HELP!!!I ADVISE Needed! Am I being unrealistic

natvanessa

It has taken me over 6 weeks to just lose 7 pounds and I am working out and eating healthier than you!! And I'm happy with my progress so far....

I really wouldn't complain. Also, you do realize the faster you lose weight the faster you could gain it back right??

grex1949

Steady on people. 13lbs in the first month, especially if the individual was significantly overweight in the first place, is not uncommon at all. Most of it is fluid, not fat. When I first started I lost 10lbs in the first week.

OP - you've probably stopped losing because you're going at it too hard and too fast. You may not be eating enough for the calories you are burning with your new activities - and when you don't eat enough your body pumps out stress hormones such as cortisol which signal it to hold onto energy reserves (fat) as tight as possible. It does this because it thinks you are in trouble.

Ease up a little, eat a bit more, and I bet you'll start seeing results again.

Note: unless you're significantly overweight, 1-2 lbs a week is a reasonable and safe amount to lose. Any more than that and you need to consider adjusting your intake and exercise levels accordingly.

^^^This, too.

Agree completely

AlmstHvn

Congratulations on jumping on the "health train"! I was at a similar starting weight when I joined in July 2011. It's a wonderful feeling when clothes start to get baggy and you feel so much more energy!

When I started, I was working with a trainer and we didn't even do any weight checks for the first few months - she said it was going to fluctuate quite a bit and she just didn't want me to worry about it. We also took measurements at the chest, belly button, hips, thigh and calf to start watching progress over time. There's going to be a lot more successes than what you'll see on the scale. (Clothing fit, inches lost, firming up legs, etc.) Rejoice in every one!

Feel free to send a friend request if you like!

3ofmine

Thank you very much for all the posts I know 13lbs is good and I am ok and happy with that but I am also ALOT overweight more so than most. The few posts who were more rude I am eating. The exercise everyday and MFP tells me some days I need to be eating almost 3000 calories and I am a bigger person but I can't eat that much food. I eat around 1500-1600 calories a day which leaves 1000-1100 left over I am NOT starving myself and I don't expect it to happen overnight. I thought because I was heavier than you usually lose more to start off and I wondered if I was wrong or being unrealistic with expecting to have lost more. I don't measure so I have been going by the sale and how my clothes are fitting which my clothes are just the same..no change with how they fit. I do want to lose it slowly an the thing I have given up like soda I don't intend to start drinking it again because it makes me feel bad and bloated. Thank for the "realty check" and I do appreciate the posts who were trying to be helpful and encouraging!
Angel

dolldreams

13 lbs is a great loss. Congrats! If you really feel like you've stalled, try switching up your exercise routine a bit.

I do walk a way the lbs too but if I do it too many times in a row, my body gets so well adjusted I could do it in my sleep. Hard to get the heart rate up after a while. I switch to something different and then go back to it after a while. Works for me.

Serenstar75

I agree when someone said the faster you lose, the faster it goes right back on. With my divorce, I lost 50 lbs in 4 months. It was insane, but I was stressed, walking a lot and working out and NOT EATING. I gained back 20 of it and it didn't take long to regain. So it's like being back at a starting point and wanting it to go in a healthier way now. 1-2 is realistic per week. Initial month often has water loss.

Sabine_Stroehm

You're doing so well! I've been here for a little over 2 months and have lost 7-8LBS. I'm envious of your 13LBS!

Serenstar75

Your first post sounded like you're eating and doing everything. It's a long journey. It's also a confusing one, because we have a billion things thrown at us for what is supposedly "right" or how it's supposed to be. It's hard to know what is right or not. I think you're on the right track, taking the necessary steps in all the right places.

michellekicks

Thank you very much for all the posts I know 13lbs is good and I am ok and happy with that but I am also ALOT overweight more so than most. The few posts who were more rude I am eating. The exercise everyday and MFP tells me some days I need to be eating almost 3000 calories and I am a bigger person but I can't eat that much food. I eat around 1500-1600 calories a day which leaves 1000-1100 left over I am NOT starving myself and I don't expect it to happen overnight. I thought because I was heavier than you usually lose more to start off and I wondered if I was wrong or being unrealistic with expecting to have lost more. I don't measure so I have been going by the sale and how my clothes are fitting which my clothes are just the same..no change with how they fit. I do want to lose it slowly an the thing I have given up like soda I don't intend to start drinking it again because it makes me feel bad and bloated. Thank for the "realty check" and I do appreciate the posts who were trying to be helpful and encouraging!
Angel

If MFP says you're supposed to be eating twice as much as you are, you need to eat some more. Make sure you're eating all natural - no artificial sweeteners, no calorie-wise, no "light" or "low-fat". Just eat real food, lean meats/poultry, fish, healthy oils, nuts, cheeses, seeds, lots of fruits and veggies. Sometimes I know when I decide to "eat healthy" I go overboard in the other direction and end up eating too little. I didn't get overweight by not being able to eat enough. I'm not going to shed the weight by not eating enough either.