The Hamster in the Wheel (goes round and round)

langel07

I just started MyFitnessPal this week, though I have been on my current diet/daily excercise since Jan. 1st. I workout for the time that I have each day, which admittedly isn't much (1/2 hour each morning), but because of work, and home schedule, it's all I can do at this time. I am a bit discouraged, though not giving up!!, by my lack of progress. I have been following a 1200 calorie diet (or less) since the beginning of the year, measuring/weighing food and excercising, and the scale has not moved one iota!!! I tell myself every morning not to give up, that if anything else, it's making me a healthier person, but I used to weigh 130 lbs. (I am 5'7"), and these days I am consistenly at 148. I don't know what I could possibly be doing wrong since I've worked the math and I do think I am in calorie deficit mode. If anyone has had the same issue, I'd sure like to hear how you are doing, and if this is just the "plateau" that all my co-workers keep assuring me it is, before I completely go stark raving mad and demolish a crate of Twinkies. Thanks for any suggestions or advice that anyone has to give.

TwelveSticks

Can't be sure without seeing your diary, but from what you say, I'd suggest you're eating too little. Nobody should really be consistently netting less than 1200, and at 5' 7", I imagine you should be netting quite a bit more than that. But from what you say, you're eating less than 1200 and not eating back your exercise calories either, so chances are you're netting as little as half of what you should be. So you're starving, and your body will be doing everything it can to hang onto what it's got, slowing down your metabolism to do so. Eat more and you'll start losing.

Holly_Wood_888

Hello I have been using my fitness pal for 2 weeks now... I hear you on the scale not moving but I had a breakthrough today !!
Check the sugar levels you are in taking... I found that although I was below calories, My SUGAR was too high at the end of every evening! I have switched from flavored Greek yogurt to PLAIN and started adding strawberries (thawed from frozen) - its made a big difference!

Keep in mind although you are only exercising a half hour each day you are still getting your body moving!!
That's a heck of a lot better than not exercising at all
Another idea (im no expert) is to change up your work out... what are you doing every day?

langel07

Well, I run, and when I am not running (try to run at about 5.6 to 6, if not that, walking at 4.1 with 2.0 incline)...I used to do the elliptical, but I never broke a sweat, so I never felt like I was getting "my money's worth". And usually, I don't eat a lot of sugar, not to say that I wouldn't want to, since I LOVE IT. I can open my food diary,and even though it's just started this week, this has been going since Jan. 1st on paper, and far less sugar than you see in the last two days (in addition to my regular job, I bake professionally and I had an order this week, so I did sample a cookie and a mini cupcake to get the flavor of the batter right). Many here at my work tell me that I should eat more, and honestly, I have tried that too! As you may imagine, scale just went up. I've tried WW, Fat Lovers Program, Nutrisystem...I am a professional at this, but this is the first time in my life that I've run into such difficulties. Hanging in there, though!!

Holly_Wood_888

Way to go on exercising - we don't know how blessed we are to be able to exercise ! So many people with 'bad backs' are unable to do so.. I see it in my job daily and I am thankful for what I have... may I suggest some workouts which involve lunges, situps, bicycles etc.... don't worry about the cupcake sample !

My second suggestion is to eat more - your metabolism will balance with more frequent HEalthy snacks ...

1200 isn't enough if your 5"7 -

I am 5"2 and that is what I am in taking... I agree with what the gentleman above said.. your body is storing fat because its starving... do you feel hungry on a daily basis ?

Krista916

Eat more, move more.

langel07

I sure try on the move more part; I start my day at 4:30 a.m., workout, get to work, go home, and from the minute I go home I am usually on my feet, albeit in the kitchen, working on a bakery order for the next day. These take anywhere from 2-4 hours which is all up on my feet, and in between that time, I am herding & feeding kids, and doing general prep for the next day. I hit the sack at around 9, with about 1 hour of solid "sit" time from 8-9. Then back at it at 4:30 the next day. My real slacker time is weekends, where I would prefer to sit in a catatonic state for both days mentally gearing up for the coming Monday. Some days I think there may be something physically wrong with me, since that scale, with its brand new batteries, isn't BUDGING. I've even contemplated hypnosis, to make myself more motivated towards fitness, since even though I do it, I am not IN LOVE with it.

bwogilvie

When I started MFP last year, I set my weight loss goal to 1.5 lb./week, which equals a 750 calorie/day deficit. I thought I was carefully recording all my food and accurately estimating my exercise calories. But after six weeks or so, I was only losing 1.1 lb./month. That means that I was missing 200 calories a day. If I had been smaller, or my goal less aggressive, that could have been the difference between maintaining weight and losing 0.5 lb./week. I realized that when I thought I was measuring and weighing accurately, I was eyeballing too many things (like my morning cereal and milk), or trusting food labels (my "43g" slice of bread might really weigh 50g).

I found the posts on this page to be helpful:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/833026-important-posts-to-read

Especially these two:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/872212-you-re-probably-eating-more-than-you-think
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/818082-exercise-calories-again-wtf

Good luck!

langel07

Wow, those ARE great articles...and I absolutely get the part on the not registering condiments. I don't register them since I don't use them, my foods are usually such that they are not condiment friendly, with the exception of something like lemon pepper. Don't eat butter on things like toast, I go for dry. Where I see that I may be off is in the weighing of foods rather than the measuring, since I pack around my measuring trinkets like a dog does fleas. Thanks everyone so far for chiming in, I really appreciate advice, suggestions, and even just knowing that I am not alone out there with a scale (that doesn't like me).

warriorprincessdi

I had a look at your diary and I'd say definitely eat more. The complete days are at 11xx cals consumed... You need at LEAST 1200. Also, make sure to keep your protein levels up to help maintain muscle mass

TwelveSticks

It's pretty simple really - unless you have an unusual medical condition (and that is incredibly rare), then in order to lose weight you have to eat less calories than you burn, but not too much less, or (as I said above), your system will start to shut down and you'll still not lose weight.

If, as you say, you've tried eating more but put on weight, then you must be mistaken about how much you are eating. You need to measure and weigh everything. Log everything. And do it for several weeks, day in, day out. No "cheat days". Give it a chance to have an effect. Then see how you're doing and adjust your calorie intake as appropriate.

Also, exercise is not the most important factor - eating the right amount is. Loads of people lose weight by watching what they eat with no exercise at all. Hardly anyone loses weight by exercising loads and not paying enough attention to what they're eating.

jbwent

I had the same problem when I started the journal. I found out I was eating too little some days and the journal would say I was going into a deep deficit and may have trouble losing weight. I think it's called diet bounce. When you start the journal it will give you a deficit to match your goal and when you add exercise it increases your calories to keep you out of the deep deficit. Consistency is key. You have to put back in what you use up. Once I started staying around my daily calorie allowance that's when the weight started coming down. Some nights I found I could enjoy some ice cream or chocolate to reach my allowance. Slow and steady is the way to win this race.

Holly_Wood_888