I Need to Re-evaluate!
ljashley1952
Posts: 275 Member
I'm feeling defeated. I don't want to whine, but I've been on MFP now for 30 days and I have not lost a single pound. I'm a good 35 pounds overweight, so it isn't unreasonable to expect to see even a small change. I feel like I'm doing the right things. I weigh my food carefully with a good digital scale, I've increased my activity level, I've cut way back on my portions and made good choices; and yet I have lost nothing. I've adopted the 'calories in-calories out' plan and made many small changes as well, that have apparently made no difference at all. I've allowed myself some leeway in snacking, but I've usually made up for it by eating less of something else or taking a longer walk. I feel like I have lost a few pounds. My clothes aren't so tight and look better. Other people have noticed. Now I'm thinking it's just my imagination.
Things are a little more complicated for me because I had a total knee replacement on one knee in 2009 and I need one done on the other knee. So a lot of impact and bouncing/twisting movements are out. I do some walking, a little bike riding, some stretches and light exercise at home.
I could completely cut out snacks and I could eliminate the creamer in my coffee, but I'm afraid if I do that I will simply lose interest and burn out quickly like I have in the past. I had thought that if I wasn't too rigid and allowed for a snack, I would find that I can eat healthfully, be satisfied and lose still lose weight. That doesn't seem to be happening. I'm short (5'2") and post-menopausal, so the fat sticks to me like glue. The holidays are coming up and I obviously need to do something different. I had expected a 3-4 pound loss over the first month and I'm very disappointed in myself. I need a new approach.
I'm 61 and on 1350 calories based on being slightly sedentary, although I'm not exactly sedentary, but I can't really get a good aerobic activity going and sustain it for very long.
Things are a little more complicated for me because I had a total knee replacement on one knee in 2009 and I need one done on the other knee. So a lot of impact and bouncing/twisting movements are out. I do some walking, a little bike riding, some stretches and light exercise at home.
I could completely cut out snacks and I could eliminate the creamer in my coffee, but I'm afraid if I do that I will simply lose interest and burn out quickly like I have in the past. I had thought that if I wasn't too rigid and allowed for a snack, I would find that I can eat healthfully, be satisfied and lose still lose weight. That doesn't seem to be happening. I'm short (5'2") and post-menopausal, so the fat sticks to me like glue. The holidays are coming up and I obviously need to do something different. I had expected a 3-4 pound loss over the first month and I'm very disappointed in myself. I need a new approach.
I'm 61 and on 1350 calories based on being slightly sedentary, although I'm not exactly sedentary, but I can't really get a good aerobic activity going and sustain it for very long.
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Replies
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You should try swimming at a local gym and trying yoga. Remember you are in control, YOU are the captain of your soul, you can do anything and lose any amount you so desire. Keep tweaking calories down every week. What you may think is a deficit is not exactly fact. Be completely honest with yourself. When I want a little more of food I tell myself "You can have it tomorrow'', good foundation of mentality. Perhaps stair climbing, walking at a decent pace can help you with slight increase of heart rate. It also burns extra calories because of higher elevation. You should also consider Lifting Weights for your upper body, lifting burns more than people would assume. Try intermittent fasting. Fast 18hrs each day and make a 6hr eating window to eat in all your calories. This may significantly change everything for you!!!
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Have you weighed all solid food, log everything 100% honestly/accurately? What is your calorie intake range, and what activity level do you have set for your profile?0
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What are your stats? Calorie goal? Macros? Do you use scales to weigh everything you eat?0
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Just keep going. It's a marathon. Think of where you'll be a year from now - whether you keep this up or give up. Which place would you rather be in? You can do it!!!0
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I say shake things up. 1 month is a good enough time to figure out if what you're doing is "working" or not.
Cut out the sodium, drink more water, stay away from processed foods.0 -
You've cut back but are you actually counting calories? How are you tracking consumption? Can you open your diary?0
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I could completely cut out snacks and I could eliminate the creamer in my coffee, but I'm afraid if I do that I will simply lose interest and burn out quickly like I have in the past. I had thought that if I wasn't too rigid and allowed for a snack, I would find that I can eat healthfully, be satisfied and lose still lose weight. /quote]
This sounds like the solution to me. Dont be afraid to change.0 -
If your clothes fit better, then something positive is happening. Sometimes, especially females, our bodies LOVE to hang onto water when we have lost fat!0
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Don't give up. I didn't start losing anything until about 2.5 months in. I know how you feel - it was VERY frustrating...but, you have to remember everybody's body is different. Also, just because you are not losing pounds, does not mean you are not losing inches and building muscle. Muscle weighs more than fat. Don't give up or lose hope. The scale will catch up with you. You just need to give it time. Also, here are a couple things that have helped me, that may help you too:
Constantly put lemon in your water. I mean, squeeze a whole lemon into your water. I split the juice from one lemon into two water bottles that are 16.9 fl oz. Lemon is a natural diuretic. Try to drink ten bottles of water a day. Retaining water could be one of the reasons the scale isn't moving for you.
