feeling discouraged

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ashleyShades
ashleyShades Posts: 375 Member
in Motivation and Support
I have been logging in and working out since January and my weight is fluctuating still. I'll admit that I'm usually very, very good during the work week and then on the weekends even if I don't over eat I will only eat one large meal a day or skip working out. My boss is doing South Beach and has lost 12 pounds in 3 weeks. I don't want rapid results. I want results that last but I'm not getting any. I'm currently 5' 6" and 206 pounds. I'm eating 1330 calories a day and working out 4-5 days a week. My workout consists of cardio warm up, strength training and then more cardio.
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  • ArmandoG28
    ArmandoG28 Posts: 283 Member
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    1330 cal too low . eat like the thinner person you wanna be. fir example im 280 lbs-+ and i eat like the 250 lb man i wana be so i eat at 250 sedentary lifestyle . i work out 5 days a week weights cardio . try the calculators on fat2fit.com .hope this helps
  • ashleyShades
    ashleyShades Posts: 375 Member
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    1330 cal too low . eat like the thinner person you wanna be. fir example im 280 lbs-+ and i eat like the 250 lb man i wana be so i eat at 250 sedentary lifestyle . i work out 5 days a week weights cardio . try the calculators on fat2fit.com .hope this helps

    Thank you!
  • Melo1966
    Melo1966 Posts: 881 Member
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    You definately need to eat more with the workouts you are doing. I am at 1,650 and do far less than you and am losing more than a pound a week.
  • ashleyShades
    ashleyShades Posts: 375 Member
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    You definately need to eat more with the workouts you are doing. I am at 1,650 and do far less than you and am losing more than a pound a week.

    I will try that this week! Thank you. I was really sick last week and could barely hold down a meal but I'm back to feeling 100%
  • ashleyShades
    ashleyShades Posts: 375 Member
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    I'm going to push through my work out today and try to keep going.
  • cebreisch
    cebreisch Posts: 1,340 Member
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    I agree with those that encouraged you to up your calories. Also keep in mind that what you eat is the more important of the two between working out and what you're eating. (Impressed with your workouts too!)
  • juniperbug1980
    juniperbug1980 Posts: 35
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    I agree with everyone else about eating more. I upped mine to about 1500 cal a day (because I was getting dizzy, and you know, I like to eat) and started losing about 2lb a week. You need to play with the calories a little to find out what suits you.
  • ashleyShades
    ashleyShades Posts: 375 Member
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    I agree with everyone else about eating more. I upped mine to about 1500 cal a day (because I was getting dizzy, and you know, I like to eat) and started losing about 2lb a week. You need to play with the calories a little to find out what suits you.

    I hope you guys are correct! Thank you!
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
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    I agree. I'm at 1470 calories a day right now, that's at 191 lb and sedentary... I probably exercise about the same, and I'll eat a bit more if I'm hungry on exercise days (which is pretty much every day). How do you get 1300 with 206 lbs? The 'lose 2 lb a week' setting? I've lost 17 lb in the last 2 months with the 'lose 1 lb' setting. Heck I should probably should eat a bit more too.
  • Ultragirl2374
    Ultragirl2374 Posts: 390 Member
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    Yes, I think you need to increase your calories. Try to spread it out throughout the rather than one large meal. And drink lots and lots of water.......(this message is for myself as much as it is for you! :tongue: )
  • Shuleran
    Shuleran Posts: 48 Member
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    Yep. I am with everyone else. I aim for 1500 a day but if I work out and burn 500-700 calories then I eat to about 1700 calories and still have some left in my calorie "bank". I am down 22 pounds in 12 weeks. So , EAT GIRL!
  • cubbies77
    cubbies77 Posts: 607 Member
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    Once you adjust your number, give it a few weeks before adjusting it again. As females, our weight fluctuates greatly, so it's hard to analyze a calorie change after only one or two weeks. To get my "magic number", I had to play around with it for several weeks.
  • ashleyShades
    ashleyShades Posts: 375 Member
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    I think it's set at losing 1.5 pounds.
  • ashleyShades
    ashleyShades Posts: 375 Member
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    I ate 1,662 calories yesterday but burned about 500-600 at the gym. Should I have eaten back more of my "extra" calories from working out?
  • ashleyShades
    ashleyShades Posts: 375 Member
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    I weigh 6 pounds more than I weighed last week. I'm flabbergasted. There is no way in hell that I have eaten 18, 000 calories over my goal.
  • TimeForMe99
    TimeForMe99 Posts: 309
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    Yes, you should be eating back your exercise calories. Working out will build/retain muscle and strengthen your organs but isn't really about weight loss.

    Your scale says you gained six pounds, but how do your clothes fit? That's a lot, even for water weight, so maybe the scale is just playing with your head. It might help to review your macro settings; be sure you are getting sufficient protein and fats. The current recommendations (which could change tomorrow!) are protein at 1gram per pound of lean body mass (100 - 110 ave for women) and 25-30% fat. The balance is carbs. Ask at the gym about a body fat % eval and you can calculate your LBM from that.

    Strive for a weekly average, so you can save a reasonable amount of calories for the weekend. Just don't go too far overboard or you'll fall back into old habits.
  • ashleyShades
    ashleyShades Posts: 375 Member
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    It's hard not to be discouraged
  • TimeForMe99
    TimeForMe99 Posts: 309
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    It's hard not to be discouraged

    Of course it is. Your body will take time to adjust to a higher calorie level but you'll be the better for it. It's also much easier to stay on track 7 days a week if you have a higher calorie bank. Stay off the scale for a while and judge your success by your clothing and the mirror. Consider taking measurements as well (yes, scary - I know).

    BTW - ignore your boss' "success". People lose weight in the early days on nearly any eating plan, and South Beach is very restrictive so this is even more pronounced. I've never known anyone who kept the weight off for any length of time on SB because it's just not a realistic way of eating. Also, bear in mind that everyone is different, and some people (and scales) aren't always truthful.
  • jmd_66
    jmd_66 Posts: 6 Member
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    You have to feed the fire to get it to burn. You will get there.
  • imchicbad
    imchicbad Posts: 1,650 Member
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    You should stop obsessing about the scale and pay attention to your measurements. Your trading muscle for fat. So your progress will show in inches not pounds. After a about 6 weeks or so, the pounds fall off. Don't get all weird about it. Like you said, doing it the right way is best. But it also takes patients.

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