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Old 04-03-2010, 08:55 AM   #1  
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Default Advice please

I have been lurking for several years and I know that you ladies know your stuff! Please help me figure out what is going on.

I am at the end of the first two weeks of my weight loss efforts. I have been doing very well (if I do say so myself). I have been keeping track of my calories on Fitday and fall right around 1200-1300 a day. Once I think I hit 1800 and once 1500 but otherwise pretty consistent. The first week I rode my exercise bike about 20 minutes a day. On my first official "weigh in" after week one, the scale had me down 4.5 pounds and I was very happy.

Motivated to go on, I upped my bike riding to 40 minutes a day and fit in a few more walks (including one on the beach last night that had me huffing and puffing for sure!). Every morning, I get up, go to the bathroom and weigh myself. Ever since the happy weigh in of Monday morning, I have stayed .6 pounds up from the Monday number. I know that it not a lot but at the two week mark, I expected the number to still be inching down pretty quickly. What is going on? It isn't that time of the month or just before it or just after it. I have been eating healthy with lots of veggies and fruits. I have noticed that my carbs are a larger percentage than they should be but I am not much good in the kitchen so it has been hard enough to come up with low cal let alone low carb.

Anyone have any ideas why the scale has already stalled? I am going shopping today and if I have to tweak the diet, now is the time.
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Old 04-03-2010, 09:18 AM   #2  
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It would help to know your height and weight. 1200 calories might be too low and put you in starvation mode so that your body retains everything it can.

But, from the information given, you doubled your exercise. That's going to help in the long run, but may stall things out in the short run as your body adjusts. Do you have sore muscles? That can be an indication that you are retaining water temporarily.
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Old 04-03-2010, 09:19 AM   #3  
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I'm fairly new around here, but not new to weight loss efforts.

Are you drinking enough water? Exercise causes a bit of fluid retention, so we need plenty of water to keep us from hanging onto the excess fluid.

Getting enough protein like lean meats and stuff is a big deal. And if you're eating all that protein, you're too full to eat much of the carbs. I'm a serious carb-lover from way back, and now that I'm getting over 100 grams of protein every day, I just don't have room for much else.

Also, plateaus stink. A lot. I've been on one all week. Like I said, it stinks. I can definitely sympathize and offer (((hugs))). Oh, and the awesome people here will have tons more good advice for ya!

Take Care!
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Old 04-03-2010, 09:35 AM   #4  
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One, it's probably too early to conclude anything. Weight loss is often in starts and stops, especially after a big loss.

Two, what is "a few too many carbs"? Are we talking like 80% or more? How much fat and protein are you getting? You NEED protein if you are exercising a lot, and it's not hard to learn to bake chicken or fish, if you don't know how.
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Old 04-03-2010, 09:54 AM   #5  
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I agree that it's waaaay too early in the game to start jumping to conclusions.

You mentioned that in week one you had a couple of higher days, which were still QUITE reasonable. Have you had any in week two?

At your weight, you may want to adhere to a higher calorie budget, say 1400 or so. Not that I think *starvation mode* is happening as another poster mentioned. Because, well there is no way that that is happening IMO. But just because I think you can still lose nicely as that amount and if you're eating more (nutritious foods that is), then it is less likely that you will go over budget. It is more likely that you will STAY with your plan and thus continue to lose.

Weight loss is not linear. You have got to give it more time. I urge you at this point to focus on the BEHAVIORS. Get these good behaviors down pat. Find foods that you love, learn how to say no to this and yes to that, get a great plan in place, get used to shopping, planning, taking foods with you, work on making this all habitual. You do that and there's no way the scale won't go down - in whatever time frame.

And when you say too many carbs, are they carbs from veggies and fruits or carbs from froot loops and bagels? Big difference here. BIG.

Stick with it. Weight loss is not an immediate gratification type thing. Stick with it. HAng tough and KNOW that everything you do today will get you those good results tomorrow, the next day or next week.
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Old 04-03-2010, 10:07 AM   #6  
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Sorry, I thought I had my height and weight on here. I am 5'3" and weighed in at 220.2 this morning. My carbs are not at 80%, more like 50% up to 60% sometimes but it is mostly from fruits and veggies, apples in particular. I will admit to eating a couple hundred calories worth of candy about three times during these last two weeks but that was when my calorie count for the rest of the day was on the low side.

