Discouraged Early on.....HELP!

annam3627

I'm looking for ANY input! I've been doing this program for a little over a week now. I "had" a very positive attitude, felt very good about myself, went from NO exercising to exercising 20 minutes a day (average) and staying under my calorie goal each day... drink the water like I'm suppose to.
I step on the scales this morning and it said I've gained almost 2 pounds!!!! I don't get it! It's hard not to give up. Any suggestions are greatly appreciated.

foreverinhishands26

Same thing with me I loose and gain and am trying to stay motivated would you want to work together maybe we can encourage each other

Mycophilia

I also gained 2 lbs after the first week. In my case it was just water weight, since i changed my diet and started to exercise. Just be patient and double check that you're tracking your intake accurately.

tcunbeliever

I almost always gain the first week or two of a new workout routine. Don't let it get to you, just keep up the good work and it will start to come off. Muscles will retain water after working out and it will take a little time for your body to get used to the changes. It's not all about the scale, try measurements and before/after photos as well. Many times you can see improvements in inches and visuals before you see them on the scale. It's just a number, don't let it halt your progress to a healthier you!

lauracups

annam3627 wrote: »

I'm looking for ANY input! I've been doing this program for a little over a week now. I "had" a very positive attitude, felt very good about myself, went from NO exercising to exercising 20 minutes a day (average) and staying under my calorie goal each day... drink the water like I'm suppose to.
I step on the scales this morning and it said I've gained almost 2 pounds!!!! I don't get it! It's hard not to give up. Any suggestions are greatly appreciated.

annam3627

I don't want to get discouraged! Because I do FEEL BETTER! I know the scale is evil, lol... and thankfully, I did take measurements from the beginning. I feel it, so I've lost something, somewhere! I will check the measurements later today... I will inform later. I'm just trying to stay positive. Thank you all for your words of encouragement!

emdeesea

It's water weight. When you start using your muscles in ways you haven't in a long time they become inflamed. It's completely normal and you'll lose it in a few days. Don't worry about it.

snowflake954

OK--be very carefull weighing and measuring your food. This is crucial. If you don't have a food scale get one. Another thing, measure yourself--hips, waist, stomach, thighs etc, and remeasure yourself about once a week or once a month. Many times you will lose in measurements while weighing the same. Weight loss takes time and patience. Even if you're doing everthing right you may stay the same for awhile and then alot comes off at once. Give it time, and don't give up. Best of luck.

lauracups

I've been at this for awhile, I work out almost everyday. I will see a 2-3 lb weight gain after a hard work out, it's water, the muscles "guard" and the body pads itself because it thinks it's being stressed. Drink lots of water, it will drop.

Jennifer10723

The body is a strange strange thing. lol Just keep plugging along .. the days will pass anyway .. make em healthy days!!! Exercise always makes me gain the first week or so. I just "gained" 4.5 pounds because of TOM.. so .. there is that. lol You got this!

jessicapk

The really cool thing is that your next weigh in, if you maintain your calorie deficit and exercising, will be awesome! It will be the highest weight loss for a week that you'll see during your journey but it will be so motivating. I dropped 5 pounds my first week and it really kicked my a** into gear! Something else that really motivates me is charting my progress. When I can look at the chart and see the downward trend, no matter how slowly it's moving, it reminds me that there IS an end in sight.

jazzine1

The same thing is happening to me. This is my second week, I weighed myself this morning and I gained 2lbs in 2 days. Its upsetting because I know I'm eating less, I'm very conscience of my CiCo, I weigh everything I eat and log it, yet still not losing how I expected. I keep coming on here to read post and get motivated because I tend to give up if I dont see immediate results, but this time I have told myself I will keep going no matter what the scale saids and I know eventually the results will catch up to my actions. We didnt gain weight overnight, so we cant expect to lose it overnight. Take it one day at a time. Good Luck. Feel free to add me for support and motivation.

feisty_bucket

You can track measurements and bodyfat and whatever you want in MFP as well. Weight is the easiest to measure but the least useful, IMO.

LuisaMc847

emdeesea wrote: »

It's water weight. When you start using your muscles in ways you haven't in a long time they become inflamed. It's completely normal and you'll lose it in a few days. Don't worry about it.

