So you've logged consistently and exercise and at weigh in .

mustnothrowcantelopes · January 2012

I don't understand. I want to cry and bang my head against the wall. I *just* got back on MFP after a 5 month hiatus. I've been consistently logging for over a week and I thought I was being more or less accurate with my measurements. I've been doing a lot of walking and I even tried ice skating for the first time since I was 13. All my hard work, only to be rewarded today with having gained 3lbs and from what?! This is the kind of ****** that makes it incredibly difficult to keep up with MFP. When I don't log, sit at home and do nothing, I end up losing weight and when I do log and am active I gain weight, so what is the point exactly? I was feeling proud and I now I feel like ugly and hopeless. I was hoping to be at 185 -190 by Feb. 17th and now I feel like it's never going to happen. I feel like no matter what I do, my body is determined to ****** me over so what is the point of even trying if effort gets me the opposite of results? Seriously. I just want to not log today and gorge myself on chocolate all day. I don't think I'm going to do that really, but the desire is strong.

I'm not sure where or how I went wrong. The only thing I can think of is that every time I did walking that I shouldn't have logged it as exercise and in actuality I ended up going over or maybe I ate back too much of my exercise calories? Maybe the calories burned for X amount of exercise on here are way off. There's no way to know for sure unless I purchase a heart rate monitor and take it with me everywhere, but I don't really know how much those cost and wearing one everywhere I traveled would make me feel really self conscious.

Does anyone know how accurate the exercise /calorie burning ratio on here is?

ansonrinesmith · January 2012

1) don't expect to lose weight in a week and it still be healthy for you
2) If you set your goals to -2lbs a week, that is 1000 calories a day + exercise. MFP may not be 100% accurate, but it's closer than that.
3) Women gain and lose weight as they go through the cycle. One week is not a good gauge of how you are doing.
4) Share your diary, it's amazing how much more attention I pay to detail and not going over, when I know others can view it.
5) Have a piece of chocolate. Being healthy doesn't have to mean denying yourself things you enjoy. Don't have more than a serving and log it!

mustnothrowcantelopes · January 2012

1) I just don't understand how I can lose 2lbs by doing nothing one week and then actually watch my calories and exercise only to gain weight the next.

2) I'm afraid I won't be able to handle 1000 calories a day. I generally don't exercise, I was just running around a lot that week. I honestly can barely handle 1400 without going over as is.

3) If you're referring to the menstrual cycle, I don't get mine at all, so it doesn't really apply.

4) I do share my diary with people on my friends list. I don't feel comfortable at all with making it public.

cmriverside · January 2012

I don't think it's possible to know what the problem is, from our end.

You just have to do your research, be honest, keep doing the right things, and don't expect huge changes every week.

You can do it! All the info is here, you just have to figure out how to use the tools to your advantage.

mandylanerocks · January 2012

girl, I KNOW how you feel exactly. I've been working at trying to eat better & exercise (almost) everyday! but it is hard to do it.
I was talking to my friend from work about not losing any weight & gaining a few pounds back that I did lose & she just reassured me that it takes time. I know she is right & so is everyone that has posted. IT TAKES TIME. everything that is worth it in the end takes time.
just reading your struggles has made ME feel better. I hope that you know that you are not alone. I'm at the same place you are. I'm so frustrated that I can't lose weight as quickly as I'd like! But ya know, I AM going to keep going. I might be a bit off on my goals (I want to lose about 40 pounds by May/June) but I WILL make it!!

you can too!
I have a treadmill that I got for Christmas & I put a bunch of motivational photos right in front of it!
JUST HANG IN THERE!
& add me as a friend

soniaa777 · January 2012

maybe lower ur calories by 100 or 200 and see what happens. maybe ur gaining muscle or water weight

mandylanerocks · January 2012

also, I wanted to add that I know that I am drinking MUCH more water & eating "better" calories, like fruit & veggies. so I know that can probably effect weight too. when my body was so used to eats carbs (I LOVE NOODLES!) & dairy (I LOVE CHEESE) & things like that....

opher · January 2012

As said above, you can't expect your weight to go in a straight downward line no matter what. Depending on things like how much salt you had, or how long you slept last night, or any of a dozen other things, your body may retain more water today than it did yesterday, increasing your weight by a couple of pounds.

Next, a good heart rate monitor (I use the Polar FT7) can be purchased for about $70 these days (e.g. from HeartRateMonitorsUSA.com). You don't need to wear it all the time, just when you exercise. For that, feeling self-conscious is actually a good thing.

