What can I do differently?

appleg1rl

Okay, so I've been on my diet around three weeks now. The two weeks, I did no exercise and lost eight pounds. The second week, I started doing the Jillian Michaels' Thirty Day Shred every day along with walking for ten minutes and keeping to my calorie goal of 1530. I didn't eat back my burned calories. Well, I didn't lose any weight that week.

I feel like I'm doing something wrong. Do I need to eat back my burned calories? Do I need to "stagger" my calories by taking in more one day then less the rest of the week?

I just feel so discouraged.

donquixote72

Hi,

It takes time, which if your doing this for a lifestyle change then you will not be expecting big changes fast.....

if you think nothing is happening to your body, think again there is major changes going on, I've stayed the same weight for a month now, but my trousers are falling down, my t shirts are getting baggier and i can do 30 press ups instead of 5.

enjoy what you are doing for you and the benefits will be there for you, read peoples motivation pointers and make them your own, it will take you a lifetime to read them all, so you need to realize what you are doing it for eg. live longer, be thinner or even happier with yourself.

one great thing hat has helped me throughout is trying to understand what I'm doing to my body and how to make me happier - i've done a lot of reading probably like yourself - one site that has helped me is whfoods.com (world health foods) it's an american site and free to use - it includes most of the worlds healthiest foods, broken them down, shown facts, data, research what people can prove it does for your body, gives tips on what to cook, how to cook and what each food can do for your body i.e
repair or treat conditions - this goes deep into what you need to know

---

i've been reading this site for well over a year now and love it to bits.

i've added more spices to my meals, eat 3 times a day plus snacks - get my 5 fruit and veg a day - get all the minerals my body needs to repair itself....


don't give up hope, just look for more ways to spruce it up and enjoy each day for you....

good luck and all the best

appleg1rl

Thanks for the reply! I know it'll be a long haul. The weight didn't come on over night, and it's not coming off over night. It's just disappointing to work so hard and not see a decrease in numbers come weigh in time.

I've seen an increase in my endurance, though! I'm not so out of breath these days.

Nana_Booboo

Eat your exercise calories
You should eat back your exercise calories.
Simply stated MFP has already figured out your total calories you need to eat per day to lose 1lb etc. a week.
That's WITHOUT exercise. You'll notice that when you actually add exercise in, the calorie limit goes up.
Why? Because it's telling you to eat your exercise calories.
Large deficits aren't really good to do because while you will lose weight, what kind of weight will it be?
In many cases you'll lose lean muscle tissue which LOWERS your metabolic rate even more.
Then you have to eat even less to compensate for less of a calorie burn to continue to lose the same amount
of weight each week.

Be efficient.
Exercise hard and eat back the calories. The hard exercise will RAISE your metabolic rate and burn more fat at rest.

sleepytexan

yes, you need to eat them back. you already have a deficit, then you worked out, which left more of a deficit. when your body doesn't have enough energy to function, it slows down.

read here:

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/3047-700-calories-a-day-and-not-losing

Seriously, do not make this hard on yourself. Eat your exercise calories!

blessings.

sleepytexan

Eat your exercise calories
You should eat back your exercise calories.
Simply stated MFP has already figured out your total calories you need to eat per day to lose 1lb etc. a week.
That's WITHOUT exercise. You'll notice that when you actually add exercise in, the calorie limit goes up.
Why? Because it's telling you to eat your exercise calories.
Large deficits aren't really good to do because while you will lose weight, what kind of weight will it be?
In many cases you'll lose lean muscle tissue which LOWERS your metabolic rate even more.
Then you have to eat even less to compensate for less of a calorie burn to continue to lose the same amount
of weight each week.

Be efficient.
Exercise hard and eat back the calories. The hard exercise will RAISE your metabolic rate and burn more fat at rest.

excellent.

janalayn

It is too early to give up...try different things different weeks to see what works for YOU. For me I make sure my net calories are at least 1200. I eat back at least some of my exercise calories. I also eat real sugar and real fat so that I don't feel deprived (and neither does my body). I see this as a lifestyle change - one I intend to continue for the length of my life. It is not a diet so I have chocolate and other foods I love but not every day and definitely NOT the whole bag of hershey's kisses I would have eaten in the past.

Make some friends (add me if you would like) for support. Find exercises that you really enjoy (I hula hoop with a weighted hoop). Remember that this is you taking care of YOU. Don't let the number on the scale control you.

ninerbuff

Okay, so I've been on my diet around three weeks now. The two weeks, I did no exercise and lost eight pounds. The second week, I started doing the Jillian Michaels' Thirty Day Shred every day along with walking for ten minutes and keeping to my calorie goal of 1530. I didn't eat back my burned calories. Well, I didn't lose any weight that week.

I feel like I'm doing something wrong. Do I need to eat back my burned calories? Do I need to "stagger" my calories by taking in more one day then less the rest of the week?

I just feel so discouraged.

Water retention from exercise. Lasts about a couple of weeks. Just continue.

