Started 3 weeks ago and obsessing over the scale!!
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nicolewilliams421
Posts: 11 Member
I am 5ft 1 and started counting calories to loose weight on may 4th. I started at 202.8 and as of today I’m down to 191.2...I’m so proud of myself! I’ve worked so hard at changing my horrible eating habits and it’s been tough...lol! My biggest problem is that I’m really hard on myself and obsessively weigh myself...at least once, sometimes twice a day:( I’m allowed 1200 calories a day and if I go over (like today, I went over by 200 calories) I feel like I failed and screwed the whole day up! I’m just hungry and thinking about food all day long and it’s such a struggle!!! Could use some advice...even if I slip up and eat 1400 in calories is that still ok?? I just want results and I want them fast!:(
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Replies
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The best weight loss is slow and steady. Don't beat yourself up when you go over your goal. Just log it and move on. I weigh myself once first thing in the morning, and log it in a weight trending app like Libra, or happy scale for Apple users.
If you are hungry adjust your weekly weight loss to a slower goal. You can lose weight without feeling hungry all the time.6 -
1200 is really low. It’s the absolute lowest MFP will let you go. I’m guessing you set your goal to lose 2 lbs a week? Weight loss is a marathon, not a sprint. If you want to lose the weight and keep it off you need to make sustainable lifestyle changes. Changes that you can do forever.
I’d suggest upping your calories a bit (aim for 1 lb a week).5 -
My daughter keeps my scale and "lets" me weigh myself once a week; she' a tough one, doesn't matter what excuse I give, she keeps me to once a week. Helps me look a the bigger weekly trend.2
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That’s genius! Lol I swear I might do that!1
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It is hard to know how fast you are really losing because the first week or so there is a water weight drop for many people. I hope you lost some water weight because if not you are losing a half a pound a day which is a good way to end up in the hospital.
If you are exercising too then 1200 calories is too low. 1200 is only for short and sedentary women. If you are thinking of food nonstop you are miserable. Misery and weight loss are not good bedfellows.
You need to stop obsessing about the scale and start obsessing about sustainability. Almost everyone who tries to lose weight fails to lose all the weight they want to lose. Those that do often regain some, all, or more. What you are doing by worrying about speed is among the big causes for failure. It was my favorite way to fail.
Don't be the many. Be the few. Sustainability is more important that quick results. Sustainability means you are not miserable and you can do this for as long as it takes.
Your primary goal cannot be just to lose weight. It has to be to lose the habits and mindset of the person who gained it. This is almost never done successfully in drastic changes. It is done by gradually changing.
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Read this article, @nicolewilliams421. So much more is involved in your scale weight than body fat. Once you understand that, the scale loses its power over your mental health.
http://physiqonomics.com/the-weird-and-highly-annoying-world-of-scale-weight-and-fluctuations/2 -
Firstly, here is some perspective with regards to exceeding your calorie goal.
I don't know which weight loss rate you have selected (since you're impatient, it will probably 2lbs a week), but eating 200 calories over your goal an entire week slows your weight loss rate by 0.4lbs a week.
Even at the slowest weight loss rate of 0.5lbs per week (equivalent to a 250kcal deficit per day), you will still be in a deficit and still lose weight (albeit very slowly) if you eat 200 calories more than your goal.
Secondly, 1200 kcal is the lowest calorie goal MFP will give you, to ensure adequate nutrition. It's very likely that 1200 kcal a day is not low enough to achieve the weight loss rate you selected. This does NOT mean you should eat less. It means that you should choose a more appropriate weight loss rate. It's better to lose weight more slowly but consistently than to starve yourself and end up binging or even giving up on your weight loss alltogether. Being overly restrictive just makes it less sustainable.
