I need so much help :(

whitnm76
whitnm76 Posts: 47
in Health and Weight Loss
I am so lost, confused, and depressed. For the past month I've gained about 3 pounds. I was doing a strict workout routine and gained 1.3 lbs the first week. I decided to up my calories from 1200 to 1400 since I was working out so much. Then two weeks later I gained another 1.7 lbs. Needless to say I stopped going to the gym because I was feeling like crap with all the weight gain. I thought I'd get some of the new weight gain off in order to lose some weight so I wouldn't be so depressed. So after my 1.7 weight gain ( mind you the week of this huge gain I didn't work out due to having a bad cold) I decided to lower my calories down to 1200-1300. So this week I weighed myself and stayed the same. No loss even eating 1200 calories. It seems like the only thing my body can do right now is gain weight. I haven't lost any weight in over two months, I've gained about 3 lbs instead. I do eat healthy I eat a lot of lean meats, I drink protein shakes, I watch my carbs ( I don't go low I eat between 120-140). I don't know why I cannot lose weight. I've tried eating more, and eating less and neither one is working. I have seen posts on here about TDEE and mine says to eat around 1500 calories. However, I was gaining weight eating 1400 so I can't imagine how much I'd gain if I ate that much. I am seriously so lost and I'm getting really depressed because I feel broken. I cannot lose any weight :( I've honestly tried everything under the sun. I'm a 26 y/o female and I'm 5'5 and I weigh 173.9. Before Christmas I was down to 167.5 by eating more protein and watching carbs (120-150). I tired doing more protein again like I did before Christmas, and I coldn't lose the weight. I don't know why all the sudden since like the end of January, I have not been able to lose anything. I still want to lose about 20 lbs and I feel like that's never going to happen. I just don't know what to do anymore I've tried everything :(

Replies

  • chymerra
    chymerra Posts: 212
    instead of focusing on weight, have you checked your inches? i didn't really see a significant reduction in weight or inches in the first 3 months. weight isn't really an accurate way to measure progress; inches lost is. weight loss is a slow but steady thing and it takes a while to see significant results.

    what kind of exercises are you doing? are you working out at a level that keeps your heart rate up for at least 30mins? if not, you need to increase your intensity.

    what i would do is recalcuate your numbers on your own. MFP is notorious for miscalculating your caloric targets. just google "harris benedict equation" and read up on it. just to let you know, MFP is quoting me a caloric target of 1365 per day. my BMR alone is 1369. THERE IS NO WAY I CAN EAT THAT LITTLE CONSIDERING THE EXERCISES I DO. doing my own numbers, i have between 1900cals-2000cals/day.

    don't worry; it just involves a little tweaking and figuring out your caloric intake, then what kind of exercises to do. if you want, you can message me and i can help you figure things out. it took me a while to figure out what works for me which is a little frustrating but once you know and get your groove on, it's easy as pie :)
    I am so lost, confused, and depressed. For the past month I've gained about 3 pounds. I was doing a strict workout routine and gained 1.3 lbs the first week. I decided to up my calories from 1200 to 1400 since I was working out so much. Then two weeks later I gained another 1.7 lbs. Needless to say I stopped going to the gym because I was feeling like crap with all the weight gain. I thought I'd get some of the new weight gain off in order to lose some weight so I wouldn't be so depressed. So after my 1.7 weight gain ( mind you the week of this huge gain I didn't work out due to having a bad cold) I decided to lower my calories down to 1200-1300. So this week I weighed myself and stayed the same. No loss even eating 1200 calories. It seems like the only thing my body can do right now is gain weight. I haven't lost any weight in over two months, I've gained about 3 lbs instead. I do eat healthy I eat a lot of lean meats, I drink protein shakes, I watch my carbs ( I don't go low I eat between 120-140). I don't know why I cannot lose weight. I've tried eating more, and eating less and neither one is working. I have seen posts on here about TDEE and mine says to eat around 1500 calories. However, I was gaining weight eating 1400 so I can't imagine how much I'd gain if I ate that much. I am seriously so lost and I'm getting really depressed because I feel broken. I cannot lose any weight :( I've honestly tried everything under the sun. I'm a 26 y/o female and I'm 5'5 and I weigh 173.9. Before Christmas I was down to 167.5 by eating more protein and watching carbs (120-150). I tired doing more protein again like I did before Christmas, and I coldn't lose the weight. I don't know why all the sudden since like the end of January, I have not been able to lose anything. I still want to lose about 20 lbs and I feel like that's never going to happen. I just don't know what to do anymore I've tried everything :(
  • WBB55
    WBB55 Posts: 4,131 Member
    Look at it this way, just by making sure to include healthy foods in your normal diet, you are MILES ahead of the "average" American. I know you're probably not thinking about it right now, but if you continue eating healthy food, you will have long-lasting results that improve the quality of your health for years to come.

