Manic panic

kmccann357

hi, I've already expressed my frustrations in an earlier post but... My god, why the f*** can't I lose weight. I exercise every day, that is at least 350 calories burnt, I'm always eating around about 1800 cals. I need that to survive. Yet, I can't get below 158, its crippling my self esteem and I just feel hopeless and obsessed... I just don't know what I'm doing wrong. Yes I do have the odd sweet treat but that's well within my calorie intake

VeryKatie

Could you open your diary so that we can take a look? Suggestions could me made then. Otherwise, you will probably get the standard advice of weighing all your food because you could be eating more than you think you are.

kmccann357

Open and I weigh everything already.
This week we've had the God awful sweets at work because it's been a bad week but they do not push my over my target.

VeryKatie

How tall are you? Also, your diary isn't open to the public, I can't see it. You'll have to change your diary settings.

SueInAz

Unless you have an underlying medical issue, if you can't lose weight eating at a certain target, then you're not eating at a deficit. It's almost always as simple as that. You'll either need to figure out if you're not really eating 1800 calories per day or if 1800 is just too many calories for you to lose weight.

How are you getting the 350 calorie exercise number? MFP or a good heart rate monitor?

kmccann357

I don't trust this as a 100% accurate form of measurement, I usually change my minutes for running etc. to match what the machines at the gym told as they are always lower, running for 35 mins at 10kmph up an incline is pretty strenuous as far as workouts go.
I'm eating at a deficit, my maintainence calories are 2353 according to a bmr calculator. 1800 is definitely a deficit. If I weigh food and count all calories then it can't surely be the tracking?

SueInAz

MFP's numbers are almost always too high. Unless the gym's calorie counter has you entering your weight, gender and age, it could be too high as well. I burn about 90 calories per mile running close to that pace on the road, less on a treadmill.

kmccann357

Always enter my weight, height and age, always a little lower on the weight then I am because I know the machines can over exaggerate. In 34 mins I can cover just over 4 miles, so that's about right. With an incline of between 3 and 10 with interval hill programs.
With no intervals my flat running pace is 11.5 kph for 5k.

squirrelzzrule22

How tall are you? If you are tall 158 is likely in a normal healthy weight range. It can get very difficult to lose once you are already at a healthy weight. A lot of people have a weight where they tend to get stuck. It definitely happens to me in the 140s-150s. Its basically impossible for me to crack into the 130s even though that is within a healthy bmi range. My body just doesn't want to do it and I don't want to restrict to below 1200 cals. I don't know the science behind it, but for whatever reason your body wants to stick at that weight.

If this sounds like it is the case for you, perhaps stop focusing on weight loss and start a strength routine to work on body recomp and decreasing fat. You will probably get the asthetic results you want without driving yourself crazy.

SueInAz

squirrelzzrule22 wrote: »

If this sounds like it is the case for you, perhaps stop focusing on weight loss and start a strength routine to work on body recomp and decreasing fat. You will probably get the asthetic results you want without driving yourself crazy.

This is great advice and exactly what I'm doing this time around. By the time we get fairly close to our goal weights we're really looking for less flabbiness rather than a lower number on the scale. We've just been conditioned to focus on the number. With strength training I'm 10 pounds heavier than I was at my lightest weight a few years ago and wearing the same clothes I was then. Even more importantly, the jiggle is gone from my upper arms and I'm starting to see some muscle definition everywhere else.

My_Butt

I'm 5'7" and I've been at 153lbs for over a month. I exercise 2 hours a day cause I'm training in bo staff, and I eat 1400 calories. I haven't lost any weight, but my abs are showing, I have endurance, and u don't get winded as easily. Use a measuring tape and snap some full length selfies periodically.