First three weeks?!?!

08sweek
08sweek Posts: 38 Member
edited September 19 in Health and Weight Loss
Good Morning, I am looking for some advice, or maybe just motivation, or some of both. I began using this site almost a month ago now. I stick to my 1200 cals a day and work out for at least an hour at least four times a week. During my workout I incorporate 30-45 minutes of cardio and the rest weight/resistance training. I have not yet lost any weight (other than the casual water weight fluctuations that come with being a woman) . I am 4'11" and I weigh 180 lbs (stage 2 obese for my height). My body just doesn't seem willing to shed any of this weight. I have gained about 40 lbs just within the last year and am ready to get my body back. Is there anything I can do to help the process, is anything I'm doing wrong?

Please help, it is SO hard to stay motivated when you don't see any improvement! :ohwell:

Replies

  • schlieffen
    schlieffen Posts: 269
    Hi! I just read this post this morning http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/9433-expectations and I think it has just the info you're looking for. At the three week mark it is normal for our bodies to plateau for a bit (Phase 2 according to that post). I hope this helps!

    Just keep with it, and you will get past this! :flowerforyou:
  • Wishful
    Wishful Posts: 618 Member
    My first two weeks were the same. I finally lost 1 pound the third week, and I've lost 5 more since then. My weight doesn't come off very fast either. Just keep telling yourself that at least you are making yourself healthier while you wait for the losses to show up. I also found that although I am trimmer, it's not where the tape measure goes, so even my inches aren't showing up yet. Hang in there....three weeks isn't really very long when you look at how long it took you to put weight on. We're all pulling for you to succeed at MFP!
  • BillieS
    BillieS Posts: 42 Member
    I too have problems getting the weight and inches off, but remember, if you quit, the pounds come back even quicker and you will end up gaining more. (Been there done that and don't want to do it again!) Just keep plugging away and be thankful you are not gaining. Our bodies have to adjust to what we are doing.
  • 08sweek
    08sweek Posts: 38 Member
    My first two weeks were the same. I finally lost 1 pound the third week, and I've lost 5 more since then. My weight doesn't come off very fast either. Just keep telling yourself that at least you are making yourself healthier while you wait for the losses to show up. I also found that although I am trimmer, it's not where the tape measure goes, so even my inches aren't showing up yet. Hang in there....three weeks isn't really very long when you look at how long it took you to put weight on. We're all pulling for you to succeed at MFP!

    Thanks for the support! Even though it may not be the greatest thing ever, it's nice to hear someone else has the same troubles. I'm in the same situation, not losing inches either, but I do feel much better! Thanks again for the motivation!
  • plm209
    plm209 Posts: 222 Member
    Just a word of advice, eat your exercise calories. You are probably burning 600 cals per hour of cardio for a net of only 600 calories per day. From your post it seems as though you might be putting your body into a very heavy calorie defecit and you're going into starvation mode. Did you use the automatic settings to lose 2 lbs per week? 1200 calories seems a bit low for the first weeks and your body is probably trying to store everything you eat as fat. Log your exercise calories under the exercise tab and make sure your food log reads as close to 0 calories remaining as possible. Its better to go over by 50 calories than to be consistently 100 under.
  • Johnnyswife
    Johnnyswife Posts: 1,447 Member
    Did you take your measurments when you started your diet? Maybe the inches are creeping off while the pounds hang on. If your clothes are fitting better, or loose, than thats a sign that your efforts are paying off.
    You said you gained 40 lbs in the last year? Was there a change in your eating habbits, or did you go from a job were you moved around a lot, to one where you sit all day? If not, you might want to check in with your doctor to make sure everything is ok.

    Hang in there though! Excercise is always good for us! :smile:
  • 08sweek
    08sweek Posts: 38 Member
    Just a word of advice, eat your exercise calories. You are probably burning 600 cals per hour of cardio for a net of only 600 calories per day. From your post it seems as though you might be putting your body into a very heavy calorie defecit and you're going into starvation mode. Did you use the automatic settings to lose 2 lbs per week? 1200 calories seems a bit low for the first weeks and your body is probably trying to store everything you eat as fat. Log your exercise calories under the exercise tab and make sure your food log reads as close to 0 calories remaining as possible. Its better to go over by 50 calories than to be consistently 100 under.

