About to give up.

taso42

You started working out, so you are likely retaining water.
You are undereating so your body is reluctant to shed fat.
Eat up.

Also, open up your diary. You will get better feedback that way.

Cal28

The only advice I can give is... MEASUREMENTS, MEASUREMENTS MEASUREMENTS.

THIS, definitely this.

My profile 'status' today is - "Measure people! - My weight has gone up :-( (boo!) but I'm further down in cm on waist & hips this week (lost 9cm in total off my hips and 5cm off my waist in the past 30 days) Certainly helps keep me focused when I could otherwise wonder why I'm bothering..."

You can do it :happy:

BlaireV

As someone already suggested, you should use the same scale to weigh every time. You should also weigh in the morning on the same day. Weight fluctuates many times throughout the day so it's not really an accurate measure. If your clothes are fitting better, that means success! Take waist/hip/thigh measurements to track your progress. Keep going, you can do this

Beezil

You started working out, so you are likely retaining water.
You are undereating so your body is reluctant to shed fat.
Eat up.

I think too that maybe you are exercising a bit too much, even. If you're doing very intense cardio, you should try switching to doing that every other day, giving your body time to heal properly. You could always do strength training on the off days or simply walking.

Healthy1Gregg

I think cutting out the wine would help. but for sure do the strength training. Circuit training or intervals are a great way to get defined and lose the weight. The plus with the strength training is the after burn lasts for almost 24 hours. Cardio does not offer that. Good luck on your journey and do not give up.


Created by MyFitnessPal.com - Free Weight Loss Tools

MaximalLife

This is so very typical of New Year irresolutioners.
Give up?
The fight has just begun. Sometimes it takes weeks to find your zone.
Just keep punching and make sure you are using MFP right.
Getting healthy and fit is actually very simple but it's just hard work.
This is how MFP works
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/help/faq/3-how-does-myfitnesspal-work

Just get started by going into settings to Update diet/fitness profile.
Set your goals for 1 lb weight loss per week.
NO MORE!
And eat lean meats, low fat dairy, nuts, whole grains, fresh fruits and veggies.
Do both cardio and resistance exercise.
Log in those exercises to your MFP exercise diary.
AND EAT BACK YOUR EXERCISE CALORIES!
Remember, this is not a race, and you can reach your goals if you stick to a good plan as recommended on this site.

You have many people here ready to lend support, answer qustions and discuss any challenges.
You can do this.

All Is Possible!

itgeekwoman

I love this type of thread. I've been dealing with much the same for a long time, BUT I'm ok with it because i'm losing inches like crazy. You have to understand that your body is reshaping. Feed those muscles, and your muscles will help work off the fat.

Be patient, don't quit. This is not a job for weak people. It's about strength. I'm skinnier today than I have been in 6 years. I wear clothes that wouldn't have fit me for another 20lb loss if I hadn't done strength training. I've lost more inches than pounds. I started this in August and am down 38lbs and well over 40 inches.

Don't measure by scale, measure with a tape.

nitaperk

I feel you, but have you took your measurements. Maybe you lost inches. You also could have gained muscle which might make you weigh more. Are your clothes fitting somewhat better. Check all of that.

mixedfeelings

It's just harder for some people than it is others, but it's a lifestyle change so keep with it.

I find it hard myself, I stick to around 1200 calories, exercise as much as I can it doesn't budge that much but I'll keep at it as it's a permanent change.

There are many reasons why you could have gained weight, it will most likely go away, I always weigh more when I work out.

Beezil

I love this type of thread. I've been dealing with much the same for a long time, BUT I'm ok with it because i'm losing inches like crazy. You have to understand that your body is reshaping. Feed those muscles, and your muscles will help work off the fat.

Be patient, don't quit. This is not a job for weak people. It's about strength. I'm skinnier today than I have been in 6 years. I wear clothes that wouldn't have fit me for another 20lb loss if I hadn't done strength training. I've lost more inches than pounds. I started this in August and am down 38lbs and well over 40 inches.

Don't measure by scale, measure with a tape.

Mechel79

@Westcoast- I am now in the same boat- the scale is evil, I actually had to give it to my husband to hide from me :flowerforyou: but keep at it! I have been hitting the gym 3x a week the last three weeks and eating 1200 calories and drinking plenty of water. I am actually going to try and up my calories and see what happens. I just took my measurements this Monday and will see if in two weeks I see a change. I also just purchased a HRM to get a better idea of how many calories I am burning. Feel free to add me and we can take this journey together.

mrlazy1967

I had digital scales that gave different reading every time, binned them and got Seca medical mechanical scales - they are expensive, but perfect.

churchie25

Thanks Kath... I 'think' my clothes are fitting better? I just feel like a crazy person!? It is inconceivable to me that I have not lost any weight?? I know I should look at it as a new way of life, but a little bit of movement on that scale would go a LONG way to keeping me motivated. I have never been so gung ho about working out, I can't miss a day, I love how it makes me feel afterwards, but I also want to see that it is working at the same time.

