Despondent - where am I going wrong?
pixeldust
Posts: 18
I have lost a grand total of 100 grams in the last 15 days, after seeing some water weight lost initially when I began tracking. My starting weight was 74kg and I am stuck at 71.7 and it just won't budge, and I am starting to lose motivation 
I calculated my BMR at 1480 and my TDEE at around 1900/2000. I started off on 1200 calories but have increased that to 1400 after reading some of the threads here.
I weigh all of my food religiously with a digital scale. I eat primarily unprocessed foods and a lot of fruit and vegetables, and eat whole wheat where I can. I am avoiding high sodium foods also. I drink about 2 litres of water a day though I don't bother tracking it.
I have changed my macros to 40/30/30 recently but am finding it hard to hit the protein goal.
I work full time, have two kids (6 and 9 months), get 6 hours broken sleep a night if I am lucky, and don't have time/energy to exercise, but I do try to keep active, we will do a 6-7km walk once or twice a weekend with the 11kg baby strapped to my back, I take the stairs where possible, I walk my emails etc. If I do get extra exercise I try not to eat back more than half my calories as I know the calculators on here are crap. I breastfeed but only once a night usually so only add -50 calories when I do.
I've still been having treats as I have a massive sweet tooth but I keep within my macros and calories.
I did have a bad bout of mouth ulcers a few weeks ago which I think was due to eating too much acidic food (salads etc) and I had trouble eating at that point but tried to keep to my goals even though I didn't manage to track everything every day because it was more important that I just ate anything.
I understand calories in, energy out, creating a deficit etc, so I'm thinking all I can do at this point is drop my "treat" foods, such as my morning coffee and squares of dark chocolate, drop my calories back to 1200 and increase my protein?
Any other suggestions? Because I am seriously despondent here
I calculated my BMR at 1480 and my TDEE at around 1900/2000. I started off on 1200 calories but have increased that to 1400 after reading some of the threads here.
I weigh all of my food religiously with a digital scale. I eat primarily unprocessed foods and a lot of fruit and vegetables, and eat whole wheat where I can. I am avoiding high sodium foods also. I drink about 2 litres of water a day though I don't bother tracking it.
I have changed my macros to 40/30/30 recently but am finding it hard to hit the protein goal.
I work full time, have two kids (6 and 9 months), get 6 hours broken sleep a night if I am lucky, and don't have time/energy to exercise, but I do try to keep active, we will do a 6-7km walk once or twice a weekend with the 11kg baby strapped to my back, I take the stairs where possible, I walk my emails etc. If I do get extra exercise I try not to eat back more than half my calories as I know the calculators on here are crap. I breastfeed but only once a night usually so only add -50 calories when I do.
I've still been having treats as I have a massive sweet tooth but I keep within my macros and calories.
I did have a bad bout of mouth ulcers a few weeks ago which I think was due to eating too much acidic food (salads etc) and I had trouble eating at that point but tried to keep to my goals even though I didn't manage to track everything every day because it was more important that I just ate anything.
I understand calories in, energy out, creating a deficit etc, so I'm thinking all I can do at this point is drop my "treat" foods, such as my morning coffee and squares of dark chocolate, drop my calories back to 1200 and increase my protein?
Any other suggestions? Because I am seriously despondent here
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Replies
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15 days isnt enough time. Your bosy is getting used to this new calorie intake. How long were you at the 1200 calorie level? If you were stuck there for months it's going to take a while before your body really believe you're getting enough and are going to continue that. Just hang in there. If you don't see any changes in a month or so then you might want to have some tests run just to be sure it's not a medical issue.0
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This is my progress since I began... The (w) denotes my official weigh in each week.
[1200 calories]
14 nov 74.0kg (w)
17 nov - 73.8kg
18 nov - 73.6kg
19 nov - 73.4kg (w)
20 nov - 73.5kg
21 nov - 73.1kg
22 nov - 72.8kg
23 nov - 72.8kg
24 nov - 72.8kg
25 nov - 72.6kg
26 nov - 72.4kg (w)
27 nov - 72.1kg
28 nov - 72.1kg
29 nov - 71.8kg
30 nov - 71.8kg
1 dec - 71.8kg
[Goal changed to 1400 calories]
2 dec - 71.8kg
3 dec - 71.8kg (w)
5 dec - 71.8kg
7 dec - 71.5kg
8 dec - 71.5kg
9 dec - 71.2kg (w)
11 dec - 71.7kg
12 dec - 71.7kg0 -
You will drive yourself insane at this rate. 15 days in!? You seriously have to give it time. I realize that is not what you want to hear, but it's just the truth. If your calories are accurate, the scale will move. I have had PLENTY of weeks (sometimes several weeks) where the scale hasn't moved at all, or gone up, for no reason. It all evens out in the end!
