Any tips on losing the last 5 or so pounds!? Scale is STUCK!

Finchtastic1

I can't get past 117. I have body fat to lose and I know a lot of my weight gain from 109 is fat PLUS muscle. I know I can get down to 112-115 with muscle but i am having trouble. All I know is I eat fairly healthy...80-20 is my motto. I workout although this week I have had a cold so I have toned it down.

My diary is public and I follow flexible dieting...IF it Fits your Macros...in case you wonder why I eat an oreo...if it fits I eat it. Today wasn't great I will say that but overall fairly good. Any tips on how to lose body fat. I'm SO close but I find myself getting discouraged and would love to find a way out of my plateau.

I run, do HIIT, lift weights...no money as of yet for a bike....

Help?

Oh and it's my b-day sunday so cut me some slack

ILiftHeavyAcrylics

How tall are you? How long have you been doing what you're doing and how long have you been stalled?


Looking at your diary I'd say start using a food scale to weigh your food in grams. Make sure you're choosing the USDA checked entries from the database (the ones with no asterisk)

When I first started logging I didn't need to be very accurate, but as I got closer to goal I had to really tighten up on accuracy.

Finchtastic1

I'm about 5'4" and I have a really small frame. I have a food scale but I suppose I should be a little more accurate you are right. And thanks for the tip...I had NO idea about the asterix. Maybe I'm overeating or not exercising enough?

Oh and I've been stalled for about 2 months or so...did a cleanse...lost weight and obviously gained it back. Wine is an enemy but I am learning to be more conscious. As for working out I usually do anywhere from 3-5 days 20-30 minutes.

ILiftHeavyAcrylics

I'm about 5'4" and I have a really small frame. I have a food scale but I suppose I should be a little more accurate you are right. And thanks for the tip...I had NO idea about the asterix. Maybe I'm overeating or not exercising enough?

Oh and I've been stalled for about 2 months or so...did a cleanse...lost weight and obviously gained it back. Wine is an enemy but I am learning to be more conscious. As for working out I usually do anywhere from 3-5 days 20-30 minutes.

I'd start by getting really accurate with your logging for the next 4 weeks. See where you are at that point.

The asterisk trick is a huge help. Also it works best to search for foods raw in order to get the most accurate entry. So instead of searching for "egg" you'd search for "whole raw egg" and instead of "cucumber" search for "raw cucumber." If there is no USDA entry in the database you can search here to double check calorie counts:

http://ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/search/list

If in 4 weeks you're still not losing anything I'd consider a diet break (especially if it's been awhile)-- eat at maintenance for 2 weeks and then drop back down.

What kind of exercise are you doing 3-5 days per week for 20-30 minutes?

ILiftHeavyAcrylics

One more thing; since you are in a healthy weight range for your height consider giving up on the scale and focusing on body composition. I'd recommend a beginner barbell routine with compound lifts, like Starting Strength or Stronglifts. It will not make you lose weight any faster, and can actually stall scale progress, but it will help you improve your body composition, which I think is what is really bothering you more than the number you're seeing on the scale.

Finchtastic1

Thank you for all the tips! I havent been doing a lot of running...I usually will run anywhere from 1-3 miles maybe like twice a week. I work on different muscle groups like bi's tri's or chest and back, etc. I have a set of 40 pound weights that i use. I've also got a pull up bar so I do negatives and that sort of thing. I discovered fitness blender recently so I've been incorporating that...i.e doing their HIIT videos and pilates.

I will try really being on point with grams and such on Monday. After the birthday I'll need it. And yeah I know the scale number doesnt always matter. I'm in the entertainment business so that whole number thing has always been a struggle...I also was an ex ballerina before being an actor.

I think if I could lose some fat on the thighs and stomach I'd be really happy. Hopefully in a month I see results. And I think you are right about maybe taking a break from dieting. It's funny because last summer I was on vacation in colorado and yes I was working out and walking a lot but I never counted a single calorie and I lost almost 4 pounds!

herblackwings39

I'm about 5'4" and I have a really small frame. I have a food scale but I suppose I should be a little more accurate you are right. And thanks for the tip...I had NO idea about the asterix. Maybe I'm overeating or not exercising enough?

Oh and I've been stalled for about 2 months or so...did a cleanse...lost weight and obviously gained it back. Wine is an enemy but I am learning to be more conscious. As for working out I usually do anywhere from 3-5 days 20-30 minutes.

I'd start by getting really accurate with your logging for the next 4 weeks. See where you are at that point.

The asterisk trick is a huge help. Also it works best to search for foods raw in order to get the most accurate entry. So instead of searching for "egg" you'd search for "whole raw egg" and instead of "cucumber" search for "raw cucumber." If there is no USDA entry in the database you can search here to double check calorie counts:

http://ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/search/list

If in 4 weeks you're still not losing anything I'd consider a diet break (especially if it's been awhile)-- eat at maintenance for 2 weeks and then drop back down.

What kind of exercise are you doing 3-5 days per week for 20-30 minutes?

Another helpful tip: If you don't find the usda entry with "egg" try "eggs" a lot of times if you search for the plural it pops up.