Not losing weight :(

Arcaenah
Arcaenah Posts: 37 Member
in Motivation and Support
I am SO disappointed, I'm not losing weight, I actually got some. My belly is shrinking though, but I was really really sad when looking at the numbers on the scale this morning. I've been keeping a very low caloric intake, although I'm paying attention to all the macros, and exercising regularly. What should I do?
:sad:

Replies

  • jennyofmiller
    jennyofmiller Posts: 6
    You should not put the pressure on yourself to lose weight. You don't have to be on any diet , you have to change your lifestyle. Eat healthy. Include blueberries because they are one of the healthiest fruit, almond or other nuts, eggs and the food full of proteins. Exercise: walk more, run a little bit, laugh a lot. Make your life interesting and do the things that make you happy. In that way you will lose weight, if you are satisfied. And, drink water, not only to hydrate yourself but also to have nicer skin and look more beautiful.
  • epadmeister
    epadmeister Posts: 102 Member
    How long have you been trying to lose weight for?
    How many calories are you consuming a day?
    How much exercise are you doing?
    How many calories are you netting a day?

    Also, if you open your diary we can try and make suggestions :smile:
    I've been keeping a very low caloric intake

    How low are we talking? Better not be any less than 1200 or my head will explode! :explode:
  • JoanneKendrick
    JoanneKendrick Posts: 151 Member
    Bless you it's hard when you see the scale not moving. I have been doing mfp for around 2 months now. I have not lost any weight and at first was very upset about it. Then a month ago I started taking measurements and I noticed I started loosing inches off my thighs, arms, tummy, hips and waist. I also started to feel better in myself, sleeping better and I have not been getting hardly any mouth ulcers as suffer we these badly.

    So I am taking each day as it comes and being as healthy as I can. I exercise 5 times a week and do have the treats sometimes.

    Hang in there .

    Jo xx
  • fejiofor
    fejiofor Posts: 373 Member
    I started exercising January 2014 because my blood pressure was high and I didn't lose any weight in the first 5 months. It was very discouraging but my BP dropped so that encouraged me to do more. I enrolled at a gym to better motivate myself,started logging my food and alas I lost 10 pounds in the 7th month. So be rest assured the weight will come off,its just about time and dedication. Use the measure tape as well to grade your progress,it's more encouraging than scales.
  • Arcaenah
    Arcaenah Posts: 37 Member
    (Sorry for typos but iPad's keyboard sucks)

    @jennoyfmiller: I'm paying a lot of attention to this, I'm not eating junk food or using way too processed foods, I try to keep it simple. It's just really hard to control what my mom cooks, she tries to keep it healthy but I can't put too much pressure on her too, so when I'm back to my place I'll shop in a much healthier way. Thank you for the excellent advice! :)

    @epadmeister: I just opened my diary, but you should know that both my intake and nettings are under 1200, I just checked... Please don't explode ???? as I said before, since I'm not one who cooks for now, I don't want to impose myself so I just eat less. Plus, since my stomach has shrunk a lot I can't really force myself to eat more, even if I try. Activity wise I'm trying to exercise at least 3/4 times a week, I've got a hernia in my lombar area so I've been trying to figure out which kind of exercise doesn't basically paralyze me for the next two days.

    @JoanneKendric, thank you so much for your support! I'll make sure to start measuring myself tomorrow morning, would you recommend any specific time of the day? ????

    @feijofor, thank you for your support and WOW, your willpower amazes me, I don't know if I could have made it!
  • mstran137
    mstran137 Posts: 7
    http://jessicarodriguezfitness.com/i-just-started-working-out-why-am-i-gaining/
    Hope this help
  • epadmeister
    epadmeister Posts: 102 Member
    Oof, you poor thing! The hernia in your disc must be painful, well done for exercising - you're a champion! :happy:

    And thanks for opening your diary :) I would of course say "eat more" but it's easier said than done. I noticed on your previpus posts that you've only been doing this for a few weeks?

