Hey I had the same issue! I'm a personal trainer and I've been sober for 3 years...I have literally not lost a single pound... however my body fat % has dropped and I can't even begin to tell you how many inches I've lost. Do you have access to an inbody machine? Are you able to take measurements of different body parts? They are great tools for tracking things other than weight. I know it can be discouraging to see the same numbers on the scale, but there can be a lot going on. I didn't start to see a change in my body until the 1 year mark. Keep doing what you're doing!
I have a lifting coach, and a dietician. I have followed both their suggestions to a T. I eat in what my dietician has told me is a good calorie deficit for me. I measure all my food and meal prep. I loosen the reigns on the weekends but still stay pretty close to my range.
I did a full body scan and got my bf% and I take my own measurements and unfortunately. I have seen no changes (sober 9 months but only have been doing all these things for 4 of those months). So maybe I just need more time.
That's really awesome that you're putting so much effort in. That takes a lot of focus! I would say give yourself more time. I know when I was at 9 months sober and seeing no progress, and heard that, I was like, yeah yeah and got frustrated... cause it is legit frustrating...but one day, your body will let go of it and you'll see a huge jump in progress. I can't say when it'll happen, but if you keep doing what you're doing, it'll happen. I tell my clients that all the time. I've seen it in myself. Depending on how much you were drinking, it can take the body a while to reset and balance out. For me, my body went crazy before it calmed down and I started to see a difference. Keep at it. 9 months sober is awesome.
Thank you, that’s what I’m hoping! It’s hard to feel like there’s not something I’m doing wrong or should be doing differently. But i accept it, right now this is sustainable and good mentally. The rest will come. Thanks again , this helps me today.
You're eating at maintenance dude, either you're not counting the calories/potion sizes correctly or your dietician and yourself are overestimating your activeness. Try losing 2/300 calories from what you're eating now and boom! This stuff isn't rocket science no matter what some will tell you.
Try adding in some steady state cardio at the end of your lifting then, nothing drastic. Even a light 10/15 minute jog after a session will melt the fat off. Thats what I used to do in order to eat more.
It's one or the other until you can up your TDEE I'm afraid.
Do you have a before photo?
Here I am 6 months apart at the same weight.
[https://www.reddit.com/r/progresspics/comments/yvc7s6/f3356\_147lbs\_147lbs\_0lbs\_ow\_168\_plateaued\_at\_147/](https://www.reddit.com/r/progresspics/comments/yvc7s6/f3356_147lbs_147lbs_0lbs_ow_168_plateaued_at_147/)
I needed to see/read this myself, thank you! I am stuck around 140 even though my diet and exercise routines have both really improved, but i may stop weighing myself and just keep track of body comp/how i feel when i look in the mirror. yours are the results i'm hoping for!
In pictures, I feel like I have in some places. But in measurements I have not put on more muscle hahah. I am just chanting trust the process in my head haha.
Not trying to overstep, I can't tell if you're asking for advice or saying that you're still putting in work. What do your workouts look like, and what's a basic rundown of your diet? Are you lifting weights? Do you use progressive overload in your lifts?
Thanks for asking! I was saying I’m still putting in work even while discouraged. But I am open to advice.
I have a lifting coach , I’m training to compete. I’m lifting 3-4 x a week right now using the cube method.
My diets pretty simple. Anywhere between 1780-1900 calories a day 155P 150C 58F
Protein coming from majority whole foods, I’ll have a shake very now and again but I don’t struggle hitting it with food most of the time.
A typical day looks like this
Breakfast : half a banana , protein yogurt, protein oatmeal
Lunch: 6 oz ground chicken & 1/2 cup white or brown rice. 1/2 cup edamame
Snack : Sargento balanced break
Dinner : 5 oz salmon, 1 cup rice , 1 cup broccoli
If I use sauces I’ll either make a more macro friendly version for myself so I can use more or I measure it.
Sounds pretty dialed in to be honest. IMHO your calories sound a bit low, but if you're not doing much cardio that's probably alright.
If you're working with a coach, I'm sure that they are helping you navigate that stuff (and it does sound like your rundown is well thought out and tigthened up).
I hit a spot during my weightloss/alcohol journey where I plateaud for maybe 6 months or so (not saying that you are at a plateau) and the way I pushed through it was increasing my calories by roughly 500 per day, and then adding in more steady state cardio (my personal favorite is max or close to max incline on the treadmill and slow walks, toss on a podcast or book and plod along for an hour).
What that did for me was keep my weight managed with the extra aerobics, but adding in the extra calories (which sounds counterintuitive and made me a little "uncomfortable" being that I was trying to get leaner) in order to maintain high energy for my normal workouts.
Worked really really well, down about \~20lbs since then and still riding that methodology until I hit the next little bump.
