What should patterns in diet/weight be teaching me?

kate4vt
kate4vt Posts: 20
in Health and Weight Loss
I wanted to get some opinions from those of you who have been at this longer than me. I've been with MFP for right at 2 months, and I've lost a total of 17 pounds as of today. For me, this is success. I'm averaging about 2 lbs a week, which is what my goal is. However, my average does not accurately represent how I've been losing. It's been very irregular. Let me explain...

My daily calorie goal is 1200.

SW - 226
CW - 209
GW - 140

My original workout goal was 3 times a week for 30 minutes.

It was mid summer when I first started. My husband and I had plans every weekend. For about the first month on MFP, I'd follow the plan very strictly during the work week. On the weekends, I sort of kept track, and was very aware of what I was putting in my mouth, but I was drinking a lot. Despite going over my alotted 1200 on the weekends, I had made major changes -- even though I was drinking, I was mixing with low calorie mixers. If we'd have to do fast food, I started ordering kids meals. I wasn't perfectly at 1200, but I had made changes. And the scale reflected those changes. I lost 12 pounds in the first 5 weeks.

This last month, I've really gotten down to business. I've been incredibly strict with my calorie intake and stay at 1200 each day. I've also started Couch 2 5k. This working out process has been slow, but I've been doing it (and struggling with shin splints). And as a side note, I always ate back most of my exercise calories. Since I've been so accountable and working out, my weight loss had majorly slowed. In the last several weeks, I had no change, then lost 3 pounds, then gained them back the next week. I was frustrated with the scale, but kept measuring, and noticed changes there. I've lost 3.5 inches off my waist, and 3 inches off my hips. And I'm down at least 1 (sometimes 2) pant sizes. I figured that after such a fast loss early on, my weight loss was simply starting to slow.

This last week has been crazy. I started a new job, stayed out of town 2 nights, went to a concert, and generally ate out a lot. Again, I applied all the principles I've learned at MFP... I didn't go completely crazy, but I only made my 1200 goal once this week. I expected to gain this week, or not see a change at all.

I was wrong. Stepped on the scale and was 5 lbs down from last week (which was 2 lbs less than 2 weeks ago).

This has got me thinking: why was I not losing when I was working out and so disciplined at 1200? I know a lot of people believe 1200 isn't enough calories. And I'm thinking this may be true for me. Do you think I may see bigger losses if I up my calorie intake? Or do you think that this is normal at this point... that my weightloss is just leveling out some?

Thoughts?

Replies

  • kate4vt
    kate4vt Posts: 20
    bump.
  • lainie71
    lainie71 Posts: 17
    I think as you exercise you build muscle which gives you a higher metabolic rate. In other words, you will burn more even when you are at rest.

    Try not to obsess too much about the numbers and the averages. You will make yourself crazy because it's unpredictable - especially for us women!

    My advice is to just focus on health and have that be your goal = everything else will fall into place in it's own time. Drink your water, avoid sodas/sugars/white products, get in activity, meditate, and enjoy life and the process. Some weeks will be more, some less, and some will maintain. It will all work out in the end. You are having great results and you seem like you are doing all the right things :)

    Blessings!
  • maricash
    maricash Posts: 280 Member
    I recommend that you weigh yourself every morning and record the number in Excel or another program that will allow you to make a graph. I do this every day and it has helped me a lot in that I have learned that my weight fluctuates every day, sometimes by as much as 5 pounds. I have learned not to worry about it. As long as the overall trend on the graph is down (add a trendline to the graph) I know that I am still losing.

    One of the things that I've noticed will cause a temporary gain is exercise. My understanding (I am no expert) is that your muscles retain water as they repair themselves after exercise, so if you notice a gain the day after a workout, that could be why.

    1200 calories sounds low to me. We have similar current weights and goal weights and I eat 1700 calories a day, plus up to 200 additional on exercise days. This has been giving me a steady loss of around 1.2 pounds a week. I don't know if upping your calories would help, but it's been working for me and I never feel hungry or deprived.

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