I cant lose any!

lylabali15
lylabali15 Posts: 14 Member
edited November 18 in Health and Weight Loss
I been trying to lose only 6 lbs for the longest time but haven't been able to. I eat healthy, work out almost everyday. Not being able to lose the 6 lbs is killing me. I just want to be able to feet in my clothes. I don't know if I'm doing something wrong?!!
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Replies

  • juggernaut1974
    juggernaut1974 Posts: 6,212 Member
    lylabali15 wrote: »
    I been trying to lose only 6 lbs for the longest time but haven't been able to. I eat healthy, work out almost everyday. Not being able to lose the 6 lbs is killing me. I just want to be able to feet in my clothes. I don't know if I'm doing something wrong?!!

    Define "eat healthy"

    Do you know how many calories you eat vs. how many calories you burn in a given day?
  • TimothyFish
    TimothyFish Posts: 4,925 Member
    You need to eat less to lose weight.
  • sandryc79
    sandryc79 Posts: 250 Member
    What is your height, weight gender and age? How many calories do you eat? What specific amount of exercise? Do you weigh/measure your food?
  • malibu927
    malibu927 Posts: 17,562 Member
    Eating healthy has nothing to do with eating in a calorie deficit, which is how you lose weight
  • RoxieDawn
    RoxieDawn Posts: 15,488 Member
    If you provide your stats as requested above this will help...

    Also the next question will be, do you own a food scale?
  • lylabali15
    lylabali15 Posts: 14 Member
    Thanks for your replies! I am 35 years old, 5.8, 136, and female. I know you will say my BMI is normal, I just want to be able to feet in my dresses. I admit it, I can't starve myself. I've changed my eating habits, and before it was very easy to lose weight fast. But now it seems impossible to lose any!
  • malibu927
    malibu927 Posts: 17,562 Member
    lylabali15 wrote: »
    Thanks for your replies! I am 35 years old, 5.8, 136, and female. I know you will say my BMI is normal, I just want to be able to feet in my dresses. I admit it, I can't starve myself. I've changed my eating habits, and before it was very easy to lose weight fast. But now it seems impossible to lose any!

    With so little to lose, fast really isn't an option. Half a pound a week is the most you should be aiming for.

    Read this to help you out: community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1080242/a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants#latest
  • segacs
    segacs Posts: 4,599 Member
    If you're trying to starve yourself, you're doing it wrong.

    As you say, you're at a very healthy weight for your height already. Maybe you need to buy dresses that fit your body, rather than trying to starve your body into your too-small dresses?
  • lylabali15
    lylabali15 Posts: 14 Member
    Oh and I've been trying to eat below 1200 calories.
  • Labyrinth66
    Labyrinth66 Posts: 14 Member
    sandryc79 and ceoverturf both asked multiple questions that may help her/him or others assist you sort through your current dilemma, and are 'seconded' here.

    @TimothyFish: The OP said nothing about her intake or exercise habits, let alone anything else that could be a contributing factor, so you really don't know for a fact that what you said is true for this individual.
  • juggernaut1974
    juggernaut1974 Posts: 6,212 Member
    lylabali15 wrote: »
    Thanks for your replies! I am 35 years old, 5.8, 136, and female. I know you will say my BMI is normal, I just want to be able to feet in my dresses. I admit it, I can't starve myself. I've changed my eating habits, and before it was very easy to lose weight fast. But now it seems impossible to lose any!

    Well part of the problem is you're already at a healthy/low weight for your height, so you have very little margin for error.

    And you've still not addressed the most important point pretty much every poster has made. Eating "healthy" is a nebulous, non-specific term. You need to know how many calories you are eating, and eat less if you want to lose weight.

    Though from what you described, perhaps weight (as in the number on the scale) isn't as big of an issue as body composition is (although admittedly I have no idea what "feet in my clothes" means). Perhaps you need to look more at a heavy lifting routine to build some muscle and reshape your body vs. worrying about the number on the scale?
  • segacs
    segacs Posts: 4,599 Member
    lylabali15 wrote: »
    Oh and I've been trying to eat below 1200 calories.

    STOP doing that, for heaven's sake!
  • juggernaut1974
    juggernaut1974 Posts: 6,212 Member
    lylabali15 wrote: »
    Oh and I've been trying to eat below 1200 calories.

    Do you measure and/or weigh and logging everything you eat? How do you verify you're only eating 1200 (which is probably far too few)?
  • futuremanda
    futuremanda Posts: 816 Member
    lylabali15 wrote: »
    Thanks for your replies! I am 35 years old, 5.8, 136, and female. I know you will say my BMI is normal, I just want to be able to feet in my dresses. I admit it, I can't starve myself. I've changed my eating habits, and before it was very easy to lose weight fast. But now it seems impossible to lose any!

