Im really sad and disappointed =( HELP

MystAKAlKonceit

Ive been working out for 3 weeks and I have only lost three pounds. And about one inch total =( I do cardio both on the elliptical trainer and also outdoors on a track 5 times a day and just the elliptical the other two days. I average about 13-15 cups of water and stick to my 1200 calories even on my workout days. Sometimes its hard to get all 1200 down because I am full from the previous meals. This is very discouraging and i dont know what to to. Please HELP!! Thanks ♥

kwardklinck

Eat your exercise calories for a few days and see if it helps.

Buzzkitty1

A pound a week is a fantastic loss. Real life isn't the Biggest Loser.

mirgss

You won't see results overnight...just keep at it!! The more you do, the better you will feel.

Also, from everything I read on here, you really should be eating your exercise calories. Try browsing around the food and nutrition forum and see what you can find..there's a ton of good info in there.

Good luck!

SHBoss1673

what's disappointing about 1 lb a week? That's a great weight loss!

marii92

Try adding some strength training twice a week (30 minutes for each session).

ractayjon

You relosing 1 pound a week? why is that sad and disappointing? Keep up the great work!

kellykat

Try eating more than 1200 calories. With working out your body needs fuel - it may help you lose.

Dunrick

If you under fuel yourself you will not loose massive weight. I stick to 100 to 200 calories less then the site and that is including my workout calories and I loose an average of a pound to two a week. It is the way it should be... be safe and remember it did not take u overnight to get to ur weight... wont come off overnight.

theluckduck

Keep going, my dear. Realize that you are in the beginning of a lifestyle change and that you cannot just look at the present moment (although a pound per week seems pretty great). Keep at your goal. Keep setting your sights on your long term goals (health, a healthy weight, feeling great inside, gaining momentum for the long haul). You are just beginning. Sometimes, it takes time for the body to realize what you are doing. Keep going strong, and don't let the scale always be the indicator of the positive things that are happening. Keep your focus on the positive - what you are gaining, not always what you are losing. I hope this helps.

kdiamond

Agree with everyone else!! Eat at least 1/2 of your exercise calories back and keep on it, you're doing great!!

AlannaPie

I think that's great! But yes, eat your workout calories. You body goes into starvation mode. Most people will say at 1250, but it's really if you eat less than 500 cal of what your body burns. Your body thinks it's not getting enough and the metabolism drops down.

cheermom614

Well first, try to be postive about the three pounds lost! Don't look at that as a bad thing, you are now three pounds thinner. Way to go! Second, be sure to eat ALL your calories (or close to it) everyday! I was doing the same thing you are by not eating my exercise calories and it had the opposite affect. My body had started to shut down and store fat because I was eating so few calories my body thought I was starving. Once I started eating more, I noticed a change in energy and weight.

minesc

As you are working your muscles out, many changes occur. Your bone density should increase since your muscles are pulling more at them. Your muscle mass should also increase which will weigh more than fat. Your clothes should be fitting better around the waist. If you are doing resistance on the elliptical, keep that up. I try doing an hour a day on an elliptical. To help, I set short goals such as do this setting (resistance/crossramp height) for a certain amount of minutes, then do it in reverse for two minutes and so on. It helps me. I bet you have lost more than three pounds of body fat if the increase in muscle mass is included.

kerrilucko

1 lb lost a week is EXACTLY what you should be aiming for! Most of us don't see drops bigger than that in a week. You're doing great.

abbychelle07

1 lb a week is something to be proud of! It's not as exciting as you hoped, but losing weight isn't always glamorous!

Good job!

NYCDutchess

My husband always says " you didn't gain a pound a week, you gained it over time...it's going to take similar time to loose it" But I agree, a pound a week is great!! AND remember muscle weighs more than fat! You lost an inch!! That's awesome!!!

Keep up the good work!!

Murdog

I was frustrated, too, about my weight loss. However, even though, I've been on this roller coaster ride, I've noticed a substantial drop on my blood pressure (I was diagnosed with Hypertension last October). And, I have sooo much more energy. I can now keep up with my 4 year old son when he wants me to chase him around the house (which is a lot!!).

