Tracking for 3 weeks, haven't lost a pound. What's going on?
xSarabean
Posts: 16
I started off at about roughly 299 pounds. I'm 21, female, and I'm 5'10". I used the MyFitnessPal recommended calorie value to lost 2 pounds a week (about 1770 calories). I've been tracking EVERYTHING, drinking only water, and I haven't been starving or uncomfortable. I still haven't incorporated exercise. I started off at 299 and I've been weighing anywhere from 297 to back up to 299 this morning. I know my weight fluctuates a lot, but I feel like I should have solidly lost at least two pounds by now. What am I doing wrong? Is calorie limit too low?
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Replies
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Are you logging correctly? Open your diary and maybe we can help
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If you open your diary we might be able to see. But without checking your diary
Find a reasonable calorie deficit, get a digital food scale to help with portion control. Have lots of patience. And I'll post some links that really helped me.
Log your food accurately and honestly. Go for 80% good choices the other 20% don't worry so much about. I eat lots of delicious food and have consistently lost. Keep it simple find a REASONABLE deficit: Most people do not need to eat 1200 calories to lose.
If you have 75+ lbs to lose 2 lbs/week is ideal
If you have 40-75 lbs to lose 1.5 lbs/week is ideal
If you have 25-40 lbs to lose 1 lbs/week is ideal
If you have 15 -25 lbs to lose 0.5 to 1.0 lbs/week is ideal
If you have less than 15 lbs to lose 0.5 lbs/week is ideal
Log your food accurately and honestly this thread will help:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1234699-logging-accurately-step-by-step-guide?hl=logging+step+guide
Find an activity you enjoy doing - I found I love to ride my bike and lift heavy stuff
Here are 2 more threads that will help take the time to read them:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1235566-so-you-re-new-here?hl=so+you're+new+here
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants0 -
I have a digital scale. I weigh everything, down to the grams in salad dressing for my salads. I track every nibble and snack, regardless of how unhealthy. Food diary is opened, and here's the link:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/food/diary/xSarabean0 -
I would like to see you eating more. You have many days (majority of days) when you are below your 1700. Some of them are way below that. Keep in mind that as you lose weight, you will, bit by bit, need to eat less and less in order to keep up the weight loss. By starting out eating so little, you are setting the bar way low. The number that MFP has you at (1700) is already sufficient for you to lose weight so do try to eat that, or at least stay fairly close to it.0
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Okay, you say you weigh everything, but you have entries in your diary like "1 medium apple", "2 tbsp pesto" "0.5 cup red beans and rice" "2 slices bacon" , "2 tbsp butter" etc.
It doesn't seem to me that you are actually tracking and logging totally accurately because your diary shows a ton of entries with no weights.
Edited to add: it is SO easy to erase a deficit simply by underestimating, and I'm pretty sure that is what's going on here.
Edit: and while we're at it....
http://www.acaloriecounter.com/blog/why-am-i-not-losing-weight/0 -
Okay, you say you weigh everything, but you have entries in your diary like "1 medium apple", "2 tbsp pesto" "0.5 cup red beans and rice" "2 slices bacon" , "2 tbsp butter" etc.
It doesn't seem to me that you are actually tracking and logging totally accurately because your diary shows a ton of entries with no weights.
Edited to add: it is SO easy to erase a deficit simply by underestimating, and I'm pretty sure that is what's going on here.
This, and are you really having exactly 4oz of chicken every day? And strawberries too? It's pretty hard to do. And your slice of bread could be weighing more than one serving too, so your 280 calories of bread could be closer to 320 etc.0 -
Egads, woman, eat more than a single apple for breakfast!
This has got to be logging error. I am 100 lbs lighter, 15 years older, and I lose on 1750 cal per day.0 -
Okay, you say you weigh everything, but you have entries in your diary like "1 medium apple", "2 tbsp pesto" "0.5 cup red beans and rice" "2 slices bacon" , "2 tbsp butter" etc.
