No Progress... really frustrated

lilbuddha007

Hi all, I am looking for some guidance here.

SW: 176 CW: 173
Cal per day: 1300
Exercise: M- cardio/weights T - Yoga W- cardio/weights Th- Yoga Fri- rest Sat-rest Sun-spinning

Here is the thing, I am getting almost NO results on this plan. I don't weigh my food but I try to always choose the option in MFP with the most calories. Maybe I am underestimating portion size. But I don't want to weigh my food - I don't have time for that. I try to eat vegetables and salads, I eat a very small (very small) dinner, I drink a lot of water. Do I have no metabolism whatsoever? Am I understimating calories?

Moreover, understand before I started on this path I counted calories NEVER and worked out NEVER. So anything, any deficit or workout, is way more than I did before. To walk in, weigh myself and see that I weigh MORE after an hour workout with 1300 calories the day before is so depressing. I literally cried this morning in the bathroom. It is incredibly unmotivating.

So as I see it, here are my options:
1) no dinner or switch to something like Slimfast for dinner
2) salads only for lunch with light or no dressing
3) Stop having rest days (so, bump up my workouts to everyday)
4) set calories to 1000 per day?
5) eat packaged meals so that I'm absolutely sure of the calorie count
6) some combination of the above?
I am very serious about this. I am *****ing* tired of being fat. I want to wear a bathing suit again. I want to look in the mirror and not see love handles. I want to stop buying a bigger size because I look like I'm wrapped in cellophane when I try to wear a size 8.

Please help?

lemonlionheart

Honestly, the most likely thing here is not weighing your food. If you really are that serious about weight loss, get a digital food scale and try weighing everything for one month and see if you have more luck!

Check this out.. I was on here 6 month ago with the same problem as you and someone linked me to this. Harsh but helpful! http://www.acaloriecounter.com/blog/why-am-i-not-losing-weight/

ericzanetti

7. Buy a digital food scale

janeytom

I don't weigh my food but I try to always choose the option in MFP with the most calories. Maybe I am underestimating portion size. But I don't want to weigh my food - I don't have time for that. [/quote]

^^THIS^^ is the reason.

seabirdie12

Food scales are super cheap and will seriously benefit you in the log run.

How long have you been doing this for? You said you never used to workout, so if you're just starting a new exercise plan your muscles will be retaining some water (especially if they're sore). Don't weigh yourself everyday for the first couple of weeks until your body stabilizes. You're not going to see the scale drop every single day. Everyday fluctuations are normal, depending on hydration level, hormones, whether your muscles are retaining water, whether you've pooped (yep, I said it), and if you're going to obsess about them then you shouldn't be weighing yourself everyday.

juggernaut1974

How long have you been going? I don't see that addressed.

If the 3 lb weight loss is over a month - then that's great. It can be frustratingly slow sometimes, but at least it's progress.

If that's over a 6 month timeframe, then yeah I would agree it's most likely miscalculating calories in/portion size.

writergeek313

Weighing food takes all of five minutes per meal, if that, even when you're starting. It's the easiest way to make sure your portions are accurate. I made every excuse in the universe for four or five months, but when I bought a scale and started weighing my food, I realized I had been overeating (i.e. eating at maintenance rather than eating at a deficit) for months, and that's why I stopped losing. Even now, if I get lazy about accurately weighing and tracking my meals, I stop losing.

Also, don't weigh yourself after a workout. It's not going to be accurate. Your muscles retain water to help them repair themselves after a strenuous workout, so the scale will say you weigh more than you actually do. The water weight goes away within a day or two.

I would say put the bathroom scale away for a few weeks and focus on being active and accurately measuring your food. That will help you focus more on doing the things that are going to help you lose weight and less on just the number on the scale.

tulosai

I agree with everyone you are probably wrong about how much you are eating and drastically underestimating. You need to start weighing your food.

I also would like to know how long you've been at this and if you are also taking measurements. I've only lost 2 pounds since starting but I've lost almost 6 total inches from various parts of my body.

Finally, you CAN wear a swimsuit and you should. If you can squeeze into a size 8 at all, even if you look like you are wrapped in cellophane, you're not fat, at least as I conceptualize it, and even if you were grotesquely obese, you could and should still wear a swimsuit if you want to. You shouldn't let body shame prevent you from engaging in normal activities.

Fittykitty11

DO NOT go down to 1000 calories a day. With all of your cardio and weights you may actually need to eat MORE.

I had a huge wall until I upped my calories (good calories).

lilbuddha007

This article is awesome.

GiveMeCoffee

First you aren't fat you have 28 lbs to lose, let's keep it in perspective here.

