Starting to give up...help.

LorinaLynn

See this is where I get totally confused! I am also 5' 5" and currently 134lbs. If I were to eat 1800-2000 calories per day I would definitely not loose, I would gain. No doubt! Have done it at weekends!

Okay I hear you all saying everyone is different - but that much?! I loose on between 1200 and 1460. I do my exercise bike for 45 minutes and hand weights for 10 minutes every day. Oh if only I could eat 1800-2000 and loose :drinker:

You're also 61 years old. Your metabolism is going to be different from the 19 year old OP, and the 34 year old you quoted.

On topic... 140 lbs at 5'5 is well within a healthy range. The 20 pounds you gained recently could be normal maturity. Yes, you used to weigh less. You also used to be a child.

If you're not happy with your body, I suggest a small calorie deficit (aim for a half pound a week and eat your exercise calories, *or* calculate your TDEE and eat 10-15% below that, without counting exercise as extra), get more protein than MFP suggests (around 100g a day should be good), get regular exercise including strength training, and most importantly... track your progress through how clothes fit, measurements and progress photos. The scale is a b plus itch.

Crochetluvr

Yes but you'd think that if I did not eat enough to keep my body going, it would start using fat and I'd lose weight. Just thinking..

That's what most people think.....including myself until recently. NO!

Your body doesn't work that way. If you eat less than your body needs to operate, it thinks there's a famine...so it holds onto whatever you give it, and you lose nothing. If you eat even less, your metabolism will slow down even more, you will screw it and still not lose.

Now if you eat next to nothing. you will lose weight, but you will lose muscle too and your organs will start working improperly. It wont happen overnight, but it would eventually happen. Its what happens to people that are starving.

Don't eat less than 1200. But you don't have to eat 1800-2000 either. But do eat at least some of your exercise calories back. And don't be impatient. GOD, you are NINETEEN! You have a plenty of time to get off those pounds. It might take awhile, because you really dont have a lot to lose, but you will get there. If I can lose 50 pounds in a year at my age, you can do a lot better.

Crochetluvr

See this is where I get totally confused! I am also 5' 5" and currently 134lbs. If I were to eat 1800-2000 calories per day I would definitely not loose, I would gain. No doubt! Have done it at weekends!

Okay I hear you all saying everyone is different - but that much?! I loose on between 1200 and 1460. I do my exercise bike for 45 minutes and hand weights for 10 minutes every day. Oh if only I could eat 1800-2000 and loose :drinker:

You're also 61 years old. Your metabolism is going to be different from the 19 year old OP, and the 34 year old you quoted.

Exactly. I dont ever expect to eat or lose the way I did when I was in my 20's or even 30's. It takes longer for the weight to come off but it does.

NMJiggles

Eat 3 times a day, 400 (healthy food) calories per meal! preferably at the same time each day. If you exercise, you Must Replenish the calories you burned with the same amount of calories, You can do this by snacking in between meals or adding more healthy options to your next meal or meals... You must drink plenty of water so it can flush the fat out of your body through mucous, sweat, urine, etc..., because the fat in your body liquefies when you are losing it...
No typical person can survive on anything less than 1200 calories, this is needed just for you to maintain your brain, heart, lungs, digestive, circulatory, lymphatic etc... That is why you must replenish if you burn part of your 1200 that you have consumed for the day.
Your body is probably in starvation mode right now, give it more calories stick to the plan patiently and there is No way you will not see results with it within a week or 2! You are too Close to your Goal to give up! Stick to it, you can do it!

RachyLovesRattys

Hey, i'm 21 (about to be 22) and I lost a ton of weight my last year of high school (I was 17) and again now (after gaining the dreaded Freshman 15---30 actually) that you were discussing. I am only 4 foot 11 so it was SUPER hard for me to find the right amount of calories and exercise I needed for me to lose weight. With you being 5 foot 5, I would definitely say NEVER go below 1200. I personally think 1200 is low, and 1600 is probably better because at 1200 with your height, you'll lose a ton of muscle along with a little fat. 1600, you'll gain muscle and lose fat. And you want muscle, because otherwise you don't burn as much fat. Muscle does weigh more though, so you may "gain" but not in appearance. You'll be skinnier and tighter...just "weigh more". I saw you said you do a lot of spinning and whatnot...which is GREAT cardio! But doing only cardio also makes you lose muscle, which puts you in a weight loss rut in the end. I'd definitely add a TON of weights (heavy ones!) and eat more protein (turkey, soybeans...whatever your pleasure is) and you WILL see a difference. Don't listen just to what the scales tell you! I haven't lost more than 3 pounds in the last 3 months, but my body looks totally different. You can do it girlfriend!!

j6o4

^^ i agree.

additionally, 1200 isnt enough food for consistent loss...u need to properly fuel your body- especially if you are exercising a lot.

do you care more about FAT loss or WEIGHT loss? if u care about the first, up your calories in a healthy way- eat more protein and healthy fats and lift weights- u will start to see your body change for the better.

Listen to her! If you only care abut weight loss and not fat loss, there is a good chance you will never be lean and toned. You can actualy lose weight and get fatter, as in you lose weight but your bodyfat percentage goes up.