Lost 30lbs, CANT LOSE ANY MORE!!??

SpinCyn

Hello eveyone!!

Most of my weight loss journey has been with mfp!!! SO THANKS!

But now for over 2 months I have been STUCK at 170 lbs. I am 5``2 so this is still considered obese when looking at my BMI.

I tried to unblock this 'maintenance' by doing Insanity! It was an awsome experience and I got quite toned! BUT I DIDNT LOSE ANY WEIGHT!

I will admit I cheat......perhaps even daily. I will have that cookie, I will have that glass of diet coke, and I will have those nachos at the the restaurant and I will have that beer (like once every 3-4 weeks) BUT I will also work on small meals and LOTS of fruits. I go around 1300-1400cals a day. I tried for a long time to get my 45% protein but am not able to attain that in a day without whey (which I cant afford at the moment so this isnt a solution). The reason my diet isnt PERFECT is because I got a little demotivated so I am actually logging a little less and not trying so hard any more at eating perfectly CONSTANTLY. But like I said, I eat a lot of fruit.

How do I unblock this game level, JEEZ?!

THANKS EVERYONE, also the harsh truth is needed ..........

BabyNurseJen

Log absolutely everything again for a week or two. Chances are you're consuming a lot more calories than you think.

FrankiesSaysRelax

Log absolutely everything again for a week or two. Chances are you're consuming a lot more calories than you think.

This. You're either over-estimating your calorie burn or underestimating your calories consumed.. or both. You can have those nachos or beers, you just need to make sure they fit into your goals for the day.

basillowe66

Cyn, You obviously did great in losing the 30lbs. Now you have to adjust your eating habits and maybe have to cut out or at least cut down on some of the things you eat and improve on your eating. Also try to increase your workouts. This happens to all of us when we hit a plateau.
Discipline is what it's all about

Basil

AmyRhubarb

Accurate logging is key - get back to that for starters. Weigh and measure everything (if you don't have a food scale, get one, you can pick them up pretty cheap and it's totally worth it!), and log it all.

Also, have you rerun your numbers since losing the initial weight? Likely your calorie needs have changed a bit, so recalculating and double checking the numbers couldn't hurt.

Take your measurements and progress photos as well - often the scale won't show any progress at all while your measurements are quietly going down - I went about six months last year with same 2-3lbs up and down on the scale, seemed like I wasn't losing a thing. But during that time I dropped inches and a full size, so I laughed at my scale and went out to buy new jeans.

laddyboy

Sorry, can you repeat that...I was staring at your...Um...how do I say this without sounding like a creeper. Your BLL...Bud Light Lime..LOL

All Joking aside...The key is consistency. You can't out train a poor diet. Make small obtainable goals. 1 day at a time. You can do it. Every meal, every food choice is a battle...win every battle. Then 1 meal a week reward yourself. Don't over do it but have that pizza, beer and that cake. Then repeat the next week but clean up that cheat meal a little. Do this over and over.
Hope this helps

SpinCyn

Cyn, You obviously did great in losing the 30lbs. Now you have to adjust your eating habits and maybe have to cut out or at least cut down on some of the things you eat and improve on your eating. Also try to increase your workouts. This happens to all of us when we hit a plateau.
Discipline is what it's all about

Basil

Thanks so much Basil! this is very encouraging! I literally just got back from a run! This week I have picked up workouts after a break from insanity

SpinCyn

Accurate logging is key - get back to that for starters. Weigh and measure everything (if you don't have a food scale, get one, you can pick them up pretty cheap and it's totally worth it!), and log it all.

Also, have you rerun your numbers since losing the initial weight? Likely your calorie needs have changed a bit, so recalculating and double checking the numbers couldn't hurt.

Take your measurements and progress photos as well - often the scale won't show any progress at all while your measurements are quietly going down - I went about six months last year with same 2-3lbs up and down on the scale, seemed like I wasn't losing a thing. But during that time I dropped inches and a full size, so I laughed at my scale and went out to buy new jeans.

Wow! I did NOT readjust my goals so I will deffinetly be doing that today!!! I AM still logging about 5 days a week but i used to be OBSESESD with logging! and I will get back to using my measuring cup! More concentration should help for sure, thank you!

SpinCyn

Sorry, can you repeat that...I was staring at your...Um...how do I say this without sounding like a creeper. Your BLL...Bud Light Lime..LOL

All Joking aside...The key is consistency. You can't out train a poor diet. Make small obtainable goals. 1 day at a time. You can do it. Every meal, every food choice is a battle...win every battle. Then 1 meal a week reward yourself. Don't over do it but have that pizza, beer and that cake. Then repeat the next week but clean up that cheat meal a little. Do this over and over.
Hope this helps

HHAHAHAH!!!!! thanks! I will try harder to attain this! no more yucky snacks! I think its a cycle! If you stop working out, the bad food habits come creeping up :O when you work hard to sweat its less likely you will also have that chocolate!

SpinCyn

LOG EVERYTHING and read this article...

Why Am I Not Losing Weight: 11 Reasons You’re Failing To Lose Fat

http://www.acaloriecounter.com/blog/why-am-i-not-losing-weight/

and

LOG EVERYTHING!

copy, open new tap, paste. THANK YOU!

