Not even 1 lb!

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pamperedpenguin
pamperedpenguin Posts: 95 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Been on track for 1 month- 1-2 pounds a week. So happy for that!
But this week - nothing! Not even an ounce! Not so happy about that!
And the thing is I tried harder this week then ever before!
Since I started with mfp I've been diligent with my foods: watching carbs/fats/protein. Have been keeping my sodium low, so I don't think it's a diet thing.
This week I added a Jillian Micheals DVD to my exercise routine, and on my daily walks I've gone farther and faster then ever before.
So can anyone explain the fact that I have not lost EVEN 1 pound?
And I know people will say that it depends on how much weight you have to lose, that the bigger you are the more weight comes off at first. Well, as of right now I'm 295.6, so I would consider that pretty big!
When *kitten* like that happens is when I say to myself, "why bother?" And I need some encouragement to stay on track.
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Replies

  • wgn4166
    wgn4166 Posts: 771 Member
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    It has taken me months to lose 1 pound. Its very frustrating but you have to be patient.
    Good luck to you!
  • erindawn5
    erindawn5 Posts: 1
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    My guess is muscle gain, since you have upped your exercise. Keep positive, you can do it! :)
  • zoeystafford
    zoeystafford Posts: 5 Member
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    Aww i'm sorry. That's so frustrating! Well keep at it. Sometimes weeks are just crappy. And it could also be that with the new video you are gaining muscle (which weighs more than fat). I know that's an annoying reason to see the scale staying the same, but it's true! Don't worry, the new muscle will start burning calories soon :)
  • Illona88
    Illona88 Posts: 903 Member
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    There are always weeks when you stall, that is absolutely normal.
    What matters is that you are losing weight over the long haul.

    It could also just be muscle gain or water retention from adding extra exercise.
  • spirit80
    spirit80 Posts: 327 Member
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    It is a long slow process. You did not gain weight overnight. You have a lot of factors to consider. Water retention, muscle recovery, sodium intake. Consider this a lifestyle change and not a diet. When you think about it this way there is no stopping you. Good Luck....
  • gogeneva
    gogeneva Posts: 3
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    Please don't say why bother!! You are worth more that that! We all are. So just keep moving forward. I don't have an answer except to just keep up the good work you have been doing because you are worth it, not only to yourself but to others!
  • MaraDiaz
    MaraDiaz Posts: 4,604 Member
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    Someone needs to sticky an 'exercise can make you gain and retain water weight' thread at the top of this forum. Especially since it's so discouraging to workout hard and realize you haven't lost, or worse, you gained!
  • maricash
    maricash Posts: 280 Member
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    I don't know how often you weigh yourself, but I can tell you from many months of weighing myself daily that weight loss is not linear. I have been losing 4-5 pounds a month, but in terms of scale numbers it's usually nothing for several weeks, followed by 2 or 3 pounds in one week or sometimes even 2-3 pounds in one day.

    Of course, I have never really "lost" 3 pounds in a day. Your weight fluctuates by several pounds every day, and sometimes a water weight gain can cover up a loss or vice versa (if you weigh yourself when dehydrated you will weigh less, but it won't necessarily mean you've lost fat).

    Anyway, I give this advice constantly on here, but I recommend weighing yourself daily if you aren't already and then recording the number. Graph it and/or keep a five-day running average. This will allow you to see the overall pattern in your weight changes and tell when you've really lost. I find it helps me stay patient, because I know losses don't always show up immediately and I can see that the overall trend is still going down even when I have a temporary "gain" from eating a salty meal or something.

    Also, even if you really aren't losing, you are living a healthy lifestyle right now. It may not be reflected in weight loss yet, but your body is nonetheless better off for it. Try to focus on the NSVs (non-scale victories) as well as the scale numbers. Personally, after almost a 60 pound loss (about 50 more to go), I am more excited when I notice things like increasing strength, endurance, and flexibility in exercise than I am about the numbers. Think about being healthy NOW and the weight will come off eventually.
  • mylove0mylife
    mylove0mylife Posts: 70
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    Could be muscle gain like someone else said (depending on what you're doing) or it could just be water weight because of the time of the month, maybe?
    Don't give up! We all are going to have our weeks. Look back at how much you lost total and smile knowing that YOU did that, don't let 1 week mess that whole time up.
  • 3laine75
    3laine75 Posts: 3,070 Member
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    if you just started jillian michaels this week, i am betting you are pretty sore? if you are, your muscles will be holding on to some water for repairs so don't worry, once you get used to the exercises this weight will come off :)
  • kenazfehu
    kenazfehu Posts: 1,188 Member
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    It truly can take the body awhile to respond to changes. Keep at it, the results will come.

    Do you have sore muscles? Sore = inflammation = fluid. When the muscles recover, you will release that fluid.

    Being too dependent on the scales has gotten me into trouble in the past, so now I weigh once per month. And of course I'm not going to weigh in on a day when I know I've had a lot of sodium, have sore muscles, or am constipated. I've only been at this one month so far and intend to keep my focus on my exercise and my nutrition, not the number on the scale.
  • witchy_wife
    witchy_wife Posts: 792 Member
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    When you work your muscles it can make your body retain water which makes the scales go up, but you will still be burning fat and losing inches. Try measuring yourself you may be plesently surprised.

