Is there a reason I'm losing weight so slowly?
AlissaGilbert1
Posts: 27 Member
Hi, I'm newish here. I'm really confused as to why I'm not seeing significant results after 7 weeks. Before I give stats I have a confession. I did not weigh myself at first( I didn't think it necessary for some reason) Okay I'm 5'6, 23 yo female, 150 lbs medium frame and I have been following the mfp 1,300 calorie a day diet. I am sedentary(unemployed), I have taken to walking at a 2.5-3.0 mph pace for 30-45 minutes 5 days of the week. I resistance train a bit at home 20 minutes every other day. I am extremely loyal to the calorie count. I eat back about 75% of my exercise calories as I know my calories burn estimation can be overestimated. NOw I finally decided to pick up a scale after a month with indiscernible change. I weighed 151. WHAT. That is 15 lbs over my happy weight( I thought I only needed to lose 5-7 lbs.... But even after that discovery it has been 3 weeks and I've only shed 1 lb ( I just came off my lady time so idk if that has anything to do with it.) I used to be very fit and all this nonsense is baffling to me. Why is it taking so long, is it because 15 lbs isn't a lot to lose? Am I doing something naive? My lifestyle has changed from active to sedentary for the past two years, maybe I've messed up my metabolism? I have depression, I know it can cause weight issues because of the rise in cortisol levels...but to this extent? I'm really hungry all the time, I can do more resistance training( no weights, can't afford them and nowhere near a gym) but I'll still have to do the cardio, lol, my dog insists. Now I'm not one to cry over the scale if my clothes fit better, but my clothes still feel tight, and that is awfully discouraging. Please don't bother with the 'are you sure you're taking in the right calories' thing because I do, I portion/weigh serving and count everything even the mustard. Besides I've had the same br3eakfast, lunch and snacks for the past 6 weeks so kinds hard to deviate calorie wise. Anyone else with this issue?
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Don't take a single measurement as your weight, weigh yourself at least three days in a row and take the average.
With 15 pounds to lose, you should be shooting for losing one pound every two weeks. It's going to take at least seven months to lose the whole 15, so I wouldn't worry much over a couple weeks.
If your actual losses aren't matching your expected losses, then you can look at tightening up your logging. I'd only eat back 50% of MFP's exercise numbers, and I wouldn't log walking two miles.0 -
3 weeks and no loss, unfortunately means something is off in your calculations. I would start by not eating back any of the exercise calories and see what happens in 3 more weeks.0
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AlissaGilbert1 wrote: »I did not weigh myself at first( I didn't think it necessary for some reason) Okay I'm 5'6, 23 yo female, 150 lbs medium frame... NOw I finally decided to pick up a scale after a month with indiscernible change. I weighed 151.
Is it possible that you underestimated your starting weight, since you didn't have a scale? So perhaps you have lost weight and are now at 151. Please don't feel that you haven't made progress, I think you probably have.
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Thanks, I'll try the average weight thing and stop eating back calories. The fact is I've been dieting for 7 weeks, sure, I didn't know my weight at first, but I should visibly see or feel the difference in my clothes if I were actually losing, so I'm past worried. I know something is wrong. This is very frustrating, I'm so hungry lol. Does anyone have an opinion on Sarah Lee's delightful whole wheat bread? It's been my primary carb along with oatmeal. it's 45 calories a slice with corrected carbs .... I'm not a foodie is there maybe something in it that's bad for weight loss? I know a lot of diet foods have bad things in them..0
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Try to keep positive. If you haven't already done so, don't eat bread, rice or pasta during the week--you should see a big difference. Stick to homemade salad dressings--such as dijon mustard, stay away from as much canned or processed foods. That will also help. Being un-employed really sucks--I was there last year, took me 7 months to find a job. See if you can increase your walks per day by adding in another 30 minutes or so. That will also help.0
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If it fits into your calories and you enjoy it, eat it. No food is inherently "bad" for weight loss unless you eat too much.
TOM will play a factor in weight loss (water retention), but the main thing to remember is that your logging needs to be as precise as possible, especially when you have little to lose. For many people, this means weighing foods on a food scale and ensuring everything gets logged accurately.0 -
Try to keep positive. If you haven't already done so, don't eat bread, rice or pasta during the week--you should see a big difference. Stick to homemade salad dressings--such as dijon mustard, stay away from as much canned or processed foods. That will also help.
