Numbers are not changing

Ok is anyone else having this??? I am excercsing about 2 or 3 times a week, and doing good on my diet, the first week I lost 3 pounds. My numbers have not changed since. I am leaner, my husband has commented, I do look a little thinner, and I am more toned, but my numbers are not changing. He told me it is because you gain muscle, and it counteracts the fat loss, for a while. Then when the muscles build up you will start to burn more calories. I am getting discouraged. It makes me want to stop excercising. (sorry about the spelling)
Also, I am tired all the time lately.Anyone get this???

Replies

  • rtamayo
    rtamayo Posts: 85 Member
    Ok is anyone else having this??? I am excercsing about 2 or 3 times a week, and doing good on my diet, the first week I lost 3 pounds. My numbers have not changed since. I am leaner, my husband has commented, I do look a little thinner, and I am more toned, but my numbers are not changing. He told me it is because you gain muscle, and it counteracts the fat loss, for a while. Then when the muscles build up you will start to burn more calories. I am getting discouraged. It makes me want to stop excercising. (sorry about the spelling)
    Also, I am tired all the time lately.Anyone get this???
  • Eve23
    Eve23 Posts: 2,352 Member
    I was feeling that way myself. I changed my calorie intake by 200 fron 1460 to 1600. Guess what I have more energy and I have dropped weight already. After fighting a plateau for several weeks I feel like I figured out what I needed. It is just an idea that you could try.

    Best of luck!!!

    Eve
  • lotusfromthemud
    lotusfromthemud Posts: 5,335 Member
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/2187-hey-this-cheered-me-right-up

    Just posted this topic.

    I was frustrated for the same reason....I've been enslaved to "the numbers".
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 33,937 Member
    Me too. I have added more exercise - but enough already! I've been right around the same pound for three weeks. Next week I will fall behind in my goal if there is not any loss :frown:

    I'm trying to change up my cardio, and doing consistent weights. It is a bit discouraging, I feel your pain!

    :brokenheart:
  • Paeonia
    Paeonia Posts: 161
    Ok this is probably a personal question, but how "regular" are you? I noticed that once I started the calorie restriction, I wasn't as regular and that was causing the scale to stay put. I lost weight the first week, and then the second week was just not moving -_- I think I just flat out wasn't eating as much fiber anymore (you should get 25-35g fiber a day), and once I realized that that may be my problem, I developed a "fiber bowl" that I eat for my lunch every day, with all-bran, chopped up apple, frozen berry mix, and yogurt and WHAMMO, back to being regular and the scale is moving again :laugh:

    Ok, tmi maybe :noway:
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 33,937 Member
    I developed a "fiber bowl" that I eat for my lunch every day, with all-bran, chopped up apple, frozen berry mix, and yogurt and WHAMMO, back to being regular and the scale is moving again :laugh:

    Ok, tmi maybe :noway:

    I started that this week, too (more fiber). And, no - never TMI ! :smooched:

    We all need all the suggestions, I learn from you guys every time I come on these boards. The green tea thing seemed to be part of the collective consciousness (sp?) of all weight-loss warriors -- and yet I just heard about it two weeks ago! :drinker:

    A NAME for our "Team" "Weight-Loss-Warriors" I'm telling bigdane321....maybe he'll like it.

    ~Cheryl
  • rtamayo
    rtamayo Posts: 85 Member
    Well I am "going" plenty, almost to much.
    Here is what I ate today:
    cheerios w/ 2% milk
    coffee
    small chicken breast roasted in broth, lime, cilantro, chili powder, and tomatillos
    brown rice
    broccoli w/cheese
    banana coffee cake w/cool whip (oops)
    and for dinner another small chicken breast cooked the same, and brown rice, and a small sunny delight for a snack,

    since i excercised more my metabolism is through the roof, I am hungry every 2 hours, so i try to suppliment with water when I am hungry to keep from eating to much.
    I don't excercise every day either, i have been tired lately. my husband says it is probably cause i cut like 90% of the suger out of my diet and my body is not used to it.
  • Paeonia
    Paeonia Posts: 161
    Hmm did you do any measurements before you started? If you're battling your scale but look and feel thinner, then you probably are continuing to lose fat and there are other issues affecting your scale (read vivia's article, lots of good info).
  • rtamayo
    rtamayo Posts: 85 Member
    yeah, I think I am. I took my measurements a couple of days ago, i lost half an inch from my waist.
    I just hate that the numbers dont change.
    it has only been about 2 and a half weeks, so i am just impatient.
  • Have you tried changing your exercise routine?? Try doing something new and different than what your body is used to. Because if you are stuck in the same exercise routine you wont burn the extra calories to lose the weight. So try something totally different.