I've lost 40 lbs since August. Slow, by your standards? Probably. But a conscious decision on my part. I haven't felt deprived or starved. You don't get bonus points for suffering when trying to lose weight.5 -
I don’t feel like I’m suffering...I had very bad eating habits . I’ve been making good food choices lately and I’m feeling pretty good. The first week I was having a hard time and thinking about food a lot but it was mostly because I was craving junk food (that’s what I’m used to). And I’m not 200 over every day. I stay at my goal most days, yesterday was the first time I’ve gone over in a week. I have a 500- 1000 calorie deficit depending on the day. I guess my main question was, if I upped my calories to let’s say 1500 would I still lose (you answered that:) ). Thank you for the help! I’m not very knowledgeable about this stuff but I’m learning!:)0
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nicolewilliams421 wrote: »I don’t feel like I’m suffering...I had very bad eating habits . I’ve been making good food choices lately and I’m feeling pretty good. The first week I was having a hard time and thinking about food a lot but it was mostly because I was craving junk food (that’s what I’m used to). And I’m not 200 over every day. I stay at my goal most days, yesterday was the first time I’ve gone over in a week. I have a 500- 1000 calorie deficit depending on the day. I guess my main question was, if I upped my calories to let’s say 1500 would I still lose (you answered that:) ). Thank you for the help! I’m not very knowledgeable about this stuff but I’m learning!:)
Definitely you'll still lose. I have my deficit set at only .5 lbs a week. Waaaaay easier for me to stick to, and the changes I make will be easier to keep in my lifestyle. If I am under by 300kcal one day, it only affects me positively as I don't feel like I'm starving.
I also have discovered new activities to do to burn calories, have fun with it, and if I go over a little one or two days of the week, I have one or two to make up for it. I am not a big fan of gym style workouts modified for home, so I started pole fitness, and I look up dance videos online 💃 Much more fun!1 -
There are so many factors that contribute to weight loss, however, there are a few things (I believe) that you can do to facilitate your weight loss. 1. Hydrate daily. I try to drink at least half my water early in the morning. 2. Weigh and measure anything you put in your mouth. 3. Be consistent in your habits. 4. Be active and in the very least walk daily. I think walking is one of the healthiest things you can do for weight loss. 5. Listen to your body! I found that when I have cravings my body is trying to tell me something. Maybe you are not eating enough or not eating enough of the right foods. (Also, this goes back to being hydrated. I drink water when I have cravings and this usually helps.)
I actually don't see anything wrong with weighing yourself everyday. In the beginning of my weight loss journey I did stress when I saw my weight fluctuate. I'm sure you know that weight loss is not linear, but it took me months to change my mindset about weight loss. It really helped me to use a weight loss app (I use Happy Scale) because I can see my weight loss trends (7 days, 30 days, 90 days, and total weight loss). This allows me to keep things in perspective. Although I closely monitor my diet and exercise you can't control every variable that can affect your weight loss. Looking at trends helped me to relax and focus.
Good luck. Slow and steady is the way to go.1 -
I haven’t been exercising:( only dieting! I walk are a lot at work though...I hate working out! With asthma and being over weight it’s so hard! Pole dancing huh!? I’d love that! My husband probably wouldn’t mind it either! Lol1
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It is hard to know how fast you are really losing because the first week or so there is a water weight drop for many people. I hope you lost some water weight because if not you are losing a half a pound a day which is a good way to end up in the hospital.
If you are exercising too then 1200 calories is too low. 1200 is only for short and sedentary women. If you are thinking of food nonstop you are miserable. Misery and weight loss are not good bedfellows.
You need to stop obsessing about the scale and start obsessing about sustainability. Almost everyone who tries to lose weight fails to lose all the weight they want to lose. Those that do often regain some, all, or more. What you are doing by worrying about speed is among the big causes for failure. It was my favorite way to fail.
Don't be the many. Be the few. Sustainability is more important that quick results. Sustainability means you are not miserable and you can do this for as long as it takes.
