Why isn't it working?

razzyv

I've steadily put on weight in the last 6 months, and decided to seriously do something about it! So about 5-6 weeks ago I started logging all foods and sticking to 1300 calories per day. I've also been exercising 3-4 times a week. However I've only lost 3 pounds in this time! I'm so frustrated... I've been as accurate as possible, weighing foods etc. Has anyone got any ideas?!

kommodevaran

Define not working. How much do you have to lose (to get to a normal BMI?) How much did you expect to lose in 5-6 weeks?

Are you weighing everything you eat (and drink if it has calories)? Are all entries checked for errors? Are you using the recipe builder?

razzyv

Well according to MFP I should be aiming to lose 1 pound per week, but I've just stayed the same for the past two weeks. My BMI is within the healthy range, it's just the fact that I've gained about 10 pounds in the last 6 months and it doesn't feel comfortable for me personally. I would have thought 1300 calories would be low enough to lose. Haven't tried at recipe builder, I'll have a look!

RuNaRoUnDaFiEld

Has the 2 weeks you haven't lost coincided with your monthly cycle?

kommodevaran

razzyv wrote: »

Well according to MFP I should be aiming to lose 1 pound per week, but I've just stayed the same for the past two weeks. My BMI is within the healthy range, it's just the fact that I've gained about 10 pounds in the last 6 months and it doesn't feel comfortable for me personally. I would have thought 1300 calories would be low enough to lose.

You are most likely losing, but you can't expect to see the difference on the scale every week because your day-to-day natural weight fluctuations are bigger than your weekly fat loss. You can't lose a whole pound per week if your weight is in the healthy range. You just don't have enough fat stores for it. No matter how low you go on the calories. Try setting your goal to .5 pounds per week. This will give you a bigger allowance, that's going to feel less like torture, and make it easier to be patient. And then be patient, and keep being accurate. This process takes the time it takes, it can't be forced, and you're in no rush.

Haven't tried at recipe builder, I'll have a look!

That thing is instrumential if you cook!

seska422

Weight loss isn't linear and can be quite slow when you are already in a healthy weight range. It sounds like you are on the right track. Keep doing what you are doing, double-check the accuracy of your logging as suggested above, and be patient.

I record my weight almost every day and use those data points to see if my weight is trending downward overall. Here's a recent weight trend for me where I was at or below my calorie goal every day:

razzyv

RuNaRoUnDaFiEld wrote: »

Has the 2 weeks you haven't lost coincided with your monthly cycle?

Nope, much as I would like to blame it on that! ☺️

razzyv

seska422 wrote: »

Weight loss isn't linear and can be quite slow when you are already in a healthy weight range. It sounds like you are on the right track. Keep doing what you are doing, double-check the accuracy of your logging as suggested above, and be patient.

I record my weight almost every day and use those data points to see if my weight is trending downward overall. Here's a recent weight trend for me where I was at or below my calorie goal every day:

That's a really good idea! Thanks, just got to be patient I guess...

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razzyv

I try and weigh most things, as I take food to work every day (snacks, lunch etc). I'm sometimes guilty of eating my son's leftovers which I shouldn't!

LivingtheLeanDream

razzyv wrote: »

I try and weigh most things, as I take food to work every day (snacks, lunch etc). I'm sometimes guilty of eating my son's leftovers which I shouldn't!

^^ there you go then, stop eating his leftovers you are losing, but with the odd snacks not accounted for your deficit is less which equals not losing as much.

AskMorphis

There are a few possibilities :

1) You don't log accurately your food. Are you sure you log everything, weight eveything you eat and drink ?
My advice : always round up the numbers, and don't allow yourself to guess anything, or take anything without logging it.

2) You don't log accurately your sport activities. How are you keeping track of the calories you're burning ?
Apparently, you shouldn't trust the numbers if you use generic data, or even if you use the metrics given by the apparatus in the gym : cut the numbers in half if you use that. If you use a HRM, it depends what kind of activities your doing, it isn't designed to measure burned calories if you do not constantly exercise during the measurements. For instance, it will do fine if you're cycling (without stopping), but do poorly if you do rest-pause training.

3) You weight yourself at different times of the day each time. Your weight can vary a lot in the course of a day. Do you always weight yourself at the same time of day ?
Out of interest, I've weighted myself a lot during a day, to see how it varies. Depending on the time of day, if I ate/drank, and the state of my bladder and bowels, there is a 3kg (7lbs) margin, which is a lot !

What's more important is the trend. You're losing, that's good ! And as seska422 illustrated, even when you lose weight, the rate is not constant. My weight curve is even weirder than this one ! Here is the first few months.