Help...from the successful!! Please..so discouraged!

hpynh2o

Don't be discouraged!

This process should be on a slow and steady track. Don't weigh yourself every week. Weigh monthly for a while. Your weight is going to vary depending on your bladder/bowel contents, hydration status, menstrual cycle, etc. If you're meticulous with your tracking on MFP you are going to lose weight. Just stick with it!

Good luck!!

nighthawk327

What all these other wonderful people said! I've been on MFP almost a year now and lost 30 lbs in the first 7 months-ish... but have only lost about 2 lbs in the last 4 months. Am trying to change it up a little to trick my body into losing weight again, with more intense cardio and more instances where I lift weights... My toughest challenge though is drinking enough water and staying under my sodium maximum!! I suspect that might be part of my issue .

Enigmatica

We tend to expect to lose weight on a steady trajectory if we maintain a steady calorie deficit. But there can be so many things going on with our bodies that affect the *number on the scale* and mess with your mind. I've been at this for so long now I usually have a pretty good idea of why the "number" isn't going in the direction I want. Doesn't always mean I can change it! Hormones in particular can really throw you off for awhile. But if you keep at it things work out eventually.

jsmith0644

I think bad weeks are part of the deal. It happens. You had a lot going on with your body at once. I personally would have dropped in my tracks. Take the bad weeks as they come and continue reaching for progress. You'll get em' next week...or you won't. Keep plugging anyway. Oh, and look at all the heavy hitters that have answered before me. They did, what makes you think you won't? :laugh:

XXXMinnieXXX

You really do need to eat 1200 calories per day orelse your putting your body under too much strain and it will not loose weight... You really really need to eat an absolute minimum of 1200 x

DonnaLRB

Make changes a little bit at a time. It takes time to change eating habits. This is a life long thing. If you don't change habits, then weight WILL return. Stay focused!

SO true!

SexyCook

Thanks for all the advice...I had lost six pounds the first week and three the next week and was feeling great Like I was on a roll!! Then nothing for the lat two weeks...I am logging in everything I eat! Hello! 960 calories worth of chips! I logged it in! Hanful of goobers I logged it in! I wanted to start exercising but was dx with bronchitis Monday so on a zpac this week...no exercies...I am going to switch up my breakfast no more bars, exercies and eat more and see waht happens this week.
I have to say I am so impressed with this site everyone os so qucik to help in such a respectful encouraging way! I am really greatful and feel so much better after reading the posts so thank you all your postive hlep makes a positive difference...I was on another site before and everyone was always so quick to judge and snipe...this is so much nore supportive!

Sounds like you do account for all you do and thats GREAT! If you are a snacker...I dont promote it but wing yourself away...set a goal of every 3-4 days and then eventually it will change into once a week or once every other week.... Take time for maybe a 15 minute walk or even some small things...like stretching to get some workout in...All these things help and I agree...The support here is awesome...

ninyaw

It's a process. Don't weigh yourself everyday if it is going to sabotage you. Have a cheat day, and eat small meals 6-8 times a day and exercse for at least 30 minutes 4-5 days a week and it will come off. Slowly, but it will work. Try to keep your heart rate in the fat burning zone when you exercise 60-70% max.

mattemery

I think all of this is pretty good advice. Up your calories a little, eat a little cleaner, and be patient. We've ALL plateaued. It is very frustrating. In 2010-2011, I lost 85 pounds. during that time I hit several plateaues where I would go a week or two and loose nothing. Nothing changed... same diet, same exercise. It just stopped.

But eventually, the dam breaks and you start moving again. You just have to not get frustrated. This is a marathon, not a sprint.

Just please don't give up. It will happen. You are doing great actually with the first couple of weeks. can't expect to see that every week.

My average per week when I lost the 85 was right at 2 pounds a week. But that was NOT a steady decline. It was 10 pounds some times (very early when I was huge), nothing many weeks, and 3-4 pounds at other times.

Just hang in there!!!!!!

GBO323

Medication may impact you weight loss. For the ladies, that time of month really plays havoc with the scale.

My thoughts are:

Stop Weighing Daily! If that is causing you emotional issue and you're already taking meds along that line, then don't add something back that will make you upset. Pick a weigh day and stick to it.

Consider the daily nutrient goals that MFP gives you. Are you going over on carbs?

Drink your fluids and consider giving up soda. Lots of sodium in those diet soda...and phosphoric acid is bad for the bones.

Don't undereat and don't do it consistently. It throws the body into starvation mode and that's not a fun coaster ride.

Balance your calories out into set meal times. I get 1500/day so I average 500 for morning, 500 for afternoon, and 500 for evening...most of the time.

Talk to your doctor. They may be able to provide you more insight.

adairt1

Consistency......there will be times when your weight loss seems to stall. This is perfectly normal. Give it a few weeks and you will see that it starts up again and you may even lose a good chunk afterwards. Make sure you are logging EVERYTHING. It will help when you stall so that you can see what if any changes need to be made. You can do it!

pain_is_weakness

I have the same problem right after (not before like most) my period and after being sick, it's your body holding water. replace all the zero caloried drinks with pure water, not flavored, sparkeling, infused, ect.

