Working hard with no results

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Help please! I'm on my third week of a complete lifestyle change, and while it may be I'm just being impatient with myself I'm seeing no results. I never go over my calories and try and make the healthier choice when it comes to food. I am so much more active going to the gym 4-5 times a week. And I'm literally seeing no results. It's really disheartening to not even see one pound gone. Is there any tips or something I can do to see these results?
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Replies

  • jemhh
    jemhh Posts: 14,261 Member
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    What are your:

    1) height
    2) current weight
    3) starting weight
    4) goal weight
    5) daily calorie goal as set by MFP
    6) average number of calories eaten per day (not netted, actually eaten)
    7) non-exercise activity level
    8) exercise activity level (how often, how long, what kind of exercise)

    Are you using a digital kitchen scale for solids? Are you measuring liquids with a measuring cup? Are you logging using verifiable nutrition info such as that from food labels or the USDA?
  • juggernaut1974
    juggernaut1974 Posts: 6,212 Member
    edited January 2016
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    You're just being impatient with yourself.

    Give yourself 4-6 full weeks before you assess how things are going. Weight loss is measured in months, not days or weeks.

    If you just started your gym routines, it's likely your body is holding on to some additional water to help with muscle recovery.
  • diannethegeek
    diannethegeek Posts: 14,776 Member
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    1. If it's been less than 3 weeks or so, don't sweat it! Normal fluctuations happen and unfortunately sometimes we stall for a week or two even when we're doing everything right. Give your body some time to catch up with the changes you're making.

    2. If you aren't already, be sure that you're logging everything. Sometimes people forget about things like veggies, drinks, cooking oils, and condiments. For some people these can add up to enough to halt your weight loss progress.

    3. Consider buying a food scale if you don't already have one. They're about $10-$20 dollars in the US and easily found at places like Amazon, Target, and Walmart. Measuring cups and spoons are great, but they do come with some degree of inaccuracy. A food scale will be more accurate, and for some people it makes a big difference.

    4. Logging accurately also means choosing accurate entries in the database. There are a lot of user-entered entries that are off. Double-check that you're using good entries and/or using the recipe builder instead of someone else's homemade entries.

    5. Recalculate your goals if you haven't lately. As you lose weight your body requires fewer calories to run. Be sure you update your goals every ten pounds or so.

    6. If you're eating back your exercise calories and you're relying on gym machine readouts or MFP's estimates, it might be best to eat back just 50-75% of those. Certain activities tend to be overestimated. If you're using an HRM or activity tracker, it might be a good idea to look into their accuracy and be sure that yours is calibrated properly.

    7. If you're taking any cheat days that go over your calorie limits, it might be best to cut them out for a few weeks and see what happens. Some people go way over their calorie needs without realizing it when they don't track.

    8. If you weigh yourself frequently, consider using a program like trendweight to even out the fluctuations. You could be losing weight but just don't see it because of the daily ups and downs.

    9. Some people just burn fewer calories than the calculators predict. If you continue to have problems after 4-6 weeks, then it might be worth a trip to the doctor or a registered dietitian who can give you more specific advice.
  • Carlos_421
    Carlos_421 Posts: 5,132 Member
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    What they said ^^^
  • lilmisstata
    lilmisstata Posts: 12 Member
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    I am having the same issues and I am reading the replies here and I am going to apply them to me as well. I have been doing cardio 3-4 times a week, use fitbit hr to track steps and hr, stay well under my calories, etc. But I do have some room for improvement. I'm also insulin resistant and I think that my body is still internally changing from the new exercise and food plan.

    I think that because I am not seeing weight reaults yet, I might have to really watch my sugar intake, even from fruit.

    How is the OP's sugar intake? That can stall weight loss. Despite the whole calorie in vs calorie out.
  • juggernaut1974
    juggernaut1974 Posts: 6,212 Member
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    How is the OP's sugar intake? That can stall weight loss. Despite the whole calorie in vs calorie out.

