Third week. Why is this getting so much harder?
augustremulous
Posts: 378 Member
I was set at 2 pounds a week and went through it like a breeze for the first two weeks, losing six pounds at once (and yes I know some of it was water weight).
This past week, I really struggled, consistently eating well over my allotted calories. Yesterday I caved and set it to one pound a week, and it was a lot easier. Today, I stayed under my calorie goal for one pound week - just made it by a smidgen, and I'm sitting here just thinking about how much I want to put food in my mouth.
The only thing I can think of is that I should exercise more and eat more - I exercised less this week.
Other than that, any ideas? Shared experiences? My diary is open.
This past week, I really struggled, consistently eating well over my allotted calories. Yesterday I caved and set it to one pound a week, and it was a lot easier. Today, I stayed under my calorie goal for one pound week - just made it by a smidgen, and I'm sitting here just thinking about how much I want to put food in my mouth.
The only thing I can think of is that I should exercise more and eat more - I exercised less this week.
Other than that, any ideas? Shared experiences? My diary is open.
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Replies
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Change your goal to .5 pound per week and add back in some exercise.0
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Any specific reason why?0
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Can't see your diary so not totally sure what "calories" you are eating. However if you tend to eat empty calories I.e. Chips you may be under your calories but not getting full. Try some more dense foods that have lower calories but keep you full. Also don't forget to hydrate yourself, sometimes when I'm "hungry" I find that a glass of water is all I really needed. Good luck you've got this.0
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Because you are hungry, you will reach your goal but it will take a little longer. No sense in being miserable.0
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I'm on my phone and not the web so maybe that has something to do with it. I didn't mean anything by the quotes. Also the closer you get to your maintenance weight the slower the process will be and Liz is right by having you back down your deficit.0
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lol ok but I've only lost 6 pounds out of 90. Still 84 more to go!0
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Do you use a food scale? Just curious. I was looking through your diary and some of your entries are wrong. Not that this is a problem yet, but you say you are hungry. Your diary has errors.0
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I sent you a friend request & will look at your food diary. My diary is open if you want to view it.0
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What are the errors?
So far I'm using a food scale for oils, grains, sugars, meat, etc. I use measuring cups and measuring spoons for vegetables and spices, because the margin of error is so slight anyway.
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Protein and fiber, in that order, will keep you satiated longer then other foods. Make sure you are getting plenty of both.
Try drinking two 8 oz. or more glasses of water about twenty to thirty minutes before a meal. This seems to make me less hungry when it's mealtime. Good luck.0 -
@DoneWorking Thanks! I've definitely noticed better satiety when I've had a lot of protein.0
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Yesterday, You have half of an egg, dry measure of oatmeal(oatmeal needs to be weighed), you used quick add calories, homemade popcorn(is this your recipe)?
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The recipe I used had one egg in it, and I measured half of the pot of food on the scale - I ate half and put the other half in the fridge.
Yes, the homemade popcorn is my standard recipe for whenever I have popcorn. It's in my recipes. Exactly one tablespoon of grapeseed oil and 30 grams of uncooked popcorn, which I weigh.
The oatmeal is also weighed at 40 grams. Since that company is in the MFP system, it comes out to one serving = 40 grams = 1/4 cup
Like I said above, I weigh grains and fat. The quick add calories were an estimate (probably an overestimation if anything) of the fresh basil, sliced jalepeno, and bean sprouts I put in my pho.
I don't mean to sound defensive, but I don't think these are examples of errors unless you think I could have been off with the garnish of raw veggies.0 -
I'm sorry, I was just checking. Now back to your dilemma. You could up your exercise a little to give you some more calories per day and up your protein and fat a little.0
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yeah, I guess that's what I have to do. It just seemed so easy the first two weeks! I ended the first week and was like "yes! I can totally do this 50 more times!" 0 -
I know, I'm sorry it sucks. Try to eat foods that are lower in calories but fill you up. Hang in there 0
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The first couple of weeks the weight tends to fall off, according to my trainer at the gym. I lost 6 or 7 pounds the first week. I've been back at the weight loss game for about a month now. I've noticed this last week that it's getting slower. Of course, I also missed going to the gym for a few days, too.0
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Do you think that eating less throughout the day but eating a smaller but more calorie-rich meal suits you or do you like eating a lot of food, but the items in it are various low calorie items? Such as a protein dinner with a small potato vs a large zucchini-noodle dish with tons of veg and protein?0
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@Minmoink to be honest it changes day to day. Generally, I've had a problem with starving and skipping meals during the day and just coming home and eating constantly, so I've tried to make an effort to eat more in the beginning of the day. Ive found that it's easier for me to stick to my calorie budget when i eat breakfast and a small lunch as opposed to skipping breakfast and having a normal lunch.
