What am I doing wrong? I feel like giving up. =(
xRachTasticx
Posts: 65 Member
First off, any and all assistance is greatly appreciated. A little background on me if you don't know it already:
Age: nearly 25
Height: 5'7"
SW 271
CW 249
GW 190
I don't understand what I'm doing wrong. I'm exercising at least 4 out of the 7 days in the week, I'm under my caloric goal almost each day and under for the week by about 5k. I walk/jog 5 miles three times a week, and do strength training/weight training once a week.
Prior to introducing any exercise whatsoever I dropped to 248 fairly quickly. Two weeks ago I added in the walking/jogging and weight training. After week one I gained and went back up to 250, and now on week two I'm 249. Am I doing something wrong? I don't feel like I'm losing inches anywhere, but at the same time I have so much to lose that maybe I'm just not noticing? I'm ready to give up, I feel stuck! =(
Age: nearly 25
Height: 5'7"
SW 271
CW 249
GW 190
I don't understand what I'm doing wrong. I'm exercising at least 4 out of the 7 days in the week, I'm under my caloric goal almost each day and under for the week by about 5k. I walk/jog 5 miles three times a week, and do strength training/weight training once a week.
Prior to introducing any exercise whatsoever I dropped to 248 fairly quickly. Two weeks ago I added in the walking/jogging and weight training. After week one I gained and went back up to 250, and now on week two I'm 249. Am I doing something wrong? I don't feel like I'm losing inches anywhere, but at the same time I have so much to lose that maybe I'm just not noticing? I'm ready to give up, I feel stuck! =(
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Replies
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Giving up will certainly keep you from ever reaching your goal.0
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girl!!! i can feel your frustration!! i have been dieting/eating healthy for 15 weeks and have lost a total of 2 POUNDS!!!! i am doing almost the same stuff as you and i can't figure out why the weight is not coming off. i, too, feel like giving up...........but i know i can't! i am feeling so good and don't WANT to go back to the "old" me. if you need support, you can add me as a friend and we can struggle together!!!
good luck!0 -
Giving up will certainly keep you from ever reaching your goal.
Your words are ever so true. I just feel increasingly discouraged as the weeks are passing with no evidence of improvement.0 -
My guess after looking at your diary is you are not eating enough - your goal seems a bit low for all that exercise but you do not meet your goal most days (averaging around 1300 from the days I saw).
You should calculate your TDEE and eat at a reasonable deficit0 -
Giving up will certainly keep you from ever reaching your goal.
Your words are ever so true. I just feel increasingly discouraged as the weeks are passing with no evidence of improvement.
Try not no exercising for a week. Then get right back into it again.0 -
Just going by what I have learned from this site. If you only started the weight training 2 weeks ago and saw a 1lb gain then this could just be due to your muscles retaining water from the new exercise. I see that the week after this 1lb then dropped off again.
Sounds perfect to me, you need to let your body adjust to your new routines and give something at least 4 weeks before you can deem it a success or failure.
Why give up when you've only been doing something new for 2 weeks? Weight loss is not linear and there will always be fluctuations and you have lost 22lbs, this is an amazing achievement! Why not weigh in every 2 weeks if the scale number is important? I would definitely start taking measurements, some weeks my scale doesn't move but the inches drop and that is a better achievement in my eyes. We are our own worst enemies and some days I don't 'see' my weight/inch loss but I have my chart at home with all my measurements that shows me I have!
Good luck!0 -
if you are doing that amount of exercise, you will be gaining muscle, which is a factor, although you are gaining extra weight, it will be more beneficial in the long run because you will have more lean body mass, which translates to more calories burned, what I would say about cardio, try to do high intensity interval training, this will again help to lose fat rather than body weight (muscle+fat) and the afterburn effect will make you burn more calories over the subsequent 24 hours0
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I always gain a couple pounds when I start a new program. It's just swelling. Hey, you are trending in the right direction! Try to redefine the way you are looking at this. Convince yourself that exercise is just a fact of life and try to find some enjoyment in it. That will ease the stress during the weeks you stall. Check out my profile pic. Same weight across the board. The body has a cool way of making changes that aren't always apparent on the scale. Give it some more time! Giving up is the only way to ensure you fail.0
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I feel your pain, I've tried every diet known to man, finally after 39 years of dieting I've found the secret. I've sence became a health coach to help others finally stop this horrible roller coaster.0
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My guess after looking at your diary is you are not eating enough - your goal seems a bit low for all that exercise but you do not meet your goal most days (averaging around 1300 from the days I saw).
