Really Dont Understand.

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GOBIGGOHOME
GOBIGGOHOME Posts: 30
in Introduce Yourself
Ok so I stopped fooling myself that just dieting will make me loose weight. The most it was doing was
maintaining the fat that I should be sheading. I joined a weight loss group and lost 13 pounds which took me 6 months.
My husband got sick and I put it all back in 2 months. So July 13 I joined a gym determined to loose the weight once and for all.
I do cardio for 45 mins. and weights and floor excersise for 30 minutes every other day. I go to the gym 6 days a week and drink all of my water. So far I have not lost any weight. I just don't get it. I am up 3 and then down 2 and back up 1. I am a 55 and I am trying to remain positive but really just want to cry. Any suggestions....
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  • Uuuhlexis
    Uuuhlexis Posts: 90 Member
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    Remember that muscle weighs more than fat! If you are gaining muscle, the scale might be deceiving.
  • murphy612
    murphy612 Posts: 734 Member
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    I'm sorry :-( I know it's hard, I gained 3 pounds the first month I started. It takes time and you have to find the willpower to stick with it. I looked at your food diary and it could be better, but it's not horrible. The alcohol will set you back, there is no doubt about that. Age is a factor, horomones, life in general, lol. Are you under a doctor's care? I wish I had some wonderful inspiring and perfect advice to make this all easy for you, but I don't. Once I accepted that this process was going to be slow and I wasn't going to give up, things got easier. Keep logging your food, get more fresh fruits and vegetables and lean protein. Try to limit the alcohol as much as possible and just keep going, you can do it!

    My other advice is don't try to do so much so fast, you will get burned out quickly. I found what I could live with for a long time and stick to that. For example, I don't like to exercise and I am not one of those willing to do it 5-6 days a week just too lose weight faster. I only work out 3 days a week and I still lose about 1 pound a week. Slow and steady.
  • ilove3kids
    ilove3kids Posts: 6
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    Hello,
    Do you use My Fitness Pal to record your calories? If so, try recording your calories for a week, STAY within the alloted amount for the day and DO NOT record the fitness.
    Just one week and see what happens.
  • teamfit2day
    teamfit2day Posts: 213 Member
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    Remember that muscle weighs more than fat! If you are gaining muscle, the scale might be deceiving.

    Sorry but I felt the need to clarify this statement as this is a mistake many people make. Muscle and Fat weight exactly the same..1lb of muscle is equal to 1lb of fat. However, What I think you mean to say is that Muscle is physically leaner than fat and takes up less space. For this reason, the scale may not move even though your losing inches around your body. Hopefully this helps everyone. Not trying to be rude but many people make this mistake and over eat because they accidentally think their gaining muscle when they *might not be.
  • prncssdmnd
    prncssdmnd Posts: 2
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    Adding to what others have said, your body is very likely changing even if the scale isn't reflecting it. Consider whether your clothes are feeling looser...are you feeling lighter/healthier/more energetic?...are you noticing changes in your body (thinner face, muscles feeling more toned, for ex.). This article really helped me see how deceiving the scale can be: http://primusweb.com/fitnesspartner/weight/scalelies.htm

    Hope this helps! Don't give up! :smile:
  • JanineAron
    JanineAron Posts: 8
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    You need to keep in mind that exercise and food go hand in hand. Also don't be so hard on yourself. Unfortunately (no excuses) age is a factor as you must be going through menopause and this plays havoc with your system and it takes a while to adjust. Just remember that NOTHING is a waste of time. Every day you exercise you are creating a healthier body inside and that is what is going to keep you going for longer and live longer. It is not always what is on the outside! The weight will come off but make sure you are honest about your food diary and don't forget to count the calories in alcohol! A silent calorie killer. Also don't weigh yourself everyday as this can be soul destroying. Your body will fluctuate on a daily basis so make sure it is once a week at the same time. Also what about measuring yourself. Sometimes inches are lost without the scale moving. Look for all the positives. Remember that we are all here to support you. That is what this website is all about. If you give up, you will be a whole lot worse off than if you keep on pushing on.
  • teamfit2day
    teamfit2day Posts: 213 Member
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    Ok so I stopped fooling myself that just dieting will make me loose weight. The most it was doing was
    maintaining the fat that I should be sheading. I joined a weight loss group and lost 13 pounds which took me 6 months.
    My husband got sick and I put it all back in 2 months. So July 13 I joined a gym determined to loose the weight once and for all.
    I do cardio for 45 mins. and weights and floor excersise for 30 minutes every other day. I go to the gym 6 days a week and drink all of my water. So far I have not lost any weight. I just don't get it. I am up 3 and then down 2 and back up 1. I am a 55 and I am trying to remain positive but really just want to cry. Any suggestions....

