Help please - Only Lost 1lb since starting this 40 days ago!

Olisellana

Don't be discouraged. Remember that Muscle weighs more than fat. Although the scale isn't showing that you are losing weight it is more important to look at your measurements instead of your weight on a scale. A weight on a scale can Flucuate up to 5 lbs in a given day depending on what you eat and how much water you have intake. The best thing to do is weigh yourself first thing in the morning right after you use the restroom and before you eat or drink anything as your body has used a lot of your food and minerals in your body. Make sure to weigh yourself around the same time during the day as well.

Mummsy

Great input from the above. Congrats on hanging in there and working out and on the loss of a pound. This time of year it is a real accomplishment not to GAIN and you LOST! Yeah! Congrats also on the loss of some inches! I would hope that you are FEELING better too! Keep up the great work. Definitely keep an eye on that sodium!

BobbyClerici

Lower the burn rate for your exercises.
It could be that simple.

And try to test for body fat:
http://www.scientificpsychic.com/fitness/diet.html

Like the above said: muscle is more dense. You are doing great - keep up the good work!

premiumchilenita

I think you should track EVERYTHING that goes in your mouth, especially when your starting off. You'd be surprised at how many calories some vegetables have, and although they are great for you, they still count as like you ate them. Nothing is "free". So what ever you eat, you need to work out.

you might find that once you do this you might actually be going over your calories. I'm not saying you will, just saying you might.

grassette

I wasn't loosing weight when I started in MFP, so I changed my settings manually. I put my activity level at sedentary, so that I could see how much exercise I did in a day. I lowered my daily calories to 1200 per day. I avoid empty calories, and eat only filling foods so that I am not hungry. I start with a hot cereal in the mornings. And I don't eat back my calories. When I stick to the 1200 limit, I loose. But when I eat back my exercise calories, I simply maintain my weight. I started MFP at the obese level.

My advice would be 1) to re-examine your settings; 2) find out how many calories you need to take in a day (Check the other databases out there, to compare what MFP recommends); 3) Don't eat back all of your exercise calories.

Good luck.

psuLemon

For all those that are saying you are gaining muscle, it isnt possible. You are on a calorie deficit so to increase lean muscle mass would be virtually impossible. Now it is possible to lose body fat while maintaining lean muscle mass. And if you reallu just started working out, your muscles can be retaining water which is why you wont see a scale loss.

My suggestion is find out what your body fat % is, then we can improve the accuracy of your caloric daily needs (improving your bmr calculations) and give you a better understanding of how many calories to eat. A lot of the times i find people are losing because they arent fueling their body enough. 1200 calories at that weight isnt enough.

christabeltoria

It took me a month to lose even a pound, but the inches just fell off. I've been at it for a year and a half, and right now am stuck around 30 lbs down, even though I need to lose a good 20 more. But I feel great for doing all the exercise, and everyone is very complimentary. Just keep at it. Thanks to everyone for all the reminders about drinking water and eating more fruit and vegetables. Important advice! Best of luck with losing the second pound....and the one after that....and the one after that....

hailzp

I couldn't really be bothered reading the rest of the thread so I apologise if this has already been said. But are you positive your portions are being logged correctly? I had the same trouble until I got some little scales, I measure everything now and the weight is dropping off. I lost 10lbs in 2 weeks all because measuring my portions and logging correctly. I hope it is something as simple as this so you can get back to your journey. I know how horrible it is to feel like you are working hard and not getting anywhere.

veganMomto7

Hi, You seem to be on the right track. Exercise that is purposful is always smart. It will become a habit and if you stop even though you may not be losing you may very well start gaining back. So do not stop exercising. I would suggest adding any veg to your diary. I eat only steamed or raw veg without any salt or extras, i.e.butter, dressing, cheese, or dips. The calories add up if you eat lots of them. So if you are eating at least 7 a day those end up being hidden calories that you will easily forget.

