Please Help Me...Frustrated

shellshalla
shellshalla Posts: 263 Member
edited September 20 in Health and Weight Loss
I began my weight loss journey March 20th. I had a big loss the first week (probably most water weight) of 8 pounds. Since then the numbers have been decreasing, which is to be expected. I have lost in total 14.2 pounds.

However I have been working my butt off working out, with usually around 600 calories per day. I have been doing the 30 day shred for about 10 days now. Added onto that, I also change it up every day and it varies from running, some interval training on the treadmill, some incline training on the treadmill, 8 Minutes to Slim from Shape (1 minute intervals of high intensity), and other. Basically it varies quite a bit. I take off 1-2 days a week.

So I've tried Zig-Zagging my calories this past week, because I read alot of people's success from it and it makes sense. I really watch what I eat and never go over 2300 in sodium, and if I go over on calories I meant to for the zig-zagging purpose. I think I've had fast food like twice since starting is all. When I wasn't zig-zagging I was eating back half of my exercise calories. You can look at my food diary and excerise diary, please do. I log my exercise at the end of the day because I do it after work, so today looks like I'm over, but I won't be after that.

My weigh-in was this morning and wait for it...................i lost nothing. Yeah that's right a big fat 0! Even though when last Saturday I peeked at the scale (I don't do that very often) and I was down a pound already from my weigh in before. I guess that was a tease. I was hoping so badly to be down to 150, which would be down .4 pounds from that peek on Saturday which I found realistic. That would mean I would hit my mini-goal and be able to highlight and get a new haircut this weekend. My sister went to cosmetology school and does it for me and we had already bought all the stuff for it, because I was so excited because I hate my hair right now and never wear it down. The next 2 weekends she's not free so this was my golden chance....

Now i don't know what to do, both goal wise and weight wise. My plan as of right now is to work out burning maybe 400 calories a day, so taking it down. But making those 400 calories burnt high intensity strength/cardio ones and no slacking during those. And also eating back almost all my exercise calories. That's all I can come up with.

I'm really needing some advice on my goal and weight loss....i'm just lost right now and frustrated...and seeing no movement on the scale was a really bad way to start off my day....

(P.S. before you say it....no real change in inches either....)
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Replies

  • Topsurf3
    Topsurf3 Posts: 17
    This could be due to many things. One, could it be your TOM? This can make you hold water weight, and not lose until its over. That has happened to me. Also, make sure you are at least eating your daily calories. Try not to go under that because your body will go into starvation mode and it won't matter how much you work out. The main thing is don't give up! Give it a couple days and weigh yourself again. Keep going!
  • chocolateandvodka
    chocolateandvodka Posts: 1,850 Member
    i say get the highlight anyways simply because of the availability issue... and also, if you weigh in the mornings like i do, i find that if i eat after about 7 or 8 pm the night before (even if it's just a salad) it will show up the next morning on the scale. then again, i weigh every day.
  • whiteasnow
    whiteasnow Posts: 7
    Just keep going and don't give up! I've heard that this happens to a lot of people including my husband who has been asked to be a coach for Beach Body.
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,294 Member
    First of all what is your goal loss per week? if it is set at 2 pounds maybe try 1 or 1.5.
    Second, how are you calculating your calories burned? HRM or estimate? as an estimate may be off by as much as 50%
    Third, are you backing out the calories you would have burned anyway when entering exercise. As an example say you burn 300 calories in 40 minutes, at rest and included in your daily activity level you probably burn about 1.5 cals/minute. So you should be entering in 240 (300-60) calories, the 60 comes from 40 min at 1.5cals/min. Even if you use a HRM you should back these out as your HRM is calculating total calorie expenditure not extra calories burned through exercise.
  • hill242
    hill242 Posts: 412 Member
    I would say don't get discouraged, yet. 14 pounds since March 20 is still a great accomplishment and proof that you are moving in the right direction. Keep working hard and eating well, you will see the numbers change again soon.
  • shellshalla
    shellshalla Posts: 263 Member
    First of all what is your goal loss per week? if it is set at 2 pounds maybe try 1 or 1.5.
    Second, how are you calculating your calories burned? HRM or estimate? as an estimate may be off by as much as 50%
    Third, are you backing out the calories you would have burned anyway when entering exercise. As an example say you burn 300 calories in 40 minutes, at rest and included in your daily activity level you probably burn about 1.5 cals/minute. So you should be entering in 240 (300-60) calories, the 60 comes from 40 min at 1.5cals/min. Even if you use a HRM you should back these out as your HRM is calculating total calorie expenditure not extra calories burned through exercise.