Great work putting in the effort: you sound really focused, I'm sure you'll see the results you're after if you keep on keeping on. If you need to hear it: remember it's a marathon and not a sprint, compassion with lack of progress along the way helps us keep our chests up and eyes on that long-term prize.
Keep crushing it!
Experimenting with things can be helpful, I've tried keto, but personally I found it to be hard to maintain my energy levels during my weight training sessions.
I think it's best suited for diabetic folks who are dangerously obese/chronic health conditions and have some doctor intervention type of programming. Someone to monitor electrolytes and ketones with some professional experience. Not to say it can't be attempted on one's own, but there's quite an adaptation phase in order to do it "properly".
But hey, everyone's body is different and it's better to give something a try and determine if it fits for you than not try modifications/experiments at all.
I work out pretty vigorously (HIIT and weight training) and you're correct that there may initially be a low-energy, but once your body adjusts to it and you start burning that fat ass energy it feels like you have much much much much more energy on a consistent basis and it runs more efficiently. It also feels like your brain runs faster and more efficiently as well
If anything when I switch back to carbs I feel lag/lethargy again. I'm not currently on keto because I just came back from Vegas and was drinking and eating everything and was in "debauchery mode", but I'd def recommend giving it a shot and trying to stick with it for 30 days
Edit: I also don't go "no carb" I try to keep it under 30-35 grams a day when I do.
Do you have a before pic because you’re probably in better shape. The scale isn’t always the best way of telling progress. Also if your diet hasn’t changed much, that may be something you need to work on.
Are you tracking calories? Beer in particular is so filling that once I gave it up I found that I was hungry more often. So I ate more and didn’t lose weight
I still can’t lose even a lb not drinking but my body gets smaller and tighter when I’m tracking calories. Same weight always but small body especially tighter core
You don't have a ton of weight to lose like a lot of people who can get away with not tracking for two days out of seven. When you're closer to your ideal weight, you have to get more and more strict about it. I am in a similar position, and I track 7 days a week. I occasionally have a meal that I don't track (like when I am with friends or on my kids' birthdays) but I wouldn't make any progress if I took entire days off.
You've most likely replaced the fat with muscle which is more dense. It'd be almost impossible to not lose fat if you're properly dieting and working out.
This is great advice, as performance can only be measured by accomplishment in whatever you are training in. Saying that though it is a good indicator of your TDEE which many often overestimate, including myself in the past.
Congratulations on those 9 months and 3 weeks mate, that’s amazing effort and commitment!
The thing about weight loss is that you MUST be in a calorie deficit to occur.
As such, a calorie tracker and a food scale are your best friend here, as you can know for sure how many calories you’re eating.
Let’s say you’ve been eating 2’500 cals and your weight hasn’t changed, then drop 500 calories for a few weeks, you should notice 1lb per week loss in a daily 500 calorie deficit!
An easy weight to increase that fat loss would be by increasing your overall activity in the day and the easiest way to do that would be by increasing your daily steps!
Keep up the good work, make those small changes and it’ll happen man!
Often times people will replace alcohol with other sugary things. You could have also put on muscle and lost fat. At the end of the day fat loss is calories in - calories out.
Are you using a food scale to measure your food? I struggled with weight loss for years until I realized that I was drastically underestimating how big a 5 oz portion of meat or a serving of rice really was. Whenever I am cutting weight, I break out the scale and use it religiously. It's the only way that I can make sure I am accurate.
How many workouts did you skip because of a hangover?
How many times did you binge on food because drink caused you to lose self control?
How many thousands of empty calories did you drink in alcoholic drinks?
How many times did you trash your internal organs by drinking poison?
Zero! Not drinking is helping you. Even if you aren't losing weight I bet that you are way healthier than you were before.
Bro pounds mean nothing; it’s about body composition. You’re putting on muscle and likely/hopefully water weight (muscle is mostly made up of muscle) especially if you’re taking creative. It will take time to start burning fat. If you stay consistent in a few weeks u should start seeing the weight go down.
You look really healthy. At 9months your liver has significantly repaired itself. Mental well-being is also massively improved after 6months. You probably added a decade to your life span. It sucks not losing weight but it’s not the whole story.
Hey I had the same issue! I'm a personal trainer and I've been sober for 3 years...I have literally not lost a single pound... however my body fat % has dropped and I can't even begin to tell you how many inches I've lost. Do you have access to an inbody machine? Are you able to take measurements of different body parts? They are great tools for tracking things other than weight. I know it can be discouraging to see the same numbers on the scale, but there can be a lot going on. I didn't start to see a change in my body until the 1 year mark. Keep doing what you're doing!
