Scales Haven't Budged For 3 days!

I have been eating well under my 1210 calories a day trying to make something happen. This morning, as in the past three mornings, the scale hasn't moved. I'm hungry, fat, and discouraged.????
«1

Replies

  • UmmSqueaky
    UmmSqueaky Posts: 715 Member
    119uy45.jpg

    Eat more.
  • gypsy_spirit
    gypsy_spirit Posts: 2,107 Member
    I have been here for 2.5 years. I've lost over 100 pounds. How many days do you think I weighed in at the same weight?

    If you are hungry and discouraged - you are doing it wrong.

    Please read:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1175494-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/ihad/view/the-path-of-success-631437
  • harrynich
    harrynich Posts: 34 Member
    Completely normal! Some folks recommend weighing yourself only once a week. I am unable to do this, but it happens quite often that I don't lose weight for three or four days. The cartoon posted here is absolutely on point.
  • skinnyinnotime
    skinnyinnotime Posts: 4,078 Member
    What?! A whole 3 days of caloried deficit and no loss???

    Goodness me, what are you expecting? You need to be patient, consistent and not expect miracles.
  • GBrady43068
    GBrady43068 Posts: 1,256 Member
    Been doing this for a year now...it's completely normal. if you doubt , look in my pictures for the two screen-shots of my weight loss reports..the one with the steady downward trend is my weight loss over the last year..it's pretty much a gradual downward trend. The one with the bigger ups and downs is the last 180 days...there are plateaus, there are (gasp) gains...as long as your overall trend is down, I wouldn't worry about it.
  • GBrady43068
    GBrady43068 Posts: 1,256 Member
    I have been here for 2.5 years. I've lost over 100 pounds. How many days do you think I weighed in at the same weight?

    If you are hungry and discouraged - you are doing it wrong.

    Please read:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1175494-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/ihad/view/the-path-of-success-631437
    +1
  • Chevy_Quest
    Chevy_Quest Posts: 2,012 Member
    I have been here for 2.5 years. I've lost over 100 pounds. How many days do you think I weighed in at the same weight?

    If you are hungry and discouraged - you are doing it wrong.

    Please read:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1175494-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/ihad/view/the-path-of-success-631437

    +1

    Good luck to you - There are a lot of supportive people here on MFP. Just keep putting one foot in front of the other. Look at the links above. :smile:
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 49,029 Member
    I have been eating well under my 1210 calories a day trying to make something happen. This morning, as in the past three mornings, the scale hasn't moved. I'm hungry, fat, and discouraged.????
    People who live and die by the what the scale says shouldn't weigh daily. You're better off with gauging success on how your clothes fit, and the mirror.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • lemonsurprise
    lemonsurprise Posts: 255 Member
    If you're hungry then you're setting yourself up for failure. I'm on 1,200 calories a day which is disputed a lot, but even I know that is the absolute bare minimum without any exercise, and if I'm hungry then I eat.
    I do understand your frustration though. I'm used to seeing daily changes on the scales, only little ones, but nevertheless changes. Then it just stopped for about 3 weeks when I joined the gym, barely any loss whatsoever over them weeks. But it did start back up again. I'd say eat at least 1,200, at least half the calories back from your exercise but if you're still hungry then up your calories on the whole.
  • CigBock
    CigBock Posts: 12
    119uy45.jpg

    Eat more.

    Its really not.

    I dont know of any effective weight loss diets out there where you shoot up 5lbs one week and then shoot down 10lbs the next.

    Any variance would be due to bodily fluctuations such as current water levels, time of day, internal temperatures, etc.
  • onefortyone
    onefortyone Posts: 531 Member
    I've had 3 days of the scale being the same also (exactly the same, to 1 decimal place), and I've had days where I shoot up 3lbs in 24 hours. And I've had days where I gain 0.5lbs, then another 0.2 the next day, and then lose 1.7lbs the next day. If you want to weigh daily you have to be prepared for this stuff. The amount of sodium, water and poop in your system is in constant flux.

