Getting Discouraged

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mkwillman26
mkwillman26 Posts: 10 Member
in Getting Started
I've been working out for a month and lost 7lbs but gained 2 back... I don't know what i am doing wrong. I have the HRM that says I am burning more than MFP says I am. And i've been watching my calories... Yesterday i burned almost 1000 calories working out and ate a total of 1500 with 900 remaining. I have usually stayed in eating 1200 range. It's bumming me out. I feel like giving up!
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  • Slrajr
    Slrajr Posts: 438 Member
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    You just lost five pounds in a month! That is awesome and it is greater than 1 pound a week. When I lost my weight, I lost less than half a pound a week and I am very happy to say I've maintained my goal or less for a year.
  • wilsoje74
    wilsoje74 Posts: 1,720 Member
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    What are you doing to burn 1000 cal?
  • tracieangeletti
    tracieangeletti Posts: 432 Member
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    When you first start losing the first few lbs are water weight and if you start exercising or you increase intensity or volume of exercise you will gain some of that water weight back to help repair muscles. A few days off of exercise and this weight usually disappears. It should not be fat you gained as long as you're keeping to your calorie allotment.

    I personally can "gain" and "lose" five lbs in a day, sometimes in the same day due to water, food I've eaten, and food I haven't gotten rid of yet.:wink: Don't let those few lbs get to you. Keep going. Your weight is going to fluctuate constantly so use measurements as a gauge of progress instead. And keep in mind you may not show a loss on the scale each week but you've still made progress. This is a lesson in patience. Be consistent in your exercise and in watching your calories and you will lose. Really, you will.:flowerforyou:
  • angel_iys
    angel_iys Posts: 36 Member
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    Make sure you are getting enough calories and the right kind. Look at the sugars in the foods you are eating it can make a huge difference. Remember that your body is like a furnace, if you are not taking in enough calories then your metabolism slows down. You have to feed the fire to keep the fire burning. Keep at it, it will come off. We did not put the weight all at once and we won't take it off all at once!
  • QuietBloom
    QuietBloom Posts: 5,413 Member
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    Your rate of weight loss is just fine. Congrats on that. :drinker:

    It sounds to me like your HRM is over estimating calories burned. Heart rate monitors should only be used for steady state cardio over 120 bpm or so for accuracy. Take the average heart rate it gives you after a session, and plug it into this calculator: shapesense.com. Calculate your gross, then your net calorie burn. Eat back the net burn.
  • QuietBloom
    QuietBloom Posts: 5,413 Member
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    Make sure you are getting enough calories and the right kind. Look at the sugars in the foods you are eating it can make a huge difference. Remember that your body is like a furnace, if you are not taking in enough calories then your metabolism slows down. You have to feed the fire to keep the fire burning. Keep at it, it will come off. We did not put the weight all at once and we won't take it off all at once!

    While it is important to eat within our macros, sugar is just a carbohydrate, nothing more, nothing less.

    There is nothing in the OPs post to indicate your metabolism has been slowed by not eating enough - that only occurs after several months of severe restriction.
  • 10manda86
    10manda86 Posts: 229 Member
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    maybe try eating more fibre based foods??? drinking more water??? there are many things you can do just don't give up. One thing I have learned over the past few weeks is that weightloss is non-linear, some weeks you will lose, others you will gain, you can't pick and chose it just happens... patience is the key...
    My new years tool is a spread sheet that I have created, I track daily weigh ins, calories in, calories out and the deficit, that way i can monitor exactly what I am doing, i know slight gains are going to happen, TOM, sodium, exercise, stress, etc all affect the scales so you need to be aware that it is more that calories in and calories out it is your lifestyle and type of exercise as well.
  • mkwillman26
    mkwillman26 Posts: 10 Member
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    p90x, 30 day shred, and Brazil butt lift... which is where i burned most of my calories in the bum bum and cardio ax workouts
  • mkwillman26
    mkwillman26 Posts: 10 Member
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    thanks everyone.. Patience is definitely something i need. I just feel like it's not coming off fast enough and i want to be able to try on dresses in March and feel comfortable enough with my body to choose one.
  • TheKea
    TheKea Posts: 13
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    You seem to be doing everything right, I wouldn't worry about a 2lb fluctuation, we retain water differently throughout our cycles, sometimes there can be up to 5lbs difference without any changes to our body fat. You're exercising plenty too, so while you're losing fat, you're building muscle tone, which is heavier but leaner (and looks great). The bonus of that is, having more muscle makes you burn more calories, so while you may not have a significant loss, or possibly a gain in weight, you will be losing fat and inches. Remember, low weight loss is long term weight loss.
    It's hard not be get disheartened, I'm also having a rough time at the moment (I've gained 2kg/4lb in a week because of emotional eating and excuses) but remember real changes are gradual, and it's worth it for a long healthy life. I want to be one of those 80 year olds that go for jogs in fluro jumpsuits and full makeup.
  • mkwillman26
    mkwillman26 Posts: 10 Member
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    Thanks. And that is another thing, i measured my inches on monday and lost an inch in my waist, but today... IT'S BACK :(
  • Inshape13
    Inshape13 Posts: 680 Member
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    Dependent on the type of workouts you are doing, weight can easily fluctuate. When I do heavy weights I am up by about 2lb the following day if I am really sore. Weight has so many contributing factors that adding in measurements is a great way to see true changes and not stress over the scale number.
  • ILiftHeavyAcrylics
    ILiftHeavyAcrylics Posts: 27,732 Member
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    Thanks. And that is another thing, i measured my inches on monday and lost an inch in my waist, but today... IT'S BACK :(

