Eating clean, Week 1- help! The scales won't move!!

LukeAdrianBoardman
LukeAdrianBoardman Posts: 9 Member
edited October 2016 in Health and Weight Loss
I'm 24 years old, 5'6, 239 lbs and previous to this week very inactive.

I've almost reached the end of my first week 'eating clean', watching my calorie intake and trying to stick to my 40:40:20 macro diet.

I've been averaging around 1400 calories daily, I have started working out twice a week with a personal trainer and even went for a 30 min jog mid week! May not sound like a lot but I'm very sore from finally moving my body.

I've stepped on the scale this morning (I try not too but seems the only motivation that spurs me along) and I 'm not seeing as much weight loss as I'd like to see, I've only lost 1lbs, and the scales keep fluctuating, (4+lbs at times!) which is very confusing for me.

I haven't had any food you would consider unhealthy or 'bad', chocolate is my biggest vice and not one piece has crossed my lips haha, I'm trying to stick to the idea that if I don't recognise the ingredient on the back, then my body won't either (I read that somewhere and it stuck, so even diet drinks have been a right off, purely water)

I'm not sure why I've posted this, if only to have a rant and to keep myself motivated. My first week of trying to make the right decisions and improve my diet can seem quiet daunting and lonely at times, because when it comes down to it, it's only you who truly care about the daily struggles of weight loss, other people just want to see results. I do have supportive people surrounding me though!

Would be good to hear if this is commonplace for some people?

Thanks :D
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Replies

  • nosebag1212
    nosebag1212 Posts: 621 Member
    Water retention,1400 is very little for a male, you could lose on 1800 easy.
  • melaniedscott
    melaniedscott Posts: 1,461 Member
    Different people will tell you different things...but honestly, weighing yourself too frequently can be a demotivator. Choose a day. Weigh yourself first thing in the morning, before you drink or eat anything. I have a calendar on my bathroom wall...I write my weight on my weigh-in day and that reminds me where I am and where I'm going...but doesn't make me crazy, because I know when I'll weigh in again.

    Sometimes you won't see weight chanes, but you'll see shape changes. I've lost a few pounds and didn't think I looked any lighter but I put on a T shirt a couple days ago that had been on the edge of doesn't-fit and it felt a lot more comfortable than the last time I wore it 3 weeks ago...

    Getting fit is more than losing pounds, it is shifting fat off and putting muscle on. And muscle weighs more than fat. The fact that your scale isn't moving might be telling you something totally different than what you're hearing☺.

    If you don't eat enough calories your body thinks it's starving and kills your metabolism...then you don't lose weight. You're the same height as me and a few pounds heavier than when I started with similar activity levels (I work a desk job and sometimes don't move for hours...vry bad!). My target calories started in the mid 1600's, so you probably have a few more to play with.

    As for the not eating things with names you don't recognize...in some ways, this is a good idea. There are a crap load of nasty additives in many foods. If there is something you especially like...find out what the ingredients are and make an informed choice. I quit eating foods with carmine in them years ago...carmine is ground up bugs, used as a food color. Blech. But in the same vein, there are plenty of things I don't recognize that could be perfectly tasty and good for you. And I'm sure you know what high fructosr corn syrup is...but I wouldn't recommend products containing it. Be educated about your food!
  • kshatriyo
    kshatriyo Posts: 134 Member
    I think you might consider seeing a doctor. You should be losing weight with such a calorie deficit. You could have something hormonal or a metabolic disoder going on.
  • LukeAdrianBoardman
    LukeAdrianBoardman Posts: 9 Member
    Hi all,

    Thanks very much for your ideas, I could use all the help I can get.

    I think I should've expanded when I said I'm trying to stay away from 'things I don't understand' - I mean making an educated decision staying away from nasty additives and preservatives. Aspartame, high fructose syrup etc.. I generally do some research before writing anything off! :)

    I'm trying to eat more whole foods, protein and complex carbs!