I eat the majority of my meals at work, as I work 11:30am-8pm. I eat breakfast before I go and take several healthy snacks like carrots or fruit or salad. I also have a sandwich most days on thin sliced bread and some soup later on. I eat every couple of hours and haven't really been that hungry.

I am not trying to jump to conclusions really and I have already been able to button jeans that I have had to wear unbuttoned with a long shirt for the last couple of months. I know that should be enough, but come on...everyone knows it feels good to see it on the scale.

I apologize if I come off as whiny, I wanted to post this all week but waited because I figured I was jumping the gun.

Oh, I am drinking water almost exclusively except for a couple cups of coffee in the morning. I added my Fitday link if anyone is interested.

Last edited by BecomingMaggie; 04-03-2010 at 10:11 AM. Reason: forgot something
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Old 04-03-2010, 10:30 AM   #7  
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Hi, I'm new to this site also but not new to trying to find best practices in taking care of myself.

I just wanted to say that I agree with the other posters but just wanted to add that I have also read Bob Greene's Bestlife books and he says, weigh yourself in the first week and then do NOT return to the scale for a month because the weigh-ins in between will get your discouraged. Often the big loss at the beginning is largely due to water weight and the steps you've taken since then are all great and will give you positive results if you stick with them...just don't get discouraged by that scale. I know many who just can't leave the scale alone so if you must weigh then do so but take what it says with a grain of salt...not literally because excess sodium is not good
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Old 04-03-2010, 10:55 AM   #8  
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This is all strictly IMO:

One, you are not getting NEAR enough protein: under 20% of your calories come from protein. You also need more fiber: many days you are under 20 grams.

Two, you are rewarding yourself for not eating healthy all day by splurging on unhealthy stuff at the end of the day because you still have the calories.

These together suggest to me that you are taking the approach that food is bad and to be avoided. This is not true. Your body needs healthy food for all your various metabolic processes to work: it needs protein and fiber and vitamins and calcium and fat to function, and it burns weight most efficiently when it's running smoothly, not in fits and starts. The one thing it really, truly does not need is refined sugar.

What I am seeing is you are avoiding food all day, thinking food is bad, and then when you get to the end of the day and haven't eaten, you think you've done a good thing and it's ok to reward yourself with refined sugar. But it's not a good thing. It means you didn't eat the protein and fiber and vitamins your body needs.

The reason 1200 is the "magic number", IMO, is that it is about as low as you can go and still get the essential things your body needs--any lower than that and you will be lacking something, your body will quit running smoothly, and weight loss slows. So if you are eating 1200 calories a day, you don't have any room for splurges: every bite needs to contribute nutritionally.
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Old 04-03-2010, 11:21 AM   #9  
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I guess the reason that I have allowed myself a little bit of candy is because I want to be able to do this long term. If I get frustrated that I can't have anything sweet then I am afraid that I won't stick to it for the long haul. I used to be a major candy junkie so this shows an awful lot of restraint on my part I feel. I don't feel that I am avoiding food during the day because I am not hungry and when I get hungry, I go and grab one of my healthy snacks.

I am going shopping today and I will look for lower carb higher protein foods. I appreciate all of your opinions but now I have to admit, I almost wished I hadn't posted this because I feel so stupid.
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Old 04-03-2010, 11:53 AM   #10  
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Don't get discouraged. You've STARTED...that's the most important step! Asking questions is the best way to find information, especially here, where everyone is on the same quest. Lose weight, get healthy. And everyone has had different successes, with different journeys. You just need to find the right one for you. That will work for YOU. But I think, the main premise is the same. It's how we tweak it that determines our success.

When I started, I used weight watchers. Didn't join, but used their point system. After awhile on that, I slowly dropped that system and went to calorie counting. I never stopped eating candy (not a lot, in moderation, but a piece here or there) or pizza, or anything else I wanted. I just learned moderation. Drank a lot of water. Started eating more veggies. And soon, my body started liking it.