Like today I was really in the mood for a giant bowl of brothy pho and some raw veggies, so that's what I had for dinner. But then those rice noodles are oh so tempting. Sometimes I like more calorie dense food. It changes day to day.
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To be honest it sounds to me like your doing great0
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I remember experiencing similar hunger pangs when I began this journey because I had been overeating for so long. It worked out though, just stay diligent and all will be well. Slow and steady wins the race.0
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Thanks all! Well my weigh in is Friday morning. If I lost, then I'm just going to set it for 1.5 pounds a week and put a bigger focus on exercising so I can eat a bit more and stay within my calorie allottment. If I didn't, then I'm going to ease off and put it at 1 pound a week and also exercise more, because I think that will be easier to maintain without making me want to binge.0
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It does sound like you are doing the right things but if you find yourself eating and eating (binging?) try to reevaluate what you eat and how hungry you truly are while your eating. Always stay hydrated too and wait at least 20mins after a balanced meal to see if you are full. Oh and brush your teeth after you're done eating your meal I say that because it helps if you find yourself eating more after you've finished. 0
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I have no "science" to back this up, but I think every now and then our bodies send out hunger signals. The brain would really like to get back to your original set point. Then its a game of tug of war. When I am doing all the right things and I feel like this....I just keep on until it goes away. And it will go away.
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It's harder because you haven't yet adapted to the behavior you need to lose/maintain weight. You're likely still wishing you could indulge in much more than you are now. It's not uncommon, but realize you do have to change the old behavior or else you'll regain all your weight back.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
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Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
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Ya know, there are just some hungry times when starting out. If it were me, I'd set my goal to "lose one pound" and then stick to it. I know that is enough calories, it's just psychological for me. Sure - I'd love to be able to eat all the food, but I can't do that every day if my goal is weight loss. I'd also like to tell off my nosy neighbor and I'd like to have six dogs. I can, but it's not a good idea. I have choices to make, and consequences of those choices. So I have to do the next right thing, keep within my calories and carry on.
I have to agree with hamelle2 here, too:Then its a game of tug of war. When I am doing all the right things and I feel like this....I just keep on until it goes away. And it will go away
It does pass. You can live on the calories allotted. It does take time to adjust, both physiologically and psychologically.
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^^ true
The hardest thing is patience and the wrapping your head around weightloss. It takes a while to adapt and adjust to change. For some it's super easy and other people resist change. Start with the mental block of why you gained weight in the first place. Once your head is in the right place, everything else falls in line. 0 -
Thank you all. Well when I think about previous efforts to gain weight and why they failed, it was really because the first time I "broke" my disciplined eating and ate a lot I just gave up. I stopped tracking.
This time, however, I'm realizing when I "binged" I was still eating below maintenance. Yes, it was only 90 calories below maintenance, but at least I wasn't undoing the calorie deficit of the previous 12 days. Maybe it just feels like a binge because my serving sizes have been so much smaller lately.
The other thing is, I've never been a binger. I gained weight by consistently eating just a tiny bit more than I need to at every meal.
Anyway, definitely feeling a bit more positive about it today. First two weeks really were a breeze though I kept thinking "wtf, is it really this easy? Why didn't I do this earlier?" So I'm actually kind of glad that I hit my wall and kept on going and am still losing (albeit slower than I want). I think as long as I remain positive and remember it's calories over time - not a single meal every couple weeks where I had two servings - I'll be able to stay focused on the finish line. 0
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