Help! Two weeks and no weight loss - newbie and need to lose 100 page

[PghTrina]

Hello all, I am new here and really hoping you can help me.

I have been following the primal blueprint for the last two weeks in the hopes of feeling better and losing weight. Conservatively, I have 100 lbs to lose. While I've been doing the PB my weight has been fluctuating wildly (lose 3 lbs in a day, gain back 7 the next), and overall I have only netted a loss of 1/2 a pound. I have been tracking my foods and activity on fitday, and I can't figure out what I'm doing wrong. I will post specifics below in the hopes that you will be able to tell me what the problem is! :-)

I am 42 yo and have been a vegetarian for the last four years, so switching to primal has been a huge change for me. For the last two weeks I have also restricted dairy because I have had terrible recurrent sinus infections, bronchitis, and pneumonia for the last several years, and I am hoping that will help.

In addition to the respiratory infections, I also have arthritis, back pain, low thyroid, and high cholesterol. I have never smoked and only drink alcohol a couple of times a year.

Since switching over to the PB, my sinuses have been a bit better, as has my arthritis and back pain. The first 2 - 3 days were a killer, and I had a terrible case of the low-carb flu, but now I am feeling much better. My sugar cravings are much better, too. I was drinking 2 - 3 cans of Coke a day; I haven't had any pop in the last two weeks!

My problem is that my primary motivation for trying the PB is to lose weight, and I have only lost 1/2 lb. In addition to following the diet portion, I have also been following the exercise and lifestyle program. I walk my dog most days for 20 - 30 minutes in hilly terrain, do the suggested strength training 2x a week (one easier workout, one harder), get 8 - 9 hours of sleep a night, and just try to find ways to move more during the day (I have a sedentary desk job).

Here's what I ate over the weekend (according to FitDay, my lifestyle burns about 2800 calories a day):

Saturday:
Breakfast: 1 serving Walnuts and 1 small banana
Lunch: 2 cups pulled pork (no sauce), 1 large bunch broccoli, steamed, 1 pat of butter
Dinner: Not hungry
Snack: 3 -4 slices of apple with 1 T peanut

Saturday totals:
Calories: 1441 (net -1369)
Fat: 78 g
Carbs: 43 g
Protein: 85 g

Sunday:
Breakfast: 2 cups pulled pork (no sauce), 1 large bunch broccoli, steamed, 1 pat of butter
Lunch: Not hungry
Snack: One small chocolate chip cookie, one serving walnuts
Dinner: 8-oz steak cooked in olive oil

Sunday totals:
Calories: 1558 (net -1294)
Fat: 108 g
Carbs: 23 g
Protein: 122 g

Can anyone tell me what I'm doing wrong???

Thank you so much!
Trina

[sqidmark]

Give it more time. 2 weeks is just the beginning. Based solely on what you've posted, cut out peanut butter, cookies (grains) and perhaps you could do with a few ounces less steak (protein) per meal.

[meeshar]

Personally, I only lose weight when I go below 1200 calories (approximate--I gain when I go over 1500), I guess I have a slow metabolism. Play with FitDay and try to figure out your trends--I religiously logged everything for months, and figured out that with moderate activity my "sweet spot" for significant weight loss is under 1200 calories, with protein being the largest part of the pie, then fat, and then carbs the smallest (preferably under 50). Also, I started using PaleoTrack, it's similar to FitDay but geared more toward this diet.

[SarahW]

I could be wrong, but everything I've read says that you need to solve health issues before you can lose weight. Losing weight also helps to solve health issues, yes, but you need to get to a healthy baseline first.

Try eating more nutrient dense food. Eggs, liver, kale, bone broths, fish, that sort of thing. Cut the fruit.

[Scott FM]

We all know it can be frustrating but there are a couple of things here that jump out at me:

Timeline- two weeks may seem like a lot of time but it really isn't much in the over all scheme of things. Give it a while...especially since you've thrown your whole body into new waters. Going from vegetarian to paleo is a tremendous change.
You mention youself "net loss"..it doesn't mean there aren't others things happening.

Dietary make up/balance: You seem to be going very light in the mornings. Personally, my day starts with 2-3 eggs, some additional protein (turkey, ground pork) and a some fruit...very little- an apple or something fibrous.
Do yourself a favor and jettison the cookies, peanut butter, crackers, etc. Dump them in the trash and look for unadulterated results. I don't imagine that as a vegetarian you ate much beef jerky..try the flip side

Bottom line- you're seeing health results..the weight adjustment will come

[PghTrina]

Thanks! I've decided to give it at least four weeks to see how I feel and what changes I observe in my body.

[spuggygirl]

I've been primal for over a year now. I lost around 10lbs fairly quickly and after that nothing for months. I've had to tweak things to find the best combination of protein/carbs/fat for me. A few tweaks and some heavy lifting and weight has finally started shifting...but it's very slow.

The way I look at it is that the slower it is, the less likely it is to come back as I'm eating and exercising in a sustainable way that I love. I know I'll get there eventually, although it's sometimes hard to be patient. What I do know, though, is that I'm fitter and healthier than I've ever been in my life - and that on it's own is worth sticking with it for.

You have quite a few underlying health issues, as well as making a huge dietary change from being vegetarian. It could take your body some times - months perhaps, or even longer - to get back on an even keel so that your body can begin to shed fat.

For me, it makes it easier to be patient if I concentrate on primal as being a way to optimal health, rather than as a way to lose weight.

Be patient, and enjoy the other benefits.

[sbhikes]

Two weeks isn't enough time. You could be actually building muscle and bone if your protein is significantly higher than it was before. You might consider more fat and less fruit (not MORE fat, just replace the fruit calories with fat calories). Also, no wheat, no cookies.

[PghTrina]

Thanks for all of the support! It being the holiday season, I felt pretty lucky only giving in to one small cookie this weekend. ;-) We don't keep that stuff in the house, but it's everywhere we go right now.

I'm also wondering about salt content. I'm a lot thirstier on this diet than I was before, and I wonder if that could somewhat account for losing 3 lbs one day, gaining 7 the next.

[sqidmark]

Maybe you're in a mild state of ketosis. This gives me dry mouth, so I drink more water. I suggest only getting on the scale once per week. For me, it's Saturday morning. Watching the scale daily, with the ensuing ups and downs, may only serve to cause your anxiety to roller coaster as well.