I hit plateaus all OVER the place. Most discouraging. But, the journey is not just about the weight loss. Remember that. It's about getting healthy as well.

In the past year, I've lost 60 pounds. In 12 months. That averages 5 lbs a month. A little over a lb a week. Not fast. But it all adds up...give your body time. It will adjust. It will respond. And it will like it.

Good luck...
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Old 04-03-2010, 12:57 PM   #11  
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You aren't at all stupid. This crap is HARD--rocket scientist hard--if it were easy, everyone would be thin. It's ok to have treats, but not, I think, on 1200 calorie a day. Eat 1200-1400 calories of healthful foods, getting at least 75 grams of protein and 30 grams of fiber, and then have a treat. Even then, I'd suggest you start making them smaller--next time, have 75% of a snickers bar or a bag of reeces and just toss the rest in the trash (gross trash, like in the kitchen, so you won't go after it). In a few weeks, start throwing away half of it.

Again, don't feel bad. It took me 15 years to finally find a plan that seems to be working.
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Old 04-03-2010, 01:26 PM   #12  
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My Monday morning weigh-ins are always my lowest of the week. I don't work out strenuously on the weekends and that causes me to hold an extra 3-4 lbs of water that I lose over the weekend when I don't work out as strong.

So usually for me Monday is the lowest, then it's up a couple of pounds for the rest of the week as I'm hitting the gym hard, then back down to hopefully an even lower number the next Monday.

Focus on behaviours not the scale. You are on the right track.
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Old 04-03-2010, 01:50 PM   #13  
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Please don't feel bad for posting your questions! Suzyszoo is right about finding what works for you--it may not be right for someone else. For instance, I can't have sweets at all. It just triggers something in my weird brain that keeps telling me to get more, get more, get more! I have found that keeping my carbs low and concentrating on good fats and protein helps me to keep that gremlin away. Keep coming to this site and joining in. I'm confident that you'll figure out what works for you.
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Old 04-03-2010, 02:16 PM   #14  
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Don't feel stupid!!! It DOES take time to get this all down pat. Your food choices will evolve as you start to figure out what works for you and what doesn't. It took you a life time to get your previous habits in place, it's going to take some time to get these new ones going as well.

I would love you to rethink what a treat is. I now eat foods that taste really, really WONDERFUL - but, they are also wonderful FOR ME. I no longer settle for foods that *just* taste good. They must work for me long after I'm done chewing.

A thinly sliced apple, sprinkled with cinnamon and a few chopped walnuts.
A FF/SF yogurt, partially frozen with some Fiber One cereal mixed in.
A baked apple with cinnamon, raisins, walnuts and SF maple syrup.
A veggie platter, with cut up veggies and peach mango salsa.
An egg white omlette with sauteed spinach, mushrooms, peppers, onions and garlic.
A huge serving of roasted turnip fries or roasted cauliflower or roasted anything.
A smoothie, made with skim milk, SF/FF yogurt and frozen strawberries.

These foods all taste DIVINE. AND they are good for me. They are full of nutrients and fiber and KEEP ME FULL AND SATIATED. AND they will stave off cravings for the candy and the sugar.

By allowing yourself those *treats* on a daily basis, you're not allowing your wants and desires for those foods to dry up. Which is what I needed to do. Now that I am in maintenance, they are *once in a while* things. And when I do splurge, it's not on some ordinary candy. It's on a scoop of really good ice cream, a small piece of rich cheesecake or something REALLY good.

When you're adhering to a calorie budget, it really is essential to make those calories COUNT. You need to be full, sated and loaded up with nutrients and vitamins.

Those candies or other treats - once in a while things. Really, it doesn't have to be every day. It's a mindset and it does take time to get into that mind frame.
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Old 04-03-2010, 06:03 PM   #15  
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Thanks everyone for bringing me back out of my pity party. I just got done with grocery shopping and tried to pick up things that had more protein or fiber in them. I am not giving up this time!
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