2 weeks in & feeling discouraged!

amanda31606
amanda31606 Posts: 7
in Health and Weight Loss
I just started counting calories & exercising 2 weeks ago. Pre-diet I was eating fast food & drinking beer/wine about 4x's a week. Easily 3500+ calories a day. For the past 2 weeks I have been eating under 1200 calories a day (measuring most of my food, but staying a few calories under in case I'm under estimating) & exercising 7 days a week for at least 30 min (alternating 30DS & 2 mile walks). Also cut out all fast food & alcohol. My menu is not perfect but improving day to day & a DRASTIC change from what it was.

I am 25 years old, 5'5 & 179lbs. I haven't lost a single pound! I went down to 178.4 one day, & the next I was right back up to 179.4. I realize that it took a long time to put the weight on, it's going to take longer to get it off. Yada yada yada. But with such a huge change in my diet & exercise, shouldn't I have at least lost half a pound in the past 2 weeks?! It's extremely discouraging. & no, I haven't lost a single inch either.

Input, please?
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Replies

  • sunshine1082
    sunshine1082 Posts: 85 Member
    Try not to feel discouraged. Sometimes things like water retention can obscure the progress you see on the scale. When you start a new exercise program, your muscles retain water to repair themselves. Make sure you're taking measurements as well as weighing. I started off with 30DS as well, and in the very beginning lost inches more quickly than pounds.

    I do want to warn you that you may be overdoing things a bit. There really is no need to exercise seven days a week. Your body needs some time to recover. That plus only eating 1200 calories could make you burn out early on and might cause you to binge at some point, especially if you're used to eating 3500+ calories. Are you eating back your exercise calories? If not, then you are netting much lower than 1200 calories, which really isn't healthy.
  • OsricTheKnight
    OsricTheKnight Posts: 340 Member
    I'm a bit confused about how often you've weighed yourself. I am confident that with the program you are on you should see steady progress. Weigh in daily and plot the weights on a chart like this one:

    4w.png

    If the trend stays flat for a week reduce your intake by about 100kcals and carry on. There's no force on earth that can stop lower calories from equalling lower weight.

    Osric

    P.S. The graph I am using is trendweight.com, completely free and no ads. It tells you how much more you're burning than eating, and when you will hit your goal weight based on your history. Very motivating.
  • amanda31606
    amanda31606 Posts: 7
    I'm eating back my exercise calories probably 50% of time. I am feeling pretty good, & not that "burnt out" feeling. Doing 30DS 5 days/week & walking on my resting days.
  • salsacatblue
    salsacatblue Posts: 15
    I am two weeks in too!
    It seems like your calorie intake may be too low! They say that if it goes low like 1200 / day your body goes into starvation mode and don't want to release fat that easily.

    I also recommend doing more strength training for sure. More muscle you have more carorie you burn even when you are sleeping.
    I was new to excersize and the book called womans health diet book taught me a lot how to eat right to lose wight and get toned.
    http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1609612450/ref=oh_details_o01_s00_i01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

    I learned so much about nutorition and excercize so I highly recomend it.

    Good luck to you!
  • annekka
    annekka Posts: 517 Member
    Under 1200 is not much for a person of your size. I'm 5'6" but a bit older than you and once I figure in exercise etc. I can eat up to 2000 calories and still lose weight. Check your TDEE and eat about 500 under that or 250 under that depending on what your loss per week is.

    My "base" calorie amount right now is 1360 per day at a .5 kg/week weight loss. This is after losing 8 kg, it was more like 1600/day earlier.
  • amanda31606
    amanda31606 Posts: 7
    I guess I'm just having a hard time understanding why I would lose weight eating more calories when I haven't even lost anything at 1200?
  • gigglesinthesun
    gigglesinthesun Posts: 860 Member
    Are you really really sure that you are taking in under 1200 calories a day? Just checking that you log every morsel, every drink, every supplement (my omega 3 has 180 calories per day), weighing everything, itemised logging (not a generic ham sandwich, but the bread, the spread, the ham separate) measuring only the liquids?

    How about your exercise calories? How are you determining your calories burnt? Are you sure they are not overestimated if you are eating them back?