I lost 20% of my body mass (25 lbs) eating bread on a daily basis.
OP: carbs are not bad. Advice like sugom2 provided is bad.
Read the stickies at the top. You can weigh yourself or not weigh yourself, that is up to you. But now that you have your weight, plug it into MFP and get a calorie count. Track everything. Weigh solids and measure liquids so that you know you are tracking accurately.0 -
Your BMR is only around 1500 calories. With a sedentary lifestyle you probably aren't much past that number. If your caloric needs aren't much over 1500 a day and you consume 1300, its easy to see why things are not happening quickly. Lots of reasons for depression, one of which is being sedentary. We were made to think, to do, and to go. Find ways to get active. Find your purpose. We all can get in that funk from time to time. It's time to come out my friend!0
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I can cut out the bread. I only eat ham sandwiches, oatmeal with banana, apples for snacks, sometimes I'll eat eggs with sliced potatoes and a bit of broccoli if the dinner isn't going to fit into my daily budget. I'll add more vegetables I guess. And idk nikkit321, I don't feel a significant difference in the way my clothes fit or the way I look so..0
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Thank you 4theking... I used to be pretty active so I know my measly exercise routine wasn't much, but I guess I assumed it was enough of a change, but I know I can do more. Thanks for directing my perspective in that direction.0
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AlissaGilbert1 wrote: »I can cut out the bread. I only eat ham sandwiches, oatmeal with banana, apples for snacks, sometimes I'll eat eggs with sliced potatoes and a bit of broccoli if the dinner isn't going to fit into my daily budget. I'll add more vegetables I guess. And idk nikkit321, I don't feel a significant difference in the way my clothes fit or the way I look so..
you do not need to cut out bread to lose weight, you just need to be in a calorie deficit.
do you own a food scale and weigh all your solid food portions?0 -
So you're saying in the past 3 weeks you've only lost 1 lb? I think that's still pretty good, there will be some weeks where you won't lose EVEN IF you are doing everything right. I say, give it some more time. It could be near your TOM and the water weight is "masking" any loss. It doesn't mean you're doing something wrong or you even need to tweak your routine just yet. If you're being 100% consistent with your intake and exercise stay the course. There's a thread here called weight loss is not linear, you should read it it's a good read. Also this thread is also a good read:
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/113609/relatively-light-people-trying-to-get-leaner/p1
Another thing too... stop comparing your weight loss to others. Comparison is the thief of joy. Trust yourself, trust your process, your routine.
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AlissaGilbert1 wrote: »I can cut out the bread. I only eat ham sandwiches, oatmeal with banana, apples for snacks, sometimes I'll eat eggs with sliced potatoes and a bit of broccoli if the dinner isn't going to fit into my daily budget. I'll add more vegetables I guess. And idk nikkit321, I don't feel a significant difference in the way my clothes fit or the way I look so..
you do not need to cut out bread to lose weight, you just need to be in a calorie deficit.
do you own a food scale and weigh all your solid food portions?
No food scale... I portion with measuring cups or use products that are already portioned. I might cut out the bread anyways though and replace with veg because I'm starving lol. I think I have a high metabolism because I am always hungry within an hour or two of eating. My worst enemy is bedtime, it's a fight to get to sleep because I'm hungry.0 -
Try to keep positive. If you haven't already done so, don't eat bread, rice or pasta during the week--you should see a big difference. Stick to homemade salad dressings--such as dijon mustard, stay away from as much canned or processed foods. That will also help. Being un-employed really sucks--I was there last year, took me 7 months to find a job. See if you can increase your walks per day by adding in another 30 minutes or so. That will also help.
i am sorry but everything listed in this post is not necessary for weight loss.
