Can anyone help me understand why I am not losing weight?

MountainMamaof2

:mad:

I honestly feel like I've improved my diet and exercise habits over the past few months (and most recently, during my short time here) by leaps and bounds and the scale is just.not.moving. ugh!! I have shrugged it off for weeks and just kept going but I don't understand it. I know I could decrease my carbs and sugar and increase my protein, and my calories tend to creep up sometimes into the 1800-1900 range, but I am 184 pounds and formerly consumed 2800 calories a day on average, wouldn't a 1000 calorie a day reduction make a difference?!

I would understand this if I was 140 looking to lose 10 pounds, but not at 184 when I have 45 pounds to lose. Ugh, so frustrated, and I'd appreciate any and all advice. My diary is open for anyone who cares to look:)

Thanks!

theprettyone1010

Try to lower your fat & sugar intakes. Also try to work out 4-6 days a week. Make sure you're drinking 8 glasses of water a day, minimum.

Good luck to you!

Pidders89

i cant really give you advice because im in exactly the same dilema, i have reduced my calories as much as possible, i exercise a lot and still not losing ive been stuck at 181 for 3 weeks now! so frustrating isnt it!

LFDBabs

How are your clothes fitting? Sometimes the scale can be deceiving. Try to focus on how you FEEL and how your clothes fit. I can sympathize with your frustration. I'm in the same boat. Lost 4 pounds in my first two weeks, now nothing. BUT, don't give up!

jilliebk

I would say, drink more water, and also working out is the key for me.. maybe working out more, and getting support from a dietitian will not hurt.

tuffytuffy1

I too can sympathize. I have been here for 4 months and only lost 7 pounds. Good luck to you!

edorice

Looks like you have a sweet tooth. Those Lara bars and cookies aren't doing you any favors. You track your sugar, but you continue to go over on sugar. See about keeping your carbs under 150 grams. See about snacking on raw almonds and sunflower seeds.

sherciara

I had the same issue because I was always watching the calories and not the numbers from Carbs, Protein and fat. But the simple math is this, what I have found to be helpful is NO process quick fixes, like hidden sugar in fat free items! Watch your actual "fat" calorie numbers, it does not always have to be related to how much calories you consume but where those actual calories come from which is your carbs, protein and most importantly fat. Good luck

sam363

If you are not already, Drink a glass of water before every meal and during. Also, are you feeling satisfied after your meals and snacks? I have found that if I plan a low carb meal with veggies and end with a piece of fruit, I feel satisfied but not overly full. I follow the 40/30/30 rule (carbs/protein/fat). Maybe try having small meals/snacks through out the day and make sure that you are getting an hour of excercise per day. It doesn't have to be strenous - walking will help. Then try adding in strength training.

Also, go back to your diary when you were losing and see what worked for you. Old habits are hard to break and sometimes they creep back in. Take a fresh look - you might be surprised.

Good luck!

dirtyblue

Are you using MFP to calculate your calores burned during exercise or are you using a heart rate monitor? If you aren't using a HRM, I would strongly suggest that you get one. I got mine at Target for $40, it's a New Balance. Looking at some of the numbers you have in for calories burned, just don't seem very accurate.

TVstfne

What do you have your calorie levels set at...to lose 1 lb/week? I looked at your diary for the past few days and there were several days where you did go over your goal by a few hundred calories. Don't take that wrong, because if you are 1,000 calories down from what you were eating that is GREAT! But you are probably eating the equivalent of your "Maintenance Level" so you aren't losing, but you aren't gaining...When you were eating 1,000 calories more, you were probably gaining a little bit every week and didn't realize it (that's how we all got to where we are, right? ;-) ) So you ARE making a difference. But if you truly want to lose and not just maintain, then you need to stay at/under your allotted calories every day.

sam363

Looks like you have a sweet tooth. Those Lara bars and cookies aren't doing you any favors. You track your sugar, but you continue to go over on sugar. See about keeping your carbs under 150 grams. See about snacking on raw almonds and sunflower seeds.

