Just started diet a week ago and not losing a pound!!! Help
sueberlin
Posts: 32 Member
Hi guys!
Here is my dilemma. Within the last year I started eating more and more clean and less processed food. I had my ups and downs (lost and gained). I haven't been eating very good since December and in the last couple weeks started slowly adding more fruits and vegis into my diet again. Since about a week I started a diet of 1200-1400 cal with only whole and clean foods. I watch it carefully! I eat healthy fats and protein, lots of vegis and some fruits. Nothing processed. I exercise but I also did rest days for the exercise. I lost about 2-3 lbs in the first few days and then I started gaining weight!!! Huh?! What the heck?! Every day I gain about 4 - 8 ounces. Anybody know is that water? I am not eating lots of sodium I checked my diary. So whats going on?
Here is my dilemma. Within the last year I started eating more and more clean and less processed food. I had my ups and downs (lost and gained). I haven't been eating very good since December and in the last couple weeks started slowly adding more fruits and vegis into my diet again. Since about a week I started a diet of 1200-1400 cal with only whole and clean foods. I watch it carefully! I eat healthy fats and protein, lots of vegis and some fruits. Nothing processed. I exercise but I also did rest days for the exercise. I lost about 2-3 lbs in the first few days and then I started gaining weight!!! Huh?! What the heck?! Every day I gain about 4 - 8 ounces. Anybody know is that water? I am not eating lots of sodium I checked my diary. So whats going on?
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Replies
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'Clean' eating has absolutely nothing to do with weight loss, (it's a subjective term that doesn't even have an agreed on definition). For weight loss to happen you must be at the correct calorie deficit for your weight loss goals.
Are you using a food scale to measure out your portion sizes? Are you logging everything you eat/drink that has calories? Are you choosing correct data base entries?
Also, your weight will fluctuate daily, due to all sorts of things not fat related.12 -
crazyycatlady1 is bang-on correct. I would like to add though, that most people - women especially, due to hormone fluctuations - do not lose weight linearly (a little bit every day). We go up and down like yo-yos. Last month my weight stayed the same for 2 weeks (in fact it went up a little bit) despite eating at a consistent deficit. Then all of a sudden the scale went WHOOSH downwards. It happens.11
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crazyycatlady1 is bang-on correct. I would like to add though, that most people - women especially, due to hormone fluctuations - do not lose weight linearly (a little bit every day). We go up and down like yo-yos. Last month my weight stayed the same for 2 weeks (in fact it went up a little bit) despite eating at a consistent deficit. Then all of a sudden the scale went WHOOSH downwards. It happens.
Yep, I'm up a pound this morning because tom started. It will be gone by the end of the week plus some though, because I'm currently in a calorie deficit
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crazyycatlady1 is bang-on correct. I would like to add though, that most people - women especially, due to hormone fluctuations - do not lose weight linearly (a little bit every day). We go up and down like yo-yos. Last month my weight stayed the same for 2 weeks (in fact it went up a little bit) despite eating at a consistent deficit. Then all of a sudden the scale went WHOOSH downwards. It happens.
I am so heartened to read this. My weight has not budged in the past six days. Every morning I get on that scale and it reads 265.4 - I tried moving the scales to different locations - get the same 265.4. I am not letting it get to me though cuz I know if I am sticking to entering my foods into my food diary, I am checking on how many steps I am logging each day and drinking enough water at some point something has to happen.4 -
tricia5715 wrote: »crazyycatlady1 is bang-on correct. I would like to add though, that most people - women especially, due to hormone fluctuations - do not lose weight linearly (a little bit every day). We go up and down like yo-yos. Last month my weight stayed the same for 2 weeks (in fact it went up a little bit) despite eating at a consistent deficit. Then all of a sudden the scale went WHOOSH downwards. It happens.
I am so heartened to read this. My weight has not budged in the past six days. Every morning I get on that scale and it reads 265.4 - I tried moving the scales to different locations - get the same 265.4. I am not letting it get to me though cuz I know if I am sticking to entering my foods into my food diary, I am checking on how many steps I am logging each day and drinking enough water at some point something has to happen.
