Losing fat or gaining muscle...Help!!!

xoxo2200

******UPDATE******
I drink 6-8 1/2 ozarka water a day and eat around 1000-1200 a day.
Could you check my food diary and give me your opinions on what to change on my diet please?

So I started on mfp 10 days ago and so far I have lost 1lb. I was doing P90X but decided to stop the extreme work outs because I'm focussed on losing fat first, maybe 10-15Lbs before working on building muscle weight. In the meantime I'm just doing 30 min of cardio or running 3 miles 4 times a week. My body weight changes constantly from one day to another so I'm just going by the average 1lb loss in a week. I am 5'2" female that on Monday I was at 178Lbs, on Wednesday I was at 179lbs and today I was at 176lbs. Any ideas on how can I improve my diet to eat less fat and more lean protein? I'm eating really low calories from carbs, all my carbs intake come from veggies and fruit. What am I doing wrong?

Also, how do I add the cool little weight goal updates and current goals? I think it is a cool way to remind you of your goal weigh or mini goals

mhotch

As you start to workout, you will begin to retain water as the muscles try to heal themselves. Be patient and keep it up. A combo of strength and cardio will pay off. It could take some time for you body to adjust, but it will!

hmrtym

I am not sure about all your questions but I do believe you should only weigh yourself once a week. Your weight is going to fluctuate daily regardless. Your mini goals can be put in your signature which you should see at the top of the reply pages...good luck!

missy1970eb

hi, check to see what fat intakes r on the foods u record, then i mix and match, ie if i gt 2 foods that r high in fat i only have the one out of 2 for that day, also walking and water has helped me with the fat loss as well as cycling and running

Bridge_CG

You're not doing anything wrong! As a female as well, I started kickboxing, which in turn I have gained a lot of muscle- which weighs more than fat; also if you gain more muscle, you'll burn fat more easily.

You should try eating a really clean healthy diet. That's what I do. Keep on with the P90X. Build the muscle, and you'll lose the fat.
And drink a lot of water. That's what I do. I also weight myself about once every couple of weeks.

Good luck with your journey!

nayagan

You are probably not doing anything wrong at all. You just need to be patient. Even if you have only lost 1lb in 10days it will amount to 35lbs lost over the entire year if you maintain your diet and exercise plan.

Make sure you have a scale that you trust because weight loss is not linear. Some weeks you'll lose 1lb and other weeks you'll lose 3 lbs. Having a reliable scale will help you stick with the diet and exercise over a long period. If you stick with it you'll get there. You didn't put on the weight in 10days and you aren't going to lose it in 10 days. Within 1 years time you can do it.

Low carb diets are good. Make sure you watch your fruit intake as well. Low Glycemic Index fruits such as pears, apples and berries are helpful. Other fruits such as bananas and mangoes should be eaten in moderation.

abyt42

Also: under tools, see "ticker"..... and then post the board version into your signature.

EmmaRFletcher

Hi! I'm not an expert but I do know that building muscle helps burn fat faster. Starting a well-rounded exercise plan is the best way to go. Try adding in 2 or 3 weight training sessions a week. If you're looking for lean muscle try something like Pilates. I have two different DVD's I switch between so I don't get bored, or I go to a class at a gym. Having other people around me is great motivation. Extra muscle helps you tighten up faster which will give you the look and feel of being thinner sooner than if you were only doing cardio!

In terms of your diet- stick to lots of fresh fruits and veggies. Leafy greens are always a great way to go. Foods with "good" fats like almonds and olive oil are good to add to your diet. And lean proteins like chicken and fish are best for dinner time.

Try visiting a website like www.womenshealthmag.com. You can get tons of great info without having to get a subscription!

Good luck! Keep going )

ActiveFaith10

Scales can be deceiving. Record your weight weekly and Measure your body(hips neck etc) as well. If the scale is staying the same but your measurements have shrunk you're gaining muscle and losing weight. Vice versa

SparkleKittie

You're doing nothing wrong. I've lost the majority of my weight so far by mixing cardio like aerobics and dance with strength training/circuit. So just keep at it and you'll start to see lots of inches lost and muscle tone at the same time!

Oh, and eating clean is always a good idea for losing weight! Lots of veggies, fruits, and grains!

pyro13g

You can eat all the healthy fat you want. You can also build muscle while you drop fat. Add some P90X back in, every 3 days or so.

mignalg

First of all...when you do cardio you are going to burn fat, but you will still be gaining muscle. Sounds like you are going through what I did when I first started. I started to do my measurements and I noticed a huge difference. The number on the scale was not going down as fast as I wanted but my measurements were going down, so maybe you may want to measure yourself and that may show you more of a difference.

Second...your body needs to get used to working out. You body has to get into the mode of losing weight, so give it time. At first I would only lose a pound or so a week, but now I lose at least 2 lbs a week. Once you start to lose weight your body will keep going in the direction as long as you keep working out and eating healthy. It takes time, don't give up, as long as your vigilant your body will start to give you the results you want.

Third...it is important that you are taking a good vitamin. A good vitamin will give you the nutrients your body needs to stay healthy while eating low calorie and working out. It wasn't until I changed myself to a good vitamin that I started to feel like I had more energy to keep working out and less soreness after doing so.

Lastly, it is important that you eat enough during the days. If you eat too little you will actually keep yourself from losing weight. Here are a couple things I have been doing, that have given me good results thus far. I eat fruits in the morning or right before a workout. I try to not eat carbs within a few hours of bed. Carbs eaten too close to when you go to sleep store themselves as fat. I eat three meals a day and two snacks. Snacks usually things that are a good source of protein and healthy fats, if that makes sense. Like one of my favorite snacks is triskets and hummus. The key with snacking though is portion control. I take the time to measure out the things I eat and keep it to one serving, however it is important to know that when you are working out your body is going to need more calories. The cool thing about MFP is that it tells you how many extra calories a day your body has earned. I do not eat all that extra but I do eat extra because what it is telling you is that you body has burned that many calories so it is needs more to maintain a healthy calorie level. Like if you calorie intake a day should be 1200 and you workout and burn 600 that means your body only has 600 calories to use for itself, so it is important that you eat more in order to replenish what you have burned...does that make sense. It was a bit confusing to me at first, LOL.

Hopefully these tips can help you a bit. I am not a professional but I know what has been working for me and my husband and it may give you some results as well. Good Luck and don't give up!!!!

JJAdamstrom

I know exactly how u feel.. I started the P90X workout about 2 weeks ago also and I havent lost a pound... BUT what I have noticed by accident the other day is the texture of my under my skin has changed and I have alot more endurance than I did when i started.. Those two things right there kept me motivated to stick with it.. even if the scale isnt budging.. I can def tell a difference!

I think the key is to pick something u enjoy and stick with it whatever its gonna be..

I personally love the P90X cuz I get bored easily and its something different everyday.. also u could try doing the "Lean Routine" where u do extra cardio along with the program..

Good Luck!