Started out strong but now what?

brittany33107
brittany33107 Posts: 38
edited September 30 in Health and Weight Loss
I started my weight loss journey July 10th. The first week I lost 6 pounds. The second week I lost 10 pounds! Now I just finished my third week and did not lose anything whatsoever besides two pounds that i gained and lost inbetween that I believe to have just been water weight. I'm really discouraged and feel like eating all the junk food that my husband bought at the grocery store last night. Pretty destructive huh? Well I'm not going to, just tempted. I know it's silly to be down considering I did already lose 16 pounds, but I can't help it. I can't help but think that I'm doing something wrong.

The first two weeks I was strictly on a 1200 a day goal and did not eat back any calories that I burned through exercise. A couple days into this past week I noticed that I was feeling more tired and the scale was not budging so I decided to up my calorie intake to what MFP suggested (about 1460). I can't really decided if i should set my settings to sedentary or active but just changed back to sedentary, making my goal at 1280. I'm a stay at home mom with a 2 and 4 yr old. I am not always on my feet, but some days I'm less active than others. I exercise every day about 30-60 minutes. At first I was walking 2-3 miles a day and then switched to biking because it's easier on my bad joints. I usually eat pretty healthy except fot the occasional hamburger and fries, but I always stay within my goal. My diary is open if anyone would like to take a look and give me some feedback. Thank for reading!

Replies

  • chevy88grl
    chevy88grl Posts: 3,937 Member
    Let me tell you that 16lbs in a couple weeks is a great start. Give your body a chance to catch up to what you're doing. Usually, the initial weight loss numbers are all the water we've been retaining with our old way of eating. As our bodies adjust to the new things we are feeding it - the weight loss usually slows down to a healthy pace (which should be no more than 2lbs a week).

    I was a stay at home mom for 10 years and I would have considered myself lightly active. I would choose lightly active and then log your exercise but not day to day stuff (like running after kids or house cleaning).

    Since weight loss isn't a one size fits all journey - you'll need to mess around with your calories to find what works for you. Some people are very successful eating 1200 NET calories a day (make sure you are netting that - so, you'll need to eat back at least some of your exercise calories) while other people (like me!) need far more than that.

    One thing to keep in mind? Our bodies get used to whatever we are doing and once they are comfortable they won't burn as many calories because they're used to doing it and are doing it efficiently. Switching things up keeps it guessing which is, IMO, one of the keys to preventing a plateau (along with eating! too many people starve themselves!).


    Good Luck!

    YOU CAN DO THIS!
  • gentlebreeze2
    gentlebreeze2 Posts: 450 Member
    When you say 1200 calories... is that total or net?
  • Jennyisbusy
    Jennyisbusy Posts: 1,294 Member
    I think this is a normal, common and super frustrating trend. Our bodies seem eager to shed those initial pounds and then the real work begins. I am in the same boat as you right now - in fact my morning post was "I miss the good old days where a little effort made big weight changes."

    If you haven't done it yet take lots of body measurements cause for some reason when the scale isn't moving alot of times the inches are.
  • voleybug
    voleybug Posts: 3
    That's amazing!!!!! Keep going!!!! Please don't stop using this amazing site. If it says you will lose weight, then you will! Plus, it keeps you on the right track during the day just knowing you have to put your information down where you can see it. Do you have friends on here? If not, get them on here to help keep you motivated. I make better choices knowing that they can look at my food diary. I know they won't judge me, but...
    It is very normal to his a small stand still with weight loss. But if you continue, it will start falling off again.
  • voleybug
    voleybug Posts: 3
    Oh, and you have to eat the calories you burn. Your body needs those, otherwise it will not let go of the weight. Follow the rules and you will see results.
  • amyllu
    amyllu Posts: 432 Member
    You have had a REALLY good start and methinks become a bit "spoilt" ... lol!

    It's taken me since April 2010 to lose 27lb.... how would you deal with that?

    Keep going. it's soo worth it!
  • Shalimarmandy
    Shalimarmandy Posts: 409 Member
    I think that you should pick a calorie intake and stick to it. Whether is be the 1200 or 1400 whatever you want to try and then stick to it for a while and see what happens. I keep to around 1200 and so far its working for me. I try and do some sort of workout everyday even if its just ralaxation yoga. Losing 16 pounds in the first 2 weeks is a sign that your body is getting on board. I think you just need to give it time and not worry that you didn't lose anything during the 3rd week. Good luck to you!
  • brittany33107
    brittany33107 Posts: 38
    When you say 1200 calories... is that total or net?

    Most of the time just the total. I was not eating back my exercise calories.
  • brittany33107
    brittany33107 Posts: 38
    You have had a REALLY good start and methinks become a bit "spoilt" ... lol!

    It's taken me since April 2010 to lose 27lb.... how would you deal with that?

    Keep going. it's soo worth it!

    You're absolutely right! I know I can't expect to lose that much every week. I supposed I'm just a little sad that the fast weightloss part is over with.
  • chevy88grl
    chevy88grl Posts: 3,937 Member
    When you say 1200 calories... is that total or net?

    Most of the time just the total. I was not eating back my exercise calories.

    Net is the key. Total isn't important if you're working out - focus more on NET. You'll want to NET at least 1200 (so your total may be 1400, 1500 or even 1600). Work on NET calories. I NET 2200-2500 calories a day (and I maintain 145lbs).
  • chevy88grl
    chevy88grl Posts: 3,937 Member
    You have had a REALLY good start and methinks become a bit "spoilt" ... lol!

    It's taken me since April 2010 to lose 27lb.... how would you deal with that?

    Keep going. it's soo worth it!

    You're absolutely right! I know I can't expect to lose that much every week. I supposed I'm just a little sad that the fast weightloss part is over with.

    It isn't over, sweetie. It's just slowed down to a normal pace. Don't give up and think it won't move again. It will. You'll just have to work harder now. :)
  • msiamjan
    msiamjan Posts: 326 Member
    Hang in there--you're doing great!!! I've lost a total of 15 lbs--in 4 months!!! So you've done better in just two weeks. And, I've already, much to my dismay, hit a plateau, but giving into the temptation of feeling like it's no use will lead to weight gain. As long as you're on the right trajectory, try to be patient. I hear ya though. And, avoiding the junk food will be better for your body, whether you lose weight or not. Right? So I keep telling myself. :ohwell:
  • chevy88grl
    chevy88grl Posts: 3,937 Member
    We ALL need to remember that we didn't put the weight on overnight, in a week, a month or possibly even in 6 months. It was - for most - a slow gaining process. We can't take it back off overnight, in a week or even a month. Patience. It is the key to success in this journey. Is it easy to be patient? I think not! But, it is a virtue when it comes to weight loss!
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