Desperate: scale not moving for 14 days
Sojo15
Posts: 87 Member
I am on a 1200 calorie limit and exercising 6 days per week. I usually creep on an average up to 1300 or 1350 though, but I compensate with exercise. No processed sugar, close to no dairy, no white rice etc. Cook in olive oil and coconut oil. I am dieting with my partner who lost almost 5 lbs during the same time time period.
I need some success stories! This is very depressing.
I need some success stories! This is very depressing.
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Replies
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I am on a 1200 calorie limit and exercising 6 days per week. I usually creep on an average up to 1300 or 1350 though, but I compensate with exercise. No processed sugar, close to no dairy, no white rice etc. Cook in olive oil and coconut oil. I am dieting with my partner who lost almost 5 lbs during the same time time period.
I need some success stories! This is very depressing.
You're a woman. We retain water like crazy around our period. Give it time.
(olive oil and coconut have a LOT of calories, so if you're not measuring them, you might be underestimating your calories)17 -
How much weight do you have to lose?
Are you logging your food accurately (including oils etc.)?3 -
Are you changing your diet up? Getting good carbs and protein?
cutting calories down?
You lifting when at the gym?
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I am 153 lbs and 5.4. I am trying to lose 30 lbs. Very uncomfortable in my body. I am very interested in food and have a digital scale. So I do think I am doing things correctly. But that could be the mistake of course. Now I am starting to dream about eating a bag of cheese puffs.0
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There could be many reasons for this.
One could be you're closer to your weight goal and hence your body is fighting to keep that fat. 2nd your body is very used to the exercise routine and calorie intake and sometimes the food. Your body could also be getting fewwer calories hence it has started atoring up because it thinks you're on starvation.
You could do few things that could help you.
You could change up your workout routine completely.
Do HIIT for atleast 20 mins every alt day.
Intake more fibre. You could you add psyllium husk to your food. Increase the amount you take in slowly. But ensure you drink a lot of water too.
Add in a cheat day for sure.
Do carb cycling or calorie cycling.
Increase you calorie intake to maintainance for a week.
Try green tea.
If its a plateau that is the scale will show only one weight and no fluctuaions at all then try these. Its a testing game really.
But if its vanity pounds like the last 10 lbs then it will require your patience and consistency.
Eventually what wins is calorie in vs calorie out.
My last 8 lbs i was losing 1lb every fortnight, which cane down to 1 lb every 30 days. I have 2 more lbs i want to lose. And its been 40 days. It will take time.
The process slows down as you reach your goal.
Just dont give up. Because later you will regret giving up. Its harder to get back on the wagon than to leave it. Dont be disheartened. Just experiment with the things i told you. Dont stress about your weight so much or else you will be increasing your cortisol level will add on to your weight.
Happy experimenting. The weight will come off. Be patient.
But in most things consistency is key.
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urshela111 wrote: »There could be many reasons for this.
One could be you're closer to your weight goal and hence your body is fighting to keep that fat. 2nd your body is very used to the exercise routine and calorie intake and sometimes the food. Your body could also be getting fewwer calories hence it has started atoring up because it thinks you're on starvation.
^ No, sorry.
Closer to your weight goal and being harder to lose weight is just a math problem. There is less room for error, and 50-100 cal mistakes here and there in logging can make the difference between losing and not. Even in a perfect world it slows down as you approach goal because you can't maintain as large a deficit as before, without sacrificing essential nutrition.17 -
Also: I'd suspect a logging problem first. At 1200 cals there'd be no room in my diet for cooking with olive or coconut oil, outside of a quick spray here and there. OP did you set 1200 for yourself? I feel like at that height and weight MFP would give you a few more cals.6
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I think you need to eat more. Your body won't release weight if you are exercising 6 days per week and eating 1200 calories even 1300 if you are working out for any length of time or effort. Check out IIFMM.com. Do the calculations 2x, the first without any exercise this is your baseline. Then do it again with your exercise and see what comes up. What I do is go between those two numbers because everyone your age, weight and height will not be exercising at the same level as you so that is why I don't use their number. So once you have both numbers, pick a number in between and try that for a week. Tweak it up or down depending on how you do. Then from there you can adjust daily depending if it is hard workout or easy. Hope this helps as it is what I am doing and it is working for me. I am not a professional just want I have learned from trial and error and lots and lots of reading.37
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2GoAwayPounds wrote: »I think you need to eat more. Your body won't release weight if you are exercising 6 days per week and eating 1200 calories even 1300 if you are working out for any length of time or effort.
This is completely false26 -
2GoAwayPounds wrote: »I think you need to eat more. Your body won't release weight if you are exercising 6 days per week and eating 1200 calories even 1300 if you are working out for any length of time or effort.
This is completely false
Yep, your body doesn't "hold onto weight" when you undereat.
OP, a couple of things that have already been said but I'd like to highlight:
1. As a woman, you have to deal with hormonal water weight fluctuations, which can easily mask fat loss for a week or two.
