First month logging and only down 1lb :(

Ayesha0624
Ayesha0624 Posts: 95 Member
I'm coming up on my first full month in a few days of accurately weighing and logging everything that I've been eating. My scale has only moved down 1 lb. My starting measurements are still the same and I don't feel any different in my clothes. I'm still going to stick with it and trust the process but I'm just curious if anyone else has experienced not losing much or next to nothing during their first month. My goal is to lose 50lbs and my starting weight is 190. I've set my goals to lose 1.5lbs per week. I also walk six days a week and net about 400 calories burned of which I eat back some. My diary is open if anyone wants to take a look!

Replies

  • concordancia
    concordancia Posts: 5,320 Member
    I didn't lose anything my first month. Then this month I was so proud when I didn't gain anything on vacation (hiking, so not a huge surprise), but then I didn't really lose anything when I got back into tracking and my routines.

    I stay focused in things I have more control over than the scale. How much fiber I eat, fitness goals, etc.
  • seat151
    seat151 Posts: 172 Member
    A loss is a loss
  • Ythomas10
    Ythomas10 Posts: 5 Member
    Depending on what your timeline of losing, eating and how active you depends on your progress..are you wanting a faster approach? If so, I find that decreasing my caloric intake and doing HIIT exercises helps me to lose faster.
  • serindipte
    serindipte Posts: 1,557 Member
    If you'll open your diary, you'll get more focused responses. :)
  • Ayesha0624
    Ayesha0624 Posts: 95 Member
    The rule of thumb for fat loss is 12-13 calories per pound of weight. Maintaining weight is 15-16 calories per pound of weight. If you currently weigh 189 pounds you are probably consuming 2800 calories daily. If your goal is to lose 1.5 pounds per week, your looking at a 1750 calorie deficit per week. So you need to try and not exceed 2500 calories a day to meet this goal. But to answer your question about anyone else experiencing their lack of weight loss during the first month, that would be me. In fact I posted and asked this same question you are asking. Unfortunately, I figured out that my problem was me and the fact that I was eating more than I thought I was. So I started logging and weighing everything, after the first week I lost two pounds and have been losing weekly ever since. Also, I don’t eat back my exercise calories. Good Luck!

    Thanks for the insight! 2500 cal seems like a lot..no? MFP currently has me at 1490 daily to lose 1.5lbs per week.
  • Ayesha0624
    Ayesha0624 Posts: 95 Member
    Ythomas10 wrote: »
    Depending on what your timeline of losing, eating and how active you depends on your progress..are you wanting a faster approach? If so, I find that decreasing my caloric intake and doing HIIT exercises helps me to lose faster.

    Thanks! I don't necessarily have a timeline to lose. I just assumed that the science behind MFP is pretty accurate and therefore if I'm doing my part the numbers should work. Perhaps I need to double check what other measures I may be doing incorrectly because the weighing and logging portion I've been consistent with.
  • Ayesha0624
    Ayesha0624 Posts: 95 Member
    serindipte wrote: »
    If you'll open your diary, you'll get more focused responses. :)

    It's open to the public
  • Ayesha0624
    Ayesha0624 Posts: 95 Member
    I didn't lose anything my first month. Then this month I was so proud when I didn't gain anything on vacation (hiking, so not a huge surprise), but then I didn't really lose anything when I got back into tracking and my routines.

    I stay focused in things I have more control over than the scale. How much fiber I eat, fitness goals, etc.

    Thanks for the inspiration! Ya know, I took a weekend vacation and splurged (I still logged) but didn't gain when I got back also so I definitely feel ya on that!
  • cdudley628
    cdudley628 Posts: 547 Member
    What is your activity level set to? Sedentary, lightly active, active? How much activity are you doing outside of the walking?
  • Ayesha0624
    Ayesha0624 Posts: 95 Member
    cdudley628 wrote: »
    What is your activity level set to? Sedentary, lightly active, active? How much activity are you doing outside of the walking?

    I set it at lightly active and not much activity outside of walking.
  • cdudley628
    cdudley628 Posts: 547 Member
    Ayesha0624 wrote: »
    cdudley628 wrote: »
    What is your activity level set to? Sedentary, lightly active, active? How much activity are you doing outside of the walking?

    I set it at lightly active and not much activity outside of walking.

