3 weeks struggling to lose weight...

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True0gre
True0gre Posts: 9
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi first time poster, I have been dieting for 3 weeks now, I started at 17.3 and have been counting calories and averaging about 1000-1200 a day (MFP states I should consume 1847 to lose 2 pound per week). I am now 16.10 and feeling quite disappointed. Whenever I have dieted before the weight has flown off me for the first month or so. Usually 6lb in the first week alone!

I have gone from eating loads of carbs with little salad or veg and drinking lots of alcohol to eating mostly protein, very little carbs and the occasional drink once a week. I am exercising and everything, what am I doing wrong?

Thanks in advance for any advice or support,

James
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Replies

  • nixism
    nixism Posts: 258 Member
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    I don't think you are eating enough...
  • JMMac121
    JMMac121 Posts: 37 Member
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    I agree, I don't think you are eating enough. If you are exercising as avidly as you say, you are probably burning off all of the calories you consumed..and essentially running on empty. Calorie is just another word for energy..it's what kind of energy you are fueling your body with.
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
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    I agree that I do not think you are eating enough as a general point (why are you not eating what MFP tells you to eat? - its already a large deficit) .

    That being said, that should not be the reason you have not lost much weight. Have you started exercising in the last 3 weeks (i.e. were you doing it before) and if so, what do you do.
  • Elzecat
    Elzecat Posts: 2,916 Member
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    never mind.
  • True0gre
    True0gre Posts: 9
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    Thank you for you replies, to stop my metabolism from stalling I have been consuming 4-5 240 calorie meals usually high in protein and consuming sugar-free energy drinks and some coffee etc.

    How would consuming more calories aid a loss?

    Many thanks,

    True
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
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    Thank you for you replies, to stop my metabolism from stalling I have been consuming 4-5 240 calorie meals usually high in protein and consuming sugar-free energy drinks and some coffee etc.

    How would consuming more calories aid a loss?

    Many thanks,

    True

    Intra-day meal timing has absolutely no impact on metabolism.

    ETA: I am actually a little confused by the OP - how much have you lost in the last 3 weeks and how long have you been dieting for?
  • True0gre
    True0gre Posts: 9
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    Photogrrl - looking for help not hindrance

    In terms of exercise I have gone from nothing to ccyling and some interval jogging. Only every other day and not for that long. The reason for the defect I have a holiday in three weeks and have a very athletic brother-in-law that I have to lie next to on a beach so thought I would give myself a little boost.
  • postrockandcats
    postrockandcats Posts: 1,145 Member
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    I don't think you're eating enough, either. And loosing 6 pounds in one week? That's going to do more harm than good. It's why you're yo-yoing.
  • wgn4166
    wgn4166 Posts: 771 Member
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    I changed my goal to losing 1/2 pound a week. That gave me more calories, and I started losing.
  • Shange_Gully
    Shange_Gully Posts: 106
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    Start leangains intermittent fasting (16/8), eat 300-500cals under your BMR. The weight will come off.
  • True0gre
    True0gre Posts: 9
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    I have been dieting for approx three weeks, I haven't had any weight gain in that time but haven't lived a very healthy lifestyle for the last 12 years and I'm only 30. I can notice a slight difference in body shape and my belly fat seems to have loosened somewhat (more jiggly) but I haven't gained any noticeable muscle gain so am a bit stumped for the slow loss.
  • True0gre
    True0gre Posts: 9
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    Sorry, what is leangains intermittent fasting?
  • maremare312
    maremare312 Posts: 1,143 Member
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    Hi first time poster, I have been dieting for 3 weeks now, I started at 17.3 and have been counting calories and averaging about 1000-1200 a day (MFP states I should consume 1847 to lose 2 pound per week). I am now 16.10 and feeling quite disappointed. Whenever I have dieted before the weight has flown off me for the first month or so. Usually 6lb in the first week alone!

    I have gone from eating loads of carbs with little salad or veg and drinking lots of alcohol to eating mostly protein, very little carbs and the occasional drink once a week. I am exercising and everything, what am I doing wrong?

    Thanks in advance for any advice or support,

    James

    I don't understand your numbers, What is 17.3 and 16.10? BMI? Stones?
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
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    I have been dieting for approx three weeks, I haven't had any weight gain in that time but haven't lived a very healthy lifestyle for the last 12 years and I'm only 30. I can notice a slight difference in body shape and my belly fat seems to have loosened somewhat (more jiggly) but I haven't gained any noticeable muscle gain so am a bit stumped for the slow loss.

    What has probably happened is that you are retaining water from the exercise you have now added to your routine. You need to wait a little longer for the water weight to normalize. I would however seriously encourage you to eat more.

    ETA: now I understand the numbers, I realize that you have lost a lot of weight already. It gets to a point when you just cannot force infinite losses by completely restricting calories. Your body will fight you back in a number of ways including, higher water retention and a higher muscle loss.
  • postrockandcats
    postrockandcats Posts: 1,145 Member
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    I have been dieting for approx three weeks, I haven't had any weight gain in that time but haven't lived a very healthy lifestyle for the last 12 years and I'm only 30. I can notice a slight difference in body shape and my belly fat seems to have loosened somewhat (more jiggly) but I haven't gained any noticeable muscle gain so am a bit stumped for the slow loss.

    Find your TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure) to figure out how many calories you actually burn daily. From there, eat at a 20% deficit. Also, exercising with strength training will keep you from loosing muscle mass. If you don't eat enough, your body will be less apt to want to let go of the fat and muscle that's keeping it alive.

    ETA- there are a few ways to do loose, but you're going to have to figure out what is best for you. If what you're doing now isn't working, change it up.
  • maremare312
    maremare312 Posts: 1,143 Member
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    I don't think you're eating enough, that's a pretty small amount of calories for a man. I think most men can easily lose weight on 2000 calories. Why are you not eating the 1800 something calories that MFP told you to eat?
  • True0gre
    True0gre Posts: 9
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    Sorry, figures relate to st &lb.

    I have been trying to combat water retention by consuming 4 litres of water everyday (having used an online calculator). Does that make sense, if not how long would I have to wait for the normalisation?
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
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    Sorry, what is leangains intermittent fasting?

    Go to www.leangains.com. IF is really a way to be able to eat in a way that is more conducive to some peoples lifestyle in a way that they can more easily manage their meals and calorie targets (leangains also includes calorie/carb cycling as well for those who chose to go that route). However, imo, as you are eating so little, this will not be of benefit to you unless you up the calories you are eating and would prefer to eat a couple of larger meals vs lots of smaller meals.
  • True0gre
    True0gre Posts: 9
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    Although I see this as a long term project I have a holiday in 3 weeks and my very athletic brother-in-law will be there so would like to have a little boost for the beach I am not feeling any negative effects to the low calories, I am only hungry around meal times and am not really craving anything and not struggling for energy. Maybe a few mood swings but I put that down to the low carbs.
  • mousepaws22
    mousepaws22 Posts: 380 Member
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    I have been dieting for approx three weeks, I haven't had any weight gain in that time but haven't lived a very healthy lifestyle for the last 12 years and I'm only 30. I can notice a slight difference in body shape and my belly fat seems to have loosened somewhat (more jiggly) but I haven't gained any noticeable muscle gain so am a bit stumped for the slow loss.

    Please don't think I'm being rude but you won't have gained any muscle because you're only doing cardio. You will need to do strength and/or resistance training to retain or build muscle. I also believe that you cannot build muscle when you are eating a small amount of calories each day.

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