3 days in and up a pound

OK - My first rule is to NEVER weigh yourself more often than once a week. Typically, it will take that long for efforts today to register. Pick a day of the week and weigh yourself that day ONLY and first thing in the morning.

2nd - Make sure you're eating all your calories (even the ones you burn). Going too far will do more harm than good.

I know it's frustrating because I've gone through this many times. I've been on MFP since 2008. I lost all but 5# of weight, hit a plateau for months then gave up because I was tired of working so hard with no results. You know what happened? I GAINED IT ALL BACK! So, looking back... I wish I was just happy with the weightloss I had so far and atleast maintained it.

So... keep trucking - it'll happen eventually.

thanks for the great advice everyone but I have one more question. If lsoing weight is calories in and calories out, why in gods name would I eat back calories that I work my butt off to get off of me?

this part has me very flustered. I work out to burn calories, why eat them back. can't you just eat them to begin with and not work out at all.

I can't wrap my head around this concept

Let's break this down:

My (net) calorie goal daily is around 1350 - I set MFP to 1300 just to keep myself on the watch and careful about going over.

My BMR is in the range of 1385 - 1425... My TDEE (when I first started ) was roughly 1830.

Therefore, my daily allowed NET calories of 1300-1350 already INCLUDES a deficit of approximately 500 calories.

A deficit of 500 calories per day will help take off 1 lb. per week. (1 lb. = 3500 calories).

If you don't work out at all you can lose weigh just by doing this.
It's not a great idea and will probably take longer but it can be done.

So why eat calories back if you exercise? You need them to fuel all the extra activity.

The MFP daily goal should be your NET number. If I eat 1350 calories, burn 300 exercising, then my net calories comes to 1050, which is way under my BMR even. Not healthy. You don't necessarily need to eat back the exact number you burn, but you do need to get SOMETHING back into your body from all of the burning. If eating them all back makes you nervous, do half. Or 2/3. And when you put the calories back, put them back with something of quality and substance like fruit, veg, protein sources. Don't go "hey I earned back 250 calories, I can have cheetos!" Because no you can't.

Basically, if you stay at your goal as a NET number, it already includes the caloric deficit.

Let's put it in easy numbers... say your TDEE is 2000 and you want a deficit of 500 to go for that 1 lb a week loss...

so your goal is 1500 calories per day.

Now say you reach your 1500 for the day but you put in 300 cal worth of exercise/activity...

That takes your net number down to 1200 calories consumed. If you then eat another 300 calories, you have now eaten 1800 for the day, but you've burned 300, you your net is 1500 and you still have your 500 calorie deficit.

Its not a perfect equation and will vary day to day, but you see where the basic formula takes it. You might have only a 400 calorie deficit today but tomorrow you might have a super active day and have a 650 deficit. Do all the BRM and TDEE math and figure out where you need to be. After that it gets pretty easy.

You cannot expect huge results in 3 days. This is a process. I was 154 on January 21 and today I'm 146.5. it's not a huge drop. BUT clothes are starting to fit again, i'm no longer constantly hungry from trying to do 1200 per day - that did NOT work at all and that was a terrible thing to try. Nothing happened for me until I started eating more (and BETTER).

Consistency is the key. Keep doing what you are doing and it will come off. I am a lot like you. When I don't see immediate progress I start back with those old ways, which is what got us here in the first place. We must stick to a plan long enough to let it work. You seem to be doing everything right - give it time.

Are you not reading what she wrote? It has been three entire days! That means after completing the first day she was still not at her goal weight and many people would have quit right then but not her. She had the diligence to stick it out for an entire second day. Thinking surely she will have made it by now but no. Now pulling inspiration from the bowels of hell itself she managed to push through for an entire third day only to find that again she has been frustrated by failure. Now after having pushed through all of that you actually suggest investing more time into what is obviously a wasted endeavor?

LMAO - dude, you're my hero!!! :flowerforyou:

If you're working out, then perhaps you are gaining muscle mass? When I started working out and eating healthy I put on 3lbs in less than a week, which I put down to building up muscle after reading up about it, after that iv lost those 3lbs plus a further 8lbs ontop of that in 3 weeks.

Keep up with it, building muscle may sway the scales a little but that extra muscle will help you loose weight (fat) in the long run.

The calorie goal that MFP gives you already has a substantial deficit from you maintenance level of calories. A calorie deficit is what is necessary to lose weight. Some diet plans rely on exercise or a combination of diet and exercise to create a calorie deficit. MFP does not require exercise to create a deficit...it's all built into your calorie goal and MFP doesn't take into account your exercise as part of your daily activity (because it assumes you aren't doing it or aren't doing it consistently). Because exercise is extra activity, that activity has to be fueled...this is why MFP ups you calorie "GOAL" when you log exercise. Remember, it's a "GOAL"...a goal is something to be achieved.

For example...my net calorie goal is 1,900 to lose 1/2 Lb per week (my maintenance sedentary is around 2,150...2,450 with my exercise). On average my exercise burns about 300 calories per day...so my gross calories per day are 2,200...but my net remains 1,900. If I didn't eat those 300 calories back, my weight loss deficit would be too large as I would only be netting 1,600 calories per day...well below my Basal Metabolic Rate (not a good thing).

If you are so miserable after 3 days that you want to give up, you are clearly doing something wrong. Your description of low calories plus high exercise makes me think you are a fan of The Biggest Loser. I would encourage you to pass on their methods because you don't have the personal trainer, dietician, doctor, and team to support you. You don't have the motivation that comes from being on TV, either.

I am willing to bet that you set your own calorie goal at 1200. Here is my simple route to success:

1. Let MPF set your goal for you, and plan to eat back some of your exercise calories. As you lose weight, MPF will lower your calorie goal, but not below 1200 calories for a woman. I don't know if it is the same number for men.
.
2. Plan healthy snacks into your day. It is much easier to sustain a positive attitude and high metabolism with more frequent smaller meals.

3. LOG Every Bite! Even if you think it is a cheat, and even if you're taking a vacation from dieting that day.

4. Move more. Exercise is needed. Cardio exercise is most efficient at speeding up metabolism and enabling weight loss. Choose more than one kind of cardio and pick things you like to help you stay motivated. I like yoga, walking, and bike riding. Lots of people like Zumba. There are lots of choices so pick two or three that you like.

Exercise so many minutes burns so many calories. From a calorie pov, you can exercise an hour and burn the same number of calories as if you do the same exercise for a half an hour in the morning and another half an hour in the afternoon or evening. Exercising itself wakes up your metabolism and gets things going each time you exercise, so it is beneficial to exercise more than once a day.

I heard that your body will need to take to adjust to the new diet and rate may go up or down in the first 3 weeks. I weigh myself at the same time each week - Saturday before breakfast. I do sometimes eat some of my exercise too - but things are happening and slowly the weight is coming off. .

Bump

Please do not weigh yourself every few days. Stick to one day a week at the same time every week. bear in mind that you will naturally have fluctuations but as long as over time your weight goes down that is all that matters.

Some weeks you are really good and your weight still appears to have gone up - just bear with it and keep going.