Feeling Discouraged - Need Advice

meganmorsey
meganmorsey Posts: 75
edited October 5 in Health and Weight Loss
Hi all. I've been logging calories and exercise since 10/22. I started a 5 week boot camp fitness program 4 weeks ago (started the 5th week Sunday). In addition to the boot camp class, which are 3 nights a week for 1 hour, I also play tennis once a week for 2 hours, and do 30-45 minutes of running or run/walk intervals 2 times a week. That's a total of 6 days of exercise and one day of rest. I set my activity level as lightly active because I'm a high school teacher and I'm on my feet a good portion of the day. MFP gave me a calorie goal of 1310. I have stayed within my goal (+exercise calories) every day since 10/22 with the exception of one or two days where I went over a small amount.

I'm 5'2", female, 34 years old. I started at 154.2. The lowest I saw on the scale was one day at 150.7. Today it was 153.7. As you can imagine, I'm feeling really discouraged because I'm working really hard and not seeing results. I had not been exercising regularly before, so I thought just adding the 300-400 calorie burn every day should help me lose at least 0.5 pounds week. But I counted calories too and still didn't lose.

What am I doing wrong? I am not weighing and measuring every single thing, so I could be underestimating calories. I also don't wear my HRM every time exercise, so I could be overestimating exercies. But I'm just not sure what is going on. I was really hoping to be solidly at 150 by now with a goal to be under 150 at the end of November.

Can you give me any advice? My food log should be open. I'm not perfect, as in I do eat some things that are not that healthy, but overall I think I do okay. Thanks all :)

Megan

Replies

  • natali_sh92
    natali_sh92 Posts: 37 Member
    have u measured yourself? all this exercise is deffinitely causing ur muscle mass to increase. My first guess is that you are losing fat and gaining muscle, and thats the best thing you could do!
  • beautifulbrat
    beautifulbrat Posts: 171
    Your food log isn't open. Something you may wanna do if you haven't started already, is take your measurements. Maybe you need to up your calories a little bit or add in a new exercise? I read somewhere you gotta change things up where your body gets used to different things. Also are you getting enough water in?
  • laughingnome
    laughingnome Posts: 259 Member
    Sounds to me you are building muscle which weighs more than fat. You should take measurements and see if you are losing inches, which you probably are. Good luck to you. Don't give up
  • annabellj
    annabellj Posts: 1,337 Member
    sometimes when you first start exercising you dont lose the first wk as much because of the shock to your muscles. also, i havent looked at your food log but if you are eating processed foods they contain a lot of sodium so you may want to reevaluate that. and i try to guage by how my clothes fit also like natali said.
  • H_Factor
    H_Factor Posts: 1,722 Member
    I wasn't able to see your food diary.

    I recommend resting 2 days/week. you probably aren't giving your muscles enough time to recover and I suspect they are storing more water than you want.
  • sharonfincher1
    sharonfincher1 Posts: 311 Member
    I would measure everything..... I thought I was right on the money with my food amount and found that I was way off...... and that was making about 300 calorie difference a day.
  • kirstiey
    kirstiey Posts: 243
    You are not going to like this reply, but I think you have answered your own question. Over or under estimating calories eaten or expended and so is not going to result in a steady weightloss.

    You really need to be accurate when logging as this is really all this site is about and so all it relies on. I know it is hard, but get some scales for your food and always use your HRM. I am sure this is the key to your problem.

