getting discouraged... help!

leeannrdh

i know this is probably posted already but right now i am furious and i don't have the patience to read through these...
here's my problem...

i started this last week... lost 5 lbs. i went from eating whatever, how ever much, and when ever i wanted to veggies and fruit.
I LOVE veggies. i don't have have problem with that. most of my refined sugar has been cut out. i drink water like its going out of style... probably 8-10 bottles a day. i always have been a big water drinker.
I do the elliptical for at least 15 mins for at least 3/week.

this week... i have lost NOTHING! seriously, NOTHING!

so whats the point?!?!?! i am really motivated to lose the weight right now... and i don't want to stop at 5!

sorry for the rant... any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. have a great day!

sc1572

Try changing up your workouts! That helped me!

engineman312

your body was in an initial shock from the restriction of calories and the new exercise regime. i hope you are not restricting your calories too much. 1200-1300 is too low in my opinion. 1400-1600 is probably better, but this is determining your age, height and weight. you might not be eating enough protein, but without seeing your diary, all we can offer is guesses. if you continue with proper nutrition, logging of calories, and exercise, you will keep losing pounds. buy yourself a food scale to help you more accuratly weigh your food, and see a nutritionist. good luck.

richx83

Hi

If you open your diary people will be able to help you a little more

Rich

awdhemi

Don't get discouraged. It happens to all of us at one time or another!! Just keep working towards your goal. However, if this continues, then you should try to change up routine or eating habits.

bhoochy

you are only on week two!!!!!! You can't get discouraged after week 2, just push through it. Ik my weight loss slows due to hormones and for 2 weeks out of the month I will literally lose nothing. Push through it and it will help you understand how your body operates!

nukebhs83

i know how frustrating it can be when the scales dont move down. you have to keep doing what you are doing and maybe add some different exercise in other than the eliptical. you know this is just one of the plateaus that we all have. you keep your resolve and dont give up. it didnt take us a week to gain it and it wont be gone in a week. (unfortunately) if you need any encouragement or someone to give you a shove to keep you going please feel free to friend me.

SusanMcAvoy

Once started everyone initially loses a decent amount of weight. It's excess water weight. But then the real weight loss begins and it takes a long time. Don't give up. If you are like most people, plan on losing about a pound a week. It takes strength, patience and perserverence to lose weight. I've been at this since March and the process is very s-l-o-w. But it will work. Watch your calories and work out. It works. I wish you the best of luck. :flowerforyou:

TavistockToad

its one week of not losing anything.... thats completely normal... you need to be patient.

alz6690

I've had this before and have in the past given up as a result. I know how disheartening this can be! My trainer toold me that our bodies aren't mechanical machines! The body needs to get used to each weight loss you have! Basically, if you lose more than a couple of pounds then you are apparently less likely to lose the same the following week. There are so many factors that infulence our weight loss other than food and exercise....hormones, stress (kinda hormones too), sleep.

I used to give up/want to give up if I didnt lose weight, but this time, I use it as a challenge... ok so this week nothing, next week i want to try a lose something, how can i do that....get my food and exercise in, make sure i drink enough, and make sure i get in time to relax and make sure i get enough sleep. That's the bet advice I can give.

I've been where you are now and I know its easy for me to sit here and say this but I promse if you stick with it in the long run, I promise it will be worth it!

Feel free to add me if you wanna chat!

Hmrjmr1

your body was in an initial shock from the restriction of calories and the new exercise regime. i hope you are not restricting your calories too much. 1200-1300 is too low in my opinion. 1400-1600 is probably better, but this is determining your age, height and weight. you might not be eating enough protein, but without seeing your diary, all we can offer is guesses. if you continue with proper nutrition, logging of calories, and exercise, you will keep losing pounds. buy yourself a food scale to help you more accuratly weigh your food, and see a nutritionist. good luck.

All Good Advice, I echo it and if you'd like another friend to help feel free to friend me here. Open your diaries to friends and we can help.

mzpharrell

Changing my workouts worked for me also!! If you did the elliptical for 15 before...try cycling of add resistence or go longer. Our body get used to our patterns if we don't change them. I would love to see your food diary also!

KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK!!!

amygiltner

Week 2 is always hard. Even on Biggest Loser. Keep track of your food (this is the best website I've ever found for doing that). I started my weight loss if February and through the summer I really slacked off on working out, but I"m back at it. To date I've lost 23 pounds. I had hit a plateau about a month ago. I had to change up my workout. I was doing an hour on the arc trainer, plus crunches, squats and some weightlifting. Now I focus on the treadmill. I'm training for a mini marathon in May. Initially the treadmill kicked my *kitten* but I've got myself running 5 miles in a little over an hour. Running, which is high impact has really boosted my weight loss. Maybe you should try the treadmill. Don't give up after just 2 weeks. And maybe don't limit your food to just fruit and veggies. You need protein. And try eating every 3 hours, that way your metabolism keeps going. Protein is your friend!

kps1104

don't get discouraged!!!! for one, you are on week 2 just give yourself and your body sometime to get used to the change in your routine, your body will catch up. In my case I have been working out like crazy for one month now and have only lost 5 lbs BUT I have taken my measurements and have lost some inches, my husband and friends noticed before I even took my measurements so just give yourself some time to get there...keep pushing yourself through all the hard times, the times you don't want to workout, the times your just want to give up and remember that you will get there...it may take some time but you will get there, and once you begin to see some results you won't want to stop good luck!

adixonko

Counting carbs is important. Never have less than 130 carbs per day. but spread them out between meals. My dietician put me on a 1600 - 1800 calorie a day diet that goes like this: 30 - 45 carbs per meal, 15 - 30 carbs per snack, as low in saturated fat as possible, keep cholesterol below 200 per day, watch sodium too, 3 oz of protein at a meal at most, etc.

Myfitnesspal has helped me keep on track really well. It takes time to lose weight, and in the beginning it's water weight, but I have been able to lose 28 lbs since august.
I also bike 5 - 10 miles a day on my stationary bike. Believe me, I'm not an exerciser, but I do love movies, so I keep myself on the bike a half hour at a time by watching movies that I only allow myself to watch while I'm biking. It's frustrating to stop at a good part so sometimes I go longer than a half hour!

Hope it helps. Give it time. If you keep up with it you'll see results.

Goomph

Definitely do NOT give up !

When I first started I gained weight, around 4 Lbs, and it drove me crazy .... And then after a few weeks it started to come down, and I have been loosing little bit almost every day. Yeah, I had to loose that excess weight too, so much fun

It definitely takes some time for the weight to come off, keep at it and you will be laughing at the end.

MyCoachNYLA

would need to see your diary and also would suggest that you get a bit more aggressive with your training regimine.

Message me if you decide to open your journal so I can help.

Hugs,
Coach Nyla
ISSA Certified Fitness Trainer
NPC Figure Competitor
From 170 pounds to Fit
"If I Can Do It, So Can You!"

Hellbent_Heidi

You lost 5 lbs in ONE week and you're already discouraged.....Really???

dchienku

The first week I did the same.lost 5 lbs. The next week i lpst nothing.. It takes time. Keep working towards ur goals. Feel free to add me as a friend if u would like.
Denise

kevin3344

First thought is MFP is not a diet. It's not a get-rich-quick scheme. You have to put in the work, day in and day out, and log your calories. It took a while to gain the weight you will have to change your habits to lose it. Open your diary. Go to Settings > Diary Settings > Diary Sharing and change it to Public. Make sure you stay under your calories each and every day.

My sis-in-law has been on MFP for 3 months and lost 15 lbs. She has hardly ever missed a day of logging. It works. But you have to stay committed through the ups and downs.

vim_n_vigor

Some weeks you will lose, other weeks you won't. Some weeks you will lose a few ounces, others, <gasp> you may even gain. That is what happens. You can't get hung up on every single set back. You will lose your mind. Keep working at it and find what works for you. Best of luck!

1953Judith

If you are in it for a quick fix, I can understand that you are discouraged.

If you are in it for a comfortable, healthy lifestyle, I'd recommend concentrating on establishing new habits and losing the weight slowly. Many of us have weeks where we have every reason to believe as we step on the scale that we will see weight loss and we don't see it. I recommend that you swallow hard, recommit your energy to a new healthy lifestyle, remember your achievements and goals, use the report function on this site to look at different things such as salt, sugar, etc., decide if you want to tweak anything and then keep on plugging.

