Here we go again...

jbreeze85

Here we go again! I started eating healthy again back in January, February I started exercising again. 2 weeks ago started logging again because I wasn't seeing much improvement. To date, I do between 13,000 and 20,000 steps a day and I was logging 1700 calories, moved it up to 1900 and got mad and just moved it back down to 1715. I'm 5'8 240ish pounds. I say "ish" because I started at 243, got down to 238 and it is back up consistently at 240/1. I'm so tired. 3 solid pounds in 8 weeks and my ankle hurting from all my walking and jogging uphill is super disappointing. I need to do weights more, I have weights and resistance bands but don't use them regularly. I THOUGHT I was in deficit from burning an average for 800 a day but I don't know what the problem is. I need suggestions and motivation! I expected slow progress by month 3, not week 2!

ReenieHJ

Hmmm, only thing I can offer is make sure you're logging every single thing as accurately as possible. Using a scale? You're doing way more exercise than I am, I eat around 1350-1450 cal. a day and am staying pretty near my maintenance weight. (Unless I have an off day, which seems to be increasing lately). BTW, I'm 5'9", around 133 lbs.

jbreeze85

I use a scale and measuring cups. I am guilty of eyeballing small things like veggies and cuts of meat but that's why I am overcompensating with the steps to burn more calories. For just in case, ya know? I could lower my calorie I take lower than 1700 but I'm not sure if I'm supposed to.

AnnPT77

I think there's a decent chance that your new exercise routine has created some extra water retention (for muscle repair), and that's masking fat loss on the scale temporarily.

If you're exhausted and hungry, it's not a good plan to cut calories further. Just wait it out. (I know that's hard!)

I even think you might be over-doing/over-restricting.

The sweet spot for exercise is to be doing enough that you feel a little challenged during the workout, but energized for the rest of your day (after maybe just a few minutes of "whew!" feeling right after the exercise). Then, as you get fitter, you can gradually add more duration/intensity/frequency to keep a bit of a challenge.

It's super common to feel like we need to restrict and exercise to extremes in order to lose weight, but in reality that can be a recipe for burnout and giving up. Better, IMO, to gradually change habits in manageable ways, in a healthier, sustainable direction. It took us a while to gain the weight; realistically, losing it (and getting fitter) is going to be a long-term proposition, too. That means we need to find a routine we can stick to, and build on.

We all want the weight off now, but over-restricting/over-exercising can be counterproductive, in two ways. First, as I mentioned, it makes it hard to stick with long enough, and easy to give up quickly. Besides that, the excess exercise and low intake can make us feel fatigued and exhausted, causing us to rest more and do less in everyday life (chores, job, non-exercise hobbies), so wipe out some of the calorie benefits by spending more time in daily life resting/sleeping.

If you're eating a well-logged 1700-1900 calories, it's almost certainly the case that you're losing fat. I'm a 5'5" li'l ol' lady (age 64), weight in mid-130s pounds (formerly obese for 30+ years!), sedentary outside of intentional exercise. I still lose weight on 1800 calories plus exercise. I admit, I'm mysteriously a good li'l ol' calorie burner, but since you're younger, taller, currently heavier, and much more active, you should be fine at 1700-1900, and quite possibly more.

Scale weight is not just fat, but also water fluctuations (part of how a healthy body works!), and temporary digestive system contents in transit. Those latter two things aren't fat, but they'll obscure fat loss on the scale, especially early on in a new exercise routine.

This is a good thing to read, in these circumstances: https://physiqonomics.com/the-weird-and-highly-annoying-world-of-scale-weight-and-fluctuations

Hang in there, with a manageable approach and patience, you can do this!

jbreeze85

Thank you so much! Ya, it is hard! I walk a lot because I have a herniated disc so a lot of exercise hurt my back. It's definitely been a struggle and a guessing game. Thanks for your kind words and informative reply!

am152011

Feel free to add me as a friend on here if you want an accountability partner

PumpkinSage

You mentioned that you're tired, so make sure you are drinking enough water to stay hydrated and take daily vitamins. You are totally worth all this effort😊

NovusDies

You have put a lot of stress on your body and you are almost certainly not eating enough to fuel your level of activity.

