Difficult start this time around, need advice.

mrmarkfr
mrmarkfr Posts: 10 Member
edited April 2021 in Health and Weight Loss
I've used MFP over that last 10 years on and off, and at my best, I lost 60lbs, so as many people say, this is not my first rodeo. I'm back at it again, and this time, my body is not acting the same as previous. I'm a big guy ,6'1, 300lbs, and I've been back on track for 16 days. I was off to a great start, lost 4 lbs by cutting out chips (my weakness), and started eating healthier (lower fat, high protein), and if I do have a drink, it's a bloody mary, G&T (with sugar free tonic), or something low cal similar, but even those are maybe 1-2 per week
I started walking again(30-45 mins, every day or so), and have been averaging 1932 calories (or 1750 net calories) per day, on a target of 2322 calories (based on losing 1lb per week).
My body isn't moving. I dropped about 5 lbs in the first couple of days, and I'm now 1.5lbs heavier than that, and gaining a lb/day some days.
Is it because I'm not eating my allotted calories? I remember way back in the WW days, that you had to eat all your points. Is it because I'm 300-500 cals short per day that is causing the issues?
My wife is saying that she's seeing some changes on me, she's losing steadily, slowly but steady, and has lost more than me so far, which is a first for the times we've dieted together, she's eating more of her calories, and exercising less.
I am trying to front load my day with calories better, I was having some nights that I would still have 1200-1400 calories to eat when dinner came, so I'm having higher cal breakfasts and lunches now, but still not hitting my calorie goals, and I don't want to eat junk at the end of the day to just hit my calorie count. We use a scale to weigh all non-portioned food, so the calorie intakes should be close to actual.

Anyone else suffer with the same results at the beginning of their journey?

Replies

  • L1zardQueen
    L1zardQueen Posts: 8,753 Member
    Do you use a food scale to weigh everything you eat? You’ve lost 5 pounds in 2+ weeks? Sounds okay to me.
  • spiriteagle99
    spiriteagle99 Posts: 3,740 Member
    A lot of that initial weight loss was water. You gained back weight when your body was getting enough fluids. You may also be retaining some water because you are exercising more than you are used to. Give it time. If you are truly logging everything you eat and you are eating to goal, then you will lose weight. There will be wild fluctuations because of water retention or loss or food bulk in your system, but eventually the fat will come off.
  • tracymayo1
    tracymayo1 Posts: 445 Member
    I just started back up myself and 10 days in have gained 1.2lbs. I KNOW I am doing things right.. and it is my body adjusting.. I just tell myself not to panic and it will happen...
  • mrmarkfr
    mrmarkfr Posts: 10 Member
    I'm made a goal to myself to eat my all calories, and see if that helps. Frustrating this time around, normally I'm the one dropping weight easily, this time it's my wife. Not used to this dynamic. Happy for her, confused about me.
  • ahoy_m8
    ahoy_m8 Posts: 3,053 Member
    Averaged over several weeks or a month, the math really works. If you eat less, you will lose faster. As others said, hydration fluctuation causes scale weight to fluctuate a couple pounds up or down any given day-- even more on bigger people. Looking at your weight trend is more meaningful than random data points here and there because of the normal healthy fluid fluctuation.

    Key to all of this -- are you using a food scale?
  • mrmarkfr
    mrmarkfr Posts: 10 Member
    ahoy_m8 wrote: »
    Averaged over several weeks or a month, the math really works. If you eat less, you will lose faster. As others said, hydration fluctuation causes scale weight to fluctuate a couple pounds up or down any given day-- even more on bigger people. Looking at your weight trend is more meaningful than random data points here and there because of the normal healthy fluid fluctuation.

    Key to all of this -- are you using a food scale?

    yes, we weigh everything we eat