6 weeks & really frustrated...

RebeccaKate29
RebeccaKate29 Posts: 8 Member
edited September 21 in Health and Weight Loss
Hi All~
I've been utilizing this site for 6 weeks now. I got my friends and coworkers to join, and we have formed a fun and encouraging support group. I'm loving it! I've gone from sitting on my butt to working out 4+ times a week. I'm doing cardio and weights, switching up my routine, and eating between 1200-1400 calories.

I am 28, 5'4" and in the last 2 years I have gained 20 pounds, putting me at my all time high of 147....eek! I thought for sure that after changing my lifestyle to severely that the weight would melt off. Not so... in 6 weeks I have only lost 2 pounds.... 2 POUNDS?!?!

It seems like all the stories I read on here put people at losing at least 1 pound/week. What am I doing wrong? I'm paying attentive to sugars/proteins/fats/so odium/etc. I am working out, making healthy food choices, drinking water (not enough, I'll admit it).... but still? I FEEL soo much better- more energy, sleeping better, etc. I have a chronic illness and even my symptoms are improving through eating and exercising, so I will definitely keep this up. But it's just so discouraged to not be losing any weight.

I am doing this for a lifestyle change, so I need to be realistic- I'm never gonna stop eating after 5pm, or cut out carbs completely- thats not sustainable for me. But if anyone has any tips, or just any explanation of why I've lost so little, I'd really appreciate some insight.

This is making me feel quite blue :frown:

Replies

  • purplespeckle
    purplespeckle Posts: 652
    I know what you mean Sometimes I feel that way when I try so HARD and have nothing to show for it Have you tried measuring yourself rather than just weighing?
    Keep up the good work You are still doing great :)
  • KarenBorter
    KarenBorter Posts: 1,157 Member
    Water will help ... it really does. Also, you say you are eating between 1200-1400 calories/day are you eating ENOUGH of your workout calories? Try switching the foods you are eating (your diary isn't public so I am not sure what you are eating) but up your intake of water. They say minimum of 8 glasses a day, but depending on your health you should probably be drinking more. Are you sweating during your workouts? That is a good indicator for dehydration (I found this out personally it may not be for you)

    Switch things up a tad, break from your routine. EAT MORE one day and see what happens. Drink Water but most importantly STICK WITH IT!
  • gymshell
    gymshell Posts: 1 Member
    Hi there, I saw your post and thought I would give my .02. I'm a trainer at a women's gym in my town so I know a little, not much, but some ;) The first thing I would ask, is what intensity are you doing your cardio at? How long each day? What kind of weight work, how heavy, reps, etc??

    Not knowing that yet, my first inclination when I read your post is that you are not eating enough food. I would put you at 1500 - 1600 cals, with a 50% carbs, 30% protein and 20% fat split.

    Cardio should be a minimum of 5 - 6 days a week for 30 - 45 minutes. Weights, should be heavy enough that you don't know if you can finish your whole reps. Challenge your body.

    I know it is so frustrating for women to work and work and not see things budge too much. I wish I was closer, I would offer to train your group!! :) Hope this helps, if you have any questions please don't hesitate!
    Good luck!
  • spinndiva
    spinndiva Posts: 8
    I feel the same way! I only lost 2 pounds so far my self (well it was 3 then I GAINED ONE BACK!!!) Before I joined this site I had already lost 7... I found out though: Water makes all the difference in the world. I drank a lot more water before I joined here, then for some reason I got so absorbed in the calories and what I am eating and not eating, I forgot about the water....
    I am started to remedy that and consciously paid attention to my water intake and I can already see the results of it.... :)
    Hang in there, it will happen! :)
  • k_eye
    k_eye Posts: 18
    and you realize that muscle weighs more than fat yes? if you have gone from no exercise to a lot more then you most likely built some muscle mass. look at your body - have more muscle definition? your clothes fit better or looser?

    too many ppl keep looking at the scale and get discouraged. you are on your way to a better healthier you! :) don't give up :)
  • RebeccaKate29
    RebeccaKate29 Posts: 8 Member
    Thanks all~

    @purplespeckle: I have not measured myself, but none of my clothes are any looser.

    @KarenBorter: I am most definitely sweating! LOL. Everywhere- even my butt! I should drink more water, it's one of the things I am working on...

    @gymshell: My intensity is high for me... I do the elliptical for 15-20 mins on a level 6 or 7.... and my heart rate is up in the high 170's (highlighting how out of shape I am!), I switch between the bike, treadmill, and elliptical- doing 2 machines each time I work out. I just upped my cardio to 45 mins and I'm working on intervals of 3.5 and 4.5 on the trreadmill. So far I can only make it 3-5 mins at a 4.5.

