Scale not really moving- do I cut calories? am I eating more than I think?

Nutrition Q&A [Moderated]
1

Hello Jordan!

I am currently attempting to lose weight and have been doing so for over a month. Unfortunately, I have not really seen much shift on the scale and would love a different perspective regarding what I could be possibly doing wrong.

Here is some relevant background information:

Height: 5’8
Gender: F
Age: 28
Starting weight (22/11/2021): 150lb
Current weigh (24/12/2021)t: 150lb (within the month has shifted +/- 4 lbs)
Starting waist: 28 inch
Current waist: 27.2 inch
Calorie intake: 1500-1600 calories a day - I try to track accurately but I wouldn’t trust me
I have been strength training 3x a week, starting 3 weeks ago after a 3.5 month hiatus from the gym due to covid
I started taking creatine a couple times a week 3 weeks ago (I probably should take this daily right? lol)
Dunno if it matters but I’m probably a 22-24% in terms of body fat …so I have a healthy body composition right now and I don’t need to lose more fat for health reasons.

So yes, I am just confused as I have maintained 150lb for years by consuming what I thought was a lot more calories than I am eating now (eating processed foods, snacks and larger portions) but somehow currently maintaining this same weight while reducing my calorie intake. I have reduced waist circumference so I am guessing this is an indicator of fat loss too- but just disheartening when comparing my progress to what was expected when I plugged in my info into the NIH body weight planner.

My guesses to what is going on are:

  1. I am experiencing weight fluctuations maybe due to strenuous activity or creatine or salt intake?
  2. Subconsciously reduced my NEAT? Maybe I need to cut my calories
  3. I am not tracking properly and eating more than I think I am
  4. The NIH calculator is not accurate for me and I am actually eating at maintenance and it just feels like I’m cutting because I eliminated processed foods (which doesn’t necessarily mean I’m lowering my calories)
  5. Combination of all of the above

I am secretly in denial that I need to cut my calories so maybe this is a reality check.

Any thoughts would be appreciated! Thank you x100 and appreciate your efforts in supporting us all in acquiring our gainz

2

ABS,

Thanks for the post. A few thoughts here:

  1. All, potentially. A month is probably the upper limit that I’d give a specific energy level a chance to work in this context. This assumes pretty good adherence.
  2. That’s possible, though probably not this soon or ton given your starting measurements.
  3. Could be!
  4. Could be!

I think if you’re feeling hungry, I would try to increase dietary protein and fiber intake within your current energy target prior to lowering Calories. I would also be aiming to meet or exceed the current physical activity guidelines for aerobic training each week. If doing both of these for the next two weeks AND consuming ~ 1600 Calories AND still not losing weight, you could consider reducing Calories if you’re not terribly hungry. If you are, we would try and address other factors to limit hunger.

-Jordan