Getting disheartened
Debsmys
Posts: 15 Member
Hi everyone I began my diet on the 18th of August. at the start I was losing maybe 1 or 2 pounds a week however this week and last I have seen gains. Im getting really upset about it. I am logging into myfitness pal everyday and am sticking to around 1200-1400 calories a day. I do struggle to eat enough protein being vegetarian but I have cut out 90% of my carbs and rarely have bread or pasta. I have also cut out most cheese and I only drink soya milk as I am trying to be vegan. I am also doing an hour workout day 5 or 6 times a week. What am I doing wrong? I want to lose about 4 stone. Am currently around 15 and want to weigh 10.5/11 stone any tips please. Thanks
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Replies
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It doesn't sound like you're doing anything wrong. Perhaps with your workouts you're seeing an increase in muscle weight while you're losing fat. How are your clothes fitting? Your doing what you need to do, try not to let the scale knock you off your momentum.2
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Thanks yeah its hard to keep going when your not seeing a difference! Hopefully I will see a difference in a month or 2! I do feel my legs are a bit more muscley but clothes wise I havent really felt a difference. 4 stone to go!0
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I agree i think you are seeing muscle gain. Just keep up with it and you'll start seeing results. Also helps to have a calorie deficit. Basically you have to burn more calories in a day that you consume. Fat is then burned for energy. With you eating 1200-1400 calories you wanna burn 1600-1800 calories a day or even a little more if you can. Stay positive though, you can do it!1
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Two weeks isn't long enough of a period to be too worried about. Weight loss isn't linear, some weeks you'll see more of a drop than others. Be sur you are accurately weighing and logging your food, be sure to eat back a portion of your exercise calories. It may be water retention from your exercise, or excess sodium in something you've eaten (I've noticed many of the vegetarian products are crazy high in sodium - just like their non-veg counterparts) Keep with it and don't get discouraged, you've got this.I agree i think you are seeing muscle gain. Just keep up with it and you'll start seeing results. Also helps to have a calorie deficit. Basically you have to burn more calories in a day that you consume. Fat is then burned for energy. With you eating 1200-1400 calories you wanna burn 1600-1800 calories a day or even a little more if you can. Stay positive though, you can do it!
if you put your stats into MFP, the calorie calculation is already noting a deficit. Additional activity (workouts, etc) give you additional calories you can eat back.2 -
I agree i think you are seeing muscle gain. Just keep up with it and you'll start seeing results. Also helps to have a calorie deficit. Basically you have to burn more calories in a day that you consume. Fat is then burned for energy. With you eating 1200-1400 calories you wanna burn 1600-1800 calories a day or even a little more if you can. Stay positive though, you can do it!
No no no...5 -
Congratulations on your losses!
The hardest part is getting started and it sounds like you've done a great job of that and with sticking with it!
I'm going to bring up the standard questions that people ask when someone stops losing. Do you weigh all your solid food and measure all your liquid food? If not, start! Often, small variations can add up to enough calories to keep you from losing. There are a lot of great links and examples of this in the boards.Here are a few to get you started (hint, the “sticky” notes at the tops of boards are often the most helpful):
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10012907/logging-accuracy-consistency-and-youre-probably-eating-more-than-you-think/p1
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1234699/logging-accurately-step-by-step-guide/p1
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10084670/it-is-unlikely-that-you-will-lose-weight-consistently-i-e-weight-loss-is-not-linear/p1
Also, are you eating back your exercise calories? Those are often highly over-estimated! Most people recommend only eating back 1/3 to 1/2 if you do choose to eat them back.
Finally, your weight will fluctuate based on many factors (like how much water you're retaining, TOM, etc.). You will not always loss weight every week, either, especially as your body adapts to your new ways of living. I find that I'll sometimes go a couple weeks without losing and then lose 1.5 lbs all at once. Over time, when I'm consistent, I end up losing .5 lb/week, but it's just not that regular on a day to day, week to week basis.
The bottom line, be rigorous in your logging and stay in your calories (cheat days can add up! If you go over, still be sure to log it) and you will lose in the long run.
Good luck!3 -
Be sure to eat above your BMR but below your TDEE. I am plantbased and this is what has worked for me. If I eat too little (under my BMR) then I stop losing anything. I didn't realize I was eating under my BMR until I started logging everything here on MFP. I ate when hungry and felt satiated so I was clueless. I have now switched things up and my weight loss kicked back in along with muscle gains. Although this last bit is going to be a pain in the toosh. LOL!0
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When you exercise your body will naturally retain water to help heal your muscles. The harder you work the more it'll retain. Lifters will even take creatine supplements to help increase the water retention in their muscles and increase strength. It takes a long time to build muscle, you're simply not going to gain 2 lbs in a month or two, especially on a deficit. What you're experiencing is water retention. Don't sweat it, drink more water (sounds counter productive doesn't it?) and it'll help flush out the extra. Watch your sodium intake instead of sugar (adjust your diary settings). As far as carbs no need to cut them, just try to get extra protein if you can, and stay under your calorie goal. Carbs are not the enemy unless you're diabetic. All you need is a calorie deficit and patience. Don't give up!2
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TavistockToad wrote: »I agree i think you are seeing muscle gain. Just keep up with it and you'll start seeing results. Also helps to have a calorie deficit. Basically you have to burn more calories in a day that you consume. Fat is then burned for energy. With you eating 1200-1400 calories you wanna burn 1600-1800 calories a day or even a little more if you can. Stay positive though, you can do it!
No no no...