    And lastly some people gain weight either around their ovulation or the period (or both), but that is merely water and it leaves once it's done.
  • sunshine1082
    sunshine1082 Posts: 85 Member
    I guess I'm just having a hard time understanding why I would lose weight eating more calories when I haven't even lost anything at 1200?

    The reason why I suggested eating more calories was that weight loss can be more sustainable over the long term when you create a more manageable calorie deficit. You aren't going to suddenly start storing fat on your body by eating too little as some people might suggest, but weight loss is easier to maintain when you don't cut your calories too drastically.

    As for why you have not lost weight at 1200 calories, it is probably for one of the following reasons:

    1. You are actually eating more calories than you think
    2. You are overestimating your calorie burn
    3. Your exercise routine is causing your muscles to retain water to repair themselves

    My guess is it's option number 3, in which case it is temporary and you should see some loss soon.
  • alits
    alits Posts: 8 Member
    I wouldn't feel discouraged, keep weight training it'll help you lose weight quickly once you build up some muscle. It takes time to see real results (a month) is when I really saw my diet/fitness plan work. It's also not just about the calories but the type of calories you're eating. I usually stick to about "1200" cals a day with eating back my calories burned but I care more about eating more protein/fiber and less carbs/fat. If you're new to a weight training plan try eating more protein (e.g., lean chicken/turkey/egg whites <- protein) and healthy fats (e.g., avocados, almonds, peanut/almond butter, olive oil). Also if you want some delicious flavors for your meats try using salt free seasoning like Mrs. Dash, those are the general types that have helped me over the past 6 months.
    The person above me is also correct, if you're cutting your calories by too much in the beginning your body will begin to store fats, so stick with a higher calorie count about 250-500 below your TDEE.

    Also, what helped me keep an accurate track of my calories burned ( especially for weight training) is my heart rate monitor =).
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,426 MFP Moderator
    If you just started to exercise you will retain water which will mask your weight loss. Also with 30ds its not really a big burner, so either set your account to light active and eat another 200 calories. Additionally, with 30 lbs to lose, 1 lb per week should be your goal. I would also recommend adjusting macros to around 40% carbs and 30% protein and fats. Heck a couple high carb days alone will add more water/glycogen to your body and again mask fat loss. And lastly, if you arent using a food scale then you should. Its easy to underestimate calories.

    btw, how active are you besides exercise?
  • deslok113
    deslok113 Posts: 11
    You need to rest at least one day a week! I've been going to the gym regularly for over 2yrs. Since I didn't diet (or watch what I ate) and only took protein shakes after a strength work out, I haven't lost I've actually gained weight (muscle weighs more than fat so I'm told). I can bench 245 6-8 times, I curl 50lb dumbells, and do 315 lb squats and do 200+lbs on the ab machine, but I look more like Kamala than the Rock! For cardio you should do interval cardio and alternate days for strength training. I do 25 mins at a 3.0-3.5 pace. The 3.5 pace is the top part of the interval and 3.0 pace is the lower part. Now I'm back here again trying to lose the fat that's over my muscle. I love going to the gym and lifting more weight than the skinny and muscular guys but I need to loose the weight for health reasons.
  • TastesLikeChicken
    TastesLikeChicken Posts: 32 Member
    Dont try getting there so fast. Set your calorie goal on losing one pound per week. In a year if you lost 52 lbs you would be more than satisfied. Best wishes in your journey.
    Dave
  • amanda31606
    amanda31606 Posts: 7
    I am measuring my calories very closely. They aren't 100% accurate but very close to it. I am hoping I'm just retaining water like a few of you have mentioned. But how long before that stops? I'm drinking LOTS of water.

    I will try adjusting my macros. I'm normally way under on the total carbs MFP recommended for me by default. I classified myself as "lightly active". I have a desk job, but I am up & down/running around quite a bit through the day.
  • annekka
    annekka Posts: 517 Member
    Try taking a day or two off of the 30DS and doing something else. Also, make sure you are measuring yourself. You could be losing inches instead of pounds.
  • astronomicals
    astronomicals Posts: 1,537 Member
    crash dieting.. you need to do your homework...
  • Mr_Knight
    Mr_Knight Posts: 9,532 Member
    If you were really eating that little, you would be seeing losses. First place to look at is the accuracy of your logging - is it 100% complete?