    No...it can't
  • HutchA12
    HutchA12 Posts: 279 Member
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    How is the OP's sugar intake? That can stall weight loss. Despite the whole calorie in vs calorie out.

    No...it can't

    Agreed
  • Carlos_421
    Carlos_421 Posts: 5,132 Member
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    snip-
    How is the OP's sugar intake? That can stall weight loss. Despite the whole calorie in vs calorie out.

    HAHA-NO-reaction-gif.gif?gs=a
  • strong_curves
    strong_curves Posts: 2,229 Member
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    I am having the same issues and I am reading the replies here and I am going to apply them to me as well. I have been doing cardio 3-4 times a week, use fitbit hr to track steps and hr, stay well under my calories, etc. But I do have some room for improvement. I'm also insulin resistant and I think that my body is still internally changing from the new exercise and food plan.

    I think that because I am not seeing weight reaults yet, I might have to really watch my sugar intake, even from fruit.

    How is the OP's sugar intake? That can stall weight loss. Despite the whole calorie in vs calorie out.

    It doesn't. :|
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
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    euxfd0tbtw14.jpeg
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
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    Please note there is no "cos sugar" in that
  • gabbo34
    gabbo34 Posts: 289 Member
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    jemhh wrote: »
    What are your:

    1) height
    2) current weight
    3) starting weight
    4) goal weight
    5) daily calorie goal as set by MFP
    6) average number of calories eaten per day (not netted, actually eaten)
    7) non-exercise activity level
    8) exercise activity level (how often, how long, what kind of exercise)

    Are you using a digital kitchen scale for solids? Are you measuring liquids with a measuring cup? Are you logging using verifiable nutrition info such as that from food labels or the USDA?

    I wasn't the OP - but I was hoping you may be able to help me out any way as I'm in the same boat.

    5'10
    195
    195 (8 lbs gained since Thanksgiving)
    183 (weight last summer. I had dropped from 208 to 181 in 2014 by changing/monitoring calorie intake)
    1650
    1700
    sedentary
    6 days a week (3 days running 3-5 miles, 3 days 60 minute boot camp)

    I got back to eating clean and exercising Jan 1. No weight loss, no inches lost - despite MUCH more exercise when I originally lost the weight. I was knocking off a 1.5/week back then.

    If anything, I'm probably not eating quite enough calories for as much as I'm working out. But it's hard to find healthy calories to add when I'm just not hungry....and hard mentally to eat more when you feel like your stuck.

    Really hoping it's just a case where it takes a few weeks to get the scale moving, but it's very discouraging.
  • callsitlikeiseeit
    callsitlikeiseeit Posts: 8,627 Member
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    rabbitjb wrote: »
    Please note there is no "cos sugar" in that

    wait! you mean its not sugars fault???????????

    :P
  • happykee
    happykee Posts: 31 Member
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    Insulin resistance can cause weight gain. Almost every food turns to sugar, so yes, it can.
  • HutchA12
    HutchA12 Posts: 279 Member
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    happykee wrote: »
    Insulin resistance can cause weight gain. Almost every food turns to sugar, so yes, it can.

    The increased cravings from it can cause people to put food in their mouthes. The condition doesn't produce extra calories.
  • strong_curves
    strong_curves Posts: 2,229 Member
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    happykee wrote: »
    Insulin resistance can cause weight gain. Almost every food turns to sugar, so yes, it can.

    giphy.gif
    giphy.gif
  • lilmisstata
    lilmisstata Posts: 12 Member
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    Um....I don't know why you are all so quick to defend sugar. I am Insulin Resistant, have PCOS, and I take Thyroid medication.

    I use the FITBIT HR to monitor heart rate, I use MFP to monitor EVERYTHING I put in my mouth. I am ALWAYS under my calories and I do cardio 3 usually 4 or more times a week.

    Trust me.....I love sugar. I love carbs. I don't want to cut it out of my life. But I have tried to lose weight and still eat those in small moderate amounts.

    Guess what all of you people with normal functioning bodies???

