I don't get what I am doing wrong !!

tabinmaine
tabinmaine Posts: 965 Member
edited November 9 in Health and Weight Loss
UGH, only lost 1lb in the past 2 wks, what the heck am I doing wrong ?

I have exercised HARD about 10x in the past 2 wks and ate at or under my calorie goals. I even ran 3 miles, lifted weights and swam for a hour on Sunday.... it's not like I am not committed or cheating at all. I usually eat most of my exercise calories back.

I am working hard and eating well ...... I just don't get it ! Please feel free to look at my diary if that helps...

Another note, I don't just have 10lbs to lose, I have about 70lbs to lose, so you would think it would be coming off faster !

Replies

  • jojo7218
    jojo7218 Posts: 13
    I am right there with you....down 8 pounds in 3 weeks, been the same for 2 weeks and have upped my workouts to 2x a week. I'm even doing low cal veggie soup alone for lunches. =( Nothing. Not in measurements or on the scale. I know I need to up my water intake - so hard when I'm working - but I've been below my calories daily! If you figure it out - let me know! Friend requesting you.. .
  • donna9089
    donna9089 Posts: 87
    Hi ladies.

    I am by no means an expert on the subject or I would not have my own problems. However, when I was on a doctor supervised weight loss program previously, doc said do not eat for at least 2-3 hours before you go to bed and keep carbs to a minimum at night and eat within 30 min of getting up in the am. Also, drink plenty of water and watch sodium intake. I try to intake at least 100 oz a day. I am just getting started on here, but I do find the food diary helpful. I believe that my problem was, I do not eat enough. For example last Monday, I only consumed 1047 calories and that is well below what I should take in on workout days.

    Most important...do not give up! :flowerforyou:
  • lsirelan
    lsirelan Posts: 44 Member
    You are doing great! Don't get discouraged. Maybe you are at a plateau. I have been doing the Belly Fat Cure diet for 20 days and have lost 11.5 lbs. - it is easy to follow, esp. by using this site. I set my goal to 15g sugar a day and carbs less than 165. Since you keep the sugar down, the carbs and calories follow suit. I have not exercised at all. I did cut out all drinks except coffee with Truvia and water. My skin has cleared up and I have lost almost 2 full sizes already. Try it - it's easy and not that restrictive!
  • cppeace
    cppeace Posts: 764 Member
    if you've increased or began new exercise it can mess with your losses after the second sometimes even the third week too. Just keep at it for least 2 more weeks before changing calories or exercise. The increased exercise can make you muscles retain water. Do make sure you try and stay under the 2500 mg sodium and drink plenty of water. For now thats my best advice. If after two more weeks your still not losing a pound or more a week then it's time to see what in your diet could be making your body hold onto the fat.
    Best of luck and feel free to friend me
    we all go through droughts in the weight loss. Just keep pushing.
    Kimmy
  • SwankyTomato
    SwankyTomato Posts: 442 Member
    What about sleep? Are you tired? Are you drinking water? Do you have any medical issues that you do not know about like high blood pressure or borderline diabetes? Thyroid?

    If you have a primary doctor and have not had a recent bloodwork, I recommend that you get in there and get some things checked out.

    If you have already done that then just give it time. Keep at it.
  • bwestfall03
    bwestfall03 Posts: 9 Member
    One thing that has helped me in the past it to increase calories for a week. It jacks up the metabolizm and sometimes gets the scale moving again. Another thing is by lifting weights your are building muscle, Muscle weighs more that fat so be sure to check your measurements as well. Sometimes the scale can be a crappy indicator of your progress.
  • tabinmaine
    tabinmaine Posts: 965 Member
    I am not tired, well no more than usual, I do sleep a solid 7-8hrs each night. I drink a ton of water, don't always log it in my diary though... like 8-12 glasses daily

    I have been lifting weights, and while I don't think it's "muscle" per say . It might be water retention building and repairing the muscle damage I have done. The sodium has been high some days but not out of control, neither has carbs or sugar, usually under my goal on those...

    I have been eating later than normal but that's because I have had to change my workout time from 4pm to 6pm, so I don't have supper till I get home, can't run with much in my stomach

    It's just disheartening, the first 10 lbs fell off of me..... ugh.....
  • jojo7218
    jojo7218 Posts: 13
    Tab -
    Don't give up on it - Like I said, i am right there too. Especially when I see my DH on Atkins melting them off at 19 pounds in 4 weeks! Ugh!
    We have to keep telling oureselves taht our body knows best, and when we add working out etc...it has to compensate a while. Look at the big picture and what you've done already. A friend told me this morning - if I could lose 8 in 4 weeks (even stalled at that for 2 weeks) in another month, I should be down 16 and a pant size at least.
    I'm going to up my water intake to keep trying - maybe you can split your meals - a salad or something lite before workout - then something else light when you get home since its late.
  • nmoreland
    nmoreland Posts: 183 Member
    I have recently gotten back into working out and paying attention to my calories. The first couple weeks, I lost a few pounds with cardio. Once I added in weight lifting, I have actually gone back up to what I started at. It is disheartening, but it is because of the weight lifting, and also happens when a new work out of any kind is introduced.

