Tell me what you think, I really am at a loss...

Drea89
Drea89 Posts: 56 Member
edited September 30 in Motivation and Support
I have been working out religiously for over 2 weeks now, 6 days a week. I know that weight loss is a process but i thought i would have seen some kind of decline in the scale or in my measurements or something. I have been doing the beachbody P90 (not P90x) and I have noticed a difference in my strength and endurance. but nothing else. I use a heart rate monitor to get as close to my calories burned as possible. I even became so desperate that i started working out two times a day. MFP says I should eat around 1450 calories a day to loose 1.5 lbs weekly. I drink alot of water, i always drink 2 cups at once so that my body doesn't feel like it doesn't wanna drink. I think I eat pretty healthy (somene else told me therwise), still tweeking and trying to figure out what works best for me. I've tried working out on a empty stomach but that just made me famished. So I eat something very small before i workout. I have this thought set in my mind to "eat clean." That get kind of hard when your always on the move and not much time for cooking.

I really just don't know what to do. My clothes don't even fit the same anymore. They're tighter. This really sucks and I'm starting to get discouraged. Can you all please help, tell me something. I want to continue my journey but from the looks of things, I'm just like, what's the point?

Replies

  • ChantalGG
    ChantalGG Posts: 2,404 Member
    Maybe start monitoring your sodium and sugars. Your diary is not filled out sometimes and you eat fast food often, maybe just stick to a healthy food plan for 2 weeks and see if things change for you.
  • Drea89
    Drea89 Posts: 56 Member
    i really dont eat fast food often. but i do c what you mean
  • AI1108
    AI1108 Posts: 488 Member
    Well firstly, looking at your food diary.. I don't think you're eating nearly enough. Are you logging everything you eat? Because if so, 500 - 1000 calories a day is just not going to cut it. You're sending your body into starvation. It's learning to live off 500 calories and you won't burn anything.

    Also if you're doing P90x you may want more protein for your muscles, or you aren't going to see any difference. Your body will start chewing at your muscle tissue, sending your BMR totally down. If you get really sore after workouts, this may be why.
  • TTops76
    TTops76 Posts: 116
    It took me over a month to see results with p90. I realize it's nice to see a drop quickly on the scales and in measurements but this is about a lifestyle change. Keep up the good work and don't get frustrated.
  • kgagnon7779
    kgagnon7779 Posts: 216
    I feel for you! It's hard to put all the work in, especially when you don't have the time to do so in the first place. One thing I noticed looking through your diary, and I only went back a 4-5 days, is that you are pretty far from eating "clean". I know you said it's hard because you're on the go a lot. But, I think you need to be more proactive about your eating. Pack lunches the night before heavy on fruits and veggies. You should really try not to eat so much fast food. Maybe limit it to once per week, if you can? I know how hard it can be to do all of that and take care of a child, but it might be what you need to do to see results.
  • amysj303
    amysj303 Posts: 5,086 Member
    You are doing really well with your commitment to exercise but two weeks is not enough time. In fact, at the start of intense exercise it can be hard to tell about weight because your muscles will hold onto water. Sometimes, when you workout so much you think you can eat whatever, and people (all of us) don't do a great job of accurate recording.
    Diet is the most important thing when it comes to weight loss, so if you focus on getting 1450 in cals everyday, keep it to a reasonable workout most days, I am sure you will start seeing results; but stressing your body with too much workout and not enough cals is not the answer!
  • sprky182
    sprky182 Posts: 20
    I had a similar start but I kept at it and then I started losing. I didn't really start losing anything until after about 2 weeks.
  • abbie017
    abbie017 Posts: 410
    Are you using a heart rate monitor to determine your calorie burn? Some days your burn seems really, really high. I know P90/P90x are pretty intense, but 1600 calories in one day is a huge burn. It might be that you're really over-estimating your calorie burn. But I agree with the other posters who said you may not be eating enough. 1200 calories is what the average woman needs to basically survive, based on a recent WHO study. Eating less than that is starving your body and doing more damage than good, because your body will cling to the fat for fuel since it doesn't know when more fuel will be coming.
  • NWfluffy
    NWfluffy Posts: 48 Member
    Here are some ideas that have worked for me. Log everything, all the time. Those 5 fries you snag from the kids, log them. The handfull of wheat thins, count and log them. Measure as often as possible. I've learned lately that what I think is a 3 oz. portion of meat is closer to 5, that my vision of 1/2 cup is really closer to 3/4 cup. Do this a few times a day and suddenly you're 500 cal above what you thought. Pack your food when you leave in the morning. If you get really stuck & have to grab fast food have something chicken, substitute yogurt or apples for the fries. The drive-thru is safer than going in because the smells aren't as strong! And stay with MFP - the support here is the best!. Good luck to you!
  • JustMichelleB
    JustMichelleB Posts: 290
    If you are logging everything, then you are not eating enough - a couple days I saw you left 1000+ calories on the table. And while everyone is different, I never get more than a 450 calorie burn doing any P90X workout (that includes Plyo) - I use a HRM as well.
  • ♥xenawarriorprincess♥
    ♥xenawarriorprincess♥ Posts: 440 Member
    I agree with everyone above..watch the sodium and sugar....eat closer to nature and lose any fast food if you can help it...keep up what you are doing and log everything that goes into your mouth...you will see a difference but you gotta keep accountable...it is hard to eat 1200-1400 calories, I know but if you don't your body holds on to everything you eat because it is in starvation mode...so you have to eat at least 1200 calories but no more than what MFP tells you...and everyone on MFP is here to be encouraging and motivating...feel free to add me sweetie...or I will send you a request if you would like! Remember YOU ARE WORTH IT !!!
  • Drea89
    Drea89 Posts: 56 Member
    I'm not doing p90x, just P90, I get protein from Greek yogurt, eggs and my raw meal shake. Many times when yall see that I bought something that's fast food, I didn't eat it all in one setting. As my diary points out. I start slacking on the wkends. I also tend to forget to log when I'm at home in the evenings. I'll work on that
  • Drea89
    Drea89 Posts: 56 Member
    When it comes to burning calories because I'm a bigger person, almost 200 lbs I will burn more calories because I have more to lose.