    And eating under 1200 and being hungry and sad isn't the way to go, either. Eat enough to satisfy your hunger. Drink plenty of water. And trust the process. You can do this :)
  • This content has been removed.
  • lorib642
    lorib642 Posts: 1,942 Member
    I tend to fluctuate between a few pounds for awhile but the trend is downwards. What you are experiencing is normal.
  • Cortneyrenee04
    Cortneyrenee04 Posts: 1,117 Member
    Take a break from the scale and eat more! Why would you eat "well under" 1210 calories? That's not sustainable. I understand wanting to see a drop to get you motivated, but this will likely take a long time. Maybe even years so just get comfy with that idea.
  • bwogilvie
    bwogilvie Posts: 2,130 Member
    Any variance would be due to bodily fluctuations such as current water levels, time of day, internal temperatures, etc.

    Those factors, though, can account for differences of several pounds from day to day. I'm basically at maintenance right now, and as this graph of my last month's morning weights shows, I have been as 152.4 and as high as 156.2. And that's just my morning weight, before breakfast. A graph that included my weights after a hard bike ride (as low as 151.7) and after a big meal (as high as 157.6) would show a bigger range.

    last-month.png
  • DvlDwnInGA
    DvlDwnInGA Posts: 368 Member
    I didn't lose a single pound in the month of September. It happens. Plateaus happen. Losing weight is not a short term goal for me, so I am not expecting immediate results. Keep working at it and you will lose weight. Also, why are eating "well under" 1210 Cals a day? What do you have your weekly goal at? You are probably not eating enough.
  • Iron_Feline
    Iron_Feline Posts: 10,750 Member
    119uy45.jpg

    Eat more.

    Its really not.

    I dont know of any effective weight loss diets out there where you shoot up 5lbs one week and then shoot down 10lbs the next.

    Any variance would be due to bodily fluctuations such as current water levels, time of day, internal temperatures, etc.

    Wrong.

    The dr who poster is correct.
  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,942 Member
    I have been eating well under my 1210 calories a day trying to make something happen. This morning, as in the past three mornings, the scale hasn't moved. I'm hungry, fat, and discouraged.????
    If you were truly eating such few calories you would lose weight. The number one cause of weight gain is underestimating calories consumed. If you count your exercise calories and eat them back, then add overestimating calories burned to that equation.

    Find your total daily energy expenditure and deduct about ten percent (1 pound a week) from that, weigh your food, make sure your entries are accurate, log everything you eat, ensure that you are eating less calories than you burn, and you will lose weight.

    By the way, when people say you have to eat more to lose weight, that's not true because eating more causes weight gain. What is true is that you need to eat more than 1210 calories in order to properly fuel your body for your activities of daily living, all the while ensuring that you are still eating at a calorie deficit.

    Finally, weight loss is not linear..Be patient.
  • LeonCX
    LeonCX Posts: 862 Member
    Sorry but I'm going to have to call troll on this one.
    Possibly....but people sure do love these kind of posts!
  • How tall are you? What is your activity level? Are you getting enough rest? How much water are you drinking? How much weight do you want to see disappear? Are you stressed out? Are you eating enough protein?
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    I have been eating well under my 1210 calories a day trying to make something happen. This morning, as in the past three mornings, the scale hasn't moved. I'm hungry, fat, and discouraged.????

    If you were truly eating such few calories you would lose weight.

    Within the span of 3 days? I don't think so. Like most of us, I've not only seen the scale stay flat, but seen it bounce up over a few days when I know I was eating at a deficit. Short term results like that are meaningless.
  • shadow2soul
    shadow2soul Posts: 7,692 Member
    I have been eating well under my 1210 calories a day trying to make something happen. This morning, as in the past three mornings, the scale hasn't moved. I'm hungry, fat, and discouraged.????

