Trying not to become discouraged

So, I started my weight loss journey on May 1st. Started eating lots of fruits, lean meats, proteins, whole grains, cut out junk food (except once a week). Drinking only water. Started running. I burn close to 4000 calories per week. I've been making nothing but good changes.... AND I have lost a measly 3 lbs. I am 5'8, and 171 lbs.

Any advice ladies?
«1

Replies

  • 4my2jays
    4my2jays Posts: 168 Member
    Keep it up, dont quit. You will see the results sooner or later. Just make sure you are eating enough calories and drinking plenty of water. I promise you it will get better. Remember even thought the scale may not be moving your body is changing. Just please don't give up.
  • It could be that you are gaining more muscle which does weight much more than fat.
  • moepwr
    moepwr Posts: 335 Member
    Slow and steady! It has only been five weeks and you should aim for about 1 pound a week. It will be an up and down for sure! I gained two pounds this mornign but I am going to try and stay the curse and not get discouraged! You are also gaining muscle mass with the running which is going to be heavier than fat. Add me if you want some encouragement!
  • hfzimmerman
    hfzimmerman Posts: 200 Member
    Dido! You are probably gaining muscle first so your body is shifting but if you stay stronger the pounds will eventually drop off....plus 3lbs is better than nothing so be proud of that!
  • SafireBleu
    SafireBleu Posts: 881 Member
    3 lbs is good. You ave only been at this about 4 weeks so don't stress it and keep doing what you are doing.
  • dougii
    dougii Posts: 679 Member
    Stay the course....don't give up. when I started changing my life back on January 10, 2012 the thought of losing 10 pounds was terrifying....then 25 was daunting....i just clebrated going past 50 this weekend which 4 months ago I would have thought to be impossible. You will go through periods of time when the pounds come off fast and others when it seems they aren't coming off at all. Take measurements now and then you will have another comparison - I didn't know I needed these so now I just get to compare my belt holes and pants waist size (44 tight to 38 comfortable). If you are "religious" with counting all calories in and stay at or below your total calories for the day (MFP goal plus exercise, assuming you set up as sedentary) you will lose the weight. Best of luck!!!!!
  • I am 5'8 and when I started this I was 176lbs (March 31st) I am now down to 153. I hated when people would tell me it takes time, but it does... My least favorite comment was "you didnt gain it over night, so you wont lose it over night" but it does make sense!!! The biggest things I changes was my portion control, alcohol consumption, water intake, and working out.... I cut my portions to where I always have about 4oz of protein, chicken, turkey, fish ect, and fresh veggies... I learned that carbs arent your enemy, but to eat them in correct portions and eat the right kind of carbs... I use to drink Iced tea all day... I NEVER drank water.... I was always hungry and couldnt figure it out... I drink more water in one day now, then i probably did in a year! lol If i know i ate breakfast and its not time to eat but im feeling a little hungry, i drink water, and it helps! What i was told, is that your brain takes 20 minutes to realize its full... most people over eat because they dont know they are full after downing that burger in 5 minutes.... Also, your brain doesnt have a "im thirsty button" it gives you that "im hungry" feel... So if you drink some water, you more than likely wont be hungry if its not time to eat. I know you said you have changed your habits for the better, so this may be useless information, but even when im making healthy choices, i like to be reminded of these things.... Working out is always going to be a big part of weight loss as well... Keep that heart rate up, run, do some crunches, build that muscle! I still have another 15lbs id like to lose, but i feel so much better about myself!!! feel free to friend me, even though i just went on a lecture. haha I just want everyone to see the results, and even if there was one bit of info that i just stated that you didnt know, it might help you like it did me!!! :) good luck!
  • hazymary
    hazymary Posts: 190 Member
    Patients is a virtue, so they say.....I hear ya it can be soooo frustrating. Give your body a chance..slow and steady wins the race. Probably has nothing to do with gaining mascle at this point, it's too soon and you really can't gain muscle when your're in a calorie deficit. If running is new to you, at times your muscles like to retain water to protct themselves from injury when doing somethig new. Kudos for your 3 pound loss...make sure you're eating enough too......keep up the good work !!
  • srriley66
    srriley66 Posts: 8 Member
    I feel your pain, as I actually gained weight when I added going to the gym. I'm talking 8 pounds, over a month ago and I have only lost 6 of the 8!!! HOWEVER, I have lost 2 inches in my thighs, 1 inch in my upper arm, etc...And I feel great!! The greatest thing is my blood pressure dropped in one month of exersice that my doctor actually lowered my BP medicine dosage!!! KEEP IT UP!! It's not about the scale like we are trained to believe. I'm looking at all my NSV's, (Non Scale Victories) instead of my wieght! And
  • kevin3344
    kevin3344 Posts: 702 Member
    Lose "only" 3 pounds each month for a year and you've reached your goal! What took a while to put on will take some time to take off. Just keep doing what you're doing..
  • fluturca
    fluturca Posts: 9
    Thanks so much everyone for the advice and kind words. I'm going to keep at it. I just happened to notice last night that my legs have firmed up a bit! If anything, I want to be healthier. If skinny doesn't come right away, then I need to accept that. I have to stop comparing myself to how I used to look when I was younger!
  • neverstray
    neverstray Posts: 3,845 Member
    When ever you change multiple variables at the same time, like diet and exercise, it's hard to tell what's going on. For now, just keep at it. 3 lbs since May 1 is pretty good.
  • meemo88
    meemo88 Posts: 436 Member
    It could be that you are gaining more muscle which does weight much more than fat.