This site and so many of the people on it are excellent resources, I commend you for not giving up!

leeannrdh

thank you so much for the positive responses. yes it's week 2 and yes i am discouraged. and thats ok. i will get past it. just had a moment of frustration.

i will open up my diary... i had no idea i could do that! but that's great so others can help!

you guys have made my day knowing that you have been through or are going through the same things!

LorinaLynn

Five pounds the first wee, zero the second, still averages to 2.5 pounds a week which is a huge amount for normal mortal humans (ie, not weight loss tv show contestants) to lose.

Hellbent_Heidi

thank you so much for the positive responses. yes it's week 2 and yes i am discouraged. and thats ok. i will get past it. just had a moment of frustration.

i will open up my diary... i had no idea i could do that! but that's great so others can help!

you guys have made my day knowing that you have been through or are going through the same things!

Just remember, a lifestyle change is a marathon, not a sprint. You certainly didn't gain it all that fast (even though sometimes it feels like we all did!), and its going to take time to come off! Keep doing the right things and you'll see results...this site can be amazing for support and motivation!

engineman312

just took a quick look at your diary for the past two weeks. you didn't log your calories this weekend, and you usually fall very short of your total calorie goals. you should be coming as close as possible to your daily calorie goal. you are already at a deficit, so coming in under by that much is not recommended.

personally, i like to go into my exercise calories to have some more eating room, but i usually don't go and eat all of them. i also like a bit of a stronger breakfast then what you eat. yogurt and tea? EVERYDAY? don't you get bored?

inspirem

I lost 5.6 pounds last week and stupidly stepped on the scale this morning ( 2 days before my weigh-in) No pounds lost yet and I too am feeling a little discouraged because this has been a pattern for me for the last 3 years...I have not been able to lose more than 16 pounds- very frustrating, but here's why: I DON"T stick with it!

I would read success stories so as a way to motivate myself...it would work a "minute or two" and then those success stories would get me down because I wasn't dropping 50 pounds in 4 months (everybody's body works a tiny bit different), eventually I would tell myself "why bother?" and then I would quit trying. So here I find myself starting for the 100th time and I can feel the "sabotager" in me wanting to come out and stop me.

I'm keeping the discouragement at bay only because I have made permanent changes for the good. Water is my friend! I do Zumba 3x a week since April and I haven't lost but the same 5 pounds over and over again; however I have lost 1.5 inches in my waist, almost 2 inches in my hips, my arms are firmer. Exercising is so important and I LOVE Zumba!

Last week I joined MFP and have tracked my food everyday. I am keeping within my calorie goal and discovered that I, in the past was eating way way way to many calories and not moving enough to burn the calories off, I was eating a lot of good healthy stuff but still eating some not so healthy things! What you fuel your body with and how much you eat, matters!

I know what to do, I just need to do it faithfully and consistently! Don't not be discouraged! Fight through the disappointment, eat good whole healthy food 90% of the time and track it to stay on target, exercise more days of week rather than 3, log onto MFP to receive encouragement...be consistent, don't give up, we are not done yet!

M

melianne125

I just checked out your diary. This is going to sound insane but IMO you aren't eating enough. When I eat that far below my cals I do not lose weight even if I have insane cal burns with workouts. Try eating more cals to get closer to your daily limit.

kapeluza

"Overview (why I'm posting this)
Over the course of about 7 months on here, I have seen many people suceed, I have also seen some drop off the map. I expect this is because some succumb to the demon that is temptation, and some to the devil that is dissapointment. I wanted to give a few "heads up"s to both new commers and vetrans to the site. Some may know already, some may not. But either way, if this helps anyone to set more realistic goals in their own head, I feel like it has done it's job.

Phase 1. The start of a brand new day! (or week, or month, or year)
Expectations are sky high, usually so is motivation and intentions. This is where most people lose the most weight. At the start it's not uncommon to see 4 to 8 lb losses per week. The reasons for this are mostly (sorry to disappoint) water weight. You drop excess water quickly, and you can have up to 5 lbs of water weight. The next biggest reason is the fat that is right next to the blood vessels, the stuff that you put on in the last month or three, it will melt like butter usually.

