Joined a week ago and I want to cry

junipuni

How much fiber are you getting a day? I would check that too and make sure you are getting enough. IMO the fiber setting on here is on the low side. I have my goal up around 30-35 a day and that has helped me a ton.

What worked for me is to do this process in baby steps. First I got to my calorie goal. Then I started adding exercise. Then I started switching out snacks for healthier snacks - cut the granola bars and the sugary yogurt. Now I do plain fat free yogurt with some agave nectar and fruits instead of granola bars. After I got that pretty well under control I figured out my carb/fat/protein ratio that should work best for me. I just did that recently so I'm still in the preliminary stages of getting my food diary balanced with those. I feel SO much better and am already seeing results from that.

So, my advice is not to worry about it! Watch your sodium, keep drinking lots of water, up your fiber if you are not getting enough and start working on balancing your carbs/protein/fat while you are still meeting your calorie and exercise goals. It's a process and you will be most successful by sticking in there for the long haul and taking it slowly. It's not super satisfying each week but in the long run you will see amazing results.

One more thing - take some pictures and do some measurements and keep track of those as well. I was down 4 pounds - *just* four pounds and didn't notice any difference. I redid my measurements and took a picture to compare and the difference was pretty substantial considering I only lost 4 pounds. That really helped me stay motivated. Good luck! You can do this!

rjadams

Dragonfly74, Isn't it frustrating when they tell us that alcohol calories are useless and we cut all of them out and nothing happens? I have known so many people that cut one or two a week and drop weight like no tomorrow. Maybe thats the key, moderation? I can only hope. Keep your chin up and there are so many supportive people here we can do this.!

jzbaby626

Your welcome. I know if I go way over on my sodium, the next day my scale can jump 3-4 lbs. higher & can stay for a couple days. 16-20 cups of water a day may be a little excessive. But water is great for flushing out sodium & other unwanted stuff out of the body. I have heard on this website that a general rule of thumb is when your urine is very light to clear in color, you are drinking enough. Measurements are a more accurate way to tell changes in your body. Get a cloth tape measure & start measuring. There is a section on MFP to keep track of your measurements.

Thanks jzbaby626 I just went back and looked at my sodium, and it was off the charts yesterday. not bad the rest of the week but bad yesterday. I will weigh in tomorrow and see if it gets better

kgasser

You CERTAINLY can drink too much water...it results in what is called water intoxication and it can KILL you. Be careful...that is an aweful lot of water, especially if you are not used to it.

iRun4wine

Sodium is a killer. In general, I don't think people pay enough attention to it. I eat 1450 calories before exercise and am religious about keeping my sodium under 1800 mg per day. The scale will likely jump up a few pounds if you have too much sodium.