Need advice

blackangelcreations

I have been told for fertility reasons to get my BMI down from 41 to 30. I have suspected PCOS. I started my journey 4 weeks ago and am due for my first weigh in at hospital tomorrow. The first two weeks I lost 8lbs. But these last two weeks I've lost absolutely nothing. I've lost lots of inches but no weight. I'm always below my calorie intake and I've increased my exercise. I don't know where I'm going wrong. It's so disheartening. Please help

kducky22

Scales are the worst! They lie all the time...

I know the scale isn't going down, but the inches are. This is proof that what you are doing is working even if it isn't showing in the pesky number! The first couple weeks were probably water weight as your body gets used to the new routine you have. The second two weeks, I would bet, that you are loosing more fat and increasing your water retention to show a true loss of 8lbs (not just water weight).

Also, look at this overall.. 8lbs in one month is AMAZING! You're doing an awesome job, don't get too discouraged by the scales. They will catch up, I promise!

blackangelcreations

Thank you. I do appreciate the boost. Everyone keeps asking if I've lost weight, my clothes are looser and I've lost it from my face. When my partner puts his arms around me he says he can feel a difference but the scales just won't cooperate. How can I get rid of water retention? If I drink more I just wee and wee and wee.

wanttobefit300

Forget the scales. You are losing fat and gaining muscle, or the inches would not be coming off. The same weight of muscle takes up a third of the volume of fat. Keep it up.

sofaking6

Generally when a person starts a diet program a rush of water weight comes off. If you really feel that you're retaining water, track your sodium intake and keep it below the MFP recommendation. Not too much below, remember you need sodium to live.

Also, you are NOT gaining muscle unless you are eating at a calorie surplus and lifting heavy weights. It's just not happening. You may be strengthening your existing muscles but you are not replacing any fat with muscle, nor do you want to since that can only be done while gaining weight That being said, if you're doing resistance training the scales will move more slowly than for someone doing no exercise or only cardio, since you will be maintaining more muscle (aka 'lean body mass') and losing more fat which is less dense so affects the scale less. This is good for you in the long run.

The questions that the 'regulars' here will ask:

Are you weighing and measuring all of your food? Using scales? If not, you may be underestimate your calories in.

Are you eating back your exercise calories and if so, how are you figuring out how many calories your exercise burned? MFP default numbers are roughly double what an average female would burn putting out an average amount of effort. Machine numbers are not much better. Heart rate monitors are the most reliable but even they can be somewhat off. So you may also be overestimating your calories out.

999tigger

Scales just give data out, they arent sentient. The data is what it is, but you can interpret them in perspective and you should be using other methods of progress. What sofaking said answers the question, id just add that you need to have realistic expectations about the rate of loss and length of journey. 1lb a week would be a rule of thumb and reasonable, so dont go getting disheartened until you have good reason to be.

If you are weighing, logging accurately fpr a consistent deficit then you should keep on doing that and be patient.

inked_Calimom82

Pay no attention to the scale. The prove is in your clothes good job by the way!

blackangelcreations

Either I make things from scratch and I do use scales or I use the ingredients on the labels to add my calories. I don't think I'm undesrestimating but I will double check everything. I'm doing a mixture of cardio and strength training and lots of walking. I have a pedometer for the walking and I've got a couple of apps on my phone for my workouts and calories burnt. Do inches and weight loss not go hand in hand?

999tigger

Its not the data thats wrong its just you need to see things in context and understand other factors. Thats why knowledge assists you, the scales are what they are they measure weight, but dont get hooked on them and use the tape measure plus how you look, clothes fit, fitness performance etc to give you a fuller picture.

What you want is fat loss. If you cant interpret the data then you can end up paying it too much attention and misleading yourself. As sofaking pointed out theres normally a decent loss in the first few weeks as water weight and then it slows down. Just carry on doing the same things and be patient assuming you are at a deficit you will lose. Dont worry weight loss isnt linear and wont go down in a straight line. If nothing happens in another week then you can reassess or get someone to look at your diary. You might just be retaining water for a number of reasons, but its the overall trend you want, not any particular week.