I am getting discouraged! I haven't lost a single pound!

This sucks. I have completely cut out pop, refined sugars and processed food. I am eating about 800-900 calories a day. I do get outside and play with my little guy everyday and go for walks at least 3-4 times a week. I hate how I look. I don't understand what I am doing wrong. I completely changed the way I eat. I added more protein rich foods and limit carbs and nothing. I am trying to do something similar to the ideal protein diet but I haven't lost a SINGLE pound. I drink so much water everyday that I can fill a pool.


Can anyone help??
«13

Replies

  • Haima
    Haima Posts: 93 Member
    You may need to add more calories? I read that a lot around here. Once they add a few more calories they start losing more. Keep up with the water!!! It will start to come off, you just have to be patient. Hope that helps! Good Luck : )
  • GeminiBridget
    GeminiBridget Posts: 99 Member
    I can't view your diary but based on what you're saying, you're eating too few calories per day and you're putting your body in 'starvation mode' which slows up your metabolism and makes you hold on to stored fat. You need to increase your caloric intake to at least 1200 calories per day.
  • MrsKiss21
    MrsKiss21 Posts: 21 Member
    How do I make my diary open?
  • chezjuan
    chezjuan Posts: 747 Member
    A few questions:

    How long have you been at this?
    Are you logging everything you eat?
    What is your CW?
    How much are you trying to lose a week?

    The answers could help people answer your question better.
  • MrsKiss21
    MrsKiss21 Posts: 21 Member
    I just started a week ago, so I know it hasn't been long. The only days I didn't log were Saturday and Sunday. We had a wedding and went out to eat twice on Sunday. My current weight is 165 and I want to be down to 120. I really want to lose about 2-3lbs a week.
  • Runhard13
    Runhard13 Posts: 138 Member
    Men arn't supposed to dip below 1200 cals ..not sure about women tho. Find out what your Basal metabolic rate is or BMR..which basically is a number of cals you burn a day just by living and breathing...after all your body needs energy just to survive. Factor in what you eat and the difference between the two should be 500 or greater..any exercise needs to be factored in as well..but 800 cals a day does seem low and counter productive
  • GeminiBridget
    GeminiBridget Posts: 99 Member
    How do I make my diary open?

    Go into 'settings' and click on 'diary settings'.
  • Jaulen
    Jaulen Posts: 468 Member
    800 to 900 calories are less than what my 36 pound 5 year old eats in a day.

    Simply put you are eating too few calories.
  • Jchambers1130
    Jchambers1130 Posts: 173 Member
    You aren't going to go into the myth of "starvation mode" and 800-900 calories you WILL lose weight. It just may not be great in the long run. I would look more into are you counting correctly and weighing food?
  • Jchambers1130
    Jchambers1130 Posts: 173 Member
    I just started a week ago, so I know it hasn't been long. The only days I didn't log were Saturday and Sunday. We had a wedding and went out to eat twice on Sunday. My current weight is 165 and I want to be down to 120. I really want to lose about 2-3lbs a week.

    Seriously? It's been one week and you ate out twice and went to a wedding. I'm sure you had a bit more than 800-900 calories a day. Get serious about dieting and eating less.
  • chelstakencharge
    chelstakencharge Posts: 1,021 Member
    I stay between 1000 -1100 calories per day. Everybody is different. Try upping your calories and see if that works.
  • First, that is a lot of weight to loose per week. And only being at it a week, you need to give yourself more time.
    Second, you do need to eat more calories. I once ate less than a thousand calories and this program yelled at me telling me that it would slow down my metabolism if I kept at it. I don't eat less than 1200 now.
    Third, If you are walking and exercising, you could be putting on muscle weight first, then you will see the weight drop after that. the first thing you will notice is a change in your body shape.

