I feel like I'm doing this wrong.

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WideAsleepMom
WideAsleepMom Posts: 15
in Getting Started
I've been here for almost two weeks now. I've been trying to be good about accurately tracking my food and exercise. But I have this feeling maybe i'm going something wrong.
I'm under my allowed calories, I do my best to be active beyond my typical day activities. But i'm not seeing any changes. I know two weeks isn't a lot of time. I just thought at least a pound would have changed. Esp with being under my allowed calories.

Should I be staying under my allowed calories before it's adjusted for the exercise i have logged for the day?
I've had the Net number go into the negative. Is that ok? What number do I want to have there?

Sorry if these questions are dumb. I haven't found a MFP 101 yet. LOL

Thanks
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Replies

  • DirrtyH
    DirrtyH Posts: 664 Member
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    We need to be able to see your diary.
  • motivatedmartha
    motivatedmartha Posts: 1,108 Member
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    2weeks isn't long so don't give up :smile:.

    I eat my calories (1200) + 50% of my exercise calories and it is beginning to work (3 weeks). Whilst the scales have been slow I have lost a little bit off my waist and def feel slightly less blobby. Good luck and keep going.
  • lbesaw
    lbesaw Posts: 267 Member
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    Allow yourself some adjustment time and be totally honest on your diary--for yourself. No one has to see it but you. If you use a tsp of oil to cook something, write it down. Add and adjust where you need to and in a few weeks you will be shedding the pounds. This works.....do not under eat either that's not healthy and there is no reason for you to starve yourself. You should be able to eat plenty of food to keep you satisfied. The more you watch the fats and eliminate processed stuff you will be amazed at how wonderful you feel and you'll be on your way to success. :)
  • Watermelon398
    Watermelon398 Posts: 37 Member
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    I did not see any change for a whole month. It takes your body a little while to catch up. Make sure you're drinking enough water and watch your sodium, that can make your weight seem higher. Good luck!
  • ZOOpergal
    ZOOpergal Posts: 176 Member
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    Whatever goals you set in your profile (i.e. how much weight you want to lose per week), MFP allows you a calorie allowance based on that goal. So, even if you do no exercise, you should lose your weekly goal by eating only that calorie allowance. Extra exercise either gives you more calories to eat that day, or is a bonus to your calorie deficit, whichever you prefer. I had to remember to add in things that I didn't think mattered, like butter, salad dressing, condiments, juices or drinks. Sometimes those things add up. Also, some people suggest weighing your food to make sure you are not undersetimating your portions. You may want to adjust your goals, maybe up it by a half a pound a week if you feel like you're not aggressive enough. Stick with it, I have had some good results using MFP.
  • astrampe
    astrampe Posts: 2,169 Member
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    You should not be under your calories - MFP gives you the minium amount of calories....Open your diary - but like others said - two weeks is nothing - you did not gain the weight in two weeks, did you?
  • diannethegeek
    diannethegeek Posts: 14,776 Member
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    If you want us to "check your work," so to speak, you'll have to set your diary to public so that we can take a look. Go to Settings at the top of the website and choose Diary Settings and then Public and Save Changes.

    It's not uncommon for people to stall out for the first couple of weeks and see no change on the scale, especially if you've added a new workout routine to the mix. Your body may be holding onto some extra water to help cushion and repair those sore muscles, which can mask the fat loss that's happening in the background.

    As for an MFP 101, there are stickied posts at the top of each of the forums, including some with really good beginners links. One of my favorite guides to link to is called A guide to get you started on your path to Sexypants: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants
  • WideAsleepMom
    WideAsleepMom Posts: 15
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    My Food diary is open to friends.

    I'm bad for drinking enough water, I'm trying my best and have been better so far today. I haven't been as strict to put in a tsp of oil for cooking. I never thought about that part.
    It's funny because I don't feel like i've been starving myself either. I've had days when I've gone for a run I've felt like I was forcing myself to eat.
  • jstout365
    jstout365 Posts: 1,686 Member
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    If you want us to "check your work," so to speak, you'll have to set your diary to public so that we can take a look. Go to Settings at the top of the website and choose Diary Settings and then Public and Save Changes.

    It's not uncommon for people to stall out for the first couple of weeks and see no change on the scale, especially if you've added a new workout routine to the mix. Your body may be holding onto some extra water to help cushion and repair those sore muscles, which can mask the fat loss that's happening in the background.

    As for an MFP 101, there are stickied posts at the top of each of the forums, including some with really good beginners links. One of my favorite guides to link to is called A guide to get you started on your path to Sexypants: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants

    Read Sexypants if you haven't yet. Seriously.

    Two weeks is nothing. Log food as accurately as you can, keep going with your activity, and read. Read recommended posts. Educate yourself as much as you can. Lots of great info on this site and others. Some really bad info on this site and others as well, but the more you read the easier it gets to spot the difference between the two.
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
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    I've been here for almost two weeks now. I've been trying to be good about accurately tracking my food and exercise. But I have this feeling maybe i'm going something wrong.
    I'm under my allowed calories, I do my best to be active beyond my typical day activities. But i'm not seeing any changes. I know two weeks isn't a lot of time. I just thought at least a pound would have changed. Esp with being under my allowed calories.

