Nothing.

Seriously, I've lost nothing.

One month ago, I decided it was time to buckle down and get with it in regard to shaping up and losing weight and inches. So, I decided the best way for me to do this was to cut back on portion size, cut out most fats, cut out sugar and work out on a daily basis. I decided that my daily calories should be between 1200 and 1400 per day. Healthy calories, not junky ones. I drink plenty of water, too.

The first week, I'll admit I didn't exercise. Not sure why, just didn't. When the scale showed no loss after a week (heck, I was hoping for one little pound!), I knew I had to move, and move everyday. So, I started on a walking program. Nothing big...just twenty five minutes of brisk walking around the neighborhood. I figured this would make a difference, eventually.

Three more weeks have gone by, and still, nothing. I haven't wavered. I continue to stick with it, eat good, and exercise. Not one pound lost. No inches lost, either, as my clothes are still fitting like they did four weeks ago.
I do take Synthroid daily, and recently had my levels checked and all is fine in that regard.

I'm forty-eight years old and I know that some are so quick to blame it all on age but come on! Last time I checked, burning more calories than you took in was how a person lost weight. I tell ya, sometimes I just have to fight back tears when stepping on the scale! I'm so motivated....I've got an event to attend on June first, and was all excited about starting early and dropping some weight before that date. Now, a month has gone by and I feel like it's just been a huge waste. I honestly don't feel any better off now that four weeks ago. A friend suggested I was "gaining muscle". I seriously doubt this. It's only twenty-five minutes of walking, not power lifting.

Can anyone offer any suggestions for me? Or, words of wisdom?

Thank you!

Hey Riverwatcher,

Well, that's terrifically disappointing! Gosh! I'd be totally bummed out.

So first, how are you tracking your food calories? And if you aren't using a calorie tracker, or maybe even if you are, can you list a typical day's worth of meals and snacks?

Also, what is your current weight? And how much were you hoping to lose?

Do you walk every day?

Give us more data...

Jay

Did you measure yourself? I had a similar thing happen to me last year where I decided to re-energize my weight loss but I didn't lose a lb for 3 months but then the weight started coming off.

I agree with JayELL

Most people underestimate the number of calories they are eating. They either don't know the number of calories or they aren't measuring out the portions properly.

Also it does depend on the amount of weight you would like to lose, as Jayell says. Maybe you're within the healthy range and your body just doesn't want to let go of the fat.

Other than that I don't know what could be the problem.

I too agree with Jayell. Are you getting an acurate count of your calories? I do have to say though, that when I started I didn't lose a pound for 3 weeks. Then the 4th week I had a 3 lb. loss. Sometimes your body just wants to hang on to that weight.

Don't give up. I'm sure you'll drop soon.

riverwatcher , hi : ). First of all, I would like to congratulate you on your changes and also your exercise regiment. It sounds like you have been working so hard and have made some very positive strides , yet to not see the results you were hoping for must be very frustrating.

I agree totally with what Jay said along the lines of providing more info, without that, only assumptions can be made and yikes, I don't like going there but will offer a few things that come to mind.

Have you been keeping a food journal? I kept one for yearsss and at the end of every week, I would see the results and also look back on the foods I ate.....decided or thought about what may or may have not hindered or helped me in my plight and then make some changes the following week, i.e. , eliminating certain things. Basically, through trial and error, I learned what aids me in my weight loss and what does not. We are all so uniquely different though and our weight loss is often affected in different ways. I have met many women that have difficulty losing weight whilst drinking diet sodas, yet many others seem unphased by it! Keep a close eye on yourself and through the elimination process, see what happens. FOr me, it's the carbs (white processed stuff) that kills me, also cheese. Even if I restrict my cals to the healthy m inimum, I am not successful in weight loss if do not restrict these things. Don't get me wrong, I am all for fiber, wheat, etc. but whites (bread, pasta, rice, potatoes) have an incredible effect on my weight. Typically, after a pasta dinner, I would be as much as 2 lbs. up due to water retention! cheese, same thing! (Incidentally, I watch my fiber intake too!). HIgh sodium foods also affect me tremendously (or things like ketchup or soy sauce, ugh). I just get the inkling that there is something not jiving with your plan, is there something of this nature or another that you having frequently? or could perhaps be throwing a wrench in your plan? Again, jay said it best with sharing more.

My mother, who only has about 15 lbs. to lose and is much older than you, has been exercising almost every day. She eats healthy too! : ) she was having difficulty with the scale moving though and we nailed it down to the white's (bread, pasta or rice or potatoes almost daily) , plus a large dose of oil in sald almost daily (not olive oil). I am curious to see your feedback and pleas hang in there. I think it's so super that your walking every day and eating healthy, I bet you lost inches and that your clothes feel better. Keep on fighting, : )

If a brisk 25 minute walk and 1400 calories based on portion size aren't working, it's time to change what you are doing!

Like FullSteamAhead, I had to eliminate "the whites"- white flour, sugar, pasta and other non-nutritive starches and sweeteners from my diet before I lost anything. And I had to do a whole lot more exercise than a 25 minute walk OK, you've taken the first steps. Now how about upping the intensity and type of exercise? Lower the calories a little and increase your vegies and lean proteins, high fiber complex carbs. Now, at 52 years old, I pretty much maintain on 1400-1500 calories and at least an hour of cardio and/or weighlifting 5 days a week.

