Was expecting more

kansascutie81
kansascutie81 Posts: 53 Member
edited December 1 in Health and Weight Loss
So when I started this journey about a month ago I weighed 225, after about 2 1/2 weeks in I weighed 219 today though I weighed in at 212 it seems that all my hard work and painfully sore muscles and aching back and shoulders that feel like I've got a huge weight on em hasn't paid off like I was hoping. I'm staying under 2000 calories a day and exercising 3 times a day (except for today I had alot of housework to do) I'm burning like 500,600, to 700 calories so I don't understand should I be burning like a 1000 or more


Feeling BUMMED
«1

Replies

  • DancingMoosie
    DancingMoosie Posts: 8,619 Member
    Good job, you are losing at a quick pace. Keep it up and don't be so hard on yourself. This journey is more of a marathon than a sprint!
  • kansascutie81
    kansascutie81 Posts: 53 Member
    I just wonder if I am suppose to be burning more calories. I would have to shift things around to fit more exercise into my day but honestly the pain I'm in right now feels like I've been exercising all day. So do I need to be burning more calories?
  • MelissaLimeKiwi
    MelissaLimeKiwi Posts: 121 Member
    Think ahead- if you lost 10-13 pounds each month for the next several months, how close would you be to your goal? Every pound adds up to progress- be proud of what you've lost and keep doing the same thing- it's working.
  • kansascutie81
    kansascutie81 Posts: 53 Member
    It all feels like bloat weight and I can't stop going pee (gross I know...sorry) I have to force myself to eat at least 1200 calories a day cause I don't want to starve myself but it's honestly hurting my belly
  • 3dogsrunning
    3dogsrunning Posts: 27,167 Member
    3dogsrunning wrote: »
    kansascutie81 wrote: »
    I just wonder if I am suppose to be burning more calories. I would have to shift things around to fit more exercise into my day but honestly the pain I'm in right now feels like I've been exercising all day. So do I need to be burning more calories?

    #1 - my biggest suggestion would be to do the amount of exercise you can maintain after you hit goal weight. Killing yourself with exercise to lose weight can backfire when you reach maintenance and then need to make up for it when your activity level drops.

    #2 - again, you can't expect to lose 3lbs a week unless you are extremely overweight. Like extremely. You aren't. 2 lbs a week is great progress at your weight.

    So no, you don't need to be burning more calories.

    Oh and #3

    Huge amounts of exercise can lead to burnout and/or injury. keep your activity level at one you can continue and maintain.
  • kansascutie81
    kansascutie81 Posts: 53 Member
    Thanks everyone. My husband is shocked by my progress and says I should be proud of what I've accomplished ( I should be too) but I have friends and family telling me I should be going hard or go home....guess I'm trying to prove something. When I exercise I only do like 10, 20 or 30 minutes at a time
  • kansascutie81
    kansascutie81 Posts: 53 Member
    Have any of you dealt with like bloating or constipation since you started weight loss journey cause I'm having a hard time (sorry about the pun)
  • mrsnone
    mrsnone Posts: 4 Member
    kansascutie81 wrote: »
    It all feels like bloat weight and I can't stop going pee (gross I know...sorry) I have to force myself to eat at least 1200 calories a day cause I don't want to starve myself but it's honestly hurting my belly

    Have you been tested for intestinal problems? My daughter has celiac disease.. an allergy to gluten. That can cause bloating and belly pains if you are sensitive to gluten (wheat, barley, rye).
  • 3dogsrunning
    3dogsrunning Posts: 27,167 Member
    kansascutie81 wrote: »
    Have any of you dealt with like bloating or constipation since you started weight loss journey cause I'm having a hard time (sorry about the pun)

    If you have been severly restricting calories, people often cut way back on fat. Fat is essential to keep things moving. Upping protein can cause problems.

    I'd look at fiber intake and fat intake.
  • kansascutie81
    kansascutie81 Posts: 53 Member
    No I have not been testing for any thing like that and the only things I'm trying to cut out is refined sugar and carbs and of course calories I don't really eat low fat but I don't over indulge in it either
  • angpowers
    angpowers Posts: 83 Member
    Hey!

    I'm a KS girl too!! Just temporarily in TN :)

    Your gut issues several things. Sounds like you have radically changed a lot of things in your life:
    - diet (both in calories & the foods you are consuming)
    - exercise
    - maybe even the amount of fluids you are drinking??

    All these things are a jolt to your system. Doesn't mean they are bad, but first thing, be careful of the family and friends you listen too. Sometimes many do not have your best interest at heart.

    Secondly, like mentioned above, make sure you aren't getting too many of one macro vs another. Good sources of filling fibers (fruits, veggies), hydration and exercise helps keep things in check.

