Kerri's top 10 reasons why you're not losing weight
kerrilucko
Posts: 3,852 Member
Ok, I'm not a doctor, I'm not even a nurse, all of these are from personal experience and observation. I have read a shocking amount of "I'm so frustrated, I've been here a week [or 3 days, or 2 weeks] and I havn't lost anything!" So I thought instead of replying to all those separate threads I decided to make my own. All you veterans, feel free to add to my list:
1. The number one reason you havn't lost weight is because you havn't given yourself TIME to lose weight. 3 days? (yes people have actually posted this) It is unlikely that you will see any noticeable changes in just 3 days and even if you do- yep, WATER weight. Be patient. If you are doing everything right (and nothing below applies to you) give it a month. Still nothing? Go see your doctor.
2. You're eating too much. No, I don't mean you should start striving for numbers BELOW 1200 cals a day. WHat I really mean is you're not being accurate in what you do eat. "A handful" of grapes does not always equal 1 cup. You should make an effort to weigh and/or measure everything you eat including fruits and vegetables and beverages. Calories add up.
3. You're not exercising. Yes, you can lose weight without exercise, but you are doing your body a major favour by doing it anyway. Increased muscle mass will speed up the rate at which your body burns calories so... more muscle= more fat loss.
4. You're not eating enough. It seems to make sense right- eat very little, lose weight. But it's not. The less you eat, the more difficult it becomes for your body to function properly. This causes what is sometimes called "starvation mode"- but here I'll call it a slowing of the metabolism. Basically your body slows all it's functions to a crawl in order to conserve energy. It really fights to hold onto the fat reserves it's got because, in essence, it is starving. If you eat to little over a long period of time you will develop serious health problems, if you continue the behavious anyway you will, simply put, starve to death. Not eating enough can seriously slow weight loss but what's even worse is what it does to your health so please, eat!
5. You can't put down the salt shaker. Sodium causes water retention, which causes the scale to read higher than what you actually weigh (that's called water weight) eating foods high in sodium is the culprit, and it doesn't HAVE to be salt that you've added. Most foods have sodium in them already, especially pre-packaged foods and sauces so be sure to monitor your sodium. You should be getting no more than 2500mg in a day.
6. You're weighing in at the wrong time. For this one I have 2 valid points- the first is- if you are a woman NEVER under ANY circumstances should you weigh during your time of the month. Most women pack on weight then due to water retention. It's just unfair to weigh yourself then. The second point is- don't weigh yourself after a hearty dinner- your tummy is full of food, and fluids from your day. Weigh instead in the morning after you've used the washroom. It's more accurate and please- once a week only.
7. You're eating the wrong foods. There are a lot of people that seem to have trouble losing weight with Carbs. I am luckily not one of them, but if you are you may look into (and I mean seriously look into, not just "oh ya, I'm gonna stop eating all carbs now") a low-carb lifestyle. There are many users here who can offer you advice on this but please also speak to your doctor about it first.
8. You don't have much to lose. When you only have say 10-15 lbs to lose, it is going to be a very slow process. You're fooling yourself if you think someone of that size can lose 2 lbs a week, or even 1 lb a week in some cases. Make reasonable goals of .5-1 lb a week and you'll have more success. I've said it before and I stand by it- be prepared for it to take a year to reach your goals. It is not unheard of for people to lose just 1 lb a month when they have very little to lose- but progress is still progress.
9. You're weighing inaccurately. Are you weighing with clothes on? Are you using different scales? Is your scale on a hard, flat surface? You should make an effore to weigh either nude or, if you're in a public place, in the same or similar clothes every time you weigh-in. Use the same scale everytime as each will weigh you differently and make sure the scale is flat. Some scales read differently if you so much as bend over, so stand up straight with your arms at your sides. Make certain your scale is accurate, try weighing a 10lb barbell and adjust it so the scale reads exactly 10lbs.
10. And finally, the one everyone loves to turn to- muscle mass. Muscle takes up less room that fat, so if you're gaining muscle the scale may show increases or no change in your weight even if you are losing fat. BUT don't fool yourself, you're not putting on 3 lbs of muscle in a week. If it's been a serious plateau however, and not just a week or two, pull out your handy tape-measurer and see if there are any changes where it really counts.