If you're getting the exact same reading over several days your scale's battery may be getting old. If I get the same reading for 3 days in a row then I know it's time to change mine. Might want to try that and see if it changes anything 7 -
tricia5715 wrote: »I am so heartened to read this. My weight has not budged in the past six days. Every morning I get on that scale and it reads 265.4 - I tried moving the scales to different locations - get the same 265.4. I am not letting it get to me though cuz I know if I am sticking to entering my foods into my food diary, I am checking on how many steps I am logging each day and drinking enough water at some point something has to happen.
Don't worry! Six days is NOTHING. I have gone through a month-long plateau before, where the scale did not budge, and then all of a sudden it started dropping again. If you are eating at a calorie deficit you are losing weight, whether or not the scale says you are.
Try not to be disheartened if the reading on the scale stays the same. However, if you are the kind of person - like me - who can't help but get discouraged if the scale doesn't move, I have an idea for you. There's an app on the App Store called Happy Scale. I HIGHLY recommend everyone download it and start tracking their weight on that as well as MFP. In fact, put your weight readings in retroactively as well (as far back as you can be bothered to go). It uses a clever mathematical formula to work out your average rate of weight loss, and predict what your TRUE weight is, despite what the scale might read. So the scale might say that you haven't lost anything, but Happy Scale will tell you that you actually have. It's really, really comforting and motivating. Highly recommend it.
(Note - it's only available on iPhones, but apparently there's an app on Android called Libra which does the same thing, though I can't vouch for that one.)3 -
tricia5715 wrote: »I am so heartened to read this. My weight has not budged in the past six days. Every morning I get on that scale and it reads 265.4 - I tried moving the scales to different locations - get the same 265.4. I am not letting it get to me though cuz I know if I am sticking to entering my foods into my food diary, I am checking on how many steps I am logging each day and drinking enough water at some point something has to happen.
Don't worry! Six days is NOTHING. I have gone through a month-long plateau before, where the scale did not budge, and then all of a sudden it started dropping again. If you are eating at a calorie deficit you are losing weight, whether or not the scale says you are.
Try not to be disheartened if the reading on the scale stays the same. However, if you are the kind of person - like me - who can't help but get discouraged if the scale doesn't move, I have an idea for you. There's an app on the App Store called Happy Scale. I HIGHLY recommend everyone download it and start tracking their weight on that as well as MFP. In fact, put your weight readings in retroactively as well (as far back as you can be bothered to go). It uses a clever mathematical formula to work out your average rate of weight loss, and predict what your TRUE weight is, despite what the scale might read. So the scale might say that you haven't lost anything, but Happy Scale will tell you that you actually have. It's really, really comforting and motivating. Highly recommend it.
(Note - it's only available on iPhones, but apparently there's an app on Android called Libra which does the same thing, though I can't vouch for that one.)
I started using Libra back in December and I love it! I really wish I had this back when I first started this whole process (5 years now).1 -
It's been a mere week...6
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I just spent a couple of *weeks* with my scale not budging, and I stepped on today to find I lost about a pound and a half. Stick with it. Don't weigh yourself everyday, if it's going to make you crazy. And I second the suggestion for Happy Scale. I'm a visual person, and it really helps to see the app draw that trending line for me.2
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On the scale not budging "AT ALL". Be warned some scales have a memory and will show the most recent weight if the current weight is within a half pound or so. I know my last scale would not changed unless my weight changes by ~ 3/4 of a lb. I would step on it with one foot, get the reading and then step on it normally to reset it.
Could be the case here.5 -
I also had a similar issue. I upped my exercise massively and thought I was eating good but actually y gained 7lbs since Jan! 2 weeks ago I started tracking food on here- 1st week, no loss at all, this week- despite it being TOM I've lost 3lb! I'm definitely more careful about logging weights of food more accurately and keeping my cals under 1600.2
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crazyycatlady1 wrote: »'Clean' eating has absolutely nothing to do with weight loss, (it's a subjective term that doesn't even have an agreed on definition). For weight loss to happen you must be at the correct calorie deficit for your weight loss goals.
Are you using a food scale to measure out your portion sizes? Are you logging everything you eat/drink that has calories? Are you choosing correct data base entries?
Also, your weight will fluctuate daily, due to all sorts of things not fat related.