    But I too want to encourage you to make sure you are taking rest days. If your daily caloric allowance is already at a deficient, you will still lose with or without exercise. If you don't rest, your body (including your gut) will be stressed and wound tight.
  • nacus2664
    nacus2664 Posts: 17 Member
    You are doing great, don't drink too much water 8 cups a day is good, if I drink too much water I get acid reflux. As for exercise I generally do about 45 minutes on a stationary bike and I usually go for many walks, I have a boxer at home and she is hyper I have no choice. As for losing weight, 2lbs a week is a maximum, because the slower the better so it is harder then to gain back when you have reached maintenance, and if you lose too much too soon you will regain your weight and plus some. I personally think for your weight 1200 calories is a bit low, I would go more for 1500 calories, if your body thinks you are starving it will be harder to lose weight, just a suggestion. Don't give up you will get there, and people that are saying you are not pushing yourself enough forget about them losing weight shouldn't hurt, and if you are feeling down come here to get some nice deserving encouragement. Good luck into your diet journey, Oh I have about 40 lbs to lose myself.
  • kansascutie81
    kansascutie81 Posts: 53 Member
    Etherealglow wrote: »
    Hey!

    I'm a KS girl too!! Just temporarily in TN :)

    Your gut issues several things. Sounds like you have radically changed a lot of things in your life:
    - diet (both in calories & the foods you are consuming)
    - exercise
    - maybe even the amount of fluids you are drinking??

    All these things are a jolt to your system. Doesn't mean they are bad, but first thing, be careful of the family and friends you listen too. Sometimes many do not have your best interest at heart.

    Secondly, like mentioned above, make sure you aren't getting too many of one macro vs another. Good sources of filling fibers (fruits, veggies), hydration and exercise helps keep things in check.

    But I too want to encourage you to make sure you are taking rest days. If your daily caloric allowance is already at a deficient, you will still lose with or without exercise. If you don't rest, your body (including your gut) will be stressed and wound tight.

    So as long as I don't over eat the alloted calorie goal I will still lose weight? I try not to push for longer workouts but instead do frequent 10, 20 or 30 minute workouts through out the day. I can't walk in my neighborhood it isn't safe for a woman to walk alone even during the day. So I have a stationary bike I hit at home plus I have two ab machines and resistance bands. I really don't wanna get burned out on exercise cause I may end up growing tired of it and just stop therefore losing all I have accomplished. And for me to give up all and I mean all junk food and sodas and chips even my favorite food....PIZZA I need this to work cause otherwise it's all for nothing. I'm so glad you guys are here helping and pushing me, I don't have a very good self esteem
  • ridge4mfp
    ridge4mfp Posts: 301 Member
    I have to ask, how much did you expect to lose in a month?
  • TeenageMutantNinjaMike
    TeenageMutantNinjaMike Posts: 97 Member
    I hear you - it would be so much nicer to see things melting off faster. Just remember everyone is different.

    MFP told me to stick to 1800 calories per day. I went to my doctor and did a test to measure my resting calorie burn per day and it was 1800 calories. My doctor put me down to a 1500 calorie diet with 2250 calories being burnt on an ordinary day with no extra effort.

    Just saying if I had stuck to 2000 calories, or even 1800 I wasn't going to see the results I wanted as quickly. Not saying to cut the calories, but maybe team up with a doctor or some professional whom can help you best understand how your body works.

    Keep your head up. Feel free to add me as a friend if you need some support. We're all on the same journey. :)
  • misskarne
    misskarne Posts: 1,765 Member
    kansascutie81 wrote: »
    So as long as I don't over eat the alloted calorie goal I will still lose weight?

    That is absolutely correct.

    You can even have pizza, soda, chips. Just make them fit the calorie goal.

    It sounds like you have massively unrealistic expectations. This is real life, not some stupid "reality" show.
  • Rocknut53
    Rocknut53 Posts: 1,794 Member
    You don't have to give up pizza, just make sure it fits into your daily calorie allotment. It doesn't take long to figure out that when your calories are limited you want to make the best food choices for optimal nutrition. I read a lot of the posts on here and have learned a lot over the 100+ days I've been on here. (You can teach an old dog new tricks!) If you haven't done so, get a scale and start weighing your food. It helps.
  • jenilla1
    jenilla1 Posts: 11,118 Member
    kansascutie81 wrote: »
    ...but I have friends and family telling me I should be going hard or go home....

    So are these family and friends fitness and nutrition experts? Are they all slim and trim themselves? Don't worry about comments from people who DON'T know what they're talking about. Don't rush the process! If you lose the right way (slow, steady and healthy) you'll be able to keep it off. (I've been maintaining at goal now for 5 years.) :)
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 34,622 Member
    kansascutie81 wrote: »
    Etherealglow wrote: »
    Hey!

