I have been bouncing back for a year, is it a weight I will always be stuck at?

shirazumdraws

I was overweight growing up but in late teen years, I lost most of it all and became scrawny. I am short, not even 5 feet, even then less than 100 pound looked really skinny. Later in my early 20s, I gained about 10-15 pounds and kept the weight (110-115) for 12 years. I never looked big or overweight. I always worked out, more or less and looked quite decent, I build muscle pretty easily and my shoulder and legs looked ripped.

Later in late 2017, I started over eating, and had a drinking problem which came with extra pounds. Fast forward early 2019, I was in my late 20s, and weighed the highest in my life. 140 pounds. I knew I had to do something, I started eating right and lost about 20 pound in about 6 months but gained a few more back in 2020. But lost it again not doing much but eating healthier and jump roping 15-30 minutes a day, four to five times a week. I have been 120 pounds since February and everytime I try to incorporate more workout in my routine or create caloric deficit, my body just fights back, and either I am sore for days or I eat 2000-4000 calories a day for weeks and my weight comes back again in 120 pounds.

I am at this point in life, where I don't obsess about food anymore like I used to do. I also don't like to do extreme workouts anymore. I like calisthenics kind of workout. Some days I workout for hours practicing handstand, or pull ups, some days I just don't workout at all. I am still strong, probably stronger than I have ever been. And I don't want to eat 1200 calories, it just does not satisfy me.

Now at this point, I don't know how to lose the extra weight. I don't know if 120 pound is what I will always be.

quiksylver296

shirazumdraws wrote: »

<snip>

I am at this point in life, where I don't obsess about food anymore like I used to do. I also don't like to do extreme workouts anymore. I like calisthenics kind of workout. Some days I workout for hours practicing handstand, or pull ups, some days I just don't workout at all. I am still strong, probably stronger than I have ever been. And I don't want to eat 1200 calories, it just does not satisfy me.

Now at this point, I don't know how to lose the extra weight. I don't know if 120 pound is what I will always be.

You don't want to eat less or change up your workouts, but you want to lose weight.

Those three things can't all exist at the same time. You'll have to change one of them. You're either gonna have to eat less, exercise more, or not lose weight. Which one is the least painful to you?

88olds

Have you tried to find your maintenance number? Not just what the calculator says it should be, but what it actually is? There has to be something for you somewhere between 1200 and 2000+ calories. Give yourself plenty of time to find the number. Trial and error can be frustrating, but it will be worth it.

Once you have a number you can work from look at what you like to eat and how you want to live. What are some modest modifications you can make to get to some kind of calorie deficit? Get a food scale to help you crunch the numbers. Try not to get involved with how long it may take you to get to goal. Any kind of livable downward trend will suffice. You’ll feel a lot better when you have some control of the process.

And an aside- Weight loss, and my life in general, became a lot easier when I gave up alcohol.

Terytha

If you don't want to eat less or change how you work out then yes, this is the weight you'll be.

Losing weight requires us to change something. Staying the same results in... well, staying the same.

shirazumdraws

quiksylver296 wrote: »

shirazumdraws wrote: »

<snip>

I am at this point in life, where I don't obsess about food anymore like I used to do. I also don't like to do extreme workouts anymore. I like calisthenics kind of workout. Some days I workout for hours practicing handstand, or pull ups, some days I just don't workout at all. I am still strong, probably stronger than I have ever been. And I don't want to eat 1200 calories, it just does not satisfy me.

Now at this point, I don't know how to lose the extra weight. I don't know if 120 pound is what I will always be.

You don't want to eat less or change up your workouts, but you want to lose weight.

/quote]

I never said I don't want to change my workout. I said I don't like extreme workout anymore.

shirazumdraws

Terytha wrote: »

If you don't want to eat less or change how you work out then yes, this is the weight you'll be.

Losing weight requires us to change something. Staying the same results in... well, staying the same.

Like I replied in the previous comment, I never said I don't want to change my workout, but I don't like extreme workout like I used to do. I don't want to eat less. 1200-1300 just does not satisfy me and I either overeat or binge in the next few weeks.

shirazumdraws

88olds wrote: »

Have you tried to find your maintenance number. Not just what the calculator says it should be, but what it actually is? There has to be something for you somewhere between 1200 and 2000+ calories. Give yourself plenty of time to find the number. Trial and error can be frustrating, but it will be worth it.

Once you have a number you can work from look at what you like to eat and how you want to live. What are some modest modifications you can make to get to some kind of calorie deficit? Get a food scale to help you crunch the numbers. Try not to get involved with how long it may take you to get to goal. Any kind fo livable downward trend will suffice. You’ll feel a lot better when you have some control of the process.

And an aside- Weight loss, and my life in general, became a lot easier when I gave up alcohol.

I think I will do this. I have no hurry to lose weight, I want to find a balance in life where I don't constantly think about counting my calories and have a good relationship with food and workout. I quit alcohol last year. It was the single most decision I have made that I am very proud of.

harper16

On mfp set your weight loss goal at .5 lbs a week, set your activity without any exercise. What calories does it give you?
Log your food and any exercise separate, and eat back the exercise calories. There's no reason to jump between feeling hungry, and binge eating.

MostlyWater

Maybe intermittent fasting would be beneficial to you.