Phase 2. Reality setting in.
At about week 3 to a month or so, people suddenly realize that they are no longer dropping 8, 6, or even 4 lbs a week. This is a crutial phase in your journey. Expect this, it is natural. You have shocked your body by changing both eating habits and exercise routine. Now it has had a little while to become used to the new lifestyle, it's going to compensate. Your body still doesn't believe it's permenant yet, so it will still try to store some fat, so now that it knows how to regulate it's new metabolic levels, it tryies to store fat in earnest. It's not uncommon for people to hit a wall here, no loss for weeks. Expect this as well.

Phase 3. The routine.
At about 2 months or so, your routine is pretty much set, your body is beginning to believe that you really want to STAY the way you are going now. You will start to see more consistant (but lower, usually 1 to 2 lbs a week) loss, also, you should start seeing some muscle tone (depending on how much you had to lose in the first place). If you stop to think, you should realize that you have improved dramatically in your exercise levels. If you do cardio, you should notice how much longer and harder you can work. This is important to realize as it is just as big of an indicator as weight loss. Also, by now you may notice that your clothes no longer fit right. This is also very important. The weight may not be falling off anymore, but you are becomming a smaller person. Weight is arbitrary, if you are building muscle (which your body is doing at a furious pace by now) you won't notice huge losses, but you will notice wholesale changes in the mirror!

Phase 4. Really digging in.
This is where the second wall can happen. You're probably at between 3 and 4 months by now, and if you have gone this far, you feel like you have already suceeded. This is where many people stumble. they are tired of the routine, tired of eating different things from all their friends, limiting their alcohol intake. Basically the shine has worn off. this is when your really need to plant your feet. Maybe change up your exercise routine, make a concentrated effort to find different, but still nutritional food. Talk to people. And examine how far you have come. At this point, no matter how much external motivation you receive, it's all about believing in yourself!

Phase 5. End game.
5 or 6 months in you are probably working on that "last 10 pounds". This can be discouraging for many as it is a slow burn. Remember, your body probably feels like it is where it needs to be, your brain might think you need to lose 10 more, but your body is quite proud of itself now, it feels like it has "Done enough" and it wants to stay RIGHT HERE. The body LIKES to have a little fat around just in case, especially for the ladies (sorry girls, it's just human physiology). If you feel like you still need to lose it, prepare yourself for some guerrila warfare against your body. Design an exercise regimen that is very dynamic, forget the "same thing every day". Make a plan that challenges you both physically and mentally. Make sure you give yourself a day off here and there to just veg. And by all means, remember, muscle burns fat at rest. So get some weight or resistance training involved.
The last 10 may take 3 to 6 months to lose. I know nobody wants to hear that, but it's true. And forget the idea of increasing your calorie deficite, healthy bodies need good nutrition, your body no longer has the fat reserves to handle the large deficites you could when you were 30 40 or 50 pounds overweight. Better to make it a 3 or 400 calorie deficite (NET, please count your exercise calories too!). It may take a bit longer, but your body will like you for it. Plus it feeds those new muscles and keeps them burning fat, keeps your skin healthy (elasticity is important when you want those places that were stretched out to "snap back") and keeps you from getting head aches and depressed.

Conclusion:

this is what I have learned, not just from my journey, but from others as well on here. It saddens me sometimes to see people hit one of these stages and not recognize it for what it is, a part of the process. If we all can have realistic expectations, then we are more prone to win the fight and stay healthy in the long run. Note that some people will hit these stages harder then others, some may take longer, but for the most part, this is the rule that the exceptions will come from."

keiraev

"Overview (why I'm posting this)
Over the course of about 7 months on here, I have seen many people suceed, I have also seen some drop off the map. I expect this is because some succumb to the demon that is temptation, and some to the devil that is dissapointment. I wanted to give a few "heads up"s to both new commers and vetrans to the site. Some may know already, some may not. But either way, if this helps anyone to set more realistic goals in their own head, I feel like it has done it's job.

