Why am I not losing weight

tammyjo50
tammyjo50 Posts: 12 Member
edited November 14 in Health and Weight Loss
hello I'm 50yrs old and need to lose about 80 lbs. I have been using MFP for a little over a month now and stay under my calorie goals at least by 20 minimum sometimes more but I'm not losing weight! I have lost 2-4 lbs its keeps changing, yes sometimes the scale goes up! What the heck am I doing wrong?? Someone help please

Replies

  • Liftng4Lis
    Liftng4Lis Posts: 15,151 Member
    Can you open your diary please?
  • mommymissy82
    mommymissy82 Posts: 48 Member
    Your not in a deficit....are you weighing everything?
  • prettygirlstorm1
    prettygirlstorm1 Posts: 721 Member
    Are you weighing your food. If not, you could be eating more calories than you think. The bottom line is you have to burn off more calories than you take in to lose weight.
  • tammyjo50
    tammyjo50 Posts: 12 Member
    I just made my diary public...
  • tammyjo50
    tammyjo50 Posts: 12 Member
    vada44 wrote: »
    Are you weighing your food. If not, you could be eating more calories than you think. The bottom line is you have to burn off more calories than you take in to lose weight.

    No I don't weigh but I do use measuring cups and I know about using my palm size for meat...
  • queenliz99
    queenliz99 Posts: 15,317 Member
    tammyjo50 wrote: »
    vada44 wrote: »
    Are you weighing your food. If not, you could be eating more calories than you think. The bottom line is you have to burn off more calories than you take in to lose weight.

    No I don't weigh but I do use measuring cups and I know about using my palm size for meat...

    You need to use a food scale.

    watch this

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JVjWPclrWVY
  • StaciMarie1974
    StaciMarie1974 Posts: 4,138 Member
    edited March 2015
    What do you weigh now compared to what you weighed 30 days ago? The fluctuations are maddening sometimes, but if the trend is downward then you're doing just fine.

    If its downward but not as much as you like, or if its not a downward trend, then you can improve your logging accuracy with a food scale. Cups for solid food = not accurate.
    tammyjo50 wrote: »
    hello I'm 50yrs old and need to lose about 80 lbs. I have been using MFP for a little over a month now and stay under my calorie goals at least by 20 minimum sometimes more but I'm not losing weight! I have lost 2-4 lbs its keeps changing, yes sometimes the scale goes up! What the heck am I doing wrong?? Someone help please

  • tammyjo50
    tammyjo50 Posts: 12 Member
    It is I have down down about 4lbs well actually today the scale said I am up 2 lbs!!! I feel like I'm losing but the scale says other and I honestly don't know why it shows I'm gaining
  • killerqueen21
    killerqueen21 Posts: 157 Member
    Please weigh your food. You are overestimating what you're eating. I was doing the same thing when I first started losing. It can be hundreds of calories that you're not accounting for and that can really mess you up.
  • killerqueen21
    killerqueen21 Posts: 157 Member
    tammyjo50 wrote: »
    It is I have down down about 4lbs well actually today the scale said I am up 2 lbs!!! I feel like I'm losing but the scale says other and I honestly don't know why it shows I'm gaining

    Scales are jerks. Your body weight is going to flucuate due to water or pms. Weight loss isn't linear. You'll lose 5lbs, gain 2. Lose 1 lb, gain 1lb, etc. Just make sure, in general, the numbers are going down. Also start taking measurements.
  • ryry2169
    ryry2169 Posts: 90 Member
    Focus on your food intake and weigh your food; 90% of what your put in shows your result.
  • skybried
    skybried Posts: 3 Member
    Scales are not a good prediction of weight lost. Considering if you are lifting u can out on muscle which weighs more. Do u feel better? Are Ur clothes more comfortable on ur body? Look at ur skin, are u drinking lots of wAter? Just consider how much of a lifestyle change u have made, it's more than just calories! Ur looking to lose a significant amount of weight and you can absolutely do it! But put that scale in a closet far away, and just keep going. They are way too discouraging to keep around! :)
  • malibu927
    malibu927 Posts: 17,562 Member
    skybried wrote: »
    Scales are not a good prediction of weight lost. Considering if you are lifting u can out on muscle which weighs more. Do u feel better? Are Ur clothes more comfortable on ur body? Look at ur skin, are u drinking lots of wAter? Just consider how much of a lifestyle change u have made, it's more than just calories! Ur looking to lose a significant amount of weight and you can absolutely do it! But put that scale in a closet far away, and just keep going. They are way too discouraging to keep around! :)

    Other than newbie gains, one does not gain muscle in a calorie deficit.

    OP, pick up a food scale and start using it. It's very eye-opening to see how wrong many of us think portion sizes are.
  • ncboiler89
    ncboiler89 Posts: 2,408 Member
    tammyjo50 wrote: »
    I have been using MFP for a little over a month now...I have lost 2-4 lbs ...

    Two to four pounds per month is very acceptable.
  • jgnatca
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
    Weight fluctuates. Here's a trend diagram where I weighed myself daily for a while.
    JKTrendWeight.JPG

    As you can see, weight can fluctuate as much as five pounds in one day! That's not fat loss. That's other things going on, and I've found I get a spike once a month with a steady drop right after.

