Feeling discouraged!!

jchapa83
jchapa83 Posts: 71 Member
edited September 24 in Motivation and Support
On Week 4 of INSANITY (haven't missed a single workout) and feeling blahhh, haven't lost weight and I feel fat :(

I have been watching my calories for 5 weeks and haven't lost weight! According to MFP I should've lost it already but NOTHING! I cheated all weekend and weighed myself this morning and I still weigh the same...I don't get it I'm the same either way!! I know they say it may be muscle I'm gaining but either way my tummy looks the same to me!!

Replies

  • lynzyn
    lynzyn Posts: 119 Member
    Give it more time, be patient u will start seeing changes soon...Don't forget muscle weighs more than fat....hang in there....U will see a difference soon...Usually around 6 weeks
  • teachparents
    teachparents Posts: 225 Member
    i'm discouraged as well... work out 7 days a week and try to stay on my recommended caloric intake... eat all the calories i burn but no weight loss.... not very supportive am i.. just thought id let you know your not alone in the discouragement...... maybe next week will be better?????
  • FabulousFifty
    FabulousFifty Posts: 1,575 Member
    :flowerforyou: Are you measuring yourself? How are your clothes fitting? Are you getting compliments? Are you feeling fit and stronger? These are all good measures of success. Keep it up and don't get discouraged!
  • ANewton401
    ANewton401 Posts: 118 Member
    On Week 4 of INSANITY (haven't missed a single workout) and feeling blahhh, haven't lost weight and I feel fat :(

    I have been watching my calories for 5 weeks and haven't lost weight! According to MFP I should've lost it already but NOTHING! I cheated all weekend and weighed myself this morning and I still weigh the same...I don't get it I'm the same either way!! I know they say it may be muscle I'm gaining but either way my tummy looks the same to me!!

    Dont get down on yourself, this process is NOT easy, that is why we are here to get motivation, support and guidance. Make sure you are drinking enough water and watching your sodium. Thats the advise that I got when I posted something similar a week ago. You can do this, if you need a friend add me. its better than going it alone. remember you CAN do this! (ps I didn't make it past the first 2 weeks of insanity so go YOU!!!! :)))))
  • dizidaisy
    dizidaisy Posts: 68
    Don't be discouraged! I have had the identical problem - I keep a daily blog of my progress if you're interested you can find it at http://dizidaisy.wordpress.com/ make sure you are having the correct calories for your age, height, current weight and exercise levels - also really important (something I struggle with) make sure you are drinking enough water and not having too much salt/sodium!

    Good luck!
  • jencompton3821
    jencompton3821 Posts: 28 Member
    I feel your pain!!! I haven't worked out as hard as you but I've been doing the Biggest Loser Power Walk DVD and counting calories and haven't lost. And this week (today) make 3 weeks I've had only water!!! NO soda or ANYTHING other to drink than a coffee in the morning!!! I thought I would have lost a few pounds just from that!!! It's so frustrating!!!
  • sarahanne40
    sarahanne40 Posts: 69 Member
    Hey, I can't see you diary, but your stats suggest you have 11 lb to lose, maybe because you are near to your goal (already half way there :smile: ) you will not see the results as quickly - the closer to goal the harder it is to lose after all. Chin up - all your hard work will pay off :bigsmile: .
  • mariadelorez
    mariadelorez Posts: 2
    Hello! Maybe you can try these few simple tricks:

    1.) Make sure you're drinking a LOT of water...drink a cup before meals, one during meals, and another one after you eat.
    2.) Try not to eat processed foods even if you have calories left. Like...don't eat chips, crackers, those goldfish snacks, etc. Try throwing an apple or banana in your bag in the morning and eat in when you get hungry.
    3.) Eat fruits/vegetables two hours after meals to avoid over-eating when the next meal comes.
    4.) Calculate how many calories you are supposed to eat in a week, then vary the amt you eat from day to day. For example, if I'm supposed to eat 1200 calories a day, that's 8400 calories a week. So one day I may eat 1600, the next day 800...it tricks your body into "letting go" of more calories when you load on random days. Although...800 calories in one day isn't the best idea lol But it's worked for me in the past.
    5.) When you work out...make sure you are really pushing yourself...I started running everytime I'm on the treadmil instead of walking...amazing how many more calories come off in the same amount of time.
    6.) Try not to eat 3 hours before you go to sleep...this was the MAIN things keeping me from losing (and now I've plateaued...started eating at bedtime again lol)
    7.) DON'T drink calories...such as waste when you could've had that extra cheese with dinner lol
    8.) DON'T GIVE UP!!! Just when you think there's no hope, you'll weigh in one week and see a good loss :o)

