Not losing weight - help

nmaskiell
nmaskiell Posts: 9 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I've been doing myfitnesspal for about four weeks now. The first week I saw a dramatic drop, which I expected because of water weight then it steadied off. Last week I saw another drop at the beginning of the week (3+ lbs!!!!). I was so encouraged. But then, out of the blue the needle started going up again and, by the end of the week, I GAINED 7 lbs. I have been keeping a spreadsheet of my total calories and I know that I had a deficit this week, so the explanation is not that I ate too much. I know its most probably water weight, but it is not just melting off like some of the other posters have said in the past. I have 70+lbs to lose and I am in it for the long haul. However, I am 32.5 and taking a year off from trying to get pregnant to lose weight so every day counts for me.

I've lost dramatic weight in the past, first through Weight Watchers and then by cutting my calories to 981. I know that such dramatic calorie counting is very unhealthy but, unlike other posters, I have not found that weight lost by dramatic calorie counting versus weight lost by "doing it the right way" comes back any quicker. In fact, when I do it the right "slower" way and, then go on vacation, I find the weight piles right back on just as quickly (and seemingly preternaturally - I usually gain 5+ lbs on a week vacation and I am NOT eating enough for that to be real weight). Its very discouraging

I'm feeling myself want to go back to my old way of losing weight...any support would be much appreciated!!!

Replies

  • mydeloo78
    mydeloo78 Posts: 328 Member
    It would help if we could see your diary to know what you're eating. Its hard to give advice without more information.. how many calories are you eating, are you working out etc. Otherwise its just shots in the dark.
  • yarwell
    yarwell Posts: 10,477 Member
    How tall are you, what weight, do you exercise, how many calories you eating, any chance you've got pregnant ?
  • travelerdunks
    travelerdunks Posts: 14
    Your putting your body into starvation mode when you don't eat enough calories. When your body is in starvation mode, every bit of food you eat, it stores as fat cause it feels it isn't getting enough. When you go on vacation, from your diet, your body is still in starvation mode, so it packs on the pounds.

    You might look to changing the way you look at losing weight from diet, to instead a lifestyle change. Everybody loses weight differently, myself - I can eat anything and everything as long as I watch my calories, I do it even on vacation.

    One for the things I do to stay on track is instead of eating out all the time on Vacation... I pack in my suitcase some nutri bars, one to save money, and two...easy meal on the go! I love trying the local drinks where ever I go so I take my brita water bottle with me on vacation. Alcohol drinks will make you retain water so make sure to drink plenty of water after any drink with alcohol.

    I carry food bars in my vehicle at home for easy on the go meals. I hate wasting my calories for the day on stuff like eating at some fast food restaurant when I can plan my day for some excellent meal and dessert!
  • nmaskiell
    nmaskiell Posts: 9 Member
    Thanks everybody!!! I've made my food diary public to make commenting easier. I looked at my database and I have been doing myfitnesspal, in earnest, for 26 days. I'm 5' 5.5" and my starting weight then was 196.7. I have had a couple of cheat days but I always bounce back, stick to my exercise routine, etc and I have averaged 1362 calories per day (with the cheat days included). I did recently have a foot injury that sidelined me for about 3 days from exercise, but I started up again today. My weight today is 191.2.

    I am definitely not pregnant now. I did have two miscarriages this year - the first was one day shy of my second trimester and needed to be surgically resolved. That was about two and a half months ago. The second was very early in the pregnancy but one month ago. Because of emotional eating I quickly gained 20lbs after these miscarriages. Then I woke up and realized that I needed to take back my life again, starting with a lifestyle change. I didn't think to mention them before, but could my body's readjustment be causing this slow weightloss?

    Any help from the community would be much appreciated! Thanks so much for the comments already!
  • nmaskiell
    nmaskiell Posts: 9 Member
    bump
  • spaingirl2011
    spaingirl2011 Posts: 763 Member
    It sounds like you've had a rough couple of months!

