3 weeks, only lost 1 lb, heart broken
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Prep and weigh at home then bring your lunch with you. I wouldn't want to weigh in front on coworkers either.2 -
It could also be a sign that you're at a healthy weight! I dont know your weight loss goals or how much you currently weigh, but this could be something. I would consider this for sure.
If you know this isn't the case, don't lose hope! There are so many factors that effect weight loss it can't be just those two things effecting how much weight youre losing. Keep up on the diet; those sacrifices in the end are totally worth it. Always remember why you started!
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It just seems like I'm making a lot of sacrifices for this, not going out with friends, not enjoying dinners at restaurants and all for nothing. But thanks for the encouraging words...maybe I need to give it time. I did increase my workout by a lot...
I went out last night with my boyfriend and had a great night! Go! I ordered a house salad with chicken, and an unsweetened tea. We then went on a 5 mile walk on a walking trail. It was a beautiful night. Cheap and healthy.10 -
OnthatStuff wrote: »livingleanlivingclean wrote: »What is "quitting" going to do.... Besides probably seeing you put the pound on, plus some?
If you're new to exercise you could be retaining fluid, you could be heavier due to hormonal changes, you could have weighed on a heavy day, you could need a good poo, you could be eating more than you think....there are many reasons why you may not be showing lighter on the scale. Don't give up!
Never underestimate the power of a "good poo".
Right! 1 -
If you bring your lunch, you can weigh it in your house beforehand. I think part of the problem may be eating back exercise calories. I think 200 calories is probably an overestimate for a yoga class even if it's intense, though maybe someone more knowledgeable about yoga than me can correct me. Elliptical trainers are also notoriously bad for overestimating calories, so if you're eating back the number on the machine, you are probably chipping away at your deficit.
yes, you're overestimating that yoga class burn. When BodyMedia was still alive, I had one, and for a one hour session of heavy lifting I burned about 175 calories. No way you're burning 200 doing yoga, no matter how hard it feels.7 -
There's no quick fix to losing weight! It takes time and dedication - after all you're making a life change.
Sometimes the scale doesn't move but measurements do. The transition from fat to muscle. So it's not only about what happens on the scale. One view is that the scale should be banned in favour of how your clothes feel and what the tape measure says!
It's taken me 3 years to lose 93lbs and I still have about 6-7lb to go.
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A pound is something. Now go lose another.6
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Wow! You have really been working at it, eh? Good for you! What kind of exercise have you been doing? It's possible you've been gaining muscle and losing fat, which would result in less weight loss but getting fitter. I've also read on these forums that water weight can be an issue when kicking off an exercise routine, but that it stabilizes eventually. I'm new here, so maybe some others have better insight to offer.
I'm doing vinyasa yoga 3x week and elliptical 1x week. The days when I'm doing yoga I'm only discounting 200 calories for the workout (it's a pretty tough class, not just stretching and meditation)
200 calories burned doing yoga? Not in my book1 -
My 2 cents: I lost 11lbs in 3 months and then stagnated at that weight for a month. An entire month!!! It's extremely frustrating so I imagine how you feel. Keep at it, you'll lose more over time.
Also, a few things I swear by (which you might already do and others may have already mentioned):
1. Weigh things on a scale
2. Use less oil, it's very high in calories, try and measure oil with teaspoons instead of tablespoons. Healthy oils are good for you but ultimately if you're counting calories they're working against you, especially on a 1200 calories/day goal. I like to squeeze lemon juice on my salads instead of dressing. It's delicious.
3. Track your exercise with a heart rate monitor, that way you'll have a much more accurate estimate of calories you burned.
4. Don't eat the calories you exercise. We tend to underestimate how much we eat and overestimate how much we work out, so I use the workout calories as a buffer for my counting errors.
Best of luck, you can do it, it's different for everyone, some people lose very fast and others don't, it's not fair but it is what it is.5 -
It just seems like I'm making a lot of sacrifices for this, not going out with friends, not enjoying dinners at restaurants and all for nothing. But thanks for the encouraging words...maybe I need to give it time. I did increase my workout by a lot...