If you have a sweet tooth, try a piece of fruit like clementines and peaches and pair with string cheese or cottage cheese. These snacks help me feel satisfied. I also like a handful of trail mix once in a while.

Onesnap

Here's the best advice I can give (and what worked for me these past 10 months):

-Log every bite, log every workout
-MEET your calorie goals set on MFP to lose 1lb/week
-Don't fall BELOW those goals after logging workouts--your body will not let go of that extra weight

Eat as cleanly as possible. Eat every 2-3 hours. Pre-log your workouts and spread those extra calories around with healthy whole foods.

Here's my stats:
I'm now at my goal weight, 135 lbs, 5'6"

In order to lose the 1lb/week my settings were to eat 1,260 per day
I typically burned 300-500 calories/day depending on the workout

500 burned would be feeding my body with 760 cals. No way!

So, I pre-logged my workouts and spread those extra cals around to MEET my 1,260 goal.

Total intake of food was typically around 1,760 for me personally. On those particular days I was TAKING IN more than that 1,260 but meeting the goals MFP set for me to lose that lb/week

TammyTopaz

Don't despair hon. It could be that u r building muscle and muscle weighs more but in the long run, will also burn more. Or it could be that ur body is still trying to adjust to ur new lifestyle so it will take some time before it starts to co-operate.

Try not to let ur calorie intake fall below 1,200 calories for the day as this means that ur body is starving, though u don't feel it. Ur body needs all the nutrition in order to work well and burn calories. U can try the Jillian Michaels 4-3-2-1 pyramid scheme which has been working for me so far...4 servings of fruits and vegetables, 3 servings of protein, 2 servings of grains (whole grains; no white breads, biscuits, rice or pasta) and 1 serving of sweet (no more than 200 calories though).

Just keep pressing on and have faith in urself. Try not to watch the scale so much; concentrate on ur waist as there is where all the "bad" fat lies. And note, if u r not trying to lose weight for the right reasons (i.e. a healthier u, better health, etc.) then this can also slow down the process.

All the best with ur journey. And feel free to add me if u wish.

Cheers

ValMcB

Could be a number of factors, not enough water, not eating enough, exercising is replacing fat with muscle weight.
Did you do measurements when you started? Do any of your clothes fit more loosely?
Check your measurements and make sure you track them as well, but only recheck every week or 2, that will help.

I was STARVING for a few days last week. Seriously wanted to just chow down, ate over my calorie amounts a few times but stayed under calorie limits because of exercise. I am allowed 1720 so don't care what I did for exercise I try and keep it under that. BUT I found I had some under 1500 cal days and think my body went into starvation mode and clung to everything.
Apparently I needed to eat and eat more than my calorie limit. And this week I've dropped again! Yeah!

I guess the best advice I can give is to eat if you are hungry but within reason. Have good roughage, especially, and if you need to kick things up a notch have twice as much salad or an extra apple. And LOTS of water!
Good luck, hope it helps and you drop again soon!

MountainMamaof2

Are you using MFP to calculate your calores burned during exercise or are you using a heart rate monitor? If you aren't using a HRM, I would strongly suggest that you get one. I got mine at Target for $40, it's a New Balance. Looking at some of the numbers you have in for calories burned, just don't seem very accurate.

I'm using MFP to calculate calories burned during exercise. I have a HR monitor but I don't think it calculates calories burned. Hmmm.

MountainMamaof2

Could be a number of factors, not enough water, not eating enough, exercising is replacing fat with muscle weight.
Did you do measurements when you started? Do any of your clothes fit more loosely?
Check your measurements and make sure you track them as well, but only recheck every week or 2, that will help.

I was STARVING for a few days last week. Seriously wanted to just chow down, ate over my calorie amounts a few times but stayed under calorie limits because of exercise. I am allowed 1720 so don't care what I did for exercise I try and keep it under that. BUT I found I had some under 1500 cal days and think my body went into starvation mode and clung to everything.
Apparently I needed to eat and eat more than my calorie limit. And this week I've dropped again! Yeah!

I guess the best advice I can give is to eat if you are hungry but within reason. Have good roughage, especially, and if you need to kick things up a notch have twice as much salad or an extra apple. And LOTS of water!
Good luck, hope it helps and you drop again soon!

I am definitely deficient in water. There is definite room for improvement there. Thank you!

MountainMamaof2

Here's the best advice I can give (and what worked for me these past 10 months):

-Log every bite, log every workout
-MEET your calorie goals set on MFP to lose 1lb/week
-Don't fall BELOW those goals after logging workouts--your body will not let go of that extra weight

Eat as cleanly as possible. Eat every 2-3 hours. Pre-log your workouts and spread those extra calories around with healthy whole foods.

Here's my stats:
I'm now at my goal weight, 135 lbs, 5'6"

In order to lose the 1lb/week my settings were to eat 1,260 per day
I typically burned 300-500 calories/day depending on the workout

500 burned would be feeding my body with 760 cals. No way!

So, I pre-logged my workouts and spread those extra cals around to MEET my 1,260 goal.

Total intake of food was typically around 1,760 for me personally. On those particular days I was TAKING IN more than that 1,260 but meeting the goals MFP set for me to lose that lb/week

Awesome. You are where I want to be!!! I'm 5'6" also. Congrats on your weight loss.

MountainMamaof2

Looks like you have a sweet tooth. Those Lara bars and cookies aren't doing you any favors. You track your sugar, but you continue to go over on sugar. See about keeping your carbs under 150 grams. See about snacking on raw almonds and sunflower seeds.

If you have a sweet tooth, try a piece of fruit like clementines and peaches and pair with string cheese or cottage cheese. These snacks help me feel satisfied. I also like a handful of trail mix once in a while.

The sweet tooth is typically the worst at night (when I should be in bed)! Probably more a problem than my sweet tooth is my late bedtime spent watching tv. I need to go to bed earlier!!

MountainMamaof2

What do you have your calorie levels set at...to lose 1 lb/week? I looked at your diary for the past few days and there were several days where you did go over your goal by a few hundred calories. Don't take that wrong, because if you are 1,000 calories down from what you were eating that is GREAT! But you are probably eating the equivalent of your "Maintenance Level" so you aren't losing, but you aren't gaining...When you were eating 1,000 calories more, you were probably gaining a little bit every week and didn't realize it (that's how we all got to where we are, right? ;-) ) So you ARE making a difference. But if you truly want to lose and not just maintain, then you need to stay at/under your allotted calories every day.

I have it set to lose 2 lbs/week. Should I change it to 1 lb/week? You are right, I was gaining...

MountainMamaof2

How are your clothes fitting? Sometimes the scale can be deceiving. Try to focus on how you FEEL and how your clothes fit. I can sympathize with your frustration. I'm in the same boat. Lost 4 pounds in my first two weeks, now nothing. BUT, don't give up!

Hmmm, about the same. I "feel" better in them but they are still tight in all the same places:(

Onesnap

Awesome. You are where I want to be!!! I'm 5'6" also. Congrats on your weight loss.

Thank you!!

iuangina

I see a lot of meals where you are eating what I consider "snacks" for the entire meal. For example, Lara bars are a great snack or part of a meal but they will not give you the right balance of carbs, protein, and fruit/veggies. I would try to have 1 serving of protein, 2 servings of fruit/veggie, and 1 serving of carbs at every meal. I use the separated plates for kids that keep the food from touching. They are visual reminder of what needs to be on my plate. The carbs and protein go in the quarter section and the veggies/fruit go in the half section. It's easy to do. For example, I may have whole wheat pasta with turkey sauce and a salad for a meal. It also seems like you're not eating breakfast every day. Some people say it's not necessary to do that but I find that the scale gets stuck for me if I don't eat breakfast.

ValMcB

I am definitely deficient in water. There is definite room for improvement there. Thank you!

I was bad about water too. I am a nurse, I don't have time to pee! LOL So I have a 24oz travel mug that my goal is to finish on my way to work, 20 min drive. Then I refill it and do the same on the way home. That has helped so much!