I know that it is about the calorie deficit. I just wanted to point out that I eat quality calories and nothing processed. And yes I am using a food scale and measure ALL my portions. I also log in EVERYTHING even the 1/4 cup of onion. I only drink water. I am certain I am using the correct data base. This is not the first time I am doing this. In the past I always lost easy. Did my body change? Because I am in my 30is now? I am 282 lbs and eat 1200 - 1300 cal I should have enough calorie deficit plus the exercise. I just started this diet. How can I already have a plateau??0 -
To avoid the ups and downs of daily weight fluctuations, I make it a habit to only weigh myself once a week and try to to do the same time of the day to keep things as consistent as possible. Some weeks I've lost more than expected, some weeks less. I don't worry too much about it as I am fairly disciplined about logging my food intake and making sure I have a daily calorie deficit.1
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I've been watching my calorie intake and exercising more frequently for about a month now (well, exercising, at least. I was stubbornly avoiding tracking calories, but I needed it). I was also getting frustrated because I wasn't seeing a huge change, so I get where you're coming from. It takes time to see results, so it can get discouraging.
My friends told me to take progress photos and measure my body (MyFitnessPal has a Check in tab on the website where you can log any measurements you care about). I measure my bust, chest, waist, midway, hips, thighs, knees, calves, upper arms, and forearms. Taking those measurements has been the biggest motivator for me. Even when that scale isn't moving, I am still seeing inches melt away. In two weeks, I've lost 1.5 inches in my midway. I can't see it in the photos, but I keep telling myself that it's only been two weeks, and if I did see a huge change already, I'm probably not really doing my body any favors.
Hang in there, you can do this!2 -
crazyycatlady1 wrote: »'Clean' eating has absolutely nothing to do with weight loss, (it's a subjective term that doesn't even have an agreed on definition). For weight loss to happen you must be at the correct calorie deficit for your weight loss goals.
Are you using a food scale to measure out your portion sizes? Are you logging everything you eat/drink that has calories? Are you choosing correct data base entries?
Also, your weight will fluctuate daily, due to all sorts of things not fat related.
I know that it is about the calorie deficit. I just wanted to point out that I eat quality calories and nothing processed. And yes I am using a food scale and measure ALL my portions. I also log in EVERYTHING even the 1/4 cup of onion. I only drink water. I am certain I am using the correct data base. This is not the first time I am doing this. In the past I always lost easy. Did my body change? Because I am in my 30is now? I am 282 lbs and eat 1200 - 1300 cal I should have enough calorie deficit plus the exercise. I just started this diet. How can I already have a plateau??
"Quality calories" are irrelevant when it comes to predicting how much weight you will lose, that's why people are pointing that out.
A week is too early to stress about this. If you're confident that you are logging correctly, then stay on plan. This isn't a plateau, you just didn't lose weight this week.3 -
crazyycatlady1 wrote: »'Clean' eating has absolutely nothing to do with weight loss, (it's a subjective term that doesn't even have an agreed on definition). For weight loss to happen you must be at the correct calorie deficit for your weight loss goals.
Are you using a food scale to measure out your portion sizes? Are you logging everything you eat/drink that has calories? Are you choosing correct data base entries?
Also, your weight will fluctuate daily, due to all sorts of things not fat related.
I know that it is about the calorie deficit. I just wanted to point out that I eat quality calories and nothing processed. And yes I am using a food scale and measure ALL my portions. I also log in EVERYTHING even the 1/4 cup of onion. I only drink water. I am certain I am using the correct data base. This is not the first time I am doing this. In the past I always lost easy. Did my body change? Because I am in my 30is now? I am 282 lbs and eat 1200 - 1300 cal I should have enough calorie deficit plus the exercise. I just started this diet. How can I already have a plateau??
Uuuuuuh, well, I would say 1200-1300 cal is too low. I'm 228lbs and MFP has given me 1500 cals and I'm losing. But I still say it's too early for you to worry about it. Just keep going and see what the next week brings you0 -
dramaman69 wrote: »To avoid the ups and downs of daily weight fluctuations, I make it a habit to only weigh myself once a week and try to to do the same time of the day to keep things as consistent as possible. Some weeks I've lost more than expected, some weeks less. I don't worry too much about it as I am fairly disciplined about logging my food intake and making sure I have a daily calorie deficit.
