New and Discouraged

Hi!

Well, I just worked out in my head quickly that you ate 1,350 calories over your calorie goal, that is not too far shy of half a pound. However, I have done this many a time and please do not be disheartened or discouraged by this.

You have not been with my fitness pal very long therefore calorie counting is new to you and to your body. First of all I would double check you have got your stats 100% correct, meaning your height and weight. Then check your goal, is it 2 pounds a week? Is it 1 pound? Once you are happy all that is correct then there are things you have to consider.

From what I have read, you go over eat a little bit most days but you exercise twice a week. This is not a routine so your metabolism will be struggling to understand what routine you are trying to do. This is even truer since you are feeling constantly hungry.

The key to losing weight is training your metabolism and the way to do this is to be constantly regular and try not to have extreme changes in your diet. You are eating different amounts each day and a couple of days a week is spent trying to put that right. This is like a yo-yo and if you imagine your metabolism is trying to keep up with you, one day you are sticking to 1,300 calories, then its 1,800, then 1,400, then 1,500, then 2,000 then 1,600 but 800 calories burnt with exercise, then 2,000 calories with 800 calories burnt then back to 1,400. This means your metabolism can not change to help you lose weight.

However it is a problem that is not too difficult to put right and to get you on the weight loss bus!

Try to be completely regular with your meals, obviously eating the exact same amount of calories each day is hard but on the days you know you are eating past 1,300 calories try do a little exercise to get your numbers back in the green. I mean if you eat 1,400 try and burn 100 calories so that your under your target. And do that each and every day, 100 calories is probably a half hour walk for you or 15 minutes on a bike. If you do that every day your metabolism will catch on and you will feel less hungry and you will lose weight. As for a couple of days of a lot of exercise that is fine but make sure you eat those extra calories.

So remember, if you have ate 100 or 400 more calories in a day, try to burn the same amount off. Likewise if you burn 400 more calories than you eat, try to eat that extra 400. This is how to train your metabolism and that will ultimately make your body lose weight and most importantly keep weight off!!

I have lost over 5 and a half stone in a year and for the first 2 month of that I only lost 3 pounds because I was over eating then under eating then doing bursts of exercise then none at all. I then started to eat and exercise the same amount each day (Roughly!) and the weight started dropping off. 2 Pounds a week (Most weeks!) and I have lost nearly 100 pounds.

So training your metabolism is key, try and get a little routine and keep in mind you have not been trying very long and the longer you keep at it the easier it becomes! This time last year I would give my left arm for a 12 inch pizza, now I simply can not eat the whole thing because my metabolism has shrunk!

Hope this helps and the very best of luck to you, feel free to contact me if you would like any more help :-).

It's only been a week.
Get on the MFP program, stick to it for 3 months, and then let's talk.
Getting healthy and fit is actually very simple but it's just hard work.
This is how MFP works
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/help/faq/3-how-does-myfitnesspal-work

Just get started by going into settings to Update diet/fitness profile.
Set your goals for 1 lb weight loss per week.
NO MORE!
And eat lean meats, low fat dairy, nuts, whole grains, fresh fruits and veggies.
Do both cardio and resistance exercise.
Log in those exercises to your MFP exercise diary.
AND EAT BACK YOUR EXERCISE CALORIES!
Remember, this is not a race, and you can reach your goals if you stick to a good plan as recommended on this site.

You have many people here ready to lend support, answer qustions and discuss any challenges.
You can do this.

All Is Possible!

This....and water weight....give it some time.

You have just started which means that you have made a change and it is certain that your body will react some way shape or form....retaining some water is not uncommon when doing an abrupt change.

I also have only been having about 6 glasses of water a day (though this still makes me pee all the time!) and I will try to get the 8.

Remember that the 8 glasses are not some magical goal....it's a rule-of-thumb to make sure you drink enough to keep properly hydrated....as long as you are drinking "enough" to ensure that you pee regularly and your urine is pale yellow to colorless you're doing perfect.....and then it doesn't matter if you drank 5 or 14 glasses.

The same thing happened to me. Take a look at your sodium intake and make sure you are drinking water. I am losing now at a pound a week and don't feel deprived at all. The water and the peeing all the time will calm down once your body gets used to it (just think you can count the calorie burn running to the bathroom!) Good luck and don't give up. We together can do this

Ditch the scale, hide it, it's nothing but discouragement, grab your old clothes, use those try them on, the key is feeling better and fitting into your clothes better. Believe me I know...

I try to at least drink four or five 16 oz bottle of waters a day, more sometimes if im doing cardio. Also you went over your calories alot so if you have a favorite thing you like to eat look at ways you can trim calories at breakfast or lunch so that you can have more for dinner, that works for me. I have only lost a pound in last 3 weeks but when i was honest with myself it was because when my girlfriend would eat junk food i would sneak a small handful, multiply that by 5 days and you get the picture. I also try to at least finish the day with the calories i exercised off and try not to eat those back. People always ask me "can you eat that?" and i tell them "Yes i can i just cant eat alot of it" You have an image in your head of what you would like to look like, that image is on layaway everytime you make a healthy food choice or exercise you are paying on that layaway until one day you look in the mirror and its been paid in full. Keep with it i promise it works, you may have to tweak it here and there but it really works.

That was interesting about the full moon. I'll keep that in mind and see if that affects me, too. I know it affects peoples' moods and sleep, so why not weight (probably water retention) as well. Very interesting!!!

I also have only been having about 6 glasses of water a day (though this still makes me pee all the time!) and I will try to get the 8.

This. Water weight gain is common in the 1st few weeks but once your body gets used to the amount you are consuming you should lose it back. 1 week is not enough to judge success off, you need to keep at the program for a few months.. I have lost 9lbs in 3 months but it took until this month after the 1st week to get past 4..

Water weight can really make you feel like you're flabbo! I can gain as much as 5 pounds around that TOM. (Interesting bit about the moon, perhaps it's true?)
I jumped back into exercise recently, and the scale didn't want to budge! But I've flushed it all through now.

Did you know drinking water helps minimize water weight? If you feel thirsty you are already dehydrated! And if you drink enough, you don't need to worry as much about your sodium!

Yes, I would say give it more time. Your body is not going to register change immediately. It is a great machine that adapts, but not always as fast as we expect. Also, try to meet your calorie goal and get some good activity at least 3 times a week. My weight loss started off very slow as well. I've been at this for 3 weeks and have only lost 2.8lbs. Most of it was in the second week.

KEEP IT UP!