Screw this!
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That is so hard, besides the scale how do you feel? Do your cloths feel or fit better? I really struggled my second week, I had followed it really close and was in my calories and gained a half of pound, the next week I still watched it but was out of town over the weekend and had a couple higher calorie days. I was worried but I noticed I was feeling better in my cloths, not as blotted so I figured if the scale didn't move atleast my cloths fit better. I ended up losing a pound and a half, not much but the fact my cloths feel better is giving me some hope. I was SOOO crappy when I gained that 1/2 pound, I do get it, plus I felt heavier, it has gotten better I think I was cutting back to far on my calories plus the over day gave me a good break. Hope this helps some0
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The scale is the devil!
I AGREE!!!!0 -
Are you eating enough? You should be having 3 meals a day, preferrably 5 small meals and 2 snacks. And with each snack, you should be having a protein, carb and good fat (coconut oil, butter, EVOO) Most people say fat, makes you fat, but that isn't true. Good fat is what keeps you satisfied along with good protein. Don't use margerine or any artificial stuff to save calories! Feed your body what it needs!
You also might be overdoing your excersise part. Take it easy and let your body heal.
I highly reccomend Dr, Diane Schwarzbein's books. She helps your body regain it's original metabolic rate and her motto is "You don't lose weight to get healthy, you get healthy to lose weight." I find that is so true!
HTH! And HUGS!0 -
OK. Take a deep breath in. It is VERY frustrating to work your *kitten* off and not have the scale comply with all of your efforts. There may be some muscle weight there especially if you are just starting to exercise. Where are u in your cycle? You could just be retaining some pre period water weight (up to 3 # ! ). Also, if you are feeling "puffy" then you are retaining water and think about if you had any really salty things yesterday. Make sure you are drinking at least 8 glasses of water a day. On days when my fingers feel puffy and my rings are tight I know I probably did not drink enough water the day before and am holding onto water weight due to something salty I had eaten the day before too. Are you sweating with your workouts?
We have all been there...I promise. Dry your tears and redirect that frustration towards the fact you WILL SUCCEED. When I started at my local gym in April they told me some people take 4 months before they see any weight come off. Make sure you are taking a rest day also especially if you have been working out 7 days a week. Sleep is another big deal too. Make sure you get at least 7 hours if possible.
You are making an awesome investment in yourself to get healthier. Remember, you did not put the weight on in 2 weeks nor will it come off in 2 weeks. Like a fine wine it will take some time to be fantastic!
Good luck.0 -
"Why the Scale Lies
As a personal trainer I’m constantly warning people that the scales are an evil contraption designed to make us feel bad about ourselves and so “diet clubs” can look down on you and say “have you been cheating” to make you feel even worse!
I constantly tell people over and over again that daily weighing is unnecessary, yet how many of you cannot break the ritual of hoping on the scales every day. Do your self a favour and throw the scales in the bin or my favorite, give them to someone you don’t like! If you can’t bring yourself to do either of those then you should definitely familiarize yourself with the factors that can influence its readings. When you factor in things like water retention, glycogen storage and changes in lean body mass, fluctuations in your body weight is normal. The bathroom scale should not be looked upon as your sole guide of success or failure. Once you understand more about how the body works, you can free yourself from the daily battle with the bathroom scale.
Your body is made up of approximately 60% water. Daily fluctuations in the body’s water content can send scale-watchers into a panic if they don’t understand what’s happening. Two things that can influence water retention are water consumption and salt intake. As strange as it may sound, the less water that you drink, the more of it your body retains! If you are even slightly dehydrated your body will hang onto its water supplies, possibly causing the number on the scale to creep upward. So if you are thirsty, drink up as you are already dehydrated!
Excessive amounts of salt (sodium) in our diet can also play a big role in water retention. A single teaspoon of salt contains over 2,000 mg of sodium. As a guide, we should only eating between 1,000 and 3,000 mg of sodium per day, so it can be easy to go overboard. Sodium is a sneaky substance, its in nearly everything you eat and drink. The more highly processed a food is, the more likely it is to have a high sodium content. That is why, when it comes to nutrition I recommend sticking to the basics: fruits, vegetables, lean meat, beans, and whole grains. Be sure to read the labels on canned foods, frozen meals and anything that comes packaged in a box.