MyFitness Pal, according to some, is not accurate when it comes to gauging how many calories you've burned doing a particular exercise. Recently, I've been shaving time off. What I mean is, if I do Zumba for 60 minutes. I say I only did it for 45 minutes when I record it. This way if MyFitness Pal overestimates how many calories I've burned it is no big deal. This puts a stop to overeating calories.
I hope this information has helped, and I truly wish you the absolute best on your journey. Don't give up, losing weight is going to change your life!0 -
Your clothes fitting better is progress.
Losing weight and getting fit is simple but hard. We all know what to do.- Eat Clean +Calorie Deficit + Exercise = RESULTS
Good Luck!
0 - Eat Clean +Calorie Deficit + Exercise = RESULTS
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I'm totally weighing my food. I use a good digital scale and I think I'm being honest, but I think I may have to check that.
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I will totally cop to dropping the ball on the whole water thing. I'm not all that fond of drinking water, so I only manage 4-5 cups a day. That does need to change.
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Your clothes fitting better is progress.
Losing weight and getting fit is simple but hard. We all know what to do.- Eat Clean +Calorie Deficit + Exercise = RESULTS
Good Luck!
Thank you! I will not give up. I need to make some changes and I won't stop now. Maybe I'm not brutally honest enough or under-estimating somewhere. I feel like I'm getting close to the zone. I'm feeling better and more energized, it just isn't showing up yet.
0 - Eat Clean +Calorie Deficit + Exercise = RESULTS
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StaciMarie1974 wrote: »Have you weighed all solid food, log everything 100% honestly/accurately? What is your calorie intake range, and what activity level do you have set for your profile?
I can only guess that I'm not being entirely honest or accurate because it just isn't adding up. I'm trying, but something just isn't right. I do weigh my food. I'm at 1350 and said I exercise twice a week. That exercise has been less lately with the knee acting up. I still walk, but I lack a good cardio activity that really gets the heartrate up for a sustained period of time. I'm not even sure I'm in good enough shape anymore to do that for long enough to make a difference.
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Your clothes fitting better is progress.
Losing weight and getting fit is simple but hard. We all know what to do.- Eat Clean +Calorie Deficit + Exercise = RESULTS
Good Luck!
Thank you! I will not give up. I need to make some changes and I won't stop now. Maybe I'm not brutally honest enough or under-estimating somewhere. I feel like I'm getting close to the zone. I'm feeling better and more energized, it just isn't showing up yet.
Actually, all you need is a calorie deficit... 'Clean' eating is optional, and exercise is for fitness not weight loss, though you will look better if you exercise while trying to lose weight.0 - Eat Clean +Calorie Deficit + Exercise = RESULTS
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Your clothes fitting better is progress.
Losing weight and getting fit is simple but hard. We all know what to do.- Eat Clean +Calorie Deficit + Exercise = RESULTS
Good Luck!
Thank you! I will not give up. I need to make some changes and I won't stop now. Maybe I'm not brutally honest enough or under-estimating somewhere. I feel like I'm getting close to the zone. I'm feeling better and more energized, it just isn't showing up yet.
Actually, it's this:
Calorie Deficit = Results
Eating clean is a personal choice and not necessary to lose weight and exercise is for fitness. Losing the weight really comes down to maintaining the calorie deficit more than anything else, by a long shot.
ETA: I should have read all the replies first, since mine echoes TavistockToad's almost eerily.
0 - Eat Clean +Calorie Deficit + Exercise = RESULTS
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1350 calories seems a little high for someone who is 5'2". It might be sufficient to maintain your current weight, but if you want to lose weight, I would need to reduce your intake or increase your activity.0
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If your clothes fit better, then something positive is happening. Sometimes, especially females, our bodies LOVE to hang onto water when we have lost fat!
This. I think separating your expectations from the scale is a good thing to do. What you are doing--eating better, getting more active--is good for you, even if it doesn't result in weight loss (although it will!), so maybe set a goal just to be as fit as you can be, independent of the weight loss.
Other than that, and giving it more time, it's likely calories. 1350 isn't likely to be too high--what does MFP say you should be losing?--but at your height and age and weight (since you don't have a huge amount to lose, even if it feels that way now) it might be a narrow enough deficit that just logging mistakes could be messing you up. As you weigh, the most likely culprit is bad MFP entries, which you have to watch out for. There's a great thread on logging which is worth reading, or you could open your diary or ask friends here to look and point out anything they see. I'll try to find the thread I mean.0 -
Oh, good. Here's the thread I was referring to:
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1234699/logging-accurately-step-by-step-guide#latest0 -
I'm going to be 56 next month and am around your size, 5'1.5". I "net" around 1200 (I usually eat back exercise calories). I lost 6 lbs. early on, had a plateau for a few months, and then lost a couple more. Also, the scale isn't everything; even on plateau, I lost inches, about a pant size.
