Feel like giving up

kirstieamb

I've been working a lot and exercising even more so when week one was over and I got on the scale, I lost 0 pounds. I was beyond frustrated and decided to press on. Today ends week two, I hopped on the scale and only lost 1 pound. I'm furious because I worked out so hard this week and I gave it my all. I'm really upset and don't know what I'm doing wrong. Any suggestions?

Jenene88

You could be losing fat and replacing it with muscle. Be happy you lost a pound and don't get discourage

Buggie129

I wanted to post a very inspirational picture here of what 5 pounds of fat looks like vs 5 pounds of muscle but I could not figure out how so hopefully you can click on my profile and see it. I work out VERY hard. I am a little over 175 pounds- am 5'6 and can where a size 12. The scale does not matter! Take your measurements on a regular basis :bigsmile: and make sure you are measuring your food. Also, I used to think I was working out hard until I got my Heart Rate Monitor. Now I really work out hard LOL :laugh:

tmfpartyof4

dont give up!!!! 1 pound is definitely a positive thing!

i agree with the poster that says that you are probably replacing fat with muscle.

simplyblessed5

I did that at first too but I was losing inches. The scale WILL catch up with the inches if you keep at it. If you quit, they won't. Period. NEVER QUIT!

Marina614

Exercise is one thing but food choices must be in line too. Can we see your food diary or can you post an example of a menu for a day for us to look at? If you over train and do not eat enough to fuel your body it will go into starvation mode and hold onto fat because your body does not know when you will properly feed it again. So, being "under" calorie for the day on MFP is not always a good thing depending on what you are eating. On the flip of that the "calories burned" for many of the exercises are off. They are to high which could ultimately have a negative affect on your total calories for the day. The MFP is just an estimate and each persons body and composition is different therefore the true calorie burn will differ too. Investing in a good HRM/CAL monitor with a chest strap is advisable if your in this for life which we should all be Also, need to look at what type of foods your carbs are coming from, how much and if you are eating high sugar fruits. Food combining is key also for proper digestion and getting nutrients from our foods. If you would like to friend me I would be happy to be your buddy and try to help you.

melloneill16

Just curious are you using all the tools on here? Like the accountability of food, etc....
It was very eye opening for me how certain things were so high in calories, fat, and so on. And when you eat has a lot to do with it. eating small meals (like a half fruit and some nuts for a snack in between meals) Make sure you eat ENOUGH food, if not your body will go into starvation mode! Lots of water maybe doing a cleanse like I did with AdvoCare. Do things you have never done before to trick your body. Maybe try interval type of exercise (run 2mins, walk 1 for example), Hope this helps and keep up the good work! Check inches and not the scale for a while and they may be more inspiring!

Bells5001

As you gain muscle you may initially be holding on to water.....keep it up...the pounds will go down!

Buggie129

I so agree with the fact that you need to eat to lose. I feed myself at least five times a day with good quality food. I had lost 36 pounds since last April and was stuck. I started eating better food more frequently and lost 3 pounds last week!

MenaMena

Please do not give up. Success can not be measured by scale alone. Remember to measure yourself also. I have been so faithful since starting and gained weight for the last 2 weeks, but I also dropped a dress size and have been able to wear clothes that I have not been able to wear in years. I was/am so frustrated about the scale numbers because I know that I have been doing everything right but I also know that it is scientifically impossible to continue gaining or not losing if we are eating less and moving more (barring medical issues). So, chin up and focus on the fact that you are doing something great for your health. The numbers will come if we hang there.

MaximalLife

I've been working a lot and exercising even more so when week one was over and I got on the scale, I lost 0 pounds. I was beyond frustrated and decided to press on. Today ends week two, I hopped on the scale and only lost 1 pound. I'm furious because I worked out so hard this week and I gave it my all. I'm really upset and don't know what I'm doing wrong. Any suggestions?

