Needing support!

krstang89

Hello all,
I have been logging all my meals and staying under my calorie goal for almost 60 days, however, I am not seeing the weight loss. I did go down about 4 pounds, but when I started exercising about 2.5 weeks ago, I gained back half of what I had lost (2 pounds)! I am getting so discouraged. I log everything down to the ketchup I use. I try to pick entries that are accurate. I plan to buy a food scale to help ensure that I am logging accurately, but this just does not make sense to me.

I am a 26 year old female, 5'4" weighing 137 pounds today. My TDEE suggested I eat 1110 calories per day to lose 1 pound per week. I calculated that only a few days ago but before that MFP was set to 1200 calories per day so, not a huge difference.

I have read that starting a new exercise program can make you put on some pounds due to the muscles retaining water so I am hoping that soon I will see a drop on the scale. I really need some encouragement. I feel I am depriving myself foodwise and not seeing results.

The exercise I am doing is all cardio, mostly on the elliptical. I do 45 min-1 hour sessions about 5 days per week. I don't eat back my exercise calories.

I would appreciate any feedback. I set my diary to public for more specific advice.

Please help!

strong_curves

My first thoughts are that 2 lbs could very well be water weight. Good that you're going to get a food scale soon, the smaller you are the tighter you have to be with your intake. Another thing, you're going to need the patience of a saint, weight loss isn't linear. There will be times you go up, times your weight will go do. Stay consistent, try to be as accurate as possible with your intake, learn how to manage your expectations. This thread helps keep me sane:

http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/113609/relatively-light-people-trying-to-get-leaner/p1

DarynE527

Don't give up! Also, don't focus on the pounds so much. Have you taken your measurements lately? Sometimes you don't see a significant weight loss but you can lose inches. One more thing... You may want to consider a detox or other colon cleanse. It will help rid your body of any excess waste that may be built up and you can lose a few pounds that way. I'm on my first week of a 14 day teatox and it's been helping a lot, giving me more energy and sleeping better. No matter what, stay focused on your goals. Try not to stress out over it because stress can be a deterrent for weight loss. If you feel hungry and deprived you may want to look at what it is you're eating. The biggest thing for me was not changing what I eat but rather HOW I eat. I eat 5 meals a day, 3 meals and 2 snacks in 3 hour intervals. I still get my sweets and even a little fast food in. I merely do everything in moderation to stay within my calorie and nutritional goals.

krstang89

Thank you ladies for your support. That article you posted was very helpful.

callsitlikeiseeit

at a glance of your diary, i would say you are eating more than you think you are.

WEIGH your food. get a food scale.

tomteboda

Your BMI is in the healthy range. I suggest you reconsider your goals. A strength / resistance training program may help you achieve the physique you are after, and greater health and confidence.

As the others said, if you're logging your food correctly, you need to be 100% certain about portion sizes and be both consistent and honest with yourself. Otherwise, your caloric intake is a guess, and adjusting it difficult.

krstang89

Thank you for your suggestions! I plan to start weight training tomorrow morning.

thinBurger

Also keep in mind that muscle weighs more than fat. So you could be losing inches and gaining muscle. Muscle takes up less space than fat but weighs more. Taking your measurements is a good idea. When I take my measurements, I only re-measure once a month. Like somebody else mentioned, the closer you are to your goal (or the less you have to lose) the harder it gets. You may want to focus on what's in the mirror rather than what's on the scale. Something to think about. Hang in there.

KateTii

If you're not weighing your food - that's your problem.

Weigh solids, measure liquids.

How else can you know how many calories left?

DarynE527 wrote: »

You may want to consider a detox or other colon cleanse. It will help rid your body of any excess waste that may be built up and you can lose a few pounds that way.

NOPE. Unless you are constipated, you don't have any "built up excess waste". You will lose some weight if you poop, yes that is correct. But once your food has digested again the weight will be back.

Yi5hedr3

Forget the scale - you are gaining muscle, which is good! It means your body fat percentage is going down, which is what REALLY matters! Cut cardio to twice a week (it doesn't burn much fat), and start pumping iron, the real fat burner!

terbusha

I know that this journey can be frustrating. Remember though, it’s about fat loss, not necessarily weight loss. Are you tracking your measurements? Sometimes you can be making a lot of progress and not be losing any weight on the scale. I agree with the other posts. Hit up that resistance training. You’ll want fast-paced, intense resistance training. It’s about the best thing you can do for fat loss.

If you need some help/support/encouragement, I run a private support and accountability group on Facebook for people looking to improve their health and fitness. It's just a bunch of people supporting and encouraging each other to make progress towards their goals. It's an awesome community. If you're interested in it, I'd be glad to chat with you about it.

krstang89

Unfortunately I am not on Facebook to participate in that. I do appreciate your feedback. I need to start taking measurements because I agree that fat loss does not equal weight loss. Thank you for your input!

krstang89

I do plan to start weighing my food, however, I doubt that it is possible I am under-logging calories by 500-1100 calories per day, everyday. So logging inaccurately can't be the only issue. I am going to take a break from weighing myself for a while and use measurements and how my clothes fit to gauge results. Anyone give up on scales for a while when you weren't seeing weight loss?