I know I'm impatient

I've been doing c25k and p90x consistently for 3 weeks now, I've been logging everything I eat and sticking to my calories. I don't eat processed foods, only real stuff. Eat 90% of meals cooked at home. I do have the occasional wine. Some days I do eat the extra calories I get from working out. I have not lost a lb, I've actually gained 3lbs!? No change in measurements either.
What gives?? Do I need a bigger deficit?

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How accurate is your logging? Are you using the recipe builder for those meals you're cooking? Using a food scale? Logging exercise accurately when you eat back your calories? Logging everything you put in your mouth. Measuring that wine with a measuring cup?

I am not measuring the wine with a cup, but I am weighing my meats, and being as accurate as possible with everything else. I suppose I could be better!

You have started with new/more exercise, so your muscles are retaining water to help with recovery. Keep doing what you are doing, it will work....

Even if it's unprocessed stuff,

if it's too many calories than you need to eat in order to lose weight, it could be organically grown wheat grass grown in powdered unicorn horn and watered with mermaid tears and you'd still gain weight (or maintain).

Ask me know I know this...Yes, definitely start weighting and measuring everything. You say you feel you can do better so perhaps you're being a bit lax about it and guesstimating here and there? Now's the time to be REALLY sure of how many calories you're eating because you're not losing, so the logical answer is that you are actually consuming too many calories.

I suspect the intense exercise has caused some temporary inflammation in your muscles. Are your arms and legs sore?

Try eating fewer of your exercise calories back - calories burned are often overestimated...

TiffanyR71 wrote: »

Try eating fewer of your exercise calories back - calories burned are often overestimated...

Yes, good point. Or at least I've found this to be true. MFP seems to overestimate calories burned. Some people can eat all their exercise calories (as given by MFP or another calculator) back, but not everyone.

Yes I'm sore most days. I am feeling stronger, I can run for much longer and I can do actual push-ups not on my knees, so I know these are results just not ones I can see. I'll try not eating the workout calories back. Thanks!

Maybe track your measurements too. I actually went down a size at one point but stayed the same weight. Also I second the water retention theory. I definitely weigh more a few days after an especially intense workout, especially when I'm sore. Also you said 90% meals at home- did you eat out in the day before you weighed in? The high sodium in restaurant food can make you retain water too, especially if your body is not used to it. And if you are still not losing, maybe you do need to reduce your calories or just not eat back exercise calories. MFP is known to overestimate calories burned, and the suggested calorie allotment is based on an average. Your body may maintain below the average.

are you using a food scale?

and what is real stuff? I am not aware of an fake foods that provide nourishment...

If you're only using the food scale for meat and not measuring anything else you're likely over eating. Get your logging in check and you'll probably see the results you want. Use the recipe builder, use the food scale, use the measuring cups. Doesn't matter how "real" your food is. If you eat 500 extra calories a day in donuts or 500 extra calories a day in celery the end result is the same.

cmed24 wrote: »

I am not measuring the wine with a cup, but I am weighing my meats, and being as accurate as possible with everything else. I suppose I could be better!

you need to weigh all solids and as many liquids as possible.

You kind of stated your problem in your first post. You probably aren't weighing and accounting for everything properly or your using dressing/oils which you should account for. You should probably stop drinking the wine or limit it to once a week. (inb4 it helps with the heart comment) seriously. hold yourself accountable.

I say relax... keep up you're hard work and it will work out! Stay positive and it will work!

LAWoman72 wrote: »

Even if it's unprocessed stuff, if it's too many calories than you need to eat in order to lose weight, it could be organically grown wheat grass grown in powdered unicorn horn and watered with mermaid tears and you'd still gain weight (or maintain). Ask me know I know this...Yes, definitely start weighting and measuring everything. You say you feel you can do better so perhaps you're being a bit lax about it and guesstimating here and there? Now's the time to be REALLY sure of how many calories you're eating because you're not losing, so the logical answer is that you are actually consuming too many calories.

what she said!

2500 calories is awfully high to lose weight.

It's only been three weeks.....

another thing I've found is to include condiments and any oil or butter I use when cooking. salt

If you really feel that what you're doing is not working after the first three weeks, decide to do something different. It reads as if you are starting calorie deficit logging, C25K, and P90X all at the same time. If I were you, I'd decide what is most important to me and work on that alone, for a few weeks, so I could learn what that feels like before adding other goals.

If it's weight loss, stop the P90X for now, and suspend the C25K training. Log obsessively and walk a few miles most days as fast as you can with a normal stride. To see an improvement quickly, set your deficit for 2 pounds a week, and start drinking a lot of water.
If you want your 5K to improve, I'd set the deficit to half a pound per week, and log obsessively while following the C25K program.
If you want strength and definition, and the muscle that P90X offers, depending on where your current weight is, set the deficit to zero, or even some weight gain. P90X takes a lot of energy, and will tear you up if you're not eating well.

Once you start seeing the improvements you want to see with your primary goal, add in the other activities, one at a time, slowly so you can continue to feel/see the primary goal improvements while working toward the secondary goals.

Good luck

My weight didn't budge for six weeks. I never gave up, though. It's still coming off very slowly but it got there a LOT more slowly!!!

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