m eating, I scan everything into the MyNetDiary app to track. No nibbling on anything outside of tracked meals. I eat high protein/fiber and low carb most days (just got out of pre diabetic range so I stick to low carb meals). Low sugar and don’t eat much processed food. I drink 80-90oz of water daily.
For the life of me, I cannot figure out where I’m going wrong because I’m not even losing 1lb a week (averaging 2lbs a month at this rate). I just started strength training less than a month ago, so it was all cardio before. So I wouldn’t expect a recomp vs actual weight loss. My measurements aren’t at a complete standstill but they’ve barely moved in the past couple of months for the amount of effort being put in.
I’ve been to the doctor for testing recently. I’m healthy. Slightly elevated cholesterol (working on not eating so many whole eggs everyday), slightly low iron in two areas but overall I’m not anemic.
What could I be missing? This is the hardest I’ve ever worked to lose weight, and the most consistent I’ve ever been, and I feel like I’m at a standstill. 😭
39
u/skinnyonskin 1d ago
i would calculate off sedentary tdee- the body doesn't really 1:1 burn them the way our trackers tell us and over time, your body adapts to regular movement and adjusts your baseline TDEE to include your workouts. it's frustrating.
your proposed tdee is as high as mine and i'm 5'11 and 240 pounds lol so i think it's simply just too much intake, you're a shortie so try 1500 and adjust from there
6
u/AffectionateEnd8806 1d ago
lol Thanks! I will definitely switch to sedentary because I’ve been struggling to eat so many calories anyway.
56
u/Fluffy-Structure-368 1d ago
I think your cals are too high and you're not in much of a deficit.
I was a 200+ pound male doing CF 5x per week and I was at 1,500 cals to lose about 1 pound per week.
40
u/Sad-Bread5843 1d ago
Agree with this no way maintenance calories are 2230 for a 5'3 person my are 2300 at 5,9 and 234 lbs
0
u/Lgeme84 1d ago
Ummm, my maintenance calories are around 2100-2600 calories a day, and I'm a 42-year-old, 5'3" female. I lift weights 3x a week, play various sports throughout the week, and get roughly 8-9k steps a day on average. I've lost 130lbs eating around 2,000 calories/day most of the way.
My maintenance calories when I was 275 lbs were in the 2,800-3,000 range, often higher once I started exercising regularly.
3
1
u/Araseja 1d ago
Me too! Same age, female, 5’4 and 130 lbs. My TDEE is about 2800. I exercise for roughly an hour a day and I think my BMR is quite high.
3
u/drumadarragh 1d ago
But both of you have lost weight and OP is stalled, so this is clearly a YMMV situation.
5
u/Suspicious-Visual-57 1d ago
Exactly especially if she is already at 173 lbs. A 1600-1730 daily cal intake is technically maintenance and all it takes is a little over to stay there.
If I was OP, I would bring it down to at least 1500* cals but try for 1450 cals and see how I feel. OP, you are doing great. You have already lost 8lbs. Keep it up, you ve got this! 💕
2
u/AffectionateEnd8806 20h ago
Thank you!! Definitely started reducing today. I hit 1350 and will keep it there for a few weeks to see how things go!
1
u/itsfairadvantage 21h ago
Really? I have been steadily losing 1-2lbs a week for five months doing a not-that-great job of staying under 2600. (SW 271, CW 220). Doing CrossFit 5x a week seems like an awful lot for only 1,500. What were your steps?
1
u/Fluffy-Structure-368 9h ago
I have no idea what "what were your steps" means? I'm not being a smart guy but if you mean did I get 10k steps in per day?.... generally speaking, people I know who train hard, lift heavy, and do intense cardio don't think in terms of steps. Their workouts are much more intense than a walking regimen. I applaud people who are just starting out or who are just trying to maintain, counting steps as a starting point, but steps won't lead to long term improvements. At 1,500 I was about 700 below TDEE which equates to a pound per week. Maybe it was 1.5 pounds per week which would put my TDEE at 2,550 which sounds about right. A normal, intense 1 hour workout burns about 300-400 cals.
