Getting a little frustrated...

lml852014

I recently decided to change my goal of losing .5 lbs a week to 1 lb a week to lose a bit quicker. I would love to lose 10 lbs by june and I think thats a pretty doable goal. I'm 137 right now. I am starting to get frustrated as I've lowered my calories quite a bit from 1600-1400 a day and have sometimes even been under my cal goal leaving it at about 1200-1300. I weighed in at 137.4 for about the last 2ish weeks. I thought for sure I would have seen a change in the scale this morning (I try and only weigh friday mornings when I first wake up). It was still 137.4. I guess it is just discouraging that the scale is literally staying the exact same, I know it doesn't really matter necessarily what the scale says and I need to stay focused but its just weird that it hasn't fluctuated at all. I'm sure people will just tell me to weigh once a month or once every other week but two years ago I followed the same routine and never weighed anything (which I adamantly use a food scale now) and still lost 1 lb a week for about 2ish months. Just feeling lost....but I wont give up!

Marilyn0924

With so little to lose, you might just need to tighten up your logging a bit. If you're not already doing so, use a digital food scale to weigh all solids, measureing cups/spoons for all liquids.

freck187

Don't give up! And honestly I feel it's better to weigh yourself every day at the same time, at the same point of the day. I've put myself in a similar scenario where I lost like an initial 8-10 pounds in a month when I maintained a very similar diet/exercise routine a year ago. Starting again now, 2 weeks ago and the scale isn't showing me any loss the entire time so far. But, I won't give up! Results will come! If we stick to it, the results will come!

MelaniaTrump

Log everything including any snacks you might have at your work. I opened my diary for everyone to see and it keeps me in check (sort of).

lml852014

Thanks! I know I can def tighten up my logging its just so weird how I was able to lose before without ever using a food scale whatsover and now I am using one and still not seeing results. I know it hasnt been long so I can't get so discouraged so easily though. I feel like if I do weigh in everyday then I may get frustrated and let it get me down and I dont want that!

jemhh

If your scale is exactly the same, down to the tenth of a pound, for several weeks, I would try two things:

1. Stand on the scale holding something heavy, like a jug of milk. Let the weight register, get off and let it clear out, and then get on and weigh just yourself.
2. Change the battery on the scale.

You *might* be exactly the same week after week but it would be really unusual to be that spot on the same. One of my scales measures to the tenth of a pound but only registers a different weight if I've changed by 2+ pounds. In order to get it to register any smaller change, I have to do what I described in the first bullet.

Marilyn0924

I get on the scale once a week (occasionally twice to keep a check if I'm feeling anxious). I'd drop the deficit back to .5lb per week as well. It is far more sustainable and you can still achieve that goal by June if you stay on track.

lml852014

jemhh wrote: »

If your scale is exactly the same, down to the tenth of a pound, for several weeks, I would try two things:

1. Stand on the scale holding something heavy, like a jug of milk. Let the weight register, get off and let it clear out, and then get on and weigh just yourself.
2. Change the battery on the scale.

You *might* be exactly the same week after week but it would be really unusual to be that spot on the same. One of my scales measures to the tenth of a pound but only registers a different weight if I've changed by 2+ pounds. In order to get it to register any smaller change, I have to do what I described in the first bullet.

I keep thinking I need to change the batteries bc its been quite awhile since I have changed them but I'm not sure if thats just me hoping thats it or not My scale used to fluctuate quite a bit as in I could stand on it once and then step on it a few min later and the weight would change by a couple lbs and this would happen everyday.

lml852014

Marilyn0924 wrote: »

I get on the scale once a week (occasionally twice to keep a check if I'm feeling anxious). I'd drop the deficit back to .5lb per week as well. It is far more sustainable and you can still achieve that goal by June if you stay on track.

I was only planning on leaving it at this deficit for a couple of months and then going back to .5 lb a week just to jump start my weight loss. Depending how things go I may only do it for a month's time thanks for the advice!

strong_curves

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

ledzeppelinfan1

You barely have any weight to lose, and you're frustrated? Many would do anything, and are fighting major battles, just to have a chance at being in your shoes.

Montepulciano

jemhh wrote: »

If your scale is exactly the same, down to the tenth of a pound, for several weeks, I would try two things:

1. Stand on the scale holding something heavy, like a jug of milk. Let the weight register, get off and let it clear out, and then get on and weigh just yourself.
2. Change the battery on the scale.

You *might* be exactly the same week after week but it would be really unusual to be that spot on the same. One of my scales measures to the tenth of a pound but only registers a different weight if I've changed by 2+ pounds. In order to get it to register any smaller change, I have to do what I described in the first bullet.

Tucking this bit of info away, thank you.

jemhh

ledzeppelinfan1 wrote: »

You barely have any weight to lose, and you're frustrated? Many would do anything, and are fighting major battles, just to have a chance at being in your shoes.

What's your point? We're only allowed to get frustrated when we're a certain number of pounds over our goals?

callsitlikeiseeit

20yearsyounger

lml852014 wrote: »

Thanks! I know I can def tighten up my logging its just so weird how I was able to lose before without ever using a food scale whatsover and now I am using one and still not seeing results. I know it hasnt been long so I can't get so discouraged so easily though. I feel like if I do weigh in everyday then I may get frustrated and let it get me down and I dont want that!