    I just started 30 day shred 3 days ago and have taken weight and measurements before and I won't again until the end of the 30 days as I know I would be dissapointed a week in if I hadn't lost. But if after 30 days I have only lost a little, hopefully the tape measure will show lost inches.
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
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    Been on track for 1 month- 1-2 pounds a week. So happy for that!
    But this week - nothing! Not even an ounce! Not so happy about that!
    And the thing is I tried harder this week then ever before!
    Since I started with mfp I've been diligent with my foods: watching carbs/fats/protein. Have been keeping my sodium low, so I don't think it's a diet thing.
    This week I added a Jillian Micheals DVD to my exercise routine, and on my daily walks I've gone farther and faster then ever before.
    So can anyone explain the fact that I have not lost EVEN 1 pound?
    And I know people will say that it depends on how much weight you have to lose, that the bigger you are the more weight comes off at first. Well, as of right now I'm 295.6, so I would consider that pretty big!
    When *kitten* like that happens is when I say to myself, "why bother?" And I need some encouragement to stay on track.

    What changed?

    You added more exercise, created a bigger deficit perhaps.

    Did you eat more? Because of course MFP already had a deficit in there, exercise or not. Hence the reason you get credit calories and daily goal goes up, to keep the same deficit there.

    Some of the others things may apply too, so I'm mentioning the other thing that could bite you if you continued with thinking you'll make an ever bigger deficit by increasing exercise, without feeding those workouts.
  • Neeser926
    Neeser926 Posts: 100 Member
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    Do you track your measurements? Sometimes even though the scale doesn't change you will lose inches which helps keep motivation strong.

    When I want to give up I go and put together a bunch of pet food bags until they weigh what I lost (I work in a retail store before they open for business!) then visualize just how much that really is.

    Since you have lost 29 pounds you would see that is a *kitten* load of weight and if you carried it around for a few minutes youi would realize just how far you have come.

    Stay strong.
  • Ready2Rock206
    Ready2Rock206 Posts: 9,488 Member
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    You're not going to lose every single week. If you just give up the second something doesn't go exactly how you want you'll never get anywhere. If you want to quit then do it, but if you really want this stick with and next week you might see a 2 lb loss. It's an average not an exact science.
  • johned63
    johned63 Posts: 306 Member
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    I have to look at the overall trend of weight loss because it would seem like I would go forever without seeing any drop. I have averaged 11 pounds a month, but I generally only see a change on the scale every 10 - 11 days. Then I will see a change two days in a row most of the time. I would get discouraged because it seemed to take so long to see a change when I was doing everything right, but when looking at it over the long term there is plenty to be happy about. I think the wait from one change to the next can get discouraging if we don't look at the long term. What helps me when I get discouraged is to look at a chart of my wait loss and see all of those long periods where there was no change and then there was a drop.

    Don't sweat the short periods of no change, the trend is still downward and the goal is still getting closer.
  • nancyaaa
    nancyaaa Posts: 64 Member
    Options
    I don't know how often you weigh yourself, but I can tell you from many months of weighing myself daily that weight loss is not linear. I have been losing 4-5 pounds a month, but in terms of scale numbers it's usually nothing for several weeks, followed by 2 or 3 pounds in one week or sometimes even 2-3 pounds in one day.

    Of course, I have never really "lost" 3 pounds in a day. Your weight fluctuates by several pounds every day, and sometimes a water weight gain can cover up a loss or vice versa (if you weigh yourself when dehydrated you will weigh less, but it won't necessarily mean you've lost fat).

    Anyway, I give this advice constantly on here, but I recommend weighing yourself daily if you aren't already and then recording the number. Graph it and/or keep a five-day running average. This will allow you to see the overall pattern in your weight changes and tell when you've really lost. I find it helps me stay patient, because I know losses don't always show up immediately and I can see that the overall trend is still going down even when I have a temporary "gain" from eating a salty meal or something.

    Also, even if you really aren't losing, you are living a healthy lifestyle right now. It may not be reflected in weight loss yet, but your body is nonetheless better off for it. Try to focus on the NSVs (non-scale victories) as well as the scale numbers. Personally, after almost a 60 pound loss (about 50 more to go), I am more excited when I notice things like increasing strength, endurance, and flexibility in exercise than I am about the numbers. Think about being healthy NOW and the weight will come off eventually.

    I'm the same, been stuck at the same weight for 3 months now. It is frustrating but I have noticed great improvement in fitness and strength. I am now timing myself running distances I would never have been able to finish before!
  • hendinerik
    hendinerik Posts: 287 Member
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    I'll just bet you are a heck of a lot stronger and more fit, even if the number is not what you are wanting to see.

    I also definitely echo the other posters - it's not a straight line - sometimes the weight will seem to come off in a hurry, and other times the scale won't move.

    Stay with it! Don't just base things on the number on the scale - do you feel differently? Are your clothes fitting differently?

    It's hard to have perspective when you are "with you" every day and don't see the big picture. You already lost a lot and that's awesome!

    Good job, just keep going!
  • jennifer_417
    jennifer_417 Posts: 12,344 Member
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    1. Don't let yourself get so easily discouraged.
    2. Don't freak out over minor setbacks. You feel better, are faster and stronger. Focus on that. The rest will come.
    3. Plateaus happen. You may have put on muscle. Don't freak out over it.

    In my experience, allowing myself to get discouraged over lack of progress wil make me quit. I have to keep telling myself that if I just stick with it, I WILL make progress. Don't expect every week to be the same, some weeks you may lose more, some less. Track your overall progress and don't freak out if one week doesn't go like you want it to.
  • samigirl1975
    samigirl1975 Posts: 62 Member
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    I was doing so well for september... then come october and bam.. no weight loss this week.. just weight gain.. but I am considering that cause I am doing more aerobics and lifting my 5lb dumbbells every other day.. Plus "my time of the month" is near.. I am only hoping this is it.. I am praying it's all these factors, cause nothing changed in my diet. :(

    Don't give up!! I am not going to give in to the frustration, I am going to keep on going. IF I can you can too!!!

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