Havent lost any weight since starting MFP!!
Kbriner0223
Posts: 41
I am about to make my diary public and try out some opinions but basically i started mfp about a month ago. I had lost about 45lbs give or take and ever since i started MFP i have maintained my current weight and i am about to go crazy! Before, i was not counting calories, just eating healthier and exercising moderatly. i have now upped my exercise and counted calories on MFP and nothing is taking the weight off. I have even done measurements and they have not budged(hopefully i am measuring right!). I just started TRYING to up my calories this week to see if this helps but i feel fatter than i did before i started this. I did lose about 5 pounds and gained it all back within about 3-4 days...how? i have no idea, i didnt change one thing. I want help and advice. Please no rude comments or snide remarks, i just want advice and a few similar stories that started out like me and had good results. Oh and my body fat was around 29% last wednesday, checked it today and it is back up to 32% but down 1 pound!!! How the hell does that happen??!!?? I am on my cycle this month so if your opinion thinks that is whats caused the fluctuation please let me know.
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Replies
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Anyone?0
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Just looked at your diary, and I think the fruit and veggie intake is great. Your numbers are pretty good...only a couple days over sodium. I'm stumped, too. Hopefully, someone else will have some good suggestions.0
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Thank you for taking a look. I have talked to my nutritionist and hes pretty stumped as well. I did notice the sodium and have been trying to control that because i heard about the salt bloating or something like that lol! I really hope someone can help me out. I only have about 20 more lbs and about (if i go by the 29% body fat;)) 9-12% body fat left to lose...anything between 17-22% body fat would be find with me really. If i had kept the 29% body fat instead of jumping up to 32% i think i would feel a little better but with that jumping and a whole month of not really losing much of anything including inches with measurements i am about to pull my hair out!!! lol0
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When you are on your cycle you will retain water and feel bloated, gain weight, and it'll look like your body fat went up. Counting calories is only really needed if you have issues with portion control or really don't get this "healthy eating thing". When you plateau it could be for a number of reasons... sometimes you aren't taking in enough calories (make sure if you increase your calories it's with super healthy food), sometimes you're taking in too many calories (if you're eating a healthy diet it's easier to exercise more than to cut back on food and risk not getting enough nutrients), sometimes you're just on a plateau and your body is adjusting and will start losing weight again. Your goal should be to be healthy so making sure that you're eating nutritious foods, getting exercise, and finding ways to reduce stress and enjoy life is really what it's about.
A note on stress: it'll make your body hold onto fat. If you're going through a stressful time in your life and you have no way to reduce the stress you need to work on ways to handle it. I meditate for an hour each day. Taking epsom salt baths are also a fabulous and healthy way to relax. Getting a massage, going for a walk, reading abook, listening to music... whatever makes you feel good.
I don't know what your diet is like but make sure you are eating very little processed foods and lots of green leafies. Water is also vital to being healthy and losing weight so if you aren't drinking it, start. If you don't like water you can drink herbal (non caffeine) teas, or add fruit to your water to flavor it (not the flavor packets, actual fruit!) Juicing is another great way to get hydrated with lots of vitamins and minerals.
So, again, if you're eating healthy don't cut back on calories you're body will just hold onto the fat, instead increase the intensity of your exercise. Drink water, relax, and focus on being healthy not skinny.
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Thank you for the advice The part about retaining water when on your cycle makes since and i am hoping that this is what it is as far as the past week everythign fluctuating. I do think i eat really healthy. I try to incorporate lean protein such as chicken(just bought fish so it will be in the diary more soon
). The whole stress thing and holdign onto fat makes a great deal of sense as well. Me and my husband are goign through infertility and the closer the urologist appointment gets the more stressed and upet it makes me. I think tonight i will try the epsom salt bath with dim lights and some music to see if maybe that helps my mind a little! And i drink water like its going out of style! About a gallon a day-thats why i hardly put in my diary the cups of water, i drink it in a gallon jug so i just keep clicking the arrow up intil im satisfied lol! I am really looking forward to this month and hoping that the weight/fat% starts melting away after my cycle and some more clean eating and exercise...we will see but if it is the same i might just rip some hair out again! 0 -
Sounds like you've hit a plateau, girl.
Things that I've found that have helped me:
Up the exercise (cardio especially)
Cut your sugar, take it out completely if you can
Cut your carbs, I'm not saying don't eat any, I'm just saying eat less of them
Eat as much "real" food as you can. Fruit, veggies, lean protein and whole grains. Avoid packaged and frozen foods.
