That's discouraging.
BecomingShane
Posts: 29 Member
So, I've been doing MFP for ten days now. Wednesdays are my weigh-in days...
All of my profile information is public, and accurate. I haven't left anything out, and even if some of the measurements are off, my goal is only 1200 and I've never even gone over. So even if some of them are /way/ off, and honestly I don't feel like they are, I shouldn't have gone over, and even if I did it shouldn't have hurt me. All of the subtracted calories due to exercise are recorded by a treadmill at a local gym at 12.0 incline, 3.5 mph most of the time, with spurts of 6-7 mph.
But... today, when I weighed myself, it shows that I've gained a pound, and I'm currently just home from the gym on an empty stomach.
I know that weight fluctuates 2-4 lbs and such, I know that it's not the end of the world... mostly I'm just looking for people with experience. How long did it take for the weight to actually start coming off? Whether the number on the scale matters or not, I know 140 is not a healthy weight with my percentage of body fat, so I know that it's supposed to go down.
I guess I was kind of crossing my fingers for at least 138... but, nope. Also, what are the chances it may have something to do with my cheap-o $10 scale? Should I get a better one? Maybe my last weigh-in was wrong because it's crap?
Edit: Wow. Wrong forum.
All of my profile information is public, and accurate. I haven't left anything out, and even if some of the measurements are off, my goal is only 1200 and I've never even gone over. So even if some of them are /way/ off, and honestly I don't feel like they are, I shouldn't have gone over, and even if I did it shouldn't have hurt me. All of the subtracted calories due to exercise are recorded by a treadmill at a local gym at 12.0 incline, 3.5 mph most of the time, with spurts of 6-7 mph.
But... today, when I weighed myself, it shows that I've gained a pound, and I'm currently just home from the gym on an empty stomach.
I know that weight fluctuates 2-4 lbs and such, I know that it's not the end of the world... mostly I'm just looking for people with experience. How long did it take for the weight to actually start coming off? Whether the number on the scale matters or not, I know 140 is not a healthy weight with my percentage of body fat, so I know that it's supposed to go down.
I guess I was kind of crossing my fingers for at least 138... but, nope. Also, what are the chances it may have something to do with my cheap-o $10 scale? Should I get a better one? Maybe my last weigh-in was wrong because it's crap?
Edit: Wow. Wrong forum.
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Replies
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So, I've been doing MFP for ten days now. Wednesdays are my weigh-in days...
This says it all. Not nearly enough time for anything to happen. Could be your scale, but if you are always using the same scale it shouldn't matter.
Don't give up. You will see change.0 -
You might consider weighing yourself more often. Right now I'm weighing myself every day. That way I get to see any and all fluctuations up and down and won't get discouraged by a single "bad" weight.0
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a 12 incline? i call shenanigans. also those machines notoriously way high. if you eat back alot of your exercise cals that tm calculation could be killing progresr0
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Did you just start working out? When I first got started, I noticed that I wouldn't lose when I was exercising more than I had (which was never, really...lol). But eventually everything got settled or whatever and I lost what I had expected to. Just wait it out, it'll happen.0
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Take your measurements as well.
It took me about 2 1/2 weeks to see a change in weight when I first started, and I started at around 214 at 5'3" It may take a bit longer for you.0 -
I weigh myself every day, and always first thing in the morning. If I weigh at different times of the day it is not as reliable.....I used to weigh more often (I was a little scale-obsessed) and I would see my weight fluctuate as much as 3 pounds over the course of 1 day. I recommend always weighing right away in the morning, wearing either nothing or roughly the same thing.0
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Your sodium seems to be a bit high maybe try starting out at staying under 2,000mg of sodium a day? I personally have to watch my sodium because it really makes a difference for me.0
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I put on a pound over my 1st 3 weeks, no loss at all.
20 weeks later I'm down 33 pounds, the long run is all that matters.
Don't be discouraged now :flowerforyou:0 -
My first three weeks I lost 7, gained 2, lost 1 for a total loss of 6 lbs, then it mostly leveled off to 1.5lb per week and I have been maintaining since January. My.advice:
1) eat all 1200 calories and up to 2/3 of your exercise. You will be healthier for it. You need the nutrition.
2) drink more water. You'll notice the difference in just a few days. A hydrated body functions better.
3) be patient and stick to it. Routine is smooth; smooth is fast. I lost my 40 lbs in five months, which was much faster than I thought it would be. I have maintained it for five months.
Good luck.
