Women only, PLEASE

mell6355

I must be missing something.... You have been on the "plan" for two weeks and you have lost 6 pounds?? That seems pretty awesome to me! I have also been on the plan for two weeks and I have lost 6 pounds, that is 3 a week and I am feeling good!! I thought people were supposed to aim for 2 lbs a week, as a healthy weight loss?!? I am doing a biggest loser at work and I am hoping that I can keep up with my 3 lbs a week for an end loss of 30 pounds in 10 weeks! Anymore than that I would think would be reason for concern!

Jena_72

Cut your sodium and drink MORE water. You do not have to gain weight just because its that TOM. I lose 1-3 lbs every week without an issue even during that time. Your sodium is almost always over the (already) really high limit set by MFP. Sodium will cause you to retain water thus slowing your loss rate. The bloated feeling you have is quite likely due to the water retention because of the sodium and lack of water

I will second all of that! :flowerforyou:

k011185

Wait til TOM comes and goes before weighing yourself again, I easily gain 5 pounds the week of, and when it's irregular, even more. Evil rotten.
Like so many others mentioned, cutting back on sodium and upping my water during it makes it disappear right away though.

BamaGirl777

I think you will need to lower your sodium intake and drink more water, just by looking at your food diary. You can
do this.

NataBost

I have to agree with the previous posters regarding sodium intake. There were a few days where your sodium was over 2500mg. I'm currently trying to keep mine under 2000, and it's not easy. Cutting out a lot of processed foods and upping my water intake has helped me a lot.

For example, on my weigh in on Friday, I was down. Yay! Cut to Sunday morning, I was up a little over a pound. There's no way I ate that much to gain a pound in a 24 hr period WITH an exercise class AND walking on Saturday.

I looked at my diary, and my sodium intake was easily through the roof. To get the bloat down, I'm focusing on my water and trying to keep my food more whole - i.e. leafy greens, fruit and veggies, grilled chicken breasts without much seasoning. The scale is finally starting to budge again. If that doesn't work, it might be time to address with your Doctor.

k011185

I must be missing something.... You have been on the "plan" for two weeks and you have lost 6 pounds?? That seems pretty awesome to me! I have also been on the plan for two weeks and I have lost 6 pounds, that is 3 a week and I am feeling good!! I thought people were supposed to aim for 2 lbs a week, as a healthy weight loss?!? I am doing a biggest loser at work and I am hoping that I can keep up with my 3 lbs a week for an end loss of 30 pounds in 10 weeks! Anymore than that I would think would be reason for concern!

She said she hasn't lost anything the past two weeks, I'm assuming the 6 pounds on her tracker are from before 2 weeks ago

mell6355

Says joined 9/2012.

AmberJo1984

I joined almost 3 weeks ago. I lost 6 pounds (I guess water weight) to begin with... and, I've been stuck for close to 2 weeks since then.

nxd10

That's not stuck a long time. A pound a week is just . . . a pound a week. You're averaging better than that.

staciva

PCOS can completely change your periods dramatically. The hormones play havoc with your body and can cause you to hold onto fat which makes estrogen and thus will make you hold on to fat. PCOS is very common in women who are overweight. I agree with the post about carbs - decrease your carbs and increase your protein - dramatically. WATER, WATER, WATER and when you think you are about to float away, drink some more. Get the sodium out of your diet - no processed foods. And start resistance training - this will increase your testosterone to balance the estrogen. (And no, you won't turn into a muscle bound cretin.) You may notice a slight increase in your weight as you build muscle - because muscle weighs more than fat. However, the long term goal is the prize here and the more muscle you have, the more calories you will burn throughout the day overall. Also, make sure you are getting enough good sleep. Turn off the computer 20 minutes prior to bed - new study out that correlates the blue light from the screen to decreased melatonin. If you need to turn off your mind at night, read a book or play cards - I mean an actual book or actual playing cards. Do some journaling (again with actual paper and pencil). Maybe spend a few minutes each night writing down five things you did well that day (even if one is flossing your teeth), and five things you are grateful for and five things you are proud of or like about yourself. These will help foster a positive thought train for you.

EccentricDad

I know there was a sign up intended to keep men out but I only want to help so please pardon my intrusion.

Have you been under a lot of stress lately because of your missed TOM and your lack of weight loss?

DebbieLyn63

Try lowering your sugar and carbs. Also you may be overestimating your exercise burn. Your totals are very high. Try not eating back exercise calories for a week and see what happens. And make sure you are 100% accurate on portion sizes and write everything down. Then be patient.

tehzephyrsong

This might be too personal, but are you having regular bowel movements? Think back, when was the last time you went #2? I've been having the same problem lately with plateauing/struggling with the same few pounds. Up your fiber intake and drink more water.

sundropc14

cut your sodium!! i Know this is a repeat but it will reek havoc

rileamoyer

Patience, keep up the good work, less sodium and lots of water.

browshan

I was thinking an endocrinologist too or even seeing your family doctor to have them check your TSH- thyroid. Hypothyroidism can cause your metabolism to slow down and it can also cause a delay in your monthly cycle.

needamulligan

If I have a large weight loss one week I may not have the scale move for a week or two. Don't worry about it, yet. Just stay on track and keep tracking. My scale is very stubborn at T.O.M. Give it time. Also, how certain are you of your portions and exercise? Sometimes our estimates aren't as accurate as we think. Definitely drink more water and watch your carbs. Also, unless you are really sure of your calorie expenditures, try not to eat all the calories back. You may not be creating the calorie deficiency you are hoping for.

forgtmenot

I'm no expert but just from looking at your diary, I'd say your calories are set a little high IMO and you're eating A LOT of processed food. Processed food is usually full of sodium and other things our bodies don't really need. Sure it's fine to have it, but not every meal.