Also as regards to being sick, your body knows it's sick and it is trying to hold onto the nutrients it IS getting, you mentioned you weren't eating much when you were sick, mos tpeople don't but your body gets scared and hold everything! Things should get much better over the next two weeks if you just drink half your body weight or more in ounces of water and eat within your goal range of nutritious food.

nursevee

I am so frustrated. this is the second week in a row I have lost NOTHING!! NO WEIGHT NO INCHES! and I was sick so I really was not eating much! I weigh myself everyday and I am fluctuating between 223 and 220. My "official" weigh in date is tomorrow and I am just so discouraged i don't even want to get on the scale! What am I doing wrong? I hope to lose60 pounds and at this rate I just don't see that happening. I record everything I eat...I drink hot tea and zero calorie iced tea all day so I do not record that...I do take prozac and I ddi have my period last week ( in addition to being sick UGH) Suggestions?

Can I be honest with you? I took a peek at your food diary and I've got to say that you are eating wayyyyyy too little. Now, I know you said you'd been sick and I totally understand that we all (usually) lose our appetite when we're ill but sometimes you need to ensure that you're consuming enough calories to keep your body burning them. I also believe that regardless of the calories, you need to log everything. Any drink, spice, additive of any kind. It really gives you a much clearer picture. Iced tea is all well and good but you should consider drinking more water. Initially I had to really force myself to drink the h2o but now I find that without it I feel dehydrated. You should aim for six small meals... It's really not a case of "less is better" and it's important to kick-start your day with breakfast. Your body really does need a healthy wake-up in the morning in order to get started. Much like a car, no fuel = no motor turnover. Try and walk 15-30 mins each day and gradually increase this (make sure you log the exercise, even if it's cleaning!!!) and I'm sure you will see improvement in your mood. Prozac will naturally slow down weight loss (most anti-depressants do) but it's importnat you stay with your medications. Keep reminding yourself how much better you will feel once you're being healthy and looking after yourself. Some people do really well with the daily weigh-in's but it sounds to me like you're just getting discouraged by this so my suggestion would be to only weigh once per week. Our bodies naturally fluctuate all day everyday and weighing yourself daily is not a good indication. Set a time once per week (eg: first thing Sunday morning) and then put the scale away. I know personally that the bigger numbers are way nicer than some piddly 0.2 each day... or whatever it might be. You can do this! It's just a mental block but once you get past this and see that you can do it, you'll be cruisin'...!

If you need some support feel free to add me!

Vee

jparker3011

I weigh usually once a week, first thing in the morning - even before I drink any water. I tried weighing more than once a week, and it does fluctuate so I stick with once a week. My husband has plateaued right now, and has to start exercising more and more intense to keep burning. Giving up now would make things worse. Keep it up - it will happen. :happy:

Cindy311

There will be weeks where you don't lose anything, that's happened to most (if not all) people who lose weight. Patience is the first key to weight loss. Keep working at it and you'll see a difference. You're very shortly into your weight loss journey so focus more on what you would eventually like to have than what you've already done. I honestly didn't look at your food diary but try to switch chips and goobers for something your body can actually use. If you're sick right now then you need to eat foods full of nutrients to fuel the healing process. Lots of lean proteins, complex carbs and veggies, veggies, veggies...

CharityEaton

If you lost 6 pounds the first week and 3 the second week and you just started in Jan...that is a TON of weight for only 4 weeks....that is plenty of weight loss. You don't wake up having gained 9 pounds overnight so you are not going to lose over night either.


Protein bars are not Breakfast...they are a candy bar with added protein.

Increase your calories and don't go overkill on the workouts, I made this mistake...eating waaay too few calories and working my body to the breaking point. I got burned out BIG time and ended up bursting into tears at the thought of what to eat.....this is not a healthy approach and you are headed in that dirction. Take a deep breath and make small changes that you can stick with and not even notice they are gone.
This is NOT easy and it shouldn't be! If it's not worth fighing for then it's not worth having! You gotta fight for it every single day!

You can do it. We all want insant results but the truth is, the slower the weight loss the less likely it is to come back. Don't think of this as a weight loss journey, think of it as a healthy lifestyle and away to learn things about yourself ND your body that you never knew! Some things will work some won't. Some will work for a few weeks and then it's time to switch it up again. It's all a part of te process!

Hang in there and read, read, read all you can about health and nutrtion!

taglaure

Are you exercising? I have a friend that weighed over 300 lbs. She had tried everything but she started doing Zumba and working with a personal trainer and in about 1 year she has lost 130 lbs. Just a suggestion... Whatever you do stay with it. Sometimes your body clings to old weight because like us, it doesn't like change. Stay with it. You are not alone in this. 75% of the people around you want to lose weight too!

