Seriously?!

jaceface87
jaceface87 Posts: 35 Member
edited November 9 in Motivation and Support
Ok, so I weigh myself today and I have lost 1 lb in a month! I don't understand. I know that it could be water weight, muscle weight, random fluctuation, etc. I also know that your body has to adjust and I should be more concerned with inches lost. I have done my measurements, but after weighing myself I'm too scared to check them in fear that it will make me want to cry as well. I haven't cut my calories down to 1,325 a day and ran 3-4 miles a day for the past month just to see NO RESULTS! What have I been working so hard for? These are the results I get when I sit around eating cheetos all day! I I'm about 35 lbs from my goal weight. I'm not obese but im definitely not thin enough that my body should be clinging to this fat for dear life like it has been. I have noticed a lot of increased muscle in my legs, but surely this can't be the only reason I've lost 1 lb in a month. Please, anyone with any advice or knowledge, feel free to share! Thanks.

Replies

  • jaceface87
    jaceface87 Posts: 35 Member
    I also forgot to add that I even started watching my sodium and increased my potassium. So even though there is some water weight still I'm certain I know that my failure cannot be even half due to water retention.
  • dmouse0225
    dmouse0225 Posts: 104
    Do you eat your exercise calories. I know it sounds crazy when people say it, but try eating more. I tend to have better weight loss week's when I consume all of (or close to) my calories. Especially where you are jogging, I think eating those calories may be important. Just a thought...

    It is definitely easy to get caught up in the # on the scale... but keep it up! Just making better changes will change your body, whether or not the scale says it does!!!

    Good luck!
  • trainguy917
    trainguy917 Posts: 366 Member
    There are several explanations possible. You could have put on a pound or two of muscle, but if all you're doing is running every day, that's unlikely. You need to lift to gain muscle effectively. The thing you need to do, though, is check your measurements. I'd be shocked if you haven't lost inches.
  • misssiri
    misssiri Posts: 335 Member
    The first thing people will want to see is your food diary. Will you make it public?
  • loopybec2002
    loopybec2002 Posts: 313 Member
    In four weeks i weigh the same as when i started so i feel you. i havent cut out all my junk & i refuse to but my sodium is good I just keep telling my self that it will happen at some point it will happen. Hope it starts to work soon.
  • Crimson21
    Crimson21 Posts: 148 Member
    I'd suggest to go see a nutritionist or dietitian. If that doesn't work...go get tested to see what you thyroid is doing. You're thyroid controls your metabolism, and if you have an underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism), it's what could be causing you to not lose weight. If that's the case, there's medication that will allow you to control it, and get your metabolism back on track. But it looks to me like you're doing everything right. Don't be afraid to take your measurements! I know in my case, I ALWAYS lose inches before I lose weight.
  • Classic65Mustang
    Classic65Mustang Posts: 12 Member
    Depending on time of month and recent water intake it really can be water weight. If your not getting enough water your body will hold on to what you do have for dear life. I can easily hold on to 3-4 lbs of water that will just "drop off" when I increase my water intake or get away from certain times of the month. Could also be that you need to change up your workout routine a little as well to get over this plateau
    Good Luck!
  • gleechick609
    gleechick609 Posts: 544 Member
    It sounds like you are eating below your BMR.

    Eat 20% under your TDEE and you will have better results
  • WilliamsPeggy
    WilliamsPeggy Posts: 440 Member
    That's frustrating. :mad:
  • myopus
    myopus Posts: 321 Member
    I'm not sure if this is the problem, but running that much will burn a lot of calories, so you may be *netting* so few calories that your body is trying to hold onto what is there to keep you alive. It would be your calories eaten minus what you burn equals your net calorie intake for that day.
  • funkycamper
    funkycamper Posts: 998 Member
    Patience. Some of us are slower losers. It sucks but it is what it is and you will see progress if you keep focused.

    If I were you I'd spend some time on the forums reading about things like calorie cycling (a/k/a zig-zagging), spike days, tips on breaking plateaus, eating your exercise calories, carb intake, alternative methods to figure your calorie intake needs, etc. There's a wealth of great information on here. I'm hesitant to give specific advice as we're all different. What works for me may not work for you.

    Once you find some advice you want to follow, give it several weeks before switching to something else. A few days isn't going to give you the feedback you need to understand your body's response and what really works for you.

    Edited to add: I think it's way too early in the game to run to a doctor for lab tests. However, if you're due for a check-up anyway, it wouldn't hurt to have your doc add a thyroid check.
  • Jaded_GRL
    Jaded_GRL Posts: 42
    Just keep it up, if you are moving more then you did before and eating healthy choices then you did before then the weight will come off... for the next few weeks just focus on "NSV" NON SCALE VICTORIES. Like noticing that a shirt is fitting you looser around the mid section or on the cuffs of your arms. That your shoes seem a little big or "Stretched out". Your rings on your fingers spin around easier. Your hair has a better texture or more healthy shine. Your doing you exercise easier and ready for a little longer or harder session to burn the same calories. Oh yeah... if you don't have a Heart Rate Monitor that has a calories counter (and uses a chest strap) then get one!!! The calories burned are important to enter correctly.
  • MyaPapaya75
    MyaPapaya75 Posts: 3,143 Member
    with your food diary private ..its anyone guess
  • russellma
    russellma Posts: 284 Member
    Do you eat your exercise calories. I know it sounds crazy when people say it, but try eating more. I tend to have better weight loss week's when I consume all of (or close to) my calories. Especially where you are jogging, I think eating those calories may be important. Just a thought...

