Can't figure what I'm doing wrong...
camilleme73
Posts: 22 Member
So I have been on mfp for almost a month and I'm feeling good, exercising and eating well (I think) but my scale stopped moving at the beginning of last week and it actually move up 2 lbs today. I don't weigh everyday and I realize weight fluctuates a bit for various reasons but it's really discouraging when it moves up despite all my hard work!! I'm sure I'm doing something wrong but I can't figure out what it is...
I try to stay under 2000 cals because I want to and it's not hard when you're eating healthier things. I watch my fat, salt and sugar... I follow the mfp suggestions for the most part but I'm not having the success I expected. At first I cut carbs to 100 net or less but it was very difficult so I decided to try to stay around 150 which is much more realistic. Anyway, if anyone could give some advice about what I should do differently or another strategy to try I'd appreciate it!! My diary is open and anyone who wants to friend me feel free
BTW... I do not hate carbs or think they're "bad" it just happens that many of the foods I can't control my portions with are full of carbs so I am trying to cut WAY down on things like pasta, white breads, tortillas, chips, white rice, potatoes (fail) and sugars
I try to stay under 2000 cals because I want to and it's not hard when you're eating healthier things. I watch my fat, salt and sugar... I follow the mfp suggestions for the most part but I'm not having the success I expected. At first I cut carbs to 100 net or less but it was very difficult so I decided to try to stay around 150 which is much more realistic. Anyway, if anyone could give some advice about what I should do differently or another strategy to try I'd appreciate it!! My diary is open and anyone who wants to friend me feel free
BTW... I do not hate carbs or think they're "bad" it just happens that many of the foods I can't control my portions with are full of carbs so I am trying to cut WAY down on things like pasta, white breads, tortillas, chips, white rice, potatoes (fail) and sugars
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Replies
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You have affair bit to lose, maybe you are it eating enough.... Will be interesting to see what others think.0
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Could it be close to your time of the month? I always go up a few pounds.0
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Honestly if you're following everything from MFP then it means you are eating over your calories or overestimating your workout burn ( which would be overeating your calories ).
If you start weighing your food and really watching your calories burned via exercising and the weight isn't dropping off, you need to see a doctor to make sure you don't have thyroid problems or anything.
Also everyone else could just be a bad time of the month to weigh in.0 -
So I have been on mfp for almost a month and I'm feeling good, exercising and eating well (I think) but my scale stopped moving at the beginning of last week and it actually move up 2 lbs today. I don't weigh everyday and I realize weight fluctuates a bit for various reasons but it's really discouraging when it moves up despite all my hard work!! I'm sure I'm doing something wrong but I can't figure out what it is...
I try to stay under 2000 cals because I want to and it's not hard when you're eating healthier things. I watch my fat, salt and sugar... I follow the mfp suggestions for the most part but I'm not having the success I expected. At first I cut carbs to 100 net or less but it was very difficult so I decided to try to stay around 150 which is much more realistic. Anyway, if anyone could give some advice about what I should do differently or another strategy to try I'd appreciate it!! My diary is open and anyone who wants to friend me feel free
BTW... I do not hate carbs or think they're "bad" it just happens that many of the foods I can't control my portions with are full of carbs so I am trying to cut WAY down on things like pasta, white breads, tortillas, chips, white rice, potatoes (fail) and sugars
My scale has *no* concept of my week.
It likes to torture me & not show a loss for a week & a half. But I know I'm good on my daily calories so I just hang in there. Then I get a good "whoosh". My last whoosh was little losses over the course of several days, but it added up to 2+ lbs.