    Great advice guys appreciate it!
  • Chef_Barbell
    Chef_Barbell Posts: 6,644 Member
    LukeAdrianBoardman wrote: »
    Hi all,

    Thanks very much for your ideas, I could use all the help I can get.

    I think I should've expanded when I said I'm trying to stay away from 'things I don't understand' - I mean making an educated decision staying away from nasty additives and preservatives. Aspartame, high fructose syrup etc.. I generally do some research before writing anything off! :)

    I'm trying to eat more whole foods, protein and complex carbs!

    Great advice guys appreciate it!

    Nothing wrong with any of those unless you have a medical condition. You need to change the way you look at food.
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    You're sore, so you're retaining water...

    Be more patient
  • applesandtapeline
    applesandtapeline Posts: 58 Member
    edited October 2016
    LukeAdrianBoardman wrote: »
    Hi all,

    Thanks very much for your ideas, I could use all the help I can get.

    I think I should've expanded when I said I'm trying to stay away from 'things I don't understand' - I mean making an educated decision staying away from nasty additives and preservatives. Aspartame, high fructose syrup etc.. I generally do some research before writing anything off! :)

    I'm trying to eat more whole foods, protein and complex carbs!

    Great advice guys appreciate it!

    You're on the right path! It is very smart of you to actually research what you're putting in your body. Aspartame is controversial artificial sweetener that you're better off to avoid if you feel like it.
    Do amp up the calories, since your're not eating enough, as others have stated as well.
    As for the weight not budging - numbers on the scale don't matter as much as actual inches (centimeters) lost.
    Keep up the good work and measure yourself once a week. :)
  • Seffell
    Seffell Posts: 2,244 Member
    GuitarJerry wrote: »
    Stop worrying about the "what", and worry about how much you're eating.

    Give it more time.

    Great advice
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    LukeAdrianBoardman wrote: »
    Hi all,

    Thanks very much for your ideas, I could use all the help I can get.

    I think I should've expanded when I said I'm trying to stay away from 'things I don't understand' - I mean making an educated decision staying away from nasty additives and preservatives. Aspartame, high fructose syrup etc.. I generally do some research before writing anything off! :)

    I'm trying to eat more whole foods, protein and complex carbs!

    Great advice guys appreciate it!

    I didn't eat foods containing aspartame, HFCS, artificial flavors, colors, and preservatives when I gained weight. (And I'm still not eating them.) I'm all for eating whole foods and mostly avoiding Ultra Processed foods. However, this relates more to my food ethics than losing weight.

    What was more helpful to me was increasing protein in relationship to carbs, and eating more foods with fiber. This keeps me fuller longer and so makes it easier to stay in a calorie deficit.

    I was about 14 pounds lighter than you when I started in 2015, am the same height, 25 years older, and female. I ate 1500 calories before exercise, and I exercise. I eat over 2,000 calories many days and still lose weight.

    What is surely going on with you is that you are retaining water from the new exercise program. In fact, my scale went up 7 pounds when I started lifting weights ago last fall.

    What's your final goal weight?
  • MsRuffBuffNStuff
    MsRuffBuffNStuff Posts: 363 Member
    First thing I'd do is dump the personal trainer. Save your money and spend it on quality food
  • capaul42
    capaul42 Posts: 1,390 Member
    snickerscharlie wrote: »
    applesandtapeline wrote: »
    LukeAdrianBoardman wrote: »
    Hi all,

    Thanks very much for your ideas, I could use all the help I can get.

    I think I should've expanded when I said I'm trying to stay away from 'things I don't understand' - I mean making an educated decision staying away from nasty additives and preservatives. Aspartame, high fructose syrup etc.. I generally do some research before writing anything off! :)

    I'm trying to eat more whole foods, protein and complex carbs!

    Great advice guys appreciate it!

    It is very smart of you to actually research what you're putting in your body. Aspartame is controversial artificial sweetener that you're better off to avoid if you feel like it.
    Aspartame is likely one of the most highly researched substances on the planet, and it has been scientifically proven to be safe. If everyone did 'actually research' what they're putting into their bodies, they would already be aware of this.