Please remember that success on the scale is really a by-product of what's really happening to your body. You're getting stronger, your heart's not having to work so hard, and you're feeling better than you were. At least this was my case. And, I had to learn that all this is part of the goal--not just to be lighter/thinner.

MystAKAlKonceit

I really appreciate everyone's advice I was definitely avoiding the exercise calories but I will start to eat at least half of them! Ummm I am just really full off of 1200 calories and I want my stomach to shrink not stretch with stuffing myself. But I will try I will also incorporate some weight training..I do about 100 crunches at night does this count? Again I REALLY appreciate everyones support and optimism ♥

minesc

Thanks to hormones, you may also be retaining water (could be a few pounds or so). As you increase your muscle mass, you increase your metabolism (your body will burn more calories even at rest!). Increase in bone density should keep you from feeling sad and disappointed.

thumper44

I really appreciate everyone's advice I was definitely avoiding the exercise calories but I will start to eat at least half of them! Ummm I am just really full off of 1200 calories and I want my stomach to shrink not stretch with stuffing myself. But I will try I will also incorporate some weight training..I do about 100 crunches at night does this count? Again I REALLY appreciate everyones support and optimism ♥

Don't stuff yourself to get the 1200+ calories in. Split your meals up in the day, you can try to aim for 5-6 meals in a day.

1lb loss every week is great.

CasperO

A pound a week is 20+ by the end of summer, and that ain't bad. This takes time. You're doing it right and building the good habits that will make this a lifelong thing and not just another dip in the yoyo.

Rock on, you're doing great.

(Oh ya', Thumper's right - don't stuff, break up your meals. I eat at least 6 times a day.)

AKosky585

Try eating 6 small meals at 200 calories each (apple and yogurt) (piece of whole grain toast and an orange) (cup of broccoli and 4oz chicken) I've found that this really helps to get the calories in. Or, have a tablespoon or 2 of natural peanut butter It is 100 per tablespoon, has lots of protein, and is yummy, but small enough that if you are full, it won't make you absolutely stuffed.

1 pound per week is great! I've been on here for 2 months and have only lost 1 pound....period. I was so used to eating only 700 calories per day and buring 600 per day that my metabolism is all messed up. I'm still trying to find what works for me to lose weight, but I haven't gained anything either. To me, that is good enough for now. It will take time, so don't give up. 1 pound a week may seem slow, but by the end, it will all add up.

MystAKAlKonceit

Thank you soo much for your suggestions...funny that you say that about peanut butter I already eat it with everything lol, on wheat bread, apples, pretzels, 100 cal kettle corn everything!!!

MystAKAlKonceit

I believe thats why I am sooo full I eat like 10 times in a day lol small things to try to get my calories in!

EpiGaiaRepens

Also keep in mind that as you exercise you are building muscle which has a weight to it, and girth.. When the inches haven't changed and the scale has hardly moved and you're exercising, I generally think it's because your building muscle mass at the same rate as you are losing fat. It all works out in the end, just stick with it!

I disagree with people about having to eat your calories burned. I think if you don't feel hungry, woozy, etc, then I don't see why you would eat it. I hiked up two mountains yesterday...burning a total of something like 1700 calories. PLus the 1200 I normally eat, I would have had to eat 2900 calories yesterday. I ate 1700 and felt fantastic, slept like a baby and feel wonderful this morning. I see no reason to have to force myself to eat more.

I think what the real concern is when people are denying themselves food they need because they are in starvation mode. When you are in starvation mode, you don't feel hungry. But you do feel like you need something. We've all felt this on a long day with not enough food. We all know the difference between feeling fantastic and not wanting to eat more, and feeling not hungry and like poo-poo because we are in starvation mode. Starvation mode is uber bad news for your health, for weight loss, etc. But i also think forcing yourself to eat when you aren't feeling it is also bad for you...maybe not as bad as starvation mode....but I was 30 lbs overweight and I worked out all the time. Ran half marathons, etc. I was overweight because I overate, overcompensated for my exercise. Which clearly isn't what they are advocating, but when I think about yesterday's hikes....I would have felt like I was gorging myself if I had made myself eat that extra 1200 calories.

my two cents!

