Feeling discouraged after a week of Intense Effort :/ HELP

anthronerd2016

I have been trying to lose weight since the end of March. Have lost 18 pounds since but haven't lost weight in the last week and a half even though I have been trying harder. I feel discouraged especially since my weight has only stayed the same since I started with MFP. I have been running 2-3 miles a day yet haven't shed weight recently and I don't know why. Perhaps you guys could give me some feedback. My diary is open so check it out

unnamed101

I'd do lighter cardio, i found that while intense running increased cardiovascular endurance, it did little to shed weight, try switching to a distance rather than speed routine.

dlionsmane

You are way under eating.... please read this.

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants

Yanicka1

Running 2-3 miles a day on 900 calories. I won't go "STARVATION MODE!!!!!!!" what I will say is you are stressing your body and you probably have better luck with eating more nutrient dense food and a food scale

HeidiCooksSupper

Weight loss is not a linear process. You are a young, 18-year-old, woman and therefore your weight is affected by changes in hormonal cycles and changes in water retention. In addition, if you are accurately recording what you are eating in your diary, you are not maintaining a proper diet for health with enough calories in it. You also haven't shared how much you weigh, only that you want to lose 25 pounds so I can't tell if you have the pounds to lose without risking your health.

The MOST important thing at your age is to be healthy and eat a healthy diet. Your body will naturally change from a girl's body to a woman's body in the process. Make sure you check with your parents, your doctor, or another health professional to make sure what you are doing is the best for you.

Yes, I weighed 200 lbs. when I graduated high school and had those 25 pounds to lose then. I learned at that tender age that the only way to do it is the healthy way.

Calliope610

You are way under eating.... please read this.

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants

way under eating!!

anthronerd2016

I weight 160, sorry forgot to include that.

_Resolve_

Yikes... please eat more food

and read this

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1235566-so-you-re-new-here

anthronerd2016

If I bump up to 1200 and start eating breakfast every day, do you guys think I'll be able to lose 2 pounds a week?

Calliope610

You are 18, run 2-3 miles daily, eat 900cals and weigh 100lbs.

You don't need to lose weight; you need to seek professional help.

ETA: sorry, don't have my glasses on, now I see 160lbs, not 100. But regardless, you could probably eat 1400-1600cals and lose weight. Read the sexy pants link.

_Resolve_

If I bump up to 1200 and start eating breakfast every day, do you guys think I'll be able to lose 2 pounds a week?

Whats the rush? I know you (and lots of people) want to lose lots fast. But really you should aim for no more than a pound a week, take a look at that post I linked and figure out your tdee, be honest with how much you are working out and the formulas work. Weight loss takes time, the last thing you want to do is restrict your diet so much that when you try to switch to maintenance you gain most of it back.

Slow and steady..

unnamed101

you should definitely eat breakfast EVERY day, think of it as starting the engine.

people can say what they want about being underfed but unless you are feeling hungry or dizzy everyday your metabolism has already adapted to this lower rate, and the only way to change that is to eat more than you burn for a prolonged period of time, thus causing weight gain instead of weight loss.

anthronerd2016

I weigh 160 not 100.... read more carefully please XD

endermako

You need to eat atleast 500 calories more a day every day...

Calliope610

you should definitely eat breakfast EVERY day, think of it as starting the engine.

people can say what they want about being underfed but unless you are feeling hungry or dizzy everyday your metabolism has already adapted to this lower rate, and the only way to change that is to eat more than you burn for a prolonged period of time, thus causing weight gain instead of weight loss.

It is not necessary eat breakfast in order to lose weight, although that works for many people, myself included. What IS necessary is to eat enough nutritional sound foods to properly fuel your body to function properly and fuel your activity. To lose weight, eat at a slight (300-500 calorie) deficit. So if your body burns, so 2500 calories per day, eat 2000 calories - you WILL lose weight.

sphinxdust

This happens to everyone for various reasons. A lot of good, smart responses here already. The easiest answer for anyone at a plateau is "change what you're doing, it's not working anymore". The specifics of what to change are unique to the individual. In your case, since you like running, first eat enough nutritious meals each day, balance your macros properly, and try sprinting for short durations during your run, which will keep you running but will make you run less and put a new stress on your body that it needs to adapt to temporarily.

missiontofitness

Echoing above. You need to be eating a lot more than you are.
Also, be wary of some of the MFP member entries. You're logging pizza, but it's not tracking your carbs, fat, protein, ect; they're all listed at 0. You'll want to be making sure you're hitting your macro targets as best as you can every day.

_Resolve_

Echoing above. You need to be eating a lot more than you are.
Also, be wary of some of the MFP member entries. You're logging pizza, but it's not tracking your carbs, fat, protein, ect; they're all listed at 0. You'll want to be making sure you're hitting your macro targets as best as you can every day.

+1

Macros are super important.

LaurenAOK

I used this TDEE calculator (using generic numbers for part of it since I don't know your details), and it says someone like you burns around close to 2200 calories a day including your exercise:
http://iifym.com/tdee-calculator/

Even if my numbers are slightly off, that still means you can eat 1200-1700 calories a day and lose 1-2 pounds a week. I'd go closer to the 1700 a day/1lb a week, because slower weight loss usually results in the weight staying off more easily. It's not a race. Losing slowly is really beneficial in the long run.

Right now you are starving your body. If your body isn't happy, it's not going to give you what you want. Eat more and maybe cut back on the exercise (you don't need to run EVERY day). Good luck.

missiontofitness

Echoing above. You need to be eating a lot more than you are.
Also, be wary of some of the MFP member entries. You're logging pizza, but it's not tracking your carbs, fat, protein, ect; they're all listed at 0. You'll want to be making sure you're hitting your macro targets as best as you can every day.

+1

Macros are super important.

Especially with strength training, as I've learned from this site! Protein especially if you're going to be putting a lot of strain on muscles, which it seems like the OP has begun to do this past week.

_Waffle_

I have been trying to lose weight since the end of March. Have lost 18 pounds since but haven't lost weight in the last week and a half even though I have been trying harder. I feel discouraged especially since my weight has only stayed the same since I started with MFP. I have been running 2-3 miles a day yet haven't shed weight recently and I don't know why. Perhaps you guys could give me some feedback. My diary is open so check it out

2-3 miles a day can still be easily overcome by calories eaten. 3x7 days a week is about 21 miles. I'm not saying to run more but I was doing 40-50 miles a week last summer and fall (Hopefully this summer too) and at that point I really don't even need to log food other than to check up on macros. Even then I could have easily overeaten if I would have been eating crap all the time. On the flip side I couldn't do that much work without the proper fuel. Don't shortchange yourself.

Check your food intake vs. what you're putting out in exercise. You might be surprised. Don't go under by more than 500 NET calories if you want to lose or over by more than that if you want to maintain. Sudden drastic weight changes aren't good in either direction.

cadaver0usb0nes

Eat Protein/carbs for breakfast. Eat more food. Eat more veggies/fruits and nutrient dense foods like beans, nuts, eggs, avocados, kale, etc... You are eating a pretty low number of calories too for how much you run. You shouldn't NET under 1200 calories. Measure/weigh your food for accurate counts. Avoid processed /premade foods.