Keep at it! I have 2 little ones too, 3 and a half, and one the will be a year on the 20th. I work as well. I know how hard it is.0 -
How much do you have to lose?0
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you didn't gain the weight overnight, it's not going to go away overnight either...your body has to relearn a new program....get used to things...and adapt, slowly. give yourself time and be patient. stick with it, you'll be ok!0
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same here. i see things just standing still. its gonna get better. it will0
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You will drive yourself insane at this rate. 15 days in!? You seriously have to give it time. I realize that is not what you want to hear, but it's just the truth. If your calories are accurate, the scale will move. I have had PLENTY of weeks (sometimes several weeks) where the scale hasn't moved at all, or gone up, for no reason. It all evens out in the end!
Keep at it! I have 2 little ones too, 3 and a half, and one the will be a year on the 20th. I work as well. I know how hard it is.
No, I'm a month in. I'm not expecting miracles or to lose 1 kg a week, or even to lose half of that, but I thought surely I would see more progress after losing the water weight?0 -
I did have a bad bout of mouth ulcers a few weeks ago which I think was due to eating too much acidic food (salads etc) and I had trouble eating at that point but tried to keep to my goals even though I didn't manage to track everything every day because it was more important that I just ate anything.
I greatly reduced frequency of mouth ulcers by cutting out processed sugar.0 -
I ask, because if your TDEE is right (and it's probably pretty close) you won't be able to lose more than a pound a week without going below your BMR, which you shouldn't do to lose the weight as healthy as possible.
A 20% cut from the higher end of your calculated TDEE puts you at 1600 cals a day (which is just shy of a pound a week). If you don't have much to lose you will want to go with an even lower cut of 10% (which will equate to about half a pound a week).
This is assuming you are very consistent with exercising and measuring/weighing and logging your food.
Also, is it possible you added your exercise in when figuring your TDEE? If so, you should not be calculating and eating back your exercise calories as they are already factored in.
Also, everyone else is correct. Anytime you make a change to your diet or exercise, you should give it 4 to 6 weeks. I can go a month without losing anything, then lose 2 pounds overnight. That's just the way it works. Some days I even gain. I don't worry about it. I just keep track of it and observe the changes over a longer period of time.0 -
How much do you have to lose?
I'm 5'2" - 5'3", so my UGW is 54kg, which would put me square into having a normal BMI.0 -
Ok, I would think you would be fine at TDEE - 20%.How much do you have to lose?
I'm 5'2" - 5'3", so my UGW is 54kg, which would put me square into having a normal BMI.
You may also want to see your doctor and check your hormone levels, just to make sure there are no problems there, but I would give it at least 6 weeks before I did that (but that is just me).
Assuming hormones and thyroid is normal, if you consume less than you burn, you WILL lose weight. If you miscalculated your TDEE or are not logging food properly, and are actually eating close to your TDEE for one of these reasons, It will take a good while for it to show on the scale.
In the mean time, you should also take progress picks and measurements as the scale is by no means the best tool to measure progress with.0 -
I found this calculator to be accurate on my TDEE and my (doctor tested) BMR to within 50 calories. I am a teacher/engineer so I primarily have a desk job, but I lift heavy 3 days a week, so I set my activity level to "Lightly Active".
Give that a go and see what it gives you for TDEE.0 -
Ok, I would think you would be fine at TDEE - 20%.How much do you have to lose?
I'm 5'2" - 5'3", so my UGW is 54kg, which would put me square into having a normal BMI.
You may also want to see your doctor and check your hormone levels, just to make sure there are no problems there, but I would give it at least 6 weeks before I did that (but that is just me).