    You don't have to starve. 250 calories off a day would get you 0.5 lb in a week, and you'd hit your goal of 6 lbs in no time. Not even 3 months from now. And besides, you'd start to feel better before you hit your end goal.

    And you could probably achieve that by logging very carefully and then making mindful cuts -- finding small things that aren't worth the calories. Like I could easily make toast with butter and jam that's like 200 cals, or that's like 150, just by weighing so I don't slop too much butter and jam, or cut too thick a slice.

    You could also commit to, say, an extra daily walk. That might get you 50-150 calories right there, then you'd only have to cut 100-200 off your food. Easy. Other easy cuts -- any calories you drink, dairy (go down a rung on the fat %), condiments (swap, avoid or use a bit less), oils (try 1 or 2 tsp instead of 1 tbls), extras (like whipped cream). If you substituted say, an apple for 2 cookies at least half the time, you'd cut maybe 40 cals each time (I'm going by my apples/my cookies here). But totally no need to starve.

    Get a food scale, weigh all your solids and semi-solids, log everything. Trust me, it gets easy and quick over time. And you're not doing it to starve -- you're doing it to make sure you can eat as much as you can, and fit the things you want to fit in, while still losing the weight you want to lose. The log is a tool to help you make smart decisions -- without it, "eat less" is a shot in the dark, which is frustrating and can mean you end up cutting more food / more fun than you need to.
  • lylabali15
    lylabali15 Posts: 14 Member
    segacs wrote: »
    lylabali15 wrote: »
    Oh and I've been trying to eat below 1200 calories.

    STOP doing that, for heaven's sake!

    Why?!! Am I doing it wrong? I've been using this app and this is how I found out that my calories intake should be 1200.
  • segacs
    segacs Posts: 4,599 Member
    With your stats, you could likely eat around 1600 calories/day to lose 0.5lbs/week.

    And since you don't technically need to lose weight, you could also simply set your goal to maintenance or a slight surplus and lift heavy things to slowly build a bit of muscle. You might be surprised that the body composition goals you're looking for could actually mean being smaller while weighing more.
  • DaneanP
    DaneanP Posts: 433 Member
    I also recommend the use of a food scale and not going below 1200 calories per day.

    If you open your food diary, people may be able to give you some other helpful suggestions.
  • TimothyFish
    TimothyFish Posts: 4,925 Member
    sandryc79 and ceoverturf both asked multiple questions that may help her/him or others assist you sort through your current dilemma, and are 'seconded' here.

    @TimothyFish: The OP said nothing about her intake or exercise habits, let alone anything else that could be a contributing factor, so you really don't know for a fact that what you said is true for this individual.

    @Labyrinth66, Yes, I do know, because this is true for every individual. If a person isn't losing weight, they are eating at or above the number of calories they are burning. Eating less will always result in weight loss.
  • lylabali15
    lylabali15 Posts: 14 Member
    ceoverturf wrote: »
    lylabali15 wrote: »
    Thanks for your replies! I am 35 years old, 5.8, 136, and female. I know you will say my BMI is normal, I just want to be able to feet in my dresses. I admit it, I can't starve myself. I've changed my eating habits, and before it was very easy to lose weight fast. But now it seems impossible to lose any!

    Well part of the problem is you're already at a healthy/low weight for your height, so you have very little margin for error.

    And you've still not addressed the most important point pretty much every poster has made. Eating "healthy" is a nebulous, non-specific term. You need to know how many calories you are eating, and eat less if you want to lose weight.

    Though from what you described, perhaps weight (as in the number on the scale) isn't as big of an issue as body composition is (although admittedly I have no idea what "feet in my clothes" means). Perhaps you need to look more at a heavy lifting routine to build some muscle and reshape your body vs. worrying about the number on the scale?

    When i say eating healthy I mean no fast food, no fried food, no soft drinks (I cheat on weekends with Cosmo!), I limited carbs, and I have office job and used to snack all day with my coworkers but no more.
  • segacs
    segacs Posts: 4,599 Member
    lylabali15 wrote: »
    When i say eating healthy I mean no fast food, no fried food, no soft drinks (I cheat on weekends with Cosmo!), I limited carbs, and I have office job and used to snack all day with my coworkers but no more.

    None of that is really necessary to lose weight. You can incorporate fast food, fried food, soft drinks and snacks as long as they fit your calorie goals. And carbs aren't evil; we all need a mix of protein, fat and carbs.

    Stop looking at it as "cheating", too. Log everything you eat, and don't moralize foods. There aren't 'good' or 'bad' foods. In the context of a balanced diet, in moderation, all foods are okay sometimes.
  • enterdanger
    enterdanger Posts: 2,447 Member
    I agree with @segacs. I ran your numbers through www.scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator. If have you a goal of eating 20% less (which I think is kind of extreme for a 6 lb loss) and said you have a desk job with no exercise this is what your caloric requirements look like.

