What am I doing wrong?
 

I've been doing 45-60 min of cardo 6 days a week, eating between 1500-1900 calories a day (altho I admit sometimes it isn't all healthy food), and drinking lots of water. Yet I've been stuck on the scale at a 6 pound loss for two weeks. What am I doing wrong? Anyone have any suggestions? I just did my weigh in for the week, and its a little discouraging.

Thanks

I am not a diet expert but....
 

My words of advice are, if you are not recording your food intake start doing it! Sometimes we think we have consumed x number of cals. when in fact it is more, due to little snacks thoughout the day we have forgotten to write down. Also, maybe if you keep your cals at 1500 all week, try not to go over that it may help. You can go to www.fitday.com to get a journal!

Jenn

Also have you tried measuring your waist during this time? If not i would consider adding that to your weigh days as well. If you are anything like me and more out of shape then you should be it might be that you are aquiring a bit of muscle during all this great exercise. And that is heavier then fat so maybe try to see if your waist is getting smaller before you step on that scale,;)

If you've been using fitday.com ... give us a link and we'll have a look.

It sound to me like you have been taking in too many calories. Try cutting back to 1200-1400. I can't loose if I go over that at all. Good luck.

You just started your weight loss on Jan 2 - that means you've lost 6 lbs in about 3 weeks, which is an average of 2 lbs a week which is INCREDIBLE. It doesn't sound like anything is wrong to me - sounds like you probably lost a bit of water at first (the 6 lb might not have been a "true" weight loss) and you have slowly caught up to a true 6 lb weight loss over the past 2 weeks.

Increase the quality of your food intake (healthy foods are better!), keep your calories the same for now (no sense lowering your metabolism and eating less if you don't have to to lose weight) and just keep at it.

Really, it sounds very normal and nothing to worry about :) Weight loss is just like that (in my experience). Don't expect fast results, it just gets frustrating.

Lift weights! There was a study done once about lifting and calorie burning. They had some folks work out their legs and measured the increase in their calorie loss. They burned more calories than their basal for the next THREE DAYS! And it was like 500 more calories the day after they lifted. Calorie burn during lifting doesn't just happen when we lift.

And if you do lift, measure. Because that will be what you gain the first few weeks. You'll add muscle which weighs more than fat. But you'll be slimmer. Proof? Before I lifted weights I was a size 18/20 at 210lbs. Now I've gained back a bunch of weight, but I still lift here and there. Now I'm a size 14/16 at the same weight. And I can squeeze into a few size 12s! So my advice-lift. And Glory makes some good points too.

If you don't have weights or a gym membership start with lifting your own weight (push ups, tricep dips, etc...) and save up for dumbbells and a bench. :-)

Karma

I disagree that she's eating too many calories. I'm 202 and currently eating 1600-1800 calories. When I ate 1200 calories I didn't lose anything and now I'm losing 2-3 pounds per week. I've read that to figure out your calories you should multiply your weight by 8 for faster or 10 for slower weight loss. For a 200 pound person that's 1600-2000 calories.

I do agree about the weights. Definitely start weight training. The weight loss may slow down a little as you'll also be gaining muscle. Just make sure you do measurements and you may also want to take progress pictures. Say every 2 to 4 weeks. You'll definitely see results!

I'm with Stacy, I'm a shade under 200lbs now (and very grateful I am too to be living in onederland!!!) and am in between 1500 - 1800 calories depending on what's going on, more if I am more active, less if I am having a passive day.

Weight training seriously has changed my body type and shape. I have shoulders that look as if they belong to someone else (in a nice way).

It has slowed my scale loss down, but my inches whizz down every eight weeks. I love weight training, I used to dread it, but now I adore it!!!

You are probably building some muscle at the same time that you are losing fat, which is wonderful!

Take your measurements and watch those!! I bet you are losing inches. You could possibly be eating too much sodium (which a lot of prepackaged diet foods are full of) or consider the time of the month as well.