    Do you know how many steps you're taking a day? With and without going for a walk?
  • Ayesha0624
    Ayesha0624 Posts: 95 Member
    edited April 2018
    cdudley628 wrote: »
    Ayesha0624 wrote: »
    cdudley628 wrote: »
    What is your activity level set to? Sedentary, lightly active, active? How much activity are you doing outside of the walking?

    I set it at lightly active and not much activity outside of walking.

    Do you know how many steps you're taking a day? With and without going for a walk?



    At minimum around 6,000 but I've been aiming for 10,000 six days a week. I usually keep my phone in my pocket which syncs my steps to MFP.
  • serindipte
    serindipte Posts: 1,557 Member
    Ayesha0624 wrote: »
    cdudley628 wrote: »
    Ayesha0624 wrote: »
    cdudley628 wrote: »
    What is your activity level set to? Sedentary, lightly active, active? How much activity are you doing outside of the walking?

    I set it at lightly active and not much activity outside of walking.

    Do you know how many steps you're taking a day? With and without going for a walk?



    At minimum around 6,000 but I've been aiming for 10,000 six days a week. I usually keep my phone in my pocket which syncs my steps to MFP.

    If you have your activity level set at lightly active, it's already counting those 6-10k steps you're taking. If your phone is then syncing with MPF, it's adding to your calorie goals. That's going to kill your deficit by double dipping on the calorie burn. :(
  • Ayesha0624
    Ayesha0624 Posts: 95 Member
    serindipte wrote: »
    Ayesha0624 wrote: »
    cdudley628 wrote: »
    Ayesha0624 wrote: »
    cdudley628 wrote: »
    What is your activity level set to? Sedentary, lightly active, active? How much activity are you doing outside of the walking?

    I set it at lightly active and not much activity outside of walking.

    Do you know how many steps you're taking a day? With and without going for a walk?



    At minimum around 6,000 but I've been aiming for 10,000 six days a week. I usually keep my phone in my pocket which syncs my steps to MFP.

    If you have your activity level set at lightly active, it's already counting those 6-10k steps you're taking. If your phone is then syncing with MPF, it's adding to your calorie goals. That's going to kill your deficit by double dipping on the calorie burn. :(

    I'm not fully understanding you. I don't think that's the case but I could be wrong. Can I add you? Maybe you can look at my diary because I usually complete them at the end of the night and it shows what I've burned based on the steps I've walked. I compare what my phone has tracked vs what MFP has synced and its usually equivalent to one another. But again, I could be wrong. Definitely open for correction!
  • serindipte
    serindipte Posts: 1,557 Member
    Ayesha0624 wrote: »
    serindipte wrote: »
    Ayesha0624 wrote: »
    cdudley628 wrote: »
    Ayesha0624 wrote: »
    cdudley628 wrote: »
    What is your activity level set to? Sedentary, lightly active, active? How much activity are you doing outside of the walking?

    I set it at lightly active and not much activity outside of walking.

    Do you know how many steps you're taking a day? With and without going for a walk?



    At minimum around 6,000 but I've been aiming for 10,000 six days a week. I usually keep my phone in my pocket which syncs my steps to MFP.

    If you have your activity level set at lightly active, it's already counting those 6-10k steps you're taking. If your phone is then syncing with MPF, it's adding to your calorie goals. That's going to kill your deficit by double dipping on the calorie burn. :(

    I'm not fully understanding you. I don't think that's the case but I could be wrong. Can I add you? Maybe you can look at my diary because I usually complete them at the end of the night and it shows what I've burned based on the steps I've walked. I compare what my phone has tracked vs what MFP has synced and its usually equivalent to one another. But again, I could be wrong. Definitely open for correction!

    Yes, you can add :) I had also sent a PM earlier, not sure if you saw it. What I'm saying is that your activity level already includes those steps. Otherwise, you would be set at sedentary. When it syncs, it ups your calories above 'lightly active' to what is causing you to not lose the weight your trying to lose.. that make more sense, maybe? It's late, I'm babbling lol
  • angelsja
    angelsja Posts: 859 Member
    The rule of thumb for fat loss is 12-13 calories per pound of weight. Maintaining weight is 15-16 calories per pound of weight. If you currently weigh 189 pounds you are probably consuming 2800 calories daily. If your goal is to lose 1.5 pounds per week, your looking at a 1750 calorie deficit per week. So you need to try and not exceed 2500 calories a day to meet this goal. But to answer your question about anyone else experiencing their lack of weight loss during the first month, that would be me. In fact I posted and asked this same question you are asking. Unfortunately, I figured out that my problem was me and the fact that I was eating more than I thought I was. So I started logging and weighing everything, after the first week I lost two pounds and have been losing weekly ever since. Also, I don’t eat back my exercise calories. Good Luck!
    For 1.5lb a week you need a 5250 deficit per week :/ 1750 would only be 0.5 per week which if Op has last 1lb this month is in line with having a 1750 deficit per week
  • tinkerbellang83
    tinkerbellang83 Posts: 9,129 Member
    serindipte wrote: »
    Ayesha0624 wrote: »
    cdudley628 wrote: »
    Ayesha0624 wrote: »
    cdudley628 wrote: »
    What is your activity level set to? Sedentary, lightly active, active? How much activity are you doing outside of the walking?