    As for weights, I try to do 3 sets of 10 on any machine... I can only lift between 10-30 pounds depending on the machine, but legs I can do 70 pounds or so........ like I said, I'm really out of shape, but I'm working on it!

    ~I just wonder why, after months of eating McDonalds and NEVER exercising, how have I not lost more?? I've switched my life around.... it's just frustrating.
  • SaraTN
    SaraTN Posts: 536 Member
    I went through the same thing.... and I was very frustrated because I was busting my *kitten* 6 days per week and the scale wasn't moving. I did lose some inches -- so keep track of that as well -- a half inch here and an inch there adds up and as someone said to me -- people dont see the scale they see the inches disappear.

    I persevered through my mental block and just kept going. Doing something and living a healthier lifestyle is definately a step in the right direction and like anything worth having, it takes time. I tweaked a few things here and there... like eating 200 more calories per day -- which I thought would be impossible but it was as simple as adding some dressing or a couple pieces of cheese to my diet. I also cut back on the amount of fruit I was eating/snacking on and supplemented that with a protein shake or veggies. Water is key, I drink 8-12 glasses per day.

    This week, I have noticed that I am losing about a half pound per day... and that really keeps me going. It is all finally coming together. I encourage you to make a few tweaks and monitor that for a couple of weeks. Measure and congratulate yourself when you loose inches and pounds. Good luck... just keep moving.. and eating right...
  • Topbobdog
    Topbobdog Posts: 55 Member
    I understand you saying your frustrated but are you taking body measurements and comparing them? Also since you dont have much to lose and you are not that over weight you are probably just building muscle and toning up first then you will start to lose weight. It's easier to see weight lose come off when people are overweight its a lot harder when you dont have that much to lose. As long as you are feeling better and eating healthy i would say the weight lose will eventually come off but stick with it.
  • idickerson8907
    idickerson8907 Posts: 3
    This may help you girls a little. I'm not sure. I'm new to this site. I am 21 and my goal is to lose 50 lbs. I was a ballet dancer for 8 years. I kept a steady weight of 120 pounds until 3 years ago when my weight hit a steady gain due to I was no longer dancing. So this year I joined the gym and one of the benefits of my new gym is a personal trainer. He warned me of exactly what you are going through right now. He said that he recently had a lady to get frustrated for the same exactly the same reason. He said muscle weighs more that fat. So although the scale isn't showing the results you desire, the inches are going away. So put on your favorite pair of jeans and look at the difference!!!! If you are following the plan you say then you should SEE the difference!

    p.s. even though your number isn't falling as fast as you like, don't you feel better? more energy? more spunk?
  • Melora
    Melora Posts: 65 Member
    Same problem here too!! 5'4 147lbs. Cant seem to lose any weight.

    Doing 30 Day Shred, but have not seen any results. I'm on L3D3. Sweating and burning through the whole thing. i also do Zumba twice a week for an hour each time with sweat dripping.....LOL

    Watching my calories and most of the time I eat my exercise calories.....1200 is minimum and 1400-1600 with exercise depending on the day.

    It is horrible to go weight in and nothing has changed and heaven forbid if it goes up!!
  • AmberBarrios
    AmberBarrios Posts: 394 Member
    Keep at it, you will eventually see the pounds start to drop off. I workout 7 days a week and really watch what I eat, plus drink around 3 liters of water a day and have gone through periods (up to 30 days) where I saw nothing coming off, but once I got over that hump things started moving along again. I also have the issue of one week losing 3-4lbs then the next week nothing.
    Consistency will pay off. :wink: keep going!!
  • giggles29169
    giggles29169 Posts: 12 Member
    water
    vitamin suppliments
    zig/zag caloric intake
    avoid eating out as much as possible
    snack on fruit not junk

    this is what helped me. Not eating out has proven to give me the most drastic results. Maybe its the quality of the food or the more closely controled portions, but either way a loss in weight is a win! Keep it up!
  • carfam07
    carfam07 Posts: 39 Member
    HI, I recently joined MFP about a month and a half ago. I have a lot of weight to lose but am determined to do this for myself. I thought I would share this with you and other MFP readers. I was listening to Dr. Oz the other day and the whole point of this particular show was to take off 10 pounds for better health. Here are the ideas he shared on his show:
    1. Cut out soda
    2. Don’t eat past 8:00 p.m.
    3. Move atleast 10 minutes per day
    4. Don’t eat snacks larger than your fists-take out portion and put into ziploc
    5. Track weight every day
    Plus:
    Take multi vitamin every day
    Set goals for yourself and work to achieve them.

