HELP! Having issues with weightloss and diet... maybe?

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  • MegaMooseEsq
    MegaMooseEsq Posts: 3,118 Member
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    In addition to all the great advice above, I just want to chime in and say that counting calories really does work, but you have to give yourself time to get a hang of it. It seems pretty straightforward - eat less, move more - but getting things rolling can take time! People are bad at estimating how much we eat, so a food scale is a great tool for figuring out portion sizes.

    I started off last year about 75 pounds over weight, and after an initial gung-ho month (12 lbs down, although certainly much of that was water) I stayed at the same weight for 2-3 months. It was really depressing and I wanted to give up many times, but I reminded myself of two things: (1) that not gaining weight for three months after several years of steady gain was an improvement, and (2) I knew I would start losing weight once I figured out how to eat less in a way that was sustainable. For me, that involved really looking at how I much was eating and moving, and coming up with areas I could change. Some of those were small but easy. Others were larger and really difficult, and I still work on them a year and 40 pounds later. But the key is patience and perseverance. You can do this!
  • thejerrapist
    thejerrapist Posts: 13 Member
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    Thank you! I think I may need a food scale. I use measuring cups and spoons but maybe my measuring is not as accurate as it could be. I am still working out the kinks. I am hoping to lose 50 pounds by the end of 2018... It's a huge goal but that is my far off goal. My current goal is to just get the hang of changing things and adjusting to a comfortable routine.
    One thing that is hard is that nursing makes me feel like I am starving. I have adjusted to healthier snacks and more water but I still feel like this could cause issues.

    I appreciate all of the input and am going to use it to motivate myself to keep on!
  • Janice6543
    Janice6543 Posts: 92 Member
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    Be patient and stick with it. Sometimes I'll stick at a weight for 2 or 3 weeks and then lose 2 lbs the week after. If you don't make progress after a month, then slightly reduce your calorie goal and see what happens. You could just consider this an "information gathering stage" if that makes you feel better!?!
  • beckajw
    beckajw Posts: 1,738 Member
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    thejerrapist wrote: »
    jjpptt2 wrote: »
    I would say to give it another week. We all want fast results, but unfortunately it rarely works that way. Taking your post at face value, it sounds like you are on the right track, but just need to be a little more patient. And just for a bit of perspective... some weight fluctuation is very normal, up to 5lbs or more for some people. I wouldn't worry about 1lb here or there.

    All that said... how confident are you in your estimates/logging? Are you weighing/measuring what you eat? Is your daily calorie goal reasonable? Are you logging your exercise and then eating back those earned exercise cals?

    Lastly, consider using a weight trend app (I use Libra on Android) - it'll track your individual weigh-in numbers and create a trend... this helps take some of the emotion out of the individual numbers and help you see what's actually happening. Long term trends are MUCH more meaningful when using weight as an evaluation of progress.

    I am fairly confident in my estimates. I log everything as I am eating. I have been measuring out all my portions. I did start working out at the same time. I kind of started hard too; kickboxing, weight lifting, cardio. I think MFP set my daily calorie goal at about 1300 calories. I am logging exercise but not eating back all of the calories I lose while doing so. Thanks for the advice. I will look into a weight trend app.

    As a previously nursing mom, who is only 5 feet tall, I will say from my own experience, 1300 calories wasn't enough, even when my baby was over 1 year. You may want to consider eating more, or at least eating back your exercise calories to account for the nursing. However, not getting enough calories is not what caused you to gain a pound.

    Another thing I noticed is that I had real difficulty losing any weight while nursing. I think our bodies hold on to as much as they can to ensure there are enough calories and nutrients for the milk.

    I'm not sure how much you have to lose. The closer you are to goal, the harder it is to lose and the more just little things will cause a gain -- not all of these gains are real. For example, did you eat more carbs this week? That can cause a water weight gain.

    Also, did you lose weight the first week? Are you up a pound from two weeks ago or just from one week ago. Sometimes, when we have a big loss the next week we'll see a gain. Although we're still down from our starting weight, that can feel really discouraging.