    So, here's the thing I'm noticing about your diary: a lot of your food has the potential to be high in sodium-- which may be causing you to hold on to water weight. Try making the majority of your foods "clean". Especially watch the pre-prepared meals (frozen items) since they're notorious for being high in sodium, though they're low in calories.

    Hope this helps some!
  • brneydgrlie
    brneydgrlie Posts: 464 Member
    Ok, I have looked at the past several days of your food diary, and here is what I see:

    1) Very little water!
    2) Next to no vegetables!
    3) Alcohol and/or candy daily!
    4) A lot of processed/prepackaged foods!

    It is very likely you are getting too much sodium and sugar in your diet, and no water or fiber to flush it out of your system.
  • nmaskiell
    nmaskiell Posts: 9 Member
    Thanks so much! This is really helpful. I do have a terrible sweet tooth. I've been thinking about cutting down on the processed foods, because of the sodium problem. I live near Napa valley and have had family in town so there has been a whole lot of wine tasting/wine buying but that is going to level off. Its so nice to have the extra eyes, because a lot of these things just get glossed over when you are used to your own routine :tongue: !
  • leebaser
    leebaser Posts: 38
    Eat even less, move even more. Tracking doesn't cause you to loose weight. Eating less calories than you burn does. You could be tracking wrong, not assigning enough calories as your food really has. Things like underestimating portion size. Do you have a food scale?

    However, all that will do is confirm that you need to eat less calories.
  • nmaskiell
    nmaskiell Posts: 9 Member
    Yes, I do have a food scale and that is one habit that I never got rid of after the first time I lost a lot of weight, so I am pretty sure when I am at home I am not overestimating my portion sizes. Eating out is another matter, and I try to account for "unknown eating out calories" by inputting an extra 100 calories when I'm not at home.
  • leebaser
    leebaser Posts: 38
    If you are tracking accurately...then you are left with eating even fewer calories, and exercising more. There's no magic to this. To eat less and yet not feel starved, look to good value items...vegetables, berries, fruits. Check out the book "Volumetrics", but it basically comes down to....eat more vegetables and fruits. Anything with high water content.
  • nmaskiell
    nmaskiell Posts: 9 Member
    Thanks so much for the recommendation! I will definitely check out the book and try to get in more fresh veggies, berries and fruits. I've got to kick my sugar habit, that's for sure :smile: . Calories in, calories out!
  • leebaser
    leebaser Posts: 38
    :: Calories in, calories out!

    It really is that simple...and that hard ;) MFP is just a tool to help us really see what we are eating. We still have to eat less calories than we burn in order to lose weight.
  • Captain_Tightpants
    Captain_Tightpants Posts: 2,215 Member
    Keep doing what you are doing but throw the scale out.
  • Fitfortat
    Fitfortat Posts: 47
    Sodium is definitely a killer for weight loss. I started about the same weight as you, but I"m only 5'2. What I had to do is start eating clean, that means nothing out of a box or a bag. Raw veggies can be prepared millions of ways and I bought chicken and fish and beans, fresh fruit. If something has more than 5 ingredients I avoid it as much as possible. Try eating cleaner, I'm always under my sodium count for the day. You might also try a cleanse there are some very gentle ones out that could give you a little jump start. Good luck!
  • secretlobster
    secretlobster Posts: 3,566 Member
    The biggest benefit to MFP is being honest with yourself about what you eat, and how much. When I look at your diary and I see this:

    Total :2,738
    nmaskiell's Daily Goal 1,489

    And over a thousand calories of chips and candy, it's not really surprising that you're not losing weight.

    I'm not trying to belittle you but think of it this way - The first stage of losing weight is becoming AWARE of WHY you are overweight. Well, if you look back in your diary... That is why.

    The second step is making changes to the way you're eating. Smaller portions, more nutritious food, eliminating (or drastically reducing) "empty" foods like candy and chips. This is the hard part but if you want to lose weight, you have to change your eating.

