5'5" @ 163 lbs, been logging for 37 days, only 1.5 lbs lost!!! WHAT AM I DOING WRONG?

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  • peachyfuzzle
    peachyfuzzle Posts: 1,122 Member
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    No, you are not a special snowflake when it comes to weight loss. You're simply ingesting too many calories.
  • allyphoe
    allyphoe Posts: 618 Member
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    Your average intake over the 37 complete days is 1,620 calories per day, assuming that you're counting accurately. You're close enough to my size for approximation purposes, and consume fewer calories than I do; I'd lose almost exactly a pound a week on average at your intake.

    I suspect you're losing slowly enough that an actual loss is being masked by water weight. I personally do not see a lot of water weight fluctuation (+/- 2 pounds would be an extreme outlier in daily scale change for me), and if I calculate my scale movement over a 37-day period, there's one 37-day period in there where my end weight was only 2.0 pounds lower than my start weight. I've also got a 37-day period where my end weight was 7.2 pounds lower than my start weight. My actual loss averages more like 0.9 pounds a week, or 4.75 pounds over 37 days.

    There are a bunch of websites that will calculate the trend in your weight, attempting to separate out random fluctuation from actual fat loss. You might find that to be helpful in keeping you motivated.
  • MelanieRBrace
    MelanieRBrace Posts: 245 Member
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    queenliz99 wrote: »
    Eating better is great but none of those things help if you are not eating at a deficit.

    ^This
  • Kalikel
    Kalikel Posts: 9,626 Member
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    "Pretty accurate" isn't enough. If you're going to count calories, you have to weigh (to the gram!) everything you eat. Weigh every solid and measure liquids!

    Nope, it doesn't take your body months. It will lose immediately when you burn more than swallow. :)

    Stop eliminating sugar. You can't eliminate it from your body, even if you try. If you literally swallowed NO carbs, your body would make it's own sugar. Sugar is vital. You cannot exist without it. This "sugar is toxic" stuff is BS from people who don't know what the hell they're talking about. You've been poorly advised.

    Eat fruit!!

    In fact, swap out sugar for fiber in the tracking. Fiber is important (keeps you FULL and keeps you regular!) and fruit gives you nutrients that your body needs. It's yummy, too.

    Stop fad dieting and get serious. That means lots of fruits and veggies! You want to be good to your body.

    http://www.fitness.gov/eat-healthy/how-to-eat-healthy/

    You're off to a good start! You've lost some weight and that's awesome! Now, it's time to start doing it right. :)

    Also, try swimming. Swimming burns more calories that anything, is easy to do, doesn't feel like you're working out - no hot and sweatiness, is easy on the joints and the water is ONE place where being fat cannot hold you back. (I always plug it, lol.)

    It's a lot of hard work, this losing weight thing. But you can do it!

  • FredDoyle
    FredDoyle Posts: 2,273 Member
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    You need to measure your food on a scale.
    0.13 cup of croutons
    Homemade sauteed mushrooms 40 kcals but no oil listed for the day.
    Did you saute in water?
  • BernadetteChurch
    BernadetteChurch Posts: 2,210 Member
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    Another vote for the food scale. You can't possibly be anywhere near accurate measuring solids in cups. Also, for basic fruits, vegetables and meats, find the entries in the database that don't have an asterisk next to them. These ones are MFP-entered and more likely to be accurate.
  • Runyan2002
    Runyan2002 Posts: 6 Member
    edited November 2014
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    Hey! I recently started about the same time as you and I had only lost 2lbs as well until this past week! I was working out 3-5 times a week and incorporating weight training as well. I have noticed myself getting significantly stronger in my workouts / ability (like I am able to run almost 5 miles at 11min/hr now!!). I am 5'9" and 178 lbs and barely over 30 so we are close. My body structure is probably medium to large and I build muscle pretty fast (I'm pretty active even before this).

    I accurately took measurements in my bust, under bust, waist, hips, thighs, and arms when I started and a month after. After a month, I lost 10" over all of them in the same time it took me to lose 2 lbs. I notice my clothes fitting better and I have been able to fit into clothes I wasn't before but just this past week all of a sudden weight starting decreasing dramatically (well 2 lbs this week, dramatic compared to before). I truly believe you build up your muscle first and then your body will start shedding fat / weight. Also I think my muscle gain was more significant than my weight loss so it just didn't show on the scale. I also started drinking a TON more water (my water weight does have a tendency to fluctuate as well).

    I also had been accurately monitoring my calorie intake and kept it under 1400, and that isn't accounting for my exercise unless it was heavy exercise. Hope this helps! I am in the same boat....175.2 lbs today after four weeks of NO weight loss past that first 2 lbs in the first week. :) Yay!