Sweeterescape

I agree about the water. Water means water! The iced tea can have caffeine and other chemicals in it that could be making you retain water. Drink 64 oz of pure water every day and I bet you will lose.

Also, I agree with upping the calories!

Stick with it, don't get discouraged! You'll get there :-)

IvoryParchment

Somebody check my math, but...

6 oz potato chips 930 calories. 3500 calories is one pound of fat. So you eat 6 oz of potato chips but can't gain more than 4 oz of fat. So far, so good. But those potato chips contain 894 mg sodium.

23 = molecular weight of sodium. 23 grams (23000 mg) is one mole. So 894 mg 0.039 moles sodium, or 39 millimoles.


55% of a female body is water. 45% of your body water weight is water outside of cells, and 55% is water inside of cells. Your body is about 140 millimoles/liter of sodium outside the cells, but 4 millimoles/liter inside the cells.


So the average of both kinds of water in your body is ((45x140) + (55x5))/100 = about 66 mmol/l.

So those 3/8 lb. of potato chips were 930/3500 = 1/4 lbs. of fat calories but will also make you retain an additional 1/4 lbs of water. Now 6 oz of potato chips results in 8 oz. of weight gain. You appear to be gaining more weight than you are eating when you eat high sodium foods. But as you found the first couple weeks you dieted, you can lose that weight very fast, too, when you eat less sodium. Your body has to take in a certain amount of sodium to manage its daily activities, so it's only the amount above that minimum that really affects you when you step on the scale.

Cakes28

Hello - The key to losing weight is eating!!!! When you don't eat enough, your body starves itself and stores fat calories. Start off eating something as soon as you wake up. Shoot for 100 - 200 calories. Two hours later, eat again. Have a snack around 150 calories. Two hours later, have lunch. Make lunch be about 300 calories. Two hours later, eat a snack for another 150 calories. Two hours later, have dinner. Dinner can be around 400 calories (like a steak w/salad, or chicken salad sandwiche, cup of soup and 1/2 sandwiche - Panera is great!). Two hours later, have your snack. All along the day, you want to drink water and keep your metabolism going to where your body is trying to burn fat. Another tip is whatever you eat, try to avoid foods that have "High Frutcose Syrup" or Sugar in the first 3 ingredients. Be care with whole wheat breads....go for the ones that strictly say "No High Fructose Syrup." Lastly, if you can burn some calories with exercising, that will really help burn off the "day before's" calories. I joined a gym two weeks ago. I'm determined to knock this fat off, so I've been bicyling on a bike at the gym, with a goal of burning 250 calories per 30 minute sessions, two times in a row. My daily is goal is 500 calories!!! Unfortunately, it takes me 70 minutes, so I have to jump on the bike a 3rd time to get the remaining calories burned. In two weeks, doing this, I've lost 7 pounds. My calorie intake with this regimine of exercise has been between 1,500 - 1,700 calories daily. If I wasn't exerising, then my goal would be 1,200 calories daily, but the key is to eat every 2 hours to keep your metabolism burning fat.

nursevee

It's great that you love the site. I think it's important not to judge other people's diet's, rather assit with as much constructive advice as possible. Unfortunately I have had my fair share of people too quick to judge and it doesn't feel good.

Once you're feeling better from your bronchitis (I get chronic asthma, I understand how awful you feel), take one think from your diet out (chips? goobers?) and replace with a healthier alternative. If you feel the need for sweets, I will tell you that the internet is chock full of healthy alternative recipes.

You've totally got this! Give it time and it'll happen!

km47

I can tell you I have been working out three to four times a week for an hour religiously since September. I have followed a 1400 cal diet with very minor cheat days and lost only 5 pounds. I have beat myself up and been frustrated and finally I let go of it. Not of my desire to lose weight, but of the fight with the scale. I am looking for motivation in the way I feel, the way my clothes fit, in my fitness goals (how many minutes of cardio I did, How far I could run, etc) and it has made all the difference in the world. I still will get on the scale on Monday ( I cut back to weights every two weeks) but I know I stayed on my eating plan, I know I logged everything I ate and drank, I know I went to the gym and did my best so it doesn't matter so much. I don't look at that number to get me to stick to my plan> I have at least 60 pounds to lose, so I hear you. I know how hard it is to work so hard and not see something for that......You just have to look in the right place to find it---not on the scale. Keep focused on the REAL goal which is to be healthier, more fit, feel better and look better---because you ARE doing all those things, right? Good luck

Thriceshy

I did this for weeks. I just stuck with it. I mixed it around, cut calories some days, increased a couple hundred other days, worked out more, worked out less, and I have no idea what combination worked (or if none of it had any effect). Because I'm diabetic, I have to stick with this whether the weight's coming off or not, so I just kept hacking away at it and finally things started to move again. I can only advise you to stick with it, keep moving, and try mixing things up a little here and there until things start to move again. I know it's hard to not get discouraged, but try to remember that you're doing your body good whether the scale is moving or not.

Also, be careful about working out when you've got a respiratory infection that involves your lungs. Take care of yourself :-)

Kris