Fruits and veg have natural sugars in them. Some more than others, lets say that Gala you love verses steamed spinach. Yes the Gala may taste better but, the spinach is a super food and you can eat way more of it that the apple if you are trying to lose weight. The apple is a quick carb that will burn off quick leaving you hungry for the crisps. I would try to cut back on all those carbs. Added surger and natural sugars add up quick and they are always in packaged foods. Probabbly more in diet food. Maybe try fresh frozen mixed berries for a topping on a fiber rich cereal or steel cut oatmeal. Leave the banannas and apples at the market for a while and cut back on the wine. Berries have the same good for you stuff as red grapes. Oatmeal by the way is very good raw w/ soymilk or 2% w/ a dash of cinn. The fruit on top is the sweetener. My favorite breakfast because it keeps you feeling fuller longer. Calories are calories add they do add up quick! Make sre you measure everything! I lost nothing for what seemed forever all becuse I was eating way more than I thought I was. Maybe double. And I have always been a very health consious eater. Raw, low sat fat, low sodium, no added sugar ... you can still over eat healthy and gain weight.

One last thing...you have not added any drinks except the aclcohol. Are you not drinking water?! If you are add it to your diary. Drinking water takes time and effort if you are not a natural water drinker. If you are drinking fancy coffee w/creamers and sugar, soda, fruit juice, sports drinks or anything else off the market shelves....STOP! Because if you are drinking those thing you would not have much time or space in your tummy to fit the water. You would be rolling around like a water balloon. We don't want that! You could be drinking up to an entire days worth of calories and not realize it. All those workouts wasted......ugh.. That was way long winded...sorry, Lose the carbs and keep up your great workouts and slowly you could add back a glass or so of the wine you love.

MelanieAG05

SO much false information in here. Wow! Sorry OP

What is the true information then?

Roblyssa

Girl, I am in exactly the same boat, so I am feeling your pain.

I am not dropping in clothing size either after 8 weeks of trying to lose weight.

I am going to the dr tomorrow to chat to him about it as I do have a thyroid problem (not under or over active, a multinodular goitre that can convert to either under or over active which can inhibit my ability to lose weight). I have lost weight in the past very sucessfully but this time I am at a standstill, despite doing more exercise weekly than I have ever done in my life.

I wish you luck!
Kellie

dovesgate

The biggest issue is that you say you aren't logging your vegetables.

Veggies have calories; sometimes they have quite a bit. One ear of corn can be over 100 calories (the first one I looked at on MFP is 142), 3.5oz of a yam is about 153 calories, a cup of carrots can be about 100 cals. If you aren't logging them, chances are your caloric intake is way off.

Yoopermom13

No sugar, limit salt as much as posssible, limit fats, and carbs under 60 gms and keep moving you will lose. Stick to the green veggies (but peas are starchy) and get yourself a good calorie counter book. Get a diary or journal for 2012 and write everything you eat down and total it at the end of the day. MFP doesn't have everything in their lists. I also try to just eat when I'm actually hungry and not beacuse it's a meal time. Try eating half of what you're eating now for a week and see if you get any results. I'm only 5 feet tall and if I ate all the calories they tell me to in a day I'd probably Gain weight!! Good Luck. Chris

xMedullaOblongatax

By just a quick glance of your diary, I would considerably cut back on the wine. Three and a half bottles in four days is a lot and it's not just about the calories. Your body burns the alcohol before anything else, which means it's not burning calories. You don't have to give it up (we all our own little something), but I would try to cut back by at least half. Good luck & don't give up no matter how frustrated you might get!

#1: YES! What this awesome dude said: Don't give up!

#2: Alcohol is a HUGE detriment to weight loss. 1/4 cup of Captain Morgan is about 300 calories, and that wrecked my progress for days! I barely touch alcohol, maybe 1 beer a month (I am so lightweight I could make you blush) is all I will indulge in.

If you're doing a lot of strength training, then you may be building muscle weight. This is a good thing! It will take time for the slimming to happen. Please be patient, take pride in your growing strength! You'll get there

(If it helps you feel better, I have been here for 2 months... 1 serving of Taco Bell wrecked a month's work of progress, and I had to spend all of this month catching up!)

CaptainGordo

SO much false information in here. Wow! Sorry OP

What is the true information then?

Lots of good stuff here: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/groups/home/457-unofficial-mfp-faq

PRprincess

Have you checked your thyroid? I was recently diagnosed with hypothyroidism, it seriously impacts your metabolism and causes weight gain. I had tried everything, even Weight Watchers, working out religiously and the scale didn't budge. Might be worth a try, otherwise you could be spinning your wheels.

Yes I agree. I was diagnosed just right before I was introduced to MFP. My medication along with exercise and a healthy diet has helped me on my journey.

gp79

It's good to see you are logging your food. The most difficult thing is to determine how many calories you actually burn in a day, it takes some time to experiment with different calorie values. There are just so many variables at play whenever you step on the scale. I can carry an extra 7 - 10 lbs of bloat which totally throws me off. I can't stress enough to log absolutely everything you eat, even the vegetables. A calorie is a calorie and as long as you are in a deficit (especially over 30 days) you are bound to lose weight. I will also add; the calories reported by the machines at the gym are only an estimate. You "could" be overestimating your calorie burns. Something to consider.

heather_elise85

Hi ! First off I want to say you are doing an awesome job keeping yourself going even though the scale is trying to steer you away! I know its hard!!

I started Oct. 13th and I lost 5lbs the first week then I lost 1 more.. I took a picture of myself in these tight jeans that I could hardly button. I just took it with my shirt lifted up and of my stomach. I said.. I'm just going to take a picture like this, in these jeans once a month or whenever I feel like it.
Well.. On November 11th.. I took another picture and I could see a difference.. It got me really excited! It wasn't much but I could see it and the scale had not budged in 3 weeks! So .. that gave me the boost to try another month.

I started zig zagging calories after not losing for 2 more weeks.. ( 5 weeks in all with no weight loss ) and I started to lose oz. here and there. I then got so into my routine of workouts and was feeling so much better I said screw you scale! You might hold a magic number but I already feel amazing! So I kinda let the # go. Sure I would like to be in the 120's and I know if I keep this up I will get there eventually.

After all of this - I took a picture on December 11th and OMG! What I saw when I put all 3 months next to each other was nothing short of a miracle! I had lost no more weight since the 2nd week of working out ( now I am in my 10th week ) I can send you the picture if you like. I haven't posted them on this site yet. I am no where near where I want to be but that picture is all I need to keep going.

I suggest ( if you don't feel like doing measurements like me ) take pictures!

yspen42

I understand how you feel but hang in there and don't give up! You may have to change what you are eating, drink more water, and exercise longer!
The weight will come off in due time...you maybe gaining muscle depending on what you are doing...

Hang in there...the weight didnt come on overnight so it will not come off overnight!

servilia

A lot of things people are saying here are incorrect and will only point you in the wrong direction.
It's highly unlikely that you put on enough muscle to offset possible fat loss.
Also sodium is not going to stop anyone from losing fat. Yes it can mask losses in the short term but not for 40 days.

You must track everything that goes in your mouth, including veggies, condiments, etc. When you're inputting your recipes don't leave anything out! Also, make sure you're putting in the exact amount, a LOT of people underestimate the amount of food they eat. Underreporting is common. Getting the HRM is a great idea because the machines and MFP usually overestime cals burned.
You've already received some good advice (getting sufficient protein and fat) and I would recommend keeping starchy carbs like bread, pasta, etc on the lower end.

I didn't look at your diary but people have mentioned the alcohol. I don't have the studies on hand and you can do your own research, but everything I have read about it is that other than adding those empty calories, it also lowers your metabolism for a while so you end up burning less calories overall.
Also I don't think 1250 is too low, just my opinion...

Good luck

ElizBald

Have you checked your thyroid? I was recently diagnosed with hypothyroidism, it seriously impacts your metabolism and causes weight gain. I had tried everything, even Weight Watchers, working out religiously and the scale didn't budge. Might be worth a try, otherwise you could be spinning your wheels.

My thyroid went out and even though I was eating only 1000 calories a day and running two miles I still gained weight. Thank goodness my doctor knew me well and believed me when I told him about my calorie intake and exercise.

mareowner

I'm short too and it sucks. If we are off by 200- 400 calories it means no weight loss or worse a gain. I have to be very honest, with my counting or I gain.

My other tricks:
I do not exceed 1200 calories even if I exercise.
Sadly, I stopped counting calories burned because I needed a buffer on portions underestimated.
Use a scale to measure fruits- some items listed are 40 or less calories for apples when they could be over 120 calories for a big apple or large banana.
I am very careful of nuts, meat, cheese calories. I always weigh them.
Measure, measure, measure.. use a measuring cup for Cheerios, peas, carrots. There's a large difference between 2/3 and 1 full cup to make a large calorie swing.
Lastly, I try to minimize the number of items I eat... i.e. lines I log. For example If I have 20 entries and each are off by 20 calories, that's 400 calories!!