    I hope this helps, and good luck! It is a slow process, but it works, I have lost 6 pounds now in about 5 weeks. It takes time, but it is worth it.
  • PriceK01
    PriceK01 Posts: 834 Member
    Start accurately logging EVERYTHING. You're probably eating more than you think.
  • lbuseth
    lbuseth Posts: 41
    It has only been a week and you may want to increase your calories a little. If your workouts aren't that hard then you won't see a dramatic lose in weight. Keep at it and losing a 1lb every few weeks isn't bad either. Or increase your workouts and what you are doing. Maybe a bike ride or running...Just a suggestion!

    Good luck!
  • tzig00
    tzig00 Posts: 875 Member
    I just started a week ago, so I know it hasn't been long. The only days I didn't log were Saturday and Sunday. We had a wedding and went out to eat twice on Sunday. My current weight is 165 and I want to be down to 120. I really want to lose about 2-3lbs a week.

    Seriously? It's been one week and you ate out twice and went to a wedding. I'm sure you had a bit more than 800-900 calories a day. Get serious about dieting and eating less.

    ^ My exact thoughts.
  • MrsKiss21
    MrsKiss21 Posts: 21 Member
    I honestly didn't eat that much at the wedding. They didn't really have anything I was super found of and I don't like cake at all. When we eat it's always the same places and I get usually the same thing each time.
  • PepperWorm
    PepperWorm Posts: 1,206
    You're not eating enough.

    EAT.
  • Jaulen
    Jaulen Posts: 468 Member
    I just started a week ago, so I know it hasn't been long. The only days I didn't log were Saturday and Sunday. We had a wedding and went out to eat twice on Sunday. My current weight is 165 and I want to be down to 120. I really want to lose about 2-3lbs a week.

    Seriously? It's been one week and you ate out twice and went to a wedding. I'm sure you had a bit more than 800-900 calories a day. Get serious about dieting and eating less.


    And realize that you are NOT likely to be losing 2 to 3 pounds a week....

    You also have to get realistic with your goals.
  • MinnieInMaine
    MinnieInMaine Posts: 6,400 Member
    Two things:

    1) as others have said, 800-900 calories a day is FAR too low. You should go by the calorie goal set by MFP which is never lower than 1200. The calorie goal is a number you should net daily, meaning eat back the earned exercise calories too. With the amount of weight you have to lose, 1 pound per week is a healthy and sustainable goal. Trying to lose more than that will not likely work long term.

    While starvation mode is technically a myth, if your body's not getting enough calories coming in to support your activities, it will store fat and attack muscle for energy.

    2) You very likely answered your own question with the weekend events. Even if you ate ok and didn't go too far over your calories, restaurant food has TONS of sodium so you're probably retaining water at the very least. Give it a few more days, make sure you keep drinking that water and I bet you'll see a loss soon.
  • cookiealbright
    cookiealbright Posts: 605 Member
    And realize that you are NOT likely to be losing 2 to 3 pounds a week....

    You also have to get realistic with your goals.

    I agree with this.
  • ironanimal
    ironanimal Posts: 5,922 Member
    800-900 isn't going to be sustainable in the long run, and doesn't leave you any room to move if you ever get to the point of needing to adjust your calories again.

    Start with the HIGHEST amount you can lose weight on and work down from there; do not start at the very bottom. Your first couple of weeks should be spent logging 100% HONESTLY what you NORMALLY eat so you can see the problem.
  • NSMustanggirl
    NSMustanggirl Posts: 70 Member
    Are you exercising as well? Eating clean or as little processed food as possible? I think you need more calories - not sure how healthy 800-900 calories is, or how sustainable. I tried 1200 calories and I felt like I was starving myself. I'm currently at 159 and at 1490 calories and still losing, so I think you can afford to up your calorie allowance.
  • kristen6022
    kristen6022 Posts: 1,923 Member
    I just started a week ago, so I know it hasn't been long. The only days I didn't log were Saturday and Sunday. We had a wedding and went out to eat twice on Sunday. My current weight is 165 and I want to be down to 120. I really want to lose about 2-3lbs a week.