    I set it at lightly active and not much activity outside of walking.

    Do you know how many steps you're taking a day? With and without going for a walk?



    At minimum around 6,000 but I've been aiming for 10,000 six days a week. I usually keep my phone in my pocket which syncs my steps to MFP.

    If you have your activity level set at lightly active, it's already counting those 6-10k steps you're taking. If your phone is then syncing with MPF, it's adding to your calorie goals. That's going to kill your deficit by double dipping on the calorie burn. :(

    That's not correct, if you sync an app that is counting steps you only get credit as a calorie adjustment for anything above the steps included in your activity level. You only end up double dipping if you're manually logging walking.

    For example I have a tracker synced and I am set to lightly activity, I only get a positive calorie adjustment if I get in over about 6500 steps. Otherwise I get a negative adjustment to make sure I am not over-eating.

  • tinkerbellang83
    tinkerbellang83 Posts: 9,129 Member
    edited April 2018
    OP - How often are you weighing? if it's less frequently you may have just weighed yourself on a day when you're retaining more water than others. You may have lost more than you think and it just be masked by water weight, for example if you had weighed this morning, you might find you're retaining more water because of the high sodium content in your meals yesterday which can take a couple of days to drop off, same again on Sunday.

    In the beginning the water weight fluctuations can totally mask losses because your loss might be 3-4lbs but then the water retention might add 5lbs.

    Keep at it for a few more weeks, try using a trending app like Libra or Happy Scale and if you're still not seeing a whole lot of loss, review your logging again.

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  • serindipte
    serindipte Posts: 1,557 Member
    serindipte wrote: »
    Ayesha0624 wrote: »
    cdudley628 wrote: »
    Ayesha0624 wrote: »
    cdudley628 wrote: »
    What is your activity level set to? Sedentary, lightly active, active? How much activity are you doing outside of the walking?

    I set it at lightly active and not much activity outside of walking.

    Do you know how many steps you're taking a day? With and without going for a walk?



    At minimum around 6,000 but I've been aiming for 10,000 six days a week. I usually keep my phone in my pocket which syncs my steps to MFP.

    If you have your activity level set at lightly active, it's already counting those 6-10k steps you're taking. If your phone is then syncing with MPF, it's adding to your calorie goals. That's going to kill your deficit by double dipping on the calorie burn. :(

    That's not correct, if you sync an app that is counting steps you only get credit as a calorie adjustment for anything above the steps included in your activity level. You only end up double dipping if you're manually logging walking.

    For example I have a tracker synced and I am set to lightly activity, I only get a positive calorie adjustment if I get in over about 6500 steps. Otherwise I get a negative adjustment to make sure I am not over-eating.

    thank you! I didn't know this :)
  • 88olds
    88olds Posts: 4,534 Member
    Don’t see where this has been mentioned, you use a food scale? Eat out much?
  • gamerbabe14
    gamerbabe14 Posts: 876 Member
    You're either eating more than you think or you're over estimating your calories burned. If you're weighing your food using a scale then the other part of the equation is wrong.
  • Ayesha0624
    Ayesha0624 Posts: 95 Member
    edited April 2018
    88olds wrote: »
    Don’t see where this has been mentioned, you use a food scale? Eat out much?

    Yes I weigh my food and I eat out sometime...mainly if I'm out of town. Outside of that I cook everything at home.
  • Ayesha0624
    Ayesha0624 Posts: 95 Member
    You're either eating more than you think or you're over estimating your calories burned. If you're weighing your food using a scale then the other part of the equation is wrong.

    Could definitely be an over estimation of what I burned. I just go by what is synced to MFP from my SFIT
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