    Some of the people commenting here have been awesome, some are really snarky and rude, sorry about that. I will tell you that I do NOT believe you need a food scale and start measuring grams if you are honest with yourself about proportions. 100 calorie "miss" shouldn't prevent you from completely losing weight at all, just make sure you are accurate. I WILL say I used a food scale when I was first learning to measure my intake years back (when i lost weight before) and it's a good learning experience just to be able to identify proper serving sizes if you don't have good knowledge on that.

    In the end, if I'm losing inches then I can care less what my weight is. I am making a lifestyle change if that means my loss is slower so I can still live my life, so be it. So if your experience is like mine, maybe we are BOTH special snowflakes and it really DOES take a month or so to lose weight while your body builds up muscle. :smile:
  • Runyan2002
    Runyan2002 Posts: 6 Member
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    Oh and I DEFINITELY yo-yo'ed that first month. This past week has been more straight loss, but the first four weeks have been from 1-4 lbs weight loss back and forth! It drives me insane! Hopefully my body keeps up the losing streak. LOL!
  • FredDoyle
    FredDoyle Posts: 2,273 Member
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    Runyan2002 wrote: »
    Oh and I DEFINITELY yo-yo'ed that first month. This past week has been more straight loss, but the first four weeks have been from 1-4 lbs weight loss back and forth! It drives me insane! Hopefully my body keeps up the losing streak. LOL!
    Which is probably because you aren't weighing your food so you don't really know what you are eating. Politeness doesn't ensure correctness.
  • DefyGravity1977
    DefyGravity1977 Posts: 300 Member
    edited November 2014
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    Coming from a person who started at 272 and stands at 5'5" in 2007 and has been fighting since then....dieting and weight loss is not supposed to be done in a quick amount of time. In order to lose it and keep it off it is a journey that takes time. 37 days is really not a good measure of time depending on your height and weight. Slow down and give your body a chance to get used to the changes that you are making. Remember one day, one step at a time and it is not a competition with the person next to you but a lifestyle change that fits you.
  • DaniWhis
    DaniWhis Posts: 27 Member
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    Agree with pretty much everything Runyan2002 said up there ^. :smile:

    I completely and utterly understand the frustration! I can say, though, that if there's one thing I have learned throughout my personal journey--ditch the scale. Celebrate the non-scale victories, take measurements and progress pictures... The scale is depressing and there are many, many different things that factor into that number. I weigh myself every so often just to check progress...but I don't use it to define my success. I did for a long time, and it ended up being more of a stressor than anything...not to mention it's quite easy to become obsessed with the number.

    I get the frustration, though, wholeheartedly. Been there and still hit it from time to time! My advice: eat well, keep exercising, drinking water, and try tracking progress in different ways. It'll come back around! Lots of good (and, as Runyan said, snarky, as well) advice in here. This community rocks! :)

  • Runyan2002
    Runyan2002 Posts: 6 Member
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    FredDoyle wrote: »
    Runyan2002 wrote: »
    Oh and I DEFINITELY yo-yo'ed that first month. This past week has been more straight loss, but the first four weeks have been from 1-4 lbs weight loss back and forth! It drives me insane! Hopefully my body keeps up the losing streak. LOL!
    Which is probably because you aren't weighing your food so you don't really know what you are eating. Politeness doesn't ensure correctness.

    Nope, I actually do weigh most of my food to a point (I have a food scale and weigh my food when I can, unless it isn't around). It's because of my water, sodium (I acknowledge and know I consume a lot), but mostly my exercise routine why I yo-yo'ed. I have been building muscle and my body is adjusting. While my weight has yo-yo'ed my body is not (measurement wise). I haven't changed anything this week and have now lost. I am surprised a fitness forum wouldn't agree on this....most people involved in fitness say not losing a drastic amount the first month or so is VERY normal and a good thing (if you are working out / building muscle). My trainer hasn't even batted an eye and said my strength and abilities are going up, I am losing inches, and he isn't worried at all. Neither am I. It can be frustrating for sure but happy to know it's normal.

    Heck he even said I could expect it before I started. I also have a fitbit to track steps / exercise so I'm pretty happy with my accuracy. Of course I am not purely doing exercise to burn calories either, I am doing a lot of strength training / yoga as well and alternating with running, etc. so maybe that is why it's different for some. I'm sure if you ONLY eat right and don't exercise you will see your weight drop suddenly, since you aren't building muscle as well.
  • Runyan2002
    Runyan2002 Posts: 6 Member
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    DaniWhis wrote: »
    Agree with pretty much everything Runyan2002 said up there ^. :smile:

    I completely and utterly understand the frustration! I can say, though, that if there's one thing I have learned throughout my personal journey--ditch the scale. Celebrate the non-scale victories, take measurements and progress pictures... The scale is depressing and there are many, many different things that factor into that number. I weigh myself every so often just to check progress...but I don't use it to define my success. I did for a long time, and it ended up being more of a stressor than anything...not to mention it's quite easy to become obsessed with the number.

