Stuck and cant lose. HELP PLEASE!

[mrj1988]

Started my first full week and didn't lose at all after losing 23lbs in a month. Roughly 4lbs a week.
I would just like to know other peoples sweet spots. I do 10k steps, 5miles, 3k calories, 30 active minutes.
I wasn't working out this hard before fitbit and was losing like crazy, then I bump up my activity and nothing happens 😕
Just frustrated and wandering if this happens to others and how to bust through it.

[gerrymcd]

As a general principle 'science over anecdote' describes my approach to most things -- it should, I've earned my living as a 'scientist' for decades.  But, as a scientist I have to say a huge amount of bad research is published on diet/weight loss.  To the point I am very skeptical of most of the stuff I read, even if it eminates from a top ranked medical institute.  Why so..... well, a catchy theory on how to lose weight is a potential cash cow - diet and recipie books, TV appearances, being fetted by Orpah and Dr. Oz, etc.  

As for Europeans being thin. Unfortunately, this is becoming less and less true (certainly in the part of Europe I visit regularly).  Its nothing to do with the time of day they eat, its all down to the habit of only eating at 'the table' being lost, and people now grabbing food on the go or sitting in front of TV/computer eating. 

[WaltTN]

From discussions with a friend I have in Germany, he said that more and more of his friends and relatives are eating a lot more junk food.  With our fast food chains openning over there, they're getting just as fat.

It still comes down to one rule :       Gain/Loss = Calories Burned - Calories Taken In

[KJScarp]

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@WaltTN wrote:

From discussions with a friend I have in Germany, he said that more and more of his friends and relatives are eating a lot more junk food.  With our fast food chains openning over there, they're getting just as fat.

It still comes down to one rule :       Gain/Loss = Calories Burned - Calories Taken In

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Exactly!  It has nothing to do with the time of day that they eat, it's the type of foods (i.e. processed/fast v. historically whole, unprocessed foods) and the fact that they are eating more calories than they burn.

[sarahl]

I've had luck with replacing my low sugar morning cereal with a fruit smoothie. I agree with the above advice re it. I think it helps to add a couple of tablespoons for protein powder in there too. It helps fill me up.

1/2 banana

1cup frozen berries

1cup unsweetened almond milk

2tablespoons flax seed

2 tablespoons non-whey protein powder.

I dropped some additional pounds cutting dairy out and gluten. I've suspected an intolerance and after two weeks without it, it seems to help.

The Fitbit Trainer advises to have 30% or fewer calories a day from supper if you are trying to lose weight and 50% or fewer from supper if you are trying to maintain......just sayin

[biothleta]

I also lost more my first month (10 pounds) and now I'm stuck. But I have to agree with one of the replies that said not to worry too much about the scale at this point. Even though the scale hadn't changed at my weigh-in last night, and I was frustrated, when I pulled my jeans out of the dryer this morning they went RIGHT ON with no pulling, squatting, or shimmying. I'll take it! I'm trying to do 8K-12K steps, >2100 calories burned, and tracking my food to make sure I maintain that calorie deficit. Good luck!

[Paigeypie]

If you're only eating 500 calories combine for breakfast and lunch (if I understood that correctly) and 1500 at dinner. Your meals are not balanced and your blood sugar is probably dipping throughout the day. Bulk up your breakfasts and lunches, you can still do smoothies just add some almond milk, Greek yogurt etc... Decrease your dinner to 500-700 calories (to start) and add some healthy snacks in between your meals. This should help to regulate your metabolism so it's not going into starvation mode during periods throughout the day. I really recommend the Myfitnesspal app you can sync it w your fitbit. It's totally awesome and will help you regulate how many carbs, sugars, fats etc you should be getting a day. Good luck!!

[karan]

Couple suggestions. 

Work out in the morning so your burn all day. And it helps make good eating decisions throughout the day. 

Second, do interval training with only cardio. (example - run 2 laps, sprint 1 lap, run 2 laps) Weights will help as the more muscle the more oxygen your body needs therefore your body works harder. 

Eat clean. Fruits, veggies, grains, beans. Cut out sodas and junk. 

Push yourself

[wldunn7800]

I need a little help please. Since the beginning of the year, I have been trying to lose the weight. I decided to focus on nutrition and exercise. I love fitbit. It has me up and moving and realizing how little I had been doing. I am up to 20K or more most everyday. I also do aerobics and stairs. I eat between 1500 - 1900 and I am burning around 2500 - 3500 a day. Since January 1, I have lost 4 pounds. Before I started, I walked only around 4K and ate a minimum of 1800K and drank soda. Why is the weight not coming off? Any suggestions on other ways to get the weight to shed?

[Paigeypie]

Hi!

You could be gaining muscle and that's why the scale might not be moving. Do you measure yourself with a seamstress measuring tape (they're cloth or plastic in some cases). That's another way of measuring your success. Measure your waste and thighs and keep track.
Do you use the myfitnesspal app along w your Fitbit? I highly recommend that for tracking not only your calories, but sugar intake carbs, fats etc. you can link your Fitbit and myfitnesspal apps together making it very easy for you.
What kinds of foods are you eating? Try small healthy meals w 2-3 healthy snacks in between. You want keep your metabolism revved. When you're starving your metabolism is slowing, you don't want that.
Also, just be mindful that you're consistently burning more calories than you are taking in. That's the key, don't get discouraged. It will come off.

Paige Staples
Sent from my iPhone

[Junebug14]

I think it depends on the person. I always, always save a snack at bedtime and when I stopped I lost weight. I still have the snack, just 2 hours earlier.

[JasonC71]

This.  Invest in a scale that calculates fat mass.

As an example...over the past week and a half I have lost 3 pounds.  My fat % has moved from 39.7% to 35.6% in that same period.  What's cool is what that means in pounds.

The dashboard is showing that at 39.7% bodyfat I had 145.4 pounds of lean mass (think muscle)...fast forward a week and a half and that 35.6% fat % equates to 153.6 pounds of lean mass.

So I added muscle....8.2 pounds of it....and still lost 3 pounds overall.  That means I lost 11.2 pounds of the fat....but my straight weight isn't going to show that.  You need to know body fat change as well.