Been on MFP for 5 weeks, haven't lost weight in 3

magofgroceries

I just started (well, re-started) MFP 5 weeks ago, and in the first two weeks I lost 7 pounds. For the last 3 weeks, however, I haven't lost an ounce and my weight is bouncing up and down, sometimes almost as high as my starting weight.. I know that daily fluctuations are normal, but I still feel frustrated. I'm eating a net of 1200 calories a day and exercising at the gym and on my bike 4-6 days a week.

I guess my question is: is this normal? I know it isn't a "plateau" at this point, but shouldn't I still be shedding weight quickly since I just started? I still have almost 40 pounds to go, so I'm becoming discouraged. I am trying to drink more water and I'm changing up my routine at the gym (more strength training). What else is helpful to get out of a weight-loss rut?

malibu927

We need more information, especially since your diary is closed. What are your stats? How are you measuring your food? How much of your exercise calories do you eat back?

Ronni_16

It kind of sounds like you might not be eating enough calories if you are exercising that much. Your body is storing your calories.

Harlequin1983

Ronni_16 wrote: »

It kind of sounds like you might not be eating enough calories if you are exercising that much. Your body is storing your calories.

I agree. Sounds like more calories are needed. You need calories to burn calories!! And make sure you arent drinking your calories either! Hope this helps!

DeguelloTex

Ronni_16 wrote: »

It kind of sounds like you might not be eating enough calories if you are exercising that much. Your body is storing your calories.

Even without more info, we can dispose of this as a possibility.

diannethegeek

Keep in mind that if you're weighing daily and changing up your routine often, those big jumps in weight fluctuation that come with changes in exercise might be hiding your weight loss. It might be worth it to look into an app like trendweight to see the bigger picture.

The most common problems we see come from underestimating calories eaten and overestimating calories burned.

Opening your diary might help to get you more specific advice if you're comfortable doing so.

You're logging everything you eat? Including condiments, cooking oils, veggies, cheat days, etc? Are you using a food scale, measuring cups, or eyeballing your portion sizes? Most people can be off in their estimates by several hundred calories when they eyeball portions. Measuring cups are better, but a food scale is going to be the most accurate.

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1234699-logging-accurately-step-by-step-guide
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1290491-how-and-why-to-use-a-digital-food-scale

And make sure that you've calculated your calorie goals appropriately. Remember that these are just estimates. You may need to play around a little to find what works best for you.

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/819055-setting-your-calorie-and-macro-targets

If you're exercising and eating back your earned exercise calories, be sure that you're using accurate estimates of your burn. MFP and gym machines have a tendency to overestimate certain activities, which can cause you to eat back more calories than you need to. Even a heart rate monitor isn't 100% accurate. If you're eating those extra earned calories it might be a good idea to eat only 50-75% of those.

And there's something to be said for the fact that some people just burn fewer calories than the generic equations predict. If that's the case for you, you may need to adjust your calories a little lower until you start losing again.

ChiliPepperLifter

You are either overestimating your workout burn, or underestimating the amount of calories you eat. A true net of 1200 would result in weight loss, there is no such thing as a starvation mode.

ElizabethKalmbach

If you've only just started your workout plan, or recently changed the intensity, your body can easily be storing more water to help produce glycogen to re-energize your muscles. If it's coming up on TOM, you can be storing more water just because your body has to do weird stuff to bleed for a week every month and not die. Keep at it, and trust the system. Weigh and measure your food, log everything, eat back a decent percentage of your exercise calories, don't stress, don't quit. It'll happen.

crispaholicshaz

Ive been on here, 2weeks now. And have weighed myself this morning i have only lost 1lb, but i have lost 2 inches off my waist.... its not much but its a start!!!

magofgroceries

Thanks, everyone! Man, it's hard when every other comment contradicts the one before it, right? It seems like that's how just about anything you read about weight loss is.

I measure my food pretty exactly since I prepare most of it at home and enter the ingredients into MFP. Everything else I eyeball. I eat back most of my exercise calories, but I'm gathering that I should cut back on those. And since I have only been officially doing this for about a month, it's true that I need to take my menstrual cycle into consideration.

Oh, and I'm 5'1" and weigh 164, started at 171. 22 years old.

malibu927

Measure or weigh? Even measuring cups can be very inaccurate. A food scale will help you see exactly what you're eating.

kshama2001

I usually have a big drop a week after my period starts.

Yes, I see the recommendation to only eat back 50-75% of your exercise calories all the time.

ruggedshutter

I will suggest getting a food scale. You can find them from $10-$30 for a decent one. You really have no idea how much you are eating unless you get one.

You have a mixture of problems going on. One, you aren't weighing your food and estimating it. We are horrible at estimation which is why we are all on this site to begin with. Get a food scale and take the guess work out of it. Second, you changed your routine recently which causes all kinds of havoc on your body. You will retain water to repair the new muscles that you are tearing. Third, you need to stop changing routines and develop some patience. I know that sounds harsh and I know how hard it is to think that what you are doing isn't working but trust me. If you stick to your calorie goals, weigh your food and exercise, you will lose the weight.

As for the contradictory posts from members, take some of those with a grain of salt. Some of the newer members try to add advice that they have heard and don't know any different. Those that have a decent post count can usually be counted on to have good advice.

magofgroceries

@malibu927 Measure, as I don't have a food scale, but maybe that's something I should look into. I've been trying to focus on habits that feel really sustainable and weighing every ounce of food I eat doesn't sound like something I could keep up forever so I've been reluctant to start, but I guess I can't know til I try.

diannethegeek

magofgroceries wrote: »

@malibu927 Measure, as I don't have a food scale, but maybe that's something I should look into. I've been trying to focus on habits that feel really sustainable and weighing every ounce of food I eat doesn't sound like something I could keep up forever so I've been reluctant to start, but I guess I can't know til I try.