Hildy_J

So you've lost tons of weight, then maintained for a while and you do loads of exercise?

Now you're ready to hit it again. It's all good - I'm in awe of you!

SpinCyn

LOG EVERYTHING and read this article...

Why Am I Not Losing Weight: 11 Reasons You’re Failing To Lose Fat

http://www.acaloriecounter.com/blog/why-am-i-not-losing-weight/

and

LOG EVERYTHING!

Well that was a dissapointing read. Its all wrong. If you read carefully through what some of the forums are saying it says many people arent eating enough (yes it should all be good calories and include great exersize) but under eating is deffinetly not the answer. Also the article is not scientific and it is judgmental. I would not send this to people looking for help in weight loss. Unless they are new to mfp and extremely over weight.

swilliams921

Yes that is a terrible blog post. Cutting calories does make you lose some weight to start but the human body is the most advanced machine in existence. It adapts to changes in diet and you have to learn how to manipulate it's tendencies and use them to your advantage. What does the body do when you cut calories, it goes into starvation mode and preserves all the fat it possibly can. So sure you can burn a few calories and drop a couple of pounds while you're working out and eating good, but as soon as you stray even a little bit rest assured it is going to save as much as it can because it is thinking there is going to be a time where it won't see any food for a while.

What I have done is removed carbs from the solution. After a few days of sluggishness my body learned to use fat and protein for energy and I have felt better. No 2:30 feeling here and no waking up 2 hours before work to cook breakfast because its not needed. Say what you want but I'm doing fine. Your body burns the most calories while you sleep because sleep is when the batteries recharge. This is when your body goes to work repairing torn muscle fibers from your workout earlier in the day and put in the extra fight for any infections. That's why you never notice you are getting over a cold throughout the day. What better way to help this than to give it plenty of fuel to do that late at night. By training your body to use fat for energy it is much quicker to go to fat stores for energy once everything you've eaten has gone away. Oh did I mention carbs are the number one reason for water weight. When I first removed carbs from my diet, I dropped 10-12 pounds in 10 days. It was mostly water weight as I have only dropped another 4-5 pounds since then. It's going slow since I'm sitting around 12-13% bodyfat.

hannahpistolas

This, my dear, is probably a plateau. They're exhausting. I'm sure you've heard of them before.

But before you tear your hair out...

1. Make sure to log every bite of what you eat (and measure it).
2. Try changing up your fitness routine. Do you regularly lift heavy? Try some cardio. If you're already a cardio nut, try some lifting or resistance training.
3. Recalculate your goals based on your new weight.
4. Drink plenty of water. Seriously.
5. I am all for IIFIYM. I regularly eat things that aren't "clean", because it helps me keep focused. So I'm not going to be one of the people on here that say, "Don't drink/eat anything" or something. It's not really my style. Eat what you want-- just make sure to keep within your limits (or as close to them as possible).
6. Be patient. It's common, when you're going through a massive loss, to plateau and not lose weight for a few months. Sometimes more (the closer you get to your ultimate goal). I just recently kicked through one-- and then I lost like a pound a day for a week, which is also common.
7. If all else fails... Measure. Measure yourself, once a week, instead of stepping on the scale. A lot of times, while your scale isn't showing any remarkable changes, your overall body composition are. Take note of how your clothes fit. Take note of any new muscle definition. You might be pleasantly surprised. I know thin women who weigh almost as much as I do... The difference being, their muscle tone and definition levels are stellar.

I hope this helps. While I'm certainly no expert, I have learned a few things along the way (mostly through other kind people on MFP who have helped me along the way).

grimendale

I tried to unblock this 'maintenance' by doing Insanity! It was an awsome experience and I got quite toned! BUT I DIDNT LOSE ANY WEIGHT!

When you say you got toned, do you mean you lost inches? If so, then you lost fat. When I did Insanity, I had a similar experience. I dropped inches like crazy, but didn't lose a pound. That's fine. Insanity is intense, and your body retains a lot of water and glycogen in the muscles during it to repair itself. Depending on your fitness level prior to starting, you may also have put on muscle from newbie gains. It is not uncommon to not lose weight on insanity, even though you are burning fat. This is why they recommend you take pictures and body measurements during the program. The scale will lie to you so don't trust it.

SpinCyn

This, my dear, is probably a plateau. They're exhausting. I'm sure you've heard of them before.

But before you tear your hair out...

1. Make sure to log every bite of what you eat (and measure it).
2. Try changing up your fitness routine. Do you regularly lift heavy? Try some cardio. If you're already a cardio nut, try some lifting or resistance training.
3. Recalculate your goals based on your new weight.
4. Drink plenty of water. Seriously.
5. I am all for IIFIYM. I regularly eat things that aren't "clean", because it helps me keep focused. So I'm not going to be one of the people on here that say, "Don't drink/eat anything" or something. It's not really my style. Eat what you want-- just make sure to keep within your limits (or as close to them as possible).
6. Be patient. It's common, when you're going through a massive loss, to plateau and not lose weight for a few months. Sometimes more (the closer you get to your ultimate goal). I just recently kicked through one-- and then I lost like a pound a day for a week, which is also common.
7. If all else fails... Measure. Measure yourself, once a week, instead of stepping on the scale. A lot of times, while your scale isn't showing any remarkable changes, your overall body composition are. Take note of how your clothes fit. Take note of any new muscle definition. You might be pleasantly surprised. I know thin women who weigh almost as much as I do... The difference being, their muscle tone and definition levels are stellar.