    *pulls up chair, spotlight hits me* lemme tell you somethin' chick :tongue: As long as you're eating a decent amount BUT still at a deficit, and you're exercising, you will lose weight. I noticed absolutely nothing different about me until about 8 weeks in. Did I give up in those eight weeks?! NO! Was I feeling exactly the same way as you after a few weeks? Hell yes! I felt like I was getting nowhere :sad:
    Rest assured the weight will come off,its just about time and dedication. Use the measure tape as well to grade your progress,it's more encouraging than scales.

    Yes, yes and yes. So true! Just make sure you are sensible about it. Here's a calorie calculator I used to determine how many calories I should be netting to lose a certain amount of weight: I'd never aim for more than 0.5kgs loss a week :)

    http://scoobysworkshop.com/accurate-calorie-calculator/
  • Michifan
    Michifan Posts: 95 Member
    Weight is just one metric.

    Those of us with the most to lose get more weight loss, but as a percentage of total weight it is humbling. The closer you are to your body's theoretical proper weight, the marginal weight loss is harder.

    However, measuring your body, judging your emotional well being and overall just having a long term plan that you can say is on track are other measures. Same with having fitness goals (walk forex minutes, then y miles then improving on both).
  • Liftng4Lis
    Liftng4Lis Posts: 15,151 Member
    Shrinking belly = success. Relax, you're doing great, it will come.
    P.S. eat more
  • Arcaenah
    Arcaenah Posts: 37 Member
    Oof, you poor thing! The hernia in your disc must be painful, well done for exercising - you're a champion! :happy:

    And thanks for opening your diary :) I would of course say "eat more" but it's easier said than done. I noticed on your previpus posts that you've only been doing this for a few weeks?

    *pulls up chair, spotlight hits me* lemme tell you somethin' chick :tongue: As long as you're eating a decent amount BUT still at a deficit, and you're exercising, you will lose weight. I noticed absolutely nothing different about me until about 8 weeks in. Did I give up in those eight weeks?! NO! Was I feeling exactly the same way as you after a few weeks? Hell yes! I felt like I was getting nowhere :sad:
    Rest assured the weight will come off,its just about time and dedication. Use the measure tape as well to grade your progress,it's more encouraging than scales.

    Yes, yes and yes. So true! Just make sure you are sensible about it. Here's a calorie calculator I used to determine how many calories I should be netting to lose a certain amount of weight: I'd never aim for more than 0.5kgs loss a week :)

    http://scoobysworkshop.com/accurate-calorie-calculator/

    Thank you for the website, I'll use it right away to calculate how much I'll need to net. Anyway, thank you for the support! Today, which I chose to be my cheat day, I had a good lunch - which I could barely finish - a lot of meat and potatoes, so I also started working on the rewarding part. I was afraid I couldn't make myself eat it, and I still am afraid that this won't help me reduce my weight... You know I feel really bad because I basically weigh as much as my boyfriend. I don't do this for him or for anybody else but me, but still... You know!
  • Arcaenah
    Arcaenah Posts: 37 Member
    http://jessicarodriguezfitness.com/i-just-started-working-out-why-am-i-gaining/
    Hope this help

    Thank you! I read it, and I think that the soreness might be contributing to it too, I've been having it basically every day now since I've exercised a lot and in many different ways.
  • brianpperkins
    brianpperkins Posts: 6,124 Member
    If you're not the one cooking and preparing your meals, how are you measuring them to ensure you log accurately?
  • mandez19
    mandez19 Posts: 179
    Just focus on long term results. I was 210 lbs. 5 days ago and I am 212 lbs. today, 213 lbs yesterday, etc... having gone under my goal every day so far. The body is a complex thing - don't stress yourself out about the number on the scale. You said yourself your look better. So you should feel better.

    Would you sell your stocks today if they were down $0.08 per stock? No because they will probably be up $0.30 over the course of the month. The difference is you have complete control over your body, so you can guarantee yourself results by focusing on what is important each day, the number on the scale is not important each day.
  • yopeeps025
    yopeeps025 Posts: 8,680 Member
    I am SO disappointed, I'm not losing weight, I actually got some. My belly is shrinking though, but I was really really sad when looking at the numbers on the scale this morning. I've been keeping a very low caloric intake, although I'm paying attention to all the macros, and exercising regularly. What should I do?
    :sad:

    So you are losing fat. That is great right?