You should calculate your TDEE and eat at a reasonable deficit
The calorie goal (1580) was set by MFP with me saying i live a "lightly active lifestyle". I'm a veterinary technician and I spend 40-45 hours a week on my feet at my hospital, generally in about 3-4 12ish hours shifts. When I first signed up I didn't think I would have time to actually exercise so MFP calculated my ideal intake to be 1650. After losing the 22 lbs it decided to drop me down to 1580. I decided to add in exercise in the form of walking a couple nights a week. It felt SO GOOD when I started I decided to try to do it more frequently and then decided to try to jog a bit, as a way to catalyze my weight loss. Now with my food, many days I feel like I get very close to that goal, but once I exercise I have all these extra calories available to eat. I have noticed that some days I just barely break 1100, and it tells me I ideally need to eat 1200, so I will snack on something to bring it up to that level.
Also, some days when I get close to the 1580 I feel guilty, is that weird?Just going by what I have learned from this site. If you only started the weight training 2 weeks ago and saw a 1lb gain then this could just be due to your muscles retaining water from the new exercise. I see that the week after this 1lb then dropped off again.
Sounds perfect to me, you need to let your body adjust to your new routines and give something at least 4 weeks before you can deem it a success or failure.
Why give up when you've only been doing something new for 2 weeks? Weight loss is not linear and there will always be fluctuations and you have lost 22lbs, this is an amazing achievement! Why not weigh in every 2 weeks if the scale number is important? I would definitely start taking measurements, some weeks my scale doesn't move but the inches drop and that is a better achievement in my eyes. We are our own worst enemies and some days I don't 'see' my weight/inch loss but I have my chart at home with all my measurements that shows me I have!
Good luck!
I guess I just got into the awful routine of seeing the scale drop quickly at first. So in my mind I thought maybe it would always be that way? lol joke is on me. I won't give this up, because it makes me FEEL good. I just was starting to think that maybe I was doing something wrong and counteracting my attempts at weight loss.
I will definitely get a tape measure and start to track myself in that fashion. I think it would be a better investment for my mental health than this scale. I can't lie, I weigh myself every other day, to every third day. Though my "official" weigh in day is Monday. I think I'm making myself neurotic. -.-
I'll try to weigh in less, and just let the process do what it does. I know what I'm doing can't be BAD so I guess that is a start.if you are doing that amount of exercise, you will be gaining muscle, which is a factor, although you are gaining extra weight, it will be more beneficial in the long run because you will have more lean body mass, which translates to more calories burned, what I would say about cardio, try to do high intensity interval training, this will again help to lose fat rather than body weight (muscle+fat) and the afterburn effect will make you burn more calories over the subsequent 24 hours
Not to sound dumb, but I am truly fitness ignorant. What kind of exercise/routine would be high intensity interval training? I'm really in the dark when it comes to this. Sorry!0 -
My guess after looking at your diary is you are not eating enough - your goal seems a bit low for all that exercise but you do not meet your goal most days (averaging around 1300 from the days I saw).
You should calculate your TDEE and eat at a reasonable deficit
The calorie goal (1580) was set by MFP with me saying i live a "lightly active lifestyle". I'm a veterinary technician and I spend 40-45 hours a week on my feet at my hospital, generally in about 3-4 12ish hours shifts. When I first signed up I didn't think I would have time to actually exercise so MFP calculated my ideal intake to be 1650. After losing the 22 lbs it decided to drop me down to 1580. I decided to add in exercise in the form of walking a couple nights a week. It felt SO GOOD when I started I decided to try to do it more frequently and then decided to try to jog a bit, as a way to catalyze my weight loss. Now with my food, many days I feel like I get very close to that goal, but once I exercise I have all these extra calories available to eat. I have noticed that some days I just barely break 1100, and it tells me I ideally need to eat 1200, so I will snack on something to bring it up to that level.