Whereas I prefer to weigh daily and track it with Trendweight (and my own Excel spreadsheets). his way if I'm up one day, I can usually know why and have a decent guess as to when it will come off. Also, I can tell if a "check in" day is off track.1 -
Weighing yourself every single day is a sure way to make yourself insane. As many people have mentioned, weight lost is not linear and fluctuates daily. Pick one day a week to weigh yourself, and remember that can still be misleading. Weight loss is best measured by measurements of waist/abs/hips/thighs or body fat percentage. How do your clothes fit? You likely won't notice a change in only a week, but after a few weeks, if your clothes fit a little bit more loosely, then you know you're on the right track 1
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crazyycatlady1 wrote: »'Clean' eating has absolutely nothing to do with weight loss, (it's a subjective term that doesn't even have an agreed on definition). For weight loss to happen you must be at the correct calorie deficit for your weight loss goals.
Are you using a food scale to measure out your portion sizes? Are you logging everything you eat/drink that has calories? Are you choosing correct data base entries?
Also, your weight will fluctuate daily, due to all sorts of things not fat related.
I know that it is about the calorie deficit. I just wanted to point out that I eat quality calories and nothing processed. And yes I am using a food scale and measure ALL my portions. I also log in EVERYTHING even the 1/4 cup of onion. I only drink water. I am certain I am using the correct data base. This is not the first time I am doing this. In the past I always lost easy. Did my body change? Because I am in my 30is now? I am 282 lbs and eat 1200 - 1300 cal I should have enough calorie deficit plus the exercise. I just started this diet. How can I already have a plateau??
OMG. You DON'T. It's been a WEEK.
You know you need to have patience, right? Get back to us when you've not lost for a couple of months, then we can talk about a "plateau".5 -
You didn't gain weight in a day and you're not going to lose it in a day, either. If you're positive that all of your logs are correct, stay away from the scale for a while (a few weeks) and then check your weight again. If you're going to weigh daily, you have to understand that fluctuations happen and sometimes your weight is going to read higher, sometimes it's going to be lower.1
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I guess I am confused because I have lost weight in the past and usually in the first week I lost about 5-7 lbs...what probably only was water. But after that I used to always lose a bit each day or every other day. But this time I am even gaining what is so different. Is it not calorie in calorie out? I mean I know it's just a week yet. But it is weird that I am gaining.0
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I know that it is about the calorie deficit. I just wanted to point out that I eat quality calories and nothing processed. And yes I am using a food scale and measure ALL my portions. I also log in EVERYTHING even the 1/4 cup of onion. I only drink water. I am certain I am using the correct data base. This is not the first time I am doing this. In the past I always lost easy. Did my body change? Because I am in my 30is now? I am 282 lbs and eat 1200 - 1300 cal I should have enough calorie deficit plus the exercise. I just started this diet. How can I already have a plateau??
I think the part I bolded in your quote may offer a clue. Solid foods really need to be weighed (grams), if you want to be certain that you're measuring accurately. (Do I really think that a slightly inaccurate calorie measurement for raw onion will entirely derail one's weight loss progress? No, but if you tend to measure most solid foods using volume measurements, it could be making a bigger impact on your logging accuracy than you may think).
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Everybody's different. You could be plateauing while your body adjusts to the change in calorie intake, or your age could be a contributing factor (I lose weight less easily than I did at 22 when I started on MFP, and I'm only 26 now). You will also have to make bigger sacrifices the more weight you lose, it will get harder to make a difference as you go along. I think you need to give it more time. 0
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I guess I am confused because I have lost weight in the past and usually in the first week I lost about 5-7 lbs...what probably only was water. But after that I used to always lose a bit each day or every other day. But this time I am even gaining what is so different. Is it not calorie in calorie out? I mean I know it's just a week yet. But it is weird that I am gaining.
Yeah that initial loss is always water weight, it comes off first. Then normally there won't be a loss for a few days, even a couple of weeks, as your weight is catching up with that initial water loss. I started 2/10, lost one pound a day for 4 days. Then sat at the same weight for over 2 weeks. NOT a plateau. It's NORMAL.
