Still waiting...

gracienkaidens_momma · November 2010

I am just frustrated by the amount of work I'm doing keeping track of calories, exercising each day, staying under my calorie goal and then looking at the scale. It won't budge! It's now saying I'm a pound heavier actually! Maybe I'm gaining muscle. I've been on here one week and saw a loss of 1lb, but now it's back up to my original weight. I am so disheartened and frustrated that I'm not seeing any changes in the scale. :-(

numberscolors · November 2010

that is really frustrating! you mentioned that you are staying under your calorie goal, though. that could be the key. if you aren't eating your recommended calories, your body can go into starvation mode and it will be very difficult to lose. try to eat most of your calories earned through exercise, too!

i'm sorry if you've already heard this advice a million times!

jaycee76 · November 2010

I think we are similar in not having a large amount of weight to lose. I have been good all week and done a mid week weigh this morning and have gained 2lb!
I think that weighing weekly really is what we should do due to the shifts in our bodies. I am going to try zigzag my calories a little this week as it is ment to help those with not alot to lose.

Good luck x

gracienkaidens_momma · November 2010

numberscolors - I was a few hundred cals under a few times this week. Yesterday I was just 35 under, then I exercised with Jillian Michaels and was like over 200 cals under. I didn't eat after and just ended the day a little over 200 under. Maybe that is why. My goal is to eat back half of my exercise cals which I ate back about 40 percent yesterday. I did go to bed feeling hungry last night so maybe I'm not eating enough.

gracienkaidens_momma · November 2010

I think we are similar in not having a large amount of weight to lose. I have been good all week and done a mid week weigh this morning and have gained 2lb!
I think that weighing weekly really is what we should do due to the shifts in our bodies. I am going to try zigzag my calories a little this week as it is ment to help those with not alot to lose.

Good luck x

I agree. I think it's harder for most people to lose weight when they only have like 10-15 lbs to lose compared to someone who has like 50-75 lbs to lose. Maybe I should zigzag my cals too. I always seem to eat about the same amount (except on my one cheat day a week). I should also wait and weigh myself like every Sunday or something so I'm not so frustrated.

I am noticing my legs and abs tightening up. Clothes seem to fit better already, so maybe I should go by those things and NOT the scale.

Thanks for the feedback!

jaycee76 · November 2010

numberscolors - I was a few hundred cals under a few times this week. Yesterday I was just 35 under, then I exercised with Jillian Michaels and was like over 200 cals under. I didn't eat after and just ended the day a little over 200 under. Maybe that is why. My goal is to eat back half of my exercise cals which I ate back about 40 percent yesterday. I did go to bed feeling hungry last night so maybe I'm not eating enough.

I would not say you are in starvation mode after 1 week. But I would still make sure you eat youre calories so it does not happen down the line x

jaycee76 · November 2010

I think we are similar in not having a large amount of weight to lose. I have been good all week and done a mid week weigh this morning and have gained 2lb!
I think that weighing weekly really is what we should do due to the shifts in our bodies. I am going to try zigzag my calories a little this week as it is ment to help those with not alot to lose.

Good luck x

I agree. I think it's harder for most people to lose weight when they only have like 10-15 lbs to lose compared to someone who has like 50-75 lbs to lose. Maybe I should zigzag my cals too. I always seem to eat about the same amount (except on my one cheat day a week). I should also wait and weigh myself like every Sunday or something so I'm not so frustrated.

I am noticing my legs and abs tightening up. Clothes seem to fit better already, so maybe I should go by those things and NOT the scale.

Thanks for the feedback!

Have you logged your measurements? That is a good way to see what is happening but only measure at most fortnightly to see the benefits more. I do it monthly x

gracienkaidens_momma · November 2010

Jaycee - Do you eat back all of your exercise calories or just some? I'm trying to figure out what works best for me. I'm only eating back about half of them.

gracienkaidens_momma · November 2010

What is fortnightly? Lol. I have never heard of that. No, I have not measured myself. I need to. Can't find the measuring tape. I'm probably going to have to pick up a roll.

lornawalker · November 2010

I totally understand where you're coming from, I to have been staying under my calorie goal (accept for yesterday which was a slight blip!). Yes, I again lost weight yesterday, it seemed much more of a struggle this week, and I know I shouldn't have weighed myself this morning as yesterday was my official weighing day and I have put on weight!!! Looking at my diary though for the past 3 weeks I have eaten below my calorie goal which I though was a good thing, but thinking about it now my body has probably gone in to starvation mode as I am probably not eating enough.