Also, some days when I get close to the 1580 I feel guilty, is that weird?Just going by what I have learned from this site. If you only started the weight training 2 weeks ago and saw a 1lb gain then this could just be due to your muscles retaining water from the new exercise. I see that the week after this 1lb then dropped off again.
Sounds perfect to me, you need to let your body adjust to your new routines and give something at least 4 weeks before you can deem it a success or failure.
Why give up when you've only been doing something new for 2 weeks? Weight loss is not linear and there will always be fluctuations and you have lost 22lbs, this is an amazing achievement! Why not weigh in every 2 weeks if the scale number is important? I would definitely start taking measurements, some weeks my scale doesn't move but the inches drop and that is a better achievement in my eyes. We are our own worst enemies and some days I don't 'see' my weight/inch loss but I have my chart at home with all my measurements that shows me I have!
Good luck!
I guess I just got into the awful routine of seeing the scale drop quickly at first. So in my mind I thought maybe it would always be that way? lol joke is on me. I won't give this up, because it makes me FEEL good. I just was starting to think that maybe I was doing something wrong and counteracting my attempts at weight loss.
I will definitely get a tape measure and start to track myself in that fashion. I think it would be a better investment for my mental health than this scale. I can't lie, I weigh myself every other day, to every third day. Though my "official" weigh in day is Monday. I think I'm making myself neurotic. -.-
I'll try to weigh in less, and just let the process do what it does. I know what I'm doing can't be BAD so I guess that is a start.if you are doing that amount of exercise, you will be gaining muscle, which is a factor, although you are gaining extra weight, it will be more beneficial in the long run because you will have more lean body mass, which translates to more calories burned, what I would say about cardio, try to do high intensity interval training, this will again help to lose fat rather than body weight (muscle+fat) and the afterburn effect will make you burn more calories over the subsequent 24 hours
Not to sound dumb, but I am truly fitness ignorant. What kind of exercise/routine would be high intensity interval training? I'm really in the dark when it comes to this. Sorry!
Eat back some of your workout calories if you noted "lightly active" and MFP dropped your calorie goal. Also, don't feel guilty about reaching your calorie intake, you should come as close to that as possible.If you are adding in more working out, your body requires the additional fuel.
HIIT workout example would be something along the lines of Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred.0 -
Normally I'd say you are not eating enough - but being that you are 249lbs 1200-1400 cal should result in weight loss.
Keep in mind that adding weights to your routine will often result in a gain and even a stall for the first week as your body will retain water to heal the muscles. Drink LOTS of water (min 100oz per day). Watch the sodium level on your diary and try to stay under 2500.
I would also suggest you try to keep your carbs under 200g and your protein closer to 100g. Protein will help your muscles heal and continue to burn calories even when you are not lifting!! And make sure you NET at least 1200-1400 calories a day!! Net is AFTER your exercise calories. I'm not saying eat all your exercise calories back.... but your body needs the fuel to keep going and keep burning!!
Do not give up.0 -
Normally I'd say you are not eating enough - but being that you are 249lbs 1200-1400 cal should result in weight loss.
Keep in mind that adding weights to your routine will often result in a gain and even a stall for the first week as your body will retain water to heal the muscles. Drink LOTS of water (min 100oz per day). Watch the sodium level on your diary and try to stay under 2500.
I would also suggest you try to keep your carbs under 200g and your protein closer to 100g. Protein will help your muscles heal and continue to burn calories even when you are not lifting!! And make sure you NET at least 1200-1400 calories a day!! Net is AFTER your exercise calories. I'm not saying eat all your exercise calories back.... but your body needs the fuel to keep going and keep burning!!
Do not give up.
Oh wow!
I had no idea I needed to have a net of 1200. I thought I was being good by eating just a total food of 1200 on work out days.