2. Even without considering thst, it is perfectly normal to not lose weight for a week or two. The body isn't a machine, weight loss/gain isn't linear.
3. Comparison is the thief of joy.
4. It is highly unlikely considering your stats that you could be eating 1300 cals, working out, and not dropping weight fast. Logging is a skill we all had to learn, double check your diary:
Are you logging everything? Whole foods, packaged food, beverages, condiments, cooking oil, nibbles, etc.
Are you using accurate database entries? Many are user entered and wrong. Don't use generic or recipe-style entries (like one bowl of chili) as you don't know what ingredients were used.
Also, I wanted to suggest that you don't have to cut foods you love out if your diet if you can fit them in your calories. Obviously, if you simply can't limit your portions of something, it may be better to avoid it, but there's nothing wrong with having a measured bowl of cheese balls after dinner every once and awhile if you want
Good luck! 12 -
Thanks everyone so much for the replies. I just started an exercise routine and I do eat back exercised calories. I am now super diligent with counting calories. I seem to always be over sugar, not by a much but anyway. I have been fighting fatigue, headaches, metallic taste in mouth. Is it the sugar leaving my system? This is hard. 155 lbs is the highest weight I ever had. It is shocking to see how many calories basic food items are. It is hard for me to skip dairy and gluten. I only allow myself 0.25 cup low fat cottage cheese per day, since I think I need it. OK I am going to stick to this.0
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Also, I have the craziest mood swings. Like I want to kill something.1
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Thanks everyone so much for the replies. I just started an exercise routine and I do eat back exercised calories. I am now super diligent with counting calories. I seem to always be over sugar, not by a much but anyway. I have been fighting fatigue, headaches, metallic taste in mouth. Is it the sugar leaving my system? This is hard. 155 lbs is the highest weight I ever had. It is shocking to see how many calories basic food items are. It is hard for me to skip dairy and gluten. I only allow myself 0.25 cup low fat cottage cheese per day, since I think I need it. OK I am going to stick to this.
Why are you cutting out sugar, dairy and gluten? Unless there is a medical reason to not eat these foods you are making things harder for yourself than necessary.
Weigh everything, stick to your calorie goal and stick with the programme. Science and experience says that the weight will eventually come off (probably in a big “woosh”).16 -
Metallic taste in your mouth is ketosis! You should be burning fat in ketosis... But it can make you constipated!
Maybe visit your doctor, could be an underlying issue if you’re not losing the weight?3 -
Thanks everyone so much for the replies. I just started an exercise routine and I do eat back exercised calories. I am now super diligent with counting calories. I seem to always be over sugar, not by a much but anyway. I have been fighting fatigue, headaches, metallic taste in mouth. Is it the sugar leaving my system? This is hard. 155 lbs is the highest weight I ever had. It is shocking to see how many calories basic food items are. It is hard for me to skip dairy and gluten. I only allow myself 0.25 cup low fat cottage cheese per day, since I think I need it. OK I am going to stick to this.
Are you getting enough fats? Why are you skipping gluten and dairy? Sugar is not a toxin or physically addictive substance so reducing it should not cause headaches, have you removed or reduced caffeine?10 -
If you just started exercising you're likely retaining water. Give yourself a couple more weeks and if you don't start dropping again, then you'll want to take a look at your logging.4
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I am absolutely constipated.I make a shake that always resolves this, but it does not work. I used to go 1-2 times per day. My partner whom I am feeding it to is running to the bathroom constantly. It is like my body refuses to let go. I am getting more and more vigilant in counting the calories, it is not much to play with, 1200 cal. I probably did not do it right first. Good advice to not eat back 100% of exercised calories. I hope I am in ketosis. Doing this for health mostly, all my fat is stored in the center and I am scared of heart diseases etc. I have small kids, need to stay strong. I quit processed sugar, gluten and dairy since I felt great going vegan for a month two years ago. I am also checking in with my doctor for thyroid issues. I almost died from stress last year. My whole body broke down. Scary.2
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I am absolutely constipated.I make a shake that always resolves this, but it does not work. I used to go 1-2 times per day. My partner whom I am feeding it to is running to the bathroom constantly. It is like my body refuses to let go. I am getting more and more vigilant in counting the calories, it is not much to play with, 1200 cal. I probably did not do it right first. Good advice to not eat back 100% of exercised calories. I hope I am in ketosis. Doing this for health mostly, all my fat is stored in the center and I am scared of heart diseases etc. I have small kids, need to stay strong. I quit processed sugar, gluten and dairy since I felt great going vegan for a month two years ago. I am also checking in with my doctor for thyroid issues. I almost died from stress last year. My whole body broke down. Scary.
You are making this SO much harder than it needs to be. If you had issues with stress last year, you definitely do not need this level of stress over weight loss. Use MFP to set a reasonable goal (losing no more than 1 pound a week; 0.5 might be better). Eat a varied diet you enjoy. Eat back a proportion of your exercise calories. Read the stickies; they have such great information.14 -
johnandjenk wrote: »She doesn't. This site is great too. I just wanted to list what has helped me. I can't help it. I'm excited about how it worked and just want to share. I love this site for keeping track for my weight loss goals. However, I don't keep track of my food or calories anymore. It's too consuming for me.
