Feels like I'm doing something wrong!

mem50
mem50 Posts: 1,384 Member
edited September 22 in Health and Weight Loss
I stay under my calorie goal most all the time. I get plenty of exercise. Problem is the weight isn't budging. I have been hovering at the 170 mark for two weeks. I know my sodium intake is a little shaky at times. The foods that would pry help the most my husband can't eat. We are on a budget so buying food for two separate meals is not really an option. I do the portion control type diet. I've lost 10 pounds so I don't think its the plateau effect. It just makes me want to give up. I am doing my best to stay on course......but.................

Replies

  • BobbyDaniel
    BobbyDaniel Posts: 1,459 Member
    Don't give up! I started back in March with a goal of losing 40 pounds, dropped 10 in a matter of weeks and then hit a plateau around June that lasted until about 6 weeks ago. It took me making adjustments to my exercise and my daily calorie intake to get moving again, but did manage to get back on track. Since starting MFP a little over a month ago I've lost 12 pounds...the key is to keep with it. You hit walls sometimes, you just have to figure out how to get over them!
  • trisha329
    trisha329 Posts: 266 Member
    Are you staying too far under your calorie goal? That could stall your weight loss. Also, check that you're not eating too many carbs or having too much sodium, as that could also tamper the weight loss!
  • missyhse
    missyhse Posts: 189
    dont give up! Are you staying right around your calorie goal? If your deficit is too high that might be a problem, and...everybody hits little stalls/plateaus at different times, might just be that your body needs to catch up to itself :)
  • sharoniballoni
    sharoniballoni Posts: 163 Member
    In my experience it can be one or more of a few things:

    1) you might not be accurately recording your serving sizes; sometimes it's hard to know how much a cup or oz. of something is and you might be underestimating a bit

    2) the tracker on this site is estimating how many calories you burn and every person is different; it may be overestimating your metabolism, so you'll have to make your own adjustment to what it thinks you need to do

    3) you might not be eating enough fiber; without being graphic or gross, if you have a bunch of undigested food in your tummy, you're going to weight more than you will when it's... evacuated (e.g., if you eat a big steak at 10pm, it's going to look like you gained some weight if you step on the scale at 7am the following morning simply because it hasn't fully been digested yet)

    4) you might not be drinking enough water; with all the sodium you're consuming (and you say it's shaky), you are likely retaining a lot of water, so you must drink more

    Good luck!
  • KimmiShimmy
    KimmiShimmy Posts: 3
    It took me 3 weeks to lose just 5lbs, and I have another 5 to go. I kept wondering; am I not eating ENOUGH? Do I not exercise enough, but finally (and slowly) over time, it came off. Don't give up. I know it's get discouraging sometimes but think how great it feels when you try on a pair of jeans in a smaller size!
  • cindysimp
    cindysimp Posts: 23 Member
    I wasn't losing weight and was getting a bit frustrated and when I started eating more I started to lose. Check to be sure you are not to far under. I am not really sure how it works but I can say that when I increased my calories I started to lose weight. I also take in a bit to much sodium so I started watching that better as well! Don't give up though!
  • bsexton3
    bsexton3 Posts: 472 Member
    Don't give up. You can do it.

    Another advice always given is stay away from the scales. Feel good about how you fit in your clothes. I have been frustrated that I haven't lost weight in three weeks. So, I dug out the measurements of my chest, waist, arms and legs I took two months ago. When I saw that my chest is 5 inches smaller, I stopped complaining. The scale may be on pause right now, but my body is changing. Eventually, the scales will tell me that.

    Good luck.
  • kaygoldie
    kaygoldie Posts: 1
    i am also having trouble losing weight i have one regular meal and two kate morgan replacements meals i do half hour on wii fit plus software and biggest loser software sayss i burning kal lol but not see any weigh lose yet
    hope i am doing the right thing. i am 96.5 and i am 176cm so i am trying to get down to 86 by the end of the year
  • championnfl
    championnfl Posts: 324 Member
    Thats the trouble with the scale! [weigh twice a month] Your body is changing, your just not seeing it on the scale. Suggestion take a picture every week & compare to previous week.........another one is clothes, put a pant or slacks on a hanger[ones that are tight or 1 size to small], try on weekly and notice the changes,. [put hanger in visual area so you see it AM & PM]...Mental 1st then achievement 2nd]...Its all how you look at it that determines your success...:wink:
  • svdbygrc
    svdbygrc Posts: 5
    Okay, Sunnie...You give me all kinds of encouragement when I'm faultering...now it's my turn...DON'T GIVE UP!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I do know two things...NEVER Give Up and don't take in less calories than your body needs as it will put your body in starvation mode and you will quit losing. It thinks you are starving it and hangs on to every little morsel of fat. Also, I have a problem with retaining fluids and really have to watch my sodium intake, which could also be one of your problems...read labels...there is so much hidden sodium in processed food it's ridicules...so be sure to read the labels...one last thing...scales do have a tendency to miscalculate your weight...depending on when you weigh...my Dr tells me to weigh first thing in the morning after emptying my bladder and showering...and make sure you weigh at the same time every day...even if it calculates it different than the day before, it could be as simple as water weight....so don't freak out...use a tape measure instead...and go by the way your clothes are fitting...they can tell you more than a scale....and once again....DO NOT GIVE UP.....Hang in there...it will come....
  • gatorflyer
    gatorflyer Posts: 536 Member
    Don't give up! The closer you are to your goal weight, the harder those pounds will be to come off. Make sure that you are counting everything, Also make sure you aren't undereating to balance all the exercise your doing. Sometimes it helps to change up your routine and do different stuff as well. Hang in there!
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