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cajunurmamma
cajunurmamma Posts: 16
in Health and Weight Loss
So, I've read an incredible amount of info on every side of the spectrum as far as calories in/out, what to eat back, starvation mode... aaagghh. What I discovered early on was that listening to MY body was the key. I guess, after eating back some of my excersize calories and losing no weight the first couple of weeks- I cut back to 1,200 with my continued activity. That worked for a bit. Then my hunger was ravaging as I began to lose more rapidly. I would hold off as long as possible, but inevitably needed to eat back 100 or so of my earned calories... and continued to lose- i'm guessing that I had finally began to enter into actual fat burning mode. BUT now I've been stuck for two full weeks. No weight loss (well, ounces, but that doesn't count really). I did have a Sunday (Geaux Saints!) where I just let myself eat whatever with friends during football- it was a purposeful choice, and to prove it to myself (not feel guilty, move on) I took responsibility, logging every nasty detail. I woke up Monday lighter than ever and had lost 4.6 pounds approx. (It has stayed off). Now I am not losing and can't figure out what I need to tweak. Anyone want to help out? I feel great but still have 40lbs to lose... injury from training for a marathon a couple of years ago and somehow just let it get to me and get out of control like never before. It's been difficult to jump off the cliff and screw embarrassment... face people. But, I'm here, feeling great and want to move forward.

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  • sodakat
    sodakat Posts: 1,126 Member
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    Your body may lose in spurts instead of in small, steady amounts. There is just no way to force a loss on the scale, regardless how badly you want to see it. The 4.6 pound loss that week may be the norm for you, not because of how you ate that weekend. In other words, you may stay at the same weight for a while then drop. Keep doing what you are doing. As long as you eat at a deficit you will lose weight. Having patience can be as difficult as eating correctly, IMO.
  • cajunurmamma
    cajunurmamma Posts: 16
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    FYI:

    - I don't add fitbit activity to MFP because of the double calories earned.
    - I do regularly use a food scale, ounce glass & measuring cup for more accurate portions.
    - It says I joined in 4/2012 but begin date is really 7/2014, eat clean for life.
  • hortensehildegarde
    hortensehildegarde Posts: 592 Member
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    So, I've read an incredible amount of info on every side of the spectrum as far as calories in/out, what to eat back, starvation mode... aaagghh. What I discovered early on was that listening to MY body was the key. I guess, after eating back some of my excersize calories and losing no weight the first couple of weeks- I cut back to 1,200 with my continued activity. That worked for a bit. Then my hunger was ravaging as I began to lose more rapidly. I would hold off as long as possible, but inevitably needed to eat back 100 or so of my earned calories... and continued to lose- i'm guessing that I had finally began to enter into actual fat burning mode. BUT now I've been stuck for two full weeks. No weight loss (well, ounces, but that doesn't count really). I did have a Sunday (Geaux Saints!) where I just let myself eat whatever with friends during football- it was a purposeful choice, and to prove it to myself (not feel guilty, move on) I took responsibility, logging every nasty detail. I woke up Monday lighter than ever and had lost 4.6 pounds approx. (It has stayed off). Now I am not losing and can't figure out what I need to tweak. Anyone want to help out? I feel great but still have 40lbs to lose... injury from training for a marathon a couple of years ago and somehow just let it get to me and get out of control like never before. It's been difficult to jump off the cliff and screw embarrassment... face people. But, I'm here, feeling great and want to move forward.

    Wow great start and good for you!! Especially for logging your whole day where you intended to go above your usual goal intake. It's so important to have that data.

    Please remember that weight loss will not be linear or very predictable in the short term (weeks=short term). Also if you are eating 500 below your total calories out for each day then one day of eating 1000 calories over your total calorie burn will require 2 days at least to "catch up" to what you got behind by overeating (so it will slow weight loss for quite a few days).

    I am probably explaining that poorly but if you look at the math and the many many factors that affect scale weight the point is good data can only come from consistent tracking over time (like, months) so it's important to keep to something sustainable. I can guarantee you you didn't "lose" anything on that Sunday, and certainly not 4 lbs, Monday's scale notwithstanding.

    Two full weeks is not a long time to be "stuck" and you probably aren't even stuck, your results just haven't shown on the scale yet (this is assuming accurate tracking).

    I don't really think you need to be doing anything much different other than perhaps eating a little more/continue to eat back exercise calories so you aren't so hungry.

    And YES ounces do count!! What do you think made up those 4.6 lbs? Just keep going it'll get there.
  • cajunurmamma
    cajunurmamma Posts: 16
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    Thank you. I guess that's exactly what I needed to hear. Patience! You are right, maybe the higher loss that week means only ounces for a few. I'm not gaining. Trying to stay focused on the positive.
  • cajunurmamma
    cajunurmamma Posts: 16
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    You explained it great & thanks!! I'm almost obsessive about tracking everything accurately- especially the tastes from cooking dinner for the family. I do think I need to just keep going and be patient. Doing this alone and maybe today needed to hear the support. I have read that in the long haul it's not necessarily the daily intake but the averaging over time with consistency and #1 of course burning more than what I eat.
  • arussell134
    arussell134 Posts: 463 Member
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    Yup - this is def. what I have experienced! I'll hold at a certain weight for a while, and then BOOM, lose 2-3 pounds in a single week. And it won't even be like I did anything different in terms of eating.

    I will say I've had more success this month because I REALLY changed up my workout routine, by adding in heavy weightlifting. I am a big fan of when you get stuck, pushing yourself harder in the gym.

    Good luck and as the others have said, don't give up!!
  • cajunurmamma
    cajunurmamma Posts: 16
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    "Yup - this is def. what I have experienced! I'll hold at a certain weight for a while, and then BOOM, lose 2-3 pounds in a single week. And it won't even be like I did anything different in terms of eating.

    I will say I've had more success this month because I REALLY changed up my workout routine, by adding in heavy weightlifting. I am a big fan of when you get stuck, pushing yourself harder in the gym.

    Good luck and as the others have said, don't give up!!"


    Hmmm... I have been thinking I need to step/mix up my workouts. I've noticed that with the 24 lb weight loss I've gained considerable body fat % (32.1 in July, 39.6 today- I don't feel like it's that high, but am shorter/curvy by nature, even at 105 lbs), which probably means I'm losing muscle. These last two weeks I have added 20 min of Kettle Bell & other slight strength training. Maybe that explains the less lbs lost but I'm still gaining on BF. aaaagghhh, dunno. I do not log into MFP all that I do so as not to overdo the calories earned- it's a mental thing I guess. The little I do log is usually to offset something small that was miscalculated by my fitbit... which does auto input my steps/miles (usually 6-8 miles per day) 15,000-17,000 steps.
  • mandyosetti
    mandyosetti Posts: 72 Member
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    I have found that I lose it in spurts as well. I would go almost two weeks with maybe a half pould loss and then all of a sudden I would be down 4 lbs. At first I was freaked out because I was sticking within my calorie budget and nothing was happening but I stuck with it and sure enough it eventually came off. As long as you are moving in the right direction, that's all that matters. Best of luck. :)
  • IrisFlute
    IrisFlute Posts: 88 Member
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    Yes, the same thing happens to me. No loss for days and days and then from one day to the next I'm down by a couple pounds. Bodies are mysterious. I deal with it by not weighing myself very often.

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