    That sounds like it's just bloat. It's normal for weight to fluctuate.

    Considering your goal 1 lb per week is a perfect rate of loss. Just keep doing what you're doing.
  • tracieangeletti
    tracieangeletti Posts: 432 Member
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    thanks everyone.. Patience is definitely something i need. I just feel like it's not coming off fast enough and i want to be able to try on dresses in March and feel comfortable enough with my body to choose one.

    I think we have all felt this way and I still struggle with this myself but, the truth is that unless you have a lot to lose and for health reasons you need to lose it quickly, slower weight loss is the best. Be consistent and be patient.
  • Travko
    Travko Posts: 55 Member
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    Remember, MK, for many of us this is a lifestyle change rather than something short-term, so don't worry too much about it. Also, our bodies are highly adaptable, so perhaps you're just hitting a plateau. Maybe trying different exercises might help you continue on the right path. Just an idea, as I'm certainly no expert.
  • callyart
    callyart Posts: 209
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    Only thing I can think of is you're not eating enough?
    Or maybe you're eating more calories than you think? Are you measuring your food intake properly?

    5 pounds is still good in a month... and you could have water weight. I don't always rely on the scales, if I *feel* better and my measurements are changing, I'm doing something right !
  • wilsoje74
    wilsoje74 Posts: 1,720 Member
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    p90x, 30 day shred, and Brazil butt lift... which is where i burned most of my calories in the bum bum and cardio ax workouts

    But how many hours are you working out to burn 1000 cal? I Ask because that is a pretty intense cal burn. I have to run about 10 miles to burn that much. And no you didn't gain an inch in one day, you can't do measurements daily, try weighing weekly or bi weekly and measure monthly.
  • TheKea
    TheKea Posts: 13
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    Ideally, we should all be doing weighing and measuring monthly to get a truer reading of our progress. I'm guilty of daily weighing :embarassed: .
  • mkwillman26
    mkwillman26 Posts: 10 Member
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    p90x, 30 day shred, and Brazil butt lift... which is where i burned most of my calories in the bum bum and cardio ax workouts

    But how many hours are you working out to burn 1000 cal? I Ask because that is a pretty intense cal burn. I have to run about 10 miles to burn that much. And no you didn't gain an inch in one day, you can't do measurements daily, try weighing weekly or bi weekly and measure monthly.

    yesterday i did 51 minutes of kenpo off of p90x and the HRM said i burned 502 right after i did 30 minutes of the bum bum workout from brazil butt lift and then 15 minutes of the cardio ax from brazil butt lift .. Brazil butt lift is a lot of dancing. I've noticed every time i do anything cardio that has to do with dancing, i burn more. Today i did hip hop for about 20 and did another 40minutes learning the dance, lol!! burned 612 according to my heart rate monitor.

    I used to be in great shape and had our son a little over a year ago. He and i had a lot of complications after and lost it all really fast, got pregnant again, gained 25 pounds in the first 3 months and unfortunately, lost the baby :( However, i didnt lose any of that weight at all. It's been a very stressful year to say the least as my 1 year old has recently been diagnosed with cerebral palsy. I imagine stress will do that. I guess if i burn more than my daily intake, i have to eat those calories back... am i right? Yesterday i burned 1000 or maybe 1200, but ate 1500 and had 900 something remaining. I am about to start (i know it's TMI) but maybe that's another reason. Maybe i am bloated a little.
  • wilsoje74
    wilsoje74 Posts: 1,720 Member
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    I'm going to say you probably aren't burning 1000-1200 but maybe I'm wrong. I personally would not eat all of those back, maybe half.

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