Good luck, seriously anyone can do this if they are careful.

dcarreno

let the tape measure speak for you. Get of the scale get in the gym build some of the big muscle groups legs are the fastest to build because they are already holding you up daily. Get some curcuit training, get a coach, get some friends that will hold you acountable. Minimum 30 minutes of cardio 6 days a week. Keep your chin up literally and figuratively. You can only get what you give. Give ther work and get the result. No magic formula, just lots of work..

sharonhauptman

You have come this far - so don't give up. Look 6 months down the road

MamawB6234

Be sure to get your 8 glasses of water a day and enough protein. Also remember that if your working out a lot muscle weighs more than fat, so you may not show weight loss right away. Try taking your measurements. Many times this is the best way to see how much you've accomplished. Be sure to track everything including vegetables since every food has calories.

sharonhauptman

To measure my ingredients I have the 1/4 cup, 1/2 cup, 1/3 cup, and 1 cup plastic scoops. Measuring in the pyrex measuring pitchers is TOO MUCH WORK. This will help you. Coach S

psuLemon

Girl, I am in exactly the same boat, so I am feeling your pain.

I am not dropping in clothing size either after 8 weeks of trying to lose weight.

I am going to the dr tomorrow to chat to him about it as I do have a thyroid problem (not under or over active, a multinodular goitre that can convert to either under or over active which can inhibit my ability to lose weight). I have lost weight in the past very sucessfully but this time I am at a standstill, despite doing more exercise weekly than I have ever done in my life.

I wish you luck!
Kellie

have you tried increasing your calories? what is your deficit and do you eat back your exercise calories?

psuLemon

If you're doing a lot of strength training, then you may be building muscle weight. This is a good thing! It will take time for the slimming to happen. Please be patient, take pride in your growing strength! You'll get there

You can't build muscle on a calorie deficit, it is physically impossible. The best she can do is hope to lose fat and maintain lean muscle mass.

No sugar, limit salt as much as posssible, limit fats, and carbs under 60 gms and keep moving you will lose. Stick to the green veggies (but peas are starchy) and get yourself a good calorie counter book. Get a diary or journal for 2012 and write everything you eat down and total it at the end of the day. MFP doesn't have everything in their lists. I also try to just eat when I'm actually hungry and not beacuse it's a meal time. Try eating half of what you're eating now for a week and see if you get any results. I'm only 5 feet tall and if I ate all the calories they tell me to in a day I'd probably Gain weight!! Good Luck. Chris

Why cut back on fats? Fat doesn't make you fat. In fact, it stimulates healthy organ and brain function.

psuLemon

I'm short too and it sucks. If we are off by 200- 400 calories it means no weight loss or worse a gain. I have to be very honest, with my counting or I gain.

My other tricks:
I do not exceed 1200 calories even if I exercise.
Sadly, I stopped counting calories burned because I needed a buffer on portions underestimated.
Use a scale to measure fruits- some items listed are 40 or less calories for apples when they could be over 120 calories for a big apple or large banana.
I am very careful of nuts, meat, cheese calories. I always weigh them.
Measure, measure, measure.. use a measuring cup for Cheerios, peas, carrots. There's a large difference between 2/3 and 1 full cup to make a large calorie swing.
Lastly, I try to minimize the number of items I eat... i.e. lines I log. For example If I have 20 entries and each are off by 20 calories, that's 400 calories!!

Good luck, seriously anyone can do this if they are careful.

You were probably gaining from under eating. Your body tends to convert calorie quickly to fat stores if it isn't seeing adequate nutrition. The only thing you are doing by eating very low calories and exercising a lot is losing muscle mass and maintain body fat. Body fat is one of the quickest sources of energy, so as you approach a more acceptable level of body fat, your body fights harder to maintain it. This is also why it turns to muscles for energy as it can attack the amino acids to convert to energy.

rileysowner

I have not taken the time to read this whole thread, but my suggestion is to forget the scale. I know the focus seems to be one weight, but you are obviously losing fat which is the real goal. You do not walk around with a sign on your forehead that says you weight such and such pounds. People don't know what you weigh, only what your body looks like. If the inches are coming off, you are succeeding at taking the fat off while maintaining or even, no matter how unlikely most will say it is, putting on muscle. That is good. It means you are maintaining your metabolic rate which is what you want to do since that will make keeping the fat off all that much easier. Keep measuring with a measuring tape. If the inches keep coming off, the weight will eventually follow because you are losing fat. Frankly losing inches and not weight is better than the alternative or losing weight but no change in measurements which I have seen people complain of here as well. You can do this, just don't get so focused on the scale because the scale is a liar.