Math Class >1lb/wk: Support Group?

muth3rluvx2
muth3rluvx2 Posts: 1,156 Member
edited September 2024 in Motivation and Support
Posted this as a status update earlier and some of my mfpals have the same problem:

Math class all!

So, if 3500=1lb, 1/2 lb=1750; 1/4 lb=875; 1/8=437.5; 1/16=218.75. This means that at 269 under weekly goal, I'll have lost approximately 1/16th of a lb. if I weigh in tomorrow morning. Which also means that at that rate, it would take me 5 weeks to lose 1 lb. **sighs** no wonder this feels impossible.

If you're one of these impossible losers, feel free to pipe up. This totally matches with my current (lack of) progress, btw. I'm not sure what to do about it, personally but maybe collectively, we can all find more success... or at the very least, ears that can relate.

Replies

  • abcerc
    abcerc Posts: 58
    I am with you! I started this on May 8th. I've been very strict- I've cut soda, snacks, sweets, chips, etc. out cold turkey. Since May 8th, I've lost 2 pounds. SERIOUSLY?? I have no idea what I'm doing wrong.
  • Lleldiranne
    Lleldiranne Posts: 5,516 Member
    I always thought that the daily calorie goal accounted for about a 300 cal deficit (daily), varying based on your weight loss goals. So if you hit the goal every day (and don't go over), you should be at a deficit from maintenance and therefore losing weight.

    Make sure that you haven't overestimated your daily activity (this is very common, we think we are "moderate" when really we're doing very little.)

    I also looked at your diary, and there are a lot of days when you are significantly under calories, even well under 1200. Once in a while isn't good, but from experience (especially with my husband), eating very little for several days and then a lot one or two days can throw things off. It's better to stick closer to the calorie goal (maybe 300 or so off either way) - even if your overall calories are under for the week, your body might be hanging on to fat because it doesn't know when it's going to get enough calories .

    @abcerc - try allowing yourself SMALL amounts of treats a few times a week. And healthy snacks (fruit, yogurt, veggies, etc) are part of a healthy diet. They can keep you from getting too hungry and then eating too much at a meal. I found that when I am too strict, I am more likely to go way overboard at some point, but if I allow myself a treat every now and then, and stay under my daily calories (or very close to it), I do much better.

    I'm not an expert, but I hope my experience can help a tiny bit!
  • muth3rluvx2
    muth3rluvx2 Posts: 1,156 Member
    You may not be doing anything wrong. Here's what I've discovered (and had confirmed) for ME:

    My body fat is about 32% (memory is questionable); which means my muscle mass is way lowl; which means that my metabolism is super slow; which means in order to lose, I have to be at a major major deficit which isn't terribly practical at my age (almost 38). What WILL happen (eventually) is that my muscle mass will increase - along with everything else. But until then, losing is almost impossible while still living.

    Am I doing anything wrong? No. I just let it all go for too long without realizing how bad it was getting. I'm not that "big", but I was a skinny-fat person for a really really long time, apparently. When I quit smoking in 2009, POW! Reality came crashing down.

    Now, this is what is so for me and it's just one of any dozens of reasons that a person might have trouble losing.

    For someone as new as you, I'd say check your sodium, first and foremost. :-) Maybe you'll find something in there and if not, then I'd say check your water and after that, I'd say re-check your information that you input. If it's NONE of those things, then I might start looking a little deeper at some other things. It took me a really long time to figure out what was up with me. **sighs** I'm still learning. Like I just figured out tonight that my numbers really ARE adding up in accordance with all this; I knew that on the one end (losing at 850 cals but not on 1000), but this is the first time I looked at the numbers on the other end. I'm doubly verified. :-( Triple if you count my fitness/health assessor (which I do).

    it's poopie.
  • Kityngirl
    Kityngirl Posts: 14,304 Member
    I have a supremely stubborn body apparently. Been a battle of stubborn mind over body for the last 8 or 9 months. I have settled into about a pound, sometimes two every month or so. *sigh* I've accepted that I'm not a quick loser and have just focused on my exercise and feeling better. (not that I don't dance around a little when I do drop some lbs.....lol.)
  • muth3rluvx2
    muth3rluvx2 Posts: 1,156 Member
    Oh, and I'm NOT a proponent of 'starvation mode'. Not as its used here anyway. It's an ongoing debate... I know; and I'm sure some folks will tout it at me... I'll probably opt to not respond to those posters. I'm not here to continue an old argument. I'm only interested in finding people who are struggling with the same problem and helping each other in managing our goals without giving up, getting too discouraged and knowing that no one will get brow-beaten for their efforts. That's all, nothing else.

