Soooo frustrated! Please help!

smiley_ky
smiley_ky Posts: 2
in Health and Weight Loss
Ok, I feel like this might be a long one... stick with me here.

I joined MFP almost 2 months ago. When I first signed up I did the recommended "lose 1 lb a week" and it gave me a calorie goal of around 1800. That seemed a little high to me, so I rechecked the "lose 2lbs a week" goal. That set me up for a calorie intake of 1320 daily. I did that for a month, at least. Weighing once a week (at the same time every time) I lost only about 3 lbs. And stayed there. I got pretty upset... I mean, I'd been dieting for a month and been keeping excellent track of things. I felt like I should have lost more! And even if I did partake of a treat or a beer, I made sure I stayed within my calorie limit. I've also been excercising at least 2 days a week for 50 minutes to an hour, and I was adding at least 30 minutes of yoga on top of that when I could squeeze it in.

I started lurking around the message boards looking for useful tips. There I stumbled upon the "In Place of a Roadmap" topic. It seemed like a lot of people had had success using that method, so I gave it a go. I used the fat2fit calculator and plugged in all the numbers. The calorie goal that site gave me for the Light modifier seemed really high, (again) so I used the sedentary modifier because I work a desk job; I subtracted the 20% and got my current calorie goal of a little over 1700 daily. I've been using that goal since last Sunday... I got on the scale today and I have gained back the same 3 pounds I've been fluctuating with since the beginning. I don't know what to do... whenever I bring it up to the people around me, they just tell me that i must be adding muscle. This seems impossible to me as I have only added weights to my workout routine very recently.

I'm getting blood tests done tomorrow or early next week, because now I feel like I have some sort of problem. But maybe someone would have other suggestions for me as well... is my calorie goal to high? Am I doing something wrong and just being stupid about it? I'm getting really discouraged and I don't want to come off as whiney... but come on, 3 pounds for almost 2 months?! Ugh!!

Replies

  • nczuczu
    nczuczu Posts: 611 Member
    First of all, don't give up. You are doing great! The scale is only one measure of your weight loss. Are your clothes fitting differently? Do you have more energy? These are all just as important as the scale.

    I know you did the "Roadmap", but you might want to also check out this website: http://www.fitwatch.com/qkcalc/caloriedeficitcalculator.php. It is a bit easier to understand (although it doesn't take into account of your body mass). It does base the information on your age, lifestyle, height and current weight.

    With the exercise, were you eating back your exercise calories? That may be something you should do, if you haven't already done so.

    Keep it up. You will begin to notice the loss on the scale soon too.
  • CATindeeHAT
    CATindeeHAT Posts: 332 Member
    Ok, I feel like this might be a long one... stick with me here.

    I joined MFP almost 2 months ago. When I first signed up I did the recommended "lose 1 lb a week" and it gave me a calorie goal of around 1800. That seemed a little high to me, so I rechecked the "lose 2lbs a week" goal. That set me up for a calorie intake of 1320 daily. I did that for a month, at least. Weighing once a week (at the same time every time) I lost only about 3 lbs. And stayed there. I got pretty upset... I mean, I'd been dieting for a month and been keeping excellent track of things. I felt like I should have lost more! And even if I did partake of a treat or a beer, I made sure I stayed within my calorie limit. I've also been excercising at least 2 days a week for 50 minutes to an hour, and I was adding at least 30 minutes of yoga on top of that when I could squeeze it in.

    I started lurking around the message boards looking for useful tips. There I stumbled upon the "In Place of a Roadmap" topic. It seemed like a lot of people had had success using that method, so I gave it a go. I used the fat2fit calculator and plugged in all the numbers. The calorie goal that site gave me for the Light modifier seemed really high, (again) so I used the sedentary modifier because I work a desk job; I subtracted the 20% and got my current calorie goal of a little over 1700 daily. I've been using that goal since last Sunday... I got on the scale today and I have gained back the same 3 pounds I've been fluctuating with since the beginning. I don't know what to do... whenever I bring it up to the people around me, they just tell me that i must be adding muscle. This seems impossible to me as I have only added weights to my workout routine very recently.

    I'm getting blood tests done tomorrow or early next week, because now I feel like I have some sort of problem. But maybe someone would have other suggestions for me as well... is my calorie goal to high? Am I doing something wrong and just being stupid about it? I'm getting really discouraged and I don't want to come off as whiney... but come on, 3 pounds for almost 2 months?! Ugh!!

    This is probably why you're struggling:

    http://youtu.be/JVjWPclrWVY

    http://youtu.be/HGunZpKLb5o
  • kerriberry74
    kerriberry74 Posts: 62 Member
    I know that it's frustrating, but you really need to give it more time before you give up (although getting blood work done probably doesn't hurt anything). Our bodies don't always cooperate and lose on the time frame we would like. It's very possible that 1320 was just too low for you. Try and stick with the 1700 for a month at least, then if there is no change, maybe play around with calorie levels to find one that will work for you. Just remember to give your body time to adjust before throwing in the towel. Good luck!
  • ILiftHeavyAcrylics
    ILiftHeavyAcrylics Posts: 27,732 Member
    When you increase your calories you have to give it time to work, at least a few weeks.

    In the meantime, make sure you are weighing your food, measuring free-pouring liquids, entering your own recipes and logging everything.
  • Rose_bee
    Rose_bee Posts: 226 Member
    If you checked Sedentary, then you need to make sure you're eating back your exercise calories.

    Weigh food instead of using measuring cups (except for liquids), weight is a more accurate than volume.
  • smiley_ky
    smiley_ky Posts: 2
    Thanks for all the help, guys! :)

    I just go my blood work results back... turns out I have a thyroid condition =/ Oh well! I have an appointment with my doctor soon so hopefully things will start going the way I want them to, now that I know what's up! Thanks for taking the time to answer me though, I appreciate it!

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