HELP not losing weight. Losing motivation

I read a really great article recently about the idea of your body's "set-point" and how it really is a long-term commitment if you want to change it. In a nutshell: Your body is happy where it is, and it really is a slow process to "re-train" it to be happy at another weight.

So actually, if you lose weight slowly you're more likely to keep it off than if you happen to be "lucky" and drop a bunch of weight really fast. Not only will your body have the time it needs to let go of its old stasis, but also, you've taken the time to build sustainable lifestyle changes, built a new perspective on food, and started exercising consistently.

5 lbs/30 days is awesome. I'd love to see 5 lbs of weight loss, but I also recognize that at the rate I'm going, it'll be another month for me. Good job!

BigBangBeliever wrote: »

I was expecting 2 pounds a week which I figured was about 10 pounds a day. I am a 22 year old female at 5'1 at 175. I started at 181 and my goal is 130. Technically 130 is still "overweight" if you go by bmi. Right now I'm in the "obese category".
Thanks guys, I just feel like I should be losing more.

I'm older than you but started out almost exactly the same. mfp won't allow you to set your controls to a 1000 calorie deficit because you're not big enough...do with that what you will.

BigBangBeliever wrote: »

Thank you everyone. I'm feeling better about this. I guess I just saw some posts about people losing 100 pounds or more in a year and thought I could do 50 in about 8 months. I appreciate all the responses!!

Everyone's body is different. You'll drive yourself crazy if you compare your weight loss to someone else's.

I did the same thing you did, fwiw - I was CRUSHED a while back when I was like "wtf dood only a couple of pounds in a month???" It helps to also set goals that have nothing to do with numbers on a scale.

You're losing, congrats! Keep it up. It will pay off.

Stay encouraged, you are doing great! Try not to set unrealistic goals or compare your results to anyone else if you can. Every one has a different journey and starting point. Over time, you will start to see all kinds of positive changes in yourself and you can use that as fuel to motivate you to keep it on. Sometimes you will see results on the scale, others will be in how your clothes fit, and other times it will just show up in your overall well being :-)

Looks like you're doing it right! I would pay a lot of attention to your macros, even if you have to go to a specialist to figure out exactly what your body needs. They're important. Also, for weight loss and speed, I would take into account your frame size and your body type, not just your BMI. BMI can be very misleading. Example: I was mad that, at 5'1, I could never get below 127 when I was eating well and competing in marital arts while training 4 days a week, sometimes for 6 hours a day. But what I didn't realize is that I have a large frame size and a mesomorph body type, and lowest weight for that is more along the lines of 115. This also means that, no matter how much you might want to look like this person or that, on a structural and physical level it might not be possible. Which is okay! If you're going strictly off of BMI, they will be calling you obese at 130 when you end up having a 26 inch waist. Why? Because muscle weighs more than fat. And BMI calculations don't take into account your body fat percentage. I would measure your limbs properly moving forward, because that is the real indicator of success. 5lbs is great so far regardless and is on point! CONGRATS!

Some key aspects to take into consideration:
1) Macros and how your current goals are affecting your energy levels.
2) Sometimes, a low calorie diet will make you actually feel physically bad and cause you to go into starvation mode. Some people gain weight on a too low of a calorie diet, and also even if you do lose weight you will gain it back 3 times faster. Sometimes, you have to start slightly higher and lower your deficit amount as you cut. This will all affect you later when you hit a plateau, so it's good to get it right from the beginning.
3) Training and eating for your body size and type is important for getting the best results. Everyone is different and have different needs and goals.
4) Measure yourself , calculate your body fat percentage monthly, and then pay attention to the scale. Lean muscle mass is important! There are plenty of before and after photos online of how girls actually gain 10 to 15 lbs and look half the size they did before. Because of lean muscle mass, which also happens to help boost your metabolism!

cathipa wrote: »

BigBangBeliever wrote: »

Good morning! I have been on this app for 30 days, logging my diet religiously. I have not lied and I've done my best to measure correctly. I'm trying to lose 50 pounds. I have a goal of 1200 calories a day. I go to the gym 1 to 3 times a week. After 30 days I have only lost 5 pounds. I feel like I'm doing all this work for nothing. How to I lose more weight?

How are your measuring your food? Try to avoid cups/spoons/eyeballing/guessing and use a food scale for the most accurate counts. Also make sure you are logging correctly and avoiding homemade or generic entries.

THIS OP. You said "measuring". Get a food scale.