Try not to think of weight loss as something you need to force. Try to think of it as something that you allow to happen by eating in a mild calorie deficit. You can lose weight staying in bed all day eating nothing but treat food if you end up in a calorie deficit. That would not be ideal for long term fitness or nutrition but if you can accept that it is possible you realize you don't have to try and strangle results out of a bathroom scale.

Be kind to yourself. You will be losing weight for some time but after that you will hopefully be maintaining that weight loss for the rest of your life. I believe in making choices that you believe you can live with now and for the foreseeable future.

mkculs13

Since I got a scale, I almost never use a measuring cup except as a scoop. I also believe you are pushing yourself too hard. Using your height, weight, and gender, I get a BMR for you between 1700 and 1820ish, depending on age. "Sedentary" puts your daily burn to 2200. You risk giving up if you keep pushing so hard with the exercise. Your sore ankle is a warning. Maybe cut down the walking significantly until the ankle heals, then develop a walking routine that allows you to build your endurance back up. You are likely carrying extra water weight b/c of all that walking. So slow down and enjoy the view--aim for 3-5 miles at first (6000-10000 steps) once healed, expect your weight loss to be 80% due to eating less and 20% due to exercise.

Good luck and keep us posted.

jbreeze85

I just noticed new posts! Thanks everyone! Since my original post, I finally decided to really cut my sugars, not just counting calories but now sugars as well. Not including natural sugars, I average 13 grams a day, under the 24 grams recommendation. In 5 days I dropped 8 pounds! Sugar was holding me back! I'm now at 10 pounds lost, still struggling to get more to drop. I was trying to hit a personal goal of 30 days of 10k steps or more but had to stop at 22 days because my back started spasming too much. I've scaled back on walking but pulled out my desk bike, so I'm working on that. My next step is to drop my carb macros to 25%. I'm not sure what else to do with this stubborn fat! It just doesn't want to leave me! I'm an endomorph body type and it's proving to be just as difficult as they say. I'll keep posting if anyone is interested in updates. Thanks again!

jbreeze85

NovusDies wrote: »

You have put a lot of stress on your body and you are almost certainly not eating enough to fuel your level of activity.

Try not to think of weight loss as something you need to force. Try to think of it as something that you allow to happen by eating in a mild calorie deficit. You can lose weight staying in bed all day eating nothing but treat food if you end up in a calorie deficit. That would not be ideal for long term fitness or nutrition but if you can accept that it is possible you realize you don't have to try and strangle results out of a bathroom scale.

Be kind to yourself. You will be losing weight for some time but after that you will hopefully be maintaining that weight loss for the rest of your life. I believe in making choices that you believe you can live with now and for the foreseeable future.

Ya, I struggle with if I'm eating enough. 1900 seems like it's a lot already! I dont want to bump it up and then undo my work by gaining. I'm just not sure! Trying to.just go with the flow but it's hard when another month has passed and nothing has changed. I might bump it to 2000 just to try!

jbreeze85

mkculs13 wrote: »

Since I got a scale, I almost never use a measuring cup except as a scoop. I also believe you are pushing yourself too hard. Using your height, weight, and gender, I get a BMR for you between 1700 and 1820ish, depending on age. "Sedentary" puts your daily burn to 2200. You risk giving up if you keep pushing so hard with the exercise. Your sore ankle is a warning. Maybe cut down the walking significantly until the ankle heals, then develop a walking routine that allows you to build your endurance back up. You are likely carrying extra water weight b/c of all that walking. So slow down and enjoy the view--aim for 3-5 miles at first (6000-10000 steps) once healed, expect your weight loss to be 80% due to eating less and 20% due to exercise.

Good luck and keep us posted.

I sure will! Like I said in a different reply, I struggle with if I'm eating too much or too little. Right now I'm at 1900 (I'm 34 if you wondered) scaled back on the walking but doing exercise bike for at least 30 minutes. I eat radishes, greens, wide variety of meat, cheese, fruits and veggies. Cut my processed sugar to under recommended amount. We'll see what happens! I'm all ears for more suggestions!

jbreeze85

PumpkinSage wrote: »

You mentioned that you're tired, so make sure you are drinking enough water to stay hydrated and take daily vitamins. You are totally worth all this effort😊

More tired of not losing than tired in itself! Lol! But yes! I take vitamins and strive for at least 64 oz water, usually between 64 and 80! Thanks for your reply!