Frustrated!!!

TMRUDE
TMRUDE Posts: 6 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I always stay within calorie goal & never eat my exercise cals. I workout 5 times a week - strength training & cardio mix - but can't seem to lose anything lately. I've lost like 3 lbs in 2 months. I've also been watching carbs. What gives????
~beyond frustrated & about to give up~

Replies

  • drachfit
    drachfit Posts: 217 Member
    If you're not losing weight then your calorie goal is too high, plain and simple. Lower it by 3 or 400 calories, and you will start losing weight.
  • TMRUDE
    TMRUDE Posts: 6 Member
    edited March 2016
    It's at 1200 now & I usually only eat 1100/day. To me, a 900 cal diet is not healthy!
  • Mischievous_Rascal
    Mischievous_Rascal Posts: 1,791 Member
    drachfit wrote: »
    If you're not losing weight then your calorie goal is too high, plain and simple. Lower it by 3 or 400 calories, and you will start losing weight.

    Before you do this, ensure you're logging accurately. Are you weighing all solids and using measuring cups for liquids? Are you choosing accurate database entries? What are your sodium levels like? High levels can cause a lot of water retention which would mask weight loss. Are you getting enough fiber in your diet?

    Are you using any other means of recording your progress besides the scale? Tape measurements and progress pics can help you mentally get through the times when the scale isn't budging.

    Also, MFP is designed for you to eat your exercise calories back. That being said, the values here and on the actual machines can be overinflated, so a good rule of thumb is to eat back half of those calories.
  • katiebean
    katiebean Posts: 110 Member
    Try opening up your diary to public so we can see where you might be going wrong.

    Also, I know it sounds counterintuitive, but 1,200 calories is already the lowest minimum you should be netting, MFP was designed to eat back your exercise calories, or at least some of them. Netting less than 1,200 is not healthy.
  • ModernRock
    ModernRock Posts: 372 Member
    No body stats/measurements, no history of what you've already been able to lose up until now and how you did it, no diary access or examples of what you eat and how you estimated the calories, and no information on any formally diagnosed health issues. All anyone can say is "you're eating more than you think."
  • katiebean
    katiebean Posts: 110 Member
    TMRUDE wrote: »
    ~beyond frustrated & about to give up~

    Also, don't do this. Imagine how you'll feel in a year if you gave up now. Even if you stayed at losing 3 pounds every 2 months (which I don't think you will, I suspect you're eating more than you think and it will speed up once you tighten your logging), in one year you'd have lost 18 pounds. Weight loss can be slow and frustrating but you have to trust that, with some tweaking of your logging, it will happen for you if you desire it enough and make it work.

  • Mystical64
    Mystical64 Posts: 108 Member
    Have you just started the exercise plan? Have you measured yourself with a tape measure instead of scale? Are you clothes fitting differently? If you are only eating 1200 calories, I would say you aren't eating enough. Make sure you getting the correct protein and carb and fat balance.

    I'm going to say this and everyone is going to jump all over me, if you just started you will be building muscle. And muscle weighs more than fat.

    Believe don't get frustrated. It may take time for your body to adjust to the changes you have been making.
  • kommodevaran
    kommodevaran Posts: 17,890 Member
    TMRUDE wrote: »
    I always stay within calorie goal & never eat my exercise cals. I workout 5 times a week - strength training & cardio mix - but can't seem to lose anything lately. I've lost like 3 lbs in 2 months. I've also been watching carbs. What gives????
    ~beyond frustrated & about to give up~

    All that training, little to no weight lost - you are eating at maintenance.
    Weigh everything, log correctly.
    Stop watching carbs. It doesn't mean anything. If you need to limit carbs, do that, if not, just eat what you want within your calorie goal, and you'll lose weight. For optimal health, eat a variety of foods from every food group every day, and cook your meals from real, single ingredient, foods.
  • callsitlikeiseeit
    callsitlikeiseeit Posts: 8,626 Member
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  • Yi5hedr3
    Yi5hedr3 Posts: 2,696 Member
    Insufficient data - specify macros.....
  • TMRUDE
    TMRUDE Posts: 6 Member
    Thanks everyone! Love the flowchart!! I'm going to stay focused & measure measure measure. Hopefully I'll see a change next week.
  • elphie754
    elphie754 Posts: 7,574 Member
    TMRUDE wrote: »
    Thanks everyone! Love the flowchart!! I'm going to stay focused & measure measure measure. Hopefully I'll see a change next week.

    Dont measure. Get a food scale and weigh all food.
  • try2again
    try2again Posts: 3,562 Member
    TMRUDE wrote: »
    Thanks everyone! Love the flowchart!! I'm going to stay focused & measure measure measure. Hopefully I'll see a change next week.

    I was in the same situation and actually reduced my weight loss goal from 1.5lbs/week to 1 lb/week- thus gaining more calories- but because I became more committed to accuracy and catching all the little bites & nibbles while cooking or preparing kids lunches, I'm actually having more success. You can do it! :)
  • theJojoUK
    theJojoUK Posts: 28 Member
    I too have found the comments on this thread and the flowchart above really helpful.



  • TMRUDE
    TMRUDE Posts: 6 Member
    edited March 2016
    elphie754 wrote: »
    TMRUDE wrote: »
    Thanks everyone! Love the flowchart!! I'm going to stay focused & measure measure measure. Hopefully I'll see a change next week.

    Dont measure. Get a food scale and weigh all food.

    That's what I meant, I will weigh all food and measure down to the teaspoon.
  • TMRUDE
    TMRUDE Posts: 6 Member
    TMRUDE wrote: »
    elphie754 wrote: »
    TMRUDE wrote: »
    Thanks everyone! Love the flowchart!! I'm going to stay focused & measure measure measure. Hopefully I'll see a change next week.

    Dont measure. Get a food scale and weigh all food.

    That's what I meant, I will weigh all food and measure down to the teaspoon.

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