why not loosing? Feeling whats the point

edwardsjessica28
edwardsjessica28 Posts: 7 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi.
Been doing slimfast for past 4-5 weeks and ok sometimes Ive been a little naughty but generally speaking Ive done ok. I try and exercise maybe two-three times a week.
Today I stood on scales (I dont weigh myself very often) but Ive actucally put on weight not alot but a bit so feeling like Ive wasted time, some money and effort.
Ive been focusing on eating more protien also...do you think this is where I may be going wrong?
Last two days Ive tried to stick to 1200 cals a day as Im so fed up battling with trying to even loose a few 1lbs
the slimfast plan is two shakes per day and 600 cal meal with three snacks allow.

I need some motivation :(

Replies

  • nomadic_frau
    nomadic_frau Posts: 25 Member
    edwardsjessica28 wrote: »
    Hi.
    Been doing slimfast for past 4-5 weeks and ok sometimes Ive been a little naughty but generally speaking Ive done ok. I try and exercise maybe two-three times a week.
    Today I stood on scales (I dont weigh myself very often) but Ive actucally put on weight not alot but a bit so feeling like Ive wasted time, some money and effort.
    Ive been focusing on eating more protien also...do you think this is where I may be going wrong?
    Last two days Ive tried to stick to 1200 cals a day as Im so fed up battling with trying to even loose a few 1lbs
    the slimfast plan is two shakes per day and 600 cal meal with three snacks allow.

    I need some motivation :(

    You should be eating whole foods, not substitutes. Shakes and Powders(etc) should only be used in combination with your eating, say you need more protein for the day - Obviously, that's my opinion. What are you doing for exercises? What types of food are you eating for the remaining 600? It's not just about the calories, it's also about the type of foods and your macros. Once I stopped relying so heavily on JUST calories and took a look at my macros I dropped weight quick and have been able to maintain it while toning up. The weight you gained, is it muscle? Did you take measurements and photos? Sometimes the scale is bad news. I lost and gained, but I've still slimmed down because I gained muscle. Are you going off 1200 of what MFP gave or did you calculate your calories somewhere else? I know a lot of tiny females that eat more than 1200 calories a day and maintain/lose weight(myself included) and I'm in my 30s also(which makes weight loss harder for us). Can you post a few days of your food log?
  • harrybananas
    harrybananas Posts: 292 Member
    It's all about the calories. Keep those in check and you'll be golden.
  • elisa123gal
    elisa123gal Posts: 4,324 Member
    I'm on day 66 of my fitness plan. It took until day 45 or 50 for me to see a difference.. going down one size. The week before i pushed through being discouraged. I'm not weighing myself for the exact reason of how you are feeling right now, I just go by how my clothes fit and what i see in the mirror.

    Don't be discouraged It takes time for the body to get into the losing mode.
  • Lounmoun
    Lounmoun Posts: 8,423 Member
    edwardsjessica28 wrote: »
    Hi.
    Been doing slimfast for past 4-5 weeks and ok sometimes Ive been a little naughty but generally speaking Ive done ok. I try and exercise maybe two-three times a week.
    Today I stood on scales (I dont weigh myself very often) but Ive actucally put on weight not alot but a bit so feeling like Ive wasted time, some money and effort.
    Ive been focusing on eating more protien also...do you think this is where I may be going wrong?
    Last two days Ive tried to stick to 1200 cals a day as Im so fed up battling with trying to even loose a few 1lbs
    the slimfast plan is two shakes per day and 600 cal meal with three snacks allow.

    I need some motivation :(

    Is this the first time you have weighed yourself in 4-5 weeks? Have you taken into account normal weight fluctuations? Are you weighing on the same scale at the same time of day?
    What is your age, weight, activity level without exercise, and how much are trying to lose each week?
    Are you tracking your shakes/food? Are you using a food scale to be more accurate? When you go over your calorie goal how much over do you go? Do you eat exercise calories?
    If people are not losing it means they are not in a calorie deficit. This could be because they have the wrong calorie goal, are eating more than they think or are overestimating calorie burns. I would check your accuracy on food intake and calorie burns.

  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    As others have said, you don't mention the calories you've been eating (snacks is really vague). You also don't mention the calories on the "naughty" days (and I'd not associate eating with "being naughty" -- not really helpful, IMO).

    I'm kind of anti-Slimfast, into choosing your own foods like others here too, but if you aren't losing the answer is calories. If it's easier to get started using SlimFast, that wouldn't prevent a loss if the calories are okay. That said, it might not feel like such a sacrifice ("what's the point") if you ate foods you enjoyed within the limit, and didn't rely so much on the Slimfast. (One of the breakthroughs for me was realizing that if it didn't feel like a "diet" I would actually be able to sustain it for the time needed to lose. And, to convince myself that how I was eating was how I would like to eat, weight loss aside.)
  • SueInAz
    SueInAz Posts: 6,592 Member
    Being "a little naughty" depending on how little "little" really is, can do a lot to erase your hard work the rest of the time. Of course it also depends on how close you currently are to a healthy weight, though; your height/weight and how much you're exercising. The lower your current weight the less wiggle room there is for error or deviation.