    It said to maintain you can eat 1673 calories a day and to lose a pound a week you can eat 1394. These are net calories so they don't take into account the calories you burn during exercise.
  • segacs
    segacs Posts: 4,599 Member
    I agree with @segacs. I ran your numbers through www.scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator. If have you a goal of eating 20% less (which I think is kind of extreme for a 6 lb loss) and said you have a desk job with no exercise this is what your caloric requirements look like.

    It said to maintain you can eat 1673 calories a day and to lose a pound a week you can eat 1394. These are net calories so they don't take into account the calories you burn during exercise.

    I ran the same stats but used a 15% deficit and lightly active (since most people aren't truly sedentary, even without workouts) to get the 1600-calorie goal.

    But yeah, it's going to be somewhere in there, give or take. Certainly NOT less than 1200/day.
  • dmt4641
    dmt4641 Posts: 409 Member
    I have similar stats (34, 5'8, 134-135) and lose 1/2 lb a week on 1950. I lift heavy 3 times per week and HIIT cardio about 2 times. But I have to be very accurate with logging my food. I would starve on 1200 and even 1,600 would be a struggle. You don't want yo lose lots of muscle with the fat so lift heavy and eat at a small deficit.
  • lylabali15
    lylabali15 Posts: 14 Member
    segacs wrote: »
    If you're trying to starve yourself, you're doing it wrong.

    As you say, you're at a very healthy weight for your height already. Maybe you need to buy dresses that fit your body, rather than trying to starve your body into your too-small dresses?

    I don't starve myself. My dresses are size 4
    ceoverturf wrote: »
    lylabali15 wrote: »
    Oh and I've been trying to eat below 1200 calories.

    Do you measure and/or weigh and logging everything you eat? How do you verify you're only eating 1200 (which is probably far too few)?

    Again I use my fitness pal app to log my food intake.
  • malibu927
    malibu927 Posts: 17,562 Member
    lylabali15 wrote: »
    segacs wrote: »
    If you're trying to starve yourself, you're doing it wrong.

    As you say, you're at a very healthy weight for your height already. Maybe you need to buy dresses that fit your body, rather than trying to starve your body into your too-small dresses?

    I don't starve myself. My dresses are size 4
    ceoverturf wrote: »
    lylabali15 wrote: »
    Oh and I've been trying to eat below 1200 calories.

    Do you measure and/or weigh and logging everything you eat? How do you verify you're only eating 1200 (which is probably far too few)?

    Again I use my fitness pal app to log my food intake.

    Just because MFP says you are doesn't mean you truly are unless you're using a food scale to weigh everything.
  • DaneanP
    DaneanP Posts: 433 Member
    edited May 2015
    This^^^ (to malibu927's post)
  • lylabali15
    lylabali15 Posts: 14 Member
    dmt4641 wrote: »
    I have similar stats (34, 5'8, 134-135) and lose 1/2 lb a week on 1950. I lift heavy 3 times per week and HIIT cardio about 2 times. But I have to be very accurate with logging my food. I would starve on 1200 and even 1,600 would be a struggle. You don't want yo lose lots of muscle with the fat so lift heavy and eat at a small deficit.

    I do cardio and lift weights 3-4 times a week. The reason I'm consuming 1200 calories because I'm trying to lose 1 lb a week. But I don't mind the 1600 calories or more as long as I can go back where I was.
  • lylabali15
    lylabali15 Posts: 14 Member
    malibu927 wrote: »
    lylabali15 wrote: »
    Thanks for your replies! I am 35 years old, 5.8, 136, and female. I know you will say my BMI is normal, I just want to be able to feet in my dresses. I admit it, I can't starve myself. I've changed my eating habits, and before it was very easy to lose weight fast. But now it seems impossible to lose any!

    With so little to lose, fast really isn't an option. Half a pound a week is the most you should be aiming for.

    Read this to help you out: community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1080242/a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants#latest

    Thank you!
  • DaneanP
    DaneanP Posts: 433 Member
    edited May 2015
    sazziek wrote: »
    Check out my blog! I explain what I am doing for the time being - I lost 3 lbs in 7 days so far !

    And not explaining it here would lead the rest of us to believe you are doing some sort of shake or fast that you are trying to sell. Whatever it is, sounds unhealthy and I hope the OP does not pay attention to whatever it is.

    Edit to add: I am not the one who flagged your post, BTW. I'm actually not a fan of flagging any post except obvious spam.
  • lylabali15
    lylabali15 Posts: 14 Member
    DaneanP wrote: »
    sazziek wrote: »
    Check out my blog! I explain what I am doing for the time being - I lost 3 lbs in 7 days so far !

    And not explaining it here would lead the rest of us to believe you are doing some sort of shake or fast that you are trying to sell. Whatever it is, sounds unhealthy and I hope the OP does not pay attention to whatever it is.

    Ok thank you, as you can tell I'm new to this!
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