Can someone PLEASE give me advice 😅

madison3611
madison3611 Posts: 7 Member
edited February 2020 in Food and Nutrition
I know I need to have more patients... and I know I shouldn’t weigh in everyday....

BUT I’m curious to know why I’m losing weight so slowly. The picture shows the calories and macros I have followed for three weeks and I’m down only 3.8 lbs.

I have incorporated some strength training three times a week but easy stuff because I’m new to that - could this be stalling my weight loss? Also, I do cardio about three to four times a week.

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Replies

  • Mr_Healthy_Habits
    Mr_Healthy_Habits Posts: 12,588 Member
    You already look pretty healthy...

    Honestly, 3.8lbs/w is really good... I wouldn't shoot for more than that...

    Don't get yourself so wrapped up in the math of it all, because it's all just best estimates and guesses...

    The whole idea of, if you ate like this everyday you'll weigh blah in blah... Is frankly pretty bogus, body weight is pretty dynamic and fluctuates wildly sometimes...
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 33,939 Member
    You lost nearly four pounds. The recommendation on this site is to choose to lose one pound per week.

    The only time a faster weight loss is indicated (or safe) is if you have over 40 pounds to lose. You may have chosen a higher faster rate, but that doesn't mean you chose a healthy and sustainable amount.


    How much weight do you need to lose to be in a healthy BMI range? What is your weight and height?

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  • madison3611
    madison3611 Posts: 7 Member
    Thanks guys ☺️
  • Siberian2590
    Siberian2590 Posts: 57 Member
    You're doing fine.

    What kills me is when I diet and exercise and the friggin scale goes UP, like it did this morning. I know it's just fluctuations and electronic scale error, but I NEED that positive reinforcement, even if it's just 1/10 of a pound.
  • madison3611
    madison3611 Posts: 7 Member
    I agree! The positive reinforcement is what motivates me
  • Siberian2590
    Siberian2590 Posts: 57 Member
    madison3611 wrote: »
    I agree! The positive reinforcement is what motivates me

    I can't resist getting on the scales every morning, but you might consider weighing less often.
  • kathyrivera01
    kathyrivera01 Posts: 2 Member
    I have been back on for 1 month , down 9 lb. I have a lot to lose so get impatient but proud at the same time.
  • Lietchi
    Lietchi Posts: 6,105 Member
    madison3611 wrote: »
    I agree! The positive reinforcement is what motivates me

    You might benefit from taking progress pictures and taking measurements, on top of weighing yourself.
  • KevinWH87
    KevinWH87 Posts: 74 Member
    edited February 2020
    Your strength training isn't stalling your progress; keep that up! You're in this for the long haul, so don't be discouraged by lower than expected progress.
  • lemurcat2
    lemurcat2 Posts: 7,885 Member
    Lietchi wrote: »
    madison3611 wrote: »
    I agree! The positive reinforcement is what motivates me

    You might benefit from taking progress pictures and taking measurements, on top of weighing yourself.

    This.

    I also found it very important to build in a number of other goals that were more immediate or I had more direct control over, such as exercise improvements, and process goals (hitting my cals, working out on planned days, stuff like that).
  • fitoverfortymom
    fitoverfortymom Posts: 3,452 Member
    Along with agreeing with everyone about the appropriate rate of loss (almost 4lbs is great in 3 weeks!)...

    I like to weigh every day and use an app called Libra (I think the iPHone version is called Happy Scale). It helps me keep an eye on my weight trend and surprisingly helps me worry less about the scale because I know I'm making steady progress.
  • ruccass13
    ruccass13 Posts: 1 Member
    Hi there, I'm new to the group but as a food scientist (with 2 years experience in human nutrition and metabolism) I just have a few points to make. 1: if you are already a healthy weight/BMI, loosing weight should NOT be a concern. maintain eating whole, healthy foods and fill up on greens with some good fats to get all the nutrients from your food. 2) if you have started weight training, you will probably GAIN weight, as your muscles break down and rebuild. This is normal. You just have to tell yourself that you are building lean, healthy muscle which will make your body look amazing! keep it up! 3) don't get hung up on numbers. look in the mirror and be happy with yourself. Weight loss is a process, first you will lose water weight. Try to limit salty foods to keep the water weight off. Next your body will break down stored glycogen (made in your liver and stored in your muscles for quick energy boosts) then you will loose some muscle BEFORE burning fat. That's why the keto diet works so well for loosing weight, although i DO NOT recommend going keto. Stay in the range of a Medi - Paleo diet, limit salts and processed foods. I'll get off my soap box now! If you need more info, just let me know.
  • kimny72
    kimny72 Posts: 16,013 Member
    mmapags wrote: »
    OP, you've gotten some great advice already and I hope you realize that you are already doing fine and are adjusting your expectations.

    The thing that jumped out at me in your posts is the need, on a emotional motivation level, to get positive reinforcement from the scale number on a short term basis. Honestly, this is formula for frustration and a roller coaster of emotions. Viewed in short term cycles, the scale is a harsh taskmaster. It will go down. It will go up for no apparent reason. Or sometimes it just won't move at all for a period of time. I recently went 6 weeks with no scale drop, despite being diligent about my calorie goals. Then one day I dropped a little over a kilo and was right on track.

    The short term scale number is actually relatively unimportant. What is important is the overall trend over time and being consistent with good methods. Weigh food on a food scale. Have a sustainable goal. Log accurately and consistently. And lastly, as someone recommended above, get yourself a weight trending app. Weigh in daily, log you weight with little emotion attached to it. Trust the process and make adjustments based on longer term trends.

    As a woman, you are going to be susceptible to fluctuations based on your monthly reproductive cycle. Some days you may consume more sodium than others. After a strenuous workout, you may retain fluid for muscle repair and recovery. None of these things impact fat loss. But they all can have a sometimes dramatic effect on the scale number. Remember, this is a sprint and not a marathon. Shortsighted dependence on a scale number moving is a recipe for frustration and unnecessary negative emotional turmoil.

    Take a look and the article in this thread. You might find it really helpful. When it comes to weight/ fat loss, the mental game is just as important as the physical one for success. Maybe more.

    https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10683010/the-weird-and-highly-annoying-world-of-scale-fluctuations/p1

    Just to piggyback on this, needing that motivation isn't great for the long term either. Eventually you are going to get to goal, and that's when the real work begins. One of the reasons maintenance can be so elusive is because there is no constant motivation. And those scale fluctuations are always there. Focus on slowly but surely incorporating easy, healthy habits that make eating the right amount of calories effortless. Then you won't need motivation and you won't worry about the scale not saying exactly what you want - you'll just be living your life :drinker:

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