I am a little nervous to open my food diaries to the world to see... almost feels like someone seeing me naked! LOL

Looks like you're doing some kickass workouts. HIIT is no joke, for real. But remember, it's only been a month. Don't give up yet.

As far as sharing your diary, I personally think it's a great idea. The whole point of My Fitness Pal is Community with like-minded people. Use that to your advantage. Find people with the same body type as you, and check out their diary. It might give you some really great insights. And by sharing as well, you help others. I'm almost the same height and weight as you, so I would bet that we've had similar experiences when it comes to health and fitness.

Good luck in your journey. I hope to see you still posting on here in a year from now.

Cal28

I also just purchased a HRM to get a better idea of how many calories I am burning. Feel free to add me and we can take this journey together.

HRM are great IMO, amazing how much or how little you burn sometimes x

Lleldiranne

I've been playing with the "same" 2 lbs since Christmas, so I know how you feel (I lose them then gain them back over and over). Sometimes a sudden change like this can "shock" your body - you cut your calories in half and added in all this extra work, it's going to take some time for your body to adjust. Once it does, you may seen a quite a quick change! I just broke through this week, and was celebrating a silly 1/2 pound, lol.

But what I can tell you is that, whether you're seeing it on the scale or not, you are making your body healthier. Weight is only one measurement. You may have been told to check other measurements, like waste, hips, bust, or thighs - that's another way of seeing if your body is changing at all and can be more telling than the number on a scale (also how your clothes fit). But even more than that, eating right, drinking water, and exercising is going to help lower your blood pressure and cholesterol, make you more resilient, boost your immune system, and give you more energy. So don't quit!

You may want to tweak your settings. I changed mine to lose only 1/2 a pound a week because I want to feel comfortable with how much I'm able to eat. I don't want to feel deprived (I even had 1/2 a package of Little Debbie donuts today, and it's not throwing my day off! :laugh: ) For me, at least, I don't want to be thinking "I can't wait until I've reached my goal and can stop counting everything I eat." I've done that. And it always creeps back, even if it is only 20 pounds over 5 years. That's still not what I want. I want to be able to maintain a healthy body - both with proper eating and correct portions and with good exercise - for the rest of my life. If you find yourself wanting to quit, you're probably depriving yourself. Adjust your settings so that you're making small changes rather than drastic, and accept that it's going to take a little while to reach your ultimate goal, but once you do, you will be comfortable maintaining that lifestyle!

phia23

I know 3 weeks isn't a long time but I shouldn't gain back the weight I've lost?? I don't do exercises that "waste time" either. I'm doing cardio and pushing myself to the limit. For once I'm not crying about how much I hate my body I'm crying because of how hard I've been trying.

virgomuse

I feel the exact same way. I gained back the 5 pounds I lost, according to my scale. I eat 1000 to 1200 a day and work out at least 3 times a week. This is my third week and no improvement. HELPPP:embarassed:

I didn't read all the replies, so sorry if someone has already mentioned this.. but... are you sure you are eating enough? If you eat too little, your throwing your body into starvation mode and therefore it will hold on to every single calorie you put in your mouth. Also, even if you under your caliore count, if it isn't real whole food then you are more than likely eating more than you think you are. Especially processed food and dining out can add alot to your plate.

Cytherea

Do you happen to be about to have or on your period this week? Because if you are, that could easily account for it. That is one mistake that so many women make: they weight themselves right before/during their period and freak out that they've gained weight. You didn't. You get bloated and retain water and all of that will go away when it is over. I just had this discussion with my sister in law this past weekend; she's been on a diet for a week and had one cheat day this weekend and was so upset that her scale showed a gain- but that was the first day of her period! If that discourages you, I'd recommend not weighing yourself right before up until it is completely gone.

westcoastredhead

New Year Irresolutioners... I love it! I don't want that to be me, I want to make this long term. It seems that the common thread not only here, but IRL seems to be that I may in fact not be eating enough calories... I just went by what this site gave me to lose 2 pounds a week.. .maybe that isn't realistic?

Well, I am off for a run, thanks so much for all the advice, I will be back tonight after the kids go to bed to re-read all the posts and really take it all in.

Nicole

chachita7

one second, minute, hour, day at a time... fuel your body accordingly - if you were eating 2500 calories a day and all of the sudden you reduce it to 1200 - red flags are gonna go off in your body.

