No weight loss

mbernadez2281

Hello guys! I have been working out 5 times a week and eating 1300 calories per day. I have lost 10 pounds already but it seems like I can't go below 180 as hard as I try. Am I doing something wrong? Any advice you guys might have?

Lietchi

You don't mention a time-frame. In what period did you lose those 10lbs and how long have you been 'stuck' at 180?
Often the answer is simply patience, if it's only been a few weeks.

FitGamerSmoak

Along with patience (because you might just be rushing it) you might not be eating enough. Your body literally might not have enough fuel to build the muscle and lose the fat. Without enough calories you are most likely not going to get anywhere.

Do you eat back some of the calories you burned while working out? Not the ones a machine says but ones that maybe you get from a fitness watch, HR monitor. Anything?

When I was actually succeeding at my weight loss (i gained a lot this last year) I increased my calories from 1200, to 1800 to accommodate for the increased work I was doing. it helped me tone up, but lose fat as well. I looked significantly better. The less work i do during the day, the less I ate but I found this to be a really good place, somewhere between 1500-1800 FOR ME. Not sure your age, how much you are trying to lose, but it does come down to that as well.

Good luck!

Holly1019

I hear you. I totally agree with the people above. I was stuck at 200….. over under over under…. Now I am also right above 180. 183. 185. Up and down. A friend of mine told me to up my protein and mix up my exercise routine. Can’t hurt right? Good luck.

lessjess22

It's hard, but you just have to be patient. Weight loss isn't linear and instead tends to occur in fits and starts. There are a lot of reasons the scale isn't moving. You could be gaining muscle. You could be retaining water. Your body could be undergoing recomposition. You kind of just have to keep the faith and trust the process. It sounds like you're working out really hard, and not eating a lot. When you work out a lot, your muscles tend to retain a lot of water. Calorie restriction also stresses the body and sometimes you just need to give your body a break. Oddly enough, I've had good results by just easing off a little when the scale stalls. You could mix things up a bit by eating at maintenance for a couple days and skip a workout. It might make the scale move.

I also would suggest measuring your success by tracking things other than the scale. The scale is finicky and not always the best indicator of how things are going. Track your measurements - you may be shrinking even though the scale isn't moving. I have experienced plateaus where I didn't lose any weight for a month, but I lost a pants size during that time. You can also track improvements to your fitness. Can you lift more? Run faster? Walk farther? If so, it's still a win.

ninerbuff

First post so assuming it's been less than a month. PATIENCE is what you need.

A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition