Anyone else not losing

healthymom76

Hi, I have been at this for 2 weeks now and haven't lost a thing. I ate a little over my calories on one day but the rest I was under. I have a LOT of weight to lose and I thought it would come off fast in the beginning. HELP! Diary is public, What am I doing wrong???

RuthieCass

Your diary is not showing up as public. 2 weeks is not that long, and sometimes water retention can mask weight loss (especially if you started exercising). Also, are you making sure to account for *every* single thing you're eating? Avoiding eating out since even chains w/ calorie counts can be notoriously unreliable? How are you measuring your portion sizes? Even if you're using measuring cups, you could be eating more calories than you think. It is best to use a food scale if you aren't already doing so.

healthymom76

I measure everything, I eat out only maybe 2x a year. I most of my families food from scratch. I account for every bite I put in my mouth. I'll try to make my diary public.

Diary should be public now.

RuthieCass

There are a few places that I see could be issues in your journal:

1. There seems to be a few gaps in your log. Over the last 2 wks, I saw a full day that was not logged, missing meals, & did you really eat nothing but smoothies for the entire day? If you ate other stuff (even if you think it was just a minor snack), you should log it. Also, there were some questionable entries. E.g., only chicken breast for dinner. If the chicken was cooked with oil or sauce, it should be measured and logged. Depending on what was omitted, these gaps could make a *big* difference (and don't think that you can remember not eating that much calories because our human brains are terrible at that).

2. You say you measure everything but not weigh everything. Get an inexpensive food scale and start using it every day. You might be surprised by the difference in servings. I’ve seen demonstrations where the difference between the measured spoonful and weighed portion was ~ a quarter portion. So, for example, you could be eating a couple hundred calories of sour cream and peanut butter alone than you think in a day.

3. Water weight: It doesn’t look like you track your salt intake. If you are having too much sodium, you could be retaining water. If you started exercising at the same time, it would also cause water retention. Track and decrease your sodium, drink plenty of water, and try weighing yourself again in a week. Also (I don’t know if you know this), but us women retain water during our periods. I’ve noticed a 5 lb gain during that time. It’s a good idea to track other things—BF% or just waist & hip measurements.

4. Your protein amounts look too low. Bump them up to at least 25% and reduce your carbs. I'm not recommending a "low carb diet," but if you eat 1600 calories, at least 100 grams of protein is a good goal. Also, excess carbs cause you to again retain water.

I think 2 weeks is a bit too brief of a time period to make any conclusions about why your weight loss stalled, especially if those 2 weeks have not been consistently and accurately logged. If a month passes and you still don’t see the # on scale moving, then you might want to reevaluate. And then see your doctor to my sure your thyroid-and everything else-is working correctly. Good luck!

KimALesperance

I agree with what everyone else has been posting. I honestly have the same issue. And it is because I'm not honest with myself about what I eat. I was reading something earlier about how even if you underestimate by 100 calories a day, that's 10 pounds in a year. Scary when you think about it.

What do you your workouts look like? Are you doing any kind of strength training?

RuthieCass

Here's a blog post on this subject by a trainer on here: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/stroutman81/view/q-a-to-cut-calories-or-take-a-diet-break-refeed-when-stalled-188547 I just read this and found it very informative.

healthymom76

Did anyone actually read my diary? I do track my sodium Usually I stay under 1500. I measure everything with measuring cups, spoons and a food scale. when I put chicken breast for dinner it is because all I ate was chicken breast no added oil or butter. Usually baked or done on the grill, no sauce, It isn't that is has just stalled I haven't lost any weight in well over 3 months. I drink around 12 cups of water a day. ( Which I don't always remember to log) I don't drink any other liquids except my smoothies and those I make with water. yes I did do a whole day of just smotthies. I have been tested at least a dozen times for my thyroid and it is in the normal range. I am frustrated and discouraged. My measurments haven't changed either. Don't really know why I should continue this. I am sorry if I seem upset, I really do appreciate the time you people took to respond. Just started out bad as I got on the scale this morning and had GAINED a lbs. Don't know what to do!!!!

yarwell

Eat 1500 for two weeks, 20% protein = 300 calories / 75g, no more than 40% carbs = 600 calories = 150g maximum and the rest as fats and oils. No diet foods, low fat versions or lean protein sources. Walk and be generally active but don't do any rigorous exercise.

psuLemon

Its also possible that 1500 calories is too low. If you dont mind, post your height weight and age as well as your exercise program. You do also have to consider if you just started to eat right and exercise that your body needs to take time to adjust.

healthymom76

I am 36 mother of 6 5' 3.5 in. and 264lbs.

