Really struggling

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JulieDonahue
JulieDonahue Posts: 8
in Motivation and Support
I have been on a roller coaster with my weight for the past 10 years. (Before that I was still fat, but I didn't worry about it.) 3 weeks ago, I started a Biggest Loser contest at work. I've been working out with a trainer for 2 weeks and I have been recording food and exercise here on MFP. I have not used all of my allotted calories --- and I haven't even touched my exercise calories.

For the first two weeks, I lost 1/2 pound each. (one pound total). Today was our 3rd weigh in. I lost nothing. A grand total of 1 pound in 3 weeks.

I know this is a journey, but I feel like I am stuck in the driveway.

Replies

  • Kritter8682
    Kritter8682 Posts: 29
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    do you mind me asking what your diet consists of? I know you mentioned you are staying under your calories so i'm wondering it may be something in the food that you are eating. also are you drinking enough water? and cardio is a huge part of it also, keeping that heart rate up and keeping your metabolism boosted... i'm new to this too but i've been through this lull that you are dealing with and it's never fun, and in the recent weeks I've learned so much about why it never worked for me in the past, and i've made a lot of changes and in the last three weeks I've lost 10lbs so i must be doing something different this time around that i wasn't doing the last 20 times i tried to diet.... i wish you the best of luck either way!:smile:
  • nursee67
    nursee67 Posts: 503
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    Sounds like your body is hanging on to what you are feeding it. If you are burning calories during exercise...you really need to eat those calories. When you don't eat the allotted amount...your body can go into starvation mode...this includes your daily calories and exercise calories.
    There are numerous posts in the forums regarding this...

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/23912-links-in-mfp-you-want-to-read-again-and-again

    Hope it helps! Good luck to you!
  • stringsNlinks
    stringsNlinks Posts: 293 Member
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    hi,
    don't get discouraged. go to the intro on this site and read about calorie intake, etc. I don't necessarily believe that your body goes into starvation mode in a day but long term you can really get on a yoyo thing if you don't eat enough. the other thing that i know is that sugar and sodium were so bad for me. I cut it down to nothing. (dropped a lot in the first week). When you cut out sugar and sodium you really have to eat pretty clean, convenient NO but man do you get to eat a lot when you eat that way.

    Any way, best of luck to you. Keep health first. I sleep so much better since I got back on track. That was a big problem for me. I try to get at least 30 minutes of some kind of exercise (mellow or virgirous) everyday, depending on my mood that day. Maybe also see your MD to rule out thyroid or other physical problems.

    Just my thoughts - hang in there. This site is awesome and the people excellent
  • bbruske
    bbruske Posts: 8 Member
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    When you say you cut out sugar did you mean just processed sugar? Did you still allow yourself fruit? Just curious. I really need to cut back on my sugar intake but don't think I can lose my fruit!?
  • jaymac33
    jaymac33 Posts: 7
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    Hey partner,
    A wonderful trainer I knew years ago once told me something that I'm trying to keep in mind these days... You have to regain your body's "trust" before it will let some of the pounds go. Once you are treating it right with the food & water it needs, not letting yourself be hungry but not going overboard, getting enough protein, etc., then it will begin to trust that you are going to take care of it and that it doesn't need to hang on to the "emergency stores" that it has been saving. Our bodies are made to survive if at all possible, despite the crazy stuff we do to them!

    I know you can find the routine and rhythm that will make you feel good and make the pounds start coming off. Hang in there, 'kay?
    :-) Janet
  • slimdoc
    slimdoc Posts: 7
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    Hi- I am a Pediatrician so here is what I think is happening. It is most likely your body going into conservation, or starvation mode as some like to refer to it. If you are consuming less than the calories alloted ,based on your baseline activity level that you entered into MFP, then the body will slow its metabolism down. It is a built in defense mechanism. For example if you entered that your baseline activity level was more seditary then MFP may allot you 1200 calories a day. This is what your body needs to function and not go into starvation mode. I would thus recommend eating close to your alloted calories everyday. Now there are various opinions about whether you have to eat back your exercise calories. It seems weird to eat what you just worked your butt off burning. I think this is an individual trial and error decision. I personally eat back my exercise calories a couple times a week. It seems to keep my body guessing and thus I burn more fat. I don't know what you track in your food intake, however I would suggest adding carbs to your tracking profile. I can't consume as many carbs as MFP allows because I will plateau easily. I'm not saying you have to do Atkins level of carb reduction but consider tracking "Net Carbs" also.
    My other thought was whether or not you are using a heart rate monitor to accurately determine calories burned. I didn't use one for a long time and just used the estimated calories from the exercise equipment or what MFP said that exercise value was. After I got my monitor I found out I was burning a whole lot more calories and on the days I ate back some of exercise calories I could be more accurate.
    :smile:
  • twistygirl
    twistygirl Posts: 517 Member
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    I feel you on this big time. I use to be able to drop weight very easy by exercising but no more since I am going through menopause forget it. It's super hard for me to lose an ounce. I was under my calories for three weeks exercised for an hour 6 days of week and lost 2 Pd's I wish I could throw in the towel but I can't at least I didn't gain anything and I am stronger than I was a month ago. Hang in there.
  • stringsNlinks
    stringsNlinks Posts: 293 Member
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    When you say you cut out sugar did you mean just processed sugar? Did you still allow yourself fruit? Just curious. I really need to cut back on my sugar intake but don't think I can lose my fruit!?

    I still eat fruit just not processed. Really, I probably don't eat enough fruit, I'm a veg head but I do try to get it in my diet.
  • carrieg87
    carrieg87 Posts: 3
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    don't worry my mom when started using a trainer she only 4lbs the entire month. once your body gets use to moving more and differently it should come off. also, if your drinking any type of tea that's already in a plastic bottle even if it says diet on it- is loaded with non-essential calories for teas mainly in sugar forms. the only drinks (outside of water) that I see as diet friendly are SoBe 0calorie waters for work or post workout and Ocean Spray diet Cranberry-Pomegranate.
  • JulieDonahue
    JulieDonahue Posts: 8
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    Thanks for the encouragement. I hadn't been back here to see the posts.

    I am working with a diet coach who has been looking at my food. I think I have finally started losing this week. (I weigh in on Wednesday).

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