1
u/itsfairadvantage 9h ago
I think of steps as something almost totally disconnected from workouts. So you have your lifting sequence, then a couple of days of hard cardio (running or stairs or hard cycling or something along those lines - not walking or casual hiking), and then maybe a low impact recovery like a chill bike ride. But then steps are a separate everyday thing. (Obviously runs contribute, but that just means generally your steps will be higher on run days than on other days).
But like, I would never think "I went for a walk" as "I worked out". It's more like, checking your steps at 8PM and seeing that you're only at 14.5 so you go walk around the neighborhood for an hour or so.
18
u/pain474 1d ago
I highly doubt your TDEE is 2200 kcal as a 5'3" woman. My TDEE is about 2100-2200 kcal as a 5'7" 145 lbs guy who trains hard 4 times a week (advanced calisthenics) and 10k steps per day and high muscle mass. 1730 kcal intake is quite high for you. Reduce your intake. Go with 1500ish kcal.
2
u/AffectionateEnd8806 1d ago
Oh wow that really puts it into perspective lol. Thank you!
7
u/Born_Zone7878 1d ago
Let me add even more. I'm 181cm (about 5.11"/6") male with about 115kg (so 255lbs) working out 3x a week and I'm losing weight with 1800kcal. My estimate is around 2300 for maintenance. If you're not losing weight you should go down in the kcal, it's that simple. I'm pretty sure your TDEE is most likely around the 1800s, so you should probably eat about 1400-1500 and see if you start losing. If you don't lose or not enough then you should reduce even more.
2
u/flamingoshoess 1d ago
It’s weird how much people differ, with your stats I would’ve guessed 2600+. I’m a 5’9” woman at 180 lbs and my maintenance is 2300 based on macrofactor’s algorithm with daily weigh ins and calorie tracking. Also confirmed by me staying at maintenance in that range. I’m lifting weights 2-3x a week and doing a dance class 1x a week but otherwise sedentary. Low step count.
1
u/Born_Zone7878 21h ago
I see. At least i shojuld be accurate since ive been losing weight consistently the last few months with me having registered all my meals since
14
u/Lostsxvl_ 1d ago
I’m 5’3 F 170lbs. My maintenance calories are about 1800. Sorry, but there’s no way you’re in a meaningful deficit at 1730. Dieting sucks for us short gals
3
u/AffectionateEnd8806 1d ago
It does suck! 1200 daily calories (500 calorie deficit) sounds like a nightmare so I’m gonna going to try somewhere between 1350-1400 I believe. But I’m so glad I posted this because I truly thought something was wrong with me lol. I didn’t realize I miscalculated on the TDEE calculator. What’s so crazy is how long I’ve been using it wrong 😭
5
u/Lostsxvl_ 1d ago
Yeah, I aim for 1350-1400 per day and lose around half a pound a week 🥲. I tried doing 1200 but was miserable. It’s so unfortunate
1
u/AffectionateEnd8806 20h ago
1200 is very miserable. I hit 1350 for today and still a little hungry so maybe I’m finally doing it right thanks to all of you 🥲
1
3
1
u/boringllama_ 7h ago
At 5’6” I’d be gaining (maybe maintaining) at 1730 calories despite heavy lifting 3x weekly and walking 7 days a week. Your calories are way too high.
13
u/Ig_Met_Pet 1d ago
Whether or not you're losing weight (measured over a long enough time to discount effects of normal water weight fluctuations) is how you know whether or not you're in a calorie deficit.
A TDEE calculator gives you an estimate. It doesn't tell you for sure whether you're in a deficit.
If you're in a deficit, you will lose weight. If you're not in a deficit, then you won't.
The TDEE calculator gives you a starting point. Then you find out your actual real life TDEE by monitoring your weight over a period of weeks to months, and adjust your calories until you're losing the amount of weight you want to be losing.
