OK so here it is... help me!

Sierrasmommy
Sierrasmommy Posts: 90
edited September 21 in Health and Weight Loss
So today started week three of my diet... Heres my program:

-1 mile track- 3.5 pace (give or take)
- 2nd round of 1 mile track- 3.0 pace (give or take)
Break for bathroom cuz by this time Ive drank a liter of water usually...
- up to air conditioned treadmill for atleast another mile, if not more on the treadmill of intervals: 60 sec jog (4.5-5 mph)/ 90 sec walk
Total for all of this usually gets me between 350-500 calories burned on a good day.

Now, I have been doing this for three weeks, hardcore. I dropped 7 the first week, which was water weight of course, and then I didnt drop the second week, I gained, and then today, the start of week three, I dropped only .4 pounds... Needless to say I am ticked. I actually almost cried when I saw the scale this morning. Although i do understand that the difference doesn't always show on the scale, i at least thought something would, but no, nothing. Ok, so heres my food intake on a daily basis:

- between 1300-1400 calories...
MFP said my max is 1750 but I eat all day and cant seem to hit that number. healthy foods of course, if I ate how I used to I would hit it no problem, but then sugar and all that bad fats and whatnot would be also added in there.

I am doing so much more now than I did before I started and nothing is improving, i know its only week 3 but I would think at least it would show somewhat... ugh. So I went in and revamped my stuff. Prior to today my settings were:

-4 workouts a week at 30 each, sedentary daily activities, and desired 2 pounds weight loss per week, MFP calculated this into:
1-750 calories a day allowed, and 1310 calories burned on a weekly basis.

So I went over on the cals burned and was always under on the cals eaten. My food diary is public so feel free to peek.

Ive changed my settings to:
- 5 days a week at 30, lightly active, 2 pounds weight loss desired...
MFP configured about 1900 calories intake and burn of 2400...

K so Im not sure how to enter this in. I so need help, cuz that doesnt sound accurate to me. Do I base my daily activities to include my exercise cuz it says maority of the day activity level. Do I add in extra workouts if the ones I am doing dont add up to the calories burned expectancy? For example, prior to changing my settings: MFP said burn 1310 in four workouts, I had to do 5 workouts to get that usually...

Please help me out!!! Im begging!!!

Replies

  • timandavan
    timandavan Posts: 9
    Well first off, you gotta think, muscle weighs more than fat, so you could be gaining a little muscle, second off, i am almost done with week four and my progress has been about the same. my sister says, it took her 2 full months for her body to figure out she was doing something good for it.!! I know how you feel because I have been on the disappointment roller coaster myself. But just keep going! Your body will figure it out I'm sure of it!
  • emorym
    emorym Posts: 344
    Your work out sounds fine. Take measurements. Sometimes the scale doesn't tell the whole story. I haven't lost a pound in a while but I have lost inches around my waist. Even had to tighten my watch band. Take those measurements, be patient and with all the training you have been doing you it sounds like you are in better shape then you were before.
  • Heather75
    Heather75 Posts: 3,386 Member
    What timandavan said. You will find that your clothes will start fitting differently soon. Stick with it. You're doing well.
  • amijay77
    amijay77 Posts: 13
    I lost 5 lbs and spent the last 6 months not losing anything. I finally got an appointment with a nutritionist who sent me to have my Resting Metabolic Rate tested - turns out all of these sites have been grossly UNDER estimating what my body needs to even run itself. Therefore, it has spent the last 6 months revolting - hanging on to every calorie I eat.

    Well I won't go into too much detail but lets just say my RMR is 1880. I have to meet that and if I excersize I need to eat those calories back too. I was eating 1750 - 1900 AND excersizing. But because that seems like a lot of calories I never imagined I would need to eat MORE. However, I do. And I know this will work because during those 6 months when i would get frustrated and eat over 2000 calories for a few days the scale dropped a couple pounds. I would ignorantly get inspired to start being careful again and BAM a few days later instead of losing I would gain.

    Take that for what you will. Many people will say Starvation or Survival Mode is a myth or something that only happens to models and people who are literally starving themselves.

    I suggest Make an Appointment with a Nutritionist - demand that test, and go from there.
  • pykieprincess
    pykieprincess Posts: 11
    I agree with timandavan. Your muscle gain could be the culprit. I know all too well the heartbreak that a scale can induce. Be patient, and look at alternative measurements (as both emorym and Heather75 mentioned). If you are not having issues with buttons and zippers (rubber bands have become my best friend and enemy) then I'd say you're doing great. :wink:
  • blockeramanda
    blockeramanda Posts: 68 Member
    I don't know how many people will agree with me, but my Marine friends tell me to sip water while working out because the whole point of working out is to sweat so why do you want to chug water while exercising?

    i don't drink anything when i go walking. I wait until I get home and instead of chugging the water like my body wants me to I take a few sips and go sit down or make some food to eat...then i will have more water after that. This may be the wrong thing to do, but it is working for me.
  • trumpeteer03
    trumpeteer03 Posts: 2
    I agree with amijay77 and think that may be the culprit if it doesn't get any better. It could be the gaining muscle because you just started and it takes a little time. However, if after another week or two you're still not losing, I would definitely strongly consider the possibility that you need more calories so your body doesn't kick itself into survival mode. I have seen it with a LOT of people who just can't figure out why they're not losing.

    You could at least give it a try for a week (try to hit those numbers. If you're burning, try eating to replace those calories) and see if it gets any better. If not, disregard! Oh, and there is a tool on here (under TOOLS) to calculate your BMR, which might help you to know.

    Good luck. Hope it gets better for you soon!
  • ThumperWabbt
    ThumperWabbt Posts: 82 Member
    It's frustrating, but I went through something similar recently. When I started training for a 3 day 60 mile walk, I gained 6 pounds in 3 weeks. It was nuts--I expected it, but it was nuts, and when you're trying to lose weight no amount of logic helps you get past the WTF??! thing--and so, so frustrating.

    Things to keep in mind: adding muscle mass, even if you;re burning fat, is going to add weight. It;s a good thing, because it jacks up your metabolism.

    When you're first starting out a workout program, your muscles are going to hold onto water, and they're going to hold onto it no matter what you do. It'll start coming off, but it might take a couple of weeks.

    As long as your diet is in place, you're eating enough, you have no underlying medical conditions, and as long as you maintain your workout routine your body *will* start to let the weight go. It has to. Just give it time...it took me into my 4th week, and the weight suddenly came off, all 6 pounds of it. Now I'm back on a losing track, and have more muscle for it.

    And yes, DRINK while you work out. You're trying to lose weight--burn fat--but *not* trying to dehydrate; you have a thirst mechanism for a reason. If you don't replace lost fluids while you're working out, you throw off your electrolytes, can send your blood sodium levels skyrocketing, your blood thickens, and that's not a good thing.
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