    Also, eating back calories on programs like 30DS often results in over-eating, because those programs (for most people) don't burn anywhere near the calories people think they burn. Frankly, I wouldn't eat them back at all at this stage, unless fatigue started setting in.
  • littleburgy
    littleburgy Posts: 570 Member
    Even if dieting correctly (and there's a lot of good advice here), it's not unusual to not see immediate results at first, you may just need a little more time, especially with weight fluctuation it's hard to tell coming out of the gate...good luck!
  • albertine58
    albertine58 Posts: 267 Member
    How many calories do you think you're burning in 30DS and a 2-mile walk? Neither will really burn that much, I wouldn't eat it back because it's not very trustworthy how much you're burning! Even heart rate monitors overestimate.

    However, if it were me I'd eat a little more baseline- I eat an average between 1400-1500 without eating back exercise cals and I about 2 lbs/week consistently, and I'm 5' 4" and just 15 lb over healthy BMI. I don't eat exactly 1400 every day- some days are 1200 and one weekend day is closer to 2000- I track my weekly average in a spreadsheet. I don't believe in starvation mode unless your hair is falling out or you're exhausted, etc- but you'd still be losing weight. You must be eating more than you think. Are you WEIGHING everything, or using measuring cups? I was shocked by the difference. Use a food scale and truly measure everything you put in your mouth. It's worth the effort to lose the weight!
  • NRSPAM
    NRSPAM Posts: 961 Member
    You probably entered sedentary for activity, which you probably are not. MFP calorie goals are very low. Here is a link that will help determine your calorie goal. Unless you're not entering food correctly, or overestimating calorie burn then you're probably not eating enough, and slowed down your metabolism. If you find yourself feeling hungry often, then your intake is probably too low. http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/538381-in-place-of-a-road-map Now stand back and watch everyone start arguing. Lol. ;)
  • Thockey123
    Thockey123 Posts: 6
    Hi, basically what it sounds like is happening is that you've completely screwed up your metabolism by eating far too little. 1200 calories while exercising 7 days a week is nowhere near enough. Eating 1200 calories has caused your body's metabolism to slow down drastically as it needs to retain as much energy(fat) as possible as you are not providing your body with it.

    Someone said that it was to do with water retention in your muscles. This is not true at all, although your muscles do you retain water, you will not have enough muscle size for this to have any affect on you. (I have a lot of experience in the gym). Make sure you keep drinking lots of water as this speeds your metabolism. 3L+ at least

    So... what you need to do. First off, have a one off cheat meal. A high calorie meal of whatever you want. This will help trick your body into thinking that it does not have to retain the stored fat in your body as you are providing it with plenty of energy to burn. Raise your calories to around 1600-1800 I'd say. Going from 3500 to 1200 is hugely drastic for your body and it thinks it is starving. Do this for another 2 weeks and see what happens, it will take a while for your metabolism to speed up again. Also, 7 days a week is too much, even pro bodybuilders do not train this frequent. If you're doing weight training, 5 days in a row, max. Cardio is a bit tricky, I'd start at 3 times a week, 30 mins and go from there. Make sure you SLEEP enough. Try and get at least 8 hours sleep so your body can repair and function properly. Make sure you are eating the right kinds of food and that your macro nutrient break down - Carbs, Fats and Proteins are at a good proportion. Personally I either go 50% C/ 30% P/ 20% F or 40C/40P/20F. Play around with it, see what works for you.

    Last and most importantly, be patient, be dedicated - aim for a goal and stick to it, and enjoy it. It will change your life :)

    Oh, a good way to tell if your metabolism is speeding up again is that you'll start to feel really hungry
  • Mr_Knight
    Mr_Knight Posts: 9,532 Member
    Hi, basically what it sounds like is happening is that you've completely screwed up your metabolism by eating far too little.

    Uh, no.