    It is definitely easy to get caught up in the # on the scale... but keep it up! Just making better changes will change your body, whether or not the scale says it does!!!

    Good luck!

    I agree with this. I really didn't start making progress until I started eating more than MFPs recommended 1200 calories AND eating back most of my exercise calories, so now I get to enjoy 1500-1600 calories AND enjoy weight loss. It's a win-win!

    I don't know if it works for everyone, but it can't hurt to try it for a few weeks and see if it works for you. Good luck! :smile:
  • KavemanKarg
    KavemanKarg Posts: 266
    This complaint seemst to be a recurring theme in the calories in = calories out forums of MFP.

    I have never seen it in any primal or paleo forums. Perhaps its not the calories you are eating but the food choices.
  • maryjay51
    maryjay51 Posts: 742
    i been through plateaus the past two years during my 80lb weight loss. best advice i have for you is to change your workouts ..change your diet around.. then you will see a change. your body gets used to daily routines and adjusts to it and thats when you see the plateau. trick your body and let it say ''hey wait a minute what is going on here'... then it has to work harder to keep up the new change and you will lose weight again .

    i was doing same cardios and weights all year this year and same diet..i switched up the diet , changed my trainer because he refused to change his course of workout for me ..i went from heavy weight training to functional training and took up some cardio blast classes like Body Combat.. in ten days i lost 4lbs.. my body doesnt know what to think these days lol thats a good thing
  • Athenaviolet
    Athenaviolet Posts: 14
    That last thing you want to do is stop. Are you putting everything into your diary? I mean from the two altoids to the one cough drop. Those little calories really add up. I find that I need to log everything!!!! That is why I have the app for MFP. I look up the calories first and if it is reasonable, I then log it into my phone. The last step is to eat the item.
  • jaceface87
    jaceface87 Posts: 35 Member
    Yes I do use a heart monitor and I make sure to eat all of my exercise calories back. I got a gym pass and swam one day instead of running. I also started 30DS but was so sore afterwards I couldnt do it the next 3 days because I was doing good to barely walk. I run a lot because I enjoy it and it's a great stres reliever for me. So, running is definitely not something I want to not do everyday. I think I'm going to take some of this advice and start doing more strength training and see if that helps. MFP put me at 1200 cals/day but I roughly figured out that my REE for my goal weight is 1350 So I upped my calorie intake and ALWAYS eat my exercise calories. I seldom feel hungry at this calorie level so I don't think it is calorie deficit causing the lack of weight loss.

    Hypothyroid does run in my family, but I was checked for it afew years ago and the test came out negative.

    I think I will make myself drink more water even though I drink atleast 5-10 glasses a day depending on how much I exercised and add in some strength training. If this fails as well, then I suppose it's time for me to see a physician. Thanks for all the help! It is very appreciated!
  • anzi888
    anzi888 Posts: 102 Member
    Frustrating, but don't give up! .. Last year when I started going to the gym regularly, it took about 2-3 months before the scale moved, but I knew something good was happening because my clothes fit better! Good Luck!
  • jaceface87
    jaceface87 Posts: 35 Member
    Problem is my clothes don't feel any better. They feel the same :(
  • jaceface87
    jaceface87 Posts: 35 Member
    and update on the inches...some areas I've increased inches :( and total loss is only 2 inches if I stretch it. I dont understand :(
  • piccolarj
    piccolarj Posts: 488 Member
    I agree that you are probably not eating enough. With only 35 pounds to lose set your goal to only lose 1/2 pound a week instead of 2pounds (I'm just guessing that's what it's set at since MFP gave you 1200 calores) and then eat your exercise calories. Have a couple days out of the month where you eat at least at maint. calories to keep thing revved up. 1300 calories is really low if you are working out most days of the week.
  • funkycamper
    funkycamper Posts: 998 Member
    and update on the inches...some areas I've increased inches :( and total loss is only 2 inches if I stretch it. I dont understand :(

    Where all do you measure? I thought I wasn't losing inches either until I realized that my pants legs were ridiculously loose from mid-thigh down, all my sleeves were hanging baggy on my arms, collars getting too big. My first inches lost were my legs (again, just mid-thigh down), arms and neck. Not where I wanted to lose inches from, that's for sure. But eventually I also noticed inches lost from my back and bust, then midriff, then waist, then hips and thighs.

    Anyway, you might be shrinking more than you think.
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