Discouraged.

Jessica_D_Shadow · June 2013

That stupid scale. I'm very discouraged.

SW: 210
CW: 206
GW: 145

I have been doing the MFP "lose 1.5lbs" a week calorie amount of 1440. I have been exercising almost daily. Drinking over 8 glasses of water a day. Watching my portions closely. And I'm not getting anywhere near what I was the first two weeks I was on here.

End Week 1 : 207.2
End Week 2: 205.6
End Week 3: 206.6 (Memorial Day, whoops. But I was ok with that.)
End Week 4: 206.0
I only went down half a pound after getting RIGHT back on track, under calories everyday. Exercising daily. I'm a little discouraged.

I know ALL together I have lost 4 lbs in 4 weeks. Which is a great overall picture. But I am not losing the 1.5lbs per week. I lost a lot in the beginning two weeks to make for those 4 lbs down. Not the last two weeks. I'm just...discouraged. Any words of advice & encouragement?

(P.s. If you don't have something nice/helpful to say, don't say anything at all. I know a lot of people tend to get a little rowdy when others are having trouble and they aren't. Thank you.

)

refinedredbird · June 2013

The lose 1.5lbs a week is just an estimation. Some people lose faster or slower than others. 4 lbs in 4 weeks is not something to be discouraged about. I remember when I was about 5-6 lbs shy on being in the 100s and it seemed like it took forever to get there, but it did! Make sure that if you set your calories to 1440 and you are also exercising, you should be eating back your exercise calories too. I know it sounds strange and scary sometimes, but not eating enough can slow your weight loss down too. It will pay off if you stay patient!

EDIT: Also, check your body measurements for changes. The scale can lie to you and you may be losing body fat which is really what is important in my opinion.

Jessica_D_Shadow · June 2013

The lose 1.5lbs a week is just an estimation. Some people lose faster or slower than others. 4 lbs in 4 weeks is not something to be discouraged about. I remember when I was about 5-6 lbs shy on being in the 100s and it seemed like it took forever to get there, but it did! Make sure that if you set your calories to 1440, but you are also exercising, you should be eating back your exercise calories too. I know it sounds strange and scary sometimes, but not eating enough can slow your weight loss down too. It will pay off if you stay patient!

EDIT: Also, check your body measurements for changes. The scale can lie to you and you may be losing body fat which is really what is important in my opinion.

Thank you Jessgoodbred8! I definitely need to get a measuring tape. I was just so discouraged to go down half a pound when I've been so on track.

cloudysky1284 · June 2013

This is very typical when just starting out. Your body is actually working against you. When you reduce your caloric intake, the first couple weeks show good results and then your body thinks you are going to starve so it starts holding on to more fat in an effort to keep you alive. Keep going at the same level for a few more weeks and your body will eventually realize that everything is ok and it will let go of that fat! Also make sure to keep adjusting your calories as you lose weight. When you log your new weight into mfp, recalculate your calorie goals. I am not an expert by any means, I have just gone through a lot of ups and downs with my weight since I started in 2008. Changing up your exercise routine can help too. One time, I was at a plateau and the following week I actually cut a workout out of my routine and gave myself a little freedom with my calories. I actually broke my plateau that week and lost weight by doing that. Sometimes your body just needs a change to get it's metabolism revved up. I hope this helps! :happy:

IronPhyllida · June 2013

I'd definitely agree with the others on this - I've lost 6kgs (sorry I'm a metric person) since November but there are weeks where weight didnt change at all. I'm going through a slump now. You have to keep at it and vary your exercises, your body gets comfortable with doing the same thing time after time, so vary it to surprise it a bit - not too much though that you get a heart attack :laugh:
You're on the right track, just give it more time....
Good luck!

singlefemalelawyer · June 2013

My only words of advice - don't give up! I am set to lose a pound per week and some weeks I don't lose anything, some weeks I even go up a little. And after a few weeks I eventually lose a pound or two. Very frustrating. I've lost 6 lbs in the last 2 months (and I've been working very hard) but I am not giving up. It's still better than gaining and feeling crappy about myself. Losing weight varies from one person to the next and you can't compare your results to others. Just know that you are doing the best you can and that every day you get one step closer.

RoseTears143 · June 2013

Agreed - the 1.5 lbs a week is an estimation. MFP can't figure out exactly how many calories you burn with your BMR, or your exact calorie burn from exercise, all it can do is estimate a generic amount based on some low level info such as height, weight, sex, and age.

Def do measures as well because that can be very motivating to see your body shrinking in numbers that way. Also, try eating back some of your exercise calories if you aren't. MFP figures in a caloric deficit assuming you aren't working out so you might not be eating enough.

