Can't lose weight

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  • Nuke_64
    Nuke_64 Posts: 406 Member
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    Here's the thread you really need to read about recomposition:

    https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10177803/recomposition-maintaining-weight-while-losing-fat/p1
  • dorener
    dorener Posts: 52 Member
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    Thanks all, some very valuable tips and good reading. Going to apply a lot of the suggestions. As for smoking and metabolism - not a point to argue but everything I read on very reputable sites still states it does. Ultimately it doesn't matter as my end result is what does.
  • kimny72
    kimny72 Posts: 16,013 Member
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    OP, you are already at a healthy weight and are trying to lose @ 5 lbs. No one is really one weight. Your weight will fluctuate as much as 5-10 lbs per day based on water-weight, exercise, digestion, etc. You could drive yourself crazy trying to get the scale to hit this one perfect number, and then the next morning it's just going to be a different number anyway. Rather than focus on the number on the scale, maybe focus on how you feel and look.

    There are no "tricks" or magic foods or exercises. Plug your stats into MFP, choose a goal of losing one-half-pound per week, get a food scale and log your food & drink accurately and consistently, and get whatever exercise you can. You won't lose weight every week, that's not how it works, even if you do everything perfect. And you won't be perfect, no one is! Weigh yourself every week for at least 6 weeks. If after 6 weeks you feel like you aren't headed in the right direction, lower your calories a smidge and try again.

    Losing vanity pounds is slow, hard work. Be patient, don't do anything drastic, and keep your eye on the long-term. Good luck :drinker:
  • dorener
    dorener Posts: 52 Member
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    Thank you Kimny72
  • allenpriest
    allenpriest Posts: 1,102 Member
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    dorener wrote: »
    It is known that smoking increases metabolism so when you quit it automatically slows down. If you quit smoking and consumed the exact same calorie count and activity level you would gain weight.

    Really? ?
    What study?

    MeThinks thou art confused. ;)
  • dorener
    dorener Posts: 52 Member
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    http://quitsmoking.about.com/od/weightgain/a/metabolism.htm

    http://www.livestrong.com/article/399983-does-smoking-speed-up-your-metabolism/

    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/1559911/

    http://m.ajcn.nutrition.org/content/87/4/801.full

    http://healthyeating.sfgate.com/metabolism-slow-down-quit-smoking-6681.html

    You get the idea...
  • Maxematics
    Maxematics Posts: 2,287 Member
    edited January 2016
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    Hey OP. I figured I'd chime in because you and I have similar stats. I'm 5'3" and I weigh 113 right now. Getting to 120 was easy, but it took me a bit more time to get from 119 to 115. I took a diet break for a little bit, but getting to 115 took patience, staying active, and most importantly, my food logging had to be done with the utmost precision. I weighed, and still weigh, everything to the gram. These days I'm so active that I can be more flexible with my calories and estimations like when I eat out, but when you're already lean the food scale is going to be your best friend for weight loss.

    You seem to be fairly active, so I'd say that you not losing on 1100 to 1300 is a bit weird. I workout 5 to 6 days per week for 30 to 60 minutes. I do a mix of cardio and strength training. I also walk 12000 to 17000 steps per day. I'm still losing weight on 1600 to 2300 calories per day depending on my activity level, so you should definitely be seeing results at 1100 to 1300. This is why I recommend the food scale. It's actually really easy to be off by a few hundred calories.

    Also, consider your TOM. During ovulation, my weight spikes up by two to four pounds. I've been weighing in at 112.8 to 113.5 every morning, but this morning I was 115.8. I know I didn't gain that weight, so I just have to let my body do its thing. You may be at that point in your cycle so it looks like you haven't lost any weight when you have.
  • dorener
    dorener Posts: 52 Member
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    Thank you Synacious.
  • callsitlikeiseeit
    callsitlikeiseeit Posts: 8,627 Member
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  • dorener
    dorener Posts: 52 Member
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    So I started logging and weighing everything I eat and I am averaging 1000 calories, not including my exercise deficit. I am losing but here's the thing. I've always read not to go below 1200 calories but I truly feel great, not deprived and have a ton of energy. If I feel really good like this and am healthy, is it truly bad for me? As I said to my husband, I can not imagine that if I am feeling this good, that it is unhealthy. Perhaps it goes by the person?
  • chandanista
    chandanista Posts: 986 Member
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    If you are eating an extra deficit every day it sounds like you have plenty of calories saved up for your restaurant date with the husband that's coming up (from your other thread). :smile:
  • dorener
    dorener Posts: 52 Member
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    chandanista wrote: »
    If you are eating an extra deficit every day it sounds like you have plenty of calories saved up for your restaurant date with the husband that's coming up (from your other thread). :smile:

    Thanks, yes, I guess I was just concerned about going over what I have been eating since it has been working for me but I have to let go of that obsessive thinking.
  • ClosetBayesian
    ClosetBayesian Posts: 836 Member
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    dorener wrote: »
    So I started logging and weighing everything I eat and I am averaging 1000 calories, not including my exercise deficit. I am losing but here's the thing. I've always read not to go below 1200 calories but I truly feel great, not deprived and have a ton of energy. If I feel really good like this and am healthy, is it truly bad for me? As I said to my husband, I can not imagine that if I am feeling this good, that it is unhealthy. Perhaps it goes by the person?

    If you are averaging 1000 calories, that means there are days you are going quite a bit lower. No, it does not go by the person. You blatantly need more calories. Your BMR is 1280 - that's the basics of what you need for your brain to function. You may feel fine, but you aren't giving yourself the basic amount of fuel you need.

    Did you read the recomp thread that another poster linked?
  • vivmom2014
    vivmom2014 Posts: 1,647 Member
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    This is from livestrong:

    Diets that dip below 1,200 calories per day are extremely difficult to adhere to for any length of time, because essentially -- you're starving your body. You may lose weight quickly on a 1,000-calorie diet, but the lost weight is mostly water and lean mass -- not fat. It's nearly impossible for you to get all the vitamins and minerals you need -- even at 1,200 calories per day -- especially if you're a woman of child-bearing age.
  • dorener
    dorener Posts: 52 Member
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    ClosetBayesian wrote: »
    dorener wrote: »
    So I started logging and weighing everything I eat and I am averaging 1000 calories, not including my exercise deficit. I am losing but here's the thing. I've always read not to go below 1200 calories but I truly feel great, not deprived and have a ton of energy. If I feel really good like this and am healthy, is it truly bad for me? As I said to my husband, I can not imagine that if I am feeling this good, that it is unhealthy. Perhaps it goes by the person?

    If you are averaging 1000 calories, that means there are days you are going quite a bit lower. No, it does not go by the person. You blatantly need more calories. Your BMR is 1280 - that's the basics of what you need for your brain to function. You may feel fine, but you aren't giving yourself the basic amount of fuel you need.

    Did you read the recomp thread that another poster linked?

    Making my way through it and will hopefully have more time tonight, thanks.

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