You can eat all the foods listed here and lose weight. However, you should try to get adequate nutrition, but for those just starting out getting into a calorie deficit is the most important thing.0 -
I mean I do consume 1300 a day and my caloric needs arent much anyways because of my lifestyle... but 1200 a day is pure misery for me, I wouldnt be able to stay awake and it might cause serious emotion shifts ( ei i will burst into random tears if I am too hungry) I can't go below what I am currently doing. i am at the point my body SHOULD be adjusted to the calorie change, right? or am I supposed to be hungry all the time? I feel 1300 is barely enough, like I wouldn't be able to sustain this is I actually did have a job.0
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AlissaGilbert1 wrote: »AlissaGilbert1 wrote: »I can cut out the bread. I only eat ham sandwiches, oatmeal with banana, apples for snacks, sometimes I'll eat eggs with sliced potatoes and a bit of broccoli if the dinner isn't going to fit into my daily budget. I'll add more vegetables I guess. And idk nikkit321, I don't feel a significant difference in the way my clothes fit or the way I look so..
you do not need to cut out bread to lose weight, you just need to be in a calorie deficit.
do you own a food scale and weigh all your solid food portions?
No food scale... I portion with measuring cups or use products that are already portioned. I might cut out the bread anyways though and replace with veg because I'm starving lol. I think I have a high metabolism because I am always hungry within an hour or two of eating. My worst enemy is bedtime, it's a fight to get to sleep because I'm hungry.
https://youtu.be/XpHykP6e_Uk
Watch this, Alissa.0 -
AlissaGilbert1 wrote: »AlissaGilbert1 wrote: »I can cut out the bread. I only eat ham sandwiches, oatmeal with banana, apples for snacks, sometimes I'll eat eggs with sliced potatoes and a bit of broccoli if the dinner isn't going to fit into my daily budget. I'll add more vegetables I guess. And idk nikkit321, I don't feel a significant difference in the way my clothes fit or the way I look so..
you do not need to cut out bread to lose weight, you just need to be in a calorie deficit.
do you own a food scale and weigh all your solid food portions?
No food scale... I portion with measuring cups or use products that are already portioned. I might cut out the bread anyways though and replace with veg because I'm starving lol. I think I have a high metabolism because I am always hungry within an hour or two of eating. My worst enemy is bedtime, it's a fight to get to sleep because I'm hungry.
i would suggest that you get a food scale. If you are eyeballing or using cups your portions can be off by as much as 30% on the high side. you are more than likely eating more than you think.
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quiksylver296 wrote: »AlissaGilbert1 wrote: »AlissaGilbert1 wrote: »I can cut out the bread. I only eat ham sandwiches, oatmeal with banana, apples for snacks, sometimes I'll eat eggs with sliced potatoes and a bit of broccoli if the dinner isn't going to fit into my daily budget. I'll add more vegetables I guess. And idk nikkit321, I don't feel a significant difference in the way my clothes fit or the way I look so..
you do not need to cut out bread to lose weight, you just need to be in a calorie deficit.
do you own a food scale and weigh all your solid food portions?
No food scale... I portion with measuring cups or use products that are already portioned. I might cut out the bread anyways though and replace with veg because I'm starving lol. I think I have a high metabolism because I am always hungry within an hour or two of eating. My worst enemy is bedtime, it's a fight to get to sleep because I'm hungry.https://youtu.be/XpHykP6e_Uk
Watch this, Alissa.
wow thank you I had no idea...0 -
AlissaGilbert1 wrote: »quiksylver296 wrote: »AlissaGilbert1 wrote: »AlissaGilbert1 wrote: »I can cut out the bread. I only eat ham sandwiches, oatmeal with banana, apples for snacks, sometimes I'll eat eggs with sliced potatoes and a bit of broccoli if the dinner isn't going to fit into my daily budget. I'll add more vegetables I guess. And idk nikkit321, I don't feel a significant difference in the way my clothes fit or the way I look so..
you do not need to cut out bread to lose weight, you just need to be in a calorie deficit.
do you own a food scale and weigh all your solid food portions?
No food scale... I portion with measuring cups or use products that are already portioned. I might cut out the bread anyways though and replace with veg because I'm starving lol. I think I have a high metabolism because I am always hungry within an hour or two of eating. My worst enemy is bedtime, it's a fight to get to sleep because I'm hungry.https://youtu.be/XpHykP6e_Uk
Watch this, Alissa.
wow thank you I had no idea...