Carry on.2 -
I guess I am confused because I have lost weight in the past and usually in the first week I lost about 5-7 lbs...what probably only was water. But after that I used to always lose a bit each day or every other day. But this time I am even gaining what is so different. Is it not calorie in calorie out? I mean I know it's just a week yet. But it is weird that I am gaining.
But the scale reflects all sorts of things, not related to actual fat gains/losses. Hormones/tom/pms, water retention due to sodium and/or exercise etc, digestion periods, bathroom timing/constipation, time of day you weigh yourself, if you eat or drink something before you weigh yourself, if you weigh yourself with clothes on, if you take a shower before you weigh yourself, if you move your scale to a different location, if your scales batteries are getting old, if you use a different scale (home vs gym vs doctor's office), and the list goes on and on.
You're at the very beginning stages of this process-stop comparing what's happened in the past (which has no relevance to what you're doing now), be patient and then relax a bit. If you're sure that you're at the correct calorie deficit for your goals, then you will lose the weight. Look at your monthly trends though, and not so much daily ones.3 -
Sometimes what gets lost in the fluctuations discussion (or water retention etc.) is a very important fact. Your fluid retention, which is regulated by your body, can vary by up to 2-3 times the amount of weight you are looking to lose in one week....all in a single day.
So if you are looking to lose 1.5 pounds/week, for example, you may have lost that amount of fat, while seeing the scale go up by 5 pounds or more that week. If you make an adjustment based on that, you may not have needed to. That's why you need to give it time to establish a trend. A typical graph of weight versus time will show a squiggly line, but with enough time, there should be a trendline to go with it. If, after 4-6 weeks, you aren't seeing anything, then it might be time to adjust. But don't adjust until you have facts. And that takes a little time.0 -
crazyycatlady1 wrote: »'Clean' eating has absolutely nothing to do with weight loss, (it's a subjective term that doesn't even have an agreed on definition). For weight loss to happen you must be at the correct calorie deficit for your weight loss goals.
Are you using a food scale to measure out your portion sizes? Are you logging everything you eat/drink that has calories? Are you choosing correct data base entries?
Also, your weight will fluctuate daily, due to all sorts of things not fat related.
I know that it is about the calorie deficit. I just wanted to point out that I eat quality calories and nothing processed. And yes I am using a food scale and measure ALL my portions. I also log in EVERYTHING even the 1/4 cup of onion. I only drink water. I am certain I am using the correct data base. This is not the first time I am doing this. In the past I always lost easy. Did my body change? Because I am in my 30is now? I am 282 lbs and eat 1200 - 1300 cal I should have enough calorie deficit plus the exercise. I just started this diet. How can I already have a plateau??
You say you are using a food scale, but then reference measuring your portions, and refer to 1/4 cup of onions. Are you weighing all those solid foods, or are you measuring them? It can make a difference, maybe not on something like onions, but on other more calorie dense items for sure.
And again - it's been one week. You saw a big drop initially and then things have leveled off or bounced back a little. That is normal. You need to be patient.2 -
Things to consider over and above the logging... You said you worked out and had rest days. Is the working out new to your regular routine? Are you close to ToM? Both can affect fluid retention and a perceived weight gain. So again, like everyone above me has said, be patient, see where you are in a few week's time and don't stress it out. 0
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RunningOnWontons wrote: »
I know that it is about the calorie deficit. I just wanted to point out that I eat quality calories and nothing processed. And yes I am using a food scale and measure ALL my portions. I also log in EVERYTHING even the 1/4 cup of onion. I only drink water. I am certain I am using the correct data base. This is not the first time I am doing this. In the past I always lost easy. Did my body change? Because I am in my 30is now? I am 282 lbs and eat 1200 - 1300 cal I should have enough calorie deficit plus the exercise. I just started this diet. How can I already have a plateau??
I think the part I bolded in your quote may offer a clue. Solid foods really need to be weighed (grams), if you want to be certain that you're measuring accurately. (Do I really think that a slightly inaccurate calorie measurement for raw onion will entirely derail one's weight loss progress? No, but if you tend to measure most solid foods using volume measurements, it could be making a bigger impact on your logging accuracy than you may think).
Nope. I mainly use the scale (digital). I was just giving an example of how little the food is it doesn't matter I log the food.0
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