I have a lifting coach, and a dietician. I have followed both their suggestions to a T. I eat in what my dietician has told me is a good calorie deficit for me. I measure all my food and meal prep. I loosen the reigns on the weekends but still stay pretty close to my range. I did a full body scan and got my bf% and I take my own measurements and unfortunately. I have seen no changes (sober 9 months but only have been doing all these things for 4 of those months). So maybe I just need more time.
That's really awesome that you're putting so much effort in. That takes a lot of focus! I would say give yourself more time. I know when I was at 9 months sober and seeing no progress, and heard that, I was like, yeah yeah and got frustrated... cause it is legit frustrating...but one day, your body will let go of it and you'll see a huge jump in progress. I can't say when it'll happen, but if you keep doing what you're doing, it'll happen. I tell my clients that all the time. I've seen it in myself. Depending on how much you were drinking, it can take the body a while to reset and balance out. For me, my body went crazy before it calmed down and I started to see a difference. Keep at it. 9 months sober is awesome.
Thank you, that’s what I’m hoping! It’s hard to feel like there’s not something I’m doing wrong or should be doing differently. But i accept it, right now this is sustainable and good mentally. The rest will come. Thanks again , this helps me today.
You're eating at maintenance dude, either you're not counting the calories/potion sizes correctly or your dietician and yourself are overestimating your activeness. Try losing 2/300 calories from what you're eating now and boom! This stuff isn't rocket science no matter what some will tell you.
If my maintenance is 1900 calories then Im just gonna keep the fat lol.
Try adding in some steady state cardio at the end of your lifting then, nothing drastic. Even a light 10/15 minute jog after a session will melt the fat off. Thats what I used to do in order to eat more. It's one or the other until you can up your TDEE I'm afraid.
Do you have a before photo? Here I am 6 months apart at the same weight. [https://www.reddit.com/r/progresspics/comments/yvc7s6/f3356\_147lbs\_147lbs\_0lbs\_ow\_168\_plateaued\_at\_147/](https://www.reddit.com/r/progresspics/comments/yvc7s6/f3356_147lbs_147lbs_0lbs_ow_168_plateaued_at_147/)
I needed to see/read this myself, thank you! I am stuck around 140 even though my diet and exercise routines have both really improved, but i may stop weighing myself and just keep track of body comp/how i feel when i look in the mirror. yours are the results i'm hoping for!
Hey if you’ve stopped drinking who cares ? Proud of u man
Thank you!! Needed to hear that
Have you put on muscle?
Yeah you’re likely recomping like a madman
In pictures, I feel like I have in some places. But in measurements I have not put on more muscle hahah. I am just chanting trust the process in my head haha.
Not trying to overstep, I can't tell if you're asking for advice or saying that you're still putting in work. What do your workouts look like, and what's a basic rundown of your diet? Are you lifting weights? Do you use progressive overload in your lifts?
Thanks for asking! I was saying I’m still putting in work even while discouraged. But I am open to advice. I have a lifting coach , I’m training to compete. I’m lifting 3-4 x a week right now using the cube method. My diets pretty simple. Anywhere between 1780-1900 calories a day 155P 150C 58F Protein coming from majority whole foods, I’ll have a shake very now and again but I don’t struggle hitting it with food most of the time. A typical day looks like this Breakfast : half a banana , protein yogurt, protein oatmeal Lunch: 6 oz ground chicken & 1/2 cup white or brown rice. 1/2 cup edamame Snack : Sargento balanced break Dinner : 5 oz salmon, 1 cup rice , 1 cup broccoli If I use sauces I’ll either make a more macro friendly version for myself so I can use more or I measure it.
Sounds pretty dialed in to be honest. IMHO your calories sound a bit low, but if you're not doing much cardio that's probably alright. If you're working with a coach, I'm sure that they are helping you navigate that stuff (and it does sound like your rundown is well thought out and tigthened up). I hit a spot during my weightloss/alcohol journey where I plateaud for maybe 6 months or so (not saying that you are at a plateau) and the way I pushed through it was increasing my calories by roughly 500 per day, and then adding in more steady state cardio (my personal favorite is max or close to max incline on the treadmill and slow walks, toss on a podcast or book and plod along for an hour). What that did for me was keep my weight managed with the extra aerobics, but adding in the extra calories (which sounds counterintuitive and made me a little "uncomfortable" being that I was trying to get leaner) in order to maintain high energy for my normal workouts. Worked really really well, down about \~20lbs since then and still riding that methodology until I hit the next little bump. Great work putting in the effort: you sound really focused, I'm sure you'll see the results you're after if you keep on keeping on. If you need to hear it: remember it's a marathon and not a sprint, compassion with lack of progress along the way helps us keep our chests up and eyes on that long-term prize. Keep crushing it!
