Help! I'm very discouraged

amym04
amym04 Posts: 9
in Motivation and Support
I am hoping someone can help me out here. I feel like I've hit a plateau weight wise. I've done pretty well with losing and even maintaining my weight. But I'm not losing any more weight. I'm still eating healthy and working out but I'm not losing weight or inches. To be honest I'm very discouraged. I'm doing the same things I was when I was losing weight. I don't know if I need to change my workouts or what but I'm getting very discouraged. I considered trying a new workout, will that help? Any advice or tips?

Replies

  • CarolinkaCjj
    CarolinkaCjj Posts: 622 Member
    Most folks will ask you to open your diary. It is hard to say without being able to look at the patterns. Also, how tall are you and what is your goal weight? I doubt I can offer you much assistance (our goals and fitness levels are miles apart) but I know there are folks here who can take a peak and your diary and offer you a very insightful critique. All the best to you.
  • kethry70
    kethry70 Posts: 404 Member
    Most folks will ask you to open your diary. It is hard to say without being able to look at the patterns. Also, how tall are you and what is your goal weight?

    Yep. That.
    Also, how long have you been stalled out and have you recalculated your caloric needs since losing some weight.
    Finally, if you do not have a food scale, a plateau is a good time to invest in one. It is super easy to eat more than you think if estimating or only using measuring cups/spoons
  • MarisaShickel
    MarisaShickel Posts: 31 Member
    Adding in some new workouts can help when you hit a plateau, especially if you've been doing the same exercise the whole time. The body will get used to an exercise over time.

    If you don't already, try adding in some strength training. It's great for your metabolism. Even doing body weight exercises is great - sit ups, jumping jacks, squats, lunges, burpees, etc.

    Good luck!
  • cebreisch
    cebreisch Posts: 1,340 Member
    Only minor suggestions I can give without seeing your diary are the old standards: drink lots of water and make sure you're getting in enough fiber.

    The next *important* thing I can suggest (from personal experience) is: Make sure you're logging EVERYTHING down to the condiments. A lot of people (particularly me) get lax in the way they're logging their food, and they'll "err on the low side". What I mean by that is that they'll order a 6 inch sub from Subway and not have the last 3 bites, but count it as 3/4 of a sub. No, it needs to be counted as the whole sub. You "err on the worser side". Or they'll get Mayo on it and not count it on the food journal. Those "minor" extra bits of the equation being left off add up from a molehill to a mountain in no time.

    ULTRA BIGGEST THING: be patient.
  • cyndiee1
    cyndiee1 Posts: 24
    http://www.marksdailyapple.com/weight-loss-plateau/#axzz34AARt9Fx
  • Calliope610
    Calliope610 Posts: 3,783 Member
    What is your current weight? What is your goal weight? How much weight to you still want to lose? The more info you provide, the more people can help you with your specific situation. No info means lots of guessing.
  • Monkey_Business
    Monkey_Business Posts: 1,800 Member
    Alao, you may want to set new standards with new goals.
  • knitapeace
    knitapeace Posts: 1,013 Member
    When I hit a 4 month "plateau" I learned:

    1. You have to weigh your peanut butter. And everything else.
    2. It's hard to estimate strength training calories
    3. Sometimes you just have to keep doing your thing and be patient
    4. Taking a few months off running, then going back to it again, can kick your weight loss back into gear
  • tmj4477
    tmj4477 Posts: 145 Member
    In addition to what everyone else is saying you might have to increase your exercise intensity. Every month I up the ante on every workout I do for instance go from walking to a walk/jog. Also you might want to get a heart rate monitor to see what you are really burning. Lastly, you could get a metabolic test which will tell you how many calories that you individually burn than you can develop a specific plan
  • _lyndseybrooke_
    _lyndseybrooke_ Posts: 2,561 Member
    So you're "eating healthy" and "exercising regularly." Okay, cool, but that doesn't mean you should be losing weight. What matters is whether or not you're eating at a deficit. If you were eating at a deficit, you'd be losing weight. So, clearly, you're eating at maintenance.

    If you think you're eating at a deficit, then ask yourself these questions:

    1.) Are you weighing and measuring all of your food?
    2.) Are you logging accurately and consistently, every single day, even when you "cheat"?
    3.) If you're logging calorie burns, how are you doing it? If you're using MFP estimates, cut it out or manually put in a lower number. Better yet, get a HRM and log it that way. Better still, don't log exercise at all and use the TDEE - % method instead of the MFP method.
    4.) How long have you been stuck at the same weight? If it's for less than 4-6 weeks, you're not at a plateau.

    If you're doing it all right and still not losing for weeks and weeks at a time, then I'd see a doctor. My guess is that you're underestimating your calories consumed and/or overestimating your calories burned.
  • amym04
    amym04 Posts: 9
    I am wondering if I need to chane my workout routine. I am wondering if that will help at all.
  • Calliope610
    Calliope610 Posts: 3,783 Member
    I am wondering if I need to chane my workout routine. I am wondering if that will help at all.

    Maybe you do, maybe you don't. Without any giving us any specific information to work with, how do you except anyone to be able to give any helpful suggestions?

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