WHY AM I NOT LOSING??? :(

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dkueter94
dkueter94 Posts: 89
in Health and Weight Loss
I'm trying really hard to stay positive and remain focused but I'm getting pretty frustrated!!! I have been doing the 30 day shred everyday for the last 18 days (I'll be on day 7 tonight of level 2. I did 12 days of level 1), I'm drinking 8 or so glasses of water a day, trying REALLY hard to eat mostly healthy stuff, and sticking around my calorie limit of 1200 calories a day (some days I eat some of my exercise calories back but not all). Most days I've also been fast pace walking 30 to 45 minutes after I do the shred. I can tell in inches (I haven't measured since day 1 of the shred, but I can tell in my shirts) that there is a bit of a difference (I'm staring to lose my love handles) BUT today I weighed in and had GAINED a pound!!!! I'm very frustrated!! I think is even more frustrating that the shred is kicking my butt everyday and I'm giving it my all to make it through the workout and then not losing anything?!! UGH!!! What do I do??? PLEASE GIVE ME SOME POINTERS! :)
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Replies

  • Ephena
    Ephena Posts: 615 Member
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    Man I wish I had an answer, I have the same problem and I'm only on day 8. I finally had to step away from the scale for a little while. Maybe the loss will show up after you're done with the shred?
  • dannylives3
    dannylives3 Posts: 70 Member
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    (I wrote this to somebody earlier) "Losing weight is a goal that can be frustrating and confusing. "You're gonna be exercising the next 20 years anyway!" That's what I tell myself when the scale doesn't move. Its not about JUST weight loss. Don't give yourself 6 months to reach your goal and then give up if you don't reach it. Try to look at it like, "No matter what, no matter how long this takes, or how confusing and frustrating.....I WILL do this!"

    Also, don't believe all those magazines at the supermarket telling you to have your dream body in 12 weeks. That's a bunch of BS. Those fitness models didn't take 12 weeks to look like that, they practice exercising as a way of life. ADOPT THAT WAY OF LIFE FOR YOURSELF. Commit to exercising for 1 year, slowly at first. I spent my first 3 months walking mostly, then stepped it up to jogging/walking for about a month, then I joined a gym and got into a program, then I started getting lazy and I quit going to the gym, then things got really bad and I only exercised maybe 4 times a month for about 2 or 3 months, Now Im back to exercising 5 or 6 times a week. My current gripe is that I'm not losing any weight. But its because I don't ever log in my food. I need to change that. I'm learning that its something that MUST be done. LEARN how to do this through trial and error. Hopefully I come back to this thread next year as a super hot and buff, cut and ripped piece of man-meat for you. :)

    But I wont reach that goal if I give up because I fail along the way. Never give up on this!"
  • jennajava
    jennajava Posts: 2,176 Member
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    There are so many factors that can affect this. I can fluctuate as much as five pounds during TOM, or if I'm constipated. (TMI, I know.)
  • Jorra
    Jorra Posts: 3,338 Member
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    It's really hard to tell you much without seeing your diary. I can tell you though, if you only have 20lbs to lose, you shouldn't try to lose 2lbs per week, adjust the setting to 1lb or 0.5lb per week. The less you have to lose, the harder it is.
  • nakabi
    nakabi Posts: 589 Member
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    with the shred you are losing inches, plus you are toning and developing muscle. Remember, muscle weighs more than fat :) Keep at it and don't give up; the pounds will eventually come off as well! Good job so far!
  • Runnermadre
    Runnermadre Posts: 267 Member
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    I stood still in my weight loss while I did the shred, but I lost inches like crazy! You are just putting on muscle more than likely, and if you take your measurements I bet you'd see how much smaller you're really getting. :-) It's not all about the number on the scale.
  • HoopFire5602
    HoopFire5602 Posts: 423 Member
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    (I wrote this to somebody earlier) "Losing weight is a goal that can be frustrating and confusing. "You're gonna be exercising the next 20 years anyway!" That's what I tell myself when the scale doesn't move. Its not about JUST weight loss. Don't give yourself 6 months to reach your goal and then give up if you don't reach it. Try to look at it like, "No matter what, no matter how long this takes, or how confusing and frustrating.....I WILL do this!"

    Also, don't believe all those magazines at the supermarket telling you to have your dream body in 12 weeks. That's a bunch of BS. Those fitness models didn't take 12 weeks to look like that, they practice exercising as a way of life. ADOPT THAT WAY OF LIFE FOR YOURSELF. Commit to exercising for 1 year, slowly at first. I spent my first 3 months walking mostly, then stepped it up to jogging/walking for about a month, then I joined a gym and got into a program, then I started getting lazy and I quit going to the gym, then things got really bad and I only exercised maybe 4 times a month for about 2 or 3 months, Now Im back to exercising 5 or 6 times a week. My current gripe is that I'm not losing any weight. But its because I don't ever log in my food. I need to change that. I'm learning that its something that MUST be done. LEARN how to do this through trial and error. Hopefully I come back to this thread next year as a super hot and buff, cut and ripped piece of man-meat for you. :)

    But I wont reach that goal if I give up because I fail along the way. Never give up on this!"

    Fantastic. I couldn't have said it better myself!
  • nakabi
    nakabi Posts: 589 Member
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    There are so many factors that can affect this. I can fluctuate as much as five pounds during TOM, or if I'm constipated. (TMI, I know.)