I just had to hang in there & wait for it!0 -
You have the right idea about carbs. Try to stick to whole grains and eat more vegetables and fruit. Watch the fat intake. You may have just hit a plateau, which means you have to change things up a little. Eat different foods and vary your exercise routine. Plateaus don't last forever. Be persistent and you will win. I use this formula: two and a half proteins a day, 3 servings of fruit and 3 servings of vegetables, only one dairy and one fat. Simply put, you can have a starch, a fruit and a vegetable at each meal. Stay away from white, sweets and cheese. If you do this, you will definitely win. Measuring your food helps. Stick to serving sizes; a half cup is a serving of vegetables, etc. Keep moving! You will win.0
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I say don't worry! I weigh every day. I stay within my weekly range of calorie deficit (meaning if I'm a little over one day, I make it up on other days so it balances out for the week). Some days are ups and some are downs. Sometimes the up trend will carry on for a week or more. Sometimes it's salt, sometimes it's hormones, sometimes it's digestive issues, or whatever. Don't worry about it. It'll go back down as long as you stick with your plan.0
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Thanx for the feedback so quick. I can't wrap my head around the idea of eating more when I'm satisfied with the amount I've had. I don't want to eat when I'm not hungry, that's how I got fat! Time of the month just said goodbye. Mfp calculates my calories burned so I'm not overestimating my workouts and I only count my hiking, walking, biking, ect. I never count housework or playing with my kids as workouts. I measure/weigh everything even though it's REALLY annoying. So maybe I will see a doctor when my insurance comes through but I've never had a health problem.... UGGGGGGGG super lame. Oh well, I'll just keep on keepin' on. :huh:0
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Did I mention you all ROCK!!! Thanx again for the helpful words0
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I'd be curious to know how you settled on your daily calorie limit. Can you elaborate?
I'd suggest doing a quick calculation of your BMR for your current weight and setting your daily limit about 300 calories below that (at least). Then manually enter your calories burned for days you exercise. Eat whatever you want, but log it all. You'll lose if you're doing that.
Best of luck to you!
Paula0 -
MFP's burns can actually be quite high for some things and may be inaccurate. Keep doing what you are doing!!0
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you could be gaining muscle, it weighs more than fat. having more muscles means your body naturally burns more calories so that's a good thing!0
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I'd be curious to know how you settled on your daily calorie limit. Can you elaborate?
I'd suggest doing a quick calculation of your BMR for your current weight and setting your daily limit about 300 calories below that (at least). Then manually enter your calories burned for days you exercise. Eat whatever you want, but log it all. You'll lose if you're doing that.
Best of luck to you!
Paula
300 below BMR? Mine is 1400 something and clearly 1100 calories would be to low. Are you confusing TDEE with BMR?0 -
I don't understand why you've been given so many cals to eat a day, tbh.
You've got on your ticker you want to lose 95lb or so... that's what, 45kg, which is only 10 more than me. My maintenance calorie requirement is something like 2020 cals a day and I'm not that much lighter than you.
go have a look at the goals page again. Go fill it in again. Make sure you've got all the information correct. Make sure you've told the machine you want to lose weight! good luck. 0 -
What kinds of exercise are you doing? Cardio is key to fat loss. Walking a on treadmill at a decent incline will work wonders! You don't have to run, just walk. I'd try and start at about 60 minutes a day, you don't even have to add other exercises at this point if you're watching your calories. It's too soon to have hit a plateau. But I do agree with a few of the other ladies....try lowering your calorie intake a bit Hope this helps! 0
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Do you know how hard it is to gain muscle? A body builder (who will not be earing at a deficit and training for hours a day) on a good week would be pushing it to gain a pound a week of muscle. Also muscle does not weigh more than fat it's more dense so takes up less space for the same volumeyou could be gaining muscle, it weighs more than fat. having more muscles means your body naturally burns more calories so that's a good thing!0 -
I agree when I started i was a 333 pound 5' 11 man my calorie goal before exercise calories was 1800.. Also mfp calorie burn estimates are normally pretty high I would suggest only eating half those calories back.I don't understand why you've been given so many cals to eat a day, tbh.
You've got on your ticker you want to lose 95lb or so... that's what, 45kg, which is only 10 more than me. My maintenance calorie requirement is something like 2020 cals a day and I'm not that much lighter than you.
go have a look at the goals page again. Go fill it in again. Make sure you've got all the information correct. Make sure you've told the machine you want to lose weight! good luck.0 -
Try an Increase in your cardio excercise0
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I'd be curious to know how you settled on your daily calorie limit. Can you elaborate?
