No loss in two weeks...

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  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,811 Member
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    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
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    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
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    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
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    hello........look at the food you are eating...yikes!
  • Jacole18
    Jacole18 Posts: 716 Member
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    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
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    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
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    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
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    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
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    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
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    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.
  • Hopelessone
    Hopelessone Posts: 270 Member
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    I was on Nutri System a while back, and when you hit a plateau they suggested that you "Shake Things Up" ie have lunch items for breakfast, breakfast for supper, supper for lunch whichever way you want. It will keep your body guessing, it did help me. Good luck!
  • DebbieLyn63
    DebbieLyn63 Posts: 2,650 Member
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    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.

    Sorry sweetie, but you simply cannot lose weight living off of Pizza Hut, McDonalds and Krispy Kreme. It sounds like you are surrounded by people who think this is normal eating, so it sounds normal to you.

    I would suggest you find people who are the size you want to be and eat more like they eat. Brutal honesty with yourself is the only way you will succeed. I am not trying to be harsh, just realistic. When you retrain your brain, your body will follow.
  • sjrich5486
    sjrich5486 Posts: 2 Member
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    I think that along with weight loss, this lifestyle change teaches us all things about ourselves. I dont know you and dont want to sound judgey, but to take control of your weight you will have to take control of your life. This means learning 'adult' things that might seem boring to you such as cooking and grocery shopping. I absolutely hated cooking and have a job where I can get called out at all hours of the night but I discovered that I felt more in control of myself and learned to like it (ok tolerate). I stopped always saying yes to restaurant invites (which I usually said yes to because who wants to be that girl who says no due to dieting) and instead offered to have people over to cook, go for a walk, etc. I think you will feel empowered and just feeling that will assist you a long way in your goals! you're a grown up and you can do it!
  • vtmoon
    vtmoon Posts: 3,436 Member
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    The problem with pre-prepared food it's hard to get an accurate calorie count cause the more fancy the food the harder it is to get a clear read. Also I noticed you don't document stuff like sauces, or ketchup, or soda with all your fast food, is it cause you are not using any or just don't add them?

    Calories in and calories out determine your gain and loss, so if you aren't documenting everything then it's hard to let you know what is going on.
  • LoraF83
    LoraF83 Posts: 15,694 Member
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    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.

    Sorry sweetie, but you simply cannot lose weight living off of Pizza Hut, McDonalds and Krispy Kreme. It sounds like you are surrounded by people who think this is normal eating, so it sounds normal to you.

    I would suggest you find people who are the size you want to be and eat more like they eat. Brutal honesty with yourself is the only way you will succeed. I am not trying to be harsh, just realistic. When you retrain your brain, your body will follow.

    I would like to add that you CAN have those things sometimes.....you just can't have them all the time.

    If 80% of your intake is going towards your nutrition, then there is nothing wrong with 20% of your intake being foods you like/want/crave. But, it's about moderation. Make good, healthy choices most of the time and you can make not so healthy choices sometimes. Moderation - it's going to be a key word on your journey.
  • Cupcakehippiemommy
    Cupcakehippiemommy Posts: 457 Member
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    i think you taking control of what goes in your body by grocery shopping yourself will def help :) There are soo many recipes on here you are bound to find something you like so you can have a grocery list with what you will cook in mind.As for TOM for me it has helped to drink twice as much water and workout twice as hard through that week >.< Good luck doll!
  • Behavior_Modification
    Behavior_Modification Posts: 24,482 Member
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    Don't sweat it.

    I've been at this for nearly 3 years now and I've finally learned the scale is stupid. There have been many months that I will be totally doing everything right and won't lose. But eventually it catches up. I think my body takes longer to process weight loss. I have often gone 3 weeks w/o losing and then BAM I'll lose 3-4lbs that 4th week.

    My best advice is to take your focus off the scale, it will only drive you to diet, not lose weight in a healthy manner.
  • AngryDiet
    AngryDiet Posts: 1,349 Member
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    I dunno, I still eat plenty of bad foods, because I want them. But I take care to eat them in moderation, and I try to meet my macros and calories. I don't think the OP has to give up Pizza Hut if she really loves it, but she does need to be smart about eating it.

    Although I will say that Pizza Hut and donuts are both very good at sabotaging a diet plan. When your daily budget is 1200 calories, a slice of Pizza Hut can leave you with precious little else.
  • aross001
    aross001 Posts: 237
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    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.

    ^^^^^^^^This. If you take only one post to heart, let it be hers.
  • wholelottarosa
    Options
    ^^ Pretty much what everyone said above.

    Also, replace what you're eating for snacks with healthier choices. All those cookies are loaded with fat, sodium and sugar and aren't doing you any favours. I don't know how it works for you but if I eat stuff like that it will make me feel sluggish and more importantly, I will be hungry again in no time.

    Try eating a banana, or a some dried apricots, or a handful of almonds. Yes, the first week your body will say "Excuse me, where are my cookies?", but then you get used to it and it will make you feel better.

    Trust me, I'm the last person in the world anyone would have thought would prefer dried fruit over cookies....