What Am I Doing Wrong????!!!!!

hollymurphy4
hollymurphy4 Posts: 122
edited December 20 in Health and Weight Loss
Today is day 23 of my weight loss / get healthy journey. I have only lost 3 lbs and that was on day 2. I am sooooo frustrated! I am on day 10 of the 30 DS. I understand that muscle weighs more than fat, but why am I not losing? It's very rare if I go over my calories. I eat fruit and vegies. I don't eat fast food. I'm very strict with my diet. I just don't understand what I'm doing wrong. HELP!!!
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Replies

  • cwalters1540
    cwalters1540 Posts: 39 Member
    Do your clothes feel any loser? Some people start out losing inches but not pounds (because of the muscle, etc.)?
  • hollymurphy4
    hollymurphy4 Posts: 122
    Do your clothes feel any loser? Some people start out losing inches but not pounds (because of the muscle, etc.)?

    Last week I measured and I was down 1" in on my waist and 1" on my hips, but as of this morning I'm right back where I was. I'm so horribly frustrated. I just don't know what to do.
  • bizco
    bizco Posts: 1,949 Member
    1. You're underestimating the amount of food you're eating.
    2. You're overestimating the calories burned from exercise.

    Are you using a digital food scale to weigh everything in grams? Most people drastically underestimate food portions and measuring cups are deceiftul. Best <$20 investment you can make.

    Are you logging all beverages and things used to cook with (butter, oils, marinades, etc.)?

    Are you confirming the nutritional information on the items you select from the database?

    Is your lifestyle/activity setting correct? Do not include dedicated exercise in this setting; use the Exercise tab to log workouts.

    Are you drinking at least 64oz. of water daily? Is your daily sodium between 1800-2000 mg.? Are you getting 6-8 hours of sleep every night?

    Muscle does NOT weigh more than fat.
  • waffleflavoredtea
    waffleflavoredtea Posts: 235 Member
    I looked at your diary, and it appears you are varying your calories drastically from day to day. 500 calories one day, 1500 the next, 1200 the day after that, etc. That's going to really affect your weight loss I'm guessing. 500 calories a day is NOT healthy, you should be trying to eat at LEAST your BMR.

    MFP has a BMR calculator here > http://www.myfitnesspal.com/tools/bmr-calculator

    Then once you know that, change your cals to your BMR and eat back your exercise calories here and there, and maybe even go a little longer with your workouts using the extra energy you're consuming.

    Good luck!
  • cwalters1540
    cwalters1540 Posts: 39 Member
    Muscle does NOT weigh more than fat.

    Obviously 5 lbs. of muscle is the same as 5 lbs. of fat, but the volume of muscle is much smaller and therefore takes up less space so you will look leaner. If you lose 5 lbs. of fat and gain 5 lbs. of muscle you will most definitely look leaner and your clothing will be looser.
  • hollymurphy4
    hollymurphy4 Posts: 122
    1. You're underestimating the amount of food you're eating.
    2. You're overestimating the calories burned from exercise.

    Are you using a digital food scale to weigh everything in grams? Most people drastically underestimate food portions and measuring cups are deceiftul. Best <$20 investment you can make.

    Are you logging all beverages and things used to cook with (butter, oils, marinades, etc.)?

    Are you confirming the nutritional information on the items you select from the database?

    Is your lifestyle/activity setting correct? Do not include dedicated exercise in this setting; use the Exercise tab to log workouts.

    Are you drinking at least 64oz. of water daily? Is your daily sodium between 1800-2000 mg.? Are you getting 6-8 hours of sleep every night?

    Muscle does NOT weigh more than fat.

