Not losing

lindalake8

Hey all! So I’m getting frustrated because I’m barley losing weight. I’ve list about 6 to 7 pounds in 4 weeks and I’m working my butt off! Staying in my calories of 1410 and working out at least an hour 5 to 6 days a week! I’m very heavy at 228 now so I’m getting concerned why I’m not losing more faster? Should I drop my calories? Thanks for advice !
Linda

Rockmama1111

It took me 22 weeks to lose 20 pounds. You’re doing fine, especially if you aren’t overly hungry.

tomcustombuilder

7 in 4 weeks is a great accomplishment most people would be jelly.

springlering62

Hi, Linda. Welcome to the MFP boards, where advice that may sting is given with love and concern. We’ve all been “there”, and hey! You asked for advice.

Step back from the precipice of diet failure and take a deep breath.

What in the world gave you the idea you should lose pounds so quick? Did you gain them fast ? Nope. Crept up on you, same as it did for me.

Think about what you’ve said. You suddenly cut calories considerably, plus started “working your butt off”.

You’ve lit the candle at both ends. Your body is in rebellion.

Sore from working out? Your wise body retains water and directs it to those sore areas to aid in healing. You may be hanging on to several pounds of water, depending how sore you are.

Been at it four weeks? Have you had a monthly cycle yet? There’s some water fluctuations there, fer shure.

You didn’t say how tall you are, but if you’re exercising at that rate and not eating back some exercise calories, you’re probably underfueling your body.

Are you carefully weighing your food? Or taking the easy route and eyeballing it? Using measuring cups instead of weighing? A cup of flour is 120 grams. I can darn sure tell you a measuring cup of flour, as I used to fill it, was 25-50% more. The peanut butter fanciers here will chime in to tell you a serving of peanut butter, weighed in grams, is waaaay smaller than what they were scooping.

So many many people come here starting same as you did. They get frustrated, cut calories more, then have a binge or get hurt and sidelined from over-exercising, see little or no movement on the scale, and throw in the towel. “Calorie counting is a rip. I tried it and it didn’t work for me.”

No, because you have to work for calorie counting.

Slow it down, take the time to learn to weigh accurately and build a food catalogue in your diary. Log every single morsel. Build good habits. Try new foods, subtle changes in current foods that can cut calories without affecting taste.

Learn which macro satiates you: protein, fat, or carbs.

Don’t fall trap to fads, or “influencers”, and run screaming from anything that includes the words “fat burner” or “belly fat”. (OMG the online ads you’re getting right now, amIright?!)

Get a fitness tracker. Learn the “cost” of the apple or those Oreos versus the exercise to offset it. That was hugely eye opening for me.

You can do this. I did this, starting at almost your identical weight, at age 56. It took me a year to lose the first 80 pounds.I never ate less than 1479, and that was only because I didn’t know any better til I visited a dietician (recommend!!!!) a couple months in, who asked me to increase to 1700, and a trainer six month in who made me increase to 2100. Yeah. Increase. The more I ate, the more I lost, because I was fueling my body.

Like you, I was gung ho for exercise, but I continued to increase activity because I discovered what a joy it is to move my formerly immobile big *kitten*.

Give it two or three months. You’ll get a feel for what your body needs. Be alert and prepared to adjust, forever. I’m currently adding several hundred calories a day because I’m underfueling for the amount of activity I do and the muscle I carry, following several months of travel and inconsistent nutrition.

It’s a constant path of awareness and adjustment.

Finally, read these boards every single day. They are a wealth of knowledge and experience, and other users here are happy to help. We want everyone to be a winner.

lindalake8

Thank you for all the kind words and advice! I’m 5’6 btw. I guess I’m being hard on myself as I remember losing weight was so much easier when I was younger (I’m 41). I’m definitely going to stay at it and I will keep you all posted. Have a great night!

herringboxes

I’m proud of you! Keep going!

tomcustombuilder

Most likely the initial loss is some water so doubtful the loss is too fast. Give it time and adjust accordingly.

sarabushby

Amazing advice as always above from @springlering62

1lb/wk is a great rate of loss plus 2-3lbs of initial water weight. Well done and keep doing what you’re doing. Don’t get disheartened if one week you don’t lose or even gain.

I highly recommend a weight trend app like Happy Scale used in conjunction with MFP. It’ll help you to have realistic expectations and not freak out about blips here and there.

cwolfman13

6-7 Lbs in 4 weeks is plenty fast. Averaging 1-2 Lbs per week is optimal. Your expectations simply aren't realistic.

Pdc654

Hi, @lindalake8 . You're doing great! Everyone here has given you great advice. You can do this. Remember that weight loss is not linear and an increase in water weight can mask fat loss. Some weeks you might not lose anything or even gain according to the scale. Don't panic. Take your measurements every month. Is your weight up but your measurements are less this month? That means you are losing fat even if the scale doesn't say so. Clothes getting loser? Another sign you are losing fat. Log accurately ( in grams using a food scale) and be consistent. You'll get there. Take it from an older (70) shorter (5'3") women who has lost almost 115 lbs over the last 2 years. You can do it!

ddsb1111

lindalake8 wrote: »

Hey all! So I’m getting frustrated because I’m barley losing weight. I’ve list about 6 to 7 pounds in 4 weeks and I’m working my butt off! Staying in my calories of 1410 and working out at least an hour 5 to 6 days a week! I’m very heavy at 228 now so I’m getting concerned why I’m not losing more faster? Should I drop my calories? Thanks for advice !
Linda

Hi Linda,

Others have given you great advice imo. But I wonder what you think will be your new normal when you reach your goal?

Getting 60 minutes of exercise or activity will need to be your lifestyle and not just a temporary fix to lose weight. The best way I find to accomplish this is by doing things I already enjoy, or physical activity with friends and family. Also, your calories at goal may not be too far from 1400 calories. However, your activity and exercise will increase that, which is why it’s important to stay moving. Some ladies, even the petite ones, have worked their way up to 2000+ calories with an active lifestyle. I find that if I exercise too much I get too hungry or move less later, so everyone needs to find their perfect balance.

What I’m trying to say is that your mindset is already off by saying you’re working your butt off, you’re expecting immediate results, and assuming this will have an end date. It won’t.

But I have some good news for you! It does get easier and more enjoyable as you lose weight and reach your goals. But staying active and managing your calories isn’t going away just because you’re at goal. This will need to be a lifestyle forever, and I recommend finding a way to slow down and enjoy the process by doing fun activities and losing at a reasonable rate. Hope that’s helpful! Believe me, I’m right there with you