Week 4 and Stuck!!! Any Advice would be Appreciated :)

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skinnyb450
skinnyb450 Posts: 288
in Motivation and Support
I joined MFP in Jan this year and have been losing about 1kg a week on average. The past month (my 4th month being at MFP) I can't believe it has now been 4 weeks :sad: and the scale has not moved. I must be doing something wrong. I just don't get it - I have increased my water my exercise and I try to choose healthy food to eat each day. I feel really down - after putting in all this effort for the past month and it not being reflected in the number on the scales is getting to me. Even the tape measure hasn't been kind - in 4 weeks I've only lost another 2 and a half inches.

I am happy to open my diary so that people can have a look and offer suggestions, advice

Especially people in my age group that have managed to push past the plateu stage of their journey :sad:

Replies

  • janalayn
    janalayn Posts: 510 Member
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    I just looked at a couple of your days but you need to keep your net calories at 1200 at least .... if you eat 1300 calories and burn 1000 your net is 300 and that is why you aren't losing. Your body has to have enough calories to function and if you don't it will hold on to every bit of fat it has.
  • dmisom79
    dmisom79 Posts: 112
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    HANG IN THERE! Week 4 was the WORST for me. You are telling my story. Just keep powering through and doing all the things right that you are currently doing and it will eventually just start coming off. I was about to give up and all of a sudden, it started melting off for me. I'm not sure why but it's almost like it takes the body at least that amount of time to get going and figure out that you're actually making changes here. Good luck and DON'T GIVE UP!
  • dmisom79
    dmisom79 Posts: 112
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    I just looked at a couple of your days but you need to keep your net calories at 1200 at least .... if you eat 1300 calories and burn 1000 your net is 300 and that is why you aren't losing. Your body has to have enough calories to function and if you don't it will hold on to every bit of fat it has.


    SO TRUE! Eat back those calories. You'll start seeing results.
  • zetsubou
    zetsubou Posts: 48 Member
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    Your diary is amazing! keep up the good work!!!
  • sw33tn3ss07
    sw33tn3ss07 Posts: 71
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    You must be building muscle. Don’t give up!
  • lerchfighter
    lerchfighter Posts: 19
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    My wife is going through the same thing. Be patient. Any time you start a new program it takes your body and metabolism time to adjust (6-8 weeks depending on age and activity level).

    My recommendation is to stick with it, put the scale away and don't remeasure or reweigh yourself for 30 days. After that, don't weigh yourself more than once a week. Do it on the same day, first thing in the morning so you have an accurate base point.

    Finally, take it like a marathon....not a sprint. If you lose even two pounds a month, in two years....well you can do the math. In the meantime you'll feel better and won't be a slave to the scale.

    Uncle Ted
  • Angeladobush
    Angeladobush Posts: 58 Member
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    Please hang in there, I had the same problem and it took forever for the scale to budge.....it will in time and it sounds like you are doing all the right stuff.....Chin up! Friend me if you like.....:happy:
  • CronoCX
    CronoCX Posts: 59 Member
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    Well I'm probably younger but, I do have some advice for you. You eat great and dont see any problems with what your eating at all. You eat healthier than I do ha ha.

    I did look at your exercise diary though. One thing that caught my eye is you have no strength training! Muscle actually helps you burn fat. Without muscle its much harder for your body to burn fat. I would recommend doing strength training. See if that helps.

    Also how everyone else has said. After you work out you have to eat some of those exercise calories back because your body needs those calories to recover if not your putting a ton of stress on your body because it thinks your starving it.

    So it does the whole starvation mode thing. So strength training and eat more calories it should really help you out a lot. Also on the day your work out eat protein to get those muscles strong. Hope this hopes add me as a friend if you like ! GOOD LUCK!
  • rachrach66
    rachrach66 Posts: 271 Member
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    You are doing an amazing job with your food diary but don't overstarve yourself! Eat those extra calories you earn from excercising. I'm also seeing a lot of sugar from fruit. Maybe you should monitor your daily sugar intake a little closer. Keep on it you will see results!
  • kparks770
    kparks770 Posts: 113 Member
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    Ive always heard to change it up.Like your exercise routine.Try something different or new.Also,eat some different things. Make sure you eat enough.Sometimes if you dont eat enough your body freaks out and is in starvation mode and holds everthing in.Good Luck Keep your chin up it happens to EVERYONE trust me!
  • daddyratty
    daddyratty Posts: 305 Member
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    You must be building muscle. Don’t give up!

    No, sorry. This is not it. Muscle and fat weigh the same (1lb = 1lb).
  • daddyratty
    daddyratty Posts: 305 Member
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    You aren't eating enough. As was said above, you need to NET at least 1200 calories per day. If you exercise 1000 calories, then you need to have 2200 that day - EVEN IF YOU DON'T FEEL HUNGRY. Part of the issue with those of us needing to lose a lot is that we *think* we know what we're supposed to do or not supposed to do, but in my case, I clearly did not.

    So ... eat back your exercise calories, and go even a few hundred above every few days.

    There are some good threads on here, too, about "zig-zagging" your calories. In addition to not eating enough, you have to also beware that you don't let your body get used to the same amount of calories every day. It will become incredibly efficient - more than you'd like.
  • skinnyb450
    skinnyb450 Posts: 288
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    Thank you for your comments and advice - I think I will try zig-zagging my calories, changing my exercise routines, eating ALL my calories back and see how that goes for two weeks - Thank you for your encouragement :):flowerforyou:
  • daddyratty
    daddyratty Posts: 305 Member
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    One more thing.

    You can DO THIS!
  • fitnessjch
    fitnessjch Posts: 449 Member
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    bump

    Let us know how you get on!

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