I hope this helps. While I'm certainly no expert, I have learned a few things along the way (mostly through other kind people on MFP who have helped me along the way).

OMG i love you

klerato

This, my dear, is probably a plateau. They're exhausting. I'm sure you've heard of them before.

But before you tear your hair out...

1. Make sure to log every bite of what you eat (and measure it).
2. Try changing up your fitness routine. Do you regularly lift heavy? Try some cardio. If you're already a cardio nut, try some lifting or resistance training.
3. Recalculate your goals based on your new weight.
4. Drink plenty of water. Seriously.
5. I am all for IIFIYM. I regularly eat things that aren't "clean", because it helps me keep focused. So I'm not going to be one of the people on here that say, "Don't drink/eat anything" or something. It's not really my style. Eat what you want-- just make sure to keep within your limits (or as close to them as possible).
6. Be patient. It's common, when you're going through a massive loss, to plateau and not lose weight for a few months. Sometimes more (the closer you get to your ultimate goal). I just recently kicked through one-- and then I lost like a pound a day for a week, which is also common.
7. If all else fails... Measure. Measure yourself, once a week, instead of stepping on the scale. A lot of times, while your scale isn't showing any remarkable changes, your overall body composition are. Take note of how your clothes fit. Take note of any new muscle definition. You might be pleasantly surprised. I know thin women who weigh almost as much as I do... The difference being, their muscle tone and definition levels are stellar.

I hope this helps. While I'm certainly no expert, I have learned a few things along the way (mostly through other kind people on MFP who have helped me along the way).

OMG i love you

I know right!

FP4HSharon

LOG EVERYTHING and read this article...

Why Am I Not Losing Weight: 11 Reasons You’re Failing To Lose Fat

http://www.acaloriecounter.com/blog/why-am-i-not-losing-weight/

and

LOG EVERYTHING!

Well that was a dissapointing read. Its all wrong. If you read carefully through what some of the forums are saying it says many people arent eating enough (yes it should all be good calories and include great exersize) but under eating is deffinetly not the answer. Also the article is not scientific and it is judgmental. I would not send this to people looking for help in weight loss. Unless they are new to mfp and extremely over weight.

Don't knock it until you've tried it...you say yourself in your original post that you "cheat, perhaps even daily," "will have that cookie" & diet coke, nachos, beer, "yucky snacks," "LOTS of fruit" (the fruit comment twice) and that you log less, & don't really watch what you eat. Most of the things you mentioned...cookies, nachos, beer, yucky snacks, LOTS of fruit...are all very high in calories.

I disagree w/other posters who think you've reached a plateau, I think it's more likely you're just eating too many calories for your activity. I LOVED the article when I first read it, felt it really convicted me, and helped motivate me to be more disciplined w/the logging. I thought it would motivate you as well. The premise behind the article is VERY scientific. I'm sorry if you felt it was disappointing or discouraging to you, but if you're going to post & ask for advice, then you may "hear" some things you don't want to hear...but in some cases hard truths that you may need to hear. But you do notice that most of the posters are saying you should log everything...that's probably an indication they think you're overeating too. But try everything else, & if all else fails, log your calories...I think it'll work. All the best on your journey.

QuietBloom

Yes that is a terrible blog post. Cutting calories does make you lose some weight to start but the human body is the most advanced machine in existence. It adapts to changes in diet and you have to learn how to manipulate it's tendencies and use them to your advantage. What does the body do when you cut calories, it goes into starvation mode and preserves all the fat it possibly can. So sure you can burn a few calories and drop a couple of pounds while you're working out and eating good, but as soon as you stray even a little bit rest assured it is going to save as much as it can because it is thinking there is going to be a time where it won't see any food for a while.

What I have done is removed carbs from the solution. After a few days of sluggishness my body learned to use fat and protein for energy and I have felt better. No 2:30 feeling here and no waking up 2 hours before work to cook breakfast because its not needed. Say what you want but I'm doing fine. Your body burns the most calories while you sleep because sleep is when the batteries recharge. This is when your body goes to work repairing torn muscle fibers from your workout earlier in the day and put in the extra fight for any infections. That's why you never notice you are getting over a cold throughout the day. What better way to help this than to give it plenty of fuel to do that late at night. By training your body to use fat for energy it is much quicker to go to fat stores for energy once everything you've eaten has gone away. Oh did I mention carbs are the number one reason for water weight. When I first removed carbs from my diet, I dropped 10-12 pounds in 10 days. It was mostly water weight as I have only dropped another 4-5 pounds since then. It's going slow since I'm sitting around 12-13% bodyfat.

So much misinformation in this post. smh