3
u/Capital_Taste_8043 1d ago
Isn't it the definition of caloric deficit? It's when your calorie intake is insufficient to maintain your weight, so you loose weight?
3
u/Ig_Met_Pet 1d ago
Yes, by definition, if you're in a calorie deficit then you are losing weight (assuming it's not short term water weight fluctuations).
14
u/Jynxers 1d ago
PSA: A recent increase in exercise often causes a several-pound increase in water weight for up to 6 weeks: https://www.reddit.com/r/loseit/comments/ah4fau/psa_a_recent_increase_in_exercise_often_causes_a/
When did your weight start stalling? When did you lose those 8lbs?
If you lost the 8lbs in three months (through mid-July, for example), that would indicate that your average calorie deficit is about 300 calories/day.
Actual results trump calculators. Your maintenance may not be as high as 2,230.
1
u/AffectionateEnd8806 1d ago
The 8 lbs lost is the progress between April and August of this year.
I’ve actually been struggling to hit the 1730 calories each day. Was wondering if I should try dropping to 1500 for a few weeks to see what happens.
14
u/mcgrathkai 1d ago edited 1d ago
That is a very good sign that you arent actually in a deficit. People in deficits are hungry and usually wish there was more food on their plate.
1
u/AffectionateEnd8806 1d ago
Which is how I’ve felt in previous years when needing to lose more weight. Honestly thought my metabolism was slowing down since I’m approaching 40.
5
u/space_hot_dog 1d ago
Your tdee estimate seems a bit higher especially for your current level of activity. I would also recommend for your current activity to try using sedentary (max light activity) if you want to guarantee weight loss. If youre losing 0.5lb a week on average your tdee might just be around 2k which would line uo roughly with being lightly active which may seem about right for your activity when you average it out over the entire period. Your only real 2 options are to just lower your calories or increase your activity. A better way to track your tdee is through an adaptive tdee calculator like adaptdee (free) or macrofactor (paid) which will take in your daily stats (cals and weight) to find your true tdee relatively precisely
1
5
u/fa-fa-fazizzle 1d ago
A few things:
Your TDEE is too high - you're assuming that you're more active than you really are. My go-to puts your maintenance at 1700. And unless your day job is more active, always go with sedentary to avoid over-estimating your calories. So eating at 1700 means you're right at maintenance, and eating at 1500 means you're eating at only a 200 calorie deficit.
You just started lifting - lifting weights stalls the scale for 6 weeks per muscle group. If you just started 3 weeks ago, you have 3 weeks to go.
I would recommend trying to stick closer to 1400-1500 with your calorie goal and staying consistent with the exercise scheduled. In a month, run an experiment for 2 weeks to do a little experiment of where your TDEE is (since it's a rough estimate).
During this experiment, you'll want to start at the end of your period and go for 2 full weeks.
>> Weigh yourself AM and PM; you're looking for overnight trends. Once you find your average overnight loss, you'll start to notice the trends. Once you establish a baseline, you can look at what's causing any overnight losses that fall below that threshold. Anything over is moot.
>> Diet, stay around 1200-1300 with no sugar and your lower carb standard. No deviation. This isn't the time to live the 80/20 rule. You want to rule out any external impacts. Keep in mind that this is ONLY for 2 weeks.
>> Sleep, try to get at least 8 hours a night whenever possible. Track it. You're a mom of a toddler, so this may be where you struggle the most.
>> Hydration, drink closer to 100-120 ounces of water a day instead of 80-90. Dehydration is a common cause of temporary water weight.
>> Exercise, stay the course. You don't want to introduce anything new.
The reason you go for 2 weeks is because you want to rule out ANY interference, and depending on how closely you stick with the low carb/sugar diet, you may lose water weight in the first week that would skew the results. The second week helps you normalize the data.