    But it's frustrating to not lose, right? A lot of people overestimate their calorie burn and under estimate how much food they're eating. Open up your food diary. There's tons of really smart and insightful people here who'd love to help.

    Also, are you eating 1400 NET calories or 1400 TOTAL calories?
  • effcla
    effcla Posts: 33 Member
    You need to have patience. Seems you are making adjustments and expect it all to be fixed within one week. Unfortunately, our bodies don't work that way. And the closer you get to your goal, the slower it goes. You shouldn't stop going to the gym; the exercise is good for you. It will build muscle and muscle burns more calories than fat. Just whatever you do, don't give up. You don't want to undo everything you've done up to now. Talk about depressing! I know, I've done it twice.

    Good luck!
  • ravenstar25
    ravenstar25 Posts: 126 Member
    You probably have endocrine problems like I do. What MFP says for people like us as far as calories go is BS. If I eat as much as they tell me to, I gain weight.
    Don't eat your exercise calories, drop your overall calorie intake, look carefully over your foods to see if any are causing inflammation.
  • tigersword
    tigersword Posts: 8,059 Member
    Stop focusing on the scale. I currently weigh about 15 pounds more than I did 7 years ago, yet I'm wearing jeans and shirts that are 2 sizes smaller than I wore then.
  • BernieMBurke
    BernieMBurke Posts: 206 Member
    Sorry about how slow things can be. On the bright side, it is your body and you are unique. Still, you might consider opening your food diary so people can look at it and make suggestions. One thing I noticed is that you said you were doing protein shakes. Those shakes can have a lot of calories as well as protein. Are you sure you are entering "everything" you eat and drink?

    I know a guy at work who says he needs to lose weight. He eats pretty healthy at work and says he only drinks two cups of tea and two slices of toast and jam before he comes to work. He says tea doesn't have any calories. When I made him show me how he makes his tea, I calculated it was 325 cal per cup. He uses both sugar and whole milk. That means he had 650 calories before he had his toast and jam (yikes!).
  • Buzymomof_3
    Buzymomof_3 Posts: 73 Member
    Focus on the healthy aspect, you are getting healthier, the weight will follow. One other suggestion, go to the doctor and get checked out. Have your thyroid checked, a lot of women have thyroid issues and if makes it harder to lose weight if you're not on meds. I found my thyroid, B12 and vitamin D were low. Now that they're at normal levels I feel better and am losing weight. Even if everything checks out fine, start taking a multi-vitimin and getting some fresh air and sunshine every day, it will help with your mood which in turn will help with your weight. All I can tell you is keep it up, if you're being honest with your food and exercise diary share it and you will get help from people here.

    Good Luck!!
  • Cheryl_Rica
    Cheryl_Rica Posts: 12
    Think of your body not as fat or thin. Remember that there are almost a million other reasons that you could hanging out within 3 lbs of your lowest weight.

    This could be your dreaded plateau, the point where your body feels like resting for a few minute. It could be that you are reaining water, or that your hormones are acting up, or that you have a vitamin defiency.

    Continue your diet and exercise routine and don't look at the scale for a month.
  • elisa123gal
    elisa123gal Posts: 4,324 Member
    I understand why you are down. YOu are trying so hard and no results on the scale. What you don't want to do is get discouraged and give up. What is so great about mfp is you can track what you're doing and change things around and figure out what will work for you.

    If you are exercising..you might not be losing weight because there is temporary water weight gain...and muscle gain. I bet you are getting smaller but you're focusing on the scale. how about try tweaking some things?

    I am also losing so slow. What I've done is stopped weighing myself for now and Ive cut out processed and obvious sugar and carbs. It keeps my hunger under control and I figure at least I'm eating healthy and tracking my food. nothing but good can come of that, even if it takes time. I am getting smaller..but i refuse to let the scale beat me up. I'll weigh when i know I'm down a size or two and be happy with the reading.

    Good luck to you and gather all the great info from your other mfpals..and you'll figure it out.
  • SoozeE512
    SoozeE512 Posts: 439 Member
    It seems to me the things that are going to help you most are...
    - think positive
    - keep going to the gym
    - eat more calories

    Your BMR for a sedentary lifestyle is 1524 calories, so eat that AND eat back all of your exercise calories -- you said you have tried everything but then you said you haven't tried that. Try that, but don't get frustrated with it after a week and stop -- don't look at that scale for at least a month. And measure your body -- your waist, your hips, etc. A week is not enough to know if anything is working. Weight fluctuates for a number of different reasons, and going up 3 pounds shouldn't be enough to stop you. You need to fight your negative thoughts and find a way to THINK POSITIVE!!! You can do this, you just have to believe that you can :)
  • shmoony
    shmoony Posts: 237 Member
    WAAAAHHHHH!

    Look. Workout HARD, eat less than your TDEE, be patient, and stop looking for quick results. The longer it takes to come off, the more permanent it is likely to be.

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