Slowww weight loss. Is it because I'm at the end?

holly55555
holly55555 Posts: 306 Member
edited November 13 in Health and Weight Loss
Hi Guys!

I'm 5'8, 133 lbs. I am a recovering skinny fat person and still have about 10 lbs of fat to lose. I'm very small framed and I'm going more off body fat % than actual weight number. I was 125 lbs last summer and much closer to my body fat goal (around 18% body fat), but I've put on more muscle since then (weight training) so I'm not sure what my goal weight really is.

Anyway, I've been set to losing 1 lb a week, but for the last 62 days I've lost 7 lbs. It's more like I'm losing 1 lb every 10 or so days. I'm eating 1500 cal/daily, 110g of protein, and I weigh/measure everything. Is it coming off so slowly because I'm at the end of my goal? I know they say it's very difficult to lose the last bit of weight, especially when you're already thin.

Anyone else having trouble reaching "athletic" body fat goals?

Replies

  • lcooper327
    lcooper327 Posts: 112 Member
    I agree you should focus on decreasing body fat rather than losing lbs. 123 for a 5'8" person is quite thin and I think you'd be at a risk to basically be skinny fat again. If you work on maintaining muscle you can often look smaller and lighter than the scale will say.
  • lcooper327
    lcooper327 Posts: 112 Member
    Also, one pound every 10 days is not bad at all.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    1 Lb ever 7 days vs 1 Lb every 10 days...not a whole hill of beans difference there really...you're on track. And yes, when you don't have the fat stores available, things slow down.
  • holly55555
    holly55555 Posts: 306 Member
    I know it sounds thin, but if you saw me you'd see how much fat I still have to lose. I'm really petite, so I can "grab" off quite a bit still. I want to be more solid!

    Cutting is so hard at the end! :s
  • TimothyFish
    TimothyFish Posts: 4,925 Member
    I've never heard someone describe 5'8" as petite.
  • wkwebby
    wkwebby Posts: 807 Member
    TimothyFish wrote: »
    I've never heard someone describe 5'8" as petite.

    +1
  • Iceprincessk25
    Iceprincessk25 Posts: 1,888 Member
    I agree. I would focus on your body fat goals and not the weigh. Lifting weights can make the scale hard to budge BUT you will see big difference in your body fat %.
  • holly55555
    holly55555 Posts: 306 Member
    TimothyFish wrote: »
    I've never heard someone describe 5'8" as petite.

    I'm referring to my bone structure, not height. I have a really small frame for a tall person.
  • jgnatca
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
    Your-Plan-In-Life-Vs.-The-Universes-Plan-For-You-In-Dog-House-Diaries-Comic%20(1).jpg
  • jgnatca
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
    Might it be time to follow a "recomp" plan and replace your fat with muscle?
  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
    I'm 5"8 too, I don't have a large frame. 132lbs is my bottom limit. I have been a few pound lighter than that before, and looking back on pictures I look anorexic :disappointed:
  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
    Oh. I have 8 more lbs left to lose. And I'm averaging 2ish lbs per month. Aggravatingly slow. But I'll get there eventually
  • holly55555
    holly55555 Posts: 306 Member
    jgnatca wrote: »
    Might it be time to follow a "recomp" plan and replace your fat with muscle?

    That's exactly what I'm doing. Sadly, you can't just replace it... you still need to lose the fat, while you build up the muscle.. And it is taking forever. hahaha

  • jgnatca
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
    Well with recomp you may not see the scale move at all. Are you measuring your new muscles?
  • brdnw
    brdnw Posts: 565 Member
    I'd say i'm in a similar spot as you. it's just frustrating bc when you lose large amounts of weight, it goes so easily, and then towards the end, it's just slowwwww.
  • ana3067
    ana3067 Posts: 5,623 Member
    edited February 2015
    Unless you can share some pictures proving otherwise.... Time to maintain. Then go on a bulk cycle - if you've not eaten at a surplus yet then you've not gained muscle, only potentially retained more.
    You're getting into unsafe territory here with such w low goal weight. I am one inch shorter than you, lowest I would go is 135 and that was when I was skinny fat. Now my lowest goal is 145 before I switch to maintenance before my first bulk.
  • ana3067
    ana3067 Posts: 5,623 Member
    holly55555 wrote: »
    jgnatca wrote: »
    Might it be time to follow a "recomp" plan and replace your fat with muscle?

    That's exactly what I'm doing. Sadly, you can't just replace it... you still need to lose the fat, while you build up the muscle.. And it is taking forever. hahaha

    You're not building muscle on 1500 calories a day. Try eating at maintenance level, which is what is done for a recomp usually, otherwise at most go for half a lb a week. But again at your stats you do not need to lose weight.
  • holly55555
    holly55555 Posts: 306 Member
    Ah this is so confusing.

    I don't care about the scale number, I'm just using it as a gage to see my fat loss progress more clearly. I'm probably not going to put on 10 lbs of muscle to replace the excess fat I have left. It just seems like a lot. And to get rid of fat you need to eat at a deficit, no?
  • Liftng4Lis
    Liftng4Lis Posts: 15,151 Member
    Sounds like a recomp is in order.
This discussion has been closed.

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