Lol i guess i shouldn't listen to everything i read on the Internet, can you explain it to me?0 -
sparklyglitterbomb wrote: »Two weeks isn't long enough of a period to be too worried about. Weight loss isn't linear, some weeks you'll see more of a drop than others. Be sur you are accurately weighing and logging your food, be sure to eat back a portion of your exercise calories. It may be water retention from your exercise, or excess sodium in something you've eaten (I've noticed many of the vegetarian products are crazy high in sodium - just like their non-veg counterparts) Keep with it and don't get discouraged, you've got this.I agree i think you are seeing muscle gain. Just keep up with it and you'll start seeing results. Also helps to have a calorie deficit. Basically you have to burn more calories in a day that you consume. Fat is then burned for energy. With you eating 1200-1400 calories you wanna burn 1600-1800 calories a day or even a little more if you can. Stay positive though, you can do it!
if you put your stats into MFP, the calorie calculation is already noting a deficit. Additional activity (workouts, etc) give you additional calories you can eat back.
I didnt know that, thanks for the tip!0 -
With 4 stone to lose and 5 weeks into the effort, stay on the plan and do not allow intra-week fluctuations to discourage you. You're female and you will get those every month, twice a month. Weigh every day if you like, but note particularly your weight differential on a monthly basis. August 18 to September 18 to October 18.0
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TavistockToad wrote: »I agree i think you are seeing muscle gain. Just keep up with it and you'll start seeing results. Also helps to have a calorie deficit. Basically you have to burn more calories in a day that you consume. Fat is then burned for energy. With you eating 1200-1400 calories you wanna burn 1600-1800 calories a day or even a little more if you can. Stay positive though, you can do it!
No no no...
Lol i guess i shouldn't listen to everything i read on the Internet, can you explain it to me?
Muscle gain isn't going to occur at any appreciable rate or at all if you are in caloric deficit. In fact it is much more likely you will lose muscle.
If you are in caloric deficit and a woman who is struggling to eat the bare minimum amount of protein then muscle gain of 2 pounds over a couple of weeks is an utter impossibility.
In the best case scenario, being a man, not having had that much training in the past, being at caloric surplus, getting lots of protein, lifting heavy regularly you can maybe put on 10 pounds of muscle in a year.3 -
Be sure to eat above your BMR but below your TDEE. I am plantbased and this is what has worked for me. If I eat too little (under my BMR) then I stop losing anything. I didn't realize I was eating under my BMR until I started logging everything here on MFP. I ate when hungry and felt satiated so I was clueless. I have now switched things up and my weight loss kicked back in along with muscle gains. Although this last bit is going to be a pain in the toosh.
I haven't lost in a while either, so my BMR is 1557, My calories i should eat daily is 1430, what should i do?0 -
Aaron_K123 wrote: »TavistockToad wrote: »I agree i think you are seeing muscle gain. Just keep up with it and you'll start seeing results. Also helps to have a calorie deficit. Basically you have to burn more calories in a day that you consume. Fat is then burned for energy. With you eating 1200-1400 calories you wanna burn 1600-1800 calories a day or even a little more if you can. Stay positive though, you can do it!
No no no...
Lol i guess i shouldn't listen to everything i read on the Internet, can you explain it to me?
Muscle gain isn't going to occur at any appreciable rate or at all if you are in caloric deficit. In fact it is much more likely you will lose muscle.
If you are in caloric deficit and a woman who is struggling to eat the bare minimum amount of protein then muscle gain of 2 pounds over a couple of weeks is an utter impossibility.
In the best case scenario, being a man, not having had that much training in the past, being at caloric surplus, getting lots of protein, lifting heavy regularly you can maybe put on 10 pounds of muscle in a year.
Thanks for the info bud!0 -
I'm around the same weight as you. I started properly about 5 weeks ago. I've only lost 3lb since then but I've lost just over 35cm from my body... I kept checking on the scales each week and kept thinking what's the point and didn't believe my personal trainer when he told me not to worry. Look it on google at the pics of 10lb of fat compared to 10lb of muscle... a big difference. If your weight training then at first your not going to lose much weight. Myprotein.com do really nice shakes to boost up your protein intake. I have the smooth chocolate and strawberry and white chocolate ones. The chocolate ones taste just like macdonnalds milkshakes, nothing like the other gross ones I've tried.... hope your training goes well x 1
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Hi,
You will have slight ups and downs. If your goal is short term weight loss then you will likely have a problem sticking with a program that will keep your weight down over the long haul. I used to be on that roller coaster and was never really satisfied as I always gained back the losses when I stopped the good things I was doing . Seven years ago I finally committed to an overall healthier lifestyle which included healthier eating and a commitment to fitness . I lost 35 plus lbs and became fit. The constant when I fell off the dieting and watching calorie's is I stuck with my fitness program . I go to the gym at least 3 -4 days high a week and have been doing so for the last seven years. I have never regained the 35 plus lbs, however depending on time of year I can gain 10 lbs or a little over but never more. I find at end of summer my weight goes up because my diet gets off track. But with Small adjustments in my diet and my continued high activity I fall back to my healthy weight. Committ to the long term, avoid the short term , or wanting look good for a wedding or vacation or whatever . If you make fitness a part of your life and eat healthy 70% of the time you will look and feel great forever. Avoid the short term thinking and your life will change forever. Be active , eat better1 -
Thanks for the advice guys! Have reached another plateu here! Managed to get down to 14 stone 0 last week now im 14 5 this week ahhh!!! x1
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Is there any benefit in 1 week colon cleanse/juicing diets to give my body a boost or are they just fads? x0
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Is there any benefit in 1 week colon cleanse/juicing diets to give my body a boost or are they just fads? x
Just fads. Your liver/kidneys will do all the "cleansing" your body needs.
Some people might see an initial loss, hence the idea they are "kickstarting" things, but that is usually water weight and not real fat loss.3 -
yeah though so! Thanks x
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if you open up your diary, other MFP'ers can take a look and maybe provide some advice on what they are seeing with your logging0
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