Aaagghhh!!!!

vanessalester333

Ok, so about 9 weeks ago I got to 173 pounds and stuck there. I reduced my calorie intake and joined a gym. I spend an hour on the treadmill , burning up 400 calories a session on average. I keep my calorie intake to around 1300 a day. STILL stuck at around 173!!! What more can I do???

I'm 50 years old and 5ft 6 inches tall.

Lounmoun

Generally, if people are not losing they are really eating at maintenance level. It is a common problem and your logging is a good first place to check when you get stuck for 3 weeks or more.
Log everything you eat and drink as accurately as you can. Use a food scale and check that database entries you use are correct even if you scan a bar code. If you cook a dish from scratch, use the recipe builder to log it. Little inaccuracies can wipe out a calorie deficit.
Some people overestimate their calorie burn/activity level. It does not seem like you are eating much of your exercise calories if you are eating 1300 calories though so this is probably not the major problem.

https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10179969/weight-loss-flow-chart-2-0/p1
https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1234699/logging-accurately-step-by-step-guide/p1
https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10012907/logging-accuracy-consistency-and-youre-probably-eating-more-than-you-think/p1

Some things can cause the scale number to read a bit higher like water retention from new or increased exercise, if your diet changed in terms of carbs or sodium, menstrual cycle, if you have a medical condition, constipation. With it being 9 weeks with no change it is probably the logging but thought I'd mention the other stuff.

https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10575000/water-weight-gain-stop-panicking/p1
https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10359984/women-menstrual-cycle-weight-and-fitness-matters/p1

Have you taken body measurements? Clothes fitting differently?

dsboohead

Sit tight....keep doing what your doing and venture away from the scale.
A BAM moment is sitting right around the corner. Plateau's are part of a body's readjustment period.

88olds

No losses in the face of new exercise is a common complaint on this board. Newly stressed muscles hold water. Are you using a food scale? Measuring cups aren’t as good. Do you have many calorie counting gray areas? Give those a look.

Be patient. A friend says- We eventually get the weigh in we deserve, but not necessarily when we expect it.

vanessalester333

Thank you all for your advice x

I guess after years of overeating and inactivity I really shouldn't expect things to turn around within weeks!

My clothes fit better-I'm fastening waistbands that wouldn't do up a couple of weeks ago. My waist is more defined-I actually go in now! So I guess things ARE changing, just not on the scales -yet!

I'll carry on doing what I'm doing. I don't think I could comfortably eat less, not without feeling hungry! And if that happens, I'll just give up.

Once again, thanks all for taking the time to reply x

diannethegeek

These would be my generic suggestions:

1. If you aren't already, be sure that you're logging everything. Sometimes people forget about things like veggies, drinks, cooking oils, and condiments. For some people these can add up to enough to halt your weight loss progress.

2. Consider buying a food scale if you don't already have one. They're about $10-$20 dollars in the US and easily found at places like Amazon, Target, and Walmart. Measuring cups and spoons are great, but they do come with some degree of inaccuracy. A food scale will be more accurate, and for some people it makes a big difference.

3. Logging accurately also means choosing accurate entries in the database. There are a lot of user-entered entries that are off. Double-check that you're using good entries and/or using the recipe builder instead of someone else's homemade entries.

4. Recalculate your goals if you haven't lately. As you lose weight your body requires fewer calories to run. Be sure you update your goals every ten pounds or so.

5. If you're eating back your exercise calories and you're relying on gym machine readouts or MFP's estimates, it might be best to eat back just 50-75% of those. Certain activities tend to be overestimated. If you're using an HRM or activity tracker, it might be a good idea to look into their accuracy and be sure that yours is calibrated properly.

6. If you're taking any cheat days that go over your calorie limits, it might be best to cut them out for a few weeks and see what happens. Some people go way over their calorie needs without realizing it when they don't track.

7. If you weigh yourself frequently, consider using a program like trendweight to even out the fluctuations. You could be losing weight but just don't see it because of the daily ups and downs. You might also be sure your scale is working and doesn't need new batteries or anything.

8. Some people just burn fewer calories than the calculators predict. If you continue to have problems after 4-6 weeks, then it might be worth a trip to the doctor or a registered dietitian who can give you more specific advice.

psychod787

Most of the cardio machines wwaayyy overestimate caloric burns. Remember, the body burned less calories the smaller you get. It turns down your thermostat as far as predicted calories burned. The muscles become better at using energy, hr will slow, you get better at getting calories from the food you eat.

vanessalester333

So I have to eat less and less calories? Jeeeez! I feel I'm at the limit of what I can eat without being hungry all the time already!

psychod787

vanessalester333 wrote: »

So I have to eat less and less calories? Jeeeez! I feel I'm at the limit of what I can eat without being hungry all the time already!

Was that sarcasm or serious? Hard to tell context online....