    Reevaluate this very low calories intake.

    What does MFP say when you plug in your stats?
  • Megan101792
    Megan101792 Posts: 3,194 Member
    I am SO disappointed, I'm not losing weight, I actually got some. My belly is shrinking though, but I was really really sad when looking at the numbers on the scale this morning. I've been keeping a very low caloric intake, although I'm paying attention to all the macros, and exercising regularly. What should I do?
    :sad:

    So you are losing fat. That is great right?

    Reevaluate this very low calories intake.

    What does MFP say when you plug in your stats?

    what he said
  • xShreddx
    xShreddx Posts: 127 Member
    All great advice here...isn't the MFP community awesome?!! I'd only add that it's a good goal to try not to weigh yourself every day. I struggle with this because I feel like I'm learning more about how my body is reacting to my new healthy lifestyle but as someone said here, the body is confusing! As the wonderful epadmeister said ;) your NET calories is what you need to focus on.

    One last recommendation, focus on your carbs macro and try to be aggressive in lowering. I did some research on ketosis and decided to lower my carbs. When I did, I started losing weight a bit faster. Good luck and take it one day at a time!
  • Mohana94
    Mohana94 Posts: 54
    I am SO disappointed, I'm not losing weight, I actually got some. My belly is shrinking though, but I was really really sad when looking at the numbers on the scale this morning. I've been keeping a very low caloric intake, although I'm paying attention to all the macros, and exercising regularly. What should I do?
    :sad:

    Hey it can be slow sometimes.. don't worry and don't give up.

    1.Weigh yourself once a week perhaps on Saturday mornings before breakfast. Your weight changes through the day slightly. so it's best to weigh once a week at a specific time to keep track.

    2. Don't just weigh yourself. Measure as well. sometimes the scales do not show the progress that is happening.

    3. Do not overestimate your exercise and underestimate your calorie intake. If you're going to the gym, do not read the calories burned off the machines as they are often inaccurate. It's best to invest in a heart rate monitor.

    4. You can't expect to lose a lot of weight in a short amount of time. So be patient!

    All the best! You can do it :flowerforyou:
  • Arcaenah
    Arcaenah Posts: 37 Member
    If you're not the one cooking and preparing your meals, how are you measuring them to ensure you log accurately?

    I eat raw stuff which I can weight and, if not already in the database, add in the category "my food". I also ask my mom how much of what she put in what she cooks, but she can't always remember it correctly, and she's not really fond of precise quantities when cooking. Sometimes when she's making something I think that will be too much for me I cook my own dinner, but she feels kind of disappointed, since I'm only here for a few days in the holidays and she really loves cooking for the whole family...
  • Arcaenah
    Arcaenah Posts: 37 Member
    Just focus on long term results. I was 210 lbs. 5 days ago and I am 212 lbs. today, 213 lbs yesterday, etc... having gone under my goal every day so far. The body is a complex thing - don't stress yourself out about the number on the scale. You said yourself your look better. So you should feel better.

    Would you sell your stocks today if they were down $0.08 per stock? No because they will probably be up $0.30 over the course of the month. The difference is you have complete control over your body, so you can guarantee yourself results by focusing on what is important each day, the number on the scale is not important each day.

    Thank you for the excellent example :) I'm just so used to the "traditional" measuring way, sometimes I can't help but feel like that if the number on the scale doesn't correspond to my expectations and hopes I'm a failure.
  • Arcaenah
    Arcaenah Posts: 37 Member
    I am SO disappointed, I'm not losing weight, I actually got some. My belly is shrinking though, but I was really really sad when looking at the numbers on the scale this morning. I've been keeping a very low caloric intake, although I'm paying attention to all the macros, and exercising regularly. What should I do?
    :sad:

    So you are losing fat. That is great right?

    Reevaluate this very low calories intake.

    What does MFP say when you plug in your stats?

    It says my netting is too low :ohwell:
  • Arcaenah
    Arcaenah Posts: 37 Member
    All great advice here...isn't the MFP community awesome?!! I'd only add that it's a good goal to try not to weigh yourself every day. I struggle with this because I feel like I'm learning more about how my body is reacting to my new healthy lifestyle but as someone said here, the body is confusing! As the wonderful epadmeister said ;) your NET calories is what you need to focus on.