Women may also retain several pounds of water prior to menstruation. This is very common and the weight will likely disappear as quickly as it arrives. As with general water retention, pre-menstrual water-weight gain can be minimized by drinking lots of water, maintaining an exercise program, and keeping high-sodium processed foods to a minimum.
The body stores carbohydrates as glycogen. Think of glycogen as the fuel tank for daily living. Some of this glycogen is stored in the liver and some is stored the muscles themselves. This energy reserve weighs more than a pound and for every gram of glycogen stored the body stores approximately 4 grams of water. This can add up to 3-4 pounds of water weight when its stored. Your glycogen supplies, along with the stored water, will shrink during the day if you fail to take in enough carbohydrates. When this happens our weight will drop on the scales but its only temporarily because as soon as we eat a meal containing carbohydrates the body will fill the glycogen fuel tank along with storing water. It’s normal to experience glycogen and water weight fluctuations of up to 2 pounds per day even with no changes in your calorie intake or activity level. These fluctuations have nothing to do with fat loss, however I can imagine they would make the weekly weigh-in at the diet club frustrating, something I’m sure they don’t tell you about!
People also tend to forget the actual weight of the food that we eat on a daily basis will affect the number on the scale. So eating a big meal along with any drinks before hopping on the scale is only going to result in a higher reading. The 5 pounds you put on right after eating a huge meal with drinks is not fat, it’s the weight of the food and will be gone in several hours when the body has finished digesting it. For this reason, it’s a good idea to weigh yourself first thing in the morning before you’ve had anything to eat or drink.
In order to store one pound of fat we need to eat 3500 calories above our daily caloric needs. So if you take the above example, to actually store the above dinner as 5 pounds of fat, you would have to eat a massive 17,500 calories. This is highly unlikely, and in fact it’s probably not humanly possible(but please don’t try to prove me wrong!). So if the scale goes up 3 or 4 pounds overnight, relax, as it’s most likely increased water weight, glycogen, and the weight of your dinner. Bear in mind that the 3,500 calorie rule also works in reverse. If our goal is to lose one pound of fat you will need to burn an extra 3,500 calories more than you take eat. Generally, it’s only possible to lose 1-2 pounds of fat per week. So when you follow a severely low calorie diet that causes your weight to drop 10 pounds in 7 days, it’s physically impossible for all of that to be fat. What you’re really losing is water, glycogen, and muscle.
This brings me to the scale’s sneakiest lie. The scale doesn’t just weigh fat; in fact it only tells you how heavy you are under gravity at that moment. So when you hope on the scale what it collectively weighs your muscles, bones, water, internal organs, in fact everything that is you. Losing weight and losing fat are two different things and in fact, the scale has no way of telling you what you’ve lost (or gained). With that in mind, if you have been on a restrictive diet and lost a lot of weight in a short period of time then you have probably lost a lot of muscle tissue. Losing muscle is nothing to celebrate. Muscle is a metabolically active tissue, the more muscle you have the more calories your body burns on a daily basis, even while you are sat reading this. That’s one of the reasons why a fit, active person is able to eat considerably more food than the dieter who is painfully counting points and who is unwittingly destroying muscle tissue. Also if you are losing a lot of weight by crash dieting and not exercising and therefore by sacrificing muscle tissue you will not get the body transformation results you desire. You will just end up a smaller version of yourself. Or as one of my clients recently put it, a smaller fat person!
If you were to compare your muscles and fat to gold and feathers with one pound of fat being a big lumpy bag of feathers, and one pound of muscle as a small but extremely valuable piece of gold. Our goal would then be to get rid of the lumpy feathers and replace it with as much gold as possible. So in effect we would weigh exactly the same the only problem with the scale is that it doesn’t differentiate between the two. It can’t tell you how much of your total body weight is lean tissue (gold) and how much is fat (feathers).
