I've been working so hard, let me tell you what I've been doing & why the scale upsets me:
I go to the gym 6 out of 7 days per week, for an hour each time.
For 30 minutes, I do strength training (All of which are free weight / bodyweight, no machine exercises: squats with 40 lbs barbell, push-ups, leg raises, weighted back extensions, etc)
For the other 30 minutes, I walk a mile, and I sprint a mile, and fill up the rest of the time with moderate speed elliptical.
I've been doing this for a solid MONTH, never skipping a day except when the gym is closed on saturdays.
I HAVE NOT LOST A POUND, even though I have gotten very 'cut' and muscular.
Here's my diet:
Breakfast: two boiled eggs, 1 apple, 1 cup diluted apple juice - usually about 300 cals
Lunch: 1 mango, 1 avocado, 1 apple - usually about 400 cals
Snack: usually an equivalent of 2 cups of popcorn - usually about 250 cals
Dinner: usually an equivalent of a palm sized focaccia, think about 450 cals
So I eat about 1200-1450 cals each day. This is maintenance daily calorie for me at my weight and height, but still, I work out religiously...could muscle gain REALLY weigh that much!?
Some say to throw out the scale if it doesn't make you happy about your real progress, that it doesn't matter, but it still bothers me nevertheless...is anyone going through the same thing?
You are very small so if you really want to hit those six pounds then I would cut back on the fruit and replace a fruit lunch with raw vegetables (salad). That juice and focaccia can go too.
Your weight will get more volatile with exercise. Mine is. I gained 2 pounds today alone. I run 5 miles a day and do weight training 3-5 times a week for 45-50 minutes a time. It's not just muscle but also water retention. There's a lot going on when you bust it up.
Muscle, by volume, weighs more than fat, so you may not have any fat to lose. The number doesn't mean anything without taking fat to muscle ratio into account.
You don't have to throw out your scale, but realize that the scale and BMI cannot tell you what you should weigh. It can only give you clues, same as a measuring tape or a mirror.
For me, it's a no brainer. All three tools tell me, I have a lot of weight to lose. When I get within 10 - 15 lbs of a "healthy" weight, the clues are going to be more subtle and difficult to calculate, but there iscno magic number.
Before deciding that you have to lose more weight, consider instead deciding on a range and consider talking to your doctor to determine how much, if any fat you have to lose.
I have a few very fit friends, and they all weigh considerably more than they look. Many have absolutely no fat to spare and to lose weight, they would have to lose muscle. Ironically, doing so would not make them look thinner, just less fit.
Your diet is terrible! It's all sugar and starch with a little fat and a very little protein. Changing that would probably help you a lot, and I imagine you'd feel better as well.
Maybe you could up your calories? 1300 seems low even for 116 pounds, plus the exercise you are doing. Having a super high calorie day (or days) might help shake up your system, especially if you have been sticking to 1300ish every-single-day.
I wouldn't say terrible... but you might find playing with your macros could help. I do better with a lower carb load and more green veggies, but that's just me.
I do agree with the poster that said you should maybe have your body fat tested, if you're really "cut" you may not have six pounds of fat to lose!
The only significant protein source you list are the two eggs which only provide about 12g of protein. If you're active and/or exercising, you would want probably at least 50-70g of high quality protein (not from gelatin, for example, which is a poorly digested protein).
You also list no vegetables or low-sugar fruits whatsoever (except the avocado).
Sweet fruit, and dried fruit are essentially candy with a few vitamins and a little fiber thrown in.
Take away the fiber and you've got fruit juice, nature's kool-aid (and about as nutritious).
You need more protein, more fiber, more phytonutrients and less sugar and starch (which turns rapidly to sugar), so yeah the menu you list is essentially sugar, sugar, and more sugar.
Veggies and low-sugar berries in a wide array of colors and protein are glaringly absent from your menu. Where are the deep greens, the deep red and purple fruits and veggies (eggplant, blackberries, plums), the alliums (onions, garlic....), the citrus fruits and bell peppers (vitamin C), the carotenes (the mango is good, but carrots, sweet potato, cantaloupe are important too, though the sugar content can be a bit high in some).
Even if you're not aiming for a paleo or whole food diet, you still need a lot more protein and veggies than you list. The avocado may provide enough fat, but you need more than one source of fat.
When it comes to fruits and veggies (NOT SKITTLES) the best strategy is to "eat the rainbow" (while watching sugars and starches). Choose as much color variation as you can.
Likewise for protein, choosing variety is generally the best practice.
If you're going to eat starches, whole grains are better than refined (the popcorn is a whole grain, the focaccia is not). Starchy veggies like beans and potato are better. Brightly colored starchy veggies are even better (orange or purple squashes or sweet potato, for example).
I'm sorry, I didn't mean to offend you, I was just really shocked when I read your list. But you are not providing yourself with enough nutrients. You're eating bread, sugar (fruit juice, which is so refined and not really healthy at all, and the fruit to an extent is a mostly sugar as well with some vit/min content), starch, and there is good fat from the avocado. But there is barely any protein, little vitamin/mineral content...I'm just afraid that on a diet like that your body must be starving for nutrients.
PS If you're a person who craves fruit, can you try blueberries, blackberries, and such? They have higher levels of nutrition, plus more fiber.
Does the scale piss you off?