And finally, don't give up! You may be stalled here for a bit, but the scales will budge again.0 -
Just looked at your diary, how exact are you keeping track of things? I'm seeing quite a few missed meals even though your calorie totals are about where they should be you shouldn't be skipping meals. Also, lots of processed carbs and dairy. If you have a sensativity to these it's going to cause inflammation in your system and make it more difficult to lose weight. Plus with the excess sodium (salt) you're going to be retaining water. The only way to flush the water out is by drinking more water. It really boils down to how serious are you about getting to where you want to get? It would require a different way of seeing food and enjoying preparing your own meals. I'm a Certified Health Coach so if you have any other questions feel free to send me an email. 0
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I think i will up my cardio a bit-how much though? Would about 20 min extra on the treadmill help? The treadmill discourages me when it ads calories because it is so much lower than the other machines!! I was walking/jogging outside but i am miserable when im cold and it is discouraging so i have been at the gym most of the time this week. And doing jillian michaels most of the days of the week as well(about to go start W1D4 of ripped in 30 now to prepare for the gym) I have been thinking of lowering the carbs now that you mention it, i do eat sandwiches a lot but its on 100% whole grain(i have it set with honey wheat bread and just dont feel like doing the math to change it but i should probably do that just to be more accurate! lol)! When do you think the scales will budge? I am horribly impatient which doesnt help at all! Do you think the inches will come off soon as well? 0
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I took a look at your diary. I'm glad to see the changes you have made in the last few days. Earlier you seemed to be setting yourself up for failure: scanting yourself on calories while working out, missing meals- eating junk (Poptarts are junk) not eating veggies - consistently coming far under your macros in protein and fiber and over in fat and sodium. Try to eat a balanced diet with less processed food and lots of lean meats, whole grains and fresh produce. Don't fret about slight (1-3 pound) fluctuations in what the scale says - that's normal - especially with girl hormones (your cylce is always good for a bunch of water weight) and sodium intake causing water retention and lack of fiber causing retention of solid wastes. The best and most effective weight loss strategy is to aim for a pound or so a week, so be patient, and give your body the nutrients it needs (pay attention to your macros) and you will get there - in time - and be healthier while you are at it. Good luck.0
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My diary is about 90% accurate, every now and then(especially on the fruit and veggies) there are so many different variations on the lists when i search that i just pick the one that looks the most accurate(i try to get the higher amounts just to be safe). I do miss meals often, mostly in the mornings because i never wake up at the same time and its hard for me to eat breakfast in the morning and to remember to eat the small meals(just changed the settings about a week ago to the 5-6 small meals, i was eating 3 bigger meals and im trying to adjust). The processed carbs come mostly from 'smart ones' meals, which i plan to start cutting out in the next couple of days.0
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I took a look at your diary. I'm glad to see the changes you have made in the last few days. Earlier you seemed to be setting yourself up for failure: scanting yourself on calories while working out, missing meals- eating junk (Poptarts are junk) not eating veggies - consistently coming far under your macros in protein and fiber and over in fat and sodium. Try to eat a balanced diet with less processed food and lots of lean meats, whole grains and fresh produce. Don't fret about slight (1-3 pound) fluctuations in what the scale says - that's normal - especially with girl hormones (your cylce is always good for a bunch of water weight) and sodium intake causing water retention and lack of fiber causing retention of solid wastes. The best and most effective weight loss strategy is to aim for a pound or so a week, so be patient, and give your body the nutrients it needs (pay attention to your macros) and you will get there - in time - and be healthier while you are at it. Good luck.
When you say macros are those the % of each 'thing'? like proteing to fiber to fat to carbs?? Sorry i am new to the whole macro and tdee stuff. My way of thinking has been calories in vs calories out and yes the past few days to weeks i have been trying to eat cleaner because i realized how much packaged food i was eating. A lot of times if my eating is a little poor for a couple of days and then gets better after its because i needed to buy groceries and was tryign to make due with what i had! lol!! I am really the only one in the house strictly making eating habits healthier and whatnot so its like buying 2 rounds of groceries every 2 weeks instead of one! What should i set the 'macros' to? And how do i go about doing that?0 -
OP: Yep the treadmill will work, up your incline if you want to burn more calories.
