Not losing and getting annoyed

Options
catestevam
catestevam Posts: 27 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi everyone,
This is my first forum post ever. I think I need some tips/advice on what to try doing differently. I'm currently 177 as of 07/11/13, which is the biggest I've been in years (I strangely don't feel "fat", but my clothes tell me otherwise). So, I've started working out, and eating lean cuisines for lunch everyday. I'm trying to be smart about snacks by keeping them to 100-150 calories. I eat breakfast everyday mostly because I'm starving in the morning, which usually consists of a ham, egg and cheese (sargento 45 calorie slices) on a 100 calorie english muffin. Dinner is a mixed bag, but I always get some veggies in there and protein of some sort.

I've gone to the gym 12 times in the last 2 weeks, where I burned between 250-400 calories. I've been dabbling in some weight lifting, and surprizingly enjoying it.

I feel like I'm doing everything right as far as being healthy, but the scale won't budge. Is it that my body is not in "weight-loss" mode yet? Does that even make sense? Any thoughts are appreciated.

One thing I need to improve on is tracking all my activity in MFP, especially after work activities. I definitely need to get more consistant with that.

-Cat

Replies

  • rjmudlax13
    rjmudlax13 Posts: 900 Member
    Options
    First off, congratulations on taking the first step to living a fitter and healthier life.

    If it has only been 2 weeks, I would imagine that you are retaining some water since you are working out a lot. Also, this is a not a sprint. It takes time, persistence and patience to see results. I would say only weigh yourself once a week at the same time on the same day of the week. The scale can drive you crazy because you can fluctuate a significant amount within a day. Focus more on body measurements.

    Make sure you are counting all of your calories too. Get a food scale since using measuring cups or trying to "eyeball it" can be very deceiving. I remember seeing a study that said people tend to underestimate the amount of food they eat. A scale (properly calibrated) doesn't lie.

    Check out some of the sticky posts at the top. There is a lot of great information in there. Read the one called "In place of roadmap." This one will help you set your Calorie goal.

    Lastly, don't just dabble in weight lifting, embrace it! There is also a lot of good advice on lifting on here. Don't be afraid to lift heavy weights (safely). You will NOT bulk up.

    Good luck and remember to be patient.
  • tams5899
    tams5899 Posts: 5 Member
    Options
    yay for you! i would add to the first reply...watch your sodium intake, you may want to rethink lean cuisine's convenience and package your own lunches, and increase your water. i have a hard time getting enough water in each day, especially the first couple of days after 'forgetting' to keep track of it. i tend to retain water and the bloating of it can be so frustrating!

    good luck going forward, your have a great support circle here!
  • catestevam
    catestevam Posts: 27 Member
    Options
    I think I was a little nervous at first to try weight lifting because I wasn't sure on how to use the equipment and that seemed to be where the men congregated. So, 1. unsure of myself, 2. being watched and critiqued by the muscley guys. Although the more I do it, the more confident I feel about it. So I definitely think I'll be embracing it going forward.

    I had a food scale at some point, but it wasn't digital and only had one unit for measuring (kg I think). Not super user friendly. I think I will invest in one going forward. Thanks for the advice! :smile:
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    Options
    How many calories do you net per day?
  • catestevam
    catestevam Posts: 27 Member
    Options
    watch your sodium intake, you may want to rethink lean cuisine's convenience and package your own lunches, and increase your water.

    I'm thinking that this is a temporary solution because I totally agree on the sodium being too high for everyday consumption. I was going out to lunch almost everyday before, so I've never really made my own lunch. I'm still not making my own, but my main focus is breaking my old habits. I also want to try and get use to smaller portions without trying to juggle changing everything about my life at once.
  • catestevam
    catestevam Posts: 27 Member
    Options
    How many calories do you net per day?

    Probably between 1400-1600 per day, which probably isn't great. I figured with all the working out though that somehow that would make up for it.
  • acogg
    acogg Posts: 1,870 Member
    Options
    You are doing great! 1400-1600 is not going to get you fast weight loss, but it will feed your workouts. Really healthy number if you are lifting. You are building muscle so the scale may not be your best measure of success. Keep at your new lifestyle and you will transform. I think you are doing well!
  • mazdauk
    mazdauk Posts: 1,380 Member
    Options
    Don't get mad, get even (thinner than you are already:wink: ).