Skin-fold calipers, hydrostatic (or underwater) weighing and bioelectrical impedance are all methods we can use to measure our body composition to discern whether we are losing (or gaining) fat and muscle and while none of these methods are 100% accurate, they offer a better way of measuring our bodies changes than the scale.
Now if the thought of being pinched, dunked, or gently electrocuted doesn’t appeal to you, don’t worry, one of the best measurement tool of all is a simple tape measure and your very own eyes. If the tape is showing that you have lost inches, your clothes fit better and the person looking back at you in the mirror is a leaner, fitter more confident person who isn’t bound by different coloured days then surly that is a better judge of your success than the lies from the bathroom scale.
Do yourself a favour and buy yourself a big hammer and introduce it to the springy, beady eyed lying menace, not only will you release a lot of built up tension but you will feel better for it, (just be sure to wear the correct safety clothing)!
Train Hard, Eat Smart! "
good info, thanks0 -
Yes...the scale is evil and we are not on speaking terms right now thank you very much!0
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Maybe it's not you? Maybe your scale sucks. Is there a scale at the gym you workout at? I'd trust that more than just a home scale.
Don't give up. It's hard...no doubt. There are days when you feel like you busted it during your workout and ate everything you should have, and you still gain. It happens to everyone. Have you consider that it could be your monthly cycle? That always gets me and I have to just ignore what the scale says and just keep at it.
There are lots of us here to encourage you. Please don't give up.0 -
LOL! I need to put mine somwhere other than the bathroom, so I don't see it first thing every morning!Yes...the scale is evil and we are not on speaking terms right now thank you very much!0 -
I've been watching what I eat and working out regularly for 2 weeks now and I'm gaining weight faster than ever. If working out makes me gain weight, then I'm just going to stop.
And don't tell me it's muscle because you don't gain pounds of muscle after 2 weeks of cardio and a couple exercise DVDs.
If you guessed that I just got off the scale and cried for 5 minutes before posting this, you'd be right.
When you work out your body GAINS MUSCLE which weighs more than fat. don't judge your progress by the scale alone. YOu need to measure yourself (bust, arms, hips, thighs etc) and re-measure on a monthly basis to see if you have any progress. Don't give up!!!!0 -
Funny, I weigh myself quite often as well for the weightloss 'competition' I'm in as well-it's called keeping my livelihood. I also, don't have an oven to use, and I work 12+hour shifts. I've recently changed back to a diet of fruits, veggies, lean protein, and I've increased my activity level in the gym. I've lost about 9 lbs in the past month and week or two. There really isn't a whole lot of variety in my diet either.Unfortunately I have to weigh myself every week because I just started participating in a weight loss competition, which is now going to be extremely embarrassing with all the weight I'm gaining.
I do watch my sodium and I buy mostly organic food.
You can pretty much ignore my food journal because I mostly use it as a guide since I eat basically the same thing every day. I can't afford much variety, so I just try to make what I buy as healthy as possible.0 -
Do you eat all your exercise calories? I know that everyone says you should, but it doesn't always work that way for every person. I have found personally that I cannot eat all my exercise calories. When I do, I either don't lose or I gain. So I rarely eat any of them.
But then again, that is just ME..... you have to find out what works for you.0 -
I have bounced up 5 pounds the day after a hard workout....and I'm a guy that doesn't have to worry about TOM. Scales are a nice guide line, but your measurements and body fat % is what really counts. If I went by what the scale told me, when I was 190 lbs, lean, and in the greatest shape of my life, BMI still told me I was over weight. Keep it up, tone it up, and don't quit.0
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MFP over calculates calories burned...