    EVERYONE, I'M NOT DOING P90X. Just Power 90. The series before P90X
  • TTops76
    TTops76 Posts: 116
    Do you have a HRM?
  • vpochman1
    vpochman1 Posts: 23
    Hi

    I too have been doing P90. I have only lost 4 lbs in the last month but I have lost 12 inches!! I know it gets discouraging when you dont see the numbers drop. But you are changing your body and it doesnt happen overnight. right :)

    But along with what everyone else says, you need to eat more. I am always over my protein goal because my muscles need it.

    Keep pressing play!!! You can do it!
  • Drea89
    Drea89 Posts: 56 Member
    Yes I use a hrm. Everytime I work out. At first I thought the numbers were off but after doing research, they are pretty close. So I guess its time to revamp eating again and see what happens. Looks like ill have to be in the kitchen a lot more often. Lol.

    Thanks everyone. Sometimes I feel like I'm being attacked but I know you all are just telling me the truth.
  • Drea89
    Drea89 Posts: 56 Member
    Mfp says I should consume 2500 sodium. I don't go over that too often
  • JustMichelleB
    JustMichelleB Posts: 290
    2500mg sodium per day is the max you should take. under 2000 should be your goal. good luck!!!
  • rileysowner
    rileysowner Posts: 8,316 Member
    Going back several days I see you don't eat the calories you burn exercising. That means you are not fueling your body enough. I suggest eating back those exercise calories at least in part as you need that food to fuel and rebuild your body.
  • suejonestx
    suejonestx Posts: 256 Member
    Sounds like you have the exercise part of your plan down, but after viewing your food diary, there are a couple of suggestions:

    1. cut down (or out) processed foods like fast foods, frozen meals, doritos, etc. Your intake of these may still put you under your calorie goal, but they don't properly fuel your body. Think about it like this: your body is a race car, do race cars fuel up on cheap gas? No, they fuel up on high-quality gas. i.e. fuel your body with high-quality, nutrient-rich foods for the best results. it's the quality of the food that counts, not just the number of calories.
    2. add more vegetables (you can get creative with either raw or steamed/grilled vegetables), they should make up a large portion of your diet
    3. cut out fatty meats and replace with grilled chicken, fish, beans to get your protein
    4. replace any white bread with whole grain bread (i.e. sliced bread, rolls, tortillas, etc.)
    5. Keep up the great work exercising and drinking lots of water!
    6. Oh yeah, you have to be patient, too. You might not see weight-loss results in just a few weeks of working out hard. There are tons of good articles on this site to help you get a better perspective on the whole process.