But at home I take my favorite glass (cheapo from walmart but love the color and it holds 4 cups!) and fill it up, when I finish it I log 4 cups. Seems so much easier than drinking a glass at a time! And I found that I drink more when I use a straw. Weird? Dumb? Mental? I don't know! But it works! LOL!

crikee15

I peeked in your diary, and I agree with adding more water, but I would also take a look at your sodium levels. A lot of the energy/supplement bars have higher sodium than we think, and I notice you like those. MFP sets the sodium default at 2500mg, but I've read you only need 600 mg a day (more if you exercise). I wondering if increasing your protein intake would help. Your carb:protein:fat ratio seems pretty high, and protein would help repair muscles if/when you work out, as well as keep your body fuller longer. Good luck!

momma_kathleen

Oh my goodness, have i BEEN THERE! my weight loss is very slow also...are you getting cardio? and have you tried to go very low carbs? i have found that if i stay away from the starches for now, even if they were "allowed" by my calorie count, and consistently get the cardio for a full hour at least five days, i have started to see the scale creep down...but remember, unless you want to starve it off, you are going to lose it slowly, like it was gained...sorry you are frustrated, but keep showing up and doing the exercise and food and stay away from the scale for a week or so! try focusing on how a certain pair of pants fit or something else! i was getting too much sodium and actually went UP a pound one week! yikes! the next week i was down 4...hang in there!!!

BigGail

Hiya, I agree about the sodium - it's a kicker! Up your water and do your measurements rather than your weight for a while - if you're exercising you may notice the difference in your measurements where you're firming up.
I doubled my water intake and the difference was astounding.
Don't give up! Good luck - we all know it's really hard work x

Hellbent_Heidi

Try to lower your fat & sugar intakes. Also try to work out 4-6 days a week. Make sure you're drinking 8 glasses of water a day, minimum.

Good luck to you!

Agree with this 100%.... I didn't look really far back, in your diary, but you do seem to be going over your fat allowance frequently (and by a lot on a few days). Also, maybe swap one of your categories to add sodium instead to see how you're doing with that.

Good luck..and give it a little time before you stress. You haven't been at this all that long yet, and your body needs to adjust to the fact that its getting a healthier and lower calorie foods.

lauradel9

I think you may want to incorporate more greens and fresh veggies, and lean protein, and less processed foods and meats. in addition, make sure you are eating plenty of dietary fiber and drinking plenty of water. i take kelp to support my thyroid function and also drink yerba mate and green tea to promote some weight loss. aside from weight loss, i suggest truvia over splenda since truvia is also a no calorie sweetener but much healthier.

CarolynB38

I was in the same position for ages. I found a combination of several changes worked for me. Feel free to check out my blog if you're interested. http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/CarolynB38.

I understand how frustrated you must feel but just keep at it. You have received some great advice here, just don't give up. You can do this! :flowerforyou:

FitMissVicky

I started at 196 and have lost 20lbs as of today's weigh in. I'm using MFP to track but my calorie allotment and approach comes from a doc and nutritionist I'm working with. Here's what I've been doing, and it's helped me lose about 1-2 lbs a week.

Daily calorie goal: 1800
3 meals and 3 snacks daily (eating every 2-3 hours)
minimum 300 calories per meal and 150 calories per snack
protein every time I eat

I don't count my carbs or track sugar but have found that focusing on protein and ensuring that I have plenty of lean protein and fresh veggies has helped a lot with the sugar cravings. When the cravings do hit, I try and make healthy choices. I still enjoy wine and beer regularly, even though I know if I cut that out I would lose more. My doc's advice is to make sure I am living the life I enjoy; that way any changes I make will be sustainable. I don't eat back my exercise calories although I am exercising regularly.

If you eat out a lot, you might find there are hidden calories - I travel and eat out a lot for work so this has been the most challenging part for me. I make sure I have some nuts at work so I don't miss my snacks and am tempted to overeat at meal time.

Looking at your diary my advice would be to try eating more lean protein and veggies and making sure you are eating every 2-3 hours. I restructured my settings so I could track morning, afternoon and evening snacks. Although MFP considers my 1800 calories to be maintenance, it is actually working for me.