what am I doing wrong or being impatient?

tnorth82 · January 2012

Hi,

Im wondering where Im going wrong?:indifferent:
I have been following a new diet and fitness regime since 3rd January, and Im not seeing results. I may be a little impatient here, but if the weight isn't moving perhaps the inches ought to..... but they aren't either! Frustrating! :ohwell:

I have cut out what I call bad carbs - white bread, rice, pasta etc, Im eating fruits, veggies and protein meats like chicken and fish too. I have cut red meat out. Im eating around 1200 calories a day but burning around 300 on average a day at the gym.

My gym excercise is treadmill work - running, speed walking, uphill etc. Im also alternating with the cross trainer. I use the stepper/stair climber and row every other day or so.
I take part in body combat class (high impact cardio and strength) twice a week and body balance class once a week (yoga/pilates). I use weights minimally as I dont want bulk up.

Since 3rd Jan I have lost 3lb. I have also measure my bust, waist and hips, I have lost 1/2 inch from waist and 1 inch from bust.

Can anyone tell me where Im going wrong, I expected to see better results than this.....
or do I need to be more patient?!:grumble:

therealangd · January 2012

Im eating around 1200 calories a day but burning around 300 on average a day at the gym.

Are you eating those 300 exercise calories? If not, you should be.

It's a really hard lesson to learn, but more than likely you are going to have to eat more than 1200 calories a day if you want to lose weight.

BeckyAnneGreenGables · January 2012

Slow and steady wins the race. You're down three pounds in two weeks--that's a great, sustainable weight loss rate. You're laying a good foundation of eating right and exercising. It's discouraging, I know, when others post about losing eight pounds in a week; hang in these. My motto is "Lose it slowly, and it's good for good. Lose it quickly, and it returns as quick."

snookumss · January 2012

YOU'VE LOST 3LBS!?! You are doing REALLY well. Relax and appreciate that difference

bert16 · January 2012

You've lost 3 lb in less than 2 weeks... What makes you think you're doing something wrong? That's really great progress. Additionally, propel can provide much more meaningful help if you mark your MFP diary public...

Best of luck to you!

lin7604 · January 2012

i've onlylost 4 lbs since mid NOV!!!! so be patient and thankful!!!

castadiva · January 2012

therealangd is right. And do give it a bit longer - two weeks is not very long, and the body is not designed to want to lose weight - it's designed to hang on to what it sees as valuable resources. It may take a few more weeks to start to see the results you want. Bear in mind as well that the optimal per week weight loss is generally held to be between 1 and 2lb as a maximum, so you're pretty well on-track.

theoneandonlybrookie · January 2012

So first of all, great job on making all of your lifestyle changes! It sounds like you're very committed.

Second, three lbs gone is great. Losing more than 2lbs a week is unhealthy and 1lb per week seems to be the average. You're losing weight at a healthy pace.

I can't see your diary so I can't offer more advice. I will add that you should make sure your calories burned estimates are correct. Are you using a heart rate monitor? I have found the numbers on the machines and this database to be high.

Also, this might be controversial, but lifting light weights but doing many reps won't bulk you up. It will just build muscle which will in turn help you burn way more calories.

Anyway, good luck and keep it up!

kenyonsmom10 · January 2012

Im eating around 1200 calories a day but burning around 300 on average a day at the gym.

Are you eating those 300 exercise calories? If not, you should be.

It's a really hard lesson to learn, but more than likely you are going to have to eat more than 1200 calories a day if you want to lose weight.

Couldn't say it better..... your NET CALORIES should never be less than 1200...... your body needs a minimum of that much to even function.......

clur85 · January 2012

Since 3rd Jan I have lost 3lb. I have also measure my bust, waist and hips, I have lost 1/2 inch from waist and 1 inch from bust.

Can anyone tell me where Im going wrong, I expected to see better results than this.....
or do I need to be more patient?!:grumble:

Yeah.. you're doing nothing wrong. 3lb in two weeks is great. and losing inches is also great. Have you done faddy diets in the past where you see several pounds loss a week? If so, that's not the way to go. Chill out, be patient, you're doing great.

tnorth82 · January 2012

thanks for the info guys! :happy:
I think I see people losing 3 per week and think I should be doing that?!:noway:

:huh: I didn't realise I was supposed to eat the exercise cals back? I really need to be eating 1500 per day then.....