    Yes, I have a digital scale and use it.
    Yes, I log butter and oil that I cook with.
    Yes, I log all beverages. I drink coffee in the morning and log it along with the creamer. Then the rest of the day is water, tons and tons of water. I don't drink anything with calories other than the one cup of coffee.
    I have my lifestyle/activity set at sedentary then I log my daily exercise as circuit training for The 30 Day Shred DVD that I do everyday.
  • hollymurphy4
    hollymurphy4 Posts: 122
    I looked at your diary, and it appears you are varying your calories drastically from day to day. 500 calories one day, 1500 the next, 1200 the day after that, etc. That's going to really affect your weight loss I'm guessing. 500 calories a day is NOT healthy, you should be trying to eat at LEAST your BMR.

    MFP has a BMR calculator here > http://www.myfitnesspal.com/tools/bmr-calculator

    Then once you know that, change your cals to your BMR and eat back your exercise calories here and there, and maybe even go a little longer with your workouts using the extra energy you're consuming.

    Good luck!

    I've only been very low on my calories one day due to an upset stomach. I just can't eat when I feel sick.

    I've used the BMR calculator. It said around 1400 calories. But my daily calories is set at 1200 right now. My daily exercise (30 Day Shred) is 247 calories. So that bumps me up to 1447 calories daily.
  • Marie047
    Marie047 Posts: 240 Member
    I think you need to stabilize your diet so it isnt so dramatic. Having a 500cal day followed by 1500cal day etc jusst screws your body as it them stores so it can use it for your 500cal day. Try stablizing your food around a certain cal, preferably your daily cal (mine is 1200cal) this way your body knows its going to have fuel everyday to function.

    Also do you use a HRM for your exercise or just what is said on MFP? I found that the difference in cals apparently burnt on MFP and actually was rather different, maybe if you dont have one, investing in a HRM may help you understand exactly what cals you are burning during your exercise sessions.

    Feel free to add me, I will help you on this as much as I can
  • hollymurphy4
    hollymurphy4 Posts: 122
    I think you need to stabilize your diet so it isnt so dramatic. Having a 500cal day followed by 1500cal day etc jusst screws your body as it them stores so it can use it for your 500cal day. Try stablizing your food around a certain cal, preferably your daily cal (mine is 1200cal) this way your body knows its going to have fuel everyday to function.

    Also do you use a HRM for your exercise or just what is said on MFP? I found that the difference in cals apparently burnt on MFP and actually was rather different, maybe if you dont have one, investing in a HRM may help you understand exactly what cals you are burning during your exercise sessions.

    Feel free to add me, I will help you on this as much as I can

    I only had a very low calorie day one time because I was sick to my stomach. I could not avoid that. I don't know how to stabilize my diet because some days I can eat more because I exercise more. But, if I only do the 30 Day Shred DVD and no other exercise for the day, then I can't eat as much.
  • shortstuff31117
    shortstuff31117 Posts: 81 Member
    I have seen in many posts about 30DS, that people don't loe weight right away, sometimes it seems to be more towards the end.
    But I think maybe your BMR is set too low. As a mom of 4, you probably don't have a sedentary lifestyle, so you might want to set your activity level at light activity. Not eating enough can be very detrimental to weight loss. Just a thought :smile:
  • hollymurphy4
    hollymurphy4 Posts: 122
    I have seen in many posts about 30DS, that people don't loe weight right away, sometimes it seems to be more towards the end.
    But I think maybe your BMR is set too low. As a mom of 4, you probably don't have a sedentary lifestyle, so you might want to set your activity level at light activity. Not eating enough can be very detrimental to weight loss. Just a thought :smile:

    Thanks so much!
  • JoniBologna
    JoniBologna Posts: 653 Member
    Try to reach 1400 NET not gross. I agree that you should be eating more calories.
  • StaceyL76
    StaceyL76 Posts: 711 Member
    The scale is unreliable as a form of feedback as far as your progress goes. You are only 23 days in. You will learn a lot about what works for you and what doesn't.

    I'd take pics, measurments, and bodyfat%. These are great measures of your progress.

    I understand your frustration, really I do. Just try to persevere and keep going.. tweaking things here and there to see what works for you.

