Am I doing some thing wrong?

tessa175

Hi All,

I'm new to weight loss and nutrition world and I'm worried that I'm doing something wrong... My CW is 273lbs I started this journey 20 days ago and I've only lost 5lbs. My family and friends keep telling me that I should have lost quite a bit more by now because of water weight. I lost 4 lbs in the first 2 weeks and then the next week was almost 2lbs. But then I gained 1lb back. The scale hasn`t moved since then. I`ve tried upping the amount of daily exercise, and I`m working up a good sweat when I do work out. I try to stay just under my calories, (yesterday I was over by 78 but that`s the worst it`s been since I started).
I`ve only been heavy for the past 5 years, before that I hovered around 170lb and was totally comfortable with myself, I could eat anything I wanted and stay just the same way because I lived an active lifestyle. Then I moved to a rural commnity where it rains for 9 months a year, I can`t walk to work, and all of the activities I enjoy have to been done in surrounding towns, so drive there and back.
I`m currently working out at Curves at least 3 times a week, I know it`s not the greatest workout going, but I needed a place to start where I felt comfortable. I also have started adding an old Tai Bo routine. The video is from the ninties and the outfits are terrible, but I`m comfortable with the moves and I sweat like crazy, I love it. I also walk my dog for at least 25 minutes a day at a fast pace going up and down steep hills, I always come home out of breath, with jello legs so I think I`m getting good exercise there.
I try not to eat processed foods, I make my own sauces and salads, I`ve cut out chips almost completely. I just don`t know what else I should be doing...
I`ve just opened up my diary, please feel free to take a look and let me know if anything seems like it could use some tweeking.
If I just need to have patience that`s OK I just need to know if I`m accidentally sabotaging myself somewhere.

Thanks in advance for your suggestions!

yarwell

1.5 lbs a week is a sensible average loss rate.

You look to be eating around 1700 calories with plenty of protein. Stick with it.

cmriverside

Your diary actually looks pretty good.....have you had bloodwork done in the last few months?

ishtar13

How much does your family expect you to have lost in less than 3 weeks?

The first 4 lbs was probably the water weight.

5 lbs in 3 weeks is 1.67 lbs per week. Since 1-1.5 lbs per week is healthy loss, you're doing fine.

cindergirl73

You food diary does look pretty good. The only thing I saw that you ate that made me gain recently was the hamburger. There is a ton of fat in that, so maybe try cutting that out and see what happens. You seem to be getting plenty of exercise, so I would not worry about that aspect. I would just keep logging and making good food choices.

JesterMFP

5 lbs in 20 days is fine, it really is. I know you have a fair bit to lose, and yes, people do often lose a lot in that first week, but not everyone does. The numbers are going in the right direction. Don't worry about that 1 lb - weight loss is not linear, and your weight will fluctuate a bit. It's the overall trend that matters.

The scale is a good tool to measure fat loss, but it doesn't show the whole picture. It will go up and down a bit, because there are so many things that effect your weight day to day. If you get more sodium than normal, you'll retain water. If you start a new exercise regime, or increase the intensity, your muscles will retain water as they repair themselves. If you have a splurge and eat more than usual you may find you retain water. None of this means you've gained fat. There is a certain number of calories you should eat to maintain your weight (your TDEE, or Total Daily Energy Expenditure). If you've set MFP up to lose 2 lbs a week, then your TDEE will be 1000 more than your current calorie goal. It's not an exact science, but that's roughly the amount of calories you could eat and neither gain nor lose fat. It takes roughly 3,500 calories to gain 1 lb of fat, so you would have to eat 3,500 calories over your TDEE. So, given that you haven't done that - the gain you have just seen is very unlikely to be fat.

Try not to listen to your friends and family telling you what you should have lost. Some people do lose a little slower than others. Also, you're not on a very low calorie diet, and you're not on The Biggest Loser. 1-2 lbs a week is absolutely fine. It sounds like you've made an important decision to get fitter and healthier, and you're doing just that. Be proud of that and don't listen to the naysayers!

Looking at your diary, I don't see any problems. Just keep doing what you're doing, and I'm sure you'll (continue to) see results.

