Call for help... not losing any weight!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Emajination

Hello Everyone,

I've been working diligently on finding the right combination for my diet and exercise all my life!!!! At the beginning of November I set a goal #60daysoffitness goal, basically to exercise for at least an hour everyday for 60 days. (Something that I never normally do, I would exercise maybe once or twice a WEEK). But anyway, as of today, I am on day 25. I am so happy that I have made it this far.

My exercise consist of approx 3 miles walking/jogging, 100 squats, push-ups, ab work, jump rope.

My issue is that within the 25 days of exercising, I HAVEN'T LOST ONE DANG GONE POUND. I feel so defeated. (tears as I type this). I don't understand why I'm not losing weight. I have tried to track my food daily on MFP, from the snacks etc, When I look at my diary, I don't see anything that stands out that will prevent me from losing. Before November my diet was out of control. For Thanksgiving I limited my intake especially of sweets.

I am addicted to sugar but I have tried to eat something else to satisfy that craving (almonds, yogurt). I'm at my wits end in trying to figure out why I'm not losing weight.

Yea, yea, I've seen NSV (non scale victories) my legs are stronger and more tone, but my clothes fit the same!!!

I really don't know what to do, I'm thinking of just stopping my #60daysoffitness and not do anything at all!!!

Please help! :explode:

hwoeltjen

If you haven't lost a pound your caloric intake is too high. It really is that simple.

Start measuring your food and track it correctly.

Phoenix_Warrior

First thing I notice by checking your diary is your logging is spotty. There's empty days and days missing dinner. Track 100%. Also, I highly recommend a digital scale to weigh food. Only use measuring cups for liquids. Use exercise for fitness/health and focus diet for weight loss.

howardheilweil

Well, your exercise routine sounds great, but it appears that you are not consistently logging all of your food. In terms of weightloss, exercise is really only a supplement to what you are eating and if you are not consistently eating at a caloric deficit, you will not lose any weight. Good luck!

Emajination

I started using MFP on November 10, and have missed maybe 5 days of logging. I'm wondering if I need to tweak my intake somehow.

I also take CLA supplements, no other vitamins.

Just thought I add that additional info.. and I've made my diary public

psuLemon

Consistent tracking is key. But if if you are active, 1200 calories isn't a good goal either. As part of MFP, you should be eating back some of your exercise calories. Also, with 30 lbs to lose, your per week goal should not be any greater than 1 lb per week. Otherwise it's too aggressive.

If you don't have a food scale yet, you should invest.. it's the only way to ensure accuracy.

loriq41

I started using MFP on November 10, and have missed maybe 5 days of logging. I'm wondering if I need to tweak my intake somehow.

I also take CLA supplements, no other vitamins.

Just thought I add that additional info.. and I've made my diary public

So what you are saying is you have missed almost a week in a month and you are wondering why you are not losing weight? Consistency is key, I cannot sugarcoat it for you.

septembergrrl

One question based on looking at your journal -- are you honestly not eating vegetables and fruit, or do you just not log them?

If you aren't eating them, start. The fiber and vitamins are good for you and they'd help limit your water retention, if that's a factor.

If you aren't logging them, probably that's putting you over your calorie goal. It's easy to add a couple hundred calories a day with them, especially if you eat a lot of fruit.

cheek72

Just my 2 cents. I am not a fitness trainer or anything but I do know muscle weighs approx. 3-1 over fat. If you are exercising that much, and it seems you are working your big muscles (legs) a lot. It could be you are gaining muscle and losing fat. The times I started weight training, I would not see a loss for about a month. But I stuck to my weight training and after the month I started losing weight.

Did you take measurements before you started this plan? Measurements are very good to see if you are losing inches. You may not be losing the weight, but you should check your measurements to see if you are losing inches.

Consistency consistency consistency!!

I say, keep up the good work and don't give up hope. Everybody has a different body and they react differently. If you are honest to yourself about what you are eating and your exercise plan, you will start to notice a difference.

Emajination

Thank you everyone for responding..

Going forward, I will incorporate:
1. Logging everything put in my mouth
2. Increase my vegetable/fruit intake and log it
3. Continue being consistent with my exercise, #60daysoffitness
4. Weigh my food, to ensure I'm eating my serving size.
5. Eat more food (I was not eating enough nor was I eating my exercise calories)
6. Start taking my measurements

Thank you so much for helping me to see what I have been doing incorrectly... I'm going to remain focused and determined to get this weight off!!

I'll keep my diary public for accountability

diannethegeek

Just my 2 cents. I am not a fitness trainer or anything but I do know muscle weighs approx. 3-1 over fat. If you are exercising that much, and it seems you are working your big muscles (legs) a lot. It could be you are gaining muscle and losing fat. The times I started weight training, I would not see a loss for about a month. But I stuck to my weight training and after the month I started losing weight.

