No weight loss in 2 months

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I've been working out and dieting since March with no weight loss :(
Any suggestions???
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  • Andee08
    Andee08 Posts: 147 Member
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    If you make your diary available to the public, we will be able to look at it and give you suggestions
  • Sedonafan
    Sedonafan Posts: 26 Member
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    Hey! What have you been doing these past months?
  • dae1208
    dae1208 Posts: 9 Member
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    Same for me! I have been at a plateau. Bump for later
  • Sunshine_Girlie
    Sunshine_Girlie Posts: 618 Member
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    That's how I was. How's your eating habits? Are you getting enough veggies, fruits, carbs, etc? Each category in the pyramid is important. Are you snacking? What do you grab? How often do you grab something sweet and/or salty? Are you drinking enough water? How about your exercising? What and how long are you doing? Mix it up a bit. If you're doing everything right, eat something that isn't what you're used to. Give your body something to react over. Something HAS to give.
  • jweatherbee
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    It happens to me all the time, try doing something different with your workouts, increase your strength training or do something new for cardio :)
    Hope this helps
  • swaymyway
    swaymyway Posts: 428 Member
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    Also what is your currnet weight/height - had you already lost lots of weight before that etc
    The more information you can give us the better :)
  • Qarol
    Qarol Posts: 6,171 Member
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    I've been there. It's rough, I know. First, if I were you, I'd cut out all beverages except plain water, and even then, drink more than the minimum 8 glasses. Maybe have a morning coffee (I know I couldn't give that up) but just one. For some people, diet soda or other beverages don't hinder weight loss. But for some, it can. What does it hurt to try?

    Then I'd make sure you weren't starving yourself. If you're at the minimum, maybe eat an extra 100 calories a day. And watch your portions.

    Finally, just stick with it. If you're close to your goal weight, it's going to come off super slow. Try not to let it discourage you.

    p.s. Are you taking your measurements, too? A lot of times the scale number won't move, but your body is still getting smaller.
  • cmiles23
    cmiles23 Posts: 234 Member
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    Open up your diary to the public so we can give you accurate advice
  • erinhale
    erinhale Posts: 137 Member
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    Taken from: http://torquefitness.blogspot.com/2011/04/plateua-ohhh-nooo.html

    You've diligently worked to improve your diet and exercise habits, and you've been rewarded by seeing the number on the scale continue to drop. But then for no reason you can see, the scale doesn't budge — even though you're still eating a healthy, low-calorie diet and exercising regularly. You've hit a weight-loss plateau. It’s inevitable. At some point during your exercise program your body will fail to respond to the exercise and diet that has guaranteed you results in the past. Strength increases dwindle; fat loss slows; lean muscle gains aren’t as apparent. Life was good at the beginning of the program when your body responded by shedding massive fat, gaining pounds of muscle, and gaining superhero strength almost overnight. Welcome to reality.

    Before you get too discouraged, you should know that it's normal for weight loss to slow and even stall. By understanding what causes a weight-loss plateau, you can decide how to respond and avoid backsliding on your healthy-eating and exercise habits.

    What is a weight-loss plateau?
    A weight-loss plateau occurs when you no longer lose weight despite continuing with your exercise and healthy-eating habits. Being stuck at a weight-loss plateau eventually happens to everyone who is trying to lose weight. At that point, losing additional weight becomes more difficult. Although hitting a plateau is common, most people are surprised when it happens to them, believing that if they just maintain a reduced-calorie diet, they should continue to lose weight. The frustrating reality is that even well-planned weight-loss efforts can become stalled.

    What causes a weight-loss plateau?
    The progression from initial weight loss to a weight-loss plateau follows a typical pattern. During the first few weeks of losing weight, a rapid drop in pounds is normal. When calories from food are reduced, the body gets needed energy by releasing its stores of glycogen, a type of carbohydrate found in the muscles and liver. Glycogen holds onto water, so when glycogen is burned for energy, it also releases the water — about 4 grams of water for every gram of glycogen — resulting in substantial weight loss that's mostly water.

