getting so down over my weight :(

lealea_2012
lealea_2012 Posts: 10 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
been dieting since new year and just don't seem to be getting anywhere.. before new year i was probably having about 2 sometimes even 3 takeaways a week and was drinking heavily about twice a week. since new year i have completely cut out takeaways and have drank nothing but water since the 1st of jan. i have also been working out about 4-5 nights a week. i thought i would see a massive difference but since i started i have only lost 2lb and pretty sure i haven't lost any inches either. i am 5"3 and when i started weighed 10 stone and now i weigh 9 stone 12lb. could someone check out my food diary and tell me what i might be doing wrong as i have lost weight so much easier and quicker in the past and wasn't even trying half as hard as i am now. i wanted to get to 9 stone by 23rd feb and when i started it seemed dooable but now time is ticking and i don't think i will be able to get anywhere near that. for the first two weeks after new year i cut my calorie intake dramatically but got told by people on fitness pal that this doesn't work so for the past week i have been making sure i have my 1200 a day if im not exercising and on the days i do exercise i eat my 1200 plus most of the calories i burnt off during exercise. am i doing something wrong? also started the 30 day shred yesterday as i am just running out of ideas. would appreciate your thoughts on this xx

Replies

  • pollyineedtobeskinny
    pollyineedtobeskinny Posts: 362
    i've added you let's chat, we're kinda in the same boat!! :smile: xx
  • jesz124
    jesz124 Posts: 1,004 Member
    Are you drinking water at all? It's not appearing so in your food diary. You may be retaining water which can mask weight loss. If you have started a new workout routine your body may be inclined to hang onto to water. Make sure you drink 2 litres a day. I plateaued for quite a while. Realised I wasn't drinking anywhere near enough water, once I started on 2+ litres again the sclae started moving again.

    Also, don't rely on the scale too much. I have found the camera is your friend when losing fat. It will show you far more than a scale, as can a measuring tape too.

    Make sure you are consistently weighing and measuring everything you eat and drink. Don't get lazy and guess at weights. It can make the difference between losing and maintaining.
  • mathildapops
    mathildapops Posts: 39 Member
    Hey I feel the same as you although I have lapsed with the alcohol at the weekends, I'm also trying to get my head around exercising regularly. I notice you want to lose a similar amount to me, I've lost 1/2lb since new year :-( have added you in the hope we can help each other x
  • CassieReannan
    CassieReannan Posts: 1,479 Member
    Remember that time of the month... It makes some women gain water.
  • bathsheba_c
    bathsheba_c Posts: 1,873 Member
    YOU LOST 2 LBS IN 3 WEEKS! Since you don't have much left to lose, that is a completely reasonable rate of weight loss. Keep in mind that scale weight can easily fluctuate five pounds in either direction based on 1) sodium consumption, 2) starting a new exercise regime, 3) how recently you've pooped, 4) time of the month, 5) etc. etc. etc.

    You are doing it right. Don't beat yourself up. :flowerforyou:
  • JosieJo2000
    JosieJo2000 Posts: 162 Member
    I know how you feel. I started a bit heavier than you, my goal was 8.2 stone (I have a very small frame, I'm 5'2"). Absolutely nothing happened for about 6 weeks. I ate 1200 cals, exercised, drank water. Felt down about it but kept going and then a whole lot came off in a "whoosh". I really upped my exercise doing high intensity stuff, lots of cardio and most importantly weights / body weight resistance exercises (eg push ups, squats). I didn't do any heavy weights. I finally got there, took about 8 months to lose 14kg (2.2 stone). I also upped my calories a bit to 1400 (without exercise) which strangely seemed to help.

    Good luck, it will happen! Get stuck into the resistance exercises, it will really change your body shape and make you feel great even if the scales aren't moving much.
  • alt1268
    alt1268 Posts: 159 Member
    I looked at your diary and everything looks ok. Have you checked your TDEE? It has helped me dramatically over the last week . Also, how much weight we have to loose, makes a difference on how fast it will come off.
  • kirstyfairhead
    kirstyfairhead Posts: 220 Member
    Hi There

    I don't know what your BMR is but understanding the deficit part of this is the key. My weight loss has been really slow and I've been horribly frustrated with it but I'm preety short and my BMR is only 1500 calories a day so if I net 1200 calories my maximum deficit is only 300. On that basis, even if stick to everything perfectly it will take me 12 days to loose 1lb.

    I have to admit that I cheat and do not eat all of my calories back on the days that I exercise alot and this creates a bigger deficit which seems to help a little. The really important thing I have found is to always, always make sure you eat the 1200 in the first place. I've tried creating a bigger deficit by just eating less and it doesn't work. I stuck at same weight for nearly six weeks doing that!!

    Do the math and see where you are, although my weight loss is slow, it goes down every week so it will work...eventually...just keep at it!!
  • pkw58
    pkw58 Posts: 2,038 Member
    Congrats on your new lifestyle and your success so far! Keep up the good work and try logging your water. Keep coming back to mfp and read some blogs.. People have great motivation and tips to share
  • Judyjudyjdy
    Judyjudyjdy Posts: 4 Member
    First of all, lift up your head, and stop looking at the scale! Keep doing the right thing. There will probably be the day you get on the scale, and surprise! It's dropped a couple or 4 pounds. When we cut our calories drastically, at first our bodies just go into "hold on, what's happening," and dont' want to give it up.

    Drink AT LEAST 8 glasses of water a day. Plenty of sleep. Keep up daily exercise, but don't go crazy. Be sure you have celery to eat when you need to chew.