I agree ! I'm in a low calorie diet and I've been jogging and doing Zumba for the past 2 weeks and I've only lost 0.9 lbs! I do believe it has to be water weight , I can see my waist getting smaller and the clothes fit a lot better , but not very much progress on the scale

megia3

I had the same problem yesterday, but decided it must be water weight. I limited my sodium intake to 1500mg, and increased my potassium to around 3500mg. When I stepped on the scale, I had a 4.4 pound loss overnight!!! I'm doing this again today and tomorrow, because my research showed that I ate way to much sodium last week. Keeping the food diary really helped me to figure out that this was a problem for me.

jgnatca

I'm getting better but my mood was often dictated by the scale. And it was so unfair! I would have had a "good" week and the scale would betray me. I try not to let my weight that day dictate my mood, especially if I have made some great life-changes. Those changes will show up...in time.

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/jgnatca/view/setting-goals-715717

cookiebaby2010

It's probably water. Also watch your sodium intake-you may want to drop it down. Are you weighing every day? Some like to do that, but for me, because there is so much fluctuation each day, I only weigh once a week. Otherwise it can be discouraging! Sounds like you are on the right track though. Keep up the good work! It will show up on the scale!

jazzine1

Interesting, I personally have been having high sodium numbers since day 1. So I have changed certain foods and yesterday for the first time was below on sodium. Hopefully I can keep track of that going forward.

Mauigirl62

If you are eating any processed foods try to cut them out and eat whole foods instead. For instance Eggbeaters have almost 500 mg. of sodium but real eggs not much at all. Sodium can contribute to water weight gain.

annam3627

Thanks again to everyone for your thoughts! The positive comments are a motivation on its own! I'm NOT giving up! I can feel the difference, even though the scale says differently. There's so much Sodium in EVERYTHING! I don't even like salt (to add to food)... I'll keep a closer eye on that.
Feel free to add me to your "friends list"...I need all the help I can get! ☺

kbmnurse

Please give out time. Patience is important.

tulips_and_tea

A WEEK?!?! Not nearly long enough. TWO weeks is not nearly long enough. Be patient, be consistent. It will take a few weeks to a month of diligence before you'll really see results. But, you will feel it and it will be worth it! Measurements, how your clothes fit, and how you FEEL are much more important anyway. Stick with it!

Lounmoun

I agree that you should be patient. You are developing new habits. Give it time. There are all kind of ways to measure progress other than a number on the scale.
Work on logging everything you eat and drink as accurately as possible. Only eat back half of the calories that you earn from exercise.
Plan your meals. I find it helpful to pre-log my whole day in advance so I can see how things fit and make better choices.

xMrBunglex

Give it 30 days. Your body is still freaking out.

LilyandGreysMama

Adding my 2 cents, this is my third time around using mfp to lose the same 15 pounds (love my babies, hate this part!). I found for me that it's important that I weigh myself once a week, first thing in the morning - before I do *anything* else, I use the bathroom then strip down and weigh. I chose Friday because I'm much more diligent during the week and seeing the scale change gives me the motivation to stick with it through the weekend. My weight fluctuates a lot during the course of the day, but this method tends to show my true progress. Also my first time through I felt like I was always hungry so I upped my calories but then saw almost no change for almost 3 weeks (very discouraging!) so I lowered my calories back down to 1200 and focused on eating good nutrient dense food with the staying power to keep me full. My go-to include: Plains old fashioned oatmeal - made ahead and portioned for a quick fix, with 1/4 cup of almond milk, 1 serving of sf maple syrup and a dash of cinnamon. 2 eggs, cooked over easy, on a single people of multi-grain toast, 100 calorie Greek yogurt (if your taste buds are not accustomed to the taste of Greek yogurt start with the honey flavor - I found it the most 'mild'), roasted, seasoned broccoli, seasoned chicken breast over spinach with 2 tablespoons of shredded cheese and an oil based dressing. I make 4 or 5 chicken breasts up at a time - season with Mrs Dash or another salt-free seasoning, so they are be easy to grab. I also found spinach salad easier to eat when I chopped the spinach up so it's more the consistency of shredded lettuce. I let myself snack on as much veggies as I wanted. Buy and prep carrots, sweet bell peppers (yellow and orange), cucumbers, and celery. Cut up and put zip locks in the fridge so that when you feel the need to snack you can reach to them as easily as a bag of chips or handful of crackers. (keep cut cucumbers fresh by putting water in the zip lot and adding a squeeze of lemon juice). Allot yourself enough calories to have a filling dip/spread with your veggies at least once a day and have that when you need it most (for me it was that 230/300 window). It is also an easy thing to bring to work so that you don't end up at th vending machine when the hunger strikes. I am no expert, and I'm certainly not claiming to be, I just know what works for me! Keep at it, it's worth it.