    You can do this.
  • 3dogsrunning
    3dogsrunning Posts: 27,167 Member
    Ok so first, read this
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/350212--why-scales-lie

    Second, its only been 23 days. You are down 3 lbs, that is still 1 lb a week average. Remember, weight loss is not linear.

    Third, I went through no weight loss at all for almost 4 weeks when I added strength training in. That is alle xplained in the link above. I didn't even lose inches in the places I measured. I did take pics and you could see the difference in places I didn't measure, like between my waist (which I measured) and my hips (which I measured), my arms, my face, etc.
    Don't rely on the scale as a reliable indicator of progress.

    Keep going.

    I know you said you weight food and the one day you weren't feeling well but I noticed other days where supper wasn't logged, are you logging everything?

    My suggestion is to keep going if you are logging everything properly, continue to do it. Don't sweat the scale yet.
  • FitForLife81
    FitForLife81 Posts: 372 Member
    I would get a HRM it is much more accurate so you can really calculate what goes in and how much your burn =) Hang in there!! I bet you are not sedentary with 4 kiddos too =)
  • mgmlap
    mgmlap Posts: 1,377 Member
    I think you may need to eat more...considering you dont have alot to lose....if your ticker is any indication. I would take measurements as well as weighing..cause I can tell you...my weight is closer to 140 than 135 (original goal weight) but I have gone down a whole size...cause of weight training.

    Also ..take a look at your sodium..see if its high...it may be.

    good luck..and remember..it took longer than 30 days to put on the weight..so it will take alot longer to remove it..its all about changing your mindset ...in doing so..the weight will stay off for good.
  • MB_Positif
    MB_Positif Posts: 8,897 Member
    I would say give it some more time! You don't have a whole lot of weight to lose, so it won't come off very quickly. I've been losing my last 10 pounds for months and I still have 8 to go.

    That said, I would suggest adding in more strength training than what the 30 DS has to offer. It will create longer and leaner muscles. I started lifting more regularly in January and though I have only lost those 2 pounds, I have gone down from a size 8/10 to a 6 and now some of them are getting loose.
  • hollymurphy4
    hollymurphy4 Posts: 122
    Try to reach 1400 NET not gross. I agree that you should be eating more calories.

    How can I know for sure that that's what I should do? I'm so afraid I will increase my calories and start gaining weight.
  • PulchritudinousLady
    PulchritudinousLady Posts: 66 Member
    Sounds a lot like everybody just doesn't know. I'm in the same boat. I keep saying I'm going to see a doctor but I let other stuff get in the way. It does appear that we need to make that appointment, no?
  • Abells
    Abells Posts: 756 Member
    Your cals do seem pretty sporadic and there are quite a lot of holes on the weekends. Start logging everything for fridays - sundays too so you can get a better gauge. It's really easy for people to be good all week then binge out on the weekend and wonder why they aren't losing...
  • wwoelbel
    wwoelbel Posts: 23
    I have found that MFP's exercise burn estimates are, for me, overly optimistic. If they are high for you and you are "eating" your exercise, then you are actually going over. My solution to this issue was to ignore MFP's exercise portion and use the food tracking alone. If I find that I am losing too quickly, I adjust my intake target up a bit (or down if progress fails). Of course, my solution is more long term. If you want immediate feedback, my method wont give you what you want.
  • thriftycupl
    thriftycupl Posts: 310 Member
    I would suggest you check out the Group here, Eat More to Weigh Less. There is a lot of great information on there. You have less to lose overall than I do, but everyone hits a plateau. Mine lasted for 8 weeks. Check out the group -- they provide a lot of information and feedback.
  • pinthin87
    pinthin87 Posts: 296 Member
    I know I might get some flack for this...but maybe you are someone who doesn't need to eat back their exercise cals. I don't always eat mine back and that usually helps the scale move. I am not saying to do that everyday, but maybe just a couple days a week try not eating them back.
  • grrrlface
    grrrlface Posts: 1,204 Member
    You said you do 30DS everyday? Have you taken a break at all from your exercise?
    Sometimes your body needs time to recover if it is not used to the exercise you're doing.

