am i ever going to lose weight? please help!

lashleyrivera

Okay so i have been on here for about a month and during the month i gained two pounds then lost the two to be right back where i was when i started, the gym scale says something different then my home scale so i am not even sure which one to look at. I work out 5 days a week, sometimes 6 and try to stay within my calorie limit. If i go over its only about a hundred or so but according to the mfp i should still lose weight even by doing that. what should i do, be more patient, eat less? work out more? im getting frustrated i just want to lose about 10 pounds and i thought by a month i would be halfway there, but i havent made any progress id love some advice on what to do or if you have gone through this yourself how did you overcome it

TESSYTREV

Believe me sweetie I can understand the frustration!! But my suggestion is: Eat less portions, if you tend to retain liquids cut back! Exercise on the treadmill about 45 mins a day. Then the weight should melt off, now if you say you do all that you say you do!!! There should be no reason you shouldn't be losing 3lbs a week at least. Start walking the treadmill and less weights and you will see your weight shift......

Try not to eat after 7:30!! Thats when you retain you food!! Also!! Stay away from the sweets, chips, so forth. You can lose those pounds if you honestly are willing to kick up your metabolism. Good luck!!! If you ever need help let me know. We are in this together.

Tessytrev

TESSYTREV

Oh and most important yes be patient!!!!

tessytrev

tjradd73

well i don't know if i have a lot of words of wisdom for you...but one thing that i do know...you should stick to the same scale, with the same amount of clothes on, at the same time of the day(most people say at home, 0 clothes, in the morning after you go to the BR).

i think that you are working out plenty and eating the right amount of calories...some say not to eat too few and to switch up the amt of calories and the type of food you are eating on occassion to trick your body. also it is always a good idea to try diff types of workouts...once your body gets used to one workout it will not burn as many calories as it did when you first started doing it.

other than that...try taking your measurements...your body may be at the weight it wants to be at, but that doesnt mean that you arent still losing inches!!!

most important never lose site of your goals and keep going with it, you will eventually get to where you are wanting to be as long as you don't give up!! good luck

Sporty98

I'm in the same boat.....I lost about 6 pounds in the first two weeks, and in the last 3 weeks NOTHING! I've yo-yoed back and forth a pound or two....How frustrating! I am staying within the calorie guidelines, and working out daily! According to MFP, I should be on my way to losing 6 pounds by Thanksgiving....BUT, I've lost no more!!!

I really think we need to just tough it out! We can do this! Our bodies are being a bit disagreeable right now, but if we are tough, we can lose this extra weight!

weaklink109

Anyone with less than 20 lbs. to lose (in order to be at a healthy weight for their height) needs to remember that it is much harder to lose weight when you are close to an appropriate weight for your height. :grumble: Frustrating, but true.:ohwell:

lalouli

I'm on a little plateau right now, myself. I started like you, though. I lost a couple pounds at first and then gained them back with a couple more as I was working out 5 or 6 days per week. After a little less than a month it all started to work itself out. I lot a couple of pounds a week for a couple of weeks and then one a week for a while after that. Don't worry . . . just keep it up.

Kera885

but even for those not so close to their goal weight, it can be a struggle, I had your problem for a few months and I know how frustrating it can be. I had 60 to lose when I started and when I did start I didn't have that massive drop that I usually get when starting a diet and exercise routine (for some strange reason) and for the first 4 months I hovered and yo yo'd around a 5-9lb loss. But I kept at it and then, for some strange reason, it all started coming off, about 15 pounds in roughly month. Just hang in there, you'll see results

BellyLaugh

I'm on a little plateau right now, myself. I started like you, though. I lost a couple pounds at first and then gained them back with a couple more as I was working out 5 or 6 days per week. After a little less than a month it all started to work itself out. I lot a couple of pounds a week for a couple of weeks and then one a week for a while after that. Don't worry . . . just keep it up.

I'm glad to hear others haven't lost the large lbs right off. Historically my biggest weight loss happened the 1st couple of weeks. In the past by week 3, I'd give up. I'm disappointed with the scale (no, my measurements are changing) but I'm encouraged to hear of others who kept at it for a month or more and their perseverance has paid off. I choose to believe those of us still waiting on the scale to change will see it happen if we keep moving ahead.

Question: Water weight. I realize sodium can cause retention. I drink 8+ glasses a day even though my diary may not reflect it. That's new for me. And the whole thing about loosing water weight at first, I don't get that. I'm putting more wholesome liquid in my body but I'm not losing water weight and if I'm retaining, it seems wrong to cut back on the water. Water is so essential and in the past I've chosen colas over water. Thoughts?

BellyLaugh

Oops, I meant my measurements are NOT changing.

NikkisNewStart

I personally drink nothing but water... over 100 oz a day. On days I do no not drink a lot of water, the scale doesn't budge... but sure enough when I am hydrated w/ lots and lots of water- the scale moves downward. My advice: Up your water intake- ditch the soda.