    Jenna, you are too funny! Everyone needs an MFP friend like you :)
  • shovav91
    shovav91 Posts: 2,335 Member
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    Not eating back exercise calories has been a factor that has hindered a lot of people's weight loss. You should never net below 1200, as it makes it very hard to lose weight. If you burn 300, eat a minimum of 1500 a day. Try it for a couple weeks and see what happens! I wouldn't be surprised if you started losing again :D
  • fungirl57
    fungirl57 Posts: 5
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    Could be that you are gaining muscle and that is a good thing.:smile::smile:
  • JS70
    JS70 Posts: 95 Member
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    I was losing weight at a steady pace for about 2 months and when I started the 30 Day Shred, I quit losing weight. I ate the same amount of calories the entire time too. I just figured it was because I was gaining muscle since my clothes continued to get baggier.
  • Leesseebee
    Leesseebee Posts: 216
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    Hey! It sure can be frustrating sometimes and I have some questions, which might seem annoying, but they are things to consider: Is your calorie goal too low/determined by wanting to loose too much too quickly? Is your food very processed? Sodium can be damaging to progress... Are you getting enough sleep? Have your physical measurements changed...muscle weighs more than fat...
    In any case, keep up the efforts and try for some small tweaks and you'll get there.
    When I get frustrated like this, I think, what is the alternative? To mope and eat more-at least I am feeling better/more proud of myself/stronger.etc...just keep going-you can and will succeed!
  • HeelsAndBoxingGloves
    HeelsAndBoxingGloves Posts: 916 Member
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    The way I see it is it's about how you look and feel, not about what the scale says. A pound of muscle will weigh the same as a pound of fat (or a pound of anything for that matter lol) but it makes you look different and makes you healthier.
  • MindyLynn77
    MindyLynn77 Posts: 126
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    with the shred you are losing inches, plus you are toning and developing muscle. Remember, muscle weighs more than fat :) Keep at it and don't give up; the pounds will eventually come off as well! Good job so far!
    This is EXACTLY what my response was going to be!!!
  • HoneyDancer
    HoneyDancer Posts: 61
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    This is very interesting. Today I took some progress pics and I actually look slimmer but dammit, I gained like 2lbs. The scale has to go for a while. I'll just take pics :/
  • phatsoslim
    phatsoslim Posts: 257 Member
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    Try increasing your caloric intake. I know that sounds crazy, but, the more you eat the more you will lose. That is of course eating healthy foods. Back in the summer I did the 30DS Shred and I was on 1200 calories a day. I wasn't losing. So I increase my calories by about 200 and the scale started to move downward. While doing the Shred I didn't lose much weight, however, the inches came off. My profile picture shows me before I did the 30 Day Shred and Ripped in 30(over the summer)and after I completed them both. I also did alot of cardio which helped with the pounds to come off.

    Keep with and you will see a difference.
  • KeyMasterOfGozer
    KeyMasterOfGozer Posts: 229 Member
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    Without seeing your diary, it is hard to give specific answers, but the 2 biggest possibilities I see with the information you have given us are...

    1) You are eating too few calories. Many people (including myself) will testify that often adding more calories for a few weeks will break a plateau.

    2) You are losing fat and gaining muscle. remember, your goal is not to "Lose Weight", it is to "Lose Fat." Exercising can swap fat for muscle, and you will lose inches, but gain wight as muscle is more dense than fat.

    Keep it up. remember, this program is not a diet. You never stop this, you just adjust your calorie deficit to 0 when you reach your goal. Also remember that any muscle cells you have will burn fat everyday without you doing any exercise.
  • jennajava
    jennajava Posts: 2,176 Member
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    There are so many factors that can affect this. I can fluctuate as much as five pounds during TOM, or if I'm constipated. (TMI, I know.)

    Jenna, you are too funny! Everyone needs an MFP friend like you :)

    LOL. I speak the truth.
  • bizco
    bizco Posts: 1,949 Member
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    Are you using a digital food scale to accurately measure and log everything you eat and drink? Most people drastically underestimate food portions. Are you logging everything that goes into your mouth, even those things you use to cook with (oils, butter, etc.)? Are you wearing a quality heart rate monitor during your workouts to accurately measure and log your calorie burn? MFP's default exercise database is way off most of the time. Are you getting enough sleep? Are all of your settings correct, especially your activity/lifestyle setting?

    Make sure you're tracking your body measurements. Go to My Home>>Check-in. I take my measurements on the 1st of every month and it's very motivating to see a change in your size, rather than focusing on weight all the time.

    Read the "guide to calorie deficits" link in my signature. I think it will help you. Good luck!
  • Superdave24
    Superdave24 Posts: 158 Member
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    Stay focused and stay on track. You said you are noticing a difference in your waist right? Someone once told me not to pay attention to the scale but to the way you look because afterall that's the ultimate goal isn't it? If you look GREAT and your HAPPY about it, isn't that all that matters? Everyone's body chemistry is different too. I bet if you keep going that at some point soon your going to notice a good amount of weight loss in the scale. Your body just isn't showing it yet but trust me, it will.
    Someone mentioned that you might be gaining muscle weight, this could be true depending on what your doing for exercises. Also, your body maybe holding water, constipated or something that is not showing a loss on the scale. There could be a multitude of reasons and if I can be of any help let me know. Ask me anything you like. Remember this though, if anything, your getting healthy and in time you will reach your goals as long as you stay on track. Dave!

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