    I know you're probably already doing some of this stuff, but I hope there something in there you can try!
  • fudie
    fudie Posts: 45 Member
    I feel the same way all the time!! its so hard! but think about all the work your doing for your heart! the muscles are getting stronger and i bet you are feeling better! i actually talk to my doctor about the lack of weight loss and he told me it might be because im not actually eating enough calories! i told him how much i was getting on average and he said for my weight at the moment i should be getting about 200 more calories. i was starving myself still! as for that dreaded scale, it will go down! promise! keep at it! and like someone said before are your clothes fitting different? did you measure? i have a pair of pants that at my heaviest thats all i could wear and now they fall off. i dont see the scale move as much as i would like but those pair of pants are a reminder that i am doing it! you are going to get there! keep at it!!!!!
  • boniekatie
    boniekatie Posts: 147
    If you are feeling blahh after your workout maybe you are over doing it. try changing it up. Do something different for a few days and see if you get unstuck.
  • jchapa83
    jchapa83 Posts: 71 Member
    On Week 4 of INSANITY (haven't missed a single workout) and feeling blahhh, haven't lost weight and I feel fat :(

    I have been watching my calories for 5 weeks and haven't lost weight! According to MFP I should've lost it already but NOTHING! I cheated all weekend and weighed myself this morning and I still weigh the same...I don't get it I'm the same either way!! I know they say it may be muscle I'm gaining but either way my tummy looks the same to me!!

    Dont get down on yourself, this process is NOT easy, that is why we are here to get motivation, support and guidance. Make sure you are drinking enough water and watching your sodium. Thats the advise that I got when I posted something similar a week ago. You can do this, if you need a friend add me. its better than going it alone. remember you CAN do this! (ps I didn't make it past the first 2 weeks of insanity so go YOU!!!! :)))))

    Thanks, I know I should be glad I made it this far already! I will try not to give up =)
  • jchapa83
    jchapa83 Posts: 71 Member
    Don't be discouraged! I have had the identical problem - I keep a daily blog of my progress if you're interested you can find it at http://dizidaisy.wordpress.com/ make sure you are having the correct calories for your age, height, current weight and exercise levels - also really important (something I struggle with) make sure you are drinking enough water and not having too much salt/sodium!

    Good luck!

    Thanks! Well for now the only mistake I see that I'm doing wrong is eating the Lean Cuisine and Healthy Choice! It just seemed easier keeping track of the calories. #1 thing I need to do more is drink lots of water!!
  • laflaca2010
    laflaca2010 Posts: 1
    HANG IN THERE! Just keep recording everything, even on days that you "cheat". It totally works, eventually. What happens is you become very aware of what is going into your mouth and you eventually choose the right thing. Also, I got encouraged to exercise because then I didn't worry about that extra food I ate.
  • jchapa83
    jchapa83 Posts: 71 Member
    I feel the same way all the time!! its so hard! but think about all the work your doing for your heart! the muscles are getting stronger and i bet you are feeling better! i actually talk to my doctor about the lack of weight loss and he told me it might be because im not actually eating enough calories! i told him how much i was getting on average and he said for my weight at the moment i should be getting about 200 more calories. i was starving myself still! as for that dreaded scale, it will go down! promise! keep at it! and like someone said before are your clothes fitting different? did you measure? i have a pair of pants that at my heaviest thats all i could wear and now they fall off. i dont see the scale move as much as i would like but those pair of pants are a reminder that i am doing it! you are going to get there! keep at it!!!!!