Assuming hormones and thyroid is normal, if you consume less than you burn, you WILL lose weight. If you miscalculated your TDEE or are not logging food properly, and are actually eating close to your TDEE for one of these reasons, It will take a good while for it to show on the scale.
In the mean time, you should also take progress picks and measurements as the scale is by no means the best tool to measure progress with.
Thanks - I figured if for some reason I am underestimating my calories or portions then it would be quite minor since I do weigh as much as I possibly can, so it shouldn't put me anywhere near my TDEE. I try to overestimate where possible and I'm completely honest about everything I consume and log everything bar sugarfree gum and water.
I have taken photos but apart from a reduction in bloat there isn't any difference.
Could it be something I am eating? Can anyone have a look at my diary?0 -
This is my progress since I began... The (w) denotes my official weigh in each week.
[1200 calories]
14 nov 74.0kg (w)
17 nov - 73.8kg
18 nov - 73.6kg
19 nov - 73.4kg (w)
20 nov - 73.5kg
21 nov - 73.1kg
22 nov - 72.8kg
23 nov - 72.8kg
24 nov - 72.8kg
25 nov - 72.6kg
26 nov - 72.4kg (w)
27 nov - 72.1kg
28 nov - 72.1kg
29 nov - 71.8kg
30 nov - 71.8kg
1 dec - 71.8kg
[Goal changed to 1400 calories]
2 dec - 71.8kg
3 dec - 71.8kg (w)
5 dec - 71.8kg
7 dec - 71.5kg
8 dec - 71.5kg
9 dec - 71.2kg (w)
11 dec - 71.7kg
12 dec - 71.7kg
Okay, according to this you've lost 5 lbs in the past month? Since the five lbs wasn't all lost in the first few days, I'm guessing that not all of it was water weight, so you've had a decent loss. It looks like just a couple days ago you were down another pound even, but bouncedb ack up. Your hormones could be effecting this. I know that for about 10 days out of the month, my weight slowly climbs or stays steady, then I lose 5 lbs in one week. It's what generally happens every 4 weeks...
You are still losing, but don't deprive yourself too much. Think of it this way, if you aren't going to lose quickly on 1200 a day, why not lose slowly on 1500 a day and actually have more food to enjoy?0 -
THAT is going to open a whole slew of advice that you don't need at this point.........people are going to argue clean eating versus processed foods, too many carbs, too little protein..........hehe
Could it be something I am eating? Can anyone have a look at my diary?
The bottom line is you could be eating just Twinkies and drinking soda and if you are burning more than you take in, you will lose. Sure there are side effects, but THAT is not what you are asking.....0 -
You have made excellent progress for 15 DAYS and you are not very much over-weight. So your expectations are way out of whack. Are you sure that weighing every day is useful for you? It sounds like you put too much importance on that number when it can be influenced by so many factors. I weigh every day but only to take the lowest for my weekly entry. When I get down to your weight I plan to only log my weight monthly. When one doesn't have as much too lose, it takes longer to lose it.
So, what are you doing to achieve by giving up? Obviously you have not found a way of eating that is sustainable or you wouldn't be so focused on the finish line. Perhaps changing your primary goal to "improving health" would be more useful and help with accepting that dieting doesn't work and that you aren't in a race.0 -
Stop weighing yourself every day.0
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Make sure you are also tracking your inches lost as well. I know there was a time when I began to workout more than I had, I didn't lose weight for 2 weeks. Once I checked my inches however I had lost a total (entire body) of 7 inches!! So make sure you check ALL places before you get discouraged.0
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I found this calculator to be accurate on my TDEE and my (doctor tested) BMR to within 50 calories. I am a teacher/engineer so I primarily have a desk job, but I lift heavy 3 days a week, so I set my activity level to "Lightly Active".
Give that a go and see what it gives you for TDEE.
Was there supposed to be a link? I'd love to check it out!0 -
Stop weighing yourself every day.
I weigh every morning but I only take my "official" weight once a week. I'm not down about the lack of drop each day at all, I just find it useful for trends as I can see it reflected the next day especially if I have had too much sodium the previous day. From everything I have read it's not the crime of the century to weigh daily as long as it's in perspective, hence why I am only now bothered that in 15 days there has only been an overall 100gram loss.0 -
Obviously you have not found a way of eating that is sustainable or you wouldn't be so focused on the finish line. Perhaps changing your primary goal to "improving health" would be more useful and help with accepting that dieting doesn't work and that you aren't in a race.