    Although I was losing about a pound a week, I increased my calorie intake (YES, I increased from 1200-1400 up to 1300-1500), purchased a multi vitamin, don't eat after 8, and weigh in daily and lost 2.5 pounds this week. I don't know if his ideas helped me or not, but something did. I am working on the couch potato to 5K and finished week 5 this week too. Don't give up on your journey, you can do it. You may just have to try something different to your routine. Good luck!!
  • lilRicki
    lilRicki Posts: 4,555 Member
    yep I've been changing my life style for 2 months now, and i haven't lost a pound!!! so you know what i did? i measured myself in the bathroom before i jumped in the shower...and guess what...chest, waist and hips have each dropped 2 inches...it's ok to be frustrated...but it's not ok to quit...your body is mad at you right now for making it work...just be patient, keep doing what you're doing, and pretty soon you'll notice that every time you stand up, you have to pull your pants up. just remember you're strong, confident and amazing! I tell myself that every day.
  • sgp329
    sgp329 Posts: 184
    I know before I repeat what others have already told you that it sounds crazy, but... I believe you need to eat a bit more. Your calorie intake seems a little low. Snack a little extra or add some cheese or peanut butter to your daily menu. You could be very suprised by your results next week.

    Wishing you well!
  • carbonboy
    carbonboy Posts: 729
    First of all, are you measuring your caloric intake? If you're not counting EVERY calorie, most people tend to underestimate what they consume. You must be precise about calories in and calories burned...(I assume you are using a HRM to keep track of your workouts and calories burned). Also, the myth about the muscle you may be gaining offsetting your weight loss is simply not true. Even women dedicated to a strict muscle-building regimen can only hope to gain less than a pound per month of lean muscle. So even if you're doing huge weights, you won't be gaining enough muscle mass to be offsetting the weight you should be losing. So if you're doing an "accurate" 1500 calories intake a day, be sure to do a good workout at least 5 days a week burning 400-500 calories, you should be losing about 1 - 1.5 pounds a week. But you MUST count your calories. Guessing at caloric intake is notoriously unreliable, and even being off by 100-200 calories a day will make a difference. Good luck.
  • jamie1888
    jamie1888 Posts: 1,704 Member
    Yes, stick with it!! You will see results!

    The water does really help. I drink a ton of water all day long while I'm at work, but just realized a couple of days ago that when I'm at home in the evening and not sitting next to my bottle, I don't drink muchl. So, I've been making it a point the last couple of nights to keep up with the water in the evening and, coincidence or not, the scale has moved down 2lbs! I was getting extremely frustrated since the scale really hasn't moved in 3 - 4 weeks! I think that was really key because most of my salt intake comes in the evening.
  • k8ieP
    k8ieP Posts: 54
    I am having a similar issue. I am 5'1'' medium frame, and 26, 136 lbs and have been working out consistently for 2 months and have been eating healthy for the past 4 years. I don't like soda or fried foods but I do like to have a few drinks now and then. I lift weights for an hour then do cardio for 30 minutes maybe even 45. I do this at least 4 times a week if not more and also play tennis. I only really drink water.
    I haven't lost a single pound! It is so frustrating. I measured myself and lost inches in my arms and legs but not really anything from the middle. I can't wear most of my clothes anymore either. I know I will keep working out but I really need to see results!
  • Vlopes
    Vlopes Posts: 1
    Hi there, fitness Kar!!!

    First and foremost - LOOK AT ALL THE SUPPORT YOU HAVE HERE! amazingness....

    theres not much "new" to say here other than "stick with it"....

    what i'd do is a little mental fake out - you are saying "ive worked out 6 full weeks"....well, actually thats a 1.5 months and the intensity has probably been in the latter half. So really - its AMAZING you have kept at this for 6 weeks - but thats still a short time in the span of weight loss and just life.

    i think this is why "fad diets" are a hit bc you loose the weight in a week - but generally it comes back and you never loose all of it. so thats why what you are doing - IS hard because its your MIND over MATTER. the results will come to you - slowly but they will.

    when i started my low carb low sugar diet - nothing happened to me for a month - i mean i felt diffenetly like you are descirbing but i was like dropping MAJOR poundage...and then after about 3 months of helathy eating 2 lbs truned to 5 turned to 8 turned to 10 and so on and now im at 23 lbs lost!!!! but i FEEL EVERY SINGLE POUND GO!!!! thats the kicker - it aint over - im where you are at - like COME ON COME ON COME ON!

    so i think of it this way - teh slower it comes off due to healthy eating and exercise just means its actaully packing up all its fatty friends and suitcases and LEAVING YOUR BODY for good. :) rather than those that fly off fast then come back after your next meal. :)

    keep at it - you have absolutely INPSIRED me to add exercise to my healthy eating! so i am SO happy for that :)

    wohoo! keep on keeping on xoxox
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