    She could have eaten literally zero food for those two weeks and still not "completely screwed up" her metabolism.
  • FindingAmy77
    FindingAmy77 Posts: 1,268 Member
    Try taking a day or two off of the 30DS and doing something else. Also, make sure you are measuring yourself. You could be losing inches instead of pounds.

    ^^ definitely could be gaining muscle right now, your body needs some time to adjust. The scale will never measure how much you have accomplished so far. Just by giving up going out to eat and quiting alcohol is a huge accomplishment. You already have started this, don't give up and make sure you take measurements. I sugest you start keeping a journal, write what you ate, what you thought, what you passed up on, your measurements, your weight, workouts, etc for the day. I take this one day at a time. I always say to myself "just for today" . you will begin to see results. what is the calories mfp allows you before you input exercise?? I am curious on that. It gives me 1200 but I am bigger than you are. Maybe step it up more on your workouts?? or make sure your settings are correct for how active you are lightly active, sedentary, etc. Don't give up, you got lots of support here.
  • Chelz2013
    Chelz2013 Posts: 176 Member
    Try not to feel discouraged. Sometimes things like water retention can obscure the progress you see on the scale. When you start a new exercise program, your muscles retain water to repair themselves. Make sure you're taking measurements as well as weighing. I started off with 30DS as well, and in the very beginning lost inches more quickly than pounds.

    I do want to warn you that you may be overdoing things a bit. There really is no need to exercise seven days a week. Your body needs some time to recover. That plus only eating 1200 calories could make you burn out early on and might cause you to binge at some point, especially if you're used to eating 3500+ calories. Are you eating back your exercise calories? If not, then you are netting much lower than 1200 calories, which really isn't healthy.

    I absolutely agree with this.

    Even when the scale wasn't moving for me, or I was gaining and losing the same 2lbs, I still lost a lot of inches. I take measurements every 30 days. I absolutely refuse to weigh myself any more than once a week. I tried a daily weigh in and I was more depressed and discouraged, then motivated. But that's just my own personal experience.

    You're doing great! Give it time. It seems good to take a month to track your progress before you make adjustments.
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,426 MFP Moderator
    I am measuring my calories very closely. They aren't 100% accurate but very close to it. I am hoping I'm just retaining water like a few of you have mentioned. But how long before that stops? I'm drinking LOTS of water.

    I will try adjusting my macros. I'm normally way under on the total carbs MFP recommended for me by default. I classified myself as "lightly active". I have a desk job, but I am up & down/running around quite a bit through the day.

    is it set for 1 lb per week or more aggressive? If it's set for anything more than 1 lb per week, it needs to be lowered. I would recommend bumping your activity level to moderate and do not eat back exercise calories.
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,426 MFP Moderator
    Try taking a day or two off of the 30DS and doing something else. Also, make sure you are measuring yourself. You could be losing inches instead of pounds.

    ^^ definitely could be gaining muscle right now, your body needs some time to adjust. The scale will never measure how much you have accomplished so far. Just by giving up going out to eat and quiting alcohol is a huge accomplishment. You already have started this, don't give up and make sure you take measurements. I sugest you start keeping a journal, write what you ate, what you thought, what you passed up on, your measurements, your weight, workouts, etc for the day. I take this one day at a time. I always say to myself "just for today" . you will begin to see results. what is the calories mfp allows you before you input exercise?? I am curious on that. It gives me 1200 but I am bigger than you are. Maybe step it up more on your workouts?? or make sure your settings are correct for how active you are lightly active, sedentary, etc. Don't give up, you got lots of support here.

    Out of technicalities, there is about zero chance the OP gained any muscle.You need a surplus of calories and a good weight training program and even then, most women can only gain 1/2 lb per week. Currently with a calorie deficit and not have an progressive lifting program (30DS is cardio and you barely lift weights greater than a purse) and being a woman, the likelihood of gaining new lean body mass, it almost impossible. But like said earlier, it's going to be water retention.
  • xxxemaxxx
    xxxemaxxx Posts: 29 Member
    I guess I'm just having a hard time understanding why I would lose weight eating more calories when I haven't even lost anything at 1200?