    "I have been keeping a spreadsheet of my total calories and I know that I had a deficit this week"

    I have to ask honestly - Does your spreadsheet have a different caloric goal than your MFP profile? Because according to MFP, you exceeded your goal by 3700 calories this week. That's a huge surplus.
  • nmaskiell
    nmaskiell Posts: 9 Member
    Yes, I totally agree I have eating vices. That's what I am trying to change and why it needs to be a lifestyle change. I did have more than one binge days - which is my biggest struggle. I've been on the binge/purge cycle forever and that is what I am hoping to break once and for all. The junk food needs to go - that is a must. But in my defense, I have been doing this new journey for 26 days, and even with the regrettable binge days incorporated my average calorie intake is 1362 . I used to beat myself up if I "slipped" one day and just give up...leading to weeks of 2500 calorie + days. This time, I am really trying not to do that and just jump right back on the horse when I fall off. But, I definitely take your point. I've got to find better ways of coping with the habit of binging, and stocking my house with more nutritious food!
  • secretlobster
    secretlobster Posts: 3,566 Member
    I used to do the same thing and I completely understand. The thing about junk food is, it is your worst enemy when you're trying to figure out how to stop being controlled by the urge to binge. Junk food is the easiest stuff to binge on. I think a good step for you would be to throw away the junk food you have (don't eat it... just get rid of it) and go to the grocery store to find better things to snack on

    I had to give up junk food almost 100% until I had better control over my eating habits... You don't need to give it up forever but it's not helping you if you can't eat it while controlling how much. Also, junk food is standing in a big empty hole where nutritious food should be
  • nmaskiell
    nmaskiell Posts: 9 Member
    I know that you are right about the junk food. I've made up a million and one excuses for why it is still in my house..."oh its left over from my family party," "oh, I will hide it somewhere hard to reach.." but I always seem to find it. It is headed for the circular file right now.
  • secretlobster
    secretlobster Posts: 3,566 Member
    circular file

    LOL I love that term
  • juliekin
    juliekin Posts: 139 Member
    I, too, gained a lot of wait after my last miscarriage. I'm sorry for your loss. I understand the pulling you up by your bootstraps feeling. I have a couple of thoughts about what seems to work:
    Lots of water
    Lots of 200-300 calorie meals (oatmeal, green salads w/ low-cal dressing, fresh fruits and veggies, homemade soups)
    Staying at your TDEE-20% I eat about 1550 a day, then I exercise.
    After I exercise I can eat the exercise calories, which can add up to 300-500 calories.
    Don't skimp one day because you binged the day before on food. I'm 5 foot 7 and not too active, but still eat those calories.
    Walk, walk, walk or swim. Weights and such can be done later. Just go out and move your body.
    Patience. It took months to gain it. It will take months to lose it.
    It has been a very good experience to ball my pain and throw it into exercise.
    I wish you nothing but success in your new lifestyle.
  • wasveganvictoria88
    wasveganvictoria88 Posts: 249 Member
    Try not weighing yourself so much - you might find that ultimately there is weight loss but cos your doing it so often you see it fluctuate.
  • jenoots
    jenoots Posts: 3 Member
    Sorry you've had a difficult time. I did look at your diary and might suggest that you go into reports and add Fats, Carbs, Fiber. You might be surprised how many carbs your taking in. I know there are lots of reason why your not losing, but its important to have a balance with how we spend the calories.
  • albayin
    albayin Posts: 2,524 Member
    :: Calories in, calories out!

    It really is that simple...and that hard ;) MFP is just a tool to help us really see what we are eating. We still have to eat less calories than we burn in order to lose weight.

    Yeah "it's that simple" to a point and then it becomes super complicated and hard, of course. :)
  • fletchbaby
    fletchbaby Posts: 62 Member
    Have you had your thyriod tested lately?

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