    Good luck and stick with it you are going great still.
  • trlyblssd79
    trlyblssd79 Posts: 101 Member
    I agree that you may be building muscle and wondered the same - if you took measurements before you started the 5 week program. Definitely get/wear your HRM to help you figure out what percentage your workouts are. It really does sound like muscle though. Also was not able to see your diary but wondered if maybe you cut down on white carbs and fats while on your program maybe you may see more of a jump?
  • lolainlondon
    lolainlondon Posts: 160 Member
    What have you told MFP you want to lose per week? Instinct says that 1300 for a lightly active person would mean you want to lose 2lbs per week which is a little too much at your weight (YMMV). Reset your goals, eat more and you should find you lose 1/2 a lb per week reasonably.
  • Tivo8MyNeighbors
    Tivo8MyNeighbors Posts: 151 Member
    You have nothing to be discouraged about, period. You are exercising very well, getting lots and lots of cardio and muscle work, and you're calorie tracking. It is most likely you're swapping fat for muscle. Muscle is more dense than fatty tissue, so it weighs more than fat. But because it is more dense, it occupies less space, so you'll be smaller, despite what the scale says. Go ahead and get body measurements now, because I guarantee with all that exercise and careful tracking, you're going to be shrinking. *big hugs*
  • emily2tx
    emily2tx Posts: 77
    I found out that I have an abnormally low metabolism, So I don't log any of my exersise. What you need to do is find a healthy caloric intake for your body. The program here is an average. Everyone is different. Also, measure your foods accurately! I used to estimate too and it really doesn't work well like that. My idea of 1/4 cup of almonds was way off base. Almonds are very calorie dense. Now I count each one that I eat.
  • suavequeen
    suavequeen Posts: 273 Member
    I was in the same place you are at... I was advised to rest up some more which would allow my body to recover and heal. I rested from intense workouts for 5 days with only 30 min walks those days and drank plenty of water. I kept my food intake in check and next thing I know the scale moved in the right direction. Apparently my body needs variation in my workout regimen to keep my metabolism going. Change things around when working out and keep things interesting. Make sure you are resting too or you will definitely burn yourself out.

    Your dedication is awesome and you will succeed!
  • KyleB65
    KyleB65 Posts: 1,196 Member
    Are you tracking sodium? If so, are you consuming less than 2500 mg/day (note lower is better)? If you are over you might be retaining water.

    Are you drinking lots of water? This flushes your system.

    Perhaps you should set your activity level to sedentary. This would re-set your daily allocation of calories?

    What are your weight loss goals? Do you have lots to lose? If so, are you targeting a 1 - 2 lb loss per week max?

    When are you weighing your self? Depending on a particular day I can see a 5lb fluctuation in my weight. So, my "official" weigh in day is Saturday morning when I get up right after my visit to the washroom. This gives me a weekly benchmark that can be compared week to week.

    Hope this helps!
  • meganmorsey
    meganmorsey Posts: 75
    First, thank you all for your advice. I really appreciate it so much!!

    I went and changed my diary to public so everyone can see it. I had meant to do that before, but clicked friends only instead. I know that my muscle tone is improving because I can see the differences in my arms and legs, but I still feel like I should be losing weight/fat that would show on the scale. I don't really care about the number that much, but my clothes aren't really feeling any looser either. My pants are a bit looser, but not much.

    I have it set to 1 pound/week and lightly active and it gives me 1310. I'm trying to lose 20 pounds to get into the mid-130s, which is on the high end of healthy for 5'2". I don't think I need to put sedentary because I'm not! I walk around my classroom and the building during the day, then I got home to two little girls who don't let me sit much. I'm going to start wearing my HRM every time I work out so I know that part is accurate. I don't have a food scale, but I can certainly measure out portions of foods from this point forward. I guess I need to really make sure I'm doing everything very accurately before I can say that I"m not losing weight for whatever reason.

    I've thought about taking more than one rest day, but the problem is that I'm REALLY HUNGRY on 1310 calories! I like to burn at least 200 or more so I can eat another good snack.

    Thanks again everyone :)
  • kirstiey
    kirstiey Posts: 243
    good for you. i am sure you are going to see a change soon. keep us updated with your progress
  • Cathleenr
    Cathleenr Posts: 332
    Sounds to me you are building muscle which weighs more than fat. You should take measurements and see if you are losing inches, which you probably are. Good luck to you. Don't give up

    OMG. stop it.
  • Cathleenr
    Cathleenr Posts: 332
    Hi all. I've been logging calories and exercise since 10/22. I started a 5 week boot camp fitness program 4 weeks ago (started the 5th week Sunday). In addition to the boot camp class, which are 3 nights a week for 1 hour, I also play tennis once a week for 2 hours, and do 30-45 minutes of running or run/walk intervals 2 times a week. That's a total of 6 days of exercise and one day of rest. I set my activity level as lightly active because I'm a high school teacher and I'm on my feet a good portion of the day. MFP gave me a calorie goal of 1310. I have stayed within my goal (+exercise calories) every day since 10/22 with the exception of one or two days where I went over a small amount.

