Feeling a bit discouraged

glittermini

I'm trying not to be too hard on myself...but I went back to my nutritionist today for my follow up, and despite the fact that I've incorporated working out... cutting back on alcohol, and eating much better as much as I can...I got weighed and I am up 2lbs more than when I started.

I've only been at this for three weeks. I realize that I won't see results over night... but I thought that I would have at dropped a pound or two.

Is this normal...? Is my body just adjusting to my new routine and this is it's way of rebelling?! haha.

I still have my drive and positive attitude, but just wanted to post here for some insight and tips on getting started--or what to continue to look for. I guess what goes up must come down, right? :-/

p.s. I also wanted to add, that I took a breathing/metabolic test today and I came in severely low. -20% to be exact... that put me in a down mood, and it seems like it's going to be a lot harder for me than an "average" or "normal" person since my results were so "below" average... gonna be a longer road for me it seems.

FatFreeFrolicking

Do you use a food scale to weigh your food? If not, you are probably overestimating how many calories you are consuming.

shadow2soul

Weight – So many things can affect weight, because of this it shouldn’t be the only way you track your progress. Things to keep in mind:
:drinker: Always use the same scale – Different scales can show different weights. You will get the most accurate number for tracking when using the same scale.
:drinker: Don’t move the scale – Carpet, uneven flooring, different types of flooring…can all affect the weight on the scale. So when you weigh, you want it to be approximately the same spot for the most accurate number for tracking.
:drinker: 3500 calories – To gain 1lb of fat you need to be over maintenance by 3500 calories.
:drinker: Muscle Repair – Muscles will hold onto water to repair, because of this it is not uncommon to see a gain for a little while after a workout. This weight comes right back off when they are done repairing.
:drinker: Sodium – Can cause you to retain water. This can also be amplified if you don’t drink enough to flush it out of your system. This is also another reason for temporary weight gain.
:drinker: Water – Not drinking enough water can actually cause you to retain water. Recommended amount is 8 cups or 64oz. I drink 64 oz to 128 oz of water a day. It doesn’t have to be plain water either. I like to flavor mine with crystal light or tea.
:drinker: Time of day – Your weight can fluctuate throughout the day. So for the most accurate tracking, you want to weigh at around the same time.
:drinker: Frequency – This is up to you, but if small fluctuations bother you than only weigh once a week or less.
:drinker: Lightest Weight – Will be naked, first thing in the morning, after using the bathroom
:drinker: Multiple times a Day – Don’t Do It. As I said before, your weight will fluctuate throughout the day. What you eat, what you’re wearing, ect will all affect weight.
:drinker: Clothes – If you weigh with clothing on, keep in mind that the scale will show your weight plus the weight of your clothes. (Jeans are heavy)
:drinker: TOM - A lot of women will retain water around their TOM, but its just temporary and will go away.

This is a chart I made last year (using my own weigh ins) that shows day to day fluctuations. Notice how the overall trend is down:


Measurements are better for tracking progress.

zericaaaaa

I'm trying not to be too hard on myself...but I went back to my nutritionist today for my follow up, and despite the fact that I've incorporated working out... cutting back on alcohol, and eating much better as much as I can...I got weighed and I am up 2lbs more than when I started.

I've only been at this for three weeks. I realize that I won't see results over night... but I thought that I would have at dropped a pound or two.

Is this normal...? Is my body just adjusting to my new routine and this is it's way of rebelling?! haha.

I still have my drive and positive attitude, but just wanted to post here for some insight and tips on getting started--or what to continue to look for. I guess what goes up must come down, right? :-/

sometimes it will take a little bit so don't give up! my best suggestion is to accurately measure and record both food and exercise. always use measuring cups or a food scale, and to accurately track exercise i personally use a polar ft4 heart rate monitor. my weight loss has staggered lately because i'm NOT accurately recording my food (because i've been stress eating way too much haha) ill just end up saying its just one serving of butter when i know damn well its three haha

glittermini

thank you for sharing that, and also for sharing your chart!

shadow2soul

Oh and more recently:


The red line is the trend of my weight. The black diamond shapes are the actual scale readings.

Don't you just love the little scale jump on 7/8?:drinker:

glittermini

and yes, i think (i KNOW) that i need to be better about using a food scale... i guess find it challenging when i eating during the day (since i don't work from home)... and maybe i'm logging inaccurately. hmmmm all good points.

editorgrrl

despite the fact that I've incorporated working out... cutting back on alcohol, and eating much better as much as I can...I got weighed and I am up 2lbs more than when I started.

You lose weight by eating fewer calories than you burn. Open your diary for personalized advice, but you're probably underestimating your food & or overestimating your burns.

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

But don't be discouraged! Weight loss takes a whole lot of trial & error to find what works for you. Learn to log everything you eat & drink accurately & honestly. Logging works!

Edited to add weigh absolutely everything you eat at home—even packaged foods. And learn to identify accurate database entries—there's lots of junk data in there. The first time you log any food, verify the entry against the label. Then always use the verified entry from your recent & frequent lists. If there's no label, look for USDA values.