    The people who still view aspartame as controversial may be those who choose to believe what they read on Facebook or woo blogs on the internet that are a dime a dozen. In other words, they really *haven't* done their research.

    OP: If you choose not to include diet sodas, for example, that's totally fine. But lots of people find them to be an extremely effective and simple method to reduce caloric intake when compared to the non-diet versions of the same drink. :)

    Personally I avoid foods with aspartame because I don't like the taste. Which is the only reason I avoid any food really. Except oatmeal. I avoid that because the texture makes me gag.
  • snickerscharlie
    snickerscharlie Posts: 8,578 Member
    capaul42 wrote: »
    snickerscharlie wrote: »
    applesandtapeline wrote: »
    LukeAdrianBoardman wrote: »
    Hi all,

    Thanks very much for your ideas, I could use all the help I can get.

    I think I should've expanded when I said I'm trying to stay away from 'things I don't understand' - I mean making an educated decision staying away from nasty additives and preservatives. Aspartame, high fructose syrup etc.. I generally do some research before writing anything off! :)

    I'm trying to eat more whole foods, protein and complex carbs!

    Great advice guys appreciate it!

    It is very smart of you to actually research what you're putting in your body. Aspartame is controversial artificial sweetener that you're better off to avoid if you feel like it.
    Aspartame is likely one of the most highly researched substances on the planet, and it has been scientifically proven to be safe. If everyone did 'actually research' what they're putting into their bodies, they would already be aware of this.

    The people who still view aspartame as controversial may be those who choose to believe what they read on Facebook or woo blogs on the internet that are a dime a dozen. In other words, they really *haven't* done their research.

    OP: If you choose not to include diet sodas, for example, that's totally fine. But lots of people find them to be an extremely effective and simple method to reduce caloric intake when compared to the non-diet versions of the same drink. :)

    Personally I avoid foods with aspartame because I don't like the taste. Which is the only reason I avoid any food really. Except oatmeal. I avoid that because the texture makes me gag.

    Fair enough. No one should ever eat or drink anything they don't enjoy for whatever reason. Life is too darned short. ;)
  • PhilHarrison1
    PhilHarrison1 Posts: 16 Member
    edited October 2016
    Flat out? You are eating to little. Your body will assume food is scarce and will store everything it can. I ran a general calculation with moderate exercise [3 to 5 x a week] for you. You can find the formula and calculators all over the net. The one I used uses the Harris Benedict Equation.

    You need 3,126 Calories/day to maintain your weight.
    You need 2,626 Calories/day to lose 1 lb per week.
    You need 2,126 Calories/day to lose 2 lb per week.

    Remember anything you eat UNDER what you need to maintain your weight is leading to a loss. It may not be as fast as you like but you will lose. As soon as it amounts to 3500 calories you lose a pound. At 7000 you lose 2 pounds. The key is NOT to send your body into "OH MY GOD WE ARE STARVING FAMINE FAMINE SAVE IT ALL!!!" mode.

    If you were a woman, you would be fine. They can play around with down to 1200 on diets depending on their size. [it may not be the best for them but they won't miss nutrients and other goodies if they eat right at 1200] You ain't. Men need more calories [doesn't seem fair does it?] [Note for extremely petite women.. that's a whole different story and struggle]

    Eating too few and you will stop losing and even start gaining as your body tries to save you from dying [it doesn't understand that you are dieting].

    It's why we plateau. Long enough with too few and your body stops losing. I use eat up days where I have the foods I want that are usually off limits. I calculate enough difference in the daily calories to allow these days and not disrupt the general deficit I need for a week [ remember? 3500 for loss of 1 pound a week. 7000 for two pounds.] One and two pounds are recommended for health and to avoid crap like sagging skin [just ask the poor guys who did biggest loser how great they look in a bathing suit without surgery to remove excess skin]. Younger, you have a better chance of avoiding it than older adults but it still happens if the weight loss is too fast.

