Not losing weight - need advice and support.

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jenniraeyar
jenniraeyar Posts: 6 Member
in Getting Started
Hello, I am not new to MFP and have successfully lost weight in the past. Over the last stressful year I have gain about 15-20 lbs. No excuses, I was overeating and drinking to find release from the stresses in life. No more! New job, new home, new state! I started my weight loss journey on the first day of my new employment. I am on week 3 and today I weighed more than I did on my first weigh in day! I am not giving up, but need advice. I am 46 and in full menopause. Could it just be that my body is different now? I so wanted that fist week massive water weight loss, but no! However, after weighing in today, I decided I need my community to help me understand. I am determined, but disappointed. Help! ;0)
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  • cerise_noir
    cerise_noir Posts: 5,468 Member
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    Have you checked this thread?

    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10300331/most-helpful-posts-getting-started-must-reads

    It's full of links to very informative posts.

    Good luck!
  • 4legsRbetterthan2
    4legsRbetterthan2 Posts: 19,590 MFP Moderator
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    did you add in a new exercise routine in addition to starting a new diet? if so it is common to see gains due to muscle water retention when you start a new exercise routine.
  • acorsaut89
    acorsaut89 Posts: 1,147 Member
    edited August 2017
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    While your metabolism will change during menopause, no question, this isn't really the reason.

    This is happening for one of two reasons

    1. You're eating more than you need. As your metabolism changes your caloric needs may have also changed.

    2. You're burning less than you think. If you're working out - which it doesn't say here if you are - you're not burning nearly as much as you think you are, meaning your CO (Calories Out) is less than you think, meaning you're daily output isn't enough to lose weight.

    It's really that simple.
  • jenniraeyar
    jenniraeyar Posts: 6 Member
    edited August 2017
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    cerise_noir wrote: »
    Have you checked this thread?

    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10300331/most-helpful-posts-getting-started-must-reads

    It's full of links to very informative posts.

    Good luck!



    Thank you I will check it out!!!
  • jenniraeyar
    jenniraeyar Posts: 6 Member
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    4legsRbetterthan2 wrote: »
    did you add in a new exercise routine in addition to starting a new diet? if so it is common to see gains due to muscle water retention when you start a new exercise routine.

    I have started exercising. I am using map my walk. And am trying to do 1-1/2 to 2+ miles every other day. I would have thought that would help me reduce water, not retain it.

  • DebLaBounty
    DebLaBounty Posts: 1,172 Member
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    This is a little counter-intuitive, but be sure to drink lots of water. It helps lessen water retention.
  • absolament
    absolament Posts: 278 Member
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    It's easy to feel discouraged. I've been victim of it as well. Women have so many hormones at play that it does affect our metabolism. I lost pregnancy weight easily when I started MFP in my early 30's. I stopped logging since it is a lot of work. Then, as I approached 40, weight started packing on again. I logged again for a few months with no results, so I gave up, attributing it to my age. Thankfully, lab tests show nothing abnormal going on. I'm back using MFP again, this time with a different goal. My goal this time is to keep logging so I can be more accountable for what I eat. If I lose weight, good. If not, that's okay. At least I know I am eating right and that's what matters most.
  • seramachickens
    seramachickens Posts: 20 Member
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    Put your head down, plow through your disappointment and keep doing what you are doing.... at least that's my plan. I started strong and lost more than I thought I would the first few weeks, now I'm not. But I plan to keep tracking my eating, learning from it and modifying where needed, adding in a little movement and a little water. If that works this week I'l do a little more next week!
  • seramachickens
    seramachickens Posts: 20 Member
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    And congratulations on the new job, new home, new state!!! :)
  • MamaCassK
    MamaCassK Posts: 27 Member
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    I too, am 46 and had just posted about different our bodies are chemically during menopause. I'm not there yet (sadly!) but I feel the hormonal shifts every 28 days!! I've gained about 15-20 myself in the last 4 years with my own set of stressful events, and have been working to try and take it off! I have found that eating clean (not processed food) and drinking plenty of water (which sucks when you have water weight) has really helped my metabolism and helped me to burn calories! I also started lifting weights which has aided in my progress! Hope this helps :)
  • 4legsRbetterthan2
    4legsRbetterthan2 Posts: 19,590 MFP Moderator
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    jenniraeyar wrote: »
    4legsRbetterthan2 wrote: »
    did you add in a new exercise routine in addition to starting a new diet? if so it is common to see gains due to muscle water retention when you start a new exercise routine.

