i am soo depressed i want to quit this!!

jb852013

I am pretty disappointed as well because I expected to lose a pound the first week and I have lost nothing. However, I am going to keep at it because I know that I might not see any change for a little while, but I am just getting the hang of tracking my food and learning how to not eat emotionally and how to cook lower fat. I know that if I keep this up this time next year no matter what the scale says week to week I will be in a better place than I am now. I am just trying to keep this perspective.

jennifershoo

You could be making MUSCLES!!! and losing inches. Muscle is heavier than fat! DONT STOP NOW!!

Please don't spread this misconception. No one can build muscles at a calorie deficit.

tcortez3

I totally agree with what some folks have said. First, dont give up!!! Second, muscle definitely weighs more than fat so if you are converting to muscle, the weight may not just drop off. Third, you might want to vary your movements a bit. If you are only doing cardio on machines, you body could be in a workout rut. One thing that I've learned from doing crossfit is that in order to constantly keep improving your body and health, is that you must have constantly varied movements, and at high intensity. Try changing up the length and speed of your workout, and you might see results. And of course, check your measurements- you might be slimming up more than you think!

Don't give up!!!


Created by MyFitnessPal.com - Nutrition Facts For Foods

pg1girl

Your ticker shows you have lost 4 pounds since January 10 when you said you started. That is a healthy weight loss. That is only 2.5 weeks so that is fantastic! Don't despair. Ensure you eat your full calories as well as your exercise calories. I am older as well and that has been working for me. Don't give up....work harder. We deserve to have good health and long life! Good luck.

junyr

You could be making MUSCLES!!! and losing inches. Muscle is heavier than fat! DONT STOP NOW!!

Please don't spread this misconception. No one can build muscles at a calorie deficit.

If you're significantly overweight and eat the right macro-nutrient combo you very well can gain muscle at a calorie deficit.

It's doable, but certain things have to be right for it to happen.

MsQt

You could be making MUSCLES!!! and losing inches. Muscle is heavier than fat! DONT STOP NOW!!

I wish people would stop saying this.

A lb of muscle =pound of fat. But an analogy is, put a pound of stones in you hand and compare is to a pound of feathers. The feathers take up much more room. Same goes for muscle to fat ratio.

Having said that, Muscle burns more calories at rest. With a calorie deficit, and excess cardio, you could be burning lean muscle tissue as well. thus lowering your metabolism., and making it slightly harder to lose more weight. I would suggest a strength routine at least 2-3 times a week.

Take measurements as well as scale lbs. Keep a chart. When you start a fitness routine, your body will fight the routine change. You will retain water. {if you are sore, you are retaining} This is one way the body repairs it self. The scale may not move but the measuring tape will get tighter.You may not see scale victories for up to 6 weeks.

Keep your diet clean, and healthy. Get plenty of sleep [That help with the bodies repairing itself}, keep up with the water intake. Get good healthy proteins in, and don't forget the healthy fats. You can do this. I am sure you did not gain the weight in one week, it will take time for the losses to be obvious.

Like this. Good analogy.

Yes Yes! I agree. If you have a pile of fat, it will look huge width and height wise; but muscle would be more dense and smaller looking and weight the same (a pound is a pound). And Me and a friend of mine are the same height and weight just about but she looks so much fluffier than me.

junyr

You could be making MUSCLES!!! and losing inches. Muscle is heavier than fat! DONT STOP NOW!!

I wish people would stop saying this.

A lb of muscle =pound of fat. But an analogy is, put a pound of stones in you hand and compare is to a pound of feathers. The feathers take up much more room. Same goes for muscle to fat ratio.

Having said that, Muscle burns more calories at rest. With a calorie deficit, and excess cardio, you could be burning lean muscle tissue as well. thus lowering your metabolism., and making it slightly harder to lose more weight. I would suggest a strength routine at least 2-3 times a week.