    I use a Polar F6 HRM. It's set at 2 pounds, but that never happens. I don't minus the calories burned from my daily activity level, but I also on average eat back only about my half of my exercise calories.
  • Tamiash
    Tamiash Posts: 106 Member
    You are doing all the right things! Stay with it and it WILL happen. Continue to shake it up with the exercise. Track your food, don't cheap and one day you will wake up and see more than you hoped for...trust me!

    I had been in a slump myself. I was down like a whole lb before my normal day i weigh in-on Monday's. I weigh myself on a Sunday and i'm up almost a 1.5....I felt like crap.. my exercise hadn't changed a bit.. but my eathing had changed-some. I know i cheated-some. Short of the long, i go to weigh in on my Monday and i was still up my 1.5. So starting Monday I continued eating and not cheating and carried the extra pound and FINALLY this morning i weighed and was down my 1.5 lb. :o) It took from Sunday until Thursday to finally see the scale move. So I tell you this because one morning you will wake up and out of the blue the scale will move if you stay Faithful to it!!! Let me know when that happens, I'll do a dance with you. :smile:
  • shellshalla
    shellshalla Posts: 263 Member
    This could be due to many things. One, could it be your TOM? This can make you hold water weight, and not lose until its over. That has happened to me. Also, make sure you are at least eating your daily calories. Try not to go under that because your body will go into starvation mode and it won't matter how much you work out. The main thing is don't give up! Give it a couple days and weigh yourself again. Keep going!

    No it's not TOM, I meant to mention that in the original post sorry. It's not right before or right after it either.
  • milliedot
    milliedot Posts: 3 Member
    Get the highlihgts .. You need something to make you feel good about yourself .

    Check out your reports on MFP .. look specifically at those weeks that you lost more weight than others.. check your carbs vs. protein .. calories burned.. calories consumed, etc.. SOmetimes having something tangible as those reports can give you a bit of an attack plan
  • shellshalla
    shellshalla Posts: 263 Member
    You are doing all the right things! Stay with it and it WILL happen. Continue to shake it up with the exercise. Track your food, don't cheap and one day you will wake up and see more than you hoped for...trust me!

    I had been in a slump myself. I was down like a whole lb before my normal day i weigh in-on Monday's. I weigh myself on a Sunday and i'm up almost a 1.5....I felt like crap.. my exercise hadn't changed a bit.. but my eathing had changed-some. I know i cheated-some. Short of the long, i go to weigh in on my Monday and i was still up my 1.5. So starting Monday I continued eating and not cheating and carried the extra pound and FINALLY this morning i weighed and was down my 1.5 lb. :o) It took from Sunday until Thursday to finally see the scale move. So I tell you this because one morning you will wake up and out of the blue the scale will move if you stay Faithful to it!!! Let me know when that happens, I'll do a dance with you. :smile:

    Thanks for the support. I'm going to do some intense work outs today and tomorrow and weigh in Saturday morning (the day i'm supposed to get my haircut and highlights) and maybe...just maybe i'll see it drop...
  • FitChickBritt
    FitChickBritt Posts: 161 Member
    Go get the highlights to help feel good about yourself. Keep sticking with what you are doing. Do you feel better about yourself and more confident with how you look? Don't you feel stronger now that you've been doing the 30 day shred. Don't focus too much on the numbers, just keep up the good work and you will see the scale go down, and you will continue to feel good about yourself!
  • shellshalla
    shellshalla Posts: 263 Member
    Get the highlihgts .. You need something to make you feel good about yourself .

