Weight won't budge, please help!

laughtersmom

Hi, I just registered here. I feel your pain as I have been working out for 1 month ( I see a personal trainer once a week and workout with my hubs 4 days a week) and I have only lost 1 lb! I was so frustrated when I discovered this that I stormed out of the gym! Well, I will tell you a few of the things I learned that put my mind and heart at ease for the moment.

1) Women always get bigger or gain before they start to lose weight. It's hormonal. It really is, but it is temporary.

2) You may have gained some muscle while simultaneously losing some fat, so they kind of balanced each other.

3) If you stay positive, your body will react positively. It's like being in love, the positivity is just so good for your body.

4) Think about cleaning up your diet. I am 28 (almost 29), and at our age, we have to exercise and eat cleaner to see results, that's just how it is.

5) Stay dedicated! I get frustrated too, but think about your reasons for wanting to lose weight. Keep your mind on the prize. For me, this meant looking at photos of me 5 years ago when I was freaking 125 lbs! I was sexy! And now I am 215! (50 of which is baby weight) But I look at who I use to be and I know she is still in me, I just have to shed the 90lb person that is hanging on to her. Give yourself incentive. For instance, when I get to -20lbs, I am going to have a spa day. When I get to -50lbs hubs and I are going to spend $300 on whatever we want. When I reach -85-90lbs, my husband is going to let me order $3200 worth of furniture! Trust me it works. Keep your mind on the end results, not on the current struggle. As you continue, your body will get stronger and be able to endure.

Achrya

Hi, I just registered here. I feel your pain as I have been working out for 1 month ( I see a personal trainer once a week and workout with my hubs 4 days a week) and I have only lost 1 lb! I was so frustrated when I discovered this that I stormed out of the gym! Well, I will tell you a few of the things I learned that put my mind and heart at ease for the moment.

1) Women always get bigger or gain before they start to lose weight. It's hormonal. It really is, but it is temporary.

2) You may have gained some muscle while simultaneously losing some fat, so they kind of balanced each other.

3) If you stay positive, your body will react positively. It's like being in love, the positivity is just so good for your body.

4) Think about cleaning up your diet. I am 28 (almost 29), and at our age, we have to exercise and eat cleaner to see results, that's just how it is.

5) Stay dedicated! I get frustrated too, but think about your reasons for wanting to lose weight. Keep your mind on the prize. For me, this meant looking at photos of me 5 years ago when I was freaking 125 lbs! I was sexy! And now I am 215! (50 of which is baby weight) But I look at who I use to be and I know she is still in me, I just have to shed the 90lb person that is hanging on to her. Give yourself incentive. For instance, when I get to -20lbs, I am going to have a spa day. When I get to -50lbs hubs and I are going to spend $300 on whatever we want. When I reach -85-90lbs, my husband is going to let me order $3200 worth of furniture! Trust me it works. Keep your mind on the end results, not on the current struggle. As you continue, your body will get stronger and be able to endure.

TIL if I say "it really is" and "that's just how it is" That makes things true.

ninerbuff

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cafeaulait7

Hi, I just registered here. I feel your pain as I have been working out for 1 month ( I see a personal trainer once a week and workout with my hubs 4 days a week) and I have only lost 1 lb! I was so frustrated when I discovered this that I stormed out of the gym! Well, I will tell you a few of the things I learned that put my mind and heart at ease for the moment.

1) Women always get bigger or gain before they start to lose weight. It's hormonal. It really is, but it is temporary.

2) You may have gained some muscle while simultaneously losing some fat, so they kind of balanced each other.

3) If you stay positive, your body will react positively. It's like being in love, the positivity is just so good for your body.

4) Think about cleaning up your diet. I am 28 (almost 29), and at our age, we have to exercise and eat cleaner to see results, that's just how it is.

5) Stay dedicated! I get frustrated too, but think about your reasons for wanting to lose weight. Keep your mind on the prize. For me, this meant looking at photos of me 5 years ago when I was freaking 125 lbs! I was sexy! And now I am 215! (50 of which is baby weight) But I look at who I use to be and I know she is still in me, I just have to shed the 90lb person that is hanging on to her. Give yourself incentive. For instance, when I get to -20lbs, I am going to have a spa day. When I get to -50lbs hubs and I are going to spend $300 on whatever we want. When I reach -85-90lbs, my husband is going to let me order $3200 worth of furniture! Trust me it works. Keep your mind on the end results, not on the current struggle. As you continue, your body will get stronger and be able to endure.