    You're definitely on the right track, you just need to make some tweaks:

    1. Get that food scale - I have a salter aquatronic (I think - its years old!) which weighs both g and ml - very useful for checking just how much wine you can fit into that glass! (HINT - its no way 125ml :blushing: so don't log "1 glass of wine":bigsmile: ) Its impossible to accurately eyeball pasta, cereal, even cheese - unless you buy pre-sliced :noway: - I could easily eat twice my cereal and pasta and not even notice til I was back in size 18 jeans:huh:

    2. Log everything. NEVER think - "oh, I forgot that piece of cake X gave me, oh never mind I'm wokring out so that will burn off". Look at the calories per serving on a typical supermarket cake - now look at the recommended number of servings and wonder who on earth can get 12 servings out of what is basically a large cupcake!:laugh: All of a sudden instead of 344 calories you're looking at well over 500. That's more than a medium Wii-Zumba class. (Am I gettin a little weird here or do I just need to get out more:blushing: ) It is so easy to forget little oddments - that chocolate from the box in the work kitchen (50cal), that last new potato in the dish (45 cal), that cup of tea your colleague made (14 cal). That adds up to a 2-finger kitKat (which you would log, I hope!) It only takes 100 calories a day intake (surplus to calories expended) to put on 1lb a month so you can see how unlogged extras can derail your weight loss even if they don't actually put any weight on.

    3. Log your exercsie but be realistic about the effort you've put in. If you don't have an HRM then its safer to underestimate - put aerobics general rather than aerobics high impact for example. You may have been working along to a fast DVD but have you been going along with the "expert" or "beginner"? Have you really walked at 4mph or are you just really sweaty and tired because its hot?

    4. Finally, start making your own lunch - either make a sandwich in the morning (or the night before, or further ahead and freeze!), make up loads of healthy soup and freeze in portions, make extra couscous or bulgar wheat salad and put a few portions into individual Tupperware, make a larger omlette and save half to eat cold - it only needs a bit of planning. And it will fill you up loads more than any "Lean Cuisine" without all the weird thickeners, extra salt (and sugar!) etc. Its part of the lifestyle change - thinking ahead so you don't get caught out - and will actully work out cheaper in the long run!

    You can do this!:flowerforyou:
  • junlex123
    junlex123 Posts: 81 Member
    Options
    Probably between 1400-1600 per day, which probably isn't great. I figured with all the working out though that somehow that would make up for it.

    It will, don't worry. Especially if you've not been lifting before, you may not see much movement on the scales but you will probably be losing some fat and gaining some muscle. Keep doing what you're doing for a few more weeks and see if you a) get stronger b) start feeling some differences in your clothes/seeing some differences in the mirror. If you do, regardless of what the scale's telling you, you're on the right track, and once the early muscle gains (which most new lifters get at the start) have slowed down the scales will start to reflect your fat loss.
  • catestevam
    catestevam Posts: 27 Member
    Options
    Thanks everyone for all the advise/encouragement! After this, I feel like I should rethink a few choices, and see how it goes. Keep you posted!! :happy:
  • Jlopez201
    Jlopez201 Posts: 61
    Options
    yay for you! i would add to the first reply...watch your sodium intake, you may want to rethink lean cuisine's convenience and package your own lunches, and increase your water. i have a hard time getting enough water in each day, especially the first couple of days after 'forgetting' to keep track of it. i tend to retain water and the bloating of it can be so frustrating!

    good luck going forward, your have a great support circle here!

    I agree! I was just going to comment on the sodium levels in prepackaged meals. Fresh NON-processed meals are the best.
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,404 MFP Moderator
    Options
    How many calories do you net per day?

    Probably between 1400-1600 per day, which probably isn't great. I figured with all the working out though that somehow that would make up for it.

    How tall are you? It's possible that isn't enough. Since you have very little to lose, the most you can hope for is 1 lb per week. Also, do you measure and weigh your foods?
  • Akimajuktuq
    Akimajuktuq Posts: 3,037 Member
    Options
    If all the advice you get fails, try addressing WHAT you eat. Contrary to most advice on MFP, WHAT one eats DOES matter.

    Try eating real food that doesn't come in a package, and has one ingredient. (Have you read the ingredients on those Lean Cuisines?) Eat enough. Eat lots healthy fat (yup, animals contain healthy fat) and protein. Reduce carbs, especially from sugar and processed foods. MFP macro defaults are far too high in carbs and too low in fats. Most of us are here due to being over-weight so eating 300 grams of carbs per day is a ridiculous recommendation for metabolic issues.

    Calories do matter somewhat, but less than WHAT one eats and if you are eating too little that will slow your weight loss and negatively impact health. My obesity started due to extreme calorie restricted and low fat dieting when I was young. That destroyed my health and set me up for years of chronic obesity, sickness, failure to lose weight, and hating myself.
  • Happymelz
    Happymelz Posts: 536 Member
    Options
    How many calories do you net per day?

    Probably between 1400-1600 per day, which probably isn't great. I figured with all the working out though that somehow that would make up for it.

    How tall are you? It's possible that isn't enough. Since you have very little to lose, the most you can hope for is 1 lb per week. Also, do you measure and weigh your foods?

    THIS!

    AND Are you eating back your exercise calories? It is possible you aren't eating enough if you are burning so many calories that your net calories for the day goes below 1200.

Categories