Hard work with no loss?!?!

GatorLex82
GatorLex82 Posts: 9
in Health and Weight Loss
I've been exercising (jogging/walking, biking, swimming, and recently workout classes) almost everyday (I've had about 3 days off) for over a month now, eating 1,500 calories a day, and I've only lost about 7-9 lbs. I really don't want to get discouraged, and I do feel so much better with the healthier lifestyle, but this is getting ridiculous. I have over 100 lbs to lose so its not like I'm just slightly overweight. Even if I'm building muscle, at this weight with my calorie deficit (about 1,000+ cals/day) I should be losing more. I've been so motivated I don't even have the urge to eat "bad" or get lazy but I NEED to start seeing progress!!! Any help, suggestions, reasoning anyone can offer is greatly appreciated!!! Should I see a doctor, maybe a medical reason??
Thanks!!

Replies

  • neanderthin
    neanderthin Posts: 10,262 Member
    Very nice progress..........unfortunately with 100lbs to lose, it's not going to happen overnight, and this is where a lot of people start to fall off the wagon......thinking that 2 lbs a week is a fail. Give your head a shake.
  • stephiehampshire
    stephiehampshire Posts: 160
    I've been exercising (jogging/walking, biking, swimming, and recently workout classes) almost everyday (I've had about 3 days off) for over a month now, eating 1,500 calories a day, and I've only lost about 7-9 lbs. I really don't want to get discouraged, and I do feel so much better with the healthier lifestyle, but this is getting ridiculous. I have over 100 lbs to lose so its not like I'm just slightly overweight. Even if I'm building muscle, at this weight with my calorie deficit (about 1,000+ cals/day) I should be losing more. I've been so motivated I don't even have the urge to eat "bad" or get lazy but I NEED to start seeing progress!!! Any help, suggestions, reasoning anyone can offer is greatly appreciated!!! Should I see a doctor, maybe a medical reason??
    Thanks!!

    Heya, if you have lost 9lbs in about a month (hard to tell from your post) then thats 2lbs a week over 4 weeks

    That is the best kind of weight loss to have, I am no expert but:

    1. If you are trying to lose a large amount like 100lbs the slower you lose it the less likely you are to have loose skin?
    2. The slower you lose it the easier it will be to keep it off

    I think you are doing absaloutely briliantly! See this as an opportunity to change your lifestyle and the weightloss as a side effect of that. Be proud of your achievements! you are eating right and exercising almos daily, that is incredible!

    Dont be disheartened if the scale is moving down slowly, be proud of yourself that it is moving in the right direction
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,431 MFP Moderator
    That is good sustainable weight loss. You can't expect to lose more than 2 lbs per weke, even with 100 lbs. Also, keep in mind, fast weight loss will lead to a lot of lean body mass loss (aka muscle, tissue, bone density, etc...) and flabby skin. I would adjust your expectations a bit to realize that you didn't gain 100 lbs overnight, so you can't expect it to come off that fast. Just stick with and make sure you ear eating a good amount of protein and doing resistance training to maintain as much muscle as possible.
  • GatorLex82
    GatorLex82 Posts: 9
    Thank you everyone for the insight and encouragement!! By no means do I think that the weight is going to come off quickly. I've really not given myself any target or goal date or even weight, as I just want to be healthier and lose weight as a great benefit, but I am hoping that in a year I will be a "new" person. I just feel like 7 lbs in 5 weeks, which is my current updated weight loss just doesn't account for what I've been doing (my weight fluctuates weekly, as I actually gained 2 lbs over the weekend and worked my butt off exercising and making sure to eat right!!).