    Well I eat 1200 + what calories burned during Insanity. So I usually eat around 1600 per day. Well my clothes are fitting a lil bit looser but not majorly. It's my belly fat when I sit that bothers me and I don't feel that Insanity is doing much for my belly.
  • jchapa83
    jchapa83 Posts: 71 Member
    Hello! Maybe you can try these few simple tricks:

    1.) Make sure you're drinking a LOT of water...drink a cup before meals, one during meals, and another one after you eat.
    2.) Try not to eat processed foods even if you have calories left. Like...don't eat chips, crackers, those goldfish snacks, etc. Try throwing an apple or banana in your bag in the morning and eat in when you get hungry.
    3.) Eat fruits/vegetables two hours after meals to avoid over-eating when the next meal comes.
    4.) Calculate how many calories you are supposed to eat in a week, then vary the amt you eat from day to day. For example, if I'm supposed to eat 1200 calories a day, that's 8400 calories a week. So one day I may eat 1600, the next day 800...it tricks your body into "letting go" of more calories when you load on random days. Although...800 calories in one day isn't the best idea lol But it's worked for me in the past.
    5.) When you work out...make sure you are really pushing yourself...I started running everytime I'm on the treadmil instead of walking...amazing how many more calories come off in the same amount of time.
    6.) Try not to eat 3 hours before you go to sleep...this was the MAIN things keeping me from losing (and now I've plateaued...started eating at bedtime again lol)
    7.) DON'T drink calories...such as waste when you could've had that extra cheese with dinner lol
    8.) DON'T GIVE UP!!! Just when you think there's no hope, you'll weigh in one week and see a good loss :o)

    I know you're probably already doing some of this stuff, but I hope there something in there you can try!

    Thanks so much for the advice! I need to drink more water and eat more fruits and stay away from processed foods! I tend to eat the 100calorie snacks...maybe should stick to fruit instead!!
  • jchapa83
    jchapa83 Posts: 71 Member
    HANG IN THERE! Just keep recording everything, even on days that you "cheat". It totally works, eventually. What happens is you become very aware of what is going into your mouth and you eventually choose the right thing. Also, I got encouraged to exercise because then I didn't worry about that extra food I ate.

    Thanks! I actually did record the cheat days even if it was hard to see how much I actually ate lol! I can't believe 1 meal was what I was suppose to eat for the day lol! Oh well I'll get back on track this week and try to be a little more motivated!
  • jchapa83
    jchapa83 Posts: 71 Member
    Hey, I can't see you diary, but your stats suggest you have 11 lb to lose, maybe because you are near to your goal (already half way there :smile: ) you will not see the results as quickly - the closer to goal the harder it is to lose after all. Chin up - all your hard work will pay off :bigsmile: .

    I actually need to change my weight, I'm back to where I started! I weighed myself one day and I was way less but for some reason weighed the same as before the next day!! That's why I think I should stop weighing myself lol!!
  • mmtiernan
    mmtiernan Posts: 702 Member
    I feel the same way all the time!! its so hard! but think about all the work your doing for your heart! the muscles are getting stronger and i bet you are feeling better! i actually talk to my doctor about the lack of weight loss and he told me it might be because im not actually eating enough calories! i told him how much i was getting on average and he said for my weight at the moment i should be getting about 200 more calories. i was starving myself still! as for that dreaded scale, it will go down! promise! keep at it! and like someone said before are your clothes fitting different? did you measure? i have a pair of pants that at my heaviest thats all i could wear and now they fall off. i dont see the scale move as much as i would like but those pair of pants are a reminder that i am doing it! you are going to get there! keep at it!!!!!

    Well I eat 1200 + what calories burned during Insanity. So I usually eat around 1600 per day. Well my clothes are fitting a lil bit looser but not majorly. It's my belly fat when I sit that bothers me and I don't feel that Insanity is doing much for my belly.

    Are you using the Nutrition Guide that comes with Insanity? It outlines the types of foods that will give you the greatest chance of success with the program. Notice that you won't find any processed foods such as your Lean Cuisines listed there - folks who have had the greatest success follow a clean diet like the one outlined in the Nutrition Guide.

    If you don't have the Nutrition Guide, you can find a copy of "The Eat Clean Diet" by Tosca Reno at your local library. It follows the same principles and can help guide you to the proper foods to be successful. There is also a magazine called "Clean Eating" that has loads of great recipes every month that are perfect to help you on your journey. Your library may carry this magazine also - if not, ask them to consider carrying it!

    Insanity is a tough workout and will definitely give you the results you want if you clean up your nutrition! That's really true with any exercise program.

