What am I doing wrong?

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I've been exercising 6 days per week since January 1st & eating healthy. I've really cleaned up my diet the last 2-3 weeks (with the exception of a cheat day yesterday) Exercise consists of Chalean Extreme program 5-6 days per week, and in addition I do the "get running 5K" (like couch to 5 k) 3 times per week. I've literally been losing and gaining back the same pound. I lost 2 lbs last week, yet gained 1.4 of it back this week. I've measured myself yesterday ~ I only lost 2 inches in waist and 1 in hips (this is from January 1st).

I truly do not understand what the problem is. What am I not doing correctly? I feel so incredibly defeated.

I appreciate any help.
«1

Replies

  • Phrick
    Phrick Posts: 2,765 Member
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    Your diary is private so I can't do more than guess but my guess would be you're not eating enough calories. How old are you, how tall, how much are you trying to lose - these are all important components we need to help you figure it out.
  • RunForChai
    RunForChai Posts: 238 Member
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    My sympathy for how frustrating this is--but losing a couple of inches is a great start.
    I have to ask if you are still drinking soda or even diet soda because quality of calories does matter--a lot!
    After being stuck I went into Reports and really broke down my eating. I cut out my favorite beverage and replaced it with
    sparkly water. I let go of most of the dairy I consume, most of the wheat, all potatoes, reduced my sugar by half......and suddenly I've lost another 5 pounds.
    Funny thing is I don't miss those things.
  • DEE_68
    DEE_68 Posts: 33 Member
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    I also have been doing this since January and I have lost 20 lbs and i have not exercised one bit. Without being able to see your diary i can only guess that it has to do with what you are eating. Please dont feel defeated as we all change in different ways. We didnt all gain wait over night so please dont think it will come off that way either.Feel free to add me as a friend if you like. Stay strong and keep moving forward.:happy:
  • teena2421
    Options
    I've fighting the same battle.check with your doctor to have your thyroid tested.I works against us. I have to stay away from any processed and flour products to keep the weight off.good luck and keep up the good work
  • Hakarn
    Hakarn Posts: 62 Member
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    Your diary is private so I can't do more than guess but my guess would be you're not eating enough calories. How old are you, how tall, how much are you trying to lose - these are all important components we need to help you figure it out.

    Maybe open your diary to the public until you get some responses here, then close it again.

    My guess is that you ate less food before your scale day last week than you did this week. The body takes 2-3 day to completely process and get rid of food waste. If you were really clean 2-3 days prior to last week's weigh in, you would have shed some "weight" just from going to the bathroom. If you ate more food or even had your cheat day 2-3 days before weigh in this week, you would have supposedly gained "weight". I am using quotation marks because it is not real weight gain or loss, it is just the weight difference of the food.

    Keep eating clean and you will see the general trend continue to go down, regardless of how much or little food you eat in the couple of days prior to weigh in.
  • hazelovesfood
    hazelovesfood Posts: 454 Member
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    I would like to see your diary too, coz im in the same boat as you.
  • teena2421
    Options
    You're right .Diet soda makes you brain think you are eating sugar and you crave it more. Plus it makes you bloated. It's so bad for us in so many ways I kicked the 5 a day habit a few years ago.
  • rainghirl
    rainghirl Posts: 203 Member
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    I did find that I'd go through periods of losing and gaining the same pound for a bit, but it was usually only about 2-3 weeks. Something is going right as you've lost inches which is good.

    You've only cleaned up your diet for 2-3 weeks, so give it a few more and see how you get on. Make sure you eat back some of your exercise calories. I found that it worked for me to eat around 1500 calories a day everyday, but not eat back exercise calories on the days I exercised - I tended to save them for the weekend so I could go out for a meal or a couple of drinks with my friends. I lost about 2lbs a month, which was my intention. Overall I lost 28lbs doing it that way.

