Slow weightloss?
sherrirb
Posts: 1,649 Member
I've been seeing post after post on the message boards that people are saying they are doing everything right and not seeing any loss. Exercising, eating within their calories, logging food... but they are not telling the whole story.
If you are experiencing this, here are some of the things you need to consider:
**I know I'm not an expert, just suggestions based on the knowledge I've accumulated so far. Please feel free to comment, give your opinion or add more info if you think I've missed something**
Increasing protein while removing more of the processed foods from your diet. Not going "low carb" but just focus more on foods that will help you feel fuller and build lean muscle, which helps you burn more calories.
Drink LOTS of water, at the very minimum, 64oz a day.
More veggies, especially those that are high in fiber. Aids in digestion and in weight loss. Rule of thumb, the deeper/darker the color the better it is for you.
Are you still drinking soda/pop? Stop, even if it is diet, at least for a week. Soda and processed foods are REALLY high in sodium which can cause you to retain water that can alter your weight loss progress.
Try playing around a little with your calories. If you are set to eat 1400cal drop down to 1200-1300 calories for a few days to see if that helps change things. If you dont notice anything within a week, go the other direction. MFP offers a general plan but it has to be tweaked sometimes and your body cuz every body is different.
Eat less, more often. Have smaller meals but then introduce between-meal snacks so that your body is always working to digest food, which burns calories (increases metabolism).
Do not eat large meals late in the evening. If you go to bed at 9pm, dont eat after 6pm, except for a small snack. Also, try a 10min mini-workout an hour or so before bed. Nothing major, but like some weight training with 5lbs weights, enough to get your heart rate up a little and blood flowing. This will raise your metabolism slightly to continue digesting your last meal.
Weight loss plateaus are a bit different.
If you have been losing and losing and then see no loss for a week, 2 weeks.. a month. This is normal. You have to jump start your weight loss by changing things. Sorta how P90X describes it as "muscle confusion". You have to confuse your body because you've been eating the same way and exercising the same way for weeks or months and your body has now adjusted to that. Now you have to try to something different: eat more, or less.. switch to a different workout routine that may target different parts of your body than what you have been doing all this time.
If you are experiencing this, here are some of the things you need to consider:
**I know I'm not an expert, just suggestions based on the knowledge I've accumulated so far. Please feel free to comment, give your opinion or add more info if you think I've missed something**
Increasing protein while removing more of the processed foods from your diet. Not going "low carb" but just focus more on foods that will help you feel fuller and build lean muscle, which helps you burn more calories.
Drink LOTS of water, at the very minimum, 64oz a day.
More veggies, especially those that are high in fiber. Aids in digestion and in weight loss. Rule of thumb, the deeper/darker the color the better it is for you.
Are you still drinking soda/pop? Stop, even if it is diet, at least for a week. Soda and processed foods are REALLY high in sodium which can cause you to retain water that can alter your weight loss progress.
Try playing around a little with your calories. If you are set to eat 1400cal drop down to 1200-1300 calories for a few days to see if that helps change things. If you dont notice anything within a week, go the other direction. MFP offers a general plan but it has to be tweaked sometimes and your body cuz every body is different.
Eat less, more often. Have smaller meals but then introduce between-meal snacks so that your body is always working to digest food, which burns calories (increases metabolism).
Do not eat large meals late in the evening. If you go to bed at 9pm, dont eat after 6pm, except for a small snack. Also, try a 10min mini-workout an hour or so before bed. Nothing major, but like some weight training with 5lbs weights, enough to get your heart rate up a little and blood flowing. This will raise your metabolism slightly to continue digesting your last meal.
Weight loss plateaus are a bit different.
If you have been losing and losing and then see no loss for a week, 2 weeks.. a month. This is normal. You have to jump start your weight loss by changing things. Sorta how P90X describes it as "muscle confusion". You have to confuse your body because you've been eating the same way and exercising the same way for weeks or months and your body has now adjusted to that. Now you have to try to something different: eat more, or less.. switch to a different workout routine that may target different parts of your body than what you have been doing all this time.
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Replies
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Good tips, sherrib.
I've got another:
If you honestly try these things (and give them a sporting chance) and still it seems like NOTHING is working for you, you may want to go see an Endocrinologist. I had a similar experience, where it seemed like absolutely nothing would work except simply stopping eating (which I did for a long time, but I've overcome that now) and it turns out I have PCOS with insulin resistance. I'm not diabetic (nor even pre-diabetic), but basically all of my hormones are all out of whack in a vicious cycle that makes it nearly impossible for me to lose weight unless I am on a medication. Of note, when I was initially put on the medication I lost FORTY POUNDS in about 3 months without changing any eating or exercising habits in the slightest. So, that tells me it wasn't anything I was doing "wrong" as much as it was a condition I have over which I have no control without medication.
I'm not saying everyone who isn't losing weight has some sort of health condition, I'm just saying that's what happened to me and it may be worth looking into.0 -
Good tips, sherrib.
I've got another:
If you honestly try these things (and give them a sporting chance) and still it seems like NOTHING is working for you, you may want to go see an Endocrinologist. I had a similar experience, where it seemed like absolutely nothing would work except simply stopping eating (which I did for a long time, but I've overcome that now) and it turns out I have PCOS with insulin resistance. I'm not diabetic (nor even pre-diabetic), but basically all of my hormones are all out of whack in a vicious cycle that makes it nearly impossible for me to lose weight unless I am on a medication. Of note, when I was initially put on the medication I lost FORTY POUNDS in about 3 months without changing any eating or exercising habits in the slightest. So, that tells me it wasn't anything I was doing "wrong" as much as it was a condition I have over which I have no control without medication.
I'm not saying everyone who isn't losing weight has some sort of health condition, I'm just saying that's what happened to me and it may be worth looking into.
Very good point, thank you for bringing that up. Another medical issue could be thyroid. But those are things that a doctor would need to diagnose. If all else fails, definitely see a doctor, however you should see a doctor before......(insert generic disclaimer).
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I think what a lot of people need to keep in mind that weight loss is not a fast process. A pound a week maybe two (three if you REALLY push it) is good, but more realistic when we see fractions of a pound. You're not going to drop 50 pounds in a month unless you dedicate you're entire day to exercise and eating correctly (think biggest loser and extreme makeover: weight loss edition). When they don't see the weight melt off they get discouraged and perhaps desperate for a solution to "why it isn't working". Instant gratification isn't the name of this game.0
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Audrey, I think you hit the nail on the head!0
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