Motivation disappearing.

PaulThomp23
PaulThomp23 Posts: 38 Member
in Motivation and Support
Ok so. Ive been using this app quite religiously for a few months now. Measuring food and scanning bar codes on everything i can to make sure im being as accurate as possible. If im making my own thing i make my own receipies and enter my own ingredients to make sure im being honest.
Joined a gym in addition to my exercise classes for a bit of variety and as far as i could tell everything was going well.
Weighed myself at the start of january and was 110kgs.
Bought a fitbit, hitting all if not most targets daily. No fizzy drinks, even the sugar free ones. No sugar in tea. No booze. Sacrificed nights out as i couldnt always account for the calories that would be in my meal.
Fitness has definitely improved, stamina is better. Can run on the treadmill faster and for longer before i become exhausted. Added some weights in to tone but not for the purpose of getting ripped, better to loose the flab first.
Hopped on the scales this morning and have put on 3kgs
Gutted isnt even in it.
Cant push myself any harder. Left my exercise class on Friday night and felt physically sick from the effort and high intensity.
What am i doing wrong? Im always under my daily calorie limit sometimes hundreds of calories but i never feel that ive deprived myself during the day. The app is telling me if everyday was like today id weigh "102kgs" in 5 weeks. But its been saying that since the start of january... so is the app wrong?
Finding it hard to want to continue...

Replies

  • StealthHealth
    StealthHealth Posts: 2,417 Member
    The
    prometheus369 wrote: »
    if everyday was like today id weigh "102kgs" in 5 weeks.
    thing is do-do. ignore it.

    Use MFP toset up a calorie goal.
    Consistently hit that goal and the fat will come off.

    I'd recommend taking measurements alongside your weigh ins. They can be very useful. I suggest, waist (at belly button) at least but neck and thighs are also good measurements for males).

    It sounds like you are doing the right things here - just double check your maths on your calorific allowance and carry on. You can do it - honestly you CAN.

    Note: Treat this as a marathon, not a sprint. Those who seem to do the best on here are those that don't ban certain foods or forgo nights out with their mates, but incorporate the things they enjoy into their weight loss plans. Read some of the threads people have posted on incorporating a night out whilst on loss and start planning a night out with friends.
  • nineteentwenty
    nineteentwenty Posts: 469 Member
    prometheus369 wrote: »
    What am i doing wrong? Im always under my daily calorie limit sometimes hundreds of calories but i never feel that ive deprived myself during the day. The app is telling me if everyday was like today id weigh "102kgs" in 5 weeks. But its been saying that since the start of january... so is the app wrong?
    Finding it hard to want to continue...

    Dude I totally get where you're coming from, this sucks. The same thing happened to me, it took a long time to see results because my body was hoarding water like a demon (chart below). That's probably what's happening to you- your muscles are sore, your body is trying to heal, and it's fighting you. That's okay, and totally natural, if very upsetting. You will also be more prone to bloating on a high-sodium diet.

    You say you're feeling your stamina and health improve: that's how you know you're doing the right thing. You're putting up a constant powerful attack against your fat, and you will win. It can't hold out for long. In the meantime, I say ignore the scale. Take measurements instead and don't weigh yourself for another month. keep hitting the gym, and you'll win. It may take a bit longer if you have more to lose.

    (That being said, you will want to see a doctor and have them check you for a digestive/hormonal disorder if you go more than 5 months on a consistent diet/workout plan with no losses. This may not be you.)

    6e61oj2mbfa1.jpg

  • PaulThomp23
    PaulThomp23 Posts: 38 Member
    edited March 2016
    Thanks guys. Have an appointment with the doctor tomorrow for something else but will question him and see if he can clear anything up. I was doing well for about a year and a half. Lost 28kgs, went over on my ankle, ended up not being able to exercise for 4 months tho i maintained my healthy eating. Put on 6kgs and have been back at it a year this month and have lost nothing despite doing 8 - 10 hours exercise a week from march to august which was a mixture of cardio, strength and resistance work. Went to the doc at the time and he said that i had plateaued and that I might start loosing soon or i may struggle to at all. Didnt want it to be the latter so i kept at it but still no movement yet.
  • dubird
    dubird Posts: 1,849 Member
    When was the last time you calculated your calorie limit? As you lose weight, you need to keep adjusting because your body will need less calories.
  • PaulThomp23
    PaulThomp23 Posts: 38 Member
    January was the last time. The app is telling me that in order to loose the 30kgs that i want to get rid of i should be eating 1990 calories or less. Im consistently under this. If i was loosing weight i would be looking to change the calorie goal as I went along but with seeing zero movement in the scales i cant change anything
  • nineteentwenty
    nineteentwenty Posts: 469 Member
    Plateaus happen, if you've had success in the past, it'll happen again. Hang in there, keep working :)
  • dubird
    dubird Posts: 1,849 Member
    prometheus369 wrote: »
    January was the last time. The app is telling me that in order to loose the 30kgs that i want to get rid of i should be eating 1990 calories or less. Im consistently under this. If i was loosing weight i would be looking to change the calorie goal as I went along but with seeing zero movement in the scales i cant change anything

