Why am I seeing zero results?

Hey everyone!
I joined a gym about six weeks ago because I’m sitting at 175 pounds at 5'6". My routine usually involves hitting the stairmaster, bike, or treadmill for about 50 minutes, then spending another 20 minutes on the machines doing high-rep, light-weight stuff—basically just following whatever my trainer tells me to do. Diet-wise, I’m aiming for around 1,500 calories a day. If I have a craving, I try to satisfy it, but I’m not exactly face-planting into a bag of chips or a whole chocolate bar; maybe one little square once a week, and that's it. So, what's the deal? Honestly, I have no clue why I'm seeing absolutely ZERO visible results!! The scale hasn't budged an inch, and nothing feels any looser in my clothes either—my measurements are exactly the same. I know six weeks isn't a lifetime, but surely I should be seeing at least a tiny bit of progress by now? I originally planned to stick with this three times a week through next summer, but now I’m dragging myself there feeling like it’s all for nothing. I really don't eat much. Sometimes I feel like crying when I see my coworkers scarfing down pizzas for lunch, while I'm over here trying to make a single small whole-wheat roll (maybe 50 grams!), a banana, and an apple last me through an eight-hour shift. And you guessed it—all those people who eat like crazy seem to be thinner than I am. I don't overeat at home either; if anything, I struggle to even feel full. I have the willpower and I truly want to get healthy, but man... sometimes I just feel totally discouraged. I’d love to hear your stories. Did you all hit a wall like this when you started? Does anyone have any advice? Thanks!

Hey... don't be such a pessimist! It's way too early to expect any real results after just 6 weeks...
I actually just hit my one-month mark at the gym today (not even trying to lose weight, just wanted to tone up), and honestly, I haven't seen much change yet either. But I'm not expecting a total transformation overnight! My plan is to stick with it 3 times a week through next summer, and I know I'll see progress by then... You're going to be fine too, just don't quit now and keep doing exactly what you started! 🙂🙂 There you go...

Sandra Clark29 said:Hey everyone!
I joined a gym about six weeks ago because I’m sitting at 170 lbs even though I’m 5'6". At the gym, I spend about 50 minutes on the stepper, the bike, or the treadmill, and then maybe 20 minutes on the machines doing light weights with high reps—exactly what my trainer suggested. As for food, I try to stick to around 1,500 calories a day. If I really crave something, I’ll treat myself, but I’m never face-planting into a whole bag of chips or a giant chocolate bar; maybe just one square of chocolate once a week, and that’s it. So, what’s the deal? I honestly don't get why there are ZERO visible results!! Like, the scale hasn't budged an inch, and nothing feels looser in my clothes either—my measurements haven't changed at all! I know six weeks isn't a massive amount of time, but I feel like I should see at least a tiny bit of progress. My plan was to go consistently through next summer (I go three times a week), but now I’m dragging myself there because it feels totally pointless. I seriously don't eat much; sometimes I actually want to cry when I see my coworkers devouring pizzas for lunch while I’m out here stretching a single little piece of whole wheat bread (like, 50 grams!) and a banana and an apple over an eight-hour workday. And you guessed it—all those gluttons are thinner than me. I don't overeat at home, and I don't even eat until I'm full, if anything. I have the willpower and I really want to get myself in shape, but man... sometimes I just feel so hopeless. I’d love to hear your stories—did it feel this way for everyone when they first started?

Yeah.
It definitely felt that way for me.
It took me about 6 or 7 years to climb from 155 lbs up to where I am now, around 205 lbs.
During those first few months when I (randomly) stumbled upon some articles by a pro cyclist about nutrition, back when I was just learning the basics, things moved really, really slowly too.

Slow and steady wins the race.

Does anyone have any advice... Thanks!

Just focus on fixing those habits,
And try to pick and mix more of the types of foods that have been recommended here more often.
Everything else will just fall into place naturally.

The habits you're working on right now are long-term things.
They're for life.
Make sure they become second nature.