Good luck!

tjcnc · June 2013

The best measurement is how do you feel and look. Clothes fitting better and hopefully soon too big. Are your muscles toning? Are you able to go further and longer now. These are measurements better then the scale.

Good Luck

hatethegame · June 2013

It can be very difficult but don't get discouraged! Weight loss is not linear. You may (and will) have periods where you lose more and less weight. Try to stay focused on the long term. If you track and control your calorie input/output, you will control your weight. Don't let the scale be your only measurement tool.It can make you very discouraged at times (and happy at others) but either way, if you are doing the right things, success will come. STAY STRONG!

elainecroft · June 2013

Weight loss is not linear. I will not lose for 2 weeks, then lose 2 pounds overnight. Keep at the healthy habits and the weight will come off.

Also, 4 weeks is not a long time. You can fluxuate quite a bit over that time, but if you keep eating less and exercising more you will see trends continue over coming months.

Good luck!

elainecroft · June 2013

Forgot to mention - I'm at a similar weight and found that I had better luck losing consistently by setting my target at "lose 1 pound per week" instead of "lose 1.5 pounds per week". It's slower but has been better in the long term for me.

meredith1123 · June 2013

The fact that you are still losing should keep you encouraged. Also I think you should do some measurements so that you can focus on your body fat percentage. Most of the time, people are far too focused on the weight/the scale and not focused on their BF% and inches they have lost. You could have lost an inch this past week and not even know it!!!!!!

Do not give up, and dont be discouraged. You will succeed.

Pay attention to your macros (protein, carbs, fat, sodium, fiber)....... keep them below where they should be. You will be surprised how much this helps as much as keeping your calories down where they should be. MFP had my sodium set at 2500 a day, I actually lowered that to 2000 a day and it's doing me more good than I ever thought. Every 'body' works differently but I do know that paying attention to your calories AND your macros has serious benefits!

good luck!

Shikonneko · June 2013

Pictures, measurements, and clothes are a better indication of progress than anything. I feel like I've hardly lost any weight (comparatively) but I've lost 3 pant and bra band sizes and sleeves on shirts fit better. There's more to a body than weight alone and you gotta remember to take the trees AND the forest!

andreabrabham · June 2013

I definitely know how it feels to be discouraged. I am just starting to lose after about 2 months but that's because I was so confused and didnt know which plan to stick with (TDEE-20 or MFP). Since you are doing the MFP way (which I do) I think like this, the more I exercise, the more I can eat, so I just exercise it out! I try not to over think my weight loss because that's usually when you don't lose and it becomes obsessive. I was seriously becoming obsessed at first! Eat those exercise calories back. At first it didnt make sense to me but I wasnt going to try to understand. If a lot of people say it works, then I'm all in. Plus I love to eat! So thats what I look forward to when I exercise. I usually burn 1000 a day (you dont have to do this) and I know that I can eat about anything I want. But I never eat all of it back. But I have before and still lost some.

poedunk65 · June 2013

Without looking at your foods and workouts.

I would say it is what and how you are eating.

I always reccomend watching 2 movies. Forks over Knives and Hungry for a change.

NoleGirl0918 · June 2013

Hi - i totally understand your frustration! The best thing i could say is DON'T GIVE UP! i've been stuck @ 150 lbs since January but have seen changes in my body measurements for sure. (i'm 5'2" & currently wear a size 10.) Remember that most likely you gained the weight slowly & so losing it slowly isn't a bad thing. If you are exercising & eating right, your body just needs some time to catch up. Blessings to you on your fitness journey. :flowerforyou:

bspott · June 2013

When I first started trying to lose weight 5 months ago, the math of it indicated that I should've lost 8 pounds the first month. The reality of it was I gained a pound. So, I went and saw my doctor, and it turns out I had an underactive thyroid. *Joy* After 8 weeks of medication, I started the diet again and am now down 13 pounds in just over 6 weeks.

<Morale of the story: check with your doctor to make sure that your body is in fine tune>

Also, don't give up. Stick with it, cause if you give up 6 months or a year down the road you're going to look back and realize that you have to start all over again from the beginning (and the beginning might even be 10 pounds heavier than before), and if you just stuck with it than you would be either where you wanted to be all along, or pretty damn close.

Lizajane42 · June 2013

I think everyone is on track by saying that it is just going to be an up and down journey. There are weeks I lose little or nothing, weeks I gain a little, and weeks I lose a lot.

