No loss in two weeks...

Ok so two weeks ago I gained two pounds despite my calorie deficit. I decided to blame it on water weight because I was not diligent about drinking water that week. Last week, drank water like crazy, lost those two pounds BUT NOTHING MORE. That tells me it might not have just been water weight. Still maintained a calorie deficit. Only thing I was not diligent about was exercise.

What the fluff is wrong with me? :grumble:

(And this week I'm doing all three!)

PS: TOM might be this week or next... I can never really tell...
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Replies

  • Bevkus
    Bevkus Posts: 274 Member
    Your eating seems erratic to me. Yes a few days under, then over, some days way over. Some junk in there too. I only looked at the last five days mind you. Try eating clean and pulling back on your spike days
  • AngryDiet
    AngryDiet Posts: 1,349 Member
    First, I don't know that your 1200 kcal goal isn't a bit low. But I don't know all of your stats.

    But I've gone 5 or 6 weeks with no drop. A couple of weeks with no drop happens regularly. Then a bunch comes off quickly and the average loss is as expected.

    So I suggest you double check your calorie goal and have some patience. A few weeks without a change is normal.
  • Klopford
    Klopford Posts: 129
    Your eating seems erratic to me. Yes a few days under, then over, some days way over. Some junk in there too. I only looked at the last five days mind you. Try eating clean and pulling back on your spike days

    Saturday was BAD. My parents wanted to go out for Italian food and didn't give me much time to thoroughly check the menu for something healthy I'd enjoy (they get really pissed at me when I take too long.) It's not at all a typical day for me since I began this journey.

    As for the occasional junk... this is supposed to be a lifestyle change. It's supposed to be sustainable. I'm simply not able to sustain a perfectly clean diet because of time, money, and personal preferences in food. Forever banning yourself from eating ANYTHING can set you up for failure by making you feel extremely guilty that one time you slip up. (And I was seriously beating myself up after Saturday...)

    At the moment my eating is erratic because my dinners largely depend on what my parents decide we're having. We were SUPPOSED to go to the grocery store this weekend and dad was SUPPOSED to have planned a week's worth of dinners ahead of time so I know what to plan for, but it didn't happen. After work, I plan on going to the grocery store myself and buying things we can keep in the house that I can have as alternatives to my parents' poor choices.
  • Klopford
    Klopford Posts: 129
    First, I don't know that your 1200 kcal goal isn't a bit low. But I don't know all of your stats.

    But I've gone 5 or 6 weeks with no drop. A couple of weeks with no drop happens regularly. Then a bunch comes off quickly and the average loss is as expected.

    So I suggest you double check your calorie goal and have some patience. A few weeks without a change is normal.

    I think my BMR came out to 1800ish? All I know is I set my goal for 2lbs a week.
  • You've lost 7 lbs since October. You probably lost water weight at first so it will take a couple weeks for you to lose a bit more

    Weight is not the only way to measure progress and it is a very long term curve with high degrees of fluctuations. I suggest weighing daily after you wake up and then over time you can see your curve trending down. If you are eating right(Portion control) and exercising you will make progress.

    1 meal does not break a diet. Most dieters have a cheat meal or day. It's important to take breaks or back off the diet a little bit. periodically.
  • ChitownFoodie
    ChitownFoodie Posts: 1,562 Member
    First, I don't know that your 1200 kcal goal isn't a bit low. But I don't know all of your stats.

    But I've gone 5 or 6 weeks with no drop. A couple of weeks with no drop happens regularly. Then a bunch comes off quickly and the average loss is as expected.

    So I suggest you double check your calorie goal and have some patience. A few weeks without a change is normal.

    I think my BMR came out to 1800ish? All I know is I set my goal for 2lbs a week.

    If 1800 is your BMR, then 1800 is the rock bottom of what you should be eating.
  • BeeRobin
    BeeRobin Posts: 160 Member
    Hang tough. I just ended a three week plateau with a weight gain despite doing everything I was supposed to be doing. It's not easy....but stay strong.
  • ninakir88
    ninakir88 Posts: 292 Member
    You're 24 with a full time job and you base your food decisions on what your parents make for dinner?
    Why not make your own healthy meals on the side?
  • Klopford
    Klopford Posts: 129
    Hang tough. I just ended a three week plateau with a weight gain despite doing everything I was supposed to be doing. It's not easy....but stay strong.