P.S. get enough sleep0 -
Your ticker shows that you have lost 4 lbs total, so if that has been within 10 days, albeit earlier, then just be patient. Also, read some of the information about getting started, and keep an eye on your macros (make sure you are getting enough protein for functioning, and exercising) It is just math, if you are giving your body the nutrition it needs.... and the math doesn't add up to losing 4 lbs. in your first 3 or 4 days, so your body is probably showing true loss now in that time period. Also, you are not obese, or even incredibly overweight, so it should take a little bit longer to drop the weight you want to (you don't have the metabolic "advantage" of moving around daily with a really large weight number) There are a lot of really knowledgeable people here, and a ton of things written here that will help you understand what your body needs, and how to be successful. Don't get discouraged. You will see progress
. Search the forums for other posts like yours. There is a wealth of input on this. Patience....:) 0 -
You already got some good advice, but after looking at your food diary I would highly suggest trying to lay off so many packaged/processed foods and get some fruits and veggies into your life however you can! I don't see that you are tracking water intake, and you should aim for increasing that a lot, especially if you're exercising. Those things may make a difference, and if nothing else will make you feel good – trust me on that.
Definitely weigh yourself at a consistent time of day with no clothes or similar clothing. I don't weigh every day, but it may be good for you to try that for a week or two to see what your body is up to in that regard.
Keep it up!0 -
My first three weeks I lost 7, gained 2, lost 1 for a total loss of 6 lbs, then it mostly leveled off to 1.5lb per week and I have been maintaining since January. My.advice:
1) eat all 1200 calories and up to 2/3 of your exercise. You will be healthier for it. You need the nutrition.
2) drink more water. You'll notice the difference in just a few days. A hydrated body functions better.
3) be patient and stick to it. Routine is smooth; smooth is fast. I lost my 40 lbs in five months, which was much faster than I thought it would be. I have maintained it for five months.
Good luck.
P.S. get enough sleep
- THIS -0 -
Your sodium seems to be a bit high maybe try starting out at staying under 2,000mg of sodium a day? I personally have to watch my sodium because it really makes a difference for me.
It doesn't matter as long as you're consistent with your sodium intake.0 -
Looking at the past week in your diary, I see a few things.
You eat a LOT of empty carbs - tortillas, white bread, crackers, etc. That kind of food is worthless for your body - those calories don't go to helping you build muscle or help your body function better in any way shape or form.
The next thing I see is your high sodium intake. Sodium and water are best buds. The more salt you have, the more water you hang on to, causing you to weigh more. If you replace your Coke with water, not only are you able to decrease empty calories in your diet, but you are better able to flush out excess salt, causing you to lose water weight.
Lastly, holy exercise lady. Unless you have a HRM that connects with the treadmill, there is no way those numbers are accurate. Also as a general rule, MFP agrees you should eat back half your exercise calories anyway because MPF's calculations are a bit generous.
A final note - the scale isn't everything. Take your measurements. Take pictures. Record your run/walk times. Write down how heavy of weights you use. As time progresses and so do you, these things will show how awesome you are better than numbers on a scale.0 -
I would definitely invest in a good scale, and only weigh yourself first thing in the AM or at least the same time everyday. And yes, be patient!
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You could be building muscle & everyone knows that weighs more than fat. It took about a month for me to start to go down. I go down a little every day now. It was discouraging, but I kept at it.0
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You're just back from the gym - did you drink water? a litre of water weighs a kilogram, whether it's in a bottle or in your stomach.0
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You could be building muscle & everyone knows that weighs more than fat. It took about a month for me to start to go down. I go down a little every day now. It was discouraging, but I kept at it.
Sorry, but no. A) you don't build muscle on a deficit. b) you don't build muscle on a treadmill. c) you don't build muscle in 10 days.
You could be retaining fluid, however, from stepping up the workouts.
And looking at your weight once a week can be good for not obsessing but it's also a snapshot that might not be accurate. I weigh 3.2lbs more today than I did yesterday because I ate a heap of salt yesterday and I'm retaining fluid. I know it isn't fat and it will go, but if I weighed today after not weighing all week, I'd be freaking out thinking I gained.0 -
I can't agree more with the processed food - I flipped through a few days of your diary and I didn't see anything fresh - its a lifestyle change, not just a calorie count. Maybe start with a smoothie with banana/peanut butter/chia/yogurt/chocolate something like that in the morning. It will fill you up, tastes like a milkshake and is not a highly problematic processed kellogs cereal bar. (Truth: the only thing healthy about these is the marketing budget.)
Keep it up though and you will reach your goal! Hang in there!0 -
Are you close to being on your cycle? That always makes me a few pounds heavier the week to few days before. I agree with taking measurements. You could be replacing fat with muscle which won't move the scale much, but you will notice that you are more toned and your waist smaller.