It doesn't seem to me that you are actually tracking and logging totally accurately because your diary shows a ton of entries with no weights.
Edited to add: it is SO easy to erase a deficit simply by underestimating, and I'm pretty sure that is what's going on here.
Edit: and while we're at it....
http://www.acaloriecounter.com/blog/why-am-i-not-losing-weight/
On the package that the red beans and rice comes in, it says "1/2 cup (blah blah grams)". I put a bowl on my scale, clear it, and then measure up the red beans and rice until they come out to the gram measurement next to the 1/2 of a cup. Then I scan the package and enter the calories according to the grams that I weighed. Same with the pesto container. I winged some of the meals because my friend made the sandwich for me, and I had no idea what the actual values were. That happened today and yesterday. Even then, I try to eat under 1700 just in case there is a margin of error.0 -
I know this will not be a popular opinion and people like to flame people for even mentioning cutting out X Y or Z but.
What helped me was I stopped eating any carbs/startch at dinner, No rice, no potatoes, no pasta etc. Instead I eat 2 veggies and a protein. I lost about 8 lbs doing this before I even started working out. And I still practice it today. It's very easy and a small change that I plan on just doing forever now.0 -
Okay, you say you weigh everything, but you have entries in your diary like "1 medium apple", "2 tbsp pesto" "0.5 cup red beans and rice" "2 slices bacon" , "2 tbsp butter" etc.
It doesn't seem to me that you are actually tracking and logging totally accurately because your diary shows a ton of entries with no weights.
Edited to add: it is SO easy to erase a deficit simply by underestimating, and I'm pretty sure that is what's going on here.
This, and are you really having exactly 4oz of chicken every day? And strawberries too? It's pretty hard to do. And your slice of bread could be weighing more than one serving too, so your 280 calories of bread could be closer to 320 etc.
I buy chicken breasts, cut them up into exactly 4oz pieces, put them in sandwich bags, and store them in a freezer. The rest of the chicken scraps I cook and feed to the dogs. And I measured the strawberries by placing them on a scale.0 -
Okay, you say you weigh everything, but you have entries in your diary like "1 medium apple", "2 tbsp pesto" "0.5 cup red beans and rice" "2 slices bacon" , "2 tbsp butter" etc.
It doesn't seem to me that you are actually tracking and logging totally accurately because your diary shows a ton of entries with no weights.
Edited to add: it is SO easy to erase a deficit simply by underestimating, and I'm pretty sure that is what's going on here.
Edit: and while we're at it....
http://www.acaloriecounter.com/blog/why-am-i-not-losing-weight/
On the package that the red beans and rice comes in, it says "1/2 cup (blah blah grams)". I put a bowl on my scale, clear it, and then measure up the red beans and rice until they come out to the gram measurement next to the 1/2 of a cup. Then I scan the package and enter the calories according to the grams that I weighed. Same with the pesto container. I winged some of the meals because my friend made the sandwich for me, and I had no idea what the actual values were. That happened today and yesterday. Even then, I try to eat under 1700 just in case there is a margin of error.
Ok I get that, I do the same instead of having to make my own entries for everything.
Have you seen a doctor? It might be a medicine or tyroid issue.0 -
Okay, you say you weigh everything, but you have entries in your diary like "1 medium apple", "2 tbsp pesto" "0.5 cup red beans and rice" "2 slices bacon" , "2 tbsp butter" etc.
It doesn't seem to me that you are actually tracking and logging totally accurately because your diary shows a ton of entries with no weights.
Edited to add: it is SO easy to erase a deficit simply by underestimating, and I'm pretty sure that is what's going on here.
This, and are you really having exactly 4oz of chicken every day? And strawberries too? It's pretty hard to do. And your slice of bread could be weighing more than one serving too, so your 280 calories of bread could be closer to 320 etc.