    I don't bother weighing daily any more. I follow my trend line instead, and try not to take a single day's reading too seriously.
  • StaciMarie1974
    StaciMarie1974 Posts: 4,138 Member
    Sometimes it will go up and the culprit is water weight. Common causes: hormones/stress/sodium/lack of sleep/new workout routine or increased intensity in your workout routine/eating a high # of carbs when you are not accustomed to it lately. Water weight is temporary - which is why I asked you to compare now to a month ago. Looking at your weight trend over time helps you see past the water weight fluctuations.
    tammyjo50 wrote: »
    It is I have down down about 4lbs well actually today the scale said I am up 2 lbs!!! I feel like I'm losing but the scale says other and I honestly don't know why it shows I'm gaining

  • esjones12
    esjones12 Posts: 1,363 Member
    You need to weigh your foods. Get a digital scale.

    However, as someone else said, losing 2 to 4 pounds in a month is good. I bet it would be higher if you weighed your food....but realistically you are looking at a max of 4-8 pounds per month loss. Slow steady loss is where it is at for long term success.
  • fitkoc
    fitkoc Posts: 21 Member
    tammyjo50 wrote: »
    It is I have down down about 4lbs well actually today the scale said I am up 2 lbs!!! I feel like I'm losing but the scale says other and I honestly don't know why it shows I'm gaining

    I know exactly how you feel, keep going, it took this long to put the weight on, won't be easy to get rid of, i'm buying a scale shortly as well, shocking the overages in calories you can't see. my body aches everyday from weight training, my feet hurt from all the walking, this is a good community to work with, they are awesome and you can learn lots from the forums
  • booksandchocolate12
    booksandchocolate12 Posts: 1,741 Member
    tammyjo50 wrote: »
    vada44 wrote: »
    Are you weighing your food. If not, you could be eating more calories than you think. The bottom line is you have to burn off more calories than you take in to lose weight.

    No I don't weigh but I do use measuring cups and I know about using my palm size for meat...

    I remember hearing a piece of meat the size of your palm is 3 oz. But think about it:

    My daughter is 4'10" tall. Brother-in-law is 6'6" tall. How can both of their palms be representative of 3 oz of meat?

    If you're using your palm to measure, you really have no idea how much you're eating.

    Get a scale.
  • tammyjo50
    tammyjo50 Posts: 12 Member
    Thank you all for the replies and confidence building words... I do feel a little better and I tell myself that I look a little better but it's that darn scale that brings me down! Lol!! I do have a scale just thought that if I was calorie counting then I wouldn't need it but I guess if I am serious about losing the weight I will start using it again. Thanks again everyone and good luck to all on the journey!!
  • redheaddee
    redheaddee Posts: 2,005 Member
    This could be many, many things.

    Are you weighing & measuring all your foods?

    Are you eating enough OR eating at enough of a deficit? (Google Scooby Calculator. This will give you a much better caloric goal.)

    You are 50. Let's be real...it is hard as HELL to take off weight once we get into the menopausal years.

    Are you exercising? How many of those calories do you eat back? Don't use MFP's calorie count for exercise...it OVER estimates. If your lifting, you might be building muscle.

    Are all your hormones & things in line (thyroid, etc., etc.)

    So many things. Plus, it's only been a month.

    I think we would all be healthier overall if we could get out of the mindset that weight loss is fast and dirty. We didn't put the weight on overnight...it's not going to reverse that fast either.
  • blankiefinder
    blankiefinder Posts: 3,599 Member
    You have to use a food scale! Trust us! My $10 food scale was the best investment I've ever made.
  • megantischner
    megantischner Posts: 85 Member
    Are you measuring waist/hips/etc.? You could be gaining muscle while losing fat.
  • blankiefinder
    blankiefinder Posts: 3,599 Member
    megantischner wrote: »
    Are you measuring waist/hips/etc.? You could be gaining muscle while losing fat.

    Not unless she's lifting heavy, and women are very slow to add muscle weight.
  • melissapinna
    melissapinna Posts: 2 Member
    Logging in for 14 days. Haven't lost anything this week. Very frustrated!!!!! I'm exercising up to 5 days per week.
  • blankiefinder
    blankiefinder Posts: 3,599 Member
    @melissapinna Are you using a food scale to weigh your food? (Yes, this question again!) Eating back your exercise calories?
  • ncboiler89
    ncboiler89 Posts: 2,408 Member
    melissapinna wrote: »
    Logging in for 14 days. Haven't lost anything this week. Very frustrated!!!!! I'm exercising up to 5 days per week.

    The quoted post has nothing to do with the thread but it begs the question; how do you know you haven't lost anything this week?
  • mokaiba
    mokaiba Posts: 141 Member
    edited March 2015
    tammyjo50 wrote: »
    I just made my diary public...

    Doesnt seem to be public anymore.

    Depending on how many carbs you eat, you could try lowering them 25g. 1g carb = 4 calories. 25g carb reduction would be 100 calories less. Also, try to eat 1g protein per lean mass. If unsure on what your lean mass is just make a best guess of 70% of your total weight (eg100=70%=70g protein). If you happen to increase your calories by increasing the protein you eat, just lower the carbs to adjust (try not to go less than 80g carbs though)
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