The scales just won't move :(

tipsymoth

This is a bit cheeky as it is my first post but I'm asking you guys for help.

I've been logging for a bout a month now and in that time have lost a couple of kilos but this week I have gained (again) and I am at a loss why that might be. I have put on around my waist this week too.

I had got my settings to lose 1lb a week but have increased that to 2 so have 1200 calories a day. I have been C25K 3 or 4 times a week and I have started a tap dancing class (I must burn loads of calories flailing about, I am truly bad at it!)

I weigh all my food so not estimating that but I don't have a HRM so could be overestimating excercise calories I guess.

I do have a couple of difficult days which I struggle to know what to do with in that I work nightshift and so need something to eat to get me through that. I also have a cheeky Snickers bar as I drive home. I don't get to sleep after my shift so I am awake for all of my meals PLUS the extra time awake that I need to eat, plus frankly I reach for the carbs a bit the post night. I do try and make sure I stay within the limits though but I do find that really really hard on those days.

I guess I'll be told that I need to eat less and excercise more (which is fair enough) but if I am doing something obviously stoopid I would love to know.

Thank you in advance.

(I have set my diary to public for the time being, please be kind though, I'm new and sensitive )

lisakatelaunspach

Hi iv been loggin 4 a while now and iv gained 2kgs (5lbs) I was very upset until I went 4 a body assessment. I have lost cm and 2% body fat this month so now I'm really happy. Maybe you should also keep track of your cm and if your able go for a fat %test the scale is not the only tool to use to track how well your doing. Most of all don't give up bodies plateau all the time keep up the hard work and the weight will start to come off again x

richiefixo

hey


try intermittent fasting! it always help me kick out of my plateaus! it takes a gettin used to but once u get the hand of it, i bcomes really easy and very rewarding!

good luck,

tipsymoth

hey


try intermittent fasting! it always help me kick out of my plateaus! it takes a gettin used to but once u get the hand of it, i bcomes really easy and very rewarding!

good luck,

What is intermittent fasting?

kernowprincess

Have a go at eating nearer your calorie goal and try tracking your water intake. You could also track sugar, this may help you see more clearly. The trouble with no eating your calories is that your body goes into starvation mode and you may be losing muscle not fat. Drink 500ml of water 1/2 hour before each meal. You should aim for 2 ltires per day. It really is the case of finding balance in your food choices. hope this helps a little. big hugs. Lynn x :flowerforyou:

haileemou

You seem to have a heck of a lot of carbs....Where are your veggies and fruit and meat if your not veggie that is? xxx

tipsymoth

Hi iv been loggin 4 a while now and iv gained 2kgs (5lbs) I was very upset until I went 4 a body assessment. I have lost cm and 2% body fat this month so now I'm really happy. Maybe you should also keep track of your cm and if your able go for a fat %test the scale is not the only tool to use to track how well your doing. Most of all don't give up bodies plateau all the time keep up the hard work and the weight will start to come off again x

I did initially lose a couple of inches off my waist despite minimal pound loss but this week half an inch has gone on. I didn't measure the rest of me, so I should do that (esp as I started doing the 200 squat thing last night, if that doesn't sort out the bum nothing will!)

Fat% test sounds interesting. Is that a man with a set of calipers to pinch lumps of me? I do wonder if those fancy scales at the chemist might do some sort of % calculation...

Thanks for the suggestion.

tipsymoth

You seem to have a heck of a lot of carbs....Where are your veggies and fruit and meat if your not veggie that is? xxx

I don't eat meat.

And I'm not crazy about veg.

Looks ashamed.

I'm carb overloading you think?

Appersmere

First of all, I am no expert. When looking at your food diary, I paid no attention to the actual food eaten just the total calories eaten for the day, but right off I see a couple things that could be part of the problem.