Knowledge is power. The truth will set you free.0 -
Try to keep positive. If you haven't already done so, don't eat bread, rice or pasta during the week--you should see a big difference. Stick to homemade salad dressings--such as dijon mustard, stay away from as much canned or processed foods. That will also help. Being un-employed really sucks--I was there last year, took me 7 months to find a job. See if you can increase your walks per day by adding in another 30 minutes or so. That will also help.
What is your reasons for eliminating those food items? I have lost 80lbs eating bread every day and pasta at least once a week and sometimes more often. I do however stay away from most highly processed foods. Not because I can't lose weight eating them but because of the sodium and my HBP.0 -
You need to use a food scale as stated above. Also, what did you use as your activity level when you ran your goals here at MFP?0
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AlissaGilbert1 wrote: »I mean I do consume 1300 a day and my caloric needs arent much anyways because of my lifestyle... but 1200 a day is pure misery for me, I wouldnt be able to stay awake and it might cause serious emotion shifts ( ei i will burst into random tears if I am too hungry) I can't go below what I am currently doing. i am at the point my body SHOULD be adjusted to the calorie change, right? or am I supposed to be hungry all the time? I feel 1300 is barely enough, like I wouldn't be able to sustain this is I actually did have a job.
But you aren't consuming 1300 a day. You said that your MFP goal is 1300 and you are eating back 75% of your exercise calories. How many calories have you eaten on each of the past 10 days? Not your net. Your gross--the total number you've actually eaten. (in your estimation)0 -
Try to keep positive. If you haven't already done so, don't eat bread, rice or pasta during the week--you should see a big difference. Stick to homemade salad dressings--such as dijon mustard, stay away from as much canned or processed foods. That will also help. Being un-employed really sucks--I was there last year, took me 7 months to find a job. See if you can increase your walks per day by adding in another 30 minutes or so. That will also help.
What is your reasons for eliminating those food items? I have lost 80lbs eating bread every day and pasta at least once a week and sometimes more often. I do however stay away from most highly processed foods. Not because I can't lose weight eating them but because of the sodium and my HBP.
My reason is because I am starving. Oatmeal with banana in the morning, a sandwich for lunch, an apple for snack...and a small portion of dinner... it's just not enough. I have really low energy and being that hungry cause serious emotion shifts in me. I need more food. if i have to cut bread to replace a lower calorie more voluminous food then I happily will. Like the way I eat now is perfectly healthy imo, but it makes it really hard to sleep being this hungry..0 -
If you are comfortable sharing your height and weight, I would like to see if we could up your calories and still get successful weight loss.
If not, use scoobysworkshop.com to calculate your TDEE-20% to determine what you could be eating.0 -
AlissaGilbert1 wrote: »I mean I do consume 1300 a day and my caloric needs arent much anyways because of my lifestyle... but 1200 a day is pure misery for me, I wouldnt be able to stay awake and it might cause serious emotion shifts ( ei i will burst into random tears if I am too hungry) I can't go below what I am currently doing. i am at the point my body SHOULD be adjusted to the calorie change, right? or am I supposed to be hungry all the time? I feel 1300 is barely enough, like I wouldn't be able to sustain this is I actually did have a job.
But you aren't consuming 1300 a day. You said that your MFP goal is 1300 and you are eating back 75% of your exercise calories. How many calories have you eaten on each of the past 10 days? Not your net. Your gross--the total number you've actually eaten. (in your estimation)
In mfp any calories you exercise off, you eat back. I usually don't even reach 1300 even after easting back those calories. I usually have a deficit of 75-150 calories a day.0 -
quiksylver296 wrote: »If you are comfortable sharing your height and weight, I would like to see if we could up your calories and still get successful weight loss.
If not, use scoobysworkshop.com to calculate your TDEE-20% to determine what you could be eating.
5'6 medium frame, 150 lbs.sedentary. I work out about 4 hours a week. idk my body fat percentage because i don't have the measuring tape so idk. I looked up a tdee calculator and it says i need 1900 a day( so that's bullcocky) idk, i have referenced so many calculators and formulas they always say something different0 -
AlissaGilbert1 wrote: »Try to keep positive. If you haven't already done so, don't eat bread, rice or pasta during the week--you should see a big difference. Stick to homemade salad dressings--such as dijon mustard, stay away from as much canned or processed foods. That will also help. Being un-employed really sucks--I was there last year, took me 7 months to find a job. See if you can increase your walks per day by adding in another 30 minutes or so. That will also help.