Eating exactly 4 oz of anything isn't hard if you have a food scale! I measure my food out that way, I like round numbers, even if it means cutting off the edge of a chicken breast to get it down to exactly 4.0. 0 -
also, if you can eat a big breakfast. I try to get most of my calories in before lunch (now that doesn't ALWAYS happen since I tend to work out in the afternoon sometimes) but yeah eat some protein and breakfast! Apples are great, banana's too but your body wants some yummy meat!0
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Okay, you say you weigh everything, but you have entries in your diary like "1 medium apple", "2 tbsp pesto" "0.5 cup red beans and rice" "2 slices bacon" , "2 tbsp butter" etc.
It doesn't seem to me that you are actually tracking and logging totally accurately because your diary shows a ton of entries with no weights.
Edited to add: it is SO easy to erase a deficit simply by underestimating, and I'm pretty sure that is what's going on here.
Edit: and while we're at it....
http://www.acaloriecounter.com/blog/why-am-i-not-losing-weight/
On the package that the red beans and rice comes in, it says "1/2 cup (blah blah grams)". I put a bowl on my scale, clear it, and then measure up the red beans and rice until they come out to the gram measurement next to the 1/2 of a cup. Then I scan the package and enter the calories according to the grams that I weighed. Same with the pesto container. I winged some of the meals because my friend made the sandwich for me, and I had no idea what the actual values were. That happened today and yesterday. Even then, I try to eat under 1700 just in case there is a margin of error.
Ok I get that, I do the same instead of having to make my own entries for everything.
Have you seen a doctor? It might be a medicine or tyroid issue.
I am on birth control, but it's not an option to get off of it. I've talked to my OB/GYN about weight loss and she says the one I'm on doesn't typically cause problems. I've been tested for my thyroid within the last 3 years and it turned out normal. Could it change that quickly?0 -
something that helped me at the beginning was to eat packaged food. i know it's not the healthiest for long-term, but it helped me get used to reduced portion sizes and "eyeballing" the right amount of various foods to eat. I'd volumize the packaged food with lots of steamed or raw greens and non-starchy veggies. over time, i replaced the packaged food with my own. but this way i had a good sense of how many calories i was actually eating. lean cuisine and smart ones meals worked well for me personally. i kept lunch and dinner entrees to 300 cals or less and then breakfast stuck to 250 cals max for the entree.
I actually kept my total calories at 1200 cals per day for 4 months and for me the more rapid weight loss was motivating. i'm now maintaining. the 1200 also gave room for small miscalculations so that I STILL saw weight loss almost every single week.
good luck - you can do it! i'm guessing there are some miscalculations in your diary because you should be losing weight at what you think you're eating.0 -
So what I saw:
Previous to about a week and a half ago you were logging maybe every other day, and within the past week there were 2 days that made me suspicious that you did not log meals, but I will give you the benifit of the doubt that you did not eat them. You have to log every single thing you eat every single day to have accurate results.
As mentioned above, weigh your food as apposed to using measuring cups/spoons.
Make sure you verify the entry matches the food you are using, some of the entries I saw you used seemed generic (no brand, serving size 1 burger vs an actual size/weight)
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1234699-logging-accurately-step-by-step-guide
that post has great tips for logging0 -
So what I saw:
Previous to about a week and a half ago you were logging maybe every other day, and within the past week there were 2 days that made me suspicious that you did not log meals, but I will give you the benifit of the doubt that you did not eat them. You have to log every single thing you eat every single day to have accurate results.
As mentioned above, weigh your food as apposed to using measuring cups/spoons.
Make sure you verify the entry matches the food you are using, some of the entries I saw you used seemed generic (no brand, serving size 1 burger vs an actual size/weight)
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1234699-logging-accurately-step-by-step-guide
that post has great tips for logging
The weeks prior to the two weeks where I got serious I was logging on a different site, comparing and contrasting which one I liked better. That's why there's gaps. Which days made you suspicious? There were one or two days where I didn't eat dinner or lunch because I was busy/not hungry.0 -
From a look in your diary, you are just really getting started so 1 have patience. Now the other I saw some suspect things:
1.; An entry for dry cake mix and nothing that went with it
2. Multiple entries that look like they were recipes created by other MFP members, stay away from these as you don't know what they cooked with and included in their calculations. The ribs is one of these.