    Don't know if that's any help - there are lots of threads on here about TDEE and BMR which are useful, but I've not used that until I came to work out my maintenance calories.
  • cheliki
    cheliki Posts: 33
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    I eat over 1500 cals a day and I exercise and do Just Dance for about 40 mins every couple of days but I still can't get under 15st. Its so hard and I feel like giving up sometimes :(
  • MonkeyBars
    MonkeyBars Posts: 266 Member
    Options
    you are an experiment of one!
    you need to find what works for you!
    there is no silver bullet!

    my personal opinion will not be the same as everyone else. This is good.
    Absorb what you need. Discard what is false.

    I do not know you, or have enough data on what you've asked.
    so I will attempt this "blind".
    For this, I will try and give you a temporary solution! Then you will need to revise it for yourself.
    The same thing we start with may not continue to work in the long term.
    You will adapt!
    This is why the human race is so prevalent and we haven't died out (yet).

    1. Do the follow for 6 weeks. You must be committed.
    2. This is temporary, everything is temporary. It up to you to make it the best it can be always.
    3. Stop eating pasta, bread, rice, potato.
    4. Reduce alcohol to 1 day a week
    5. Consume bacon & eggs for breakfast - cook the bacon under the grill, fry the eggs in butter or lard
    6. For lunch, consume meat & 2 x veg. Do not use sauces.
    7. For dinner, consume meat & 2 x veg. Do not use sauces.
    8. Stay within your given kcals.
    9. One day a week, allow a "blow-out" day. Try not to treat this as a "cheat" day. They are different. Eat as much as you like.
    10. Eat your exercise kcals.
    11. Do NOT do SLOW cardio!
    12. Pay a PT to show you how to do the BIG 5! Later you can mature and do more exotic odd object & chaotic lifting. No yet!
    13. Do the BIG 5, twice a week.
    14. Twice a week, do sprints. NOT LSD running. SPRINTS! Warmup, sprint for a distance. Recover. Repeat. Your ratio should be 2:1. Don't go over 20 minutes.
    15. Once a week, have a fun day of skill exercise. E.g. swim, bike, jog etc... It doesn't matter. Don't go too hard!
    16. Educate your self! Read everything out there. Do not assume it to be true. Do not assume it will work. Try stuff for 6 weeks. Blog it. Diary it. Understand yourself. LEarn what makes you work!
    17. Measure effectively. e.g. I wish to lose 5lbs of body fat over 6 weeks, I will do this by doing the following exercise on these dates throughout this period. I will consume nnn kcals per day. I will have one blowout day per week. I will drop n inches over this period etc... Write down what you're going to do. It's your plan. Stick with it. Remember. IT IS TEMPORARY.
    18. Understand the metabolic/cellular response. Read about it.
    19. Understand exercise isn't all even! There is skill based vs transferable. Skill based helps you get good at the skill. It may NOT produce the effect you desire. Building muscle strength is transferable. Skill based is NOT. YOU WILL NOT GET BIG! Guys cannot get BIG. Getting strength is different to body building. The elite either CHEAT or they naturally have a gene that allows them to succeed. Look at elite swimmers. They look like clones. That doesn't mean everyone can be like them. They are the right size & shape to succeed in their sport. Go to a local swim club. Everyone is a different size! Read about it.
    20. Twice a week, skip breakfast or skip lunch. You WILL NOT go into a catabolic state!
    21. Drink water if you're hungry. If still hungry, eat some cheese. Wait 15 minutes. Repeat cycle.
    22. Understand we are most likely to be fat/protein/carb animals. We need fat first, followed by protein. Carbs are out LAST choice.
    23. Run properly! Read up on minimal shoes. Understand them. Vibrams are great. BUT....experienced runners injure themselves with them BECAUSE THEY ARE TOO IMPATIENT. Build your time and speed slowly.
    24. EDUCATE YOURSELF!
    25. Every 6 weeks. Re-assess. Whatever has happened is temporary. You now may need to TUNE it. e.g. CHANGE is everything.

