It's just not working

jennyval7

Sometimes my weight will fluctuate 10 lbs from morning to night! Especially when I am working out in the field in the summer time when I tend to consume a lot of sodium and drink a lot of water. Then it takes a few days to get back to normal. Could it be that you are building muscle while exercising? Don't give up! You can do whatever you set your mind to. Hey, if it were easy, we wouldn't need this site :flowerforyou:

erickirb

I lose weight by eating between 1200 - 1400 calories each day and not eating back my exercise calories. Also when you are at a lower weight, it's harder/slower to lose weight.

You will lose weight eating anything below maintenance, you just don't want too large of a deficit or you risk losing lean muscle, not just the fat you want to lose.

JenRun1

I think you are obsessing about it. In fact that is exactly where I was this time last year, obsessing. Put your scale way in a closet. It is only messing with your head. I now only weigh once a month, and it was the best decision I could ever make. Start measuring yourself too. I've seen inches drop and the weight go up, but lose a pants size, so the scale is not alwasy your friend. Hang in there, it will work, you just have to be patient and trust the process.

Lesa_Sass

I just reviewed your diary. I do not think your diet is all that great. There are days you consume 1500 calories and 500 of those calories are snacks and sweets. Since it apparently is not working for you. I would suggest trying 3 weeks of real food. No protein bars or drinks, no fast food, or at the very least, make your sub a salad instead of eating it with bread.

Add leaner meats and more fruits and veggies. Just see where that lands you.

BecciJoWilding

Thanks so much everyone. I will keep at it I will try to eat half my workout calories back and see what that does. I'm totally fine to lose it slowly, it's just so frustrating when I feel like the last month was wasted when I woke up this morning and the scale said I was 1 pound heavier than I was when I started. I'll continue to weigh and measure everything and try eating back half my workout calories. I usually don't eat out a lot, but lately I have been. We'll work on that too. Lots of sodium when you eat out. I know I couldn't have gained a pound of fat overnight cause my net calories was 1264 and total calories was 1964, not 3600 like it would need to be to gain a pound. Thanks for the encouraging words

mccindy72

I am so frustrated. I have been trying to lose weight the healthy way by eating enough calories since December 9. On that day I weighed 139 and I have my net set to 1300 calories. I eat back my exercise calories. I gained some weight in the beginning which I heard was normal and then I started losing. On Friday I weighed 137, I felt great and felt for the first time I was happy while losing weight. I was out of town this weekend and came back gaining 2 pounds. I stuck to my calories but ate out a lot so I figured it was water weight from the sodium. Well I was home yesterday and this morning I was up another pound! I'm now 140.4. I almost just want to give up and stop eating back my calories. I weigh everything and document everything that goes in my mouth, even a piece of gum. Weighing and measuring everything is time consuming and I'm about to stop cause it's obviously not working. What am I doing wrong????

It is mostly likely water weight, which doesn't just disappear in a day, sometimes it take a coule of days. It will continue to fluctuate, so don't weigh yourself every day if it will bother you. It's not possible to gain a pound of fat weight in a day unless you ate 3,500 calories over your goal calories.
Don't stress about a pound here and there, just stick to your calorie deficit and you'll get to where you want to be. The last few pounds are usually the hardest to take off.

EmmieBaby

Give it time. Took me 3 months to even start seeing results (and a year to lose the first 20lbs).

golden words: WEIGHT LOSS IS NOT LINEAR

LucyT4dieting

This is what I found out from logging on this site. If you look in the database for the same item, you can find it listed many times for different calories. If I choose the lower calorie entry, I'm not doing myself any favors, so I look until I find a higher calorie entry and enter that. I also found that it's very easy to overestimate the calories burned from exercise. MFP's database is very generous with their calculations, so if I work out for an hour, I might put down a half hour. Sometimes I manually change the calories they offer. Drinking all the water that's recommended also has helped a lot. Stay with it. You'll learn by trial and error what works for you.
Good luck!

MinnieInMaine

It's all water weight!

Not only did you have a high sodium meal a couple days ago, you had a really hard workout yesterday which will also make you gain/retain water. Anytime you start working out or increase the intensity of your workout, you will very likely see an uptake or stall on the scale. This is because a more intense workout will cause microtears in the muscles and those fibers will retain water in glycogen as a natural healing response. It's kind of like when you sprain your ankle and it swells only not as visible as it's spread out over a larger area.

I honestly don't think there's any need for you to cut your exercise calories back as suggested. It's been working so far, you just need to get over this slight hump from the water weight and I'm sure you'll see the weight drop back down.

Patience!!

healthygreek

I agree with the above posters who said-eat back only half of your exercise calories.
Also, drink lots of water-especially after eating out! Restaurants are notorious for adding way too much salt!
Even sticking to your calories, you will put on water weight after eating out!

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crumbtinies

I agree, don't give up, don't worry about daily weight fluctuations, and make sure you are as accurate as possible.

I just wanted to add re: Insanity...I don't know if you've read other people's experiences with Insanity, but a lot of people who do it (myself included when I did it last summer) don't see a whole lot of changes the first month and then it's the second month they drop weight and start to see the changes. I have no idea why, but Insanity can be pretty intense, especially if you're new to working out and a lot of times people hold onto weight or even gain weight when they start a new exercise program.

