Disappointing first WI

namelesshere
namelesshere Posts: 334 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I started a week ago. Logging my food, and becoming more active. I had hoped to lose 2 lbs this first week. Disappointed when I only lost .8 lb. The logging of food is a reality check and does make me more concious of what I put in my mouth. Not sure if the exercise counters here are accurate but I use them anyway. I don't eat back all my exercise calories but if I am still hungry at the end of the day, I need to make sure I have e calories to compensate. I am a daily weigher which may be why I am so disappointed as today's weight shows a 1 lb gain over yesterday.

Anyway, Hi! I am new here. On to week 2.

Replies

  • stfuriada
    stfuriada Posts: 445 Member
    To lose 2 lbs, you'd have to have been at a 7000 calorie deficit in that one week.

    Did you eat that much less/exercise that much more?
  • redcut
    redcut Posts: 176
    Do not be discouraged only two weeks in and have lost almost 1lb is good make sure you are weighing your food son it is more accurate and personally i eat most of my exerciser calories back since MFP is set up to do it that way good luck on your journey and feel free to add me if you would like :)
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,427 MFP Moderator
    I started a week ago. Logging my food, and becoming more active. I had hoped to lose 2 lbs this first week. Disappointed when I only lost .8 lb. The logging of food is a reality check and does make me more concious of what I put in my mouth. Not sure if the exercise counters here are accurate but I use them anyway. I don't eat back all my exercise calories but if I am still hungry at the end of the day, I need to make sure I have e calories to compensate. I am a daily weigher which may be why I am so disappointed as today's weight shows a 1 lb gain over yesterday.

    Anyway, Hi! I am new here. On to week 2.

    Sorry but the reality is, you start something new and your body needs time to adjust. Also, your body has natural weight fluctuations so it isn't uncommon to see it jump up and down. Best advice, stay away from the scale on a daily basis.


    Just a tip, if you want to improve fat loss, look to do some heavy strength training. ST has been proven to cut fat faster than just cardio. Also, be conscious of under eating too much as your body will adapt and burn less calories to ensure your metabolism has enough. If you know you are going to workout, add more calories during the day or eat higher calorie foods.
  • noneya2010
    noneya2010 Posts: 446 Member
    I started a week ago. Logging my food, and becoming more active. I had hoped to lose 2 lbs this first week. Disappointed when I only lost .8 lb. The logging of food is a reality check and does make me more concious of what I put in my mouth. Not sure if the exercise counters here are accurate but I use them anyway. I don't eat back all my exercise calories but if I am still hungry at the end of the day, I need to make sure I have e calories to compensate. I am a daily weigher which may be why I am so disappointed as today's weight shows a 1 lb gain over yesterday.

    Anyway, Hi! I am new here. On to week 2.

    Don't let that get you down. If you are staying within calorie goals and exercising, the loss will catch up with you. I am a horribly slow loser (and extremely fast gainer!) and I have let the number on the scale completely sabatoge my efforts because the number doesn't show what wanted to see. However, stick with it. I haven't lost anything the past several weeks and just got back on the wagon and finally this a.m. I was down 3 lbs.

    And it also depends on your body composition, how much you have to lose, etc. The less you have to lose, the slower the loss will be. Just keep your eye on the long-term picture.
  • AFitJamie
    AFitJamie Posts: 172 Member
    Hi nameless,

    As I suspect you know... Daily weight varies dramatically for lots of reasons.... Water retention being one of the most significant and obvious...

    I'd simply congratulate you on getting started and on losing In your first week! Slow and steady wins this race! Feel great - you are on your way with the first steps of this great journey!
  • tdmcmains
    tdmcmains Posts: 227 Member
    I'm a daily weigh-er too. I can go up and down 3 or 4 pounds each day. At first it was kind of annoying whenever it went up but then you get kind of used to it and it isn't such a big deal -- especially on those days you wake up 4 pounds lighter. Don't be discouraged. A week is a pretty short time. You will start to feel better and see your clothes fit better and the number on the scale will eventually get moving. Keep it up!! YOu can do it!
  • GauchoMark
    GauchoMark Posts: 1,804 Member
    yeah, don't pay much attention to your weight loss numbers until you have been at it for at least a month. Take the measurements and record them just for future use, but don't get caught up in it. After a month or two, take your starting weight and subtract your current weight and divide that by however many weeks and that is a better representation of our weight loss rate.

    On a side note, this will keep you sane! You will have weeks that you work very hard and the numbers don't show it and weeks that you think you may have gained weight and you lose. There are just too many factors in the process of weighing yourself accurately to be able to REALLY detect a weekly weight loss rate due to fat only on a weekly basis. I have lost about 100 lbs so far and have weigh in data going all the way back to the beginning and the numbers are all over the place when you weigh in frequently.
  • kathyszoo
    kathyszoo Posts: 311 Member
    I too was a daily weigher and would get really bummed with no changes in my weight. Try to retrain yourself to take a step back from the scale and it'll get better!