Here is the perfect suggestion.
Just keep pressing on, and let's see where you are in 6 months.

Were you under the impression this would be easy? It's not.
Don't cheat yourself.
KEEP PUNCHING!

It's simple yet hard. Results come much too slow.
You are actually doing much better than you realize, but the numbers may not be reflecting that just yet.
I hope you feel what I am trying to say.

cswearingen

Don't give up...YOU are worth it...not about the scales, it is about YOU and being HEALTHY!! The pounds will come off...

Di3012

OP you need to open your diary so people can see and hopefully figure out what is going on.

One very common occurence is overestimating the calories burned during exercise and underestimating the calories in food and drink.

30yearssincebikini

I started three weeks ago and didn't lose anything until after my second week. I lost one pound also. And I work out hard at the gym every day. So this is my third week and I only lost one more pound. SO I have lost 2 pounds in three weeks of hard work.

BUT... and this is a big but - I measured myself at the beginning of my journey (three weeks ago) and I have lost an inch off my waist and an inch and a half off of my hips. My butt has visibly become smaller! The muscle is replacing fat, so the scale won't matter much in the first month or so. But you will look better, lose inches, and it will be worth it. Don't give up!

manasunshine

dont worry. its been the same with me. i didnt lose anything until the third week and that too just one pound lol but no way im not giving up this time, ive only lost 2lbs so far. tommorows my next WI .lets see. but no matter what. im NOT giving up and niether should YOU!! :happy:

missyfus

I didn't lose anything for the first 2 weeks, but I figured it took me a long time to gain the weight so it's gonna take a long time to lose it. I think if you give it at least another 2 weeks, you will be losing. One pound a week really is the best thing. Let MFP calculate your calories and make sure you are eating all of them!! Or at least close to all of them. Most of the people on here who complain about not losing weight are not eating enough food. True story.

hiker282

AT my week two, I was *up* three pounds from my original starting point in late December. It wasn't until later in week three that I dropped below my original weight.

The weight didn't pile up over two weeks, and it isn't going to come off that fast, especially if you're new to exercise. You've used muscles that haven't seen a lot of activity and that's going to do some damage (nothing major) and your body retains water to help repair those muscles. Once the muscles are 'fixed' the water will start to be shed and the body will start burning fat.

Just soldier on, eat well, and give us another update when you hit the end of your first month.

Dmatkin

I have been exercising (not as faithfully as I should have) and lost 2 pounds in a month, but I lost 1.5 inches off my hips and I started at 42 inches. I am definitely pear shaped and I was able to get into a pair of pants I haven't worn in at least six months. The scale is not your friend, but the tape measure is. Have you been taking your measurements?

JenLost

Do not give up. Trust me. We have all felt like this at some time, where no pounds come off. But it is not just about what the scale tells you. It is about how you feel. Sometimes the scale won't show any change, but your clothes tell you otherwise. Please DON'T GIVE UP! You are stronger than this

MrsNoir

Relax, you'll lose weight, just keep on working, some day you'll get a nice surprise. Right now I'm even worse than you, I've been working for two weeks, and instead of maintaining my weight I've gone up 4 lbs!! and I won't give up, I just gave up the hard work and I'm gonna do it the relaxed way I've been doing so far, including my unhealthy food, as so far, taking it slowly it has been proved more beneficial and steady weight loss for me so far.

annabellj

give it some time sweetie! it took me a month before i noticed a difference. and i only lost 4 lbs that month. now 13 lbs down. 4.5 inches off my waist but my pants are falling off and i can wear clothes that i havent worn in ages. the scale is not the be all end all. just keep at it!

hottottie11

Fat doesn't turn into muscle and you can't gain muscle in a deficit. With that said, its probably water retention assuming you are doing everything correctly.