That is all, thanks for reading :flowerforyou:
1. The number one reason you havn't lost weight is because you havn't given yourself TIME to lose weight. 3 days? (yes people have actually posted this) It is unlikely that you will see any noticeable changes in just 3 days and even if you do- yep, WATER weight. Be patient. If you are doing everything right (and nothing below applies to you) give it a month. Still nothing? Go see your doctor.
2. You're eating too much. No, I don't mean you should start striving for numbers BELOW 1200 cals a day. WHat I really mean is you're not being accurate in what you do eat. "A handful" of grapes does not always equal 1 cup. You should make an effort to weigh and/or measure everything you eat including fruits and vegetables and beverages. Calories add up.
3. You're not exercising. Yes, you can lose weight without exercise, but you are doing your body a major favour by doing it anyway. Increased muscle mass will speed up the rate at which your body burns calories so... more muscle= more fat loss.
4. You're not eating enough. It seems to make sense right- eat very little, lose weight. But it's not. The less you eat, the more difficult it becomes for your body to function properly. This causes what is sometimes called "starvation mode"- but here I'll call it a slowing of the metabolism. Basically your body slows all it's functions to a crawl in order to conserve energy. It really fights to hold onto the fat reserves it's got because, in essence, it is starving. If you eat to little over a long period of time you will develop serious health problems, if you continue the behavious anyway you will, simply put, starve to death. Not eating enough can seriously slow weight loss but what's even worse is what it does to your health so please, eat!
5. You can't put down the salt shaker. Sodium causes water retention, which causes the scale to read higher than what you actually weigh (that's called water weight) eating foods high in sodium is the culprit, and it doesn't HAVE to be salt that you've added. Most foods have sodium in them already, especially pre-packaged foods and sauces so be sure to monitor your sodium. You should be getting no more than 2500mg in a day.
6. You're weighing in at the wrong time. For this one I have 2 valid points- the first is- if you are a woman NEVER under ANY circumstances should you weigh during your time of the month. Most women pack on weight then due to water retention. It's just unfair to weigh yourself then. The second point is- don't weigh yourself after a hearty dinner- your tummy is full of food, and fluids from your day. Weigh instead in the morning after you've used the washroom. It's more accurate and please- once a week only.
7. You're eating the wrong foods. There are a lot of people that seem to have trouble losing weight with Carbs. I am luckily not one of them, but if you are you may look into (and I mean seriously look into, not just "oh ya, I'm gonna stop eating all carbs now") a low-carb lifestyle. There are many users here who can offer you advice on this but please also speak to your doctor about it first.
8. You don't have much to lose. When you only have say 10-15 lbs to lose, it is going to be a very slow process. You're fooling yourself if you think someone of that size can lose 2 lbs a week, or even 1 lb a week in some cases. Make reasonable goals of .5-1 lb a week and you'll have more success. I've said it before and I stand by it- be prepared for it to take a year to reach your goals. It is not unheard of for people to lose just 1 lb a month when they have very little to lose- but progress is still progress.
9. You're weighing inaccurately. Are you weighing with clothes on? Are you using different scales? Is your scale on a hard, flat surface? You should make an effore to weigh either nude or, if you're in a public place, in the same or similar clothes every time you weigh-in. Use the same scale everytime as each will weigh you differently and make sure the scale is flat. Some scales read differently if you so much as bend over, so stand up straight with your arms at your sides. Make certain your scale is accurate, try weighing a 10lb barbell and adjust it so the scale reads exactly 10lbs.
10. And finally, the one everyone loves to turn to- muscle mass. Muscle takes up less room that fat, so if you're gaining muscle the scale may show increases or no change in your weight even if you are losing fat. BUT don't fool yourself, you're not putting on 3 lbs of muscle in a week. If it's been a serious plateau however, and not just a week or two, pull out your handy tape-measurer and see if there are any changes where it really counts.
