What am I doing wrong??? (long post)

EllaKeat · January 2011

Hi everyone,

I wonder if someone clever can help me? I am starting to get really down....

Background: 50 years old, went through early menopause following breast cancer treatments, piled weight on over the past 4 years. Now weigh 9st 13ibs, height 5ft 2 ins.
Old me: Exercise was walking the dog every day, typical food was no breakfast (apart from coffee), sandwich, crisps, mars bar for lunch. Healthy dinner, but accompanied by 2 glasses of wine, at least one bar of chocolate a night.
New me: started on 27th December. Exercise: 30 mins wii fit, 30 mins wii fitness trainer, 30 mins brisk walk. Breakfast: porridgewith blueberries or grapes, midmorning, tangerine, lunch, poached egg with wholemeal roll, healthy dinner, one glass of wine, no chocolates.

I have been religiously following this new regime, and can see that I have toned up, but I have only lost 2lbs since I started this a month ago!! I am at the point of throwing my hands up in depair and returning to eating lovely chocolate every day.

I am obviously doing something wrong, but I don't know what. I have used the tools on this site to record my food and never go above 1200 cals a day. I am never hungry, so do not believe I need more. Any ideas?

Thank you for any help or support you can give me.

cupcakelover103 · January 2011

Have you been measuring yourself?? Last week i lost 0 pounds, but noticed my clothes fit looser. Turns out i'd lost a few inches

Keep going, i know it can be discouraging when the scale doesn't reflect your efforts, but remember that it doesn't always tell the truth. Also, make sure your eating enough. Get as close to your 1,200 goal as possible each day as over a period of time your body will go into 'starvation mode'.
Other than that, make sure you're measuring out portions correctly and not overestimating exercise cals and just don't give up

esorcel · January 2011

I can make suggestions if I am able to see your diary. When you are in FOODS, go to SETTINGS, and change your diary to PUBLIC.

WhiteStar2351 · January 2011

A very quick reply as I'm meant to be at work and haven't even left yet!! :laugh:

You've actually answered your own question with the phrase "and can see that I've toned up". Every body knows the old saying "muscle weighs more then fat" - actually it doesn't; 1lb of muscle weighs the same as 1lb of fat - HOWEVER, muscle is far more dense then fat so where as 1lb of muscle may be about the size of your fist - 1lb of fat would be 2-3 times the size of this. As you're eating a healthier diet and exercising you will most definitely be gaining new muscular mass whilst simultaneously losing body fat - especially if you haven't followed a rigorous training schedule previously.

Never, never, NEVER base your weight loss goals on body weight alone as there is simply not enough information there to know how you're progressing. Its the same as a car salesman trying to sell you a car based on the weight of it - if he said "I'll sell you this car, which weighs 2.4 tonne for £9,000" you'd want to know what type of car it was, etc. It's the same with body weight - you say you have only lost 2lbs, but that may not be the case. If your body composition (i.e. levels of body fat) are decreasing (which they obviously are as you look more toned) then you're building new muscle at a similar rate to that which you are losing it.

Another example - I'm 5'7 and weigh 15 stone. I work with a guy that is 6ft 2 that weighs 12st 7lbs. He has a 42" waist, I have a 32" waist. The difference is that I train regularly and eat a healthy diet suitable for my needs. He doesn't. My bodyfat percentage is very low, whereas his is very high. If you look at the weight alone then he looks much healthier than I. The same applies to you!

Don't lose heart - keep up the good work! If you want to properly track your weight loss then invest in either a cheap pair of body fat callipers or some body fat reading scales (though remember that neither method is fool proof - changes in temperature, time of day, water consumption, etc can effect results). Weigh yourself once every week on them, note down the body fat percentage, and provided that overall its going down - you're doing the right thing; regardless of body weight!

Good luck!!

WEN575 · January 2011

sometimes it takes your body a while to "reset" itself to your new regime. If you've only been doing this for a month you might need to give it more time. As you are 50 and had some health issues, your body is probably "out of whack" and it needs to adjust to your new regimen. Just keep going, lots of lovely people here will give you support. You can do it!

Zumbalady808 · January 2011

I can also say that you are probably not eating enough calories you are exercising, 1200 calories is for those who do nothing all day long but need to live, you may need to up your calorie intact a little bit... Did you input your goals and exercise into the formula and are you eating dinner... If you are not eating dinner than your body is starving from night till morning, so what does it do, every morning store anything you eat....

