3 weeks and still nothing

momgorz
momgorz Posts: 29 Member
edited December 24 in Health and Weight Loss
I am trying to be patient, but now at 3 weeks and haven't lost a pound! Avergaing about 1500 cals per day, need to lose about 80 lbs, so I do have alot to lose. Workouts 5-6 times per week - eliptical HIT, treadmill HIT or walking plus some weights. I am perimenapausal and have been having some stomach issues the last few weeks (maybe IBS?), so that may factor in. I told myself I would give it a month, but was hoping to see at least a few pounds by now. I have been very consistent in logging all my food. Just need some support to keep going. In the past when this happened, I would give up after a couple weeks and then go back to bad eating habits and gain more weight. Sigh ....:sad: :sad:
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Replies

  • fatlibbie
    fatlibbie Posts: 1 Member
    I am the same :-( although I am at 1200 calories I dont think I am eating all of them if I am honest though.

    Be honest with yourself, are you cheatin AT ALL?
  • yougojo170
    yougojo170 Posts: 62
    open your food diary so we can see what you have been eating. You should have lost some weight by now. You are either eating too much or too little. Are you sure you are measuring everything properly? Are you drinking enough water? Don't give up. You most likely just need to tweak a few things in your eating habits. I am menopausal and also diabetic. With all the meds I am on it makes it very difficult to lose weight. Sure doesn't fall off like it used to. I have about the same amount of weight to lose as you do. I lost 8lbs the first week. (mostly water) And since then I have been losing 1lb a week. It is a struggle some days but having everyone here to encourage me really helps. I am taking in about 1270 cal a day.
  • Laurie1267
    Laurie1267 Posts: 169 Member
    I took a good look at your diary and you are consistently over in carbs and sugar. :( That's most likely the reason you're not seeing any weight loss and it also looks like you're not drinking water. You don't have sodium levels showing, but I'm pretty sure by the foods in the diary (restaurant and pre-packaged) that your sodium level may be over as well. These are all elements that are strikes against you.

    Hope this helps and feel free to add me as a friend. We can motivate each other!

    Laurie
  • kalyn_QT
    kalyn_QT Posts: 273 Member
    hmm..well you can always try staying within your sugar macro.maybe also try tracking sodium. you could lose weight but then retain water due to large sodium intake.perhaps increase water intake if you aren't getting more than 8 glasses a day. also is there a specific reason you are not logging your workouts? you might be under where you want to hit calorie wise after exercise comes in. if you are working out for at least 30 minutes a day for at least 5 days a week weight should come off (slowly but surely).
  • jerseyjenus
    jerseyjenus Posts: 82 Member
    I took a good look at your diary and you are consistently over in carbs and sugar. :( That's most likely the reason you're not seeing any weight loss and it also looks like you're not drinking water. You don't have sodium levels showing, but I'm pretty sure by the foods in the diary (restaurant and pre-packaged) that your sodium level may be over as well. These are all elements that are strikes against you.

    Hope this helps and feel free to add me as a friend. We can motivate each other!

    Laurie

    Totally agree - I bet your sodium levels are pretty high. Definitely drink more water, lots more water and veggies!
  • pinthin87
    pinthin87 Posts: 296 Member
    Just browsing your diary for the last 5 days I would say that you probably aren't losing because of carbs and sugar. I have a huge sweet tooth as well, but I have lost most of my weight by cutting sugars. If you have to have something sweet I would suggest eating berries. They have the lowest sugar content out of all fruits. As for your carbs, try limiting carbs from bread to once a day for a while if you can. I know this is easier said than done but it really does work. Your stomach will look significantly flatter if your carbs are coming from whole grains, like brown rice, and vegetables like broccoli. I hope this helps. :-)
  • momgorz
    momgorz Posts: 29 Member
    Thanks for the replies. A couple of things, I do drink water (probably 6-8 glasses a day) but have not been good at logging that. I am now trying to log that and all the stuff I drink (Diet soda, etc.). Regarging the sugars, most are from fruit - so I ask, how do you change your diet to healthy food and not eat fruit? For example, I make my own smoothies for breakfast sometimes. I add fresh fruit and yogurt. That has almost 20g of the sugars, which is almost my limit of 27 per day! I could see if I was eating candy bars and stuff, but do I really need to cut back on the fruit? If so, what to replace it with? I can only eat so many veggies per day and I thought fruit was healthy. Carbs are an issue for me, although some are from the fruit again. I certainly can look to cut out some of that, though I don't eat nearly what i used to. And, even though I exercise, I am not adding those calories in, I put down 1 for the calories.

