Was expecting more

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  • ridge4mfp
    ridge4mfp Posts: 301 Member
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    I have to ask, how much did you expect to lose in a month?
  • TeenageMutantNinjaMike
    TeenageMutantNinjaMike Posts: 97 Member
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    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
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    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
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    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
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    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: 32,737 Member
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    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
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    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: 25,121 Member
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    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
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    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
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    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.
  • cerise_noir
    cerise_noir Posts: 5,468 Member
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    kansascutie81 wrote: »
    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
    There is no need to cut out food groups unless you have intestinal or medical issues with foods.
    Just weight all your foods with a food scale (and measure liquids). You're doing just fine. Aggressive weightless isn't desireable due to the illnesses it can cause.. Oh, and fast weight loss almost always relates to regaining what has been lost plus more. Fat is okay to eat. I personally get around 60-70g per day.

  • rankinsect
    rankinsect Posts: 2,238 Member
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    pebble4321 wrote: »
    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".

    Yup, can't agree with that enough. Losing and maintaining your loss isn't about having a few weeks or months of "perfect" days, it's about having years / decades of "good enough" days.
  • scolaris
    scolaris Posts: 2,145 Member
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    Recalibrate your expectations. This will help you in so many areas of life beyond just weight loss.
  • dragon_girl26
    dragon_girl26 Posts: 2,187 Member
    edited April 2016
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    kansascutie81 wrote: »
    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

    The 'go hard or go home' is the approach my extended family takes to weight loss...and two of them have had knee problems/surgery now because of it. They're also champion yo-yo dieters. Instead, I'm working on 'slow and steady wins the race ', and have sustained it for 3 years without the yo-yo and knee problems. I'd listen to your husband; he sounds like a smart guy. :smile:
  • Ninkyou
    Ninkyou Posts: 6,666 Member
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    jemhh wrote: »
    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.

    This.

    OP, readjust your expectations. I'm not sure exactly what you're expecting, but lower it or you're just going to end up disappointing yourself for no good reason. 3 lbs a week is fast as it is. Shoot, I'd be happy with 3 lbs in an entire month at this point in my loss. Your weight loss is going to slow down. Not only that, but because it's not linear, some weeks you may lose nothing and some weeks may show a temporary gain. Remember, there's no instant gratification in weight loss and it isn't fast either.
  • kansascutie81
    kansascutie81 Posts: 53 Member
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    Thank you after reading all of your comments I realize I am being silly and expecting too much so I am just going to keep doing what I'm doing ie weighing and logging my food and exercise and try to stay as positive as I can even if I gain a little back.
  • lynn_glenmont
    lynn_glenmont Posts: 10,009 Member
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    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

    So, your OP is rather misleading, when you say you're "staying under 2000 calories a day" -- most people are not going to understand that to mean that you're actually eating around 1200 calories.

    Then you later mentioned constipation, which can be caused by undereating.

    That, combined with your rapid weight loss (6% of your body weight in a month is rapid), suggests you need to eat more. Make sure you are getting adequate liquids, fat, and fiber (although fiber needs to be increased slowly if you're not getting enough, or it can have the opposite effect from what you're looking for).

    If you find it hard to eat 1200 calories in a day, you've probably cut your fat too low and have become too restrictive in the foods you allow yourself too eat. You didn't get to be 225 pounds by not being able to comfortably consume 1200 calories in a day.

  • icemom011
    icemom011 Posts: 999 Member
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    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)

    I had same problem, going from perfectly regular to ... not. I eat a lot of raw/ cooked vegetables and greens so i couldn't even understand why. Oatmeal helped me, basically adding soluble fiber to my diet. I can't stand it cooked, so i just add a heaping tablespoon to my morning smoothie. All works like a charm now.
  • tugsandpulls760
    tugsandpulls760 Posts: 206 Member
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    kansascutie81 wrote: »
    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

    tell them MYOB ur doing fine

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