First week and no loss!! Wth?

keljot
keljot Posts: 9 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Just finished my first week of counting calories and working out. I worked out for an hour 5 days and used approximately 1200 calories each day and lost nothing. What gives!? I can't give up because this weight has got to come off but I'm soooo disappointed!
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Replies

  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    You didn't gain it all in a week, you won't lose it in a week.
  • Maquillage_
    Maquillage_ Posts: 194 Member
    Weight loss is a journey, not a race. Like the member above me has said, you didn't gain it in a week, so you won't lose it that fast either!

    There will be some weeks when the scale goes down, there will be weeks when the numbers go up and there will be weeks when it will stay the same. That's just how weight loss works. Just because you do everything right doesn't mean it's going to show every step of the way.

    Just concentrate on eating healthier and moving more and trust me, the weight will come off. It just takes time and hard work. A week is nothing. You're in this for the long haul, so the results of one week don't determine the overall results. Keep up with your exercise and eat better and you will lose weight in the long run.
  • prettigirl01
    prettigirl01 Posts: 548 Member
    I feel the same what when I work hard and eat right and lose no weight and of course I get the same response you have. just keep doing what youre doing and eventually you will see some changes. sometimes you wont lose weight but you will have lost inches. as long as there is no gain then be happy with that
  • Veil5577
    Veil5577 Posts: 868 Member
    Patience is the key that will unlock this door for you.
  • randomtai
    randomtai Posts: 9,003 Member
    You didn't gain it all in a week, you won't lose it in a week.

    This.
  • mizroxy13
    mizroxy13 Posts: 466 Member
    Give your body a few weeks to adjust. You have to trust the process...even if it is sometimes slow. Just trust it and keep going! Also, make sure you're eating enough calories!
  • keljot
    keljot Posts: 9 Member
    Thanks guys! I know you're right and I need to be patient. Just thought if see the scale move on my first week. Regardless, I feel great and I AM going to get this weight off and make some permanent changes! :-)
  • WalkingAlong
    WalkingAlong Posts: 4,926 Member
    What sort of working out did you do? Often a new, tougher regimen causes water retention which masks fat loss.
  • Liftng4Lis
    Liftng4Lis Posts: 15,151 Member
    Patience is key and sometimes it gets very discouraging. One thing to ponder: Is the exercise new? This often causes water retention.
  • debubbie
    debubbie Posts: 767 Member
    I am sure most people will ask you how many pounds of weight you are trying to lose each week, if you are measuring your food to get accurate calorie counts, and if you are using MFP to calculate your exercise calories since they over estimate your calorie burn by 2-3 times more than what you do.

    You may need to look at those things to see if they are interfering with your weight loss. Not knowing your weight or your goals, I think the 1200 calories a day sounds low but I could be wrong.
  • dwgelona
    dwgelona Posts: 1
    It took me a whole five weeks of reduced calories and exercise before I even lost an ounce. I was losing inches but the scale refused to move, even a fraction of a pound. It was very discouraging, but after that agonizing wait period, it started to melt off. Just give it time, it will catch up. Don't put all your hopes into the number on the scale, either. That doesn't tell you everything.
  • AmyRhubarb
    AmyRhubarb Posts: 6,890 Member
    Key words are "first week". :tongue:

    This ain't the Biggest Loser - the massive losses portrayed on that show, or in infomercials for exercise programs and weight loss products are not realistic.

    You've made some changes - cutting cals, adding new exercise and demanding more of your body - give it time to adjust to these new things. Sore muscles will retain water for repair, and it can take the body a good 4-6 weeks to adjust to a new calorie intake. And as others already said. you didn't gain it in a week, you're not going to lose it in a week.

    Slow and steady is the way to lose it and keep it off.

    Eat your calories (and by the way - you should be eating at least a good portion of burned exercise cals back - NET cals should be at or near goal at the end of the day or you're likely eating too little, especially with just a 1200 cal goal), drink water, exercise, take rest days, get good sleep, and have patience. It works!
  • thiswillhappen
    thiswillhappen Posts: 634 Member
    I hear you sister!!! I've been watching my calories and exercising daily for the past three weeks and I've actually GAINED a few pounds which makes NO SENSE. But I try not to get discouraged and not let the scale dictate my success. It will come eventually! I just have to not give up.
  • iggyboo93
    iggyboo93 Posts: 524 Member
    Key words are "first week". :tongue:

    This ain't the Biggest Loser - the massive losses portrayed on that show, or in infomercials for exercise programs and weight loss products are not realistic.

    You've made some changes - cutting cals, adding new exercise and demanding more of your body - give it time to adjust to these new things. Sore muscles will retain water for repair, and it can take the body a good 4-6 weeks to adjust to a new calorie intake. And as others already said. you didn't gain it in a week, you're not going to lose it in a week.

    Slow and steady is the way to lose it and keep it off.

    Eat your calories (and by the way - you should be eating at least a good portion of burned exercise cals back - NET cals should be at or near goal at the end of the day or you're likely eating too little, especially with just a 1200 cal goal), drink water, exercise, take rest days, get good sleep, and have patience. It works!

    ^^ This. I never seem to lose weight at the beginning of a new diet/exercise program. But then after a couple weeks, the miracle begins - I start to steadily and consistently lose weight. However, watching the sodium is a huge deal for me - if I go over a lot on sodium for even one day, the scale reflects it the next day. Continue with logging food accurately, exercise, drink your water and sleep. The weight will come off.
  • ChrisM8971
    ChrisM8971 Posts: 1,067 Member
    Weight will come off provided you are in a deficit and are being accurate in your logging.

    Do you weigh all of the food you eat and measure everything you drink?