Wendyanneroberts

It sounds like finding your "maintenance" calories, would really help. To stop going from one extreme (at 1,200 cals) to then the other (up to 4,000 cals per day).

Once you know what your maintenance calories target is, you can then make decisions from there.

Even a small cut of 250 calories per day, will see a gradual loss (0.5lb a week) over time. Making it easier to follow and be more consistent.

shirazumdraws

Wendyanneroberts wrote: »

It sounds like finding your "maintenance" calories, would really help. To stop going from one extreme (at 1,200 cals) to then the other (up to 4,000 cals per day).

Once you know what your maintenance calories target is, you can then make decisions from there.

Even a small cut of 250 calories per day, will see a gradual loss (0.5lb a week) over time. Making it easier to follow and be more consistent.

That is what I have started doing from today. I bought the apple watch yesterday and it seems like I was under estimating my calorie burn. I always assumed I burn 150 calories per 30 minutes of exercise. Looks like I burn around 500+ for 45-60 minute sessions which is almost the double. I am trying to stick to 1600 (120 pounds*13) calories for the next four weeks with 3 days of calisthenics and 2 days of 20 min jump rope cardio workout to see what it does to my weight and body in general.

shirazumdraws

MostlyWater wrote: »

Maybe intermittent fasting would be beneficial to you.

I have been intermittent fasting all my life. I never eat breakfast and always end up eating my first meal 17 to 18 hours after, not intentionally though.

Lietchi

shirazumdraws wrote: »

Wendyanneroberts wrote: »

It sounds like finding your "maintenance" calories, would really help. To stop going from one extreme (at 1,200 cals) to then the other (up to 4,000 cals per day).

Once you know what your maintenance calories target is, you can then make decisions from there.

Even a small cut of 250 calories per day, will see a gradual loss (0.5lb a week) over time. Making it easier to follow and be more consistent.

That is what I have started doing from today. I bought the apple watch yesterday and it seems like I was under estimating my calorie burn. I always assumed I burn 150 calories per 30 minutes of exercise. Looks like I burn around 500+ for 45-60 minute sessions which is almost the double. I am trying to stick to 1600 (120 pounds*13) calories for the next four weeks with 3 days of calisthenics and 2 days of 20 min jump rope cardio workout to see what it does to my weight and body in general.

Be very careful, I would not trust those calorie burns blindly at all. They are just estimations based on your data, they aren't actual measurements of your calorie burn. Only time and sufficient data will tell you if those calorie burns are accurate for you.
500+ calories per 45-60 minutes seems like a lot to me for someone weighing 120lbs.

sijomial

shirazumdraws wrote: »

Wendyanneroberts wrote: »

It sounds like finding your "maintenance" calories, would really help. To stop going from one extreme (at 1,200 cals) to then the other (up to 4,000 cals per day).

Once you know what your maintenance calories target is, you can then make decisions from there.

Even a small cut of 250 calories per day, will see a gradual loss (0.5lb a week) over time. Making it easier to follow and be more consistent.

That is what I have started doing from today. I bought the apple watch yesterday and it seems like I was under estimating my calorie burn. I always assumed I burn 150 calories per 30 minutes of exercise. Looks like I burn around 500+ for 45-60 minute sessions which is almost the double. I am trying to stick to 1600 (120 pounds*13) calories for the next four weeks with 3 days of calisthenics and 2 days of 20 min jump rope cardio workout to see what it does to my weight and body in general.

There's a strong possibility you have swung from one inaccurate way of estimating exercise to another!
A watch can accurately tell you the time but it's only estimating exercise calories and those numbers look suspiciously high for your exercise choice and weight.

Although you have set a calorie goal in a very strange and inaccurate way the plan of setting a reasonable calorie goal and making adjustments based on results is a good one.

To answer your original question - no you aren't stuck, you can choose the weight you want to be and work to get there. Good luck.

shirazumdraws

sijomial wrote: »

shirazumdraws wrote: »

Wendyanneroberts wrote: »

It sounds like finding your "maintenance" calories, would really help. To stop going from one extreme (at 1,200 cals) to then the other (up to 4,000 cals per day).

Once you know what your maintenance calories target is, you can then make decisions from there.

Even a small cut of 250 calories per day, will see a gradual loss (0.5lb a week) over time. Making it easier to follow and be more consistent.

That is what I have started doing from today. I bought the apple watch yesterday and it seems like I was under estimating my calorie burn. I always assumed I burn 150 calories per 30 minutes of exercise. Looks like I burn around 500+ for 45-60 minute sessions which is almost the double. I am trying to stick to 1600 (120 pounds*13) calories for the next four weeks with 3 days of calisthenics and 2 days of 20 min jump rope cardio workout to see what it does to my weight and body in general.

There's a strong possibility you have swung from one inaccurate way of estimating exercise to another!
A watch can accurately tell you the time but it's only estimating exercise calories and those numbers look suspiciously high for your exercise choice and weight.

Although you have set a calorie goal in a very strange and inaccurate way the plan of setting a reasonable calorie goal and making adjustments based on results is a good one.

To answer your original question - no you aren't stuck, you can choose the weight you want to be and work to get there. Good luck.

I will let you guys know here about 4 weeks after of what happens. Thank you all for help.