starting to get discouraged
 

Hi all, so I need some advice and/or encouragement! About 5 weeks ago I began my weight loss journey. I want to lose about 30 lbs. I started doing cardio at least 5 days a week burning about 400-500 calories a session (I have a heart rate monitor), incorporated resistance bands 3 weeks ago, and I am eating healthy. I eat low carb/low sugar only getting these things from vegetables and limited fruit. I also incorporate healthy fats into my diet and protein. I log all of my calories each day in an app and stay below my 1200 calories a day goal.
The first couple of weeks, I lost 10 lbs. So I was really happy. Then my TOM came and i did not lose anymore, in fact I gained a couple of pounds back but I figured it was water weight. TOM ended and it has been 2 weeks and I have not lost anymore weight beyond the initial 10 lbs. I have been doing the same things as before with exercising and diet. I weigh myself at the same time every morning before I eat or drink anything and it will not drop below this one point.
I am so discouraged and losing my motivation. I workout but I am not mentally in it anymore and I'm getting kind of depressed everyday because I feel like I am trying hard and eating healthy and I do not understand why the scale is not moving. I do notice my pants are not as tight and I can see the difference from the 10 lbs loss, but its a small difference and I don't understand why I am not continuing to lose. With all of the cardio I'm doing, I should be losing fat, not just building muscle mass. Can anyone help me understand what I might be doing wrong???

Just curious, but is 1200 calories enough? If you are doing so much exercise, 1200 calories may not be enough for you. Of course it depends on a lot of things like starting weight, height, age, etc, but I would look at that as a possible reason for the stalled weight. I know you may be reluctant to add any more calories. I would also make sure that you're taking in enough protein and drinking enough water.

Keep doing exactly what you're doing and see where your weight lands in a month. My guess is you'll have lost a few more pounds. Weight loss isn't linear and you may be due for a whoosh.

F.

I drink tons of water (80 to 100 oz daily), other than green tea in the morning, water is all I drink. I sometimes wonder if I am eating enough too, but sometimes I am just not that hungry and I am reluctant to add more calories because I feel like that will halt my weight loss too. I really don't know what to do!

You're likely not eating enough AND the paper towel theory is likely in effect here.

Try adding in some protein if you don't want to add calories.

Are you weighing your food? Sometimes it is easy to underestimate the number of calories you are getting. Just a thought!

But I also agree with freelancemomma that you might want to give it a little more time.

Try not to be discouraged and definitely don't give up or give in! Keep on doing your exercises and eating healthy. The weight will come off eventually. I often find that my body loses weight in spurts of several pounds at a time. Then I go through an adjustment period that can last anywhere from 2-6 weeks where I don't lose any weight and it also fluctuates between 1-3 lbs during that whole time.

I admit it can be very frustrating. But having been there before many times I know that this is what my body needs to do to adjust to my new weight. Once that period of adjustment is passed the weight starts dropping off again until the next adjustment period.

As long as you are eating healthy foods, practicing portion control, not skipping meals (we need to eat to lose weight!), and staying active it will happen. You will lose the weight. Think of it as a lesson in patience and determination.

Weight comes off faster when you first start. Can't keep up that pace forever, sadly.

You might consider eating more. It won't help you lose more, but if you're eating only 1200 calories and then burning off some of that, it's bound to affect you physically and mentally. If you eat enough, your mood might improve.

Weight loss takes a long time. We all have those times when we are discouraged. I think we all do. I know I do. You just have to stick with it, even when it is hard. Remember your goal. (Easy to say, harder to do, I know.)

As others have said, try something different. It's easy to get discouraged and quit what has been working. I know that has been my problem every time I have "attempted" to lose. Starts off great, then plateaus and stop what has been working.

Now, it's time to approach with a different mindset and bulldog determination to do and continue to do what works and not let it stress me out!

I guess this is where the old saying "patience is a virtue" comes in. Hang in there!

I agree with the others that you may be taking in too many calories for the amount of exercise you are doing.

Another thought: if you are doing low carb, watch out for sodium. I do low carb and sometimes overdo it with processed meats, cheese, dressings, etc. in the quest to keep the carbs down. I will retain water sometimes but it usually comes off all at once as long as I stick to my diet and lay off the salty stuff a few days.

Oops! I meant too LITTLE calories.

Keep going. Plateaus happen, I used to freak out when the scale would go up 3 lbs in a day. The scale is just a number that doesn't coordinate with everything across the board. Try taking pics every couple weeks. It has done a lot more for me than the scale could in terms of motivation. You may also not be eating enough calories as others have said and your body is in starvation mode. :). Be proud of your 10. #s loss!

I TOTALLY agree with what the others are saying. 1200 calories with all that exercise will only get you so far with weight loss. In my experience that's exactly what happened to me. They put me on 1200 calories and it was fine until I went from working out 3-4 times a week to working out EVERY SINGLE DAY! When that happened I stopped losing weight because you're just not consuming enough food to keep your metabolism running fast enough. Not to mention the more I exercise, the more hungry I get. Now with working out 6 days a week I eat 1500-2000 calories a day, 5-6 times a day and I am losing weight very steady.