    Normal.
    :heart: Weight – So many things can affect weight, because of this it shouldn’t be the only way you track your progress. Things to keep in mind:
    :drinker: Always use the same scale – Different scales can show different weights. You will get the most accurate number for tracking when using the same scale.
    :drinker: Don’t move the scale – Carpet, uneven flooring, different types of flooring…can all affect the weight on the scale. So when you weigh, you want it to be approximately the same spot for the most accurate number for tracking.
    :drinker: 3500 calories – To gain 1lb of fat you need to be over maintenance by 3500 calories.
    :drinker: Muscle Repair – Muscles will hold onto water to repair, because of this it is not uncommon to see a gain for a little while after a workout. This weight comes right back off when they are done repairing.
    :drinker: Sodium – Can cause you to retain water. This can also be amplified if you don’t drink enough to flush it out of your system. This is also another reason for temporary weight gain.
    :drinker: Water – Not drinking enough water can actually cause you to retain water. Recommended amount is 8 cups or 64oz. I drink 64 oz to 128 oz of water a day. It doesn’t have to be plain water either. I like to flavor mine with crystal light or tea.
    :drinker: Time of day – Your weight can fluctuate throughout the day. So for the most accurate tracking, you want to weigh at around the same time.
    :drinker: Frequency – This is up to you, but if small fluctuations bother you than only weigh once a week or less.
    :drinker: Lightest Weight – Will be naked, first thing in the morning, after using the bathroom
    :drinker: Multiple times a Day – Don’t Do It. As I said before, your weight will fluctuate throughout the day. What you eat, what you’re wearing, ect will all affect weight.
    :drinker: Clothes – If you weigh with clothing on, keep in mind that the scale will show your weight plus the weight of your clothes. (Jeans are heavy)
    :drinker: TOM - A lot of women will retain water around their TOM, but its just temporary and will go away.

    This is a chart I made last year (using my own weigh ins) that shows day to day fluctuations. Notice how the overall trend is down:
    29l0bqr.jpg

    Measurements are better for tracking progress.
  • suppakana
    suppakana Posts: 307 Member
    Completely normal to have little to no fluctuations. If it's giving you the exact same number every day, swap the batteries out.
  • LeonCX
    LeonCX Posts: 862 Member
    This is a chart I made last year (using my own weigh ins) that shows day to day fluctuations. Notice how the overall trend is down:
    29l0bqr.jpg
    Your graph looks just like my sex drive over the years.
  • Kalikel
    Kalikel Posts: 9,603 Member
    If you haven't been to the doctor, get the to one soon. They can rule out physical problems, give you a target goal weight and ballpark daily calorie number, tell you what kind of foods you should and shouldn't be eating and clear you to exercise.

    Weigh your food. Be sure about those calories.

    The weight thing - it happened to me recently. Since it fluctuates so much, I find three days of being exactly the same, to the tenth of a pound, kind of odd. But it happens. Sometimes I weigh out food and it weighs out to exactly one serving. Flukes. :)

    Are you exercising? It's good for you and helps move that scale down. You can eat a little more, too.
  • myheartsabattleground
    myheartsabattleground Posts: 2,040 Member
    This is a chart I made last year (using my own weigh ins) that shows day to day fluctuations. Notice how the overall trend is down:
    29l0bqr.jpg
    Your graph looks just like my sex drive over the years.

    ba dum tsssk
  • Iron_Feline
    Iron_Feline Posts: 10,750 Member
    If you haven't been to the doctor, get the to one soon. They can rule out physical problems, give you a target goal weight and ballpark daily calorie number, tell you what kind of foods you should and shouldn't be eating and clear you to exercise.

    Weigh your food. Be sure about those calories.

    The weight thing - it happened to me recently. Since it fluctuates so much, I find three days of being exactly the same, to the tenth of a pound, kind of odd. But it happens. Sometimes I weigh out food and it weighs out to exactly one serving. Flukes. :)

    Are you exercising? It's good for you and helps move that scale down. You can eat a little more, too.

    It's been three days. A little early to be saying get to a dr soon :noway:

    Drs have very little diet/nutritional training and are not the best people to ask about calories / foods etc.
  • This content has been removed.
  • Liftng4Lis
    Liftng4Lis Posts: 15,151 Member
    I'm on my third week of no change, AGAIN! Get use to it, it happens when it happens.
  • SteveMFP123
    SteveMFP123 Posts: 298 Member
    Don't weigh daily would be my advice. I remember when I started my journey and I didn't lose a single lb for the first two weeks and I came really close to quitting but I didn't, then I lost 6lbs in the next 2 weeks. Now I weigh once a month and try not to drive myself crazy with what the scales say.