    Also, you might consider ditching the scale and using a tape measure to monitor your progress. As you lose fat/gain muscle the scale may fluctuate up and down but the tape measure will always give you a true reading of your progress - either you waist is getting smaller or it isn't! :)

    Good luck!
  • stephc2377
    stephc2377 Posts: 2
    WOW! This makes a LOT of sense! Thank you!...I know someone else asked the question, but I'm in the same boat...feeling VERY discouraged! I started out losing a lot...lost 13lbs in about 3 1/2 weeks, found this app & have only lost 5 in the 1st 2 weeks using it...I've lost nothing for about a week & 1/2 now. I know I'm not gonna drop 5lbs a week, but I'd really like to at least lose 1-2! I thought I was drinking a lot of water, but I'm gonna add in some more...also, I'm sure that my sodium intake is pretty high...I crave salty things over sweet things.
    Thanks again for the suggestions...
    Hello! Maybe you can try these few simple tricks:

    1.) Make sure you're drinking a LOT of water...drink a cup before meals, one during meals, and another one after you eat.
    2.) Try not to eat processed foods even if you have calories left. Like...don't eat chips, crackers, those goldfish snacks, etc. Try throwing an apple or banana in your bag in the morning and eat in when you get hungry.
    3.) Eat fruits/vegetables two hours after meals to avoid over-eating when the next meal comes.
    4.) Calculate how many calories you are supposed to eat in a week, then vary the amt you eat from day to day. For example, if I'm supposed to eat 1200 calories a day, that's 8400 calories a week. So one day I may eat 1600, the next day 800...it tricks your body into "letting go" of more calories when you load on random days. Although...800 calories in one day isn't the best idea lol But it's worked for me in the past.
    5.) When you work out...make sure you are really pushing yourself...I started running everytime I'm on the treadmil instead of walking...amazing how many more calories come off in the same amount of time.
    6.) Try not to eat 3 hours before you go to sleep...this was the MAIN things keeping me from losing (and now I've plateaued...started eating at bedtime again lol)
    7.) DON'T drink calories...such as waste when you could've had that extra cheese with dinner lol
    8.) DON'T GIVE UP!!! Just when you think there's no hope, you'll weigh in one week and see a good loss :o)

    I know you're probably already doing some of this stuff, but I hope there something in there you can try!
  • jchapa83
    jchapa83 Posts: 71 Member
    I feel the same way all the time!! its so hard! but think about all the work your doing for your heart! the muscles are getting stronger and i bet you are feeling better! i actually talk to my doctor about the lack of weight loss and he told me it might be because im not actually eating enough calories! i told him how much i was getting on average and he said for my weight at the moment i should be getting about 200 more calories. i was starving myself still! as for that dreaded scale, it will go down! promise! keep at it! and like someone said before are your clothes fitting different? did you measure? i have a pair of pants that at my heaviest thats all i could wear and now they fall off. i dont see the scale move as much as i would like but those pair of pants are a reminder that i am doing it! you are going to get there! keep at it!!!!!

    Well I eat 1200 + what calories burned during Insanity. So I usually eat around 1600 per day. Well my clothes are fitting a lil bit looser but not majorly. It's my belly fat when I sit that bothers me and I don't feel that Insanity is doing much for my belly.

    Are you using the Nutrition Guide that comes with Insanity? It outlines the types of foods that will give you the greatest chance of success with the program. Notice that you won't find any processed foods such as your Lean Cuisines listed there - folks who have had the greatest success follow a clean diet like the one outlined in the Nutrition Guide.

    If you don't have the Nutrition Guide, you can find a copy of "The Eat Clean Diet" by Tosca Reno at your local library. It follows the same principles and can help guide you to the proper foods to be successful. There is also a magazine called "Clean Eating" that has loads of great recipes every month that are perfect to help you on your journey. Your library may carry this magazine also - if not, ask them to consider carrying it!

    Insanity is a tough workout and will definitely give you the results you want if you clean up your nutrition! That's really true with any exercise program.

    Also, you might consider ditching the scale and using a tape measure to monitor your progress. As you lose fat/gain muscle the scale may fluctuate up and down but the tape measure will always give you a true reading of your progress - either you waist is getting smaller or it isn't! :)

    Good luck!