    1st: You won't be able to lose 2-3lbs a week. Sorry, it just isn't possible. You don't have much to lose - set your MFP settings to losing 1lb a week and eat back the calories you burned in exercise. You aren't eating enough. 800-900 calories a day isn't enough for a child, let alone you.
    2nd: Patience. It's only been a week. It took me 2 full years to lose 45 pounds. Slow and steady teaches you how to keep it off. Develop new habits so that you'll never have to do this again. I've been at this long enough to know that eating really low and exercising like a fiend won't make the weight come off any faster.
    3rd: Great job changing the way you eat. Reducing soda, refined sugars and processed foods are a great start - but I can tell you from experience NO ONE has the willpower to never eat/drink something like that EVER again. I follow the 80/20 rule, 80% of the time I eat well, 20% I eat things I shouldn't. Keep the portions small, if it fits in your daily calories and isn't affecting your macros, eat it and don't feel bad about it.
  • MrsKiss21
    MrsKiss21 Posts: 21 Member
    I am trying to eat as clean as possible. No white flour or anything like that. We have always used whole wheat bread or whole wheat pasta and brown rice. I completely cut out pop and sugary drinks. I only drink water or protein shakes that have little to no sugar in them. I have changed the way I cook at home too. All dinners I have made in the last week are from Skinny Taste and I love them.
  • MrsKiss21
    MrsKiss21 Posts: 21 Member
    I am just wanting to get down to pre-baby weight. I nursed my son for a year and thought the weight would somewhat come off but that didn't happen. Ideally I would like to be down to where I was before having kids but that isn't realistic.
  • AmandaReimer1
    AmandaReimer1 Posts: 235 Member
    You always need to give lifestyle changes more than a week. 1) eat more calories. I weigh a couple pounds more than you and my calorie goal is 1500.

    2) weigh/measure your food ( are you also sure of the calories you ate while eating out? It can be very deceiving! ).

    3) Give it time
  • maybeazure
    maybeazure Posts: 301 Member
    I just started a week ago, so I know it hasn't been long. The only days I didn't log were Saturday and Sunday. We had a wedding and went out to eat twice on Sunday. My current weight is 165 and I want to be down to 120. I really want to lose about 2-3lbs a week.

    A week isn't long enough to be sure of results really. Your body isn't going to go into starvation mode after three or four days of eating 800 calories. I would be more concerned about the days that you didn't log. Restaurant food can be very high in calories and sodium. You could have made up for your calorie deficit eating out, so you maintained. Or you could have just gotten way too much sodium so your body is hanging onto water weight.

    I would suggest eating the number of calories that MFP suggest for you, every day, but being careful about weighing and measuring stuff, and tracking as best you can when you go to a restaurant.
  • Trechechus
    Trechechus Posts: 2,819 Member
    Without even looking at your diary, you are not eating enough.
  • chezjuan
    chezjuan Posts: 747 Member
    I would recommend a goal of 1 lb loss a week - that would be a deficit of 500 calories a day. The easiest way is to use the MFP goal tool to set it, then be sure to eat back your exercise calories. Note that you may want to eat back only 75% of the calories rather than all of them to account for error, and/or look into a getting Heart Rate Monitor or FitBit to get more accurate calorie counts from your activities.

    Get a kitchen scale and weigh your food as much as possible. If you cannot weigh it, measure it (my wife always gets annoyed that I either weigh or measure everything she cooks...) If you ever have to estimate, it is better to guess high (especially for restaurant food). If you go out to eat, don't plan eat more than 1/2 of your meal (although if you have the calorie count you can decide what fits into your daily goal.

    Hide the bathroom scale for at least a month and concentrate on a balanced diet and exercise. After that month, try not to weigh yourself more than weekly, and always at the same time of day (morning before eating is generally best). Don't let weight ups and downs discourage you either.

    Consider taking your measurements (neck, chest, waist, hips, etc.) once a month to gauge fitness in more than one way... even if you don't lose lbs fast, you can lose inches.

    Good luck on your journey.