    A plateau occurs because your metabolism — the process of burning calories for energy — slows as you lose lean tissue (muscle). When you lose weight, you lose both fat and lean tissue. (The notion that overweight people have a slower metabolism is a myth. In general, the higher a person's weight, the higher the body's metabolic rate.) Your weight-loss efforts result in a new equilibrium with your now slower metabolism. This means that in order to lose more weight, you need to increase activity or decrease the calories you eat. Using the same approach that worked initially will maintain your weight loss, but it won't lead to more weight loss.

    How can you overcome a weight-loss plateau?
    If you're at a plateau, you may have lost all of the weight you will given the number of calories you're eating each day and the time you spend exercising. At this point, you need to ask yourself if you're satisfied with your current weight or if you want to lose more, in which case you'll need to adjust your weight-loss program. If you're committed to losing more weight, try these tips for getting past the plateau:

    • Reassess your habits. Look back at your food and activity records. Make sure you haven't loosened the rules, letting yourself get by with larger portions or less exercise.

    • Cut calories. Reduce your daily calorie intake by 200 calories — provided this doesn't put you below 1,200 calories. Fewer than 1,200 calories a day may not be enough to keep you from feeling hungry all of the time, which increases your risk of overeating.

    • Rev up your workout. Increase the amount of time you exercise by an additional 15 to 30 minutes. You might also try increasing the intensity of your exercise, if you feel that's possible. Additional exercise will cause you to burn more calories.

    • Pack more activity into your day. Think outside the gym. Increase your general physical activity throughout the day by walking more and using your car less, or try doing more yardwork or vigorous spring cleaning.

    • Make sure you replacing what you are burning. Wearing a heart rate monitor can give you a more accurate view on how many calories you are burning in a workout session. Your body needs the extra calories through out the day. You must eat more to lose more. If your body is in a negative caloric state, it will not burn fat.
    Don't let a weight-loss plateau lead to an avalanche.

    If your efforts to get past a weight-loss plateau aren't working, talk with your doctor or a dietitian about other tactics you can try. You may also want to revisit your weight-loss goal. Maybe the weight you're striving for is unrealistic for you. If you've improved your diet and increased your exercise, you've already improved your health even without further weight loss. For those who are overweight or obese, even modest weight loss improves chronic health conditions related to being overweight.

    Whatever you do, don't revert back to your old eating and exercise habits. That may cause you to regain the weight that you've already lost.

    Try the following:

    Is it a plateau? – A plateau is 1-2 weeks, not 1-2 days! When was the last time the scale moved? Are you really facing a weight loss plateau?
    Follow your plan – Be sure you are following your weight loss program eating guidelines each day and are not inadvertently eating non-approved foods or too much of the higher-carbohydrate foods.

    Too many carbs? – Reduce the total carbohydrates in your plan. For example, if your weight loss program includes a lot of vegetables, choose the lower carbohydrate vegetables for a week or two. Also, consider your choice of condiments. For example, are you adding high-carbohydrate salad dressing to your salads? Follow the Golden Rule of carbs, a 4:1 ratio.

    Do not skip meals – Skipping meals can cause your metabolism to slow down and cause you to lose weight more slowly. If anything, you should consider eating smaller amounts more frequently, 5-6 times per day.
    The little things – Do you add a lot of cream in your coffee? If so, try a creamer with less fat. Do you chew gum or eat mints? These can add a surprising amount of sugar throughout the day, depending on your choice of gum or mints. Record everything that touches your mouth. EVERYTHING has calories in it, record it.

    Women – If you are female, are you on your menstrual cycle? This can certainly cause a temporary slow-down of your weight loss.

    Water – Do you drink enough water? A minimum of 64-ounces per day is recommended. More is usually better!

    Near your goal weight? – Are you nearing your goal weight? If so, you can expect the rate of weight loss to slow down. Be patient and persistent.