    In general, our bodies have to adjust to new foods and activities, and sometimes those adjustment perioids will not reflect in our numbers. I tell myself that when looking in the mirror sometimes while trying to picture my insides repairing itself. =)
  • suavequeen
    suavequeen Posts: 273 Member
    Check out this article.. its great and may shed some light.. http://www.musclebombshell.com/angelique-kronebusch/why-the-weight-wont-come-off
  • astrampe
    astrampe Posts: 2,169 Member
    Timing is NOT critical in any diet...otherwise all shiftworkers would be hideously obese...As long as you eat within your calorie range, it does not matter when you eat...It works for me to spread my eating over the whole day with snacks and smaller meals...Make sure you eat enough if you exercise
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,451 Member
    It's common to lose quite a bit at first and then gain some of it back. Just keep doing what you are doing, it is going to work. You have a great grasp on the concepts and the tools.

    Just keep it up. You'll see results, honest. Plateaus are common as your body adjusts and readjusts.
  • garbanzalo
    garbanzalo Posts: 61 Member
    The first 10 lbs. fell off quickly because of water loss as your body used up stored glycogen that bonds with water.

    As you start working out, the weight loss will slow down a bit and move ahead in fits and starts. You need to monitor other things like your physical measurements, heart rate while exercising and overall fitness level.

    The highest weight loss comes from the intensity, not the duration of a workout. Running at 8mph for 20 mins is way better than walking at 4mph for an hour since your body will continue burning calories for a longer time, long after you get off that treadmill.
  • mstrohbusch
    mstrohbusch Posts: 4 Member
    Consider this a good sign. Exercising will add good weight and your net pounds will go up for a time. Stick with it and your body composition will begin to change and the weight trend will turn downward again. The same thing happened to me for a month and now I'm at 31 pounds lost.
  • hbiffle
    hbiffle Posts: 154 Member
    You are doing great! Don't get discouraged. Maybe you are at a plateau. I have been doing the Belly Fat Cure diet for 20 days and have lost 11.5 lbs. - it is easy to follow, esp. by using this site. I set my goal to 15g sugar a day and carbs less than 165. Since you keep the sugar down, the carbs and calories follow suit. I have not exercised at all. I did cut out all drinks except coffee with Truvia and water. My skin has cleared up and I have lost almost 2 full sizes already. Try it - it's easy and not that restrictive!

    What is the Belly Fat Cure diet??
  • deblc6836
    deblc6836 Posts: 59
    I have been using the zig-zag calorie calculator at freedieting.com, overriding MFP's calculator -- it takes into account a certain amount of exercise for the week (which for me is "intense exercise" 5 times/week, and it simply defines "intense exercise" as something that raises your heart rate and lasts for an hour or more). This calculator gave me significantly higher calories, and I finally pushed past a plateau. It was hard to allow myself to eat so much more, but it has paid off. Since the calculator takes exercise into account, I do not eat back any of my exercise calories. I really think I've been sabotaging my metabolism for years by not eating enough.
  • jimmie25
    jimmie25 Posts: 266
    Muscles weigh more than fat, if you've just recently started working out more intensively, that might mean that your building up muscle while you're losing the fat. Also, make sure you're eating ENOUGH. If you work out a lot, eating only 1200 kcals per day is not enough and will make your body go into starvation mode and make your metabolism slow down. means your holds on to every little thing it gets.
  • Supermel
    Supermel Posts: 612 Member
    You could be losing inches :) Don't forget to track mesaurements. :) Good luck.
  • tabinmaine
    tabinmaine Posts: 965 Member
    After reading about "spike days" and keeping yourself out of starvation mode I gave myself a treat and went out and had McDonald's for lunch, have not eaten anything like that in 10 wks. I don't think I have been starving myself as my maintain weight is 2000 cal.
    I have been consuming bwtween 1200-1600 most days....

    I am gong to the pool tonight to swim for a hour so will earn 600 calories back to eat for supper.

    I agree that it does not matter what time of day you eat your calories, it's calories in vs out... you can eat nothing all day long and then eat 1400 calories between 7-9pm and still lose weight so I don't think that eating later in the day is my issue, plus it's only 2hrs later, not 6 or something.

    I am going to keep going, had a minor meltdown today, maybe I needed that Big Mac ;) hahaha, off to swim...... --
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