dropped soda, started eating better+exercise=NO RESULTS

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I have dropped soda, sweet tea, most juices. I've been trying to eat smaller proportions/better foods when I can. I've been going to the gym, not to mention working 5+ hours on my feet constantly walking around as a waitress. Ive been doing this for the past month and a half and have only lost TWO measly pounds. I literally cried because I felt like all the hard work I've been doing has gotten me nowhere. Everyone told me dropping soda and stuff would alone let me drop a lot of weight. but it didn't. I thought I was just gaining muscle and maybe I was losing inches, but I haven't lost any of those either. Has anyone else experienced this? What got you through it? Because right now, I'm still pretty upset about it /:
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Replies

  • delaney056
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    Hang in there! The weight doesn't always come off right away, and that's okay. 2 pounds is better than nothing! Keep doing what you're doing, don't get discouraged. Also, make sure you're logging your food as accurately as possible!
  • WhyeatKachra
    WhyeatKachra Posts: 404 Member
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    Patience :)
    You have already done what many can only wonder. Just relax and enjoy your workouts. You WILL see changes soon.
  • RamonaFr
    RamonaFr Posts: 112
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    During the first month of being very very faithful to my goals and not cheating at all, I gained three pounds!! Talk about discouraged. But that was temporary. So, I'd say don't give up. Even if you're not losing weight, you're getting healthier which will help you live a longer life.
  • whitebalance
    whitebalance Posts: 1,655 Member
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    How much are you taking in and how much are you burning? Calories in, calories out.
  • jajnn
    jajnn Posts: 33
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    I have dropped soda, sweet tea, most juices. I've been trying to eat smaller proportions/better foods when I can.

    Getting in better shape is 90% diet... if you don't have that dialed in you aren't going to lose much. I would work on eating smaller portions/better foods all the time. Get on an actual plan and commit to it, then you will see results.
  • RevCO30
    RevCO30 Posts: 176 Member
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    It's a battle for sure, but every time you workout, skip a soda, eat a salad instead of fries you are doing great. Are your clothes feeling looser? Sometimes you will see a difference in shape and inches before the scale moves. Trust me, I know this to be true. The only other thing I will say is make sure your water intake is where it should be(if not more). My personal trainer stresses this to me all the time, water water water. Good luck and hang in there!
  • TheRealParisLove
    TheRealParisLove Posts: 1,907 Member
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    I went my first 3 months on MFP without any weight loss at all. Turns out I was way under estimating my portions. I bought a food scale that made a huge difference.
  • Springfield1970
    Springfield1970 Posts: 1,945 Member
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    Hi!

    That's a good start! I'd be happy with that. If you open your diary we will be able to help you really get things rolling. You'll soon get used to tracking everything. I even really enjoy it now, I just had to get good at it. It's helped me lose 10% body fat and eat more to maintain. Do you get fed at your job?
  • mimieon
    mimieon Posts: 182 Member
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    Two pounds is something you should celebrate anyway.

    However, are you actually counting calories?
  • snowmaniac
    snowmaniac Posts: 600 Member
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    Are you tracking your food intake? Your calorie burn, if you are working out? Have you tried out one of the TDEE calculators to get an idea of what your daily calorie goal should be? Eating healthier is great, but if you are taking in the same number of calories as you were eating before making changes you will not see the scale change.

    Here are a couple of the more popular TDEE calculators...
    http://iifym.com/
    http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/
  • mlima14
    mlima14 Posts: 112 Member
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    Hey don't worry so much at least you dropped 2 lb., I had gained 4 lb. Now that was frustrating! But what it turned out was that I was exercising more so therefore I was hungrier and not drinking enough water. When I started actually measuring EVERYTHING and logging EVERY bite (even that teeny tiny bite of my son's candy and a teeny tiny bite of my hubby's food at the restaurant, you get the picture) I noticed that I was eating at times almost 3000 calories not to mention that my body was dehydrated therefore I retained liquids causing me to gain water weight. :/ The weight didn't appear overnight so it's not going to go away overnight it takes a lot of patience and dedication to yourself. You made the right start by eating right, just keep going, like the tortoise and the hare, slow and easy... Good luck to you! :)
  • impossibleBadWolf
    impossibleBadWolf Posts: 25 Member
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    When I cut out soda, I saw zero results too!! Don't get discouraged! I figured out that my problem was water. I stopped drinking soda but didn't up my water, I was at about 3 cups a day. Dehydration for sure!! Drinking enough water also stops your body from hanging on to extra water so the water weight is gone after a bit. Once I got my water under control (my diet was already pretty decent ) the weight started to come off a little more. Keep at it, drink more water, and don't give up!!
  • farway
    farway Posts: 1,264 Member
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    Are you weighing your food or just "eyeballing" it?

    Weighing food is the only really accurate method to know calories count, using volume, like cup, tablespoon, large apple etc is sure way to overestimate calories

    If not doing already, get a digital scale preferably, and weigh it all
  • smitpt0717
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    That's the sucky part that no one tells you. It takes a month or two before you can even see the results. It takes another month before others notice. What I did was take a pic in the same bikini every 2-3 weeks. Though the changes were subtle at the beginning after 4 months I could see huge changes. Hang in there keep it up.
  • beautifulwarrior18
    beautifulwarrior18 Posts: 914 Member
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    Have you been counting calories in vs calories out? That could explain your numbers. But, 2 lbs is better than no pounds :). You didn't gain all your weight over night and it won't come off over night.
  • jcorpern
    jcorpern Posts: 96 Member
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    How much are you taking in and how much are you burning? Calories in, calories out.

    This

    If you're serious about losing weight, invest in a food scale and measure everything that goes between your lips... Look at the nutritional labels on everything. You'll be shocked and awed about the calorie content of some of your food choices that you thought were "healthy". My wife and I have totally changed our eating habits since starting MFP our first time. Some food that we had just considered "healthy" turned out to be totally calorific! Get yourself a food scale, measure everything, and read all the labels, and if you take in less calories than you burn, you WILL lose weight!
  • callyart
    callyart Posts: 209
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    Are you measuring your food intake? You could be eating more than you think.

    I was surprised when I started measuring certain things to find out how much I was actually eating, especially where things like chips, cheese, etc.

    In the past, I have tried to lose weight but not measure anything, never took into account how many calories were going in and burning off.... now I am doing this I am finding it so much easier, and I feel so much better for it.

    Good luck!
  • SwankyTomato
    SwankyTomato Posts: 442 Member
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    Right there with you! I have to join the others who say get a food scale. I measure and let me tell you, it is a real eye opener. I just started up again however I look thinner even though the scale is not budging my way.
  • ScientificExplorerGirl
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    You lost 2 pounds in 6 weeks?
    That's 0.33 pounds per week. Don't sweat it, you are actually doing quite well and should feel good about what you have accomplished!

    Remember: Slow loss is better than no loss or even rapid loss that you would gain back :smile:
  • editorgrrl
    editorgrrl Posts: 7,060 Member
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    You lost 2 lbs. in 6 weeks? That's great! Everybody's different, but it took me a whole year to lose 20 lbs.

    In the long run, it doesn't matter what you eat–only how much. When I stopped drinking soda, I started drinking organic lemonade mixed w/ iced herb tea. It was a healthier choice, but I didn't magically drop any weight just for "eating cleaner." Eventually, I started drinking water w/ fresh lemon slices &/or plain water, which have fewer calories than lemonade. And I lost weight.

    So keep up the great work. Weigh your food. Log everything you eat accurately & honestly. Look for accurate database entries. Eat back half your exercise calories. Be patient! And read this: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants