Big effort , No loss

whippinbird
whippinbird Posts: 5
in Health and Weight Loss
Im starting to get down on myself. Its only 11 days in for me but I am excersing over an hour a day eating really healthy and never going over my calories, but I am not shedding anything. Im concerned as I have gotten into shape a few times before and the kilos have fallen off in the first few weeks and previously I didnt put in the same effort I am now. I have noticed that you guys look over other peoples diaries and give them advice , I was hoping for some as well.
Thanks guys
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Replies

  • xsmilexforxmex
    xsmilexforxmex Posts: 1,216 Member
    Your diary is still set to private.
  • whippinbird
    whippinbird Posts: 5
    So sorry I just fixed it...
  • xsmilexforxmex
    xsmilexforxmex Posts: 1,216 Member
    So, your diary looks fine to me which means a few things...
    One: are you measuring your food or just guessing? Small numbers of calories from not measuring can add up.
    Two: are you logging EVERYTHING? even small amounts of sauce or the one carrot stick at lunch...
    If you are doing both of those, give it time. Not everybody loses right away - so don't stress (that can slow loss down) and keep logging. If you weren't previously working out it is possible that you are gaining muscle equal to the fat loss. Get a measuring tape to check that out if you want. Be absolutely honest with yourself. If you don't see any change at about the 1 month mark, reassess and maybe see a doctor for any possible health issues. Look at what you're doing to work out as well. Cardio is great, but so is lifting weights. Muscle burns more than fat too so that will help ;)
    Most importantly, don't give up... even if it doesn't work right away, it WILL eventually. Good luck!
  • minibandit
    minibandit Posts: 77
    I am absolutely NO expert - they'll most likely be along in a bit but, I would up your cals and protein a bit and lower your sugar and fat intake just a touch.

    You don't say how tall you are or what your weight is? It seems MFP automatically sets almost anyone at 1200 if they put 'lose 2lb a week' in to their goals. Stay around here for much longer and you will notice a trend where some people lose on 1200, some really don't. It's quite possible that 1200 just doesn't suit you and it may be necessary to up them a bit.

    I am aiming for 1200 but, that's because I'm sedentary and only 4' 10"! In fact, I would go as far to say that only real lazy shorties like me should go for 1200. It's very low and not very satisfying.
  • whippinbird
    whippinbird Posts: 5
    Thank you for taking the time to look. I am honest in saying I try to actually put in more then what its worth then less, I know that Im only cheating myself if I dont. I have been doing both weights and cardio. I might just have to start measuring myself instead of focusing on the scales. Its just a let down. I do feel loads better so I guess ONWARD and UPWARD. Thank you for your advice I will go harder on my entries thats for sure. Good luck in your journey and thanks again
  • whippinbird
    whippinbird Posts: 5
    Thanks mini . I am 173cm and weigh 86 kg. I just went off the base rate of 1200 how do I know how to adjust in accordingly? Please..
  • whippinbird
    whippinbird Posts: 5
    I feel really content with my calorie intake. Im not starving or anything . Sometimes Im not even hungry but I make sure I have my meal for the energy for the gym....
  • catcalledjinx
    catcalledjinx Posts: 85
    In the UK, we have a television programme called 'Secret Eaters'. People supply their very healthy food diaries and then agree to be filmed for a week. You would be amazed at the difference between what people are convinced they are eating and what they actually put into their bodies! Lots of 'forgotten' popping in to cake or fast food shops.

    Did you really manage to fry an egg for your breakfast this morning without using any fat at all?

    I hope that you find a way to lose weight that works better for you....my advice is to lose it slowly and steadily without major diet changes (cutting down rather than cutting out), that way you are more likely to keep it off in the future.

    BTW: I have lost about 22lbs in the last 12 months without doing any additional exercise and eating cake most days, and managing a bottle of white wine a week. My secret is not eating more than about 10,000 calories over a week but those calories can comprise of anything I fancy. (Based loosely on the 5:2 diet.)

    Good luck and don't get despondent....staying sane and happy is much more important.
  • pennyllayne
    pennyllayne Posts: 265
    I'm not an "expert" either, but based on the fact I've studied nutrition for the past 2 years I would agree with what mini says on the protein and refined carbs. Your protein is nowhere near high enough on most days. You need a MINIMUM of 0.8g of protein per kg of bodyweight and more if you're working out a lot. So for you you need a min of 69g of protein every day and more on workout days - up to 100g. Some days I'm seeing you not even get 30g in there and your body needs protein to repair cells and muscles from your workouts. That should be your no 1 priority - getting enough protein.

