I need some advice, please :)

DarthBubbles
DarthBubbles Posts: 138
edited September 25 in Health and Weight Loss
Long story short, between December 27, 2010 when i joined and the end of February/beginning of March, I lost 16 (maybe a few more) pounds by consuming within (for the most part...Super Bowl was a memorable bad day lol) 1200 calories a day, eating the majority of my exercise calories back, drinking 8+ glasses of water a day, logging every day.
The first two weeks of March I was pretty lax with my exercise, but on the 15th I started 30 Day Shred and have done it faithfully every day but one. My food diary is decent, I have a few areas I could clean up, but I stay within my calories and all that.
All of that being said, I decided to weigh myself tonight and for the month of March I lost a whopping zero pounds. Zero. Wtf?
I have about 40 pounds left to lose. My calorie goal is at 1200, set for losing 2 pounds a week-which I most obviously did not!
The last few weeks I have been wondering if I should lower my weekly loss goal and up my calories since I don't have a large amount to lose, but honestly I am scared to do so. I feel like I should have at least lost something :grumble:
I really am at a loss as to what to do.

Replies

  • renee_nicole
    renee_nicole Posts: 5 Member
    I'm in the same boat I've worked out every single day since new years and I eat ok I've gone over calories maybe twice in the past month and I eat back most my calories drink all the water and nothing I actually gained 1 lb last time I weighed in. It's been 2 weeks since my last weigh in and I'm not looking forward to the next 1. I think eating back all the calories is part of the problem I know the people on the biggest loser are not eating back the thousands of calories a day they burn so I decided if I don't lose anything next weigh in I'm going back to not eating the calories. But good luck with the weight loss hopefully something starts working soon just don't give up!
  • red01angel
    red01angel Posts: 806 Member
    Long story short, between December 27, 2010 when i joined and the end of February/beginning of March, I lost 16 (maybe a few more) pounds by consuming within (for the most part...Super Bowl was a memorable bad day lol) 1200 calories a day, eating the majority of my exercise calories back, drinking 8+ glasses of water a day, logging every day.
    The first two weeks of March I was pretty lax with my exercise, but on the 15th I started 30 Day Shred and have done it faithfully every day but one. My food diary is decent, I have a few areas I could clean up, but I stay within my calories and all that.
    All of that being said, I decided to weigh myself tonight and for the month of March I lost a whopping zero pounds. Zero. Wtf?
    I have about 40 pounds left to lose. My calorie goal is at 1200, set for losing 2 pounds a week-which I most obviously did not!
    The last few weeks I have been wondering if I should lower my weekly loss goal and up my calories since I don't have a large amount to lose, but honestly I am scared to do so. I feel like I should have at least lost something :grumble:
    I really am at a loss as to what to do.

    How are your measurements, and how do your clothes feel?
    Sometimes when you start a new workout routine, your muscles will retain water to help them repair microtears, which leads to a temporary gain/stagnation.


    PS: You're totes gorgeous.
  • McKayMachina
    McKayMachina Posts: 2,670 Member
    I had a week last month where I lost 0 lbs. then the following week I lost 8. It's all kindsa crazy! I was doing mostly the exact same thing both weeks.

    Stick with it and pay attention to how it all averages out in the coming weeks.

