Frustrated, banging head against wall, etc.

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darbbb
darbbb Posts: 12
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi guys

I am male, 52, and I'm 6'1, 244 pounds. I want to lose about 40-50 pounds. Per MFP's suggestions, I eat 1780 calories a day, and I workout for 45 minutes, almost every day (MFP suggests 4 days a week of workout, but I do more). My workouts are a combination of lifting, walking, and cardio intervals. I do not eat my exercise. When I first started this, several weeks ago, I lost 5 pounds immediately, which experience tells me was probably water weight. Since then, several weeks later--nothing. No movement on the scale, and my clothes do not feel any looser. I am not eating any stray calories, and not cheating in any way. I am very determined and very strict with myself. My weight the last five days.....244.5, 245, 245.5, 244, 244.5. I have been caught in that loop for three weeks now. MFP says I should be losing 1.5 pounds a week. But....nothing. Help, please.

BB
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Replies

  • natashiag
    natashiag Posts: 33
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    Don't get discouraged. Anytime I "start" back up it always takes me a while to see my results. Then it feels like from one week to the next everyone is commenting on my loss. Keep chucking.
  • Lleldiranne
    Lleldiranne Posts: 5,516 Member
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    The first question has to be, how accurately are you logging your calories?

    Do you eyeball your portions, measure, or weigh with a food scale. This is usually the biggest culprit, as most people underestimate serving sizes if they aren't weighing. You could be eating hundreds more calories than you think! :noway: Not that you're "cheating" but more just not realizing how much 1 oz or 3 oz or such actually is.
  • JTick
    JTick Posts: 2,131 Member
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    Do you weigh your solid food and measure liquids? You are probably eating more than you intend to...it's very difficult to accurately log calories without a food scale.

    Also, MFP already has a deficit built in...I'd recommend eating at least part of your exercise calories back. You don't want to make your deficit too large. Many people do find that MFP overestimates calories burned, so eating back 50% is a good compromise.
  • JennyKCarty
    JennyKCarty Posts: 457 Member
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    Why don't you eat the exercise calories? I eat 1700 and I'm 100lbs less than you.
    Are you weighing your portions on a food scale?
  • darbbb
    darbbb Posts: 12
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    Yes, I am weighing and measuring every single bite or swallow I put into my mouth.

    BB
  • chasetwins
    chasetwins Posts: 702 Member
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    Same thing I say to my husband...weigh yourself ONCE per week ONLY or you will be discouraged. Pick one day a week - and stick to it. Do not touch the scale other than that day :) - 5 days in a row you will have fluctuations.

    Also my husband is 38 - same weight and height. Does NOT exercise at all and is losing at 1900 calories. When he lifts weights I do have to cut them a little though - so I would suggest eating a small portion of your cardio back
  • kickivale
    kickivale Posts: 260 Member
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    I found there to be a real lull in progress from week 2-5 when I started the program up again. I have absolutely no scientific understanding of it, but I can promise you're not alone. The first week feels victorious then everything seems to just freeze....I think the best thing is to remember that there is no magic. It's just perseverance. After my 2-3 week stall of no weight loss, I just started shedding 1-2 lbs per week as I had hoped.
    I think it's awesome that at 52 you are getting your butt in the gym everyday! You should be really proud! One thing I suggest is just having one consultation with a decent trainer so they can assess your situation and maybe lead you to more efficient exercises and make sure you're making those sessions worthwhile. I found that to be a good mood lifter when I was feeling like giving up.
  • pursuittofit
    pursuittofit Posts: 97 Member
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    Hmmm... Maybe you should adjust calories again? Hows your metabolism? Is it fast or slacking? Do you often feel hungry, tired, sleepy? If you do, I suggest eating a bit more.
    macrofit.com is a great site, maybe calculate your cals there :)
  • kickivale
    kickivale Posts: 260 Member
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    Also, the daily weighing will drive you up the wall! Wait a few days between weigh-ins so it doesn't become an obsession and psyche you out :smile:
  • darbbb
    darbbb Posts: 12
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    Thanks. My wife is a personal trainer at the gym I attend. As for getting on the scale once a week....I think it would be MORE discouraging to wait a week, get on the scale, and see no movement. But that's just me.

    BB
  • mrslcoop
    mrslcoop Posts: 317 Member
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    I am not eating any stray calories, and not cheating in any way.

