Help! Only 2 lb loss in 6 weeks...I'm at my cals and working

I'm suffering the same problem as you. I've been 95% good with my calories since I started on here, although haven't been giving exercise as much effort as I should. Even so, I still should've lost weight, but have found that it's no where near how much it should be. I also build muscle really quickly so it could well be a case that I've lost fat but gained muscle, hence the scales not moving much.

My other half says he can see a difference on my backside and stomach, although the tape measure tells me I've lost nothing on my bum and a negligible amount on my stomach. I CAN see the difference on my stomach though, so perhaps that fat is disappearing and the muscles increasing!! And I have definitely lost 1 inch from my boobs and 1.5 inches from just under my boobs. The latter is the last place I put weight on, so I figure it makes sense that it would melt away from there first.

Anyway, with all the advice I've read in response to your thread, I'm going to up my calorie intake to 1370 and see what happens. I actually did this a couple of days ago but didn't really stick to it.... in fact I went quite a bit over (albeit my diary doesn't really reflect this), so I'll be dilligent this time and see what happens.

One thing's for sure, we weren't exercising or monitoring our calories before MFP, so what we ARE doing is much better than what we were doing before.

Don't get disheartened. xxxx

Just like to point out, that you are not gaining muscle on a calorie deficit.. it's damn near impossible to do that. Yes your muscles may be retaining water while they repair themselves from the workout.. but thats about.

As everyone else said, eat more... try upping the loss to a pound a week and see what happens.

Don't get on the scale as often. You might be losing the weight slowly, but fast weight loss is rarely sustainable. I've been at it for 321 days, and I've lost almost 60 lbs. I have about 12 more pounds to go.

For me, the trick has been to eat the right types of foods. Calorie counting means a lot, but also having the right amount of other nutrients. I eat a lot of leafy greens like baby spinach and I try to eat at least two servings of fruit a day. Strawberries and watermelon have been a staple for me.

Fiber is also very important. If you haven't tried them yet, the Fiber One Brownies are very good, and each one is only 90 calories.

Good luck.

Sodium will make your body retain water if your eating to much daily intake is around 2400mg a day if you intake more your body will hold that water to make up for it

remember also

3500 cals to put on a lb and 3500 burned cals to take off a lb

low carb is key also and staying away from junk and processed food helps and pop/soda

Having a quick peek at your diary I would suggest that you eat more calories as you are often under the ‘magical’ 1200 cals, and sometimes under 1000.

I would also cut down on the amount of salt (sodium) as it is fairly high (water retention).

Finally, you often have a high intake of food at night (final meal & snack). Unless you are active late on I would suggest more cals during the day & less on night.

However, everyone is different – so this may not suit you

The other thing that alot of people have not mentioned is that it often takes 6-8 weeks for your body to really realize what is going on and for the weight loss to begin. It took me roughly 6 weeks for the scale to move. Your weight is not a good indication because depending on the time of day you weigh, salt intake, water intake and lots of factors your weight will go up and down throughout the day. But....I have lost as many inches as I have weight since I started MFP. I had lost 20 pounds before getting on here. I started MFP about 11 weeks ago now. I have lost another 15 lbs...but I have lost roughly 20 inches. So measuring is just as important if not more important than the scale. I didn't really start seeing a big difference in my clothes for about 8 weeks. So...be patient and keep logging, exercising etc.

This sums it up pretty well. As for the weight variation and weighing--if you want to prove this is true, weigh yourself several times a day for about a week. If you're like most of us, you'll find a variation of up to several pounds over the course of the same day. If you're a "data" person, this may be helpful because it can help prove that weight gain/loss is not a clear, linear process and needs to be tracked more as a trend over the long term than based on the individual data points.

Hi! I am no expert, but have been using this sight for 4 weeks, and am down 22lbs. thanks to my daughter. She had me start the Rapid Fat Loss by Lyle Mcdonald which is basically low carbs. And it has worked amazing. I basically eat protein and veggies and when I reach a plateau I throw in a day where I eat more food(whatever I want) and refuel. I do not understand the scientific information on it, all I know it is working and if I want a cookie, I eat one. I don't feel deprived. Good luck to you and don't give up. For the first time in my life, I see my goal attainable, and so is yours!

I'm no expert either, but I think a 22 lb. weight loss in 4 weeks is very unhealthy. Also, any diet that restricts a specific food group is unsustainable and will most likely result in you gaining all your weight back. Even though you're eating carbs, by the time your body has reached a plateau it's already too late. It didn't take you 4 weeks to gain all your weight, so it shouldn't take you 4 weeks to lose it. Losing weight takes time and patience. Trying to incorporate good carbs like yams, brown rice, whole wheat bread will benefit you more and provide long-lasting energy so you'll never reach that plateau. Have that cookie when you want. Eat your exercise calories. Also, incorporate more fiber into your diet. Beware of psyllium as it tends to bloat you. Most importantly, don't give up. The more healthy eating habits you learn now will benefit you more in the long run - and it will be easier to keep the weight you lost off.