    ur dumb
  • minadee
    minadee Posts: 44 Member
    Make sure that you are eating AT LEAST enough calories to cover your BMR. There are tons of calculators out there.
  • there is nothing wrong with 3 pounds at all, keep it up and before you know it more and more will come off!
  • znm100
    znm100 Posts: 148
    We all want to look good, but if you think about it, the most important thing is that we FEEL good. I'm willing to bet that after a month of eating better and exercising, that you definitely feel better than when you started... That should be the first thing that you notice and it should give you encouragement. The 'looking good' will soon follow.
  • Chantal34
    Chantal34 Posts: 128
    Focus on other aspects of the journey besides weight loss. You are building strength and endurance! How long are you able to run now as compared to May 1st when you started out. Your body is changing in other ways besides weight loss.
  • amazondakini
    amazondakini Posts: 69 Member
    keep drinking all that water, it takes 3 weeks for the body to shift, get the hint and start losing. do not give up!! And that is still about 1 pound a week. You want it to be slow and steady so that it stays off, and we are women, our bodies fluctuate a ton during the month with water and hormones. So just keep at it, it will happen, trust it!
  • Louise1247
    Louise1247 Posts: 670 Member
    Started eating lots of fruits


    Be extra careful :) I did this and gained 3lbs so make sure ur eating the right amoount of sugar x
  • shbretired
    shbretired Posts: 320 Member
    ever watch biggest loser? They exercised constantly, and sometimes only lost 3 lbs.

    I'd love to lose that per week!
  • Three pounds is three pounds. Be proud of the loss and keep on going!!! Drink lots of water..and maybe eat more calories...you are obviously gaining muscle...the weight will eventually come off too! Good luck to you!! :)
  • OfficiallySexyVal
    OfficiallySexyVal Posts: 492 Member
    If you are eating a lot of fruits cut back on fruits to one to two servings a day and replace with low carb veggies like carrots, broccoli and cauliflower. Believe it or not but fruits have a lot of carbs because of the natural sugars in them. If you have to eat fruits, the best fruits are berries because they contain lots of fiber and they are lower in carbs. Hope this helps.
  • rbrea001
    rbrea001 Posts: 7 Member
    Thanks for that Ashley!! You motivated me and I'm not the one asking questions :)
  • kimmianne89
    kimmianne89 Posts: 428 Member
    It could be muscle. It could also be water weight slowing you down. But I lose about 3/4lbs a month, Never going over calories, Drinking water, burning over 3000 weekly (2500 on a busy week), Some treats but generally being fairly good. I do have PCOS which also slows things down but still.. slow and steady and you will get there! :)
  • redlion45
    redlion45 Posts: 155 Member
    Keep on working at it! You are not the first person with this issue. If you are working hard and keeping under your calories, the weight loss will come when it is ready (which sadly is probably not the same as when you are ready).

