Never thought I'd post a "poor me" thread...

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butterfli7o
butterfli7o Posts: 1,319 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I see people post all the time how they only lose .5 lbs a week, or that they've only lost five pounds, etc. Is there anyone else that really hasn't seen any change at all? Like in months??

I eat about 1,600-1,700 cals a day. While I'm in no way perfect, I try to make healthy choices with those cals, and drink more water than I ever have.

I am doing Stronglifts5X5 2 or 3 times a week. I aim for cardio 3 times a week, but most of the time it's twice and not super hardcore. About 15-20 mins of HIIT.

Like I said, my food choices are not always perfect. But really, does anyone seriously always make perfect choices? Even on the weekends when I have a few drinks, I know I can't be completely derailing my whole week. I'm not going to boo-hoo about how I'm going to just quit, because this is more of a lifestyle change for me. But I thought I would have seen more progess, especially in how my clothes fit.

...Sigh...okay, pity party over.
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Replies

  • sarahrbraun
    sarahrbraun Posts: 2,261 Member
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    yup. I have lost almost nothing...like seriously maybe a lb a month, for the last 2 months. According to my stats, I should be losing 1.5-2lbs per WEEK. It all came to a screeching halt in September when I started taking a daily allergy pill.

    In the beginning, it took me 3 months to lose 7lbs, then I tweaked a few things, and was losing really well--6-8lbs a month.
  • victoriavoodoo
    victoriavoodoo Posts: 343 Member
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    yup. I have lost almost nothing...like seriously maybe a lb a month, for the last 2 months. According to my stats, I should be losing 1.5-2lbs per WEEK. It all came to a screeching halt in September when I started taking a daily allergy pill.

    In the beginning, it took me 3 months to lose 7lbs, then I tweaked a few things, and was losing really well--6-8lbs a month.

    Do you know what "tweaks" made the most differnce/care to share? =]
  • n0ob
    n0ob Posts: 2,390 Member
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    Unless you haven't gotten stronger, then you are not at a point of no progress.
  • petechiae
    petechiae Posts: 147 Member
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    I'm in the same situation. I lost a little bit but it's a very slow progress... I'm looking forward to the answers to your question.
  • kenazfehu
    kenazfehu Posts: 1,188 Member
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    PLEASE IGNORE THIS ENTRY! I WASN'T REMEMBERING ACCURATELY AT ALL. My ticker is correct; I have lost 7 pounds since I joined.

    My weight isn't whiz-banging off, either. I lost 9 pounds the first month on my own, then I joined MFP and gained 3 pounds. Finally after a month I lost 3.8. Therefore, I'm only 0.8 pound down from my starting point. For one month, that's just pitiful.

    Since this is a life-style change for me, too, I'm going to hang in there and keep doing what I'm doing. I'm trying to eat only half of my exercise calories back to create a little margin for error. AND I'm struggling to consistently stay within my calorie count each and every day. I've been having days when I don't even log it, thinking I'm staying within reasonable bounds, but not being sure.
  • sarahrbraun
    sarahrbraun Posts: 2,261 Member
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    yup. I have lost almost nothing...like seriously maybe a lb a month, for the last 2 months. According to my stats, I should be losing 1.5-2lbs per WEEK. It all came to a screeching halt in September when I started taking a daily allergy pill.

    In the beginning, it took me 3 months to lose 7lbs, then I tweaked a few things, and was losing really well--6-8lbs a month.

    Do you know what "tweaks" made the most differnce/care to share? =]

    for me, it was going lower carb. When it took me 3 months to lose 7lbs, I was eating 200-250g of carbs a day ( whatever MFP allotted me). I cut down to 100g net ( total carbs minus fiber) and lost 5lbs the first week...a total of 8 lbs the first month...2nd month of low carb I lost 6lbs...3rd month was like 4lbs...4th month was like 3lbs... then I went on the allergy meds and only lost 1lb per month for 2 months.
  • butterfli7o
    butterfli7o Posts: 1,319 Member
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    I have definitely gotten stronger, and I see the changes in my arms...but stomach, hips and thighs are still the same. :frown: I have seen so many amazing successes with heavy lifting, I just really want to be one of those success stories!
  • butterfli7o
    butterfli7o Posts: 1,319 Member
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    I was actually debating going lower-carb myself... :sad:
  • victoriavoodoo
    victoriavoodoo Posts: 343 Member
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    for me, it was going lower carb. When it took me 3 months to lose 7lbs, I was eating 200-250g of carbs a day ( whatever MFP allotted me). I cut down to 100g net ( total carbs minus fiber) and lost 5lbs the first week...a total of 8 lbs the first month...2nd month of low carb I lost 6lbs...3rd month was like 4lbs...4th month was like 3lbs... then I went on the allergy meds and only lost 1lb per month for 2 months.

