weight loss stall-- help

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PiCkLeLuV
PiCkLeLuV Posts: 274
in Health and Weight Loss
I posted this in another forum but I think it should have come here..:ohwell:

Over the past few months I've gained sad decided it was time to get it back together! I lost 5lbs this week but towards the end of the week my weight loss stalled. I am so bummed! I follow the 17 day diet and I have celiac disease, I know I don't exercise like I should. My job requires me to be on my feet at least 6-8 hours per day which leaves me exhausted. Anyone have any suggestions to get it going again?

Replies

  • Will_Thrust_For_Candy
    Will_Thrust_For_Candy Posts: 6,109 Member
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    It's common to lose a lot of water weight in the first week....especially if you are following a super restrictive diet. I'm not sure what the 17 day diet is exactly, but it sounds like a fad diet to me.

    In any event, if you are not losing it is because you are eating more than you burn. So either you are underestimating how many calories you are taking in or you are overestimating your activity level.

    Do you weigh, measure, and log everything you eat? Are you honest about it? How have you determined how many calories to eat? Do you exercise? There are many factors at play, yet it is ultimately quite simple.

    Eat a balanced diet (obviously restrictions due to celiac's for sure), get in some activity, and you should be golden! Ditch this 17 day thing.....no sustainable weight loss will come from that.

    Good luck!
  • QuilterInVA
    QuilterInVA Posts: 672 Member
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    A stall is when you weight doesn't move for at least 4 weeks - no change,. So you can't be stalled after 5 days. You lost a lot of water and now the real weight loss is beginning,.Excercise gives you energy and if you don't exercise while losing weight you will lose muscle along with fat and not be toned. Add 30 minutes of cardio 5 days a week, 2 sessions of strength training, and eat the correct number of calories of foods you have weighed and measured accurately. Record everything you eat. And what you eat is very important - all calories are not created equally. This is a lifestyle change and it takes time for it to become a way of life. If you don't do that, you will be yo-yoing with your weight forever.
  • MsPudding
    MsPudding Posts: 562 Member
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    Sorry, I seem to be missing where the stall in your weight loss actually is! A stall is if you believe you're doing all the right things but you've not lost weight in weeks or months. You said:

    " I lost 5lbs this week but towards the end of the week my weight loss stalled."

    You're not expecting to see a pound coming off every day are you? The initial 'big loss' on any diet is the body releasing its glycogen stores for energy - 1g of glycogen holds about 4g of water so you're losing a lot of water weight in those first days. When the glycogen stores are empty then weight loss slows up because now it's looking to burn up fat for energy.

    From your photos, you don't look like you have a lot to lose so my advice would be to drop the fad diet, do a bit more exercise that includes some strength training and simply eat healthily - lots of good proteins, some complex carbs and fats.
  • amf0819
    amf0819 Posts: 4
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    Hi, I just joined mfp last week. I have been on topamax for 2 month and completely changed my eating habits, no longer eat candy, chips soda etc. (I don't crave it and some stuff tastes weird) but mfp is telling me I'm not eating enough. I am simply not hungry. I have only lost 4lbs in 2 months. My doc also told me I'm peri-menapause and I will need to do an hr. of cardio a day 7 days a week to loose weight! I am not a big fan of excercise I do walk an hour 3 times a week but that news was not easy to hear. Is anyone else in this situation?
  • PiCkLeLuV
    PiCkLeLuV Posts: 274
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    I've always been quite thin, I got sick and gained weight. I lost most of it but have 25 to go, I want it gone now! but don't we all, I guess in my mind if I'm not losing every day that is not progress to me. yes, I'm sure I have issues

    My activity level isn't over estimated, I am on my feet, walking at work 6-8 hrs per day, mow the grass, walk the dog, I'm pretty active but no real organized exercise plan. I might do 30 mins a few days a week but not a lot more.

    I keep track of my food to the T, I eat protein, veggies and my fruit consists of 1 apple or a cup of unsweetened berries per day. I don't eat rice, corn or potato nor do I eat sugar and I obviously can't eat wheat/gluten products. My daily calories are usually around 600-1000. So if you're saying I am eating more than I am burning that would mean I should reduce my calories even more?
  • Will_Thrust_For_Candy
    Will_Thrust_For_Candy Posts: 6,109 Member
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    My bad.....I completely missed the part about it only being 1 week. The other posters are correct, you are really not stalled. With that being said, I still stand my original post......just wanted to acknowledge that bit :smile:
  • Will_Thrust_For_Candy
    Will_Thrust_For_Candy Posts: 6,109 Member
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    I've always been quite thin, I got sick and gained weight. I lost most of it but have 25 to go, I want it gone now! but don't we all, I guess in my mind if I'm not losing every day that is not progress to me. yes, I'm sure I have issues

    My activity level isn't over estimated, I am on my feet, walking at work 6-8 hrs per day, mow the grass, walk the dog, I'm pretty active but no real organized exercise plan. I might do 30 mins a few days a week but not a lot more.

    I keep track of my food to the T, I eat protein, veggies and my fruit consists of 1 apple or a cup of unsweetened berries per day. I don't eat rice, corn or potato nor do I eat sugar and I obviously can't eat wheat/gluten products. My daily calories are usually around 600-1000. So if you're saying I am eating more than I am burning that would mean I should reduce my calories even more?