    Patience. You do the best you can do; your body will do the best it can do. Don't panic, don't indulge in overeating; find things to think on and things to do that make you laugh. Concentrate more on the joy of life.:flowerforyou:
  • yksdoris
    yksdoris Posts: 327 Member
    Hi There

    I don't know what your BMR is but understanding the deficit part of this is the key. My weight loss has been really slow and I've been horribly frustrated with it but I'm preety short and my BMR is only 1500 calories a day so if I net 1200 calories my maximum deficit is only 300. On that basis, even if stick to everything perfectly it will take me 12 days to loose 1lb.

    I have to admit that I cheat and do not eat all of my calories back on the days that I exercise alot and this creates a bigger deficit which seems to help a little. The really important thing I have found is to always, always make sure you eat the 1200 in the first place. I've tried creating a bigger deficit by just eating less and it doesn't work. I stuck at same weight for nearly six weeks doing that!!

    Do the math and see where you are, although my weight loss is slow, it goes down every week so it will work...eventually...just keep at it!!
    eh... almost

    BMR, or Base Metabolic Rate, is the amount of calories you'd spend if you were in a coma. the lower the body weight, the lower the BMR because the body doesn't need to spend as much energy just to sustain itself. Now, short people (I'm 5'1) that might proportionally be overweight or obese still weigh less than taller people with the same BMI numbers.

    Math example for you based on me: so, I'm 154 cm (5'1) tall and the last time I measured my BMR I was 57 kg (125 lb) heavy. My BMR was then 1250 kcal per day. With a sedentary lifestyle (office job...) let's add 300 kcal on top of that to get my total daily calorie expenditure: 1550. Now, if I'm good and eat 1200 kcal every day that means I eat at a deficit of 350 kcal per day. Knowing that there are 3500 kcal in one lb of fat, it'll take me 10 days to lose 1 lb.

    TL;DR - because you're short and you don't have that much to lose to begin with, your weight loss will be slower than you would want it to be. But it is going. 2 lb in 3 weeks is great!
  • PikaKnight
    PikaKnight Posts: 34,971 Member
    You probably need to raise your calorie goal. If you decide to do that, please remember to give your body 2-3 weeks to adjust. Also - lay off the scale for 3-4 weeks and start relying more on measurements!

    If you want, check out this link by MFPer Heliotsdan - It'll give you a detailed walkthrough (with pictures even) on finding your TDEE and calculating what you should be eating.
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12

    Or for a different version to figure out your TDEE, as well as some great advice...check out:
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/833500-what-do-i-do-common-sense-cliff-notes
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/844040-raspberry-ketones-for-the-rest-of-us


    Also, if you are worried about the calorie intake, I also suggest you read this thread that has numerous people who met their goals and are maintaining. Some for years and they also provide their calorie intake and how often they work out.
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/816542-let-s-hear-it-for-maintainenance


    For more information about fitness and nutrition, I highly suggest checking out and joining this group: (Read all the stickies. It's great information to know.)
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/groups/home/10118-eat-train-progress


    For those eating below their BMR (which I think 1200 is below your BMR to be honest), not going to preach at you, but here's something you might want to look at:
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/81391-starvation-mode-myths-and-science
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/859495-if-only-i-had-known?page=1#posts-12919931



    Yes, this is can all be overwhelming and complicated , but you are more than welcome to ask questions on the post.
    One of the things that I have found that has been one of the best methods for me to get fit is to understand fitness. To understand where all these figures, etc come from.

    The good thing is once you get the hang of it - it is something you'll be aware of constantly and you'll get a better understanding about your eating habits.

    So I HIGHLY suggest making the effort to take every chance to educate yourself. Even if you don't end up going with any of these methods, calculations, etc - at least you understand what they are, where others are coming from, and maybe they will still be able to help you figure out what is best for you.
  • PHr34k0wt
    PHr34k0wt Posts: 218 Member
    Are you drinking water at all? It's not appearing so in your food diary. You may be retaining water which can mask weight loss. If you have started a new workout routine your body may be inclined to hang onto to water. Make sure you drink 2 litres a day. I plateaued for quite a while. Realised I wasn't drinking anywhere near enough water, once I started on 2+ litres again the sclae started moving again.

    Also, don't rely on the scale too much. I have found the camera is your friend when losing fat. It will show you far more than a scale, as can a measuring tape too.

    Make sure you are consistently weighing and measuring everything you eat and drink. Don't get lazy and guess at weights. It can make the difference between losing and maintaining.
    I drink between 1.5l and 3litres a day :)
  • PHr34k0wt
    PHr34k0wt Posts: 218 Member
    Everybody here is just so helpful!! So many great tips!
  • Greenrun99
    Greenrun99 Posts: 2,065 Member
    22 days.. How many months + have you been having take out and drinking a few times a week? You need to change your lifestyle and change to a way you can live with for the long haul.. There is no quick results.. Sorry to be the negative one but giving up eating out and drinking for 3 weeks isn't going to get you where you want to be.. Giving up nothing and making a long term lifestyle change will..
  • PHr34k0wt
    PHr34k0wt Posts: 218 Member
    22 days.. How many months + have you been having take out and drinking a few times a week? You need to change your lifestyle and change to a way you can live with for the long haul.. There is no quick results.. Sorry to be the negative one but giving up eating out and drinking for 3 weeks isn't going to get you where you want to be.. Giving up nothing and making a long term lifestyle change will..
    Thanks for the input, I've been losing since 2011. From March 2011-March 2012 I've lost 35lbs, Took a break and started up again in October at where I am now.

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