I know it's frustrating to not see any progress after a month of working hard, but in the grand scheme of things a month isn't that long. Six months from now you can either be closer to/at your goal, or you can regret that you gave up.

martyqueen52

I just reviewed your diary. I do not think your diet is all that great. There are days you consume 1500 calories and 500 of those calories are snacks and sweets. Since it apparently is not working for you. I would suggest trying 3 weeks of real food. No protein bars or drinks, no fast food, or at the very least, make your sub a salad instead of eating it with bread.

Add leaner meats and more fruits and veggies. Just see where that lands you.

That doesn't matter. Calories matter.... not the source, unless she's worried about body comp. for shows.

doowop713

I just reviewed your diary. I do not think your diet is all that great. There are days you consume 1500 calories and 500 of those calories are snacks and sweets. Since it apparently is not working for you. I would suggest trying 3 weeks of real food. No protein bars or drinks, no fast food, or at the very least, make your sub a salad instead of eating it with bread.

Add leaner meats and more fruits and veggies. Just see where that lands you.

What is the matter with protein drinks and bars? the snacks and sweets are no good, but I think protein stuff is ok... or at least I thought it was. I'm doing fine with them in moderation!

knittinlady

You look great in your profile picture! As another short chick with a goal in the 120s, may I make a suggestion? Focus on building muscle. You are already at a healthy weight. If you're like me, you probably look great to others, but you're not quite happy with what you see in the mirror. Start lifting heavy, and you'll be amazed at how it changes your body. I'm not talking about dumbbells here, but real heavy weights. Put the scale away for a week or two, and get out the measuring tape and camera. Take photos and measurements. Determine your progress by how your clothes fit, and by how your muscles feel. Muscle weighs more than fat, and requires more calories. It also holds onto water to repair muscles. So your weight might go up, but eventually, that new muscle will be burning the fat that covers it, and your weight will drop then.

I'm pretty new to lifting, but there are a lot of folks here who can give you advice about getting started. I've been lifting for about a month(and eating at maintenance), and I'm beginning to think I'll never get back down to 120, because of how much muscle I'm putting on(I'm 148 today, down from 180 a year ago). I'd have to let my new (awesome) muscles shrink in order to be that light again. So I may land around 130 or 135, but I'll be stronger and more fit than I've ever been at a lighter weight.

Good luck! You've got this! Don't give up!

doowop713

I just reviewed your diary. I do not think your diet is all that great. There are days you consume 1500 calories and 500 of those calories are snacks and sweets. Since it apparently is not working for you. I would suggest trying 3 weeks of real food. No protein bars or drinks, no fast food, or at the very least, make your sub a salad instead of eating it with bread.

Add leaner meats and more fruits and veggies. Just see where that lands you.

That doesn't matter. Calories matter.... not the source, unless she's worried about body comp. for shows.

QFT

Elegra2006

Did you take measurements before and after? If not, then please, please do so! Take before and after pics too.

I think you're getting overly hung up by a number on the scale. I bet you've lost inches and gained more definition.

I'm 5'2" and look best at around 140lbs - despite going by various charts etc this means I'm overweight, yada, yada.

Try lifting weights, ensure you eat back exercise cals and have a decent amount of protein.

And take measurements!

jonnythan

When you start exercising, you will gain a few pounds. Using pre-exercise weight as a baseline is a poor idea.

Set your baseline weight now, after you've started exercising. And yes eat back fewer of those exercise calories (I think those calorie burns are rather optimistic).

Also, up your protein goal. By a lot. You should be looking at 90+ grams a day.

mccindy72

I just reviewed your diary. I do not think your diet is all that great. There are days you consume 1500 calories and 500 of those calories are snacks and sweets. Since it apparently is not working for you. I would suggest trying 3 weeks of real food. No protein bars or drinks, no fast food, or at the very least, make your sub a salad instead of eating it with bread.

Add leaner meats and more fruits and veggies. Just see where that lands you.

What is the matter with protein drinks and bars? the snacks and sweets are no good, but I think protein stuff is ok... or at least I thought it was. I'm doing fine with them in moderation!

Nothing is wrong with the protein bars/drinks, or the sweets and snacks, as long as calories are in a deficit.

MB_Positif

If your ready to quit after a month.. its already over.

this. sorry.

I don't usually say this kind of stuff, but I think you need a little boost with some tough love. This time last year I was basically dying. I have a brain condition that was cutting off my neurological functions. I couldn't walk right or talk right. I fell and crashed into stuff all the time. I choked on my own spit. I had double vision. There are more symptoms, but I will leave it at that. I knew I had to fight to maintain my weight through this. I easily could have given up and let myself gain. I was nearly bedridden for 7 months. I didn't let it happen. I stuck to my calorie goals and did not exercise. I had surgery in February of 2013 to alleviate the symptoms. I was able to start exercising again 4 weeks post op and I did. Slowly, but intentionally. You can't let little things get in your way. If you do, big things will fully derail you. Relax. You can do this.

ChrElizabeth

Also, remember that working out also makes your body gain muscle, which weighs more than fat. I would do some research on average intake that is involved with eating fast-food (if it's something you can't stay away from) and make sure you balance it with healthier foods like fruits and vegetables in your diet plan. Fast-food is addicting and it's hard to resist the urge to consume it until you feel sick, but I would make it a once a week "treat" if anything. Water weight is a hassle as well, but there are foods out there that can limit the water retention:

Melons and citrus fruits
Water (believe it or not)
Watercress
Salmon
Whole grains and nuts


*If you are going to eat fast-food, I would then stay away from processed foods.*