I'm curious are you an affiliate for them?2 -
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You answered your own question. You're constipated (it weighs something) and you started a new exercise routine (water retention). I echo the other people who have said that you make this much harder on yourself than it needs to be. Don't stress, don't make massive changes that are not sustainable, slow and steady is the way to go. Change one habit at a time and make sure you can keep it up forever.8
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Apart from the protein and fats question that I also am curious about, are you getting enough water? There's a lot of water stored in food and since you started eating less you might not be getting as much as your body wants. I personally noticed changes for the better in my mood and bathroom habits when I started drinking more. Just saying this as it tends to be overlooked sometimes.
As for the lack of weight loss, it happens. Just last month I only lost 1 lbs. It literally didn't move for the first 3 weeks while I was eating and working out exactly as I should have been. This week I suddenly dropped 3 lbs and it has been constant for the last 4 days. It's likely going to happen more often! Weight loss is just a matter of sticking to correct logging with CICO in mind and exercising (to not lose as much muscle in the process).
Also, why don't you eat gluten anymore? Food with gluten tastes so good! It's not evil like many weight loss websites try to make you believe.
EDIT: (To make the water thing more than anecdotal here is a source that tells about the relation of water to constipation: https://www.webmd.com/digestive-disorders/water-a-fluid-way-to-manage-constipation ) Of course that won't be a problem if you already do drink enough.3 -
OP, you are eating a very restrictive diet (vegan! keto! gluten-free!), aiming for the minimum number of calories. You are constipated and stressed out. I think maybe you need to take a week where you don't think about food, just eat. Stress is just as bad for your health as being 20 lbs overweight. You really are making this so much more stressful than it needs to be.
Set your goal to lose 1 lb per week. Log your exercise and eat back half those calories. Understand that you are looking for progress over weeks and months, and your weight will sometimes not do what you think it should. And think long and hard about WHY you are putting so many restrictions on your diet. Maybe go back to a well balanced varied diet with less rules and see if once you lose a few lbs you feel better without all the restrictions. Just make sure you are getting enough protein, fat, fiber, and water and eating the right amount of calories. Because you don't sound like you are happy and feeling well the way you are eating right now. Best of luck, please take care of yourself.10 -
OP, one thing you have to do is stop comparing yourself to your partner. Your bodies are different, what works for your partner isn't necessarily going to work for you (and sounds like it isn't). I'm curious what you set your weight loss goal to, to bring you down to 1200cal.3
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Thank you everyone! I am struggling with drinking enough water, I just do not enjoy it. Sorry for the confusion, I am not Vegan now! I eat a lot of fruit and vegetables. OK, let me tell you the diet if it interests you?
Breakfast: 1 cup oatmeal with unsweetened almond milk, coffe with the almond milk. I add toasted nuts and seeds and some unsweetened shredded coconut and cinnamon and other spices to my oatmeal. I also make a smoothie with water, half a banana, 1/2 cup frozen raspberries, 1 kiwi, 1 small orange and fresh ginger.
Lunch and dinner we eat 80-100 g of marinated chicken breast I cook in the broiler, or grilled salmon of high quality. We use olive oil sparingly. I use a lot of spices. We eat black rice or chickpea pasta with it, or grilled cauliflower.
I snack on rice cakes with a little cottage cheese and tomato slices,grapes, sometimes apple with a little peanut butter or an almond or two.
For indulgence, I made a delicious date and nut roll with no processed sugar, just the dates. I like to spice everything with lemon, cardamom and cinnamon. I roast vegetables such as red pepper and mix them for sauces. I love nuts and almonds, so I am watching that.
I do take your advice seriously!0 -
I aim for 122 lbs. I am 5.4. I might need to reconsider if I manage to build muscle, I know. I am following the Fitness Blender 4 week Bodyweight exercise routine, and do the occasional snow shoveling. I walk my son to school and pick him up. I know, it is hard not to compare. She is of athletic build, so she usually gets in shape unusually fast for a female.0
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What is your weekly weight loss goal? 1lb, 0.5lb?0
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The scale is not the only gauge that change is happening. Do you take measurements? Bust, waist, hips... any changes there?
Sounds like you're doing low-carb. At 5'4" and moderately active (3-5 times a week moderate cardio and muscle training) you should be consuming at least 1350 calories. I'm 5'2" swim 2-3x a week and do crossfit 3x and consume more than 1200! And I've still got about 7-8lbs to try and drop at the same time. Do not underestimate how much you need to fuel your body.
Have you checked out any of the low-carb or keto groups for support and advice?2 -
OP, I used to have the same issue. I got a food scale and discovered my logging was wayyyyy off. The weight fell right off after I logged accurately.7
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