working really hard and not loosing

Daniele1213
Daniele1213 Posts: 37 Member
in Motivation and Support
Something is dreadfully wrong with this picture. Got on the scale today after 2 weeks and I did not loose one lousy pound........that is NOT a motivator.......... I exercise a minimun of 5 days per week, log everything down. If anyone can look at my diary and suggest anything I would be very happy. Thanks.

Replies

  • sweetpea03b
    sweetpea03b Posts: 1,123 Member
    1) Your calories are set at 1200 which is WAY too low. Calculate your BMR.... NEVER eat below that. Calculate your TDEE then subtract 20%... that is what you should be eating which INCLUDES exercise so you don't eat back those calories
    2) are you doing cardio AND lifting? this will ensure you build muscle as you go which will burn fat faster.
    3) I don't see your sodium content... make sure you keep this in check so you don't hold onto water weight
    4) Measure yourself and take "before" pictures... use these to compare even when you don't lose #'s you might be losing inches.

    Good luck! I wasn't losing on 12-1500 cals/day when I started the TDEE/BMR method I lost 4# in 1 week! Hang in there!
  • DeeDiddyGee
    DeeDiddyGee Posts: 601 Member
    Dani, here is a link to do your calculations: http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/

    Find out your TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure) number and multiply by 80% (x .80), and this is the number of calories you should eat, which includes your exercise calories. You don't have to track your excercise burns anymore unless you just want to know them in your head.
  • LadyLiege
    LadyLiege Posts: 23
    Hi,
    I'm in the same boat as you, have been sticking to the MFP recommended intake and hit a plateau after losing 4lbs... going to take the girls' advice and use the site: apparently I have to up my intake from 1200kcal to 1600kcal and we'll see what happens! :D Good luck!!!
  • meredith1123
    meredith1123 Posts: 843 Member
    Do you hve a digital food scale?
    if not, invest in one. You'd be surprised how much a difference it makes.
  • Daniele1213
    Daniele1213 Posts: 37 Member
    Yes, I do and I use it faithfully. I even package snack baggies for work and weigh everything.
  • Daniele1213
    Daniele1213 Posts: 37 Member
    Thanks for your reply, I am deffinitely go to try this. Yes, I am doing cardio and weight training, both.
  • Daniele1213
    Daniele1213 Posts: 37 Member
    Thanks, and good luck to you also.:)
  • maecrocker
    maecrocker Posts: 56
    I was stuck for about 1 1/2 months. Then I found this:
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12
    Since then I have been dropping the pounds unbelievably! 1200 is way too low. I had to ramp up to 1600-1700 per day. If you read the link it explains exactly how to do TDEE less 20%. It walks you through the entire thing and also explains why in a clear and easy to understand way. I was so confused before I read this. Also, I think you said you were 2 weeks in. For me, at the beginning, I don't really notice anything until the 3rd week in. Then things start to get a bit less flabby. Next things get a bit tighter. Then the scale starts to change. You also don't want to focus too much on the scale. Do measurements and track those and your body fat percentage. And most of all, stick with it and I wish you all the best!
  • karl39x
    karl39x Posts: 586 Member
    Are you working hard or hardly working...
  • VincitQuiSeVincit
    VincitQuiSeVincit Posts: 285 Member
    The scale measures your relationship with gravity and nothing more.
    I have given up my scale for the next 6 months.
    Here's why:

    I tried to put a pair of shorts on in April that I could barely get past my thighs. I weighed 201 lbs.

    Last week I put on the same pair of shorts, they fit like a dream. I weigh 198.5 lbs.

    2.5 lousy lbs in 1 1/2 months? Seriously?

    However, all my clothes is fitting looser, my face is noticeably simmer, and people are starting to compliment my loss.

    I have been working out 5 days a week, plenty of cardio and weight training. I am assuming (correctly) that I am losing fat and building muscle. The scale has no idea.

    My suggestion would be ditch the scale and pick up the measuring tape.
  • Daniele1213
    Daniele1213 Posts: 37 Member
    Thanks for your response. I am going to read that link. Just an FYI, I have gone 2 weeks without the scale moving, but I am at day 50 on MFP. So, I have lost 6 pounds here but an additonal 8 lbs since 3/1/13.
  • Daniele1213
    Daniele1213 Posts: 37 Member
    My clothes are deffinitely loose, infact some of them I can not wear any longer....So I know that is good.
  • themedalist
    themedalist Posts: 3,218 Member
    Start tracking sodium and aim to keep it around 2000 mg/day. Sodium is often the reason people (especially women) don't see the scale go down. Higher sodium results in water retention that can mask your true weight loss. When I was in my weight loss phase (I'm in maintenance now) I would lose about 1.5 pounds a week but a single Chinese dinner would cause me to gain 2-3 pounds (temporarily) overnight. Very discouraging and frustrating until I figured out sodium was the culprit.
  • MostlyWater
    MostlyWater Posts: 4,294 Member
    get a tape measure and see if the jiggly fat has ben replaced by more compact muscle.
  • MG_Fit
    MG_Fit Posts: 1,143 Member
    1) Your calories are set at 1200 which is WAY too low. Calculate your BMR.... NEVER eat below that. Calculate your TDEE then subtract 20%... that is what you should be eating which INCLUDES exercise so you don't eat back those calories
    2) are you doing cardio AND lifting? this will ensure you build muscle as you go which will burn fat faster.
    3) I don't see your sodium content... make sure you keep this in check so you don't hold onto water weight
    4) Measure yourself and take "before" pictures... use these to compare even when you don't lose #'s you might be losing inches.

    Good luck! I wasn't losing on 12-1500 cals/day when I started the TDEE/BMR method I lost 4# in 1 week! Hang in there!

    This exactly!
  • ammadove
    ammadove Posts: 97 Member
    No expert here, believe me, but are you also being aware of the sodium you are consuming? Sodium in excess can lead to water retention. Just a thought
  • arewethereyet
    arewethereyet Posts: 18,702 Member
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/welcome/guidelines

    1. No Attacks or Insults and No Reciprocation
    a) Do not attack, mock, or otherwise insult others. You can respectfully disagree with the message or topic, but you cannot attack the messenger. This includes attacks against the user’s spelling or command of written English, or belittling a user for posting a duplicate topic.


    Thank You,
    Arewethereyet
    MFP Moderator:flowerforyou:
  • socajam
    socajam Posts: 2,530 Member
    Something is dreadfully wrong with this picture. Got on the scale today after 2 weeks and I did not loose one lousy pound........that is NOT a motivator.......... I exercise a minimun of 5 days per week, log everything down. If anyone can look at my diary and suggest anything I would be very happy. Thanks.


    I am not surprised your diary yesterday (06/13/2013) was full of sodium rich foods. Try and switch out fiber for sodium for a month to see if that is one of your problems. I try to keep my sodium intake to 1500, sometimes less and it has worked so far.
  • Daniele1213
    Daniele1213 Posts: 37 Member
    Thank you, I appreciate your response. I have been much more concerned with sugar than sodium. I wil keep that in mind.

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