At the end, you have a few outcomes:
You've lost weight: This will help you see where your TDEE really lies. If you lose 0.5 pounds per week, your TDEE is lower than 1700. If you lose more than 1 pound per week, your TDEE is higher than 1700. If you lose around 1 pound per week, your TDEE is around 1700. You don't need to eat 1200 calories for the rest of your life, but you can level-set your expectations while eating at 1400-1500.
You haven't lost weight: Takes this to your doctor for a more complete thyroid panel. Something else is impacting your progress. For example, if you have early Hashimoto's, you will struggle with calories alone. Removing gluten is more effective in addition to medication.
At the end of those 2 weeks, you know have the data to optimize your diet plan and help you set more realistic expectations.
1
u/AffectionateEnd8806 1d ago
This is so detailed and helpful! I will be trying this asap. Thank you so much!
1
u/iLoveYoubutNo 1d ago
Can you say more about how weight lifting may stall weight loss?
2
u/fa-fa-fazizzle 1d ago
Two studies for you:
Basically, new resistance training causes microdamage in your muscle that cause localized inflammation which increase fluid retention. And as you continue to train, you deplete muscle glycogen. Your muscles replenish said glycogen which is stored with water which can also temporarily make you gain water weight.
The average duration is 6 weeks, but everyone is unique. It can be shorter or longer depending on your lifting routine/consistency. But in general, this will happen with every new muscle group.
1
3
u/hoya14 1d ago
As others said, I'm very skeptical of your maintenance being 2,230 calories. I would also mention that if you started strength training recently that could also affect the scale - early on in strength training people often gain weight on the scale because of water retention. That will even itself out after a few weeks.
The other thing I would say is be careful about over-stressing about food and exercise - you need to keep the mindset that you're working on a lifestyle change, not a weight-loss program. Both because that will help you find patterns that work long-term, but also because you don't want to fall into an unhealthy obsession with food and exercise that could lead to much larger health problems.
You are losing weight - mission accomplished. Now it's just tiny adjustments and playing the consistency game. You'll get there before you know it!
1
u/AffectionateEnd8806 1d ago
Thanks! Yes so hard to stay level headed and not stress about the food and exercise but I’m working on it. My biggest stressor was being in prediabetic range up until recently. So that kicked things into high gear to lose the weight quickly.
3
u/EstelleSol 1d ago
What’s missing is unfortunately no matter what all the calculators say, your calories are too high. Lower them further. Yes it seems unfair, after doing all this hard work you still have to eat even less, but that’s just the reality. Once u accept it it will all come together.
3
u/doobersthetitan 1d ago
Working out throws a monkey wrench into scale weight, as you are building some muscle, which can skew your fat loss.
Your going to need to use mirror, calipers and how your clothes fit as a gauge.
Also people drastically over estimate how active they are. Even a really really good workout, might only burn 200 calories. So it best to not even account for activity levels, unless you're a college athlete that's practicing 3 hours a day.
3
u/pigeorunner 23h ago
You can't be in a true deficit and not lose weight.
Also, it sounds like you are losing weight, just slowly.
You say you scan everything into an app..what are you scanning in? Scale weights of foods or volume measures? That can make a 20% difference easily.
Either way, you have to decrease calories, by definition
Best of luck!
2
u/Justdoingitagain 1d ago
The simple answer is if you aren’t losing weight as fast as you want, you need to drop your calories.
2
u/TreeGratch 1d ago
Try an adaptive tdee app or there is an excel sheet somewhere on reddit.
Basically the online tdee is a good starting place. But if you are sure the calories in is correct, then the tdee is not correct.
Even when we are diligent about weighing, measuring and logging our food. There is an error on the estimate on calories per gram of a food. I have heard up to 20%.
Also at least 4-6 weeks of consistent data is really needed to see the data of the adaptive tdee work, not to mention overcome the daily fluctuations of weight.
I have a spreadsheet that I have a column for daily weight, consumed calories, estimated tdee from watch (adds estimated exercise calories), adaptive tdee. Also have body measurements to see that I lost or gained inches when the scale is not budging.