JM is great, it adds strength training to your routine which will keep the lbs off long term.0 -
Honestly, I'm in the "you're probably undereating by a fair margin" boat. For an active 21 year old... you're certainly eating well below your BMR. There could be too big of a caloric deficit.
Check this out: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12
and be patient.. it takes the body a while to adjust to a shift.0 -
Read this: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/912920-in-place-of-a-road-map-3-2013
Don't be scared to eat more! I was too initially, but it really works.0 -
1. eat more.
2. lift things up and put them down.0 -
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/912920-in-place-of-a-road-map-3-2013
I agree Read the road map and eat more.0 -
You might want to consider upping your calories a bit. You're getting around 800 calories some days, and a good bit of that comes from high sodium foods. Even if your sodium is low overall, if what you consume has a lot in it, you need to incorporate more foods that will balance things out. Your protein consumption is low. So one recommendation would be to up your calories, but make those calories protein.
Yo may have over-estimated the calories you're burning through exercise. It's a little on the high side. A good estimate for cardio at your age and weight would be closer to 350 calories an hour. Obviously, your intensity will cause variations.
I'm going to guess you're in a plateau. Happens as you get closer to goal weight or ideal body weight.0 -
1. eat more.
2. lift things up and put them down.
LOL! Thank you Sorry it was just humerous the way i read it-because deep within i know its true I am working on changing my mindset because i have always been told 'eat less to lose more' so the whole eat more to lose less is a concept i am working on. Is it possible that i will gain a lot initially from uppign the calories? I am thinking about 1350-1400 would be okay? If not please correct me! 0 -
Alright, I took a look and there are a few things. 1. eat more calories probably, make sure you're not eating (net) below your BMR. 2. be really careful about logging things, really make sure you're logging correctly, for example, the fruit, look at the diameter, was the orange really only 2 inches in diameter cause most aren't, for sandwiches it's best to log each individual ingredident, not just a beef sandwich unless you personally created that and use the exact same amounts every time, also oatmeal you log sometimes, do you make that with water or milk because you just log the packet so if you put anything in or on it, milk, sugar, fruit, raisins, etc. log that even if it's only going to be 10 or 20 calories, that adds up really quickly. 3. PROTEIN you eat VERY little protein, I saw a day you only had 31 grams, not okay haha, you should have way more, so add more high protein foods (plain chicken, yogurt, beans, lots of things), and 4. sodium, you go over or are almost at limit for sodium most days and that will bloat you up and it's not good for you, so watch sodium, try getting no salt added things, like for sandwich meats you can buy low sodium (hillshire farm has some) so that' would be good.
RECAP: eat more calories overall but less sodium and more protein, also make sure you're logging very accurately and honestly.0 -
You might want to consider upping your calories a bit. You're getting around 800 calories some days, and a good bit of that comes from high sodium foods. Even if your sodium is low overall, if what you consume has a lot in it, you need to incorporate more foods that will balance things out. Your protein consumption is low. So one recommendation would be to up your calories, but make those calories protein.
Yo may have over-estimated the calories you're burning through exercise. It's a little on the high side. A good estimate for cardio at your age and weight would be closer to 350 calories an hour. Obviously, your intensity will cause variations.
I'm going to guess you're in a plateau. Happens as you get closer to goal weight or ideal body weight.
Thank you for the advice. I am getting a lot of people stating that the sodium intake is high so i am definately going to work on lowering that number! What type of foods should i eat to get more protein...i do eat fiber/protein bars but i know that i cannot rely on those soley for that intake. And about the calories burned- it has crossed my mind a few times this week that i may be overestimating...i go by what the machine tells me normally. I REALLY want a HRM that displays the calories burned for the day so that i can get it more accurate. I just really hope this plateau is almost over, this is the first one i have had suprisingly and i knew something wasnt going right so i took a leap of faith in opening my diary and i am so glad i did 0 -
Low cal, high protein on-the-go breakfast - boil an egg and bake 2 slices of center cut bacon. I put the egg on and put the bacon in the oven, THEN turn it to 400 degrees - go brush my teeth and take a shower. This is about 20 minutes - breakfast should be done. I swear, if I didn't eat protein in the morning, I'd have eaten my left arm off by now. This breakfast is 110-120 total cals.
