Slightly discouraged!

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theloppi
theloppi Posts: 18
in Motivation and Support
Ok so I've been dieting/exercising on and off for a while. Recently something has clicked (possibly due to a sudden undeniable weight gain over the last year!) and I'm finding it a lot easier to stick to a regime. I run 3 times a week (I love it!) and I'm eating 1200cal a day. It's not exactly fun but I've been coping fine and sticking to it. According to MFP I should lose around 0.8lbs a week as my TDEE is about 1600 and I work a sedentary job. Even a small loss is fine with me though since I want to be back to the weight I was a few years ago by the summer (which is a good 6 or 7 months off).

Last Friday I weighed myself in the morning, pre-food-and-pee and I was 122.5lbs, the same as I have been for the last few months while eating what I want. This morning I weighed myself under the same conditions and I'm 123.25!? I know it's not a huge gain but there shouldn't be a gain at all, surely?!

I'm going to keep at it as I have been and perhaps start measuring too, but I won't lie, I feel quite annoyed that it's so early on and I already seem to be failing miserably.

Any ideas?

Replies

  • fitblondebaker22
    fitblondebaker22 Posts: 84
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    It's easy to get discouraged with the numbers on the scale. You have to keep in mind that as women, our weight will fluctuate, some days more drastic than others. Stick with your program, be patient, and you will see results. If you are close to your TOM, you could be retaining water. If your sodium intake was higher the past few days than normal, you will also retain water. And you could possibly just need to use the potty once or twice for a good BM and your weight could go back down. Add some weight training into your routine, and try not to weigh yourself too often. You have the right idea - measure! And go by your clothes and mirror to judge your progress. Not that lying B**** of a scale :) Good luck.

    ETA - 1200 calorie diets are not a sustainable form of weight loss. Always make sure you are eating enough. It is JUST as important as the overeating side of it. Your body needs fuel - treat it well :) Low calorie diets may show quicker results - but slow and steady wins the race.
  • mockchoc
    mockchoc Posts: 6,573 Member
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    You should never eat below your BMR. If your BMR is 1600 you should be eating above that but below your TDEE. Your body isn't getting enough fuel so this is probably why you are not loosing.
  • want2belean
    want2belean Posts: 124 Member
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    I am in the same boat as you theioppi...I have not gained weight but I surely am not loosing. Really, I went from eating whatever I wanted and maintaining the same weight plus I never exercised- to- working out 4x a week for 30-60 min and eating 1200 calories a day. I don't know what is going on with you, but I feel am obviously not doing something right. I decided this morning, I will kick it up some and change things around, I will not eat ANY breads even though I was eating only mulit grain or wheat anyway, absolutely no whites meaning mayo or sour cream, even if it is low fat and lots more water, either giving up my ice tea with splenda or coffee with splenda and upping my work out. If that doesn't work, I will feel like giving up, but that is why I am on MFP, so I don't give up. Good luck to you....
  • theloppi
    theloppi Posts: 18
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    It's easy to get discouraged with the numbers on the scale. You have to keep in mind that as women, our weight will fluctuate, some days more drastic than others. Stick with your program, be patient, and you will see results. If you are close to your TOM, you could be retaining water. If your sodium intake was higher the past few days than normal, you will also retain water. And you could possibly just need to use the potty once or twice for a good BM and your weight could go back down. Add some weight training into your routine, and try not to weigh yourself too often. You have the right idea - measure! And go by your clothes and mirror to judge your progress. Not that lying B**** of a scale :) Good luck.

    Thank you for the advice! Looking at your page you were in a similar boat to me!
    You should never eat below your BMR. If your BMR is 1600 you should be eating above that but below your TDEE. Your body isn't getting enough fuel so this is probably why you are not loosing.

    Wait I think 1600 most be my TDEE. Sorry, I wasn't very clear!
  • samblanken
    samblanken Posts: 369 Member
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    Ditch the scale! It's a misleading LIAR!

    When I was in college I was 150 lbs. I had double biceps, a six pack, and I could do 20 pullups. I wore a size zero.

    I'm still 150 pounds. I don't have double biceps, a six pack, and I can't do a pull up. I'm between a size 6 and an 8.

    Which 150 pound girl do you think I'd rather be?? I'm busting my but to get back to the fit one. My weight really hasn't changed but I can see lots of change in my progress photos. That's what keeps me going.
  • fitblondebaker22
    fitblondebaker22 Posts: 84
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    Ditch the scale! It's a misleading LIAR!

    When I was in college I was 150 lbs. I had double biceps, a six pack, and I could do 20 pullups. I wore a size zero.

    I'm still 150 pounds. I don't have double biceps, a six pack, and I can't do a pull up. I'm between a size 6 and an 8.

    Which 150 pound girl do you think I'd rather be?? I'm busting my but to get back to the fit one. My weight really hasn't changed but I can see lots of change in my progress photos. That's what keeps me going.

    YES! The scale is an aweful measurement of progress. Sometimes it will only set you back if you focus on it too much. Those numbers do not define you.
  • veganbaum
    veganbaum Posts: 1,865 Member
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    What do you have your weekly goal set at? Do you eat your exercise calories? Where did you get 1600 from?
  • marycmeadows
    marycmeadows Posts: 1,691 Member
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    IF your bmr is 1600..... and you're working out, and still only eating 1200 calories a day, you're not eating enough. You probably need to eat more. IF you are working out your tdee is probably not 1600, as that's really low. if it is only 1600, then you need to do some MetaCon.