    I don't think I've come far enough or done this long enough to be reaching any plateaus yet...
  • belladonna786
    belladonna786 Posts: 1,165 Member
    I stalled for over a month. Made some adjustments and we have movement again. It just might be time to either up your calories or increase your exercise.
  • YoungDoc2B
    YoungDoc2B Posts: 1,593 Member
    Watch that sodium, your levels seem to be high most days. Also, what about incorporating some fruits and veggies into your diet? Pizza and wings will not get you to where you want to be,sadly.
  • Klopford
    Klopford Posts: 129
    You're 24 with a full time job and you base your food decisions on what your parents make for dinner?
    Why not make your own healthy meals on the side?

    Three things and I know they're going to sound like excuses.

    1. I don't really know how to cook...
    2. Time. There are plenty of things I'd MUCH rather be doing than wasting half an hour stirring a pot or checking on the oven.
    3. Social. Going out with my parents constitues pretty much the only social interaction I get outside of work that doesn't involve a computer, especially if my parents invite our friends to go out with us. When I left college and returned home, I left behind the only friends I had that were close to my age. None of my friends from high school stayed in the area and if they did they don't care enough to want to hang out, and all my brother's friends are away at college themselves. I have nobody but my family.

    If my parents don't go to the grocery store ASAP so we can put a better plan in place I'm going to do it myself because I'm sick of having to plan around them.
  • AngryDiet
    AngryDiet Posts: 1,349 Member
    Won't speak to the rest, but:
    2. Time. There are plenty of things I'd MUCH rather be doing than wasting half an hour stirring a pot or checking on the oven.

    This suggests that your priorities do not favour weight loss. If you can only be half arsed to do it, you will likely only get half arsed results. Now if you can make it work with your parents, great. But it seems like they aren't the ones motivated to eat better, and you will be constantly fighting an uphill battle. From what you've said anyway.
  • ninakir88
    ninakir88 Posts: 292 Member
    There are a ton of healthy recipes out there that don't take that long to cook and you don't have to be a pro at what you're doing.

    If you don't know how to cook, it's time to learn, this is a lifetime commitment so therefor you have to make the changes. Do you have a foreman grill? If you dont, I would invest in one. It's easy to buy skinless chicken breasts and just put them on the foreman, it takes 15 minutes to make and bam you have a great protein food. Vegetables are easy to make, you can either eat them raw or just boil them. There are also steamers out there that you can just microwave. Also skinnytaste.com has some great recipes that you can make very fast. I also work full time and there are things I rather be doing then cooking, but being healthy is more important to me and it doesn't take that much out of my day.

    When you go out to eat with your parents just always go for a boiled or grilled meal, usually a protein and a veggie on the side won't hold you back.

    It sounds like you want to lose the weight, but don't want to put the effort into it 100%. Once you start putting commitment into this thing, you will see the results you want.
  • Klopford
    Klopford Posts: 129
    Won't speak to the rest, but:
    2. Time. There are plenty of things I'd MUCH rather be doing than wasting half an hour stirring a pot or checking on the oven.

    This suggests that your priorities do not favour weight loss. If you can only be half arsed to do it, you will likely only get half arsed results. Now if you can make it work with your parents, great. But it seems like they aren't the ones motivated to eat better, and you will be constantly fighting an uphill battle. From what you've said anyway.

    They do make it very tough for me... indirectly.

    Both of my parents are obese too. For their own good they should be doing this along with me! But noooo, dad is too tired/frustrated/etc after work (we work at the same place! Granted... he's far higher ranking than me and has a different set of responsibilities) so we just go with fast cheap and easy.
  • EXCUSES NEVER GOT ANYONE............... ANYWHERE
  • caitlyn30
    caitlyn30 Posts: 207 Member
    I would try to watch your sodium. maybe it doesn't affect everybody, but it affects me A LOT. I have mine set at 2500 but, that is too high, I do best at 1500. (or i will gain sometimes) fast food is high in sodium, it doesn't really matter which fast food place, its pretty much all of them that I have found, even subway. also, soups I have found are high. the idea of the george foreman was a great idea - just grab a chicken piece and throw it on there. nice and easy.
  • LoraF83
    LoraF83 Posts: 15,694 Member
    EXCUSES NEVER GOT ANYONE............... ANYWHERE

    This. Sorry for the tough love, but you're either on board and making every effort you can (within moderation) or you're not.

