A hello and a help wanted.

casey887

I've been on MFP for about 3 weeks now. I work very hard to lose weight but to no avail. I would really like to feel beautiful for once in my life. I hear it but I don't believe, I'd like to.

In the last 3 weeks I've eaten pretty well (this last week definitely well) and I work out mostly every day. I haven't lost a single pound. What is going on? I have cried about this because I feel like I'm working so hard and it's not paying off. I won't give it up though. I need to do this for myself. I'm so ashamed I let myself get this way knowing how it was making my mental state crumble.

Any tips?

xo
-Casey

makeachange22

make your diary open so i can see, and maybe guide you but keep your head up and keep working out and eating right
water
less breads
more veggies/fruits and proteins
portion control is huge
and dont eat out

casey887

I opened it.

I have a protein shake for breakfast and one for lunch. That's all I have from the time I wake up until 6pm.
At 6pm I have a small dinner.
I usually don't eat anything after 8pm. If I do, it's a small snack.

laurajanemccurley

hey you might be gaining more muscle meaning that you will weigh more however you may be losing inches of your waist etc. Might be worth looking into. Laura

netsirk419

Just keep it up. It will come off:)

casey887

That's what everyone keep telling me but none of my clothes have become looser or anything.
I suppose I should invest in a measuring tape.
Thanks!

casey887

netsirk419,

Whenever I check in I make sure that MFP isn't say 'YOU'VE EATEN TOO FEW CALORIES.' I usually look at it like it's yelling at me so I make sure to eat a snack to bump them up into good range.

dragonbabe20

You might be losing fat but gaining muscle so don't give up. Measure yourself so you can see changes in inches lost if the scale isn't moving. Another possibility is you may not be eating enough. Your body will go into "starvation mode" if that is the case and hang onto your weight as a survival response. Try eating every 3 hrs something small to keep metabolism up. If possible protein with each "mini-meal." Try it for a week and see if that makes a difference. Best of luck! ~kim~

tamarab3

I would suggest tracking your sodium - too much can cause you to retain water. Also, make sure you are drinking plenty of water. I would also suggest wieghing your food if you don't already - I was suprised at how off I was between my guesses and the actual wieght of food (in some cases I was actually under-estimating). Best of luck to you.

melcowenfitness

I took a peak at your food diary and have a few suggestions:

Breakfast really is the most important meal of the day. Try eating a larger breakfast to get your body ready for the day.

Try eating 3 meals (breakfast, lunch, dinner) and 2-3 snacks in between. To help keep your blood sugar regulated, it helps to eat something every 2-3 hours. Keeping your blood sugar regulated will also help keep your mood and your energy regulated too. You won't get that "crash and burn" feeling mid-day.

Go for lean meats and more fruits, veggies. Any carbs you're eating should be whole grain instead of processed (i.e. brown rice is better than white rice; whole grain bread is better than white bread, etc.) It's the little changes like these that can really help you eat well for a lifetime.

What are you doing for exercise?

makeachange22

i agree , eat a proper breakfast because it is what gets your metabolism going you need that to start burning throughout the day.
smaller more often meals tends to be better, and greens greens greens. they are the best choice for you, dont pack all of your food into the afternoon either it needs to be in the morning and less at night or morn/lunch less at night just because its near the end of the day everything slows down.
water is essential
lower calorie foods and more of it i guess, like not 100 cal things for every thing in your dinner . pick veggies which are 20 cal, and under mixed in with whole wheat pasta and especially try to stay away from anything processed if you can help it make everything by scratch ,

casey887

Thank you everyone for the feedback. I am going to try and change the way I eat during the day to fit more like what you've all been saying.

mehlen

One of the things tha many nutrionists say is to spread your calories throughout the day. The reason being is if you starve yourself...then eat a big meal...your body is already in starvation mode and simply stores the calories from the large meal. Spreading them out keeps a consistant supply of nutrients in your body to prevent the starvation mode from kicking in. On the other hand...once your body goes into that mode...it takes a bit to kick start it up again. Don't lose hope you can do this.

stephanie_m

Everyone has given amazing advice. Keep it up hun! You can do it.