    Looking at your diary, you Carbohydrate intake is waayyyyy to high during your dinners. Carbs are a great thing, you body NEEDS carbs for energy, however, when your going over 100grams of Carbs at dinner time, your body is simply not going to digest all of this over night and it WILL begin to store it as body fat. This may be the reason why your not losing any more weight despite all the exercise your doing. Take a look at my diary if you can, you can see that I start my days HIGH carb and taper down as the day progresses. By having a low carb Dinner, it gives your body the night hours to burn through body fat and maximize your weight loss.
  • sakuragreenlily
    sakuragreenlily Posts: 334 Member
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    Consider using measurements to assess progress. If you don't want to measure yourself grab some old clothes that don't quite fit... pick some pants that almost fit and try them on every week or so to see if you're getting closer to fitting in them. Once those pants fit move on to the next almost fitting pair. I'm sure we all have jeans in our closet that "almost" fit so it's an easy method.

    Try to only weigh yourself on a scale once a week or even once a month if you can resist the urge.
  • Discoveri
    Discoveri Posts: 435 Member
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    Does your gym offer classes? I would suggest that you take some and find out which ones you enjoy. Exercise should be something you enjoy if you are looking to start a routine. I also suggest that you put the scale away for a bit. Take measurements and ignore the scale for now. When I first started MFP, I lost noticeable inches before I lost 3 pounds. Ditch the scale and don't get discouraged!
  • kafergie
    kafergie Posts: 35 Member
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    I agree with the fact that the scale is deceiving, try measuring for a while instead of watching the scale. The way your clothes fit is a better way to keep track than the scale anyway imo. You might weigh the the same but actually BE smaller.

    I am into my second month of really watching my eating and exercising, I have lost nearly 8 inches but only 4 lbs ( to give an example).
  • confettibetti
    confettibetti Posts: 405 Member
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    Make sure you are taking measurements.
  • MommaKit79
    MommaKit79 Posts: 852
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    Agree with the taking measurements...sometimes you gain muscle, and lose fat. So, you may be losing fat but gaining muscle so, your measurements will change but your "weight" wont much.

    Also, in my opinion, i agree with maybe having less carbs at night and more in the AM. Carbs are not bad but, depending on what kind of carbs they are could cause small issues.

    GOOD LUCK and keep going! It will start to move soon and you are probably feeling better anyway, dispite the discouraging scale number! :)
  • skonly
    skonly Posts: 371
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    I would suggest eating more veggies and making better protein choices. From just a glance I think you could swap out a lot of foods and eat more with healthier choices.

    I know it's hard to do all at once if you are used to eating a certain way so try having one meal a day be full of nutrients and once you get used to that do it to another meal. Just my opinion. I rarely think about carbs but I do agree with the other guy who said you were getting too many. For me it's not so much how many but where they are coming from.

