Been at this a week and nothing is happening.

FrauSmith
FrauSmith Posts: 6 Member
edited September 27 in Health and Weight Loss
I have been exercising and staying under my daily caloric intake for a week now with NO weight loss. I haven't consumed more than 1200 calories. One day I did really poorly but I worked off all the extra calories. I'm not expecting to lose pounds overnight but I've made some HUGE life changes (exercising everyday, eating healthy, and staying under 1200 calories) and I would expect something to be happening on the scale. I've been told I need to be drinking more water and I plan to do that. But does anyone have any other suggestions?

Replies

  • bobbie228
    bobbie228 Posts: 53
    Well you need to be hitting at least the 1200 never under! If you don't you coudl not be losing because you are in starvation mode!
  • Purplebunnysarah
    Purplebunnysarah Posts: 3,252 Member
    Just give your body a little time. When I first started changing my lifestyle I actually didn't see a loss until day 12 or so as with all the changes I was retaining water like crazy. If after 3-4 weeks you still haven't seen a loss, then you might want to investigate more closely.
  • SheehyCFC
    SheehyCFC Posts: 529 Member
    You're not eating enough. you need to consume those 1200 calories AS WELL AS any exercise calories you burn. My Fitness Pal (MFP) builds in a caloric deficit for healthy weight loss. By not consuming those 1200 calories, your body thinks it is being starved and is holding onto every available calorie.
  • mom2bambam
    mom2bambam Posts: 17 Member
    Like you, I did not see scale results after my first week and was really dissapointed. So rather than focusing on the number, I chose to focus on how I felt. I felt FABULOUS! I had a lot more energy and just felt happier. So try to focus on what is working for you and how you feel. Also, you may want to look at nutritional information such as fat, carbs, sugar. For me, sugar is a real problem and I noticed that my first week, since I ate a lot more fruits than I did veggies, I was over the maximum grams of sugar per day almost every day. So, I modified what I ate and started to include more veggies and closely monitor my sugar intake. Happy to say, I am now seeing a difference on the scale, a small difference and I will take it. Remember, one day at a time!
  • princesslmc2
    princesslmc2 Posts: 264 Member
    Keep with it!! There are times where I don't see any changes on the scale for two-three weeks (thanks to the wonderful creation of the womanly body and its weight fluctuations). Keep at it... Over time, you WILL see a difference.

    And agreed with the others, perhaps UNDER 1200 is too little. I actually adjusted mine fairly recently and am eating between 1500-1800 with success (vs. 1200). Gotta make sure the body is properly fueled to get through the day. :-)
  • botography
    botography Posts: 95 Member
    You need to be patient. It will work. I can move my scale a tad to the left or right and get a completely different number. And I am now thinking I am going to weigh in every week and judge by the fit of my clothes. I gained today a pound and my clothes are feeling mighty roomy.
  • DonnaLFitz
    DonnaLFitz Posts: 270 Member
    Starvation mode takes longer than a week to kick in.

    Check your nutrient balance. How much is starch and/or simple sugar? How much starch/sugar is after 2pm?

    It's not just about the calories in vs. calories out. The math doesn't work that way. I can't see your diary, but I you need to balance out those 1200 calories very carefully and eliminate as much starch as possible. Your protein level is important, too. Don't go under 12 oz. lean protein while dieting.
  • leighton1245
    leighton1245 Posts: 125
    It takes more then a week just keep doing what you are and im sure that you will see pounds start to come off soon.
  • trhodes5824
    trhodes5824 Posts: 3
    It takes about 6 weeks for a woman's body to start recognizing a change in diet/exercise. Keep up the hard work and it will begin to show.
  • Sherbog
    Sherbog Posts: 1,072 Member
    A week is but a blink of an eye compared to the time line putting on weight. Be nice to yourself.
  • Xaspar
    Xaspar Posts: 726 Member
    O found that the thing that made the most impact has been staying on my 8 or more glasses of water daily ... It really does help!
  • mstexas07
    mstexas07 Posts: 2
    I was in the same boat when I first started to loose weight...the key is to keep moving. I only weighed myself once every two weeks. The scale is depressing. The 'weight' itself will not fall off but TRUST you will start to see the inches come off first then gradually the weight will start to come off.
  • mosneakers
    mosneakers Posts: 343 Member
    Of course, I agree with everyone that you have to eat at least 1200 cals and exercise. Starvation mode makes it so hard to exercise (plus it's so bad for you!).
    Look at the other nutrients at the end of the day. My problem was sodium. Even though I drink 12 glasses of water a day on average, I was always over on my sodium! I recently changed that aspect of my diet (no more canned soup, no more lunch meat, no more "healthy" frozen dinners) and WOW - 5lbs gone this past week.
    For you, it might be sugar, it might be carbs, it could be anything. The best thing to do is to give it some time and monitor what you're doing.
  • sla0814
    sla0814 Posts: 240
    I think we all struggle with wanting to see results and in such a little time...See this journey as a lifestyle change and be happy in making good eating decisions and staying active. The weight will come off, the inches will fade...we just have to give our bodies enough time to prove it.
  • simplysara9
    simplysara9 Posts: 521
    You should be eating more than 1200 calories. 1200 is the absolute lowest number that is acceptable. Did you enter your information into MFP? It gives you a daily goal and you should try to reach that goal. You maybe in starvation mode!
  • SheehyCFC
    SheehyCFC Posts: 529 Member
    Starvation mode takes longer than a week to kick in.
    Very true - but FrauSmith - please make sure to get at least 1200 calories. If you have 38lbs to lose and are just getting started, focus on the calories. That is not to say ignore other things (like sodium/carbs/protein), but don't want you to get overwhelmed right away - make smart choices and get your calorie intake settled - the weight will come off... good luck!
  • dnytna
    dnytna Posts: 12 Member
    Hang in there! I have been at it for 2 months and have seen no weight loss. I was living a pretty sedentary life up to that point. I now work out 5 days week (cardio 5 days a week and weight training 3 days a week). I know I am converting fat to muscle, but I still want to see the numbers on the scale go lower. It is just not happening. However, I am losing inches and my clothes are starting to fit better. My body fat and BMI percentages have gone down, and I feel so much better! So, those small changes alone are enough to keep me going right now. I have talked to my Dr. and she says not to worry that it could take 2-4 months before I start seeing anything happening on the scale. I am committing to going this hard for one full year, after the year is up, I will reassess and decide to continue or modify. Good luck!
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