    I aim for 5 days exercise and 2 days off. If I have a good week exercise wise, I see a drop of 1-2lbs per week after my 2 days rest.
  • hollymurphy4
    hollymurphy4 Posts: 122
    The scale is unreliable as a form of feedback as far as your progress goes. You are only 23 days in. You will learn a lot about what works for you and what doesn't.

    I'd take pics, measurments, and bodyfat%. These are great measures of your progress.

    I understand your frustration, really I do. Just try to persevere and keep going.. tweaking things here and there to see what works for you.

    You can do this.

    Thank you! I took pictures and measurements when I started. Some people are saying I need to eat more calories, but I'm afraid that's not the correct solution and I will start gaining.
  • hollymurphy4
    hollymurphy4 Posts: 122
    You said you do 30DS everyday? Have you taken a break at all from your exercise?
    Sometimes your body needs time to recover if it is not used to the exercise you're doing.

    I aim for 5 days exercise and 2 days off. If I have a good week exercise wise, I see a drop of 1-2lbs per week after my 2 days rest.

    Yes, I do 30 DS everyday. I took one day off only because I wasn't home that entire day. I would feel like a failure if I didn't do it everyday. I felt so terrible the day I missed. (Strange, I know)
  • MB_Positif
    MB_Positif Posts: 8,897 Member
    The scale is unreliable as a form of feedback as far as your progress goes. You are only 23 days in. You will learn a lot about what works for you and what doesn't.

    I'd take pics, measurments, and bodyfat%. These are great measures of your progress.

    I understand your frustration, really I do. Just try to persevere and keep going.. tweaking things here and there to see what works for you.

    You can do this.



    Thank you! I took pictures and measurements when I started. Some people are saying I need to eat more calories, but I'm afraid that's not the correct solution and I will start gaining.

    Don't be afraid! You might gain a tiny bit in the beginning, but eventually you'll be happy with the results!
  • jackieatx
    jackieatx Posts: 578 Member
    I am on day 20 and I have only lost 5 pounds. I've lost an inch around my waist. I also have my activity level set to sedentary and am a sahm. I've noticed I weigh 1-3 pounds more in the morning, if you're not already weighing yourself at the same time everyday, do so, it gives you a more accurate reading, and if you're like me you'll have to wait about 2 hours after getting up and going to the bathroom to weigh yourself. I thought I was going nuts until out of curiosity and frustration I waited to weigh myself and there was almost a two pound difference. Maybe some of us just retain more water at night who knows. I started calorie cycling last week I'll let you know if it works in a week or two!
  • 3dogsrunning
    3dogsrunning Posts: 27,167 Member
    The scale is unreliable as a form of feedback as far as your progress goes. You are only 23 days in. You will learn a lot about what works for you and what doesn't.

    I'd take pics, measurments, and bodyfat%. These are great measures of your progress.

    I understand your frustration, really I do. Just try to persevere and keep going.. tweaking things here and there to see what works for you.

    You can do this.

    Thank you! I took pictures and measurements when I started. Some people are saying I need to eat more calories, but I'm afraid that's not the correct solution and I will start gaining.

    IF you don't want to increase calories, stay where you are at for sometime. Please don't jump to eating less calories right away.

    If you are thinking about increasing calories, do it slowly, like add 100 extra and see how it goes. You don't have to add a pile right away.

    There are a lot of reasons why you aren't registering on the scale yet, it is far too soon to start cutting back your calories.

    First step I would take is making sure everything is logged properly and making sure you reach your goals. If you see no progress after a couple of weeks of that, then start looking at changing things.
  • hollymurphy4
    hollymurphy4 Posts: 122
    I would suggest you check out the Group here, Eat More to Weigh Less. There is a lot of great information on there. You have less to lose overall than I do, but everyone hits a plateau. Mine lasted for 8 weeks. Check out the group -- they provide a lot of information and feedback.

    Thanks so much! Where do I find this group?
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