standstill

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i am new here
hello everybody
i have been losing weight for the last 6months and have been doing well- but my problem is i have hit a standstill- i am sitting at 147 for the last month- i have reduced what i have been eating and i have increased my exercise a little- not much time atm- but i will increase it some more in 2weeks time- but my problem is i have not moved from 147
my goal is 137-140- i am nealy there- but i have not been going anywhere
any advice or suggestions are welcomed

Replies

  • breda
    breda Posts: 10
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    i am new here
    hello everybody
    i have been losing weight for the last 6months and have been doing well- but my problem is i have hit a standstill- i am sitting at 147 for the last month- i have reduced what i have been eating and i have increased my exercise a little- not much time atm- but i will increase it some more in 2weeks time- but my problem is i have not moved from 147
    my goal is 137-140- i am nealy there- but i have not been going anywhere
    any advice or suggestions are welcomed
  • mary1127
    mary1127 Posts: 37
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    I wish I could help but the only progress I ever make is to make the numbers on the scale go up....ugh!
  • AlbertSchwartz
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    Welcome to MFP :smile:

    Ahh, i read what you said then remebered something banks had posted, so i scowered the forums and found it!

    Maybe this will help to enlighten you?

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/9433-expectations?hl=plateau+stage&page=1#posts-68994

    Cheers

    Al
  • shannonbanana
    shannonbanana Posts: 30 Member
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    When I have hit plateaus I go to "The Fat Smash Diet." It is the diet they use on Celebrity Fit Club. It is a diet that works in stages that gradually increases food intake. the first stage is called detox, which the book says to go back to for a few days if you hit a plateau. The idea is to shock your body by eating drastically different then usual to help kick off more weight. And its not starvation, you can eat as much raw fruit, vegetables, brown rice, oatmeal, milk, yogurt and eggs as you want. It has worked really well for me. the idea is to do it for a few days to reset your system and then add back in other healthy choices that you typically eat.

    Good luck and dont get frustrated, you have already done so well!!! :smile:
  • jincedar
    jincedar Posts: 1
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    mix it up...don't do your regular workouts, try something new. you should do the amount of time you have been doing for the cardio but try something different. For example if now you are doing the tred mill for 30 mins try the stationary bike or one of the elliptical machines for that amount of time. in addition you should add weights to your workouts. do some arms, legs, also mix that up as well. good luck!
  • shorerider
    shorerider Posts: 3,817 Member
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    From your profile, you only had 10 pounds to lose to begin with? That's part of what is making it difficult. Those with a small amount to lose often find it difficult to lose to begin with--particularly so the last few pounds. Not my personal experience but what I have read from others on here all seem to say that.

    Also, you haven't shared how many calories you are eating a day, how much exercise you are doing, how many calories you're burning, etc. Having that information would help us to help. You could be eating too little food.
  • breda
    breda Posts: 10
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    From your profile, you only had 10 pounds to lose to begin with? That's part of what is making it difficult. Those with a small amount to lose often find it difficult to lose to begin with--particularly so the last few pounds. Not my personal experience but what I have read from others on here all seem to say that.
    i should have been more specific- when i started weight loss last sept- i done a stupid diet called lipotrim- lost 42Lb's - but put back on 20- so slowly been losing that- i am now at 147- i would like to lose a little more- but nothing is moving....
    Also, you haven't shared how many calories you are eating a day, how much exercise you are doing, how many calories you're burning, etc. Having that information would help us to help. You could be eating too little food.
    it ranges i according to MFP i should be eating 1200cals- but i can never stick to that- i usually have around 1800-2000cals- which is still a deficit of 200-300 cals daily- so i should still be losing? shouldn't i??? not doing much exercise at the mo- i have exams at the mo- but finished in 3weeks so can up the exercise then. at the moment i am doing 30-40min caridiovascular and 15min weight training daily....

    thanks for all ur posts
    much appriated
    look forward getting to know u better
  • shorerider
    shorerider Posts: 3,817 Member
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    it ranges i according to MFP i should be eating 1200cals- but i can never stick to that- i usually have around 1800-2000cals- which is still a deficit of 200-300 cals daily- so i should still be losing? shouldn't i??? not doing much exercise at the mo- i have exams at the mo- but finished in 3weeks so can up the exercise then. at the moment i am doing 30-40min caridiovascular and 15min weight training daily....
    thanks for all ur posts
    much appriated
    look forward getting to know u better

    Depending on how much you're going over and how much exactly you're burning in exercise, it sounds like you're maybe not eating enough or just breaking even. I don't know what your Basal Metabolic Rate is, so can't say how much a 1200 calorie deficit would put you but it is possible you're not eating enough if you are working out every day. You might have put your body into starvation mode where it's simply holding onto to everything it's got to maintain.

    It's possible, too, that your body is simply at the weight it wants to be at to be healthy--sometimes our desire isn't what is healthy as far as weight goes. You need to take into what is a healthy weight for your size into all of it, too.

    If this other weight loss was due to some odd diet, your body might have been damaged and trying to repair itself.

    As you can see, there are a large number of variables but you need to consider a few main points--

    1) Your basal metabolic rate
    2) what is a healthy weight and BMI for your size
    3) Are you eating enough every day--in other words, are you "eating" your exercise calories
    4) if you're weight training daily, you could be building up muscle mass even if you're not losing weight. You could be getting better tone instead of losing weight, which is great at the point where you're close to your goal.
  • breda
    breda Posts: 10
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    1) Your basal metabolic rate
    2) what is a healthy weight and BMI for your size
    3) Are you eating enough every day--in other words, are you "eating" your exercise calories
    4) if you're weight training daily, you could be building up muscle mass even if you're not losing weight. You could be getting better tone instead of losing weight, which is great at the point where you're close to your goal.

    Your estimated BMR is: 1,403 calories/day*

    Your BMI is: 24.5
    Target weight range: 111.2 - 150.2 lbs

    i do eat enough......
    must be muscle- i know i am in the healthy range from BMI perspective- but only just in that range!!
  • shorerider
    shorerider Posts: 3,817 Member
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    "Only just" is still in the healthy range, and it is possible that you are at the weight your body needs to be.

    And, with a BMR of 1400 a day, given what your normal daily activity level is (not counting exercise here), you won't be able to have that big a deficit daily, so it will take a while to get off any weight.

    Trying to put it into perspective for you here, so look at it this way. I do 1200 calories a day but my BMR is close to 2100 calories a day because I have so much more to lose right now then you, so I right away have a deficit of almost 900 a day simply by following a 1200 calorie a day diet. You, on the other hand, probably have closer to 400 a day due to your low BMR.

    It's going to take you time to lose that last little bit you've got left, so don't give up! Keep up your exercise and maintain your eating and it will happen--eventually. :flowerforyou:

    There are others on here more up on the weight thing than me that can give you good advice about that but weight training will tone you up and might give you the results you want (physical look-wise) without losing more weight. I'm not up on the weight training stuff, sorry.
  • breda
    breda Posts: 10
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    thanks u are prob right
    just have to be patient- that is not a stong quality off mine- i like to see results!!!
    but will keep at it- just be a slow process
    but thank u so much for ur replys!!
  • ali106
    ali106 Posts: 3,754 Member
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    I think you're doing great and it will happen...great advice to try too!!!

    best of luck!
    hugs!
    Ali