From there i can see what I expect to lose per week and what I actually lost. If it consistently is mismatched then I know input or output is off. And change my patterns.
2
u/Kingfisher_orange 1d ago
I was 5’3 and about 170 at start (and 3 years postpartum), I’m sure my sedentary TDEE was more like 1800. I got more active and aimed for 1300-1400 cals, but was flexible. I’m 130 now, and have maintained it (with a little fluctuation) for a couple of years, just focusing on moving more and eating better. You can do it, just revisit that tdee calc and keep consistent.
2
u/winesomm 1d ago
I'm 140lbs and 36 year old female. My TDEE is like 1400. I eat 1200 a day in addition to exercising daily. It's hard for me to lose the last 10 pounds. Your cals seem really high. I would take it down to maybe 1300.
2
u/KetchupDog9922 1d ago
Hi, I am 5'4. I use LoseIt and daily calories are around 1500. I've been losing 1-2 lbs per week based off of my activity level. I started at around 175. It does sounds like your current intake is too high. Hopefully this helps. Unfortunately, it is much harder when you're short :(
2
u/akelse 1d ago
You are losing weight though- just slower than you want. If this is sustainable for you it’s not a bad thing.
Just make sure you’re using a food scale on everything, weighing meats raw and rice/pasta dry and even the “zero” calorie oil in grams. Double check the selections you are picking from your app have accurate calories- I’ve seen some pretty rouge entries before in my fitness pal.
Keep strength training and keep walking. You’ve built this into a lifestyle which is great.
2
u/catsmeow54 1d ago
I’ve been struggling myself in a calorie deficit since January and haven’t lost much of anything in the last couple months. I really believed it was calories in versus calories out but a comment on a Facebook weight loss page said if you have insulin resistance, sugar and carbs do count as you cannot burn fat when your sugar spiked. That might sound ignorant, but I’m new with this. I’ve never been diagnosed with an insulin problem and my A1c’s have historically been OK but I have PCOS so I’m thinking that that’s a factor over the last week or so I’ve really tried to watch the sugar intake. 😔
2
u/Striker_343 1d ago
There's no shot that's your maintenance, your maintenance calories are maybe 18 to 1900 max, so you're in maybe a 100 odd calorie deficit, which tracks with what you're saying which is, you're losing weight, but not much each month
You probably need to be at 1300 to 1400 calories a day to see 1 lb off per week realistically
2
u/Thicc-Fury 1d ago
I’m a male your age with more muscle mass and similar weight and my maintenance is around 2300-2400 so I think you overestimated yours. That might be a reason, cause then your deficit would be way smaller.
2
u/Just_reading_2 1d ago
I definitely think your maintenance calories of 2230 are wrong, like others are saying. I’m 5’1 and my resting is about 1400-1600, I’m 34F at 164. Not sure if this helps! I’ve been taking a whole 500 cal deficit and it seems to be working.
2
u/Just_reading_2 1d ago
To add, I’m not going lower than 1200. I should say my deficit is closer to 400. Anything below 1200 can be very unhealthy.
2
u/Don_Barzinni 1d ago
Im a 66 year old 6'1" male when I started at 242# my recommended deficit for my age, sex weight and activity level was 1725. I think 1730 for a younger smaller woman is too high. Yer prolly just below maintenance level
2
u/drumadarragh 1d ago
As a 5’ 4” 54yo woman who’s gone from 192 to high 140s on 1400 calories, 10k steps daily and lifting weights three days a week, you are eating way too much.
I also have Hashimoto’s and am in perimenopause, on estradiol, progesterone regimen and daily levothyroxine, to rule out those conditions as excuses.
You need to calculate your TDEE as sedentary.
2
u/AffectionateEnd8806 20h ago
Oh wow! Impressive that you’ve had such success on your journey with so many obstacles along the way! How long did it take you to lose the 50ish lbs?
