WTH... DISCOURAGED??

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YahsPrincess
YahsPrincess Posts: 16
in Health and Weight Loss
well, its been 25 days, i'm staying at my calorie intake if not less, exercising every day at least an hour, drinking at least a gallon of water a day... and I only lost 2 lbs?? My Wii said I gained a pound this morning... I don't understand, the only thing i'm doing different this time around is more exercising, I DO seem to notice a slight change in how my clothes are fitting, but really??? Does it take this long to lose pounds? :/
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Replies

  • DefyGravity1977
    DefyGravity1977 Posts: 300 Member
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    One thing you have to come to terms with is this is a long journey. I have been working on this for 5 years and just weighed in at 193 after starting at 272. Taking the weight off is not going to be a fast thing. Throw away the scale and get yourself a good tape measure. One day, one step at a time.
  • StormyGal8
    StormyGal8 Posts: 184 Member
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    Did you measure yourself when you started? If so, try doing it again.

    Sometimes it's not about what the scale says, but about the inches. If you're working out an hour a day, and you weren't before, then you are likely putting on some muscle, which would mask fat loss because it wouldn't show up on the scale.
  • Wabbit05
    Wabbit05 Posts: 434 Member
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    I didn't see any weight loss for 4 weeks when I started. Don't give up, it will budge eventually!
  • TheDrBuchanan
    TheDrBuchanan Posts: 89 Member
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    (1) As someone else suggested, take measurements and re-do them every 6 weeks or so... you may be making more progress than you think!

    (2) Are you sure you are tracking all of your calories? Just glancing at the past week, it seems as though there are many days when you are less than 1200 calories. Eating so little can actually slow your metabolism and make it very hard to lose weight. Make sure you are getting at least 1200 per day (including eating back exercise calories).

    (3) Many days in the past week, you are eating a lot of fat and sugar and not a lot of muscle-building protein. As muscle is important for speeding your metabolism, try to make sure you are reaching your protein goal for the day - this way, when exercise breaks down muscle tissue you will have enough protein to rebuild it and your metabolism will be faster!!

    You will probably receive a lot of suggestions, but I would recommend just trying one at a time for about 2 weeks each. If you try them all at once, and then start losing weight you won't know what the trick was!!
  • lldelmonte
    lldelmonte Posts: 30 Member
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    Don't blame you for being frustrated, but hang in there. Here are a few things that could be happening:
    1. Hormones - especially with women
    2. Portion size - maybe your portion sizes are not accurate?
    3. Exercise - too much cardio can make you hungry and eat into your muscle. If you are doing an hour of cardio, try 30 minutes of weight training with 20 minutes of cardio - using High Intensity Interval Training for your cardio works well - less time, better results
    4. Sodium - if you had a lot of sodium in a meal it could show a 3 pound weight gain. But...you are drinking lots of water so you should be flushing the sodium out.
    5. Not enough sleep.
    6. Types of food - I know, calories are calories, but when I follow 28% carbs, 51% protein and 20% fat I usually drop a few pounds fast. (My personal trainer gave me the ratios.)

    Good luck.
  • TheRealParisLove
    TheRealParisLove Posts: 1,907 Member
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    I took a quick peek at your food diary, and you are eating a lot of high calorie but low nutrient foods. Instead of that flavored latte, try having a cup of coffee with skim milk and honey, and a piece of fruit and yogurt for the same number of calories. It is entirely possible to be malnourished while consuming plenty of calories.

    I didn't see much in the way of fresh vegetables. Aim to add extra veggies into every meal.

    I think maybe you just aren't getting the nutrients you need to really push your metabolism into high gear. Definitely keep going and make changes when needed.
  • muamontreal
    muamontreal Posts: 109 Member
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    I am in the same situation as you are....3 months of eating clean and just 5 kgs down ...hugh...it is so frustrating...I started to record my calories just 2 days ago and I'll see if it impproves things ...Actually I think about starting to exercise more as soon as the kids will get back to school...Hang in there !
  • YahsPrincess
    YahsPrincess Posts: 16
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    awesome tips guys, thank you very much, I will do as suggested and try each one out to see how it works, and no, unfortunately I didn't measure myself when I started (DOH!) that was my bad, but I do notice my bra's feeling looser.. lol any suggestions on losing the gut? I had 5 c-sections and it just doesn't seem to want to move...
  • MTBrob
    MTBrob Posts: 513 Member
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    Have you seen what your eating.. If eating donuts or egg mcmuffins every day for breakfast was healthy.. None of us would be here..


    You need to eat good lean proteins like chicken, turkey etc......Eat more nutrient rich foods like various vegetables and fruit... Cut out all the craptastic sugar in your diet..


    You know actual food that is healthy...... Now you don't need to be discouraged you know why you are not losing as much as you thought you would in a months time frame
  • DefyGravity1977
    DefyGravity1977 Posts: 300 Member
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    awesome tips guys, thank you very much, I will do as suggested and try each one out to see how it works, and no, unfortunately I didn't measure myself when I started (DOH!) that was my bad, but I do notice my bra's feeling looser.. lol any suggestions on losing the gut? I had 5 c-sections and it just doesn't seem to want to move...

    with the c-section it will depend entirely on which direction the doctor cut. If they cut up and down then it will be more difficult as they had to cut through the abdominal muscles. if lentghwise it will be a bit easier. Just give it time.
  • mheath1293
    mheath1293 Posts: 35 Member
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    Have you seen what your eating.. If eating donuts or egg mcmuffins every day for breakfast was healthy.. None of us would be here..


