Feeling Lost :-(

Hello everyone Im fairly new here aNd im feeling completely lost amd ready to give up :-(. I officially started my journey at 192lbs. I am 25years old and 5'2". When i first t started I was netting 1200 calories. The first week i gained 1lb. The second week i lost the 1lb. The third week I found a log about TDEE so after calculating it I figured I ahould eat 1800 calories and not log excercise. Well the third week I lost 0.8lbs so I found myself at 191 lbs. This week I aeigjed in and gained 3lbs making me 194lbs! 2lbs heavier than wjen I started :'(. As far as excercise I jog for 30 min 4 times a week and I do Jillian michaels body revolution 3-4 times a week. What am i doi.g wrong? Feeling so discouraged thought that I was making progress :-(

Replies

  • broox80
    broox80 Posts: 1,195 Member
    just keep at it. I didnt start to.really lose for over a month. I would lose and gain the same 3 pounds. after a while I lost and kept losing. it just takes time and when you are doing so well and working so hard, you want to see those results. they will come. keep rockin, you'll get there \m/
  • 20HJIGSAW
    20HJIGSAW Posts: 7 Member
    It depends on what you are intaking. Are you intaking good calories or bad calories? What has been working for my wife and I we do the visalus shakes for protein and meal replacements. We usually eat about 5 times a day. Sometimes we are under our calories and sometimes we aren't but we mainly use it as a reference.
  • amypomm
    amypomm Posts: 140 Member
    It could be sodium. Give yourself 6 weeks and then see if any weight comes off. I know how you feel. I calculated my tdee also so Ive been eating more and have gained two pounds. Im going to give it 6 weeks tho before I make anymore changes.:smile:
  • Morninglory81
    Morninglory81 Posts: 1,190 Member
    Because this is new you need to give it time for your body to adjust. Some drop weight the moment they stare and some need time. If you are at a deficit you will lose just give it time. In 4 weeks if you haven't seen a change you may need to adjust things.
  • HoneySunrise
    HoneySunrise Posts: 29 Member
    I know how you feel! I started my journey 2-3 weeks ago, and I'm 2.5 lbs up from where I was when I started. It's so discouraging :( But a lot of people put on a few pounds when they start out, and after a month or two the weight comes off. Keep at it! Don't look at the scale so much, take measurements and pay attention to how your body FEELS. You may be losing the fat but you may be putting on some muscle at the same time.

    Also, I agree with the above poster about the SODIUM. My sodium levels are really high, which makes me retain water. That's a big factor too.

    Whatever you do though, don't give up! You will see results eventually.
  • Stump_Likker
    Stump_Likker Posts: 2,059 Member
    I have been at this since March and I have only lost 10 lbs. It takes time. We didn't gain the weight overnight. Everyday I get a little stronger, can run a little longer, lift a little more. Patience. Good luck.
  • catfive1
    catfive1 Posts: 529 Member
    Watch what you are eating. Even when you are 200 cal below your food goal your amount of Carbs/Protein/Fat/Sodium/Sugar are too high. Try making some healthier food choices. Not easy but necessary.
  • If you weigh yourself everyday then you have to take into account you can have up to 2 pounds sometimes even more pounds of pure water weight gain/loss everyday. Take your lowest weight and only put that in mfp and youll see if you are on track by how fast you lose in the long term. Same time weekly weigh in is even better to see if you are on track.
  • Keep going and be precise with measuring and weighing your food for a month.
    Then you will have data! If you stay the same, you know your TDEE is really 1800 and then knock off 100 to 200 calories a day and go for another month. Chances are you will have a loss though, many people notice an initial gain when they make a big changer you just did. Really, what you log, and the results you will get from your logging will give you the answers.
    The scale is unreliable. I can gain 5 pounds easily, according to the scale, in a day and I weigh 139.

    It does work, honestly! I used to have doubts too when I plateaued, but I am glad I kept going although my mind played tricks and kept telling me it wasn't working. Stick with it!