    Should I be staying under my allowed calories before it's adjusted for the exercise i have logged for the day?
    I've had the Net number go into the negative. Is that ok? What number do I want to have there?

    Sorry if these questions are dumb. I haven't found a MFP 101 yet. LOL

    Thanks

    A couple of things.......

    MFP gives you a calorie deficit based upon "I want to lose XX pounds per week" .....and this is BEFORE exercise.

    If you log exercise you are expected to eat those calories back.....just be warned MFP & many machines are "generous"....most people start at eating 50-60% back. This is what the NET number is all about.

    The reason............exercise adds to your existing deficit......too large a defict & you loss fat+muscle....as opposed to mostly fat.

    Check out your weekly goal...............does it fall in here? This will tell you if your deficit is already pretty big......

    Pounds per week
    75+ lbs to lose 2 lb range
    Between 40 - 75 lbs to lose 1.5 lb range
    Between 25-40 lbs to lose 1 lb range
    Between 15-25 lbs to lose 1 -.50 lb range
    Less than 15 lbs to lose 0.5 lbs range

    It's easy to get something wrong............activity level (should not include exercise) .....is a range. How do you measure your foods? Weighing is most accurate. Some people can eyeball successfully (not me). Foods are added to MFP by users .....some are just wrong.
  • fast_eddie_72
    fast_eddie_72 Posts: 719 Member
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    Give it a couple of more weeks. At that point, you can figure it out. If you haven't budged the scale, somehow you're still eating more calories than you're burning. It seems from reading here, and my experience, a lot of people aren't accurately recording their calories. I know I wasn't before I got my food scale. Even now I sometimes wonder if I did something right. But the scale made a big difference. If you don't already have one, might consider buying one.

    But the scale you stand on will tell you what's happening. You're either losing weight or not. If not, then you aren't at a calorie deficit. Something probably isn't accurate. Either calories in, or calories burned. Just adjust and move forward. You'll get there.

    Hang in there! You'll figure it out.
  • mufamuscles
    mufamuscles Posts: 57
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    Don't worry...two weeks isn't very long. And something that my husband and I both noticed, especially when we first started, was that the loss wasn't timed evenly - when I first started, the scale didn't move for a MONTH. Then, I lost 5 pounds in a week. Then another 4 pounds the next week. (Some was probably water weight, but still.) Then it would be a week or two with no movement, then 2-3 pounds would come off the next week, etc, etc.

    Trust in the science. As long as you are counting correctly, the weight WILL come off. You can't break biology :)
  • lrose50
    lrose50 Posts: 58 Member
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    Being too far under your calorie intake can have on opposite effect and be careful not to fall into the trap of basing you calorie burn on MFP estimates. I find MFP overestimates calorie burn on exercises which is why you will see people eating back 50% of their exercise calorie deficit. Good luck and keep at it - two weeks is not very long at all.
  • _EndGame_
    _EndGame_ Posts: 770 Member
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    Didn't even weigh myself in the first week. Just kept my calories at what MFP suggested, went back to my doctor, got weighed, and I had dropped 10kg's.

    Too many people get hung up on the number the scales reflect. I got like this at one point, to the point I was weighing myself daily and just getting annoyed when I saw fluctuations. Even though I knew deep down I couldn't have put weight on, it still put me on a downer.

    Stick to measurements, weigh yourself weekly and don't starve yourself. Everything should gradually start falling into place.
  • Polarpaly05
    Polarpaly05 Posts: 74 Member
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    Why does nobody ever question the scale itself? Did you buy one of the cheapy ones at Walmart? Some scales can have a +/- 3 pound accuracy on them!!!
  • Blokeypoo
    Blokeypoo Posts: 274 Member
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    I haven't been as strict to put in a tsp of oil for cooking. I never thought about that part.

    Attention to detail is key - oil is very calorie dense and can never be overlooked. Don't worry though, it soon becomes second nature if you tough it out.
  • mmcdonald700
    mmcdonald700 Posts: 116 Member
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    I saw this article posted the other day. It has only been two weeks, so I wouldn't be discouraged especially if you don't have a lot to lose and are eating at a smaller deficit. However, if you continue to not lose I would consider what it talks about in this article (which people have already mentioned).

    http://www.acaloriecounter.com/blog/why-am-i-not-losing-weight/
  • Foodiethinking
    Foodiethinking Posts: 240 Member
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    As others have said, don't sweat two weeks. Your body is still adjusting. Just because the needle on the scale isn't moving yet doesn't mean it won't. Maybe don't weigh yourself for another week or two and focus on the lifestyle rather than panicking about a number. Good luck!
  • Melclarke61
    Melclarke61 Posts: 1 Member
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    I lost a couple pounds quickly the first week but then was on a plateau for three weeks with even a small gain. I just ignored the scale and noticed that my pants fit better and I felt better. Last week suddenly I was down another 4 pounds and this week another 2. Whether your body is holding water because of increased exercise and muscle soreness or something else, in the end the weight will come off if you keep at it.
  • christa279
    christa279 Posts: 222 Member
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    Definitely read the "Sexypants" thread. A lot of great info there!

    2 weeks isn't a lot of time, so I would keep logging and see what happens in another couple of weeks. Make sure you are logging every little thing (like others have said). A food scale seriously helps for making sure you are being accurate.

    I know it seems cumbersome at first, but after awhile it becomes part of your routine.

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