Can't Seem To Lose It :( - At 142.6lbs

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Brunette122
Brunette122 Posts: 107 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi Everyone. I am a 5'4 female, age 28. I started a little over a month ago at 145 lbs. I am currently at 142.6. I work out almost everyday and I'm eating under my calorie intake. So why am I not losing (reword this, why am I not seeing the results I expected)? I'm getting really discouraged but I refuse to give up! I've been skinny my entire life but when I got married last September I ate and drank wayy too much and packed the pounds on. Any pointers, suggestions? HELP!?

I've made my diary public for those who want to help.

Replies

  • SideSteel
    SideSteel Posts: 11,068 Member
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    1) You are getting results. About .6lbs/week.
    2) Use a food scale for a few weeks and start logging EVERYTHING daily.

    Your efforts to increase logging accuracy will pay off quite well.
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,268 Member
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    Well my first question is what are you expecting???? 1lb a week? 2lbs a week? what is your goal..????

    I took a look at your diary...what I saw was the following:

    Lots of quick add calories
    lots of days under 1200..
    you don't use a kitchen scale to weigh your food...

    You are not eating enough and should stay above 1200 calories, you are probably under estimating your intake due to the quick add and no kitchen scale and over estimating your burns...
  • Hildy_J
    Hildy_J Posts: 1,050 Member
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    You're doing really well. It doesn't drop as fast when you don't have much to lose.

    Just keep going! :smile:
  • ViktoryaC
    ViktoryaC Posts: 124 Member
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    Given your height, you may already be at a good weight for you. Sometimes I think our bodies "set point" increases a little as we age. Be kind to yourself!
  • Brunette122
    Brunette122 Posts: 107 Member
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    Well, the three lbs I have lost so far were just from last week alone. This week I only lost .1 lbs. Hence the discouraging post, lol! Before the three lbs I didn't lose anything, so I fear I just lost water weight. I rarely use the quick add. Yea, I've been really confused with the whole daily calorie goal. It set up my goal for 1200 calories a day, but I've heard from others that in order to lose a lb you'd have to have a 500 calorie deficit. How can I have that unless I eat less than my 1200? I do work out but still, it doesn't seem to add up. Does the 1200 include part of my deficit? And if so, how much?

    I'd be happy with a 1-2lb of weight loss a week. As you can tell, I get discouraged easily and this month of watching my calories and working out have felt like eternity! I'm a brat, I know I am! I just bought a scale but haven't been really good with using it. Maybe its time to be strict.

    Thank you guys for the support :) I'm glad I posted.
  • Brunette122
    Brunette122 Posts: 107 Member
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    Also, my goal weight is anywhere between 128-130lbs. My original goal was 125 but I'm not sure its realistic anymore.
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,268 Member
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    Well, the three lbs I have lost so far were just from last week alone. This week I only lost .1 lbs. Hence the discouraging post, lol! Before the three lbs I didn't lose anything, so I fear I just lost water weight. I rarely use the quick add. Yea, I've been really confused with the whole daily calorie goal. It set up my goal for 1200 calories a day, but I've heard from others that in order to lose a lb you'd have to have a 500 calorie deficit. How can I have that unless I eat less than my 1200? I do work out but still, it doesn't seem to add up. Does the 1200 include part of my deficit? And if so, how much?

    I'd be happy with a 1-2lb of weight loss a week. As you can tell, I get discouraged easily and this month of watching my calories and working out have felt like eternity! I'm a brat, I know I am! I just bought a scale but haven't been really good with using it. Maybe its time to be strict.

    Thank you guys for the support :) I'm glad I posted.

    If MFP gave you 1200 that includes the deficet you need..hence eating to your limit plus some of your exercise calories back depending on how you get those...if through a HRM with a chest strap for Cardio eat them all back, if HRM and/or MFP database eat some of them back.
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,268 Member
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    Also, my goal weight is anywhere between 128-130lbs. My original goal was 125 but I'm not sure its realistic anymore.

    If you want 15lbs gone the suggested amount is 1/2lb a week...yes it's a slow go but this is a marathon not a sprint...

    ETA 125 is realistic...my sister is your height and in her Mid 40's and weighs 128 and goal is 122 and she looks darn good at 122...not lower at 122...
  • shell_mc
    shell_mc Posts: 109 Member
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    The 1200 *is* your calorie deficit. That's the absolute least number of calories you should be eating on any given day.

    I took a quick look at your diary, and I see a lot of snack and processed food. I would suggest trying to add in more vegetables, more lean protein.

    The "Quick Add" is a great option when you don't really know what's gone into the food you're eating (like at other people's houses or out to dinner), but I would encourage you to itemize everything whenever possible. It will help you see if you're eating enough protein, too many carbs, too much sodium, etc.

    Do you use a heart rate monitor to get your workout calorie burns? If not, you may be overestimating those, so I would suggest to maybe eat back half of those calories.

    You don't have a lot of weight to lose, so it will come off more slowly. Keep at it!
  • astange83
    astange83 Posts: 105
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    Not eating enough, most of your days you are 300-400 under your goal. Remember MFP creates the 500 calorie deficit for us. Eat more protein it will help keep you full longer and help you maintain lean muscle while losing. Also since you don't have much to lose its not going to fall off quickly. And if your body isn't used to the exercise you've been doing it could be holding on to water to repair the muscles, so just be patient, and drink a lot of water to flush yourself out.
  • Brunette122
    Brunette122 Posts: 107 Member
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    Got it, then I will def eat up to 1200 at least. Can't argue with that! :) I was feeling a bit undersatisfied. When I first started I was eating more fruits and veggies but I was really packing on the sugar! It really puts things into perspective when you don't just track calories.

    I think a heart monitor is the next step and no longer doing quick adds.
  • mrslcoop
    mrslcoop Posts: 317 Member
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    I'm your same height and age and let me tell you it takes a long time when we're so close to goal and within a healthy weight range. It took me 7 months of hard work to just drop 6.5 lbs. So long as you're still losing (and being so close to goal .5 lbs a week is a good goal) you're doing fine.

    I'm going to reiterate what has already been said: One. Buy a food scale... NOW. You don’t realize how many calories you’re eating until you start weighing... in grams! And two, log EVERYTHING.
  • shell_mc
    shell_mc Posts: 109 Member
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    Unless you have dietary restrictions, don't worry about the sugar found naturally in fruits & vegetables. If you want to limit 'added sugar' in your diet, that's fine, but don't let those natural sugars deter you from eating foods that are good for you!
  • servilia
    servilia Posts: 3,452 Member
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    A few things:

    How sure are you about your quick add calories? People often underestimate their intake when not measuring etc. I would definitely get a digital kitchen scale. I bought one for 20$ years ago and it still works perfectly so worth the investment.

    I notice that other than your green tea and your water count you don't include any beverages. Do you really not drink any juice, coffee with a bit of milk and sugar, etc? If you're having these and not counting them at can add up. Even my regular coffee with a bit of milk and sugar is 65 cals!

    See if you can up your protein a bit. You want to preserve lean mass at your low cal intake with all the exercise you do.

    Good luck!
  • Brunette122
    Brunette122 Posts: 107 Member
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    Happy to know I'm not the only one having a slow time at losing! And yes, it's correct that you don't see juice, milk, etc. I only drink green tea and water. I'd rather eat my calories. I'll try to add more fruits and veggies and see if that helps.

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