Help! Feeling disheartened :(

emkel88

Hiya!
So I've been tracking all my dietary intake on mfp and I regularly do hiit and go to the gym 3 times a week. I always ensure I do at least 30 mins cardiovascular followed by strength training (I literally feel exhausted after each session) however I'm not losing weight I'm just maintaining.
I had a baby 10 weeks ago and stopped breastfeeding 5 weeks ago. My stomach is shrinking and I can see muscle definition starting to appear but the scales say the same.
I'm 12lb away from pre pregnancy weight and really am trying hard to get back there. I have a family occasion I want to be at my best for in 8weeks.
I feel really down that I'm trying so hard and the scales remain the same.
Any suggestions where I'm going wrong?

GrumpyHeadmistress

You don't mentioned some key information which will help direct the advice you get:-

Height, current weight, goal weight, calories target given to you by MFP, how long you've been dieting for, how you measure what you eat and drink.

All the above will help to get you accurate and tailored advice.

buffalogal42

What is your height, current weight, goal weight? Are you weighing all foods on a food scale in grams?

ramshackles

It takes 9 months to get pre baby body back with a bit of exercise and diet, so you are doing exceedingly well already. Don't push yourself too hard. Your body has been through a lot and it will come. It just takes time. Remember it took 9 months for your body to get like that!

shaunshaikh

Question -- if your stomach is shrinking and muscles are getting more defined, why does the weight on the scale matter?

4legsRbetterthan2

Answers to the questiona above would be helpful, and I agree you may just ned a bit more time. Your body goes through 9 months of changes to make the baby, so remember you have only given it 1/3 of the time so far to return.

That being said, if you have made all these changes within the past 2 weeks then give it more time before you decide it isnt working. When you asd new exercise or change your routone muscles often temporarily retain water, so that extra weight could be masking weight loss.

If this is after 4-6 weeks then it probably is time to re-evaluate your plan. Ultimately, if you are not losing, you are either eating more than you think, burning less than you think, or a combo of the two. Since you think you are at maintenance that gives you a good starting point.

If you are not using a food scale and logging accurately all day every day then that may be a place for you to start. If getting that serious about your logging isn't for you, then do what you have been doing but cut your calorie goal. Keep in mind that with only 12 lbs to lose you shouldnt be seeing fast weight loss. About 0.5 lbs a week would be reasonable, so a deficit of 250 calories a day.

Good luck! Congrats on the new little one!