#1 - You need to eat no less than 1200 calories/day. When you get into a habit of eating less than this, your body will go into starvation mode and hold onto any fat it gets. The more your body is used to getting food on a regular basis, the more it will be willing to allow the extra fat to be discarded.

#2 - Water consumption is a must as well as it helps to flush your body.

Also keep in mind that exercising not only burns calories and ultimately fat, but it also builds muscle. So you are going to experience times when you've stayed under your calorie goal and have exercised, but you don't see a loss in weight. Don't be discouraged.

tipsymoth

Have a go at eating nearer your calorie goal and try tracking your water intake. You could also track sugar, this may help you see more clearly. The trouble with no eating your calories is that your body goes into starvation mode and you may be losing muscle not fat. Drink 500ml of water 1/2 hour before each meal. You should aim for 2 ltires per day. It really is the case of finding balance in your food choices. hope this helps a little. big hugs. Lynn x :flowerforyou:

I'm terrible at drinking, so that is a really good idea. I shall start to log my fluids and make a real effort to drink more. Thank you.

haileemou

Oh dear you cant help what you dont like!

Erm is there nothing you like thats fruit or veggies? Can you try?

pdan86

Your sleep rythms affect your weight loss! If you're not in a proper rythm it might be the cause?

jasmineheaven

Hi Tipsy
I know exactly how you feel. I think the best thing for you to do is proportion out when your going to eat and what your going to eat to maybe three meals a day. So when you have those moment when you want to snack on those tiny snicker bars, you can ask yourself "am I hungry or am I just eating to eat?" Also those little snicker bars pack a heck of alot of calories...I know this from experience, eating those small bite size Hershey products. If your going to eat something that is along 100 calories or 200 calories then find something more satisfying or fulfilling like soup or a sandwhich, not just a snickers bar.
If you do go over your calories or feel like you have overestimated your workout..then just workout again and make sure you get your 8 cups of water in each day
Also when you eat only eat until you are not hungry anymore, dont eat until you are bloated or one more piece away from being completely full. Our stomachs are only as big as our fist, remember that and the best advice I think I can give is to learn how to say NO to those snacks or packed calorie foods

tipsymoth

Oh dear you cant help what you dont like!

Erm is there nothing you like thats fruit or veggies? Can you try?

I should do what I tell the kids to do and try something new

I should start making more stew and curry, that will up the veggies. So long as they are well disguised...

tipsymoth

Your sleep rythms affect your weight loss! If you're not in a proper rythm it might be the cause?

Split nights every week certainly is affecting my sleep patterns. I hope I can convince my body to get over that

lulabellarama

It's a bit of a rollercoaster, your diary! You have days when you are 600cals under and then you go over and then eat lots of homecooked stuff, then lots of convenience food.

It looks like you're still trying to figure out what works for you. It's unlikely it is a true gain, you probaby have had too much sodium and not enough water and are retaining.

My advice is too drink a LOT of water, get some high protein snacks for those carb heavy, tired days (Babybel are good, or slices of ham/chicken) and try to eat unprocessed food as much as possible.

Good luck, you'll get there.

tipsymoth

Hi Tipsy
I know exactly how you feel. I think the best thing for you to do is proportion out when your going to eat and what your going to eat to maybe three meals a day. So when you have those moment when you want to snack on those tiny snicker bars, you can ask yourself "am I hungry or am I just eating to eat?" Also those little snicker bars pack a heck of alot of calories...I know this from experience, eating those small bite size Hershey products. If your going to eat something that is along 100 calories or 200 calories then find something more satisfying or fulfilling like soup or a sandwhich, not just a snickers bar.
If you do go over your calories or feel like you have overestimated your workout..then just workout again and make sure you get your 8 cups of water in each day
Also when you eat only eat until you are not hungry anymore, dont eat until you are bloated or one more piece away from being completely full. Our stomachs are only as big as our fist, remember that and the best advice I think I can give is to learn how to say NO to those snacks or packed calorie foods

Excellent advice, thank you. I have been working really hard at saying no to the little chocs. I don't buy them but I work in a hospital and so we often do have boxes at the work station. Actually a real sign of psychological progress is that I have been able to sit next to them working and not have any because I haven't wanted to log them. (I did have a bad day with them a few days ago though, wonder why that was...)