annam3627

ok, I'm going into week 4... I still have lost NO pounds. This is very discouraging. Especially when MFP says in 5 weeks you should weigh this... well "this" is like 10 lbs from now... my 5th week is a week away. I don't understand what I'm doing wrong. I follow my calorie count, I still having calories left at the end of the day. I've continued to exercise, not vigorously, but some. I'm currently on a losing 1lb per week... should I up it to 2lbs? Cut my calories down? *sigh* I'm needing motivation .... AGAIN. Any input please!

crazykatlady_

I would suggest getting a food scale and weighing your food. There is an awesome thread in general weight loss and support called Calorie Counting 101. It's near the top. A great read! I thought I was tracking my calories accurately before, but boy was I wrong!

lyonsdesign

I'm so glad I read this, I'm in the same boat. I've been at a loss trying to figure out what I've been doing wrong. I've been eating healthy, whole foods, getting enough water, exercising 4-5x/week. I have lost 1 freakin pound in almost a month. I'm trying hard not to get discouraged. I've only been using this app for 5 days so I hope it helps. Good luck to you!!!

capedorsetgirl

annam3627 wrote: »

ok, I'm going into week 4... I still have lost NO pounds. This is very discouraging. Especially when MFP says in 5 weeks you should weigh this... well "this" is like 10 lbs from now... my 5th week is a week away. I don't understand what I'm doing wrong. I follow my calorie count, I still having calories left at the end of the day. I've continued to exercise, not vigorously, but some. I'm currently on a losing 1lb per week... should I up it to 2lbs? Cut my calories down? *sigh* I'm needing motivation .... AGAIN. Any input please!

I just finished a week of being discouraged because I didn't see the results I was hoping for on the scale or in the measures. Are you also taking measuremments? Remember, muscle weighs more than fat. I'm on day 32 and am finally getting the hang of what foods to eat and what to eat in moderation. I weigh everything that goes into my mouth. I record everything right down to my coffee and what goes in it. Eventually this becomes routine. You will lose the weight if you this and stay within your calorie count. As Jillian Michaels says all the time, your body has to put out more than in puts in. Sometimes I cheat and step on the scale mid week to see how I'm doing. This gives me time to change things up before my weekly weigh in. I hope this helps some because I can totally understand where you are coming from.

pinkiezoom

Measure yourself and step away from the scales hun.... at least for a couple of weeks, that way no matter what those lying Ahole scales are saying, you can see your tummy getting smaller etc.
Here are my suggestions, watch your sodium, seriously make sure if you are scanning food that it is putting the sodium in your numbers. Some breads dont for example! I gained 9lbs in 3 days due to sodium, took me a week to shift it... couldnt be fat as i hadnt over eaten. Also weigh everything, use a digital scale if you can.
Take some before pics now.... so as you get on down the road, if you stall again you can look back at where you have come from.
Give it a couple more weeks as the weight didnt go on over night, so its not going to shift in a week x

jazzine1

I weigh every week and sometimes the scale is nice and other times very cruel, but guess what I weigh all my foods diligently and log everything so I KNOW I am eating in a deficit so regardless what the scale said, I will not let that stress me out. I can feel my clothes a bit looser, I look for non scale victories now after 5 weeks on this journey. I also took measurements so I know I am losing inches. Take pictures lots of pictures so you can compare. The scale is not 100% reliable it runs on batteries and our bodies sometimes retain water, as women our bodies are constantly working(menstrual, bloating, water retaining), whatever the case maybe. If you are doing what you need to be and having a caloric deficit you will lose weight and your body, as well as the scale will eventually show it. I say give it a few more weeks and you might be surprised. Good luck and dont give up, you are closer to your goal today then you was yesterday!!!!!!