I'd suggest doing a quick calculation of your BMR for your current weight and setting your daily limit about 300 calories below that (at least). Then manually enter your calories burned for days you exercise. Eat whatever you want, but log it all. You'll lose if you're doing that.
Best of luck to you!
Paula
this is a very BAD idea, dont eat below BMR0 -
I say don't worry! I weigh every day. I stay within my weekly range of calorie deficit (meaning if I'm a little over one day, I make it up on other days so it balances out for the week). Some days are ups and some are downs. Sometimes the up trend will carry on for a week or more. Sometimes it's salt, sometimes it's hormones, sometimes it's digestive issues, or whatever. Don't worry about it. It'll go back down as long as you stick with your plan.
This is pretty much what I was going to say too. I weigh every day because I like to keep track of how my weight fluctuates. I was 62.3kgs yesterday morning and 64.6kgs this morning. I know I didn't eat 5000 calories yesterday, so it's water/salt/hormones/undisgested food.... something. Tomorrow it'll probably be somewhere between 62 and 63. As long as there's a generally downward slope on a monthly basis, I'm happy 0 -
Reset your goals on MFP. I currently weigh 209, 5'5", wanting to lose 1 1/2 pounds per week, and I am set at 1400 calories. I eat most of my exercise calories back, and have lost an average 1 1/4 pounds per week since Jan. I usually am pretty happy with what I can eat (especially if I have those extras to use!). I noticed your creamer in your diary - my husband switched to a low-calorie brand and it really helped. Also, grapes are really high calorie for how much you get to eat, try some other fruits!0
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Ok I am like you so here are some ideas
AMOUNT OF CALORIE YOU ARE EATING - FINE AS LONG AS YOUR PORTION SIZES ARE CORRECT
ARE YOU DRINKING WATER?Need 8 glasses a day
Just eat good carbs - rice potatoes veg. Keep off sauces gravies and oils
Eat a proportional mix of lean protein and carbs each time - make it the complex carbs that the body has to work at - no instant sugary foods
Do not give up - if you are depressed have a drink or get drunk and loosen your self up - keep going forward0 -
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Bump for later0
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Try resetting your goals. I am 5 feet 5 in. and weigh 234 and I was only given 1340 that's without much exercise. Maybe you have it set at highly active to get over 2000 calories. It takes me around 10 days to drop around 1.5 lbs. Don't give up you can do this!0
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^^^this0 -
Just one advice...whatever happens...DO NOT GIVE UP!!!! KEEP GOING! BE CONSISTENT! YOU WILL SEE RESULTS.
You might have to tweak things up here and there and find out for yourself what works, could be eating more, healthy, food, or eating a little less, more cardio or more weight training, heavier weight. Also relax, sleep more, etc. Wish you the best!! :flowerforyou:0 -
I'd say 6 lbs in 1 month isn't bad by any means - slow and steady. As far as the scale, I'd definitely wait and weigh a few more times. I've had the scale fluctuate as much as 8lbs this week! I believe feeling better is WAY more important than what your scale has to say.0
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Thanx folks!! I appreciate the insights and suggestions. I measured today even though it's only been a couple weeks since the last and found that I have lost 3 inches between my waist and thighs so I guess I'm not doing too badly so *YAY* for that I'll keep on increasing my hikes, walks and bike rides! Also, it was brought to my attention that because I only sleep about 3 hours a day on week days (I work overnights and have young children) I may have hosed my metabolism more than the average overweight person. So I guess since I can't stop working or caring for my family I will just have to keep doing what I'm doing and be happy with my small successes! Did I mention how much I hate weighing and measuring but I always do it right down to counting how many grapes I eat?!?! So anyone who questions my honesty or commitment to this is way off base!! Good luck all and thank you!!!!!!!!:happy:0
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I would say one thing to take out of the equation is to get yourself a HRM and accurately calculate your exercise calories. Also do something new for exercise and use some different muscle groups so and to get your weight loss going again.0
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Quick question, are you drinking your water? I try to drink between 60 & 80 ounces a day. For some reason that helps me a lot. Keep trying... We all hit these tough spots.0
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