When Will I Start Losing Again?

Taymolly

So basically, I'm an eighteen year old who just can't seem to lose weight anymore. My weight loss was going relatively normally (I lost around six pounds in six months), and then December came. I very unfortunately gained weight during the holidays because I became lazy and stopped watching what I ate and I gained around 5-10 pounds. So then I went up from my 175-178 weight, to around 184-186. It was disappointing to say the least. But then I decided to not let it discourage me and I started dieting again around January [ have been dieting for a few years now (I used to be around 225)].
To get back into shape I did the Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred online, however, I gave up half-way during the second level because I was gaining weight! Then I decided it was because it was mostly all strength work and I needed cardio (as I saw from posts online), and I decided to start going back to the gym. I do admit I was a lot stronger from the workouts (I used to not be able to do standards push-ups and now I could do 20 in a row). So then I started going to the gym and getting into a routine, one day of legs, the next of abs and then rest (everyday I do 45 minutes of cardio which the machines tell me burn around 400-500); these workouts take around 2 hours, and this doesn't include the amount of walking I have to do (usually an hour or more of that). I've been quite faithful to this workout routine and have been so for around two weeks now, unless there are reasons preventing me.
But anyways, the problem is: I am still GAINING weight. Every time I look at the scale, the number reads anywhere from 187-193 - but never any lower. I don't understand, I'm working so hard. And as for my diet, I don't record it anymore, but from all my years of using a diary I'm pretty good of just doing the diet in my head. I'm even doing a diet where I don't eat any processed or fast-food (only things homemade, or where I can read the ingredients on the box and know what everything is) - this usually my calorie intake to be around 1200. However, sometimes I have cheat days when I don't work out and eat homemade cookies, or eat homemade cookies on my workout day (but then it would literally be just one).
Right now, I'm just really tired of this weight and really just want to drop twenty or thirty already and I just want to start losing again. So can someone please help me? Is it my diet? If so, what do you suggest? Also, when can I start losing again, and how much will it be? By the way I'm a female who is 5'7.

ShandaLeaS

If you don't log food I'm going to assume you don't weigh/measure it so how do you know you eat 1200 calories a day? I'd guess you're either eating more than you think thus not creating a deficit or too little and your body it's holding onto everything.

Unknown

This content has been removed.

mandychowx

Weight loss principal is simple- if you're in a calorie deficit you will lose weight.

If you are gaining weight, your diet is wrong and you are consuming too many calories. Or you're consuming too much carbs, fats or protein.

I suggest you log your details into MFP and work out how much you should be eating and calculate everything- even if its for two weeks to see some change

johnsonGA15

The key to losing weight from what I have learned is to burn off more than you consume.

LAWoman72

Uh-oh. You're consistently eating over maintenance, as evidenced by the consistent gain. Have you calculated the amount of calories you need to eat in order to lose weight? Are you willing to start weighing, measuring and logging accurately? If so, that's when you'll begin to lose. But you need to get on that soon since as you've seen, it's not hard (for most people, anyway) to just keep overeating bit by bit, and gaining bit by bit.

threnjen

Starvation mode is a myth. Your body will not "hold onto everything" if you eat too little.

Anyway, you are eating more than you burn. Get a food scale (cheap, $15) and start tracking your food more accurately. This is 100% the problem.

Here are some links to get you started:

http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1080242/a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants/p1

http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10012907/logging-accuracy-consistency-and-youre-probably-eating-more-than-you-think/p1

mandychowx

TRACKS YOUR MACROS

taraaaxo

There is no possible way you could be working out that much and be gaining weight if your truly following a healthy diet, and 6 pounds in 6 months is actually quite slow progress in my books, now i'm not quite sure how much calories are in "homemade cookies" but i doubt there any healthier than the ones you buy from like coffee shops and the ones sold there contain around 260-300cals EACH, so even if your eating one cookie and burning 400cals, how much are you really burning? not to mention all your other daily food intakes. Try working out a better meal plan but don't let it discourage you, stay motivated!
best of luck

janejellyroll

You need to create a calorie deficit. As the other posts have pointed out, tracking "in your head" is the likely problem. Use the tools on this website to begin tracking your food and understanding your actual intake.