    I'm a KS girl too!! Just temporarily in TN :)

    Your gut issues several things. Sounds like you have radically changed a lot of things in your life:
    - diet (both in calories & the foods you are consuming)
    - exercise
    - maybe even the amount of fluids you are drinking??

    All these things are a jolt to your system. Doesn't mean they are bad, but first thing, be careful of the family and friends you listen too. Sometimes many do not have your best interest at heart.

    Secondly, like mentioned above, make sure you aren't getting too many of one macro vs another. Good sources of filling fibers (fruits, veggies), hydration and exercise helps keep things in check.

    But I too want to encourage you to make sure you are taking rest days. If your daily caloric allowance is already at a deficient, you will still lose with or without exercise. If you don't rest, your body (including your gut) will be stressed and wound tight.

    So as long as I don't over eat the alloted calorie goal I will still lose weight?     I try not to push for longer workouts but instead do frequent 10, 20 or 30 minute workouts through out the day. I can't walk in my neighborhood it isn't safe for a woman to walk alone even during the day. So I have a stationary bike I hit at home plus I have two ab machines and resistance bands. I really don't wanna get burned out on exercise cause I may end up growing tired of it and just stop therefore losing all I have accomplished. And for me to give up all and I mean all junk food and sodas and chips even my favorite food....PIZZA I need this to work cause otherwise it's all for nothing. I'm so glad you guys are here helping and pushing me, I don't have a very good self esteem

    It's a good bet that you will. It's a good starting estimate. And if you stick with that goal for a month, and are logging consistently/accurately, you can compare your actual loss rate to your target loss rate, and make any minor adjustment that may be necessary to stay on point.

    Don't forget that MFP intends for you to eat back your exercise calories, too - many folks worry that the MFP exercise database over-estimates the calories, so advise eating back only 50-75% at first, and seeing how that goes. You want to fuel those workouts!

    Pizza: Lots of options. Fit regular pizza into your calorie goal now and then. And/or put pizza toppings on something that's not quite as calorific as regular pizza crust, like an English muffin half, a whole-wheat tortilla, a slice of eggplant, a slab cut from the side of a sweet pepper, etc. Or make a spaghetti-squash pizza-toppings casserole (if you like spaghetti squash), or pizza-topping-stuffed zucchini boats, or pizza quinoa bites.

    You can totally do this . . . and be happy, healthy and strong along the way.
  • pebble4321
    pebble4321 Posts: 1,132 Member
    My opinion is that it's not "go hard or go home" that will get you the results you want, it's "just keep on going".
    Just about anyone can go hard for a short time, but that's really tough to keep up for the long term. And this is not a matter of making a few changes for a few months and you will suddenly be slim and healthy and never have to think about it again. It just doesn't work that way, no matter how much you (or I) want it.

    So, I'd tell those people to butt out, eat at a moderate deficit and reset your expectations. You aren't going to lose the weight as fast as you want, but the only thing that will get you there is to keep on going. Every day.
    And if you don't eat the way you want for one day... well, there's no point crying about it, you just have to go back to good habits again the next day.
    As for exercise - doing so much that you are in pain isn't going to be sustainable either. I think being stiff and sore can be common when you get started, but if you continue to be in pain, then you need to change what you're doing.
  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 25,699 Member
    kansascutie81 wrote: »
    I just wonder if I am suppose to be burning more calories. I would have to shift things around to fit more exercise into my day but honestly the pain I'm in right now feels like I've been exercising all day. So do I need to be burning more calories?

    If you're losing 3 lbs/week ... why would you need to burn more calories??

  • jemhh
    jemhh Posts: 14,261 Member
    I think your husband is very wise and reasonable and the rest of your friends/family need to shut their traps. You've done great. I'm not sure of your ultimate goal but averaging a pound a week over an entire year would be a reasonable expectation from this point forward. That means you may lose 1+ lb/wk right now and then later it will likely slow down. You may have some weeks when you're up a bit too. The important thing is the downward trend and having a long term outlook.
  • EddieP50
    EddieP50 Posts: 192 Member
    Don't worry about what others tell you. Tell them to do it themselves and prove it to you. You don't have to exercise to lose weight. As of last week I have been on my diet for 25 weeks and have lost 42 pounds. That is with no exercise and just following the calorie goal that MFP gave me. Exercise has it's obvious benefits though such as stronger muscles, better endurance and better heart health. I just bought a Nautilus bike on Tuesday to replace my old bike that I didn't use. Already logged three sessions on it. My doctor had recommended that I exercise three times per week at 30 minutes each. He said it didn't have to be high impact, it could be just walking. So don't over exert yourself with exercise. You could end up with strained or pulled muscles.
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