When you only have 5 Lbs. to lose & Paleo

maria_antoinette

I have switched to paleo based on the fact that i have been doing high carb low calorie for 10 years now..The low calorie thing has actuallly helped me maintain a weight of 133 eating 1000 calories...and cheating days might be as high as 1800 (which is NOT often).. if i dont eat like this i can shoot up to 150 in a blink of an eye.. I am 45 5'4".. I look very good.. but my issues has been 5 lbs. for years now...

My goal is 128 and no matter what i do i cant lose... ANYWAY, paleo seems more healthy then what i have been doing since it includes breakfast and protein and fat... i have upped my calories to 1300.. eating the typical eggs for breakfast, organic chicken and veggies,, avocado etc. raspoberries etc... I clock in my calories everyday.. I do not go over 1300 and my ratio is correct.. VERY low carb, high in good fats and organic protein..

My question is.. will i stay at 133 forever??? how can i lose 5 lbs... its seems as though starving is the only way and then i go up.. I am going away on vacation and i really need to lose the 5 lbs. to feel mentally better in a bathing suit.. This may seem trivial.. so if you think its dumb.. just dont answer. i am looking for people who understand the frustration about the last 5 lbs.. its been 10 YEARS. i am going out of my mind with this dumb issue.

Nutmeg76

While it is true that diet is 80% of weight loss, when you get to the last few pounds it isn't so easy. What is your exercise routine? Is it possible that 130 IS your ideal weight even if it isn't what you want it to be?

Anniebotnen

Those last 5 pounds can be incredibly stubborn and frustrating! You might try changing your exercise routine, or adding exercise if you are not currently exercising, to see if that helps, particularly heavy lifting. However, as Nutmeg said,your current weight maybe a really good weight for you, and you say you look good. Is there some particular reason you feel the need to lose 5 more pounds?

maria_antoinette

well its not like i have to.. but 5 lbs. for me is the difference between size 6 and 4. which means i am more comfortable in my clothes.. and while on vacation i dont have to starve... and i have been trying to do this for 10 years.. its just annoying allready.

Nutmeg76

If you want to fit better in a smaller size I would suggest adding weight lifting and high intensity intervals to your workouts.

Dragonwolf

If it's clothing size you're looking for, then you're going about it wrong.

Do this instead (and ditch the scale):
www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2011/07/21/meet-staci-your-new-powerlifting-super-hero/

Chaskavitch

If it's clothing size you're looking for, then you're going about it wrong.

Do this instead (and ditch the scale):
www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2011/07/21/meet-staci-your-new-powerlifting-super-hero/

Amen! She looks great, I've wanted to look like her for like a year now.

Akimajuktuq

I have switched to paleo based on the fact that i have been doing high carb low calorie for 10 years now..The low calorie thing has actuallly helped me maintain a weight of 133 eating 1000 calories...and cheating days might be as high as 1800 (which is NOT often).. if i dont eat like this i can shoot up to 150 in a blink of an eye.. I am 45 5'4".. I look very good.. but my issues has been 5 lbs. for years now...

My goal is 128 and no matter what i do i cant lose... ANYWAY, paleo seems more healthy then what i have been doing since it includes breakfast and protein and fat... i have upped my calories to 1300.. eating the typical eggs for breakfast, organic chicken and veggies,, avocado etc. raspoberries etc... I clock in my calories everyday.. I do not go over 1300 and my ratio is correct.. VERY low carb, high in good fats and organic protein..

My question is.. will i stay at 133 forever??? how can i lose 5 lbs... its seems as though starving is the only way and then i go up.. I am going away on vacation and i really need to lose the 5 lbs. to feel mentally better in a bathing suit.. This may seem trivial.. so if you think its dumb.. just dont answer. i am looking for people who understand the frustration about the last 5 lbs.. its been 10 YEARS. i am going out of my mind with this dumb issue.

Is a number on a scale that important? You said you look good… do you feel good? Do you feel good eating 1000 calories?

I think it's incredibly sad that you are eating 1000 just to maintain your weight, and the fact that you can gain weight back very fast (so can I) should tell you something. You need to heal your metabolism. It may take a very, very long time. Restricting calories to that extreme will NOT help you restore a healthy metabolism and it's what's likely created the problem in the first place.

Calorie restriction for the last almost 2 years has lead me to stop losing weight and even in a supposed calorie deficit my body is trying to store fat. Seven months of this and I've finally realized that calorie restriction is to blame. Extreme calorie restriction does NOT heal metabolic problems, it increases them. I am now focused only on the quality of my food. I've had a health focus from the start but I'm forcing myself to put aside worrying about the scale.

A focus on health would help you. If you look good and feel good, why is 5 more pounds so important. If your body is at it's healthy weight it will resist losing. Not only that, you should be able to eat far more than 1000 calories and maintain. Cheat days with food that isn't beneficial isn't going to help either. I think if you focus on how to improve metabolism instead of trying to lose more weight, it would be a better health goal.