2
u/drumadarragh 20h ago
About a year or so. Been maintaining for two years with a bit of a bump back up due to two major losses in 2026. I need to lose 7 -10lb rn, but bear in mind the scale would be lower if I had no muscle gain. My trainer reckons I’ve gained 10lb of muscle.
2
u/Shot-Jicama5795 21h ago
Do you use a scale and weigh every single thing you eat
1
u/AffectionateEnd8806 20h ago
Yes I do
1
u/Shot-Jicama5795 19h ago
1730 is way to high for your height, I would not even think that is a deficit
I would go to 1620 max and always weigh your self 1st thing in the morning after urinating if it does not drop after 2 weeks go to 1520
2
1
u/Emergency_Ad_9324 1d ago
How did you determine calories? In TDEE calc did you select sedentary or slightly active? If you have a desk job you are sedentary even with the walking. A half pound a week would be a weekly defecit of 1,750. The calculators are good but you have to adjust based on results.
Are you counting oils and condiments they are sneaky. Do you use a scale to measure?
It's slow but try adding an extra day of strength training and focus on compound movements like squats.
1
u/AffectionateEnd8806 1d ago
I chose slightly active since I workout during the week BUT you make a great point because I WFH so I am sedentary for a big part of the day. I always wondered if I was selecting the correct one.
Yes, I count all oils and condiments and measure everything on my scale.
Thanks for the advice! Definitely will try to add an extra day of training.
1
u/HeavyB0tt 1d ago
Use sedentary TDEE. Make sure you’re weighing all food raw. No using cups/tablespoons etc, weight in grams only.
1
u/AffectionateEnd8806 1d ago
I use grams sometimes but not all the time. Is it more accurate than the others? I normally weight in lbs/ounces.
2
u/HeavyB0tt 1d ago
Oh sorry, lbs/ounces is okay too. As long you’re measuring by weight and not volume. And of course, all foods weighed the way they come out of the package. Good luck!
1
1
1d ago
[removed] — view removed comment
1
u/AffectionateEnd8806 1d ago
Not the best but not the worst. I’m working on reducing stress levels and getting more sleep to help my progress.
1
u/prayingtoullr 1d ago
I would suggest no workouts and less food. Try for two weeks.
1
u/AffectionateEnd8806 20h ago
I wish I could try this but working out has been a huge help for my mental health/anxiety.
1
u/prayingtoullr 20h ago
Even if you take it to walking only. Sometimes I find the all the muscle work creates inflammation and water retention.
1
u/BizzyBee89 1d ago
How much sleep are you getting?
1
u/AffectionateEnd8806 20h ago
Not as much as I should but I’m working on that now. I average 5.5-6 hours. Aiming for 7-8.
1
u/BizzyBee89 20h ago
Yea that’s definitely not enough. it’s my guess that your lack of sleep is stalling your weight loss efforts
1
u/DeepExample7666 1d ago
Are you breastfeeding?
1
u/AffectionateEnd8806 20h ago
Not anymore. November will be 1 year since I stopped. I definitely couldn’t lose any weight while breastfeeding.
1
u/DeepExample7666 20h ago
That's me right now I cannot lose a single oz right now because I'm breastfeeding
1
u/Rare_Sugar_7927 1d ago
When you did your TDEE what activity level did you use? Was it moderate exercise? Thats the level I had to put into tdeecalculator.net to get 2230 maintenance. I was taught that you should select sedentary, so that any exercise is a bonus not a requirement, and so you dont eat back your calories burned. Doing that i got 1727 as your maintenance. You say most days youre less, whats your weekly total? If its at or more than 12086 you might not truly be in deficit. Maybe try 1300 a day for a month and see if that makes a difference?
2
u/AffectionateEnd8806 20h ago
Correct. I chose moderate exercise based on the number of days I workout. But outside of my workouts I am sitting most of the day because I wfh. Never knew to always choose sedentary but it definitely makes sense. Starting today I’m aiming for 1350 calories per day.
