Discouraged

Hollypino
Hollypino Posts: 3 Member
edited November 15 in Health and Weight Loss
So I've been counting calories, 1200 healthy calories a day. Been working out 5 days a week, alternating a Biggest Loser DVD (mostly lunges, squats, and ab stuff) and jogging to maintain my target heart rate. The first month I lost 12lbs! Yay! But now I'm two weeks into the second month and I'm down only half a pound. I've got a lot to lose... goal of 80lbs. I'm just trying so hard to make a lifestyle change and getting disheartened. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Replies

  • PeachyPlum
    PeachyPlum Posts: 1,243 Member
    I've found that it happens in spurts. The scale will be the same for days or even weeks and then one day, it's suddenly down five pounds at once.

    Hang in there!
  • Rusty740
    Rusty740 Posts: 749 Member
    You're doing great! Hang in there. BTW you ARE succeeding in making a lifestyle change :) Keep going and don't expect it all to come off at once. You might expect 0.5 to 2 lbs per week, but don't be discouraged.
  • Unknown
    Unknown
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  • terbusha
    terbusha Posts: 1,483 Member
    Weight loss is not a straight line. You'll have some good and bad losses. Just keep on working at it. You had a fantastic weight loss for month 1, and your body is probably just reacting to the fast loss. Give it some more time and you should start to make progress again after the stress dissipates.

    As long as you're losing ~1-2 lbs/week (on average), you're doing great!
  • davefen
    davefen Posts: 4 Member
    I had the exact same problem. Normally what is happening is your body is not used to the lighter calorie intake along with exercise combined. Your body's metabolism is slowing as a defense mechanism whereby burning fewer calories. Some suggest adding a bit more calorie intake - not a lot - of protein. Your calorie intake should never go below 1800 calories as an adult male. This should jumpstart your metabolic rate. When doing calorie reduction try to stair step it down over a couple of weeks rather than just jumping in with both feet at a very low calorie intake level.
  • StaciMarie1974
    StaciMarie1974 Posts: 4,138 Member
    Original poster is an adult female. Metabolism does not need a jump start. Poster just need patience and to understand the scale is going to vary each week. But if eating at a deficit the long term trend will be weight loss.
    davefen wrote: »
    I had the exact same problem. Normally what is happening is your body is not used to the lighter calorie intake along with exercise combined. Your body's metabolism is slowing as a defense mechanism whereby burning fewer calories. Some suggest adding a bit more calorie intake - not a lot - of protein. Your calorie intake should never go below 1800 calories as an adult male. This should jumpstart your metabolic rate. When doing calorie reduction try to stair step it down over a couple of weeks rather than just jumping in with both feet at a very low calorie intake level.

  • tbrain1989
    tbrain1989 Posts: 280 Member
    i found that it really helps to put some dates in a diary or calendar that are short and long term goals. im back again after a break from calorie counting and ive made some notes of what i should be aiming for.

    that helps to not fret over the decreasing progression.

    try making a 1 month goal, 3 month goal and a 6 month goal.

    you'll probably find you lose 50% of the total 6 months. in the first month
  • conniehv40
    conniehv40 Posts: 442 Member
    You have had a very healthy start!! Keep going! It is a terribly frustrating and discouraging task, but you want it! Keep going!!
  • legsnbacon
    legsnbacon Posts: 122 Member
    Hollypino wrote: »
    So I've been counting calories, 1200 healthy calories a day. Been working out 5 days a week, alternating a Biggest Loser DVD (mostly lunges, squats, and ab stuff) and jogging to maintain my target heart rate. The first month I lost 12lbs! Yay! But now I'm two weeks into the second month and I'm down only half a pound. I've got a lot to lose... goal of 80lbs. I'm just trying so hard to make a lifestyle change and getting disheartened. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

    There is a lot of good advice up there ^ except davefen. Don't listen to him.

    Where did you come up with 1200 calories as your goal? If you have 80 pounds to lose I'm thinking that 1200 may be too little. Are you eating back your exercise calories?
    I would use TDEE/BMR calculators to determine how many calories you should be eating.

  • Hollypino
    Hollypino Posts: 3 Member
    legsnbacon wrote: »
    Hollypino wrote: »
    So I've been counting calories, 1200 healthy calories a day. Been working out 5 days a week, alternating a Biggest Loser DVD (mostly lunges, squats, and ab stuff) and jogging to maintain my target heart rate. The first month I lost 12lbs! Yay! But now I'm two weeks into the second month and I'm down only half a pound. I've got a lot to lose... goal of 80lbs. I'm just trying so hard to make a lifestyle change and getting disheartened. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

    There is a lot of good advice up there ^ except davefen. Don't listen to him.

