*sigh* Getting Frustrated.

mrp56839
mrp56839 Posts: 159 Member
in Motivation and Support
I'm REALLY trying not to get discouraged, but I've hit a wall in this process and it's hard to not be.

From the end of Dec to the beginning of April, I lost 33ish pounds (about 10 a month). I didn't work out - just journaled and tried to get into a healthier eating routine. As a "reward" to myself, I said when I hit 199, I'd start walking/RUNNING. I've always wanted to try running, but at 230lbs, it felt terrible on my knees and ankles. (I can walk miles endlessly without a problem, but I get easily bored with walking.) The first week in April, I hit 199. I've been running/walking 3-4x/week for 30-40 mins since. I'm up to running 5 minutes straight and overall, running about 50% of my workouts. (up from running barely 30 seconds and walking 95%)

From April 1 through today, the scale has budged a measly 1-2ish lbs. I've tried not eating back my exercise cals. I've tried eating them all. I've tried eating about half of them. I've tried a splurge day (or splurge meal) to jumpstart the system again. I've tried adding a mid afternoon snack (I'm normally a 3 meals no snacks kinda eater by nature). I've tried no snack. I haven't changed the basic foods I've eaten from the start - my breakfast is generally the same, my lunch is a box meal of some sort at work. My dinners vary slightly, but still generally fit into the caloric macro of the day. The only other thing that changed was that around April 1, MFP dropped my calories by about 60 a day.

What is going on?? I haven't actually taken my measurements, but the clothes I wore a month ago still fit about the same as they did this past weekend. I don't feel like I'm losing a substantial amount of inches in lieu of pounds.

I've opened my diary. Is there anything "off" about it? What else can I do? I keep thinking that the math is on my side and to stick with it, but JEEZ, some kinda progress would be motivating. I've got another 20-25lbs to lose.

thanks!

Replies

  • jaymesjourney
    jaymesjourney Posts: 85
    I'm in the same boat as you. Although you are doing better than me with eating! I know its hard but dont give up! Try taking measurements.

    Have you tried the TDEE-20% method? I was shown a great website and it might come in handy for you.

    http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/ or http://body-improvements.com/resources/eat/

    feel free to add me as a friend for more motivation :)
  • billsica
    billsica Posts: 4,741 Member
    I didn' t look at your diary yet. but that sounds about right. I'm not sure how you dropped 10 pounds in a month. So you are losing 1/2 a pound a week now. That sounds a lot more reasonable to me.

    You are also upping your activity level, you are going to take on more water and such as you tear muscles working them running. Don't Panic! Wait another month and then see were you stand.
  • bigsargeofsc
    bigsargeofsc Posts: 50
    Looking at your diary, I see a couple of things. One, calorie intake may be a little on the low side. Try to move it up to around 1500. Second, reduce your carbohydrate intake and increase your protein intake. As you have added exercise to your routine, you'll need the proteins for muscle recovery. These are just my suggestions. Wish you the best of luck.
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    you have tried a lot of things since 1st april, given that its only the 29th now!!!

    my advice would be to carry on with your running, and eating back all your exercise calories, your body is just getting used to the extra exercise.
  • lovelyladyJ21
    lovelyladyJ21 Posts: 246 Member
    Have you thought about upping your daily calorie intake? I wasn't seeing any weight loss when I was eating less than 1500 a day. Now I eat anywhere from 1700- 2000 and haven't been really exercising and I'm slowly loosing. I know once I get to feeling better and get my exercise up to where it was I will probably have to up my intake again.

    Also one thing is keep an eye on your sodium intake, I've been staying way under my daily goal that MFP gives me and that seems to help out tremendously.
  • logicman69
    logicman69 Posts: 1,034 Member
    I agree with Billsica, DON'T PANIC. This is that dreaded "plateau" that you hear so much about. Its frustrating, but you go through them. Don't give up and keep pushing through. I would add a bit of weight training in with the running. This will not only help with the weight loss, but with help strengthen your joints and will help you run longer.
  • porcelain_doll
    porcelain_doll Posts: 1,005 Member
    I feel your pain. I swear, I plateau about every other week. I also do everything as I should. I measure and weigh my food, I quit eating fast food, heck - I hardly even drink anymore; maybe once a month, I exercise five times a week, I wear a HRM to make sure I am working hard enough, I drink so much water that I get teased for it, I watch my sodium intake, and......... I weigh the same as I did two months ago. I even had the flu for 3 weeks in March and still lost nothing. I have adjusted my calories. Too much, not enough; oh, it's never right depending on who you talk to. My TDEE is 2457 and I eat 1700-1900 calories/day, at which I should lose 1 - 1.5 lbs. per week, given that I fall into the "moderate activity 3-5 times a week" category when using a TDEE calculator.