msnessamichelle

You got this girl! Don't give up, 1 pound is amazing!! It used to be just like that for me. I would work out like crazy and by the next week I would lose NOTHING! And sometimes even gain weight! Than I really cracked down on what I was eating, tracked everything and worked out the same way. Another thing I did was eat half the calories that I had burned from exercise. It makes such a difference! From those little changes I lost 12 pounds in January! Stay at it! It'll be worth it in the end!

chrissismone

It's too early to throw in the towel my friend..just keep pushing.

buggs1958

As a former weight watchers member,i did the same thing a few times.I learned in my meetings as well as from my doctor,you burn calories but you also build muscle when you exercise.Muscle weighs more than fat so their for you may not lose as much if any at all while building up muscle.Hang in their give it a few days and you will start seeing results again.
Hope this helps.

Art63

kirstie, everyone has said good things. It all makes sense but it's still frustrating and disappointing not to see improvement after working so hard. Mighty disappointing. I feel your anguish....we all do...because we've all been there. Everyone who tries to lose weight faces scales that don't go down, or inches that don't come off. It's totally understandable to feel like all the effort is just not worth it. So go ahead....feel that way. You deserve to.

Just remember that tomorrow is a another day. It's going to come whether you weigh less or more. What do you want to do? You want to weigh less or more? If you want less, follow the advice here. Keep doing the right things. Eat less. Document everything. Weigh it out if you have scales. Measure things. Make sure you list everything you eat. It's the eating that makes the pounds come off more than the workouts. Those are good, don't get me wrong. But you have to eat less...this is especially true if you're counting the "number of calories burned" on some of the gym equipment machines. They tend to exagerate their claims.

We're rooting for you. And hey...we aren't the experts here. We're slogging along just like you. Failing some days, succeeding some days. But in the long run it works. It really does.

Christinesyear

Hang in there and don't give up! You may not be seeing that scale move *yet*, but you are making your body better, and in turn, it WILL start to reward you! I didn't read every single post, but as a woman, I DO know there are certain times of the month I know my weight loss isn't as good as the rest. Yes, I track that too! I can be very informative!

jereibold

Don't give up! It will be so worth it! Up your water intake. Watch your sodium. Drink 16oz of water before bed. Your bladder can hold it. It will flush u out as you sleep and in the am, empty it all out!! Good luck! Stay focuced!! :flowerforyou:

kirstieamb

Everyone, thank you for all the love and support, I'm going to keep working at it. As for what's I'm eating, I've been eating healthier and drinking lots of water. Also, what I do, I eat smaller portions of food and I utilize the mfp a lot!! I guess I just expected to see more results but I can honestly say that I'm proud of myself. Thank you so much for the love and support, it gave me a boost of energy to keep fighting and pushing harder.

mukamom

kirstie, everyone has said good things. It all makes sense but it's still frustrating and disappointing not to see improvement after working so hard. Mighty disappointing. I feel your anguish....we all do...because we've all been there. Everyone who tries to lose weight faces scales that don't go down, or inches that don't come off. It's totally understandable to feel like all the effort is just not worth it. So go ahead....feel that way. You deserve to.

Just remember that tomorrow is a another day. It's going to come whether you weigh less or more. What do you want to do? You want to weigh less or more? If you want less, follow the advice here. Keep doing the right things. Eat less. Document everything. Weigh it out if you have scales. Measure things. Make sure you list everything you eat. It's the eating that makes the pounds come off more than the workouts. Those are good, don't get me wrong. But you have to eat less...this is especially true if you're counting the "number of calories burned" on some of the gym equipment machines. They tend to exagerate their claims.

We're rooting for you. And hey...we aren't the experts here. We're slogging along just like you. Failing some days, succeeding some days. But in the long run it works. It really does.

^^^^^
What coolowl said...:happy:

hedgiie

it's possible that you can actually gain more weight before losing it. maybe your re-hydrating, building muscle which are good thing. once the losing stage get's in then it will be continuous. in my case my starting weight is 183 then it went up to 185 then in recent week i lose 4 lbs then this week its 0.5 lbs.