As JayEll pointed out, we could help you a little more specifically if we knew more about you, what you actually eat, when, your current weight and your goal.

Mel

i did the same thing, ate 1400 calories a day for a week, healthy foods at that, and saw no progress. but i recently cut my calories to 1000 calories a day and it seems to be the only thing that has ever worked for me. it may seem like a stretch, but if you eat filling foods that dont have a lot of calories its actually pretty easy. i have celery for breakfast (which is a good idea because it gets your metabolism going in the morning but it doesnt really have any calories), a turkey wrap for lunch, and salad for dinner, and i lost four pounds this way in the past week. you'd be surprised at how much cutting those 200-300 calories per day will make you lose faster.

i would also suggest using a food tracker, i use fitday.com. it really helps me to not only know what is in my food and make sure that i am really under 1000 calories a day, but it also motivates me and keeps me thinking about it more. also, it gives you a pie chart of the amounts of protein, carbs, and fat in all of the foods that you ate for the day, so you can pay attention to that and try to think about eating less fat and more protein.

good luck, keep up the good work! just be patient, you will lose it eventually and feel great!

Mel, I just saw the post and I had to say something! : ) Your quote at the bottom "It isn't just about waiting for the storm to pass but learning to dance in the rain"............how nice! We are literally having a big nor'easter strom here and I am trying to do just t hat, dance with it!!!!!!! Not easy, it's stepping on my toes but I sure am trying. I love this quote, not only in the now, but metaphorically speaking in every way!!! ty, ty ty Let's all dance through the storms ladies : )

syncrosweetie88, you may be losing weight, but it doesn't sound healthy to me--or sustainable. There just isn't enough of anything. Celery for breakfast? Sorry--not for me.

Dropping calories too much for too long means losing more than fat. And not getting enough nutrition.

I sometimes have days where I stay below 1200 cals, but they are exceptions, not the rule. I average over 1300, and I create a deficit with exercise. I also take vitamins and calcium. My weight loss isn't really fast, but it is steady, and I am healthy.

But back to Riverwatcher--still waiting to see what you've been doing! I hope we can offer some suggestions...

Jay

One thing to keep in mind with the nutrition/low calories discussion is that if you go too low with calories, you will start losing muscle. This happened to me a couple years ago. My weight (the number) was right where I wanted it, but when I did a body fat analysis I was way too high.

I would question why I cant lose weight on 1200 to 1400 calories.

Am I getting enough physical activity? Am I weight lifting? Both of those are factors in getting weight off. You can actually feel your metabolism speeding up after weight lifting and you will be able to eat so much more once you build up some muscle.

Another possibility is that you're not eating enough and your body is holding on to fat. If you're exercising and eating that little, that could be the case. If so, it could be worth trying to eat 1600 to 1800 calories a few times per week.

I would NOT go to below 1200 as I do not see how you can keep up exercise on such little fuel. IMHO, its a waste to lose without exercise because you'll just wind up with a flabby body and a really slow metabolism so the weight loss cannot be maintained. I would just hate to live life on 1000 calories per day. Rather increase my activity level and build muscles to burn fat while the body is at rest.

Riverwatch, have you considered having your resting metabolic rate tested? That will tell you exactly how many calories you burn at rest and doing regular daily activities so you can figure out what's going on with your metabolism and how many calories you need.

Well first of all, not all overweight people eat that badly. I would get plenty of veggies and such along with my "bad" foods before I started changing my life. There were certainly enough calories to fit in the bad and the good.

I also think there is a huge difference between a medically supervised and supplemented diet and when someone "wings" it. My overall goal is to be healthy and my secondary goal is to lose weight. Luckily, trying to be healthy can lead to weight loss. Super low calorie diets, if not done properly, can cause more harm than good especially if it results in muscle loss and thus an even further hindered metabolism.

I think most people do well at 1200 and above calories. There are rare occurrences when someone needs below that and if they do, I'd definitely advise them to talk to their doctor about any medical issues. I would also be concerned about their lack of muscle and would advise them to look into weight training.

Ok, I'm back from my walk.

Here is what I ate today. It's basically what I eat most days, although I usually do have some sort of fruit. I drink lots of water, too. Ok, here goes.

Breakfast: 1/2 cup oatmeal, prepared with milk, 1 tsp. sugar, milk on top of oatmeal, and a splash of milk in my tea. 275 calories total.

Lunch: 1 piece of wheat bread, one oz. lean turkey breast, two tsp. lite mayo and a small bag of "baked Doritos". 300 calories total.

Dinner: 3 oz. lean grilled flank steak, one tablespoon marinade on steak, half cup white rice, big salad with mixed greens, cucumber, tomato and one tablespoon light ranch dressing. Glass of chardonnay (six oz. glass) 580 calories total.

Total calories for the day was 1155, but lets just say 1200 in case I missed something.

I know it's boring, but I usually eat mostly the same type of thing each day...just seems easier to keep on track but if it's not working it's time to mix it up a bit.

I'm 5'6", and weigh 170 ~ just like yesterday, and the day before, and the day before, and the day before, and the day before, and the day before
I would like to get down to the 140-145 range.

Ok, so lets hear it! Be kind....and thanks to all of you! I do appreciate the support and help!