loosing "old" weight - accumulated 10-15 years ago

Colfiii

Hi everyone,
I'm on a very strict and healthy diet ( lots of fresh fruits and veggies ) and I've been loosing weight steadily for the last couple of weeks at a 'good pace' . I exercise, drink water ... and so on. However I reached my lowest weight in my adult life ( I've never actually been under this weight ever ) and I think I packed all this during my teenage years. I'm 30 and I've never weighted under 140 pounds ( I'm 5.3 ) and my highest and almost constant weight was around 155. So now I reached this minimum weight I ever had and I 'm plateauing at this weight and I was wondering if anyone had the same experience and some advice ? I read the weight you ve been carrying for years is really hard to shred - is it true ? Did anyone else had this problem and what did you guys do about it ?

Colfiii

P. S - I guess this is also synonymous with loosing the last 10-15 pounds ? ... How do you get out of plateau for this ?

LivingtheLeanDream

bump

I hope thats not true! but I am finding myself stuck (been current weight now for 8 weeks) although I am so very close to my original goal...also am at the lowest now I have been in around 15 yrs, maybe there is something in this??

I have actually just decided to maintain saying my body seems happy here...

BUT...
bumping to see if there are others with the same 'plight'.

sweetpea03b

I'd like to have the answer to that one myself because I just can't seem to bust through my "usual weight" of 172 despite eating well and exercising.... haven't lost an ounce in weeks... and it's very frustrating!

Colfiii

hmm... thanks guys ! ... let's see if there is someone else with same problem. I'll keep you updated if I manage to go under this ... . I ve been reading stuff online and yea, people say u can be in the plateau phase for months ... your body simply doesn't want to let go the fat that is really really old. Ufff... I was not ready for this ... . I guess if I increase exercise and drink more water might help ?? ... maybe ...

LivingtheLeanDream

^^ THANKS
I've tried to up my exericise for 6 weeks I was doing up to 3 hrs per day!!! and then as seeing no results and burning myself out really I had to take a step back and wise up so for me now its 1 hr per day (that includes some strength) - I aim for 10000-12500 steps 6 out of 7 days/week.

I have read lots about this too and all would say we're just eating too much but I don't agree, I KNOW I'm not eating too much and I REFUSE to starve myself.

LTKeegan

I think you have to stop with the "a calorie is a calorie" and start feeding your body exactly what it needs. Healthy whole foods, with lots of exercise.

Try hitting your macro goals as well as your calorie goals, this has been working for me (also its a slow slog)

Colfiii

.... thanks for the reply ! I do eat only whole foods, mostly raw, super healthy ... I don't know if I can actually get healthier than that :P ))) ... . But there is something that my body doesn't like or just holds on on old fat. I was loosing didn't change anything and then bummmm no loss anymore .

95to5percent

Dear old weight and new life style
It is so easy for us all to to say "enjoy the life", but a new life style is what will keep you healthy year after year. The scale may go up or down a few pounds, but it will only stay off if you persist in enjoying the life you have chosen. I have been up and down many times and refuse to be frustrated with slow loss or lack of loss. Mindful eating, good choices, and health bring a happy weight. Congratulations for you success so far, and keep up the plan, it will work. the numbers may or may not change for awhile. increase your movement, (make sure you get 10 min for every 60 minutes of sitting and change what you do-- your body gets tired of the same ole thing.)make sure you get protein with every meal, and start the day with 30 grams. Keep fiber at 25-30 grams(it sounds like you are doing that) and sometime you can stay there for some time, but eventually it will start coming off again.

bubaluboo

You say you've been losing well and then it's been the last couple of weeks with no weightloss. This is not necessarily a plateau, I've read that plateaus should only really be called that when they last for more than 4 weeks. Our bodies can just go through a few weeks of not shedding and then boom, the fat seems to melt away. Having said that, I had a 6 week plateau at 10lb left to lose and found that actually upping my calorie intake by 100 cals did the trick. Don't expect to lose quickly, aim for 0.5lb per week at this stage and stick with what you're doing...it will all even out in the end.

LTKeegan

.... thanks for the reply ! I do eat only whole foods, mostly raw, super healthy ... I don't know if I can actually get healthier than that :P ))) ... . But there is something that my body doesn't like or just holds on on old fat. I was loosing didn't change anything and then bummmm no loss anymore .

hmm. I would say stick at it, don't give up, and maybe try to change one big thing. Shake it up and cut processed sugar, or add a new sport sometimes doing something different is what your body needs, even if your change is only just to get over the plateau.

bwogilvie

I was a chubby kid and a fat teenager - easily 160 lb. by the time I was 18, and probably around 180 when I finished college. But I didn't notice any plateau as I dropped down to 135 lb. when I was in grad school. I wasn't weighing myself consistently, though (and the two gyms I used had scales that gave very different weights, too), so there might have been a plateau I didn't notice.

Sarah4fitness

Are those who've stagnated lifting weights?

