Feeling discouraged

girlfd
girlfd Posts: 12 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I have just started eating better and exercising. Last week I lost 5 lbs this week i gained 1 pound. I can't figure out what the heck to eat. i feel hungry all the time. i drink 8 glass of water a day plus a smoothie made from frozen fruits, skim milk and protein powder. I have been exercising 5 days a week for the last 2 weeks. I have tried a few different things. Not sure if I have put on muscle and that is why the pound gained or if I need to add in weight training too to engage more muscles to burn the fat instead of just doing cardio. Some words of advice? I am going to stick to it but just feel that I need to eat more and not feel so restricted. I have had ice cream and pie the last week but it was within my calorie intake for the day and I was only over a gram or two in fat.

Replies

  • helenrosemay
    helenrosemay Posts: 375 Member
    It would help if we could see your food diary, know how many calories you're eating, age, weight etc. Then we can probably help.
  • chubby_checkers
    chubby_checkers Posts: 2,352 Member
    Weight fluctuates daily/weekly. Unless you ate 3500 calories over your maintenance last week, it's water weight.
  • walleymama
    walleymama Posts: 174 Member
    It's normal to lose a lot the first week. This thread here explains it beautifully: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/993576-why-you-gain-weight-if-you-eat-more-than-your-cut (you only need read the first post).

    1 lb is within the variation of most scales and I wouldn't consider that a true increase until you have collected more data.

    Despite setting your weight loss goals (e.g. 1 lb /week or 2 lbs per week), don't expect to see that exact number. Biology doesn't work that way. You may have weeks where you appear to lose little or no weight, then make up for it later weeks. I "stalled" at week 2 but now I'm past week three and the weight loss/week has been correct when averaged out over that time (i.e. I lost lots week 1, nothing much week 2, and some week 3).

    Hang in there, you can't expect to see changes over such a short term. :)
  • Sarah0866
    Sarah0866 Posts: 291 Member
    While I would incorporate weight lifting in addition to cardio regardless, that isn't the reason for this one lb gain. In order to better help you understand it, you might try making your diary accessible?

    Congrats on the 4 lbs total loss so far...great for 2 weeks!
  • girlfd
    girlfd Posts: 12 Member
    Okay about me I am 36, weigh just over 200lb the most I have ever weighed including when I was pregnant. For me this is a major change to my lifestyle. I am now making a conscious effort to make better food choices while not restricting everything I eat then being left feeling deprived and binge on junk. I have kept my morning coffe but have cut down on teh sugar and creamers to one serving of each. Now I add ice and make it a smoothie. I have also started adding fruit and ice to make fruit smotthies some mornings. I am trying to cut out unnecessary fat or sugar. I have been reading labels and try to stay away from anythign with more than 10g of sugar in a serving or anythign with aspartame( think it has a funny taste). Since this is all new I still have lots of kinks to work out. I am consuming a lot less calories every day than I was 3 weeks ago. I have somehow managed to cut soda out all together and my tummy aches stopped too hahaha I am trying to use portion control and have one serving of any given item. I don't count the sugar in any piece or fruit I eat as part of my daily allowance. I have upped the amt of water I drink from 1 or 2 glasses up to 8 or 10 a day.

    I guess what I really need is more support and more people to cheer me on to help me keep moving forward and not slip back. if anyone has suggestions of fods to try I am game. I am not the best cook and I am still trying to balance working all day, then picking up the kids and trying to exercise then eating dinner and getting them to bed at a reasonable time. Next week I will be making the switch to working out first thing in the morning before work and school. then I might have more time for cooking fresh veggies and try to eat more clean foods, less packaged stuff.
  • dangerousdumpling
    dangerousdumpling Posts: 1,109 Member
    I'd suggest you start looking for people on here who are successfully losing weight/inches and send them a friend request. Then you can look at their food diaries for ideas. I know it's challenging when you feel like you need to change everything about your life, your diet, your activity level, etc. However, weight loss may not be what you think it needs to be. You don't need to completely cut out certain foods and you don't need to live on smoothies or eat "diet food" all the time. You simply need a reasonable calorie deficit. Many people fail because they make their weight loss plan so hard that they can't stick to it for long periods of time.
  • Katla49
    Katla49 Posts: 10,385 Member
    There are two strategies that seem to do the most to help people successfully lose weight, portion control and abstaining from trigger foods. A combination of those two, plus moving more and drinking more water will do the job well. When DH and I started we bought a food scale and dishers. We were already choosing healthy foods, but we were eating too much. The food scale and dishers keep us honest about how much we are eating. We bought the food scale from Amazon for a modest price. We found the dishers at a restaurant supply business. Dishers look like ice cream scoops and come in different sizes. We bought 1/4 cup, 1/3 cup, and 1/2 cup dishers for our use. We still use them frequently or our portions tend to sneak up.

