HELP.....not losing weight.....

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MNSchulz88
MNSchulz88 Posts: 28
in Health and Weight Loss
Started my fitness pal whole heartedly on Jan 12, 2015. Eating 1200 calories a day + what I'm allowed after burning 300-450 calories a day w/ Cardio, Calistenics ect.......After 14 straight days of being consistent I lost .2 pounds! Not 2 pounds, .2 pounds! I'm ready to quit with all the work I'm doing. I'm eating very accurately ever 2-3 hours, healthy breakfast, oatmeal, snacks of fruit and peanut butter, lunch of protein and veggies ect...and drinking 60-80ounces a water...Looking for anyones help w/ what to do diffently??????

Replies

  • malibu927
    malibu927 Posts: 17,565 Member
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    Can you open your diary?

    Also, don't eat all your exercise calories back. MFP's database and exercise machines tend to overestimate what you burn, so cut down to 50-75% of them.
  • vmsolko
    vmsolko Posts: 51 Member
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    You've only been at it 2 weeks. Have some patience. Giving up guarantees you won't even lose 0.2 lbs.

    Have you exercised before? Are you new to it? Even if you exercised before, did you start a different regimen? Many times your muscles aren't used to all this new activity and that can cause inflammation. Inflammation brings water into the picture, so while your muscles are repairing, your weight stays the same or even goes up. (I started a new workout program and increased intensity the week of Christmas. I was eating at calories and working out harder than before and I GAINED 3 lbs. But within 3 weeks all that weight was gone, along with 3 additional pounds.) The point is that your body is still adjusting - you've only been at this 14 days. I think you should stick with what you are doing and see where you are at in a few more weeks.

    Also, do you use a food scale? I thought I knew what portion sizes were - yep, the food scale proved I was WAY wrong when I started MFP last April. If you aren't reading labels and weighing your food (even using 1/2 cup, 1 cup, etc and measuring can be WAY off), then that might be your problem too.
  • sofaking6
    sofaking6 Posts: 4,589 Member
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    1. LOVE your username
    2. It's only been a few days
    3. Do not use MFP default calorie burns for your exercise. Cut them in half and you'll have a more accurate guesstimate.
  • MNSchulz88
    MNSchulz88 Posts: 28
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    Thank you. I am going to continue and get a food scale

    vmsolko wrote: »
    You've only been at it 2 weeks. Have some patience. Giving up guarantees you won't even lose 0.2 lbs.

    Have you exercised before? Are you new to it? Even if you exercised before, did you start a different regimen? Many times your muscles aren't used to all this new activity and that can cause inflammation. Inflammation brings water into the picture, so while your muscles are repairing, your weight stays the same or even goes up. (I started a new workout program and increased intensity the week of Christmas. I was eating at calories and working out harder than before and I GAINED 3 lbs. But within 3 weeks all that weight was gone, along with 3 additional pounds.) The point is that your body is still adjusting - you've only been at this 14 days. I think you should stick with what you are doing and see where you are at in a few more weeks.

    Also, do you use a food scale? I thought I knew what portion sizes were - yep, the food scale proved I was WAY wrong when I started MFP last April. If you aren't reading labels and weighing your food (even using 1/2 cup, 1 cup, etc and measuring can be WAY off), then that might be your problem too.

  • frizzilizzi
    frizzilizzi Posts: 11
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    try h.i.t its said to be more effective than cardio alone...it combines various exercises in shorter bursts which effectively make them more manageable :)
  • higgins8283801
    higgins8283801 Posts: 844 Member
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    with new exercise regimens you can gain a little water weight but it will subside. that may be masking any true weight loss.

    also, you may be overestimating your calorie burns and underestimating the amount you are eating..if this is the case you may have only created a deficit to allow for .2lbs.

    If you are truly netting 1200 calories, baring any sort of health issue, you should be losing weight..it is either water, or a calorie amount issue.
  • higgins8283801
    higgins8283801 Posts: 844 Member
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    vmsolko wrote: »
    You've only been at it 2 weeks. Have some patience. Giving up guarantees you won't even lose 0.2 lbs.

    Have you exercised before? Are you new to it? Even if you exercised before, did you start a different regimen? Many times your muscles aren't used to all this new activity and that can cause inflammation. Inflammation brings water into the picture, so while your muscles are repairing, your weight stays the same or even goes up. (I started a new workout program and increased intensity the week of Christmas. I was eating at calories and working out harder than before and I GAINED 3 lbs. But within 3 weeks all that weight was gone, along with 3 additional pounds.) The point is that your body is still adjusting - you've only been at this 14 days. I think you should stick with what you are doing and see where you are at in a few more weeks.

    Also, do you use a food scale? I thought I knew what portion sizes were - yep, the food scale proved I was WAY wrong when I started MFP last April. If you aren't reading labels and weighing your food (even using 1/2 cup, 1 cup, etc and measuring can be WAY off), then that might be your problem too.

    agreed about the measuring cups. I weighed out a cup of diced pickles the other day and I hit the serving for the cup before I filled the cup completely up. It happens with peanut butter as well. 1 tablespoon filled; equlas 2 tablespoons by grams.

  • brianpperkins
    brianpperkins Posts: 6,124 Member
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    A closed diary, complete lack of basic data (age, height, weight, activity level outside of exercise, etc), no detail of what exercises you're doing and how you're calculating burns ... that combines for no way to give any advice beyond generalities.

    Odds are you're eating more than you think and/or burning fewer calories than you think but until you provide more information ... that's about as specific as anyone can get.
  • vmsolko
    vmsolko Posts: 51 Member
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    MNSchulz88 wrote: »
    Thank you. I am going to continue and get a food scale

    Sounds great! I wish you lots of success!
  • mbcieslak87
    mbcieslak87 Posts: 206 Member
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    Food scale! and Only eat back 75% of your burned calories... and be honest with both - better to overestimate calories in and underestimate calories out at first, until you really get used to the system and your body.

    However, as many others have said, its probably just your body holding on to a little extra water. Many people lose a lot when they first start and other are the opposite and build up to it. If nothing changes in 2-4 more weeks then reevaluate.

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