Iwishyouwell

Most of the time when people get to a much lower weight, and stall out, it's not because of "old fat" being stubborn. It's because they have not adjusted their calories for their new weight. Lots of people cut weight on a certain calorie range, but failed to recalibrate their intake for their current bodies.

Unless you've lost all along at a severe deficit, you're not going to continue losing on the level of intake you were using 40 lbs ago.

I hit a plateau after losing 45lbs and stayed in a 10 pound loss/gain cycle for the better part of 2 years. It needed to cut my intake down further.

LivingtheLeanDream

Are those who've stagnated lifting weights?

I'm lifiting weights - 4 times per week for about 30 mins ... why do you ask?

LivingtheLeanDream

Most of the time when people get to a much lower weight, and stall out, it's not because of "old fat" being stubborn. It's because they have not adjusted their calories for their new weight. Lots of people cut weight on a certain calorie range, but failed to recalibrate their intake for their current bodies.

Unless you've lost all along at a severe deficit, you're not going to continue losing on the level of intake you were using 40 lbs ago.

I hit a plateau after losing 45lbs and stayed in a 10 pound loss/gain cycle for the better part of 2 years. It needed to cut my intake down further.

so are you saying we need to reduce our calories?
how would that tally with the general consensus ref TDEE i.e when you have less to lose instead of eating at 20% less TDEE you eat at either 10% or even 5%?? just wondering?

Fuzzipeg

I am inclined to think that one white sugar calorie is different to one calorie of protein for instance, this can be said of fat, fruit and veg calories too. The way I see it, the protein calorie comes with other valuable nutrients where as the refined sugar is easily accessible and is empty of other nutrition. From what I have read carbohydrates which become "sugar substances" more readily in digestion could be being an issue where as those which take longer to transform could be better over all,pointing to fewer refined carbs in favour of more complex ones.

The calorie was hit on for weight loss many, many years ago and dare I say for some, people who have used calorie control most often or for long periods it may not be the most effective measure, carbohydrate values may be more helpful for those people. I am working through a plateau but fear I need to treat medical issues before I can progress further. My suspects include low thyroid. I am awaiting blood results. In the meantime I am supplementing for with cod for the iodine, the building block which helps make our own thyroxine and with magnesium,from tuna and some nuts, which plays into our background chemistry too. This is having the effect of pushing me towards higher protein which is low carb but puts me higher on calories. Loads of questions there which I don't know the answers to. I am day 4 at the moment so I will see how I go.

Don't know if my contemplations will help anyone. Take care, do what is right for you.

LTKeegan

Most of the time when people get to a much lower weight, and stall out, it's not because of "old fat" being stubborn. It's because they have not adjusted their calories for their new weight. Lots of people cut weight on a certain calorie range, but failed to recalibrate their intake for their current bodies.

Unless you've lost all along at a severe deficit, you're not going to continue losing on the level of intake you were using 40 lbs ago.

I hit a plateau after losing 45lbs and stayed in a 10 pound loss/gain cycle for the better part of 2 years. It needed to cut my intake down further.

so are you saying we need to reduce our calories?
how would that tally with the general consensus ref TDEE i.e when you have less to lose instead of eating at 20% less TDEE you eat at either 10% or even 5%?? just wondering?

I think it just means you should recalculate your TDEE. The website I used said to recalculate every 5lbs. Have you done that? still use 20% but you could try slowing it down...

LivingtheLeanDream

Most of the time when people get to a much lower weight, and stall out, it's not because of "old fat" being stubborn. It's because they have not adjusted their calories for their new weight. Lots of people cut weight on a certain calorie range, but failed to recalibrate their intake for their current bodies.

Unless you've lost all along at a severe deficit, you're not going to continue losing on the level of intake you were using 40 lbs ago.

I hit a plateau after losing 45lbs and stayed in a 10 pound loss/gain cycle for the better part of 2 years. It needed to cut my intake down further.

so are you saying we need to reduce our calories?
how would that tally with the general consensus ref TDEE i.e when you have less to lose instead of eating at 20% less TDEE you eat at either 10% or even 5%?? just wondering?

I think it just means you should recalculate your TDEE. The website I used said to recalculate every 5lbs. Have you done that? still use 20% but you could try slowing it down...

I have calculated my TDEE as I have went along of course and now I have a Fitbit, have it 3 months and I know these things aren't exact but I had been losing steadily until 2 months ago. It tells me my average TDEE is 2100 so I eat up to 20% less than that, I know I should be eating about 10% less but you never can be sure about calorie accuracy in general.

Its the Fitbits 'fault' that I started doing way more exercise, had this thing about bettering my step count all the time - reached 13 miles/30k steps one day and was so proud of myself but the more I exercised the more my weight stalled.

Colfiii

guys thanks so much for the replies ! I had in the last 2 days tons of water and went to gym and ... well I guess I'm out of it because the scale was lower one pound today so I guess my weight loss resumed. But independently of that I go so much good advice ! thanks a whole lot

95to5percent

:happy: Good job the sites your were asking about are blog-life style coach evolution and group 95% club