    I agree that you should ditch Slimfast. If you want to lose weight and learn how to eat to maintain a lower weight it's best to eat the same foods during a calorie restriction that you plan to eat once you've reached your goal. Otherwise, if you go back to eating the way you were before you're going to eventually regain until you're the same weight you were before, or even more.
  • courtneyfabulous
    courtneyfabulous Posts: 1,863 Member
    Eat real food- lots of veggies especially. No more slim fast. Stick to your correct calories & macros. Have patience.
  • courtneyfabulous
    courtneyfabulous Posts: 1,863 Member
    I would also weigh more often, always first thing in the morning. I also really love body composition scales so if you lose or gain weight you can see if it's fat, muscle, or water.
  • DebSozo
    DebSozo Posts: 2,578 Member
    edited October 2016
    Log and weigh carefully. Write down everything that has calories. Own up and write down especially when you eat over and above your calorie allowance. You will catch your problems in time and can make adjustments.

    Be sure to recalculate your daily calorie requirements for every 10 pounds lost until you hit your final maintenance goal to help keep it off.

    Or another tactic is you can eat at the maintenance level for your goal weight. It will be slower, however you won't feel deprived.

    When you go off plan then immediately go back on plan. Don't have all day cheat just because of an off meal.

    What are your maintenance daily calories set at for the weight you are now? If you want to lose a pound a week subtract 500 a day from that (it probably is more than your current 1200 calorie unless you are petite). When you get close to goal (under 10-20 pounds left) switch to 250 calorie deficit under maintenance.

    Just ideas to think about-- I once thought 1200 calories are a standard to strive for, but I sabotaged myself and almost gave up completely until I learned about TDEE.
  • maidengirl_
    maidengirl_ Posts: 283 Member
    edited October 2016
    Kick slim fast to the curb and actually eat food you like but in moderation. Portion control. Log and weigh everything. There is no point being on a "diet" that makes you unhappy and only provides temporary results. At least with eating real whole foods, you will learn how to maintain any future weight loss.
  • edwardsjessica28
    edwardsjessica28 Posts: 7 Member
    Thanks guys every single reply has been really encouraging!! and I will be taking your views /advise on board :)
  • Aaron_K123
    Aaron_K123 Posts: 7,122 Member
    If you just started exercise you can expect to but on several pounds or more from added water retention associated with glycogen storage and muscle repair.
  • SCoil123
    SCoil123 Posts: 2,110 Member
    I don't do slimfast but I do usually have a protein shake once a day followed by a large meal and Im losing weight.

    I work out and log all of my calories and activity. Are you logging?
  • cerise_noir
    cerise_noir Posts: 5,468 Member
    edited October 2016
    edwardsjessica28 wrote: »
    Hi.
    Been doing slimfast for past 4-5 weeks and ok sometimes Ive been a little naughty but generally speaking Ive done ok. I try and exercise maybe two-three times a week.
    Today I stood on scales (I dont weigh myself very often) but Ive actucally put on weight not alot but a bit so feeling like Ive wasted time, some money and effort.
    Ive been focusing on eating more protien also...do you think this is where I may be going wrong?
    Last two days Ive tried to stick to 1200 cals a day as Im so fed up battling with trying to even loose a few 1lbs
    the slimfast plan is two shakes per day and 600 cal meal with three snacks allow.

    I need some motivation :(
    Water weight, perhaps?
    Are you close to ovulation or TOM?
    Anything else hormonal ?
    Have you recently started or increased exercise intensity?
    Have you recently had something high in sodium?
    Do you drink enough water/liquid?

    Are you logging your 'naughties'? It's okay to have chips/cookies/chocolate...you just have to weigh and log them in your calories.

    4-5 weeks and then giving up is....silly. It takes much longer to put on weight. Change your expectations and give it more time. Heck, I've been losing weight for a little over 2 years. Patience, grasshopper.

    There's no reason to do the shakes. You can get a protein powder for much cheaper. Also, you say you're eating a 600 cal dinner. How do you know for sure? Are you weighing all the ingredients of that dinner and logging cooking oils? Are you weighing the slimfast powder (if that is what you're using)? Are you measuring/weighing anything that goes into the shake?

    Protein isn't the issue. I eat around 100-120g per day. Weight loss and gain is ALL about calories.

    Do you eat any exercise calories back? If yes, how much?
  • BeeerRunner
    BeeerRunner Posts: 728 Member
    The first thing I would do is stop the Slim Fast. It doesn't fill you up, and it's high in calories. I've tried it years ago, and it doesn't work long term. You can eat 1200 calories a day in ways that will be more filling. Slim Fast is 180 calories a shake where most protein powder shakes (if mixed with water) are 120. If you have 2 SlimFast shakes a day, that's 120 calories more than 2 typical protein shake. Think about the other food you could have eaten that's 120 calories!! Also, you need to learn how to eat healthy using real food to be able to stick with it long term.

    If you want to be successful, don't be "a little naughty." I don't know exactly what this means, but stay in your calorie limits every day while you're losing. If you go over, exercise more to make up for it. Exercise will make you hungry, but if you go on a 30 minute walk and then eat a bowl of ice cream, piece of cake, or a cheese burger, you haven't burned more than what you're taking in. When I was losing weight, I didn't cheat at all. Not even on Thanksgiving Day or Christmas Day. I exercised more those days to make up for the extra food I ate.

    We've all been there. It's hard work. If losing weight was easy, everyone would be successful. I think losing weight was just about as difficult as quitting smoking. You have the cravings to eat. Your brain is telling you that you're hungry. However, you will get past the food craving...drink water, drink green tea, chew sugarless gum...whatever works for you. It's a mental game, and you need to talk yourself out of indulging. Stick to your calories, and you'll be successful. Log everything you eat and don't cheat. If you know you're going to a dinner or somewhere that you'll eat more, do more exercise. Once you get to your goal weight, you'll be able to eat a little more, but you'll look better, you'll feel better, you'll have more energy, and it's so worth it!!

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