    You're doing great! :)
  • xlacijeanx
    xlacijeanx Posts: 232 Member
    If you just started 30 day shred- I guarantee you're losing inches. Sometimes the scale won't help you see your progress. Remember that while doing those workouts you're gaining muscle while burning fat. Measuring has been awesome for me when the scale won't budge- just keep working hard and it'll start coming off again. I also suggest switching it up and not just doing the shred every single day. :) I know others will probably tell you to eat more... but I myself eat 1200-1300 cals a day too and I feel completely full all the time- and my skin, hair and nails are all much healthier as well!
  • DarthBubbles
    DarthBubbles Posts: 138
    I can tell a bit of difference in my arms and thighs, not my abs (or lack thereof haha) so much. Unfortunately I didn't think to take measurements.
    I appreciate the words of encouragement, ladies! Crossing my fingers for a huge loss next time I weigh in now, McKay ;)
    @ Red01Angel-thank you! You're too sweet!
    @ Pb2myj-do you have a schedule of sorts you recommend? I was thinking of supplementing 30DS with some extra cardio...
  • jo_chrystal
    jo_chrystal Posts: 10
    Finally someone is thinking like me, i cant understand why everyone says eat back the calories you have exercised off!! i walked for 3 hours the other day burned approx 850 calories there is no way on earth i was going to eat an extra 850 calories i just cant see how that would work. In my head if the program sets me at 1300 cals a day i will eat upto that amount, if i exercise this is a bonus as i'm burning off some of what i eat yeah? so why would i eat it back on surely this is keeping me at the same place i am. I feel it's a bit like saying I'm 20 stone and i will walk for a couple of hours just so i can have a big mac or a chocolate bar!!! sounds crazy to me, either your dieting or your not. sorry if anyone thinks i'm being stupid but i just cant see this eating back what you burn working. good luck to all which ever way you choose to do it. I for 1 am not going to eat back what i burn x
  • jo_chrystal
    jo_chrystal Posts: 10
    I'm in the same boat I've worked out every single day since new years and I eat ok I've gone over calories maybe twice in the past month and I eat back most my calories drink all the water and nothing I actually gained 1 lb last time I weighed in. It's been 2 weeks since my last weigh in and I'm not looking forward to the next 1. I think eating back all the calories is part of the problem I know the people on the biggest loser are not eating back the thousands of calories a day they burn so I decided if I don't lose anything next weigh in I'm going back to not eating the calories. But good luck with the weight loss hopefully something starts working soon just don't give up!


    Finally someone is thinking like me, i cant understand why everyone says eat back the calories you have exercised off!! i walked for 3 hours the other day burned approx 850 calories there is no way on earth i was going to eat an extra 850 calories i just cant see how that would work. In my head if the program sets me at 1300 cals a day i will eat upto that amount, if i exercise this is a bonus as i'm burning off some of what i eat yeah? so why would i eat it back on surely this is keeping me at the same place i am. I feel it's a bit like saying I'm 20 stone and i will walk for a couple of hours just so i can have a big mac or a chocolate bar!!! sounds crazy to me, either your dieting or your not. sorry if anyone thinks i'm being stupid but i just cant see this eating back what you burn working. good luck to all which ever way you choose to do it. I for 1 am not going to eat back what i burn x
  • Kimberlybooth
    Kimberlybooth Posts: 8
    Don't eat your exercise calories back... that's a big one.
    I try my hardest to stay within my salt and carb limit as well.
    I do a good day and the next morning, I drink of cup of black coffee. Almost always I can count on a BM movement and pee. Then I weigh myself. I'm set at two pounds per week as well.... if I spike up, I go back and see where what might have gone wrong. Salt is a biggie.
    Everything and I mean EVERYTHING that passes your lips, gets logged.
    You may have put your body into starvation mode... maybe have one free day to get the fires going again? I personally haven't had to try this so I would ask around and see if that would help.
    ABOVE all - Don't give up! Keep at it....
    "Nothing tastes as good as being thin FEELS"
    Hugs
    Kim
  • Tiggermummy
    Tiggermummy Posts: 312 Member
    if you don't have a lot to loose - i.e 10-20lb setting your weight loss at 2lb a week will not work.
    the closer you get to your goal the less you need to plan on loosing and the more you will need to work on toning up.

    if like me you have 60-100lb to lose then a 2lb /week loss should be achieveable.

    But definetly crack out the tape measure - as when I started the shred I lost inches not weight, as muscle doesn't take up as much room as fat does hence you will look slimmer.
    I can't wait to go back to the shred, I was starting to notice a slight difference and then picked up a knee injury which has held me back for a week.

    Good luck with your journey, as long as I am not gaining I am happy.