    I have started exercising. I am using map my walk. And am trying to do 1-1/2 to 2+ miles every other day. I would have thought that would help me reduce water, not retain it.

    Sometime people experience a slight gain when they first start a new exercise routine. I have never really noticed it from walking, but if I change my running routine I see some, and a pretty decent bit if I start lifting or change weights. It is temporary, usually only lasts a week or two.
  • 4legsRbetterthan2
    4legsRbetterthan2 Posts: 19,590 MFP Moderator
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    Also, how much more are we talking? 1 lb, 5 lbs?

    How many calories are you eating? Do you use a food scale?
  • jenniraeyar
    jenniraeyar Posts: 6 Member
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    4legsRbetterthan2 wrote: »
    Also, how much more are we talking? 1 lb, 5 lbs?

    How many calories are you eating? Do you use a food scale?

    I am only slightly more weight now then when I started. Within 1 lb. I am eating 1200 calories a day. On the weekend I ate a little more calories, but offset that with exercise. I only weigh my food sometime, but always measure.

    I will try to weigh everything from now on. I am wondering if is just a sodium intake problem. I usually buy organic soups for lunch, which may be high in sodium. I will have to check. Also, I probably do not drink nearly enough water. Usually coffee or crystal lite. So I will change that as well.
  • sdolan91
    sdolan91 Posts: 250 Member
    edited August 2017
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    Like others said, I'd just try to a food scale & also make sure you're hitting your other goals, not just calories.
    Also don't give up and be patient! :smile:
  • 4legsRbetterthan2
    4legsRbetterthan2 Posts: 19,590 MFP Moderator
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    jenniraeyar wrote: »

    I am only slightly more weight now then when I started. Within 1 lb. I am eating 1200 calories a day. On the weekend I ate a little more calories, but offset that with exercise. I only weigh my food sometime, but always measure.

    I will try to weigh everything from now on. I am wondering if is just a sodium intake problem. I usually buy organic soups for lunch, which may be high in sodium. I will have to check. Also, I probably do not drink nearly enough water. Usually coffee or crystal lite. So I will change that as well.

    I would definitely try to weigh calorie dense items if you can (things like oils, butter, peanut butter) as these are the most likely to be throwing your logging off. Being a couple grams off on celery isn't going to result in a big calorie discrepancy. Some people find their measuring devices give quite different results than the scale, so it could be worth investigating.

    It could be sodium. Most people notice water weight changes from days of high sodium, carbs, or just higher calorie intake all together. This is also temporary and will go away again once you have a few normal days back under your belt. If you want to cut out some sodium then go for it, but over the long haul it shouldn't effect your weight loss, just will give you temporary swings. Everyone experiences these, IMO they aren't worth the effort to try to avoid them. Just another part of life.
  • MollyJE19
    MollyJE19 Posts: 67 Member
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    You could be me. 54 years old and I just started MFP again after re-gaining 19 of the 28 lbs. I'd lost. Same reason - crazy stressful 18 month period, overeating, eating junk, and drinking too much alcohol to escape. I buckled down and started logging again recently. I did notice that it took a solid week for the scale to begin to budge even though I was eating at a deficit. I just figured my body was having to re-adjust to the healthier diet and calorie deficit again.
  • melissaulmen
    melissaulmen Posts: 123 Member
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    It is hard to say without being able to look at your diary.

    Focus on what you know. If you are working out more and eating healthy, you should feel a lot better. Especially if you were drinking before and now you are not. I know that I feel horrible after I have a couple of drinks now. Bloated the next day, feeling sluggish, and I didn't even get a buzz! Sorry for that vent...

    Keep logging, keep working out, stay focused. Just because you are not seeing the results on the scale does not mean that your body is not changing.

    Remember the weight was not gained in one day.
  • jenniraeyar
    jenniraeyar Posts: 6 Member
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    Thanks everyone. This morning the scale was a better friend to me. I must have had massive water retention. I will add more fiber and drink more water every day. Thanks for all the great advice!

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