    Thanks again. I think I will see a doctor just to have everything checked to be sure there is nothing else I could be doing that might add benefit to my regimen. I do NOT want to do meal replacement/supplements or any type of medications/diet pills, as I don't think that they work and any perceived success is short lived. I feel pretty fulfilled on my current diet and the exercise makes me feel great. : )
  • Greenrun99
    Greenrun99 Posts: 2,065 Member
    1 month = 7-9lbs off.. your frustrated its not tv weight loss? That is above normal weight loss for the average person.
  • enidite
    enidite Posts: 92 Member
    Don't get discouraged. This rate is actually healthy. Take your measurements and pictures as you progress. The scale will not tell you everything. You may drop inches before you drop weight.
  • GatorLex82
    GatorLex82 Posts: 9
    Thanks for the encoruagement. I think I just needed to be reminded that I am making progress. Sometimes I just get "down" when I see the numbers go up after I've worked particularly hard the last few days. This is a NEW week so I'm starting fresh!
  • iiijeniii
    iiijeniii Posts: 82 Member
    7 lbs / 5 wks = 1.4 lbs per week x 52 wks = 72.8 lbs lost in a year. You WILL be a whole new person and you will have built new, healthier, sustainable habits. I second PSULemon - start strength training now; hard and heavy. That's how I did it. I only average 5 pounds per month and at the end of a year I was amazed at how different I looked.
  • ItsCasey
    ItsCasey Posts: 4,021 Member
    Sorry, when you said "no loss," I thought you actually meant no loss. It appears that you need to adjust your expectations. That is a very reasonable amount of weight to lose in a month. Wait until you're almost at goal, and you're busting your *kitten* to lose 1/2 a lb per week. That's fun.
  • GatorLex82
    GatorLex82 Posts: 9
    I just want to clarify that I didn't mean "no loss" at all, I was referring mainly to the last week where I actually did more intense and working out and actually gained 2 lb back that I thought was lost so no loss this week. I know weight fluctuates but it's just frustrating because it seems like simple math and if you are consuming less than your body needs to maintain weight, then you should naturally lose or stay the same at least. I'm learning the body is complex and it's not a simple as it seems, but thanks for reminding me that what I'm doing is for the best.
  • Mcgrawhaha
    Mcgrawhaha Posts: 1,596 Member
    7-9 pound loss is great! weight loss is not exact... one week, you may lose 3 pounds, the next week, you may only lose 1 pound... stick with it, in the end, it works itself out! i lost almost 100 pounds in 11 months! definately do-able!
  • Perrybarger
    Perrybarger Posts: 37
    http://www.leangains.com/2010/04/leangains-guide.html This has worked well for me! I went from weighing 389 to 350 in about 2 months. It can be applied to ANY meal plan your using or wanting to use.
  • shadus
    shadus Posts: 424 Member
    I've been exercising (jogging/walking, biking, swimming, and recently workout classes) almost everyday (I've had about 3 days off) for over a month now, eating 1,500 calories a day, and I've only lost about 7-9 lbs. I really don't want to get discouraged, and I do feel so much better with the healthier lifestyle, but this is getting ridiculous. I have over 100 lbs to lose so its not like I'm just slightly overweight. Even if I'm building muscle, at this weight with my calorie deficit (about 1,000+ cals/day) I should be losing more. I've been so motivated I don't even have the urge to eat "bad" or get lazy but I NEED to start seeing progress!!! Any help, suggestions, reasoning anyone can offer is greatly appreciated!!! Should I see a doctor, maybe a medical reason??
    Thanks!!

    So basically, what you're saying... is... you're losing at what most consider a rapid weight but you want to be special and different than everyone else and lose weight far far far faster than you were ever able to put it on.

    Mkay. Reality check, you didn't get fat in a couple months, you're not going to get thin in a couple months and even if you do... you'll get fat again unless you change your life style and maintain nearly permanent accountability. Lifestyle change not a short term diet fix.

    Ask me, I've lost 850lbs since I was 16 and by the time I'm down to my goal weight this time it'll be over 1000lbs total.
  • 4legsRbetterthan2
    4legsRbetterthan2 Posts: 19,590 MFP Moderator
    You are doing awesome, and think about what you said, you want to feel like a new person in a year, if you keep going at the rate you are: about 7 lbs. month x 12 months and you are looking at a 84 lbs lighter you, that is huge! You are definitely on the right track, just gotta relax a little bit and keep going.
  • RGv2
    RGv2 Posts: 5,789 Member
    I just want to clarify that I didn't mean "no loss" at all, I was referring mainly to the last week where I actually did more intense and working out and actually gained 2 lb back that I thought was lost so no loss this week. I know weight fluctuates but it's just frustrating because it seems like simple math and if you are consuming less than your body needs to maintain weight, then you should naturally lose or stay the same at least. I'm learning the body is complex and it's not a simple as it seems, but thanks for reminding me that what I'm doing is for the best.

    If you did MORE intense exercise your body is going to retain water for repair until it adapts. This is completely normal to see a weight gain in water when you up your exercise (and are in a caloric deficit).
  • cdcooper321
    cdcooper321 Posts: 157 Member
    9lbs in a month is INCREDIBLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You're doing great, the only advice I have is to keep going!!
  • strongmindstrongbody
    strongmindstrongbody Posts: 315 Member
    The scale doesn't always show the whole story. Take measurements, too. You'll get a better perspective on how well your body is responding to your diet and exercise program.
  • nita405
    nita405 Posts: 6
    I feel you but my loss was different I workout 5 days a week doing treadmill, nustep, & water aerobics I lost 9 pounds the first month I wrote down what I did so not to forget. Now this month I have gained all the weight back still doing the same workout. Talk about confusion & frustration I felt that weight came off too fast but for it all to come back.....frustrating!!!!
  • ChangingAmanda
    ChangingAmanda Posts: 486 Member
    The scale doesn't always show the whole story. Take measurements, too. You'll get a better perspective on how well your body is responding to your diet and exercise program.

    Agreed. The scale is just one tool. I "gained" 1.4# one week but the jeans that were a tad bit tight the week before fit perfectly the day I logged my gain. Weight fluctuates on daily/hourly basis. You'll weigh more in the evening than the morning, after a high sodium meal, before you've used the toilet, TOM, etc. This is why also incorporating measurements and noticing differences in how you feel and how your clothes fit are also important.

    And take progress pictures. Because you're staring at yourself every day in the mirror, you're not going to notice little changes. Strip down to bra and undies, take pic, hide it away, wait 4 weeks, do it again, and compare the two. I didn't think I was changing much till I compared pics and while I noticed changes in profile and front pictures, ti wasn't until I compared my behind pictures that i noticed the huge change in my hips, waist, butt.
  • leaaa92
    leaaa92 Posts: 164 Member
    You're doing a great job! :) I just want to say that you're on the right track, and it may seem like it's taking forever, but it's coming off. The little gains you get in between might just be muscle gain. Keep up the good work! Eat well and kill those workouts! :D

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