PS: I posted before I read the last part… I'm sorry if I've said something you didn't want to hear, but there are many of us here who have a lot of experience. If you don't like what you hear, ignore it, but "support" doesn't mean just telling you what you want to hear.

sportyredhead01

Extreme calorie restriction does NOT heal metabolic problems, it increases them.

This ten-fold.

As a reformed low-cal, low-fat dieter I have found that restriction only starves your body of the fuel required to get to your goal.

I wanted to thinner but I was doing it all wrong, surviving on Triscuits and string cheese for like 8 years of my life while trying to be a " healthy athlete" only to find myself getting fatter.

Have you ever been over to the Eat More-Weigh Less Boards? I'm a member of that group as well and it might be worth a read. That group helped me get over my strict 1200 calorie mindset. You may need to do a complete metabolism reset if you've been eating so little for so long. There's a bunch of info/support over there on that.

Are you doing Paleo just for the sake of the 5 lbs? If you don't have dairy or grain issues EMWL may serve you better.

Lastly, my advice is to abandon the scale and sizes. Pick up some weights and eat QUALITY food. Those little things vastly changed my life.

Good luck to you on finding what you need. It took me 2 years to figure it out myself.

maria_antoinette

My friend did that and she lost SO MUCH weight.. she now has to gain weight.. so like yeah you are right. I am just lazy and find excuses not to go to gym lately...

maria_antoinette

FINALLY I am 131.0 on PALEO after a week... Before I spenter YEARS AND YEARS of dieting and only being able to maintain like 133/35 and this is the first time i am not hungry while eating only 1200 calories a day and i broke the scale after 10 years.... I attribute that to GETTING RID OF SUGAR, FAKE SUGAR and CARBS.... I am super happy... I look great... a few more lbs. and i am on my way to BIKINI BODY for my summer trip....

I am eating breakfast and most of my diet is proteiens, fat and veggies.... VERY DIFFERENT from before which was LOW CALORIE mostly CARBS

husseycd

I'm 130 lbs and I lose weight on 1800 calories/day. And you look much younger than I am. I hate to jump on the Eat More bandwagon, but you shouldn't have to eat so little to maintain your weight. Unless you are tiny and completely sedentary. My BMR alone is about 1380 calories/day...

IMO, I'd recheck your calories. I know some people hate the "starvation mode" jargon, but I know I've seen papers where people have suppressed metabolism from either over dieting or over exercising or usually both. It's usually only by a couple hundred calories, but still.

At any rate, to share my story, I came here at about 138 lbs and wanting to lose about 5 lbs. I was a carb queen. I follow a primal-ish diet (basically I just avoid grain) and dropped 10 lbs easy. I started lifting heavy last Sept and have put on a couple lbs, but am the same size. I do work out every day, but I maintain (recomp apparently) on 1800 ish calories M-Th, and then whatever on Fri-Sun. When I've tracked on the weekends--which I don't often--I'm eating 2500-3000 calories. From my Bodymedia, my daily burn is 2200 cal/day. IMO, Paleo/Primal eating makes it really easy to watch calories because 200 calories of chicken is way more satisfying than 200 calories of bread. I feel a lot better too.

Good luck! And check your cals, girl! I hate seeing people starve themselves when they don't need to.

Akimajuktuq

FINALLY I am 131.0 on PALEO after a week... Before I spenter YEARS AND YEARS of dieting and only being able to maintain like 133/35 and this is the first time i am not hungry while eating only 1200 calories a day and i broke the scale after 10 years.... I attribute that to GETTING RID OF SUGAR, FAKE SUGAR and CARBS.... I am super happy... I look great... a few more lbs. and i am on my way to BIKINI BODY for my summer trip....

I am eating breakfast and most of my diet is proteiens, fat and veggies.... VERY DIFFERENT from before which was LOW CALORIE mostly CARBS

You are not fully grasping that Paleo is about HEALTH first and foremost. Eating 1200 calories is NOT healthy. I'm glad that you've improved your food, that's a big step, but please, please, please change your focus to health, not the number on the scale and how low you can go with calories.

A bikini body isn't necessarily a healthy body. And there is no "bikini body". Anyone can wear whatever the heck they want. All that matters is how they see themselves and a number on a scale does not correct self-esteem issues.

I will jump on the "eat more bandwagon". You might have short term weight loss success with such severe calorie restriction, but for the long term it will be a big FAIL. Been there, did that.

maria_antoinette

I TOTALLY AGREE.. the ENTIRE reason I am doing paleo is to eat more calories and be healthier ..... before i was eating 800 calories and stuck on 135... and i thought... well thats not worth it !!

now i am eating 1200 up to 1500 some days and LOSING weight.. hiopefully now i can eat up to 1800 on a cheat day and be ok...