Did you take measurements before you started this plan? Measurements are very good to see if you are losing inches. You may not be losing the weight, but you should check your measurements to see if you are losing inches.

Consistency consistency consistency!!

I say, keep up the good work and don't give up hope. Everybody has a different body and they react differently. If you are honest to yourself about what you are eating and your exercise plan, you will start to notice a difference.

The OP is very unlikely to be gaining muscle at their current calorie level. If they are seeing some newbie gains they'll be slight and not enough to offset the fat losses they should be seeing. A certain amount of water retention is to be expected when starting a new exercise routing (which many people mistake to be muscle growth) but that should have dissipated by now as well.

I would agree that logging more accurately is going to be the first step. Get a good idea of exactly what you're eating for a few weeks and then readjust as necessary. Best of luck moving forward!

STC1188

Just a tip: before you start eating more, I would try accurate logging first, and then reassess after a few weeks. Control one variable at a time in regards to intake.

cheek72

try eating 5-6 times a day also. Keep your metabolism up by eating a good sound breakfast with protein and fiber. This will start your day out and allow for your body to feel full longer. If you want to look at my diary, I set it up for times of day and not the 3 meals. It helps me track what I am eating and when. I got that tip from a fitness trainer that set up my program here in the Army.

sweetpea03b

From what I saw in your diary... you're not eating enough. If you are working out for an hour everyday and you're barely hitting 1000-1200 calories... that's way too low. I only work out 3x/week and I'm hitting 1500-1700/daily. You need a deficit to lose weight, yes... but too high will stall your weight loss. Also, try backing down on the cardio and adding some weight lifting to your routine. The goal here is FAT LOSS. Building muscle is the key to fat loss and boosting your metabolism. New Rules of Lifting for Women.... read it... it's really helped me get over my plateau.

Good luck!

Holly_Roman_Empire

OP, the big long post and not one mention of your calorie goal. Track your intake and exercise accurately and you'll see results. You're eating more calories than you're burning. Simple.

sweetpea03b

OP, the big long post and not one mention of your calorie goal. Track your intake and exercise accurately and you'll see results. You're eating more calories than you're burning. Simple.

?? Did anybody even look at the OP's diary??? She is only logging 1000-1200 calories. Assuming she's actually logging everything she eats... she is definately NOT eating more than she burns. I'm sure she burns that while she SLEEPS.

bryntevans01

25 days in?!!!! Scientifically it takes approximately 4 weeks for the human body to adapt to significant change. Yes you can lose weight in this time and will see some results but your metabolic system and your muscle fibre changes wont really have kicked in yet. Keep at it, you may as well. Muscle does weigh a lot more than fat so here are some things you should know:
Muscles out weighs fat by triple the size.
Scales only tell you your complete body weight.
Scales are the worst judgement of health measuring.
The BMI scale is irrelevant if you exercise.
Tape measuring yourself is the best way of progress.
Monitoring your fat % is way better than the scales
and..... if you eat too many starchy carbs (sugar), this turns to fat (depending on your somatype)

Emajination

I know one of my issues was not eating enough calories, I actually altered my calorie intake to 1200 and I was not eating back my exercise calories.

So now MFP defaulted my calorie intake to 1500 (lose 2 pounds a week) and when I exercise, it increases to 1800/1900. thats alot of food.. I KNOW I WAS NEVER EATING THAT MUCH.

lrmall01

Thank you everyone for responding..

Going forward, I will incorporate:
1. Logging everything put in my mouth
2. Increase my vegetable/fruit intake and log it
3. Continue being consistent with my exercise, #60daysoffitness
4. Weigh my food, to ensure I'm eating my serving size.
5. Eat more food (I was not eating enough nor was I eating my exercise calories)
6. Start taking my measurements

Thank you so much for helping me to see what I have been doing incorrectly... I'm going to remain focused and determined to get this weight off!!

I'll keep my diary public for accountability

Great actions to take. I suggest you also take some focused time to reflect on how far you've come, how much better you feel, why you are doing all this, etc. This is as much a mental process as it is physical. Your earlier comments about getting discouraged and wanting to quit will still occur if your only measure of success is weight loss. You will eventually run out of weight to lose, or your body will not co-operate from time to time. You have to have the mental fortitude to carry on even when you may not hit all of your goals.

diannethegeek

try eating 5-6 times a day also. Keep your metabolism up by eating a good sound breakfast with protein and fiber. This will start your day out and allow for your body to feel full longer. If you want to look at my diary, I set it up for times of day and not the 3 meals. It helps me track what I am eating and when. I got that tip from a fitness trainer that set up my program here in the Army.