I personally don't eat all my calories back when I work out either. I kind of gauge how much of them I eat based on my hunger level. If I'm famished I eat all of them, if not I may eat only half. Sometimes if I'm not hungry I eat none of them. Also I retain a lot of water when I'm about to start my period and tend to not lose anything so that may be a large factor here as well. Just my 2 cents.

MinMin97

I'm doing everything I should be doing. Exercising. Eating right. Everything. But... I'm still not losing weight. I gain a pound. I lose it again. And the cycle begins again. I'm just stuck. And, I have been for almost 2 weeks. I don't know what's wrong. It's starting to drag me down. I feel bloated. TOM was supposed to visit about a week ago, and it still hasn't. There's no way there can be a reason for that. I guess it's just stress. I feel even more stressed, though... and at times I just feel like giving up.

Can you shift your thought processes?
Can you think more in terms of Fitness instead of just....The Scale.
Relax.
It is so great to make healthy changes and reap the reward of that!

Improve your habits of eating, sleeping, thinking, exercising, etc.
Make changes and note how you get stronger, leaner, healthier, feel better, etc...
This is something to enjoy, because it has such a great effect. Enjoy!

Regarding your cycle, I experienced that last spring before I embarked on my Operation Fitness Forever.
Had my hormones all checked...they were all a tad LOW!
Googled around a bit to see what I could do, and behold,
diet, rest, exercise and stress reduction normalize hormones.

I have also noticed that Evening Primrose Oil helps soothe and regulate my cycle. (fatty acids)

ihateroses

I am only mentioning this because you asked for help (not to judge!) but maybe not logging things like workplace/desk exercise (it says 60 minutes is 216 calories, which seems a bit unlikely for anaerobic exercise) and house cleaning.

It gives you a lot of extra calories in your diary that might be exaggerated.

Good luck! Don't stress

helaurin

First, I am not an expert, just a fellow person on this weight-loss journey. That said, I'm working with trainers through a "biggest loser" type program from our employer, so I am benefiting from info provided by the trainers as well as reading a ton of material on my own.

My suggestions:

1. Keep tracking, but don't get too hung up from a short plateau or blip.
2. As others have said, watch the sodium, Whether it is from processed food or home made recipes, sodium is still sodium. The trainers we are working with suggested a max of 1,500 grams of sodium per day; a bit less, if possible. For me, since my calorie target is the 1,200 to 1,400 calories daily, I try to think of it as trying to not exceed the number of calories I'm eating. For example, I saw you had Raisin Bran, which is high in sodium for the number of calories associated with a serving.
3. Don't eat back all your calories that you burned off by exercise. If your usual calorie goal is, say, 1,500 calories and you exercise for 300 calories, don't let yourself have 1,800 calories, because you are reducing the calorie deficit that you are working so hard to create.
4. Look at the timing of when you are eating the majority of your calories - this is something I am struggling with too - but many nutritionists recommend that you either try to eat several small meals during the day, somewhat evenly divided in calories, or that you have 35% to 40% of your calories in the morning hours, 30% - 35% in the afternoon (with about 75% between morning and afternoon), and the remainder - about 25% - early in the evening. So if you're target is, say, 1,500 calories, have five small meals of about 300 calories each, or four of about 375 each. From the look of your diary today, you may be eating too many calories later in the day.
5. Make sure you get enough of both water and sleep (again, something I struggle with daily).
6. Watch the carbs (hard to do, I know). Our trainers say that pairing carbs with protein at the same time works out with better results.
7. As others have said, be careful about measuring/weighing food. I bought myself a decent Salter nutritional scale and weigh everything possible (exception being liquids, which are measured by volume).

As others have said, your calorie level may be high, but so much depends on one's height, weight, activity level, etc.

Also consider, if your exercise routine includes strengthening exercises, you might be losing fat and gaining muscle - which weighs more. Don't be alarmed about your plateau just yet!

I do share your frustration, though. Sometimes I feel like all I have to do is see or smell food, and I gain weight.

Storm_Wolf

Everytime I go to a doctor, they tell me all of my blood work is normal. Everything is always "normal". I was diagnosed with PCOS, though, and put on birth control. After my blood pressure started going up, I ended up quitting the birth control when they told me that was the cause. So, that's not being treated right now. I guess that may be the problem.

I had the same problem for ages! I'd go to the doctor and gyn/ob and they always told me there was nothing wrong with me. I was certain there was. So....at the urging of my husband I again got a new doctor (actually a nurse practioner) who listened to me! Seems I've had PCOS as well...since 15....which is why I began gaining so much weight around that time.

Now...I'm not blaming all my weight gain on that....I've helped it along with some really bad habits, but it certainly has made the journey to losing weight more difficult.

Birth control worked for me, but....My husband and I want to have a baby....so I was put on Metformin (Glucophage) because i wasn't producing eggs and having periods that lasted months at a time.The GYN said that it would help me lose about 1-2lbs a week if i continued on my currant plan. I've only been taking it for about a month so I'm not sure if it is helping or not, but once i cut out carbs like bread, starches, pasta, and rice i lost like 20lbs....now i've been averaging about 1lb a week.

My cousin started me on a diet that for the first week consisted of ONLY lean meats...then gradually introduced other things like fruits, veggies, and ect. It is safe because her bariatric doctor recommended it for her.