    I make sure to eat my exercise calories. The MFP meter won't let me lose 2 lbs per week, when I tried to set it at 2 lbs/week it defaulted to 1.3 lbs/week. From what I've read, the meter never reads below 1200 calories even if your actual calorie intake should be lower. I am always pretty close to 0 with my calories, sometimes a bit over sometimes a bit under.
  • vanimami
    vanimami Posts: 433 Member
    Hi! I just read this post this morning http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/9433-expectations and I think it has just the info you're looking for. At the three week mark it is normal for our bodies to plateau for a bit (Phase 2 according to that post). I hope this helps!

    Just keep with it, and you will get past this! :flowerforyou:

    Wow, thanks for posting. I weight myself this morning...(even though I was supposed to wait until Monday :embarassed: ) and I gained a pound. I'm eating good and working out like a fiend, so I'm not going to let it discourage me, I'm just going to have to get over this hump. AND this would be my third week. :grumble:
  • 08sweek
    08sweek Posts: 38 Member
    Did you take your measurments when you started your diet? Maybe the inches are creeping off while the pounds hang on. If your clothes are fitting better, or loose, than thats a sign that your efforts are paying off.
    You said you gained 40 lbs in the last year? Was there a change in your eating habbits, or did you go from a job were you moved around a lot, to one where you sit all day? If not, you might want to check in with your doctor to make sure everything is ok.

    Hang in there though! Excercise is always good for us! :smile:


    I started a job where I sit a lot and began going to college (my freshman 15 was a significantly higher number...). Although my eating habits remained the same, if I didn't actually eat less than before. I have found sticking to about 1200 calories (except when I workout) is pretty comfortable for me. My doctor did bloodwork about a month and half ago to check my thyroid and various other weight gain causes and everything came back normal. Thanks for the motivation, I feel better just because I'm eating healthier and actually exercising! :happy:
  • KatWood
    KatWood Posts: 1,135 Member
    I'm glad to hear that you are eating your exercise calories especially when you are at 1,200 calories a day. Many many people make the mistake of exercise vigourously and not eating them back.

    Do you eat a lot of salt? Also, do you weigh yourself at consistent times (ie. same day of week, around same time of day?).

    I weigh about the same as you, and if I eat my 1,400 calories a day plus my exercise calories I generally lose between 0.5-1lbs per week max. I have been at this for some time and my progress has slowed down but is still steady. You should be seeing progress if you have just started this process.

    My advice is to keep your chin up and stick with it for a few more weeks. If you still see no progress at all I would recommend seeing your doctor. He may be able to help you identify what you are doing wrong or if there is a medical reason you are not seeing progress.

    Good luck and Stay positive. I know this can be frustrating sometimes but it is totally worth it :flowerforyou:
  • KatWood
    KatWood Posts: 1,135 Member
    Apparently I am a slow typer ....
    Glad to hear you have seen your doctor and everything came back ok.

    Give it some time. Maybe you are just getting your plateau out of the way early! :laugh:
  • TrinaXL
    TrinaXL Posts: 39 Member
    peraps change up your workout routine a bit. our bodies get used to doing the same things all the time. maybe one day go for a run, the next day go for a walk. i have found doing interval walking/jogging has worked out pretty good for me. or you could even buy a workout DVD... I like those, too.

    Good luck Girl! Stick with it!


    xox
    Trina
  • LiMer
    LiMer Posts: 112 Member
    08sweek,

    I too use to weigh 180 and I'm 4'11" as well. I just say that I am 5'. I started this journey on March 24, 2009. I was told by a personal trainer that when you first start, don't jump into exercising too fast because your body will get use to it quickly and will expect you to do more to lose the weight. So I ate my 1200 calories plus my exercising calories and only work out 3-4 times a day slowly... walking or light cardio for 1 week. Week two, I added longer time and stepped it up to fast walking and biking. I just kept doing this until 1 month, then I went full blown. I am jogging, cardio at least 5 times a week. I now lost 31 pounds and down to 149.

    I don't know if you're using a Heart Rate Monitor, I have an F4 and it's my best friend. Before when I think I was buring this much calories, I was wrong. I eat more that I should of because I under calcuate the calories or portion size.

    I hope this help. PM me if needed.
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