That is all, thanks for reading :flowerforyou:
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Replies
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Ok, I'm not a doctor, I'm not even a nurse, all of these are from personal experience and observation. I have read a shocking amount of "I'm so frustrated, I've been here a week [or 3 days, or 2 weeks] and I havn't lost anything!" So I thought instead of replying to all those separate threads I decided to make my own. All you veterans, feel free to add to my list:
1. The number one reason you havn't lost weight is because you havn't given yourself TIME to lose weight. 3 days? (yes people have actually posted this) It is unlikely that you will see any noticeable changes in just 3 days and even if you do- yep, WATER weight. Be patient. If you are doing everything right (and nothing below applies to you) give it a month. Still nothing? Go see your doctor.
2. You're eating too much. No, I don't mean you should start striving for numbers BELOW 1200 cals a day. WHat I really mean is you're not being accurate in what you do eat. "A handful" of grapes does not always equal 1 cup. You should make an effort to weigh and/or measure everything you eat including fruits and vegetables and beverages. Calories add up.
3. You're not exercising. Yes, you can lose weight without exercise, but you are doing your body a major favour by doing it anyway. Increased muscle mass will speed up the rate at which your body burns calories so... more muscle= more fat loss.
4. You're not eating enough. It seems to make sense right- eat very little, lose weight. But it's not. The less you eat, the more difficult it becomes for your body to function properly. This causes what is sometimes called "starvation mode"- but here I'll call it a slowing of the metabolism. Basically your body slows all it's functions to a crawl in order to conserve energy. It really fights to hold onto the fat reserves it's got because, in essence, it is starving. If you eat to little over a long period of time you will develop serious health problems, if you continue the behavious anyway you will, simply put, starve to death. Not eating enough can seriously slow weight loss but what's even worse is what it does to your health so please, eat!
5. You can't put down the salt shaker. Sodium causes water retention, which causes the scale to read higher than what you actually weigh (that's called water weight) eating foods high in sodium is the culprit, and it doesn't HAVE to be salt that you've added. Most foods have sodium in them already, especially pre-packaged foods and sauces so be sure to monitor your sodium. You should be getting no more than 2500mg in a day.
6. You're weighing in at the wrong time. For this one I have 2 valid points- the first is- if you are a woman NEVER under ANY circumstances should you weigh during your time of the month. Most women pack on weight then due to water retention. It's just unfair to weigh yourself then. The second point is- don't weigh yourself after a hearty dinner- your tummy is full of food, and fluids from your day. Weigh instead in the morning after you've used the washroom. It's more accurate and please- once a week only.
7. You're eating the wrong foods. There are a lot of people that seem to have trouble losing weight with Carbs. I am luckily not one of them, but if you are you may look into (and I mean seriously look into, not just "oh ya, I'm gonna stop eating all carbs now") a low-carb lifestyle. There are many users here who can offer you advice on this but please also speak to your doctor about it first.
8. You don't have much to lose. When you only have say 10-15 lbs to lose, it is going to be a very slow process. You're fooling yourself if you think someone of that size can lose 2 lbs a week, or even 1 lb a week in some cases. Make reasonable goals of .5-1 lb a week and you'll have more success. I've said it before and I stand by it- be prepared for it to take a year to reach your goals. It is not unheard of for people to lose just 1 lb a month when they have very little to lose- but progress is still progress.
9. You're weighing inaccurately. Are you weighing with clothes on? Are you using different scales? Is your scale on a hard, flat surface? You should make an effore to weigh either nude or, if you're in a public place, in the same or similar clothes every time you weigh-in. Use the same scale everytime as each will weigh you differently and make sure the scale is flat. Some scales read differently if you so much as bend over, so stand up straight with your arms at your sides. Make certain your scale is accurate, try weighing a 10lb barbell and adjust it so the scale reads exactly 10lbs.
10. And finally, the one everyone loves to turn to- muscle mass. Muscle takes up less room that fat, so if you're gaining muscle the scale may show increases or no change in your weight even if you are losing fat. BUT don't fool yourself, you're not putting on 3 lbs of muscle in a week. If it's been a serious plateau however, and not just a week or two, pull out your handy tape-measurer and see if there are any changes where it really counts.