3. Some days look like you haven't fulled logged everything
These are just a few
Please read the accurate logging link that's already been given.0 -
If you can rule out any medical conditions you are simply not losing weight because you are not eating at a calorie deficit. You're still new to this process so I wouldn't let this discourage you, but I would recommend being open to what the members of the community are saying as well as the following.
1. How are you determining portion sizes? If you're not using a kitchen scale that measures in grams and a measuring cup for the liquids then you estimating. Weigh and measure everything, it's the only way to be sure. If you cook, you can create recipes on this site.
2. Are you eating out frequently? Nutrition information available on a restaurant's website and even the info available on MFP are estimates at best. You never know when you'll have a cook who is heavy on the oils and butters and not following the recipee the way he should be. Also estimates on this site can be wrong, I've seen it a few times. Nothing to be discouraged about, just keep this in your mind and if the calories on something seem too good to be true, they perhaps are.
3. Are you recording everything? Use of butters, oils, dressings and etc need to be counted as they do add calories.
4. Double check and re-check all of the entries you are currently using. Read the nutritional label on the foods you use.
Try this again for 3 more weeks and see how it goes. With any luck you'll find that you were simply over-estimating the calories you were eating. If this fails you may need to consider lowering your calorie goal a tad.0 -
Breakfast, Breakfast, Breakfast!!!! They say it's the most important meal of the day for a reason! I typically blend fruit, powdered peanut butter, and protein mix in with milk and have that for breakfast.0
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6/12 stuck out to me, a few days with no breakfast but if you are a meal skipper then that is that
If you are confident in your logging then maybe you should look into getting a checkup and see if there are any other factors you should know about. Your calorie goal does not strike me as too low and you should definitely be seeing some results with it.
ETA: I would give it a bit more time though too, its annoying but sometimes it just takes time to see results. You see alot of people on here talk about huge drops the first few days but I have always been the opposite, it takes me a few weeks to see anything and I lose in spurts, nothing then 2 lbs, nothing then 2 lbs. Also TOM will always mask any loss I have for about a week, then when its done poof, there it all goes.0 -
What has truly worked for me is activity tracking. I'm down about 62 pounds since starting two years ago. I used a Fitbit tracker...about $50. You wear it, put it in a pocket...whatever works for you. It provides both an APP and a friend network. It tracks your movement (steps) and is compatible with MFP. Pay a lot of attention to the nutrition pie chart on MFP. Try to balance your dietary intake such that fat, protein, and carbs each account for about 30 to 35%. Get yourself some friends on my Fitness Pal...encouragement from people who understand is great for motivation. Best wishes for success.0
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From a look in your diary, you are just really getting started so 1 have patience. Now the other I saw some suspect things:
1.; An entry for dry cake mix and nothing that went with it
2. Multiple entries that look like they were recipes created by other MFP members, stay away from these as you don't know what they cooked with and included in their calculations. The ribs is one of these.
3. Some days look like you haven't fulled logged everything
These are just a few
Please read the accurate logging link that's already been given.
Question with what to do with the ribs in that situation. The meat didn't have nutritional info on the package because it came from a traditional butcher shop. Also, my family cooked it, so it was a large portion and I really struggle with figuring out how to cut it into smaller portions and be correct when it comes to calories. Where should I get the caloric information for the meat if I scan the barcode and no nutritional information is available?0 -
Breakfast, Breakfast, Breakfast!!!! They say it's the most important meal of the day for a reason! I typically blend fruit, powdered peanut butter, and protein mix in with milk and have that for breakfast.
They "say" its the most important meal of the day, to get you to buy a box of cereal from their company.