    You've already outlined your problems:
    1. Didn't drink enough water
    2. TOM
    3. Bad choice when eating at a restaurant
    4. No meal planning
    5. Very low calorie goal
    6. Don't want to prepare your own foods


    All excuses. You're an adult and if you really want to lose weight, you will find a way to manage the above situations. You don't have to give up your favorite foods, you just have to make them fit in your day (and eating above 1200 cals will help with that quite a bit). You need to track your TOM so you know when/how that will affect your weight. You need to plan most of your meals and do your own shopping. There are too many resources out there to claim that you don't know how to cook or that you don't have time. There are all sorts of blogs, books, websites and podcasts devoted to learning to cook and preparing quick and easy meals.

    Don't expect results from the work you didn't do.

    Good luck getting it figured out! :smile:
  • dlyeates
    dlyeates Posts: 875 Member
    I haven't had any sustainable weight loss (even with eating at a deficit, metabolism reset, and trying different calorie amounts) for the last 11 months!!! And when I started strength training I gained 5 lbs and can't get rid of it!!!

    I wish it was only 2 weeks!!!
  • AngryDiet
    AngryDiet Posts: 1,349 Member
    You can also do amazing things with a crock pot. 5 or 10 minutes of prep and you can make enough meals to last a week. Might get a bit boring, but it's not at all time consuming and you'll get good healthy meals that aren't high on calories.
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,809 Member
    Here's an idea for your social interaction....
    Sign up for some cookery classes. When you know how to cook you will also know how to eat. When you understand the ingredients that go into various dishes you will be able to make informed choices both at home and when you are eating out.

    Alternatively - who does the cooking in your household? Get them to teach you and then you can choose some menus that you can cook.

    Good weeks and bad weeks happen - try and understand why and make adjustments.
  • alasin1derland
    alasin1derland Posts: 575 Member
    I just went through a second full week of no loss on the scale. I am positive I have been eating at a deficit those 2 weeks so I am also positive other things are coming into play here. Be it muscles retaining water, TOM, too much sodium, waste, whatever... I have been doing this long enough now to trust the process. I log everything. If the scale doesn't move I don't worry. It averages out in the long run and for me that average is 2 pounds per week. Keep at it and it will pay off.
  • californiagirl2012
    californiagirl2012 Posts: 2,625 Member
    Ok so two weeks ago I gained two pounds despite my calorie deficit. I decided to blame it on water weight because I was not diligent about drinking water that week. Last week, drank water like crazy, lost those two pounds BUT NOTHING MORE. That tells me it might not have just been water weight. Still maintained a calorie deficit. Only thing I was not diligent about was exercise.

    What the fluff is wrong with me? :grumble:

    (And this week I'm doing all three!)

    PS: TOM might be this week or next... I can never really tell...

    There are more fluctuations in the body than you can possibly imagine...

    Your body loses weight in chunks, not linear. I have found that you can do everything right and your weight loss seems to plateau but if you are patient and keep exercising and eating at a deficit (however slight) you will lose it, it will suddenly "whoosh". There are so many variables for the scale; water retention, digestion, hormones, allergies, sodium, carbs, water intake, DOMS, inflammation, the list goes on. People mistakenly think they lose or gain weight when they eat more or less because of these fluctuations.

    Losing weight requires tremendous patience. You will not lose it when you want it or where you want it. The body does its thing. Some apparent plateaus can last a month or so. You cannot make it happen faster. You must focus on two things; calories and exercise. Nothing else matters. Scales and metrics don't matter. The day in and day out grind of exercise and calories are all that matters. It is not very exciting until things fall into place. You get your victories and you ride one victory to the next.

    The scale is a trend tool. The scale is good but put it away and only check once a week and only use it as a trend tool. It will fluctuate, it does not matter. Take front side and back progress pictures at least once a month. You will see differences that the metrics won't tell you and it's that little bit of NSV that will keep you going until the next victory.
  • Angie_1991
    Angie_1991 Posts: 447 Member
    hello........look at the food you are eating...yikes!
  • Jacole18
    Jacole18 Posts: 716 Member
    You need to make weight loss #1 in your life. Serious weight loss takes commitment and serious sacrifices. Do I like to cook? Sometimes not. But do I know it's healthier and better for me than stopping by for fast food? Absolutely. NO MORE EXCUSES. It sounds like you're not ready for what it takes. Sorry. But the good news is, you can turn it around TODAY!! YOU CAN DO IT!!:wink:
    You're 24 with a full time job and you base your food decisions on what your parents make for dinner?
    Why not make your own healthy meals on the side?