    Thanks for the advice!! I do have a copy of the Nutrition Guide, and I follow most of what it recommends except the on the go meals. But this week I'm ending that and making my own healthy meals and see how that works out. I also would drink sodas and stopped that bad habit as well. The only thing that I do need is looking at recovery shakes, I do not buy the shakeology that is not on my budget. I need to research which one I should buy. I don't have much energy as I think I should and I don't know what that means. When I was just going to the gym I didn't feel this way I actually felt great.

    The tape measure was a problem too, I don't know why but somehow I measured 1in more than I was when I started! I don't know if I measure myself wrong?? But I re-measured myself and I'm gonna see if there's any difference in that! I actually feel smaller and pants don't fit as tight from my waist but I have more belly fat.
  • mmtiernan
    mmtiernan Posts: 702 Member

    Thanks for the advice!! I do have a copy of the Nutrition Guide, and I follow most of what it recommends except the on the go meals. But this week I'm ending that and making my own healthy meals and see how that works out. I also would drink sodas and stopped that bad habit as well. The only thing that I do need is looking at recovery shakes, I do not buy the shakeology that is not on my budget. I need to research which one I should buy. I don't have much energy as I think I should and I don't know what that means. When I was just going to the gym I didn't feel this way I actually felt great.

    The tape measure was a problem too, I don't know why but somehow I measured 1in more than I was when I started! I don't know if I measure myself wrong?? But I re-measured myself and I'm gonna see if there's any difference in that! I actually feel smaller and pants don't fit as tight from my waist but I have more belly fat.

    I always just have a protein drink right after I workout and I find that really helps. I don't do shakeology either because of the cost, so my protein drink is usually a cup of skim milk with some protein powder added. I also make sure that it hasn't been more than 3 hours between my last meal and my workout - for some reason, if I haven't fueled up in over three hours before working out then my energy lags and I don't perform nearly as well. That's just my personal experience, however. You'll just have to figure out what works best for you. Ditching the soda will definitely help, as will making your own meals and snacks. Sounds like you have a good plan - remember too, that the belly fat always seems to be the last thing to go :grumble: hang in there and keeping working at it until you find the right formula for you! You'll get there! :bigsmile:
  • jchapa83
    jchapa83 Posts: 71 Member

    Thanks for the advice!! I do have a copy of the Nutrition Guide, and I follow most of what it recommends except the on the go meals. But this week I'm ending that and making my own healthy meals and see how that works out. I also would drink sodas and stopped that bad habit as well. The only thing that I do need is looking at recovery shakes, I do not buy the shakeology that is not on my budget. I need to research which one I should buy. I don't have much energy as I think I should and I don't know what that means. When I was just going to the gym I didn't feel this way I actually felt great.

    The tape measure was a problem too, I don't know why but somehow I measured 1in more than I was when I started! I don't know if I measure myself wrong?? But I re-measured myself and I'm gonna see if there's any difference in that! I actually feel smaller and pants don't fit as tight from my waist but I have more belly fat.

    I always just have a protein drink right after I workout and I find that really helps. I don't do shakeology either because of the cost, so my protein drink is usually a cup of skim milk with some protein powder added. I also make sure that it hasn't been more than 3 hours between my last meal and my workout - for some reason, if I haven't fueled up in over three hours before working out then my energy lags and I don't perform nearly as well. That's just my personal experience, however. You'll just have to figure out what works best for you. Ditching the soda will definitely help, as will making your own meals and snacks. Sounds like you have a good plan - remember too, that the belly fat always seems to be the last thing to go :grumble: hang in there and keeping working at it until you find the right formula for you! You'll get there! :bigsmile:

    I think a protein drink is what I need, do u recommend any protein powders? I have to wait longer than 3hrs more like 4hrs, last time it had been 3hrs since I last ate and I was about to let it all out during my workout. So I just usually have lunch 4hrs before then eat a banana in between. Do you drink the shake before or after working out? Thanks, I feel much better today I just need to be patient =)
  • mmtiernan
    mmtiernan Posts: 702 Member
    I have my protein drink after the workout. I use Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard 100% Whey. You can get it at GNC. My fave is the Extreme Milk Chocolate or the Chocolate Malt. I like the taste and it seems to mix well into skim milk, although I've heard that others just mix it in water or even almond milk.

    There are other folks on here who have recommended other brands of protein powder - I'll be if you do a search for "protein powder" that you'll be able to find the other threads and see what others recommend.
This discussion has been closed.

Categories