Need to lose 20 lbs and going the wrong way

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kingm97220
kingm97220 Posts: 3 Member
in Motivation and Support
I am 39 years old, 5' 10 and starting weight is 179. I lowered my intake and aim for 1500 calories a day. We work out twice a day and I usually burn 800-900 calories. With working out I usually have around 200 net calories left for the day with a total intake of 1900-2000 calories a day. I have cut out almost all processed sugars and am eating much healthier.

I feel better physically (excluding the muscle pain lol) and can see little changes in my body but I started this process to lose the weight and the scale is going the wrong way. I am up to 181 in two weeks. I know I shouldn't weight but just need to see a little drop.

I am just really frustrated and don't know what to do. Getting up early to work out with no results is disheartening. My boyfriend las already lost 20lbs in the same amount of time. Granted-he has a lot more to lose than I do but he is doing and eating the same things I am.

Do I need to lower my intake or am I not getting enough? I feel like I eat all the time now.

Replies

  • jittythekitty
    jittythekitty Posts: 62 Member
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    That is probably muscle - or water retention... Are you drinking the amount of water you should drink? Which on average 2.5 liters and I think there is 8oz for every 30 minutes of working out or something.
  • karilynn27
    karilynn27 Posts: 190 Member
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    I would lower your calorie intake to 1200 and keep going strong with the low sugar intake. Make sure you eat some exercise calories back!
    And don't worry this process is going to take time, it took me a month to see results and I am 5'8.
  • lulutm
    lulutm Posts: 57
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    You say you've cut "processed sugars." What about bread, rice, pasta, potatoes, etc.? If not, you should try removing these entirely and I guarantee you will boost your metabolic rate and lose more quickly. Another suggestion, and what worked for me is: try to keep your carb count under 70 grams and eat the bulk of your daily carbs before 4 PM. Lastly, try to make the evening meal your smallest of the day. Remember to cheat once a week (only one day) to "reset" your metabolism, then get right back to your diet.

    Hope this helps! Best of luck to you....don't give up! Everyone hits plateaus...

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  • rydn4h2o
    rydn4h2o Posts: 255
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    You could be building muscle, and the scale is aggravating when that happens! It can take a few weeks before the weight starts coming off if this is the case.
    My husband is the same way, he will drop weight like crazy when I either gain or lose nothing.

    Hang in there!
  • jenbusick
    jenbusick Posts: 528 Member
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    :smile:
  • bjlowe
    bjlowe Posts: 2
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    It sounds like you are working out too much! burning 800-900 calories a day will take a lot of eating to put your body into the mode of not storing calories. If your workout is quite rigorous I would maybe suggest replacing part of it with a long leisurely walk. I have had the best results of weight loss when I lived in a city and was constantly walking. Now, living in a medium sized city, I sometimes walk home from work. This way your body is active, and its not so rigorous that you are creating tons of muscle and needing to eat a ton!

    That is just what works for me! Everyone is different, and really, when it comes to weight loss, two weeks is nothing! ;-) Don't give up, sometimes you just need a slight change in your activities or diet and a little time to get over a 'hump.'

    I also think what the last poster said about water is quite important! And make sure you're not cutting out certain essential food groups (like whole grains) when you diet. I know people think no carbs is a great way to jump start, and it is, but know which carbs you can cut out, and which you should not. Whole grains and fiber are really essential for your body!

    Good luck :)
  • mvonk1016
    mvonk1016 Posts: 19
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    As some ppl have said, you may be seeing muscle weight. Have you measured yourself to see if you are loosing inches?
  • lesford
    lesford Posts: 8
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    It seems to me like you're not eating enough so it's effectively slowing down your metabolism. At 1500 calories, I would think you'd want to net zero. Also, although you say you want to lose 20 pounds, you're really within a few pounds of an ideal body weight. It's likely you won't ever see dramatic results.
  • BigBoneSista
    BigBoneSista Posts: 2,389 Member
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    When you start building muscles you will have some water retention. I'm going through this now. I was 218.6 on March 1st. I've been 220 since March 3rd lol.

    Just give it time you will see the pounds drop off.
  • Dean31
    Dean31 Posts: 38 Member
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    What type of calories are you eating and what type of exercise are you doing? If you are eating a lot of protein and doing strength training, then most likely you are gaining muscle mass, which will cause you to gain weight (but in a good way). Concentrate on cardio and cut out the strength training, or do minimal, and you'll burn more fat and build less muscle. I've seen several posts on carbs, but keep in mind that if you are doing intense cardio workouts that you'll need carbs to fuel your body for that. Also, make sure that you have a net of at least 900 to 1000 calories at the end of the day or your body will go into starvation mode and your metabolism will drop. Hope this helps!
  • kingm97220
    kingm97220 Posts: 3 Member
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    Thanks to everyone for responding. I have been monitoring my carbs ( not doing a low carb diet but aware of what they are and not overdoing it as I am looking for a lifestyle change and not a diet and know I can't live without carbs), drinking 40+ oz of water a day, and staying away from red meat for the most part.
    At this point, I am going to try increasing my water intake and increasing my calories a bit.
    I took today off from the workout and had a nice steak with a couple glasses of wine. With a reset like this I should be able to start anew tomorrow. Maybe Friday depending on the wine.
    Thanks again to everyone.
  • morningmom
    morningmom Posts: 100
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    Good advise from all these replies...thanks! It's helped me :)

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