Take measurements as well as scale lbs. Keep a chart. When you start a fitness routine, your body will fight the routine change. You will retain water. {if you are sore, you are retaining} This is one way the body repairs it self. The scale may not move but the measuring tape will get tighter.You may not see scale victories for up to 6 weeks.

Keep your diet clean, and healthy. Get plenty of sleep [That help with the bodies repairing itself}, keep up with the water intake. Get good healthy proteins in, and don't forget the healthy fats. You can do this. I am sure you did not gain the weight in one week, it will take time for the losses to be obvious.

Like this. Good analogy.

Yes Yes! I agree. If you have a pile of fat, it will look huge width and height wise; but muscle would be more dense and smaller looking and weight the same (a pound is a pound). And Me and a friend of mine are the same height and weight just about but she looks so much fluffier than me.

Yes, a pound is a pound, but we're talking weight vs volume here... Pack a bucket with fat, and pack the same size bucket with muscle and weigh them... which is heavier?

SickboyP90X2

I just want to say i am surprise with all the support. That should be enough to add fuel to any ones fire. WOW! You cant give up, it is not an option. You have to tell yourself this. You would not just let yourself down. Read all the post, you will find all your answers. Its a lifestyle! Keep it up...

sweet110

Most weight lost is made in the kitchen. So, look at what you're eating. (Invite your MFP friends to look at your diary). You may be eating too much. In your excitement to lose weight, you may be eating too little. And, although this is a matter of opinion, you may need to lower your amount of refined carbs...especially as a woman going through menopause. I'm not talking no-carb or even low carb...but just try lowering the amount of refined carbs.

Also, one of the reasons why menopause makes you resistant to losing weight is that you don't just lose estrogen...but you also lose testosterone as well...and so you start losing metabolism-fueling muscle mass. So STRENGTH training is probably one of the *better* things you can do at this stage in life. So keep doing cardio because its good for you, but do some kind of strength training as well.

MsQt

You could be making MUSCLES!!! and losing inches. Muscle is heavier than fat! DONT STOP NOW!!

I wish people would stop saying this.

A lb of muscle =pound of fat. But an analogy is, put a pound of stones in you hand and compare is to a pound of feathers. The feathers take up much more room. Same goes for muscle to fat ratio.

Having said that, Muscle burns more calories at rest. With a calorie deficit, and excess cardio, you could be burning lean muscle tissue as well. thus lowering your metabolism., and making it slightly harder to lose more weight. I would suggest a strength routine at least 2-3 times a week.

Take measurements as well as scale lbs. Keep a chart. When you start a fitness routine, your body will fight the routine change. You will retain water. {if you are sore, you are retaining} This is one way the body repairs it self. The scale may not move but the measuring tape will get tighter.You may not see scale victories for up to 6 weeks.

Keep your diet clean, and healthy. Get plenty of sleep [That help with the bodies repairing itself}, keep up with the water intake. Get good healthy proteins in, and don't forget the healthy fats. You can do this. I am sure you did not gain the weight in one week, it will take time for the losses to be obvious.

Like this. Good analogy.

Yes Yes! I agree. If you have a pile of fat, it will look huge width and height wise; but muscle would be more dense and smaller looking and weight the same (a pound is a pound). And Me and a friend of mine are the same height and weight just about but she looks so much fluffier than me.

Yes, a pound is a pound, but we're talking weight vs volume here... Pack a bucket with fat, and pack the same size bucket with muscle and weigh them... which is heavier?

The Volume is more but the weight is the same! Neither one is heavier. This is a fact!

Alysa12

I went through the same thing last summer. First of all...I don't care what anyone says...exercise does not REALLY make you lose weight (trust me I did it for YEARS...and still do). I FINALLY had to tell myself last year that I DID have to watch my calories. And it wasn't until I RELIGIOUSLY watched my calories that I lost 10 lbs....still exercising like CRAZY (ran 3 miles for the first time in MY LIFE)...then I got SICK with a flu (really horrible lasted forever) and I quit exercising and gained none of that 10 lbs back. BUT...lost all muscle. SO... my conclusion and why I am back on this...

