Blew it :(

runningforthetrain

AnvilHead wrote: »

TavistockToad wrote: »

daniellewhiteliving wrote: »

malibu927 wrote: »

Unless you’re short, 1200 calories is pretty aggressive. Set your goal to a pound a week, log everything as accurately as possible (if you don’t have one yet, look into getting a food scale), and give yourself some time.

I don't have a good scale but will get one. I'm 5'7 12 stone

You need to be eating more than 1200 cals then. Plus when your knee is better, start more slowly, going from nothing to running 4x a week is why you're injured.

It's a marathon not a sprint. The changes you're trying to make are great, but going balls out in the first couple of weeks and then not getting the expected results is why people yo yo so much.

^ This. Obviously habits need to change to lose weight/increase fitness, but it's usually most successful when it's done in a sustainable, gradual manner. For most people, making huge/radical changes will last about as long as the initial inspiration/motivation period, plus however many days/weeks they can white-knuckle their way through it by sheer willpower. Which usually isn't very long.

You can almost see the impending fail when a new member posts "I've cut out <insert long list of foods> from my diet, I'm eating <insert ridiculously low calorie intake> and doing <insert latest trendy number of meals> at <insert exact times of the day> and I'm going to the gym 3 hours a day 7 days a week and running five miles every night after dinner!!!".

Then the usual pattern emerges:

1) Two weeks later, a "Why Am I Bingeing and Tired All The Time?" thread.

2) Three weeks later, a "HELP!!!! WHY AM I NOT LOSING WEIGHT????!?!?!?!?" thread.

3) A long period of absence.

4) A year later, a "Starting Over, Let's Do This!" thread.

LOVE THIS Anvilhead. So funny:)

0426Jamie

I will say it took a long time for me to notice a difference in my clothes. Like, a couple months of working hard and measuring losses.

I also think your goal is way too aggressive. You are 5’7” and 168 lbs already. You want to lose 28 lbs, i think you should try for .5/wk loss. Much more sustainable over the long run.

snemberton

Just a thought about your goal weight. I'm an inch taller than you. A few years back, I was on medication that made me have very little appetite. My husband was deployed and it was just me for a few months, so without realizing it, I dropped to 137lbs from about 180. (It didn't last after my body got used to the medication and my appetite came back.) I look back at a few pictures from then and I looked a bit sickly and gaunt. I wasn't exercising to put on any muscle.

Now that I'm intentionally trying to drop some weight, my goal weight is technically 160, down from 217. I'm going to stop there and evaluate my BMI, body fat percentage and overall look to start deciding how much lower I want to go. I'm exercising and doing some actual strength training this time and I know that your weight only doesn't give a good overall picture of it all. I may decide to only drop to 150 if I'm low enough in the other areas and feel I look the way I want. I may decide closer to 140, but the number on the scale isn't going to be my main goal once I'm down to the 160 mark. I'm also preparing myself mentally for those last 10-15lbs taking a lot longer and me needing to be a little more particular about my logging.

I'm not trying to say your goal weight is a bad one. I'm just saying you want to take it slow and realize that you may want to have more goals than just the number on the scale. 140 could look fabulous on you, or you might be happier at 145 if you are more muscular. And also realize you are getting quite close to that really slow "last mile" where you won't see changes nearly as fast as you'd like.

wmweeza

daniellewhiteliving wrote: »

I really appreciate and take on board what you have all said. The calories weren't a problem or too restrictive but I think the exercise and the pressure I put on myself was. I'm not massively overweight..I have 2 stone to lose but I guess I expected to feel results after 2 weeks. I wasn't drinking much water..and was adding salt to my food quite a bit even though it was all low cal. I am very bloated quite a lot which makes me look pregnant but maybe that is water retention. Lots to think about .

I didn't see results until the third month....no one else noticed until I was at 6-8 months (I started out at 263 which is 18 stone).

You know what is challenging for you? You have less weight to lose so it will come off slower...BUT IT WILL COME OFF. You didn't fail, so quit thinking that. Just keep working at it

fotogyrl25

I am the same weight and height as you. I aim for the 1300-1800 range when trying to lose weight. I usually don't see a drop until at least week 3 of consistently counting calories and weighing my food. I have also tried dieting at full throttle by restricting my calories to too little and exercising. It didn't work. I find that I have to restrict calories to a moderate level (1500) and only do the exercise I normally do. I start adding exercise after I start seeing consistent drops on the scale. It seems counter intuitive, but it works for me. So much of dieting is patience and creating slow sustainable habits that build over time. Good luck. You can do this.

rikkejohnsenrij

your pretty much the same size as I was around new year then...not sure of your age, but I got 1300 cals /day to lose 1 pound/week ...
I think 1200 is too low for it to be sustainable. And that may be why you give up and gain weight again.
I usually end up eating 1800 ish cals/day (because of excercise) and have "only" lost 10 punds since, but the good part is, that I dont FEEL like I'm dieting anymore..it's just normal for me by now, so I know I can stick to this even when I'm at my goal weight.
Try using a scale to measure your food, and setting a less aggresive goal. If you have a sweet tooth, make room for some snack or dessert once in a while, and then find a diet that will fit you for the rest of your life.

h1udd

I am quite impressed you started running and didnt lose weight.

Before I took up running I was cycling 7 days a week and lifting weights .... I took up running and the inflammation caused by the new exercise caused me to gain about 5lbs (2kg) for about 2 weeks until my body got used to the stress and let go of all the water it was holding on to.

Oh and I also started to injur myself .... tip - running is HARD on the body .. start slowly, stretch a lot afterwards, consider foam rolling (its worked absolute wonders for me) and realise that EVERYTHING you to to your body will have an effect, but at a glacial pace ... things take months

rianneonamission

1200 cals is far too aggressive for your stats. Plus 2 weeks is nothing. Honestly, aim for a 0.5-1lb a week weight loss on MFP and eat back exercise calories. You'll be just fine. For reference, I am 5'10 and 11.5st. I only drop below 1800 cals on a very inactive day. Generally speaking I am between 1800 and 2300 cals, and I am losing weight (albeit very slowly) on that. There is no rush, and by controlling your intake only just, you don't put too much pressure on yourself.