    600-1000 calories is FAR TOO LOW for any adult female. How did you come up with this amount to eat? Did someone tell you this or is it part of this "diet" that you are following?
  • PiCkLeLuV
    PiCkLeLuV Posts: 274
    Options
    I've always been quite thin, I got sick and gained weight. I lost most of it but have 25 to go, I want it gone now! but don't we all, I guess in my mind if I'm not losing every day that is not progress to me. yes, I'm sure I have issues

    My activity level isn't over estimated, I am on my feet, walking at work 6-8 hrs per day, mow the grass, walk the dog, I'm pretty active but no real organized exercise plan. I might do 30 mins a few days a week but not a lot more.

    I keep track of my food to the T, I eat protein, veggies and my fruit consists of 1 apple or a cup of unsweetened berries per day. I don't eat rice, corn or potato nor do I eat sugar and I obviously can't eat wheat/gluten products. My daily calories are usually around 600-1000. So if you're saying I am eating more than I am burning that would mean I should reduce my calories even more?

    600-1000 calories is FAR TOO LOW for any adult female. How did you come up with this amount to eat? Did someone tell you this or is it part of this "diet" that you are following?


    I really do seem to eat a lot of food, I'm never hungry really. MFP says I should be eating 1200 per day, but I never seem to get to that amount. I eat 4 times per day sometimes a couple other small snacks if I need, the foods I'm eating are pretty low calorie so I can eat a lot and they don't add up to much
  • Dawn_Snowden
    Dawn_Snowden Posts: 111 Member
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    If you are eating too few calories, your body will go into starvation mode and you will not lose weight. There are many free sites online that can give you an estimate on how many calories you should eat based on your height, weight, and activity level. Even 1200 calories a day is too few for many women.

    If you make healthy choices, which it sounds like you are, and are eating enough calories, add in a little exercise just to move your body, you should lose weight. But life-long weight loss takes time and patience. You don't want to lose your muscle.
  • MsPudding
    MsPudding Posts: 562 Member
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    I really do seem to eat a lot of food, I'm never hungry really. MFP says I should be eating 1200 per day, but I never seem to get to that amount. I eat 4 times per day sometimes a couple other small snacks if I need, the foods I'm eating are pretty low calorie so I can eat a lot and they don't add up to much

    MFP only says you should be eating 1,200 if you put in the settings that you want to lose 2lbs a week and the reason why it says 1,200 (for everyone who sets it to lose 2lbs a week!) is because it's the maximum deficit it'll go to.

    Look; 25lbs off is not a great deal and although you want it gone 'now' the reality is that it's not going to happen. You should re-do your settings to lose 0.5-1lbs a week and then you'll find that MFP will put your calorie goal up and you'll lose weight slower, but in a more healthy way and, more importantly, a way that will make it a lot easier to maintain your loss.
  • Will_Thrust_For_Candy
    Will_Thrust_For_Candy Posts: 6,109 Member
    Options
    I've always been quite thin, I got sick and gained weight. I lost most of it but have 25 to go, I want it gone now! but don't we all, I guess in my mind if I'm not losing every day that is not progress to me. yes, I'm sure I have issues

    My activity level isn't over estimated, I am on my feet, walking at work 6-8 hrs per day, mow the grass, walk the dog, I'm pretty active but no real organized exercise plan. I might do 30 mins a few days a week but not a lot more.

    I keep track of my food to the T, I eat protein, veggies and my fruit consists of 1 apple or a cup of unsweetened berries per day. I don't eat rice, corn or potato nor do I eat sugar and I obviously can't eat wheat/gluten products. My daily calories are usually around 600-1000. So if you're saying I am eating more than I am burning that would mean I should reduce my calories even more?

    600-1000 calories is FAR TOO LOW for any adult female. How did you come up with this amount to eat? Did someone tell you this or is it part of this "diet" that you are following?


    I really do seem to eat a lot of food, I'm never hungry really. MFP says I should be eating 1200 per day, but I never seem to get to that amount. I eat 4 times per day sometimes a couple other small snacks if I need, the foods I'm eating are pretty low calorie so I can eat a lot and they don't add up to much

    Okay, there are a couple of issues here. It's not good that are never hungry eating that little. MFP is set up in such a way that it gives you a baseline amount of calories plus you must eat your exercise calories back......so essentially you log all of your food and all of your exercise. For you, given that you have been eating SO LITTLE (not good!!!!) I would start off my really aiming for that 1200 and not worry about the rest for a bit. Get your eating in line because right now it's not. 600 calories IS NOT ENOUGH. Get some protein powder and make shakes, increase your fat, eat nuts. There are many calorie dense foods that are nutritious that can help you get there.

    Now, the thing is, when you do this you WILL see the scale go up. It WILL NOT BE FAT GAIN. You must understand this.

    The thing is, you have to decide if you want to live a healthy lifestyle that will facilitate and support getting you to your goals (which will be more time consuming) or if you are more interested in the yo-yo effect that what you are doing will produce. MFP is a great support system.....glad you are here :)

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