I was thinking the same thing....but wanted to beleieve MFP was right
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one thing I've noticed is that the week before my period I gain 8 pounds of water and it comes off after my period ends. I pretty much avoid the scale for 2 weeks out of the month because even though I know its water weight retention that will come off I will still cry about it. Another thing is, if you're not eating enough then your body goes into storage mode whenever you eat because it doesn't know when you're going to eat again which in turn causes weight gain. Again, this is just how it is for me. As far as portion control, I bought one of those cheap $10 food scales and it helps a LOT. It takes the guessing game out of portion control. It's easy to get discouraged when the scale goes up instead of down or just stays in the same place for a week or two but don't give up! In the long run you'll be so happy you didn't give up. One more thing..log absolutely every little thing from drinks to condiments like mayo, butter, ketchup..whatever. I know it doesn't seem like they add up to much but they really do. Hope this helps
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1. It takes your body time to adjust
2. The scale is primitive and you should be measuring yourself
3. When is TOM, because that can make you gain/retain a LOT
Just keep going and you'll see results it just takes time, commitment and patience. It does work, though. It gets frustrating at times, but you'll get there -- don't quit.0 -
http://body-improvements.com/resources/eat/
this is a fantastic article...please read it! it's long but it's got so much information. Also "stroutman81" is a guy on here that wrote the article, check out his website and credentials...if you have questions, or you don't feel you're doing something right, ask him. He bases his answers in scientific research, not just what he heard, or what worked for him.0 -
That "screw this" attitude aint gonna get you nowhere. Chin up. It takes time. Dont expect results after two weeks.. or maybe even two months!0
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Fat cells contain mostly triglycerides. When you burn fat, they're replaced with water. When you exercise you also retain water. To lose the water either lose less weight at a time or don't eat the same number of calories every single day. Changing your diet purges water. Some people who start a new diet lose 10 lbs in one week because it's mostly water purge. Refeeding after starving causes water purge. It's just the nature of the beast. You'll get used to it. Just keep at it. Just don't get addicted to losing weight. Before you get to your goal weight, why not try changing it up and going for strength and muscle? Regardless of what the phd's in broscience will tell you, it is entirely possible to gain muscle while on a calorie deficit. Your total possible muscle mass without steroids can be calculated based on the overall weight of your skeletal frame. The further you are from that maximum size, the less nutrients are required to maintain or build muscle, the closer you are the more nutrients are required and more energy from calories are required. It's not as simple as calories in vs calories out for lean body mass. I have lost 59 lbs on the scale while adding 5 lbs of lean mass using real science and not bro science.0
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I totally feel your pain! Don't give up on it. You will have to learn and re-assess constantly. This is a lifestlye change not a quick fix.
Without looking at your journal, here are some suggestions:
1. Make sure you're drinking water - at LEAST 8, 8oz glasses a day
2. Make sure you're actually weighing and measuring portions - eyeballing doesn't work
3. Mix up what you're eating and add variety, lots of whole foods, limit processed stuff if you can
4. Limit alcohol
5. Is it that time of the month? I go up anywhere from 2-5 pounds when that happens. Man, that's a slap in the face!
6. Maybe alternate your exercises a bit - add in weights and cardio alternating
7. Eat back SOME of your exercise calories, but beware - the calories burned listed in the MFP database aren't always accurate. So don't eat them all back. I try to leave myself a nice 200 calorie window, just in case.
8. Don't be so hard on yourself! Again, this isn't a quick fix. It takes time to learn and see what works for your body. We're not all the same. And you didn't gain the weight in 2 weeks, so you certainly won't lose it that fast either!
Muscle weighs exactly the same amount as fat! When you weight train, you burn calories and lose fat. Muscle takes up less space (has less mass) than fat, so a pound of muscle is smaller/tighter than a pound of fat. It takes time for that transformation to happen, so you're right about that!0 -
Its not muscle... its fluid retention.
Do not quit exercising just because the scale goes up. Take your measurements chances are you are losing inches. Eventually your body will adjust and things will fall into place.