    I get the frustration, though, wholeheartedly. Been there and still hit it from time to time! My advice: eat well, keep exercising, drinking water, and try tracking progress in different ways. It'll come back around! Lots of good (and, as Runyan said, snarky, as well) advice in here. This community rocks! :)

    THIS!!! I have also purposely ignored that tiny scale of doom and been happy with seeing my arm flab decreasing. ;-)
  • Kalikel
    Kalikel Posts: 9,626 Member
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    Runyan2002 wrote: »
    Oh and I DEFINITELY yo-yo'ed that first month. This past week has been more straight loss, but the first four weeks have been from 1-4 lbs weight loss back and forth! It drives me insane! Hopefully my body keeps up the losing streak. LOL!

    Scales fluctuate. It's very normal to go up and down. Watch the overall trend. If it's mostly down, it's working.

    Don't spaz about little ups and downs. And when it is period time, don't spaz if you go up six pounds and stay there for a few days. Trends, trends, trends. :)
  • blabrecque_xo
    blabrecque_xo Posts: 65 Member
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    I am 5'3 and started my journey at 163 lbs. Feel free to add me. :)
  • chele402
    chele402 Posts: 128 Member
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    MichelleMaryCas wrote: »
    I have been logging into myfitnesspal for 37 days now and have had very minimal weight loss. I have been trying to stay within a 1400 calorie per day intake and I have been exercising 3-4 times per week for 30-40 minutes per day. I recently purchased a fitbit to make sure my calories burned is accurate.

    I have cut out most processed foods, caffeine, milk and sugar from my diet. I no longer drink soda and I hardly drink juice. I feel that I have been pretty accurate with my calorie reporting. I use the scanner whenever possible, I import recipes from the internet, I log all veggies, all small bites that add up, everything, I am a little neurotic.

    I know I have not been perfect but this yoyo weight loss of 5 lbs up and down is getting old. I have had some red wine and have gone over calorie intake a few times but compared to what I was eating prior to 37 days ago I must be cutting at least 1000 calories from my diet daily!

    Does it really take your body 1-3 months to realize that it should be losing weight??? Or am I just not being as good as I think I am? My profile is public. Any feedback from people with similar issues or knowledge is appreciated. I am feeling frustrated but am not ready to give up. I have been measuring myself as well and there does seem to be 1/2" gone here and there although I feel like that fluctuates a little also. I am planning on doing my 2 month measurements right before thanksgiving, hopefully I will see at least an inch gone from my waist or thigh, or both....!

    I'm 5'6 and started at 174 - now 159.5 and also from NJ :) I target between 1200 - 1300 calories a day. I try to keep it on the lower end because I don't have access to measure everything all the time (but 75% of the time I am) and I'd rather shoot lower and overestimate than the opposite.

    Add me on here and we can help each other!!!

  • hansolo420
    hansolo420 Posts: 9 Member
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    I have had this exact same issue! Here is what I have gathered on the matter. Yes, it takes your body a while to realizing its loosing weight, especially if you are a woman and especially if you have made a lot of failed attempts at weight loss in the past. Also, if you are working out you are building muscle and, as the old adage goes, "muscle weights more than fat." Also, if you are doing challenging workouts your muscles will retain liquid to help them build and repair, more added weight. If you drink alcohol, and I do, and I too prefer wine, you will hold water weight, so the best thing to do is take three or so days off from drinking any booze and flush with water, that weight will go away, but come back again (I found) when you drink again. I love to drink, so thats just the trade off I accept. Most importantly though, dont give up! Good things take time. Stick with it, and come here for support when you need it. The support here has gotten me through some discouraging times! You can do it girl!! :)
  • thathelenagirl
    thathelenagirl Posts: 24 Member
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    I feel your pain, I've been logging for 52 days, and have become so frustrated I've resorted back to cheat days more often than not. Thought I was doing great and have only lost 4 pounds. MFP told me to lose 2 pounds a week I needed to eat 1260 calories a day... it's so hard to do but I was doing well until nothing changed and I got discouraged! Friend request me if you want, maybe we can encourage each other!!
  • hotcoffee692
    hotcoffee692 Posts: 167 Member
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    Hey, I'm almost your height/weight twin! 5'5", started at 161.5. Feel free to add me.

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