    I DON'T LOSE ANY WEIGHT. I have been trying to do just that for the past month and my scale has fluctuated by 2-3 lbs. This last week I thought for sure it was gonna go down....but NOPE....it went back up 1 lb.

    So just because YOU don't have a problem with sugars and your bodies function efficiently....please don't disregard that it is still a factor for some of us.

  • peleroja
    peleroja Posts: 3,979 Member
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    Um....I don't know why you are all so quick to defend sugar. I am Insulin Resistant, have PCOS, and I take Thyroid medication.

    I use the FITBIT HR to monitor heart rate, I use MFP to monitor EVERYTHING I put in my mouth. I am ALWAYS under my calories and I do cardio 3 usually 4 or more times a week.

    Trust me.....I love sugar. I love carbs. I don't want to cut it out of my life. But I have tried to lose weight and still eat those in small moderate amounts.

    Guess what all of you people with normal functioning bodies???

    I DON'T LOSE ANY WEIGHT. I have been trying to do just that for the past month and my scale has fluctuated by 2-3 lbs. This last week I thought for sure it was gonna go down....but NOPE....it went back up 1 lb.

    So just because YOU don't have a problem with sugars and your bodies function efficiently....please don't disregard that it is still a factor for some of us.

    OP didn't say a thing about being insulin resistant, so I don't know why you'd assume she is.
  • HutchA12
    HutchA12 Posts: 279 Member
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    Um....I don't know why you are all so quick to defend sugar. I am Insulin Resistant, have PCOS, and I take Thyroid medication.

    I use the FITBIT HR to monitor heart rate, I use MFP to monitor EVERYTHING I put in my mouth. I am ALWAYS under my calories and I do cardio 3 usually 4 or more times a week.

    Trust me.....I love sugar. I love carbs. I don't want to cut it out of my life. But I have tried to lose weight and still eat those in small moderate amounts.

    Guess what all of you people with normal functioning bodies???

    I DON'T LOSE ANY WEIGHT. I have been trying to do just that for the past month and my scale has fluctuated by 2-3 lbs. This last week I thought for sure it was gonna go down....but NOPE....it went back up 1 lb.

    So just because YOU don't have a problem with sugars and your bodies function efficiently....please don't disregard that it is still a factor for some of us.

    Pretty sweet list of excuses. Sounds to me like you are eye balling portions and over eating. I'd recomend a food scale. You also have no idea if we have healthy bodies so calm yourself. Insulin resistance makes it easier to store fat.. ok eat at deficit to burn fat. Pcos lowers my bmr ok eat less burn fat. Thyroid, I'm assuming hypo cause you didn't specify, get medicine deal with it possibly eat less. Have medical problems get a diatiton.

    OP you just need more time. Don't eat back all your workout cals and weigh your food. If you make a cal deficit the weight comes off. Also new exercise causes water to store.
  • Carlos_421
    Carlos_421 Posts: 5,132 Member
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    Um....I don't know why you are all so quick to defend sugar. I am Insulin Resistant, have PCOS, and I take Thyroid medication.

    I use the FITBIT HR to monitor heart rate, I use MFP to monitor EVERYTHING I put in my mouth. I am ALWAYS under my calories and I do cardio 3 usually 4 or more times a week.

    Trust me.....I love sugar. I love carbs. I don't want to cut it out of my life. But I have tried to lose weight and still eat those in small moderate amounts.

    Guess what all of you people with normal functioning bodies???

    I DON'T LOSE ANY WEIGHT. I have been trying to do just that for the past month and my scale has fluctuated by 2-3 lbs. This last week I thought for sure it was gonna go down....but NOPE....it went back up 1 lb.

    So just because YOU don't have a problem with sugars and your bodies function efficiently....please don't disregard that it is still a factor for some of us.

    You have multiple medical conditions. The "defense of sugar" is for healthy individuals and we frequently, repeatedly qualify it as such.

    Just because you have a medical abnormality which affects your ability to process sugar doesn't mean it's bad for everyone else any more than someone having a peanut allergy makes peanut butter bad.

    In other words, the problem isn't sugar. It's your medical condition.