Grrrrrrr, I've been OP all wk , except for my one slip of cc cookies/cheese puffs - but otherwise I've been walking the walk, watching everything I put in my mouth, counting out the wahzoo, exercising and all that jazz. And the bloody scale hasn't budged. What gives? I checked my BMR on a site at it said to maintain my current wt at my current ht I need to eat 1350 cals/day. I've been eating about 1500 on avg (some days less, some days more). If I subtract 250 from 1350 I only get to eat 1100 cals/day and if I exercise enough to burn 250 cals/day that's 500/day; 3500/wk for a 1 lb loss per wk. I'm suppose to only eat 1100 cals/day???? Where's the wiggle room when I get stuck and plateau?? All sites say don't eat below 1200 cals/day. I had used some calculator quite awhile ago that I'm pretty sure it gave my BMR at something like 1900-2100 cals/day to maintain (don't know what the site it was). Great, knock off 400 or so cals foodwise, burn 100-200 cals exercisewise and there's a nice achieveable wt loss of 1-2 lbs/wk on avg. I did this b/4, and it worked. So what the heck am I doing wrong this time??? No, it's not TOM and NO I haven't lost any inches. Really wanting to go to the store and buy that party bag of M&Ms.
I know sometimes my weightloss doesn't follow "the formula" either. Maybe due to hormones or stress - or being more off plan than I think I am. I honestly track every little bite I eat now. Otherwise, I know there would be 300 calories of "just-a-bite" calories! I say stick with what you started and if after a few weeks it's still not working, then you'll have to tweak things. GL!
Are you saying you didn't lose during a week and you are upset or you haven't lost in a long time?
Not to make light of your feelings, but not losing in a week is normal. The scale doesn't measure just fat, it measures all sorts of things. I can have weeks where I don't lose anything and then woosh, I will lose quite a bit. Weight loss is never linear.
So you can 'follow the formula' perfectly but that doesn't mean you will have a scale loss every week. My advice is stick to it and don't let the scale rule you.
It's not clear from your post how long you've been at your current plan. But as Nelie said, not losing weight for one week is nothing that unusual in the long haul. Also, you mentioned a 'slip up'. A 'slip up' can mean lots of different things to me, from an off-plan snack to an all out binge, and can impact your weekly weigh-in depending.
Weight loss is a long term commitment. One week is just one week. Try to keep it in perspective and work your plan starting today! If your response to a brief stall is a bag of M&M's, well, the results next week won't be any better, right?
Just an FYI, your BMR is your basal metabolic rate. It's what you'd need to keep your body functioning just lying around. The other site you looked at probably generated your maintenance calories including daily activity as well as exercise, if you entered that information.
It IS frustrating to be on plan and not lose, but unfortunately the other posters are right -- weight loss is NOT linear! And that's one of the most important lessons to learn if you are going to stick with this long term.
Oh yeah, buying that bag of M&Ms and eating them will REALLY help.
Step away from the snack foods!
I remember your one slip with the cookies and cheese puffs. In my experience, a day like that won't make you gain weight, but it could stall your weight loss.
Sorry to hear you're having a rough time of it. Are you using a tracker, like FitDay? Are you measuring your foods?
Basal metabolism is the bare minimum of calories your body needs. Most trackers go by Resting Metabolic Rate. For example, at my age, my resting metabolic rate is about 1620. I'm sure yours is higher. For me to lose a pound a week, I would have to cut 500 cals a day, which would put me at 1120. Well, that's too low. So, I really can't lose at that rate unless I exercise enough to raise my daily calorie burn.
In the past couple of weeks, I've been averaging 160 cals a day of exercise, and that brings my daily burn total to 1770. My food total has been 1460--I've been having trouble... Anyway, with that small a difference, I'm on track to have lost only 1-1/4 pounds. I want to get my calories lower than that; it's just that I'm struggling.
So, reevaluate! Figure out where your counts might be off. Look more closely at what you eat, and be sure to count everything.
I know wt loss is not linear. I've been down this road enough times to have learned that lesson. Had I been at this for 2 or 3 months it wouldn't have caught me off guard, but at 2-3 weeks, um yeah it totally frustrates me. I know I could get on the scale tomorrow and it could drop a lb or two; it just doesn't help much when you hit the mark all week (and make up any slip ups w/extra exercise) and nothing happens. Zero, zilch, zip. When God made us, he said to Himself "Hmm, a better model. But let's not let them think they are too much better. To ground them I shall give them cramps, childbirth, not enough arms after childbirth, menopause and cellulite. Oh, and just as an added bonus I shall make wt loss non-linear. Hat Trick, you shall be my uber model of this. Men -- well, they were my first so I'll go easier on them. They can have beer bellies."
Um, yeah I did go out and buy some M&Ms yesterday. But I only got those little dorky 'fun' packs. I ate 360 cals total and my total cals for the day hovered around 2000. Not OP but not a complete hog fest either. And they didn't even taste very good.
Just had a great TM w/o. Intervals are so worth the energy investment. I also picked up another dvd over the wkend. The Firms Pilate, Burn and Shape and Cardio Dance. The reviews at collage seemed half and half on these but for $20 for all three, I figured it was worth a shot. Am going to go try the Pilates one in a bit.
In the past I would have just disappeared from posting when things didn't go the way I wanted them too. I only posted when things were going my way. Changing this too and will contiue to post through the non-linearness of it all. Thanks for encouraging words. It's great having a place to vent one's frustrations and not have people hit you over the head like a ninny. (Love the little drill instructor icon JayEll. Wish I had one in real life. )
Oh Hat Trick, I know where you're coming from. I've been basically on plan for all of February and managed to lose a whopping 1 pound. Well, my official weigh in is on Friday but the 172 on the scale today was enough to get me going.
Keep at it. Focus on staying on plan rather than what the scale says. If weight loss was linear I would have lost 4-5 pounds in February, but I'll take what I can get. Hopefully March will bring me bigger changes, but I will stick to my plan. It's one I can live with. Good luck to you!
OP and No Loss???
Step away from the snack foods! 
Well, that's too low. So, I really can't lose at that rate unless I exercise enough to raise my daily calorie burn. 
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