I will try my best to work on that! I LOVE protein, so increasing that should be easy. I try to watch my sodium intake as well as carbs but I will watch them even more closely now. I will admit I'm very bad about hydrating myself. I hate plain water, though that is the only thing i drink, besides, unsweetened tea, and my morning coffee. I do not drink sodas or juices.0 -
Don't give up! I think everyone on this journey hits a bottom where they don't lose weight for a while. Before I became a MFP member I dropped 20 pounds on my own with no exercise. For me weight loss has been an up and down challenge, but I DO NOT weight myself everyday anymore! My weight yoyo's and I do not want to get discouraged. Maybe the reason you're not losing weight is because you are at too much of a deficit. I would experiment with my carb and fat intake and increase my caloric intake a little. I also agree with others that it may be due to the fact you're gaining muscle, which is good! DON'T GIVE UP! You owe it to yourself to continue on this journey. It was easy putting the weight on, hell getting it off!0
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You are doing great!! The new "plateau" is normal for starting a vigorous exercise routine. Since it takes 3500 extra food calories to gain a pound, you are not gaining by food intake; it is likely water retention to soothe your achy torn muscles!
Your job is active and now you have a very active workout schedule, so eating back at least half your exercise cals. is not a bad idea, but first, try using a different TDEE calculator than MFP's. I find this site's calculations to be a bit lower, calorie-wise, than most. Just google "TDEE calculator" - there's a ton of them out there. Then, eat TDEE-20%. But most of all, stay with it! Your body is adjusting, as is your metabolism, so what you are experiencing is normal....and the good news is that it's temporary, too!.
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You are not eating enough on your exercise days... your metabolism is likely on the go slow and your body is hanging onto everything it can to make up for such a large deficit. Eat 80% of your TDEE and you will be back on track.0
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I would say that you are not eating enough and that you go out to eat a lot. I would say the reason you are not losing is what you are eating. To lose weight you have to fix your diet. It is 80% kitchen 20% working out. Try eating over 1200 calories and I would say don't go out to eat for a week and see if that works.0
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You are not eating enough on your exercise days... your metabolism is likely on the go slow and your body is hanging onto everything it can to make up for such a large deficit. Eat 80% of your TDEE and you will be back on track.
Thank you for suggesting this. Thank you EVERYONE who suggested this and who has replied to me on this topic. I truly had NO IDEA I was supposed to eat those calories back. Now that I do, I will be working hard to focus on that, and prevent my body from going into starvation mode!0 -
Prior to introducing any exercise whatsoever I dropped to 248 fairly quickly. Two weeks ago I added in the walking/jogging and weight training. After week one I gained and went back up to 250, and now on week two I'm 249. Am I doing something wrong? I don't feel like I'm losing inches anywhere, but at the same time I have so much to lose that maybe I'm just not noticing? I'm ready to give up, I feel stuck! =(
If its only been two weeks since you added the exercise, why are you stressing? It takes time for some peoples bodies to realize the changes brought on by introducing exercise, especially if you weren't doing anything before. This is not a quick fix type of thing, you have to stick with it to see results and for some people it will take longer to see results.0 -
Get a trainer! They can be awesome! Also, measure yourself. I've lost about 10 pounds since January when I started... but I'm down 14 inches! Don't give up!0
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Prior to introducing any exercise whatsoever I dropped to 248 fairly quickly. Two weeks ago I added in the walking/jogging and weight training. After week one I gained and went back up to 250, and now on week two I'm 249. Am I doing something wrong? I don't feel like I'm losing inches anywhere, but at the same time I have so much to lose that maybe I'm just not noticing? I'm ready to give up, I feel stuck! =(
If its only been two weeks since you added the exercise, why are you stressing? It takes time for some peoples bodies to realize the changes brought on by introducing exercise, especially if you weren't doing anything before. This is not a quick fix type of thing, you have to stick with it to see results and for some people it will take longer to see results.
and this, it can take up to 12 weeks before you start seeing any type of change.0 -
MFP really sets your goal too low in my opinion if you set it for losing 2 lbs a week. Try resetting your goal to 1 lbs loss per week. As others have said, you just need to be eating more with the amount of activity you have.0
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I would say that you are not eating enough and that you go out to eat a lot. I would say the reason you are not losing is what you are eating. To lose weight you have to fix your diet. It is 80% kitchen 20% working out. Try eating over 1200 calories and I would say don't go out to eat for a week and see if that works.