    As others have said, two weeks isn't much time. Weight loss isn't linear and there are a number of things that can be causing fluctuations. Look at the loss over a longer period.

    Also, has your period started yet? I had a pretty big gain with my first one and I get a small gain each month at the same time. It's not real.

    Good luck, I know how hard this is with kids, especially when you're nursing. There is very little time for yourself. You can do this, just keep consistent.
  • try2again
    try2again Posts: 3,562 Member
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    tinkerbellang83 wrote: »
    vd29ht2v2kva.jpg

    Love this chart, @tinkerbellang83 ! Going to save it and use it a lot. I especially like that it mentions that water weight isn't bad- it's your body doing it's job- since the next question people ask is usually, "How do I get rid of it?" :)
  • caiteh86
    caiteh86 Posts: 243 Member
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    I gained a couple of pounds when I first started lifting heavy, but the pounds went away (along with a couple more) after 2 to 3 weeks. Stick to it! Make sure you're tracking calories and being consistent! Feels amazing once you start to reap the rewards of your effort and hard work. :)
  • tinkerbellang83
    tinkerbellang83 Posts: 9,136 Member
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    try2again wrote: »
    tinkerbellang83 wrote: »
    vd29ht2v2kva.jpg

    Love this chart, @tinkerbellang83 ! Going to save it and use it a lot. I especially like that it mentions that water weight isn't bad- it's your body doing it's job- since the next question people ask is usually, "How do I get rid of it?" :)

    @try2again yeah I am trying to make my most repeated stuff into infographics save me re-typing stuff. I am thinking of starting an "FAQs answered only with infographics" :lol:
  • Back_2_Fit
    Back_2_Fit Posts: 33 Member
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    You definitely need a food scale to be accurate. A few ounces could mean the difference of being under or over your calories for the day. Also, limit weighing yourself to once a week, same day, same time (if possible, when you first get up in the morning). That could be your 1lb fluctuation, I know I'm a pound or two heavier toward the end of the day than in the AM.
  • HoneyBadger302
    HoneyBadger302 Posts: 1,974 Member
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    First off, that's a LOT to change all at once. The issue with making that many changes all at one time is that there's a really good chance you're going to give up on most of them (if not all) once it starts getting tough(er).

    So, to start, I'd suggest making some smaller changes and giving your body some time adjust. If you're just starting working out, there's a really good chance you're going not see much progress on the scale for awhile. For me, it can take a good month or so (in which time the scale may very well go UP), and I go through this every time I make a fairly significant change to my current workout (which I have been doing here lately as I'm trying to come back from a mostly year long injury and get ready for this upcoming race season).

    The scale isn't always your friend. Also take measurements once a week, and progress photos each week. That'll give you a better idea of how you're doing than just a number on a very fickle "machine."
  • thejerrapist
    thejerrapist Posts: 13 Member
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    HoneyBadger155 wrote: »
    First off, that's a LOT to change all at once. The issue with making that many changes all at one time is that there's a really good chance you're going to give up on most of them (if not all) once it starts getting tough(er).

    So, to start, I'd suggest making some smaller changes and giving your body some time adjust. If you're just starting working out, there's a really good chance you're going not see much progress on the scale for awhile. For me, it can take a good month or so (in which time the scale may very well go UP), and I go through this every time I make a fairly significant change to my current workout (which I have been doing here lately as I'm trying to come back from a mostly year long injury and get ready for this upcoming race season).

    The scale isn't always your friend. Also take measurements once a week, and progress photos each week. That'll give you a better idea of how you're doing than just a number on a very fickle "machine."

    Thanks! I do take progress photos, just to see the difference. I need to get a new thing to measure myself, 6 year old boys destroy things lol.

    Also someone mentioned it being difficult to lose when nursing! OMG this is my life. I lost 25 pounds within a month of having my son. I have fought off and on to lose another 10-15 lbs for the past year. It is hard to stay focused and motivated. I think I just got my SO on board so maybe that will help.

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