Not true at all. I have found it quite sustainable and am enjoying changing my food intake and focusing on choosing healthy options and giving myself variety. But I'm doing this for two reasons - to teach myself healthy habits for a lifetime, and to lose weight - the weight loss isn't just a pleasant side effect for me of eating well, it's intentional and I was hoping it would be reflective of the effort I have put in. It's hard not to feel like... why should I refuse that cookie I am offered if it's not actually making a difference? Why should I be choosing the salad over the filled roll and poring over the detail of the calories consumed when I could just be relaxing about it all?0 -
Stop weighing yourself every day.
I weigh every morning but I only take my "official" weight once a week. I'm not down about the lack of drop each day at all, I just find it useful for trends as I can see it reflected the next day especially if I have had too much sodium the previous day. From everything I have read it's not the crime of the century to weigh daily as long as it's in perspective, hence why I am only now bothered that in 15 days there has only been an overall 100gram loss.
I weigh daily, but you do have to keep the perspective. Yes, if you go by the stats from 15 days ago to today, you've only lost 100g, but if you go from 11/24 to 12/9 you had a loss 1.6 kg, right? Use the daily weigh ins to help you see the big picture. You are focusing to much on "in the last 15 days" I've only lost XXX. Instead, focus on the fact that you reached a new low this week and you will see that number again as long as you continue doing what you should. Maybe you are retaining water right now? As I said before, during a certain time of the month, I pretty much maintain or go up slightly for a week straight, then bam, drop 2-3 lbs overnight and then drop another few during the coming week. I've been weighing daily since January 1st and record that weight every single day, so it's helped me see this pattern.0 -
iooops. lolI found this calculator to be accurate on my TDEE and my (doctor tested) BMR to within 50 calories. I am a teacher/engineer so I primarily have a desk job, but I lift heavy 3 days a week, so I set my activity level to "Lightly Active".
Give that a go and see what it gives you for TDEE.
Was there supposed to be a link? I'd love to check it out!
give me a bit.0 -
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Your Basal Metabolic Rate is: 1404 calories.
Your Total Daily Energy Expenditure Is: 1931 calories
About what I expected.0 -
Wow - 2 babies, good on you. Don't be too hard on yourself, 15 days is not a lot. I'm guessing your not from the US as your weighing in KG's, so your either in Australasia or Europe? If in Aussie/NZ then perhaps you can get a extra walk in with the kiddies now that the weather has settled into summer?
And yeah, maybe give up the treats for a while, see how you go. But you do have 2 kiddies to look after so make sure you eat enough. Weighing yourself everyday? That would drive me insane.
Maybe try doing some weight training if you have access to a gym or Crossfitting some offer creche facilities if you don't have babysitting help on hand. Both have done wonders for my physique, alongside watching what I eat.
Good luck!0 -
Wow - 2 babies, good on you. Don't be too hard on yourself, 15 days is not a lot. I'm guessing your not from the US as your weighing in KG's, so your either in Australasia or Europe? If in Aussie/NZ then perhaps you can get a extra walk in with the kiddies now that the weather has settled into summer?
And yeah, maybe give up the treats for a while, see how you go. But you do have 2 kiddies to look after so make sure you eat enough. Weighing yourself everyday? That would drive me insane.
Maybe try doing some weight training if you have access to a gym or Crossfitting some offer creche facilities if you don't have babysitting help on hand. Both have done wonders for my physique, alongside watching what I eat.
Good luck!
I wouldn't call them both babies, the oldest is 6 years old (almost 7!). But the smaller is 9 months and still wakes up constantly all night.
I wish I could do weight training, but as it is I work through all my breaks so that I can leave early enough to get home and see my kids and relieve my husband who is a SAHD, do dinner and bath and bed etc, so going to the gym isn't possible during the day. He goes to bed early and I deal with the baby for the first 5 hours or so so can't exercise in the evenings, I get to bed around midnight, get to sleep around 1am, then have to help with the wakeups until 7am when I get up to get ready for work, so I can't workout in the morning unless I get even less sleep than I already am. We do take long walks on the weekends but I don't know that we can fit anything else in 0
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