This last week was an AWFUL representation of what I usually eat. I always go out on monday's with my parents, this sounds lame but they are very old and like to go to bingo at the village inn and they like me to go with them. Other than that I have maybe one breakfast out a week with my mom, and maybe 1-2 lunches a week on the days I work. However when I do go out to eat I make sure I am eating as healthy as possible: salads, fruit, yogurt, lean chicken and veggies.
I am also guilty of using some restaurant entries to calculate what my home cooked meal would total, as I simply don't know. This is mostly when steaks, or pork chops are created.
This last week I was photographing a wedding and so I had two meals out (rehearsal dinner and wedding), plus bingo monday, plus mothers day with my family, plus breakfast with my sister, plus lunch on a work day. That is FAR TOO MUCH, I agree!
I will take your words to heart and try to make sure I'm eating home cooked meals more frequently.0 -
If you have a hard time getting over 1100 cals and feel guilty eating just under 1600, you def need to eat more. I bet once you give your body 1-2 weeks of eating at least 1500 cals with your exercise you will see the weight start to come back off again. If you are on your feet for 40+ hours a week for your job and exercising, you def need mroe food girl. Don't give up!!! 0
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Prior to introducing any exercise whatsoever I dropped to 248 fairly quickly. Two weeks ago I added in the walking/jogging and weight training. After week one I gained and went back up to 250, and now on week two I'm 249. Am I doing something wrong? I don't feel like I'm losing inches anywhere, but at the same time I have so much to lose that maybe I'm just not noticing? I'm ready to give up, I feel stuck! =(
If its only been two weeks since you added the exercise, why are you stressing? It takes time for some peoples bodies to realize the changes brought on by introducing exercise, especially if you weren't doing anything before. This is not a quick fix type of thing, you have to stick with it to see results and for some people it will take longer to see results.
Why am I stressing? Well because prior to this thread I had no idea that what I was experiencing was normal!
Honestly, as I stated before, I'm fitness ignorant. I will be the first to admit I have no idea what I'm doing, so I thought I was doing something wrong. Now after all these amazing posts from you all I feel normal. I have gained great insight into my diet, my goals, definitely some of my faults. I'm completely grateful, you have no idea. :happy:0 -
Get a trainer! They can be awesome! Also, measure yourself. I've lost about 10 pounds since January when I started... but I'm down 14 inches! Don't give up!
Thank you, I started mulling the idea of a trainer around last week. Perhaps it's time to give it more thought.0 -
Just by looking at your Diary....1) You are not drinking enough water....You should be drinking approximately 1/2 gal to 1 gal/day. 2) You need to cut your fat intake down (no whole milk or cheese) 3) No carbs at dinner or after, they just sit in your system, and don't get burned off. It's not just about calorie intake, it's about the types of calories and when..... Good luck and stay with it!!!!!0
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Oh and on another note:
Never would I have ever thought that my problem would be I'm not eating ENOUGH.0 -
No unfortunately it's not odd to feel guilty about getting close to your caloric goal, lots of people get tweaked out when they get to being nearly 'out' of calories, but it's not the right way to feel. Think of it like body fueling, 100% caloric intake means the body is successfully fueled! Goal achieved! Dance dance, booty shake, more dance (log said dancing in exercise
).
And yes, eat back those exercise calories! Your body needs that fuel! If you do the calculation of TDEE -20% (your total daily energy expenditure - 20% for weight loss), then eat those calories. OR if you calculate using MFP, include your exercise and eat those calories, one or the other, just remember to recalculate every 5pds.
Definitely measure too, as you may not notice weight changes, but those inches may be flying off!0
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