New and already frustrated...

jbahrami

First of all, good Monday morning to you all! I joined MFP almost a month ago and have been sticking to it pretty closely...HOWEVER...I can't seem to lose more than 4 pounds (1.5 of which I just gained back last week!!). I've been pretty honest and have been tracking everything I'm eating. My in-laws are Persian, so the Sunday dinner is a little harder to track, but I'm trying to break it all down. Exercise is a challange since I've had a knee surgery that didn't quite heal right. I do a TON of ab and upper body workouts, but I've quit seeing a difference.
I'm trying to avoid getting frustrated because I'm tired of the yo-yo dieting/lifestyle...I find it too easy to give up and I want to break that cycle. Any suggestions???
Thanks!! :-)

Maagrie

I know it's frustrating, but don't give up. Keep tracking your food and doing what you can as far as exercise. It DOES work! There are so many factors that can effect the scale....salt, water intake or lack of, type of food you eat(I've found that when I eat red meat the scale slow down for a couple of days), even the way you exercise. I've found when I workout more with weights and do toning exercises vs. straight cardio then weight loss slows down for a while. The best thing you can continue to do is track it all on MFP! It's good for you and you'll be healthier for it. The weight loss WILL follow! Best of luck to you and DON'T GIVE UP!:flowerforyou:

LisaMariaCallow

DON'T GIVE UP!! You are worth this!! Really be vigilant with your food, log EVERYTHING you eat, get a food scale to weigh it out if you're estimating portion sizes, and while you may not be able to run or work out on things like treadmills/ellipticals, find a place with a pool and try water aerobics-trust me, it works!!

Good luck, don't get yourself down, and friend me if you want!! I'm a good cheerleader!!

elizamc

Yes keep going! Have you set yourself some goals....maybe fitness goals if you are doing your best with the food. make sure that they are small and achievable so that you feel as though you are progressing even if the weight isn't shifting.

Persevere, fab that you are logging your food, perhaps open your diary so we can see what you're eating?

Good work on the upper body exercises, to add to it - are you able to swim? Aquarobics? Or a gentle cycle?

Well done for sticking with it so far! Please feel free to add me as a friend if you wish...

rml_16

Four pounds in a week is a very good loss. Don't complain about it. This is real life, not reality TV.

daves160

I would agree with the above statement. Salt and water intake will make a big difference. Try introducing some cardio. Bike riding is something that is much easier on the knees. Maybe circuit training?

I have not seen a difference with red meat or doing other than cardio exercises, in fact When I mix up my workouts I see more of a difference. I guess everyone is different. You will find what works for you, but definitely watch the sodium. And drink plenty of ater.

sc1572

Don't give up! Everyone hits a roadblock every so often, and you can knock it down and move on! If you're exercising, make sure you eat back your exercise cals to where you net at least 1200, and also try changing up your exercises. I've found that when I stick to the same exercise, my body gets bored and won't stop losing. Also, try changing up your meals! Sometimes it helps to move around your calories, or surprise your body.

Keep at it! It's worth it!

PippaJo_

4 pounds in four weeks is *right* on track - nothing to complain about! (Faster would be nice, sure, but not everyone can lose that fast, and it isn't safe to lose much faster, anyway.) Also, the slight increase can be due to hormonal changes, water retention. lots of stuff.

1. Are you exercising? Muscle gain can account for the scale not appearing to move, yet you're still getting healthier and laying the foundation for more loss later.

2. Are you measuring your food? I've found it's *way* too easy, especially starting out, to overestimate the amounts of food you eat. You think you're eating 1 cup, but it's closer to 1 1/4 cups - that splash of creamer turns out to be two tablespoons....that sort of thing. Measure, measure, measure!

4 weeks is WAY too soon to give up, especially for 'lack of progress', when you've actually made excellent progress!

dobarber

I agree completely with jbahrami. When I started 32 pounds ago the weight just would not come off. I was eating right, exercising the way I thought I needed to and saw nothing on the scales. I think it was 2-3 weeks in that I actually started having progress and ended up dropping about 10 pounds in 2 weeks. Since then its been a fairly steady ride with some slow downs but I have always had some noticeable change whether it be weight or measurements. Keep going and you will see results. Also, and I can't stress this enough, drink at least 8 8oz cups of water per day and if you can give up the soda. It will help. The extra water in your system does so much for you.

ChrissyS067

Don't give up! I've been doing this for a few months now and I was just like you, wanting to see results quickly and substantial. But losing 4 lbs is still losing 4 lbs! I have only lost 13 lbs total, but that's great! It took awhile to gain the weight, it'll take a little time to come off. Unfortunately, we don't live on the Biggest Loser ranch, with personal trainers who work us out 10 hours a day, plus portioned food. We have to figure it out as we go!
Keep pluggin away and come back here for encouragement! You can do it!!

nursekree

I have been experiencing the same problem. I've lost 6lbs since August and yo-yo a pound or two a little bit too. It's incredibly frustrating, but I've come to the conclusion that what I am doing is healthy for my body and that it will eventually take effect. Keep trying! You are doing good things and your health will reflect it even if the scale doesn't for a while.

jbahrami

Thank you everyone for the wonderful supportive advice! I should have posted this a long time ago and could have saved myself the lonely road to this frustration. Thanks for lifiting me out of the "woe is me" mood and giving me some light to be able to see the path. Your advice will definitely be taken and we'll see how it turns out...

You all are a great group of cheerleaders!!

SuperSnoopy

Do you use the cross trainer at the gym as that equipment is more knee freindly than tread mill or even walking etc.

Good luck with your endevours. Fell free to add me as a freind if you would like more support.

rml_16

Do you use the cross trainer at the gym as that equipment is more knee freindly than tread mill or even walking etc.

Sometimes yes, sometimes no. I have pain in my knees and I find that each of those has a different stride. Some cause me knee pain. Some don't.