    Some further reading:-
    http://www.marksdailyapple.com/welcome-to-marks-daily-apple/#axzz2N8pXt5kU
    http://www.fathead-movie.com/
    http://www.leangains.com/
    http://garytaubes.com/

    some videos:-
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FnwIKZhrdt4
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mNYlIcXynwE
    http://www.bodybyscience.net/home.html/?page_id=18

    Good luck!
    It is your life!
    It is within your grasp to be the best you can be :)
  • toddis
    toddis Posts: 941 Member
    Options
    Guesstimates based on limited knowledge:

    1. Screw cheat days. If you eat a 500 calorie deficit 6 days a week, then cheat and have an extra 1500 calories in one day. 3 days wasted.
    2. Don't overdo the exercise. Give your body time to recuperate. Exercise causes stress on the body. Excessive stress is bad.
    3. Take measurements. Screw the scale. Do your pants have more wiggle room now?
    4. It likely took years to put on the weight, don't expect it to take weeks to disappear.
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,411 MFP Moderator
    Options
    You are probably not eating enough. CLX alone requires around 1600-1800+ calories.. then you add in additional calorie from running and you will need 2000+... so my question is... are you eating 2000+ calories?
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,411 MFP Moderator
    Options
    you are an experiment of one!
    you need to find what works for you!
    there is no silver bullet!

    my personal opinion will not be the same as everyone else. This is good.
    Absorb what you need. Discard what is false.

    I do not know you, or have enough data on what you've asked.
    so I will attempt this "blind".
    For this, I will try and give you a temporary solution! Then you will need to revise it for yourself.
    The same thing we start with may not continue to work in the long term.
    You will adapt!
    This is why the human race is so prevalent and we haven't died out (yet).

    1. Do the follow for 6 weeks. You must be committed.
    2. This is temporary, everything is temporary. It up to you to make it the best it can be always.
    3. Stop eating pasta, bread, rice, potato.
    4. Reduce alcohol to 1 day a week
    5. Consume bacon & eggs for breakfast - cook the bacon under the grill, fry the eggs in butter or lard
    6. For lunch, consume meat & 2 x veg. Do not use sauces.
    7. For dinner, consume meat & 2 x veg. Do not use sauces.
    8. Stay within your given kcals.
    9. One day a week, allow a "blow-out" day. Try not to treat this as a "cheat" day. They are different. Eat as much as you like.
    10. Eat your exercise kcals.
    11. Do NOT do SLOW cardio!
    12. Pay a PT to show you how to do the BIG 5! Later you can mature and do more exotic odd object & chaotic lifting. No yet!
    13. Do the BIG 5, twice a week.
    14. Twice a week, do sprints. NOT LSD running. SPRINTS! Warmup, sprint for a distance. Recover. Repeat. Your ratio should be 2:1. Don't go over 20 minutes.
    15. Once a week, have a fun day of skill exercise. E.g. swim, bike, jog etc... It doesn't matter. Don't go too hard!
    16. Educate your self! Read everything out there. Do not assume it to be true. Do not assume it will work. Try stuff for 6 weeks. Blog it. Diary it. Understand yourself. LEarn what makes you work!
    17. Measure effectively. e.g. I wish to lose 5lbs of body fat over 6 weeks, I will do this by doing the following exercise on these dates throughout this period. I will consume nnn kcals per day. I will have one blowout day per week. I will drop n inches over this period etc... Write down what you're going to do. It's your plan. Stick with it. Remember. IT IS TEMPORARY.
    18. Understand the metabolic/cellular response. Read about it.
    19. Understand exercise isn't all even! There is skill based vs transferable. Skill based helps you get good at the skill. It may NOT produce the effect you desire. Building muscle strength is transferable. Skill based is NOT. YOU WILL NOT GET BIG! Guys cannot get BIG. Getting strength is different to body building. The elite either CHEAT or they naturally have a gene that allows them to succeed. Look at elite swimmers. They look like clones. That doesn't mean everyone can be like them. They are the right size & shape to succeed in their sport. Go to a local swim club. Everyone is a different size! Read about it.
    20. Twice a week, skip breakfast or skip lunch. You WILL NOT go into a catabolic state!
    21. Drink water if you're hungry. If still hungry, eat some cheese. Wait 15 minutes. Repeat cycle.
    22. Understand we are most likely to be fat/protein/carb animals. We need fat first, followed by protein. Carbs are out LAST choice.
    23. Run properly! Read up on minimal shoes. Understand them. Vibrams are great. BUT....experienced runners injure themselves with them BECAUSE THEY ARE TOO IMPATIENT. Build your time and speed slowly.
    24. EDUCATE YOURSELF!
    25. Every 6 weeks. Re-assess. Whatever has happened is temporary. You now may need to TUNE it. e.g. CHANGE is everything.