I totally understand. That 10 pounds can be hell. I had to trust that I was doing the right thing without placing so much emphasis on the scale. I focused more on what life would be like maintaining at that weight and what I would be doing then. It didnt drop at the pace I wanted but it dropped and actually went past the target.

Edited - fixed some errors

lml852014

I think what the hardest part is for me is that two years ago I was able to drop like 15 lbs from january until june starting at 139 lbs. I never used a food scale at all only stuck to measuring cups and spoons and it still worked. I also would "cheat" on saturdays and eat whatever and even sometimes on friday evenings! The part thats frustrating is how easily it worked for me then and now it seems so much more difficult. But I was also two years younger maybe my body is just changing and my metabolism is starting to decrease a lot?

RodaRose

lml852014 wrote: »

I think what the hardest part is for me is that two years ago I was able to drop like 15 lbs from january until june starting at 139 lbs. I never used a food scale at all only stuck to measuring cups and spoons and it still worked. I also would "cheat" on saturdays and eat whatever and even sometimes on friday evenings! The part thats frustrating is how easily it worked for me then and now it seems so much more difficult. But I was also two years younger maybe my body is just changing and my metabolism is starting to decrease a lot?

What were you eating? How much?

HutchA12

lml852014 wrote: »

But I was also two years younger maybe my body is just changing and my metabolism is starting to decrease a lot?

Nope decrease in energy expenditure by age doesn't just suddenly drop. There are plenty of people here all ages losing weight. There is a decrease but a lot of that can be activity level and total muscle mass.

ledzeppelinfan1

jemhh wrote: »

ledzeppelinfan1 wrote: »

You barely have any weight to lose, and you're frustrated? Many would do anything, and are fighting major battles, just to have a chance at being in your shoes.

What's your point? We're only allowed to get frustrated when we're a certain number of pounds over our goals?

Yes, darn it!!! No, you're right. I knew I was wrong and just bitter as soon as I posted this. Frustration is frustration no matter the circumstances...obviously. :-)

ElizabethOakes2

You might try weight-lifting at low weight high reps for a couple weeks and see if it's 'fat' you feel you need to lose, or 'tone' you might need to add that has you frustrated. (But yes, test your scale, too, because being exactly the same week-to-week doesn't right.)

stacynoell

I weigh 182 and I eat 1500 calories a day so you might want to check that..join a new fitness challenge, like bootcamp or crossfit...you may need to mix it up bc you are so close...

Christine_72

I would weigh everyday and record your numbers on trendweight or happy scales etc

If you're weighing in once a week how do you know that you're not happening to weigh on a "heavy day"? Eg water retention, high sodium the day before etc etc
I can guarantee that my weight will up by 1 or so kgs tomorrow morning because I've gone way over my sodium today. If tomorrow was the only weigh day of the week I'd be super bummed because it would look like I'd gained 1-2kgs. But because I weighed today and yesterday, I know it would be impossible to gain that much over night.

TL;DR weigh daily

elaineamj

Christine_72 wrote: »

I would weigh everyday and record your numbers on trendweight or happy scales etc

If you're weighing in once a week how do you know that you're not happening to weigh on a "heavy day"? Eg water retention, high sodium the day before etc etc
I can guarantee that my weight will up by 1 or so kgs tomorrow morning because I've gone way over my sodium today. If tomorrow was the only weigh day of the week I'd be super bummed because it would look like I'd gained 1-2kgs. But because I weighed today and yesterday, I know it would be impossible to gain that much over night.

TL;DR weigh daily

That is a REALLY good reason to use trend weight or similar.

CyberTone

elaineamj wrote: »

Christine_72 wrote: »

I would weigh everyday and record your numbers on trendweight or happy scales etc

If you're weighing in once a week how do you know that you're not happening to weigh on a "heavy day"? Eg water retention, high sodium the day before etc etc
I can guarantee that my weight will up by 1 or so kgs tomorrow morning because I've gone way over my sodium today. If tomorrow was the only weigh day of the week I'd be super bummed because it would look like I'd gained 1-2kgs. But because I weighed today and yesterday, I know it would be impossible to gain that much over night.

TL;DR weigh daily

That is a REALLY good reason to use trend weight or similar.

I also recommend using a charting tool. I recorded my weight every day, and my TrendWeight chart shows that it could appear that I wasn't losing weight for 10, 15, or even 20 days if I happened to weigh only every week or two. However, the trendline shows that over time, I was losing on average one pound per week.

lml852014

good idea I will def check into that! thank you!

lml852014

Just downloaded happy scale and stepped on the scale this morning, wasnt the happiest that it was up by .8 of a lb but I guess this is why I need this app

lml852014

stacynoell wrote: »

I weigh 182 and I eat 1500 calories a day so you might want to check that..join a new fitness challenge, like bootcamp or crossfit...you may need to mix it up bc you are so close...

How much are you trying to lose a per week? MFP told me at my weight and height to lose .5 lb a week I would need to eat a deficit of 1600 and to lose a lb a week 1350.