    You need to eat good lean proteins like chicken, turkey etc......Eat more nutrient rich foods like various vegetables and fruit... Cut out all the craptastic sugar in your diet..


    You know actual food that is healthy...... Now you don't need to be discouraged you know why you are not losing as much as you thought you would in a months time frame

    Haven't looked at her food diary but this came off a bit harsh to me... When you're first starting out, as I am, it's not easy to just cut out every single food that you used to enjoy but isn't great for you.


    Edit: Okay. Looked at her food dairy and yes she does eat a lot of McDonalds.. But at least she's going for the "healthier" options.. LIke oatmeal instead of a breakfast sandwich.. Grilled chicken instead of fried..
  • Camille0502
    Camille0502 Posts: 311 Member
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    This is going to be a lifestyle change for you. One of your first steps is to try to reduce (then ultimately eliminate) so much fast food from your diet. Why not start one meal at a time - take breakfast first. Your goal should be no donuts or McDs for an entire week of breakfast. Try eating a boiled egg and a small bagel with peanut butter and a piece of fruit. Or have some oatmeal (easy to cook in the microwave). I think the fast food is killing you! You must be starving most of the time, too, because it is just not that much food.
    Once you have mastered breakfast - move onto lunch. Salads, wraps with whole wheat tortillas - stuff like that. It doesn't have to be complicated. All you need is three different breakfasts and three diferent lunches and you can alternate them for quite a while without getting sick of it.
    But my bottom line is that this journey is going to be a lifestyle change for you if your normal diet is what is in your diary. But you CAN do it!
  • PhilyPhresh
    PhilyPhresh Posts: 600 Member
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    well, its been 25 days, i'm staying at my calorie intake if not less, exercising every day at least an hour, drinking at least a gallon of water a day... and I only lost 2 lbs?? My Wii said I gained a pound this morning... I don't understand, the only thing i'm doing different this time around is more exercising, I DO seem to notice a slight change in how my clothes are fitting, but really??? Does it take this long to lose pounds? :/

    If your clothes fit better then I don't see why all the fuss. A scale is just as stupid as BMI. Feel free to check your weight, but if you aren't also recording your measurements and BF% you are not going to see the results you're getting...

    edit: just looked at your diary...... are you joking with this crap? McDonalds cookies and doughnuts!?!?!...... I'm done here.
  • Sh1tsRainbows
    Sh1tsRainbows Posts: 1,227 Member
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    eat more...but healthier... and stop going to mcdonalds
  • TheNewLeslie
    TheNewLeslie Posts: 44 Member
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    This is going to be a lifestyle change for you. One of your first steps is to try to reduce (then ultimately eliminate) so much fast food from your diet. Why not start one meal at a time - take breakfast first. Your goal should be no donuts or McDs for an entire week of breakfast. Try eating a boiled egg and a small bagel with peanut butter and a piece of fruit. Or have some oatmeal (easy to cook in the microwave). I think the fast food is killing you! You must be starving most of the time, too, because it is just not that much food.
    Once you have mastered breakfast - move onto lunch. Salads, wraps with whole wheat tortillas - stuff like that. It doesn't have to be complicated. All you need is three different breakfasts and three diferent lunches and you can alternate them for quite a while without getting sick of it.
    But my bottom line is that this journey is going to be a lifestyle change for you if your normal diet is what is in your diary. But you CAN do it!

    This is spot on. Staying within the calorie goal isn't going to matter if you are always hungry because the food you are eating is calorie dense and nutrient poor.

    Start with some small shifts and then keep going - never stop improving.
  • llkilgore
    llkilgore Posts: 1,169 Member
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    If you've lost only 2 pounds and your clothes already fit better, that suggests 2 things to me.

    One, you're already fairly close to your optimal weight. The pounds come off more slowly when there are fewer of them to lose - and should. You don't want an overly aggressive weight loss goal that will chew up your muscle mass along with the fat

    And two, you're probably retaining water, which takes up less space, pound for pound, than the fat you've lost. That's why your clothes are fitting better even though you aren't seeing a lot of progress on the scale. It's normal for your muscles to retain water as part of the recovery process after exercise, especially early in a new exercise program. And it's normal for a female's weight to fluctuate with her monthly cycle. I wouldn't worry about it so long is it isn't related to high sodium or some kind of medical problem. It's self limiting and will sort itself out in the end.
  • Austin1988
    Austin1988 Posts: 243 Member
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    If you did not gain the weight in 25 days, do not expect it to come off in 25 days. Stay on course, hit macros, and the weight will come off.
  • yoovie
    yoovie Posts: 17,121 Member
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    When's your period?
  • dablove45
    dablove45 Posts: 3
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    I feel the exact same way. I want to stay focused but how? how do you stay motivated after trying so hard with no results?
  • eeeekie
    eeeekie Posts: 1,011 Member
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    agreed...donuts, cookies, mcdonalds. watch your sodium intake and also if you're upping your exercise and decreasing your calorie intake that could be a problem with why you're not losing either. You need gas in a car for it to run...

    Fuel your muscles

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