And whenever you hit a moment where you're like, "Ugh, why am I even doing this?", just think about where you want to be (and where you CAN be!) in two or three years... and beyond.

-Steve

@ Sandra Clark29
love the nickname, by the way!
maybe your diet needs a little tweaking? honestly, your calorie count seems fine, but it really comes down to what you're actually eating...
you should focus mostly on proteins—like chicken, fish (especially fatty fish), eggs, and low-fat cheese—along with plenty of veggies, less fruit, some nuts, and plain yogurt. personally, I think yogurt is one of the best things for weight loss and just general health!
I’d suggest cutting out bread and potatoes for a bit, maybe a month or so, and just keeping other carbs like brown rice, pasta, or legumes to once or twice a week...
I try pretty hard with my workouts, but I struggle with my food choices all too often, so I'm not seeing results as fast as I'd like either... but I'm staying positive!
Even with those extra 10 or 15 pounds, I feel better than ever just because I've been sticking to my exercise routine!

Sandra Clark29 said:but now I’m feeling pretty discouraged because it feels like I'm just spinning my wheels.

Don't feel that way! I really don't think anything you do is ever for nothing.
I mean, I've definitely had those moments where I wondered if I was wasting my time too, but I just didn't want to quit until I knew I'd actually given it a fair shot. It's way too easy to just slide back into old habits, I guess.
For me, I focused on changing my daily routine and started using my Peloton back on April 8th. Honestly, it took about a month of sticking to a strict regimen before the scale finally started moving. Since then, I've lost over 13 pounds and I've already dropped several sizes in my jeans.

Even after ramping up the training, I saw zero results for three months straight. Honestly, I was just as obsessed as you were😉. Eventually, I managed to drop about 20 pounds over the year.
If it helps, here’s how my setup looked: five meals a day, massive calorie deficit, but my protein and fat intake was trash. It was mostly carbs—probably around 70%—and I was eating them right before bed. Didn't see any real muscle gains at all.

Then I cut back on the cardio but kept eating like a teenager, and my body just stayed the same (well, except for my glutes😁). That phase dragged on for another year.

From what I've read, my diet was the main culprit, and in that second phase, I was basically daydreaming about building muscle when my actual goal was just losing weight. I guess we'll see if that's true based on my own experience, but it's too early to tell.

Whatever you do, don't quit. Nothing beats that feeling of sliding back into size 6 jeans after being stuck in a size 16.

Sandra Clark29 said:I’d love to hear about your experiences—was it similar for everyone when they started? Does anyone have any advice? Thanks!

Here’s the deal...

First off, if you weren't active or into sports before, your metabolism is probably crawling.
Your body needs time to rev it up.
Give it time...

Also, timing matters when it comes to what you eat.
It's not just about the calorie count.
To keep it simple: hit the carbs earlier in the day so you actually have energy to crush your day, then switch to protein-heavy meals toward the evening (protein builds muscle, and those anabolic processes peak while you sleep).

Thirdly, cardio alone won't cut it.
You gotta hit the right intensity. (I see girls at the gym all the time on the StairMaster just scrolling through Instagram or chatting away. Personally, I can barely focus on my own workout while on the machine). Plus, you need duration. Your body doesn't really start burning fat until those glycogen stores are tapped out, usually after about 30–40 minutes.
Definitely help things along by doing a quick warm-up, hitting the anaerobic stuff first (weights, machines, strength training) to burn through that glycogen, and *then* hopping on the StairMaster or whatever for your cardio.

And one more thing: discipline and consistency.
The best physiques you see at the gym? They're built on grit, not just genetics. 😉

Ditch the chips and those chocolate bars.
Try to stick to actual, regular meals as much as you can.
And please, don't go expecting to see massive results in just six weeks.
You’ve got to be patient a little bit 😉
It took time to put all that weight on, doesn't it make sense that it'll take some time to shed it?

