What do you do when you don't lose?

Options
Xypher2
Xypher2 Posts: 19 Member
in Motivation and Support
I've been logging everything, it was going well. I lost 2lbs my first week then 1.5lbs last week. This week I lost 0-0.5lbs and it's pretty disheartening. It feels like how am I supposed to lose weight if I can't even do it at under 1200 cals a day.
So how do others deal with this?
«1

Replies

  • TerranandKaylynsmommy
    TerranandKaylynsmommy Posts: 321 Member
    Options
    How tall are you and what do you weigh? How active are you and what are your goals? Some weeks I lose 5lbs and sometimes I don't lose any. Do you weigh and measure what you're eating? It can be disheartening for sure but you kinda just have to chug along. Hang in there. It's hard but it's worth it. And 1200 is pretty low for calories.
  • jefamer2017
    jefamer2017 Posts: 416 Member
    Options
    Hydrate.
  • iowalinda
    iowalinda Posts: 354 Member
    Options
    Xypher2 wrote: »
    I've been logging everything, it was going well. I lost 2lbs my first week then 1.5lbs last week. This week I lost 0-0.5lbs and it's pretty disheartening. It feels like how am I supposed to lose weight if I can't even do it at under 1200 cals a day.
    So how do others deal with this?

    The scale can be our best friend or worst enemy depending on what it shows that day LOL :) Lots of things factor in to what number shows up on the scale at any given time, which may have nothing to do with how well you've been sticking to your plan. Maybe your best bet is to stop weighing yourself so often. Maybe go to weighing in once a month. I know exactly what you are saying, as when I lose I feel on top of the world, but when that scale clings stubbornly to the old number for more than a week, I feel like I want to give up.
    Don't let that scale control you.
  • ITUSGirl51
    ITUSGirl51 Posts: 192 Member
    Options
    You tell yourself 4 lbs in 3 weeks is great progress. Tell yourself keep going. If you keep at this pace you will have lost about 15 lbs in 3 months.
  • Xypher2
    Xypher2 Posts: 19 Member
    Options
    Thank you for all the replies. I'm 5'3 and 60.1kg. I want to lose at least a stone. I took my measurements this morning so I will use that, but even all through the week I could just feel that I hadn't lost. The people I've known who've done slimming world usually lose every week so I thought this would be the same. Another thing is people telling me I don't need to lose weight, but they weren't happy at my size.
    I plan on starting the gym, so far I've been doing a group class a week, but two last week so I burned more than usual.
    But I will keep going and see how it is next week.
  • kimny72
    kimny72 Posts: 16,013 Member
    Options
    Tiny_Dancer_in_Pink wrote: »
    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10084670/it-is-unlikely-that-you-will-lose-weight-consistently-i-e-weight-loss-is-not-linear/p1

    Please read this thread. Unrealistic expectations caused by the diet industry and other people's unreliable anecdotes about their own experience are some of the biggest reasons why people quit. You are doing great, whether you realize it or not :drinker:
  • Marilyn0924
    Marilyn0924 Posts: 797 Member
    Options
    You have very little to lose, so losing that 4 pounds is excellent progress! Aiming for 1/2 lb per week is a sustainable and reasonable expectation. You also state you just added in some new exercise into the mix. This can add a bit of water weight for muscle repair.
    Don't despair, you're doing fine....patience is the key.
  • elkimo
    elkimo Posts: 1 Member
    Options
    I gain 1lb and could not understand why didnt go over carbs didnt have anything I should not have!!!
  • Marilyn0924
    Marilyn0924 Posts: 797 Member
    Options
    elkimo wrote: »
    I gain 1lb and could not understand why didnt go over carbs didnt have anything I should not have!!!

    Water retention? Hormonal imbalances due to ToM (if you're female), too much sodium the day before, lack of sleep, too much stress...the list goes on.

    Weight loss is not linear, some weeks you lose, sometimes you gain, sometimes you stay the same.
  • JBApplebee
    JBApplebee Posts: 481 Member
    Options
    It's a marathon, not a sprint. I can look back & almost always find a reason I didn't lose weight yesterday. Not enough exercise, had a few bad snacks, whatever the cause. But if I can't have fun & eat what I want from time to time, it really isn't worth it.
  • DebLaBounty
    DebLaBounty Posts: 1,172 Member
    edited March 2018
    Options
    I taught myself not to freak out. Some weeks I'd lose more than others. Just think long term. And fair warning: I lost too fast (two pounds a week) and lost muscle tone. Now my arms look wrinkly and pitted. Not the look I was going for. If I had this to do over, I would definitely aim for about a pound of loss per week instead.

    And, don't eat under 1200 calories. MFP sets that as the absolute minimum intake level for sedentary people. If you are exercising, be sure to eat back half of your earned calories. You WILL lose weight doing this and following the MFP guidelines.
  • NightOwl7777
    NightOwl7777 Posts: 26 Member
    Options
    You really need to be kind to yourself. I speak with a dietitian regularly and he often tells me that slow steady loss is much better for the body to maintain than a quick fix rapid diet. You may feel like 0.5-1lb a week isn’t a lot but you are actually doing a fantastic job. You will have reached your target before you realise. It also takes a few weeks for your body to adjust to a new calorie deficit. I totally get the frustration I need to be kind to myself too as I feel that I could be doing better but I’m learning to celebrate The successes and draw a line under anything else. You have got this.
  • ZazieMFP
    ZazieMFP Posts: 25 Member
    edited March 2018
    Options
    DebLaBounty wrote: »
    I taught myself not to freak out. Some weeks I'd lose more than others. Just think long term. And fair warning: I lost too fast (two pounds a week) and lost muscle tone. Now my arms look wrinkly and pitted. Not the look I was going for. If I had this to do over, I would definitely aim for about a pound of loss per week instead.

    And, don't eat under 1200 calories. MFP sets that as the absolute minimum intake level for sedentary people. If you are exercising, be sure to eat back half of your earned calories. You WILL lose weight doing this and following the MFP guidelines.

    But I don't think MFP is correct. How could it be that the minimum for a 5'11 woman is the same than for a 5'1 one? I am 5'3 and 47 years-old, and if I do not workout a lot and eat 1200 cals, I will maintain. In fact, if I do not workout, even if I walk for on hour everyday (to the office, back and forth) my target is not to exceed 1050 or 1100 cal. max. if I want to lose at an average of 2 or 3 lbs per month.

    I bet MFP sets the minimum at 1200, assuming that some people will go a little under ... They may be afraid of potential lawsuits, so they keep this "safety margin". Who knows.

    Now I am not suggesting that OP goes below 1200. I think she loses at a good rate so far, and she should keep going !
  • JeromeBarry1
    JeromeBarry1 Posts: 10,182 Member
    Options
    If I have a week of not losing, I just keep trying.
  • theabsentmindednurse
    theabsentmindednurse Posts: 405 Member
    Options
    I have had a month.
    Hasn’t changed my commitment.
    You just keep pushing. Every day.
    This has to be a LIFETIME COMMITMENT!

Categories