Your primary goal cannot be just to lose weight. It has to be to lose the habits and mindset of the person who gained it. This is almost never done successfully in drastic changes. It is done by gradually changing.
The bolded above are probable some of the best words you will ever read on this subject.3 -
quiksylver296 wrote: »Read this article, @nicolewilliams421. So much more is involved in your scale weight than body fat. Once you understand that, the scale loses its power over your mental health.
http://physiqonomics.com/the-weird-and-highly-annoying-world-of-scale-weight-and-fluctuations/
And this also! Wisdom!! Remember, on a day to day basis, the scale is A BIG FAT LIAR! Trends over time and overall health are the key and not a daily number on a scale.2 -
You say you walk a lot at work. Any idea of how many steps? I'm wondering if you have set your activity level correctly on MFP, especially considering you are losing weight very (too) quickly. Your low calorie goal (1200) suggests that you have chosen sedentary/not very active, and that might not be appropriate.4
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Well today I’m at 5000 steps and I have 4 hours to go...1
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You've got good advice. The only question is whether you currently CAN and WILL take it in, and implement.
You win with weight loss and maintenance by doing things that are sustainable. And adjusting when you need to.
Overdoing things and pushing through eventually leads to breaking. People love to blame themselves for not having enough will-power/focus/fortitude and breaking / failing at weight loss and maintenance.
I tell people that they're not to blame; but, actually, deep down inside I do believe they ARE to blame!!!
Not blame because of lack of will-power, or focus, or fortitude, but because they allowed themselves to be in the position where they were depending on having infinite reserves of will-power, focus, and fortitude in order to push through and avoid breaking in the first place!
No matter how carefully you do things, you will still need large amounts of will-power to get to where you want to be. And especially in order to maintain your loss when you get there.
The easier you make it on yourself, the more likely it is that you will have the reserves needed in order to adjust when it becomes necessary.
10K steps a day is compatible with the activity level of ACTIVE, on MFP. 5K steps is within the lightly active level. For most people. Most of the time.
Your current loss is (too) fast. In your original post you mentioned thinking about food and it being a struggle, and in a later post you contradicted the assertion that you were suffering.
Recognizing that you're struggling when you are and adjusting your plan (which you're doing by asking about raising your calories a bit) is GOOD. As long as you keep your calories in below your calories out you will keep losing weight. Not always in a straight line (we are humans, not computers, and weight varies for reasons other than fat change too!). But you will still trend downwards! A weight trend app or web site may help you see that... if you ever find yourself needing a reminder down the road!2 -
This is the problem. If the expectation is that you're going to blow off 9lbs in the same amount of time you first did it, it's likely not going to happen. Then that obsessive weighing in could actually discourage you more. If you can't accept the scale results from daily weighing, you probably shouldn't be weighing everyday.nicolewilliams421 wrote: »I am 5ft 1 and started counting calories to loose weight on may 4th. I started at 202.8 and as of today I’m down to 191.2...I’m so proud of myself! I’ve worked so hard at changing my horrible eating habits and it’s been tough...lol! My biggest problem is that I’m really hard on myself and obsessively weigh myself...at least once, sometimes twice a day:( I’m allowed 1200 calories a day and if I go over (like today, I went over by 200 calories) I feel like I failed and screwed the whole day up! I’m just hungry and thinking about food all day long and it’s such a struggle!!! Could use some advice...even if I slip up and eat 1400 in calories is that still ok?? I just want results and I want them fast!
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
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Thank you for the advice...some was a bit harsh but I guess I need it! This is all new to me, I’m learning. I was very tiny my whole life (100lbs) and I always ate whatever I wanted and stayed that way...then I had 5 kids and everything changed! I’ve never had to work at this before. I will definitely take the advice. I’m going to weigh in on mondays only and possibly up my calories to 1500 (when I eat that amount I feel pretty satisfied). Thanks again!3
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I think obviously where I went wrong was with my activity level...I set it for lower than I should have.1
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