Suppose I should give myself a talking to and stop being so impatient LOL

Thanks for the support:flowerforyou:

sasab904 · January 2012

3 lbs in two week is great! I would recommend adding a few days of strength in there and add some interval training in. Weights will help you build muscle, not bulk, which will help you burn fat. Losing the weight slowly will help keep it off! Keep up the good work and try not to get discouraged.

kirstyg1980 · January 2012

you need to eat 1200 NET calories a day

so eat back your exercise calories

I made that mistake for 6 months and although I built muscle etc I didn't loose any weight

within the first week, close to 2 weeks of eating 1200 NET calories I have lost nearly 6lbs (stepped on scale this morning and looks like I've lost 5lb, since last wednesday, wednesday official weigh in day so not logging till then)

ash190489 · January 2012

Hey there,
Well done on losing 3 lbs and more importantly inches!! However I know exactly how it feels to have altered your diet and work really hard at the gym and not see more results! I get very frustrated and impatient and I frequently used to just think "This is too hard, stuff this!" but this time I am trying really really hard to stay on track and thinking more positively. In altering my diet I have cut down my portion sizes and I am trying to make better choices i.e. multigrain bread instead of white, salad as a side dish instead of the Continential side dishes you can purchase. I haven't cut out any food groups, I still eat pasta, bread & chocolate! I started on the 4th of January and also booted my exercise up... I have lost 7 lbs.
Hang in there. We can do it!
:-)

BrendaS78 · January 2012

Hang in there! I have only lost 1 pound in 2 weeks! My workouts seem similar to yours--burning about 300 cals per day. I am consistently eating less then 1200 cals and it seems like would be hard to make myself eat any more...but what I am hearing from alot of people is that you really need to eat the cals that MFP directs each day--including eating back the exercise cals...I'm gonna give it a try! Good luck to you!

bird922 · January 2012

You're just being a little impatient and I understand that feeling completely! I started the day after Christmas and have exercised everyday except one. I have eaten close to my calorie allotment everyday. I have lost a total of 4 pounds as of today. I keep reminding myself that it is real weight loss, not the weight loss I would occasionally experience because I basically fasted for a day...keep doing what your doing, and be sure to eat your calories. Seems counter-intuitive, but I finally understand that is how our bodies work. Your doing great, don't give up!

tnorth82 · January 2012

Hang in there! I have only lost 1 pound in 2 weeks! My workouts seem similar to yours--burning about 300 cals per day. I am consistently eating less then 1200 cals and it seems like would be hard to make myself eat any more...but what I am hearing from alot of people is that you really need to eat the cals that MFP directs each day--including eating back the exercise cals...I'm gonna give it a try! Good luck to you!

I find it hard to eat my calories too - this is why I could never do Weight Watchers successfully as I could not eat all of my points.

ChristineS_51 · January 2012

Sounds like the only thing you are doing wrong is being too hard on yourself and being impatient - you ARE losing weight; you ARE losing inches - so you are doing very well. A weight loss of about 500g (1 lb) a week is said to be healthy and a good loss to aim for - so you are doing everything right!

lagcrg · January 2012

You are doing great!! I recommend setting your MFP to meet your work out status and try to eat the Calories that they bring up for you as they are already taking away some calories from your maintenance amount.. they may want you to eat more than 1200 cals but the # will go down as your weight and measurements change. I had to learn this and it has helped to just follow the suggestions. Keep your goals small and you will see more progress...Good luck

piebird79 · January 2012

Losing 3 pounds in 2 weeks (i.e. 1.5 pounds per week) is great. I think you should eat back your calories. Ultimately you may need to eat more than 1200 calories as well. I'd lift weights as well. Muscle burns more calories resting than fat burns. You're not going to bulk-up unless you're one of the rare women genetically predispositioned to do so. There are several lifting groups for women on MFP. You might check them out for other women's experiences lifting.

what am I doing wrong or being impatient?

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