Try working out in the morning and make sure you are eating breakfast. That way, your metabolism is jump started early in the day and can burn at maximum potential longer than if you were to work out at night.

I suggest trying to "eat clean" aka no processed/boxed/frozen food (except fresh frozen veges to steam). My experience (and every single person is different- this is just what I have discovered about my own body) is that even if I eat at or below my calorie & other goals... if the food I ate was processed- I will not lose. If I get that nutrition from "real food", then the scale moves. Based on the numbers it shouldn't matter- a deficit is a deficit... but for me- it does matter.

This is just some of what has worked for me over the last 3 months.

SouthernBell86

Well, first of all, what rate of weight loss do you have MFP set to? If you only have 8 pounds to lose, I really think it would be best for you to aim at half a pound a week. I know that isn't fun to hear, but at that point your body is probably pretty content with the level of fat it has, and will fight you to keep it. By losing it very slowly at that point, you keep your caloric intake up and your body won't fight with you as much.

Do you eat small meals frequently? That could help you, since it might help the size of your stomach shrink, and may contribute to you having a smaller belly.

You definitely need to focus on getting enough water, eating low sodium, and in general eating whole clean foods, with lots of veggies and lots of protein. Try to get mostly complex carbs like whole wheat and brown rice, no white bread or white rice.

The other thing is that if you have such a small amount to lose, you may want to looking into changing up your weight loss regime, so you could tone up your muscles. Not only will that allow you to burn more calories in a day, and feel stronger, it will also make you look better whether or not the scale ever reflects a change. If you are at a healthy weight, it shouldn't matter about the number on the scale so much as feeling healthy and looking good.

So really, if you can try to get in a session with a personal trainer who can give you a workout routine that will challenge you to take things to the next level

stella77

Anyone with less than 20 lbs. to lose (in order to be at a healthy weight for their height) needs to remember that it is much harder to lose weight when you are close to an appropriate weight for your height. :grumble: Frustrating, but true.:ohwell:

Looks like this is true! Thanks

Cytherea

I work out 5 days a week, sometimes 6 and try to stay within my calorie limit. If i go over its only about a hundred or so but according to the mfp i should still lose weight even by doing that.

This might be your problem. If you are working out that much, you need to eat more. You should be eating your exercise calories back if you are not. A lot of times, problems come from the fact that you aren't eating enough and your body won't lose any weight because it needs to hang on to all it has, especially if you only have a little (10 lbs.) to lose in the first place.

On the flip side, if you ARE eating your exercise cals back, then maybe you need to make sure that you are fairly evaluating how many calories you burned during exercise. If you overestimate, you may be eating too many; if you underestimate you may not be eating enough (as I already said). If you are eating ALL of them back then maybe try eating back only 50-75% and see if it makes a difference.

One other thing. Check and see what level you have your lifestyle set as. If you are actually an active person but put sedentary then you won't be given enough cals to eat per day which could be affecting you too.

I know it sounds crazy, but most of the problems that people have when they aren't losing weight is that they aren't eating ENOUGH.

One last thing to remember, this process takes time. Unless you have a LOT of weight to lose, you aren't going to see a drastic difference in a few weeks. Keep at it and eventually you will start losing, even if it takes a while!

StacySkinny

I actually had the same issue when I first started, I wasn't losing near what the site says I should be. So I ended going into my settings and adjusting my goal calories by 250 less than what the site recommended. That helped a lot and I've been losing about 2 lbs a week steadily since then.

You might try that, just drop your daily calorie goals but a couple hundred and see if that kick starts the weight loss.

havingitall

Do not cut back on your fluid intake. Drink lots of water as it helps flush out your system. To really get rid of the weight you need to eat clean....no processed foods, no chemical laden garbage. Eat fresh fruits and veggies, lean meats, make sure your carbs are whole grains. Cut out your alcohol for a month if you drink. Lose the soda ( especially diet)

Make sure that when you exercise, you are doing the right exercise for you and not just going through the motions. There are days when I go to the gym where I am on auto pilot and my workout doesn't seem to do much for me. Then there are days where I am focused on my workout and all into it and I truly get a good workout. I push myself harder and try different things to keep my body going.

I do know that the last 10 pounds are hard to lose. Have you ever seen the show "Last 10 Pounds Bootcamp"? They push the clean eating and the hard workouts and they get results. Google it if you don't get it where you are.

Good Luck

lashleyrivera

I will start by saying i drink tons of water, thats all i drink, no pop no coffee etc, just water. I usually stay within my calorie limit or ill go over by a hundred because i am currently doing the insanity program and i am not sure how much i am really burning because i dont have a heart monitor.But i figure if i go over a little i wont go into starvation mode. I do work out 5 to 6 times per week, and the scale has not budged nor has the measurements got smaller...i am going to keep patient and hope the good habits i am learning will eventually make a difference