is it all pointless?

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jmvmisc24
jmvmisc24 Posts: 85 Member
in Motivation and Support
is really frustrated i am counting calories, eating healthier, exercising five days a week 30 minutes a day or more. I drop five pounds over last few weeks now i have gained it all back. wth? this is starting to seem pointless.

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  • Mandizzlelephant
    Mandizzlelephant Posts: 33
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    if you're working out it could be muscle
  • chelseaalicia
    chelseaalicia Posts: 164 Member
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    Has your diet changed at all? What time of day you weigh yourself can make a difference, or an excess of sodium can make you hold on to 2-3lbs of water. And agreed with the muscle suggestion- I went through a time when while I thought I didn't lose any weight, I had lost 3lbs of fat and put on 3lbs of muscle- there are lots of variables, just keep exercising and eating well!
  • melaniecheeks
    melaniecheeks Posts: 6,349 Member
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    When did you start? What was your start weight and what is your goal weight? How many calories a day are you eating? What sort of exercise are you doing?

    It can take your body a few weeks to adjust to a new routine and regime, so I'd say you're expecting too much too soon.
  • JansterL
    JansterL Posts: 28 Member
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    What time of the month is it?

    I gain or lose 5 lbs every time my 'monthly' comes around. Water weight gain, bloating....the whole kit-n-kaboodle. So anytime near the first week to the week after.....I have to ignore my scale!!
  • getfitnfab
    getfitnfab Posts: 418 Member
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    Too short a time frame

    Who are you quitting on? Yourself? Why?

    Do it as a lifestyle change, do it for yourself, it is a learning process

    Takes a while to stop being slave to the weight

    Learn about your body

    Are you the type that builds muscle

    How are your clothes fitting

    How's your eating

    Did you eat Chinese? This causes a 3 to 5 pound gain on the scale, water weight

    TOM causes a 2 pound gain for me, earlier it used to be 5 pounds

    Do not give up on yourself

    Keep adding on your good habits
  • ironanimal
    ironanimal Posts: 5,922 Member
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    Guessing you're eating really low and exercising hard. Eat your exercise calories - your body had a basic level of Net calories it needs to function properly. Net Cals = Intake - Exercise Calories Burnt. You need to Net 1200, so if you burn 800 on exercise in a day, you need to eat 2000.

    Patience, padawan.
  • thefuzz1290
    thefuzz1290 Posts: 777 Member
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    Also don't be concerned about the number on the scale. Use a tape measure and measure inches. I'm 211lbs right now with a 44" waist, but if I was 211lbs with a 34" waist I'd be considered fit. Use the mirror and inches :).
  • MaximalLife
    MaximalLife Posts: 2,447 Member
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    is really frustrated i am counting calories, eating healthier, exercising five days a week 30 minutes a day or more. I drop five pounds over last few weeks now i have gained it all back. wth? this is starting to seem pointless.
    Are you eating enough? And could the weight gain be muscle? Anyway, track bodyfat as well - here for free:
    http://www.scientificpsychic.com/fitness/diet.html

    But the nut of the matter can't be addressed until we know more. I suspect - just a hunch - that you're not eating enough, and your body has down regulated your metabolism.

    How many calories are you eating?
    How much weight per week are you trying to lose.
    Are you exercising and eating back your exercise calories?

    Simply stated MFP has already figured out your total calories you need to eat per day to lose 1lb etc. a week.
    That's WITHOUT exercise. You'll notice that when you actually add exercise in, the calorie limit goes up.
    Why? Because it's telling you to eat your exercise calories.
    Large deficits aren't really good to do because while you will lose weight, what kind of weight will it be?
    In many cases you'll lose lean muscle tissue which LOWERS your metabolic rate even more.
    Then you have to eat even less to compensate for less of a calorie burn to continue to lose the same amount of weight each week.

    Be efficient.
    Exercise hard and eat back the calories. The hard exercise will RAISE your metabolic rate and burn more fat at rest.
  • LethaSue
    LethaSue Posts: 285 Member
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    If you weight every day it will go up and down and then down again and eventually it will keep getting alittle lower and eventually it will not get back to the orginal number it was any more. For example lets say you start at 200 then day 1... 202...day 2...202 day 3 200.... day 4...... 201.... day 5..... 204.... day 6 ..........203......... day 7 199 day 8......... 202 day 9......... 198 day 10 199
    day 11 ....197
    day 12....197
    day 13...198
    day 14 ....195
    day 15....198
    day 16... 197
    day 17... 194
    day 18... 196
    day 19... 193
    day 20... 195
    Now you would be getting to a point where it would not jump back to 200 again and you are losing but it gets frustrating to look at it every day because you can get down on the weight loss. Its there, it is just if you have not eliminated what you have eaten or if you are holding water its not going to show drastic weight loss. Give it a few days to drop off and eventually it will get where it doesnt ever hit on the lowest number again. Feel like you are not losing but it is dropping amd dropping. Go by how you feel and how great your clothes are starting to feel, and just give it some time to gradually drop, it will.
  • jmvmisc24
    jmvmisc24 Posts: 85 Member
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    I am eating between 1300 to 1400 calories a day six times a day. And if i eat after exercise it is always fruit an banana, apple, something healthy and i get full real easily after that.
  • MaximalLife
    MaximalLife Posts: 2,447 Member
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    I am eating between 1300 to 1400 calories a day six times a day. And if i eat after exercise it is always fruit an banana, apple, something healthy and i get full real easily after that.
    Just keep punching and doing the next right thing, and good things will start to happen.
    All Is Possible!
  • justanotherbrickinthewall
    justanotherbrickinthewall Posts: 156 Member
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    You could be gaining muscle. Make sure you're getting enough calories also. Huge deficits are pointless and will cause your body to go into starvation. Everyone has plateaus in their weight loss journey, but you just have to work hard to get over them.

    Being healthy is never pointless.
  • reddi2roll
    reddi2roll Posts: 356 Member
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    Give it more time and maybe only exercise every other day. You need to take a break from exercise routines. Even when you go to therapy they do not exercise more than 2 days in a row. I know that you are in therapy because of an injury and you don't have one but I think the break idea is a good one to give your muscles a chance to recover.

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