    I love the support I'm getting on this site, feel free to add me as a friend! I would love to give motiavation back in return.
  • karenlillie125
    karenlillie125 Posts: 5
    I saw your post and it intrigued me since I have been trying to shed this weight for almost 2 months now. I've been focusing on my cardio and aerobics to help get rid of the weight but haven't really lost anything ;( it's a little disappointing but I've only just started MFP. Today I weighed myself and not only did I gain but my BF percent went up! Any suggestions?
  • 2kidzlater
    2kidzlater Posts: 134 Member
    I gave up on the scale. I had my husband put it away. I only measure once a week if I feel up to it. It's funny how the scale effects some. I found it helpful to use a pair of tight pants (a pair that fit but give you muffin top).
    Don't beat yourself up. It helps to read other peoples post's about their experience with the scale and how it lies!
    Good luck to you.
  • chell53
    chell53 Posts: 352 Member
    Congrats to you......do not be upset with your loss that is great......it takes time I have been here for months and my weight goes up and down, do to ME not following the way I should.......you are on the right track and as for weighing every day I do the same thing and that is a habit I need to change because it is different all the time do the water retention......good luck and add me as a friend if you like......
  • alicepoppyh
    alicepoppyh Posts: 88
    I started like this. Now I only weigh every two weeks or so. And it is coming off very slowly for me even when I behave myself perfectly but you've got to keep at it. I've lost 6.5lbs in 5 months but lost a few inches. Your expectations may need to be a bit more realistic.

    My advice would be:
    Weigh yourself less often, maybe weekly?
    Measure as well as weigh for a more well-rounded picture of your progress.
    Make sure you're drinking a feckload of water.
    As always don't forget about the weight gain due to building muscle if you're new to working out.
  • packergirl2007
    packergirl2007 Posts: 41
    Also think about all the time it took to get your body to where it's at today... You didn't gain all the weight in a week and it won't come off in a week either. I know it's hard but slow and steady really does work.

    also, make sure you TRACK EVERYTHING... every bite and every sip and don't underestimate. I find it's safer to over estimate what i eat and underestimate what i burn.

    It will make a difference... i remember my first week on WW i was SOOO upset because I wanted to see results like yesterday...but by keeping at it I went from 179 to 154. So it is possible.

    Also, make friends on here, i find that seeing other people get active and eating well motivates me.
  • packergirl2007
    packergirl2007 Posts: 41
    I'm a daily weigh-er too. I can go up and down 3 or 4 pounds each day. At first it was kind of annoying whenever it went up but then you get kind of used to it and it isn't such a big deal -- especially on those days you wake up 4 pounds lighter. Don't be discouraged. A week is a pretty short time. You will start to feel better and see your clothes fit better and the number on the scale will eventually get moving. Keep it up!! YOu can do it!

    THIS IS SOO TRUE. I can easily gain a pound after a day of "bad" eating. It sucks but it remind me to get back on track!
  • Missita84
    Missita84 Posts: 33 Member
    Don't beat yourself up over it! I know it's disappointing, because you want it all to come off now, but it takes time. It's tough to be patient, but in the end it'll be worth it. A week isn't much time in the long run - just keep at it! You can do it!
  • Way_2_a_Healthy_Mel
    Way_2_a_Healthy_Mel Posts: 175 Member
    I took a look at your diary, and your exercise calories seem awful high. I would think about investing in an HRM (heart rate monitor), to more accurately measure your calorie burn. That way, you aren't eating more exercise calories back then you actually burned. I have seen it happen to too many people on here. They use the inflated numbers from here, then eat their calories back, and they really haven't burned that much, so they are eating more than they burn, causing a gain..just a suggestion.
  • verptwerp
    verptwerp Posts: 3,659 Member
    The above poster wrote ........ "Watch your sodium. That can cause the scale to move and stay in the wrong direction due to water weight. Before you go to a restaurant, try to plan ahead what you'll eat and find the nutritional information and plan accordingly. You'll be shocked at how high the sodium is in most restaurant foods and that will keep the scale high ......"

    I totally agree ....... I had one cup of beef-barley soup at a new restaurant the other day, and I am still sloshing around ..... sodium may not bother everyone, but it certainly messes with my scale and my head ...... thankfully some extra water, veggies & exercise will take care of that ......

    Welcome & enjoy the journey !
  • mfp_1
    mfp_1 Posts: 516 Member
    Every kitchen should at least contain a digital scale. If you use volume (e.g. cups, handfuls, per-piece), you could be suffering from measurement error.

    Get digital scales. Weigh calorie-dense solid foods.

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