    The other thing is then creating a deficit in one of your body's preferred fuels (glucose and fat), and for people who have a lot of weight to lose, lowering carbohydrates often works better than lowering fats and fats are far better for you to keep hormones in balance and keep everything working nicely. Fats help you absorb certain vitamins and nourishment is very important to keep the weight loss moving. You need essential fats (omega 3s) and they help with weight loss too. More fruit and veg will help you a lot, as well as getting some coconut oil in there in place of less healthy fats. Coconut oil is pretty special because your body doesn't process it like other fats and it gets turned into energy instantly. It may also help increase metabolism. High amounts of refined carbohydrates are hard on your body and have little nutritional value.

    Be careful of stressing your body out with too much exercise and too little calories as this can cause elevated cortisol which signals the body to store fat and make it more difficult to lose. You really don't need to eat if you're not hungry and have enough energy to work out. In fact, one of the best times to work out is in the morning on an empty stomach as your body will turn to its fat stores for energy but this is not good for long workouts or high intensity.
  • Meushichan
    Meushichan Posts: 82 Member
    MFP put me at 1200, and I was miserable for 2 days, then I found this :D

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/931670-bmr-and-tdee-explained-for-those-needing-a-guide
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    Weigh your food.

    /thread
  • eldamiano
    eldamiano Posts: 2,667 Member
    Big effort does not equal calorie loss. Calorie deficit = calorie loss
  • _Zardoz_
    _Zardoz_ Posts: 3,987 Member
    Your probably eating more than you think. you have no fats or cooking oils logged for items that would need them. You have some homemade entries. Are they your recipes or taken off the database? If off the database how do you know the amounts are the same as yours. Also you have mashed potato measure in cups. well how much is that a cup is not an accurate measurement of something like that as it will depend how much you put in how lumpy or smooth your mash is that day etc. So the first thing to do is make sure you are logging absolutely everything accurately. Weigh solids measure liquids. Enter your own recipes.
  • dammitjanet0161
    dammitjanet0161 Posts: 319 Member
    You are almost the same height and starting weight as me and MFP gave me 1770 to lose 0.5lb a week. I have lost 5lbs in 2 weeks relatively painlessly, although I have been religiously weighing everything. Not saying that to brag, but try setting yourself to lose slower than 2lb a week to give yourself a bit more to play with and see how you get on.
  • gypsy_spirit
    gypsy_spirit Posts: 2,107 Member
    Want to be healthy? Want to look goooooood? Read this link:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1175494-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants
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  • Vicxie86
    Vicxie86 Posts: 181 Member
    Fried egg....fried with what? did it contain any seasoning? the finished product entries, are they your own or plugged off mfp? if so, how do you know what ingredients the owner used? when you cook from scratch, create your own entry and log every single ingredient you use, down to the salt. Measure your food, don't just eyeball your food.
  • lemonsnowdrop
    lemonsnowdrop Posts: 1,298 Member
    No one has really pointed out that it's only 11 days. I'm 9 weeks in and while the scale has dropped, I haven't noticed too big of a change yet. It takes a lot of time, and you yourself will probably be too critical about your own progress. We tend to focus on the bad, what needs to change or go away, before we notice the good.
  • gypsy_spirit
    gypsy_spirit Posts: 2,107 Member
    No one has really pointed out that it's only 11 days. I'm 9 weeks in and while the scale has dropped, I haven't noticed too big of a change yet. It takes a lot of time, and you yourself will probably be too critical about your own progress. We tend to focus on the bad, what needs to change or go away, before we notice the good.

    A really good point. Kudos for being alert so early. :drinker: Now where's the coffee??
  • HereWeGoAgain7
    HereWeGoAgain7 Posts: 163 Member
    If you weren't previously working out it is possible that you are gaining muscle equal to the fat loss. Get a measuring tape to check that out if you want.