    How are you entering exercise? Are you letting MFP calculate it, or is it being calculated with a HRM of some kind?
  • leggup
    leggup Posts: 2,942 Member
    Are you using a food scale? If not, you could be underestimating your portions. For example, you have a dinner item called "Turkey, 2 serving(s)" that is only 36 calories and 1 g fat (9 calories) + 6 g protein (4 calories * 6) = 33 calories. Also.. how many grams is that ? What is that? A normal serving of turkey is about 3 oz, 140 calories.
  • soldiergrl_101
    soldiergrl_101 Posts: 2,205 Member
    prometheus369 wrote: »
    Ok so. Ive been using this app quite religiously for a few months now. Measuring food and scanning bar codes on everything i can to make sure im being as accurate as possible. If im making my own thing i make my own receipies and enter my own ingredients to make sure im being honest.
    Joined a gym in addition to my exercise classes for a bit of variety and as far as i could tell everything was going well.
    Weighed myself at the start of january and was 110kgs.
    Bought a fitbit, hitting all if not most targets daily. No fizzy drinks, even the sugar free ones. No sugar in tea. No booze. Sacrificed nights out as i couldnt always account for the calories that would be in my meal.
    Fitness has definitely improved, stamina is better. Can run on the treadmill faster and for longer before i become exhausted. Added some weights in to tone but not for the purpose of getting ripped, better to loose the flab first.
    Hopped on the scales this morning and have put on 3kgs
    Gutted isnt even in it.
    Cant push myself any harder. Left my exercise class on Friday night and felt physically sick from the effort and high intensity.
    What am i doing wrong? Im always under my daily calorie limit sometimes hundreds of calories but i never feel that ive deprived myself during the day. The app is telling me if everyday was like today id weigh "102kgs" in 5 weeks. But its been saying that since the start of january... so is the app wrong?
    Finding it hard to want to continue...

    Possibilities:

    -Your putting on muscle
    -The scale is being stubborn (Very Possible)
    -Your not as accurate with your food as you think you are
    -Too much salt and not enough water in your diet causing you to bloat

    I would try to shift your diet around change up some things..maybe try a slightly lower calorie target and see if this results in positive changes
  • StealthHealth
    StealthHealth Posts: 2,417 Member
    @prometheus369 I've just take a look in you diary and I think you have a couple of things you need to do:

    Either your logging is sporadic or you are under eating. I plugged some stats into a ca calorie calculator (I guessed you were 180 cm high) and for a 27 year old male @ current wt of 133kgs you could eat 1550 cals a day (based on zero exercise and sedentary job) and lose 1kg per week. With 3 exercise sessions a week you could push this up to 2294 and still be on target for 1kg per week loss*

    I'd also tighten up on the logging in general. You have plenty of entries for 100g mashed potato and 100g chicken breast. those are pretty tiny portions - if that is what you are eating, that is too little, if it's a guess, it is probably on the low side.

    Personally I would want to be eating more fat and protein - it keeps me fuller for longer but experiment and see what works for you.

    *with this method you wouldn't need to log or eat back exercise cals.

    I know that increasing the calories is not what you are looking for but I really think that for a guiy of your weight, you can easily eat more, feel better, be less prone to illness and injury, and still lose the fat.

    Have a think about it.
  • StealthHealth
    StealthHealth Posts: 2,417 Member
    soldiergrl_101 wrote: »
    prometheus369 wrote: »
    Ok so. Ive been using this app quite religiously for a few months now. Measuring food and scanning bar codes on everything i can to make sure im being as accurate as possible. If im making my own thing i make my own receipies and enter my own ingredients to make sure im being honest.
    Joined a gym in addition to my exercise classes for a bit of variety and as far as i could tell everything was going well.
    Weighed myself at the start of january and was 110kgs.
    Bought a fitbit, hitting all if not most targets daily. No fizzy drinks, even the sugar free ones. No sugar in tea. No booze. Sacrificed nights out as i couldnt always account for the calories that would be in my meal.
    Fitness has definitely improved, stamina is better. Can run on the treadmill faster and for longer before i become exhausted. Added some weights in to tone but not for the purpose of getting ripped, better to loose the flab first.
    Hopped on the scales this morning and have put on 3kgs
    Gutted isnt even in it.
    Cant push myself any harder. Left my exercise class on Friday night and felt physically sick from the effort and high intensity.
    What am i doing wrong? Im always under my daily calorie limit sometimes hundreds of calories but i never feel that ive deprived myself during the day. The app is telling me if everyday was like today id weigh "102kgs" in 5 weeks. But its been saying that since the start of january... so is the app wrong?
    Finding it hard to want to continue...