Goes to show you how bad those carbs are.... also my stomach DOES NOT hurt anymore. i feel wonderful MORE nurished and less hungry...

oh!! and today I weigh 130.. i keep going down and my calories are going UP!!! yesterday i ate PORK RIBS and Organic butter.. usually that would send me in a tailspin of weight gain ( but i left OUT the baked potato and chips )..

super HAPPY!!!

maria_antoinette

Just to be clear.. I would eat maybe 1200-1500 a day before and gain 1 lb. per day.. so i would drop to 800 and lose weight.. NEVER going under 135. YOYO. DISASTER HIGH CARB DIET for the past 10 years.....

now I eat more and after a WEEK it finally kicked in.. PALEO is working.. more FOOD,,, more WEIGHT LOSS..

i cant wait to get it up to 1500 again...

maria_antoinette

I TOTALLY agree with you.. 1000%.. thats the whole reason I switched to PALEO... and its finally working... I have been HIGH CARB lo fat yo yo dieting for tooo long with MAJOR stomach issues.. no success.. well i lost 20 lbs... but got stuck and unhappy at 135...

all of that has gone away with just 1 1/2 weeks of paleo... Weight went suddenly DOWN,, Calories UP,, no stomach issues..

I could not be happier.. like seriously I am on cloud 9 and NOT starving anymore...

I ate PORK RIBS yesterday !!!!!

butterbear1980

First I'm glad you've found paleo and are open to eating more. Change is hard and you are taking steps in the right direction to loving your body and taking good care of yourself....now about weight and size four pants and calorie counting.....are you lifting weights? Because the single fastest way to get into those size 4 Levis is some squats and dead lifts. Seriously....its amazing! I'm a Size 4 5'4" and 145#. So...weight lifting!!!! And you just absolutely have to take photos and measurements because you can see gains while stay I g the same size or be loosing inches at the same weight.

maria_antoinette

I go to the gym and do cardio and LIGHT weights a few times a week.. but i stopped for the past month because it was making me sooooo hungry.. I am going to get back to it soon once i am at goal weight .. my best friend lost a TON of weight by lifting weights.. it took like 2 months but it kicked in ... i just hate that feeling of being so hungry and i am so close to my goal .... i mean today i was 130.2 and everything in my closet fit me perfectly.. so like i dont want to ruin it by having carb cravings from to much gym...

Akimajuktuq

I go to the gym and do cardio and LIGHT weights a few times a week.. but i stopped for the past month because it was making me sooooo hungry.. I am going to get back to it soon once i am at goal weight .. my best friend lost a TON of weight by lifting weights.. it took like 2 months but it kicked in ... i just hate that feeling of being so hungry and i am so close to my goal .... i mean today i was 130.2 and everything in my closet fit me perfectly.. so like i dont want to ruin it by having carb cravings from to much gym...

Omg. Please OP, research the Paleo lifestyle a bit more. It is about HEALTH. A strong person is a healthier person. Avoiding doing something that is healthy because it makes you hungrier is WRONG. So, if all of your current weight loss is muscle, do you think that's a good thing? Just because the number on the scale is smaller?

You will NOT bulk up from heavy weights. You will get a SMALLER body, but the scale won't give you a smaller number. However you will be able to eat more, feel better, maintain a healthy metabolism (cuz what you are doing now will do the opposite).

OK, I'm shutting up now. :sad:

PS: I thought I was talking to someone 18, and I was thinking my experience might be helpful. Nope. According to your profile you are around my age. I'm starting to think that you can't possibly be for real. 130 pounds is just so huge... not. Are you trolling? If so, please stop. If not, please forgive me- but please go to Recommended Reading and check out some of those publications; they will help you greatly.

maria_antoinette

18.. i wish. i am 45 and i have been able to maintain my weight for a very long time.. the gym makes me super hungry so since i have been on this trip of trying to lose the last 5 lbs. for like 1 million years, i thought i would just stop for a minute and regroup.

i heard about paleo from my cousins who crossfit and so i tried it.. ITS WORKING!!!!!!!!!!! i cant belive i broke through the 133/135 thing... last year i spun for 2 hours a day and gained 10 lbs.. lol... the gym 1000% makes me too hungry..

anyway.. 18 huh.. i have 2 teenager and my 22 year wedding anniversary comeing up.. and i am making everyone gluten and organic here.. so its been an amazing 10 days i must say..

will continue...

Dragonwolf

I go to the gym and do cardio and LIGHT weights a few times a week.. but i stopped for the past month because it was making me sooooo hungry.. I am going to get back to it soon once i am at goal weight .. my best friend lost a TON of weight by lifting weights.. it took like 2 months but it kicked in ... i just hate that feeling of being so hungry and i am so close to my goal .... i mean today i was 130.2 and everything in my closet fit me perfectly.. so like i dont want to ruin it by having carb cravings from to much gym...

http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2011/07/21/meet-staci-your-new-powerlifting-super-hero/

Go read it, please. Then read it again for good measure. Then, go pick up Starting Strength and New Rules of Lifting for Women and read them.

Then, the next time you go to the gym, grab a barbell and use that. And throw away the scale and buy a tape measure.