That is all, thanks for reading :flowerforyou:0 -
Thanks girl I need to read that. Thank you for all the support yu give to us new comers.:flowerforyou:0
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GREAT Post - thanks!!0
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bump! :glasses:0
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good post Kerri. I often turn to your posts for sound advice. keep it up :flowerforyou:0
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Dear Kerri,
I loved this! Thank you!
Maybe one more to add might be that you really do not need to lose weight to begin with. Maybe some women need to tone up to "feel better" but their actual weight is just fine. I am somewhat concerned when I (occasionally) see a very thin woman in a picture with a weight loss goal of 10 or more pounds.
What are your thoughts on this?0 -
Extra bump! Great job Kerri! You took the words right outta muh mouth!:happy:0
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Kerri, you're such a smart girl! I really appreciate your level-headed input to this and all the threads out there. I totally agree with all your points.
I might also add to number 7: eating the wrong foods. This could also include eating junk in place of "real" food. Eating 100 calorie snack packs is not the same as eating 100 calories worth of fruit, veggies, or whole grains. The closer you stay to nature, and the further away from processing, the better. Plus, I usually find, you get more bang for your buck out of these types of foods. You get a larger serving size, and you stay full longer on the more natural foods. You don't have to cut out the treats, but think twice before choosing them over "real" food.
**This is one of my MAJOR weaknesses**0 -
Thanks Kerri! Keep up the good work. :flowerforyou:0
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thank you for this!!!0
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Great post, thanks for all the advice
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Dear Kerri,
I loved this! Thank you!
Maybe one more to add might be that you really do not need to lose weight to begin with. Maybe some women need to tone up to "feel better" but their actual weight is just fine. I am somewhat concerned when I (occasionally) see a very thin woman in a picture with a weight loss goal of 10 or more pounds.
What are your thoughts on this?
I definitely agree with this, although it is hard for us to know if the photo is current. I mean maybe they want to get back to that size by losing weight. I do definitely think this is something people should consider though. It's important to ask yourself WHY you want to lose weight, For many it is health related, which is probably the most valid reason. If you are within your healthy BMI zone it becomes fuzzier- what is too thin, what is right for the individual. It should never ever be someone's goal to be underweight.0 -
Kerri, you're such a smart girl! I really appreciate your level-headed input to this and all the threads out there. I totally agree with all your points.
I might also add to number 7: eating the wrong foods. This could also include eating junk in place of "real" food. Eating 100 calorie snack packs is not the same as eating 100 calories worth of fruit, veggies, or whole grains. The closer you stay to nature, and the further away from processing, the better. Plus, I usually find, you get more bang for your buck out of these types of foods. You get a larger serving size, and you stay full longer on the more natural foods. You don't have to cut out the treats, but think twice before choosing them over "real" food.
**This is one of my MAJOR weaknesses**
This is very true. Your body needs proper nutrition! But of course, treats every now and again are fine.
PS- I HATE 100 cal pack they bug the heck outta me. You pay like 5$ for 5 teeny packages of barely edible food. Spend the 5$ on 3 lbs of grapes instead- yummier, more nutritious and a lot more food! :flowerforyou:0 -
AWESOME POST! THANKS KERRI FOR POSTING.0
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AWESOME POST! THANKS KERRI FOR POSTING.0
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Great post. This is why I rarely weigh myself. I am all about how I look in my clothes or in my mirror without clothes than how much I weigh. I just weighed myself yesterday in a month and found that I lost 11lbs!! But I didn't need the scale to know that I lost weight. I can fit into jeans I haven't been able to wear in a year! I decided to go by inches and not the scale.
I also wanted to add that you could be packing on the pounds or not losing the weight by not drinking enough water. You should drink a minimum of 8, 8oz glass of water a day or 64oz. I spoke with my chiropractor who told me you should drink 1/2 your body weight in water to lose weight. So if you are 200lbs, you should drink 100oz of water a day. It flushes your system and removes toxins which allow your body to absorb nutrients better and ultimately allows your body to drop those lbs!!0 -
Great post Kerri!! I would also add that stress can slow or halt weight loss - as can certain medications. Please take those things into account and if you are stressed - try some walks, yoga, or whatever will help you relax to lower those chemicals our body releases under stress. If you are on medication that you think may be causing weight gain or an inability to lose weight - check with your doctor to see if there is an alternative. And relax people!! You won't lose it overnight - you didn't gain it overnight either! Sorry - mini rant over now
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Hey thanks so much for this post. Also thanks for putting in the time to get this info out to us. I am new here and I am learning so much. I am so happy to post that I lost 2 lbs my first week. It was a great thing to see that all my hard work is for nothing. Of course I have a long way to go but it helps when people like you are here giving such great advice.
