Calorie/Weight-Loss Help Needed!

garrisonwife

Hi everyone! I’m having some issues that I could really use some advice about. Here’s a bit of background for those who don’t know my background.

I started on this adventure a little less than two weeks ago. I was drinking Mello Yello ALL day, every day. In fact, I drank so much Mello Yello that it was making me feel full throughout the day, and by the time dinner came around, I would shovel in an ENORMOUS amount of food. At that time, I was taking in more calories than I should have…but not from FOOD. Almost ALL of my calories for the day were taken up by those dang Mello Yellos!! I didn’t exercise…at all. I literally sat on my couch all…day…long.

Fast forward to now! It’s been 10 days since I’ve kicked the Mello Yello to the curb! Occasionally, I’ll have a CAN of Dr. Pepper Ten, but the rest of my “drink calories” are from a glass of skim milk with breakfast and dinner. The rest of the day, I drink lots and lots of water. It took me a few days, but I started eating throughout the day. I’ve been eating breakfast, lunch, dinner and usually a snack. I try to get as close to 1200 calories as possible. If I’ve worked out…I try to eat back most, if not all, of my exercise calories. MFP’s “guided goals” put me at 1200 calories with my weight (200lbs) and my height (5’3”) and my activity level (sedentary). I lost 3 lbs my first week. Yesterday, (Sunday), I lost 2 more pounds. My “normal” weigh-in day is Monday, though, so I thought I’d weigh this morning to see if there was a difference. I stepped on the scale, and it said that I was back up 2 pounds!!! I’m not going to record it…I’ll wait until I weigh again NEXT Monday.

So, here’s my issue. First of all, I am SHOCKED that I didn’t lose quite a bit of weight my first couple of weeks because I cut out all those sodas. I figured, if ANYTHING…that by itself would have made my weight drop pretty quickly at first. I know men tend to lose weight quicker than women, but my husband lost TEN POUNDS his first week! It was a little tough to see that he had lost so much in his first week, and he hadn’t even been drinking sodas like I had been!

This weekend, I noticed that it was VERY difficult for me to eat under 1200 calories. I stayed hungry, and my blood sugar seemed very out of whack. My husband brought up the issue that maybe my calorie limit was too LOW. So, I did a tiny bit of research, and I saw where some folks had mentioned eating AT LEAST your BMR calories. After looking on several different BMR “calculators”, I found that my average was about 1600 calories for my BMR. That’s almost an extra MEAL for me. So, my question is this…should I stick with the 1200 or under calories? Or should I try to eat closer to my BMR calories? I’m absolutely shocked that if I had waited until my normal weigh-in day to weigh this week (today) it would’ve shown NO WEIGHT LOSS!! It really bums me out because I have worked my TAIL off this week trying to stick with the right way of doing things.

Does anyone have any insight on this? Why did I not have that first “drop” in weight since I cut out all the sodas? Could my body just not be used to eating, and it’s going into “SAVE EVERYTHING” mode? Am I not eating ENOUGH?

In the past, if something like this had happened, I would have thrown in the towel and said, “Why bother?!?” But THIS time around…I will NOT give up! I am determined to get this weight off, and get healthy! I need some help and guidance! I would really appreciate it if some of you could give me some advice.

I will be posting this in several different places on the website in order to reach more people, so if you see this more than once, I apologize! I’m just desperate for some help!!

Thanks in advance! I appreciate any and all information you can give me!

Love, Hugs & Energetic Weight Loss Vibes!
~MB~

kris_root_2014

One thing you need to do Mary Beth is to MEASURE!!! At first, your body is making huge adjustments. I was bummed not losing weight. I was told to measure. So I did the second week and on. There have been a lot of weigh ins with barely any loss in weight, but loss in inches!!! I remember 1 week in particular, where I was depressed because I gained. I then measured and found out I lost 2 inches on just my waist!!! I was pumped!! The scale can be your enemy. I wouldn't weigh more than once a week. I weigh AND measure every Sunday morning first thing after using the bathroom! I measure my Neck, Waist, Hips, Chest, Thighs (L) & (R), and Arms (L) & (R). I also now calculate my BMI too. You can add all these measurements into your weigh-in area. NSV's (Non Scale Victories) are SO important to keep you motivated. I would increase your calories if you feel like you aren't getting enough. If you're feeling good and feel like you are getting full, I wouldn't worry too much about it. Remember, muscle weighs more than fat. If you are working out and gaining muscle and toning up, you could put on weight. That's why measuring is so important. That way you can actually see the results. Good luck girl! I'm here for ya!!

Kris :flowerforyou:

HollyHobbitToes

OK, my first two weeks of the year I lost weight...I was eating brownies and finishing off snacks from Christmas..taking in a LOT more calories than what MFP wanted me to...then I got really serious and ate healthy the next two weeks and brought in what MFP said I should which was like 1400 and something.....I gained for two weeks in a row on that number....and I was eating a lot less....I realized that maybe my activity level was set too low and that I was more active than I thought...it raised my calorie count quite a bit in comparison and as soon as I started bringing in more calories (all healthy mind you) I then started losing weight and keeping at that level, I was averaging about 2 pounds per week....

Sometimes weightloss is like a recipe and you have to experiment....try bringing in a couple hundred extra calories....if you are feeling sick from eating only 1200, try 1400....your body will let you know if you are getting enough....feeling sick or dizzy or tired is a sign you need more nutrition....

Next question I have is about the Dr Pepper....what kind of sweetener is in it? Artificial sweeteners can have an opposite effect on weight....you think you are only consuming a few calories but because it's not real sugar your body is confused....if it is sucralose I wouldn't be as concerned but anything else would worry me and I'd rather see you drink regular soda....but really, you should simply cut out the soda all together....I think once in awhile is OK....I am seriously craving a Dr Pepper right now and havn't had one since Christmas! lol

diannethegeek

From my own personal experience, I don't lose weight at 1200 calories. I plateaued for over two months eating 1200/day and exercising. I didn't start to lose again until I bumped it up to 1500 and now I eat closer to 1700 calories a day.

Your body is telling you it's hungry for a reason. I would really recommend at least eating all the calories MFP recommends (including eating back your exercise calories).

khrys1

Remember on the Biggest Loser they always have an awesome week the first week, then don't do so well the second week, as the body is in shock. Also, the body can fluctuate by as much as 5 pounds each DAY, so only weighing in once a week is a good idea. Good for you on so quickly giving up the Mello Yello habit- that in itself is amazing! And also, good for you on not giving up because you didn't see results the second week! 1200 calories is LOW- if I'm set at that, I aim to add more calories by exercising more, and at least once a week, I eat many more calories than that, to keep my body guessing. Good luck on your journey!

nmullins81

Great job on reducing the sodas, but eliminating them all together is key. If you are doing it just for the caffeine, try coffee with a fun creamer. I used to drink at least 2 20oz coke/cherry cokes a day then I decided to quit- I made it just fine with only 1 cup of coffee a day. Also there is a very helpful YouTube video about eating more to weigh less and breaks down TDEE and BMR info. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eYi9xjIRvbY