Welcome! I'm going to give you a heads up on the prevailing wisdom here, because folks get very pointy fast if you cross it

--The weight gain is from glycogen/water used for muscle repair when starting a new or more strenuous workout.

--(related) You won't gain muscle that fast, and you won't 'gain' muscle in a deficit (with some exceptions folks sometimes mention but usually don't).

--Eating clean and exercising are not necessary. It's simply calories in vs calories out.

Oh, there are threads and threads of huge debates about those things. Just a warning Hiya, though Nice to have you.

Otterluv

Yes but dont you subtract the calories you work out? like say you eat 1700 food calories and burn 300 doesnt that leave you with 100 more calories to meet your goal of 1500 since your net is 300 from exercise? Like if you eat 1700 and burn 300 then want a 100 calorie snack but still come up to 1500 total because you worked out? isnt that your net what you worked out and burned off? thats why my calories are higher because i thought you could eat more if you burned off calories during exercise and you were still under your goal

Yep, you have this right. So, now that you will be weighing, measuring, and logging you will be on the right track

If, after a few weeks the scale still doesn't move, than your burn numbers are probably off. MFP burn amounts are generally too high. You can change the amount burned when you enter your activity. I usually go for about 1/2 of what MFP says. But, trial and error should tell you if you have it about right.

cookiealbright

Hello and congrats on your upcoming wedding. I love the outer banks! You are so lucky to be going in May, I have to wait until August. The scale is not moving because you are eating more than you think. I looked at your diary and you didn't log yesterday, but I'll bet you ate something. You can go to the gym as much as you can, but most weight loss starts in the kitchen. I wish you the best, but you are the only one that can do this and you have to get you head to quit making excuses for you. Good luck!

cathipa

Congrats on your upcoming wedding (I love OBX)!

I can echo the sentiments of others who have posted.

You need to log every day even if it means you splurged and didn't stick to your diet. You don't know how many calories you are getting in if you don't log.

I also second the scale. Much more precise than measuring cups.

How did you come up with your current daily calorie goal? You may not be eating enough given the amount of exercising you are doing and this could be why you are not losing. Try this site http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/. It has really helped me when I couldn't lose even on a 1200 cal diet. Others on here have used the BMR or TDEE methods with great success.

DRINK YOUR WATER. Can't stress this enough. I know it is boring, but make your self do it otherwise your body will just retain water.

Limit sodium intake. Processed foods are loaded with it, especially the low fat ones. If you are eating them to save time cooking, just premake your meals for the week (salads,soups, etc.). Cheaper and way better for you.

What ever you do DON'T GIVE UP!!! You can do this!!!
Good luck to you!!!

laughtersmom

I just ordered a food scale for $18 on this site called nomorerack.com That deal is probably still on there and it includes $2 shipping that you can actually get discounted with a coupon code. Don't know if that helps, but message me if you have trouble with this.

laughtersmom

Wow! Thanks, knowledge is power.

laughtersmom

Don't be mean, be encouraging.

Hormones are substances that our body makes that effect the way things are processed in our bodies, so technically it IS hormonal. Also, I meant that she should not just expect to exercise and that's it. She has to eat better as well. The older you get, the better you have to eat to stay fit. That is true. When I was 17, I dropped 15 in 3 weeks eating double cheeseburgers and fries 3 times a week after soccer practice. I can't do that now, though, lol!

The crazy thing about this site is that it is for health and fitness. And the last time I checked, those things require hope, positivity and encouragement, not criticism, negativity and sarcasm. Keep those bad things to yourself, they wont help any of us with our fitness goals.

