HELP .... Two weeks in and I haven't lost an ounce

Julieanna269
Julieanna269 Posts: 33 Member
in Introduce Yourself
Hi. I joined MFP two weeks ago and aim to lose around 40 lbs. I've been sticking to 1,200 calories a day and doing at least 20mins of exercise three times a week, i've lost weight in the past and can't understand why I can't get going this time. Anyone had a similar experience. Any help, hints or tips would be greatfully received. :frown:

Replies

  • Capt_Apollo
    Capt_Apollo Posts: 9,026 Member
    open up your food diary
  • asugar
    asugar Posts: 178 Member
    How old are you? If you are around my age that may be the problem and being a woman who has an underactive thyroid. It is SO hard but I just keep on truckin
  • annabell48
    annabell48 Posts: 42
    I have to agree with both of the previous posts. First, look at your food journal to see where you can make changes on what you are eating. When was the last time you had a complete physical? As asugar stated there may be an issue with underactive thyroid or other medical issues that is sabatoging you. What are you doing as far as exercising on those 3-20 minutes sessions? Are you doing the same thing each time or are you changing it up each time? Research recommends that a person should be taking 10,000 steps each day to help with weight loss. My suggestion is go get a pedometer and start tracking how many steps you are taking each day.
  • Greywalk
    Greywalk Posts: 193 Member
    A few years ago I had the same problem when after 20 years of not exercising and only watching my food and still adding weight I started out slow walking. I could not run as I was too fat. So here are some solutions and pardon my humor....patience your body is exchanging tissue types (I had a lot of fat) from fat to muscle and muscle weighs more. Personally I like this one, set your scale back 1 stone and see lost weight. More seriously, review the type of foods you are eating with a nuritionist. I am 56 and my body uses food differently and more slowly. The good news is remaining on this site you will get encouragement we all need and it will work for you. I know I played futbol yesterday with guys in their 20s and 30s for 100 plus minutes. :glasses: I have been using this site for about 3 years and it works.
  • kts1988
    kts1988 Posts: 108 Member
    i have had this happen in the past, and it is SO frustrating. here are some things that helped me:

    -switch up what you are eating. i was able to break a plateau by cutting out processed foods and only eating 1-2 servings of grains or starches a day
    -think about getting your body fat measured, if you can. i have been really frustrated when i wasn't losing weight in the past, but then learned i had lost 3% of my body fat, which was motivating
    -try calorie cycling, where you have some low calorie days (1100 or 1200) and some higher calorie days (1400 or 1500). that one worked well for me.

    hope that helps! you are doing an awesome job sticking with this is spite of seeing changes on the scale.
  • Mamalea32
    Mamalea32 Posts: 134
    Better double check your portion sizes and calorie counting. Challenge yourself by adding 5 minutes extra exercise each day or every other workout. Keep pushing yourself.
  • rickloving
    rickloving Posts: 90 Member
    Both my wife and I are using MFP to help balance our nutrition. In the past month and a half, I have lost 7 lbs. and she has lost 0 on the scale. At first glance it would seem something is amiss, but we each get a body analysis weekly and in these past weeks I have lost 12 lbs. of fat tissue and gained 5 lbs. of muscle. She has lost 6 lbs. of fat and gained 6 pounds of muscle.

    I have been doing more cardio and she has been doing more weight lifting with a trainer. We are both getting fitter, stronger, and healthier. We both see the changes in our clothes and our shape.

    So in my wife’s case, the scale was useless and if it was all she was looking at she would have been discouraged.

    So you need to figure out what is really happening, as you could be eating the incorrect amount of calories and not be in a deficit or you could be losing fat, but offsetting the scale with additional water and muscle...
  • rickloving
    rickloving Posts: 90 Member
    Also, I have shared this multiple times, but think its worth posting again...an excellent article I found on MFP on another thread..

    Why the Scale Goes Up When You Start a New Workout Plan
    By Chalene Johnson

    Probably the most common question I get when I release a new exercise program is, "Help! I'm gaining weight! Am I doing something wrong?" This is a common phenomenon with any new exercise program, such as Turbo Kick, Turbo Jam, Hip Hop Hustle, or others! It's especially common (and temporary) with intense strength training programs like ChaLEAN Extreme or Tony Horton's P90X.

    The motivation to start a new exercise program is almost always to lose weight. However, what most personal trainers know--and most at-home exercisers do not--is that a new exercise program often can cause an immediate (and temporary) increase on the scale. (Notice I didn't say weight gain! I'll explain.) This common increase in the scale is also the reason why perhaps millions of people start and then quickly quit their resolution to get fit.

    The temporary weight gain explained:
    When someone starts a new exercise program, they often experience muscle soreness. The more intense and "unfamiliar" the program, the more intense the muscle soreness. This soreness is most prevalent 24 to 48 hours after each workout. In the first few weeks of a new program, soreness is the body trying to "protect and defend" the effected or targeted tissue. Exercise physiologists refer to this as delayed-onset muscle soreness, or DOMS.

    This type of soreness is thought to be caused by tissue breakdown or microscopic tears in muscle tissue. When this happens, the body protects the tissue. The muscle becomes inflamed and slightly swollen due to fluid retention. This temporary retention of fluid can result in a 3- to 4-pound weight gain within a few weeks of a new program. Keep in mind that muscle soreness is not necessarily a reflection of how hard you worked. In fact, some people feel no signs of muscle soreness, yet will experience the muscle protection mechanisms of water retention and slight swelling.

    Most people are motivated enough to put up with this temporary muscle soreness. Yet, many, especially those who really need immediate weight loss to keep them motivated, become discouraged and quit!

    When I worked with a group of 70 test participants during the development stages of ChaLEAN Extreme, this happened. Who was the most upset and discouraged? You guessed it... the women! I'm happy to report absolutely for every single woman (and man) in our group, the weight increase was temporary and never lasted more than two weeks before they started to see a major drop in the scale. However, these people had the advantage of working with someone who was able to explain to them why this was happening and assure them the weight would come off if they stuck to the nutrition plan and stayed true to the program.

    If you follow a multi-phase exercise plan, such as ChaLEAN Extreme, keep in mind that when you start each phase, your body will be "in shock" again. Don't be surprised or discouraged if you experience a temporary gain on the scale the first week of each phase.

    My own personal example of this is running 10Ks. I don't do it very often, maybe once or twice a year. Even though I run on a regular basis, when you run a race, you push much harder. It's natural for me to be insanely sore the next day. It’s also very common for me to see the scale jump 4 pounds the next day from forcing fluids post race and the resulting DOMS. Even though I know the cause of it, it's still a bummer. We're all human and hard work should mean results. Hard work equals results, but our bodies are amazing machines and they know how to protect us from hurting ourselves. Soreness forces you to give those muscles a break. Ultimately you will lose the weight and you will change your metabolism in the process.

    The key is understanding that this is a normal and temporary and stick with the program!
  • Julieanna269
    Julieanna269 Posts: 33 Member
    Thanks guys, its so great to be able to share my frustration with. To answer some of the questions ,i'm 51 and wonder if age may slow me down but not this slow, I walk for at least 20 minutes 3 times a week, my knees struggle to cope with anything more strenuous. I've look at my food diary and there are some ways I can cut down on calories, I still take sugar in my tea so I could swop that for a sweetener. I had my gallbladder removed last year so I don't eat a lot of fat or processed food anyway so can't cut down there. But like you say, slow steady steps and patience, never been very good at that one. I'll keep you posted how next week goes and thanks for all your support. :smile:

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