Akimajuktuq

Hi. I'm going to offer just my opinion and other MFP members might jump all over me, but you can take it or leave it.

I am a person that cannot eat grains and legumes, and must limit fruit and dairy. My macro-nutrient ratio is 65 fat, 35 protein, and 10 carbohydrate (I go over my carbs usually due to MFP not using net carbs; ie minus the fibre). I lost over 4 pounds last week and am on target to lose 4 pounds this week. I have been more active than normal due to increased energy and less fatigue, but am not getting a lot of exercise by most standards. More than weight loss, my goal is primarily good health. When I eat in this way, I am happier, more energetic, and am no longer pre-diabetic. Also the food cravings disappear. Without grains and less sugar, I no longer binge, and am happier.

I live in the Arctic so access to some foods is limited, but I do my best to eat the healthiest food possible. I eat coconut oil/manna/milk almost daily. While I eat lots of meat (beef, pork, chicken, caribou, char, etc), I don't eat much bacon, lunch meat, etc. I avoid most canned foods. I eat LOTS of vegetables, especially non starchy choices. Love the green leafies! I prefer berries over all other fruit. Eggs are great. I eat more dairy than most, but cream in my coffee and cheese are two of my favourite things. Later on, I plan to reduce dairy dramatically. (I've discovered Bulletproof coffee!) I don't use artificial sweeteners EVER.

So, I'm just offering what I do, it isn't necessarily for you. My food diary is open to everyone if you'd like to look. :flowerforyou:

sarahleeroy

Judging from the two days of your food diary I saw, it seems like there are a lot of processed carbs on there. Try cutting back on starches and replacing them with protein and see if that helps.

RobynBourgeois

First of all, Congrats~ on both your decision to begin a healthier life and your success so far! Taking a look at your diary, all seems right on track! Keep up the great work!

KatyE213

Maybe you need to start eating breakfast, not just coffee? Apparently it revs up your metabolism for the day. Well done on your achievement so far

obmckenzie

I second the questioning of your families expectations. What do they expect.. Biggest loser weight loss? Thats a big unrealistic in the "real world".

If you really feel like you are not getting the results you are working for go to your doctor and have your Thyroid checked. You might want to talk to them about PCOS as well but if you are actually losing weight then it's probably not that.

You could also try a Fitbit or HRM or BodyMedia to see how much work you are actually putting into your workouts. When I got my BodyMedia I was shocked that what I thought was really hard wasn't really. After we cleared up my medical issues it's been a great help to let me know how hard I'm working.

Goodl uck!

CMcBryer

Just keep doing what you're doing. 1-2 pounds per week weight loss is ideal. Are any of your family members nutritional experts or certified personal trainers? If not, I wouldn't worry too much what they are saying.

AllTehBeers

First, this is real life, not the biggest loser where you eat 10 calories and exercise 23 hours. I don't know what your family expects but a loss is a loss.

Second, when you exercise, your muscles retain water to heal themselves so if you increased your exercise, this can attribute to a gain you see on the scale.

Third, this is going to take lots of time and patience. I've just hit the 40 pound mark and am just seeing changes so keep on going because the results aren't instant.

Last, if you go over or splurge one day, log it and forget it. One day is not going to derail all your efforts. Your calories are set 1000 less then maintenence so you would have to eat your calories plus 1000 just to break even. Pounds are lost in weeks not days so keep up with weekly totals.

The applications for weightloss is simple, eat less then you burn. The rest is our wants getting in the way. Get in it for the long haul and you can't fail.

AllTehBeers

Maybe you need to start eating breakfast, not just coffee? Apparently it revs up your metabolism for the day. Well done on your achievement so far

This is not true. Your metabolism doesn't "get a boost" from anything. The time you eat your meals is completely based on preference. Further reading:

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/529002-a-compliation-on-meal-frequency?hl=compliation+meal+frequency

tessa175

Wow, thanks for the advice and support everyone! Some really helpful points, I'll definately work on the sodium and just keep trucking. I guess I just need some patience and the weight loss will come.