    Thanks, carbs are something I forget about(always been more of a calorie counter) maybe what helped you will help me =]. And that's so odd about the allergy meds, sorry. It must be frustrating. =[
  • KatRamsay
    KatRamsay Posts: 7 Member
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    i am in the same boat, however i was thinking that i worked hard at the week and relax a bit at the weekend. However if you select your reports tab and look at your nutrition/cals over 90 days you can see clearly where your calroies are lying. i was pretty appalled at how i would sabotage a great week by 1-2 days of heavy eating. i wasn't aware i was doing it and was to an extent kidding myself on. So i have started aiming to reduce days where i relax and hit within my calorie goal. Make an effort to fill in each day and cut down my 'bad' days. So my aim is to give myself better aims each week.

    I think if you look back at some old threads there are good topics on metabolic rate. Where your body can go into a famine mode and your metabolism slows and fat storing goes into overdrive. However i am not sure how to fix that or the whole science behind it. A bit more research is required i think.

    Good luck and if anyone has the answers then please share :)

    Kat
  • butterfli7o
    butterfli7o Posts: 1,319 Member
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    What allergy med was this??
  • RosaC773
    RosaC773 Posts: 126
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    Taking measurements is key if you are lifting weights! I only have lost 2lbs, but I have lost 2.5inches from my waist.

    I am getting stronger, but I am not losing.

    Worry about the measurements, not the scale! Good luck and keep doing what you are doing!
  • XXXMinnieXXX
    XXXMinnieXXX Posts: 3,459 Member
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    I had this issue...dripped the carbs to 25-30% of my diet and boom... Moving again x
  • heatherloveslifting
    heatherloveslifting Posts: 1,428 Member
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    I have definitely gotten stronger, and I see the changes in my arms...but stomach, hips and thighs are still the same. :frown: I have seen so many amazing successes with heavy lifting, I just really want to be one of those success stories!

    Well, I lose very slowly too and and am lifting. It has basically taken me 9 months to lose 25 lbs but I've gone from size 12 to size 6. Something else odd I've noticed- people start asking me if I've lost weight whenever I haven't lost for a few weeks. Really while I'm dropping no one notices, but then a month with no change and suddenly people ask if I've lost more. Our bodies are just strange!

    Be patient, go by how you feel, appreciate the small positive changes and know they will add up. Take pictures!- It's harder to see in yourself every day!
  • Lennox497
    Lennox497 Posts: 242 Member
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    All keep in mind that weight is subjective when you are strength training. What you really should ask yourself is how you feel with your 5x5 progress.

    I am also participating in the SL 5x5. I add a few extra exercises just for kicks and mix in cardio sometimes on off days and sometimes after my lifting.

    When you build more muscle your body does require more fuel, so keep that in mind. Sometimes the answer to lose "weight" is to increase your caloric intake. Make sure you body is fueled for your workout as well for the post workout repair time.
  • laceybrobie
    laceybrobie Posts: 495 Member
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    I have definitely gotten stronger, and I see the changes in my arms...but stomach, hips and thighs are still the same. :frown: I have seen so many amazing successes with heavy lifting, I just really want to be one of those success stories!

    keep in mind that you are only trying to lose 15 lbs. other people are losing 100+ sometimes. check your food intake.. are you over on fat and sodium every day?

    also, try bumping up more cardio for now. thats a better burn. once you get half way through your 15lbs then start toning with the weights. the weights are helping you build muscle so you are not going to see a loss on the scale most of the time.
  • LMick1986
    LMick1986 Posts: 431
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    Taking measurements is key if you are lifting weights! I only have lost 2lbs, but I have lost 2.5inches from my waist.

    I am getting stronger, but I am not losing.

    Worry about the measurements, not the scale! Good luck and keep doing what you are doing!

    This is a good point....considering muscle weighs more than fat. You may just be transferring fat to muscle right now. So you may not see the numbers dropping on the scale for a while.
  • Rockdrop
    Rockdrop Posts: 22 Member
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    When I started at the beginning of September, I quickly lost 7 pounds and then stalled...for weeks. Three weeks ago I changed up a few things, but unfortunately that means I can't quite pinpoint what made the difference. Here's what I'm doing:

    1. Working out in the morning for 60 minutes, 4 times a week...on an empty stomach.
    2. Reduced my carb intake to <100g per day.
    3. Shifted my calories so that I'm eating higher amounts earlier in the day, and only saving about 200 for an after-supper snack.
    4. Added in some exercise (walks and heavy lifting) on the weekends, when I'd normally take those days off from exercise.

    For all I know, my plateau would have broken on its own after those weeks of nothing happening. I've lost an additional five pounds in the past 2.5 weeks (since implementing these changes), so I'll keep doing it until I stall again. (Worth noting: I still relax majorly with my eating on the weekends, and still have good results.)

    Good luck! I understand how frustrated you must feel!
  • pinktina27
    pinktina27 Posts: 12
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    I've seen gains the last two weeks, despite sticking to my calories and working out. It is so frustrating! I keep thinking that at some point my body is going to have catch up to my hard work. I'm going to lower my carbs as well, looking at some of the glycemic index stuff out there and I'm pounding the water. Something has got to give to get me out of this rut.
  • sarahrbraun
    sarahrbraun Posts: 2,261 Member
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    What allergy med was this??

    I was on Claritin for 3 weeks, then my respiratory therapist told me to switch to Zyrtec because I was still having issues that were causing asthma flares. I have been on Zyrtec for a month.

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