Phase 1. The start of a brand new day! (or week, or month, or year)
Expectations are sky high, usually so is motivation and intentions. This is where most people lose the most weight. At the start it's not uncommon to see 4 to 8 lb losses per week. The reasons for this are mostly (sorry to disappoint) water weight. You drop excess water quickly, and you can have up to 5 lbs of water weight. The next biggest reason is the fat that is right next to the blood vessels, the stuff that you put on in the last month or three, it will melt like butter usually.

Phase 2. Reality setting in.
At about week 3 to a month or so, people suddenly realize that they are no longer dropping 8, 6, or even 4 lbs a week. This is a crutial phase in your journey. Expect this, it is natural. You have shocked your body by changing both eating habits and exercise routine. Now it has had a little while to become used to the new lifestyle, it's going to compensate. Your body still doesn't believe it's permenant yet, so it will still try to store some fat, so now that it knows how to regulate it's new metabolic levels, it tryies to store fat in earnest. It's not uncommon for people to hit a wall here, no loss for weeks. Expect this as well.

Phase 3. The routine.
At about 2 months or so, your routine is pretty much set, your body is beginning to believe that you really want to STAY the way you are going now. You will start to see more consistant (but lower, usually 1 to 2 lbs a week) loss, also, you should start seeing some muscle tone (depending on how much you had to lose in the first place). If you stop to think, you should realize that you have improved dramatically in your exercise levels. If you do cardio, you should notice how much longer and harder you can work. This is important to realize as it is just as big of an indicator as weight loss. Also, by now you may notice that your clothes no longer fit right. This is also very important. The weight may not be falling off anymore, but you are becomming a smaller person. Weight is arbitrary, if you are building muscle (which your body is doing at a furious pace by now) you won't notice huge losses, but you will notice wholesale changes in the mirror!

Phase 4. Really digging in.
This is where the second wall can happen. You're probably at between 3 and 4 months by now, and if you have gone this far, you feel like you have already suceeded. This is where many people stumble. they are tired of the routine, tired of eating different things from all their friends, limiting their alcohol intake. Basically the shine has worn off. this is when your really need to plant your feet. Maybe change up your exercise routine, make a concentrated effort to find different, but still nutritional food. Talk to people. And examine how far you have come. At this point, no matter how much external motivation you receive, it's all about believing in yourself!

Phase 5. End game.
5 or 6 months in you are probably working on that "last 10 pounds". This can be discouraging for many as it is a slow burn. Remember, your body probably feels like it is where it needs to be, your brain might think you need to lose 10 more, but your body is quite proud of itself now, it feels like it has "Done enough" and it wants to stay RIGHT HERE. The body LIKES to have a little fat around just in case, especially for the ladies (sorry girls, it's just human physiology). If you feel like you still need to lose it, prepare yourself for some guerrila warfare against your body. Design an exercise regimen that is very dynamic, forget the "same thing every day". Make a plan that challenges you both physically and mentally. Make sure you give yourself a day off here and there to just veg. And by all means, remember, muscle burns fat at rest. So get some weight or resistance training involved.
The last 10 may take 3 to 6 months to lose. I know nobody wants to hear that, but it's true. And forget the idea of increasing your calorie deficite, healthy bodies need good nutrition, your body no longer has the fat reserves to handle the large deficites you could when you were 30 40 or 50 pounds overweight. Better to make it a 3 or 400 calorie deficite (NET, please count your exercise calories too!). It may take a bit longer, but your body will like you for it. Plus it feeds those new muscles and keeps them burning fat, keeps your skin healthy (elasticity is important when you want those places that were stretched out to "snap back") and keeps you from getting head aches and depressed.

Conclusion:

this is what I have learned, not just from my journey, but from others as well on here. It saddens me sometimes to see people hit one of these stages and not recognize it for what it is, a part of the process. If we all can have realistic expectations, then we are more prone to win the fight and stay healthy in the long run. Note that some people will hit these stages harder then others, some may take longer, but for the most part, this is the rule that the exceptions will come from."

This is all so true.

bahiyyahjefferson

Don't be discouraged.......... sometimes the body will hold on to weight I don't know why as long as you know that you were doing what you need to do on your end keep it up!!!!!!! You will continue to drop as long as you are honest with what you are doing, and don't get so hung up on the scale we also get rid of inches!!!!!!!!! You want to keep that in mind!!!!!! Good luck and don't give up!!!!!