Anybody else slow to lose?

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poesch77
poesch77 Posts: 1,005 Member
in Motivation and Support
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
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Replies

  • MegJo
    MegJo Posts: 398 Member
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    Oh yes -- I often get jealous by my MFP friends. I'm lucky to lose 1lb a week. I started MFP last september and have logged my food EVERY day since. I haven't been on the scale since the beginning of March but I was 19lbs down.... I hit two plateaus where I didn't lose any weight at all for a month each.

    My advice... just keep going. Although its slow - imagine if you didn't try or keep track.... maybe you'd be PLUS 4lbs.

    At this rate - in 2 more months you'll be at 12lbs down... Not too shabby!
  • agdeierl
    agdeierl Posts: 378 Member
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    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.
  • Sigra
    Sigra Posts: 374 Member
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    I have 12days until my 1month and I have only lost 4lbs as well :| I'm super jealous when I see people losing 2-3lbs a week even though they are the same size or smaller.
  • poesch77
    poesch77 Posts: 1,005 Member
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    Oh yes -- I often get jealous by my MFP friends. I'm lucky to lose 1lb a week. I started MFP last september and have logged my food EVERY day since. I haven't been on the scale since the beginning of March but I was 19lbs down.... I hit two plateaus where I didn't lose any weight at all for a month each.

    My advice... just keep going. Although its slow - imagine if you didn't try or keep track.... maybe you'd be PLUS 4lbs.

    At this rate - in 2 more months you'll be at 12lbs down... Not too shabby!

    Thanks...I need all the encouragement I can get!!
  • malabaugh
    malabaugh Posts: 130 Member
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    I agree, your progress is perfect. I know it can be frustrating, but as long as you are losing, you are headed in the right direction! Don't get discouraged or give up!
  • TS65
    TS65 Posts: 1,024 Member
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    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.
  • lockhartkitchen
    lockhartkitchen Posts: 7
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    Our bodies will sometimes hit that plateau. One way to get our bodies out of it, is to mix things up. Try working out on different days, giving your body rest on different days. If you are working out Mon-Wed-Fri. Try Tues-Thur-Sat- Maybe mix up your exercise. Try something different. Add different foods to your diet. You will eventually get out of this.
  • exercisechic927
    exercisechic927 Posts: 64 Member
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    I have not lost any weight (not a single pound) for five weeks! So you are doing great!
  • poesch77
    poesch77 Posts: 1,005 Member
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    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 aimed for 30-40 min on the treadmill on an incline as it burns a lot of calories and is reshaping my bum!! :bigsmile: I usually burn about 300 or more calories doing this.
  • YolondaNicole
    YolondaNicole Posts: 18
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    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.
  • Cmuchoa
    Cmuchoa Posts: 161 Member
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    I too am loosing on a slow rate - 9 lbs since 2/9 and I try to exercise daily to the best of my ability. I have lost 1 inch on my waist and approx 3" on my hips. My diet is actually very healthy. I think slow and steady wins the race in the long run. It can be very frustrating but stick with it as that is just what I plan to do. Good luck on yr journey to better health.
  • muffintopteri
    muffintopteri Posts: 83
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    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.
  • WildcatMom82
    WildcatMom82 Posts: 564 Member
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    I haven't lost anything in 3 weeks, now :sad: I'm still nursing and was having supply issues so I increased my cals by 100 a day and am back on track in that dept, but not so much weight loss *sigh* Try doing some intervals on the treadmill once or twice a week. Alternating walking and running is really supposed to get your metabolism going. I'm going to start that this week :smile:

    Just remember every little bit counts! Especially with 2 kids! I have a hard enough time working out with just the one.
  • suzooz
    suzooz Posts: 720 Member
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    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.
  • Coco_Puff
    Coco_Puff Posts: 823 Member
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    Grab a pair of old jeans and a button up shirt. Try these on every two weeks, they will never lie to you, but the devil scale will. Keep up the good work, not only will you improve your body, but your health and your family will thank you for it!!!!
  • Minnie_Moo
    Minnie_Moo Posts: 239 Member
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    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 !! :angry:

    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:
  • meggonkgonk
    meggonkgonk Posts: 2,066 Member
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    First- 1lb a week is great progress!

    There may be things you can to to pick it up a little for a bit (once you get lighter, 1lb a week will be normal, and sometimes even less than that!)

    Questions:

    1) What are you tracking aside from calories? I would strongly recommend sodium, protein, fat and saturated fats (others will recommend carbs and sugar, so that may work for you more). Being able to see the diff between good fats and unhealthy fats is more important to me and sodium builds up quickly, so if you aren't tracking it you could be holding yourself back.

    2) What are your settings at? Like what is your activity setting, and how many lbs do you have selected to lose per week?

    3) Definitely try to keep your exercise moderate overall (one really hard day a week is good, not more than 2) and make sure to take a rest day or two a week. When doing any kind of difficult workout, your muscles will retain water to heal. Resting will let them relax and release this.

    4) Be extra rigorous in measuring your foods, especially because you are eating your exercise cals.

    Best of luck in your journey!
  • DarMC
    DarMC Posts: 78 Member
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    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:
  • poesch77
    poesch77 Posts: 1,005 Member
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    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!!!
  • WildcatMom82
    WildcatMom82 Posts: 564 Member
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    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.

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