    ^^ This! If I was only believing my scale I would curled up in the corner crying about my 3.5 pound weight gain. However, since I decided to take my measurements at the start my 15" lose over my entire body keeps me smiling.
  • GiveMeCoffee
    GiveMeCoffee Posts: 3,556 Member
    As was mentioned above, it's been 11 days, this takes time it also takes being honest with yourself and your logging. Your diary looks like you are guessing on portions you are eating, digital scale really helps with this. Also stay away from other members recipe entries, and generic entries in the database.

    You are off to a good start, now fine tune your logging, measuring and have patience. Good luck
  • Galatea_Stone
    Galatea_Stone Posts: 2,037 Member
    (Dear posters commenting about a fried egg: a large egg is 70 calories, she's entered 92, to account for oil)

    That aside, OP, you do need to weigh and measure everything. Also, when it comes to exercise, MFP is not always accurate.

    You should consider finding your TDEE, at a website like Scooby's Workshop or IIFYM. Eat at TDEE-20%.

    Lastly, if you are doing everything right, give it time. The body often retains water at the beginning of a new exercise program.

    I'm willing to bet that your problem is a combination of all of these elements.

    Wishing you luck.
  • dortilolma
    dortilolma Posts: 103 Member
    So tonnes of people have replied - my 2 cents:

    My stats aren't very different from yours. It took me nearly three weeks of rigorous MFP logging and running pretty much every day before those damn scales finally shifted.

    I had a simple plan where I was going to start at 1200 on my first week - up to 1300 on my second week then up to 1400 on the third week and stay there. I thought it was interesting that it wasn't until I was at 1400 that I actually started losing. I'm aware everybody is different and because of that we need to experiment a bit and find out what is the best option for us for long term weight loss. Experiment with different goals for a week each and see what happens.

    Another thing that has already been mentioned - don't trust MFP's figures for excercise. I use a heart rate monitor and then only log about 80% of the calories it states I've used.
  • Kargicq
    Kargicq Posts: 72 Member
    Also, I (and many others) find that increasing your amount of exercise leads to temporary water retention due to muscle repair. Every time I change up my routine, enough to make me feel sore, I see 10-14 days of big weight fluctuations before things settle down. Stick with it and keep up the good work!
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  • djs2303
    djs2303 Posts: 93 Member
    Are you drinking plenty of water? and I mean plenty....Water helps with weight loss, and appetite control.

    I started for a month of 1200, I lost 13 lbs. This week ive upped to around 1500-1700 (depending if its workout day) im hitting the gym 3 time s a week also, doing mainly cardio, but this week I have also started with resistance weights.
  • FlaxMilk
    FlaxMilk Posts: 3,452 Member
    While you haven't gained muscle, with the amount of exercise you are doing, you could be holding onto fluid weight to help repair your muscles. Are you taking a rest day? If yes, weigh yourself after the rest day. If your food entries are accurate, you may want to consider eating a bit more, not because your body is holding onto its fat, but so that you don't run out of steam.

    Silly and unlikely suggestion: pick up something heavy and step on your scale. Step on again without the heavy item. The last three scales I own have a "reliability" factor built in which automatically makes me weigh the same as the last time I weighed if it's within a couple of pounds. (It's really annoying.)
  • djs2303
    djs2303 Posts: 93 Member
    ive just looked at your diary, its very 'carby' lots of bread, also, past week, every morning its bread, fried egg, bacon.....every day? again no expert but I don't think that's a great 'balanced' diet. Try cereal, try cutting bread down to two slices a day, have more baked beans (try scrambled egg and baked beans on toast for breakfast)

    Also, another one is battered fish, have you tried breaded? Going back a couple weeks, one of your salad's are 245 cals....that's a ridiculous amount of calories for a salad. is that from the data base or from your own recipe?
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  • November_Fire
    November_Fire Posts: 165 Member
    ive just looked at your diary, its very 'carby' lots of bread, also, past week, every morning its bread, fried egg, bacon.....every day? again no expert but I don't think that's a great 'balanced' diet. Try cereal, try cutting bread down to two slices a day, have more baked beans (try scrambled egg and baked beans on toast for breakfast)

    Also, another one is battered fish, have you tried breaded? Going back a couple weeks, one of your salad's are 245 cals....that's a ridiculous amount of calories for a salad. is that from the data base or from your own recipe?
    I eat 2 whole eggs, 4 egg whites, 2 slices of bacon and a bagel with cream cheese everyday basically. What's wrong with that?

    Are your goals and calorific needs the same as hers?

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