While some people do really well with 5-6 small meals a day, others do better with larger meals or even just an 8-hour feeding window. Scientifically, meal timing won't have an impact on weight loss. Meal timing is all about what works best for each individual's schedule and psychology.

psuLemon

Whats your height weight and age? And how long is your workout routine?

cheek72

I am just trying to suggest different courses of action. The big meals don't work for me and I actually feel better and am able to track things like snacks easier if I track them by time. Before I changed it, I would look back at my diary and try to remember what part of the day I ate almonds. All about trying to find out what works best for you.

Emajination

Whats your height weight and age? And how long is your workout routine?

My height is 5'7, age 43 and my workouts range from 1 hour to 1 1/2 hours

psuLemon

I am just trying to suggest different courses of action. The big meals don't work for me and I actually feel better and am able to track things like snacks easier if I track them by time. Before I changed it, I would look back at my diary and try to remember what part of the day I ate almonds. All about trying to find out what works best for you.

I think we understand it and it's awesome that it is working for you, but from a weight loss standpoint and metabolic standpoint, increasing meals or for that matter, decreasing meals has NO effect on either. If calories are equal, meal timing and frequent don't have an effect.

As a side note, it takes 72 hours straight with no food to have an impact on your metabolism.

psuLemon

Whats your height weight and age? And how long is your workout routine?

My height is 5'7, age 43 and my workouts range from 1 hour to 1 1/2 hours

how about weight?

Emajination

I've been using MFP on my phone and never knew there was a community online. Everyone has such a wealth of knowledge and I can take something from each persons post. I love the different viewpoints.

Each of you have helped me more than you know and have encouraged me.. I feel so much better than when I initially wrote the post!!!


Thank you again..

psuLemon

Whats your height weight and age? And how long is your workout routine?

My height is 5'7, age 43 and my workouts range from 1 hour to 1 1/2 hours

I would set your calories at 1800 (macro's at 40% carbs, 30% protein and 30% fats) and log everything with a food scale and daily. This is critical to understanding your success. What you can do is add 200 calories until you hit 1800. So do 1 week at 1200 (while logging daily) and then add 200 calories the following week, etc.. Once you hit 1800, stay there for 1 month to see progress. This is actually average for women (see below). So try not to be scared of 1800 calories, think of it like you get the ability to eat more delicious food. Remember, food is fuel.



http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/506349-women-who-eat-more-than-1800-calories-a-day

cheek72

Completely untrue. You cannot say that if you have a 1500 calorie intake goal that you should eat it all for dinner. Weight loss may go with calorie intake, but your metabolism decides at what rate they are burned. Maybe from a weight loss view, eating more or less meals doesn't matter. But putting your body into starvation mode does not help your metabolism. That is really just common sense.

Akimajuktuq

try eating 5-6 times a day also. Keep your metabolism up by eating a good sound breakfast with protein and fiber. This will start your day out and allow for your body to feel full longer. If you want to look at my diary, I set it up for times of day and not the 3 meals. It helps me track what I am eating and when. I got that tip from a fitness trainer that set up my program here in the Army.

^nonsense. Number of meals makes no difference. Everyone is different. I can eat one or two big meals per day and eating breakfast is NOT my thing, and if I do eat breakfast it's fat and maybe protein, no sugar. Fasting is my friend. I do NOT feel full longer with small meals and volume of the food (huge servings of low calorie foods) does ZERO for my satiety- in fact it makes me hungrier. I feel full longer by eating very nutrient dense foods. My meals may look small on the plate but I am FULL. Fat is my best friend. Not only am I losing my excess body fat but the health improvements have been amazing.

Going into "starvation mode" from skipping breakfast? Seriously? Wow, I'm doing it all wrong. I must be such a special snowflake to be having all the health success that I am having even though I'm not grazing constantly.

cheek72

You should try reading the whole thread, but then again English may not be your strong suit. It was a suggestion...a suggestion to help someone. You have added nothing to this thread besides a picture and a smart *kitten* comment. This is why I don't respond on these stupid *kitten* sites. METABOLISM. look it up lady

silken555

Actually Cheek, you're the one that should be doing some research. Starvation mode doesn't exist in the context you are using it. A person would need to be eating at an extreme calorie deficit for a very long time for the body to go into a state of survival.

There are many, MANY successful people on MFP who eat one or two meals a day in one shot and they are either still happily losing or happily maintaining. Your body is not a clock...it doesn't care when or how much at a time you feed it as long as you actually feed it what it needs on a daily basis. Then it's happy as a clam. The way you think is what makes a difference. For instance, you feel better eating as you do. Others however really don't.