    Some further reading:-
    http://www.marksdailyapple.com/welcome-to-marks-daily-apple/#axzz2N8pXt5kU
    http://www.fathead-movie.com/
    http://www.leangains.com/
    http://garytaubes.com/

    some videos:-
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FnwIKZhrdt4
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mNYlIcXynwE
    http://www.bodybyscience.net/home.html/?page_id=18

    Good luck!
    It is your life!
    It is within your grasp to be the best you can be :)

    This is way too complicated and completely unnecessary at this point.

    And no offense but most of your references are completely biased to one type of eating and can completely misguide people.
  • MonkeyBars
    MonkeyBars Posts: 266 Member
    Options
    I'll repeat :)

    my personal opinion will not be the same as everyone else. This is good.
    Absorb what you need. Discard what is false.

    it's temporary. only for 6 weeks.

    here's a summary, so it's easy to remember:-
    eat meat & veg. don't eat processed food. exercise to gain strength.

    the reason I suggest having a blow-out day, it allows people to get through their week if they find it difficult.

    also, I've experimented overeating with carbs and with meat n veg.
    I did 700kcals over per day for 2 weeks with carbs and put on 1.5kgs
    I did 700kcals over per day for 6 weeks with meat n veg and didn't put any weight on.

    something isn't quite right with kcals!

    Specifically, a calorie is the amount of energy, or heat, it takes to raise the temperature of 1 gram of water by 1 degree Celsius (1.8 degrees Fahrenheit). One calorie is equal to 4.184 joules, a common unit of energy used in the physical sciences.

    have a read:-
    http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/01/opinion/sunday/what-really-makes-us-fat.html?_r=0

    everyone who has trained with me has learned it's 70% diet, 20% exercise (strength & conditioning) & 10% rest.
    when they've engaged this, ALL of them have got to their desired weight, most within 6 weeks.
    We're talking 95kgs guys dropping down to 85kgs within 6-10 weeks.

    oh...and everyone did a blow-out day :)

    But it's up to the individual to read the material and put their own hypothesis to the pros/cons!

    Since dropping carbs & modifying my training I'm better than ever! I'm been into exercise since I was a kid and now I'm 42!
    Still learning! If someone has something constructive to say, write it up. We should all be learning about the options out there!

    :)
  • Thena81
    Thena81 Posts: 1,265 Member
    Options
    how much do u eat? you may need to up the cals
  • Lesa_Sass
    Lesa_Sass Posts: 2,213 Member
    Options
    Is that a Dairy Queen Blizzard? Maybe start there?
  • ILiftHeavyAcrylics
    ILiftHeavyAcrylics Posts: 27,732 Member
    Options
    Open your diary so we can see what you're doing? Home --> Settings ---> diary settings

    Do you use a food scale to weigh all foods and measuring cups for free-pouring liquids?
  • L0singMoreThanMyMind
    L0singMoreThanMyMind Posts: 26 Member
    Options
    I also have been doing this since January and I have lost 20 lbs and i have not exercised one bit. Without being able to see your diary i can only guess that it has to do with what you are eating. Please dont feel defeated as we all change in different ways. We didnt all gain wait over night so please dont think it will come off that way either.Feel free to add me as a friend if you like. Stay strong and keep moving forward.:happy:

    well you're a man, and we all know you have magic weight loss abilities :p
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
    Options
    how much do u eat? you may need to up the cals

    Or decrease them.
  • sbecknc
    sbecknc Posts: 27 Member
    Options
    you are an experiment of one!
    you need to find what works for you!
    there is no silver bullet!

    my personal opinion will not be the same as everyone else. This is good.
    Absorb what you need. Discard what is false.