That's unfortunately the sad truth of losing and maintaining a healthy weight. I do go out with friends and (mostly) enjoy my restaurant meals, but I have to restrict myself more the rest of the week to make up for it... and I've learned to enjoy lower calorie options instead of 1700 calories of burger and fries (usually).
The thing is though, if you were not doing what you're doing, you'd just be piling up more pounds down the road. So it's not for nothing. Even if the scale doesn't show it yet, you're getting healthier.2 -
I'm late to the party, so may have missed some things up above.
As to weighing at work? Personally I don't worry about what my coworkers think. It did feel a little awkward at first, but I got over it. I now have a food scale at work, and I leave it in the kitchen (small office) in case anyone else wants to use it. Before I splurged (about $12) on the scale I used the postage scale! Though if you really do not want to use a scale at work, then make lunches at home. Sandwiches, portion out raw veggies, leftovers, etc.
Also, rate of loss will depend on how much you have to lose. I am not sure if you listed your stats? But a larger body burns more energy than a smaller body. So if you're 5-10 pounds above an ideal weight (for your height, body) then you may only be burning 1500-2000 calories per day. Meaning eating at 1200 would allow you to lose .5 to 1.5 pounds per week. Inaccuracy in logging could really slow that down. On the other hand, if you have 75-100 pounds to lose then your daily total burn is higher, giving you a larger margin of error.
You can lose weight, without giving up your social life. It will get easier in time, but the key is the choices you make. Getting the most out of your calories, pretty much. And not all social activity has to include large calorie intake. You can drink diet soda, or if you do want to drink alcohol find lower cal choices. And alternate the drinks with water or soda in between. For food, avoid aimless snacking. Restaurants tend to have some calorie friendly options these days as well.0 -
Lots of great advice from folks. Just hang in there and keep at it. This should not be about sacrifice. I merely choose menu items when I am out with friends that are low carb / high protein like a chef salad with no dressing (and allow myself a glass of wine or a beer) or a protein (like steak with mushrooms) and a side veggie (like spinach, green beans). I don't eat steak at home usually, so this is a "treat". Also, every couple of weeks I allow myself to have a food that I am craving, like steak fries.
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I've been eating 1200 calories for 3 weeks, working out 4x per week...only lost 1 lb. About to completely quit my diet.... Any idea whu this could be happening?
There's a ton of (mostly) great advice in this thread, and some reasonable possible causes, such as fluid retention. You may get more specific help if you let us know some vitals, such as:
1) Height
2) Current Weight
3) Age
Without that, it's hard to know what kind of deficit you have created if you are eating 1200 calories and comparing that to your BMR/TDEE. Do you know what those are? Since 1200 calories is a "floor" at MFP, it's impossible to know what your deficit is without the other information.1 -
In the weight loss game you don't get extra points for extra sacrifices. If you relax a bit, make sure you are eating in a modest deficit, the weight loss will show up. Not when you want it to but it will come.6
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I went out with my girls last night for Happy Hour and drank club and lime. I also ordered dinner to go there and made a healthy choice - grilled salmon on a salad. Social + good choices can be done! You're revamping your life by changing what you eat permanently, so to be successful, you gotta find a way to apply it across the board - home, work, social, etc. But you can do it!2
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Well...using a food scale when I'm at work is really awkward. I can't see myself weighing my food in front of my co-workers....how do other people do that? Any tips?
Most people prepare their food for the day at home, either the night before, or in big batches for the week. You will find what works for you but in my experience having the same thing daily for breakfast and lunches / snacks helps me to plan my dinners much better. If I know I am going to have a big dinner or a party or some other event I will eat a little less throughout the day or try to get a walk in at lunch just to help offset the calories.
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I always recommend taking measurements. When you up your exercise like you have you may see your body tightening up and clothes getting a bit looser without the scale moving. There are other victories than the number on the scale. Don't give up, consistency and patience is the key!