    TM
  • McKayMachina
    McKayMachina Posts: 2,670 Member
    Crossing my fingers for a huge loss next time I weigh in now, McKay ;)

    I hope you have a significant loss, as well. But don't be bummed if it's more realistic! Any loss is a step in the right direction. I'm back to about 1.5 lbs./week now. I say focus more on the long term averages. :)
  • DarthBubbles
    DarthBubbles Posts: 138
    if you don't have a lot to loose - i.e 10-20lb setting your weight loss at 2lb a week will not work.
    the closer you get to your goal the less you need to plan on loosing and the more you will need to work on toning up.

    if like me you have 60-100lb to lose then a 2lb /week loss should be achieveable.

    But definetly crack out the tape measure - as when I started the shred I lost inches not weight, as muscle doesn't take up as much room as fat does hence you will look slimmer.
    I can't wait to go back to the shred, I was starting to notice a slight difference and then picked up a knee injury which has held me back for a week.

    Good luck with your journey, as long as I am not gaining I am happy.

    TM

    I fall right between your guidelines at having 40 pounds to lose. I am definitely happy I haven't gained, but it just seems I would've at least lost 1 pound lol

    I may try not eating my exercise calories and today may be something of a cheat day, since it's the husband's birthday...we'll see.
    I wish weight loss was really was as simple as calories in vs. calories out ::sigh::
  • McKayMachina
    McKayMachina Posts: 2,670 Member
    Please don't listen to the people saying don't eat your exercise calories back.

    I always make sure net and goal are equal at days end. I've lost 26 lbs. in 3 months. Just my 2 cents.

    :wink:

    MFP builds the deficit in FOR YOU. If you're netting under 1200 cals/day, chances are you're setting your metabolism up to stall.
  • DarthBubbles
    DarthBubbles Posts: 138
    Crossing my fingers for a huge loss next time I weigh in now, McKay ;)

    I hope you have a significant loss, as well. But don't be bummed if it's more realistic! Any loss is a step in the right direction. I'm back to about 1.5 lbs./week now. I say focus more on the long term averages. :)

    I'm just flippin' ya some *kitten* :)
    But it still would be pretty awesome to wake up almost 10 pounds lighter one morning! Lol
  • soze
    soze Posts: 604 Member
    Stay the course and keep exercising. Don't make it so difficult that you can't stay with it. My weight has gone up as much as 5 lbs in a single week and I have gone as long as 2 weeks with out losing anything. I wish I could show you my chart. I track my weight daily. One day I show a loss and the next day a 2 lb. gain. That was probably due to sodium and building muscle. Measure yourself. I have found a weight loss is preceded by a drop in inches.

    This is not unusual. I keep charts to prove to others it is never smooth.

    All the Best!

    Ron
  • happybunnysbabe57
    happybunnysbabe57 Posts: 191 Member
    i so second that thing bout eating back calories. i only eat a little back if i am still hungry but for the most part i dont and i think it would just keep ur weight the same or even gain if u eat a bunch of ur calories back..
  • tross0924
    tross0924 Posts: 909 Member
    You should eat them back because eating 1300 is already low enough for you to lose 1.5? 2? lbs a week. Whatever you set it up for when you created your account. If you burn 800 a day in exercise then that's another 1.5 lbs per week. Sounds good, but your body doesn't like to lose at that rate and it's not the healthiest way to do it.

    Will it work? Yes. Absolutely. Can you live on 500 calories a day for the rest of your life? No. Are there potential risk associated with a long term 500 net calories a day diet? Yes. What happens when you do reach your goal and then start eating normally again? Do you keep exercising when you hit your goal? Do you eat your exercise calories back then? What about when you get closer to your goal weight? Does your skin adjust better to a slightly lower weight loss? Does your body do better with 1-2 lbs per week? Is it easier to stick to an eating plan that lets you still lose weight while eating a healthy amount of food? In 2 years will it matter if you lost the weight fast or slightly slower, or will the only thing that matters be, do you weigh your goal weight or your pre-diet starting weight? Do you want to look better or weigh a number?

    For all those questions the right (IMHO) answers indicate that you should eat back at least some of your exercise calories. And more of them as you get closer to your goal weight.

    And almost every plateaus when starting a new exercise program. It's the reason my wife didn't want to start exercising at all. she was afraid of the loss stopping.