Created by MyFitnessPal.com - Free Calorie Counter0 -
I've been on here since mid Jan. and I have to say the one thing that is working for me is getting to know "MY BODY". I know I'm not going to lose as fast as some and maybe I'll be faster than others but I'm taking the time to learn what works for "me". Like everyone else I'd like to wake up and find that all the weight just dissapeared over night but I know that's not going to happen so I'm enjoying the experience of learning to make healthier choices and finding/eliminating the don'ts in my diet. Most of all I read a lot of the posts, that in itself is a learning experience.:glasses: 0
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Very well stated.
All of it.
KUDOS!!0 -
well said :drinker:0
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well said0
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Great information - one thing to add -
when measuring, stand in front of a mirror or have someone else do it for you to insure accuracy.0 -
bump0
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just posting so i can find it again later
thanks kerri0 -
Thanks for the post Kerri. :flowerforyou:0
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Great post Kerri and Keremu , thanks for all the information , for anyone to know regarding Keremu s post 33.8 ounces is equevalent to 1 litre .Anyone who knows some great stuff please do post like these two did . Thanks for everyone who helps and share.
I m new here very new started today but as i read Kerri and keremu 's post i am learning lots of great stuff i never knew
Thanks
hope to be as good as most of you guys
:bigsmile:0 -
Kerri, you're such a smart girl! I really appreciate your level-headed input to this and all the threads out there. I totally agree with all your points.
I might also add to number 7: eating the wrong foods. This could also include eating junk in place of "real" food. Eating 100 calorie snack packs is not the same as eating 100 calories worth of fruit, veggies, or whole grains. The closer you stay to nature, and the further away from processing, the better. Plus, I usually find, you get more bang for your buck out of these types of foods. You get a larger serving size, and you stay full longer on the more natural foods. You don't have to cut out the treats, but think twice before choosing them over "real" food.
**This is one of my MAJOR weaknesses**
I completely agree! You may be staying within the right number of calories but if it is all junk food then most likely you are still hungry and your weight loss will be much slower!...Plus if you are working out regularly then you need the energy from "real" food!
It is one of my major weaknesses also!0 -
As usual, great advice Kerri... THANKS!
I have to absolutely agree, especially the part about how it TAKES TIME... how much time it takes is different for everyone.. just be patient..
I keep telling myself, what's the alternative? To give up and stay fat? That's crazy! :noway:
Every day that goes by is just one day closer to getting to my goal.. it might take me a whole year to lose 40 pounds, but it took 15 YEARS (and three children - one set of twins) to pack it all on!
Thanks again Kerri! :flowerforyou:0 -
Great post Kerri and Keremu , thanks for all the information , for anyone to know regarding Keremu s post 33.8 ounces is equevalent to 1 litre .Anyone who knows some great stuff please do post like these two did . Thanks for everyone who helps and share.
I m new here very new started today but as i read Kerri and keremu 's post i am learning lots of great stuff i never knew
Thanks
hope to be as good as most of you guys
:bigsmile:
Thanks for the kudos! I just know what is working for me and I drink what feels like a ton of water a day on top of eating right and watching my calorie and fat intake. I really go by the calorie plan MFP has laid out for me. But Kerri has some really great advice!!
PS. I try to drink all my water before 7pm otherwise I am in the bathroom all night.
PSS. I also know that you should watch how many calories you eat at once. Ex./ If you are required to eat 2000 calories a day, you should not eat 1500 in one sitting. You should space your meals out at least 3 hours apart. I try to make my meals no more than 400 calories and my snacks no more than 100 to make sure I eat all 1480 calories MFP has suggested I eat. If you get hungry b/w meals, drink water and chew on some sugar-free gum. Extra is only 5 calories.0
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