Just Not Losing

Options
Hello there everyone. I have been using this app to watch what I eat and track my exercise and all that. I have been making a lot of changes since mid-May, including more fruits and vegetables, less breads and pasta, and more lean meats. I started out with my settings on losing 2 pounds a week and realized that I was actually eating too little. After changing my goal to losing 1 pound a week a couple weeks ago I saw great results the first week, losing 3 pounds in one week (though a little of that could have been bloating..ladies know what I mean) However, when I weighed myself this week at the same time I did last week before eating anything the scale says that I have now gained back 1.8 pounds. My BMR is around 1690 and my net calories for this week have been between 1300-1550 each day. I have so far this week done 114 minutes of cardio as well as some strength training and I am struggling to understand what I am doing wrong. It is now almost mid-June and I have only managed to lose (and keep off) roughly 5 pounds. I am trying to get down to 130 and am right now at about 191. I could really use some advice. Thanks.

Replies

  • katiepaulson1997
    Options
    No replies yet so...
    Bump :smooched:
  • TudorRose2013
    TudorRose2013 Posts: 25 Member
    Options
    I took a quick look at your food diary and most days you are well over on your sodium. Excess sodium will cause your body to retain water and you'll see a gain on the scale (water weight) instead of a loss. How much water are you drinking? Keep logging your food (you're doing great!), reduce high-sodium foods and be sure to drink plenty of water. :)
  • katiepaulson1997
    Options
    Thanks for the response. I know I have a bad habit of eating those pretzels but they're good. :blushing:
    I suppose this could be the reason I also gained half an inch on my waist. I have been drinking plenty of water and once again thanks.
  • TudorRose2013
    TudorRose2013 Posts: 25 Member
    Options
    The pretzels may seem like the obvious offender, but go over your food diary and look for high sodium hidden in foods you eat often. For instance, anything labeled "Fat Free" or "Light" like your salad dressings or condiments are high in sodium (sure they remove the fat, but replace it with extra sugar and salt to make it taste palatable), hot dogs, lunch meat... Pretty much anything processed! See if you can find lower-sodium alternatives for foods you eat often and drink plenty of water to flush the excess sodium out of your system.

    I eat out Fri/Sat nights and those meals are usually high in sodium (darn Chipotle!), and I ALWAYS see a 'gain' on the scale come Monday morning. I know it's the water I've retained from the excess sodium, so I just increase my water intake for a day or two and the scale goes back down.
  • MKEgal
    MKEgal Posts: 3,250 Member
    Options
    My BMR is around 1690 and my net calories for this week have been between 1300-1550 each day...
    ... I am trying to get down to 130 and am right now at about 191.
    Ignore net calories.
    To maintain your current weight, you need 1900 cal per day.
    To lose 1 lb per week, cut 500 cal = 1400 cal per day.
    Or you could jump right to eating to support your goal weight (1300 cal per day).
    Aim for that total calorie level most days.

    My doctor says to treat exercise as a bonus toward weight loss, since most loss comes from controlling what you eat.
    Once in a while if you're really hungry at the end of the day, you can eat back 1/3 to 1/2 of what you burned in exercise.
    I have so far this week done 114 minutes of cardio as well as some strength training and I am struggling to understand what I am doing wrong.
    To _maintain_ your goal weight you need to do 30 min of moderate intensity cardio at least 5 days a week.
    To lose weight, you may have to do twice that.
    Here it's Friday & you've done 3 days' worth of maintenance-level exercise.

    "Most weight loss occurs because of decreased caloric intake.
    However, evidence shows the only way to maintain weight loss is to be engaged in regular physical activity."

    "To maintain your weight: work your way up to 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity, 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic activity, or an equivalent mix of the two each week."
    (The page explains moderate & vigorous.)
    http://www.cdc.gov/healthyweight/physical_activity/index.html
  • cardozojoann
    cardozojoann Posts: 85 Member
    Options
    Looking at your food diary I see a lot of processed foods. They are loaded with sodium and crap. It wouldn't matter how much water you drink because you will retain water with that much sodium. You should try to eat more fruit, veggies and lean meats. Cut out most processed foods and candy and you will be alright.
  • lindsey1979
    lindsey1979 Posts: 2,395 Member
    Options
    I see you eat a good deal of carbs. Now, this is just my suggestion and it may not be the issue for you, but it was the issue for me -- so keep that in mind. Do you know if you have insulin resistance? A lot of people have it and many don't know it -- over 40% of US adults have it at diabetic or prediabetic levels. That's a lot of people! And since it makes losing weight more difficult, I bet the percentage is even higher in overweight/obese individuals. I was only 30-40 lbs overweight (on a 5'9" frame) and I had it -- when I found out, I was SHOCKED. Absolutely shocked. I didn't think that was something you usually got until you were much, much heavier.

    If you do have this, it makes it much more difficult to lose weight eating a lot of carbs because of the wonky glucose metabolism. So, one of the things many people do that have IR is to cut back on the carbs. I personally keep mine 100g or below, often in the 60-80 g range. Some people go lower, some can tolerate higher. So, if you don't know if you have IR and don't want to go to the doctor (who does?), you could try that experiment -- reduce your carbs to 100g or less every day for a month and see if you lose weight more effectively. It really helped me. To do that, you usually have to focus on getting your carbs from just non-starchy vegetables and only occasional fruit. Most have to cut out grains and minimize fruit.