    You do have to remember as your weight drops you must lower your calorie intake by recalculating it for your current weight.

    I have a friend who nearly starved herself to death for good food but got calories from junk like sugar in her tea. She's having a heck of a time losing weight because she screwed up her metabolism. After months, she's excited because she's finally hungry. She's never been hungry in years and had to force herself to eat. But I made her eat the calories to maintain her weight until she started to adjust again. And I nagged her about going to the doctor. You eat too few, you damage the muscles that will help you burn that weight and also screw up your system so it doesn't know when you are really hungry or not. Hunger is there for a good reason.

    Step back and recalculate your calories. Learn everything you can about nutrition. I suggest starting with Nutrition for Dummies if you don't know anything. Forums are great. We all do it a different way but as a beginner, read books written by the experts. It will make everyone who answers you much happier too because we don't have to explain the small details. Avoid the "diet' books to start. Get a good solid background by reading so you can make the best choices for your body.

    And eat something for Pete's sake. It will help you lose. Don't end up like my friend who has a long haul to lose weight and correct her health.

    It's basically CICO [Calories in, Calories out]. What you do with the calories [clean eating, paleo, Vegan] is your choice and may have a difference in your body and general health. They become important because they are building blocks for our bodies and our health. And frankly, some of them just fit us better than others of us. If they ever invent a diet that is all fat, I'll be in the front lines because I have a fat tooth.

    Diets out there are doing one thing with all their do this, do that... they are still having you eat less calories than you burn. The catch is you must have something you can live with because if you stop eating that way and go back to your old habits, you'll puff right back up. It has to be something you can live with for the rest of your life. Remember that unless you want to get everything you lost back [and some more... it always brings friends with it when it comes back]
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    snickerscharlie wrote: »
    applesandtapeline wrote: »
    LukeAdrianBoardman wrote: »
    Hi all,

    Thanks very much for your ideas, I could use all the help I can get.

    I think I should've expanded when I said I'm trying to stay away from 'things I don't understand' - I mean making an educated decision staying away from nasty additives and preservatives. Aspartame, high fructose syrup etc.. I generally do some research before writing anything off! :)

    I'm trying to eat more whole foods, protein and complex carbs!

    Great advice guys appreciate it!

    It is very smart of you to actually research what you're putting in your body. Aspartame is controversial artificial sweetener that you're better off to avoid if you feel like it.
    Aspartame is likely one of the most highly researched substances on the planet, and it has been scientifically proven to be safe. If everyone did 'actually research' what they're putting into their bodies, they would already be aware of this.

    The people who still view aspartame as controversial may be those who choose to believe what they read on Facebook or woo blogs on the internet that are a dime a dozen. In other words, they really *haven't* done their research.

    OP: If you choose not to include diet sodas, for example, that's totally fine. But lots of people find them to be an extremely effective and simple method to reduce caloric intake when compared to the non-diet versions of the same drink.

    Edited to add: For anyone that would like more information on aspartame, just use it (or diet soda) in the search engine here. This specific topic has been discussed many times. :)

    Artificial sweeteners taste nasty to me.

    0cbaf2f.jpg

  • snickerscharlie
    snickerscharlie Posts: 8,578 Member
    edited October 2016
    capaul42 wrote: »
    Personally I avoid foods with aspartame because I don't like the taste. Which is the only reason I avoid any food really. Except oatmeal. I avoid that because the texture makes me gag.

    My daughter has the very same reaction to oatmeal that you do. The texture makes her gag reflex kick in big time. So she doesn't eat oatmeal.

    Unless it's in cookie form. :)


    (Edited to fix wonky quotes.)
  • MagicalGiraffe
    MagicalGiraffe Posts: 102 Member
    I'd be happy to lose a pound a week.
  • capaul42
    capaul42 Posts: 1,390 Member
    snickerscharlie wrote: »
    capaul42 wrote: »
    Personally I avoid foods with aspartame because I don't like the taste. Which is the only reason I avoid any food really. Except oatmeal. I avoid that because the texture makes me gag.