My proper going home snickers bar is a real psychological crutch for the ride home though. Need to get over that one.

tipsymoth

It's a bit of a rollercoaster, your diary! You have days when you are 600cals under and then you go over and then eat lots of homecooked stuff, then lots of convenience food.

It looks like you're still trying to figure out what works for you. It's unlikely it is a true gain, you probaby have had too much sodium and not enough water and are retaining.

My advice is too drink a LOT of water, get some high protein snacks for those carb heavy, tired days (Babybel are good, or slices of ham/chicken) and try to eat unprocessed food as much as possible.

Good luck, you'll get there.

I've just gone back and looked and you are right, it is all over the place. Some of those big unders are days that I have done a run, and been out walking or whatever and I just don't want the calories.

The convenience food days are largely post night. I need to get more organised don't I and have something home made ready to heat up instead of chucking a pizza in the oven.

The sodium is interesting.

Looks like the general consensus is I need to sort out my fluids as a priority. I shall start logging that today.

Givemewings

Hi. I had a look at your diary. It doesn't look like you are logging everything. If you really want to get a handle on this you need to log everything, good and bad. That snickers bar costs you lots of calories...and if you do that every day ( which incidentally is what I used to do before I started MFP in June) then you just won't lose the weight. You need to try and make healthier choices. Ditch the chocolate ( I eat a couple of squares of dark chocolate when i crave it. I was a chocolate addict!), ditch the crisps, unless you want to have some as a treat, but they still need to fit into your calories for the day. And I don't mean cut carbs, because I haven't done that. I just religiously log everything. You need to eat more fruit and veg and try and eat more regularly.
I have an HRM now which helps because I can put in my exact exercise calories, but if you can't don't want to buy one then carry on estimating calories, just try not to overestimate . My cals are set at 1200 a day but I exercise so I can eat more.
Hope this helps!

TavistockToad

I only had a look at a couple of days, but you need to look at your 'snacks' - chocolate and sweets have no nutritional value at all, so all ur getting is calories but nothing your body can actually use. i'm not sayign dont have any ever, but maybe limit it to one snickers per week, as a treat (after weigh day for example).

Also, you should aim to get your 5 portions of fruit and veg in each day - some soups have 1 or 2 portions, and u have a banana often, so you're part of the way there!

good luck!

elizamc

If your going to eat something that is along 100 calories or 200 calories then find something more satisfying or fulfilling like soup or a sandwhich, not just a snickers bar.
If you do go over your calories or feel like you have overestimated your workout..then just workout again and make sure you get your 8 cups of water in each day

Both of those things! Can you make some soup and disguise some veggies in soup, purée the lot so that you can't pick them out?! The same with casseroles - if you casserole then try puréeing the veggies into the gravy before serving? There are are some fab soup recipes out there that might get the veggies in.

The other thing I noticed in your diary is that you seem not to eat regularly. This may be because of your shift work? I would suggest that you try to eat as regularly as you can. I have trouble with carbs too and aim eat two snacks on 'hungry days' as well as my three meals. Are you in the UK? If so and would like to try out a Graze box - this is a code for a free one: NXJPQ3V3.