Next, start exercising more than simply running around. While 80% of weight-loss is about what and how much you eat, the 20% of exercise is critical. That's what keeps your metabolism revved up so your body doesn't become more efficient at getting through the day with fewer calories burned. Also, working out will build muscles which will increase how many calories your body burns even at rest.

Finally, and most important, don't give up. Showing up is half the way to success.

taso42 · January 2012

Don't get discouraged by the scale #. It's quite normal to gain weight after starting up exercise after a break.

In your heart of hearts, if you know you're doing things right, you will get healthier and leaner. You have to believe in yourself and believe in your program.

Open your diary

Have you seen some of the threads here where people have only lost a few lbs of scale weight (or even gained) but now look sensational because their body composition has changed for the better?

Here's one
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/459290-stop-basing-your-success-on-that-scale-pics
There are a lot more like her.

Also, check out Staci...
http://nerdfitness.com/blog/2011/07/21/meet-staci-your-new-powerlifting-super-hero/

KatieJane83 · January 2012

You've only been going for 1 WEEK. You need to relax, and give it a little time. Getting this frustrated after only a week is not how you need to look at this. During my weight loss I plateaued for 5 weeks, not a single change on the scale. In the end, I still lost 64 lbs.

Give it a month or two, log EVERYTHING, and be completely honest with yourself and mfp. If, after that time, you're still maintaining/gaining, then it's time to look at maybe playing with your numbers, trying different workouts, etc.

Patience is key!!

cressievargo · January 2012

I would also look at what makes up your calories...it's mostly carbs? How much protein are you taking in?

Those can make a huge difference, in all honesty. More protein will keep you fuller longer - which will in turn help you stay under those calories.

And I'm not trying to be rude - but are you venting on here or asking for help? Because if you want the help and want it to be beneficial - open up your food diary. There will probably be people that make snide comments - some people are rude - but most people will genuinely TRY to help you and give you insight...

tecallahan · January 2012

Check you nutrition -- are you eating 1400 calories that's a lot of sugar or empty calories? Or is the 1400 calories good nutritious food? I've heard of people actually having malnutrition but eating lots of "bad" calories - like sugary snacks, candy, ice cream, french fries, donuts, etc. So, just because you stay at low calorie, you might not lose weight if you aren't fueling your body correctly. We can't see your diary, so I'm not saying you eat bad :flowerforyou: but maybe you should look at how much sugar, sodium, etc. you are consuming. Just a thought!!

LHSweeney · January 2012

Jeeeez Relax It is NOT a quick fix. It isn't a race. For me, it took a good 30 days of cardio, strength training, and logging on MFP (and on average,meeting the calorie goal -100) before I started seeing any changes .... I had bad days one time I ate 2500 cals in a day and felt like crap, but forced myself to log everything anyway; those bad days teach you a lot !! I don't share my diary with anyone because this is my battle not theirs. When I want advice I ask and when I need to do better I read up on nutrition and try new healthy foods. Take out that frustration on a treadmill or bike or after work walk ...... IDK but stop freaking out ....

applekoko19 · January 2012

Hey I would say try again but don't eat back your exercise calories at all... The calories burned estimates on MFP are way off the Mark. Stick with it and best of luck!

fae14 · January 2012

Be patient, be diligent. As others have said, it really does take time.

Keep exercising. When you're frustrated, exercise. When you're in a bad mood, exercise. When you're in a good mood, exercise. Just keep at it.

I'm watching my scale go up and down every day and yet I still have not technically lost a pound. (I gained 4lbs right after I joined MFP.) It happens. Just don't give up.

If you have too much salt in your diet, you're going to retain water and your weight will go up. To fix this, drink more water. Also, if you're doing a lot of strength and muscle building, you're going to gain weight before you lose weight. Muscle is more dense and thus heavier than fat. The good news is, muscle also has a higher caloric maintenance (meaning, having muscle burns more calories at rest than not having it).

There are hundreds of reasons that you could be gaining and not losing. Your best bet, quite honestly, is to take your measurements and stop worrying about the scale so much. Scales are liars. (Muscle is heavier than fat, comes into play here.) Your measurements are what matter.

Hang in there. *hugs*

rayleansout · January 2012

First - Dont quit!! Sometimes you just have to tweak a few things, Here are some things that have worked for me.

Set your goal weight loss to 1.5 pounds per week.
Eat to within 100 under your calorie intake,
excercize at least 30 minutes 5 times per week
Eat back 90% of those calories
Break your meals up to five feedings / day,
Track your sodium and keep it under 1200 daily,
Up your protein,
Lower your carbs
Measure every week - weigh every two

WATCH BODY FAT FALL OFF!!!

So you've logged consistently and exercise and at weigh in .

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