Sandra Clark29 said:Hey everyone.
I joined a gym six weeks ago because I’m sitting at 170 lbs at 5'6". My routine is 50 minutes on the stepper, bike, or treadmill, plus about 20 minutes on machines doing high reps with light weights—exactly what my trainer suggested. Diet-wise, I’m aiming for 1500 calories a day. If a craving hits, I indulge, but I’m not face-planting into a bag of chips or a whole chocolate bar; maybe one square of chocolate once a week, that's it. So, where's the catch? I honestly don't get why there are ZERO visible results!! The scale hasn't budged an inch, my clothes aren't fitting any differently, and I haven't lost a single centimeter! I know six weeks isn't forever, but you should see at least some progress by now. I planned to stick with this three times a week through next summer, but now I'm dragging myself there feeling like it's all for nothing. I really don't eat much. Sometimes I feel like crying seeing my coworkers inhaling pizza for lunch while I'm over here stretching out a single 50-gram slice of whole wheat bread, a banana, and an apple over an eight-hour shift. And guess what? All those gluttons are thinner than me. I don't overeat at home either; if anything, I can barely eat enough to feel full. I have the willpower and I want to get in shape, but... sometimes I just hit a wall of pure despair. I'd love to hear your stories. Was it this frustrating for everyone starting out? Does anyone have advice? Thanks.

I've been in the exact same boat.

electricraven11 said:Even with way more training, I saw zero results for three months straight. I was just as obsessed as you are😉. Eventually, I somehow ended up gaining 10 pounds over the course of a year.
Here’s the breakdown if it helps: five meals a day, huge calorie deficit, but my protein and fat intake was bottomed out while carbs were sky-high (probably around 70%)—and I was eating them right before bed. Didn't see any muscle growth to speak of.

Then I hit a phase where I cut back on cardio but kept eating like crap, and absolutely nothing changed with my body (except maybe my ass😁). That dragged on for another year.

Based on what I've read, my diet was the main mistake, followed by daydreaming about building muscle when my actual goal was just losing weight. I'll have to wait and see if that's actually the case, since it hasn't been long enough to tell yet.

Don't you dare quit. That feeling when you finally slide back into those size 4 jeans after being stuck in a size 12... nothing beats it.

There's your answer.

Yeah, here's another tip:

Fat doesn't make you gain weight on its own...
It's the carbs, man.
But when you mix fat and carbs? That’s a total party! 😁

(Think about high-end steakhouse dinners—prime rib with rich gravy and a nice glass of Cabernet. It doesn't wreck your waistline. Why? Because there are basically zero carbs involved (it's the whole keto principle). The fats just hitch a ride on the carbs. Without the carbs, the fat isn't storing itself on you. In theory. Okay, sure, they might do other sketchy stuff to your system, like clogging up your arteries, but let's not get sidetracked... 😁)

Nicholas Kern90
In theory? Sure. In practice? Not always.
Probably true for me too, but I hate all this cookie-cutter advice. Is it really my fault if I’ve been grinding through clean eating and workouts for months on end with zero results?
I could be one of those million people dealing with a hormonal imbalance or just lacking L-carnitine...

I wasn't looking for an answer, just sharing what actually happened to me.😉 To me, it feels more helpful to say I worked my ass off for months without seeing a change, rather than just dumping some generic "eat 2 grams of protein per kilo" lecture on everyone.!!!

Besides, just hit up a McDonald's late at night and take a look at some of the people eating there at 11 PM. You'll see.

silentpanther15 said:oh yeah... another little tip:

fats don't make you fat on their own...

Spot on 👍
True, you can't go overboard, but a handful of walnuts or almonds isn't going to kill you.
Ever since I bumped up my protein and fat intake, my insulin issues—you know, that post-meal crash where you just want to pass out—totally vanished. Now, after a big bowl of pasta, I actually feel like going for a walk instead of needing a nap.

😉

electricraven11 said:Nicholas Kern90
In theory? Sure. In practice? Often.
Probably true for me too, but honestly, the generalizations drive me crazy. If it’s my own fault after months of clean eating and hitting the gym, fine. That's on me.