Good luck and stay the course. It will happen.0 -
For the first three weeks I saw no change I maintained to exact same weight, then all of a sudden I started dropping 0.2 ..0.8 even upto 1.8 lbs /.. now 61 days in I have lost 14.5 lbs overall. stick with it!
also.. water adds weight, my cycle adds upto six lbs for me
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I'll echo what some others have said:
-10 days really isn't that long
-you were probably drinking water at the gym so even though you say "empty stomach," you probably had been drinking water
-try weighing yourself more frequently, preferably at the same time of day (but just for illustrative purposes, weigh yourself in the morning (after peeing!) & then weigh yourself later in the day, just to see how easy it is for weigh to fluctuate even within a few hours, especially depending on sodium intake, food/water going in, pee/poop coming out, yadda yadda yadda).
-depending on where you are in your cycle you also may be retaining more water than you normally would0 -
It's already been said but I'll say it again because it's really important:
Eat more plants.0 -
a 12 incline? i call shenanigans. also those machines notoriously way high. if you eat back alot of your exercise cals that tm calculation could be killing progresr
1. I go to Red Fitness in Westlake, OH and their treadmills reach 15 incline. On a good day when I have a lot of energy I'll boost it up to 13. So you can shove your "shenanigans" where the sun doesn't shine.
2. Like I said, though. I am usually hundreds of calories under. Even if the treadmill measurement was 50 calories off or more there's no way I'd be going over.
3. It's clear to me now that I just haven't been working out/dieting long enough to see any results. So thank you for your difficult to read, unhelpful, and judgmental reply.0 -
Are you close to being on your cycle? That always makes me a few pounds heavier the week to few days before. I agree with taking measurements. You could be replacing fat with muscle which won't move the scale much, but you will notice that you are more toned and your waist smaller.
Good luck and stay the course. It will happen.
If by cycle you mean period... I'm on it right now xD. If not, then I'm not sure what you mean.0 -
Are you close to being on your cycle? That always makes me a few pounds heavier the week to few days before. I agree with taking measurements. You could be replacing fat with muscle which won't move the scale much, but you will notice that you are more toned and your waist smaller.
Good luck and stay the course. It will happen.
If by cycle you mean period... I'm on it right now xD. If not, then I'm not sure what you mean.
Ding Ding Ding
theres your answer.
but also eat more plants 0 -
Lastly, holy exercise lady. Unless you have a HRM that connects with the treadmill, there is no way those numbers are accurate. Also as a general rule, MFP agrees you should eat back half your exercise calories anyway because MPF's calculations are a bit generous.
The treadmill at Red Fitness has a heart rate monitor, but I'm not always holding the censors to see it. I grab them every once in a while and it's usually a range from 50-70 depending on whether or not I just came down from an increased speed or not.
So how accurate are the calories counted on treadmills? I don't step off, ever, unless I have to pee, and of course, I pause it. I figured because of that the number that the treadmill told me I was burning would be accurate. This whole thing just got so much harder due to this problem. I really need to know/would like to know how to get an accurate idea of how many calories I'm actually burning everyday.0 -
Are you close to being on your cycle? That always makes me a few pounds heavier the week to few days before. I agree with taking measurements. You could be replacing fat with muscle which won't move the scale much, but you will notice that you are more toned and your waist smaller.
Good luck and stay the course. It will happen.
If by cycle you mean period... I'm on it right now xD. If not, then I'm not sure what you mean.
Ding Ding Ding
theres your answer.
but also eat more plants
Aside from now being discouraged by what people have told me about inaccurate calorie burning sessions on the treadmill, that makes me feel a bit better. And ahaha... I have this problem where I really don't like plant-y foods. But I'll do it! I know veggies are the best. If only they didn't taste like poo.0 -
Looking at the past week in your diary, I see a few things.
You eat a LOT of empty carbs - tortillas, white bread, crackers, etc. That kind of food is worthless for your body - those calories don't go to helping you build muscle or help your body function better in any way shape or form.
The next thing I see is your high sodium intake. Sodium and water are best buds. The more salt you have, the more water you hang on to, causing you to weigh more. If you replace your Coke with water, not only are you able to decrease empty calories in your diet, but you are better able to flush out excess salt, causing you to lose water weight.
Lastly, holy exercise lady. Unless you have a HRM that connects with the treadmill, there is no way those numbers are accurate. Also as a general rule, MFP agrees you should eat back half your exercise calories anyway because MPF's calculations are a bit generous.
A final note - the scale isn't everything. Take your measurements. Take pictures. Record your run/walk times. Write down how heavy of weights you use. As time progresses and so do you, these things will show how awesome you are better than numbers on a scale.
Exactly what I would have suggested!0 -
If you are new to exercise it is not unusual to retain some more water than before, because your muscle tissue needs it to repair itself after an exercise session.
Many people confuse this mistakenly with " building muscle ". You will be fine....just give it a week or two more.
No matter what anyone says; if you are reasonably healthy and have no medical issues that prevent weight loss ( and they are less than 3% of the population , but seem to all be MFP members...lol ) you WILL LOSE weight, if you eat at a deficit. Just give it a bit of time.
Good Luck !0
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