Look at it this way - you are doing everything right, so you have to be making progress, there's just no way you couldn't be! And 6 pounds in three weeks is awesome!

Keep up the good work!

Six pounds in two weeks is great!

I'm with those who don't recommend going too low with calories. I hit a plateau at 1200 - 1400 calories and couldn't lose for weeks but I'm losing again steadily (but slowly) after increasing my daily intake to just under 1600 calories.

From what I've read here, most people (not all) do better in the long term if they eat a reasonable amount of food and lose slowly but surely. I'm very happy now that I'm losing around a pound a week and I'm not hungry.

In the 'old' days I usually lost weight quite quickly on 1000 - 1200 calories a day. I've been 'dieting' for about 30 years and it's only just registered with me that there is really no point in dropping 10, 20 or 30 lbs. in a hurry just to have it come back in a couple of months after I get sick of being starving hungry all the time.

You're doing great with the exercise - good luck with reaching your goal! :goodluck:

Thanks ladies...I guess I was just having a hard time....I started the first time just after thanksgiving, lost 6 pounds by christmas, and then started again on the 2nd. I lost those six pounds, I guess I was just thinking too much too fast.

I do have a fitday account....link:http://fitday.com/WebFit/PublicJourn...r=grumbleworts

I appreciate all the encouragement and information. As for measuring, I have started, and I've lost about 1" in the last two weeks. I have the sneaking suspicion that icmethinner is right and I've had too much sodium...and fat. Weekends are killing me!

Thank you all again. This is a great place, I don't know what I'd do without it!

Vanessa

Stick with me here for a few minutes Vanessa. Do you think impatience is the problem?

I've only been losing (again....those pesky babies keep getting in the way ;) ) for 4 weeks. I've lost 8lbs. For about 1 1/2 weeks I didn't lose a darn thing. I was starting to think.."oh man, I lost water weight but can't lose any real weight." then it took off again. Our bodys are fickle mistresses.

Looking at your fitday information, you may need to cut back on your sugar intake. I know that some things say they are low fat but they can be very high in sugar which adds to the carbs. Start with what you drink. If you like ice tea, try it with 1 packet of sugar and the rest with Splenda. Increase your water intake to at least 64 oz - more if you drink alot of tea and soda.

Also try increasing your protein. This will fill you up faster and give you great nutrients.

I agree with everyone - stay within you same calorie range - you can even switch up and increase the intake but it is all about what you eat. We can eat 1600 calories of donuts and exercise but we won't lose weight, but if you eat 1600 calories of minimal fat and carbs and high protein you may drop 3-4 pounds in a week.

Good luck!

Im eating every three hours and eating small portions, healthier portions and walking a mile everyday. ive lost 5 pounds in about 3 weeks. I dont even count calories. But, I do write down what I eat every day. The one thing that helps me the most is that I buy the meals like lean cuisine and smart ones. With these the meals are already portioned out and I wont over eat because I know that I can only have one of them. I will eat a yogurt or crackers with the meal. Also, you might be gaining muscle mass and will lose more weight later. Dont give up, it will happen when it is meant to happen for you. You cant force anything that God(or who ever is in charge) doesnt have in your life plan. I think that with some things have to happen after you learn an important lesson that will help you with your goal. Good Luck!

Thank you to everyone! I appreciate the input. I know (SusanB) that I am probably being a little too impatient, I was just a little paranoid, because the last time i tried to diet, earlier last year, The same thing happened....I dropped 6 pounds and then the scale never moved. Of course, I'm doing things a little differently this time.
Curves4life - I think you're right, as much as I hate to admit that I might have to give up my sugar, esp in my iced tea. *gasp* we southern chicks just don't know what do with it when it doesn't have a gallon of sugar mixed in. Luckily, I have enough English in me till I think I can handle it, with some effort. ;) And I've started this week looking up recipes and marinades for chicken so that I can start with that as the main part of my meals - beef is a little too expensive, so that will have to be for special occaisions. I have noticed I don't get as hungry when i eat more protien.