Oh..and I prep my breakfast/lunch the night before with my scale and pre log. Than at work I can eat as I please. If I don't eat something I just delete it.0 -
Don't add 200 calories for yoga.8
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Have you taken your measurements? The scale will fluctuate but you'll really see results in your measurements. take a before picture and then take another every month. You might see the changes there vs seeing them in a mirror0
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I agree with this post ... also you might not be logging in correctly. EVERY MORSEL NEEDS To BE LOGGEDeskimodeb2 wrote: »You may be eating too little....so your body is trying to protect you from starving. I am obese and working out an hour a day....on a 1,650 diet per day. I am losing 2 lbs per week for the last 3 weeks...but I plan to lose my weight over the next year. I think you need to be eating more calories. You could also be building muscle too. Hang in there.
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if your a newbie you could be adding muscle. you are also likely retaining extra water to recover from those workouts. stick with it. my bet is a whoosh is coming. weight loss is not linear. it's 1 this week, 4 that week, 2 here none there. be patient and stick with it.
3 months not 3 weeks is the proper duration to determine if what your doing is working or not.
she is not putting on sizable muscle mass in three weeks doing yoga and eating at a deficit !!9 -
I didn't read all the replies but rather than quitting your diet, direct your efforts to learn where it went wrong (over estimating burns, poor data/logging) Spend a few minutes on the forums learning how to weigh and properly track your food. Don't give up and you're already doing way better than all of the folks that do. Find the solution; it exists2
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I had similar experience...3 weeks out sailing, 1200/day and only 4 pounds lost. Overall I have lost 14 pounds in 56 days, but this week I'm up and down by half a pound. When I gain half a pound I panic and have to weigh myself the next day. I think twice a week is probably more than enough. What helped me this week was putting on a pair of shorts that didn't fit 3 months ago. I've been wearing them for 3 days0
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eskimodeb2 wrote: »
You may be eating too little....so your body is trying to protect you from starving. I am obese and working out an hour a day....on a 1,650 diet per day. I am losing 2 lbs per week for the last 3 weeks...but I plan to lose my weight over the next year. I think you need to be eating more calories. You could also be building muscle too. Hang in there.
Totally agree with this.
Where did you get the 1,200 caloric eating goal?
Also, are you watching your macros? Meaning do you have a goal on fats, proteins, and carbs for the day? If you aren't tracking those things and the amount of carbs you are eating each day fluctuates a lot then you can be getting bloated and water retention.
Depending on the type of work you are doing on the elliptical you could be hurting your fat loss more than helping: https://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/fat_loss_training_wars.htm
Ignore the photos of the women bodybuilders in there, you are not going to look like that weight lifting unless you are taking some "gear".
Also, consistency is huge!
Feel free to shoot me a message!0 -
nina_schumann wrote: »I had similar experience...3 weeks out sailing, 1200/day and only 4 pounds lost. Overall I have lost 14 pounds in 56 days, but this week I'm up and down by half a pound. When I gain half a pound I panic and have to weigh myself the next day. I think twice a week is probably more than enough. What helped me this week was putting on a pair of shorts that didn't fit 3 months ago. I've been wearing them for 3 days
Don't sweat the scale too much I can "gain" on the scale almost 5 lbs the week before shark week0 -
Hey, First of all Well Done on the weight loss! 1lb or 10lb it's still a LOSS....
I agree with most of the other posts, the weight didn't appear overnight so don't expect it to disappear overnight either.
I am not a big fan of weighing my food but it does help with accuracy especially when it's pasta/rice etc.
I have a HRM and i use this as a guide for calories burned, as a rule I don't 'eat back' all of my calories, probably about 50%.
I don't weigh myself because those numbers can ruin my day, but I do take my measurements, I also have a pair of shorts which I use as a guide, if they fit then I know I'm on track, bit tight then its time to wise up.