What is your reasons for eliminating those food items? I have lost 80lbs eating bread every day and pasta at least once a week and sometimes more often. I do however stay away from most highly processed foods. Not because I can't lose weight eating them but because of the sodium and my HBP.
My reason is because I am starving. Oatmeal with banana in the morning, a sandwich for lunch, an apple for snack...and a small portion of dinner... it's just not enough. I have really low energy and being that hungry cause serious emotion shifts in me. I need more food. if i have to cut bread to replace a lower calorie more voluminous food then I happily will. Like the way I eat now is perfectly healthy imo, but it makes it really hard to sleep being this hungry..
You shouldn't be that hungry. You don't need to eliminate any entire foods from your meal plan, but you do need to choose foods that will fill you. My typical day while losing looked like 1.5 servings of cereal with 3/4 cup milk for breakfast, lunch would be either a salad with a low calorie dressing (highly recommend bolthouse yogurt ranch 2T is only 45 calories) with some skinless chicken breast, or leftovers from the night before. Supper would be something like a roasted chicken breast with lots of veggies (with a bit of butter), and a small serving of mashed potatoes, or something like a chicken stir fry with a small serving of rice, or if my calories were really tight for the day, some riced cauliflower. Add in a few snacks like a greek yogurt, cottage cheese, or shrimp with cocktail sauce, plus one square of high quality dark chocolate, and you should come in around 1400 calories or less.0 -
quiksylver296 wrote: »If you are comfortable sharing your height and weight, I would like to see if we could up your calories and still get successful weight loss.
If not, use scoobysworkshop.com to calculate your TDEE-20% to determine what you could be eating.
If she's not losing or barely losing right now, you won't be able to up her calories in a true sense, just in a mathematical sense as she is most likely eating more than she thinks right now.0 -
AlissaGilbert1 wrote: »AlissaGilbert1 wrote: »I mean I do consume 1300 a day and my caloric needs arent much anyways because of my lifestyle... but 1200 a day is pure misery for me, I wouldnt be able to stay awake and it might cause serious emotion shifts ( ei i will burst into random tears if I am too hungry) I can't go below what I am currently doing. i am at the point my body SHOULD be adjusted to the calorie change, right? or am I supposed to be hungry all the time? I feel 1300 is barely enough, like I wouldn't be able to sustain this is I actually did have a job.
But you aren't consuming 1300 a day. You said that your MFP goal is 1300 and you are eating back 75% of your exercise calories. How many calories have you eaten on each of the past 10 days? Not your net. Your gross--the total number you've actually eaten. (in your estimation)
In mfp any calories you exercise off, you eat back. I usually don't even reach 1300 even after eating back those calories. I usually have a deficit of 75-150 calories a day.
I think you may be slightly confused, with MFP you are supposed to NET 1300. So if you burn 150 through exercise you eat 1450 - 150 burned = 1300 ..most suggest only eating back half of your exercise calories because calories burned estimates are always off on the high side...0 -
AlissaGilbert1 wrote: »quiksylver296 wrote: »If you are comfortable sharing your height and weight, I would like to see if we could up your calories and still get successful weight loss.
If not, use scoobysworkshop.com to calculate your TDEE-20% to determine what you could be eating.
5'6 medium frame, 150 lbs.sedentary. I work out about 4 hours a week. idk my body fat percentage because i don't have the measuring tape so idk. I looked up a tdee calculator and it says i need 1900 a day( so that's bullcocky) idk, i have referenced so many calculators and formulas they always say something different
So, at TDEE-10% (I didn't do 20% because you don't have much to lose), your calories can be 1745 per day. That sounds about right to me. I'm 5'9, and have mine set at 1930 per day. (BTW, if you do this, don't eat back your exercise calories...)
Also realize, because you have less to lose, it's going to come off slower. Work the system and it WILL WORK, but you are going to have to be patient and give it time. It may take three months to lose ten pounds, not three weeks.0
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