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jbstallings
jbstallings Posts: 4
in Health and Weight Loss
I've given up sodas (even the diet ones). I've given up sugar. I've given up starchy carbohydrates. I eat very few processed foods in general. I'm eating clean and lean with lots of fresh veggies, fruits and lean protein. I'm counting calories (1300-1700 depending on the day). I'm exercising at least 4 days a week (cardio and free weights...I wrangle a 40 lb two year old and 20lb 6 month old every day). Initially, I lost twenty pounds in the first month and a half (I am absolutely sure half of that was fluid). I still weigh 240 pounds...and the scale just won't move. What is wrong? This is killing me. I'm on month three. I'm sticking to it. I'm working hard. This isn't "but my pants fit much better" or "I'm just building muscle" territory. That would be fine if was closer to my healthy weight (I'm 5'11...that is 175). I feel like I am doing everything right and I am keeping track of every bite and every workout. I have NEVER eaten this clean in my entire life ( I HAVE NOT HAD A SODA IN OVER 90 DAYS!). I have tried to cycle my calories...I have even tried to "cheat" for a couple of days (I upped my calories to a little over 2000)...and you know what happened...I gained 6 pounds. HELP!

Replies

  • rowanwood
    rowanwood Posts: 510 Member
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    "Clean" means exactly nothing and it doesn't have anything to do with weight loss. You can eat or not eat whatever you want to for your health or morals or whatnot, but unfortunately "clean" foods still have calories.

    The usual culprit isn't what you want to hear, but you are probably eating more than you think you are. If you open your diary, I'm sure you'll get plenty of opinions.
  • alicebot
    alicebot Posts: 50 Member
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    I would say stick to the plan, keep eating healthy, within your calorie limit and if there is enough deficit, you WILL lose weight. Don't stop working out, try new things, all different days, and yes, Water, keep drinking lots of water. If you have any medical conditions, like hypothyroid or PCOs then that can also make it hard to lose weight(but in either case, you eventually will lose weight). Please don't lose heart, and look at yourself in the mirror, only weigh yourself once every other week(scale can lie). Don't be too hard on yourself, stress won't help. Make this a lifestyle change and embrace it, You are doing great and will see results soon.

    Best of luck. :flowerforyou:
  • MzManiak
    MzManiak Posts: 1,361 Member
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    Open your diary, please.
  • kyleekay10
    kyleekay10 Posts: 1,812 Member
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    I've given up sodas (even the diet ones). I've given up sugar. I've given up starchy carbohydrates. I eat very few processed foods in general. I'm eating clean and lean with lots of fresh veggies, fruits and lean protein. I'm counting calories (1300-1700 depending on the day). I'm exercising at least 4 days a week (cardio and free weights...I wrangle a 40 lb two year old and 20lb 6 month old every day). Initially, I lost twenty pounds in the first month and a half (I am absolutely sure half of that was fluid). I still weigh 240 pounds...and the scale just won't move. What is wrong? This is killing me. I'm on month three. I'm sticking to it. I'm working hard. This isn't "but my pants fit much better" or "I'm just building muscle" territory. That would be fine if was closer to my healthy weight (I'm 5'11...that is 175). I feel like I am doing everything right and I am keeping track of every bite and every workout. I have NEVER eaten this clean in my entire life ( I HAVE NOT HAD A SODA IN OVER 90 DAYS!). I have tried to cycle my calories...I have even tried to "cheat" for a couple of days (I upped my calories to a little over 2000)...and you know what happened...I gained 6 pounds. HELP!

    You didn't gain 6 pounds of actual fat by upping your calories for two days, first of all. :flowerforyou:

    But yeah, I agree with MzManiak. Diary needs to be open.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
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    Usually if your weight isn't moving, it means that you're not weighing your food properly and underestimating how much you eat, or overestimating your exercise calories. Or not eating enough (which frankly could be the case if you're 240 lbs and 5'11", depending on how hard your workouts are). If you're using the 'lose 2lb a week' setting, switch to 1lb a week.
  • jbstallings
    jbstallings Posts: 4
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    I'm reviewing here....I've slowly but surely become overzealous as the loss has slowed down. I didn't think it would hit this hard this fast on the scale.. I have multiple days a week in the past month where the calories don't hit 1000 (I thought I was closer to 1200). Would that really just freeze the scale? When you have such big numbers to drop and you aren't even pulling 2 lbs. a week, its just hard not to push it... I'm not sure where the "magical balance" of calories is to keep the scale moving and to keep from retaining fluid. I'm not asking for a biggest loser moment...just consistent movement to keep motivated...
  • stealthq
    stealthq Posts: 4,298 Member
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    If I were you, I'd adjust to a 1 lb / wk deficit and stick to that as faithfully as possible for 4-6 wks. See if your actual weight loss meets the expectation, and determine what to do from there. If you're losing too slowly, then investigate your calorie counting, your caloric burn, check into metabolic issues if nothing else seems wrong. If you're losing what you'd expect, then you can tweak what you're doing to get closer to your goals - just do it gradually.
  • kyleekay10
    kyleekay10 Posts: 1,812 Member
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    I'm reviewing here....I've slowly but surely become overzealous as the loss has slowed down. I didn't think it would hit this hard this fast on the scale.. I have multiple days a week in the past month where the calories don't hit 1000 (I thought I was closer to 1200). Would that really just freeze the scale? When you have such big numbers to drop and you aren't even pulling 2 lbs. a week, its just hard not to push it... I'm not sure where the "magical balance" of calories is to keep the scale moving and to keep from retaining fluid. I'm not asking for a biggest loser moment...just consistent movement to keep motivated...

    Yes, it can certainly slow down weight loss (a lot) if you aren't eating enough. A friend of mine wasn't losing weight- I took a look at her diary, and she was netting under 1,000 calories consistently. I encouraged her to eat more. She did, and BAM. 1.6 lb weight loss this week.

    I think it's going to be extremely hard to determine what's right for you if you're not being consistent. I plugged in your numbers to a TDEE calculator (34 yrs old, 5'11, 240 lbs, 20% less than TDEE goal, 3-5 hrs/week of moderate exercise, 3 meals a day) and your daily calorie goal came out to ~2,300. You can plug your numbers in yourself here: http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/

    Eating up to that many calories a day can be intimidating at first. I'd suggest setting a goal of 1,400 to start and slowly moving up 100 calories every one or two weeks. And make sure you LOG EVERYTHING. I had 1/10th of a serving of beef jerky the other day (I just wanted a taste) and I logged it. Be meticulous. Add people who check diaries (I do!) and make sure people on your friends list can see it, so they can help you.

    Definitely take a look at the calculator I linked above. It will give you a great idea of where you should be calorie wise AND macro wise. Most importantly, once you re-dedicate yourself to a plan, STICK TO IT. Don't rely on *just* the scale. I'd start measuring yourself too, because there will likely be weeks were you don't lose pounds but you DO lose inches.

    As for retaining fluids, make sure you are drinking enough water. I drink 10-16 cups a day. Does wonders for making sure your body isn't holding onto anything extra.

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