THank you all so much! I really appreciate it! You're all AWESOME!

Vanessa

When's the next time you're going grocery shopping? Have you made a list yet?

Actually I was supposed to be going this evening, but I am making my list firstand going through the new American Heart Assoc. cookbook I bought (it hasthe nutritional info listed in it)

I can always take suggestions!
:)

There are some of that kind of thread under nutrition I think. But we could start something right here.
vegetables, protein, fruit, oatmeal ....

Hi there and welcome! You know, the one thing I noticed in your last post was the comment about "starting TO DIET" and the one thing I might encourage you to think about (this sort of ties with Susan's comment about being impatient in a way) is that what you are doing now needs to be FOR LIFE. If you think along the lines of depriving yourself and losing weight and being "on a diet" for 6 months, losing some weight, and then going BACK to what you were doing....well, then you'll just ride that horrible merry-go-round the rest of your life. One of the other reasons that going with a higher calorie count and thinking about slow and steady weight loss (versus that emotional initial satisfaction of fast loss) is that you need to make permanent changes.

Boy, this sounds preachy! SORRY! Just recognize you're doing well so far, and that it's gonna be a road that doesn't end once you hit your goal weight. I find reading threads over on maintenance a good "psychological" boost and reality check--it's not over just because the scale hits a particular number :)

Sugar
 

On my fitday, I don't even see a place for sugar. Where do you see that at?

NoworNever! ~ You don't sound too preachy. It's a mental block I know I have to get past. I know it needs to be for life, I just have to keep reminding myself that when i think too much about doing something that's too much like what I had tried before. I've tried Atkins, and WW, and "dieting" and it never ends up working out for me. I lose a little and then totally screw up and end up worse than before I started. This time, I plan on making it more a lifestyle change, or at least, that's my goal. I just have to keep reminding myself of that. :)


Thank you to all you lovely ladies. I really appreciate the help, encouragement and assurances that I am doing what I need to. It is silly, and I was feeling rather discouraged when I posted. (Altho I really shouldn't have. I know better...but sometimes you just ignore your good sense!) Thank you all so much!

Vanessa

Hi everyone... I've very new to this site, too... and 2.5 weeks into MY NEW LIFE... and was, like Grumbleworts, feeling like I wanted to see more during the first few weeks. But I'm 7.5 down and started walking yesterday. Short walks, but it's a start. I just wanted to tell you that I am getting a lot just reading. I've never posted to web sites before this one, so who knows if I'm even doing it right.... but I had to tell you how much I admire you all for doing what you're doing and for being so positive and helpful to each other---and us newbies.

Hey Vanessa--I totally hear you girl. I've been through WW and other dieting efforts on my own. I've lost up to 40 pounds before too--but always gained back. I'm 46 now and I think the one thing I knew going in this time was that I HAVE to make some mental changes. In the past, I really took an "all or nothing" approach and so whenever I "cheated" that would just about be it. I'm working really hard this time on trying to keep things in perspective--there will be days when I eat badly (sometimes because I lose control, and SOMEtimes because I choose to have certain things). I just have to make sure that the good efforts outweigh the bad as much as possible. This is making a huge difference for me. But...it's just never easy and the ladies over on maintenance make it clear that for many of them the MAINTAINING is harder than the losing (imagine!). I figure if I can incorporate some of their good mental insights while I'm in the losing process...well...maybe that will mean that by the time I get near a goal weight I'll be living the way I need to. Everybody here is so supportive--it makes a huge difference when a bad day pops up and you need the perspective of the people who have really been doing it :)

Tracy

I am definitely impatient, Grumble, it sounds like we're in the same boat. I want results IMMEDIATELY. I work out 6 days a week, including weights, and eat 1200-1400 cals/day. I've decided to focus on fitness instead of weight. My goal is to be able to do a pull-up!

Keep going - it's calories in vs. calories out in the long run.