    Does anyone think I need to eat less? Or more because I am exercising?
  • momgorz
    momgorz Posts: 29 Member
    P.S. I changed my diary to include sodium...
  • momgorz
    momgorz Posts: 29 Member
    P.P.S just ran reports for carb, sugars and sodium in last 30 days. Carbs are actually pretty good, over a bit a few days, but under alot of the days. Sugars are way over. Sodium is all over the map, some days under, some over a bit, some over alot.
  • TArnold2012
    TArnold2012 Posts: 929 Member
    P.S. I changed my diary to include sodium...

    If you take in 1 mg f sodium you need to take in 2 - 3 mg of potassium to eliminate the bloating. You may consider eliminating the diet soda b/c of the sodium. I drink the Crystal lite raspberry peach with fiber, it seems to keep me regular and I can really tell when I miss drinking it.

    I would cut carbs (mfp has them set a bit high) some and up protein (mfp has them set low. You need them to keep your hair healthy and from falling out). As for sugar I don't worry if it is natural (fruits and veggies)


    I won't say I have all the answers as I haven't been here long myself but those are a few of the things that I have focused on after hours of reading forums and post. I am still eating what I want as long as I have the room in my allotted calories but I do try and not go over. I have a long journey and will not overwhelm myself by trying to do to much to fast. If you would like to send a friend request please do.
  • NWCountryGal
    NWCountryGal Posts: 1,992 Member
    Is the 1500 your bottom line, in other words, is that what is calculated you needing per day on the mfp settings? If so, are you eating your exercise calories? This is probably the most controversial subject on mfp. What I have seen is many people don't eat any of their exercise calories for fear of gaining weight, not losing. My bottom line is 1200 calories so if I exercise and burn 400 I need to eat those calories back in order to build muscle and burn fat. I did not do this in the beginning which has only been going on 2 months and I actually did lose weight but ended up tired and run down because I wasn't fueling my body for all I was doing for exercise.

    If you want to know more let me know. You may already understand this concept. Also water is a huge factor, drinking enough helps your body in a multitude of ways.

    Are you taking any supplements? That can cause tummy problems, I was just reading about too much calcium for example.

    denise
    PS if you are doing all the above you may be gaining muscle and therefor, the scale may not go down even though you are losing fat. But a measuring tape will help you more than a scale imo;)

    I am trying to be patient, but now at 3 weeks and haven't lost a pound! Avergaing about 1500 cals per day, need to lose about 80 lbs, so I do have alot to lose. Workouts 5-6 times per week - eliptical HIT, treadmill HIT or walking plus some weights. I am perimenapausal and have been having some stomach issues the last few weeks (maybe IBS?), so that may factor in. I told myself I would give it a month, but was hoping to see at least a few pounds by now. I have been very consistent in logging all my food. Just need some support to keep going. In the past when this happened, I would give up after a couple weeks and then go back to bad eating habits and gain more weight. Sigh ....:sad: :sad:
  • NWCountryGal
    NWCountryGal Posts: 1,992 Member
    Ok, I saw your diary and you are doing good although I agree with the others on the sodium and sugars/carbs;)

    I haven't experienced dealing with those two things because I haven't eaten snacks like that for years, just lucky I didn't get hooked on them but, I was eating way too much, which you are not, just a "change" in what foods like the other's mentioned;) denise
  • NWCountryGal
    NWCountryGal Posts: 1,992 Member
    Hold everything!! You aren't logging your calories burned! Yes I agree on the high carbs and sodium but you don't appear to be fueling your muscles in orders to burn fat and lose it?