A.C.E. Certified Personal Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

tataliciousd89

Yeah, not eating back my exercise calories was the biggest mistake I've made since joining this site. You lose a ton of weight at first, but after a week or two you start to stall and then lose your drive to continue. I know that its difficult to believe, but eating more will actually help you to lose more in the long run. Thats what I'm doing now and I'm back down 16 lbs and counting since christmas!

donquixote72

yes, i know that feeling, i do a daily weigh up of myself at the same time and found it to be the best way - i give myself a +- of 2 lbs and have a 30 day calendar this shows a major change and i was happy with it, but my wife had bought only a 5 day calender for this year, which doesn't show me the overall picture and i'm not to happy about that so we will get a 30 day calender again and i'll rewrite it back onto this - the calender seems to be my happy place and it doesn't seem like the weights falling off rapidly, i can see the loss though and after doing (writing it down) for 6 months there is a major change - i can see that i had lost over 3 stone and my weight now is just 4 lbs into obese and need to lose another 3 stone to be in the healthy range, but i'm enjoying doing it...

you will make your perseverance - good luck

MaximalLife

Okay, so I've been on my diet around three weeks now. The two weeks, I did no exercise and lost eight pounds. The second week, I started doing the Jillian Michaels' Thirty Day Shred every day along with walking for ten minutes and keeping to my calorie goal of 1530. I didn't eat back my burned calories. Well, I didn't lose any weight that week.

I feel like I'm doing something wrong. Do I need to eat back my burned calories? Do I need to "stagger" my calories by taking in more one day then less the rest of the week?

I just feel so discouraged.

You did not eat back your exercise calories.

That's what you did wrong.
Simply stated MFP has already figured out your total calories you need to eat per day to lose 1lb etc. a week.
That's WITHOUT exercise. You'll notice that when you actually add exercise in, the calorie limit goes up.
Why? Because it's telling you to eat your exercise calories.
Large deficits aren't really good to do because while you will lose weight, what kind of weight will it be?
In many cases you'll lose lean muscle tissue which LOWERS your metabolic rate even more.
Then you have to eat even less to compensate for less of a calorie burn to continue to lose the same amount
of weight each week.

Be efficient.
Exercise hard and eat back the calories. The hard exercise will RAISE your metabolic rate and burn more fat at rest.

JeSuisPrest

For starters, change the way you think. Diets do not work. Think if this as a lifestyle change. You have only just begun, give it time and eat back those exercise calories!

appleg1rl

Thanks everyone! I don't have a HRM or anything, so I basically guess how many calories I burn with the 30 Day Shred. I'm thinking about getting the FitBit to get a more accurate estimate. Anyone suggest it?

Sidesteal

You should eat back at least a portion of your exercise calories in general, but beyond that and moving forward: Don't get caught up in day to day, or even week to week progress. If your weight stays stuck for over a month then you can start to look at potential issues.

Until that happens, trust that you are doing VASTLY better than you were prior to making this lifestyle change, and through hard work and continual execution of the plan, results WILL come.

apples47

I don't eat the calories that I burn, unless I'm allowing myself a day to eat something bad. Otherwise I try to just stick to the 1200 calories a day. I've lost 11 pounds so far after joining it on Jan-1. Just find what works for you, and good luck!

TracyP111

I've heard about a lot of people who put the 30DS into their workout log on MFP as circuit training. People with a HRM say that it's pretty comparable.

LeanMeanFitnessMachine

Number one rule of weight loss is DON'T GIVE UP! Even if you're goal is to lose weight, your long term health is far more important, and everyday you choose to eat healthy and stay active is a step closer to a longer life. Keep that in mind on weeks you don't lose!

Also, people in the Biggest Loser always lose BIG the first 1-2 weeks, and then it gets harder and harder to lose weight. Its a trend and your body isn't used to the abnormal amount of activity being put on it - you're pushing it out of its comfort zone and it will react the opposite way. Keep at it! Check your sodium intake - you might be retaining more water than you think.

dancingnancies

stick to it. your body is just adjusting. make sure to change up your exercise a lot and remember as you lose weight you had to adjust your calorie goals. good luck! you are doing great!

Tara4boys

Don't get the Fitbit.

Get a HRM. I wear mine and burn around 200 - 250 calories with 30DS.

Also, 8 lbs is a HUGE weight loss for one week. Even if you haven't lost another ounce. 8lbs in 3 weeks in FANTASTIC, healthy, sustainable, weight loss.

kbmnurse

Are you kidding. Stick with it.

MollyDurham

I have also been at this for 3 weeks and saw a pretty big loss at first. I am eating AT LEAST 50% of my exercise calories back. When I don't I feel really tired and weak. I am a mother to 3 little girls on my husbands single income and so the budget stays pretty tight but I wen't to Wal-Mart and bought their cheapest HRM (It was a sportline I think) and I have been VERY happy with it so far. Once there is enough money I way upgrade but only if it starts to give me problems, and it came with a 5 year warranty! Don't give up!!! And make sure above everything else that you are giving your body the fuel it needs to make the work outs effective!!!! Feel free to add me if you'd like!!!