Now if you are serious, log your food accurately, get a digital food scale it takes very little time to weigh out portions if you are serious.

Lastly, have patience this takes time.

CrossFitFit4Life

If you want to add something different to your work out routine, research CrossFit.

Francl27

Honestly getting a food scale seems like a much better option than skipping dinner or having just a salad for lunch (although salads are great, if you put stuff in them!).

Oh and prepackaged foods are often inaccurate too, so there's that...

THECaptainObvious

Don't skip meals... Avoid the processed foods, yes they tell you how many carbs are in one tray but the sodium will get to you.. As for your workouts, Try adding cardio to a yoga day or strength training.. I see Friday is a yoga day.. My program has MWF Cardio and Tues,Thurs, Sat either ab work or strength training. Just to change up your routine a bit.. And yes patience is a key... You'll get there!

rykacalla

Or, you could be dramatically understimating your food and not eating enough to have a productive metabolism. Before I started weighing my food, I was significantly overestimating my meat portions. Now I can better gage protein serving sizes, but I still use the scale.

_Calypso_

Do not restrict your calories any more, but most likely (if I was a gambling girl...I'd bet money) you are underestimating your food. "eyeing" your food is very deceiving. What you think is a 1/2 might be a 1 cup or more which could easily add up to hundreds of extra calories. Drinks as well - what you think is 8oz may actually be 12oz and add more calories. If you have the app use the barcode scanner - not what is in the database (so many incorrect entries).

I agree with others... if you are truly serious about losing weight get a digital scale and weigh/measure your food for 4-6weeks... if you see no change then you know that wasn't the issue. But I'm sure you will see something changing. Time to measure your food does not take that long...don't make it an excuse!!
Also note that after an intense workout you may 'gain' temporarily because your muscles are retaining water to help them recover. Weigh yourself first thing in the morning (after you use the restroom).

One other thought... do you have a HRM? Are you overestimating your exercise calories? Again, don't use what MFP says - it tends to be on the high side!!

There are a few minor things you can change that may yield movement of the scale in the direction you want.

dwh77tx

Don't skip meals... Avoid the processed foods, yes they tell you how many carbs are in one tray but the sodium will get to you.. As for your workouts, Try adding cardio to a yoga day or strength training.. I see Friday is a yoga day.. My program has MWF Cardio and Tues,Thurs, Sat either ab work or strength training. Just to change up your routine a bit.. And yes patience is a key... You'll get there!

THIS...especially avoiding the processed foods.

jtkatch

So as I see it, here are my options:
1) no dinner or switch to something like Slimfast for dinner
2) salads only for lunch with light or no dressing
3) Stop having rest days (so, bump up my workouts to everyday)
4) set calories to 1000 per day?
5) eat packaged meals so that I'm absolutely sure of the calorie count


If you skip meals and eat too few calories your body will go into starvation mode and your weight wont go down at all, in fact you body will star using muscle as fuel.

Salads for dinner are a good option with lean proteins of course, careful on the added stuff (everything counts) and dressing on the salad, make sure it is healthy stuff on there, but have dinner, never skip a meal.

working out is good not only for the mond muscles and weight loss but REST is also just as important this is when your muscles have a chance to recupperate and grow. You do not want to overtrain either as this can lead to weigh loss stauling or gain.

With regards to going down to 1000 calories per day DON'T, the body needs a minimum of 1200 cal per day just to function as if you were lying on the sofa doing nothing. As I mentioned beofre if your body is not getting the appropriate nutrition (healthy calories) then your body will go into starvation mode and start using your muscles for fuel.

Pre-packages foo is PROCESSED Stay away ! They are loaded with sodium! Eat clean and stuff that is not pre-packaged or processed even though I know they are conveneint and easy. You are not doing your body a service.

My suggestions:
Eat Clean
prepare meals ahead of time (soups and salads, wraps, cut up lots of veggies etc...)
get a scale and weigh your food for one month....Dont'GETSTIMATE...you are probabaly eating more calories than you think
Keep exercising you are doing great but the body does need rest
DRINK WATER!!! Hydrate is key. you need about 30ml/kg/day of water to be properly hydrated. You pee should be a pale straw colour. it is also a way the fat leaves the body!!

And most importantly.....KEEP GOING. It takes time for your body to realize it is getting enough nutrition to let go of the fat
Good luck.

beccadaniixox

You're probably not eating enough.

I'm assuming you ONLY eat 1300 calories and don't eat back exercise calories? Maybe eat back half of those calories.

Lots of people don't weigh their food, but once you get a scale ($20), you just do it automatically. Weighing it is honestly easier than using measuring cups/spoons/etc. It becomes first nature after a while.