    Possibilities:

    -Your putting on muscle
    -The scale is being stubborn (Very Possible)
    -Your not as accurate with your food as you think you are
    -Too much salt and not enough water in your diet causing you to bloat

    I would try to shift your diet around change up some things..maybe try a slightly lower calorie target and see if this results in positive changes

    It's really unlikely that it's weight gain since he's been on a deficit.
  • cathipa
    cathipa Posts: 2,991 Member
    Agree with @leggup. I took a peak at your diary and there are many generic measurements (i.e. "servings", 1 cup) listed. You need to measure your food with a scale. eyeballing, cups and spoons are not a reflection of what you are truly consuming. If you don't have a scale I would get one before you give up completely.
  • JUknowPK
    JUknowPK Posts: 482 Member
    edited March 2016
    From my own logging experience, here is what messes my weight if I don't track properly:
    1. Use a kitchen scale it's the only way to know for certain what amount you are eating
    2. Stay away from sodium, it will make you retain water
    3. Don't eat your exercise calorie, until you are ready for muscle gain
    4. Track everything
    5. Try to eat whole (real food), no more processed anything (basically anything with a wrapper)
    6. Count the sauces these are the worst enemies for hidden calories
    7. Keep at it took a long time to gain the weight it will take a long time to lose it
    8. Get your vitamins
    9. balance your macro's
    10. I aim to hit around 1600 calories a day that is about 120 calorie deficit from what the app says I need
  • musikplayr
    musikplayr Posts: 29 Member
    edited March 2016
    JUknowPK wrote: »
    From my own logging experience, here is what messes my weight if I don't track properly:
    1. Use a kitchen scale it's the only way to know for certain what amount you are eating
    2. Stay away from sodium, it will make you retain water
    3. Don't eat your exercise calorie, until you are ready for muscle gain
    4. Track everything

    Plus, the calorie credits for activities can be a bit high. But, that's something altogether different. Make sure you're getting enough fiber/veg. If you are eating a steak sarnie every meal, that could do badly. I don't believe this is your case, though.

    Take a week off. Set your goal to 0 lbs/week, for just 7 days and give it another go. It could be you are eating so few calories that your body is just giving out. If you are uncontrollably hungry, like you could wander into a field and devour a cow, whole, you are probably not eating enough. Estimating can cut both ways. When your body is below the 1200 cal limit, you _can_ gain weight.

    If you're like me the signs are hard to read because they sneak up on you, and you're not accustomed to reading them. You can do this!

  • briscogun
    briscogun Posts: 1,138 Member
    prometheus369 wrote: »
    Lost 28kgs, went over on my ankle, ended up not being able to exercise for 4 months tho i maintained my healthy eating. Put on 6kgs...

    With the struggles you mention in your first post, along with this statement here, It makes me think that you are taking in more calories than you think you are. If you were still consistently logging and staying at or under your goal, you should have been able to lose or at least maintain your weight even without the extra calorie burn from exercise. Now that you are exercising again, you are merely maintaining and not gaining anymore. This would point to a calorie issue to me.

    I would really try to tighten up your logging. Weigh EVERYTHING that goes on your plate or in your mouth! Scanning barcodes and measuring are not equivalent to weighing your foods.
    prometheus369 wrote: »
    What am i doing wrong? Im always under my daily calorie limit sometimes hundreds of calories but i never feel that ive deprived myself during the day...

    I know if I'm hundreds under, I feel it. I have a feeling you may not truly be under your TDEE as much as you believe yourself to be.

    Just a thought/observation. Good luck at the doctors! Hope everything is A-1 and you get to your goals soon!

  • akerra27
    akerra27 Posts: 117 Member
    Have you reset or refigured your bmr? Send me a pm and I will help you.
  • epeart11
    epeart11 Posts: 35 Member
    It sounds like you are in a plateau, your body is thinking it's at a good place and doesn't want to change. Try to giving it a little bit of time. Less pressure on yourself may help too. Too much stress.
  • joseserpas1788
    joseserpas1788 Posts: 11 Member
    edited March 2016
    You were probably not measuring right because if u were the weight would be coming off... Calories in vs calories out .. If you notice weight is stalled, it's probably because u are eating at maintance or just above.. Eat less, move more and u will lose weight. Good luck to u
  • rockfordhomes
    rockfordhomes Posts: 4 Member
    joseserpas1788 wrote: »
    You were probably not measuring right because if u were the weight would be coming off... Calories in vs calories out .. If you notice weight is stalled, it's probably because u are eating at maintance or just above.. Eat less, move more and u will lose weight. Good luck to u

  • rockfordhomes
    rockfordhomes Posts: 4 Member
    eat what it how much it tells you to eat! even exercise calories. i tore myself down trying to loose weight faster by not eating enough and exercising like a maniac. did more harm than good! now i eat more than ever and i am still loosing weight.

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