LoosingMyLast15

I DO MEASURE with measuring cups. I am not working and cannot afford a scale, although one would be nice. I could ask my fiance to get me one he probably would.

buy a cheap food scale then register for a good food scale. think about it like this if an athlete only puts in 50% effort they are only going to get 50% results sadly that's what you are doing. yes it's a pain in he *kitten* to measure everything and yes it's time consuming but you can't expect 100% results if you are only putting in 50% effort. if you want to loose the weight in time for your wedding then you need to do this 100% not 50% unless you want to hit your half way point goal just in time for your wedding. since you do eat a lot of processed foods you really need to up your water intake. processed foods have LOTS of sodium you need to flush that all out. how about adding a bit of lemon to your water that may be just what you need or buy the crystal light packets and use half a packet in your water (it'll stretch the packets and give you just a bit of flavor).

you do need to start eating better as we get older our metabolisum slows and sadly we can no longer eat like we were 18/20 year olds. change your chocolate cherrios for multi grain or a healthier cereal. maybe instead of eating 1.5 cups of ice cream you eat just 1 cup and add some frozen berries to it.

btw OBX is a great place for wedding. congratulations.

cmeiron

Ok so I am really frustrated.. I started working out again about a month ago at 158 pounds, I have yoyoed in weight for years and I am trying to get it off again and keep it off . I have been going to the gym 4 days a week and I usually workout for 40-50 minutes total including warm up and cool down. I am only thirty years old, I know as you age it gets harder to lose weight. I just turned 30 on Dec 28 and its so much harder than it was in my twenties to lose weight. So.. I started out at 158 and weighed in this morning.. although my eating habits still arent the best I have been trying to eat better and continue to work out but when I weighed in this morning it said 157.5.. really frustrating and didnt seem right to me because my fiance said my face looked thinner and my chest looked smaller as well, but of course my shorts are still extremely snug so I know I am definitely not into the 140 yet. When I reach 140s in weight my clothes fit nicer. I am wondering if I could be retaining alot of salt and or water and that could be why the scale is still as high as it is. I try to eat 1500 calories or less every day and I usually try to record what I eat in the my fitness pal app but lately counting every calorie is driving me insane so I have taken a break from logging. I do still occasionally eat fast food in small quantities and I do eat alot of foods high in salt. I drink barely any water which I know is a major downfall because I hate it unless its extremely hot or im really thirsty so I have to force it down. I definitely do not drink enough water. I also sometimes go over in my calories but then I usually work out harder the next day or add more time to my workout. I am going to be starting to lift this week so I am hoping that will help but my weight just wont budge. How did I only lose a half a pound in a month? I have really been trying to eat better and some days I go over in nutrients and calories but I feel like I work out enough to be losing. The good news is at least I didnt maintain or gain any weight. I am getting married May 22 its a beach wedding at the outer banks NC and I am trying to get down to 140 145. I am 5 5 so that is a good weight for me. Could it be water weight and salt retention? Do diuretics help to reduce alot of water weight so that you can get a better more accurate reading on the scale? I also just came off of my cycle about 2/3 days ago so I am wondering if I could be holding water there. Please help!

OP, if you want to see results, you have to be consistent.

1. get that food scale, weigh everything, and log everything, every day. Right now you actually have no idea how much you're eating. You can eat "healthy" all you want, but if it's too much "healthy" food, it's still going to put you at or over a maintenance intake. Don't worry so much about WHAT you're eating. Aim for whole, nutritious foods, but enjoy foods you actually like. Just be honest about how much you're taking in.

2. Consistently track your weight during this time

3. Once you have a handle on your true intake and you've noted the corresponding response in your weight, adjust your intake accordingly. Not losing? Then bring your caloric goal down and continue to weigh, measure, log while meeting that new goal. Monitor your weight, and again, reassess/adjust intake as necessary.

danasings

Here you go:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004101GQC/ref=oh_details_o04_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Otterluv

Don't be mean, be encouraging.

Hormones are substances that our body makes that effect the way things are processed in our bodies, so technically it IS hormonal. Also, I meant that she should not just expect to exercise and that's it. She has to eat better as well. The older you get, the better you have to eat to stay fit. That is true. When I was 17, I dropped 15 in 3 weeks eating double cheeseburgers and fries 3 times a week after soccer practice. I can't do that now, though, lol!

The crazy thing about this site is that it is for health and fitness. And the last time I checked, those things require hope, positivity and encouragement, not criticism, negativity and sarcasm. Keep those bad things to yourself, they wont help any of us with our fitness goals.

I think that this solves your mystery. How much more active were you then? I would suspect quite a bit. Soccer is very fast paced, with times where you are running like hell.

littleburgy

In addition to the good advice given on here -- don't let the matter of age be a mental obstacle. The age difference doesn't have to be so bad. I'm 37, lost about 20 pounds over the fall, and am in better shape now than I was in my 20s.