Great job on your loss! Here's hoping for some good, positive moment soon :-)0 -
I agree with people here. You need to increase the amount of calories you are consuming. I am no expert but if you dont eat enough calories you put you rbody into starvation mode causing your body to store more because it doesnt know when it will get food again. Also try to figure out your BMR.your BMR is basically how many calories your body needs so try not to go under it.
Try using this it helped me:
This is from a girl names sharee10 or Funeral For My Fat on Tumblr
How many calories should i eat a day? This is the equation that i use to determine my calorie intake:
For WOMEN: 655 + (4.35 x Weight in pounds)+(4.7 x Height in inches) - (4.7x Age)= BMR The amount of calories your body burns just from being alive
FOR MEN: 66+(6.23 x weight in pounds) + (12.7 x height in inches) - ( 6.8 age in years)= BMR. that amount of calories you burn just from being alive.
Step 2: Take that number and multiply by your activity level:
•1.2 Sedentary (little to no exercise)
•1.375 Lightly Active (1-3 days a week)
•1.55 Moderately Active (3-5 days a week)
•1.7 Very Active (6-7 days a week)
Step 3:
•LOSE weight: Subtract 500
•MAINTAIN weight: keep the number the same
•GAIN weight: Add 500
The final number is the amount of calories you should eat a day 8)0 -
Alright, I took a look and there are a few things. 1. eat more calories probably, make sure you're not eating (net) below your BMR. 2. be really careful about logging things, really make sure you're logging correctly, for example, the fruit, look at the diameter, was the orange really only 2 inches in diameter cause most aren't, for sandwiches it's best to log each individual ingredident, not just a beef sandwich unless you personally created that and use the exact same amounts every time, also oatmeal you log sometimes, do you make that with water or milk because you just log the packet so if you put anything in or on it, milk, sugar, fruit, raisins, etc. log that even if it's only going to be 10 or 20 calories, that adds up really quickly. 3. PROTEIN you eat VERY little protein, I saw a day you only had 31 grams, not okay haha, you should have way more, so add more high protein foods (plain chicken, yogurt, beans, lots of things), and 4. sodium, you go over or are almost at limit for sodium most days and that will bloat you up and it's not good for you, so watch sodium, try getting no salt added things, like for sandwich meats you can buy low sodium (hillshire farm has some) so that' would be good.
RECAP: eat more calories overall but less sodium and more protein, also make sure you're logging very accurately and honestly.
REALLY great advice it helps when someone other than me looks at it and i can see the trend in everyones responses LOL! So basically i will try to up the calories and keep my sodium down. I dont know why its been so hard for me to do this! Protein is one thing i thought i was okay in but now that i look back in there- YUP need more! I got some fish the other day so i will try to incorporate that and more chicken and i think im just going to give up my sandwiches because i find that they rack up a lot of different things and i dont really feel full enough when i eat one. I think i am going to have to try and find other things to eat, i seem to cling to a set variety of meals and its hard to find other things that i like that are healthy 
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1. eat more.
2. lift things up and put them down.
LOL! Thank you Sorry it was just humerous the way i read it-because deep within i know its true I am working on changing my mindset because i have always been told 'eat less to lose more' so the whole eat more to lose less is a concept i am working on. Is it possible that i will gain a lot initially from uppign the calories? I am thinking about 1350-1400 would be okay? If not please correct me!
Here is how I approached getting over the fear of eating more. I looked up what it gave me for cals at half a pound per week and for 1.5 per week. I just aimed to be somewhere in there at the end of the day know ing if I did that there would be progress, maybe not huge loses but healthy progress. So basically I was shooting for between 1300-1500ish. Believe it or not MFP will not blow up in you are "over" on cals some days.
also, if you are measuring BF% on a home scale...chuck it out the window...in fact, just chuck it out the window regradless. It makes life much more enjoyable.0 -
I agree with people here. You need to increase the amount of calories you are consuming. I am no expert but if you dont eat enough calories you put you rbody into starvation mode causing your body to store more because it doesnt know when it will get food again. Also try to figure out your BMR.your BMR is basically how many calories your body needs so try not to go under it.
Try using this it helped me:
This is from a girl names sharee10 or Funeral For My Fat on Tumblr
How many calories should i eat a day? This is the equation that i use to determine my calorie intake:
For WOMEN: 655 + (4.35 x Weight in pounds)+(4.7 x Height in inches) - (4.7x Age)= BMR The amount of calories your body burns just from being alive
FOR MEN: 66+(6.23 x weight in pounds) + (12.7 x height in inches) - ( 6.8 age in years)= BMR. that amount of calories you burn just from being alive.
