Need some advice...

kmart20

I don't get it...I workout at least an hour to an hour and a half 5-6 days a week (usually 6 days a week) track what I eat (I'm eating 1200 calories a day without my workouts factored in) and still can't lose the last 7 lbs I want to lose. If anything I have gained back a couple of lbs but don't want to log that in...any advice?

MzBug

Start zig zagging your calorie intake between 1200 and 1500 per day. One day 1300, the next 1500, the next 1200, 1400, etc. Keep your metabolism guessing. Change up your exercise routine, do something different for a change. Even take a few days off from exercise. Just get out of the "rut" you are in for a couple weeks.

kdiamond

1) Zig zagging calories based on your activity level is probably a good idea
2) You are probably eating too little for your activity level

The last few are the hardest. If I were you, I'd step up the workouts (more intensity) and change your calorie intake a little. Change the foods, less grains, more lean meats and veggies. Cut out processed garbage for a few weeks.

redefiningmyself

One of my MFP friends has the same problem. She only has 10 pounds to take off, but no matter how much she exercised and kept to her 1200 cals the scale didn't move for weeks - or worse - she gained a half pound. So she started eating her exercise calories and was surprised to see she took off 1.5 pounds the first week. So that's what she's doing now - eating healthy and eating her exercise calories. It seems to be working for her. Her weightloss is a lot slower then some other MFP friends but that's because she doesn't have as much to take off. The closer you get to your goal, the slower it goes because your body fat percentage is so much lower.

Regarding zig zagging your metabolism, that doesn't make any sense to me. Firstly, your metabolism doesn't have a brain, so its not going to be guessing at what you are going to eat next or when. It just responds to what you eat when you've eaten. It doesn't pass judgment in advance. Also "confusing" your body would increase weight gain not help with weight loss. Your body holds onto calories as long as possible when it isn't fed on a regular and consistent basis. This has been proven scientifically over and over again. The best thing you can do for your body is to feed it healthy choices every 4 hours or so. This is what most doctors, dieticians and naturopaths recommend for optimum health and optimum weightloss.