    One last recommendation, focus on your carbs macro and try to be aggressive in lowering. I did some research on ketosis and decided to lower my carbs. When I did, I started losing weight a bit faster. Good luck and take it one day at a time!

    I know! I have received nothing but great advice and indiscriminate support here, and thank you too for your advice. I will pay more attention to that, I've got to find a good grocery nearby my place in Rome so that I can stock regularly. As soon as I get home I'll clean up my pantry and stock up on fresh fruit and veggies!
    As for my net calories, they're pretty low, should I focus on a netting that goes around 1200 calories a day?
  • Arcaenah
    Arcaenah Posts: 37 Member
    I am SO disappointed, I'm not losing weight, I actually got some. My belly is shrinking though, but I was really really sad when looking at the numbers on the scale this morning. I've been keeping a very low caloric intake, although I'm paying attention to all the macros, and exercising regularly. What should I do?
    :sad:

    Hey it can be slow sometimes.. don't worry and don't give up.

    1.Weigh yourself once a week perhaps on Saturday mornings before breakfast. Your weight changes through the day slightly. so it's best to weigh once a week at a specific time to keep track.

    2. Don't just weigh yourself. Measure as well. sometimes the scales do not show the progress that is happening.

    3. Do not overestimate your exercise and underestimate your calorie intake. If you're going to the gym, do not read the calories burned off the machines as they are often inaccurate. It's best to invest in a heart rate monitor.

    4. You can't expect to lose a lot of weight in a short amount of time. So be patient!

    All the best! You can do it :flowerforyou:

    Thank you, I hope everything is going well for you too :)
  • adamitri
    adamitri Posts: 614 Member
    This is currently happening to me, but taking my measurements parts of my body are decreasing so I can be patient.
  • yopeeps025
    yopeeps025 Posts: 8,680 Member
    I am SO disappointed, I'm not losing weight, I actually got some. My belly is shrinking though, but I was really really sad when looking at the numbers on the scale this morning. I've been keeping a very low caloric intake, although I'm paying attention to all the macros, and exercising regularly. What should I do?
    :sad:

    So you are losing fat. That is great right?

    Reevaluate this very low calories intake.

    What does MFP say when you plug in your stats?

    It says my netting is too low :ohwell:

    Large deficit for long term can stall weight loss.
  • emdeesea
    emdeesea Posts: 1,823 Member
    You're not eating enough, for one thing. You're barely breaking 1,000 calories a day on most of the days I looked at in your diary. Is there a reason you're not eating more than 1,000 a day?
  • Arcaenah
    Arcaenah Posts: 37 Member
    My stomach has shrunk, so I can't take as much food as before. I'm also not able to check on ingredients all the time, since I'm at my parents' now and I'm not the one who's cooking, and I don't feel like stressing her all the time. She tries to meet my needs of course, but we're four people. Plus, except for today, I was snacking constantly, which I thought that would help me keep it up
  • roeroe5
    roeroe5 Posts: 27
    Really watch what you are drinking. See you love coffee, some brands have more cals than others. LAW - if it goes into your mouth logg it, every lick or sip of anything! (Esp for the initial phase or at a stall)
  • Arcaenah
    Arcaenah Posts: 37 Member
    Really watch what you are drinking. See you love coffee, some brands have more cals than others. LAW - if it goes into your mouth logg it, every lick or sip of anything! (Esp for the initial phase or at a stall)

    I'm basically driving people crazy, I log everything. I know it might be weird for them, but I really need it to keep everything under control.
  • Markdjones83
    Markdjones83 Posts: 852 Member
    I'm with ya, I am "skinny fat" . I have skinny everywhere but my belly. You know typical out of shape guy. Been going pretty hard for 4 weeks and I've dropped a pound or so, but doesn't appear to do much to the belly.

    Just being patient and once I finish a couple rounds of this T25 Gamma going to look at getting some more weight training in there.

    I will say I feel much much better. I sometimes have anxiety and over worry about litlte things and since I started working out I feel a lot better and do less of that!

    Good luck and keep motivated

Categories