    AND also, if you only weigh 122, why are you trying to lose weight??? how tall are you?
  • theloppi
    theloppi Posts: 18
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    What do you have your weekly goal set at? Do you eat your exercise calories? Where did you get 1600 from?

    I used the MFP thing to work it out. My weekly weightloss goal is 0.8lb. I eat back my exercise calories. The 1600 is MFPs suggestion of the amount I need to eat to maintain my current weight.
  • pixiestick
    pixiestick Posts: 839 Member
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    The scale is an aweful measurement of progress. Sometimes it will only set you back if you focus on it too much. Those numbers do not define you.

    I think the scale is one tool in a whole handbag of options. Health and a fit lifestyle should be the ultimate goal. For those of us with significant padding (like myself), the scale can be a good reality check. However, it cannot serve as the only definition of success. My resting heart rate is lower now then a month ago. Whether I feel validated on the scale or not, that truth tells me that I am making progress.

    Use the whole handbag.
  • hulahup
    hulahup Posts: 4
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    Sorry, can you help me? Whats TDEE? I thought I should eat the number of calories as showed... I´m new around here. Thank you!
  • fitblondebaker22
    fitblondebaker22 Posts: 84
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    The scale is an aweful measurement of progress. Sometimes it will only set you back if you focus on it too much. Those numbers do not define you.

    I think the scale is one tool in a whole handbag of options. Health and a fit lifestyle should be the ultimate goal. For those of us with significant padding (like myself), the scale can be a good reality check. However, it cannot serve as the only definition of success. My resting heart rate is lower now then a month ago. Whether I feel validated on the scale or not, that truth tells me that I am making progress.

    Use the whole handbag.

    I certainly agree the scale is a tool to help when it comes to reaching weight loss goals. I do think sometimes we tend to put so much emphasis on that number that we forget to use the whole handbag, as you put it.
  • veganbaum
    veganbaum Posts: 1,865 Member
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    What do you have your weekly goal set at? Do you eat your exercise calories? Where did you get 1600 from?

    I used the MFP thing to work it out. My weekly weightloss goal is 0.8lb. I eat back my exercise calories. The 1600 is MFPs suggestion of the amount I need to eat to maintain my current weight.

    What I'm asking is what goal did *you* enter? 1lb/wk? (Based on your numbers it seems like you might be trying for 1.5 or 2lb/wk.) With only 15 pounds to lose, and it *looks* like you are quite within the healthy range of weight, you are not going to lose very quickly. Set your goal for .5lb/wk if you haven't and eat there for a month and see what happens. Your body really might just be happy where it is if you're pretty well within the healthy range. You might want to focus on body composition and start lifting.

    *After looking at your height and weight, it looks like you're on the lower end of a healthy BMI (yes, yes, the BMI is flawed, but it gives a framework for the average person). You really might want to try to focus on lifting to change your body shape rather than focusing on the scale.
  • theloppi
    theloppi Posts: 18
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    What do you have your weekly goal set at? Do you eat your exercise calories? Where did you get 1600 from?

    I used the MFP thing to work it out. My weekly weightloss goal is 0.8lb. I eat back my exercise calories. The 1600 is MFPs suggestion of the amount I need to eat to maintain my current weight.

    What I'm asking is what goal did *you* enter? 1lb/wk? (Based on your numbers it seems like you might be trying for 1.5 or 2lb/wk.) With only 15 pounds to lose, and it *looks* like you are quite within the healthy range of weight, you are not going to lose very quickly. Set your goal for .5lb/wk if you haven't and eat there for a month and see what happens. Your body really might just be happy where it is if you're pretty well within the healthy range. You might want to focus on body composition and start lifting.

    I went back and checked and it was 1lb. I'm not really that bothered about how much I weigh as long as I'm within the healthy range. I think I'll continue as I am for another week since I have no idea if it's just an anomaly, and If I see no change, I'll reset it to 0.5lbs as you suggest. I'm not in any rush really!
  • deksgrl
    deksgrl Posts: 7,237 Member
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    Your weight can vary by several pounds due to water retention from too much sodium, ToM, differences in what time of day you weighed yourself, food in your digestion system, water retention in your muscles for the repair process after workouts, etc. A difference of 1.5 pounds is nothing. Mine goes up and down 5 pounds due to these factors. I didn't really pig out enough to cause me to actually gain 5 pounds, it's just water.
  • hypergrl
    hypergrl Posts: 188 Member
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    I can tell you I didn't see my numbers drop from the b**** of a scale until I started lifting weights. I might be a bit older but it really is true muscle burns fat! Plus, I had to change WHAT I was eating too.
  • grubb1019
    grubb1019 Posts: 371 Member
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    Honestly, you don't need to loose any more weight. I could tell that by your pic and then I saw you are 5 ft 4 and 122. You are within healthy range, your BMI is 20.9, healthy range for your height is 18.5–24.9 . If you don't think you look fit you need to focus on toning up with strength training. And if you are exercising that much you definitely need MORE calories than 1200.
  • pixiestick
    pixiestick Posts: 839 Member
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    It may not be an issue of losing as much as reshaping.

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