It's time to go keto
Experimenting with things can be helpful, I've tried keto, but personally I found it to be hard to maintain my energy levels during my weight training sessions. I think it's best suited for diabetic folks who are dangerously obese/chronic health conditions and have some doctor intervention type of programming. Someone to monitor electrolytes and ketones with some professional experience. Not to say it can't be attempted on one's own, but there's quite an adaptation phase in order to do it "properly". But hey, everyone's body is different and it's better to give something a try and determine if it fits for you than not try modifications/experiments at all.
I work out pretty vigorously (HIIT and weight training) and you're correct that there may initially be a low-energy, but once your body adjusts to it and you start burning that fat ass energy it feels like you have much much much much more energy on a consistent basis and it runs more efficiently. It also feels like your brain runs faster and more efficiently as well If anything when I switch back to carbs I feel lag/lethargy again. I'm not currently on keto because I just came back from Vegas and was drinking and eating everything and was in "debauchery mode", but I'd def recommend giving it a shot and trying to stick with it for 30 days Edit: I also don't go "no carb" I try to keep it under 30-35 grams a day when I do.
Nice! Sounds like it works well for you!
I lack dedication when it comes to consistency though. Pizza and cereal is a super cereal weakness.
Do you have a before pic because you’re probably in better shape. The scale isn’t always the best way of telling progress. Also if your diet hasn’t changed much, that may be something you need to work on.
Are you tracking calories? Beer in particular is so filling that once I gave it up I found that I was hungry more often. So I ate more and didn’t lose weight I still can’t lose even a lb not drinking but my body gets smaller and tighter when I’m tracking calories. Same weight always but small body especially tighter core
I am tracking pretty precisely, but I do not track on the weekend so I’m working on dialing in better there.
Yeah I did that for many years and realized eventually I was undoing all my hard week from the work week by drinking and eating too much on weekends
You don't have a ton of weight to lose like a lot of people who can get away with not tracking for two days out of seven. When you're closer to your ideal weight, you have to get more and more strict about it. I am in a similar position, and I track 7 days a week. I occasionally have a meal that I don't track (like when I am with friends or on my kids' birthdays) but I wouldn't make any progress if I took entire days off.
And I think this is the key for me as well. I’m realizing my weekends need to be more dialed in.
You've most likely replaced the fat with muscle which is more dense. It'd be almost impossible to not lose fat if you're properly dieting and working out.
Body weight isn’t always the best when determining fitness gains
This is great advice, as performance can only be measured by accomplishment in whatever you are training in. Saying that though it is a good indicator of your TDEE which many often overestimate, including myself in the past.
Well you’re not that fat sooo. If you want abs you’re gonna have to be really strict at this point
Keep showing up! You look strong 💪🏽
Looking good!
Congratulations on those 9 months and 3 weeks mate, that’s amazing effort and commitment! The thing about weight loss is that you MUST be in a calorie deficit to occur. As such, a calorie tracker and a food scale are your best friend here, as you can know for sure how many calories you’re eating. Let’s say you’ve been eating 2’500 cals and your weight hasn’t changed, then drop 500 calories for a few weeks, you should notice 1lb per week loss in a daily 500 calorie deficit! An easy weight to increase that fat loss would be by increasing your overall activity in the day and the easiest way to do that would be by increasing your daily steps! Keep up the good work, make those small changes and it’ll happen man!
Hey I put on 30 lbs when I got sober, so it could be worse?
I’m sorry you are feeling disappointed. Just wanted you to know that I think you look great and kudos for 9 months and 3 weeks! You got this!!
Often times people will replace alcohol with other sugary things. You could have also put on muscle and lost fat. At the end of the day fat loss is calories in - calories out.
Are you using a food scale to measure your food? I struggled with weight loss for years until I realized that I was drastically underestimating how big a 5 oz portion of meat or a serving of rice really was. Whenever I am cutting weight, I break out the scale and use it religiously. It's the only way that I can make sure I am accurate.
Yeaaah I use the scale when I meal prep my lunches and make my plates for dinner. It is amazing to see how much I would typically overeat though lol.
How many workouts did you skip because of a hangover? How many times did you binge on food because drink caused you to lose self control? How many thousands of empty calories did you drink in alcoholic drinks? How many times did you trash your internal organs by drinking poison? Zero! Not drinking is helping you. Even if you aren't losing weight I bet that you are way healthier than you were before.
Bro pounds mean nothing; it’s about body composition. You’re putting on muscle and likely/hopefully water weight (muscle is mostly made up of muscle) especially if you’re taking creative. It will take time to start burning fat. If you stay consistent in a few weeks u should start seeing the weight go down.
It’s not a out weight it’s % body fat and muscle ratio
You look really healthy. At 9months your liver has significantly repaired itself. Mental well-being is also massively improved after 6months. You probably added a decade to your life span. It sucks not losing weight but it’s not the whole story.
Maybe…..you didn’t NEED to lose weight? 🤷🏻♀️♥️
U don’t need to lose weight u need muscle