    As a busy mom, you don't want to be trying to serve one meal to the family and another to yourself. It makes no sense to do so because if you lose your weight and go back to eating with the family, the weight will come back. That happened to me when I was in your situation. This busyness is even worse for working moms. Bottom line, plan nutritious meals for your family and eat what they eat. Measure your portions so that you have a moderate calorie deficit and you will lose weight.

    Snacking at work and at home is a problem for many people. If you are a snacker, substitute healthy snacks for chips and sweets, and plan the calories into your total for the day.

    I let MFP set my calorie goals for me, and as I've lost weight the calories they allow have gradually gotten smaller. I have not felt like I was starving or suffering at any time.

    Exercise is wonderful. I exercise and DH doesn't. He has health problems that get in his way. We've both lost enough weight that people comment and compliment each of us, although I've lost more because I can exercise. Choose exercises that you can do and enjoy, that will fit into your available time and budget. Cardio exercises will do the most to help with weight loss, but there is a place for weight training, too. You want to end up fit, not "skinny fat."

    Log every bite, drink plenty of water, and move more.


    Good luck to you. You CAN do it!:flowerforyou: :flowerforyou: :flowerforyou:
  • mommyofty
    mommyofty Posts: 1
    Sounds like you need to increase your protien intake. I met with a nutritionalist, and was shocked to learn I wasn't eating enough calories or protien. I am working on incorporating at every meal....eggs or chicken, or salmon....my favs. Good luck
  • Minnie2361
    Minnie2361 Posts: 281 Member
    I changed my diet 3 months ago, using another plan, I could eat three meals using healthy foods and be full one day and repeat the menu the next day and feel hungry all the time.

    This went on for about 7 weeks until it tapered off and stabilized and I could eat smaller portion sizes.

    My guess is I had been eating way too much sugar prior to my change in foods and behavior and my blood sugar levels were up and down my body chemistry was reacting with fluctuations from one day to the next.

    I would double up on my salad intake on those hungry days and eat it 20 minutes before starting the next portion of my lunch or dinner.

    I use rolled oats in the morning. The fifteen minute cooking variety. I also use steel cut oats as well.
    I cook up a big pot then put in a bowl in the fridge covered with plastic wrap other wise it dries out on top, I scoop out about 3/4 cup each morning and reheat in the micro for 1 min. add a tsp. of honey and almond milk.
    It keeps me full for a longer period of time than pre packaged cereals.
  • girlfd
    girlfd Posts: 12 Member
    Thank you for all the helpful suggestions. I will have to try o friend more people to see what a typical meal lan looks like. I need to add more fresh fruts and veggies. right now I am trying to focus on cutting my portions down and staying near the suggested calorie intake for each day. I can't give up my coffee so I have tried to make it more substantial by adding protein powder to it or adding the powder to a smoothie.
  • dangerousdumpling
    dangerousdumpling Posts: 1,109 Member
    I just checked out your food diary and was wondering if you're logging everything or if you're forgetting to log a few things. If you are logging everything and really eating less than 1000 calories that certainly explains why you're hungry all the time. Who wouldn't be starving on 800-1000 calories? You need to have a plan that you can live with for a long period of time. Eat more protein and eat more calories so you can stick with it and reach your goal.

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