    Exercise – Are you exercising? If not, start – but slowly. If you are already exercising, try adding a few more minutes (or more) of daily exercise. Make sure you are changing your routine every 4-6 weeks and challenging your body to do more reps, more weight, and more time. On the other hand, it is possible to be getting too much exercise to where your body is fatigued. Maybe you need to back off a little. It may also help to change the type of exercise you do for a while. For example, if you always run on the treadmill, try using a stationary bike instead for a couple of weeks.

    Stress – Have you been under more stress lately than normal? Additional stress can cause your body to change and slow your weight loss. It can also cause you to behave differently. For example, when you are stressed and tired, you may grab some fast food on your way home from work, then feel guilty about your food choice.

    Illness – Have you been sick lately? Even having a cold, for example, can cause your body to lose weight less efficiently as you fight the cold symptoms. Focus on getting healthy again and then resume your regular program.

    Rest – Are you getting enough sleep? Most of us don’t but this is one of the most important things we can do for ourselves. A lack of sleep can wear your body down and affect your weight loss efforts.
  • Kkmama
    Kkmama Posts: 544 Member
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    Are you eating your NET calories? Have you been eating your exercise cals?

    I was not able to lose weight for years and thought it was impossible until I took things back to basic and followed just what it says to do here on MFP and it will work. Slowly but surely. Check below to see my stats as I believed for years that it wasn't possible...
  • Lillabet76
    Lillabet76 Posts: 16
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    Firstly, have you measured your body? It could be you're building muscle mass so you might not see too much difference in weight but will in inches.
    Secondly, are you being accurate with your calories eaten and burned figures? Guestimating can mean you think you're eating less than you actually are and burning more than you actually are.
    Also let the good ladies and gents of MFP have a look at your food diary so they can give as helpful advice as possible.
    HTH :)
  • dbories
    dbories Posts: 1 Member
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    The terrible part of this is that you may be distorting your daily food intake dairy entries. If you are not accurate, that is, under estimating the amount or calories, then the results won't come. I have a exercise trainer and we have always found that I need to log food correctly, exercise for 30 minutes a day (I walk for two miles and do about 15 to 60 minutes of weight training three times a week). HOWEVER, it is the food intake that really makes me lose the weight! It is easy to fool one-self about what is being consumed.

    GOOD LUCK and keep trying!!:smile:
  • sarahazelnut99
    sarahazelnut99 Posts: 307 Member
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    I was stuck for 4 weeks without any weight loss...so i spent about a week pigging out and im trying to get back on dieting now...i feel like i may have spiked my metabolism but im not dutr
  • srogers01
    srogers01 Posts: 29 Member
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    I have not lost any weight previously this is me just starting out. I eat between 1200-1400 calories a day. I take an hour Zumba class 3x a week and an hour Kickboxing class 3x a week. I did a google search and found that I may not be eating enough calories for my activity level (is that even possible) but I'm having a hard time increasing my calorie intake??
  • fangirly
    fangirly Posts: 4
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    Your metabolism might have just gotten used to your food. Might I recommend some strange sounding things I have been doing that might be helpful?

    20 oz of ice cold water within 30 minutes of waking up and ice packs on your upper-back/shoulders for 20 minutes and hour before bed. It boosts metabolism. I lost 7 pounds in 3 weeks not doing it and 6 pounds in 2 weeks just adding those two things. Neither of these things can hurt to try.

    I learned this from 4 Hour Body by Tim Ferriss. It was from a NASA guy who got obsessed with figuring out how Michael Phelps could eat 12,000 calories a day and realized it was because cold boosts metabolism.
  • srogers01
    srogers01 Posts: 29 Member
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    I just joined a few days ago so I don't think my diary will help. I was using sparkpeople prior to a few days ago but decided to try my fitness pal because it calculates how many calories you should consume based on activity.
  • curleesam
    curleesam Posts: 462 Member
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    I have not lost any weight previously this is me just starting out. I eat between 1200-1400 calories a day. I take an hour Zumba class 3x a week and an hour Kickboxing class 3x a week. I did a google search and found that I may not be eating enough calories for my activity level (is that even possible) but I'm having a hard time increasing my calorie intake??