    It is hard for me to stay motivated too. and i know that inches is nothing compared to punds but at least the clothes are a litle more loose
    Just don't give up on yourself.
    :flowerforyou:
  • yoginimary
    yoginimary Posts: 6,783 Member
    rtamayo -

    My numbers don't always change. Sometimes none of them (inches or weight) change for a couple weeks. I'm going to have a physical on Tuesday to make sure I'm not doing anything wrong or there's some other issue.

    I've been on some type of diet since August 1st (I wasn't losing on the old diet, just maintaining) and on MFP since late September. I've lost 5 lbs. That's about 1/2 lb a week since September. Some people just don't lose weight as quickly as others. On the upside, if you're like me, chances are you gain muscle very easily. So everyone has their advantages or disadvantages. Focus on the positive.

    Good luck!
  • rtamayo
    rtamayo Posts: 85 Member
    well I measured my waist this morning, I have lost an inch in the past 3 weeks. only three pounds showing on the scale, but I definalty look thinner, even my husband noticed.
    I know i also need to start working out more times a week. right now I am only doing it three times a week.
  • I have lost 10 lbs in about a month and a half to two months. I don't think I look any smaller, although my husband thinks I do. But I do stay hungry all of the time. I am also tired a lot more. So I know what you are going through. I just started going to the gym w/ my husband and am changing things up a lot from what I was doing.
  • Nich0le
    Nich0le Posts: 2,906 Member
    Ok, you have taken your measurements along with your weight. I have found with my weight loss that I will loose 5-10 lbs and then just stay there for what seems like forever. I found a simple way to get past it.

    Your body quickly adapts to change, it is a built in defense mechanism to keep you from starving to death in extreme situations. This is the single biggest killer of weight loss hopes in my opinion.

    You have made a change, probably a drastic change in order to loose weight and your body has said "hold on a second". I plateau every 10 lbs. The easiest way to beat this is to increase your exercise by 20% for about 4 days. Lets say you have been doing 30 mins of cardio for each of your workouts, you would need to increase that to 36 minutes for a few workouts to break through. If you do the same cardio machine everytime it will help to switch to a new machine, like from treadmill to the elliptical or bike. Also, you will want to grandually increase the amount of days you are working out. When this quits working you will have to add weight training.

    I have lost 27 lbs since I found this out in August!
  • rtamayo
    rtamayo Posts: 85 Member
    well my weight is the same, but I have lost an inch and a half in the last three weeks!
    Yaay! :wink:
  • Ok this is probably a personal question, but how "regular" are you? I noticed that once I started the calorie restriction, I wasn't as regular and that was causing the scale to stay put. I lost weight the first week, and then the second week was just not moving -_- I think I just flat out wasn't eating as much fiber anymore (you should get 25-35g fiber a day), and once I realized that that may be my problem, I developed a "fiber bowl" that I eat for my lunch every day, with all-bran, chopped up apple, frozen berry mix, and yogurt and WHAMMO, back to being regular and the scale is moving again :laugh:

    Ok, tmi maybe :noway:
  • about the fiber bowl, how many cal is in that ??? sound great , just what i need. how much apples and berrys do you use !! i'm so going to try it tomorrow
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 33,937 Member
    about the fiber bowl, how many cal is in that ??? sound great , just what i need. how much apples and berrys do you use !! i'm so going to try it tomorrow

    trishhumphrey -

    The best $29.99 you'll ever spend is for a scale for weighing your food in grams and/or ounces. Go to Amazon or Linens and Things or any kitchen store (Crate and Barrel, etc.)

    cm
  • Paeonia
    Paeonia Posts: 161
    about the fiber bowl, how many cal is in that ??? sound great , just what i need. how much apples and berrys do you use !! i'm so going to try it tomorrow

    Hi there,

    I use Fiber One Original (has the most fiber with fewer calories that I could find).

    Here's the basic recipe:

    1 medium sized chopped apple (with skin)
    1 cup mixed berry or berry of your choice (I like blackberry, but just make sure it doesn't have added sugar)
    1/2 cup yogurt, plain
    1 cup bran

    This is quite filling so you can split it up into a breakfast portion and a lunch portion, just add 1/2 cup bran each time so it doesn't turn into a soggy mess by lunch if you do decide to do that ^_^

    It has 322 calories total. If you add sugar, thats an extra 15 cals / teaspoon, or you could always use a calorie free subsitute, if its not sweet enough on its own for your tastes. It has somewhere in the neighborhood of 28g fiber, the recommended daily dose is a minimum of 20g fiber a day, with 25g-35g being ideal. On this restricted calorie diet, I find that I definitely wasn't getting nearly enough fiber in my diet, so this bowl has really helped. Plus its low fat, nutritious, and filling! Plus I think its pretty tasty :)

    I'm sure you could fiddle with this basic recipe to come up with some variations to suit your tastes.