Don't know what I am doing wrong...

AshleyEstavia2
AshleyEstavia2 Posts: 7 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I have been trying to loose a lot of weight for a very long time. I know it is supposed to be slow. i have been on a weight loss roller coaster for years. Recently I have started using MFP again and watched my calories and i am working out. about 3 days a week....I started that 2 weeks ago. First week I lost 5 lbs. In the second week, I gained a pound!!! im so frustrated because i worked hard at choosing my foods all week. Does any one have any suggestions or can relate to me? i feel like I'm going down a rabbit hole!.
Thanks,
Ashley

Replies

  • LessofBrian
    LessofBrian Posts: 44 Member
    Ashley,

    Chances are you lost a lot of fluid weight the first week. Don't give up! Just take it day by day and continue to log everything you eat. Before you know it the scale will begin to drop.

    You can do this.

    Brian
  • AshleyEstavia2
    AshleyEstavia2 Posts: 7 Member
    Thanks! Maybe I just need the support.
  • kristie874
    kristie874 Posts: 774 Member
    Give your body a few weeks to adjust to its new routine! The same thing happens to me every time I get back on track. It's ok, I promise! :flowerforyou:
  • Azurite27
    Azurite27 Posts: 554 Member
    Look at your average for several weeks. For example, over those two weeks you lost a total of 4 pounds or 2 pounds a week. You won't lose the same amount every week but averaged out it should match your efforts. Don't worry about it unless the average over several weeks is not where it should be.
  • Warren_Abrey
    Warren_Abrey Posts: 27 Member
    Hang in there... make logging a part of life, not just to compare to the scale.

    What I have really noticed much more than the scale is my clothes are getting bigger, even when the scale isn't moving.

    Keep working at it, before you know it you'll be needing to go shopping for different sizes :)
  • HeidiCooksSupper
    HeidiCooksSupper Posts: 3,839 Member
    Your weight is likely to vary by several pounds throughout the day and throughout the week. It's unlikely you actually lost 5 pounds of fat last week just as it is unlikely you gained a pound of fat this week if you are weighing and measuring your food and have calculated how many calories you need correctly.

    Look at it this way -- instead of losing 5 pounds last week and gaining one this week, you have lost an average of 2 pounds per week, which is darn good -- perhaps even too much to expect. Look at your running average a month or so from now to see your progress and adjust what you are doing.
  • janelavalley
    janelavalley Posts: 20 Member
    Stay strong, when I first started this I stayed the same for 2 weeks, then some weeks I lost a pound and next week gain 2 or 3 pounds. I was so frustrated but finally after a month or so I finally started seeing the pound leave me each week and sometimes more. I really believe its an individual process seeing that we are all made up differently. Give your body a chance to figure out that your doing something different now, it will come around.
  • LeonXC
    LeonXC Posts: 68
    It's frustrating enough to slip on your diet and gain weight. But when you're doing everything right - and the scale rewards you with a gain - that's really miserable. Everyone here will tell you this happens to everyone. hang in there. We're rooting for you.
  • AshleyEstavia2
    AshleyEstavia2 Posts: 7 Member
    Thanks everyone! i feel much better. i will give it more time and hopefully my body will change
  • Kevalicious99
    Kevalicious99 Posts: 1,131 Member
    First lesson ... ignore the scale. Period.

    But sadly it is what MFP is based on .. and honestly it is so stupid. But there are few other easy ways to tell what is going on. But the fact remains that the scale will weigh 100% of you .. and that fact makes it not a great true measure of success.

    It is really about body composition, but that is hard to put into practice in the real world. So .. for many the scale is it. :yawn:
  • Ansin529
    Ansin529 Posts: 47
    Have you calculated your BMR and shooting for at least a 500 calorie deficit... You might want to adjust your calories + or - a 100/200 calories... The scale can be a dieter's worst enemy... You can also loose inches off of various areas of your body and not see a significant difference on the scale, especially if you are working out as well... I am no expert, but I share things that have lead to consistent results for me...

    Good Luck and Keep Faith...

    P.S. My weight will fluctuate by as much as five pounds during a week and on day eight it will show a loss overall...
  • tjsoccermom
    tjsoccermom Posts: 500 Member
    Make sure you look at this long term, hard I know, but if you lose all you want in the end, it really doesn't matter how long it takes within reason. Make sure you are accurately counting your calories, so you might want to invest in a food scale, and keep in mind that MFP overestimates calorie burns, if that's what you are using to measure. I typically try to eat back only half of my exercise calories, at least until I can get something that will more accurately measure it for me. You can do this! Some weeks you won't lose anything or might be up a from the last weigh in and some weeks you might lose several pounds, it just isn't linear. Wish it were, would be easier to stay motivated! Best of luck to you, you absolutely can do this!
  • AshleyEstavia2
    AshleyEstavia2 Posts: 7 Member
    Thanks for the input!!! One day at a time..
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    Make sure also that you're not underestimating your food intake.
  • eels4peels
    eels4peels Posts: 229 Member
    First lesson ... ignore the scale. Period.

    Listen to this. Remember that the scale is only a tool used for measuring progress and nothing more. Try to use other sources of measurements as well. I know giving up on the scale helped me keep my sanity after being obsessed with numbers for 3 years.
  • melissamarie2196
    melissamarie2196 Posts: 42 Member
    I hear that it happens don't worry, it could just be water your doing GREAT hang in there and lets see how things look next week :)

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