Not sure what's going on..

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princessabbysmommy
princessabbysmommy Posts: 3 Member
in Introduce Yourself
New to this site so I hope I'm doing this right..
I started my weight loss journey on 1/13/14 at 260 pounds.. I woke up that morning knowing I could no longer eat the way I was eating.. Since then I feel like I have been doing pretty good.. I watch what I eat.. Eat lots of fruits and veggies. Stay under my calorie limit.. So Far I've lost 17 pounds.. Then these past 3 days it's like I have been doing nothing. I walk or Zumba every single day. Even on days I tell myself I need a break. Mon. & Tue I only lost .2 pounds then today nothing.. Didn't gain but didn't lose either.. Is is possible to plateau so early? Am I doing something wrong??
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  • JTick
    JTick Posts: 2,131 Member
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    Am I doing something wrong??

    Yes.

    You're expecting too much too soon and not understanding that weight loss is not linear. This is not a plateau, not even close. Patience, young grasshopper.
  • Greywalk
    Greywalk Posts: 193 Member
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    You are doing nothing wrong...but the body will adjust to whatever you throw at it...so get working but remember to vary and change periodically. In the meantime just like putting weight on...it comes off the same way...slowly and not all at once...and yes you will plateau I am on one now. been here for 6 weeks....no worries it will change soon enough.
  • jkowula
    jkowula Posts: 447
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    Am I doing something wrong??

    Yes.

    You're expecting too much too soon and not understanding that weight loss is not linear. This is not a plateau, not even close. Patience, young grasshopper.

    OP - Continue on.. I have had a few weeks where I have worked my *kitten* off and nothing, then next week all the sudden it starts going again. Trust me on this, just keep with it, no cheating, no excuses, no getting discouraged. It will work..

    JTick - Can you explain a plateau for us then? I was in the same boat as OP, well still am at times, and just like OP I thought this was a plateau..
  • fitfan11
    fitfan11 Posts: 544 Member
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    I think you are on the right track. Just be patient. If you feel that your weight loss has slowed dramatically change your workout. It's possible that you are not getting your heart rate high enought to burn a sufficient amount of calories. Keep up the good work. you are doing great.
  • ShaSimone
    ShaSimone Posts: 276
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    Not enough information to know if you are doing anything overtly incorrect. However I will add that your body needs rest as well as exercise. If you are fueling your body well it will reward you. 17 pounds is great, but weight loss is a marathon not a sprint! Take your time, nuture yourself, build a maintainable plan and over time you willl lose the weight and gain the health you want. Sorry if this is too zen for you but that's the place I am in right now!
  • sarahboyd402
    sarahboyd402 Posts: 2 Member
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    Weigh yourself once a week. Remember this is a marathon not a sprint. Good job with the 17 lbs! Depending on how much you have to lose the faster you'll lost those initial pounds but it tends to slow down. 1lb a week is a good goal.
  • Briargrey
    Briargrey Posts: 498 Member
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    Some days you go up, some days you stay the same, some days you go down. I weigh every day just to get an idea of what my body is up to, but I don't let it get me down, because I know it will vary SO much. I make it 'count' every week, and even then I realize I may just be retaining a bit and go up a bit but that if I am eating a sustainable, healthy deficit then eventually I will show a downward trend on the scale.

    Don't let it get you down. Starting large means you may lose more quickly at first and then suddenly start losing way slower. Don't worry, that's as normal as the occasional fluctuations up and the plateauing.
  • asianmonkie
    asianmonkie Posts: 264
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    Keep it mind that it took you YEARS to get ... big. It's going to take at LEAST a few weeks for you to see progress. Just keep at it. And I'm also on your FL so feel free to drop me a line if you need anything =) Good luck!
  • echofm1
    echofm1 Posts: 471 Member
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    Am I doing something wrong??

    Yes.

    You're expecting too much too soon and not understanding that weight loss is not linear. This is not a plateau, not even close. Patience, young grasshopper.

    This. It's not linear. You will not see a drop every day, because your body weight fluctuates. Sometimes you had a big meal at dinner, sometimes you ate like a bird because you were running around. You might have water weight from a new workout or too much sodium. Your body might have just decided that it didn't feel like losing weight through the week and then suddenly you're down 2 pounds, for no particular reason.

    Just simmer down and have patience. You just started, and you'll drive yourself crazy obsessing over every micro-change on the scale, or even worse get discouraged by a slight increase.
  • explorationerin
    explorationerin Posts: 36
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    Just dont expect it all to go at a steady rate... our weight fluctuates on a daily basis so i wouldnt worry too much. Today i weighed myself i had put 4lb on since yesterday... i know this is just water retention because of sore muscles and working so hard the last couple of days! It will be gone within a few days and isnt actual weight gain ect.
  • sarahwilson12
    sarahwilson12 Posts: 70 Member
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    Might help if we could see your diary. I found that when I started, eating only 1200 or so calories was unbearable. After I found my TDEE (total daily energy expenditure) and took away about 15%, it actually has been working better. To find your TDEE, and more, go to this site:

    http://iifym.com/tdee-calculator/

    All the best! :smile:
  • JTick
    JTick Posts: 2,131 Member
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    Am I doing something wrong??