    Here's my advice - Continue on exactly as you are for 3 more weeks. On the 3rd week take a break from your exercise. Still exercise, but just at a lighter, lower intensity and give your body a chance to recover completely. Then weigh yourself. If you haven't lost anything, then you can look at lowering your calories a bit. If you have look at the average loss per week. If it's where you want it to be, keep on keepin on. My guess is you'll do just fine, and worst case scenario your cardio vascular health will be that much improved over the next 3 weeks.

    GL
  • DarthBubbles
    DarthBubbles Posts: 138
    You should eat them back because eating 1300 is already low enough for you to lose 1.5? 2? lbs a week. Whatever you set it up for when you created your account. If you burn 800 a day in exercise then that's another 1.5 lbs per week. Sounds good, but your body doesn't like to lose at that rate and it's not the healthiest way to do it.

    Will it work? Yes. Absolutely. Can you live on 500 calories a day for the rest of your life? No. Are there potential risk associated with a long term 500 net calories a day diet? Yes. What happens when you do reach your goal and then start eating normally again? Do you keep exercising when you hit your goal? Do you eat your exercise calories back then? What about when you get closer to your goal weight? Does your skin adjust better to a slightly lower weight loss? Does your body do better with 1-2 lbs per week? Is it easier to stick to an eating plan that lets you still lose weight while eating a healthy amount of food? In 2 years will it matter if you lost the weight fast or slightly slower, or will the only thing that matters be, do you weigh your goal weight or your pre-diet starting weight? Do you want to look better or weigh a number?

    For all those questions the right (IMHO) answers indicate that you should eat back at least some of your exercise calories. And more of them as you get closer to your goal weight.

    And almost every plateaus when starting a new exercise program. It's the reason my wife didn't want to start exercising at all. she was afraid of the loss stopping.

    Here's my advice - Continue on exactly as you are for 3 more weeks. On the 3rd week take a break from your exercise. Still exercise, but just at a lighter, lower intensity and give your body a chance to recover completely. Then weigh yourself. If you haven't lost anything, then you can look at lowering your calories a bit. If you have look at the average loss per week. If it's where you want it to be, keep on keepin on. My guess is you'll do just fine, and worst case scenario your cardio vascular health will be that much improved over the next 3 weeks.

    GL

    You and McKay make good points about my deficit already being figured in...I guess you guys eliminated not eating my calories back (it was a last resort...I like to eat haha).
    Would aiming to lose more like 1 or 1.5 pounds a week be better, do you think?
  • tross0924
    tross0924 Posts: 909 Member
    You and McKay make good points about my deficit already being figured in...I guess you guys eliminated not eating my calories back (it was a last resort...I like to eat haha).
    Would aiming to lose more like 1 or 1.5 pounds a week be better, do you think?

    It's kinda like you said about being right there at the border line. 40 lbs left to lose is iffy at 2 lbs a week. I'd probably say if you're not feeling to hungry and don't have any problems sticking it out there now, you're OK. Once you get down to 25 or so to go I'd definitely drop it though. If your struggling to stay under your calorie goal, there's nothing wrong with bumping it to 1.5 a week now.
  • bigmamma56
    bigmamma56 Posts: 41
    I totally agree with Jo here. My weight loss has been achieved on the principle that I need to burn 3,500 calories in order to lose 1lb..... So yes.... why on earth would anyone walk miles and then go out and eat a big mac???!!! Beats me!
    I have learned that I have had to be patient to sustain my weight loss and I need to lose weight slowly then I know I have a better chance of keeping it off for the long term. I usually lose a 1lb a month and if I lose any more than that, then that is an added bonus.....bearing in mind I was 15 and a half stone three years ago and now weigh 13 stone I am very happy. I am aiming to get another stone off this year then my BMI will be back in the normal range for my height. People don't get fat overnight so people can't expect to get slim overnight either.....my experience is that quick weight loss does not work and it is important for me to follow a healthy exercise schedule that I know I can maintain for life..I don't overdo it by punishing my body with gruelling exercise sessions that are likely to do me more harm than good.As soon as I get fed up and stop doing this I know the weight will come back on....I believe it is best to consider a more active life style change and include brisk walking everyday...the more walking you can fit into your life the better and I also swear by water aerobics .....I always look forward to my classes and it tones up my arms and legs due to the water resistence and is much gentler on the joints! Hope this helps and good luck.
  • DarthBubbles
    DarthBubbles Posts: 138
    You and McKay make good points about my deficit already being figured in...I guess you guys eliminated not eating my calories back (it was a last resort...I like to eat haha).
    Would aiming to lose more like 1 or 1.5 pounds a week be better, do you think?