    Mom, read this when you get the chance, you may want to try it out, it is working for me:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/660110-i-am-eating-all-my-exercise-calories-7-7-12
  • TArnold2012
    TArnold2012 Posts: 929 Member
    I will add that taking measurements is very important to keep up the motivation when the scale isn't moving.
  • Hayleighs_mom
    Hayleighs_mom Posts: 48
    Ive done the south beach diet and that cuts out carbs and surgars for the 1st 2 weeks and I saw immediate results. That is a problem that I have, my body converts every carb and sugar into fat. I try my best to stay away from fruits even though they are super yummy
  • MrsMangler
    MrsMangler Posts: 63 Member
    It looks to me like your calorie intake is too high and you are eating to maintain, not lose. Try to slowly replace some of your diet coke with water. Also, as others mentioned, sodium could be cut back. Replacing diet coke is an easy way to start lowering sodium. Good luck and don't give up! :)
  • Polyx24
    Polyx24 Posts: 1
    i have the same issue with sugar. I make my own smoothies in the morning and go over my sugar limit with just the smoothies. I changed up my smoothies by taking out a lot of the fruit. My new recipe is 2 cups of fresh spinach, 1 cup of low fat soy milk, 1 scoop of chocolate protein powder that is low carb and only has 2 grams of sugar, 1/2 cup of rolled oats and 1/8 a teaspoon of mint extract. I also do some plain low-fat greek yogurt w/ unsweetened peanut butter and unsweetened cocoa powder. There is enough sugar in the greek yogurt to help it out. Takes a little getting used to but it ups my protein and helps me stay fuller longer. Don't give up!!! You can do it!
  • momgorz
    momgorz Posts: 29 Member
    What do you think my calories should be at? I am using the 1500 calculated by MFP, for my weight of 232....
  • RuthieCass
    RuthieCass Posts: 247 Member
    I would just say to keep at it. Many people lose weight in "whooshes" because of water retention, which result from hormonal fluctuations, exercise, and sodium and carb intake. You can watch your carb and sodium intake because they usually cause you to retain some water. But if you do cut down carbs real low, you will lose a good amount of water weight real fast but regain that water weight once you start eating more carbs again (this is why many people wrongly conclude that carbs make them fat). I would suggest resetting your macro goals to something like 40% carbs, 30% protein, 30% fat while you are dieting. This is because it's generally a good idea to increase protein and decrease calories from carbs when on a diet.
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,431 MFP Moderator
    How tall are you?
  • itsjustdawn
    itsjustdawn Posts: 1,073 Member
    I am the same :-( although I am at 1200 calories I dont think I am eating all of them if I am honest though.

    Be honest with yourself, are you cheatin AT ALL?


    Why so low?
  • itsjustdawn
    itsjustdawn Posts: 1,073 Member
    What do you think my calories should be at? I am using the 1500 calculated by MFP, for my weight of 232....

    Calculate your BMR and TDEE. Those numbers will tell you where you should be to be healthy and lose weight.
  • sasssurf
    sasssurf Posts: 58 Member
    Keep going. It took along time for to lose 2 cms. It's different for everyone. Depends I think on how messed up one's metabolism keep on. If only just to be responsible for your actions. It's alchemy. Just to get the right balance of excercise and eating habits.