    All I can say at this point is what people keep telling me........ just stick with it. Keep working hard, keep eating good; do not go back to your old habits. At the very least, you do not want to start gaining weight back that you have worked so hard to lose.

    :flowerforyou:
  • Brendaj1030
    Brendaj1030 Posts: 1
    I totally feel everything you are saying ... I swear I hit the 199 mark and the next thing I know Im back at 201 ... it is very frustrating but you have to sticjk with it. I can tell you that you are doing way better than I am. But we have to know what the bigger picture is in the long haul. I need to take tips from you in regards to eating but is sounds like you are right where you are supposed to be. I mean your body is getting used to it all so that makes the weight harder to come off. But trust those 1-2 pounds add up and they will total something great in the long haul. Keep up the great work its a challage! :smile: :smile:
  • rileysowner
    rileysowner Posts: 8,336 Member
    Realize as you get closer to your goal the amount you lose in a month will change. 10 pounds a month is a very aggressive goal, 4 pounds a month is much more reasonable for most people, hence the recommendation for setting your goal at 1 pound per week.
  • morkiemama
    morkiemama Posts: 894 Member
    I'd like to point out that the closer you are to goal, the slower you start to lose. Thus, you cannot expect to maintain that 10lb per month loss forever. It will slow down and it sounds like you are doing just fine. :) Don't freak! Slow and steady like the turtle!
  • mrp56839
    mrp56839 Posts: 159 Member
    all good ideas - thanks. I have MFP set at sedintary (I have a 10 hour a day desk job and dont' work out every day) and a 1.5lbs a week deficit. That's what it's always been. I wasn't shooting for 10lbs/month but that's what I averaged. I guess it couldn't last forever, but I wish it would have lasted longer! I wouldn't mind fighting for the last 10lbs or so instead of the last 25! I'd even accept 4lbs a month, but this feels like maintenance instead of weight loss.

    I'm going to just keep the faith and keep running and eating back some of what I earn. I'm afraid of upping to 1500 cals - especially on the days that I don't get any activity in. Definately on the days I do exercise, I can put that away because I'm just that much hungrier. I'll look into the TDEE calculator, but I figured that's what MFP was using based on the info I entered when I started. I've just been following the advice it's been giving about macros.

    Box meals aren't my favorite, but I drink water like a fish to help with the sodium. I just don't log the water because for me, it's pretty much a given. I have a full or half empty cup all day long.

    I think you're all right. It's been just a month and slow and steady wins the race. I just need to settle into a slower pace!
  • themedalist
    themedalist Posts: 3,218 Member
    I would suggest you start tracking sodium and really boost your intake of fresh (or frozen) fruits and vegetables. There's a lot of sodium rich foods in your diet and not enough potassium rich foods. Try to get 5-9 servings of fruits and veggies a day.

    While calories in/calories out still rules, I found the closer I got to my goal weight, the better my diet needed to be. I retain water really easily, so keeping sodium at 1500 to 2000 mg/day and boosting potassium to at least 3000 mg/day, helped keep water retention at a minimum and the scale moving.

    Keep in mind too that many entries in the MFP database are mislabled as having zero sodium or zero potassium. Frustrating, but true.

    Best wishes!
  • mrp56839
    mrp56839 Posts: 159 Member

    While calories in/calories out still rules, I found the closer I got to my goal weight, the better my diet needed to be.


    THIS makes total sense.
  • wnbrice
    wnbrice Posts: 244 Member
    Muscle is more dense that fat. So as you are building muscles it will keep the scale about the same but fat is going away. Losing fat is the goal of any weight loss program, and the scale does not accurately reflect this fact.

    Keep at it, it can take a month or two before you start losing exercise weight but the fat is just falling off.
  • lijepa1979
    lijepa1979 Posts: 16 Member
    I have been doing this for about 2 months. I have been working out a lot and was sad that the scale wasn't moving. However, I have been measuring my inches, and they are going down. I am now starting to notice a difference on the scale. I also now have muscles which is nice!
  • mzjessicaxo
    mzjessicaxo Posts: 330 Member
    You're doing awesome keep your chin up and if you want some more motivation feel free to join my facebook group!
    It's very motivational and inspiring :)https://www.facebook.com/pages/Canadian-Beach-Body-Babes/499348756795971

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