    Unless you're weighing all of your food with a scale, I bet you're eating more than you think you are. Nothing else could explain this. FYI, you can also eat up to 2100 calories and lose 1.5 lbs per week at your height and weight.
  • afat12
    afat12 Posts: 178 Member
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    Don't get discouraged. Anytime I "start" back up it always takes me a while to see my results. Then it feels like from one week to the next everyone is commenting on my loss. Keep chucking.

    Same with me!
  • Mr_Knight
    Mr_Knight Posts: 9,532 Member
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    It would be helpful to see your diary. It's possible to go 2-3 weeks without seeing any loss on the scale, but if you are averaging 1800 calories/day, you are definitely in the weight-loss zone and it shouldn't go longer than that.
  • JTick
    JTick Posts: 2,131 Member
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    Can you open your diary?
  • Panthers89
    Panthers89 Posts: 153 Member
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    I think that you need to eat more calories. I am about your size and age (6'0", 232 pounds, 45 YO) and I am not currently exercising due to having a cervical spinal fusion 10 days ago. I have my calorie goal set to 2360 per day (set to lose 0.5 pound per week) and I am down 2.5 pounds since the surgery.

    If you are measuring your foods accurately and exercising as much as you are, then my suggestion would be to increase your intake to at least 2100 calories per day. Good luck - whatever you decide, being dedicated to your health is the most imporant thing you can do!!!
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,293 Member
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    Use a kitchen scale to weigh solid foods and measuring cups/spoons for liquids. Do that with your target caloric intake for 3-4 weeks then compare with what you think you should be losing, and adjust accordingly.
  • skygoddess86
    skygoddess86 Posts: 487 Member
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    I would only suggest watching the salt intake.
  • Jennilyn79
    Jennilyn79 Posts: 30 Member
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    Agree with the above, but what exactly are you eating? Are you eating healthy or do a lot of your meals include sugar, processed foods, low protein? I only ask cause I notice a huge difference in my inches when I eat healthier versus unhealthy, even at the same calories. You may want to try switching up your cardio. Try some different classes that really challenge you. Keep your head up, the hardest thing is to see no progress, it's disappointing and unmotivational.
  • nm212
    nm212 Posts: 570 Member
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    Wait....You said you are not eating your exercise calories back? That's the problem. I did that in the beginning too and didn't lose weight. You need to eat back at least half your burned calories or your body will start to store fat. Especially if your workouts are intense, which they sound like it, you need to replenish your body with some sort of protein afterward. It will also boost your metabolism to do this. The minute I started eating some back after hard workouts, I started to lose weight again. Try it :)
  • meltedsno
    meltedsno Posts: 208 Member
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    I went from weighing several times a day to not weighing at all until I am good and ready. I would get discouraged every morning when I KNOW I had a good day just to find out that either I lost a pound only to gain it the next morning or didn't lose anything. So... I said adios to the scale for now and it has done wonders. I started this on July 1, 2013.... had an accident on Nov 21, 2013 and was weighed at the hospital... didn't look at the scale at that time (I explained to them that I was dieting and was waiting for the "right time" to see what I weigh).... I ended up having surgery on Nov 26 for a broken wrist... after surgery, I decided it was "time" to know... imagine my surprise when I found out I had dropped 52lbs from July 1- Nov 21. Point is, if I had still been stepping on that scale every day I don't think I would have seen that 52lb weight loss because I would get very discouraged. I am looking at losing about 35lbs more ... haven't stepped on the scale since that fateful day in November... will do so again when the "time" is right.... but can say this much... I was wearing a size 20 in July... today I am wearing a size 12.... I think I'll weigh when I am sitting in a size 8 :-)

    another thing... do you take vitamins? Make sure you are tracking them... I take 2 gummy vitamins a day as well as 2 calcium gummies.... the 4 gummies have 45 calories in them... if I were not tracking this 45 calories every day I'd be over by that many calories... and we know what happens when we eat too many calories!!!! Hang in there.... it will happen... just don't put too much emphasis on the scale... much more pleasurable to slip into a smaller pair of jeans ... btw.... I promptly got rid of my big clothes... and will continue to do so as I lose... I really think keeping them around as a "security blanket" is not a good idea... I don't want to get in the habit of thinking if I gain a few pounds no big deal because I have clothes to fit...

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