NOT LOSING WEIGHT

well, first, if you have the flu and you're not eating, your body is busy restoring itself, fighting off infection, and feeding off the calories it had before you got sick. Aside from the last two days because you were sick, have you been exercising? whats your calorie intake like? fat intake? i applaud you for not giving up, as this is a long struggle ( as i've found out myself lately) and to give up would make you feel even worse...

My advice is to ditch the expectations of faaaaaast weight loss. If you are owning the change of lifestyle for yourself, it should not matter if change comes overnight or takes a while, as long as change is happening, and it is permanent.

I used to have the same outlook---wanting change and wanting it fast---if I did not get immediate results I would give up. But a more realistic view is that you might hit plateaus for weeks or even months before you begin losing again. But you need to stick with it through the hard bits.

Keep your chin up! YOU Can Do It!

For one thing, you are sick. When you are sick, your entire system is out of whack and you will retain fluids whether it is a respiratory flu or a stomach flu. Also, when you are sick, your metabolism is not burning at full capacity as far as weight loss. Your body is fighting the illness and does not care if you want to lose weight. On that note, stay away from the scale and focus on getting yourself well.

Second, you cannot safely lose weight ASAP. It is a slow process that requires diligence and hard work. You must change your eating habits and exercise. Once again, stay away from the scale. I, also, have my numbers set to lose a pound a week, but have gone for weeks at a time without losing an ounce. But, my clothes fit better and it is visually noticeable that I am thinner. I'm not sure of your motivation to lose weight so quickly, but in order to be successful and to keep the weight off, you cannot rush your body.

Hang in there, get well, stay away from the scale and remember (though you may not want to hear it) slow and steady wins the race!

Well, you're not going to lose 23 lbs "asap". That's just not going to happen. Or if it does, you'll do it by starving yourself like crazy and you'll only gain it back when you start eating again.

Get out of that asap thinking, that's your first downfall.

What are you eating? Are you exercising? How much water are you drinking? How much sugar and sodium are you taking in a day? If we can see your food diary, you'd be able to get much better advice. :flowerforyou:

Thanks everyone. I hope I see some pounds lost tomorrow! As for the answer to someone's question I typically exercise a lot and eat really healthy (like 700-1000 calories a day)!!! But, when I have had the flu I did not do any. I understand I cannot lose weight asap but at the same time I wish I could. I just feel so fat and want to be thin again. I want to like getting on the scale and see my number go down! But lately all I see is the number rising or staying constant. I will try to walk a little bit extra and cut my calories as well.

700-1000 calories aday is not enough especially if you are exercising. That is probably why you aren't losing.

I agree with everyone. Good for you for sticking with it and not giving up.

Do you mean you are only eating 700-1000 calories? Plus exercising??
You are not eating enough.
Please start to eat more healthy foods and then you'll loose weight. Drink LOTS of water too.
Good Luck, and I hope you feel better real soon. :flowerforyou:

Girl, you need to eat. You ate a total of 320 calories yeterday, and exercised off 522 calories! So you basically ate -202 calories...Your body is starving. No wonder you're not losing anything. And starving yourself always leads to bingeing.

Today isn't so bad, calorie-wise, but it could be better nutritionally. You just need to make better choices, veggies, fruits...maybe you can try planning your meals, and that can help you stay on track. I've always hated cooking, and now cook for myself 99% of the time. Try cooking your own food more often.

You should takea deep breath, sit back and relax and read around here...research and see what works for others. It might work for you. If yo'd like, you can look at my food diary and get some ideas.

Just don't panic, don't expect it to happen immediately, and don't starve yourself!

Okay I don't want to be mean here but if you are serious about losing weight you need to relearn how to eat. On the days you eat healthy you get less than 300 calories. On the days you get close or go way over your goals you eat tons of sweets and pizza and fast food stuff. Most of us are on this site to get healthy. Weight loss is a byproduct of a healthy lifestyle. Please search others food diary's and read all of the threads on healty eating to start rethinking your eating. I would suggest that you plan out your days of food. then you know what you get to eat and you plan it to be good for you. I understand that you are upset but you really need to learn to eat right before you will see any sustainable weightloss.

Its more then likely water weight. Do you feel OK on 700? If so keep it up. Only Americans have this " low calorie=starvation mode" mentality. Basic high school math and science says if you're eating below your BMR you will lose. Combine exercise, you lose more. Your body can only hold on to so much.

Good idea, encouraging someone who ate -202 calories to stretch it even more. :huh:

202 is low i didn't see she was doing that. I love how your critical of the one day I didn't eat 5 pounds of veggies.

Its more then likely water weight. Do you feel OK on 700? If so keep it up. Only Americans have this " low calorie=starvation mode" mentality. Basic high school math and science says if you're eating below your BMR you will lose. Combine exercise, you lose more. Your body can only hold on to so much.

You know, I get pretty tired of hearing about "starvation mode" too but that is because I think it gets misunderstood. A lot of people think that "starvation mode" means that no weight will be lost. This isn't the case. Obviously if you starve a person, they will lose weight. As you said, it is basic math. Did the people in concentration camps lose weight? Clearly. Should that be our goal? Um, no.

My understanding of "starvation mode" is when the body is down to it's last 10-15 lbs of body fat and fears that it might not be getting the nutrition it needs. So, instead of releasing those last pounds of fat, it uses muscle for energy, stops growing hair, slows down the heart, decreases cognitive function and a lot of other scary things that most people really don't want.

And that is great for you. But for someone seeking advice that might not be able to go to a doctor for regular testing, that kind of advice can start them down a path of being unhealthy.

I'm really not trying to mean, just to make a point that what should really be focused on is being healthy, not losing weight. Yes, I am trying to lose weight. But I am also attempting to watch my sodium levels and work more fruit and vegetables into my diet. Because no matter how thin you are, your health will still fall apart on you if you do not feed your body the proper nourishment.

If everyone could afford to go to a doctor and dietician and get personal recommendations, that would be great. Then there wouldn't be so many "1200 calorie" arguments on here. But not everyone can.

The best thing that everyone can do is try to eat a well-rounded diet from the food pyramid.

I've done the whole low calorie thing. I ate very little if at all. I lost a TON of weight. I also had no body strength, was often a little disoriented and occasionally almost passed out at work.

I also gained it all back and then some when I could no longer sustain it. (A.K.A. when my friends did an impromptu intervention on me about what I was doing to myself.) And FYI my metabolism was a wreck from then on.

I feel like I eat more now than I ever did before. But its good food. I also feel better than I ever have. Even when I was 30 pounds down from my current weight and ate a pack of gummi bears all day.