    Your plateau has lasted quite long so there is definitely something not quite right. My plateau lasted three weeks. I changed my exercise routine (did a day on, two days off, two days on, one day off etc) and upped my calories by 150 per day. I also started eating back half of my exercise calories (which I continue to do)

    I would follow advice on here and make sure you are only drinking water, eat lots of veggies and fruit and cut down on processed foods and sugary foods. Also be sure to mix up your exercise routine.
  • lilsweetslol
    lilsweetslol Posts: 68 Member
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    After viewing your diary its hard to see what your long term eating habits have been?
    I would say try and lower your carb intake and try and eat more whole foods and not so much processed foods. ( 100 calorie packs, crackers etc) although the calories are low, they are hidden with all kinds of chemicals that can slow our bodies normal functions down.
    Try eating more fruits, veggies, nuts ( almonds) more lean protein. I would also say start eating back more of your exercise calories to see if that budges your weight at all. Always get at least 64+ ounces of water a day.. this will help flush excess water weight from sodium and other garbage.

    learn new types of exercises or groups. As our bodies will adjust to the same routine over time.

    take your measurements! TAKE YOUR MEASUREMENTS!!! Even though my numbers on the scale didnt move for 5 weeks. i lost 10 inches all over during that time : ) you will realize the progress you are really making.

    oh.. be careful with the fast food salads. i used to always get them for lunch until I went online and checked the nutritional guides and saw most of those "healthy Salads" calories were 600 plus.. uggh.
    -- we are so lucky to have quick access to nutritional guides : )

    alot of success comes from planning ahead. plan your healthy meals for the week, keep healthy snacks on hand at ALL times.

    everyone on here has such great advice and support now its up to you to stick with it keep loggin everyday! :heart:
  • lilsweetslol
    lilsweetslol Posts: 68 Member
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    BTW- ** ERINHALE.. that was a great post. very informative for those to better understand what is going on** kudos :flowerforyou:
  • DustinReiner
    DustinReiner Posts: 157 Member
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    Hi Srogers,

    You don't have much historical information to go on, only having been on here for four days. But people are creatures of habit, so it is a snap shot of what you usually eat. From what's in your diary your not really eating "diet" food. A Mickey D's egg Mcmuffin and a vanilla sundae and doing about 800 grams of carbs in those four days isn't going to help your cause.

    I'd say change up your diet and make sure your logging in everything as correctly *kitten* you can. That is up to you though.

    I’d recommend start to read or research whatever you want to call it. You don’t have to be an expert on the matter, but you will get to know a lot about food and nutrition and exercise. I'd cut the carbos down by 40% and cut out the fast food and pasta.

    I would also recommend on doing some kind of exercising. Exercising of some sort is almost mandatory, losing weight can be done without exercising, but it will take at least twice as long and not as effective.

    Exercising can be as simple as walking, which is always a good one. Joining a gym is great(don’t let it intimidate you, they’re all people with the same goals. To get in better shape!) As soon as you get used to going there, it is a great place to learn more “Tricks of the trade” on getting in shape. Treadmill, stationary bike, elliptical machine, swimming, spinning classes, aerobics(Actually a good place to start, if you’re not used to exercising)

    A link about low carbs.
    http://exercise.about.com/cs/nutrition/a/lowcarb.htm

    A link about dieting
    http://exercise.about.com/sitesearch.htm?q=What+is+a+proper+diet?&SUName=exercise

    Another link about nutrition
    http://exercise.about.com/od/nutrition/Nutrition.htm

    I use About.com a lot for research.

    You can do it, just stay with it. Even when you get frustrated.

    Unfortunately this isn’t my first construction project, you can read my bio if you want the behind the curtain story……or not. That’s up to you, I know where I’ve been and I know where I’m going!

    Just trying to share some of the knowledge I’ve learned over the years.

    Good luck in reaching your goals!

    Dustin