I totally agree, I got stuck at a plateau with no weight loss for 3-4 weeks now the weight is coming of faster than it did before.0 -
need to be possitive if you wanna lose weight. don't be negative. i know what its like not to be losing the weight, its aggravating but you just gotta stay possitive. :flowerforyou:0
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Trekkie, Sometimes i feel like i must eat like a rat to lose weight. i understand.0
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^^^^ this NOONE has ever gotten BIGGER by watching portions(calories) and working out. This is not a fad diet. Fad diets you will loose weight, muscle what have you in a couple weeks. This is a learning process. Process of elimination to find what WILL work for you. Blaming not losing weight on exercising will not help you, figuring out what is NOT working will. Hang in there and KEEP MOVING!Patience.0 -
I won't say it's muscle, but it's most likely water weight.0
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what has always gotten me through weight fluctuations is this......
"Our bodies use glycogen for short term energy storage. Glycogen is not very soluble, but it is stored in our muscles for quick energy -- one pound of glycogen requires 4 lbs of water to keep it soluble, and the average glycogen storage capacity is about 2 lbs. So, when you are not getting in enough food, your body turns first to stored glycogen, which is easy to break down for energy. And when you use up 2 lbs of glycogen, you also lose 8 lbs of water that was used to store it -- voila -- the "easy" 10 lbs that most people lose in the first week of a diet.
As you stay in caloric deficit, however, your body starts to realize that this is not a short term problem. You start mobilizing fat from your adipose tissue and burning fat for energy. But your body also realizes that fat can't be used for short bursts of energy -- like, to outrun a sabertooth tiger. So, it starts converting some of the fat into glycogen, and rebuilding the glycogen stores. And as it puts back the 2 lbs of glycogen into the muscle, 8 lbs of water has to be stored with it to keep it soluble. So, even though you might still be LOSING energy content to your body, your weight will not go down or you might even GAIN for a while as you retain water to dissolve the glycogen that is being reformed and stored."0 -
What kind of exercise do you do? I didn't start losing until I started doing bootcamp classes!! I had to cut out coke zero totally & only drink water. I know it's frustrating. I started wking out in march but didn't start losing wt til July when I started tracking my food better!!!!! Good lucj0
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It's likely fluid retention. When you're new to working out, your body kind of goes "WTF??" and holds onto water to help the muscles repair from the new activity.
Exercise and eating healthy has never made anybody get fatter. If you've only been at it two weeks, your body is likely still holding onto excess water due to previous lack of intake. Between that and normal fluctuations in weight day to day, your body is still in its adjustment period.0 -
Try not to feel deflated! I know it's hard, we have all been there. Try try try not to use the scales for a little while longer and go by clothing fit. There has been some good advice given.
Keep going!! 0 -
what has always gotten me through weight fluctuations is this......
"Our bodies use glycogen for short term energy storage. Glycogen is not very soluble, but it is stored in our muscles for quick energy -- one pound of glycogen requires 4 lbs of water to keep it soluble, and the average glycogen storage capacity is about 2 lbs. So, when you are not getting in enough food, your body turns first to stored glycogen, which is easy to break down for energy. And when you use up 2 lbs of glycogen, you also lose 8 lbs of water that was used to store it -- voila -- the "easy" 10 lbs that most people lose in the first week of a diet.
As you stay in caloric deficit, however, your body starts to realize that this is not a short term problem. You start mobilizing fat from your adipose tissue and burning fat for energy. But your body also realizes that fat can't be used for short bursts of energy -- like, to outrun a sabertooth tiger. So, it starts converting some of the fat into glycogen, and rebuilding the glycogen stores. And as it puts back the 2 lbs of glycogen into the muscle, 8 lbs of water has to be stored with it to keep it soluble. So, even though you might still be LOSING energy content to your body, your weight will not go down or you might even GAIN for a while as you retain water to dissolve the glycogen that is being reformed and stored."
That sounds....
...wonderful, tbh! Makes perfect sense, and explained in a very clear way! Thumbs up for a wonderful post!0 -
You are only just beginning! Use the tools provided and being honest with YOURSELF with what you are eating is the only way to get the scale to tilt to where you want. Make sure you're drinking a lot of water!! Excercise is great but the majority of the weightloss battle comes from what food you are putting in it! Good luck! Don't get discouraged even if you have a rough day because tomorrow is always a chance to start fresh!0
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