Please feel free to add me as a friend if you like; and good luck!

shazzpoohbear

hi if you log everything and stick to the 1200 you should start losing. but even if you go just over and you are dancing you should lose. ive lost 2 stone in 15 weeks and i wasn't doing any exercise for the first 8 weeks as i had an operation and wasn't allowed to. i am back to dancing to now i do tap and line dancing. you can burn 105 kcals line dancing for 15 mins and about tap is about 200 kcal for 30 mins thats none stop dancing for that time. my brother had been doing it and he has lost 5 stone in the same time he was bigger than me so he has been losing more each week.

haileemou

Its all about replacing the baddies dear

Fatbuster205

This might appear a bit harsh but you have actually answered your own question! It strikes me that you are in control on "normal days" but once into the night shift pattern your self control goes out the window and you end up eating all day and night! I also wonder, are you eating extra because you have exercised? I work on the basis that the calories I burn through exercise I do not eat to make them up! The plan I am following is 1200 calories incuding the milk allowance and I am finding that I am not needing to eat extra as I am not hungry. In fact because I am eating breakfast - reluctantly but I am perservering - and eating snacks of fruit between meals which I would not normally have I am curbing my appetite. Have you tried bringing healthy and varied snacks in (crudities, fruit, low fat yoghurt?). As I am still in the early stages of my diet, I am buying WW ready meals and similar. That way if time is short I do not have to think about weighing anything. I can just throw it in the microwave, add extra veg and eat! You also need to factor in the gain in muscle through exercise which may be another reason to think about. Become best friends with your tape measure - believe me even if the scales do not vary, the tape measure reveals whether you are sticking to plan or really just kidding yourself. As for the Snickers bar, aside from the 280 calories and 14g of fat, chocolate contains a lot of high energy glucose as well as caffeine - hence why when you get home you cannot sleep! We all kid ourselves but rest assured that the average woman can lose weight on 1600 calories so if you are not losing weight, nor inches then you are simply eating too much or you are on anabolic steroids! We all underestimate our intake and overestimate how much we have lost through exercise so do not feel disheartened because once you accept that you should become a lot more focussed and you will see the scales move and the inches get smaller! Best of luck and do not give up!!!

tipsymoth

I can't keep up with quoting everyone, but thanks!!!

I am trying to log EVERYTHING. I have looked back and will confess, there is a lunch at the thai restaurant missing because I didn't know what to log it as, but the days that are missing meals are, as someone correctly guessed, work days. I do 12 hour day shifts too and it is not uncommon to not get any break at all those days, so there is lunch and dinner missing. I sometimes eat when I get home but often I get so tired and feel so rough that I don't.

The Snickers bar is partly to stop me from sleeping I get home, have a couple of hours and then have to pick up my son from his nursery at lunchtime, so I can't go to bed.

I had realised how much rubbish I do eat. I have been glossing over that and maybe needed it pointed out to me. The packets of crisps will go since the picnic weather seems to have gone, but the chocolate needs more self control.

Thanks guys.

It would appear I have been deluding myself.

Must try harder.

*sigh*

wedjul05

I agree with the other posters. You are not completing your food diary at all and therefore it's hard to see the whole picture.

But from what I've looked at, you are eating way to many carbs and not enough fresh, unprocessed things. Chocolate bars are not good. If you do crave some chocolate, try a fun size bar. But treat it as a treat once a week or something.

Do you like fish?

My diary is open, feel free to take a look at it.

Try and stay away from processed foods and eat fresh whenever possible. You need to find SOME veg you are happy eating.

snookumss

Tipsy

I was the same way! Before I started really using MFP, I didn't think I ate that badly. Unfortunately, I was comparing myself to smaller people with better metabolisms. I ate horribly, I ate late, and often. I didn't realize what was going on until I was 200lbs and getting a double chin!

Thanks to MFP, I've learned to religiously log everything... it makes a huge difference

Tamara

tipsymoth

Thanks all.

I've closed my diary again, taken it all on board and will try harder.

Thanks!

jasmineheaven

Oh and tispy one more word of advice...if you plan on sticking to this "calorie diet" and you come across something where you are not sure of the calories then find something else to eat where you know the calories. You dont have to limit yourself to that one particular thing and if it is all that you have to eat then make sure you work out to make up for whatever calories you "think" you may have consumed from it.