    You will figure it out, everyone is different. Whatever you decide to do just make sure it suits you and make it enjoyable.
  • kashmirdreamer
    kashmirdreamer Posts: 31 Member
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    Yeah I think you need a more generally healthy diet. I see things like TGI Friday's Pina Colada but not TGI Friday's food. I find that you can't mix and match, i.e. all pina colada's are different. If you make something, I try to enter the ingredients. I've had a rough couple weeks so my diet isn't perfect either but I would add more vegetables and fruit too! Make sure you are weighing and measuring your food so that it is exactly what you enter. Estimating/guestimating/using other people's information always leads me off track.
  • skonly
    skonly Posts: 371
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    Yeah I think you need a more generally healthy diet. I see things like TGI Friday's Pina Colada but not TGI Friday's food. I find that you can't mix and match, i.e. all pina colada's are different. If you make something, I try to enter the ingredients. I've had a rough couple weeks so my diet isn't perfect either but I would add more vegetables and fruit too! Make sure you are weighing and measuring your food so that it is exactly what you enter. Estimating/guestimating/using other people's information always leads me off track.

    I did buy a little set of scales and actually found out I was overestimating some things. That was nice! Now I'm all happy because I can eat more of some stuff. Scales can be friendly and not just mean. lol.
  • kimad
    kimad Posts: 3,010 Member
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    Exercise is super important, but I personally feel the diet is moreso... I would really start focusing on WHAT you are eating, not just staying within your calories. I eat whatever I want (ie granola bars, rice cakes, etc.) but becuase I only eat 1300 cals a day alot of it is healthy food.

    Also, make sure whatever changes you do make are SUSTAINABLE for your life. I always say it is a lifestyle change, not a diet. I only work out 3 times a week, I won't do it more, so I don't kid myself.

    I would recommend really focusing on the diet first, then the exercise.
    Good luck.

    ETA - I weight and measure everything I eat. I even measure my hot chocolate mix lol.. it's amazing how we tend to over portion.
  • ksnegirl
    ksnegirl Posts: 85 Member
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    Remember that muscle weighs more than fat! If you are gaining muscle, the scale might be deceiving.

    Sorry but I felt the need to clarify this statement as this is a mistake many people make. Muscle and Fat weight exactly the same..1lb of muscle is equal to 1lb of fat. However, What I think you mean to say is that Muscle is physically leaner than fat and takes up less space. For this reason, the scale may not move even though your losing inches around your body. Hopefully this helps everyone. Not trying to be rude but many people make this mistake and over eat because they accidentally think their gaining muscle when they *might not be.

    ^^^ Thank you for clarifying. I always got confused, but this makes sense. Thank you :-)
  • GOBIGGOHOME
    GOBIGGOHOME Posts: 30
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    Thanks for your reply. I am always aware of the carbs because I love them. I try to scale back. I am not complaining I have a great social life since my kids are on their own and that is part of the trouble. I will have a few coctails on the weekends. In saying all that. I have not worked out this much since I was a kid. I thought in doing so that I would have success and results. Well in reading some of the comments I guess it is a combination of factors. I do feel better about myself for at least making the effort.
    I see you are really on the right track. I don't ever think I could be that strick knowing myself and my lifestyle. I wish you well and I will take your advise and try to cut back on carbs at night. Thank you, Audrey
  • ksnegirl
    ksnegirl Posts: 85 Member
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    Thank you for this topic. I stepped on the scale this morning and literally cried myself!! But all this has made sense and made me feel better about things. :-)
  • GOBIGGOHOME
    GOBIGGOHOME Posts: 30
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    Wow,
    I never expected so many of you to respond! It is awesome and a little overwhelming.
    Boy I can run but not hide. It was great you called me out on some of my food choices.
    I do tend to rob Peter to pay Paul. Especially on the weekends. I will start to measure myself
    that is a great idea. By the way I do feel stronger and impowered by the fact that I am no longer intimidate
    by the gym and the people in them. I know that my body is ever so slowly changing. There are days I really feel
    thinner. I guess it is the number on the scale that makes me feel sad so I will try to stay away. By the way I did not go to
    Fridays. I just seen Pina Colada and figured it was a close match.. Either way I should have said no.
    Thank you for all your help. The article on the scale and body weight should be read by all it really makes sence.
    Have a grand day.
    Audrey

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