It's up to you, but I had the same concerns before I bought my food scale. I found it to be faster, easier, and less stressful than measuring cups. And there are fewer dishes to clean. Plus, it will help train you to eyeball portion sizes more accurately if/when you decide to stop weighing/measuring.

cavia

These are your results from eyeballing. You haven't lost weight in 3 weeks. If you were really eating 1200calories you'd be losing barring an undiagnosed/undisclosed medical condition.

If you aren't happy with the results that eyeballing has brought you, then where's the harm in trying to tighten up your logging by using a food scale diligently for all of your solid foods and saving the measuring cups for caloric liquids? It takes seconds per meal. It became habit for me pretty quickly and I started out very skeptical. My plan was to only do it for 30 days. That was over 2 years and 48lbs ago.

sdmccoy93

How is you water intake? I've found that when I increased my water 8 cups a day to about 10-12, I lose more weight. Mind you, I am expending about 400-800 per workout session and work out 6x/week. I too am on 1200 calories and a kick butt multivitamin.

justinfarmer919

My body does not like low calorie. I find for me eating at close to maintenance has better results physically and mentally!! I have lost 50 pounds this year and alot of it was due to my food scale! It will really open your eyes to what you are consuming!!

TaurianDoll

I could have written this post. Like you, I'm 165 lbs and started at 171 lbs. I'm eating way under my calorie goal and for the most part, hitting my macros (except for fat). I work out pretty often and I lost 6 lbs in the first couple of weeks of getting back on the wagon. I'm interested to read the advice in this thread.

professionalHobbyist

Have you had a physical and blood test?

Something does not add up.

Normal healthy person exercising to burn calories and eating below maint level should burn glycogen and fat

Food scale is your friend. Heart rate monitor is another good friend.

Some machines are very generous in the calories burnt they display.

whatatime2befit

Start with the basics again.
Weigh everything that isn't a liquid.
If you are eating sodium-rich foods, drink lots of water.

Eat back some of your exercise calories (not all if you are using the MFP counts, as they are too high, eat back about half)

debrag12

JennaAraza wrote: »

Ronni_16 wrote: »

It kind of sounds like you might not be eating enough calories if you are exercising that much. Your body is storing your calories.

I agree. Sounds like more calories are needed. You need calories to burn calories!! And make sure you arent drinking your calories either! Hope this helps!

it helps me

davidmanfred

I have used MFP a couple of times to lose weight and each time I hit a plateau in weight loss and I saw a number on the scale and I got discouraged and eventually I just gave up using it and then a year later I would try again. I always saw it as a failing due to motivation and I finally realized the scale was the issue, so I just started using MFP without an initial weigh in and I haven't look at a scale yet. I can tell I am losing weight by the way my clothes fit (or as my wife now says "you need clothes, you look like a hobo") but I have none of the dread or fear that I have had in the past. None of the expectations of the weigh in.

It's not a race, you don't need to apply metrics to it. If you have tried and succeeded before you can do it again but without the scale. Set a time frame you want to go through, something long like 3 months and then weigh in at the end of that time or don't, stop putting so much pressure on losing weight and put your effort into changing your lifestyle so you don't have to worry about the weight.

I bet that the worry is what kills so many weight loss effort. It is the opposite of weight gain. All of a sudden you notice your pants fit tighter, your shirt maybe touches in a weird location. It is this constant monkey on your back and it finally forces you to do something about it, but then we just take that monkey and apply it to something that should be making us feel good and it ruins it.

As someone said somewhere once "you didn't get fat overnight so you can't get slim overnight". It takes a long time to get healthier so reduce the stress of it. You won't be sorry.

TheBeerRunner

If you're not weighing your portions, you are very likely underestimating your intake. Get a food scale, weigh your food. You'll be surprised at how much you're underestimating your intake. Anyone, and I mean anyone can and will lose weight if they're eating below maintenance. Maybe MFP's estimates on your maintenance level are off. Everyone's metabolism is a little different, so your BMR and TDEE may be lower than someone else the same size.

There is absolutely no way that you can gain weight (in body fat or muscle) if you're expending more calories than you're taking in unless your body has found a way to thwart the laws of thermodynamics. You simply can't create energy stores (fat) if you have a net energy deficit.

999tigger

sure its all been said - check logging especially weighing, exercise burns, adjust and then be patient.

spenrey

Personal experience here, the first couple of weeks we throw ourselves into the exercise and change in eating routine but we overdo the exercise and under eat to get results fast. Within a couple of weeks we feel a little lethargic and less obsessed with the eating less. Make sure you weigh/measure the food, as an eyeball portion is generally a lot more than a weighed portion.

csplatt

magofgroceries wrote: »

@malibu927 Measure, as I don't have a food scale, but maybe that's something I should look into. I've been trying to focus on habits that feel really sustainable and weighing every ounce of food I eat doesn't sound like something I could keep up forever so I've been reluctant to start, but I guess I can't know til I try.

I really enjoy my food scale. I was about to log a sweet potato tonight as a "medium sweet potato" & it when I weighed it, it was actually double that calorie wise. I had plenty of room in my intake to eat it all but without the scale I would have been off by about 100 calories.