what on earth is going on

skiski

i am really really confused...

my weight is static...right back at square one, i don't understand everytime i lose it comes back twice over...i know i am honest with myself and log everything, even the really awful days...my exercise is regular and if anything the best its ever been...

losing the weight is not the problem but i have never managed more than 1 stone (14lbs) and it never stays off,i have been here time and time again...i have even had various blood tests to rule out a medical cause...the weirdest thing is i have lost inches off my waist (2.5") bust (dropped to a 32") and thighs (1" off both)...

someone mentioned maybe my "set point" is my current weight, and the literature i have read on it makes sense... but it still doesn't change the fact i am 3 stone (40lbs) above where i would like to be...

i am 25 and can not recall a time that i have not been trying to achieve my target weight and the only time i have been less was after contracting food posioning which took me too 9st 7lb which i really felt happy at...

any ideas anyone i am totally stumped:huh:

skiski

i am really really confused...

my weight is static...right back at square one, i don't understand everytime i lose it comes back twice over...i know i am honest with myself and log everything, even the really awful days...my exercise is regular and if anything the best its ever been...

losing the weight is not the problem but i have never managed more than 1 stone (14lbs) and it never stays off,i have been here time and time again...i have even had various blood tests to rule out a medical cause...the weirdest thing is i have lost inches off my waist (2.5") bust (dropped to a 32") and thighs (1" off both)...

someone mentioned maybe my "set point" is my current weight, and the literature i have read on it makes sense... but it still doesn't change the fact i am 3 stone (40lbs) above where i would like to be...

i am 25 and can not recall a time that i have not been trying to achieve my target weight and the only time i have been less was after contracting food posioning which took me too 9st 7lb which i really felt happy at...

any ideas anyone i am totally stumped:huh:

petdam

Muscle weighs more than fat. If you replace some fat with muscles you might even gain weight, while you will look thiner. The inches you lost off indicate that everything seems to be going fine!

emtink

i agree with petdam. losing inches shows that you are making progress.

as for the 'set point' idea, i've never heard that term before. but it brings up an interesting point. i will never be a size 6. my skinny jeans are a 16, so my goal is to get back there and not any lower. is your goal realistic and healthy?

skiski

petdam

thanks for the reply, i guess muscle does weigh more but in theory that means my metabolism should be using more cals resulting in weight loss, isn't that correct?...inches are nice don't get me wrong but i would rather it was lbs!!!

emtink

as said i thought increased muscle mass = burn more cals, and more effective metabolism.

the set point theory is that we have a genetically predisposed set weight which our bodys will aim for if we are overweight and climb to if we are under weight...thats it in a very small nut shell!

the weight i am aiming for is 126lbs (9stone) and i am 5ft 5" currently i weigh 160lbs (11 stone 9lbs)

petdam

Maybe in theory, but in practice the human body does not work exactly like that. You don't only burn body fat whenever you are in need of energy but also (and mostly) sugars and proteins. That is, among others you also burn muscle. So if you're on a diet you'll just burn a bit of muscle and then your daily energy need will just go a little down, finding a new balance. The basal metabolism can go up or down depending on various factors, such as the energy available, among others. So cutting down a few calories should not result in an immediate weight loss or consuming a few more should not mean you just take on a few pounds.
It is easier anyway to lose muscle than fat. If you are doing things right (eating right and working out) then you are losing fat slowly while toning your muscles. And as you need very big amounts of fat to see your weight going down, this should take some time, since fat is extremely light (and on the other hand you're putting on muscle tissue that is extremely heavy). If you are seeing the changes on your body then be certain that you're on the right track.

As for the food poisoning, your weight went down rapidly for two reasons:
1 massive water loss
2 your body burning up muscle to retrieve energy

cp005e

Just to clarify....

Muscle doesn't "weigh more" than fat - a pound is a pound is a pound. However, muscle is denser and takes up less space than fat does. So, if you are losing inches but not pounds, you may be replacing your fat with muscle mass. This is good!

You might try to figure out what your percentage of body fat is. That will help give you a better idea of what is a realistic weight goal to shoot for. 126lbs seems kinda low for someone of your height. This site gives a good explanation of how to set your goals based on your body fat percentage:

http://www.healthchecksystems.com/bodyfat.htm

Say, for example, you currently have 30% body fat. That would mean that of your 160lbs, 48 pounds is fat and 112lbs is lean body mass (bones, organs, muscle). In that case, if you were to drop to 126lb losing only fat, you would then only have 14lbs of fat or 11% body fat. That would be very very low for a woman. However, what would be more likely is that in order to get to that weight you would end up losing lean mass (particularly muscle) as well as fat.

Obviously this is only an example, but I think it is helpful to think about more than just weight. There are a few methods you can use to try and figure out your body fat percentage, although none are perfectly accurate. Having an experienced person measure various spots on your body with calipers is probably your best bet, although there are tape measure methods as well as devices which measure electric impedence (?).

It sounds like you are doing great with logging your food and exercise. Good job! :flowerforyou: You might try tweaking your routine a bit - eating more at breakfast or snacks, adjusting your overall calorie intake up or down by 100-300 calories, drinking more water, trying new workouts, etc.

cp005e

oops, double post! I thought I broke the thread there for a few minutes! :embarassed:

skiski

petdam

thank you explaining things for me, i think i am not all that up on the info! and it made sense, i will ahve to trust my body if it is losing inches! as for the food posioning i am aware in no way was it "healthy" weight loss but it too a long period of recovery as my digestive system was damaged and i remained at 9st 7lbs for a considerable amount of time, hence why i miss it lol!!!

cp005

also lots of useful information to take in thank you! i got my body fat done at my dr's recently and it was 29.3% as i am awful at math i ave no ide if that makes a target of 126lbs realistic or not however after looking at that site you recommended i should be looking at 127-141 lbs weight wise...which gives me a good idea of what is realistic or not!

:flowerforyou: thank you both you have helped make things much clearer