1) cut calories (no crazy diet) just watch calories and you know what you do too much of. For ME: I stuck to 1200 calories.
2) still exercise like crazy because it will TONE you up...make you look good and will maybe cause a few pounds of MUSCLE! Which is a good thing.
3) Don't get hung up on the scale from exercise as much as how you LOOK! I am amazed how AWFUL I look from a few years ago...and how crappy I feel not exercising in basically 4 months.

josina

Don't quit! 2 hrs a day of walking is a lot! The idea behind exercise is to get your heart rate up and burn fat! With that said find a low impact cardio workout such as the bicycle or elliptical, even swimming! Get yourself a heart rate monitor so you can get an idea of what your heart rate is and how many calories you are burning. You need to be in the correct zone for your age to burn fat! All it takes is 30 minutes to 45 minutes to burned some calories. Write down your food intake and count calories. Depending on your weight and how much you need to lose and how active you are will all play a factor in how many calories you need to intake. There are some calorie calculators online to help as a guideline. What you are eating is 80% of the entire picture the other is 20%. You need adequate amount of carbs proteins and fats. Remember no whites!!!! Whole wheat! Lean protein and minimal fats ie good fats are things like olive oil and avocado. You also need to lift weights you can not burn fat with out adequate amounts of muscle! 3 days a wk do weights. Remember as you build muscle the number on the scale may not change much, so measure yourself and use that more as a guideline! Hope that helps you! If you feel like you have tried everything and still can't lose go see your doctor! Menopause and hormones can throw your body out of wack! Good luck!

Pollyfleming

i have plantar faciatas in both of my legs and very bad ankles thats why i kept to the walking this week i was going to swtich things up but i don't want to get hurt... i have to stretch for 10 min before i get out of bed and walk down three flights of stairs as my heels hurt so bad

i appreciate any advice.

I too have plantar faciatis and I know how painful it is! I get up every morning and stretch my feet, I do another stretch midday,and one at night. I also got heel inserts! I have been pain-free for about 6 months.
As to the weight, go to the dr. and see if you have a thyroid issue. Get your results! My thyroid is within the normal range but very close to being over. My Dr. gave me levoxyl and I feel a MILLION times better. If you are having thyroid symptoms (losing hair, dry brittle nails, lack of energy-I was falling asleep sitting up) then tell your dr. and see if you're thyroid is not functioning well. If she tells you that you're in range, ask her how close you are to out of range.

I lose weight in clumps. Seriously, I will weigh myself one week and not lose, but the next week I will lose double. Be patient and be honest with yourself about what you're eating and exercising. Don't do any, "I think that's about 100 calories" or "One piece of candy won't hurt."

Good luck! It will happen!

Helloitsdan

You could be making MUSCLES!!! and losing inches. Muscle is heavier than fat! DONT STOP NOW!!

Please don't spread this misconception. No one can build muscles at a calorie deficit.

If you're significantly overweight and eat the right macro-nutrient combo you very well can gain muscle at a calorie deficit.

It's doable, but certain things have to be right for it to happen.

#Truth

jayabs

first look at the most obious , your diet and calorie intake then go to the exercise part and its OBIOUS that the exercise is NOT the problem 39 miles in 6 days !!!! you should try 3-4 days of cardio max 45 min each day also by doing the leptical you might be building muscle in your tights ( so you should tape them and record them ) BUT THE MAIN THING HERE IS DONT GIVE UP !!!!
try diferent things study and learn what your body like and dont like . and VERY important take notes of everything you do in a week so you can see what works for you , for example what was it last week? you already know that what you ate and 39 miles of cardio dont do get as much results as you want , use your own body as a reasearch. and keep on doing this .... and you can always have ppl to help on this site ... because most of us are here for one reason and we all know what it is .... remeber is sooooo much easier and quit than face the problem ....