Stuck for years at the same weight

mazd382
mazd382 Posts: 6 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi all
I have been a member of MFP on and off for the past 10 years

My lowest weight was 52kg at 5'5 and I maintained that for years in my early 20's. 2 kids down and at 30 years old, I am completely stuck at 65 kg and my youngest is going to turn 5. I have not been able to get back to the 50's since having him and have been in the range of 63-68 and no lower.

I am at a healthy weight, I know, but its not the weight I feel comfortable or I look good due to visceral belly fat. My ideal weight would be 55kg.

I walk on average 8-12 k steps a day, try to eat protein at every meal. I feel like I have dabbled in everything from keto, low carb, counting calories, couch to 5 k, light home workouts and just feel lost as I feel like by this point 'I know' exactly what I should be doing and what i should be eating but struggling to stick with anything to see results and my energy is just zapped.

Anyone with similar experiences or advice to drop this final 10 kg/20 lbs?

Best Answers

  • evie_wundt
    evie_wundt Posts: 33 Member
    edited November 2 Answer ✓
    Maybe you're at the weight you should be for your age and height. 65kg is a BMI around 23.5 to 24 which is normal. I know BMI isn't a good indicator of weight management, but consider that a weight in the 50kgs range maybe too low to maintain. Just a thought.
  • tomcustombuilder
    tomcustombuilder Posts: 2,247 Member
    Answer ✓
    mazd382 wrote: »
    Hi all
    I have been a member of MFP on and off for the past 10 years

    My lowest weight was 52kg at 5'5 and I maintained that for years in my early 20's. 2 kids down and at 30 years old, I am completely stuck at 65 kg and my youngest is going to turn 5. I have not been able to get back to the 50's since having him and have been in the range of 63-68 and no lower.

    I am at a healthy weight, I know, but its not the weight I feel comfortable or I look good due to visceral belly fat. My ideal weight would be 55kg.

    I walk on average 8-12 k steps a day, try to eat protein at every meal. I feel like I have dabbled in everything from keto, low carb, counting calories, couch to 5 k, light home workouts and just feel lost as I feel like by this point 'I know' exactly what I should be doing and what i should be eating but struggling to stick with anything to see results and my energy is just zapped.

    Anyone with similar experiences or advice to drop this final 10 kg/20 lbs?
    Whenever you’re at a decently normal weight and you’ve been there for awhile you need to ask yourself if it’s worth it to get by on fewer calories because that’s what you’re facing.

    What are you willing to give up? If you can be ok with some sacrifice then you’ll be able to lose and keep it off however if you lose then think you can go back to your old eating habits nothing will be gained and all your work will be erased then you’ll be right back where you started

Answers

  • mazd382
    mazd382 Posts: 6 Member
    trixsterjl31 wrote: »
    Sounds tricky. At 20 I weight 220 Lbs. That was maintained by a lot of exercise both on purpose and as a result of the life of a 20 year old. Walking up mountains, dancing, playing sports with friends.... By 31 i was about 300LBS because my activity on average shifted way down by my diet did not go with it. Since then I've been up to almost 400 and down to 260. I say this to let you know my struggles and journey are way different than yours just based on body size and being male vs female.
    That said if you create a deficit you will lose weight. As a micro human, i mean normal sized person, it is much harder for you to create a deficit than a surplus of calories. If you have been at 68 kg for years you just need to change a little and over time you will shift down. 3500 calories of deficit is a LB down, 3500 deficit surplus is a lb gained. Cut a little and increase exercise a little. When you have an event where people splurge... dont just eat a little and enjoy the event. Over time you will shift down.
    One hard truth that no-one looks like they did when they are 20 again without putting in work. Some people at 50 manage to look better than they did at 19, so it isn't impossible it just isn't a realist goal for most people.
    Also are you new to MFP. If so logging everything you eat can be very cathartic. You might be surprised where some of your calories come from and the things you can cut that will make a big difference.

    Thank you sharing your journey, still laughing at the micro human comment. It is a hard pill to swallow sometimes to know you will not look the same again, I remember even then always feeling insecure and not good enough and that I needed toned up etc so problems definitely don't decrease at a lower weight or not. I have had different mfp accounts over the years and feel like a seasoned expert when it comes to calorie counting, so I feel that shock factor of seeing how many calories are in food has worn off over the years
  • mazd382
    mazd382 Posts: 6 Member
    ninerbuff wrote: »
    The ONE thing I've always noticed with female clients with kids, is what they do with leftovers. Do you eat your kids leftovers? Do you realize that kids will always seem to never finish their plates? It's cause they instinctively just don't seem to overeat. As parents we hate waste. But many parents seem to overfill their kids plates because they think they may not eat enough. Out of habit you're likely doing the same. Eat off smaller plates and put less of a portion for yourself than you normally do. Instead of a 13" plate, eat off a 9" salad plate. A full plate seems in your mind more satisfying to finish off than a 13" plate that doesn't seem filled to the edge. And DON'T eat your kids leftovers. See if that helps.


    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 40 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

    Funny you would say that as I just finished up half a stale buttered toast my kid didn't finish and some crisps at the bottom of a packet. It's definitely underestimated and adds up and wasn't an issue pre-kids
  • mazd382
    mazd382 Posts: 6 Member
    evie_wundt wrote: »
    Maybe you're at the weight you should be for your age and height. 65kg is a BMI around 23.5 to 24 which is normal. I know BMI isn't a good indicator of weight management, but consider that a weight in the 50kgs range maybe too low to maintain. Just a thought.

    That's true, I guess my goal weight is a bit too low to fit my current lifestyle. A weight between 60-62 would be good for me while focusing on strength
  • mazd382
    mazd382 Posts: 6 Member

    Whenever you’re at a decently normal weight and you’ve been there for awhile you need to ask yourself if it’s worth it to get by on fewer calories because that’s what you’re facing.

    What are you willing to give up? If you can be ok with some sacrifice then you’ll be able to lose and keep it off however if you lose then think you can go back to your old eating habits nothing will be gained and all your work will be erased then you’ll be right back where you started
    [/quote]

    I definitely hate the thought of 'giving up' and just accepting, but perhaps a more realistic and sustainable goal is better for me like 60-62 kg where I can still eat the things I like and have energy for exercise and strength training. Posting has given me much better perspective on things, thanks for your input
  • trixsterjl31
    trixsterjl31 Posts: 156 Member
    edited November 4
    mazd382 wrote: »
    trixsterjl31 wrote: »
    I feel that shock factor of seeing how many calories are in food has worn off over the years



    My biggest shock when I started logging was how few calories I was trying to eat when I shifted from fast food to even slightly healthier options. When I swapped to simple foods I threw together without stuff like Mayo and cooking oils it was way too low and I had to add in stuff. When you add in fruits and veggies it hardly moves the bar at all and I can eat something from those school almost all day long. My pack when I'm eating good weighs 5KG. When I eat crap the same cals are the weight of a McDonalds bag. The easiest change for most people is any beverage that has calories. I'm glad you appreciated the micro human comment. It was more about me being a giant. My fiancé is about 5'2 58kg. It can be pretty funny.

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