Having Trouble Losing Weight in the first few weeks.

lmac3427812
lmac3427812 Posts: 3 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I am hoping to get some feedback!
I have consistently had getting healthier in the back of my mind for sometime now. Now, with my wedding next year I thought this would be the best time to get started.
I have been tracking my food daily including meal prep on Sundays to try and maximize my nutrition without adding processed foods. I have also stepped up on my exercise game and have been walking almost daily at least 45 minutes at a brisk pace. I live near the beach in a warm climate, so outside exercise can be done year round. I just keep going back and forth between the same 2 lbs for about 2 weeks now. Saturday we did have a BBQ which I used as a "cheat day" but still avoided chips, junk food etc. but did drink alcohol. I am wondering if that is a bad tactic and to cut it out all together. I just am wondering what I could be doing wrong and if anyone has any insight for perhaps went through something similar. Whenever I started on a new weight loss plan I always seem to shed weight right away in the first few weeks, now I keep going back to where I started. I know I need to do something different, I am just not sure that that is. I know my habits are changing, I just am not see it reflected on the scale.

Replies

  • CurlyCockney
    CurlyCockney Posts: 1,394 Member
    All those things may be making you healthier, but losing weight requires a calorie deficit. Weigh your food as meticulously as you weigh your body, choose database entries that are accurate, and keep within your allocated calorie amount.
  • T0M_K
    T0M_K Posts: 7,526 Member
    Open your Food Diary so we can see what your doing.
  • robthephotog
    robthephotog Posts: 81 Member
    lmac3427812 wrote: »
    I am hoping to get some feedback!
    I have consistently had getting healthier in the back of my mind for sometime now. Now, with my wedding next year I thought this would be the best time to get started.
    I have been tracking my food daily including meal prep on Sundays to try and maximize my nutrition without adding processed foods. I have also stepped up on my exercise game and have been walking almost daily at least 45 minutes at a brisk pace. I live near the beach in a warm climate, so outside exercise can be done year round. I just keep going back and forth between the same 2 lbs for about 2 weeks now. Saturday we did have a BBQ which I used as a "cheat day" but still avoided chips, junk food etc. but did drink alcohol. I am wondering if that is a bad tactic and to cut it out all together. I just am wondering what I could be doing wrong and if anyone has any insight for perhaps went through something similar. Whenever I started on a new weight loss plan I always seem to shed weight right away in the first few weeks, now I keep going back to where I started. I know I need to do something different, I am just not sure that that is. I know my habits are changing, I just am not see it reflected on the scale.

    You've really got to watch cheat days. If you are just starting I'm not sure cheat days are warranted yet.

    The issue is you don't know if you are eating the proper amount of calories yet. So say you have a deficit of like 100 per day. That's normally 1lb or so per week. Then, add a cheat day in which you consumed 1000+ extra calories than your daily amount. That could wipe an entire week of being good off the map.

    I would recommend staying strict till you see the results that you want start. Then, adjust your caloric intake.

    Also, I'm not saying never cheat your diet at all. You can sneak in little things.
  • Need2Exerc1se
    Need2Exerc1se Posts: 13,575 Member
    It's pretty common not to lose any weight in the first few weeks of a diet, especially if you have increased exercise. I typically don't lose anything until the 3rd or 4th week, which is frustrating but after that I lose pretty steadily. If you are certain of your calories you might just need to be patient for another week or so.
  • lmac3427812
    lmac3427812 Posts: 3 Member
    How do i open the food diary?
  • T0M_K
    T0M_K Posts: 7,526 Member
    there are food and dairy settings.
  • lmac3427812
    lmac3427812 Posts: 3 Member
    ok
  • Clarewinter73
    Clarewinter73 Posts: 5 Member
    I started mfp after a 30lb gain. I started swimming again and swim 1 mile per day. I was so good, no cheat, cut out alcohol altogether, but one cheat day wiped out my first weeks and half progress. So, I've logged in for 25 days now and my loss is 6lb. I say I logged back in after a 30lb gain - I do have 90lb to lose overall! With that in mind, I expected to see the weight fly off initially - perfect calories counting (weighing not guessing, using a lot of low calorie veg, keeping carbs on the low side), becoming very active, and having a fair bit to lose. I am also eating about 1200 cals a day (allowance 1460) and not "eating" any of my exercise cals. You'd think that my cheat day would have been in scope (I hardly went crazy) as I had some spare. I accept that the cheat day wiped out my initial progress, but I'm frustrated with the 6lb loss for all my efforts. What else can I do? Am I unrealistic?!
  • StaciMarie1974
    StaciMarie1974 Posts: 4,138 Member
    Two points...

    1st: to lose weight over time, you need to eat at a caloric deficit. What does that mean??? Your body uses energy daily. You need to consume less than that in order to lose weight. MFP helps do the math when you put in your stats, activity level. Log your food accurately and honestly, and if you're eating at a deficit, you should lose weight.

    2nd: a key point is that weight loss happens 'over time'. You won't lose weight each day or even each week. Not if you are judging progress by a # on the scale. We have water and the amount varies/fluctuates due to many reasons. That list includes TOM/hormones, sodium, stress, sleep, muscle repair. So in order to really see results the idea is to look for a trend. Compare your weight now to your weight a month from now, and then in another month and so forth. Two weeks is not enough time to panic...

    Ok maybe there were 3 points... focusing on improving your health & fitness level and letting weight loss be a side effect can be an awesome strategy. :)
  • Cbestinme
    Cbestinme Posts: 397 Member
    lmac3427812 wrote: »
    I am hoping to get some feedback!
    I live near the beach in a warm climate, so outside exercise can be done year round.

    so lucky!!!

    Continue tracking your calories for several more weeks, find the food that works for you. Review your diary. Rinse and repeat.
  • ashjongfit
    ashjongfit Posts: 147 Member
    The very first month of my weight loss journey I was 360+ lbs so it wouldn't be hard to drop some weight. I didn't lose a pound. Most of the time I was on the money with my eating but then I got into the every Friday is a cheat day thinking and would eat A LOT.

    When I restarted at 305 lbs I didn't lose anything in the first two weeks, then I lost 5 lbs.

    My body holds onto its fat stores for dear life, doing everything perfectly I won't lose weight at the pace that I should, but then I lose more and it evens out anyway.

    Cheat days I'm for once in a while, however I think your daily calories should be high enough to eat things you enjoy making cheat days less and less.
  • RoxieDawn
    RoxieDawn Posts: 15,488 Member
    edited October 2016
    I never lose weight the first three weeks when I start eating in a calorie deficit, it takes my body a little time to make what I call a transition.. :)

    However OP, you will be best served by purchasing a food scale.. Your entries are not weighed at all..

    Do this and follow what @StaciMarie1974 stated, this is well written and explained.

    eta: watch your cheat days (although I do not do these) .. its good to do planned splurges and enjoy your food with family and friends, but be mindful, log it and know if you are not sure of the calories you consume, your weight loss may be slower that week.. and keep in mind it depends on what you eat (higher carbs than normal, more sodium etc etc etc) the scale is gonna show those fluctuations that are mentioned above.

  • Aaron_K123
    Aaron_K123 Posts: 7,122 Member
    2 weeks is not long enough to evaluate whether or not your program is going to result in weightloss, end of. Trying to adjust and change based on two weeks of data is not advisable, just be consistant and evaluate after 6 weeks.

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