    I'm too old for drama.
  • muth3rluvx2
    muth3rluvx2 Posts: 1,156 Member
    Kity: I haven't noticed! How often do you weigh in? That's a great profile pic btw... where have you been? Or have i just been missing your posts lately?
  • abcerc
    abcerc Posts: 58
    Thank you all! This week, I worked to get my water in, and keep my calories around 1200 (rather than the 900 or so that I was getting), and I'm 5 pounds less today. I think I've been starving myself!! I know that I shouldn't expect 5 pounds every week- and heaven knows that I would be thrilled with 1 pound a week... but maybe this week was just a jump-start. It's weird because when you do the math, and you figure 3500 cal = 1 pound, then if you're only taking in 900 cal... that should be a lot of pounds... but it just doesn't work that way. I do believe my metabolism is in the tank because the loss is so slow- but it's odd because I have clothes that are fitting differently, and I've even gone down a size since I started May 8th. Is it possible to loose weight without the scale showing?
  • muth3rluvx2
    muth3rluvx2 Posts: 1,156 Member
    It most certainly is!

    Usually the first few lbs are water weight and that can fluctuate dramatically. I've found it go as high as 10 lbs!! Can you believe that?? So that's one.

    Second, measuring with a tape measure is honestly a much more reliable method of determining your successes. Muscle is much more compact and dense than fat. So that means that 145 on someone who is fit and in good shape is very very different on soemone of the same height and general stature who hasn't worked out in 10 years. Chances are, the person who is fit will be in a smaller size, look smaller and generally look healthier. But they're the same weight!

    People will mistakenly call it "muscle weighs more than fat" - but that's not really the case.. a pound is a pound is a pound weather its fat, muscle, feathers or bricks. What they means is that the same amount in pounds of fat and muscle compared to each other, the muscle will be smaller, take up less space and be alot denser. It's really just a semantics problem. :-)

    So, if you haven't started measuring, do. And measure about once a month. No more than every 2 weeks just because you won't see the same daily variances in measurements that you can on the scale.

    Oh and water & sodium make HUGE impacts on your day to day weight. HUGE. It's that water weight thing. I wouldn't get too excited about day to day changes. I used to weigh daily just because i wanted to see what my usual fluctuations were and generally, they're in about a 2.5 range. So, unless a weight holds for a week or more, I don't pay much attention to it anymore. Right now (as of this morning), I'm 140.6. BUT, I had alot of sodium at lunch yesterday and only 4 glasses of water last night. Tomorrow, I could be 138.5 (I won't be.. though.. lol). I won't really pay much attention to that if I weigh myself. Now, if I go through all of next week and end up at 136, that means something. I've not gone back up to 140 which means there's real loss in there. How much? Hard to say. Probably only 2 lbs at most, which is very very easily put back on for me. But this is how MY body works. Yours may operate very differently. Just pay close attention is all I'm saying and learn how your body responds to different dietary changes so that way you're never surprised. I don't really stress anymore if I suddenly find myself up 3 lbs and I stay there for a few weeks. Especially since it can ligitimately take me several weeks to lose A SINGLE pound. Ugh.

    Hope this helps!
  • Jormesher
    Jormesher Posts: 46 Member
    Ok, new friends.... I'm IN!

    Started "kind of" watching what I was doing about a month ago. Got serious two weeks ago. Tracking everything- food, workouts, etc. I'm down one pound! And 1/10th of that was this week. ARGG!!

    This is the point at which I normally throw in the towel. But not this time!

    I'm having to really focus on my NSV's. I've upped my weights at bodypump and actually made it through an entire lunge track without stopping for the first time ever. Another NSV- my favorite pj bottom are fitting just a tiny bit looser. But the best is how I feel.

    I've decided to start tracking my inches, hoping that will show more than the scale.

    I would love to keep in touch with other people who are in the same boat. Let's keep each other focused on what we are accomplishing instead of what the scale says.

    Have a super day!:happy:
  • abcerc
    abcerc Posts: 58
    That makes a lot of sense, and is extremely helpful! Thank you so much.
  • muth3rluvx2
    muth3rluvx2 Posts: 1,156 Member
    So... what if we did a measurement "challenge" or something? I'm so so so bad with the food thing because my metabolism is so screwy... I can't eat at the cals I need to in order to lose lbs... but I can sure as hell work my *kitten* off and gain some muscle and hopefully lose some inches! That will help lose lbs ... muscle burns cals faster and more efficiently than fat.

    I'm thinking like... 1/2" all around in x amount of time ... or something similar.... ?

    Upper thighs, hips (right at the hip-bone - I have cello hips so in reality, I have to measure in 3 places unless otherwise specified!), waist & bust...? measuring arms, neck, calves and all that is such a pain. LOL
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