A couple people have mentioned eating back exercise calories. I personally use a heart rate monitor to track my calorie burn rather than the MFP estimates- I find that MFP tends to over-estimate compared to my HRM (that may or may not be true for you). When I eat back exercise calories I don't eat them all just because I don't want to end up overeating because I think I burned more than I really did (because even HRMs are fallible). I tend to eat back about half of my exercise or whatever amount satiates me!

Keep working and you'll get there!

Jessica_D_Shadow · June 2013

Thank you all so much for your advice & support. I am in need of a new scale. I'm going to be getting one of those BF%, Water, Weight scales. So that if I gain a pound I can see if it's in Lean Muscle, water, or fat weight. I think that will help me. Also going to grab a measuring tape for measurements to help keep me encouraged.

poedunk- Good point. I read that eating certain times in the day make a difference. Does anyone know what times are the optimal times of eating? I was trying to do Breakfast, Snack, Lunch, Snack, Dinner. But, it hasn't been happening. I'm always full until lunch. Need a snack after lunch though. -shrug-

I won't give up! I need this! I WANT this! I will work hard to get what I want. It's just frustrating when you see a big estimate and it doesn't happen. =P Gotta keep my eyes on the long term big picture.

soldier4242 · June 2013

Well the truth is you aren't actually having a problem. You are losing weight. If you were to continue down the path that you are already on for a long enough span of time then you would reach your goal weight. There really isn't anything else to do except that "You are doing it." this is what weight loss looks like. It is a long and winding road with obstetrical and pitfalls along the way. The people that lose the weight are the ones that stick with it. They get to the gym and they lift that weight. They run that track. They eat healthy food and they pass on soda and chocolate.

Obviously you can have some indulgences in moderation but that means that you are paying attention to how much you are eating and you doing enough exercise to counter balance. It takes discipline and hard work but when you see that you are 25 pounds lighter one day it is all worth it. Sure you are not at your goal weight but your better off than you were when you started and that makes all the difference.

You are fighting for you own health here and the greatest strength grows in the presence of adversity. You have to push past your excuses and fight for it because it is worth doing. If nobody ever go discouraged then everyone would succeed and there wouldn't be anything impressive about your success. Just get on feet and do what you know will get you where you want to be.

Jessica_D_Shadow · June 2013

Well the truth is you aren't actually having a problem. You are losing weight. If you were to continue down the path that you are already on for a long enough span of time then you would reach your goal weight. There really isn't anything else to do except that "You are doing it." this is what weight loss looks like. It is a long and winding road with obstetrical and pitfalls along the way. The people that lose the weight are the ones that stick with it. They get to the gym and they lift that weight. They run that track. They eat healthy food and they pass on soda and chocolate.

Obviously you can have some indulgences in moderation but that means that you are paying attention to how much you are eating and you doing enough exercise to counter balance. It takes discipline and hard work but when you see that you are 25 pounds lighter one day it is all worth it. Sure you are not at your goal weight but your better off than you were when you started and that makes all the difference.

You are fighting for you own health here and the greatest strength grows in the presence of adversity. You have to push past your excuses and fight for it because it is worth doing. If nobody ever go discouraged then everyone would succeed and there wouldn't be anything impressive about your success. Just get on feet and do what you know will get you where you want to be.

Wow, very very inspirational. Thank you! I needed this!

You have a true point it's not like I'm still 4 lbs heavier. I'm 4 lbs lighter than before.

I guess all the "20lbs in one month!" posts have got me dreaming. Hehe. Stick to the real deal & stick it out for the long haul. Thank you Soldier4242.

Francl27 · June 2013

Are you eating back your exercise calories? Because otherwise you're probably eating too little, and that's why it's not working. You're supposed to eat back your exercise calories, and ideally stick to the 'lose 1lb a week' setting.

For what it's worth, I started 5 months ago at 210 lbs or something, and I've lost 35 lbs since. My goal at 210 was 1650 without counting exercise calories (but I worked out maybe 20 minutes a day at the time). I had no problem losing.

grimendale · June 2013

One of the big things people forget (or don't realize in the first place) is that when you start an exercise regimen for the first time, you are extremely likely to gain weight for the first two to three weeks. This is due to your body freaking out over the new demands being placed on it and trying to protect your muscles from the microtears your putting in them while you workout (a normal part of muscle building). You get inflammation, lactic acid buildup and water retention around these areas, which causes an increase in your scale weight (but not your actual body fat percentage). Once you adjust to the new exercise, you will stop retaining the water and the weight will come off (provided you've been eating right). This can happen every time you start a new exercise that works new muscles, or even if you just up the intensity significantly. Don't let the temporary setbacks discourage you. Watch your body measurements (a tape measure is a lot more accurate than a scale) and stick to it. Good luck.

Discouraged.

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