Just a suggestion you may want to try eating your goal calories and this may give your body the kick it needs as your metabolic rate would have slowed down. Also bear in mind that if you are exercising muscle weighs heavier than fat! Did you take any measurements as this may give you a boost as you have probably lost inches rather than weight.

Anyhow, don't be too disheartened, you have to change your mind set view the long term, as this is a life style change not a diet. Keep your chin up and look to the future xxx

gracienkaidens_momma · November 2010

You're right, Lorna. This is definitely a lifestyle change and not a diet. I"ll try eating all or most of my exercise cals today to give my metabolism a boost. No, I haven't measured yet. I plan to pick up some measuring tape today and take my measurements and before pics for the Jillian Michaels' 30-Day Shred program I'm doing.

jaycee76 · November 2010

To be honest I am struggling to squeeze alot of exercise in at the minute (my fiance has been in hospital for last week with pnuemonia and kidney infection and I have 2 young children to take care of) . Any exercise I do, I do eat more but I never eat all the calories it says I have burned on here because I worry that it is an over estimate! I have just ordered a heart rate monitor so I will know exactly how much I am burning - I will then eat nearly all of them x

gracienkaidens_momma · November 2010

I hope your hubby gets well soon and you can pick up on your exercises. That must be hard with two small kiddos!

I need to invest in a heart-rate monitor. What brand did you buy, Jaycee? I really want to know how many calories I'm burning throughout the day.

Fliegenschwein · November 2010

When I first started on MFP, I found it quite discouraging to look at the scale every day as my weight tended to fluctuate quite a bit. In the end, I decided to follow some advice on here and just weigh in once a week. and ever since then its been so much easier to see the overall downward trend

Good luck with your goals and I`m sure it wont be long before you start to see some results.

jaycee76 · November 2010

I need to invest in a heart-rate monitor. What brand did you buy, Jaycee? I really want to know how many calories I'm burning throughout the day.

I have got a polar after lots of research. Can't wait for it to come x

gracienkaidens_momma · November 2010

I see some really cute women's polar HRM watches on ebay. I might just have to get one for Christmas!

thecrimsonking1319 · November 2010

I think we are similar in not having a large amount of weight to lose. I have been good all week and done a mid week weigh this morning and have gained 2lb!
I think that weighing weekly really is what we should do due to the shifts in our bodies. I am going to try zigzag my calories a little this week as it is ment to help those with not alot to lose.

Good luck x

I agree. I think it's harder for most people to lose weight when they only have like 10-15 lbs to lose compared to someone who has like 50-75 lbs to lose. Maybe I should zigzag my cals too. I always seem to eat about the same amount (except on my one cheat day a week). I should also wait and weigh myself like every Sunday or something so I'm not so frustrated.

I am noticing my legs and abs tightening up. Clothes seem to fit better already, so maybe I should go by those things and NOT the scale.

Thanks for the feedback!

this is so true! the smaller your weight, the harder it is to lose. right now it's not hard for me to lose weight, since i am still pretty big, but the closer i get to my goal weight, the harder it's going to be.

celynnen · November 2010

I was talking to the husband of a friend last Thursday who said "water water water". He's a fitness instructor and dietician. Their maxim is "Drink to Shrink". Apparently if you are dehydrated then any fat you take on board goes to hydrate the tissues (if I have remembered that correctly) so keeping your hydration levels are important as there is then nowhere for the fat molecules to go. I weighed 72kg when I spoke to him and he said I needed to dirink 2.4 litres water a day which looks like 0.03% of body weight per day. I upped my water intake a bit and presto I'm losing again - 71.2kg this morning.

We will still if it continues!

)

jaycee76 · November 2010

I was talking to the husband of a friend last Thursday who said "water water water". He's a fitness instructor and dietician. Their maxim is "Drink to Shrink". Apparently if you are dehydrated then any fat you take on board goes to hydrate the tissues (if I have remembered that correctly) so keeping your hydration levels are important as there is then nowhere for the fat molecules to go. I weighed 72kg when I spoke to him and he said I needed to dirink 2.4 litres water a day which looks like 0.03% of body weight per day. I upped my water intake a bit and presto I'm losing again - 71.2kg this morning.

We will still if it continues! )

I am going to attach myself to the tap now! Def worth a go!