MamaBear05

To get in a few extra calories try little things that won't make much of a difference on the fullness factor. Add flax to your oatmeal/yogurt/cereal/muffin mixes/smoothies/salad (whatever you eat) or a handful of walnuts to just about any of those. Drink a glass of milk with one meal instead of water. Little additions like that will make sure you are getting your calories without making you stuffed or make you go overboard.

HealthyChanges2010

what's disappointing about 1 lb a week? That's a great weight loss!

I absolutely AGREE, it's something that's more likely to remain gone, seems so many posts on feeling like failures recently because after a week, or two weeks or 3 weeks, 'working out 5-7 days a week at 1200 or under (is EVERYONE here set at 1200 cals? Seems low to me but I know we are all given different numbers to work with depending on factors) and someone doesn't lose more than 3-4 lbs they're terribly down on themselves which makes it even harder to bounce back and pick up the pieces and start right back on track again.

It really saddens me to hear how down some of us can get on ourselves, the fact that we have joined MFP is HUGE!! The inspiration here is awesome, there are so many caring ppl that will sure pick you up when you fall but they can't do it for us, only we can make the commitment to make lasting life changes. I would never want it any other way, if we do the work, change our eating patterns, we should be proud of all our hard work. :drinker:

I think that sounds like a truly healthy amount that can be sustained. I think shows such as the biggest loser give so many the idea that losing 20 lbs a week has become the norm. But that's far to much weight if we're doing our everyday lives and actually hope to every keep it off in helathy ways, unlike the weightloss TV shows who are on the Ranch day and night with no home responsibilities. I know some are inspired by the show but I do think reality shows tend to stick in our mind that it's how we all should be living. Not knocking the show but it seems Reality TV has become such a norm nowadays and changes our perspectives of ourselves from healthy to magical thinking.

I'll continue to lift up ppl that need a boost as many have done for me over the years here but i KNOW how hard I've been on myself in the past if I think I'm not doing it all PERFECT. But we aren't perfect beings, but we can learn to correct bad habits and change them into life long healthy actions.

I hope something I said has touched someone in to realizing we are so awesome to even have gone this far to learn that changes can be made, but patience isn't always easy and that's a big part of what it's going to take to make new habits stick.

Wishing everyone the best and hey, we gotta work on not beating up ourselves and even others on their path here!:flowerforyou:

Thanks all for being here for me on my journey as well :smooched:

rb32497

You have no reason to be dissapointed. I am a physical educator. 1 lb a week is great. You generally do not want to lose more than 2-3 lbs a week. If you keep losing 1 lb per week for one year you would lose 52 lbs. You don't get skinny overnight. ITs hard work! If you would like to see an increse try changing the type of cardio you do evry two weeks. Your body gets use to doin the same ole eliptical exercise every day. Your doin great don't stop now!!!

FireRox21

A pound a week is SUPER fantastic!!! I have gone 3 weeks without seeing ANY weight loss. The key thing is to keep going. Like someone else said earlier, "you didn't gain a pound a week, it took some time" or something like that. I also agree that this isn't weight loss Biggest Loser style. This is a slow, lifestyle changing process. Also, the weight you are losing now is more likely to stay off because it was lost the proper way.

Just keep at it and don't get discouraged. :flowerforyou:

click

You're doing great. Like other commenters, let me try to put this in perspective.

1 pound/week and 1 inch every 3 weeks means in 6 months, you'll be down 24 pounds, and 7 inches.

6 months might seem like a long time, but think about how long you've been overweight, or not at the weight you want to be. This is a small sacrifice for the many months, years that you can be healthy and enjoy the new body you create.

You really can't expect to lose what you put on over years in a matter of weeks.

Stick with it, there iwll be plateaus, but know that in the end, over time you'll get where you should be from the efforts you've put out.