    Like others have said, patience is the most key element here in my opinion.
  • carriej82
    carriej82 Posts: 123 Member
    it took me a while to start losing too! actually I hid my scale several weeks ago. I haven't weighed in in over a month (after next week) I was obsessed. I am going to take it out next Friday (a month after hiding it) I know I am losing because my clothes are fitting bigger, and my belt keeps moving notches and people are noticing. may be try hiding your scale for a month and just work at it.

    Also, I was going to ask the same thing as the pp.... what sort of things are you eating? may be make your food journal open and then we can see what you are eating?
  • Katie_Y89
    Katie_Y89 Posts: 330 Member
    Watch your intake. Dont just watch calories but also carbs, fiber, and sugars. It gives u a breakdown in ur food log. Also if u just started results may not be instant. Sometimes it takes almost 6 weekz to see a change!! Dont forget that u could also be retainig water if u r eating too muh sodium or it could be muscle building. Dont give up!! Keep at it and you will see a change!
  • xxghost
    xxghost Posts: 4,697 Member
    Fantastic job in the protein department! You are getting in your recommended protein and more, and that is something to be proud of!

    Unfortunately, weight loss isn't an instant thing, even when you first start out. In fact, I gained my first couple of weeks on the program. The reason was my sudden increase in workouts. My body had to adjust to going from 0 workouts a week to 6-7. My muscles needed water to recover, meaning I was suddenly retaining a TON of water. Like, over a pound of water alone! I was also eating over my sodium every day, which meant too much salt and even more water retention. I still go over more than I'd like, but when I try to keep my levels down, and drink as much water as possible (more water means less water retention, strangely enough), I have crazy weight loss. Just kicking that water retention!

    So don't get discouraged. Keep doing what you're doing for a month, and I am confident that you will see a change. If you'd like to kick it up a notch, keep an eye on your sugar and fat intakes. I'm over quite a bit in those too (eating like two apples will put you over in sugar, and my almond addiction doesn't help my fat levels), but days when I really keep them down always pay off.

    I've been doing this for six months, and its been stressful. This past weekend, I somehow managed to gain 5 pounds. I blame water retention and TOM, but its still crazy frustrating! But it just inspires me to push harder.

    Remember what Tommy Kelley said - “You have failed only when you quit trying. Until then, you're still in the act of progression. So, never quit trying and you'll never be a failure.”

    And my personal favorite: "If you're tired of starting over, stop giving up."

    Hang in there, and good luck!
  • Thank you guys for the responses! Ive been staying within calorie limits but I guess not really watching what Im eating. Someone suggested that I might be eating too many calories and should maybe stay around 1400 calories? Also another comment was that because im so overweight i shouldnt be doing so much cardio? Any suggestions?
  • xxghost
    xxghost Posts: 4,697 Member
    Thank you guys for the responses! Ive been staying within calorie limits but I guess not really watching what Im eating. Someone suggested that I might be eating too many calories and should maybe stay around 1400 calories? Also another comment was that because im so overweight i shouldnt be doing so much cardio? Any suggestions?

    From my own experiences, I don't agree with either of those statements. I wouldn't cut your calories unless you're totally confident. I am eating just shy of 2000 calories a day. At first, I thought that was a ton. But I'm losing. In fact, weeks where I eat closer to my goal are the weeks when I lose the most. I suggest you try out your goal for a month or two. See how you feel. If you're gaining (and you're being totally honest and not overestimating exercise/underestimating calories in your logging), maybe you can consider cutting calories out.

    As for cardio, that's silly. I haven't heard anything like that before. Cardio is great for everyone. It may have different results on different people, but I've never heard of being too large for it! I say keep the cardio going. Eating right may be the most important factor, but exercise will help you feel good, have more energy, and tone up. I highly recommend it.
  • 122ish
    122ish Posts: 339 Member
    Just a suggestion but maybe try keeping your carbs to about "60 and reduce your sugar (swap some of that fruit for veggies) and keep sodium at 1500. Maybe give it a shot for a week or two and see if that helps

    I went based on what saw in the 2 days in your diary

    Maybe u can try having six meals incase it's your metabolism screwing u up
  • Keep it simple!!!