Fortnighly is every 2 weeks lol! x

lornawalker · November 2010

I was talking to the husband of a friend last Thursday who said "water water water". He's a fitness instructor and dietician. Their maxim is "Drink to Shrink". Apparently if you are dehydrated then any fat you take on board goes to hydrate the tissues (if I have remembered that correctly) so keeping your hydration levels are important as there is then nowhere for the fat molecules to go. I weighed 72kg when I spoke to him and he said I needed to dirink 2.4 litres water a day which looks like 0.03% of body weight per day. I upped my water intake a bit and presto I'm losing again - 71.2kg this morning.

We will still if it continues! )

I am going to attach myself to the tap now! Def worth a go!

Fortnighly is every 2 weeks lol! x

I have now attached myself to the water cooler at work, getting strange looks though!! :huh:

Navie42 · November 2010

The water thing helped me. I stopped losing after 5lbs lost and stayed that way for almost a month. Then I went from 6 glasses to 14 glasses of water daily and I've been losing steadily.

You may have just plateaued as well, I see you joined this month. It's taken me three months of consistently eating better, tracking cals, and exercising to get to a point where I see the number on the scale go down every day. And I know it won't last, I'll plateau out again eventually.

LotusF1ower · November 2010

I am just frustrated by the amount of work I'm doing keeping track of calories, exercising each day, staying under my calorie goal and then looking at the scale. It won't budge! It's now saying I'm a pound heavier actually! Maybe I'm gaining muscle. I've been on here one week and saw a loss of 1lb, but now it's back up to my original weight. I am so disheartened and frustrated that I'm not seeing any changes in the scale. :-(

Make sure you take measurements once per week, because if those measurements start to reduce but the scales stay the same, (which has happened to many people), you will not feel disheartened and it will be motivating for you.

If you do not take the measurements, you will never know what if really going on.

celynnen · November 2010

Do remember not to overdo the water as I understand that's almost as bad as under hydration... Can't remember how much would be too much but there's bound to be something on the web about it. I only know that Robbie worked out my 2.4 litres based on 72kg. That's probably a good amount for most people - unless you're exercising a lot?? Anyone know anything about levels?

Celynnen

Krizzle4Rizzle · November 2010

Isn't funny, the less you have to lose the more difficult it is? I'm proud of you for still fighting the good fight. Losing weight is extremely hard. To sacrifice so much and not see much of a result can be heartbreaking. But just remember you are getting there and we are all with you in spirit!

ErinMarie25 · November 2010

Put the scale away for a few weeks! The scale can be a big de-motivator and sometimes it's better not to weigh yourself for a while.

shellgib · November 2010

Also....a lot of us who went through the whole 30 Day Shred routine have reported NOT losing a lot of weight during that time, but losing inches!! I had to make a commitment to just keep pushing play for that month no matter what and by the end it was def. worth it. I also had to increase my base cals from 1200 to 1400 and still ate back some exercise cals on top of that to get the scale moving again. It's very hard to wrap your mind around eating more to lose more, but sometimes that's what it takes for your body to start letting go of it's stores of fat. Remember, what happens in 1 or 2 weeks is not what you should focus on (easier said than done i know) but continuing to follow the healthy changes WILL give you results in the longer run! It is definitely a change in your mindset that will make the change happen in your body. Keep up the good work!!!

CroakerNorge · November 2010

-Weigh in once a week, at the same time (weight fluctuates)

-Take your measurements

-Google the article "Why the Scale Lies" for more perspective

-Invest in a Heartrate Monitor, with chest strap, to accurately calculate calorie burn (Polar is an excellent choice,
though Timex has one at a lower price point)

-Recognize you didn't gain weight overnight, ya'ain't gonna lose it over night. Slow (esp. when you have less weight to lose)
and sustainable losses are still good losses.

-You're not in starvation mode and plateaus generally occcur after SIX weeks of the scale not budging at all.

-Eat your calorie goal, it's your goal for a reason.

jrlenig · November 2010

I am also going to make a suggestion, change your setting manually, up your protein to 35% to 40%, and scale up not down on your calories, we have to remember that not all bodies are the same, your bodies metabolism may be going into starvation mode at 1200, I would try 1500 for a week and see if that makes a difference, I hit a Plataea and that is what i had to too to continue to lose weight, I was at 1500 for 1.5 months and I lost 1.3 pounds a week more than I was losing at 1200. Good luck!

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