Weight loss has stalled...

AmyWebb2

Hi. From January to early May I lost about 46 pounds. Now, since Mother's Day, I haven't lost a thing. I fluctuate between 199.8 and 200.8, but it seems like no matter what I do, the weight won't keep going down. I know that the closer to my goal weight I get, the losses will get slower, but it's frustrating! I am working out nearly every day, and most of the time I am below my calorie intake goal (about 1500). I am weighing food and putting in everything I eat.

I don't think it's normal for a person to begin losing so slowly when she has another 50 to lose, but I could be wrong. Should I lower my caloric intake or am I doing what I ought to and just be patient? I mean, if I'm truly weighing everything right then I'd have to lose the weight eventually, yes?

LizSmith55

Oh boy do I know THIS one....10/1/15 I started my diet. From Oct-Mar I lost 50 lbs. & still want to dump about 20 more to really be in a healthy zone that my doctor will be happy with. I allowed myself a celebratory period since I wound up weighing what I did in my 20's (I am now 46 years old) and instead of being SO strict on my diet...I set a new goal.....to start running & run in a race. I use to run as a much younger person & back then, if I ran a few times a week I could eat whatever I wanted & never gain...well...over 20 years....my body HAS CHANGED!! For the past 3 months I've been running 3-5 miles, 3 to 4 times a week and I am GAINING weight (I'm up 5 lbs)....I now realize I simply cannot let down my guard on my diet....EVER. I now know I need to tighten up my diet again AND keep running...it is just what I must do if I want to reach my final goal of health & fitness. Yes, it IS frustrating. Have you incorporated any exercising to your routine? WITH you weight everything, it may help re-ignite the weight loss process for you. I know for me it slowed to a crawl & then I thought I could maybe ease up on my stringent diet if I exercised....but I really do have to do both.

Annahbananas

Lol welcome to the club

The only weigh (snicker) that I know to kick a stall is to hit the gym like a fool.

Also, from my experience you want to alter your calorie intake every 10 pounds lost but I'm sure you're doing that.

As a trainer once told me....never create a deficit of calorie from not eating..but create that deficit from exercise. I know this sounds insane but I broke my stall from drinking twice more water and exercise three times longer

nutmegoreo

I had a what looked like a stall for several weeks related to water retention while working out. When my body finally let go of the water, there was a big whoosh on the scale. Some people experience these consistently. Has your exercise routine increased in duration or intensity in the past weeks? If you are logging everything meticulously (sauces, licks, tastes, and bites), and double check the entries to make sure you have the correct ones (the user entered database can be tricky) then keep doing what you are doing. Give it a few more weeks, then consider lowering your calories, if there's still no change.

AmyWebb2

Thanks for the replies. When I began dieting, I couldn't even pass the YMCA without shuddering. Now, though I work out just about every day, between 1/2 hour and 90 minutes. In all that time, I've only not exercised twice--my legs and feet hurt so bad I just couldn't. I haven't recalculated my weight loss calorie intake since...208, so I think I'll try that. And keep working out. And keep struggling. Come hell or high water, that weight is going away. I have some pretty size 12s I want to wear!

ObsidianMist

yep, go back into your settings on here and MFP will alter your calories for your new weight. then stay within your new deficit and you should see the scale start to move again

goldthistime

I have had stalls that frustrated me enough that I resorted to under eating, only to be followed by over eating. Now I focus more on reining in my expectations than on pushing harder. Whooshes often finally showed up when menstruation started. My advice would be to keep any changes you are considering making on the small side, and tweak further later if needed.