Working hard and the scale hardly even moving
 

I need to vent .... And welcome suggestions

For the past three weeks I've been exercising six days a week for at least one hour (usually walking) and eating healthy. I'm logging my food and I eat no more than 1400 calories per day. I burn (according to my bodybugg) between 2600 to 3000 calories per day.

Week one I lost five pounds. Week two I lost two pounds. Week three I lost only half a pound.

I'm so frustrated! I'm forcing myself to not give up but it's hard when I'm doing everything I know to do.

I think your plan sounds great. Consider where you are in your monthly cycle. Some women retain a lot of water weight and it can last for up to 2 weeks. My weight loss buddy is down 35lbs over the last 4 months and she does not lose anything for 2 weeks every month! Also the scale can just vary some so weight loss numbers aren't consistent week to week.

Just remember that you WILL lose the weight eating 1400 calories a day and walking for an hour. You WILL lose it so just don't give up!

Seven and a half pounds in three weeks is excellent work and well above average. You shouldn't be frustrated. You should be excited! I'm excited for you.

Just keep doing what you're doing and come back here so we can tell you that you are doing great!

I totally agree with Liz. Right now I'm in the worst part of my cycle. Right around ovulation I cannot lose weight for anything! And then it just WOSHES off. Wait at least a month and make sure it's not just water weight. Stick with it, you're doing all the right things and you'll get where you need to be!!

Your body is just adjusting, that's all! The huge initial loss is mostly water weight. It's much harder to lose FAT, which is what you want. A slow down is very normal. I say keep doing what you're doing and give your body time to adjust. If you see a couple weeks of no loss, then it might be time to step it up. Until then, hang in there!! This takes time and giving up gets you absolutely nowhere. ;)

I entered this journey giving myself a commitment of one year instead of a poundage goal. That way, the scale can do what it wants! I'm in this for one year. I really want to see where I'll be one year from where I started and the curiosity alone has kept me going.

The most I ever lost when I had poundage goals was 30 lbs. With this year long commitment, I've now lost 49 lbs (I'm dieing to say 50!) and I'm exactly half way through that year. Imagine how good I'm going to feel in six more months.

My favorite quote: "A year from now you'll be glad you started today." ;)

Everything you know to do from your past IS to give up...so maybe you should try something NEW. We ALL know what giving up will get you. NO weight loss, probably regaining of what you have lost, PLUS continuing where you left off on your food addiction. No, don't do what you know how to do, do what you haven't done...stick it out!

Oh, and I totally agree with the others, you probably have a little water retention due to PMS, or the added excercise. It will go away, but if you feed it, it WILL STAY.

Oh my gosh. You're doing great!!!

You ARE working hard and it IS paying off. Weight loss in not linear. You will definitely not see the same exact number of pounds lost from week to week. It will vary - a LOT, even if you do the same exact thing week to week. You WILL get used to these variances.

But no, no giving up. Decide to do this and SEE IT THROUGH. It's time. You've got the ability to do this, so really, why the heck not?!?!?

Keep doing what you're doing and the pounds will have no choice but to come off - in time.

I urge you to yes, check that scale, but don't focus solely (or much) on it. FOCUS on the behaviors. The behaviors, the behaviors, the behaviors. Nail down a great eating/exercise plan. Find healthy foods to love, get accustomed to calorie tracking, packing foods with you, saying no to this and yes to that, honing your strategies. Focus on THAT and believe me, the scale and all those rewards WILL follow.

I look forward to hearing of your continued progress. :)

I agree with Susan and Robin.

Keep forcing yourself to not give up. Listen to what everyone has told you in this thread. You have to be a little tough with yourself and not rely on the scale so much to give you immediate feedback for your efforts. KNOW in your head and heart that you are doing all of the right things and the weight will eventually come off. Just because the scale isn't responding doesn't change the fact that your diet and exercise are putting you at a calorie deficit and you ARE burning fat. You have to be. Sometimes the scale doesn't cooperate because water plays a large part in how much you weigh, and hormones and sodium intake and a whole bunch of other things affect water weight. Start using a tape measure to keep track of your progress, and a few pieces of clothing. You will get there as long as you don't give up!!!

Pam

I know there are those who will argue against this, but personally I would say you are eating too little. If you bumped up your calories some I believe you would lose more weight. As a point of reference, 1,200 calories is the bare minimum for a short, slim and sedentary woman.

We all have off weeks where we just don't lose much. But, if you continue to see half-pound weeks, you might want to think about eating a bit more. Operating at a deficit greater than 1,000 calories a day can be detrimental to weight loss. At your current weight and exercise level, even when accounting for the inaccuracy of burn estimates, you are very likely exceeding this limit if you are accurate on your calorie count.

I agree with petite powerhouse also, I think you are not getting enough cals if you never eat more than 1400, especially for how much you are working out. Also, like some of the others said, your body is adjusting and even if you lose only 0.5 or 2 lbs a week- that is still a very healthy weight loss!

A few thoughts - are you drinking enough water? Eating enough fat in your food? getting enough sleep? All of those are factors that can make your body hold onto weight that it might otherwise let go of based on activity and calorie deficit.

But generally speaking, I agree with what most everyone else has said - what you've lost in 3 weeks is great, and you need to let your body adjust and then you'll see another loss. A lot of people find they tend to lose a lot for one or two weeks out of the month and then hold steady the rest of the time, esp. women who have to factor TOM into the equation.

So just hang in there - whatever the scale does, you are making progress to your health and fitness with the activity and healthy food. And the scale will catch up with that, just not always when you want or expect it to.

Definitely don't give up! You're doing really well and the pounds will continue to drop if you stick with your plan. I know it can be frustrating and that sometimes the whole process doesn't seem to make much sense.

Hang in there!

Thank you SO much everyone. I'm on my lunchbreak and just had time to scan through your replies but even that's a huge help to me. Now I'm really itching to get home, get my supper and my walk done so I can hop on here and really read and digest it all.

Thanks again !!!

You may also want to try and not weigh yourself on a weekly basis, that is enough to drive me insane and it can be such a demotivator. Try to get your measurements also, and do that once a month, you may see that you are not losing much on the scale but seeing changes on your measurements.