    I do not know you, or have enough data on what you've asked.
    so I will attempt this "blind".
    For this, I will try and give you a temporary solution! Then you will need to revise it for yourself.
    The same thing we start with may not continue to work in the long term.
    You will adapt!
    This is why the human race is so prevalent and we haven't died out (yet).

    1. Do the follow for 6 weeks. You must be committed.
    2. This is temporary, everything is temporary. It up to you to make it the best it can be always.
    3. Stop eating pasta, bread, rice, potato.
    4. Reduce alcohol to 1 day a week
    5. Consume bacon & eggs for breakfast - cook the bacon under the grill, fry the eggs in butter or lard
    6. For lunch, consume meat & 2 x veg. Do not use sauces.
    7. For dinner, consume meat & 2 x veg. Do not use sauces.
    8. Stay within your given kcals.
    9. One day a week, allow a "blow-out" day. Try not to treat this as a "cheat" day. They are different. Eat as much as you like.
    10. Eat your exercise kcals.
    11. Do NOT do SLOW cardio!
    12. Pay a PT to show you how to do the BIG 5! Later you can mature and do more exotic odd object & chaotic lifting. No yet!
    13. Do the BIG 5, twice a week.
    14. Twice a week, do sprints. NOT LSD running. SPRINTS! Warmup, sprint for a distance. Recover. Repeat. Your ratio should be 2:1. Don't go over 20 minutes.
    15. Once a week, have a fun day of skill exercise. E.g. swim, bike, jog etc... It doesn't matter. Don't go too hard!
    16. Educate your self! Read everything out there. Do not assume it to be true. Do not assume it will work. Try stuff for 6 weeks. Blog it. Diary it. Understand yourself. LEarn what makes you work!
    17. Measure effectively. e.g. I wish to lose 5lbs of body fat over 6 weeks, I will do this by doing the following exercise on these dates throughout this period. I will consume nnn kcals per day. I will have one blowout day per week. I will drop n inches over this period etc... Write down what you're going to do. It's your plan. Stick with it. Remember. IT IS TEMPORARY.
    18. Understand the metabolic/cellular response. Read about it.
    19. Understand exercise isn't all even! There is skill based vs transferable. Skill based helps you get good at the skill. It may NOT produce the effect you desire. Building muscle strength is transferable. Skill based is NOT. YOU WILL NOT GET BIG! Guys cannot get BIG. Getting strength is different to body building. The elite either CHEAT or they naturally have a gene that allows them to succeed. Look at elite swimmers. They look like clones. That doesn't mean everyone can be like them. They are the right size & shape to succeed in their sport. Go to a local swim club. Everyone is a different size! Read about it.
    20. Twice a week, skip breakfast or skip lunch. You WILL NOT go into a catabolic state!
    21. Drink water if you're hungry. If still hungry, eat some cheese. Wait 15 minutes. Repeat cycle.
    22. Understand we are most likely to be fat/protein/carb animals. We need fat first, followed by protein. Carbs are out LAST choice.
    23. Run properly! Read up on minimal shoes. Understand them. Vibrams are great. BUT....experienced runners injure themselves with them BECAUSE THEY ARE TOO IMPATIENT. Build your time and speed slowly.
    24. EDUCATE YOURSELF!
    25. Every 6 weeks. Re-assess. Whatever has happened is temporary. You now may need to TUNE it. e.g. CHANGE is everything.

    Some further reading:-
    http://www.marksdailyapple.com/welcome-to-marks-daily-apple/#axzz2N8pXt5kU
    http://www.fathead-movie.com/
    http://www.leangains.com/
    http://garytaubes.com/

    some videos:-
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FnwIKZhrdt4
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mNYlIcXynwE
    http://www.bodybyscience.net/home.html/?page_id=18

    Good luck!
    It is your life!
    It is within your grasp to be the best you can be :)

    This is way too complicated and completely unnecessary at this point.

    And no offense but most of your references are completely biased to one type of eating and can completely misguide people.

    Thank you for calling this out on being confusing!! I'm reading this post because I am in the same boat - started cleaning things up at the end of December, and haven't seen results yet - and these are the kind of posts that are so defeating to me, because it makes it seem like you have to master every bit of that before one pound will even consider coming off. So thank you for saying that!