    I'm 5'2", female, 34 years old. I started at 154.2. The lowest I saw on the scale was one day at 150.7. Today it was 153.7. As you can imagine, I'm feeling really discouraged because I'm working really hard and not seeing results. I had not been exercising regularly before, so I thought just adding the 300-400 calorie burn every day should help me lose at least 0.5 pounds week. But I counted calories too and still didn't lose.

    What am I doing wrong? I am not weighing and measuring every single thing, so I could be underestimating calories. I also don't wear my HRM every time exercise, so I could be overestimating exercies. But I'm just not sure what is going on. I was really hoping to be solidly at 150 by now with a goal to be under 150 at the end of November.

    Can you give me any advice? My food log should be open. I'm not perfect, as in I do eat some things that are not that healthy, but overall I think I do okay. Thanks all :)

    Megan

    5 weeks isnt a long time, especially if you are trying to teach your body and mind something new. :)
    your exercise sounds like it emphasizes cardio...i'd add in beginning strength training. the new rules of lifting for women is a good program...get it on amazon or at your bookstore. they have a good website, too :)
  • dmoses
    dmoses Posts: 786 Member
    I also recommend getting an HRM, if you haven't already. MFP estimates for exercise calories are just that - estimates. Those numbers may be more than you are actually burning, so you could be going over on your daily caloric goal. You'll get a more accurate estimate of calories burned from an HRM.

    Good luck.
  • polar135
    polar135 Posts: 319 Member
    Are you losing inches? (Smaller pants size, neck size, leg size, etc) when you work out you gain muscle and lose fat, sometimes that is a better way to look at things.
  • magcole
    magcole Posts: 8
    Megan --

    Not a friend so couldn't look at your food intake. Several suggestions that I learned from the P90X food diet:
    1) Watch the sodium intake -- better to eliminate canned food/processed items
    2) Eat ground turkey burgers instead of hamburgers
    3) Use Oscar Meyer Low Sod. Turkey bacon
    4) Substitute bread with: Wasa crispbread, whole wheat English muffins, Nature's Own -100 cal Multi Grain
    5) Tuna is an excellent high protein meal - or Sardines (in Olive Oil)
    6) Use Hummus instead of Mayo. Mustard is the Best
    7) Make fresh spinach salads and top with grilled chicken/tuna/sardines/anything healthy you like!
    8) Use I can't believe it is Not Butter --healthy and tastes good!
    9) P90X has a 10-minute trainer. Great way to do 10,20,or 30 min workout when you can't get out!
    10) Skinny Cow Ice cream bars (sugar free) are a great reward for something sweet
    11) Look into Protein drinks on P90X (whey + Shakelogy) for meal replacements
  • spottedlee
    spottedlee Posts: 372
    What have you told MFP you want to lose per week? Instinct says that 1300 for a lightly active person would mean you want to lose 2lbs per week which is a little too much at your weight (YMMV). Reset your goals, eat more and you should find you lose 1/2 a lb per week reasonably.

    I agree. I am 260, set for 2 pounds loss per week, exercise 4 times a week, 45 min each.. my calories in is at 1350.
  • cj2lose
    cj2lose Posts: 80 Member

    I've thought about taking more than one rest day, but the problem is that I'm REALLY HUNGRY on 1310 calories! I like to burn at least 200 or more so I can eat another good snack.

    I have this same issue! I can not stay below my calories if I don't workout. I just upped mine to 1400 today to maybe see if I can.

    Just stick to your workout and tracking! I've been in the same spot after a hard workout week and no loss, so I completely understand!
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