    Check out your reports on MFP .. look specifically at those weeks that you lost more weight than others.. check your carbs vs. protein .. calories burned.. calories consumed, etc.. SOmetimes having something tangible as those reports can give you a bit of an attack plan

    The worst part about that is that the week that I lost the most (2.2 pounds) was when I had to take off a week of any cardio because of strained muscles in my knees. I stayed at 1200 every day, but absolutely no exercise and lost that. But that's not what i want to do...
  • questionablemethods
    questionablemethods Posts: 2,174 Member
    First of all what is your goal loss per week? if it is set at 2 pounds maybe try 1 or 1.5.
    Second, how are you calculating your calories burned? HRM or estimate? as an estimate may be off by as much as 50%
    Third, are you backing out the calories you would have burned anyway when entering exercise. As an example say you burn 300 calories in 40 minutes, at rest and included in your daily activity level you probably burn about 1.5 cals/minute. So you should be entering in 240 (300-60) calories, the 60 comes from 40 min at 1.5cals/min. Even if you use a HRM you should back these out as your HRM is calculating total calorie expenditure not extra calories burned through exercise.

    I use a Polar F6 HRM. It's set at 2 pounds, but that never happens. I don't minus the calories burned from my daily activity level, but I also on average eat back only about my half of my exercise calories.

    It looks like you only have just over 15 lbs to lose, right? I think that 2 lbs/week is too aggressive of a goal. I would also encourage you to think about lowering this goal to 1 lb/week as that is far more realistic of a deficit to have. When you get down into the "vanity pounds" (the last 10-20 or so, depending upon your height) your body treats those pounds of fat a little differently than it is going to treat an excess 50+ lbs of fat. Your body WANTS to hang on to those last 15 lbs of yours and if you set too aggressive of a goal you run the risk of your body thinking that you are in crisis mode and not releasing those fat stores. Slow and steady really does win the race when it comes to shedding the last 20 pounds or so.

    Edit to echo what others have also said, which is not having a loss just one week doesn't necessarily mean that anything is wrong. Sometimes those hiccups happen over the course of losing weight. The advice to lower to a slightly less aggressive goal is just a piece of overall advice. I see so many people with only 15-20 lbs left to lose who are trying to lose 2 lbs/week, getting frustrated when it doesn't happen or when they stop losing and then end up giving up, which is why I think setting a realistic pace is a good idea.
  • Hermit4Hire
    Hermit4Hire Posts: 197
    14 pounds in 8 weeks is stellar. Keep up the good work.
  • jdsouthernbelle
    jdsouthernbelle Posts: 274
    I too have had a similar thing happen to me. I lost 10lbs....probably all water weight and then gained it all back within 2 weeks. I have still been eating right and everything. It is very frustrating! And I don't even have a TOM...so that can't be the excuse.
  • dclarsh1
    dclarsh1 Posts: 83
    Zig-zagging takes a little bit of time to really work. The first week, many people gain a pound or so because you are increasing your calories and your body had gotten pretty comfortable maintaining itself on the calories you were eating before. My guess is that in another week, you'll see the scale moving again. Just keep at it, and don't give up! And get the highlights anyway. You've come a long way, and you deserve it!
  • hutche
    hutche Posts: 6
    Have you tried incorporating resistance training? My gf and I have both dropped nearly 7 pounds since last week purely through adding resistance training into our weekly exercise routine (3 resistance sessions, 2 cardio) - cardio's great, but you if you really want to blow torch it off, lift some weights.
    http://brainoverbrawn.com/get-the-book/ - free ebook on how to combine resistance, cardio, proper eating and rest into your life, to help you achive your goals, has some excellent insights, and it's not selling anything at all - it's a free download.
  • shellshalla
    shellshalla Posts: 263 Member
    As per the advice of many people I have lowered my weight loss goal to 1 pound per week.
  • shellshalla
    shellshalla Posts: 263 Member
    Have you tried incorporating resistance training? My gf and I have both dropped nearly 7 pounds since last week purely through adding resistance training into our weekly exercise routine (3 resistance sessions, 2 cardio) - cardio's great, but you if you really want to blow torch it off, lift some weights.
    http://brainoverbrawn.com/get-the-book/ - free ebook on how to combine resistance, cardio, proper eating and rest into your life, to help you achive your goals, has some excellent insights, and it's not selling anything at all - it's a free download.