    Three things and I know they're going to sound like excuses.

    1. I don't really know how to cook...
    2. Time. There are plenty of things I'd MUCH rather be doing than wasting half an hour stirring a pot or checking on the oven.
    3. Social. Going out with my parents constitues pretty much the only social interaction I get outside of work that doesn't involve a computer, especially if my parents invite our friends to go out with us. When I left college and returned home, I left behind the only friends I had that were close to my age. None of my friends from high school stayed in the area and if they did they don't care enough to want to hang out, and all my brother's friends are away at college themselves. I have nobody but my family.

    If my parents don't go to the grocery store ASAP so we can put a better plan in place I'm going to do it myself because I'm sick of having to plan around them.
  • kmuree
    kmuree Posts: 283 Member
    I'm so happy for you that you're making this change. :smile:

    But the amount of McDonald's and donuts is my reason for thinking you're having a rough time. You're not staying in your caloric range, your sodium is ridiculously high (definitely cut back on that and drink more water) and you're consistently WAY over on fat intake.

    You should go for a walk once a day for thirty minutes to kick up your metabolism and cook more at home. :flowerforyou: I know that they say "it's calories in, calories out" and I know that they say having a "treat" now and then is a healthy thing (and it is! But not 15 pieces of Hershey's chocolate), I think you're honestly overdoing the treating and not compensating for the caloric intake.

    Like I said, go for that walk on those days you're over in calories, and please please please lower your fat intake. GOOD fat intake is great but the fat you're consuming is no bueno.

    Good luck doll!
  • derekj222
    derekj222 Posts: 370 Member
    You need to stop eating out ASAP. Really, Krispy Kreme doughnuts for breakfast and Pizza Hut pizza for lunch in the same day!!!!??? SO much extra sugar, sodium, etc you are taking in.
  • lallaloolly
    lallaloolly Posts: 228 Member
    EXCUSES NEVER GOT ANYONE............... ANYWHERE

    This. Sorry for the tough love, but you're either on board and making every effort you can (within moderation) or you're not.

    You've already outlined your problems:
    1. Didn't drink enough water
    2. TOM
    3. Bad choice when eating at a restaurant
    4. No meal planning
    5. Very low calorie goal
    6. Don't want to prepare your own foods


    All excuses. You're an adult and if you really want to lose weight, you will find a way to manage the above situations. You don't have to give up your favorite foods, you just have to make them fit in your day (and eating above 1200 cals will help with that quite a bit). You need to track your TOM so you know when/how that will affect your weight. You need to plan most of your meals and do your own shopping. There are too many resources out there to claim that you don't know how to cook or that you don't have time. There are all sorts of blogs, books, websites and podcasts devoted to learning to cook and preparing quick and easy meals.

    Don't expect results from the work you didn't do.

    Good luck getting it figured out! :smile:

    I agree with this. And perhaps most importantly: learn to cook. It may seem like it is a waste of your time now, but it is a true LIFE SKILL that gives you the power to change your own life.
  • kmuree
    kmuree Posts: 283 Member
    Also - until you begin to eat more at home (look at my food diary for the last three days, especially - when I eat at home, my meals are extremely quick and easy!) you will not see real changes. I already have seen changes, as I did a month ago when I did the same thing. If you keep the same habits you had that got you the weight gain in the first place, you will never lose it. :smile:

    Edit: If you look at my food diary, just know that Monday's (today) are my designated "cheat days". I allow myself to have In N Out on the way home from class. :D No other fast food during the rest of the week though.
  • fit4lifeUcan2
    fit4lifeUcan2 Posts: 1,458 Member
    Here's an idea for your social interaction....
    Sign up for some cookery classes. When you know how to cook you will also know how to eat. When you understand the ingredients that go into various dishes you will be able to make informed choices both at home and when you are eating out.

    Alternatively - who does the cooking in your household? Get them to teach you and then you can choose some menus that you can cook.

    Good weeks and bad weeks happen - try and understand why and make adjustments.

    Great idea!! It would get you out of the house for one! You would make friends and probably build as social life not to mention learn how to cook. Cooking is not that hard by the way. You don't need to be able to bake a cake from scratch or make your own homemade pie crust but anyone can put something in a crock pot and set the timer and temp and then come back to it a few hours later and scoop it out.