Meal timing is irrelevant to weight loss. Its your overall caloric deficit that matters.0 -
I agree with whomever said to lay off the carbs - at least while you are getting started. If you are not exercising, then the glycogen stores you need from carbs will not matter at the beginning anyway. If I have protein, a veggie, and some fruit for breakfast, again for lunch, and again for dinner, I can honestly see a difference in my weight almost daily. As you body gets used to your new diet and weight loss, after a couple of weeks, you can eventually add back in a carb here and a carb there, and this also helps you to identify what stalls your weight loss and what doesn't. For me personally, I guess you could say I'm about 80% paleo, and then about 20 % not so paleo :-) In other words, I cave on certain days like a normal human being once in a while. This is the eating style that works best for me and where I see consistent results. If I am diligent 80% of the time, then having a grilled cheese sandwhich at the local street fair (which I did just this past weekend!) doesn't make me feel guilty, I can enjoy it completely, and I still lost weight. ( Of course, I probably walked about 5 miles that same day as well!) You MUST incorporate exercise to see some results though that will stick. I would start simply with walking at a comfortable pace for as long as you can. It will happen - good luck! I am training myself to be a runner and I've realized that to have any endurance at all, I need a few good carbs here and there :-)0
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6/12 stuck out to me, a few days with no breakfast but if you are a meal skipper then that is that
If you are confident in your logging then maybe you should look into getting a checkup and see if there are any other factors you should know about. Your calorie goal does not strike me as too low and you should definitely be seeing some results with it.
ETA: I would give it a bit more time though too, its annoying but sometimes it just takes time to see results. You see alot of people on here talk about huge drops the first few days but I have always been the opposite, it takes me a few weeks to see anything and I lose in spurts, nothing then 2 lbs, nothing then 2 lbs. Also TOM will always mask any loss I have for about a week, then when its done poof, there it all goes.
My weight fluctuates terribly. I was 297 for three days straight, and then I was 288 the next day, and 289 today. I use weight grapher to track trends but it's still frustrating. Interestingly, I actually weigh lower right before TOM by a pound or two.0 -
Look for entries marked "USDA". Also, entries marked with an asterisk (*) are entered by other MFP members, so they may or may not be accurate -- I try to choose entries without an asterisk if possible when I'm not eating food from a package. Finally, I stay away from entries marked "generic," since they're almost never actually what you're eating.From a look in your diary, you are just really getting started so 1 have patience. Now the other I saw some suspect things:
1.; An entry for dry cake mix and nothing that went with it
2. Multiple entries that look like they were recipes created by other MFP members, stay away from these as you don't know what they cooked with and included in their calculations. The ribs is one of these.
3. Some days look like you haven't fulled logged everything
These are just a few
Please read the accurate logging link that's already been given.
Question with what to do with the ribs in that situation. The meat didn't have nutritional info on the package because it came from a traditional butcher shop. Also, my family cooked it, so it was a large portion and I really struggle with figuring out how to cut it into smaller portions and be correct when it comes to calories. Where should I get the caloric information for the meat if I scan the barcode and no nutritional information is available?0 -
Breakfast, Breakfast, Breakfast!!!! They say it's the most important meal of the day for a reason! I typically blend fruit, powdered peanut butter, and protein mix in with milk and have that for breakfast.
I don't really eat breakfast because I'm almost never hungry in the mornings. Some mornings I feel naseous when I think of food (and no, I'm not pregnant). I have to force myself to my daily apple in the morning just so I have something.0 -
Why is no one asking about the exercise? I know you said you are not, is there an important reason why? Logging food correctly really only is half of it, burning more really matters.0
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Ok don't listen to the 'less carb' or 'eat breakfast' stuff... it's totally irrelevant.
If you're going to use cooked meat, look either for a USDA option with 'cooked', or just 'pork ribs cooked' and MFP's entries should pop up (they don't have asterisks if you use a computer, otherwise typically they come in oz and grams so it's easy to find them).0
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