    My daughter has the very same reaction to oatmeal that you do. The texture makes her gag reflex kick in big time. So she doesn't eat oatmeal.

    Unless it's in cookie form. :)


    (Edited to fix wonky quotes.)

    Cookie form is the only acceptable oatmeal ;)
  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,942 Member
    LukeAdrianBoardman wrote: »
    I'm 24 years old, 5'6, 239 lbs and previous to this week very inactive.

    I've almost reached the end of my first week 'eating clean', watching my calorie intake and trying to stick to my 40:40:20 macro diet.

    I've been averaging around 1400 calories daily, I have started working out twice a week with a personal trainer and even went for a 30 min jog mid week! May not sound like a lot but I'm very sore from finally moving my body.

    I've stepped on the scale this morning (I try not too but seems the only motivation that spurs me along) and I 'm not seeing as much weight loss as I'd like to see, I've only lost 1lbs, and the scales keep fluctuating, (4+lbs at times!) which is very confusing for me.

    I haven't had any food you would consider unhealthy or 'bad', chocolate is my biggest vice and not one piece has crossed my lips haha, I'm trying to stick to the idea that if I don't recognise the ingredient on the back, then my body won't either (I read that somewhere and it stuck, so even diet drinks have been a right off, purely water)

    I'm not sure why I've posted this, if only to have a rant and to keep myself motivated. My first week of trying to make the right decisions and improve my diet can seem quiet daunting and lonely at times, because when it comes down to it, it's only you who truly care about the daily struggles of weight loss, other people just want to see results. I do have supportive people surrounding me though!

    Would be good to hear if this is commonplace for some people?

    Thanks :D

  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    LukeAdrianBoardman wrote: »
    Guys,

    Thanks for the info, I assure you I will take it all on board - I do need more calories and i'm ok with that!

    After speaking with my personal trainer, and with him reviewing my weekly meal plan and calorie intake, he was shocked and encouraged me to at least eat 1800-2000 a day.

    This may be an over share, but after using the rest room things did seem to balance out, and I have lost a total of 3lbs in a week.

    I think a few comments have hit the nail on the head in regards to the way I look at food. After neglecting my body for so many years and eating whatever I wanted, it has shocked me how at times, losing weight can be so simple, but very confusing. I've had to go back to basics at an elementary level so i'm trying to educate myself the best I can do - I sit at a desk all day for my job so increasing my activity levels was the first step into my weight loss journey.

    My initial goal was to lose 28 lbs before Christmas, however with 10 weeks to go, i'm aiming for 2lbs a week which brings me to 20lbs -I think is more realistic.

    Once again, I appreciate all the input you have given me, its motivated me to continue on for another week.

    Luke x




    This sounds great.

    I want to add to what others said: at first the weight is going to bounce around (it may throughout, but I found it more extreme at first), and that's especially true if you've just added exercise. I found it helpful to weigh daily (but not to worry about weight loss day to day) to get comfortable with the fluctuations. If you have a plan that makes sense, stick to it for a few weeks, as your body takes time to adjust and you are learning patterns. (I also agree that you are much better off increasing calories, though, based on your sex, size, and exercise.)

    On "eating clean," I happen to think that focusing on eating (and cooking from) whole foods can be a great, motivating approach for many of us and helps us enjoy eating healthfully. If focusing on that helps you stick to a calorie goal and avoid trigger foods, I really encourage it. It's not true that things like HFCS are beyond your body's understanding (it's just a combination of glucose (45%) and fructose (55%) so not much different than sucrose or even the sugar in fruit), but the fact is it tends to be in a lot of high cal, lower nutrient items that might be trigger foods for you, so if avoiding it and eating only more homemade sweet things on occasion (since the occasions are likely to come up less often) makes it easier, that's cool. What motivates us going to be personal. (I'm kind of picky about the kinds of sweets I like -- preference for homemade -- and that has made cutting calories easier for me so long as I'm mindful.)

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