    Weight loss is a funny thing for everybody. Women especially seem to have inconsitent results from everything I have read. The scale can lie to you. There could be many reasons for this. Just to name a few:

    You are still new and this and your body is still trying to figure out what it needs to do to cope with the new demands you are putting on it. When you start working muscles that aren't used to getting worked, they pull water into themselves as they try to repair themselves from the microtears created by exercise (that's how they grow), and that can add weight for weeks until the body gets used to working hard day in and day out.

    Women's cycles (disclaimer, I am guy I only know what I read) cause water weight loss and gain throughout the month, which screws up the scale results.

    There is something I have had dieticians and trainers write about called the "whoosh effect" where weight stays on for weeks in spite of lowered calories and regular exercise, and then "whoosh" pounds come off 3 and 4 at a time for some reason.

    Muscle gain also lowers the loss of pounds, but will reduce your body size in inches, keep a lookout for this in action.

    Even, when you weigh yourself matters and you can gain or loose a couple of pounds during the day if you are like a lot of people depending on when you last ate, when you last used the bathroom, and so on.

    Give it 60 days, and you will see results! Use your favorite pair of jeans as a measuring stick and ignore the scale for a couple of weeks. Good Luck!:drinker: :smooched:
  • Chantal34
    Chantal34 Posts: 128
    ever watch biggest loser? They exercised constantly, and sometimes only lost 3 lbs.

    I'd love to lose that per week!

    I am really beginning to hate that show. :huh:
  • Yes2HealthyAriel
    Yes2HealthyAriel Posts: 453 Member
    Dont give up just yet. I had some weeks where I didnt lose anything. Someone told me to measure myself and I did and I saw that I had lost inches. You might want to do this. Eventually you will see more weight loss. Just know that this is not only about losing weight but to live a healthier lifestyle. 3 pounds is not bad at all. Just keep doing what you are doing. Feel free to add me for encouragement
  • michellekicks
    michellekicks Posts: 3,624 Member
    Please tell me you aren't eating 1200 calories/day and burning 4000+ over your BMR.
  • CharlieBarleyMom
    CharlieBarleyMom Posts: 727 Member
    My advice will be to open your diary if you want true advice. You say you are burning about 4000 calories a week... are you eating those calories back? What is your net caloric intake? Have you taken your body measurements and set yourself up to eat the correct amount of food each day? You cannot burn that many calories per week and expect to lose weight in a fast fashion unless you are feeding your body correctly.

    Check out the tools on www.fat2fitradio.com. Get your military body fat ratio and then figure out your BMR and TDEE. Eat between those two numbers and and make sure you are giving your body enough protein to keep it going. If you feel fatigued during the day or your sleep is disrupted these are signs that you may not be feeding your body what it needs.

    There is a group here that you can join where the members will help you up your calories to the correct amount. It is something like women eating over 2000 a day. There are some women who are 5' nothing that are eating that many calories. I am 5'9.5" and I eat 1850 as a base and then I eat my exercise calories on top of that because I figure my TDEE at a sedentary level.

    Good luck with your journey. It does take time. It takes determination. It takes dedication.
  • Nailrep
    Nailrep Posts: 966 Member
    Be patient. It will come off. Just the payoff in how you are beginning to feel should be incentive enough to continue.You sound like you are off to an awesome start!!
Do you Love MyFitnessPal? Have you crushed a goal or improved your life through better nutrition using MyFitnessPal?
Share your success and inspire others. Leave us a review on Apple Or Google Play stores!