    Do you check the calories shown for the foods you eat (against packets or other on line sources) because there is a lot of inaccurate data on here?

    Do you, where possible, use the FDA (not marked *) data and look for those with the most member confirmations?

    Did you provide accurate information when setting up your account on MFP

    If you are doing all of the above (and opening your diary would help people identify any inaccuracies) then barring a medical condition you will begin to lose weight
  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,942 Member
    Just finished my first week of counting calories and working out. I worked out for an hour 5 days and used approximately 1200 calories each day and lost nothing. What gives!? I can't give up because this weight has got to come off but I'm soooo disappointed!
    What gives is that it's the first week. Patience is a virtue with this business. :wink:

    If you get to four weeks and have not lost a single pound, come back here, open your diary, and then we can give you some concrete advice.

    But a week? Not enough time. :smile:
  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,942 Member
    Thanks guys! I know you're right and I need to be patient. Just thought if see the scale move on my first week. Regardless, I feel great and I AM going to get this weight off and make some permanent changes! :-)
    Now, THAT's the attitude. You go!

    ETA: I see you only want to lose 25 pounds. Slow and easy does it. Set your goals to lose .5 pounds per week. Anything more than that is too aggressive.
  • AquaticQuests
    AquaticQuests Posts: 947 Member
    If you are only 16lbs off your optimum bodyweight then you can expect it to come off much slower then someone who is hundreds of lbs above their optimum!
    The closer you get to optimum the slower it comes off unless unhealthy / unsustainable methods are resorted to!
  • keljot
    keljot Posts: 9 Member
    Could very well be the working out. I have been doing about 40-45 minutes of cardio (elliptical/treadmill) and another 15-20 minutes of weights. Possibly water retention for sore muscles??

    I definitely do not under estimate my calorie intake. If anything, I over estimate. I just found out a few days ago that I'm not eating enough tho because at 1200 calories, I wasn't eating back any of my earned activity calories. Will definitely be doing that from now on.

    I am 5'5", 168 lbs. and have set my diary to lose 1 lb/week for those of you who were wondering about that.
  • gail1961
    gail1961 Posts: 111 Member
    I could have written this 6 months ago! February 1st 1 week in, 1200 calories, 5 work outs a week, up .6 pounds! I was ready to quit! Weeks with little loss and ready to quit again week 5 only down 2.3. Glad I didn't quit. Eventually things started moving. Like you I didn't have much to lose and I'm a little older. I see SO many posts where people say if you are at 1200 calories it's too low and you can't possibly be logging correctly. For small women over 40 that's not true. My BMR & TDEE ARE BOTH LOW. Hang in there! Like others said it takes time and we know loss is harder than gaining!
  • TheNewPriceIsLoading
    TheNewPriceIsLoading Posts: 2,135 Member
    Just finished my first week of counting calories and working out. I worked out for an hour 5 days and used approximately 1200 calories each day and lost nothing. What gives!? I can't give up because this weight has got to come off but I'm soooo disappointed!

    Muscle build.
  • missdibs1
    missdibs1 Posts: 1,092 Member
    You didn't gain it all in a week, you won't lose it in a week.


    This ^^^^

    I know you don't want to hear this but it's true

    Took me years
  • Brolympus
    Brolympus Posts: 360 Member
    Weight goes on a hell of a lot faster than it comes off. You need to be more patient. It is also possible you didn't calculate your calorie goal right, maybe it needs to be adjusted.
  • crossfire266
    crossfire266 Posts: 25
    You're miss calculating your calories, you're eating way more than you think you are

    ^^TRUTH
  • burtyo
    burtyo Posts: 2
    Your body is in shock and is hunkering down for hard times so, on its own, and to keep you alive, it threw your metabolism into the basement. This week your body will figure out that this is the new normal and you will see good results at the end of next week. A pound or two per week should be viewed as a great success.
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    Just finished my first week of counting calories and working out. I worked out for an hour 5 days and used approximately 1200 calories each day and lost nothing. What gives!? I can't give up because this weight has got to come off but I'm soooo disappointed!

    Muscle build.

    No
  • burtyo
    burtyo Posts: 2
    Eat to lose weight too. If you can manage it, spread your food out as much as possible. Keeps that metabolism humming. Too few calories will cause yet another stall. You are doing great, and as you wisely observed, how you feel is what this is all about.
  • bwogilvie
    bwogilvie Posts: 2,130 Member
    Muscle build.

    Definitely not this. Women can put on about 1 pound of muscle per month, typically, and that's with heavy lifting and eating a calorie surplus with lots of protein. Even those who gain muscle more quickly without using drugs (there are some) still have to do the heavy lifting and eating at a calorie surplus.

    Muscles can get stronger without getting bigger (improved coordination between fibers, more capillaries in the muscle tissue, etc.). Many people don't seem to know this. The fact that you can lift more now than you could 4 weeks ago doesn't necessarily mean that you have added any muscle mass.
  • yesenia_vargas32
    yesenia_vargas32 Posts: 1 Member
    I've been doing insanity for 5-6 weeks but only starting tracking calories about 2 weeks ago. Turned out I was still eating too much which is why I wasn't seeing results. So I finally lost about 3 lbs. I was so excited. Now I'm slowly gaining it back, and it's killing me. I get that you have to be patient at first, but this is crazy. Makes no sense to me. I feel almost exactly the same, and no one else has really noticed a difference either. Maybe a tiny one. Sigh.
  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,942 Member
    Eat to lose weight too. If you can manage it, spread your food out as much as possible. Keeps that metabolism humming. Too few calories will cause yet another stall. You are doing great, and as you wisely observed, how you feel is what this is all about.
    No, food frequency has nothing to do with metabolism.

    No, too few calories will make you lose weight.

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