Step 2: Take that number and multiply by your activity level:
•1.2 Sedentary (little to no exercise)
•1.375 Lightly Active (1-3 days a week)
•1.55 Moderately Active (3-5 days a week)
•1.7 Very Active (6-7 days a week)
Step 3:
•LOSE weight: Subtract 500
•MAINTAIN weight: keep the number the same
•GAIN weight: Add 500
The final number is the amount of calories you should eat a day 8)
VERY HELPUL!! Im about to do this now!0 -
I'm no expert so please take this with a grain of salt. Just a looksy of the last couple of weeks at your Food diary and it does look like your salt intake is a bit on the high side which makes your body retain more water. That along with tracking your sugar intake since it looks like you might be a little high on that side too. Sugar in fruits are good, but keep in mind that there is sugar in lots of things that might not be so obvious at first glance. It also looks like you might be skipping some meals or maybe you are entering your it under snacks or something? If you are having a yogurt as breakfast, note that as breakfast not a snack (even though it might seem like a snack). It helps with keeping track of your eating habits over time too!
My recommendation is that if you are trying to tone down those last few percentage points of body fat and you don't want to change your diet is to switch your exercise routine to a higher difficulty level of the workout. I always think that ending your workout with a nice gleam of sweat on your face is a good sign your body is working hard and it will make you feel good too. :-)
Good luck and feel free to add me if you need more support and motivation!! :-)0 -
A couple of things - my opinion only.
If you are truly consuming 800 calories a day, you are losing weight, unless you are VERY tiny to begin with. I don't care how much your metabolism slows down, you can not stay the same weight eating less than your BMR. If your stated BF measurements are anywhere near correct, you aren't. Try a PSMF for a month. It sucks. Just knuckle down and do it.
Secondly, for the average woman, 17% body fat is pretty low. I'm not discouraging you from trying to get there, but you might check and see if you can find some pictures of women in that range who have been accurately measured (DEXA or submersion). You might find that 20% is very acceptable to you.
You got a lot of great advice from previous posters. One other thing I would suggest is not to worry about 5#, especially with changes in your cycle. I know I am make and don't have any experience in that realm, but I can put on or lose 5# in a day depending on food and water intake.0 -
Hi, It could be a few things. Following calorie controlled diets is great in that it is simple- once you reach your total, you stop. I found that I had to break down what I was eating. I need more protein than carbohydrate in order to lose weight. Too much carb and I get bloated, the same with sugar.
It may be worth looking at your breakdown and seeing what quantities you are eating and maybe play around with them to see if that helps to make a difference.
Same with the exercise. Perhaps try to mix it up a bit or do little and often rather than big spurts.
I'm going through a bit of a No Change spell where I am stagnant with my weight so I am trying to jumble things around a bit as well. It happens to us all and our bodies adapt to how we are.
I have been advised to try a few days of over eating and then have a few under eating days but balance out my calories over the week. Maybe that is worth a try. Hope this helps a bit.
Whatever happens don't give up, I'm sure it will pass and things will start to happen again xx0 -
A couple of things - my opinion only.
If you are truly consuming 800 calories a day, you are losing weight, unless you are VERY tiny to begin with. I don't care how much your metabolism slows down, you can not stay the same weight eating less than your BMR. If your stated BF measurements are anywhere near correct, you aren't. Try a PSMF for a month. It sucks. Just knuckle down and do it.
Secondly, for the average woman, 17% body fat is pretty low. I'm not discouraging you from trying to get there, but you might check and see if you can find some pictures of women in that range who have been accurately measured (DEXA or submersion). You might find that 20% is very acceptable to you.
You got a lot of great advice from previous posters. One other thing I would suggest is not to worry about 5#, especially with changes in your cycle. I know I am make and don't have any experience in that realm, but I can put on or lose 5# in a day depending on food and water intake.
I normally consume about 1200 a day, a few days i do consume around 800 unintentionally. What is a PSMF? No i am not by any means tiny lol, i never have been, even at my lowest weight of 130. I am okay with just 20% body fat, whatever looks best on me is okay.0 -
Looks like your skipping the most important meal of the day on most day. Breakfast is very important it jump starts your metabolism for the day.0
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