TRISTAR

My scales aren't moving either, but I'm just sticking to it. I've heard losses will kick in at some point

hubkal

I lost fast in the begining and then I stall for a month or so then I go back down. You have to mix it up and get that protein. MFP protein levels are LOW!! I always go over in protein and of course sugar-because I eat fruit and yogurt and MFP does not break down bad sugar (table sugar) from good sugar (fruits etc). I stall when I am doing more exercise and not eating enough. It is tough to eat more and I used to freak out when people told me to do so, but it works, I gain a pound or two to begin with and then it comes off. Keep trying, keep moving and DONT GIVE UP!! the scale will shoot up if you give up and you will be even more unhappy!

hamiltonba

A couple of things that Jumped out at me were that you were not tracking sugar and did you actually eat raw plain cabbage and onions for dinner - nothing on them???? Where is the protein? Are you just eating spoonsful of chocolate sauce? Does it contain sugar? Is your pumpkin smoothie homemade? That does sound good....This road/journey can oftentimes be frustrating and long - please don't give up!! Are you exercising??

21June

I share your frustration. You do seem to be doing better than me though (I track most things but not every single thing that goes into my mouth, bit naughty really I know). Since Easter, I lost 5lbs in two weeks then nothing! I even upped my exercise. Have re joined the gym I used to go to to see if that helps otherwise I fear I may lose my motivation! Its really frustrating when you are doing everything you can but not losing any weight. Here if you need to chat, )!

FamousAmiss

Sometimes I have to make adjustments, like reduce the daily calorie limit, change up my workouts, etc. I actually have to focus on adding more fat, make sure I get enough good fat in my diet. Salt does make the scale go up..and I struggle with drinking enough water every day. The best adjustment I've made lately is adding almonds to my diet. Good fats, protein, helps me feel satisfied. Allegedly almonds are a superfood that helps burn fat.

realme56

Less sugars/smoothies, your body does not work too hard to process these simply foods
Get more veggies in
Food Scale and measuring cups
Water
More protein/lean protein
You are using a HRM for those burns?? You may be overestimating your burns

I lost 13# the first 10 days, it was great but the reality of weight loss is that it is a grind and often 2 steps back, one forward. I am "in the weeds" now with struggles to lose and keep the losses. I have 19# left and am struggling to stay in the 170's with an ultimate goal of 160 (5'4"). Stick to it because your children need to be raised with good eating habits as well.

hamiltonba

Ignore my exercise question - I realize you do. Regarding sugar - did you know that your small McDonalds smoothie contains 49g of sugar??? That is an awful lot. Are all of your smoothies homemade or bought? Unfortunately, if you are not making these items, you can't control the ingredients. Too much sugar is a disaster for weight loss.

sarahrbraun

Did anyone actually read my diary? I do track my sodium Usually I stay under 1500. I measure everything with measuring cups, spoons and a food scale. when I put chicken breast for dinner it is because all I ate was chicken breast no added oil or butter. Usually baked or done on the grill, no sauce, It isn't that is has just stalled I haven't lost any weight in well over 3 months. I drink around 12 cups of water a day. ( Which I don't always remember to log) I don't drink any other liquids except my smoothies and those I make with water. yes I did do a whole day of just smotthies. I have been tested at least a dozen times for my thyroid and it is in the normal range. I am frustrated and discouraged. My measurments haven't changed either. Don't really know why I should continue this. I am sorry if I seem upset, I really do appreciate the time you people took to respond. Just started out bad as I got on the scale this morning and had GAINED a lbs. Don't know what to do!!!!

I totally understand your frustration. I gained and lost the same 3 pounds for 2 months! Try cutting your carbs down and increasing your fat and protein a little.

I started working out in february, and watching calories too. From the first week in February to the first week in May I only lost 7 pounds--the first 4 in the first 2 weeks. The first week in May I cut my carbs down to under 100g net per day ( total carbs minus fiber). I kept the same workout. The first week I lost 4.8 pounds, the other 3 weeks I lost a little over a pound. Based on previous medical history, I am guessing that I am insulin resistant again and need to keep my carbs down....

miercoso

I just looked at the past few days of your diary and my question back to you would be have you really taken a look at what you are eating, sometimes looking back over our own diary's can be helpful. I'm a slow loser and definitelty don't have any answers or solutions and don't pretend to, but I'd suggest adding more vegetables, less processed foods and it looks like you like peanut butter, as I do, so I'd like to suggest you check out Bell Plantation's PB2, it is a powdered peanut butter that has like 45 calories for 2 tablespoons. Don't give up and keeping using MFP, it can be very helpful. Good luck.

holliwood322

thanks for the post about the food scale. i myself have been considering this since i have no idea what a "slice" of pork loin weighs. i don't want to get obssessive with this, but i have reasoned that with keeping track of everything, i may be eating more than i think. that's probably why the diets like Jenny Craig work so well. they monitor your calories more exactly.

psuLemon

I am 36 mother of 6 5' 3.5 in. and 264lbs.

Based on your stats and being a mother of 6, I would suggest eating 1900 calories a day. If you exercise, then I would add another 200 calories. Then set your carbs at 35%, protein at 40% and fats at 25%. I think overall, your diet is fairly good but if you can, try to push more protein and fats (such as nuts). I have a feeling you dropped your calories too much and your body didn't know what to do.