    Thanks I'll check that out.
  • KatWood
    KatWood Posts: 1,135 Member
    This takes time. 14lbs in less than 2 months is fantastic! Try not to over analyze things. What is important is that you are on a general downward trend and that you are doing it the right way! Also don't be afraid to take a day off every once in a while :wink:
  • AnneElise
    AnneElise Posts: 4,206 Member
    14 lbs is awesome. Be patient.
  • hawaiibound
    hawaiibound Posts: 158
    I'm going to ask a personal question....and you don't have to answer but maybe look into it yourself. I am on antidepressants since loosing a baby in november. Medication can cause you to retain weight and sometimes even gain weight. When I first lost the baby they put me on a medication that caused severe weight loss (whoo hoo) I lost 30lbs in one month, then stopped loosing and gained it back. They have since switched my medication and also put me on a much lower dose. I am at a platue and most people on it actually gain alot of weight. Its frustrating I know.
  • Johnnyswife
    Johnnyswife Posts: 1,447 Member
    i say get the highlight anyways simply because of the availability issue... and also, if you weigh in the mornings like i do, i find that if i eat after about 7 or 8 pm the night before (even if it's just a salad) it will show up the next morning on the scale. then again, i weigh every day.
    Yes. Go get your hair done girl! It will make you feel better, and maybe less stress will be good for you. You may have just hit the dreaded platue so just keep it up and the weight will start sliding off again soon. :flowerforyou:
  • MyDream
    MyDream Posts: 72
    Get the highlights! And don't give up. Keep at it and you'll see the results. I do think changing your goal to 1lb a week would make a difference though.

    Good luck and please keep us posted.

    :flowerforyou:
  • mabear74
    mabear74 Posts: 248
    Easy to say, but hard to do.......Don't stress over it! Stress does funny things to our body.

    You have done a great job so far, go get your highlights, enjoy the fact that you are already a healthier you!
  • 4me2sibiai
    4me2sibiai Posts: 71
    If the pounds are getting you bummed...take measurements down your entire body. You WILL see inches lost and then the scale won't be as much of a frustration. I started in and about the same week as you and I'm down about 10 lbs and 10.75". My inches are more exciting to me because the weight goes up with workout, water, women's time of the month, worries...all the good "W's" - Lol!!! If you need to get ideas for the measurements, feel free to pop into my profile/measurements. I have over 10 from head to calf. If there are any you don't understand, send me a message and I'll clarify. (This is extended to everyone on this posting as well.) 1 lb a week is 52 lbs a year. Slow and permanent is the goal. :) Keep up the great work!!!
  • lvfunandfit
    lvfunandfit Posts: 654 Member
    14 lbs is a great loss in 8 weeks! way to go!
    When you get down to your last 10-20 lbs it takes a long time.... you have to be more patient.
    I agree with adding in weight training. Build up those muscles...and keep doing cardio. On the days you lift weights just do 25-35 min of cardio. . . and zig zag your cardio workouts between 1 hr and 30 minutes. When I was doing a ton of cardio I wasn't losing weight. So I hit the weights harder and lightened up a couple days a week on the cardio. It helped a lot. I'm 3 lbs away from my new goal.

    You're doing great! Get those highlights !You deserve them!
  • nolachick
    nolachick Posts: 3,278 Member
    This takes time. 14lbs in less than 2 months is fantastic! Try not to over analyze things. What is important is that you are on a general downward trend and that you are doing it the right way! Also don't be afraid to take a day off every once in a while :wink:

    completely agree! you are doing GREAT!!!!

    i have lost 14lbs but have been doing this since SEPTEMBER 2009!
  • xxquzme
    xxquzme Posts: 157 Member
    Weight loss is both science and math. A little give and take. The problem comes in when we get our emotions involved. The solution to all of our questions lies with our variables that we allow. So really the answer is just find the variable. Either you are taking in to many calories or you arent burning enough. Sure there are other things like water and sodium intake, but really it comes down to the variables. Try weighing each day, yup thats right, each day. In the morning or after you workout. In the same clothes, or non at all. Its really up to you. But what you need to do is limit the variables. Do yourself a favor and dont try to decrease the weight goals. Stay with what you got and just try to outsmart your body. If it were me i would not do the zig zag diet. Just keep it simple. X- amount of calories per day and X - amount of exercise = weight loss. Give it a week and you will see results. Good luck.
  • ginabhappy
    ginabhappy Posts: 15 Member
    hi there, just read your food diary and I'm not sure if this will help but Our trainer says to always pair a protein with a carb & this helps kep sugar levels from going up & down. This process keeps your body from storing fat. You might also try changing the types of food you are eating. water is very important
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