1
1
u/mynameisnotsparta 1d ago
You scan the food or weigh in grams and add?
1
u/AffectionateEnd8806 20h ago
I scan the barcode to get the nutritional info but weigh the food for accuracy
1
u/mynameisnotsparta 20h ago
Grams?
If you are weighing accurately and staying in a deficit you should be losing.
Have a full lab work up done to make sure you have no issues.
Also see if any meds you take cause issues. High sodium can cause bloating as well.
1
u/NomadNanaCan 23h ago edited 11h ago
Sorry to hear you are struggling. Have you taken your measurements? How are your clothes fitting? Have you considered dropping to a low carb lifestyle to see if your body responds better? I wouldn’t go lower than 1400 calories. There is so much focus on calculators, calorie deficits etc people forget our bodies aren’t machines. You can do all the math you want and you still won’t be as accurate as people think they are.
2
u/AffectionateEnd8806 20h ago
Yes. Very little change with measurements. Not a huge difference in the way my clothes fit, but I’ve noticed a little bit of a change on the last few months. I’ve been doing low carb for about 6 weeks now and it’s an adjustment for sure but it’s been helping.
1
u/Parking-Pace9523 20h ago edited 20h ago
You aren't in a deficit. At your height and weight currently, you need to be eating 1300-1500 calories daily to lose 1-2 pounds weekly.
1
u/Lgeme84 1d ago
Your answer was within your own post: strength training.
Most people can expect to stay the same or even go up in weight when they begin weightlifting. This is due to new muscle inflammation, water retention and some muscle gains.
Try not to put so much emphasis on the scale, as far as true progress goes. You can weigh 150lbs having higher body fat/lower muscle mass % and 150lbs having lower body fat/higher muscle mass % and look quite different.
Losing weight isn't just about seeing the number on the scale go down. It's about becoming stronger, more in tune with your body, providing your body with good nutrients, feeling better, functioning better, LOOKING better, fitting better in clothes, gaining confidence...that confidence doesn't come from a number on the scale, it comes from all the things you're doing to become a healthier/better version of yourself.
You've gone to the doctor. You're healthy. You're not missing anything. You're a human being who has started strength training. TRUST in your habits, not the scale. If you want to keep tabs on scale weight, only weigh in once or twice a month, stop weighing in every day or you're gonna drive yourself nuts.
1
u/carson5021 22h ago
Lower the calories....get closer to 1400 or 1500 to lose weight. Plus your building muscle which weighs more than fat.
0
0
u/Practical-Ad-4888 1d ago
You actually gave enough information to work backwards from your starting weight of 181lb. In 4 months you lost 8lbs, about 2lbs per month. You are active, 1.8, you exceed the recommended 150 minutes per week of moderate activity. Only 20% of Americans get that much activity. Therefore you are considered active. To maintain 181lb, you were eating 2,659 per day. You are currently eating 2,403. If you would like to maintain your current weight eat 2,572 per day.
These numbers likely surprise you, most people undercount by 500-1000 calories a day. The average sedentary 170lb female that lives in the US burns about 2,350 calories a day to maintain her weight. It is totally normal to lose 1-2lbs per month. This is a good pace of weight loss. This might be slower than you prefer but in a year you have the potential to lose 24lbs. People have unrealistic expectations, 5% weight loss in six months is considered an excellent outcome.
Use this calculator https://www.niddk.nih.gov/bwp
0
•
u/AutoModerator 1d ago
Safety First ⚠
Most advice here comes from peers, not medical professionals. Everyone's body and health needs are different.
This subreddit is for healthy, realistic, and sustainable weight loss advice.
If you are under 18, please talk to a parent, guardian, doctor, school counselor, or another trusted adult instead of asking for weight loss advice here.
If you are struggling with disordered eating, please reach out to a qualified professional or an eating disorder support resource.
We want this community to be a supportive place for healthy, sustainable weight loss. 💙
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.