Struggling need help!

kpatton11
kpatton11 Posts: 8
in Health and Weight Loss
Ok... so I started using MFP about 2 weeks ago.

Since then I've been doing my best to reach my calorie goal, eating healthier, and going to the gym 4 times a week doing 60 minutes of moderate cardio plus weight training.

The thing is I've lost no weight. Nada! I don't know if it's what I'm eating or if I need to change my exercise routine, either way at this point I'm getting discouraged. Any advice would be appreciated.

- Shean

Replies

  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    what are your stats? how much weight do you have to lose?

    i had a look at a few days of your diary and there was a lot of processed stuff and very little fruit and veg, its quality as well as quantity!
  • kpatton11
    kpatton11 Posts: 8
    I don't what you mean by stats?

    If you mean like height/weight and stuff like that I'm 6'1 355.

    My long term is to lose 155 lbs.
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    I don't what you mean by stats?

    If you mean like height/weight and stuff like that I'm 6'1 355.

    My long term is to lose 155 lbs.

    yes. in that case your cal goal sounds about right... keep at it!

    the most important thing for losing weight is a moderate deficit and patience! 2 weeks is nothing, if you havent lost in 2 months, then you can look at what you need to tweak.

    but i would look at what your eating, not just the number of calories.
  • kpatton11
    kpatton11 Posts: 8
    Thanks! :)

    I figured it's still too early in the game but to not see a pound I was like c'mon!

    And yeah I'm in the process of swapping out my fav foods for healthy alternatives and learning what's good or not.
  • krebsi
    krebsi Posts: 53 Member
    what are your stats? how much weight do you have to lose?

    i had a look at a few days of your diary and there was a lot of processed stuff and very little fruit and veg, its quality as well as quantity!

    agree... there is a lot of Sodium in your diet... try to reduce the processed stuff, and you will see results...
  • tricksee
    tricksee Posts: 835 Member
    Drink more water than you've ever drank in your whole life.

    Hydration is key.
  • honeybunnyxc
    honeybunnyxc Posts: 14 Member
    But you may have put on weight as muscle and actually lost a few inches. Have you measured yourself. I have put on 2lbs this week but have excercised a lot , my clothes feel loose so I'm hoping that's what has happened with me. Keep it up and I'm sure you feel better in yourself ie healthier.
  • JesterMFP
    JesterMFP Posts: 3,596 Member
    Were you exercising before you started? The thing about exercise is that it tends to make you retain water. When you start a new exercise programme, or increase intensity, your muscles need to repair themselves, and they hold onto extra water to do that. So, if you've gone from no exercise to 4 times a week, or even just increased what you were doing before, that may be what's going on. It may be that you've lost a little fat, but that it's being hidden on your scale by water retention.

    I would also recommend taking measurements with a tape, as that can help you get a better picture of what's going on. I would keep at it - give it another few weeks, and if you still haven't lost anything, then maybe take a couple of hundred calories off your daily goal and see how you go from there.

    ETA: Are you weighing and measuring all your food as accurately as you can? Do you use a digital food scale? I saw you have some measurements in oz and some in g, which made me wonder. Weight measurements on packages aren't always accurate, so it's important to check, and weighing things in cups isn't always that accurate either. It's possible that you could be underestimating how much you are eating, so check that.
  • kpatton11
    kpatton11 Posts: 8
    No I wasn't working out prior, and yes I have a digital scale that I use to weigh food which I used all the time. It does ounces and grams up to 11 pounds. I also do the measurements with tape but I've set a schedule to only do weigh ins and measurements once a month. I've just developed a bad habit of stepping on the scale every time I walk by it and I was seeing no results.
  • kpatton11
    kpatton11 Posts: 8
    But you may have put on weight as muscle and actually lost a few inches. Have you measured yourself. I have put on 2lbs this week but have excercised a lot , my clothes feel loose so I'm hoping that's what has happened with me. Keep it up and I'm sure you feel better in yourself ie healthier.


    Yeah I've done measurements and plan on remeasuring once a month on the 17th.
  • inbluedresses
    inbluedresses Posts: 8
    It's VERY important to keep in mind that the scale is just one way to measure your success! It's likely that because you're working out, you're building muscle AND burning fat, and sometimes it can take a while for the scale to start reflecting that. My suggestion would be to also measure yourself (bust, hips, thighs etc) to help get a more accurate picture of what's changing.
  • AshCash803
    AshCash803 Posts: 35
    Drink more water than you've ever drank in your whole life.

    Hydration is key.

    This is true! Weight started falling off me the past month and a half when I increased my water intake.
  • kpatton11
    kpatton11 Posts: 8
    Thanks for the feedback guys!

    I woke up this morning and I was down 5 lbs :happy: and I redid my measurements and I'm down a 1-2 inches in every area. I guess I was on the brink of a breakthrough with this one.
  • ruckerbenton
    ruckerbenton Posts: 94
    See...your efforts are paying off in a big way. You and I are pretty equally matched. I'm 5' 10" and need to lose 150 pounds. I have been working since September 2012 and have only lost 17 pounds. I've probably lost about 35 but keep regaining old weight. It is so easy to slip back into bad habits. One thing I think is very important is to weigh on the same scale, around the same time of day (morning is usually best before you eat,) wearing similar clothes and only weigh one time a week on a designated day. For me, I get so frustrated with the daily ups and downs that weighing more than one time a week makes me crazy.

    I agree to that processed food isn't the best for you but what are Lean Cuisine's?! I think watching the calories are important regardless of the food you eat. Just make sure you count everything. Adding fresh fruits and veges will make you feel better but you will lose weight as long as you stay below your calorie range. Also, don't eat back the calories you burn during exercise. Finally, after I lost the first 17 pounds, I hit a plateau that I couldn't beat. I ended up having to raise my calories some cause I just wasn't getting enough calories to keep my body from thinking I was starving it. I now eat between 1500 - 1760 calories daily. I do water aerobics as often as I can as my main exercise but I count heavy cleaning, going up and down the basement steps, walking around when shopping, cooking, etc. Every bit of exercise helps when at a weight as high as mine. Feel free to add me as a friend. I believe we are in this together. Best wishes!
  • JesterMFP
    JesterMFP Posts: 3,596 Member
    Thanks for the feedback guys!

    I woke up this morning and I was down 5 lbs :happy: and I redid my measurements and I'm down a 1-2 inches in every area. I guess I was on the brink of a breakthrough with this one.
    Oh yeah, and what I usually say is "weight loss is not linear". It really does go in fits and starts sometimes. Congratulations & keep it up! :happy:
  • Fozzi43
    Fozzi43 Posts: 2,984 Member
    But you may have put on weight as muscle and actually lost a few inches.


    Not in two weeks.....

    Like toady said, it's only been two weeks, give it time and chuck lots of water down your throat.
  • honeybunnyxc
    honeybunnyxc Posts: 14 Member
    It's called trying to keep someone motivated and staying positive. :-)

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