    Celebrate your small successes and stick to it! Good luck!
  • juscallmeb
    juscallmeb Posts: 369 Member
    agree with what a lot of people said.
    i wish you luck, and yes it does take time. but don't lose hope... and when you need more motivation and support come back here - that's what we are here for. :)
  • DECAFLiving
    DECAFLiving Posts: 31 Member
    I feel your pain! I'm 3 weeks in and gaining not losing. But I know it will eventually come off if I stick to doing it consistently!

    But having been at goal before I think you need to eat more and thats more natural food! Def more vegetable and fruit (remembers it's high in sugar so dont go overboard!) If you look at my diary I eat a loads of food and usually at the 1400 cal mark. I like to look at what other people eat its great for idea's!

    Been reading the other posts and there is a lot on not having diet pop (something I am going to try cut out).

    Prep and planning is key you have to do it!

    Good luck!
  • agwilker
    agwilker Posts: 104 Member
    Speaking for myself, it took me almost a month to even lose 1 lb. This was while working out about 4 days a week and watching my calories strictly. It's going to be a different process for everyone. I wouldn't carve in stone necessarily every bit of advice thrown your way. What I had to keep in mind (when it wasn't coming off), that this can't be worse than giving up. It's a good habit to form. With patience, it has slowly (very) started coming off.

    Now I'd advise you to take this piece of advice with a grain of salt. Because there are people who will swear by eating 'clean' and working out 90 minutes 6 days a week. For me, it didn't start coming off until I scaled back my exercise. I was working off way too many calories and was so full throughout the day with 600-700 to spare. I started going to the gym 2-3 times a week and doing on average a 500 cal workout, sometimes slightly more. Doing this, I was able to eat back at least half of my exercise calories. I also started making a protein shake to help me do that. I've been consistently losing 1-2 lbs since then. I still go out once a week and have my occasional lean cuisines (not the most 'clean' thing, but I view it as taking small steps where I can). EDIT: Wanted to add that if you can burn a 1000 a day and are ABLE to eat most of those back healthily, wtg! But I simply couldn't afford to buy that much food (still can't), so I did what I could to scale it down and make it doable.

    From looking at your diary, you make some really good choices, greek yogurt, etc some days, but then you'll throw in fast food and Red Baron pizzas occasionally. Until I stopped getting fast food and substituting things I used to eat with healthier versions, the weight did not come off. Not sure if anyone has said yet, the salt will make you retain water (which means it'll look like you weigh more). Give the lower sodium someone suggested a try (most fast food-even subway-and restaurants have very high sodium), you seem to be doing good with water intake. You need to give it more time, so you see what works for you. Stick with it.
  • taso42_DELETED
    taso42_DELETED Posts: 3,394 Member
    Well you're way off from your calorie target just about every day, so that is likely an issue....
  • lbgano
    lbgano Posts: 234
    I agree with what everyone else has suggested - eat your minimum calories at least, log everything, stay away from processed food as much as possible.

    One other suggestion - you may want to alter your diary so that you are tracking fiber. If you eat so that you are getting at least 20g of fiber daily (without supplementing with psyllium or something), it is a good indication that you are eating clean (because processed foods as a rule have relatively little fiber).

    Your schedule is crazy busy - I don't know how you do it. I think it might work for you to have one "prep day" where you cook healthy meals and pack them in containers for the week. Get a large lunch bag(I love my Built lunch bag - made from neoprene and fits a lot) and a couple of those blue bags you freeze to keep your stuff cold. In the morning on your way out just put your prepacked containers in there.

    Good luck to you. I think you are amazing to add taking care of yourself on to being a full time mom, student, and employee!
  • stormieweather
    stormieweather Posts: 2,549 Member
    What ^^ they said, plus,

    Be patient. It takes my body 2 weeks to even begin to consider the chance that I might possibly, maybe, be at a deficit that eventually, could conceivably result in a teeny tiny bit of weight loss. Perhaps. And then it's another week or two before the swoosh occurs. So don't give up, hang in there.

    And log everything.
    And eat enough.

    You have to lose, if you're honest and doing the above three things.
  • BrandNewMia
    BrandNewMia Posts: 461
    Nutrition is the most important factor while you're trying to lose weight - and if you are logging everything you are eating, you are not eating enough, at all. Eat closer to your calorie target and you will likely see changes happening then. Less processed foods, more fresh stuff.
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