    Good luck.
  • kitigonkukoo
    kitigonkukoo Posts: 218 Member
    Sugar Sugar! It is necessary, but yes- it can sneak up on you. Unused sugars turn into fat in our bodies- which really sucks.

    find other substitutes for your smoothies (ex: less yogurt, use a strawberry flavored protein additive and only add a couple strawberries), and that should help. Make sure you portion out your fruits too... a large banana has WAY more sugar than a tiny one.. and really, a tiny one, or 1/2 a regular banana is the most you really need anyway...
  • aimeesinger
    aimeesinger Posts: 6 Member
    Well I only glanced at 2 of your diary days and the first says you had McDonals for breakfast, and the second said you had sugary coke for breakfast...
    Crisps
    pizza
    maple syrup
    brownies

    it's about WHAT you eat as well as how much.
  • spacechick365
    spacechick365 Posts: 26 Member
    I started my weight loss about the same time as you. I am seeing a certified personal trainer to help make good food choices. Looking at your fool log I noticed a few things. You should be eating more frequently about every 3 hours. From my trainer she wanted me to make sure that for each meal I was eating a min of 1 carb and 1 protien. The reason is that the protien will keep your blood sugar from dropping and increase your metabolism over time. A great meal/snack would be an apple and 2 cheese sticks or a few stalks of celery (I eat 6) with 2 Tbls of Peanut butter. You don't want to drink alot of sugary drinks like the iced coffee but if you just need it, try using splenda or stevia instead of sugar. Also, the biggest thing for me washaving a bad day. That is 1 day a week when you allow yourself a break from your diet. It helps a lot because you are able to tell yourself "I can't have that now but I can on this day." I am a huge candy/sweet person so I was able to still eat them on that day and not feel bad about it. I have lost just over 4 lbs in 4 weeks with this diet and it has been easier to keep the chips, cookies, candies, and other junk food to 1 day a week. Another big thing is that you don't want to eat too few calories or your body will go into starvation mode and store every last bit of fat to preserve itself. Also on this diet, you can eat as many fruits and veggies as you want. I still slip up every once in a while and eat too few calories, at one point in time I was eating around 800 calories a day to lose weight and it didn't work. I hope this helps at least a little and may even give you some ideas to tweek your daily menu. Let me know if you are interested in any more information on this diet. Best of luck!
  • AmyP619
    AmyP619 Posts: 1,137 Member
    Thanks for the replies. A couple of things, I do drink water (probably 6-8 glasses a day) but have not been good at logging that. I am now trying to log that and all the stuff I drink (Diet soda, etc.). Regarging the sugars, most are from fruit - so I ask, how do you change your diet to healthy food and not eat fruit? For example, I make my own smoothies for breakfast sometimes. I add fresh fruit and yogurt. That has almost 20g of the sugars, which is almost my limit of 27 per day! I could see if I was eating candy bars and stuff, but do I really need to cut back on the fruit? If so, what to replace it with? I can only eat so many veggies per day and I thought fruit was healthy. Carbs are an issue for me, although some are from the fruit again. I certainly can look to cut out some of that, though I don't eat nearly what i used to. And, even though I exercise, I am not adding those calories in, I put down 1 for the calories.

    Does anyone think I need to eat less? Or more because I am exercising?

    fruit may seem healthy, but because it has a lot of sugar and carbs it's really not always the best choice. Veggies!!! I try to watch the amount of carbs and sugar I eat... I eat a lot of protein..keeps you full. Eat small portions, eat often throughout the day, and if you're not losing at 1500 calories, try reducing that...it may be too much for your body. Some people are able to lose weight by eating whatever they want... but if that's not working, it's time for diet change! you can do it!
  • AmyP619
    AmyP619 Posts: 1,137 Member
    and NO you don't need to eat back your calories from exercising...your body is not going to go into starvation mode from eating too little..unless you have like no body fat
  • Dayna5K
    Dayna5K Posts: 136 Member
    It took me 1.5 months to start losing. Don't worry, keep up the hard work. It took some time for your body to gain the weight so it will take a while for it to come off. Focus on changing bad habits for now :)
  • bethfartman
    bethfartman Posts: 363 Member
    Just looking over a week or so, It does not look like you're eating enough fresh whole foods (fruit and veg, primarily.) Too much processed stuff. Maybe try to do at least 50% of you daily calories as whole foods? More exercise would probably help too.
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