    Where did you come up with 1200 calories as your goal? If you have 80 pounds to lose I'm thinking that 1200 may be too little. Are you eating back your exercise calories?
    I would use TDEE/BMR calculators to determine how many calories you should be eating.

    Thank you all for your thoughts! I appreciate it, definitely going to keep at it. I think maybe a little vent was needed. Legsnbacon I came up with 1200 because I had done it in the past and had success. Obviously fell off that wagon. I do not eat back my exercise calories. I will certainly look into a TDEE/BMR calculator. Thank you all again! I just get so frustrated because my husband is effortlessly fit. I mean the guy eats nearly a box of cereal every day, doesn't exercise, yet has abs?! Wtf?! Meanwhile I so much as look at a slice of pizza and gain 2lbs haha. But every body is different right? Ahhh... just gotta keep swimming... Just keep swimming! Lifestyle change. Life long change. I can do this.
  • genpopadopolous
    genpopadopolous Posts: 411 Member
    Hollypino wrote: »
    legsnbacon wrote: »
    Hollypino wrote: »
    So I've been counting calories, 1200 healthy calories a day. Been working out 5 days a week, alternating a Biggest Loser DVD (mostly lunges, squats, and ab stuff) and jogging to maintain my target heart rate. The first month I lost 12lbs! Yay! But now I'm two weeks into the second month and I'm down only half a pound. I've got a lot to lose... goal of 80lbs. I'm just trying so hard to make a lifestyle change and getting disheartened. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

    There is a lot of good advice up there ^ except davefen. Don't listen to him.

    Where did you come up with 1200 calories as your goal? If you have 80 pounds to lose I'm thinking that 1200 may be too little. Are you eating back your exercise calories?
    I would use TDEE/BMR calculators to determine how many calories you should be eating.

    Thank you all for your thoughts! I appreciate it, definitely going to keep at it. I think maybe a little vent was needed. Legsnbacon I came up with 1200 because I had done it in the past and had success. Obviously fell off that wagon. I do not eat back my exercise calories. I will certainly look into a TDEE/BMR calculator. Thank you all again! I just get so frustrated because my husband is effortlessly fit. I mean the guy eats nearly a box of cereal every day, doesn't exercise, yet has abs?! Wtf?! Meanwhile I so much as look at a slice of pizza and gain 2lbs haha. But every body is different right? Ahhh... just gotta keep swimming... Just keep swimming! Lifestyle change. Life long change. I can do this.

    I'm with you there. My husband has always been an athlete and he lifts now, just three days a week, and can eat just everything in sight and still has a stupid amazing body. Where I have to watch every tiny thing I put in my mouth, workout 6 days a week and I've still got a ways to go!

    I also have two boys- I imagine in a few years we are not going to be able to afford to feed them all!

    Best feeling ever though was beating him in a road race. He had to walk. He also can't hang when he tries to do yoga with me. Mwuahahahaha!
  • Afura
    Afura Posts: 2,054 Member
    Hollypino wrote: »
    legsnbacon wrote: »
    Hollypino wrote: »
    So I've been counting calories, 1200 healthy calories a day. Been working out 5 days a week, alternating a Biggest Loser DVD (mostly lunges, squats, and ab stuff) and jogging to maintain my target heart rate. The first month I lost 12lbs! Yay! But now I'm two weeks into the second month and I'm down only half a pound. I've got a lot to lose... goal of 80lbs. I'm just trying so hard to make a lifestyle change and getting disheartened. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

    There is a lot of good advice up there ^ except davefen. Don't listen to him.

    Where did you come up with 1200 calories as your goal? If you have 80 pounds to lose I'm thinking that 1200 may be too little. Are you eating back your exercise calories?
    I would use TDEE/BMR calculators to determine how many calories you should be eating.

    Thank you all for your thoughts! I appreciate it, definitely going to keep at it. I think maybe a little vent was needed. Legsnbacon I came up with 1200 because I had done it in the past and had success. Obviously fell off that wagon. I do not eat back my exercise calories. I will certainly look into a TDEE/BMR calculator. Thank you all again! I just get so frustrated because my husband is effortlessly fit. I mean the guy eats nearly a box of cereal every day, doesn't exercise, yet has abs?! Wtf?! Meanwhile I so much as look at a slice of pizza and gain 2lbs haha. But every body is different right? Ahhh... just gotta keep swimming... Just keep swimming! Lifestyle change. Life long change. I can do this.

    You can eat 1200, but if you don't have to, don't. It is not necessarily sustainable for most in the long run as long as you're eating at a proper deficit is what you need to lose. If that's 1200, then so be it.

    And as the others said, weight loss is not linear, if you weigh every day for tracking you may see it go up and down several pounds each day. The important thing is that you consider to see a downward trend, and that may take several weeks to see, usually at least a month without loss is when you really want to start reevaluating. Definitely keep at it!
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