Healthy weight loss is 1 lbs per week, if you lose more great, if you lose less great too - your feeling of accomplish should come from the fact you are doing something about your weight - not how fast it is getting done...

tai_jeffries

I joined around the same time you did and when I started I had a similar issue. I was originally eating 1200 calories a day as suggested but just felt like that wasn't enough especially with doing so much cardio, I upped my caloric intake to 1400 calories. I gained a little at first during the 1200 calorie intake, but now its all coming off. You are welcome to add me and my diary is open to friends. I go to Zumba 5 days a week with one of the days being Zumba toning. I have also been told not to focus solely on weight but to go off of measurements (which I have yet to do lol) and how your clothes are fitting you. My clothes are fitting looser. Not falling off but fitting really comfortably instead of tight! lol Don't give up! Remember your original reason for joining and try to hold on to that. We didn't become overweight overnight so it's a process to change and get it off. Good luck to you!

Tai

rjt1000

Muscle weighs more than fat. Do you clothes feel bigger? I take fiber caplets everyday to help move it on through.

NO NO NO-- please. A pound of muscle weighs a pound. A pound of fat weights a pound. Muscle is more DENSE than fat. So a pound of muscle takes up less space or volume than a pound of fat. A person who has 150 pounds of mostly muscle will be slimmer, more lean, than a person who has 150 pounds of mostly fat.

virgomuse

OH! Also, for us ladies, if it's close to your cycle you can retain 5 or more pounds of "water", so ya know... drink more of it to flush ya out, but that could be why you've "gained" even though you are doing everything "rite"

)

sambo155

After my 1st month I posted almost exactly the same thing as the original post. It was so discouraging! I wanted to give up. But I didn't. The key is persistence. I started in November and still haven't lost any weight but I'm not sweatin' it. I feel better than I would if I kept eating what I was before. I figure I'll keep on like I am and eventually something's gotta give. Stick with it!

Cal28

Muscle weighs more than fat. Do you clothes feel bigger? I take fiber caplets everyday to help move it on through.

NO NO NO-- please. A pound of muscle weighs a pound. A pound of fat weights a pound. Muscle is more DENSE than fat. So a pound of muscle takes up less space or volume than a pound of fat. A person who has 150 pounds of mostly muscle will be slimmer, more lean, than a person who has 150 pounds of mostly fat.

But a pound of elephant is the same weight as a pound of feathers... but people still say an elephant is heavier than feathers.

hexrei

Muscle weighs more than fat. Do you clothes feel bigger? I take fiber caplets everyday to help move it on through.

NO NO NO-- please. A pound of muscle weighs a pound. A pound of fat weights a pound. Muscle is more DENSE than fat. So a pound of muscle takes up less space or volume than a pound of fat. A person who has 150 pounds of mostly muscle will be slimmer, more lean, than a person who has 150 pounds of mostly fat.

I guarantee you, almost all of the time when someone says "muscle weighs more than fat", there is a silent and obviously implied "by volume" on the end of that. That should be especially obvious given the context here where a woman is complaining that her diet and exercise are not altering her weight. You can continue to "correct" people about it if it makes you feel smart, but in the vast majority of cases people do realize this, and your obtuse semantics are simply going to annoy people.

30yearssincebikini

I am having the same problem, so I have decided (today) to go on the Atkin's diet, a low carb diet. I did this diet last year and lost ten pounds in two weeks with no exercise, but I gained it all back. I am exercising now six days a week, so I am hoping that if I can lose quickly again, I will keep it off because of the exercise. Maybe try the Atkins diet.

Ladylori1975

Everyone's advice is great! The only thing I would add is cross training and changing what you eat a little every day. Your body builds up a tolerance and you just don't get the results your looking for. You have to trick up your body and make sure you are not working the same muscles all the time. For instance I incorporate yoga, tai chi, dance, kick boxing, and weight lifting. It is important important to include some flexibility while doing cardio and strength training. If you look at a lot of diet plans almost each day is different with food. I have found the food pyramid to be the best while working out. They also say you can consume more calories one day a week..a cheat day. Again to trick up your body so your metabolism doesn't go into starvation mode. Let us know of your progress and what has worked the most for you. Good luck and stay strong!

tstawicki

There is something i don't get. You are 5'9" and you weigh 209ish and you only get 1200 to 1500 calories and with all that great exercise you are doing, you should be eating more calories. I am 5'2" and weigh 200 lbs and I get to eat 1390 calories a day to without exercise included. I have done exercise and nothing as intense as you have done, just burning between 240 and 400 calories a day moderately. I have lost about a pound a week which is what I wanted to do.
Do you think you aren't losing because your body thinks it' s starving? You don't seem to be eating enough for your height and weight according to my directions given by MFP.

geekymom57

If you haven't been measuring your wine, do that to see if your calorie estimates for the amount are accurate. Or pour your usual glass of wine and then pour it into a fluid measuring cup and see how many ounces are in your glass. You might be surprised.

Honestly, having entered my own fair share of merlot (and bourbon) into my mfp diary, 500 calories for an entire bottle of wine seems quite low.