    Yes.

    You're expecting too much too soon and not understanding that weight loss is not linear. This is not a plateau, not even close. Patience, young grasshopper.


    JTick - Can you explain a plateau for us then? I was in the same boat as OP, well still am at times, and just like OP I thought this was a plateau..

    Sure!

    OP: Plateaus are usually characterized by no loss whatsoever over a period of at least 3-4 weeks, even when you are diligent with weighing your food and calculating every calorie you eat. Even still, they are *normally* caused by overeating (not recalculating your goals, etc). It is well within the realm of possibility that you lose nothing for several weeks, and then suddenly drop 3-4 lbs over night, and then lose nothing more for several weeks.

    Weight loss is never linear due to fluctuations within our body. Hormones, the amount of waste in your GI tract, water weight, glycogen stores, etc, can all cause wild fluctuations. I can gain 6 lbs overnight by indulging at a restaurant because my glycogen stores fill up and sodium causes bloat. This is a really important concept to grasp early on...if you don't you will drive yourself crazy with the scale.

    Also, you lost 17 pounds in like 15 days. That is WAY too fast (and I question if you're eating enough), so now your body is trying to catch up.
  • princessabbysmommy
    princessabbysmommy Posts: 3 Member
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    Thank everyone for your responses. I opened up my diary to public so you guys can take a look at what I'm eating..
    I'm completely new to this and reading everything online is just SO confusing. Don't eat this. Eat that. Do this. Don't do that. I have never really tried to diet because I didn't really feel uncomfortable with myself.. But now I've reached that stage, and I am at a complete loss as to where to start. Or even what to do..
  • asianmonkie
    asianmonkie Posts: 264
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    You live you learn. Everything comes to you as you are going along. I've been here for 3 years and it wasn't until the last 3 months that I STARTED to really figure things out. You can do it =)
  • WeepingAngel81
    WeepingAngel81 Posts: 2,232 Member
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    I took a quick glimpse at your diary. For starters, you are not eating enough, and you are taking in a lot of sodium. 1200 is dangerous enough, but you are eating under that and not eating back your exercise calories. You need to start by eating more and cutting back on sodium.

    All of this take time. So much time. It can be overwhelming, but at some point you just have to get up and figure it out. It will be slow going, but you won't get anywhere if you don't eat.
  • JTick
    JTick Posts: 2,131 Member
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    Is your diary accurate?

    You are not eating enough. Not even close. You need to meeting the goal that MFP gives you.
  • nikkihk
    nikkihk Posts: 487 Member
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    Try to judge your progress on inches lost more then weight... though weight helps with the emotional journey? Inches and body fat percentage might be a better gauge. Too many factors dictate body weight.... Hell I jump 5 pounds from morning to night back to morning. It no indication of my fat loss progress though.. I didn't magically drop or gain five pounds of fat in 12 hours...

    Give yourself more time to really check progress and make sure you're eating enough to fuel your body. Anything below 1,200 cals is unhealthy really.
  • PolacaFL
    PolacaFL Posts: 213 Member
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    You could be close to getting your monthly visitor. Keep at it and you will see results. The weight loss slows down after the first two weeks. I focus mostly on the calories. Don't worry so much on "don't eat this and don't eat that." You seem overwhelmed as is. You can refine your diet later.

    Good job at losing 17 so far! :)
  • nikkihk
    nikkihk Posts: 487 Member
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    Is your diary accurate?

    You are not eating enough. Not even close. You need to meeting the goal that MFP gives you.

    OMG.. ^^^ This!! 500-600 calories a day are scary unhealthy!!! Please increase your intake to 1400-1500 a day and don't be scared of it. Eating enough for your body to fuel itself HELPS weight loss.

    See this: "You don’t have to eat 500 calories a day to shed pounds. In fact, unless you’re morbidly obese and supervised by a medical professional, 500-calorie diets aren’t the best choice. A review published in 2006 in “Obesity” reports that very low-calorie diets are not more effective long term than low-calorie diets providing 1,000 to 1,500 calories daily. The National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute suggests women eat 1,000 to 1,600 calories daily and men consume 1,200 to 1,600 calories a day if they are overweight or obese and want to shed pounds safely and effectively."

    Please don't hurt yourself!!
  • LH85DC
    LH85DC Posts: 231 Member
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    Is your diary accurate?

    You are not eating enough. Not even close. You need to meeting the goal that MFP gives you.

    This ^^^ If your diary is accurate (and I kind of hope that it isn't), you aren't eating anywhere near enough. And then you're doing exercise on top of it. Weight loss is a long process, and trying to speed it up by eating way under your goal will only lead to health problems in the long run. Eat at the goal MFP sets for you, and remember to be patient.

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