Anybody else slow to lose?

I have been tracking on MFP for a month and have lost 4lbs. This is very frustrating as I see others lose triple this amount in that time!! My diet is fair..sticking to calories and eating most of exercise calories back...drinking all water on most days. Exercise is 3x per week as I have to be realistic with 2 small kiddies and hubby gone all week out of town for work. I have to exercise at night when the kids are in bed....I have noticed slight difference in my shape but why do others lose pounds more easier than me? I hate that damn scale!! :sad:

Stacey

I'm sorry you feel frustrated, but 4 lbs. a month is actually not slow but right on target! :flowerforyou: It's healthiest to lose no more than 2 lbs a week, preferably 1 lb a week. Most people that lose "triple that amount" will gain it back...very quickly. I've been using MFP for about 9 weeks and only lost about 6...now that's slow. It sounds like you're doing all the right things. Just be patient, and keep working hard. It'll pay off.

Make sure to keep measurements. You don't say what kind of exercise you are doing, but you might be gaining muscle (and losing inches) whereas the scale will stay the same.

I have not lost any weight (not a single pound) for five weeks! So you are doing great!

Hi,

If you notice a change in your shape, it's possible you're burning fat but gaining muscle, which is good. The muscle weighs more than fat, so that could be why you're not seeing much change on the scale. Try measuring your waist, hips, legs, to see if you've lost a few inches. . . That may give you a better idea of your progress. A few months ago, I was doing a group class sort of like boot camp and I didn't loose a pound. . . The guys kept telling me that I was building muscle and that I had to keep going until I could see a difference in the scales. I stopped because it was so expensive and I lost my motivation. Thankfully, I found this MFP and I'm getting more motivated everyday. Good luck and keep up your workout.

And if you talk to any men who are losing it's even MORE frustrating. They drop 2-3 x what we women do without half the effort! I'm stuck at having lost 7 pounds (9 actually with 2 before mfp) and I'm just not budging anymore even though I have more to go. I am just trying to stick with healthier eating, exercise and good attitude because I'm trying to change my life not just my weight. I'm told that I will break my plateau one of these days and surprise myself. Here's hoping.

You're right -- the scale is not a very good indicator of what you're doing. I am also jealous of those MFP friends who can burn 400 - 500 calories at a single session of exercise, when i struggle to get a 200 calorie burn. But I have set goals for myself and am continuing to work at it. I have been sitting on the couch for a number of years and things aren't going to change overnight!

I have been losing about a pound a week, which is my goal; however, for the last several weeks, my weight has been bouncing all over the place. I keep trading pounds back and forth, which is aggrevating! I am watching what I eat, logging every day, and working out most days.

Today, I got on the scale and GAINED 1 1/2 pounds. The jeans that I bought last year when I reached this weight and used to fit great are now tighter than they were 10 pounds ago. (HUH?) But I'm actally really happy today: I figured out how to use the fat % calculator on my scale, and I am 2% lower on my body fat. AHA! So I AM gaining muscle! Yippee! It's just a matter of time that my metabolism kicks in!

Bottom line is that we are all different. Our bodies react differently -- what works for some MFP friends may not work for others. But we're all in this together and can help each other through this journey ahead.

Best of luck on your journey.

I have been tracking on MFP for a month and have lost 4lbs. This is very frustrating as I see others lose triple this amount in that time!! My diet is fair..sticking to calories and eating most of exercise calories back...drinking all water on most days. Exercise is 3x per week as I have to be realistic with 2 small kiddies and hubby gone all week out of town for work. I have to exercise at night when the kids are in bed....I have noticed slight difference in my shape but why do others lose pounds more easier than me? I hate that damn scale!! :sad:

Stacey

I am in the same boat as you :sad:

I have only lost 6 lbs since I joined MFP back in October. I have been exercising at least 5-7 days a week on the threadmill since the end of Jan. using iFit Live workouts with Jillian Michaels and the scale is still not moving !!

It is so frustrating, I admit some times I may eat something not 100% diet friendly but for the most part I am counting my calories, journaling everything on MFP and trying to follow a good diet with veggies, fruits and even eating back exercise calories.....

It would help to see the scale move down just some to keep me motivated :ohwell:

I am loosing slowly also. But I am hoping it's a good thing. From what I have been told. I loose a lb. a week and get frustrated also....but I am hanging in there! Good Luck, and keep working it! :flowerforyou:

If I have my goal set to lose 2 lbs per week why have I lost only 1lb per week? Just seems odd that the scale does'nt move down faster since I have a lot to lose!!!

It's not an exact science, unfortunately. In the beginning I had it set to lose 1 lb a week and was losing 2! Then I let MFP decrease my calorie goals after losing 10 lbs and that's where I slowed way down. Some people need to eat low, some lose faster by eating more. In my experience eating more has always helped me lose faster, but obviously it's not the same for everyone. Hang in there! I usually don't change anything (intake, activity, etc) unless I plateau for more than a few weeks, give your body some time to adjust.

If I have my goal set to lose 2 lbs per week why have I lost only 1lb per week? Just seems odd that the scale does'nt move down faster since I have a lot to lose!!!

This is why I asked what your settings are. 2lbs per week could be too much for you to be losing. What is your daily calorie goal?

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1470 calories...should I change it to 1lb per week? Will I lose more? I weigh so much....should'nt I be losing the 2lbs? Ahhh! Frustrating!!

Honestly, the more you weigh the more you burn - both at rest and when working out. That's why MFP decreases your calorie goals as you lose. It couldn't hurt to try changing it to 1 lb. Or try changing your activity level, depending on what it's set on. I just changed mine from sedentary to lightly active since my daughter started crawling a couple months ago and it added 120 cals a day. When you work out are you using a HRM or going off the database/treadmill reading? That number can be way off, too. I don't know what I'd do without my HRM!