Nicholas Kern90 hit the nail on the head. If 70% of your diet is carbs—especially if you're loading up at night—you can forget about results. Working out three times a week isn't going to cut it then. That's not a generalization; it's just biology. You'll realize it once you feel the difference when you switch to a high-protein split.

quietpilot87 said:Since I switched to a higher protein and fat intake, my insulin issues have basically vanished—no more post-meal crashes or feeling like I need a nap. Now, after a big bowl of pasta, I actually feel like going for a walk instead of passing out.

Spot on. I actually swung too far in the opposite direction, though. Honestly, I can't even remember the last time I had a plate of pasta. Potatoes are off the table entirely now, and rice? Only the brown stuff, and even then, rarely.

@silverfox41/">@@silverfox41
I went through the exact same thing for a while, but I eventually forced myself to start eating carbs again. They’re usually the main culprit when it comes to my weight, so I have to be pretty careful not to go overboard.🤣

If I could say one thing to the OP, it's that from my own experience, nothing happens overnight—just like we didn't gain the extra weight overnight😬. You really need at least three months to see any noticeable results, and the most important part is just staying consistent during that "waiting" period.
I think silentpanther15🤔 mentioned somewhere that you have to actually change your habits and make healthy living your new normal, rather than treating it like some temporary phase you're doing just to lose weight. That's what I'm trying to do, because honestly, it feels like the right way to go. Otherwise, those lost pounds always seem to find their way back.😬

electricraven11 said:Nicholas Kern90
That’s how it works on paper, and in plenty of cases, too.
Probably the same deal where I'm from, but the constant labeling really gets under my skin. Honestly, who cares? If I spend months on end eating clean and hitting the gym, that's on me.
Maybe I’m just one in a million who doesn't bother with L-carnitine. Maybe my hormones are just out of whack. Who knows.

I wasn't looking for an answer. I was just sharing my experience.😉 Look, if you want actual support, I’m going to be blunt: I spent months grinding away at this with absolutely zero results. I don't need someone dumping cookie-cutter advice on me about hitting two grams of protein per kilo of body weight. That's just noise.

Honestly, just go to a McDonald's one night and take a look. You'll see exactly what kind of people are sitting there eating at eleven PM.

I don't follow. What do you mean by "patterning"? It’s not just some random opinion someone tossed out—it's basic biology. I was simply pointing out that you were doing it wrong.

silverfox41 said:Spot on—though I think I went a bit overboard. I can’t even remember the last time I touched a bowl of pasta. Potatoes? Gone. Rice? Barely touch it, unless it's brown rice.

Look, I'm far from perfect. But my diet is lightyears away from where it was two years ago. Honestly, I'm thinking about going even harder on it—I really want to kill off this stubborn belly fat that's still hanging around despite losing 20 pounds. Clearly, I missed a few spots.

Anyway, I'm just glad my body isn't acting out like it used to. My insulin spikes were absolute chaos back in the day... I literally couldn't function after eating. It was brutal.

And yeah, totally agree—sticking to some cheese or meat in the evening is the way to go.

Lisa Wells65 said:I think silentpanther15 is...🤔Someone once said you have to actually change your habits—make a healthy lifestyle your baseline rather than just some temporary phase you push through until the scale drops. I’m trying to stick to that logic myself, mostly because it’s the only way to make it stick. Otherwise, those lost pounds just end up creeping back on you eventually.😬

Yeah, if you crawl back to your old habits—the exact stuff that wrecked you in the first place—don't be shocked when everything falls apart again. It’s basic math.

Don't look at it as some "healthy" lifestyle choice—just view it as living NORMALLY. It’s way easier on your head that way—you aren't constantly stuck in this mental loop of everything you're "giving up." Instead, you're just living life, eating decent food, and staying active. That's it.
I think framing it that way is actually pretty crucial.

I hear everything you all are saying, and I truly get where she’s coming from too... if the scale had shown even just a couple of pounds less, she’d probably have that spark of motivation she needs right now. Instead, she feels like all her hard work has been for nothing, like the finish line is being pushed further and further away every single day.