    It's kinda like you said about being right there at the border line. 40 lbs left to lose is iffy at 2 lbs a week. I'd probably say if you're not feeling to hungry and don't have any problems sticking it out there now, you're OK. Once you get down to 25 or so to go I'd definitely drop it though. If your struggling to stay under your calorie goal, there's nothing wrong with bumping it to 1.5 a week now.

    Thank you for your input! I now have some direction...win! :drinker:
  • 1113cw
    1113cw Posts: 830 Member
    Stay the course and keep exercising. Don't make it so difficult that you can't stay with it. My weight has gone up as much as 5 lbs in a single week and I have gone as long as 2 weeks with out losing anything. I wish I could show you my chart. I track my weight daily. One day I show a loss and the next day a 2 lb. gain. That was probably due to sodium and building muscle. Measure yourself. I have found a weight loss is preceded by a drop in inches.

    This is not unusual. I keep charts to prove to others it is never smooth.

    All the Best!

    Ron

    I weigh myself daily as well, much to the shuddering it would cause here on MFP :laugh:
    But I do so, so that I can average things out at the end of the week, month, etc. I find it helps to know exactly how much my weight fluctuates on any given day for any given reason and if it's up a few pounds here or there, I don't sweat it and get discouraged since I know when I average it out, there's usually a loss.

    As for eating back exercise calories, I usually try to find a happy medium... don't eat them all back but try to stay above 1200 net each day or somewhere near it.

    Just what works for me.,,,,
  • carrie_lebel
    carrie_lebel Posts: 135
    Hi, I think you are right about upping your calories. I did the 1200 calorie thing and I went no where. I upped to 1400 calories and I am back to losing. I am going to up again but i an just taking it slow Is your bmi in healthy range? If it is you shouldn't have such a huge calorie deficit. For starters change your lbs loss to 1 a week and let your body adjust to that for a couple weeks. It is amazing what more calories does.
  • LittleMissVintage
    LittleMissVintage Posts: 142
    Well I know my body works on a cycle It goes Lose 4 pounds quick then maintain for a month and right when I want to give up it loses another four pounds.... Its strange and Ill never understand it but Ive learned to stop trying to analyze it and feel bad about myself for something that probably is mother natures fault. Just don't give up and keep doing whatever your doing make sure you don't under eat and take your measurements to see if you are gaining muscle mass (which can result in weight gain)
  • xlacijeanx
    xlacijeanx Posts: 232 Member
    I can tell a bit of difference in my arms and thighs, not my abs (or lack thereof haha) so much. Unfortunately I didn't think to take measurements.
    I appreciate the words of encouragement, ladies! Crossing my fingers for a huge loss next time I weigh in now, McKay ;)
    @ Red01Angel-thank you! You're too sweet!
    @ Pb2myj-do you have a schedule of sorts you recommend? I was thinking of supplementing 30DS with some extra cardio...

    I honestly don't have a schedule for my routines, I usually go hiking a few times a week for about 1.5/2 hrs- I do The Biggest Loser Workout videos- since I'm still too heavy for higher impact like 30DS. But do something you want to try- some go take spinning classes- or Zumba- something to keep you moving but also have fun while doing it- boredom from routines every single day were too much for me before so knew this time I'd have to switch it up! I started just walked about 1.5 miles every evening in my neighborhood and slowly added in hiking and the workout videos- I'm still too much of a klutz to try Zumba or Turbo Jam again tho! lol
This discussion has been closed.

Categories