A great book is body for life, you may want to purchase it and read up on it you may find some interesting facts!!!

doggiemomma · January 2011

Are you taking into account your exercise calories and eating them back. I have noticed that since exercising regularly and making sure I eat at least half of my exercise calories back, I have dropped at least 1 lb a week, I am set up for 2 lbs a week but will take what I can get. If you have a total of 1200 that you can use, then you exercise 600 calories, you are technically only consuming 600 calories.
Also, don't worry to much about the scale right now. You are toning up and seeing a difference there. If you can see and feel a difference in your clothes, then don't worry about the scale. As they say, muscle weighs more than fat so when you get muscle you may not be moving the scale. Please give it time and don't give up yet.
I have been with this program 5 months now and have lost 26 lbs. It takes time but it will come off. Just remember to keep moving and to make sure to eat back some of the calories you have burned off.
I have also learned that as long as I stay in my calorie content, I can still have my chocolate.

ladyhawk00 · January 2011

Here are some good threads on metabolism and eating enough. MUST READS!

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/3047-700-calories-a-day-and-not-losing

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/10589-for-those-confused-or-questioning-eating-your-exercise-calo

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/61706-guide-to-calorie-deficits

Keep in mind that menopause (and the resultant hormonal imbalances that encourage weight gain) can make it more difficult to lose weight. However, that does NOT mean it can't be done. You may need to experiment with different areas (higher cal goals, slightly less exercise or slightly more, changing up protein/fat/carb ratios, etc. But you have to give different approaches time to work. Stay committed and it WILL happen!

EllaKeat · January 2011

WOW!!!

Thank you for all of your replies, they really are appreciated:) I will take each and every one on board, and will read the threads on metabolism now. I think this is where I might struggle though - I can't get my head around having to eat more calories.... I am so firmly entrenched in the 'if I eat 1400 calories and expend 1600 calories, then I must lose weight' way of looking at it. BUT, I will try (honestly) to get my head around going into starvation mode etc., and re-evaluate.

Again, thank you so much for your feedback, I actually feel much more encouraged to continue now:)

doggiemomma · January 2011

WOW!!!

Thank you for all of your replies, they really are appreciated:) I will take each and every one on board, and will read the threads on metabolism now. I think this is where I might struggle though - I can't get my head around having to eat more calories.... I am so firmly entrenched in the 'if I eat 1400 calories and expend 1600 calories, then I must lose weight' way of looking at it. BUT, I will try (honestly) to get my head around going into starvation mode etc., and re-evaluate.

Again, thank you so much for your feedback, I actually feel much more encouraged to continue now:)

It has taken me a while to get into that mentality also. But now that I am there, I am loving it. When I work out I get the extra calories then I can have my fun stuff (m & m's, fat free vanilla ice cream, all the yummy stuff). I now make it an effort to work out so that I can have the extra calories. Even if it means scrubbing the bathroom from top to bottom that gives me an extra 200 calories, I can have my 1/2c fat free vanilla ice cream for my 80 calories and I don't feel deprived.
It is a mindset but after a while, you will reprogram your body and will be "craving" to work out.

ladyhawk00 · January 2011

WOW!!!

Thank you for all of your replies, they really are appreciated:) I will take each and every one on board, and will read the threads on metabolism now. I think this is where I might struggle though - I can't get my head around having to eat more calories.... I am so firmly entrenched in the 'if I eat 1400 calories and expend 1600 calories, then I must lose weight' way of looking at it. BUT, I will try (honestly) to get my head around going into starvation mode etc., and re-evaluate.

Again, thank you so much for your feedback, I actually feel much more encouraged to continue now:)

This is where a lot of people have trouble. A lot of it depends on just how much weight you have to lose. Someone trying to lose 100+ lbs has a lot more ability to withstand a large deficit (1000 cals or more, but still above the required BMR level for them) than someone who only needs to lose 20 lbs.

But one of the biggest misunderstandings I've seen around here is that people forget (or don't realize) that MFP already calculates a deficit for you. If you chose a loss goal of 1 lb/week, MFP already took out 500 cals per day (500 x 7 = 3500 cals/week = 1 lb). So your daily goal has a deficit that will keep you at a cal intake level to lose weight. If you add in exercise, but don't eat any of those cals, you are creating even more of a deficit. And for women, and especially women without a whole lot to lose, that larger deficit does not give you enough to stay above the threshold needed for daily activities.

Anyway, hope the threads helped and good luck to you!

What am I doing wrong??? (long post)

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