    I know a lot of people on this site will say it's only about calories and creating a caloric deficit. But, for some of us, that's not strictly true. Some of us need to create a caloric deficit in a very specific way -- by reducing carbs as well. We'll see much greater results with doing both -- cutting calories and cutting carbs (especially high glycemic carbs).

    I'm not sure if that's something you're willing to try, but it is a common issue for many. An upside to it I've found is that eating this way, I'm virtually NEVER hungry. Staying in my calories goals is super easy for me now. And, my sweet tooth has greatly reduced. I still like sweets of course, but a lot less satisfies me a lot sooner.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    Options
    My BMR is around 1690 and my net calories for this week have been between 1300-1550 each day...
    ... I am trying to get down to 130 and am right now at about 191.
    Ignore net calories.
    To maintain your current weight, you need 1900 cal per day.
    To lose 1 lb per week, cut 500 cal = 1400 cal per day.
    Or you could jump right to eating to support your goal weight (1300 cal per day).
    Aim for that total calorie level most days.

    My doctor says to treat exercise as a bonus toward weight loss, since most loss comes from controlling what you eat.
    Once in a while if you're really hungry at the end of the day, you can eat back 1/3 to 1/2 of what you burned in exercise.
    I have so far this week done 114 minutes of cardio as well as some strength training and I am struggling to understand what I am doing wrong.
    To _maintain_ your goal weight you need to do 30 min of moderate intensity cardio at least 5 days a week.
    To lose weight, you may have to do twice that.
    Here it's Friday & you've done 3 days' worth of maintenance-level exercise.

    "Most weight loss occurs because of decreased caloric intake.
    However, evidence shows the only way to maintain weight loss is to be engaged in regular physical activity."

    "To maintain your weight: work your way up to 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity, 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic activity, or an equivalent mix of the two each week."
    (The page explains moderate & vigorous.)
    http://www.cdc.gov/healthyweight/physical_activity/index.html

    Horrible advice. Sorry. You're absolutely supposed to take exercise into account in your calorie goal.

    OP, your weight will yoyo a lot. It's totally normal. As long as you're eating at a deficit, it's normal fluctuations from water weight. It's totally normal to gain weight occasionally, especially if you're eating too much sodium. Sometimes I go 2-3 weeks without losing anything. Make sure to weigh your food properly though so you know you're not overeating.
  • MelodyandBarbells
    MelodyandBarbells Posts: 7,725 Member
    Options
    Just wanted to add to some of the good advice you've been given. After changing your goal to 1 lb a week, there's now a bit less leeway as far as accuracy in recording your food and exercise goes. With 2 lbs deficit, your target is 1000 calories below maintenance per day. With 1 lb it's 500. As you can see, being off on a food item by about 200 calories will now have more of an impact, so it may be a bit more important at this stage to check if there are any things you can do to log more accurately. Check these out

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1234699-logging-accurately-step-by-step-guide

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1296011-calorie-counting-101
  • Mykaelous
    Mykaelous Posts: 231 Member
    Options
    I wouldn't worry about sodium. It may cause you to retain 4-10 lb's of excess water depending on how much sodium you are taking in, but once your body adjusts to the increased sodium, your weight loss should continue as normal. In my case for example when I started dieting I gained about 6-8 lb's but after the initial water retention I started loosing 2-2.5 lb's weekly consistently as predicted by MFP.
  • FindingAmy77
    FindingAmy77 Posts: 1,266 Member
    Options
    Congrats on all the small changes you have made this far. It is important to take into account that being a woman and losing weight is harder because we have to also track our menstruation cycles. They are directly related to bloating and weight gains and feeling more hungry. I for one get extra hungry and want to snack more and end up bloating on ovulation week (two weeks after period) and the middle of my pms week (the week before my period) until my period is almost over. Keeping track of my period cycle has helped me in understanding why I maintain or gain some weeks. You need to have patience. Just give it time and work the plan each day. Fill up your days with basic nonprocessed and bleached out and lab made foods. Eat more real food. You eat too many snacks because your body is wanting protein and fiber. People are right about the sodium. IF you are taking in these processed foods and sodium stuff then you need some balance by drinking at the very least 64 oz of water per day. I mean water. The other liquids you consume don't count towards that. This will help combat that bloating feeling. Also don't be afraid to eat back the exercise calories. IT may seem counteractive but eat more to lose more. This keeps your metabolism working. Just stick to the calories limit for a few more weeks and see how it goes. Also I suggest you use the water tracker on the food diary to see how much you are drinking. Just know sweetie that eating at a deficit is no easy and it takes lots and lots of trial and error and lots and lots of small changes and additions to get to your goal. IF it was easy everyone would do it. Focus on adding in new foods here and there and try to get the most vitamins you can when eating. I try to look at foods as healthy for me or useless calories. Not that I don't snack too. I do. Trying is the best we can do. Does mfp recommend the 1550 calories as a one lb a week goal? If so, then eat that and if you workout hard eat back those calories. You can do it.