At our size and age, the weight comes off more slowly because we have a smaller deficit. To lose, you need to eat fewer calories than you need every day, but for instance, a sedentary person my size and age has a BMR of around 1200; with activity, I might need 1500, so even eating only 1200 is not a huge deficit, and if I'm inactive, it's not a deficit at all. That doesn't leave a lot of room for miscalculating calorie counts. Yet, we can't go below 1000 calories to lose because that's unsafe (MFP won't even let you go below 1200). Anyway, a peek at your diary might help; you can look at mine. I typically eat a lot of food, but more low calorie and nutrient dense.0 -
We are the same age and about the same height (I'm 5'3"). My average weight loss has been 1 lb. per week although the first month I lost 11 lbs. With a sedentary lifestyle MFP has set my calories at 1,200 and I rarely eat back any of my exercise calories. I recommend a heart rate monitor to determine calories burned while exercising. I also drink 8-10 glasses of water daily.0
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I had my hip replaced in late August. Before that I was not allowed to do any high impact exercise. I got my cardio by using the elliptical as recommended by my doctor. With the sliding motion of the elliptical you're not putting undue strain on your joints but you are getting a good cardio burn. I also started weight lifting and that made a huge difference.
I've continued to lose weight through my recovery. I haven't been released yet to do anything high impact but I did get on the elliptical last week for the first time since my surgery. It felt so good to be on that machine again. It felt even better to be pain free
You can do it with a bad knee--I'm proof of that. Just pick exercises that are low impact. There are tons of them out there.0 -
Don't rely so heavily on the scale as a measure of progress. If you lost 40 lbs by next week, but still looked exactly the same, would you be happy? No...you wouldn't. You say you look better, your clothes fit better, and people notice. If you're doing what you're supposed to do, keep doing that. The scale will budge eventually. Don't give up, don't get discouraged. Keep it moving!0
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Your clothes fitting better is progress.
Losing weight and getting fit is simple but hard. We all know what to do.- Eat Clean +Calorie Deficit + Exercise = RESULTS
Good Luck!
^ this is also true minus the "eat clean" part. om nom.0 - Eat Clean +Calorie Deficit + Exercise = RESULTS
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Lots of good advice. Don't lower your calories too low because that could cause a binge or reverse effect. I'm thinking 1350 is probably the minimum. Make sure you are getting 25 grams of fiber a day and the appropriate amount of fat and protein. (look at calculators on iifym.com for tips on that) Swimming can be done by almost anyone. Also, I use a trainer and he has pushed me beyond the limits I thought I could do WITH injuries and worked around them. Find something you CAN do to sweat and get your heart rate up. LIFT WEIGHTS. Can't say it enough. Heavier than you think a woman should- Ask for help at the gym. It took a good while before I saw results and sometimes I had a great 2-3 lb loss but mostly it was .5 or .2 stuff that drove me crazy. I did so much better when I stopped weighing daily and went to weekly. I track my weight weekly and get my body fat measured monthly with calipers. Overall what that tells me is that even 1/4 lb lost per week is 12 lbs a year. Painfully slow but worth it in the end. I also see body fat loss when I see no scale loss. I measure with a tape measure too. If it's going to be a snails pace then I need all the encouragement I can get and sometimes one thing will change when others don't. Its about the big picture. In 3 months I've only lost 4 lbs but everyone sees it and my pants size is down and my stomach feels flatter and less bloated so I'll take that as a victory and keep on keeping on! Good Luck
- I'd actually like to edit and say one more thing. Everyone is different. I'm working hard to realize this. You KNOW if you are tracking correctly and doing what you can for fitness. If you really do feel like you are doing it right, measuring the food and sticking at your planned calories then I'd say take the advice given but also know that it takes time. My body is different now and doesn't respond the same way but it does respond. I got so tired of my (young) trainer wondering if I was fibbing on the food. He knew I killed it in the gym but my results were so slow and I was obsessed with tracking and measuring. That is very important but the math is not the same for everyone. Keep trying to improve but you will get results if you just keep going.
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I will totally cop to dropping the ball on the whole water thing. I'm not all that fond of drinking water, so I only manage 4-5 cups a day. That does need to change.
You have to drink the water. I refocused last week and drank 50% of my body weight, along with eating clean, and exercising. I lost 2 lbs and 1 inch off my waist. It sounds like you are dehydrated.
Also are you eating enough protein? Too many carbs will affect your weight loss as well.
Good luck to you.0
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