Not Sure What I'm Doing Wrong

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mrsgoss
mrsgoss Posts: 57 Member
in Motivation and Support
Hello, I was hoping I could get some advice, motivation, thoughts? I have been diligently logging onto MFP since January 1st (second time around using this site) I am paying extra close attention to my nutrition and staying right around 1300-1400 calories, avoiding sugar, only drinking water and green tea. I fell off the weight loss wagon hard at the end of 2012 and all of 2013, gained A LOT of weight back so I am taking getting back into exercise slowly (3-4 times a week). My problem is, the scale is not moving for the past 12 days!!! I weigh exactly the same for 12 days....I do not understand what is going on? I am drinking a lot of water, staying in my nutrition guidelines, getting VERY frustrated. Thoughts anyone? Thanks in advance.

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  • editorgrrl
    editorgrrl Posts: 7,060 Member
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    If you're not losing weight, then you're not eating at a deficit. You're underestimating your intake &/or overestimating your burn. Log everything you eat accurately & honestly. Find reliable database entries. (There's a lot of incorrect data in there.) Weigh your food. Eat back half your exercise calories.

    Read this: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants
  • rjt1000
    rjt1000 Posts: 700 Member
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    12 days isn't very long. How are you measuring calories burned by exercise? Are you really really logging all the food you eat and accurate portion sizes? If you're exercising more, you can be adding water weight as your muscles will temporarily retain water while they recover from exercise.
  • Duck_Puddle
    Duck_Puddle Posts: 3,234 Member
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    The only thing that you're doing "wrong" is not being patient. I think you may be placing more restrictions on yourself than necessary, but really-12 days is not really a long time. At all. Keep doing the work and the results will happen. Take a patience pill and keep at it. It'll work.
  • JCE0129
    JCE0129 Posts: 26 Member
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    If you're exercising more, you can be adding water weight as your muscles will temporarily retain water while they recover from exercise.

    This is incredibly true for me. Each time I have tried to get back into a regular routine of cardio & lifting, after taking a period of time off, I gain weight before I lose it. It can be very discouraging and demotivating. However, I learned from MFP that it was a normal reaction to the "shock" of working out again. In general, it takes 2 weeks for anything I do....good or bad....to show up on the scale. While I know how frustrating it can be, just give yourself some more time. I bet pretty soon weight will start falling off! :)

    Oh, and I do not eat back calories that I burn from exercise. That is just me, and opinions vary I know....but that I just how I have always operated and the fact that MFP tries to get you to eat more calories on the days you workout has always seemed odd to me.
  • mrsgoss
    mrsgoss Posts: 57 Member
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    The crazy thing is, I am really counting every single calorie and logging EVERYTHING! Even the equal packets I am using for my tea. MY husband thinks I am eating to few calories but I am right on with me calorie intake on MFP.
  • mrsgoss
    mrsgoss Posts: 57 Member
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    Thanks! This is a great article...


    If you're not losing weight, then you're not eating at a deficit. You're underestimating your intake &/or overestimating your burn. Log everything you eat accurately & honestly. Find reliable database entries. (There's a lot of incorrect data in there.) Weigh your food. Eat back half your exercise calories.

    Read this: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants
    [/quote]
  • cmanningjr
    cmanningjr Posts: 12 Member
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    One thing to look at is the foods you are getting your calories from. A lot of high sodium foods will make you retain water. Also, what kind of exercise are you doing?? If you are looking to burn fat it needs to be cardio and get your heart rate up.

    Everyone is different and somrtimes it takes longer to start noticing a difference.

    A couple if more things to look at :

    Are you weighing every day?? If so stop. Once a week at the most.

    Do you know your body fat percentage?? This goes back to what kind of excercise you are getting. Could be that the no weight change is a combination of building muscle and water retention but you could still be losing fat..

    Don't get discouraged, you'll figure it out...

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