    I always think this too :(
    It is discouraging :(

    Keep with it though. Don't give up!
  • Michelle_dirtracer
    Michelle_dirtracer Posts: 245
    First of all, you are only 2 weeks in. That is for 1) not enough time to know if a program is or isn't working and 2) you ARE NOT gaining muscle in 2 weeks.

    I was 187 and MFP had my calories at 1320 a day and I ate some exercise calories back.
    I am now 172 and MFP now has my calories at 1200 a day. I am losing about 1.5 lbs a week. I run 4 nights a week and strength train 2 nights a week. You need one rest day. If you are just starting any kind of lifting you will retain water, that may be your problem. Give it a month and then regroup if no change.
  • mrscool5
    mrscool5 Posts: 24
    I guess I'm just having a hard time understanding why I would lose weight eating more calories when I haven't even lost anything at 1200?

    I kinda figure it like this - our bodies are clever S-O-B's. We are genetically "trained" to survive, which means if your body thinks all of a sudden there's a famine going on it shuts down everything it can and tries to keep some "backup." Kind of like those weeks where you're at the end of the paycheck and you're running low on gas so you start coasting a lot, not accelerating fast, not going anywhere if you can help it, etc. so you use as little gas as possible.

    Or you could kinda think of it like a fire - which burns better, a tiny little log or a bunch of wood? Of course you don't want a bonfire, so you have to balance out and find that middle place.

    Also, I think what some folks are trying to say is "bad" about going from 3500 calories a day to 1200 is how sustainable it is. Unless you want to see saw back and forth, you can't just "diet" to get to where you want and then stop eating that way. You'll just end up back in the same place, maybe even heavier. What you have to do is essentially change the way you eat, period. Change your "habits" permanently. Which, trust me, is hard as hell to do. I've been working on that for 20+ years and for the first time I feel like I'm actually DOING it. I'll let you know in a couple more years how it worked, LOL.
  • NRSPAM
    NRSPAM Posts: 961 Member
    I guess I'm just having a hard time understanding why I would lose weight eating more calories when I haven't even lost anything at 1200?

    I kinda figure it like this - our bodies are clever S-O-B's. We are genetically "trained" to survive, which means if your body thinks all of a sudden there's a famine going on it shuts down everything it can and tries to keep some "backup." Kind of like those weeks where you're at the end of the paycheck and you're running low on gas so you start coasting a lot, not accelerating fast, not going anywhere if you can help it, etc. so you use as little gas as possible.

    Or you could kinda think of it like a fire - which burns better, a tiny little log or a bunch of wood? Of course you don't want a bonfire, so you have to balance out and find that middle place.


    Also, I think what some folks are trying to say is "bad" about going from 3500 calories a day to 1200 is how sustainable it is. Unless you want to see saw back and forth, you can't just "diet" to get to where you want and then stop eating that way. You'll just end up back in the same place, maybe even heavier. What you have to do is essentially change the way you eat, period. Change your "habits" permanently. Which, trust me, is hard as hell to do. I've been working on that for 20+ years and for the first time I feel like I'm actually DOING it. I'll let you know in a couple more years how it worked, LOL.

    ^^^Yep! It's called survival instinct. Your body basically thinks you are starving, and is holding on to fat stores to keep you alive during times of famine. Not to mention that even if you were losing weight on this few calories, it is not sustainable. you might lose a weight quickly, but eventually you will gain it back. It's kind of like one of those fad diets. Not sustainable for the long haul. Do your research, figure out your TDEE and BMR, and go by that. Cut 500 cal's, or 20% from your TDEE. It's provided in the link I posted earlier.
  • Littlestandrews
    Littlestandrews Posts: 96 Member
    This is why I'm such an advocate of only weighing in once a month. If you are working out hard and your muscles are tearing, they store water to repair themselves.
    Secondly, make sure you count EVERYTHING. One of my friends complained of the same thing so we broke down her diet and I noticed she didn't count coffee creamer or cooking oils...amongst other things. Count it all. Don't even take a bite from your kid's plate without counting it. Everything has calories and they add up fast.
    Lastly, don't buy into the whole Starvation mode crap. You just started, you have fat to lose, if you are doing everything right and you have no medical issues, you WILL lose.

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