Most important thing I think almost everyone has said is that this has to be something that you can stick at, don't set the bar to high that you are likely to fail, make better food choices, do more cardio. CICO is fact and it does work.
Hang in there! You are doing great x1 -
Yep! One step at a time. In a year, that's a possible ~52lbs down.JeromeBarry1 wrote: »A pound is something. Now go lose another.
Why? Starvation mode is a myth, as the body will not hold onto fat and the OP isn't starving, either, and there is no way OP would be building muscle with their intake doing yoga in 3 weeks. I do agree with your post, however.hoorayselma wrote: »
I agree with this post ... also you might not be logging in correctly. EVERY MORSEL NEEDS To BE LOGGEDeskimodeb2 wrote: »You may be eating too little....so your body is trying to protect you from starving. I am obese and working out an hour a day....on a 1,650 diet per day. I am losing 2 lbs per week for the last 3 weeks...but I plan to lose my weight over the next year. I think you need to be eating more calories. You could also be building muscle too. Hang in there.
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JoshUlmer2014 wrote: »eskimodeb2 wrote: »
You may be eating too little....so your body is trying to protect you from starving. I am obese and working out an hour a day....on a 1,650 diet per day. I am losing 2 lbs per week for the last 3 weeks...but I plan to lose my weight over the next year. I think you need to be eating more calories. You could also be building muscle too. Hang in there.
Totally agree with this.
Where did you get the 1,200 caloric eating goal?
Also, are you watching your macros? Meaning do you have a goal on fats, proteins, and carbs for the day? If you aren't tracking those things and the amount of carbs you are eating each day fluctuates a lot then you can be getting bloated and water retention.
Depending on the type of work you are doing on the elliptical you could be hurting your fat loss more than helping: https://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/fat_loss_training_wars.htm
Ignore the photos of the women bodybuilders in there, you are not going to look like that weight lifting unless you are taking some "gear".
Also, consistency is huge!
Feel free to shoot me a message!
Why do you agree with a post that suggests OP is building muscle in a deficit doing yoga for 3 weeks? It takes a lot of hard work, eating at surplus and time to build muscle, especially for women. It has been revealed that innacurate logging is at play. It has only been 3 weeks. Starvation mode is s myth that has been disproven by science many times. Also, OP is not starving.. Women can retain water for a number of reasons as well.
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Don't gove up hope! Be proud of what you accomplished so far and trust it will get easier. I commend you on the working out -- That's one thing I haven't been able to stick with. But muscle DOES weigh more than fat. In a couple more weeks you'll start noticing a difference in the way your clothes fit!
It's what you eat. More water! More potassium (an avocado a day has way more potassium and way less sugar than a banana!) I found out that when I totally cut milk and changed to cashew milk or coconut milk (which I LOVE in my coffee and cereal) as well as sugar (I look at EVERY label) that I dropped weight quickly. As for going out with friends...Carbs! I love sauces when I go to restaurants (alfredo, garlic, you name it) and found out that most restaurants will serve the sauce of your choice on brocolli (Red Lobster is one, my favorite Italian place is another) and cut 1,000 calories from a meal. Also beer and wine... I thought I'd miss them, then discovered flavored vodkas and rums over ice have only 10 calories, no sugars or carbs (add water if too strong). Like desert in a glass!
My success: Modifying, measuring, all foods and greatly reducing sugar: First 6 months: -18 pounds. 2nd 6 months: -32 cutting sugar to under 10 grams/day, increasing healthy fats like adding avocados, greatly reducing carbs and increasing fiber (chia and flax seeds are my go-to addition to breakfast) .
I am where I want to be now Went from size 14/XL to 7/8/Small and it took a year. Now, I've increased my calories to 1800/day just to maintain my weight. But still measure and count. My back and knees no longer hurt. Blood sugar is perfect, no worries about diabetes anymore. It's a huge difference!
Good luck Lorenelia! Don't lose hope! It will happen faster than you think!0 -
P.S. Then you'll be complaining about all the money you have to spend on new clothes. Second-hand stores will be your friend!1
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